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Boston Globe
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
After recent attacks, American Jews are feeling increased anxiety
'What we've seen these last few months is a shocking pattern of anti-Israel sentiment manifesting itself in antisemitic violence,' said Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America. 'With each incident there's a further shattering of our sense of security.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up In Colorado and Washington, authorities said, the suspects shouted 'Free Palestine' on the scene. In Pennsylvania, the arsonist later said he set the fire as a response to Israeli attacks on Palestinians. Soifer pointed out that the Molotov cocktails used by the attacker in Boulder were strikingly similar to the incendiary devices used by Cody Balmer, the man accused of arson in Pennsylvania. The man charged Monday with a federal hate crime in Colorado, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, told investigators that he wanted to 'kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,' according to papers filed in federal court. Advertisement The drumbeat of violence, erupting across the country and taking an unpredictable variety of forms, has deepened anxieties among many American Jews, and contributed to a sense that simply existing in public as a Jewish person is increasingly dangerous. One of the victims of the attack at the march in Boulder was a Holocaust survivor, according to a friend of the victim who was at the scene. J. Bishop Grewell, the acting US attorney for Colorado, spoke on Monday about the attack in that city. MICHAEL CIAGLO/NYT That all three attackers alluded to political objections to Israel raised concerns among many about the threat of left-wing political violence connected to the war in Gaza. The number of antisemitic episodes in the United States in 2023, in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel, was the highest ever recorded in a one-year period, according to the Anti-Defamation League. 'Dangerous words turn into dangerous actions,' said Stefanie Clarke, the co-executive director of Stop Antisemitism Colorado, which she founded after the attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. 'We've been sounding the alarm about the rise in antisemitism, the dangerous rhetoric and the risks of this turning violent, and now we're seeing it play out.' Clarke, who lives in Boulder, noted that conflicts about the war have boiled over in City Council meetings there. Activists have urged the passage of a resolution advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza, and some meetings have devolved into cursing and what one council member described in December as 'chanting, screaming, and threatening conduct.' In February, a rabbi in Boulder, Marc Soloway, wrote an open letter to the City Council in which he described being physically and verbally threatened at a council meeting. 'It is just a plain fact that many of us in Boulder's Jewish community simply do not feel safe or supported,' he wrote. 'Jews in America have mostly felt the threats of antisemitism from the far right in the form of White Supremacy, yet now many of us have experienced hatred, bigotry and intolerance from progressives, those who many of us have considered friends and allies.' Advertisement In April, an opponent of Israel's war circulated a 'Wanted' poster online that showed the faces of seven council members, writing that they were 'complicit in genocide' for not passing the resolution. Across the country, many Jews say they have observed an uptick in antisemitism, both personally and in the broader culture, in recent years. In a survey of 1,732 Jews conducted in the fall of 2024, the American Jewish Committee found that 93% said antisemitism was at least somewhat of a problem, and a similar share said it had increased over the last five years. Almost a quarter of respondents said they had been the target of at least one antisemitic remark in the past year, and 2% said they had been physically attacked. The deadliest antisemitic attack in American history remains the assault at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, where a gunman killed 11 worshippers and wounded six others in 2018. The Tree of Life shooter, who was condemned to death by federal jurors in 2023, seemed to be motivated by right-wing extremism. So, too, was the gunman who opened fire at a synagogue in Poway, California, in 2019. Experts emphasize that right-wing antisemitism remains a major threat. But the sprawling protest movement against the war in Gaza has scrambled attempts to distinguish opposition to the actions of the Israeli government, or even to the state of Israel itself, from hostility to Jews. Critics of the protesters have argued that slogans like 'globalize the Intifada' are thinly veiled calls for violence in any Jewish space. Advertisement In the Anti-Defamation League's latest annual audit of antisemitic incidents in the United States, the organization found that for the first time, a majority of incidents (58%) had 'elements that related to Israel or Zionism.' Several Jewish organizations suggested in statements that the attacks undercut attempts to distinguish antisemitism from anti-Zionism, a distinction made by many activists critical of Israeli's approach to the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 50,000 people, according to the territory's health ministry. 'Make no mistake: if and when Jews are targeted to protest Israel's actions, it should clearly and unequivocally be understood and condemned as antisemitism,' the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Amy Spitalnick, said in a statement. The Trump administration has made fighting antisemitism a vocal priority, often using the issue to escalate the president's attacks on elite universities and to reinforce his goal to dramatically reduce immigration. