Latest news with #Jew
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Regina Spektor tells pro-Palestine protesters at concert: ‘You're just yelling at a Jew'
Singer-songwriter Regina Spektor's concert in Portland, Oregon, was interrupted by pro-Palestine protesters at the weekend, prompting her to tell them they were 'just yelling at a Jew'. Spektor, who is Jewish and emigrated with her family to New York from the Soviet Union as a child, was filmed by a fan as she addressed an audience member who started shouting 'free f***ing Palestine' during her performance at Revolution Hall on Saturday (26 July). After the first audience member interrupted the show, another fan apparently began repeating: 'Free, free Palestine'. Other pro-Israel fans shouted 'am Israel Chai' – Hebrew for 'the people of Israel live' – according to The Hollywood Reporter. Spektor, 45, has voiced her support of Israel in the past, including two days after the 7 October 2023 attack at Nova Music Festival. She wrote, in part: 'If you've devalued Jewish life so much that mourning murdered Jewish children at a festival, raped women, and the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust has offended you – leave.' Stereogum reported that one protester had charged the stage while shouting 'free Palestine', prompting Spektor to say: 'I don't know what he thinks he's doing. I really appreciate the security.' Spektor encouraged the pro-Palestine protesters to leave the show, remarking: 'This is not an internet comment section… I'm a real person who came here to play music.' 'If anybody wants to walk out, this is your chance. Does anybody else want to take a walk? You can.' In the fan video, some more attendees can be seen leaving the concert. Spektor told her audience: 'The only reason I even speak English is because I came here to escape this s***. I only speak English because I came from a country where people treated Jews as othered, and I'm being othered here and it sucks. 'It'd be nice if one of my family's generation didn't have to go to a new country and learn a new language and just stay put. Have nice lives, you guys.' The Independent has contacted Spektor's representative for comment. The incident at her concert comes amid growing tensions in the music industry surrounding artists' stances on the Israel-Gaza conflict. In October last year, Radiohead's Thom Yorke walked offstage after being confronted by a pro-Palestine protester, whom he branded a 'coward'. Last month, punk group Bob Vylan sparked controversy as they led Glastonbury crowds in chants of 'death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]', a moment that was broadcast live by the BBC. The duo denied allegations of antisemitism, stating that their words were aimed at the Israeli government, not Jewish people. 'We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs, or any other race or group of people,' Bob Vylan said in a statement to Instagram. 'We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine.' Earlier this month, on 24 July, Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap were banned from Hungary for three years, forcing the band to cancel their scheduled performance at the country's Sziget Festival. Government spokesman Zoltán Kovács wrote on social media platform X that the decision to ban Kneecap was due to 'antisemitic hate speech and open praise for Hamas and Hezbollah'. In a statement on their social media channels, Kneecap blamed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for the ban, calling his government 'authoritarian' and criticising him for welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Hungary in April this year, despite a warrant for his arrest from the International Criminal Court over accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. 'We stand against all hate crimes and Kneecap champions love and solidarity as well as calling out injustices where we see it,' the band said. This week, humanitarian organisations said that starvation and malnutrition have reached a critical point in Gaza as Israel continues to block essential humanitarian aid from entering the area.
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Business Standard
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
UCLA to pay more than $6 million to settle lawsuit on antisemitism
The University of California at Los Angeles agreed to pay more than $6 million to settle discrimination complaints brought by Jewish students and faculty members who assailed the school for allowing a 'Jew Exclusion Zone' on campus during pro-Palestinian protests last year. The university's payment will include $2.33 million for organisations that combat antisemitism such as Hillel at UCLA, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Jewish Federation Los Angeles's Campus Impact Network, according to the settlement terms. 'Campus administrators across the country willingly bent the knee to antisemites during the encampments. They are now on notice: treating Jews like second-class citizens is wrong, illegal, and very costly,' said Mark Rienzi, president of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, who represented the UCLA student plaintiffs. UCLA became a flashpoint in spring 2024 as campus protests escalated nationwide over Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza. In addition to widespread allegations of anti-Jewish bigotry at the California school, at least 15 people were injured on campus in April when pro-Israel counter demonstrators attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment, by launching fireworks and swinging metal rods. Becket, alongside co-counsel Clement & Murphy PLLC and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, sued UCLA in June 2024, accusing it of enabling antisemitic barriers that excluded Jewish students and faculty during the protests. In August, a federal judge barred the school from supporting such actions. An amended complaint filed by Becket in October alleged continued discrimination by campus leadership. The Justice Department announced a civil-rights probe of UCLA earlier this year, saying it would scrutinize the school for 'antisemitic hostile work environments' on campus. UCLA has underscored new efforts to fight anti-Jewish prejudice on campus. 'Antisemitism, harassment, and other forms of intimidation are antithetical to our values and have no place at the University of California,' Janet Reilly, chair of the University of California's Board of Regents, said in a statement. 'We have been clear about where we have fallen short, and we are committed to doing better moving forward.' UCLA is the latest US university to settle allegations of antisemitism on campus in the wake of the October 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist group by the US and the European Union. Earlier this month, Barnard College settled a lawsuit brought by Israeli students who said they had grappled with pervasive anti-Jewish prejudice on campus. Columbia University agreed last week to pay a $200 million penalty over three years to settle civil rights probes related to antisemitism on its campus, clearing a path to restore over $400 million in federal grants and regain access to billions in future US funding. In addition to freezing Columbia funding, the Trump administration took similar actions against a range of universities including Harvard, Cornell and Northwestern. The UCLA case is Frankel v. Regents of the University of California.
