Latest news with #Anti-israel
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mamdani confronted on streets of NYC about 'communist' label, refuses to answer
EXCLUSIVE: ASTORIA, N.Y. - New York City's Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, refused to respond to questions from Fox News Digital about critics calling him a communist and whether he plans to walk back any of his far-left statements. Outside his Queens apartment on Friday morning, Mamdani laughed off the questions and did not answer, despite mounting scrutiny as the mayor's race between himself, Mayor Eric Adams, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa heat up. "Do you have any response to those who label you a communist?" Fox News Digital asked Mamdani. "Do you plan on walking back any statements when you meet with [House] leader Jeffries like seizing the means of production?" Mamdani repeatedly laughed, but did not answer the questions. Mamdani's Father Sits On Council Of Anti-israel Group Tied To Terror, Legitimizes Role Of Suicide Bombers President Donald Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr., are among the voices that have labeled Mamdani a "communist," and many have labeled him a socialist. Read On The Fox News App "It's finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100% Communist Lunatic, has just won the Dem Primary, and is on his way to becoming Mayor. We've had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous," Trump posted to Truth Social. "He looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he's not very smart, he's got AOC+3, Dummies ALL, backing him, and even our Great Palestinian Senator, Cryin' Chuck Schumer, is groveling over him. Yes, this is a big moment in the History of our Country!" In an interview with Fox News Digital, Trump Jr. echoed a similar sentiment, saying it could be the "greatest marketing campaign for Florida," which has become a haven for ex-New Yorkers and is currently led by conservatives. Unearthed Social Media Posts Expose Radical Anti-israel Views Of Mamdani's Dad: 'Colonial Occupation' "But what happens to New York then? And as a lifelong New Yorker, as someone who grew up here, someone who changed the skyline here with my father for many years before he got into politics, that's a scary notion, but perhaps it's exactly what America needs. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom, and I think if this communist mayor gets elected, rock bottom is what New York's going to see," Trump Jr. said. New York City Mayor Eric Adams also pointed out Mamdani's past comments, including a 2020 tweet in which Mamdani stated "Each according to their need, each according to their ability" in May 2020. "- Karl Marx Author of the The Communist Manifesto," Adams, a former Democrat, replied on July 7. A past clip of him circulating on social media has also come under fire for his comments on housing. "My platform is that every single person should have housing, and I think faced with these two options, the system has hundreds of thousands of people unhoused, right? For what?" Mamdani questioned in a resurfaced video that has circulated on social media. Mamdani's Failure To Walk Back These Positions Could Cause Reckoning In Democratic Party: 'Five-alarm Warning' "If there was any system that could guarantee each person housing, whether you call it the abolition of private property or you call it, you know, just a statewide housing guarantee, it is preferable to what is going on right now," Mamdani added. "He claims to be a socialist, whether it's wanting to abolish private property or wanting to seize the means of production, these are communist ideas right out of the playbook of Karl Marx," Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-NY, said. Mamdani is scheduled to meet with House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies in New York City on Friday. Fox News' Alec Schemmel contributed to this report. Original article source: Mamdani confronted on streets of NYC about 'communist' label, refuses to answer
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgetown professor removed as department chair after publicly hoping for symbolic Iranian strike on US
A professor at Georgetown University has been removed as chair of his department and is on leave after he publicly hoped Iran would launch a "symbolic strike" on a U.S. military base, the university's president said. "I'm not an expert, but I assume Iran could still get a bomb easily. I hope Iran does some symbolic strike on a base, then everyone stops. I'm surprised this is what these FDD/Hasbara people have been auto-erotically asphyxiating themselves for all these years," Dr. Jonathan Brown, the Alwaleed bin Talal chair of Islamic Civilization in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, posted on X in June after the U.S. struck Iran's nuclear enrichment sites. He added, "Ironically, the main takeaways (in my non-expert opinion, and I'm happy to be corrected) from all this