Israel ambassador nominee Huckabee faces tough questions over personal beliefs at Senate hearing
Former governor of Arkansas is an outspoken proponent of Israel and has been described as a Christian Zionist
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Spectator
10 hours ago
- Spectator
The BBC's Israel problem
Intrepidly, the BBC dared recently to visit Dover, Delaware – source, it implied, of starvation in Gaza. I listened carefully as its State Department correspondent, Tom Bateman, hunted down the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in the state which, he explained, is 'a corporate haven for those who like privacy'. Brave Tom did not find much, but that only proved to him that 'The main ingredients of this aid are its politics'. The foundation's chairman says he is a Christian Zionist which, for the BBC, is almost as bad as saying you are a neo-Nazi. The portentousness aside, it is reasonable to ask tricky questions of the American/Israeli organisation which claims it can solve aid in Gaza. The BBC's problem is that it would never, ever apply its investigative zeal to the cartel currently responsible for the aid that seems not to get through. When has it ever doorstepped the UNWRA operatives who moonlight for Hamas? When has it ever challenged the political 'ingredients' of UN agencies as they heap abuse on Israel and stay respectfully silent about Hamas? When has it complained that Hamas does not answer its calls? Perhaps Hamas does answer, welcoming the BBC's trusting approach. The Office of Rail and Road has noticed that our railway system comes down too hard on the innocent. Yes. The weekend before last, about to return from Newcastle, I found I had lost my ticket. I went to the ticket office, bearing my complete receipt, which even included my seat reservation. The man was pleasant, but said there was no way I could have a free new ticket or even an eventual refund. So I had to pay £133 (nearly £50 more than I had already paid) to travel. Approaching the train, I noticed that the barrier was open. Boarding, I found the computer seat reservations had all gone down. Alighting at King's Cross, I realised that no guard had checked my ticket on the journey and that the barriers were open and unmanned. So if I had 'cheated', I would have been unmolested but because I had owned up, I was out of pocket. Obviously this all started with my carelessness, but why can rail companies treat one as guilty until proven innocent though English law says the opposite? I spoke twice in Oxford last week to highly intelligent, mainly undergraduate audiences. The atmosphere reminded me of 1980s secret meetings of dissidents behind the Iron Curtain arranged by British intellectuals, such as Roger Scruton, who were smuggled in. One encountered young people who feared discovery but showed a touching belief in the life of the mind as they thirsted for freedom in the desert of enforced conformity. For the sake of their careers, I shall not reveal who my audiences were. From one attendee, I learnt that in Mods, the first half of the Oxford four-year Classics degree, one no longer studies Virgil or Homer. Instead, the only compulsory texts are Terence and Plautus. This is like reading theology without studying the Old or New Testaments (which, come to think of it, is probably now commonplace). Are there any subjects, outside the liberal arts, in which each generation is encouraged to know less than the previous one? Are there physics degrees which drop quantum theory, or maths ones without calculus? We have contrived a culture in which universities grow, yet knowledge shrinks. As a graduate of Cambridge, I am depressed by my university's decision to open up the Chancellorship to all of us. We always felt smug about Oxford's beauty contest between superannuated politicians. Ours was uncontested. Now we have to endure a dingier version of the Oxford rhodomontade. The Chancellor of Cambridge should not strike attitudes or take sides, as a vote compels. He or she should be unspeakably grand/rich/disinterested. For many years, the late Duke of Edinburgh held the post, faction-free, because he was married to the then Queen, had a mind of his own and had never been to a university. After Prince Philip, our Chancellor was Lord Sainsbury of Turville, a blamelessly benevolent prince of commerce. Now there are ten candidates, all with 'statements' staking their claims. Gina Miller, the eurofanatic, wishes to 'affirm Cambridge's commitment to modernity and equality'. Sandi Toksvig, the television personality, says she speaks up for 'equity, inclusion, rewilding, sustainability and tackling online bias'. We don't want someone who speaks up. Why can't we have the present Duke of Edinburgh, alumnus of Jesus College, who gives diligent public service and will therefore remain silent? There are a great many stories about ransomware and the damage it causes. Presumably these attacks happen mainly because the businesses attacked pay the ransom. One never reads about this, or how criminals get away with the money. If a business pays, is it acting legally? If a public limited company pays a ransom, could shareholders sue? If, on the contrary, it is argued that paying the ransom is good for shareholders, could they sue a company that refused to pay? Friends tell me – and I believe them – that Chloe Dalton's new book Raising Hare is excellent. It does not automatically follow that she is right to call for a new law to impose a close season on hare-culling. The patchy shortage of hares (in some places, the fields are teeming with them) is not attributable to shooting but to habitat loss, vermin and European Brown Hare Syndrome. Besides, as is so often the case when people itch to legislate, there is a relevant law already. Under the Hares Preservation Act 1892, it is an offence to sell, or expose for sale, any hare or leveret between the months of March and July inclusive. Hares may only be sold if shot between 1 August and the last day of February. There is therefore no commercial incentive to orphan a hare in the breeding season.
