Latest news with #antiIsrael
Telegraph
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
The mask is finally off: ‘anti-Zionists' just hate Jews
During an anti-Israel rally in London on Saturday, some participants were heard to scream, 'F— your Jewish state'. On the face of it, this may seem alarming. In a way, though, I think we should be grateful to them. After all, their words should help awaken more people to what so much anti-Israel activism is really about. Most of the time, anti-Israel activists remember to employ the handy euphemism 'Zionist': a crucial tool in their efforts to persuade the public that they definitely, unequivocally, 100 per cent aren't anti-Semitic. But on this occasion, it would seem, some of them were so rabidly incensed by the arrival of a small band of pro-Israel counter-protesters, they forgot – and accidentally blurted out what they always really mean: 'Jewish'. Afterwards they must have been kicking themselves. What a careless lapse. Luckily for them, their words don't seem to have been reported by the Left-wing newspapers that so many of their sympathisers read. But on social media, where users are constantly exposed to stories from newspapers they don't normally read, there's a grave danger that the sympathisers will catch sight of the Telegraph 's story, which quoted the words 'F— your Jewish state' in the headline. Think how disgusted those sympathisers will be, at seeing the activists so foolishly give the game away. Of course, this isn't the first time an anti-Israel activist in Britain has made this unfortunate slip. At a rally held a mere month after October 7, 2023, a speaker disparagingly referred to Suella Braverman's 'Jewish husband' – before hastily correcting it to 'Zionist husband'. The anti-Israel movement surely can't afford too many more little slips of this kind. Of late, though, we appear to be seeing more and more of them. At the weekend, video footage circulating on social media showed a man on a bus in Ireland ranting about 'genocidal Jews'. Then, when a woman tried to intervene, he accused her of 'white-knighting for the Jew'. The man's manner suggested strongly that he'd been drinking. Sober, perhaps he would have been able to control himself, and remembered to say 'Zionists' instead. Meanwhile, the NASUWT teachers' union has just published the results of a survey, revealing that more than half of Jewish teachers in Britain have experienced anti-Semitism over the past two years. One teacher reported hearing a pupil shout, 'F— the Jews'. You can readily imagine the frustration of anti-Israel activists. ('It's 'f— the Zionists', you teenage idiot! Honestly, how many times!') At this rate, hitherto unsuspecting members of the public are bound to start asking some awkward questions. Are these endless protests really just about the actions of the Israeli government, and nothing more? Is 'anti-Zionism' definitely about ideology, and not ethnicity? And how come the people marching so righteously in solidarity with innocent Palestinians appear to have so little interest in the slaughter of the Druze by Syrians, just across the Israeli border? Naturally, therefore, anti-Israel activists will be anxious to avoid making the same mistake again. To that end, perhaps they should try using some form of aide-memoire. Before setting off on their next march, they could write the word 'ZIONIST' on the backs of their hands. Then again, there may be one small flaw in such a plan. Their fellow travellers might misunderstand, and beat them up. At last, the England team get off their knees The England women's football team – who play Italy in a Euro 2025 semi-final tonight – have decided to stop 'taking the knee' before matches. In a statement, they said football needs to 'find another way to tackle racism'. A sensible decision. The mystery is why they kept on doing it for so long. The players may have meant it as a protest against racism in general. In the eyes of most people, though, the gesture will always be inextricably linked to the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota in 2020. In short: it was an American response to an American crime committed by American police. It felt a touch odd, therefore, to see it adopted by sports teams in countries thousands of miles away. And it felt odder still when they continued to do it, long after American teams had stopped. Hence the bizarre spectacle before the match at the men's football World Cup of 2022, between England and the US. The England players took the knee – yet the US players (more than half of whom were black) didn't. Goodness only knows what viewers in America made of it. 'Say, honey? Remember that whole 'taking the knee' thing that was big a couple years back? Looks like the limeys have just got into it. Bless 'em. I know they always like to copy our trends. But I never thought they'd start mourning our murders.'
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘They're going to run away': NYC Councilwoman says Mamdani victory ‘unacceptable for Jewish community
Fox News Digital spoke to NYC Councilwoman Inna Vernikov about how Zohran Mamdani's anti-Israel rhetoric has stoked fear in the Jewish community.
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
AOC campaign office vandalized with anti-Israel message after vote on Republican amendment
Police in New York City responded after a campaign office for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was vandalized with a painted anti-Israel slogan this weekend. The slogan, written in red paint, read "AOC funds genocide in Gaza." The vandals had also spread the paint all over the entrance to the campaign office before police arrived at roughly 1 a.m. Monday. The incident came just days after Ocasio-Cortez voted against legislation from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., that would have cut funding for the Israeli Defense Forces. The lawmaker, who has been vocally critical of Israel's war in Gaza, said she voted against the bill because it only cut funding for the defensive "Iron Dome" and did nothing to cut off the "actual bombs killing Palestinians." Greene's legislation would have cut off roughly $500 million in funding for Israel. Her proposed amendment, which failed on Thursday, came after Israeli Defense Forces bombed the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza. "Israel bombed the Catholic Church in Gaza, and that entire population is being wiped out as they continue their aggressive war in Gaza," Greene said. "My amendment would strike $500 million in funding for nuclear-armed Israel's missile defence system. The U.S. already provides Israel with $3.8 billion annually in foreign aid. 3.8 billion. That's a lot of money," she continued. "Here in America, we're $37 trillion in debt. My amendment will ensure an America First department of defense, and that is exactly what we need," she added. Voting alongside Greene on the amendment were Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., members of the progressive so-called "squad" to which Ocasio-Cortez also belongs. Pope Leo XIV expressed sadness and called for a ceasefire after the strike on the church, which is the only Catholic church in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said in a statement that "stray ammunition" hit the church. "His Holiness Pope Leo XIV was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, and he assures the parish priest, Father Gabriele Romanelli, and the whole parish community of his spiritual closeness," read a telegram sent by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin on behalf of the pope.