have nothing to do with a US attack: 1) Iran can take a licking; 2) if Israel attacks Iranian cities, it gets f---ed up pretty bad. I mean I've been shocked at the damage Iranian missiles caused; 3) despite his best efforts, Reza Pahlavi HVAC repair services still only third best in Nova." Israeli Columbia Professor Leaves School Over Failure To Address Anti-israel Protests Georgetown University Interim President Robert M. Groves testified to the House Education and Workforce Committee that Brown had been removed as chair of the department and placed on leave following the tweet. He said the university was currently reviewing Brown's case. "Within minutes of our learning of that tweet, the Dean contacted Professor Brown, we issued a statement condemning the tweet. Professor Brown is no longer chair of his department, he's on leave, and we're beginning the process of reviewing the case," Groves testified. Read On The Fox News App The hearing, titled "Antisemitism in Higher Education: Examining the Role of Faculty, Funding, and Ideology," saw testimony from Georgetown President Groves, CUNY Chancellor Dr. Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, Berkeley Chancellor Dr. Rich Lyons and others. The hearing comes as colleges across the country have been plagued with antisemitism in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks. Elite University Professor Sparks Social Media Backlash After Revealing What Iran Should Do Next: 'This Demon' Brown's comments elicited fierce pushback online, with many outraged over his perceived call for violence against U.S. forces. "I went to graduate school with Jonathan Brown," Jewish People Policy Institute fellow Dr. Sara Yael Hirschhorn posted on X. "I'm appalled to see him calling for Iran to attack U.S. troops and his awe at attacks on Israeli civilians. @Georgetown- enough!" Brown previously told Fox News Digital that he had been calling for "de-escalation" with Iran, and that his post had been misinterpreted. He said he was hoping for an Iranian response akin to their attack after the U.S. took out Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, in which the Islamic Republic launched ballistic missiles at a U.S. base in Iraq but caused no casualties. "I was calling for de-escalation as I am very opposed to American involvement in foreign wars," he said. When asked for comment, Georgetown University referred Fox News Digital to President Grove's article source: Georgetown professor removed as department chair after publicly hoping for symbolic Iranian strike on US Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mamdani's father sits on council of anti-Israel group tied to terror, legitimizes role of suicide bombers
FIRST ON FOX: Mahmood Mamdani, the father of socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, sits on the advisory council of an anti-Israel organization that supports boycotts and sanctions of Israel, routinely accuses the Israeli government of committing "genocide", and has expressed sympathy for suicide bombers. The Gaza Tribunal, founded in London in 2024, says its primary goal is "to awaken civil society to its responsibility and opportunity to stop Israel's genocide in Gaza," according to its website. Also on its website, Mahmood Mamdani is listed as a member of the group's "advisory policy council" and is mentioned as having attended the group's official launch in London last year. Richard Falk, the president of the tribunal, outlined the group's support of BDS in an online post saying, "the aim of the Tribunal is or [sic] legitimize and encourage civil society solidarity initiatives around the world such as BDS." Unearthed Mamdani College Newspaper Writings Promote Anti-israel Boycott, Rail Against 'White Privilege' BDS is described as "an international campaign to delegitimize the State of Israel as the expression of the Jewish people's right to national self-determination by isolating the country economically through consumer boycotts, business and government withdrawal of investment, and legal sanctions," according to Influence Watch. Read On The Fox News App Zohran Mamdani has also promoted BDS as recently as May, when he declined to say whether Israel has a right to exist and said his support of BDS "is consistent with my core of my politics, which is non-violence." Mahmood Mamdani, the Herbert Lehman Professor of Government at Columbia University, has also faced criticism on social media in recent days over a resurfaced book excerpt where he expressed sympathy for the way suicide bombers are viewed. "Suicide bombing needs to be understood as a feature of modern political violence rather than stigmatized as a mark of barbarism," the elder Mamdani wrote in his 2004 book Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror. "We need to recognize the suicide bomber, first and foremost, as a category of soldier." The Gaza Tribunal's founder and members have deep ties to anti-Israel movements, with at least one being deported from