‘It just defies belief': Bonai Shalom rabbi reacts to Colorado attack
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Glasgow Times
3 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Trump criticised for using antisemitic term to describe money lenders
Mr Trump told reporters early on Friday after returning from an event in Iowa that he had 'never heard it that way' and 'never heard that' the term was considered an offensive stereotype about Jews. Shylock refers to the villainous Jewish moneylender in Shakespeare's The Merchant Of Venice who demands a pound of flesh from a debtor. The Anti-Defamation League, which works to combat antisemitism, said in a statement that the term 'evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jews and greed that is extremely offensive and dangerous. President Trump's use of the term is very troubling and irresponsible'. Democrat Joe Biden, while vice president, said in 2014 that he had made a 'poor choice' of words a day after he used the term in remarks to a legal aid group. Mr Trump's administration has said cracking down on antisemitism is a priority. His administration said it is screening for antisemitic activity when granting immigration benefits and its fight with Harvard University has centred on allegations from the White House that the school has tolerated antisemitism. But the Republican president has also had a history of playing on stereotypes about Jewish people. He told the Republican Jewish Coalition in 2015 that 'you want to control your politicians' and suggested the audience used money to exert control. Before he kicked off his 2024 presidential campaign, Mr Trump drew widespread criticism for dining at his Florida club with a Holocaust-denying white nationalist. Last year, he made repeated comments accusing Jewish Americans who identify as Democrats of disloyalty because of the Democratic leaders' criticisms of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Critics said it perpetuated an antisemitic trope about Jews having divided loyalties and there being only one right way to be Jewish. On Thursday night in his speech in Iowa, Mr Trump used the term while talking about his signature legislation that was passed by Congress earlier in the day. 'No death tax, no estate tax, no going to the banks and borrowing some from, in some cases, a fine banker and in some cases shylocks and bad people,' he said. When a reporter later asked about the word's antisemitic association and his intent, Mr Trump said; 'No, I've never heard it that way. To me, a shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates. I've never heard it that way. You view it differently than me. I've never heard that.' The Anti-Defamation League said Mr Trump's use of the word 'underscores how lies and conspiracies about Jews remain deeply entrenched in our country. Words from our leaders matter and we expect more from the President of the United States'.
NBC News
4 hours ago
- NBC News
Inside Iran: Exclusive access to notorious Evin Prison
Iran's notorious Evin Prison was hit by Israeli airstrikes in June, and destroyed its gates, administrative buildings, and health clinic. Iranian officials say nearly 80 people were killed including civilians. NBC's Richard Engel was given extraordinary access to the destruction, and also visited the former U.S. embassy compound covered with anti-American murals and 4, 2025
NBC News
6 hours ago
- NBC News
Hamas gives 'positive response' to Gaza ceasefire mediators
Hopes for an end to the bloody fighting in Gaza appeared to brighten Friday when Hamas announced that it had given a thumbs-up to the latest ceasefire proposal, but added that further talks were needed. 'Hamas has completed its internal consultations with Palestinian factions and forces regarding the mediators' latest proposal to halt the aggression against our people in Gaza,' the Palestinian militant group said in a statement. 'The movement has submitted a positive response to the mediators,' the statement added. 'The movement is fully prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing this framework.' The development came just days after President Donald Trump said Israel has 'agreed to the necessary conditions' to finalize a 60-day ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas war. But in his first remarks since Trump's announcement on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not confirm Trump's claim and once again called for the elimination of Hamas. 'There will be no Hamas,' Netanyahu said. 'There will be no Hamastan. We are not going back to that. It is over. We will release all our hostages.' Netanyahu is scheduled to visit to the White House on Monday, where he is expected to discuss the situation in Gaza with Trump. Hamas has been weighing the new ceasefire proposals that it had received from the Egyptian and Qatari mediators for several days. In a statement Wednesday, Hamas said it would be 'conducting national consultations' with the final aim of ending the fighting, ensuring the withdrawal of Israeli forces and delivering 'urgent relief' to the people of Gaza. The war in Gaza erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, after Hamas launched a bloody surprise attack on Israel that left more than 1,200 people dead. Hamas also took 251 people hostage. And of the remaining hostages in captivity, 28 are presumed to be dead. Meanwhile, Israel's attacks in Gaza have killed more than 56,000 people and created a humanitarian crisis in the densely populated Palestinian territory, where most of the 2 million residents have been forced from their homes.