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Jan. 29 aimed at combating 'an unprecedented wave of vile antisemitic discrimination, vandalism and violence against our citizens, especially in our schools and on our campuses.' Trump said on social media Monday that attacks like the one in Boulder 'WILL NOT BE TOLERATED,' criticizing former President Joe Biden for letting Soliman into the country. Soliman came to the country legally on a tourist visa, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Critics say that Trump's other actions have undercut his claims of concern about rising antisemitism. A temporary freeze in funding of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for example, paused support for a security grant program that served many synagogues and other Jewish institutions. Advertisement This article originally appeared in
Straits Times
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
After several attacks, heightened anxiety among American Jews
People lay flowers at the site of the attack outside the Boulder County Courthouse on June 2 in Boulder, Colorado. PHOTO: AFP NEW YORK - The attack on demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, marching in support of Israeli hostages being held in the Gaza Strip would have been disturbing to Jewish people across the country even if it were the only recent event of its kind. The suspect told investigators after his arrest that he had been planning the attack for a year, according to court documents. Eight people were hospitalised. For many, the connections to other recent outbursts of violence were impossible to miss. The attack in Boulder came less than two weeks after two Israeli Embassy employees were shot and killed as they left a reception at a Jewish museum in Washington. A month earlier, an arsonist set fire to the Pennsylvania governor's mansion on the first night of Passover while Governor Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, slept upstairs with his family. 'What we've seen these last few months is a shocking pattern of anti-Israel sentiment manifesting itself in anti-semitic violence,' said Ms Halie Soifer, chief executive officer of the Jewish Democratic Council of America. 'With each incident there's a further shattering of our sense of security.' In Colorado and Washington, authorities said, the suspects shouted 'Free Palestine' on the scene. In Pennsylvania, the arsonist later said he set the fire as a response to Israeli attacks on Palestinians. Ms Soifer pointed out that the Molotov cocktails used by the attacker in Boulder were strikingly similar to the incendiary devices used by Cody Balmer, the man accused of arson in Pennsylvania. The man charged on June 2 with a federal hate crime in Colorado, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, told investigators that he wanted to 'kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,' according to papers filed in federal court. The drumbeat of violence, erupting across the country and taking an unpredictable variety of forms, has deepened anxieties among many American Jews, and contributed to a sense that simply existing in public as a Jewish person is increasingly dangerous. One of the victims of the attack at the march in Boulder was a Holocaust survivor, according to a friend of the victim who was at the scene. That all three attackers alluded to political objections to Israel raised concerns among many about the threat of left-wing political violence connected to the war in Gaza. The number of anti-semitic episodes in the United States in 2023, in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel, was the highest ever recorded in a one-year period, according to the Anti-Defamation League. 'Dangerous words turn into dangerous actions,' said Stefanie Clarke, the co-executive director of Stop Antisemitism Colorado, which she founded after the attacks in Israel on Oct 7, 2023. 'We've been sounding the alarm about the rise in anti-semitism, the dangerous rhetoric and the risks of this turning violent, and now we're seeing it play out.' Ms Clarke, who lives in Boulder, noted that conflicts about the war have boiled over in City Council meetings there. Activists have urged the passage of a resolution advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza, and some meetings have devolved into cursing and what one council member described in December as 'chanting, screaming, and threatening conduct'. In February, a rabbi in Boulder, Marc Soloway, wrote an open letter to the City Council in which he described being physically and verbally threatened at a council meeting. 'It is just a plain fact that many of us in Boulder's Jewish community simply do not feel safe or supported,' he wrote. 'Jews in America have mostly felt the threats of anti-semitism from the far right in the form of White Supremacy, yet now many of us have experienced hatred, bigotry and intolerance from progressives, those who many of us have considered friends and allies.' In April, an opponent of Israel's war circulated a 'Wanted' poster online that showed the faces of seven council members, writing that they were 'complicit in genocide' for not passing the resolution. Across the country, many Jews say they have observed an uptick in anti-semitism, both personally and in the broader culture, in recent years. In a survey of 1,732 Jews conducted in the fall of 2024, the American Jewish Committee found that 93 per cent said anti-semitism was at least somewhat of a problem, and a similar share said it had increased over the last five years. Almost a quarter of respondents said they had been the target of at least one anti-semitic remark in the past year, and 2 per cent said they had been physically attacked. The deadliest anti-semitic attack in American history remains the assault at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, where