the United States due to terror ties. Falk has a long history of espousing anti-Israel views and was repeatedly accused of using his "Special Rapporteur" United Nations position to "spread unsubstantiated allegations against Israel," according to Canary Mission, a watchdog organization that works to expose antisemitism. In 2011 and 2014, Falk accused Israel of being a "colonialist" nation and claimed it was pushing "ethnic-cleansing goals." He would go on to echo these views as recently as February of this year during an interview. Falk faced backlash in 2007 for comparing Israel's government to the Nazis by accusing them of ushering in a "Palestinian Holocaust" and rhetorically asking, "Is it an irresponsible overstatement to associate the treatment of Palestinians with this criminalized Nazi record of collective atrocity? I think not." The comparison led to backlash and former Israeli U.N. Ambassador Itzhak Levanon opposing his 2008 UN nomination. Mamdani Lands Endorsement Of A Top Cuomo Backer In Nyc Mayoral Primary The Princeton University professor emeritus also demanded a boycott of corporations in 2012 that do business with Israel, saying they "should be boycotted until they bring their operations into line with international human rights and humanitarian law and standards." However, a spokesperson for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) fired back, warning the UN that Falk "has repeatedly abused his position as special rapporteur to unleash unrestrained hatred and disdain for Israel" and that the "United Nations should not be complicit in this wholly unjustified effort to single out Israel." In a statement to Fox News Digital, Falk said that he advocates for "nonviolent solidarity initiatives with the Palestinian struggle for their basic rights, including BDS." "I believe that Israel's occupation policies in Gaza and the West Bank have persecuted Palestinians on their own homeland," Falk added. "Also, I believe that this pattern of displacing the native population is illustrative of settler colonial political projects that depend for their success on an apartheid-like domination and exploitation of the native population. If such a regime encounters prolonged resistance it almost inevitably relies on genocidal tactics to subdue the civilian population, either by marginalization, ethnic cleansing, or massive killing, all of which have been occurring in Gaza during the 20 months since October 7." Falk added that Jewish voters in New York City "should not worry" about Mamood Mamdani's ties to the tribunal or about Zohran Mamdani's candidacy for mayor. "Both father and son are respectful of international law, the UN, human rights of all peoples, and the pacific settlement of political disputes," Falk said. Falk is not the only member of the tribunal with anti-Israel ties. A press release of the group's launch mentioned that Dr. Hatem Bazian, the chairman of American Muslims for Palestine and the co-founder of Students for Justice in Palestine, was also present at the launch. Bazian has been a controversial anti-Israel figure for decades due to his inflammatory rhetoric about Israel and Jews, including during a 2014 convention speech, where he called on attendees to "get to work" on calling for BDS on college campuses and doing sit-ins in Congressional offices. In 2015, Bazian raised alarm bells when he called for an "intifada in this country that changes fundamentally the political dynamics in here," which is widely interpreted as calling for violence against Jews. He would go on to say, "They're gonna say some Palestinian being too radical – well, you haven't seen radicalism yet." He has also faced backlash for antisemitic posts on social media, which drew backlash from several student groups, including one that mocked Hassidic Jews, with one saying "Mom, look! I is chosen! I can now kill, rape, smuggle organs and steal the land of Palestinians 'Yay' #Ashke-Nazi." Another social media post insinuated Jews control UC Berkeley, which is a classic antisemitic trope about their "power." Sami Al-Arian, a former University of South Florida professor who admitted to conspiring to aid the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group in 2006, was also present at the Gaza Tribunal launch meeting. He recently posted on X that he was "very honored and proud" to have contributed to the Gaza Tribunal's "The Sarajevo Declaration," which accuses Israel of "genocide, and its decades-long policies and practices of settler colonialism, ethno-supremacism, apartheid, racial segregation, persecution, unlawful settlements, the denial of the right to return, collective punishment, mass detention, torture and cruel and inhuman treatment." The declaration went on to "call for an end of the smearing of UNRWA and other humanitarian workers, for the free and unhindered access of UNRWA," a group that has been slammed for alleged ties to terrorism, including allegedly working with Hamas. Al-Arian, whom a federal judge once