Vancouver Sun
22-05-2025
- Vancouver Sun
Two Israeli embassy staffers killed in shooting outside Jewish museum in Washington
Two Israeli embassy staffers were shot and killed on Wednesday evening outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. The male victim was identified as Yaron Lischinsky. His final post on social media was a repost of a message condemning the United Nations' false claim that 14,000 infants in Gaza were facing imminent starvation, labeling it a modern-day blood libel. According to Israeli Ambassador to Berlin Ron Prosor, who taught him as a master student, Lischinsky was a Germany-born Christian Zionist who had served in the Israel Defense Forces and 'chose to dedicate his life to the State of Israel and the Zionist cause.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The female victim was Sarah Milgrim. She spent five weeks in Israel researching the role of friendships in peacebuilding for her final master's project, according to a LinkedIn post she shared two years ago. Milgrim's work built on a stint with Tech2Peace the previous summer, where she developed a passion for capturing the stories of Jewish and Arab participants. Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter revealed that the victims were a couple who were about to be engaged. Lischinsky had recently purchased an engagement ring and planned to propose next week in Jerusalem. 'Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives,' the Israeli embassy wrote on X. 'The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder. No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss. Our hearts are with their families, and the embassy will be by their side during this terrible time.' Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives. This evening, a terrorist shot and killed them as they exited an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in DC. The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder. No words… U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said that authorities were 'actively investigating and working to get more information to share.' 'We will bring this depraved perpetrator to justice,' she added. The shooting occurred around 9:15 p.m. near the intersection of 3rd and F Streets NW, in front of the museum and just behind the FBI's Washington Field Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office. Israeli embassy spokesperson Tal Naim Cohen wrote on X that the victims had been shot 'at close range.' 'We have full faith in law-enforcement authorities on both the local and federal levels to apprehend the shooter and protect Israel's representatives and Jewish communities throughout the United States,' said Cohen. Police are questioning a 30-year-old man from Chicago who is believed to have acted alone. Following the shooting, he entered the museum, where he was detained. D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith said Wednesday night that the suspect chanted, 'Free, free Palestine' as he was taken into custody. Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, told ABC News that his organization was hosting an event at the museum that evening. 'We are devastated that an unspeakable act of violence took place outside the venue,' Deutch said. 'At this moment, as we await more information from the police about exactly what transpired, our attention and our hearts are solely with those who were harmed and their families.' Danny Danon, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, condemned the incident as a 'depraved act of antisemitic terrorism.' 'Harming the Jewish community is crossing a red line,' Danon wrote on X. 'We are confident that U.S. authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act. Israel will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives everywhere in the world.' The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is involved in probing the attack. U.S. President Donald Trump extended condolences to the victims. 'These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!' he wrote on Truth Social. 'Hatred and radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!' 'These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!' —President Donald J. Trump U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi visited the scene and said she was 'praying for the victims of this violence as we work to learn more.' Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned the attack, expressing outrage and emphasizing that representatives of the Jewish state are under constant threat. 'Horrified by this morning's terrorist attack, in which two of our embassy staff in Washington, D.C., were murdered. Israeli representatives around the world are constantly exposed to heightened risk, especially in these times,' he said. 'We are in close contact with American authorities. Israel will not surrender to terror.' Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated: 'I am devastated by the scenes in Washington, D.C. This is a despicable act of hatred, of antisemitism, which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy. 'Our hearts are with the loved ones of those murdered and our immediate prayers are with the injured,' he continued. 'I send my full support to the ambassador and all the embassy staff. We stand with the Jewish community in D.C. and across the U.S. 'America and Israel will stand united in defense of our people and our shared values. Terror and hate will not break us,' Herzog said.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
'Project Esther' exposes the reality of Trump's agenda to fight antisemitism