a gunman killed 11 worshippers and wounded six others in 2018. The Tree of Life shooter, who was condemned to death by federal jurors in 2023, seemed to be motivated by right-wing extremism. So, too, was the gunman who opened fire at a synagogue in Poway, California, in 2019. Experts emphasise that right-wing anti-semitism remains a major threat. But the sprawling protest movement against the war in Gaza has scrambled attempts to distinguish opposition to the actions of the Israeli government, or even to the state of Israel itself, from hostility to Jews. Critics of the protesters have argued that slogans like 'globalise the Intifada' are thinly veiled calls for violence in any Jewish space. In the Anti-Defamation League's latest annual audit of anti-semitic incidents in the United States, the organisation found that for the first time, a majority of incidents (58 per cent) had 'elements that related to Israel or Zionism'. Several Jewish organisations suggested in statements that the attacks undercut attempts to distinguish anti-semitism from anti-Zionism, a distinction made by many activists critical of Israeli's approach to the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 50,000 people, according to the territory's health ministry. 'Make no mistake: If and when Jews are targeted to protest Israel's actions, it should clearly and unequivocally be understood and condemned as anti-semitism,' the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Amy Spitalnick, said in a statement. The Trump administration has made fighting anti-semitism a vocal priority, often using the issue to escalate the president's attacks on elite universities and to reinforce his goal to dramatically reduce immigration. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan 29 aimed at combating 'an unprecedented wave of vile anti-semitic discrimination, vandalism and violence against our citizens, especially in our schools and on our campuses'. Mr Trump said on social media on June 2 that attacks like the one in Boulder 'WILL NOT BE TOLERATED,' criticising former president Joe Biden for letting Soliman into the country. Soliman came to the country legally on a tourist visa, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Critics say that Mr Trump's other actions have undercut his claims of concern about rising anti-semitism. A temporary freeze in funding of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for example, paused support for a security grant programme that served many synagogues and other Jewish institutions. NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says he hasn't heard from Trump since the arson attack
After a man tried to assassinate Donald Trump in July at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the state's Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, quickly issued a statement condemning the attempt on the Republican presidential candidate's life. 'Violence targeted at any political party or political leader is absolutely unacceptable,' Shapiro posted on X that day. 'It has no place in Pennsylvania or the United States. I have been briefed on the situation. @PAStatePolice are on the scene in Butler County and working with our federal and local partners.'In the 24 hours after the attack, Shapiro worked closely with law enforcement, including calling Republican members of Congress present at the rally, then-President Joe Biden and the Trump campaign (although he did not speak directly to Trump). He also called and spoke with the family of Corey Comperatore, the Trump supporter who was shot and killed. Yet three days after an arson attack on Shapiro's residence in Harrisburg on Sunday, Trump still has not called Shapiro or weighed in significantly to condemn the violence. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Shapiro told reporters Wednesday afternoon that he has not yet heard from Trump since the attack. Law enforcement has charged Cody A. Balmer, 38, with the crime, alleging that he broke into the governor's home and started multiple fires with Molotov cocktails while Shapiro and his family were inside. The fire came just hours after the Shapiros hosted Passover dinner at their house. Shapiro said they had to evacuate after they were awakened by loud bangs on their door. No one was hurt, but the home sustained significant damage. Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, put out a statement sharply criticizing Trump for not weighing in. "Last year, Trump didn't hesitate to call Josh Shapiro a 'highly overrated Jewish governor.' Now, nearly four days after Gov. Shapiro was targeted in an act of political violence — reportedly due to his position on Israel — Trump hasn't clearly condemned it." 'Trump feigns support for Jewish Americans and Israel, but his actions suggest otherwise," Soifer added. "He's a hypocrite who condones political violence when it suits his political agenda, and his silence amid this targeted arsonist attack on Gov. Shapiro speaks volumes. Shame on the President.' Others in the Trump administration have condemned the attack, as have prominent congressional Republicans. 'Thanks be to God that Governor Shapiro and his family were unharmed in this attack,' Vice President JD Vance commented Sunday on X. 'Really disgusting violence, and I hope whoever did it is brought swiftly to justice.' Speaking with reporters at a Wednesday briefing, Attorney General Pam Bondi said both she and FBI Director Kash Patel spoke with Shapiro after the attack, which she called 'horrific.' Bondi said she "firmly believe[d]" the attack was intended to kill Shapiro, pledging to continue to work with state authorities to do 'anything we can to help convict the person that did this and keep them behind bars, as long as possible.' Shapiro himself noted Monday that he had been in touch with Patel, who promised that the federal government would assist in the investigation. The same day, a reporter asked Trump whether the FBI had determined a motive behind the attack on Shapiro. 