Latest news with #Haddad
Middle East Eye
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Yoseph Haddad, pro-Israel advocate, arrested for firing gun during argument
Yoseph Haddad, a well known pro-Israel advocate and online personality, has been arrested by Israeli police after firing a gun during an argument. Israeli media reported that Haddad had been taken in for questioning after firing his weapon during an altercation with a motorist on a road in Jaffa. The other person was also arrested following the incident. According to the newspaper Maariv, it was alleged that one of the two individuals spat at the other. Police are investigating the incident. Haddad's lawyer, cited by Maariv, said that while some media had stated that the incident resulted from a 'roadside argument', it was actually 'based on racism and hatred against Yosef Haddad by an Arab man who recognised him and began to curse, threaten his life, and even spit on and physically attack him'. The lawyer stated that his client's car was overtaken by 'an Arab resident of Jaffa', who noticed that it was Haddad, made a u-turn, 'approached Haddad, attacked and cursed at him'. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Haddad then felt threatened, and so took out his gun to deter the attacker, at which point he shot at a nearby wall, causing no injuries. Middle East Eye could not independently verify the lawyer's account. 'Broader phenomenon' Haddad, who describes himself as an Arab-Israeli, has worked as a journalist and an advocate for several pro-Israel organisations. Last year, he was ejected from a fiery Oxford Union debate by two security officers after being accused of insulting a Palestinian student. He served in the Israeli military during the 2006 war with Lebanon, during which he was seriously wounded and had his foot amputated. Israeli settler accused of killing No Other Land activist released under house arrest Read More » 'The incident we saw today with Yosef Haddad is indicative of a much broader phenomenon concerning the chaos in the country,' Abed Abu Shahada, a Palestinian activist and writer from Jaffa, told Middle East Eye. 'Unfortunately, it's only when people start dying that the media begins to sound the alarm about the ongoing violence - whether in the West Bank or within Israel itself. Specifically, within Israel in the past two years, there have been hundreds of cases of assaults against Palestinian citizens.' Abu Shahada said that such incidents were taking place in the absence of functioning police institutions protecting personal safety. 'I'm not surprised that some in Israeli society see this chaos as an opportunity - an opportunity to take revenge on Arabs, to attack Arabs, to shoot at Arabs,' he said. 'This is part of the broader public atmosphere - starting with the genocide, and even a little before - but especially after the genocide in Gaza, cases of chaos and violence have only become more frequent and more intense, driven by a sense of power.'
Hamilton Spectator
19 hours ago
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Volunteer shortage threatens Legion brench activities and its future
Eganville – After surviving the COVID-19 global pandemic with strong financial support from the wider Eganville community, Branch 353 of the Royal Canadian Legion is now finding itself in another serious predicament – a serious shortage of volunteers. When the branch lost the ability to make money during the pandemic, the expenses continued and when their situation became known to the public a group of four individuals undertook to raise money to help it survive the pandemic years. The Eganville Rotary Club agreed to sponsor the campaign so that tax receipts could be issued to donors. Two Rotarians, Dave Clark and Wayne Gorman teamed up with two members of the community, Zig Mintha and this writer, and over a two-month period about $87,000 was collected in the Save the Legion campaign. In the last four years, the Branch has introduced several new fundraising initiatives, events like the weekly Thursday night dinners, the Tuesday night fish fry, the monthly Friday afternoon BBQs and the monthly Sunday breakfasts. Bingo was also brought back. The events are all proving to be quite successful, especially the Tuesday and Thursday dinners that attract anywhere from 90 to 120 patrons. The problem, however, according to Branch President Dan Haddad is that it is the same nine or 10 people volunteering their time to make these events happen. Added to that is the fact most of the volunteers are in their 70s or 80s. 'Many of the volunteers are double functioning,' he said. 'It's the same volunteers for all of the functions.' The Legion Hall at one time was one of the best and most popular venues in the area for weddings, banquets, dances and such events, accommodating up to 275 people. But times have changed, and the days of church weddings followed by a dinner and reception in a local hall have been replaced in many instances by destination weddings, or outdoor weddings at a farm, on a beach or in a park with the celebrations taking place at new wedding venues throughout the area. But several Legion members had the vision to find alternate ways of using the facility and raise funds and among them were the weekly dinners, and monthly BBQs and breakfasts. But it all takes manpower – volunteer manpower. 