Daily Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Telegraph
Pro-Palestine protester chant ‘death to the IDF' outside Parliament House
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters have swarmed the lawns of Parliament House chanting anti-Israel slogans. 'Death, death to the IDF,' the crowd shouted, referring to the Israel Defense Forces. It came just weeks after British rap duo Bob Vylan used it during live-broadcast music festival in the UK, drawing condemnation and prompting the US to cancel their visas for an upcoming tour. Pro-Palestine protesters chanting 'death, death to the IDF' gathered on the lawns of Parliament House. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire The IDF have been engaged in a casualty-heavy war with Palestinian militant group Hamas for since its October 7 terrorist attack. The Israeli action has all-but decapitated Hamas' leadership but come at the cost of tens of thousands of civilian lives, many of which were children. Thousands of children are among the innocents killed in the war in Gaza. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire 'We don't want no two states, we want all of '48,' the protesters also chanted as a man with a red-painted face waved a large Palestinian flag above a cluster of rally-goers. The chant references a time before the state of Israel existed. It is part of a narrative that seeks to frame the Israelis as colonisers, despite the Jewish people living there for some 3000 years. Pro-Palestine protesters waved Palestinian flags and placards. Picture: Martin Ollman / Martin Ollman 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,' was another crowd favourite. This chant, common at demonstrations across the world. Pro-Palestinian protesters marched from Parliament House to the Israeli embassy. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire Australian Federal Police stood guard on the Parliament House forecourt, watching eagle-eyed as the mob, donning Keffiyehs, waved placards accusing Israel of genocide and Palestinian flags. After a series of speeches, the protesters marched to the Israeli embassy. One AFP officer told NewsWire they would be monitored closely. Originally published as Pro-Palestine protester chant 'death to the IDF' outside Parliament House
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Mamdani walks back ‘globalize the intifada' stance during NYC business meeting
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani told business leaders during a closed-door meeting this week that he would not use the slogan "Globalize the Intifada" and would discourage others from using it moving forward, Fox News has confirmed. After months of refusing to condemn the anti-Israel rallying cry, which, according to the American Jewish Committee, "calls for people from around the globe to participate in rising up against Israel," Mamdani told more than 140 business leaders that a conversation with a Jewish woman about how this phrase triggers memories of terrible incidents changed his mind. The New York Times first reported Mamdani's comments on Tuesday following his meeting with business leaders at the Partnership for New York City at the offices of Tishman Speyer in Rockefeller Center. Down in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, at another closed-door meeting hosted by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., about how to run a successful digital campaign, condemnation of the phrase was absent from conversations among national Democratic leaders who attended. When asked by Fox News if there was a discussion about Mamdani's new discouragement of the phrase, Ocasio-Cortez said, "No, that did not come up." Several Democratic lawmakers confirmed Mamdani didn't share specifics about his radical policy agenda for New York City, but instead shared his insights on running an effective digital campaign with a focus on affordability. A visibly frustrated Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., told Fox News' Aishah Hasnie that Mamdani "didn't even talk about" the phrase during the breakfast. "I'll have that discussion with him later, but it didn't come up. But I mean, I know a whole lot of people that care deeply about Israel that also are very worried about watching children die of starvation," she said. Reps. André Carson, D-Ill., and Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., also confirmed the topic did not come up. The slogan "Globalize the Intifada" has stirred up tension within the Democratic Party since Mamdani was asked by The Bulwark podcast host Tim Miller if the phrase made him uncomfortable. Mamdani said he doesn't support the policing or banning of language when repeatedly asked by journalists if he would condemn the phrase. Unsurprisingly, his competitor in the mayoral race, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, joined the chorus of Jewish advocates and coalitions who criticized Mamdani's refusal to condemn the phrase. "That is not only wrong, it is dangerous," Cuomo said in a statement soon after the viral clip. "There are no two sides here," he added. But as Mamdani walks back his position on others using the phrase—popular among the pro-Palestine protests that have erupted at Columbia University and other college campuses as Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza rages on—national Democrats have begun to weigh in on the controversial slogan. Ocasio-Cortez, an early endorser of Mamdani's campaign, told Fox News' Chad Pergram on Wednesday that Mamdani shared critical insights about how to "level up all of our games in terms of technique" during the "Communication and Organizing Skillshare Breakfast" in Washington on Wednesday. While several national Democratic leaders have come out in support of Mamdani—including Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who backed Cuomo in the Democratic primary—outstanding skeptics have not endorsed the 33-year-old candidate. House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have confirmed plans to meet with Mamdani in New York City later this week, but both top Democrats have yet to formally endorse the self-described Democratic socialist. Ocasio-Cortez also urged those with outstanding questions about Mamdani to "get to know him" before "making assessments from what you may see on television." She applauded her caucus for "showing up in good faith" on Wednesday to give him a fair chance and demonstrating a "willingness to listen and make assessments for themselves." Mamdani's campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for additional comment.
