Latest news with #Pro-Palestinian


Boston Globe
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
State Department memo says Rümeysa Öztürk has no association to antisemitism or terrorism
Armstrong reviewed the document as he made his decision to revoke Öztürk's visa, he said. The memo is not available to the public, but attorneys in the case are able to review it. Advertisement Öztürk, who is from Turkey, was 'A visa is a privilege not a right. Glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be terminated. This is commonsense security,' the statement said. Advertisement Öztürk, In court on Friday, Conlon asserted that the action memo laid out that DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Homeland Security Investigations (which is an arm of ICE) have 'not provided any evidence' about Öztürk taking part in anti-semitic activity or publicly expressing support for a terrorist group. Öztürk was held Armstrong previously testified that Öztürk was not informed that her visa was being revoked, following guidance from ICE officials. Over the past two weeks, new revelations have come to light during the trial about the federal government's effort to investigate, surveil, and arrest student protesters involved in Pro-Palestinian activism, including: Öztürk, Mahmoud Khalil, Mohsen Mahdawi, Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral scholar and professor at Georgetown University, and Columbia University student Yunseo Chung. Last week, an immigration official Advertisement On Friday, Conlon pressed Armstrong about the reasons behind the decision to revoke Öztürk's visa, given that DHS did not find evidence linking her to terrorist groups, according to the memo described in court. Armstrong testified that it was 'not just' an op-ed that Öztürk co-wrote in the student newspaper, calling on Tufts to divest from companies with ties to Israel, that led the State Department to take away her visa. What was included in his decision 'were her actions,' Armstrong said, 'which are not speech,' including protesting Tufts' relationship with Israel. He also alleged that she was associated with Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine, a group that he said has created a 'hostile environment for Jewish students' on the Tufts camps, and has indicated support for a designated terrorist organization. He did not point to evidence of what he called her 'connection' with the group. Armstrong acknowledged that Öztürk's case was 'complicated,' and said that he had spent a significant amount of time reviewing it. 'I thought long and hard about Ms. Öztürk's case,' Armstrong said. 'A revocation is a serious decision.' Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio can be reached at
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mamdani says he wouldn't use ‘globalize the intifada' term: Reports
New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani said he wouldn't use the phrase 'globalize the intifada' and would discourage others from using it as he faces scrutiny over his unwillingness to fully denounce the expression, multiple outlets reported. Mamdani, a state Assembly member who pulled off an upset victory to win the Democratic primary for mayor, has received significant criticism over the past month for comments he made during an interview in which he avoided condemning the phrase that has been a lightning rod throughout much of the Israel-Hamas war. In June, he said the phrase can have different meanings to different people, and he hears from the phrase a 'desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.' He has also said he wouldn't use the term itself, and no instances have come to light of Mamdani using it. But three people familiar with Mamdani's comments in front of a group of business leaders on Tuesday told The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal that he said he wouldn't use it and doesn't believe others should use it either. The outlet reported the meeting included 150 executives at a closed-door event hosted by the Partnership for New York, a group of members representing banks, law firms and corporations. The phrase has received widespread attention since Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed nearly 1,200 people. Pro-Palestinian activists have maintained the phrase only refers to liberation for Palestinians to have the right to their own state and doesn't endorse calls for violence. Meanwhile, pro-Israel supporters and many Jews recall the first and second intifadas that took place in Israel in the 1980s and 2000s in which Palestinians engaged in protests against Israeli occupation. Some were peaceful while others weren't, and many people died on both sides. Mamdani told those in attendance on Tuesday that some see the term as expressing solidarity with Palestinians, but others view it as calling for violence against Israel, the Times reported. The Hill has reached out to Mamdani's campaign for comment. Mamdani's comments come as he tries to coalesce support as the Democratic nominee. He hasn't yet received endorsements from top New York Democrats, like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. All of them have been critical of Mamdani's defense of the term and called for him to reassure Jewish New Yorkers that he will represent them too. Mamdani is taking part in a breakfast on Wednesday in Washington with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and is expected to meet with Jeffries this week. The Democratic nominee is facing a multi-candidate field in the general election, including former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whom he defeated in the primary. Cuomo announced Monday that he is running as an independent, alongside Mayor Eric Adams who's also running as an independent, Republican Curtis Sliwa and independent Jim Walden. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


NDTV
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Gal Gadot, Criticized For Comments On Gaza War, Opens Jerusalem Film Festival With Call To End War
Organisers pushed ahead with the Jerusalem film festival on Thursday despite regional conflicts, with a special appearance by Israeli Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot, who has been criticised for comments on the Gaza war. Pro-Palestinian activists have attacked Gadot on social media for voicing support for the Israeli military, which has been accused of atrocities during its campaign in Gaza to crush the militant group Hamas and free Israeli hostages. She has also been criticised by right-wing media in Israel for urging an end to the war, which the government has vowed to continue until it destroys Hamas, despite international calls for a ceasefire. Israel's 12-day war with Iran last month had meanwhile threatened to derail the 42nd edition of the festival. It got under way on Thursday evening in an auditorium near Jerusalem's Old City, with Gadot -- also a star of "Fast and Furious" -- receiving a special award, to applause from thousands of spectators. The 40-year-old star, who was born near Tel Aviv, said in her acceptance speech that she was "praying for this (Gaza) war to end and for everyone here to finally have calm and security". "That will not be possible until the hostages come home." The Israeli military regularly denies intentionally targeting civilians in Gaza. The event's director Roni Mahadav-Levin told AFP meanwhile that during the June 12-24 war with Iran, organisers "spent two weeks in bomb shelters, trying to decide if we could keep the date of the festival" with flights cancelled and guests hesitating to come. One festival-goer, film student Ayal Sgerski, 29, said that the event was taking place under a "cloud" of conflict, with few international directors attending. "It is very difficult for the festival to draw films from around the world at the moment" due to opposition to the Gaza war, he complained. Mahadav-Levin said that organisers could not "expect to receive the same number of international guests as in a normal year". The event opened with a screening of "Sentimental Value" by Norwegian director Joachim Trier, who won an award at this year's Cannes Film Festival. The Jerusalem festival runs until July 26.