'What it boils down to is if we don't start getting more volunteers, we are going to have to cancel some of these functions and if we do that it will put the branch in financial jeopardy,' Mr. Haddad said. 'Without these functions we won't survive.' Mr. Haddad is quite concerned with the situation and is also worried people don't grasp the importance of why the Branch needs volunteers. 'If we start cancelling functions because we have no volunteers, the Legion simply won't survive,' he warned. Mr. Haddad said with a membership of 170, one would think it would be possible to get 25 or 30 volunteers but admits it's the same group of people doing the fish fry, the bingo, the Thursday night supper and the BBQ and breakfasts. 'We need volunteers and that's the bottom line,' he said. 'We need people to help in the kitchen. We need runners. Ideally, we would like to have two separate groups, so we are rotating. That would be ideal.' Money raised by the Legion is used to pay the operating costs of the branch. When there is excess money, the Branch supports community events and also sponsors Remembrance Day contests for school children, school bursaries, the annual Santa Claus Parade and many other initiatives. Just recently, the air conditioning system had to be updated at a cost of over $17,000, prompting Mr. Haddad to note that if the Branch was suddenly hit with a couple of more unexpected major expenses, it's in big trouble. He stressed anyone can help out and they don't have to become a member unless they want to. 'We are desperate,' he said. 'We've got to have volunteers. We're getting tired.' Branch 353 has been an integral part of the wider community for 80 years. This coming weekend the Branch is having an 80 anniversary celebration dinner and dance. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Los Angeles Times
20 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
French ministers condemn ‘excessive use of force' after Jewish youths were removed from a flight
PARIS — A summer camp counselor has accused Spanish law enforcement officers of using brute force against her during the removal of a group of French Jewish teenagers from a plane bound for Paris from Spain, French government ministers and her lawyer said Wednesday. Ministers Aurore Bergé and Benjamin Haddad met with the counselor on Tuesday after French authorities last week contacted the CEO of the Spanish low-cost airline Vueling and the Spanish ambassador to France to determine whether the youngsters had been discriminated against on the basis of their religion. Forty-four minors and eight adult French passengers were kicked off flight V8166 from Valencia to Paris on July 23, for what Spanish police and the airline described as unruly behavior. But the ministers said the counselor, who asked to remain anonymous and is described as 'shocked,' disputed that account. They say she described the crew as hostile from the outset, saying a child briefly sang but stopped when asked, and claimed no behavior warranted the group's removal or the Civil Guard's response. 'No action justified the disembarkation or the excessive and brutal use of force by the Civil Guard against the young woman, who has just been notified of 15 days of total incapacity to work,' the ministers said in a statement, adding that her testimony had been corroborated by other passengers on board. The counselor's lawyer, Muriel Ouaknine Melki, told the Associated Press that she was left with bruises on her legs, arms and body after she was brutally handcuffed and held in an arm lock. Ouaknine Melki said her team is collecting evidence before lodging a complaint. The Club Kineret association, which organized the summer camp, did not immediately answer requests from The Associated Press for direct testimonies from people who were removed from the plane. A Vueling spokesperson said the passengers were removed after the minors repeatedly tampered with the plane's emergency equipment and interrupted the crew's safety demonstration. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the plane captain ordered the group's removal at Valencia's Manises Airport after they repeatedly ignored crew instructions. Bergé and Haddad also lashed out at a statement from the Spanish Minister of Transport 'equating French children of Jewish faith with Israeli citizens, as if that somehow justified the treatment they received.' Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente has deleted a tweet from July 26 in which he called the minors 'Israeli brats.' 'At a time when antisemitic acts have been on the rise across Europe since the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, in Israel, the ministers call on Vueling and the Spanish authorities to fully investigate and clarify the events,' Bergé and Haddad said. 'We will never accept the normalization of antisemitism. We will always stand with our fellow citizens who suffer from antisemitic hatred, and we will never compromise.' Vueling has denied that the incident was related to the passengers' religion. Some Israeli news outlets reported that the students were Jewish and that their removal was religiously motivated, a claim that was repeated by an Israeli minister online. The Civil Guard spokesperson said the agents involved were not aware of the group's religious affiliation. Petrequin writes for the Associated Press.
