Latest news with #PalestinianAmerican
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
New York man called in bomb threats to Brookline hotel flying Palestinian flag, police say
Freundlich faces one felony count of making a bomb or hijacking threat, per court records. No arrests appear to have been made. The man's identity was first reported by Advertisement Reached by phone on Thursday, Freundlich told the Globe he had 'nothing to say' about the charges, adding that 'I don't think it would be helpful.' He declined to confirm whether he had retained an attorney or been in contact with law enforcement. The Iris Hotel drew heated criticism after it flew a Palestinian flag on the weekend of April 12, according to police reports obtained by the Globe. Hotel staff told police they had received numerous phone calls accusing them of supporting Hamas and other terrorist groups. On April 18, staff reported multiple phone calls from the same caller who claimed he wanted to book a room, per the reports. The caller allegedly told the receptionist 'there should be no Jews staying there,' adding that a 'bomb would go off' and that he would 'make sure something blows up' while he was there. Advertisement Police identified Freundlich as the caller after a review of phone provider information, per the reports. Management at the hotel did not return a request for comment on Thursday. Wagner Hospitality Management, which operates the Iris Hotel, said at the time the flag was displayed in honor of US Representative Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress, who was staying at the hotel. Tlaib was The management group wrote 'This flag should not be a contentious symbol and we would show the same respect for any dignitary choosing to stay with us regardless of their heritage or ethnicity,' the group wrote. 'We have many Jewish guests staying at our hotel and we respect everyone.' Wagner Hospitality is owned by Anwar Faisal, according to state filings. Faisal, Brookline police said that multiple agencies took part in the investigation. Kristen Setera, an FBI spokesperson, confirmed the agency's involvement. Setera directed further comment to local law enforcement. Camilo Fonseca can be reached at
New York Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Israeli Forces Said They Killed a ‘Terrorist.' He Was 14 Years Old.
The clothes were strewn on a ridge dotted with olive and almond trees, perched above a highway in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. On rust-colored earth sprinkled with wildflowers were a torn black T-shirt, black Converse socks and a pair of Nike Air white sneakers. Nearby lay a pair of bloodied, gray Nike sweatpants and a black hoodie perforated with holes. Here, on April 6, near Turmus Aya, a village in the West Bank where most of the residents have U.S. citizenship, Israeli soldiers gunned down Amer Rabee a 14-year-old Palestinian American boy who was born in New Jersey. The military handed over his naked, bullet-ridden body a few hours later in a blue body bag, according to his family. The Israeli military has accused Amer and two of his friends of hurling rocks toward the highway and endangering civilians. It described the boys as 'terrorists,' and said its soldiers had 'eliminated' one and shot the two others. Amer's family and one of the surviving boys deny the accusation, saying that they were picking almonds. Amer was shot multiple times in his upper body, according to photographs his family shared with The New York Times. Amer's killing has added to accusations that the Israeli military uses excessive force and operates with impunity. It came amid a sharp spike in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, where the Israeli military has been carrying out raids and tightening control in the most sweeping crackdown on militancy there in a generation. Rampages by extremist settlers against Palestinians have also increased recently. Amer's death has also raised questions about the American response to helping its own citizens. Senators Andy Kim and Cory Booker of New Jersey have called for an American-led investigation into Amer's death, but the Trump administration has remained largely noncommittal. Last month, the State Department spokeswoman, Tammy Bruce, said at a press briefing that the Israeli military believed it was stopping an act of terrorism. 'We need to learn more about the nature of what happened on the ground,' she added. American officials did not respond to a request for further information. More than 900 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, mostly by the Israeli military and some by settlers, since the Hamas-led offensive against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the United Nations. Roughly 30 Israelis have been killed by Palestinians in the West Bank during that period. From 2018 to 2022, less than a third of complaints that soldiers had harmed Palestinians in the West Bank resulted in an investigation, according to a recent report by Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights organization. Only a fraction have led to legal action. A Hail of Gunfire The three young boys had gone out to pick green almonds, a seasonal delicacy, in a terraced orchard between Turmus Aya and Route 60, a busy north-south artery linking a patchwork of Palestinian towns and Jewish settlements, one of the friends, Ayoub Jabara, 14, told The Times at his home in Turmus Aya. He denied that they had thrown stones, saying that they had merely been throwing dried almonds at each other. Ayoub, who is also a Palestinian-American, described reaching a point very close to the main road, and finding a tree with dried-up nuts. 