The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Mamdani says he wouldn't use ‘globalize the intifada' term: Reports
New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani said he wouldn't use the phrase 'globalize the intifada' and would discourage others from using it as he faces scrutiny over his unwillingness to fully denounce the expression, multiple outlets reported. Mamdani, a state Assembly member who pulled off an upset victory to win the Democratic primary for mayor, has received significant criticism over the past month for comments he made during an interview in which he avoided condemning the phrase that has been a lightning rod throughout much of the Israel-Hamas war. In June, he said the phrase can have different meanings to different people, and he hears from the phrase a 'desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.' He has also said he wouldn't use the term itself, and no instances have come to light of Mamdani using it. But three people familiar with Mamdani's comments in front of a group of business leaders on Tuesday told The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal that he said he wouldn't use it and doesn't believe others should use it either. The outlet reported that the meeting included 150 executives at a closed-door event hosted by the Partnership for New York, a group of members representing banks, law firms and corporations. The phrase has received widespread attention since Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that claimed 1,200 lives. Pro-Palestinian activists have maintained the phrase only refers to liberation for Palestinians to have the right to their own state and doesn't endorse calls for violence. Meanwhile, pro-Israel supporters and many Jews recall the first and second intifadas that took place in Israel in the 1980s and 2000s in which Palestinians engaged in protests against Israeli occupation. Some were peaceful while others weren't, and many people died on both sides. Mamdani told those in attendance on Tuesday that some see the term as expressing solidarity with Palestinians, but others view it as calling for violence against Israel, the Times reported. The Hill has reached out to Mamdani's campaign for comment. Mamdani's comments come as he tries to coalesce support as the Democratic nominee. He hasn't yet received endorsements from top New York Democrats like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. All of them have been critical of Mamdani's defense of the term and called for him to reassure Jewish New Yorkers that he will represent them too. Mamdani is taking part in a breakfast on Wednesday in Washington with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and is expected to meet with Jeffries this week. The Democratic nominee is facing a multi-candidate field in the general election, including former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whom he defeated in the primary. Cuomo announced Monday that he is running as an independent, alongside Mayor Eric Adams who's also running as an independent, Republican Curtis Sliwa and independent Jim Walden.


Perth Now
6 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Pro-Palestine protesters defiant as crackdown looms
Pro-Palestinian protesters have pledged to continue in the face of a promised crackdown on their rallies while repeating a controversial chant calling for Israeli forces to be destroyed. Undeterred by the Victorian government's promises to bring in stronger measures to clamp down on the weekly protests, hundreds again turned out in force on Sunday to march through a chilly Melbourne city centre. Premier Jacinta Allan has made it clear her government is actively planning ways to curb "odious" rallies, including enforcing strengthened anti-vilification laws, overseeing an anti-hate task force and talk of introducing a protest permit system. But rally emcee Hajar Riad said demonstrators would continue to gather as they had "every single Sunday for 645 days". "We won't stop," she told the crowd. Following in the footsteps of controversial laws introduced in NSW, the Victorian government is drafting legislation to ban protests outside places of worship. It also plans to ban demonstrators from wearing face coverings and could consider introducing further measures in the coming months. Ms Riad took aim at the Victorian government's latest crackdown. "Our government is trying to criminalise each and every single one of us," she said. Free Palestine Melbourne protests, together with separate groups across the country, are demanding Australia impose sanctions on Israel due to its actions in Gaza following Hamas's deadly attack in October 2023. But protest participants have come under fire for the rallying cry "death to the IDF", a reference to the Israel Defence Forces. Federal opposition frontbencher and Liberal senator James Patterson called for the chant to be examined as potential incitement to violence, while Ms Allan said it was fair to ask why the slogan should be tolerated at protests. Organisers led the crowd in the chant on Sunday, adding it was "a bit controversial, apparently". One protester displayed a sign that read: "Death 2 the IDF, not just a chant but a prayer". A recent spate of attacks on Melbourne's Jewish community, including the firebombing of an east Melbourne synagogue and the storming of an Israeli restaurant, prompted the government to set up a task force to target hate crimes. But organisers stressed they were not anti-Semitic and they "love our Jewish brothers and sisters". Regular protest attendee Stephanie Wong said the government was rushing through legal changes and conflating acts of violence with peaceful protest. "The people who meet peacefully to demonstrate each week aren't the same people who launch violent attacks," she told AAP. "We shouldn't have our rights and freedom of speech taken away because a very small group of people commit violence." The Victorian anti-hate task force met for the first time on Tuesday. The federal Labor government has also promised more action to protect Jewish Australians after the release of its anti-Semitism envoy's recommendations.