Latest news with #Jewish-led
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Protesters From Khalil Demonstration in Trump Tower Arrested
Members of a Jewish-led protest group were arrested after they took over the lobby of Trump Tower in New York City on Thursday, March 13, to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil. In video filmed from the street outside of the building, protesters are seen being led into a bus by New York Police Department officers. The demonstration was organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, a group of political activists that's been critical of Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Khalil, a Columbia University activist and legal permanent resident, was detained several days before by the Trump administration, which said it was revoking Khalil's green card due to his role in pro-Palestinian protests on campus. Credit: Anonymous via Storyful A a a a
CBS News
12-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
University of Michigan Jewish-student group speaks out on Education Department's warning letter
After the University of Michigan received a letter on Tuesday from the U.S. Department of Education warning them of potential consequences surrounding what it calls antisemitic discrimination and harassment, one of the largest Jewish-led organizations at the university says the school is already making efforts to change. "I think that what we've seen from the University of Michigan is a commitment to understand the problem of antisemitism on this campus and a determination to improve the situation," said Rabbi Davey Rosen, chief executive officer of the University of Michigan Hillel. Michigan Hillel, a group dedicated to empowering Jewish students, says the school acknowledged the concerns they presented to leaders at the beginning of the school year, including what they called threatening messaging posted around campus. "It made it incredibly difficult at times for some students, for many students, frankly, to even bring their full Jewish selves to campus, and that's not okay. That's never okay; that's not how it should be," said Rosen. Rosen says these actions began before the letter arrived, and he expects the work to continue. The university's new 10-month partnership is part of the organization's campus climate initiative to address the issue. "There's a real commitment to make this a safe and thriving space for Jewish students and really truly for all students," said Rosen. The university sent CBS News Detroit a statement in response to the letter, saying it "remains committed to providing a safe and non-discriminatory environment for all members of the university community." School Regent Sarah Hubbard says that includes creating new rules and policies that allow everyone to exercise their right to free speech safely. "We want to encourage everyone to talk about what they need to talk about on our campus, but make sure that we're supporting our own rules and regulations," said Hubbard. Hubbard says her fellow regents are now focused on finding a compromise to avoid future disruptions to students and their studies. "It's a place with a long history of engagement by our students, a long history of protests and activism. We're not trying to stop that, we're just trying to make sure that it happens in a way that's safe for everybody," said Hubbard.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
LSE refuses cancellation of book launch defending ‘misunderstood' Hamas
A leading university has defended its decision to host the launch of a book that claims Hamas is 'misunderstood'. The London School of Economics (LSE) claimed it was defending 'free speech' by refusing to cancel the launch of Understanding Hamas and Why That Matters on Monday afternoon. It comes after the Israeli ambassador to the UK called for the event to be cancelled amid concerns it could 'provide a platform for Hamas propaganda'. Tzipi Hotovely wrote to Prof Larry Kramer, the vice-chancellor of LSE, asking him to cancel the launch. In her letter, Ms Hotovely wrote: 'I am deeply concerned that the event is providing a platform for Hamas propaganda – a terror organisation proscribed under United Kingdom law. I worry that by promoting such a book, which sympathises with and justifies the survival and existence of Hamas, will only serve to grow support for a brutal terror organisation among your students and beyond.' She added: 'The university should not be endorsing this event, let alone organising it through its Middle East Centre. 'Nor should the university allow this event to go ahead on its premises. Therefore, I encourage you to cancel the event.' The university's Middle East Centre, which is hosting the event on March 10, said the book explores Hamas's 'shift from social and religious activism to national political engagement'. It added that it 'aims to deepen understanding of a movement that is a key player in the current crisis'. The event will feature a talk by the book's author and academics researching the Middle East. An LSE spokesman said: 'Free speech and freedom of expression underpins everything we do at LSE. Students, staff and visitors are strongly encouraged to discuss and debate the most pressing issues around the world.' They added: 'We host an enormous number of events each year, covering a wide range of viewpoints and positions. 'We have clear policies in place to ensure the facilitation of debates in these events and enable all members of our community to refute ideas lawfully and to protect individual's rights to freedom of expression within the law. 'This is formalised in our code of practice on free speech and in our ethics code.' Stop the Hate, a Jewish-led direct action group, has asked supporters to write letters to the university to persuade them to cancel the event. It is also planning a protest on Monday at LSE's Middle East Centre. A spokesman for the Israeli embassy in London said: 'Particularly amid the backdrop of rising levels of anti-Semitism in the UK, including on British university campuses, the platforming of an event that is sympathetic to a proscribed terrorist organisation is especially worrying. 'Universities have a duty to protect their students from hate speech and incitement to violence, and that includes their Jewish students, too. The event should be cancelled. It should never have been allowed in the first place.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
09-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
LSE refuses cancellation of book launch defending ‘misunderstood' Hamas
A leading university has defended its decision to host the launch of a book that claims Hamas is 'misunderstood'. The London School of Economics (LSE) claimed it was defending 'free speech' by refusing to cancel the launch of Understanding Hamas and Why That Matters on Monday afternoon. It comes after the Israeli ambassador to the UK called for the event to be cancelled amid concerns it could 'provide a platform for Hamas propaganda '. Tzipi Hotovely wrote to Prof Larry Kramer, the vice-chancellor of LSE, asking him to cancel the launch. In her letter, Ms Hotovely wrote: 'I am deeply concerned that the event is providing a platform for Hamas propaganda – a terror organisation proscribed under United Kingdom law. I worry that by promoting such a book, which sympathises with and justifies the survival and existence of Hamas, will only serve to grow support for a brutal terror organisation among your students and beyond.' She added: 'The university should not be endorsing this event, let alone organising it through its Middle East Centre. 'Nor should the university allow this event to go ahead on its premises. Therefore, I encourage you to cancel the event.' The university's Middle East Centre, which is hosting the event on March 10, said the book explores Hamas's 'shift from social and religious activism to national political engagement'. It added that it 'aims to deepen understanding of a movement that is a key player in the current crisis'. The event will feature a talk by the book's author and academics researching the Middle East. An LSE spokesman said: 'Free speech and freedom of expression underpins everything we do at LSE. Students, staff and visitors are strongly encouraged to discuss and debate the most pressing issues around the world.' They added: 'We host an enormous number of events each year, covering a wide range of viewpoints and positions. 'We have clear policies in place to ensure the facilitation of debates in these events and enable all members of our community to refute ideas lawfully and to protect individual's rights to freedom of expression within the law. 'This is formalised in our code of practice on free speech and in our ethics code.' Stop the Hate, a Jewish-led direct action group, has asked supporters to write letters to the university to persuade them to cancel the event. It is also planning a protest on Monday at LSE's Middle East Centre. A spokesman for the Israeli embassy in London said: 'Particularly amid the backdrop of rising levels of anti-Semitism in the UK, including on British university campuses, the platforming of an event that is sympathetic to a proscribed terrorist organisation is especially worrying. 'Universities have a duty to protect their students from hate speech and incitement to violence, and that includes their Jewish students, too. The event should be cancelled. It should never have been allowed in the first place.'
