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Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Since Oct. 7, perpetrators of antisemitic attacks in US increasingly cite Israel's war in Gaza
In 2024, 58 percent of antisemitic incidents 'contained elements related to Israel or Zionism,' according to the Anti-Defamation League's annual antisemitism report released this year. That has risen since the group began tracking the data with a new definition two years ago. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'For antisemites, the Israel issue has been a convenient tactic to pile onto the Jewish community,' said Oren Segal, ADL's senior vice president of counterextremism and intelligence. Some people intentionally conflate being Jewish with support for the Israeli government, he said. Advertisement The overlap is complicating life for many US Jews and Jewish organizations living with increasing antisemitism and the deep divisions sparked by the war in Gaza. 'People like me made arguments for years about how you should be able to criticize Israel and not be seen as antisemitic. Now that's collapsed, and attacks on Zionism now target Jews. They see no difference, and so here we are,' said Joel Rubin, a deputy assistant secretary of state under former president Barack Obama who also served as Jewish outreach adviser to the 2020 presidential campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Independent. Advertisement Since Israel's post-Oct. 7 war in Gaza began, polls have shown that more Americans have negative views about Israel, and support for the Palestinian solidarity movement has grown stronger. With antisemitic incidents at historic levels, some American Jews say they feel like a political football, and that it can be agonizing at times to tell the difference between prejudice and criticism of the Israeli government. Jews in the United States 'have a real psychological challenge in this moment,' said Dove Kent, US senior director of the Diaspora Alliance, a progressive group that works to fight the weaponization of antisemitism. 'Whenever there is an increase in Israeli lethal action, there is an increase in antisemitism directed at Jews. But Jews don't cause antisemitism,' she said. 'Conversations about if and when these attacks [in the United States] are antisemitic are only useful to the degree they help us understand how to stop them,' she said. 'Otherwise it's almost just an exercise -- a thing that has the potential to grab people's attention and cause fractures among people who are otherwise completely aligned that we need to stop these attacks.' This trend has become more apparent after a recent series of antisemitic events. In April, the residence of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, was set on fire by a man who allegedly blamed him for Middle East violence against Palestinians. A month later, two Israeli Embassy employees were fatally shot as they left a reception at a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C., by a man who yelled 'Free, free Palestine.' And Sunday, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, allegedly used a flamethrower to attack a Jewish event in Colorado. Advertisement All three incidents reflect rising antisemitism, but they also have a common feature: The alleged perpetrators cited their objections to Israel's war in Gaza as part of their motives, say hate crime experts. Soliman 'said this had nothing to do with the Jewish community and was specific [to] the Zionist group,' according to Boulder police. While the war in Gaza has fueled criticism of Israel from some on the left, even among some politically left-leaning Jews, many US Jews have also said the administration of President Trump shares some blame for a more hostile climate. During his last presidential campaign, Trump said Jewish voters would be to blame if he lost -- despite being only 2 percent of the population. Multiple Jewish leaders have been critical of Trump and some administration officials for using antisemitism as a rationale for deporting immigrants and eliminating some diversity initiatives, stoking backlash. 'Since Trump came in they are weaponizing Jewish fear to advance a very specific agenda,' said Kevin Rachlin, Washington director of the Nexus Project, which advocates against antisemitism and for free speech. 'What will you do to protect us?' he said. 'Shutting down and defunding schools, deporting people? That doesn't protect Jews.' Harrison Fields, principal deputy press secretary at the White House, wrote that the president 'received unprecedented support from the Jewish community in his historic reelection, and this support continues to grow as he combats the left's rampant anti-Semitism is exposed daily. The Trump administration is the most pro-Israel and pro-Jewish in our nation's history, and the President's record stands as a testament to this commitment.' Advertisement US Jews are wary equally of both conservatives and liberals, according to a 2024 survey by the American Jewish Committee. Asked 'how much of an antisemitic threat' the 'extreme political right' and the 'extreme political left' represents, the numbers were almost the same: 55 percent said the far right is a very serious or moderate threat, and 57 percent said that of the far left. Jews outside of Israel have long been attacked by people trying to change Mideast policy, Rachlin said. But those attacks have taken on a new dimension in recent years, he said. What's changed is the very high death toll in Israel and Gaza, the growth among young Americans -- compared with older ones -- in sympathy for the Palestinian cause, and, Rachlin said, the internet. 'We see everything that's happening. Nothing is hidden, and no amount of spin can turn away video. You can see bad actors in both camps.'
