Antisemitism is on the rise in Mass. What will we do about it?
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Over the weekend, a brick with the words 'Free Palestine' was
This is the latest in a string of attacks on the Jewish community in which the words 'Free Palestine' were used while committing violence against Jews. On June 1, an otherwise peaceful Jewish gathering in Boulder, Colo., to raise awareness for the 53 hostages still in Gaza was firebombed by an attacker who
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Violence against Jews does not and never will do anything to 'free Palestine.'
Over the past five years, the rate of antisemitic incidents in Massachusetts has surged over 500 percent. The
incidents were Israel-related, in which protesters and perpetrators spewed lies,
The killing and firebombing of Jews here in the United States is exactly what 'Globalize the Intifada' means.
Out of 50 states, Massachusetts
Some students have shared that they feel they must hide their Jewish identity in order to participate in campus life.
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Swastikas were graffitied 87 times in Massachusetts last year, traumatizing communities. Synagogues and Jewish organizations faced coordinated bomb threats, creating disruption and concern for congregants and requiring extensive law enforcement responses. There was also a 200 percent increase in New England in incidents targeting visibly Orthodox Jews, including one where an individual yelled
Each antisemitic incident leaves lasting scars on individuals and communities, creating ripple effects that extend far beyond the immediate victims.
Together, all of us need to confront antisemitism wherever it appears — in schools, neighborhoods, workplaces, and online spaces. We need our government leaders to lead. This means developing a robust statewide strategy that condemns antisemitism as a unique form of hate. Government leaders must also speak out forcefully and unequivocally against antisemitism, regardless of which side of the political aisle it comes from, but especially when it comes from their own party. Selective condemnation sends a message that some forms of Jewish hatred are acceptable.
School and district administrators need to adopt clear protocols to address antisemitism in schools, provide guidance on reporting and responding to incidents, and promote education and awareness to prevent the spread of hate, including comprehensive lessons on the Holocaust and its implications for understanding antisemitism today.
Law enforcement should receive specialized training so they can recognize and respond to antisemitic hate crimes.
And all of us need to push back on the antisemitic
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In early June, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security
The Jewish community is demoralized and fearful. Silence in the face of antisemitism only emboldens those who spread hate.
Our lives may depend on it.
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New York Times
35 minutes ago
- New York Times
I'm a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It.
A month after the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, I believed there was evidence that the Israeli military had committed war crimes and potentially crimes against humanity in its counterattack on Gaza. But contrary to the cries of Israel's fiercest critics, the evidence did not seem to me to rise to the crime of genocide. By May 2024, the Israel Defense Forces had ordered about one million Palestinians sheltering in Rafah — the southernmost and last remaining relatively undamaged city of the Gaza Strip — to move to the beach area of the Mawasi, where there was little to no shelter. The army then proceeded to destroy much of Rafah, a feat mostly accomplished by August. At that point it appeared no longer possible to deny that the pattern of I.D.F. operations was consistent with the statements denoting genocidal intent made by Israeli leaders in the days after the Hamas attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had promised that the enemy would pay a 'huge price' for the attack and that the I.D.F. would turn parts of Gaza, where Hamas was operating, 'into rubble,' and he called on 'the residents of Gaza' to 'leave now because we will operate forcefully everywhere.' Netanyahu had urged his citizens to remember 'what Amalek did to you,' a quote many interpreted as a reference to the demand in a biblical passage calling for the Israelites to 'kill alike men and women, infants and sucklings' of their ancient enemy. Government and military officials said they were fighting 'human animals' and, later, called for 'total annihilation.' Nissim Vaturi, the deputy speaker of Parliament, said on X that Israel's task must be 'erasing the Gaza Strip from the face of the earth.' Israel's actions could be understood only as the implementation of the expressed intent to make the Gaza Strip uninhabitable for its Palestinian population. I believe the goal was — and remains today — to force the population to leave the Strip altogether or, considering that it has nowhere to go, to debilitate the enclave through bombings and severe deprivation of food, clean water, sanitation and medical aid to such an extent that it is impossible for Palestinians in Gaza to maintain or reconstitute their existence as a group. My inescapable conclusion has become that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. Having grown up in a Zionist home, lived the first half of my life in Israel, served in the I.D.F. as a soldier and officer and spent most of my career researching and writing on war crimes and the Holocaust, this was a painful conclusion to reach, and one that I resisted as long as I could. But I have been teaching classes on genocide for a quarter of a century. I can recognize one when I see one. This is not just my conclusion. A growing number of experts in genocide studies and international law have concluded that Israel's actions in Gaza can only be defined as genocide. So has Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, and Amnesty International. South Africa has brought a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