President Donald Trump has enacted a raft of suppressive policies ostensibly designed to combat antisemitism, such as cutting off funding to universities that he claims haven't done enough to curb antisemitism on campus. But if you take a look at the little-known playbook that appears to have inspired many of his most aggressive moves, it becomes evident how little it has to do with ending bigotry against Jews. The playbook is called Project Esther, a policy paper created by the Heritage Foundation, arguably the most influential right-wing think tank of the Trump era. Heritage also produced Project 2025, the extreme policy manifesto that has shaped much of Trump's agenda. Project Esther is a kind of miniature Project 2025, offering guidance on using authoritarian tools to crush criticism of Israel across the country. Trump has used many of the extreme policies it has recommended, including deporting immigrants who express pro-Palestinian sentiment and attacking academia using public defunding. There was some reporting on Project Esther before Trump entered the White House, although it got relatively little attention. But new reporting from The New York Times details how it came together and lays out how much Trump appears to have hewed to it. The White House didn't respond to the Times' query about Project Esther's influence on its goals, and Heritage couldn't confirm its influence, but a co-author of Project Esther told the Times he believed it was 'no coincidence that we called for a series of actions to take place privately and publicly, and they are now happening.' The Heritage Foundation formed an antisemitism task force after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, which helped lay the groundwork for the Project Esther paper. Strikingly, only one of the four people who started the task force was Jewish, according to the Times, while two of them were Christian Zionist leaders. The task force was joined by mainly conservative and Christian organizations, rather than Jewish organizations. In a pitch deck that Heritage used to entice donors for the task force, George Soros — a Jewish billionaire and the bogeyman at the center of countless antisemitic conspiracy theories — is listed at the top of 'masterminds' behind what it calls an antisemitism 'ecosystem,' as Forward reported in 2024. That deck also singles out Jewish Voice for Peace — a progressive Jewish organization known for its organization of protests that criticize Israeli policy — at the top of its list of 'organizers' contributing to the antisemitism ecosystem. In its statement of purpose, the task force identified anti-Zionism as 'hatred against Jewish people,' even though there has long been a tradition of anti-Zionism across the international Jewish community and it isn't inherently antisemitic to criticize the ideology of Zionism. In other words, this antisemitism task force was giving heavy Christian Zionist vibes. Christian Zionists view their unconditional support of Israeli policy and Israeli expansionism as a spiritual duty. John Hagee, a pastor and chair of Christians United for Israel, has espoused repugnant antisemitic beliefs, and other Christian Zionists often weaponize a nominal concern about antisemitism — even while trafficking in antisemitic tropes and beliefs. As Emily Tamkin wrote for MSNBC in her assessment of Hagee's appearance at a rally to support Israel in 2023, 'One can support Israel and also spread antisemitism.' The Times reports that the Heritage antisemitism task force's policy recommendations served as the basis for Project Esther, which is an astonishingly radical and paranoid document — and not without some problematic statements about the Jewish community of its own. In a document that sounds plainly McCarthyist, Project Esther posits that the pro-Palestinian movement in America is 'part of a global Hamas Support Network (HSN)' and that this network is 'supported by activists and funders dedicated to the destruction of capitalism and democracy.' It continues: [T]he HSN benefits from the support and training of America's overseas enemies and seeks to achieve its goals by taking advantage of our open society, corrupting our education system, leveraging the American media, coopting the federal government, and relying on the American Jewish community's complacency." That last line is an astounding example of Project Esther's condescension to American Jews — who the authors seem to think aren't up for the challenge of identifying antisemitism. But this perspective also holds that activists in America objecting to U.S. support for Israel, as it commits what many human rights organizations and genocide scholars have described as genocide, are actually part of some nihilistic, shadowy international terrorist organization that wants to covertly take over and destroy America. The assessment doesn't just preposterously conflate criticizing aid to Israel with supporting Hamas; it suggests that criticizing Israel is tantamount to a siege against the state in America. Based on its hyper-reactionary assessment of the pro-Palestinian movement, the Esther Project promotes a variety of policies that appear designed to circumvent First Amendment-protected speech and identify and suppress pro-Palestinian speech as support for terrorism. Many of its proposals, like a focus on deportations, have already been enacted. But some others, such as purging social media and expanding the idea of 'material support for terrorism,' haven't emerged in full force — and hopefully won't. There has been a surge in antisemitism in America in recent years across the political spectrum, which is a deeply distressing social problem worthy of serious engagement. Notably, Project Esther has nothing to say about antisemitism on the political right, which, according to a recent study, is more common than it is on the left. But the proposals of the Esther Project aren't good-faith efforts, nor are the Trump policies they've seemingly helped inspire. They instead exploit the reality of antisemitism to advance an antidemocratic project of unconditional support of Israel. This article was originally published on