'No, I haven't, but the attacker was not a fan of Trump, I understand — just from what I read and from what I've been told,' Trump said in his most extensive comments on the fire. 'The attacker basically wasn't a fan of anybody. He's probably just a whack job. And certainly a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen.' Newly released search warrants suggest that Balmer was upset by Shapiro's stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Around 2:50 a.m. Sunday, about 50 minutes after the fire, he reportedly called 911 and told a dispatcher that he 'will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.' It is not entirely clear whether he was referring to Shapiro. Balmer's social media presence suggested anti-government views, including negative content about Biden. Shapiro told reporters Wednesday that the political motivation behind the attack was not the most important issue. 'I know that there are people out there who want to ascribe their own viewpoints as to what happened here and why,' he said, adding: 'I choose not to participate in that. I said after the assassination attempt on the president … in Butler, I said in Altoona — after we captured the individual who shot and killed the United Healthcare CEO — and I said on Sunday that this kind of violence has no place in our society, regardless of what motivates it. This is not how we resolve our differences. And this is not OK. This level of violence has to end, and it has to be roundly condemned by everyone, both political parties, people from all different walks of life.' The conduct of Shapiro — who is widely discussed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate and was in the running to be Kamala Harris' running mate last year — in assisting with the Butler investigation drew widespread praise, including from Republicans in the state. Speaking with NBC News' 'Meet the Press' in July, Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., said he appreciated having heard from Shapiro 'immediately' as he was leaving the rally, adding that Shapiro asked: 'Hey, what happened? What can we do? Are we — do we have enough state troopers?' Meuser later told NBC News that Shapiro 'was on the job' and that 'it was a great conversation.' Yet Meuser, a potential challenger to Shapiro in 2026, was far more critical of him Wednesday, suggesting that while the arsonist who attacked the Governor's Residence was 'a psycho,' Shapiro's rhetoric and actions may be contributing to the problem. 'They got to tone it down, too,' Meuser, who earlier posted a lengthy condemnation of the attack, said in a radio interview. 'I mean, every action Josh Shapiro has taken against the president has either been a lawsuit or a falsehood. … That's not helpful, either.' Shapiro seemed surprised by the remarks when a reporter asked him about them Wednesday, replying, 'He said that?' 'Look, I've said for years leaders have a responsibility to speak and act with moral clarity,' Shapiro said. 'It would appear the congressman failed to measure up to that.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
17-04-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says he hasn't heard from Trump since the arson attack
After a man tried to assassinate Donald Trump in July at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the state's Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, quickly issued a statement condemning the attempt on the Republican presidential candidate's life. 'Violence targeted at any political party or political leader is absolutely unacceptable,' Shapiro posted on X that day. 'It has no place in Pennsylvania or the United States. I have been briefed on the situation. @PAStatePolice are on the scene in Butler County and working with our federal and local partners.' In the 24 hours after the attack, Shapiro worked closely with law enforcement, including calling Republican members of Congress present at the rally, then-President Joe Biden and the Trump campaign (although he did not speak directly to Trump). He also called and spoke with the family of Corey Comperatore, the Trump supporter who was shot and killed. Yet three days after an arson attack on Shapiro's residence in Harrisburg Sunday, Trump still has not called Shapiro or weighed in significantly to condemn the violence. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Shapiro told reporters Wednesday afternoon that he has not yet heard from Trump since the attack. Law enforcement has charged Cody A. Balmer, 38, with the crime, alleging that he broke into the governor's home and started multiple fires with Molotov cocktails while Shapiro and his family were inside. The fire came just hours after the Shapiros hosted Passover dinner at their house. Shapiro said they had to evacuate after they were awakened by loud bangs on their door. No one was hurt, but the home sustained significant damage. Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, put out a statement sharply criticizing Trump for not weighing in. "Last year, Trump didn't hesitate to call Josh Shapiro a 'highly overrated Jewish governor.' Now, nearly four days after Gov. Shapiro was targeted in an act of political violence — reportedly due to his position on Israel — Trump hasn't clearly condemned it." 'Trump feigns support for Jewish Americans and Israel, but his actions suggest otherwise," Soifer added. "He's a hypocrite who condones political violence when it suits his political agenda, and his silence amid this targeted arsonist attack on Gov. Shapiro speaks volumes. Shame on the President.' Others in the Trump administration have condemned the attack, as have prominent congressional Republicans. 'Thanks be to God that Governor Shapiro and his family were unharmed in this attack,' Vice President JD Vance commented Sunday on X. 