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
French ministers condemn ‘excessive use of force' after Jewish youths were removed from a flight
PARIS (AP) — A summer camp counselor has accused Spanish police of using brute force against her during the removal of a group of French Jewish teenagers from a plane bound for Paris from Spain, French government ministers said Wednesday. Ministers Aurore Bergé and Benjamin Haddad met with the counselor on Tuesday after French authorities last week contacted the CEO of the Spanish low-cost airline Vueling and the Spanish ambassador to France to determine whether the youngsters had been discriminated against on the basis of their religion. Forty-four minors and eight adult French passengers were kicked off flight V8166 from Valencia to Paris on July 23, for what Spanish police and the airline described as unruly behavior. But the ministers said the counselor, who asked to remain anonymous and is described as 'shocked,' disputed that account. They say she described the crew as hostile from the outset, saying a child briefly sang but stopped when asked, and claimed no behavior warranted the group's removal or the Civil Guard's response. 'No action justified the disembarkation or the excessive and brutal use of force by the Civil Guard against the young woman, who has just been notified of 15 days of total incapacity to work,' the ministers said in a statement, adding that her testimony had been corroborated by other passengers on board. The Club Kineret association, which organized the summer camp, did not immediately answer requests from The Associated Press for direct testimonies from people who were removed from the plane. A Vueling spokesperson said the passengers were removed after the minors repeatedly tampered with the plane's emergency equipment and interrupted the crew's safety demonstration. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the plane captain ordered the group's removal at Valencia's Manises Airport after they repeatedly ignored crew instructions. Bergé and Haddad also lashed out at a statement from the Spanish Minister of Transport 'equating French children of Jewish faith with Israeli citizens, as if that somehow justified the treatment they received.' Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente has deleted a tweet from July 26 in which he called the minors 'Israeli brats.' 'At a time when antisemitic acts have been on the rise across Europe since the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, in Israel, the ministers call on Vueling and the Spanish authorities to fully investigate and clarify the events,' Bergé and Haddad said. 'We will never accept the normalization of antisemitism. We will always stand with our fellow citizens who suffer from antisemitic hatred, and we will never compromise.' Vueling has denied that the incident was related to the passengers' religion. Some Israeli news outlets reported that the students were Jewish and that their removal was religiously motivated, a claim that was repeated by an Israeli minister online. The Civil Guard spokesperson said the agents involved were not aware of the group's religious affiliation.
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
French ministers condemn ‘excessive use of force' after Jewish youths were removed from a flight
PARIS (AP) — A summer camp counselor has accused Spanish police of using brute force against her during the removal of a group of French Jewish teenagers from a plane bound for Paris from Spain, French government ministers said Wednesday. Ministers Aurore Bergé and Benjamin Haddad met with the counselor on Tuesday after French authorities last week contacted the CEO of the Spanish low-cost airline Vueling and the Spanish ambassador to France to determine whether the youngsters had been discriminated against on the basis of their religion. Forty-four minors and eight adult French passengers were kicked off flight V8166 from Valencia to Paris on July 23, for what Spanish police and the airline described as unruly behavior. But the ministers said the counselor, who asked to remain anonymous and is described as 'shocked,' disputed that account. They say she described the crew as hostile from the outset, saying a child briefly sang but stopped when asked, and claimed no behavior warranted the group's removal or the Civil Guard's response. 'No action justified the disembarkation or the excessive and brutal use of force by the Civil Guard against the young woman, who has just been notified of 15 days of total incapacity to work,' the ministers said in a statement, adding that her testimony had been corroborated by other passengers on board. The Club Kineret association, which organized the summer camp, did not immediately answer requests from The Associated Press for direct testimonies from people who were removed from the plane. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. A Vueling spokesperson said the passengers were removed after the minors repeatedly tampered with the plane's emergency equipment and interrupted the crew's safety demonstration. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the plane captain ordered the group's removal at Valencia's Manises Airport after they repeatedly ignored crew instructions. Bergé and Haddad also lashed out at a statement from the Spanish Minister of Transport 'equating French children of Jewish faith with Israeli citizens, as if that somehow justified the treatment they received.' Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente has deleted a tweet from July 26 in which he called the minors 'Israeli brats.' 'At a time when antisemitic acts have been on the rise across Europe since the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, in Israel, the ministers call on Vueling and the Spanish authorities to fully investigate and clarify the events,' Bergé and Haddad said. 'We will never accept the normalization of antisemitism. We will always stand with our fellow citizens who suffer from antisemitic hatred, and we will never compromise.' Vueling has denied that the incident was related to the passengers' religion. Some Israeli news outlets reported that the students were Jewish and that their removal was religiously motivated, a claim that was repeated by an Israeli minister online. The Civil Guard spokesperson said the agents involved were not aware of the group's religious affiliation.
