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The Independent
10 hours ago
- The Independent
With Biden gone, and faced with indescribable famine, the Democratic consensus on Israel and Gaza shifts
The crisis in Gaza reached new horrific levels this week as the world's leading authority on famine and food security declared that mass starvation and death is imminent within the enclave unless Israeli forces begin allowing more aid into the Strip. In Washington, the mood among Democrats on the issue is dark. Having chained their party to support for Israel under the Biden administration, the party suffered a devastating defeat in 2024 and are now being forced to watch a resurgence on the progressive pro-Palestinian left. Despite breathless insistences to the contrary by center-left commentators, it's becoming increasingly clear that the base of the Democratic Party is shifting away from the pro-Israel consensus long upheld by the DC foreign policy establishment. It's not just the left, either; new polling shows a generational divide across all party lines on the issue of sympathy for support of Palestinian statehood and an end to the slaughter in Gaza. Few will say it openly, but no one is denying it on the left: there has been an earthquake within the party. The upstart victory of Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor came amid a barrage of coverage from the mainstream media — including his hometown papers, the New York Times and New York Post — which often insinuated that Mamdani harbored anti-Semitic beliefs or falsely accused him of expressing them. It also rebuked the endorsements of aging Democratic would-be kingmakers Bill Clinton and James Clyburn, who issued late-game endorsements of New York's former governor, Andrew Cuomo. In a poll out Tuesday from the IMEU Policy Project conducted by Data for Progress, a clear portrait of the race emerges. Nearly eight in 10 New York mayoral primary voters said they believed Israel was committing a genocide in Gaza. Putting aside the mayoral race entirely for a moment — how does a candidate in the ideological vein of Joe Biden or Kamala Harris fare among an electorate like that? In the same poll, 63 percent of Democratic primary voters in the city supported what could easily be described as Mamdani's most hardline position on the matter of Israel-Palestine: his support for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were he ever to visit the city. A lower figure than the number that are willing to assign the term 'genocide' to the conflict, but far from insignificant. A news article in the Jewish magazine Forward put the question plainly on Monday: 'After Mamdani and Gaza, are Democrats turning against Israel?' Democrats in New York and across the country are quickly waking up to the rapidly shifting ground beneath them. Rep. Ritchie Torres, a Democrat and vocal critic of his colleagues in the so-called 'Squad,' bluntly assessed that he could not win a Democratic primary for governor in the state after Mamdani's victory. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House Minority Leader, reportedly told allies that he doubts his ability to win the speakership with Mamdani in play. Kirsten Gillibrand, New York's junior US senator, issued a humbling apology to Mamdani after accusing him (falsely) of supporting 'jihad.' The efforts to dodge what could be a historic wave of primary challenges fueled by progressive rage over the next three years are hastily getting underway. Joe Biden's departure from the White House and Netanyahu's close alliance with Trump make criticizing Israel a much easier prospect for Democrats. The mass starvation and shocking killings of Palestinians at aid reception areas by Israeli troops have accelerated the criticism of Israel from Washington Democrats in the past week. In the Senate, a large coalition of Democrats led by Chris Van Hollen of Maryland is urging the Trump administration to publicly break with the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and return to reliance on neutral international groups to provide aid. Van Hollen, who was a lonely voice for Palestinian suffering under the Biden administration, now has the backing of nearly half of his caucus. One unsurprising holdout was John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania senator and vocal supporter of Israel, including some of its most controversial war-fighting methods that have been denounced as war crimes by the International Criminal Court and others. Fetterman, up for reelection in 2028, has vultures circling him. Conor Lamb, his former primary opponent, is punching him relentlessly on social media and in a series of public appearances he's made at town hall-style events across the state. Lamb, who tweeted in support of destroying Hamas and supporting Israel after the October 7 attacks, lost out on endorsements from the progressive left that now despises Fetterman when they ran against each other in 2022. Another Pennsylvania congressman, a Democrat, tweeted (publicly!) that he hopes Fetterman doesn't run for president. This past week, Lamb tweeted that he hopes Pope Leo, the first American pontiff, 'continues to speak against starvation and barbarity in Gaza.' Members of the House are speaking out as well. Rep. Andre Carson, a Democrat from Indiana, came out in support of an arms embargo against Israel on Monday while accusing Netanyahu's government of 'starving' the population of Gaza. Others, including Madeleine Dean, demanded another ceasefire be hammered out. Torres attacked a Republican colleague for making repeated Islamophobic remarks about Rep. Ilhan Omar, and in an interview with Chuck Todd blasted Netanyahu for doing 'irreparable' harm to the relationship between Israel and the Democratic Party. Leadership is lagging behind but clearly feels the wind shifting: Minority Whip Katherine Clark and Jeffries released statements on Friday on the starvation, each condemning the crisis, neither one using the word 'Israel' at any point. Even Barack Obama, hesitant as he typically is to speak out on the issue of the day in his post-presidency, put out a statement seemingly critical of Israel, writing in part: 'There is no justification for keeping food and water away from civilian families.' The only Democrats who are being truly silent on the issue are tied directly to the former administration. Pete Buttigieg and Kamala Harris are widely seen as two of the most likely to contend for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. Neither has issued a word about Gaza for months. Harris, also thought to be considering a run for governor of California, hasn't sat for a long-form interview this year. In the end it could be difficult to determine exactly how much of the stink attached to former Biden-world figures relates to Gaza, as opposed to the year(s?)-long coverup of the president's declining faculties. One thing is for certain: something shifted in the past week, something beyond just the fallout from election of a charismatic Muslim candidate in a prominent but isolated primary race.