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Flailing in the breeze policy': Fmr. State Dept. official slams Trump Middle East trip
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a meeting between Russia and Ukraine to be held in Turkey later this week, rather than accepting a 30-day ceasefire proposal by European leaders and U.S. President Trump. Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joel Rubin joins Alex Witt to discuss the conflict in Ukraine, Trump's upcoming Middle East trip, and a luxurious gift Trump is prepared to accept from Qatar.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China and Egypt wrap first joint military exercise as Beijing looks to cozy up to American allies
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Egypt and China wrapped up their first-ever joint military exercises on Sunday, in a show of force involving the U.S.' top rival and one of its top recipients of military aid. Running from mid-April until Sunday, the drills consisted of joint aerial exercises, simulated air combat and modern warfare lectures. China deployed its J-10C fighter jets, KJ-500 airborne early warning aircraft and Y-20 transport tankers in a display of its military prowess beyond Asia, according to footage posted by Chinese state media outlet CCTV. Egypt has, in recent years, also purchased large amounts of military machinery from Russia, prompting questions about how the U.S. should address a top Middle East ally and aid recipient growing closer to its biggest adversaries. Chinese Firm Aiding Houthi Attacks On Us Vessels "We've never seen a crisis like this," said Joel Rubin, a former senior State Department official who worked on the Egypt desk under former President George W. Bush and pens "The Briefing Book" on Substack. "Egypt is essentially flouting us right now and looking to China, looking for more stable, long-term partners after nearly four and a half decades of stability in terms of the peace deal under Camp David." Read On The Fox News App Egypt operates a number of U.S.-made aircraft - F-16 fighter aircraft, CH-47 Chinook and AH-64 Apache helicopters - and is slated to receive C-130 J transport aircraft. Egypt also possesses 32 American Patriot missile defense systems. The China-Egypt Eagles of Civilization 2025 is expected to bolster Beijing's ties to Africa's strongest military and a longtime strategic U.S. ally. Egypt has received roughly $1.3 billion each year in U.S. military aid since the Camp David Accords that normalized relations between Israel and Egypt. That figure puts it behind only Israel, which scores around $3.8 in U.S. military aid. Ukraine receives more aid than Egypt and Israel, but only since Russia's invasion – prior to 2022, it got between $200 and $350 million each year. Israel Approves Plan To Capture All Of Gaza, Calls Up Tens Of Thousands Of Reserve Troops When the Trump administration took office and froze all foreign aid, Egypt and Israel were the only two nations who were exempted from the freeze. Egypt partners with U.S. security forces across the region to fight terrorism in places like Iraq and Syria. The Camp David Accords, per Rubin, were the "final piece to the puzzle that peeled off the most important Arab military from the Soviet Union." Prior to the accords, Egypt was aligned with Russia's priorities in the Middle East. "It was about getting them into our column, and this is a sign they may be again moving into a different column." Around $300 million of U.S. military aid to Egypt can be conditioned on human rights concerns, and that money has been frozen and unfrozen in recent years due to complaints about Egypt's human rights record under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. "Cairo's hedging tactics are not new. This has been a slow and steady effort, and this exercise marks a clear escalation. For Cairo, they want to diversify their patrons. Washington has long conditioned its aid to Egypt on human rights and democratization efforts. While the U.S. has routinely issued waivers on these conditions and allowed the aid to flow, Cairo does not want to remain beholden to Washington," said Mariam Wahba, an Egypt-focused researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. However, with a new administration with little appetite for foreign aid, Egypt may be concerned that further aid cuts are on the table. "This exercise should certainly sound the alarm in Washington," said Wahba. The exercises, according to former Deputy Assistance Secretary of Defense Simone Ledeen, "are both about capability building and sending a geopolitical signal." "Egypt is hedging, showing the U.S. it has options," added Ledeen, who worked in the first Trump administration. "China is making clear it intends to expand its influence in the Mediterranean. Everyone should be paying attention." The latest development, according to Rubin, calls for "very agile diplomacy." "It's indicative of the broader global uncertainty and panic about the Trump administration's position towards international affairs," he said. "If we do threaten in a way that pushes them out, then even if we might feel justified morally, we could potentially be losing a crucial ally and partner, one that has significant impact on global shipping routes, counterterrorism work across the Arab Middle East, and we would be giving China a toe hold right into the heart of the Middle East at the worst possible time." Original article source: China and Egypt wrap first joint military exercise as Beijing looks to cozy up to American allies
