Latest news with #Anti-Jewish
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Kevin Kiley is too focused on battle with Newsom to think of his constituents
'Kevin Kiley scores win against longtime nemesis Gavin Newsom,' ( May 22) The idea that Kevin Kiley 'won' in his ongoing battle against his nemesis, Gov. Gavin Newsom, is as disturbing as it is illuminating. With his relentless pursuit to demonize Newsom through social media and legislative initiatives, Kiley shows that the politics of retribution are not limited to the executive branch. But who are the winners here? Not Californians who need to breathe clean air. Not businesses connected to the electric vehicle industry. Not the voters of the third Congressional district, who have a right to expect their elected representative to pay attention to their needs instead of engaging in a years-long crusade against a fellow politician. Those who pay attention to Kiley's words and actions know this will not be the last time he misuses his public office for political gamesmanship. When an elected official uses their office as a weapon for revenge, we all lose. Barbara Smith Auburn 'California updates track meet rules after Trump threat,' ( May 27) California state law correctly protects the rights of all public school students, including trans students, to be free from discrimination while participating in school-sponsored activities. To the extent that the President of the United States and California State School Superintendent candidate Sonja Shaw, who is running on an anti-trans platform, think they have the power to restrict California's students simply because they don't like our non-discrimination laws, it just goes to show what despicable bullies they truly are. The 16-year-old trans student and her mother, who are now caught in the eye of this storm, are real-life heroines for not only standing up to the bullies holding positions of power in federal and local government, but also to hate-mongering individuals screaming at them from the track meet stands. Like the state of Maine, I have no doubt that Attorney General Rob Bonta will legally challenge any unlawful action taken by the federal government against California and our students. Wendi Ross Roseville 'A Sacramento rabbi speaks out about rising antisemitism,' ( May 24) Rabbi Reuven Taff expressed the painful reality of violent hate crimes Jewish people are experiencing at schools, synagogues, and Jewish communal facilities, like the Jewish museum in Washington, D.C. Callous indifference appears to be mounting amid expressions of bigotry and discrimination against Jews. Anti-Jewish sentiment is widespread in America, and it is causing immense harm to Jewish Americans as individuals, as families, and as a community. People of conscience need to step up as allies and speak out in defense of freedom, equality and safety for Jews and in defense of the rights and welfare of Americans of all backgrounds and identities. Noam Schimmel Lecturer, UC Berkeley 'US Senate votes to overturn California bid to ban gasoline-powered vehicles,' ( May 22) Congratulations to Congress for blocking California's unprecedented and short-sighted attempt to ban gas-powered vehicles by 2035. In a stunning defeat for Gov. Gavin Newsom, this move restores some policy sanity to the once 'Golden State.' In a state leading the nation in poverty, with some of the highest costs of living, Newsom seems determined to remake the state into a haven for only the wealthy. Michael Pruden Sacramento 'California waives the rules for wildfire rebuilding projects,' ( Jan. 29) Safeguarding communities from wildfires is imperative, but the Fix Our Forests Act, co-sponsored by Sen. Alex Padilla, isn't the answer. The bill ignores decades of science-backed research and promotes reckless backcountry logging that fails to keep people or communities safer. It doesn't mitigate fire behavior in extreme wind-driven wildfires. It may even worsen fire risk because forest floors will experience increased exposure to the sun's drying heat, and windbreaks will be lost. We deserve legislation that protects forests and provides real defense against wildfires, not the faux fix of this bill. Jennifer Normoyle Hillsborough
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
LVA says controversial speaker banned from VFW and Sheraton