Fox News
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Jon Stewart argues Netanyahu would have to 'bomb himself' for endangering Jewish people
Jon Stewart blasted Israel's current policy towards Gaza on "The Daily Show" Monday, calling its actions "self-evidently inhumane and horrific." With "Jewish Currents" editor-at-large Peter Beinart, Stewart reflected on how he is condemned by other Jewish people as a "bad Jew" for speaking out about the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Stewart said Jewish people often think of themselves as the underdog, but, "What happens when David becomes Goliath?" He derided pro-Israeli commentators for denying the conflict is a genocide, arguing it is "purposeful starvation." "I feel like a crazy person. I feel like I'm watching something that is so self-evidently inhumane and horrific," he added. Stewart argued that the ongoing conflict is not only a moral hazard, but hazardous to the existence of Israel itself. "And to be told that I have to shut up because I risk the Jewish state by speaking out? I would say the opposite," he said. "I think they're putting the likelihood of a surviving Jewish state much more at risk with this type of action." "I think they're the ones that are being anti - if you want to define - [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, with that definition of antisemitism, would probably have to bomb himself," he added. Beinart, for his part, claimed that Palestinians "behaved like Gandhi" by participating in "overwhelmingly non-violent" marches in Gaza seven years ago, alleging that the U.S. supports Israel shutting down peaceful protests. "When they do non-violent boycotts, we criminalize the boycotts. When they go to the International Criminal Court, we sanction the International Criminal Court," he added, referencing the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and President Donald Trump's sanctions against the ICC for issuing an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. Beinart appeared to insinuate Hamas' October 7 terror attacks were understandable in light of all this. "We essentially send the message to Palestinians that non-violent protests, that ethical protest resistance, doesn't work. And that makes it easier for Hamas to commit the crimes that they did on October 7," he said.
Fox News
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Regina Spektor show interrupted by anti-Israel protesters screaming, ‘Free f------ Palestine!'
Singer Regina Spektor had to pause her concert on Saturday thanks to raucous anti-Israel protesters in the crowd. During Spektor's performance in Portland, Oregon, multiple people in the audience began yelling "Free Palestine," prompting the musician to pause her set and get security to escort them out. "You're just yelling at a Jew," she told the hecklers before they were directed to leave the premises. Video footage captured by a fan, and reshared on TikTok by music outlet Stereogum, showed the moment one member of the audience began yelling, "Free f------ Palestine!" at the singer inside Portland's Revolution Hall. The protesters' outburst was met by cries from fed-up concertgoers, one of whom chanted, "Am Yisrael Chai" – or "The people of Israel live" – in response. The footage showed Spektor, a Jewish woman who immigrated to New York from the Soviet Union when she was a child, appearing to communicate with someone offstage to get security involved. "I don't know what he thinks he's doing," the singer told the crowd, referencing the outburst. Some in the crowd responded by applauding Spektor, and apologizing for the interruption. "I really appreciate the security," she added in a soft tone, prompting laughter from the crowd. Some yelled, "We love you!" Still, the outbursts weren't over. Another individual started screaming, "Free, free Palestine! Say it! Say it!" Again, someone responded, "Am Yisrael Chai!" By the time the lights turned on in the venue, revealing the crowd, Spektor quipped, "I thought this was different than the internet. This is real life." The crowd applauded again. Still another protester spoke up, saying, "There's a genocide happening." Spektor addressed the heckler, saying, "You can leave the show if you want. This is not an internet comment section. I know that you are mistaking my show for a YouTube video––" "I'm not," the heckler replied. "You are," Spektor shot back. "I'm watching children dying. That hurts," the anti-Israel agitator added. "Yeah, I think you should go because this is not the place for that conversation," the singer said. Elsewhere, Spektor told the crowd, "The only reason I even speak English is because I came here to escape this s---. I only speak English because I came from a country where people treated Jews as othered, and I'm being othered here, and it sucks." Spektor has publicly spoken out about the Israel-Hamas conflict in the past. Just days after the October 7 Hamas massacre, she mourned for Israelis and Palestinians alike in an