'Amer picked one up and was joking that it was like a stone and threw it at me. I threw it back,' he said. Amer was shot at least 11 times, according to his father, Mohammed Rabee. Photographs taken on the cellphone of a family friend who accompanied Mr. Rabee when they picked up Amer's body appeared to show several entry wounds, including one in the center of his forehead and others in his neck and upper torso. Hours after the shooting, the Israeli military issued a 10-second clip of blurry footage without a time stamp that shows three unidentifiable figures appearing to gather things from the ground. One of the figures appears to fling something in a downward motion, though no object is visible. The video cuts out as all three appear to turn and run. The military said that its footage was filmed from a military post and that the soldiers were lying in ambush in what they described as a counterterrorism operation in the area. Four days after Amer died, reporters for The Times searched the ridge where he was killed for any signs of the shooting and came across the clothes. Garments that appeared to have been cut off by soldiers and blue surgical gloves were scattered around a bloodstained rock. The military said it was standard procedure to remove clothes to ensure the body was not booby-trapped. The clothes were later identified by the family as Amer's, when the reporters returned them to the family at their home. Even if the boys did throw stones, said Mr. Rabee, Amer's father, the soldiers could have fired warning shots to scare them away, or could have chased and detained them. 'He was 14 years old,' he said. 'It takes no special training to catch a little kid.' Instead, the soldiers fired a barrage of bullets at family believes they wanted to kill him. The military declined to confirm or deny that it has a shoot-to-kill policy for stone throwers. Ayoub, Amer's friend, suffered 'multiple gunshot wounds,' according to medical records from the Istishari Arab hospital in nearby Ramallah, where he spent three days in the intensive care unit. Both Dr. Mohammad Qneibi, a physician at a local clinic where Ayoub was first taken, and Ayoub's father, Ahed Jabara, told The Times that the boy was shot at least three times in the groin area. The family of the third boy, Abdulrahman Shihada, 15, declined to be interviewed. Hopes of Living in America In Turmus Aya, Amer's parents were still reeling from their loss in the days after the shooting, and Amer's siblings and cousins from the United States had flown in to mourn him. Mr. Rabee and his wife, Majed, left the West Bank for New Jersey in 2001. They moved back to Turmus Aya in 2013, when Amer, the youngest of their five children, was a toddler. The parents wanted their children to be schooled in Arabic and to absorb Palestinian identity and culture. Amer's four older siblings had moved back to the United States after finishing high school. He had dreamed of joining them, and the night before he was killed, he had been texting in English with his siblings about his future business plans to market mini cotton candy machines. Villagers first started moving to the United States more than a century ago and relatives followed. Now, about 85 percent of Turmus Aya's residents are dual Palestinian-American citizens. Many, like the Rabee family, come and go. The evening Amer died, he left the house without saying goodbye, his mother, Majed, said. 'He didn't think he was never coming back.' Amer's father, Mr. Rabee, got a call from a friend at 6:41 p.m. saying there had been a shooting. Word had been spreading in the village that Amer was involved. Mr. Rabee called his son's phone several times but got no reply. At 6:58 p.m., he called the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem's hotline and said his son needed immediate help. He said American officials did not respond with any practical assistance. The embassy did not respond to a request for comment. At about 9:30 p.m., a Palestinian official called to say that Amer had been killed. Mr. Rabee went to an Israeli military base in the northern West Bank where, shortly before midnight, Amer's body was transferred to a Palestinian ambulance. 'I said, 'Praise be to God,' and I kissed him,' Mr. Rabee said. Mr. Rabee said that he did not trust any of the authorities to investigate and that Amer had been buried a day later, without an autopsy. 'Only God can judge; I have sent the case to God for judgment,' Mr. Rabee said. .