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A controversial speaker initially listed for the upcoming USS Liberty Veterans Association reunion in Norfolk has been banned from speaking at the event at the Sheraton, according to organizers. John Dixon, media director for the Liberty Veterans Association, also confirmed the VFW's decision to remove Peters from a separate memorial service at the USS Liberty Monument, hosted by VFW Post 4809 in Norfolk June 8. 'As of right now, Stew Peters is banned,' Dixon said. 'That's all we can say. We don't know anything — the reasoning behind it. We don't know anything.' The reunion, scheduled for June 6–9 at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel, will bring together survivors and supporters of the USS Liberty, a U.S. Navy ship attacked during the 1967 Six-Day War. Dr. Kenny T. Fountain, a professor and director of Writing & Rhetoric at the University of Virginia, said understanding the historical context is important. Criticism emerged after an online flyer circulated listing far-right media personality Stew Peters among the speakers. Peters has faced backlash for pushing antisemitic rhetoric and conspiracy theories. In a statement released last week to 10 On Your Side, the VFW emphasized it does not support extremist ideologies. Fountain said rhetoric like Peters' is not just inflammatory, but potentially harmful. 'Anti-Jewish sentiment that transcends the state of Israel gets kindled by these kinds of ideas,' he said. 'Repetition can encourage belief, whether we like it or not.' City officials say a robust security plan is in place for the weekend, which coincides with Norfolk's annual Harborfest celebration. The city of Norfolk stated that 'Norfolk Police Department will have an increased security presence throughout downtown Norfolk during the entire Harborfest weekend. NPD also receives additional assistance from federal law enforcement partners during Harborfest. While specific details cannot be provided, the Norfolk Police Department maintains a robust security plan for large scale events such as this one to ensure the safety of our public. ' WAVY 10 has reached out the Sheraton numerous times, and has yet to receive a response. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Shooting at Capital Jewish Museum highlights rising wave of anti-Jewish hate crimes
The shooting of two Israeli Embassy employees in Washington, D.C., after a Jewish event Wednesday highlights the struggle American cities face trying to protect Jewish citizens and landmarks, which have repeatedly been targeted by radicals and terrorists over the years. Anti-Jewish hate crimes have soared to record highs, according to the Anti-Defamation League, citing FBI data. Massacres include the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh in 2018 and the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack Hamas launched on Israel. Large police departments, like the NYPD, have been focused on target-hardening efforts to improve safety in and around Jewish landmarks for years. "Unfortunately, over the decades, special attention has had to be paid when there is a Jewish or Israeli theme to these locations and events," said Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD Inspector. "This was only heightened after 9/11, after the Tree of Life murders in Pittsburgh, after 7 October – after so many others." Police Raid Dc Shooting Suspect Elias Rodriguez's Chicago Apartment In New York, police have visibly beefed up their presence outside synagogues, the Israeli consulate and the Big Apple's own Jewish Museum. Read On The Fox News App When there's even the perceived chance of a threat, the department will routinely beef up security around Jewish landmarks in the city. Some have a visible police presence all year. "The good news is that NYPD knows how to do this and, while nothing is perfect, they have developed great expertise in this area — often thanks to best-practices gleaned from partner agencies around the world," Mauro said. Israeli Official Warns Of The Growing 'Tsunami' Of Antisemitism Many other departments have adopted the NYPD's protocols. Whenever attacks take place, police around the country are quick to announce increased patrols near places of worship. Despite years of police efforts, attacks continue, including a shooting at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. Wednesday night. The 31-year-old suspect, Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, is accused of fatally shooting two Israeli Embassy workers from behind after they left an event sponsored by the American Jewish Committee. Opinion: Stop Talking, Start Teaching: New York Must Fight To End Antisemitism In Our Schools Mauro told Fox News Digital that visible security measures may have influenced the decision to attack outside the venue rather than within the building. "The fact that the story is that he was pacing around out front, and that the event was going on right there, and then he decided to do it outside?" he said. "He traveled all the way from Chicago to do this?" He noted that the venue and organizers did have some security measures in place. The invitations were encrypted and limited. At least one off-duty MPD officer was inside for security. The officer, who was wearing a police vest, may have scared the suspected gunman