Instagram post. "My tears are endless but my heart has enough room… Room for murdered, raped, and kidnapped innocent Jews. Room for bombed innocent Palestinians suffering and dying in Gaza. Fury at Hamas whose mission is exterminating Jews while hiding behind Palestinian human shields." As the post went on, Spektor criticized Israel's government, but defended the nation and its people. "Israeli government is NOT its people, like any other government on earth. Netanyahu does NOT speak for all Israelis, or all Jews living across the world. In the Middle East – Israel is the ONLY democracy with a chance to vote/protest/change its government. The ONLY land where LGBTQ people are able to live safely. The ONLY land which doesn't mandate women's dress or behavior." Reps for Spektor and Revolution Hall did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
NBC News
20 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
UCLA to pay over $6 million to settle lawsuit over pro-Palestinian protests
The University of California, Los Angeles announced Tuesday that it has reached a settlement in a discrimination lawsuit brought by Jewish students and a faculty member, agreeing to pay more than $6 million. The plaintiffs, who brought the lawsuit in June 2024, accused the university of failing to take action when pro-Palestinian protesters set up encampments last spring. They claimed that the protest areas were inaccessible to Jewish students and amounted to what plaintiffs referred to as 'Jew exclusion zones.' While UCLA has denied any wrongdoing, it agreed to settle fully, with $50,000 payments to each of the plaintiffs in addition to $2.33 million in donations to organizations that combat antisemitism. 'We are pleased with the terms of today's settlement. The injunction and other terms UCLA has agreed to demonstrate real progress in the fight against antisemitism,' the parties said in a joint statement. In the settlement, UCLA agreed to ensure that Jewish students and faculty would not be excluded from any programs, activities or campus areas. The eight organizations to which the school agreed to donate include Hillel at UCLA, the Academic Engagement Network and the Anti-Defamation League, the settlement said. Additionally, the school said it will allocate $320,000 for its Initiative to Combat Antisemitism, according to a press release about the settlement. 'Antisemitism, harassment, and other forms of intimidation are antithetical to our values and have no place at the University of California,' UC Board of Regents Chair Janet Reilly said. 'We have been clear about where we have fallen short, and we are committed to doing better moving forward.' Yitzchok Frankel, a UCLA student and plaintiff in the case, said in a statement that though he was disappointed in the school's initial actions, the settlement was a positive development. 'Today's court judgment brings justice back to our campus and ensures Jews will be safe and be treated equally once again,' he said. The settlement comes more than a year after students staged pro-Palestinian protests at universities across the country, with tent encampments established at many campuses. At UCLA, protesters called on the school to divest from companies that have ties to Israel with an encampment of their own in late April 2024. Counterprotesters attacked the encampment, leading to violent clashes. Police were eventually called and more than 200 people were arrested. Months later, the school implemented a 'zero tolerance' policy, banning encampments, masks that hide identities and any protests that block pathways. Lawsuits have also been filed by Pro-Palestinian protestors and supporters as well. UCLA was hit with a lawsuit in October, accusing it of suppressing antiwar voices and ordering students and faculty protesters to be arrested unlawfully. The suit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, also accused the school of violating free speech rights. The case is still being litigated. Columbia University last week said it will pay $200 million to the Trump administration to restore funding that had been cut over allegations it violated anti-discrimination laws. In March, the administration said it was canceling $400 million in grants to the Ivy League institution, accusing it of 'inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.' Earlier this month, Barnard College in Manhattan, an all-women's affiliate of Columbia University, also settled a lawsuit that accused the school of failing to sufficiently combat antisemitism on campus. Among the terms it had agreed to, the school said it would ban masks at protests and that it would refuse to meet or negotiate with a coalition of pro-Palestinian student groups. The settlement immediately drew criticism from its students and faculty. Nara Milanich, a Barnard history professor who is Jewish, told CNN that the settlement appears to 'equate criticism of Israel with antisemitism.' 'That is a problem for critical thought and academic freedom,' she said.