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
FBI raids Chicago home of Capital Jewish Museum shooting suspect, Elias Rodriguez. What to know
FBI agents raided the apartment of a Chicago resident yesterday in connection with the May 21 shooting of two Israeli Embassy staff members in Washington, D.C. The suspect, Elias Rodriguez, was taken into custody, a Hyundai Accent registered to Rodriguez was towed away and officers were seen leaving the residence with boxes and luggage in-hand. Here's what we know. Rodriguez, 31 years old, reportedly lived on the second floor of a building in the 4700 block of North Troy Street in Chicago's Albany Park. A sign reading "Justice for Wadea" was visible in the window of the apartment believed to belong to Rodriguez, according to WGN-9 News. The sign references the deadly stabbing of 6-year-old Palestinian American Wadea al-Fayoumi in Plainfield in October 2023. Rodriguez's alleged social media accounts are said to contain posts criticizing the war in Gaza. USA TODAY reported that he was also once affiliated with the far-left Chicago group the Party for Socialism and Liberation, according to one of the group's X posts. Rodriguez has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and also faces several firearms charges and counts of killing foreign officials. The attack is being investigated as a possible hate and terrorism crime. Jeanine Pirro, the interim U.S. Attorney for D.C., said authorities may pursue the death penalty if Rodriguez is convicted. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 18 in Washington, D.C. Others are reading: One person seriously injured in Peoria shooting near former middle school Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were shot and killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on the evening of May 21. The couple were Israeli Embassy staff members believed to be attending an event at the museum. An FBI affidavit says Rodriguez flew from Chicago to Washington, D.C., the day before the attack, bringing a gun in his checked luggage, and bought a ticket to the museum three hours before the night's event began. Video footage shows Rodriguez shooting at the victims several times before and after they fell to the ground. He reportedly yelled, "Free, free Palestine" as he was detained by security. CONTRIBUTING: Melina Khan, John Bacon, Thao Nguyen and Jorge L. Ortiz This article originally appeared on Journal Star: FBI raids Albany Park home belonging to suspected Israeli Embassy staff shooter
NBC News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
A suspect is charged in the Capital Jewish Museum shooting and Harvard's international student enrollment is halted: Morning Rundown
Investigators search for a motive in the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C. The Trump administration blocks Harvard from enrolling international students. And the largest Medicaid funding cut in modern history is proposed in the spending bill. Here's what to know today. What we know about the suspect in the Capital Jewish Museum shooting Elias Rodriguez, the 31-year-old suspect in the shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He was also charged with the murder of foreign officials and several firearms charges. Rodriguez could face life in prison or the death penalty, the judge said at his initial federal court appearance. This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. Federal agents said Rodriguez told Washington police officers who arrived at the scene that he 'did it,' according to a criminal complaint. 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,' the complaint said. Law enforcement agents were seen entering an address in Chicago tied to the suspect and leaving with what looked like large electronic equipment. Federal officials are reviewing writings that they say may belong to Rodriguez. A neighbor said he interacted with Rodriguez infrequently but knew him for having a 'Justice for Wadee' sign in his window, referring to Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy who was fatally stabbed by his landlord shortly after the Israel-Hamas war erupted. Here's what else we know about the suspect. A clearer picture of the victims — Israeli embassy colleagues Yaron Lischinsky and Sara Milgrim — has emerged since the shooting. The young couple was set to travel to Jerusalem next week, where Lischinsky intended to propose to Milgrim with a ring he bought last week, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said. Their deaths prompted an outpouring of grief in Israel and in Overland Park, Kansas, where Milgrim was from. Sarah 'was thrilled' when she got the job at the Israeli Embassy, her father Robert Milgrim told NBC News on Thursday. 'I couldn't have been prouder.' The White House is stopping Harvard University from being able to enroll international students amid an ongoing standoff between the government and the Ivy League school. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Harvard of 'fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.' She separately posted that the restriction should serve as a 'warning to all universities and academic institutions.' The escalation comes shortly after a federal judged blocked the Trump administration from revoking international students' legal status. A university spokesperson decried the government's action as 'unlawful' and said it's 'fully committed to maintaining Harvard's ability to host international students and scholars.' Harvard currently enrolls nearly 6,800 international students, who will now need to transfer or lose their legal status. In the backdrop of the president's legal throes with Harvard, attorneys for Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil continue to advocate against his deportation, saying it could put his life at risk. The administration argues it has the authority to deport Khalil because he 'led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.' The Trump agenda bill passed by House Republicans would reshape the federal budget and affect millions of Americans in a plethora of ways, and its projected increase to the federal deficit spooked financial markets this week. One of the major provisions in the package is an extension of the 2017 Trump tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of this year. The extension touches Americans in all income tax brackets, but the largest benefits are projected to go to the highest earners. The legislation also includes the largest Medicaid funding cuts in modern history, projected to be nearly $700 billion, and it imposes stricter work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks. Meanwhile, $290 billion will be cut from SNAP, the food assistance program for low-income Americans. The so-called big, beautiful bill includes some spending increases, with $150 billion in new money for immigration enforcement and $150 billion in new military spending. One of the only Republicans to vote against the 'big beautiful bill' has opposed Trump for years and survived. Can he do it again? At least three people are dead after a small plane struck a power line in San Diego, California, before crashing into a nearby military housing neighborhood. Ultra-processed foods and environmental toxins top the list of root causes of chronic diseases in the long-awaited 'Make America Healthy Again' report, released by the White House. Staff Pick: The Indiana Pacers are on a 'mission': Become the NBA's most difficult team to beat During the most unpredictable NBA playoffs in recent memory, th e Indiana Pacers have become the toughest team to beat. We've all seen an improbable comeback victory. What is incredibly rare, though, is how the Pacers have made such comebacks appear routine. I was fascinated to dig into the factors that have sustained their run of historic rallies through three consecutive rounds. In every NBA arena, cameras stationed in the rafters high above the court capture huge amounts of data about what is happening on the court. As someone who covered the NBA day in and day out for six years, I knew where to find that data, hoping it might explain the Pacers' success. What I found about their statistics in the 'clutch' was unlike anything I can recall seeing. Tune in. You never know what you might see with this team. NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified Memorial Day is fast approaching, so we have a roundup of the best deals available right now. Plus, our editors also flipped through hundreds of deals on Amazon to find discounts on some of our favorite products. here.
NBC News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
What we know about the suspect in the Capital Jewish Museum shooting
Federal officials are reviewing writings that they say may belong to the man suspected of fatally gunning down two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., as they investigate whether the attack was motivated by antisemitism. District police identified the lone suspect as Elias Rodriguez, a Chicago resident in his early 30s, who they say shouted 'Free, free Palestine' while in custody and 'implied' that he had committed the shooting outside of the Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday night. He appeared Thursday before a federal magistrate judge and was charged with murder of foreign officials, causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence and two counts of first-degree murder. Outside of a brick apartment building on a quiet tree-lined street in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago, law enforcement early Thursday cordoned off an address tied to the suspect by public records. Several FBI vehicles pulled up to the building and agents dressed in camo gear and carrying large firearms went inside. They later left with what looked like large electronic equipment. Chicago police were positioned outside, blocking the entrance to the street. John Wayne Fry, a neighbor, said he would interact with Rodriguez infrequently in the hallway or by the mailboxes, but knew him for having a 'Justice for Wadea' sign in his window. Wadee Alfayoumi, was a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy who was fatally stabbed by his landlord in Illinois days after the Israel-Hamas war erupted in 2023. Rodriguez 'seemed like a normal, friendly guy,' Fry said, adding that the two had not spoken about Israel before but wished they had because 'I would have talked him out of it.' Efforts to reach family members in Chicago were not immediately successful. In a post on X Thursday, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino wrote that the bureau 'is aware of certain writings allegedly authored by the suspect, and we hope to have updates as to the authenticity very soon.' The writings include social media posts that indicate a motivation to act on behalf of the Palestinian people. A LinkedIn account for the suspect shows he worked for the American Osteopathic Information Association as a 'profiles administrative specialist' beginning last July. The organization confirmed that the suspect was an employee. 'As a physician organization dedicated to protecting the health and sanctity of human life, we believe in the rights of all persons to live safely without fear of violence,' the association said. Rodriguez also listed working as a coordinator and an oral history researcher from 2023 to 2024 for The HistoryMakers, a nonprofit organization in Chicago that collects video oral history of Black Americans. An archive of the website says Rodriguez is a Chicago native who earned an English degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and had worked as a content writer in technology. Politicians, both prominent Republicans and Democrats, have condemned the shooting that claimed the lives of Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26. The couple was killed outside after attending a Young Diplomats reception at the museum organized by the American Jewish Committee, an advocacy group. Ron Prosor, Israel's ambassador to Germany, wrote on X that Lischinsky 'was a Christian, a true lover of Israel, served in the IDF, and chose to dedicate his life to the State of Israel and the Zionist cause.' The New York Times reported he was the son of a Jewish father and Christian mother. Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said Lischinsky was planning to propose to Milgrim. President Donald Trump wrote on social media that the attack was 'based obviously on antisemitism,' while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who is Jewish, called it 'another horrific instance of antisemitism which as we know is all too rampant in our society.'