Reuters
11 hours ago
- Reuters
New York officer, security guard killed in Manhattan shooting remembered as heroes
DHAKA, July 29 (Reuters) - The New York police officer killed in a mass shooting in a Manhattan skyscraper on Monday was an immigrant who left behind a pregnant wife, two young sons and distraught parents, while friends and officials in Bangladesh and the United States described him as a hero. A gunman opened fire on Monday inside a midtown office tower, killing four people, including Officer Didarul Islam, 36, before fatally shooting himself, officials said. A second victim was described by his union president as a dedicated security guard and, according to the New York Times, was a member of an immigrant family from Haiti. Aland Etienne, who was working in the lobby of the building at the time of the shooting, was also described as a "New York hero." Syed Tanjib Mujib, a childhood friend of Islam from their home district in the South Asian nation of Bangladesh, said Islam left for the U.S. with his parents and other family members in 2009. "And the way he died, it's heartbreaking, but not surprising. That's just the kind of person he was," he said. "Always thinking of others, always ready to help. He died trying to save lives ... Our hearts are broken, but we're proud of him. He'll always be remembered.' Excluding Islam, 42 federal, state, county, municipal, military, and U.S. territories officers have died in the line of duty in the first half of 2025, according to preliminary data from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. New York Mayor Eric Adams, who met the officer's family on Monday night, also described the 3-1/2-year veteran of the police department as a hero. "He was saving lives, he was protecting New Yorkers," Adams told reporters. "He loved this city, and everyone we spoke with stated he was a person of faith and a person that believed in God." Islam was married, had two young sons, and his wife is pregnant, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters. "He put himself in harm's way. He made the ultimate sacrifice — shot in cold blood," she said. Islam was working on a paid security detail in the building when the shooting occurred, the commissioner added. Mizanul Haque, a cousin of Islam, speaking to Reuters from the district of Moulvibazar in Bangladesh, said that Islam visited Bangladesh last year in February with his wife and their two boys, aged 7 and 5, and attended his wedding. Haque said that Islam's father suffered a stroke after hearing the news, and said that his mother has not said a word since learning of his death. "I have no idea how to console them," he said. "What do you even say to a family that's been shattered like this? All I can hope for now is justice. He didn't deserve to die like this.' 'DEDICATED' GUARD 'This tragedy speaks to the sacrifice of security officers who risk their lives every day to keep New Yorkers and our buildings safe," Manny Pastereich, president of 32BJ SEIU union, said in a statement. "Aland Etienne is a New York hero. We will remember him as such." Etienne's brother posted a tribute to the slain security guard on his Facebook page. "My family suffered a heartbreaking tragedy," Gathmand Etienne wrote. "He was more than a brother - he was a father, a son and a light in our eyes." The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Etienne's family was from Haiti, and that he was the father of two school-aged children. Reuters could not immediately confirm that reporting, and calls to phone numbers associated with his relatives were not answered.
Telegraph
11 hours ago
- Telegraph
Diddy's conviction is racist, says rapper's lawyer
Sean 'Diddy' Combs's conviction is racist and sexist, his lawyers have argued. In a legal filing seeking that the 55-year-old be released on bail while awaiting sentencing, his attorneys argued the 1910 Mann Act, under which he was convicted, was 'rich with both racism and misogyny'. They also said while Combs had been found guilty of two prostitution related charges, he had not profited financially from those acts. 'Sean Combs should not be in jail for this conduct,' said his lawyer Marc Agnifilo. Making use of a slang term used for men who pay prostitutes, he added: 'In fact, he may be the only person currently in a United States jail for being any sort of John.' He said that, historically, the Act has been used to prosecute pimps and those who profit from prostitution. Prior to the trial, Combs's lawyers argued the same law was used in 1913 to convict Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight boxing champion, of transporting a white woman across state lines. Johnson died in 1946 and was granted a posthumous pardon by President Donald Trump in 2018. After a trial in New York City that spread over six weeks and which heard testimony from a number of witnesses, including his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, the celebrated music mogul was found not guilty of three counts of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, which carried potential life sentences. However, he was convicted of two lesser charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. Each of those counts carries a maximum 10-year sentence, though experts have said they doubt the judge would impose a punishment in the upper limit. The lawyers asked for the court to release Combs on a $50-million bond ahead of his Oct 3 sentencing. They also claimed the conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn were dangerous. Even though Combs was cleared of the most serious charges, his conviction marked the fall from grace of someone who was once one of the most influential figures in the music industry. Prosecutors told the jury that Combs and his associates used physical violence and threats to have two of his former girlfriends take part in days-long, drug-fuelled sexual performances with male sex workers. Sometimes they were termed 'freak-offs'. Lawyers for the Bad Boy Records founder claimed the women took part willingly. There was no immediate response from the US Attorney's Office in Manhattan, which brought the charges. Nicole Westmoreland, one of Combs's lawyers told the New York Times his legal team intended to appeal his conviction. Similarly, there was no comment from lawyers for the women who testified against him.
