Latest news with #IsraelSupport
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
Friends actor warns Jewish people ‘the cavalry aint coming' after Colorado flamethrower attack
Friends actor Michael Rapaport has warned Jewish people that 'the cavalry ain't coming' after a horrific flamethrower attack at a pro-Israel march in Boulder, Colorado. On an episode of his podcast 'I Am Rapaport' that was released Tuesday, Rapaport, who played Phoebe Buffay's boyfriend Gary on the hit TV show Friends, spoke out about the terror attack last Sunday that left 12 demonstrators injured. 'What's going on in the world for Jewish people, what's going on in the world for people that support and believe in the right of the existence of Israel, a.k.a. Zionists, is frightening,' Rapaport said. Rapaport, who is Jewish, said, 'I don't think I have felt scared since October 7,' referring to Hamas' deadly attack on Israel in 2023. The actor said that he has spoken out for other groups in their time of need, but now no one is supporting him and his fellow Jewish and Zionist people. 'I put a f***ing black square [on social media] like a f***ing a****** during Black Lives Matter. Don't you feel like an a****** now? For putting up a black square during Black Lives Matter when nobody is coming and saying anything on our behalf.' Rapaport said that he's been traveling all over the U.S. and in Israel as an outspoken supporter of Israel for the last '500 days.' 'All the time people go, 'Why isn't anyone saying anything … Do you feel ignored, do you feel alienated?' Yes, yes, yes,' he said. The actor continued: 'I'm telling you something, Jewish people, the cavalry ain't coming. The cavalry is not coming for us. They don't give a f***.' 'It's sad, it's frustrating. You feel used. You feel manipulated. You feel like a sucker. I feel like it, too!' he added. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national, was arrested and charged with a federal hate crime and 16 counts of attempted murder in connection with the attack. He had entered the US on a visa that expired two years ago and was subsequently granted work authorization, which expired last March. The suspect told authorities he spent a year planning the attack and specifically targeted a 'Zionist group.' Witnesses reported Soliman shouting 'Free Palestine!' before firing a 'makeshift flamethrower' and Molotov cocktails, per the FBI. The victims were participating in a 'Run For Their Lives' event in support of the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Israel's Gaza Attacks Spur European Leaders to Criticize Netanyahu
Some of Israel's most loyal supporters in Europe are increasingly speaking out against the war in Gaza, with several nations, including Germany, considering curbs on trade and arms sales. In recent weeks, the UK, Netherlands and France have started mulling such moves against Israel to help end the 20-month conflict, which has destroyed much of Gaza and sparked what international aid agencies say is a hunger crisis. Germany's pivot was the most surprising due to its historical position that protecting Israel is a post-Holocaust obligation.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Democratic senator John Fetterman praises Trump on Iran, steel
BOSTON — Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) continued to distance himself from his fellow Democrats on Monday, telling an audience that he has lost support from liberals for his belief that border security is important and his support for Israel. Speaking with his fellow senator from Pennsylvania, Dave McCormick, a Republican, at an event celebrating bipartisanship, Fetterman praised President Donald Trump for removing the United States from the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal, moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and pushing for an agreement between Japanese-owned Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel. He said his party had make a 'mistake' on border security.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Fetterman breaks ranks, praises Trump's Middle East policies: 'Did the right thing'
Sen. John Fetterman, the battleground state Democrat known for bucking his party, praised President Donald Trump's policies in the Middle East on Monday. During The Senate Project series discussion, organized by the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate and the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation and co-hosted by FOX Nation, Fetterman and his fellow Pennsylvanian Sen. Dave McCormick, a Republican, discussed key issues impacting Americans. Conflict in the Middle East was chief among those topics, as the bipartisan senators have found unlikely common ground in their support for Israel. Fetterman admitted he is the sole Democrat willing to admit Trump's success in the Middle East. "I wasn't really allowed to disagree, politically, with the original agreement on Iran," Fetterman said. Trump ended U.S. participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran and re-imposed sanctions against them in 2018. As a Democrat, Fetterman said it was politically unpopular to support Trump backing out of the Iran deal. Fetterman, now abandoning the Democratic playbook, admitted on Monday, "I really do think, now, Trump did the right thing to break that agreement." Fetterman told The Washington Free Beacon in April that the Trump administration should destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities with a military strike. The event's moderator, Fox News' Shannon Bream, anchor of "Fox News Sunday," asked Fetterman about his comments during the Boston, Massachusetts, event on Monday. "Iran attacked Israel, and it's very clear they lack the capabilities to really project that kind of––and then Israel struck back and destroyed the batteries that protect their nuclear facilities, and they also hit the nuclear lab as well, too. So now, Israel understands that we have a window here to attack that." The Pennsylvania Democrat said his party isn't willing to engage in these nuanced conversations about the United States' approach to conflict in the Middle East. "I think it's once in a generation to destroy that facility," Fetterman said, doubling down on his comments. Fetterman also praised Trump for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem during his first administration. "That's absolutely put me really the only one left in the Democratic caucus talking on these kinds of things," Fetterman said, referring to his support for moving the embassy. "When Trump changed the embassy to Jerusalem, people thought… the region was going to burn. I mean, none of that happened… Some good things have happened there," Fetterman said. Fetterman was the only Democratic senator willing to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago ahead of his inauguration and has been steadfast in his support for Israel, one of several instances of Fetterman bucking his own party.