News24
an hour ago
- News24
EU mulls Israel sanctions over Gaza, but action seems unlikely in divided Europe
EU minister will discuss proposals for action against Israel. But it unlikely they will agree on any. The is anger in the EU over Israel's handling of the Gaza war. EU foreign ministers on Tuesday will discuss a raft of options for action against Israel over the war in Gaza - but likely will not agree on any. The bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has put forward 10 potential steps after Israel was found to have breached a cooperation deal between the two sides on human rights grounds. The measures range from suspending the entire accord or curbing trade ties to sanctioning Israeli ministers, imposing an arms embargo and halting visa-free travel. But despite growing anger over the devastation in Gaza, EU states remain divided over how to tackle Israel and diplomats say there appears to be no critical mass for any move. 'I was asked to give the inventory of the options that could be taken and it's up to the member states to discuss what do we do with these options,' Kallas said on Monday. READ | 'Window of opportunity' in Gaza truce talks between Hamas and Israel closing amid sticking points The tone of discussions will be shaped strongly by how Israel is implementing a promise to the EU to improve humanitarian access to Gaza. Kallas said on Thursday she had struck a deal with her Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, to open more entry points and allow in more food. Gaza's two million residents are facing dire humanitarian conditions as Israel has severely limited aid during its devastating war with Palestinian militant group Hamas. 'We see some good signs of more trucks getting in,' Kallas said on Monday. 'But of course we know that this is not enough and we need to push more (so) that the implementation of what we have agreed also happens on the ground.' At a meeting of EU and neighbouring countries in Brussels on Monday, Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi said the situation in Gaza remained 'catastrophic'. Israel's Saar, speaking at the same meeting, sounded confident his country would avoid further EU action. 'I'm sure not any of them will be adopted by the EU member states,' said the foreign minister. There's no justification whatsoever. Gideon Saar While the EU appears unable for now to take any further moves against Israel, just getting to this stage has been a considerable step. The bloc only agreed to review the cooperation deal after Israel relaunched its devastating operation in Gaza following the collapse of a ceasefire in March. Until then, deep divisions between countries backing Israel and those more favourable to the Palestinians had hamstrung any move. The war was sparked by Hamas' 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, which led to 1 219 deaths, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Ahmad Gharabli/AFP Of the 251 people taken hostage by militants that day, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry says that at least 58 386 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israel's retaliatory campaign. The UN considers those figures reliable.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Colorado prosecutors to lay out evidence in firebomb attack on demonstration for Israeli hostages
DENVER (AP) — Colorado prosecutors are set to lay out their evidence Tuesday against a man charged with murder, attempted murder and other crimes in a firebomb attack on demonstrators showing their support for Israeli hostages in Gaza. Investigators say Mohamed Sabry Soliman told them he intended to kill the roughly 20 participants at the weekly demonstration on Boulder's Pearl Street pedestrian mall on June 1. But he threw just two of more than two dozen Molotov cocktails he had with him while yelling, 'Free Palestine!' Police said he told them he got scared because he had never hurt anyone before. Federal authorities say Soliman, an Egyptian national, had been living in the U.S. illegally with his family. The purpose of Tuesday's preliminary hearing in state court in Boulder is for District Judge Nancy Woodruff Salomone to determine if there's enough evidence for Soliman to go on trial there. Soliman already faced dozens of charges in state court as well as hate crime charges in federal court when state prosecutors added murder charges following the death of an 82-year-old woman who was injured in the attack died as the result of her injuries. Karen Diamond helped at her synagogue and volunteered for several local groups, including the University of Colorado University Women's Club and a local music festival. Last week, Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Cramer-Babycz told U.S. District Judge John L. Kane that federal prosecutors have not decided yet whether to file additional charges against Soliman related to Diamond's death. Federal prosecutors allege the victims were targeted because of their perceived or actual connection to Israel. But Soliman's federal defense lawyers say he should not have been charged with hate crimes because the evidence shows he was motivated by opposition to Zionism, the political movement to establish and sustain a Jewish state in Israel. An attack motivated by someone's political views is not considered a hate crime under federal law. Soliman has pleaded not guilty to the hate crime charges. He has not been asked to enter a plea to the state charges yet. State prosecutors have identified 29 people who are considered victims of the attack, including 13 who were physically injured. The others were nearby and are considered victims because they could have been hurt. A dog was also injured in the attack, so Soliman has also been charged with animal cruelty. Tuesday's hearing was set to move ahead over the objections of Soliman's state public defenders, who asked to delay it after Diamond died and Soliman was charged with murder. In a court filing last week, they said they were not aware of an autopsy report being done for Diamond yet and asked to delay the hearing until October so they would be be able to review 'significant medical records' in advance. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