'Really disgusting violence, and I hope whoever did it is brought swiftly to justice.' Speaking with reporters at a Wednesday briefing, Attorney General Pam Bondi said both she and FBI Director Kash Patel spoke with Shapiro after the attack, which she called 'horrific.' Bondi said she "firmly believe[d]" the attack was intended to kill Shapiro, pledging to continue to work with state authorities to do 'anything we can to help convict the person that did this and keep them behind bars, as long as possible.' Shapiro himself noted Monday that he had been in touch with Patel, who promised that the federal government would assist in the investigation. The same day, a reporter asked Trump whether the FBI had determined a motive behind the attack on Shapiro. 'No, I haven't, but the attacker was not a fan of Trump, I understand — just from what I read and from what I've been told,' Trump said in his most extensive comments on the fire. 'The attacker basically wasn't a fan of anybody. He's probably just a whack job. And certainly a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen.' Newly released search warrants suggest that Balmer was upset by Shapiro's stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Around 2:50 a.m. Sunday, about 50 minutes after the fire, he reportedly called 911 and told a dispatcher that he 'will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.' It is not entirely clear whether he was referring to Shapiro. Balmer's social media presence suggested anti-government views, including negative content about Biden. Shapiro told reporters Wednesday that the political motivation behind the attack was not the most important issue. 'I know that there are people out there who want to ascribe their own viewpoints as to what happened here and why,' he said, adding: 'I choose not to participate in that. I said after the assassination attempt on the president … in Butler, I said in Altoona — after we captured the individual who shot and killed the United Healthcare CEO — and I said on Sunday that this kind of violence has no place in our society, regardless of what motivates it. This is not how we resolve our differences. And this is not OK. This level of violence has to end, and it has to be roundly condemned by everyone, both political parties, people from all different walks of life.' The conduct of Shapiro — who is widely discussed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate and was in the running to be Kamala Harris' running mate last year — in assisting with the Butler investigation drew widespread praise, including from Republicans in the state. Speaking with NBC News' 'Meet the Press' in July, Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., said he appreciated having heard from Shapiro 'immediately' as he was leaving the rally, adding that Shapiro asked: 'Hey, what happened? What can we do? Are we — do we have enough state troopers?' Meuser later told NBC News that Shapiro 'was on the job' and that 'it was a great conversation.' Yet Meuser, a potential challenger to Shapiro in 2026, was far more critical of him Wednesday, suggesting that while the arsonist who attacked the Governor's Residence was 'a psycho,' Shapiro's rhetoric and actions may be contributing to the problem. ' They got to tone it down, too,' Meuser, who earlier posted a lengthy condemnation of the attack, said in a radio interview. 'I mean, every action Josh Shapiro has taken against the president has either been a lawsuit or a falsehood. … That's not helpful, either.' Shapiro seemed surprised by the remarks when a reporter asked him about them Wednesday, replying, ' He said that?' 'Look, I've said for years leaders have a responsibility to speak and act with moral clarity,' Shapiro said. 'It would appear the congressman failed to measure up to that.'
New York Times
13-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Rights Groups Condemn Trump for Using ‘Palestinian' as a Slur Against Schumer
Jewish and Muslim groups condemned President Trump for calling Senator Chuck Schumer 'a Palestinian,' saying that the president used the term as a racial slur. Mr. Trump made the comments on Wednesday at a meeting in the Oval Office with Micheál Martin, the prime minister of Ireland. A reporter asked Mr. Trump about tax cuts, and Mr. Trump responded by criticizing Democrats and then focused on Mr. Schumer, the minority leader and the highest-ranking elected Jewish official in the United States. 'Schumer is a Palestinian, as far as I'm concerned. He's become a Palestinian,' Mr. Trump said. 'He used to be Jewish. He's not Jewish anymore. He's a Palestinian.' Nihad Awad, the national executive director of CAIR, the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the United States, said in a statement that Mr. Trump's use of the term 'Palestinian' as a racial slur was offensive and 'beneath the dignity of his office.' He added that Mr. Trump's comments contributed to the 'dehumanization of the Palestinian people.' The Anti-Defamation League, an organization that fights antisemitism, said that using 'Palestinian' as a slur and deciding who is and is not Jewish was unacceptable. 'Instead of weaponizing people's identity, use the power of the bully pulpit to bring the American people together,' the group said in a statement. Halie Soifer, chief executive of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, said Mr. Trump's comments were 'abhorrent' and showed why many Jewish voters did not support Mr. Trump. 'His rhetoric, agenda, and alignment with right-wing extremists are endangering American Jews,' she wrote on social media. Mr. Trump's comments came after Senate Democrats said on Wednesday that they would not back a Republican bill to fund the government through the end of September, raising the chances of a government shutdown at the end of the week. Mr. Schumer's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