Fox News
06-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
China and Egypt wrap first joint military exercise as Beijing looks to cozy up to American allies
Egypt and China wrapped up their first-ever joint military exercises on Sunday, in a show of force involving the U.S.' top rival and one of its top recipients of military aid. Running from mid-April until Sunday, the drills consisted of joint aerial exercises, simulated air combat and modern warfare lectures. China deployed its J-10C fighter jets, KJ-500 airborne early warning aircraft and Y-20 transport tankers in a display of its military prowess beyond Asia, according to footage posted by Chinese state media outlet CCTV. Egypt has, in recent years, also purchased large amounts of military machinery from Russia, prompting questions about how the U.S. should address a top Middle East ally and aid recipient growing closer to its biggest adversaries. CHINESE FIRM AIDING HOUTHI ATTACKS ON US VESSELS "We've never seen a crisis like this," said Joel Rubin, a former senior State Department official who worked on the Egypt desk under former President George W. Bush and pens "The Briefing Book" on Substack. "Egypt is essentially flouting us right now and looking to China, looking for more stable, long-term partners after nearly four and a half decades of stability in terms of the peace deal under Camp David." Egypt operates a number of U.S.-made aircraft - F-16 fighter aircraft, CH-47 Chinook and AH-64 Apache helicopters - and is slated to receive C-130 J transport aircraft. Egypt also possesses 32 American Patriot missile defense systems. The China-Egypt Eagles of Civilization 2025 is expected to bolster Beijing's ties to Africa's strongest military and a longtime strategic U.S. ally. Egypt has received roughly $1.3 billion each year in U.S. military aid since the Camp David Accords that normalized relations between Israel and Egypt. That figure puts it behind only Israel, which scores around $3.8 in U.S. military aid. Ukraine receives more aid than Egypt and Israel, but only since Russia's invasion – prior to 2022, it got between $200 and $350 million each year. ISRAEL APPROVES PLAN TO CAPTURE ALL OF GAZA, CALLS UP TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RESERVE TROOPS When the Trump administration took office and froze all foreign aid, Egypt and Israel were the only two nations who were exempted from the freeze. Egypt partners with U.S. security forces across the region to fight terrorism in places like Iraq and Syria. The Camp David Accords, per Rubin, were the "final piece to the puzzle that peeled off the most important Arab military from the Soviet Union." Prior to the accords, Egypt was aligned with Russia's priorities in the Middle East. "It was about getting them into our column, and this is a sign they may be again moving into a different column." Around $300 million of U.S. military aid to Egypt can be conditioned on human rights concerns, and that money has been frozen and unfrozen in recent years due to complaints about Egypt's human rights record under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. "Cairo's hedging tactics are not new. This has been a slow and steady effort, and this exercise marks a clear escalation. For Cairo, they want to diversify their patrons. Washington has long conditioned its aid to Egypt on human rights and democratization efforts. While the U.S. has routinely issued waivers on these conditions and allowed the aid to flow, Cairo does not want to remain beholden to Washington," said Mariam Wahba, an Egypt-focused researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. However, with a new administration with little appetite for foreign aid, Egypt may be concerned that further aid cuts are on the table. "This exercise should certainly sound the alarm in Washington," said Wahba. The exercises, according to former Deputy Assistance Secretary of Defense Simone Ledeen, "are both about capability building and sending a geopolitical signal." "Egypt is hedging, showing the U.S. it has options," added Ledeen, who worked in the first Trump administration. "China is making clear it intends to expand its influence in the Mediterranean. Everyone should be paying attention." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The latest development, according to Rubin, calls for "very agile diplomacy." "It's indicative of the broader global uncertainty and panic about the Trump administration's position towards international affairs," he said. "If we do threaten in a way that pushes them out, then even if we might feel justified morally, we could potentially be losing a crucial ally and partner, one that has significant impact on global shipping routes, counterterrorism work across the Arab Middle East, and we would be giving China a toe hold right into the heart of the Middle East at the worst possible time."
Al Arabiya
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
US officials in Moscow for talks on Washington's 30-day Ukraine ceasefire
In this episode of Global News Today, presented by Tom Burges Watson, we cover US officials arriving in Moscow for talks with Russia on a Washington-proposed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. Guests: Joel Rubin - Former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