CBS News
25-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Baltimore's Jewish community marches for slain Israeli Embassy staffers, hostages in Gaza
Baltimore's Jewish community continues to mourn the deaths of the two Israeli Embassy staffers who were shot and killed in Washington, D.C. last week, as well as those who were held hostage in Gaza. On Wednesday, May 21, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were attending an event at the Capital Jewish Museum when they were killed. "What happened last week was also an attack against Jews and the right of Jews to support the state of Israel," said Jay Bernstein, an organizer of "Run 4 Their Lives Baltimore." For months, "Run 4 Their Lives Baltimore" has hosted weekly walks, each Sunday, for those who died and were held captive during the Hamas attack on Israel. "We have in mind the hostages, we have in mind those who are killed," said Bernstein. "We gather every Sunday to support the families of the hostages who are still held in Gaza," added Randi Framson, another organizer for "Run 4 Their Lives Baltimore." "We're going to do it until the last hostage is released." Bernstein said they will continue to march as a way of supporting the Jewish community impacted by the attacks. "The forces that took the hostages and then murdered Jews last week are all against those values, and that's why we're here," Bernstein said. Security for the Jewish communities Bernstein explained that since the shooting in Washington, D.C., additional security has been put in place in their community. Baltimore County and Howard County police departments told WJZ on Thursday they would also increase their presence and patrols around Jewish places of worship, community centers, and other areas. "It just emphasizes the need for people to be aware of what is going on, to be aware that there are still hostages being held there," said Julie August, another organizer of "Run 4 Their Lives Baltimore. "But it also brings awareness to the fact that it's not really an issue about what Israel is doing or what Israel is not doing. It's an issue about us being Jewish and being alive." "This is not just a Jewish issue. This is an issue that affects all Americans. And, again, affects the entire world," Bernstein said. Shooting suspect identified The suspect in the murder of the Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., has been identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez, from Chicago. He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, murder of foreign officials, and other counts. The shooting is being investigated as a hate crime and terrorism, and more charges could come, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. Authorities have said the attack was targeted. Hostages update Edan Alexander, the last living U.S. citizen kidnapped by Hamas terrorists and held hostage for more than 19 months, is the latest hostage to be released from captivity. The Hamas statement said the release was part of ongoing mediation efforts to establish a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, reopen crossings into the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian territory, and resume the delivery of aid. Adi Alexander, Edan's father, met with former President Joe Biden and President Trump late last year to push for a deal that would free all of the hostages still being held in Gaza. Mr. Trump said earlier this month that fewer than two dozen hostages were believed to be alive. Alexander was thought to be among them. As attempts to reach a permanent ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas have drawn on, militants have periodically freed hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. About 100 hostages were returned to Israel during a brief pause in fighting in November 2023, just over a month after the Oct. 7 attack prompted Israel to declare war on Hamas and begin bombarding Gaza. Militants released 30 of the people between January and March of this year, as part of another exchange agreement with Israel that took place in several stages. Although family members of those in ongoing captivity have repeatedly pleaded with American and Israeli leaders to solidify a deal prioritizing the hostages' safe return, Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas in March and renewed its offensive in Gaza, where Palestinian officials said the death toll has risen to almost 53,000.