from opening fire inside the building, he said. "I think he saw the security and said, 'I'm better off not going in there and getting shot myself,'" Mauro speculated. "He didn't decide to shoot it out. He decided to pull a Mangione. He wanted to live." Luigi Mangione, a 27-year-old Ivy League grad turned suspected killer, is accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson from behind after stalking him in Manhattan. He allegedly had a manifesto outlining his disdain for the health insurance industry in his backpack when police arrested him at a Pennsylvania McDonald's days later. A possible manifesto from Rodriguez was being investigated by the FBI to verify its authenticity, Deputy Director Dan Bongino revealed on X Thursday. The Jewish community has also taken its own measures to increase security. Texas resident David Katz, a former DEA agent and the CEO of the Global Security Group, uses his expertise on active-shooter response to train Jewish volunteers to protect their own synagogues on the side. "I can't believe, still, that someone could be pacing in an agitated manner outside a major Jewish institution and no one challenges the guy?" he told Fox News Digital. "No one calls the police to even interview him?" An outside presence is a key aspect of security that Katz teaches, he said. "In my synagogue, one of the volunteers would simply go out and say hi," he explained. "Engage the person and see how they respond. You look for body language clues while scanning for concealed weapons. We would have back-up volunteers ready to act. Everyone is armed and everyone is trained."Original article source: Shooting at Capital Jewish Museum highlights rising wave of anti-Jewish hate crimes
USA Today
24-02-2025
- USA Today
Trial begins for man accused of stabbing 6-year-old Palestinian boy, committing hate crime
Jury selection began Monday in the trial for an Illinois man accused of stabbing a 6-year-old Muslim boy to death and seriously wounding his mother in what authorities described as a hate crime. Prosecutors allege that Joseph Czuba, 73, was motived by a 'hatred of Muslims' when he stabbed Wadea Al-Fayoume, a Palestinian American boy, and his mother, Hanaan Shahin, more than a dozen times in an Oct. 2023 attack. Czuba pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and two counts of committing hate crimes. He has been held without bail. More:One year later: Anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate incidents spike since Oct. 7 attacks On Oct. 14, 2023, Will County deputies found Wadea and his mother suffering from severe stab wounds inside a bedroom she rented from Czuba in a suburb about 40 miles outside of Chicago. Wadea had been stabbed 26 times with a military style knife, authorities said. He died from the injuries in a hospital shortly after the attack. Shahin, who was stabbed more than a dozen times, survived the attack and told authorities what led to the violent encounter. Czuba had angrily confronted her about the Israel-Hamas War shortly before the attack, according to court documents. After Shahin proposed that they 'pray for peace,' she said Czuba attacked her with a knife. She locked herself in a bathroom, but Wadea was in the bedroom, and she was not able to get him. Deputies found Wadea unresponsive "lying on a bed on his back shirtless with multiple stab wounds to the chest and what appeared to be a knife inserted" into his abdomen, according to the documents. More:Father of slain 6-year-old Palestinian American boy files wrongful death lawsuit Officers found Czuba in the backyard with a cut on his forehead and a knife holster on his belt and several pocketknives next to his feet. Czuba's wife told investigators her husband feared they would be attacked by people of Middle Eastern descent. Prior to the attack, Czuba's wife said he told her he wanted Shahin and Wadea to move out, saying he believed Shahin would call over 'Palestinian friends or family to harm them.' The stabbing occurred a week after Hamas' deadly attack on Israel, which saw 1,200 people killed and roughly 250 taken hostage. Israel launched a military offensive against Hamas in the days following the attack. More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since, according to Gaza medical officials. Wadea's death quickly garnered national attention. Former President Joe Biden denounced the stabbings a day after they occurred and marked the one-year anniversary of the boy's death this past October. More:Israel sends tanks into West Bank for the first time in more than 20 years Former U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland launched a federal hate crime investigation into the attack. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution to honor Wadea. Contributing: Thao Nguyen and Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY
