Latest news with #Pro-Israel
New York Post
7 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Zohran Mamdani's views on Palestine are embarrassing
Zohran Mamdani embraces countless lefty causes, but opposing Israel is — as he himself said on the campaign trail — 'central to my identity.' Believe him, judge him accordingly — and realize this isn't about justice, but hate. He may drop his calls to defund the NYPD or fall short in hiking taxes on the rich, but he'll never stop targeting the Jewish state and vilifying all who support it. Advertisement Only on the topic of Israel and Palestine does Mamdani lose his grin, quit cocking his head and enter a grim space of steely hate. It's a lifelong obsession, soaked up at the knee of his father, a career 'postcolonialist' academic. Palestinian 'liberation' (from Israel, not from the barbaric extremists of Hamas or the corruptocrats of Fatah) was a 'driving force' for Zohran way back in his days at Bowdoin College, where he started a chapter of an anti-Israel club — the only time he has run anything. Advertisement In December 2023 remarks now resurfacing, Mamdani insisted the rest of us are just ignorant: Pro-Israel politicians' 'answers were written around 20, 30 years ago. They speak to a reality that does not exist,' he charged — as if the worldwide growth of antisemitism somehow made the Jewish state less necessary, rather than more. Reality? Israel is an actual country of 10 million (including millions of Arabs!), whereas 'Palestine' is an entity that has never existed, one nobody even imagined before Israel's creation. Democrats' mayoral nominee also slammed Western supporters of Israel's answer to Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, atrocities as delusional, 'explaining' that 'for so many people, Israel is not a place, it is not a country. It's an idea.' Advertisement Funny: That's surely at least as true of him and his fellow anti-Israel obsessives the world over. He's not a Palestinian nor even an Arab, has never been to Israel and has no plans to go. Nor does he show anything like the concern for other oppressed Muslims, whether the Uighers in China or the Rohingyas in Burma. Those peoples are clearly targeted for elimination by the governments that control their lands, whereas the Palestinian population has grown several times over in the decades that Israel's supposedly been trying to genocide them. Advertisement This obsession isn't about the oppressed: It's about the Jews. We understand that lefties the world over don't consciously see that it's about the Jews, but the double and triple standards allow for no other rational explanation. That Mamdani dresses up this ancient hate in the latest jargon doesn't make it, or him, any less despicable.
The Irish Sun
28-07-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Harrowing viral pic of starving Gaza boy ‘was HIJACKED' by Hamas to create ‘fake news', campaigners say
A PHOTO seemingly showing a starving boy in Gaza was "hijacked" by Hamas to create "fake news", it was claimed last night. The picture of Muhammad al-Matouq in his mum's arms went viral last week - amid claims Israel was Advertisement 6 Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, a 1.5-year-old child in Gaza City, Gaza Credit: Getty 6 Campaigners say he was already suffering genetic disorders Credit: Getty 6 He was said to have dropped from 9 to 6 kilograms Credit: Getty But campaigners say he was already suffering genetic disorders and his mum and brother looked healthy in the picture. Pro-Israel investigative journalist David Collier said: "This is not the face of famine. It is the face of a medically vulnerable child whose tragic situation was hijacked and weaponised." He accused news outlets who used the image of benefiting Hamas and creating "fake news ". On Monday, the Gaza health ministry said at least 14 people had died in the past 24 hours of starvation and malnutrition, bringing the war's death toll from hunger to 147, including 89 children. Advertisement read more news Israel announced a The Israeli Defence Force said it would halt operations in Muwasi, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City from 10am to 8pm. It said it will set up corridors to help aid agencies deliver food and supplies. Within hours, Jordanian and Emirati planes had air-dropped 25 tonnes of aid. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun The World Food Programme (WFP) said 60 trucks of aid had been dispatched - but this amount fell short of Gaza's needs. WFP Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa , and Eastern Europe, Samer AbdelJaber said: "Sixty is definitely not enough. So our target at the moment, every day is to get 100 trucks into Gaza." Israel announces 'tactical pause' in fighting in parts of Gaza as IDF sets up 'designated humanitarian corridors' The Programme explained how almost 470,000 people in Gaza are enduring famine-like conditions, with 90,000 women and children in need of specialist nutrition treatments. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said only a ceasefire would alleviate the needs of those 'desperately suffering'. Advertisement And Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN's Palestinian refugee agency, said the latest aid drops would not solve food shortages in Gaza. Last week, more than 100 aid agencies warned that mass starvation was spreading across the Palestinian enclave. The military also said Saturday that it had connected a power line to a desalination plant, expected to supply daily water needs for about 900,000 Gazan people. Israel's foreign ministry said the military would "apply a 'humanitarian pause' in civilian centres and in humanitarian corridors" on Sunday morning. Advertisement The announcement came after indirect ceasefire talks in Doha between Israel and Hamas were broken off with no deal in sight. The UN said that humanitarian pauses in Gaza would allow "the scale up of humanitarian assistance". The Israeli military stressed that despite the humanitarian steps , "combat operations have not ceased" in the Gaza Strip. Israel has previously . Advertisement 6 Palestinians, who lost their relatives in Israeli attacks, mourn as the deceased are being brought to Nasser Hospital in Gaza's Khan Yunis Credit: Getty 6 Palestinians wait to receive food from a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, in Gaza City Credit: Reuters 6 Trucks carrying aid enter Gaza through the Rafah border crossing today Credit: Getty Advertisement
Scottish Sun
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Harrowing viral pic of starving Gaza boy ‘was HIJACKED' by Hamas to create ‘fake news', campaigners say
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A PHOTO seemingly showing a starving boy in Gaza was "hijacked" by Hamas to create "fake news", it was claimed last night. The picture of Muhammad al-Matouq in his mum's arms went viral last week - amid claims Israel was blocking aid deliveries to the Strip. 6 Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, a 1.5-year-old child in Gaza City, Gaza Credit: Getty 6 Campaigners say he was already suffering genetic disorders Credit: Getty 6 He was said to have dropped from 9 to 6 kilograms Credit: Getty But campaigners say he was already suffering genetic disorders and his mum and brother looked healthy in the picture. Pro-Israel investigative journalist David Collier said: "This is not the face of famine. It is the face of a medically vulnerable child whose tragic situation was hijacked and weaponised." He accused news outlets who used the image of benefiting Hamas and creating "fake news". On Monday, the Gaza health ministry said at least 14 people had died in the past 24 hours of starvation and malnutrition, bringing the war's death toll from hunger to 147, including 89 children. Israel announced a 'tactical pause' in fighting in three areas of Gaza yesterday amid worsening of the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The Israeli Defence Force said it would halt operations in Muwasi, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City from 10am to 8pm. It said it will set up corridors to help aid agencies deliver food and supplies. Within hours, Jordanian and Emirati planes had air-dropped 25 tonnes of aid. The World Food Programme (WFP) said 60 trucks of aid had been dispatched - but this amount fell short of Gaza's needs. WFP Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe, Samer AbdelJaber said: "Sixty is definitely not enough. So our target at the moment, every day is to get 100 trucks into Gaza." Israel announces 'tactical pause' in fighting in parts of Gaza as IDF sets up 'designated humanitarian corridors' The Programme explained how almost 470,000 people in Gaza are enduring famine-like conditions, with 90,000 women and children in need of specialist nutrition treatments. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said only a ceasefire would alleviate the needs of those 'desperately suffering'. And Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN's Palestinian refugee agency, said the latest aid drops would not solve food shortages in Gaza. Last week, more than 100 aid agencies warned that mass starvation was spreading across the Palestinian enclave. The military also said Saturday that it had connected a power line to a desalination plant, expected to supply daily water needs for about 900,000 Gazan people. Israel's foreign ministry said the military would "apply a 'humanitarian pause' in civilian centres and in humanitarian corridors" on Sunday morning. The announcement came after indirect ceasefire talks in Doha between Israel and Hamas were broken off with no deal in sight. The UN said that humanitarian pauses in Gaza would allow "the scale up of humanitarian assistance". The Israeli military stressed that despite the humanitarian steps, "combat operations have not ceased" in the Gaza Strip. Israel has previously blamed Hamas for the suffering of Gaza's population. Israel is keeping up its heavy bombardment in the face of global ceasefire pleas and huge protests in Tel Aviv. 6 Palestinians, who lost their relatives in Israeli attacks, mourn as the deceased are being brought to Nasser Hospital in Gaza's Khan Yunis Credit: Getty 6 Palestinians wait to receive food from a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, in Gaza City Credit: Reuters
New York Post
27-07-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Viral images of starving Gaza boy don't tell the whole story because he suffers from genetic disorders, critics say
A horrifically emaciated Palestinian child held up by news outlets as the face of starvation in Gaza actually suffers from genetic and other disorders, which much of the coverage glossed over, according to critics. The heart-rending photo of Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq made the rounds on outlets including the New York Times, NBC News, The Guardian, BBC and others as evidence that Israel's war against Hamas has led to the starvation of children in the Palestinian enclave. But pro-Israel group HonestReporting first spotted something the outlets either didn't notice or outright ignored: the boy's older brother, Joud, standing in the background looking like he was in much better condition. Advertisement 5 Palestinian child Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq being held by his mother in Gaza City on July 21, 2025. Photo by Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim Al-arini/Anadolu via Getty Images 5 A photo of Muhammad went viral last week as alleged evidence of starvation in Gaza. Photo by Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim Al-arini/Anadolu via Getty Images In a video segment, CNN said Muhammad's own mother revealed that he suffers from a 'muscle disorder' for which he receives specialized nutrition and physical therapy, saying he was 'happy' and able to 'sit upright' when they were provided. Advertisement Pro-Israel journalist David Collier said little Muhammad has 'cerebral palsy, hypoxemia, and was born with a serious genetic disorder,' citing a May 2025 medical report from Gaza. In viral photos, taken on July 22 by Turkey's state-owned Anadolu news agency, Muhammad's spine protrudes from his tiny back as his mother cradles him in her arms. The BBC interviewed the image's photographer, Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim al-Arini, who suggested the photo was representative of the widespread starvation that has taken hold in the Gaza Strip. 5 Muhammad suffers from genetic disorders and other issues including cerebral palsy and hypoxemia, according to a report. Photo by Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim Al-arini/Anadolu via Getty Images Advertisement 5 Muhammad's mother told CNN that he has a 'muscle disorder' that requires physical therapy and specialized nutrition. Photo by Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim Al-arini/Anadolu via Getty Images The Guardian captioned a photo of Muhammad as 'facing life-threatening malnutrition,' while the UK's Daily Express described it as 'a horrifying image encapsulating the 'maelstrom of human misery' gripping Gaza.' The Israeli Foreign Ministry says it has allowed around 4,500 aid trucks into Gaza since lifting a blockade in May, and that 700 more are waiting to be picked up by the UN. A UN report earlier this month asserted that that 9% of children screened at health clinics across Gaza are suffering from severe malnutrition — a sharp rise from the 6% found in June. Advertisement 5 The image's photographer Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim al-Arini told the BBC Muhammad represents the situation in Gaza. Anadolu via Getty Images The Hamas-controlled health ministry claims that 20 children have died from malnutrition related causes in the last three weeks. The United Nations has also accused Israel of choking the flow of aid and making Israeli and US-backed aid efforts dangerous for civilians. Palestinians blame Israel for the sluggish pace of deliveries, but the Jewish state has repeatedly retorted that its efforts to allow aid to flow into Gaza must be carefully controlled so Hamas fighters don't intercept the shipments. On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces said it will be initiating a 'local tactical pause' in military activity to allow more aid to get into Gaza, but that distributing food within Gaza 'lies with the UN and international aid organizations' who they say must 'ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas.'
The Intercept
25-07-2025
- Politics
- The Intercept
Is AIPAC Testing the Waters to Primary Rep. Summer Lee?
Pro-Israel groups are considering backing two potential primary challengers against progressive Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa. A survey sent earlier this month to people living in Pittsburgh and its suburbs asked for respondents' opinion on two possible candidates to challenge Lee. The survey included a question on people's opinions about the candidates being backed by 'a right-wing organization that supports Trump and is funded by MAGA millionaires and billionaires.' The survey question appears set up to test whether voters would oppose one of the candidates because of backing from groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — which is funded by billionaire donors to Donald Trump and, in 2020, endorsed more than 100 Republican members of Congress who voted to overturn the results of that year's presidential election. The wording was identical to another survey sent in May to constituents in the district of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., The Intercept reported. That survey was the first this year to indicate that AIPAC was considering a primary challenge against Omar. With the latest poll, it appears that AIPAC and possibly other pro-Israel groups are setting their sights on another challenge against Lee. 'As usual, AIPAC sees the Democratic electorate begging for more progressive leadership that takes on the corporate elite, and they are desperate to force corporate shills down our throats instead,' said Usamah Andrabi, the communications director for Justice Democrats, a group backing Lee. (AIPAC did not respond to a request for comment.) The survey in Lee's district also said both potential candidates, Pittsburgh City Controller Rachael Heisler and former Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, were backed by 'pro-Israel groups that lobby Congress to provide billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars in aid and weapons to Israel each year.' Lee and Omar are two of a handful of progressive members of Congress who have drawn the ire of AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups for calling to end U.S. military funding to Israel and criticizing Israel's genocide in Gaza. AIPAC spent more than $100 million on primaries last cycle, including more than $25 million to unseat Reps. Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y. Lee, Omar, and other progressives have also been vocal critics of AIPAC. Lee introduced a bill earlier this year to ban super PACs like AIPAC's United Democracy Project, which spent millions of dollars against her when she first ran for Congress in 2022. Lee won reelection last year against another Republican-backed pro-Israel primary challenger. In that race, The Intercept reported. AIPAC tried and failed to recruit two candidates to run against her. 