Latest news with #Ayalon
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Boulder attack renews safety concerns for US Jewish communities
On Sunday, a group gathered in Boulder, Colorado, to raise awareness for hostages held in Gaza was attacked, leaving 12 people injured. The suspect, Mohammed Sabry Soliman, accused of throwing incendiary devices at them, allegedly planned the attack for a year, and told police he wanted to "kill all Zionist people," according to court documents. It was the latest in a string of attacks against Jewish people and institutions, ratcheting up anxiety among those in North America's Jewish community who see these incidents as signs of growing antisemitism in the US. The Boulder attack occurred just weeks after a suspect shot and killed a couple outside the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington, DC. They were later identified as employees of the Israeli embassy who had been attending an event at the museum. In April, the official residence of Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro was set on fire, just hours after the Jewish lawmaker celebrated the first night of Passover. "Jews are feeling the impact and are more afraid than they were two weeks ago, or that fears that existed in some communities a few weeks ago are more heightened," said Adina Vogel Ayalon of J Street, a pro-Israel advocacy group that's critical of the war and has called for a ceasefire in Gaza. "These types of hate crimes are not distinguishing between where you fall on the political spectrum about the war" between Israel and Hamas, Ms Ayalon said. "And that is something very unsettling." Israel has faced sustained international criticism over its military actions in Gaza, which it undertook after Hamas attacked the country on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people - mostly civilians - and taking 251 hostages. Over 50,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. The statistics do not distinguish between civilians and Hamas fighters, and the BBC and other international media organisations are blocked by Israel from entering Gaza to verify. But a United Nations report that assessed Gazan deaths during a six-month period found nearly 70% of verified victims were women and children. Throughout the conflict, human rights experts have raised the alarm of widespread hunger, disease, and displacement within Gaza. The war also has become a divisive political issue in the US. Pro-Palestinian protests across university campuses and in major cities have ignited greater debates over education and free speech. There are religious, generational, and partisan divides within the American Jewish community about support for Israel and the question of Palestinian statehood. But the attacks in Boulder and Washington DC, struck a broader nerve because they crossed a "clear red line between legitimate free speech and political violence," Ms Ayalon said. Boulder's attack has drawn condemnation outside the Jewish community. "Acts of antisemitism have no place in our society," the Muslim Public Affairs Council condemned the Boulder attack in a statement. "This violent assault is not only an attack on a specific community but a direct threat to the values of pluralism, dignity, and safety for all people of faith. As Muslims, our faith calls us to speak out against injustice and to uphold the sanctity of every human life." The group targeted in Boulder, Run For Their Lives, holds weekly meetings and marches across the country to call for the release of the remaining hostages taken to Gaza. "The premise of the group is to peacefully raise awareness of the hostages. We're apolitical, we're not protesting anything," said global coordinator Shira Weiss. Many of the group's members are Jewish and support Israel, but those are not requirements for participation. "We get people from all walks of life - who vote Republican, Independent, Democrat, who support the Israeli government, or don't support the Israeli government," Ms Weiss said. Safety has always been a top priority for group chapters, she said, but they "never thought such a violent attack would happen." Jewish communities and institutions across the US have long required security, but many bolstered their defences after a shooter espousing right-wing antisemitic conspiracy theories murdered 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania synagogue in 2018. The following April, another shooter attacked a synagogue in Poway, California, killing one person and injuring three others. Those conversations are again happening in the wake of the Boulder incident. "The attacks, especially given the succession of attacks in a short period of time have made every Jewish American question their security, whether it's their personal security or the security of Jewish institutions that they visit," said Haliey Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America. "There's a sense that what has occurred in DC and Boulder could have happened anywhere, could have happened to anyone." The Jewish Colorado organisation announced a fundraiser to support increased security for Boulder's Jewish community, as well as financial and trauma support for victims of the attack. Its goal is $160,000. Rabbi Dan Moskovitz of Temple Sholom in Vancouver, Canada frequently joins Run For Their Lives events and plans to continue advocating for the hostages in Gaza. But he worries the Boulder attack would not be an isolated incident. "It's only going to inflame more radicalisation," he said. "It's only going to inspire more people to do those things." Antisemitic incidents in US surge to record high - report Prominent Jewish figures boycott Israel antisemitism event over far-right guests
Middle East Eye
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Former Shin Bet chief backs criticism of Gaza war by Board of Deputies members
A former head of Israel's Shin Bet security agency has intervened in support of members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews facing disciplinary action for speaking out against the Israeli government and its war on Gaza. Writing in The Guardian newspaper on Tuesday, Ami Ayalon said the 36 board members were 'true friends of Israel' who had 'expressed the exact concerns and sentiments' as those voiced during weekly anti-government protests attended by thousands in Israel. Ayalon, a former Israeli navy admiral and a longstanding critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said: 'It is not easy to speak out and I commend them for their bravery. I know that they will now face a backlash. However, so many of us leading the struggle in Israel wish that more of our friends in the diaspora would follow their lead.' He said that to support Israel now meant 'to speak out against this extremist government, not to sit on the sidelines in silence or, worse still, conduct a business-as-usual relationship, meeting government officials and presenting an image of a global Jewry united behind the Israeli government'. His comments come after board president Phil Rosenberg met Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in London last week and wrote on social media: 'Jewish leadership is standing up for peace & security in Israel & the Middle East… Unity is strength. Division serves only our enemies.' New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Board leaders last week launched disciplinary action against 36 deputies who signed a letter published in the Financial Times in which they accused the Israeli government of 'extremism' and called for an end to the war in Gaza, as well as condemning violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Rosenberg noted that the signatories made up just 10 percent of board members, while board chief executive Michael Wegier accused them of 'misrepresenting our community'. But the board's response prompted further statements of support for the signatories, and condemnation of the Israeli government. UK: Rabbis condemn Israel in latest show of Jewish opposition to Gaza war Read More » On Friday, 30 Jewish religious leaders in the UK, including prominent figures within Reform Judaism and Liberal Judaism, said in a letter also published in the Financial Times that they were 'horrified' by the war on Gaza and called on Israel to uphold international law and allow aid into the besieged enclave. In a separate letter published by Jewish News, 40 prominent Israelis including former soldiers, ambassadors and members of the Knesset, said the signatories of the letter to the Financial Times had taken a 'righteous stance'. Ayalon headed Shin Bet between 1996 and 2000. He is also a former commander-in-chief of the Israeli navy and a former Knesset member for the Labor Party. He is among other former military and security chiefs who earlier this month accused Netanyahu and his far-right coalition of waging a 'political' war in Gaza and demanded an end to the conflict in a statement published in Israeli newspapers. Writing in the Guardian, Ayalon said Israel was facing an "existential" crisis. "Silence is a show of support for the Israeli government," he said. "I call on our allies - governments and diaspora Jewish communities - to hear the plea of the Israeli public and in particular the hostage families, who are demanding an end to the war and a new dawn for Israel."