'Every cycle, corporate lobbies, special interest groups and Trump megadonors look to buy this Congressional seat,' Lee said in a statement. 'My constituents want leaders who fight for their interests against the wealthy & well-connected, not politicians that can be bought with a corporate PAC check.' The survey asked a series of questions about positions taken by candidates that aligned more closely with Republicans than liberal Democrats. 'It's no mistake that they're polling the viability of candidates that evidently oppose the Affordable Care Act, Medicare for All, same-sex marriage, the Green New Deal, abortion rights, Medicare, and Social Security,' said Andrabi. 'AIPAC's favorite type of Democrat is one you can most easily mistake for a Republican and most easily.' The survey in Pittsburgh asked people to rate their level of concern in response to pro-Israel groups supporting both Heisler and DePasquale, and whether they would support either candidate in a Democratic primary election against Lee. 'Rachael Heisler is supported by pro-Israel groups that lobby Congress to provide billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars in aid and weapons to Israel each year,' the survey said. 'Please indicate whether it raises very serious concerns, serious concerns, minor concerns, or no real concerns for you about Rachael Heisler.' The survey posed the same question about DePasquale. The poll also asked respondents to rate their level of concern about potential criticisms of Lee, DePasquale, and Heisler. Criticisms of Lee included her vote against former President Joe Biden's debt deal, her support for the Uncommitted movement in 2024, and the claim that 'Lee is more interested in dividing Democrats' than fighting Trump's agenda. 'Summer Lee is too extreme,' read another prompt. 'She has long associated herself with the Democratic Socialists of America which supports defunding the police, eliminating prisons and releasing all criminals, opening our borders, getting rid of individually-owned cars, abolishing U-S-A-I-D, and withdrawing from NATO. Summer Lee's radical positions do not reflect our community.' (Lee is no longer a member of DSA.) Respondents were asked to rate their concerns about the statement. In a section asking about possible criticism of DePasquale, the survey asked respondents how they felt about him taking corporate PAC money and opposing progressive policy efforts like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal. Read our complete coverage 'While progressive Democrats have called for getting corporate money out of politics, Eugene DePasquale has taken tens of thousands of dollars from corporate PACs, including from major corporations like AT&T, Comcast, Pfizer and PNC Bank,' the survey said. It added that DePasquale 'calls himself a progressive' but opposed Medicare for All, rejected the Green New Deal, opposed same sex marriage, praised parts of Trump's agenda, and supported expanding the state's natural gas industry. (DePasquale did not respond to a request for comment.) DePasquale has supported gay marriage publicly since at least 2012. In 2020, He said he did not support the Green New Deal or Medicare for All, and favored a public option and improvements to the Affordable Care Act. On the environment, DePasquale has a mixed record. During a race for Pennsylvania attorney general and as state auditor, he came down on the side with energy interests and climate activists, respectively. Posing potential criticisms of Heisler, the survey asked respondents how concerned they were about the claim that Heisler had 'a record of standing with the wealthy and powerful' and worked with groups advancing policies to benefit billionaires, including gutting Social Security and Medicare. The survey also asked respondents how they felt about Heisler donating to the 2018 campaign of anti-abortion Democrat Dan Lipinski in Illinois. It also asked them to rate their concerns about Heisler working for former Rep. Jason Altmire, a Pennsylvania Democrat who voted against the ACA in 2010. (Heisler did not respond to a request for comment.) Respondents were also asked to rate their opinion of other officials and groups including Altmire; Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; Democratic Socialists of America; Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato; Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro; and Sen. John Fetterman. Both Heisler and DePasquale have expressed support for Israel and efforts by pro-Israel groups to influence policy in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania. DePasquale was endorsed last year by two groups that also backed Lee's primary challenger, Bhavini Patel. Earlier this year, Heisler fought a referendum petition organized by anti-genocide activists to push Pittsburgh to divest from governments engaged in genocide — namely Israel. (Not On Our Dime did not respond to a request for comment.) Last year, Heisler went on a $15,000 trip paid for by AIPAC's educational arm, which it uses to send politicians to Israel, a typical step in the group's efforts to recruit a candidate. George Latimer, the AIPAC-funded candidate who unseated Bowman, the New York representative, took a trip to Israel shortly before he announced his primary challenge. 'My constituents want leaders who fight for their interests against the wealthy and well-connected, not politicians that can be bought with a corporate PAC check,' Lee said. 'They can keep polling and we're going to keep fighting back against the Trump administration to protect and deliver for our constituents.'