called a "master manipulator" and leader in the terror group, spent 30 years in the U.S. before being arrested in 2003, according to the Justice Department. After a 57-month prison sentence, he agreed to be deported to Turkey as part of his plea deal for a single charge on what had begun as a 17-count federal indictment. Then-U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said in 2006 that the disgraced professor had denied involvement with the terror group for a decade before prosecutors had enough evidence to bring charges. "In his guilty plea, Al-Arian admitted that, during the period of the late 1980s and early to mid-1990s, he and several of his co-conspirators were associated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad," the DOJ said in a statement after his sentencing. "He further admitted that he performed various services for the PIJ in 1995 and thereafter, knowing that the PIJ had been designated as a Specially Designated Terrorist and that the PIJ engaged in horrific and deadly acts of violence." Socialist former UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has long been labeled as antisemitic due to various anti-Israel statements, is also a member of the Gaza Tribunal Advisory Council. In 2020, an investigation into antisemitism by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found Corbyn's Labour Party had broken the law in the way it handled complaints of antisemitism when Corbyn was in charge. Corbyn was eventually suspended from the Labour Party over charges of antisemitism. He also once referred to "friends" from Hamas coming to address Parliament. A 2019 poll showed that a whopping 87 percent of Jewish people in Great Britain believed Corbyn was antisemitic, pointing to many incidents and remarks, many of them involving his staunch support for Palestinians and perceived hostility toward Israel. Zohran Mamdani's stance on Israel has been a widely discussed topic so far during the mayoral campaign, and he sparked controversy by refusing to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada," which has become a rallying cry for anti-Israel protesters in the United States ever since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 massacre in Israel. Mamdani, who was the co-founder of Bowdoin College's Students for Justice in Palestine chapter during his four years, expressed support for an academic boycott of Israel in the school's paper. Mamdani has been widely criticized by Jewish groups in New York City over his past positions and comments as he tries to position himself to win the general election in November against current Mayor Eric Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who are both running as independents. Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz, Alec Schemmel and Jeffrey Clark contributed to this reportOriginal article source: Mamdani's father sits on council of anti-Israel group tied to terror, legitimizes role of suicide bombers
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DOJ seeks to keep anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil detained in Louisiana immigration jail
Department of Justice attorneys asked a federal judge on Tuesday to reject anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil's request for authorities to release him or transfer him from an immigration detention center in Louisiana to one in New Jersey. The government attorneys said the courts do not have the authority to intervene with the executive branch's decision to detain a noncitizen who is in removal proceedings. "Congress authorized detention of aliens and gave the Executive significant discretion in that regard," they wrote. The attorneys also said that logistically speaking, the Trump administration could not transfer Khalil even if it wanted to. Khalil had asked a judge on Monday to release him from ICE detention in Jena, Louisiana, on bail while his case proceeds or to transfer him to the Elizabeth, New Jersey, facility, which is closer to his wife, newborn and legal team. Federal Judge Says Attempted Deportation Of Anti-israel Ringleader Mahmoud Khalil May Be Unconstitutional The DOJ attorneys cited an ICE official's affidavit, which revealed that the ICE facility in Elizabeth had 355 detainees, meaning it was over capacity by 51 people. Read On The Fox News App "ICE retains discretion to detain Khalil where it so chooses," the attorneys wrote. "Additionally, factual considerations counsel against transferring Khalil to Elizabeth. Simply, the facility is over capacity." Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, was arrested in March outside his apartment at Columbia University. An immigration judge deemed him removable based on a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that said Khalil's anti-Israel activism on campus ran counter to the United States's foreign policy interests. Rubio cited a rarely used provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act to justify his finding. Khalil's case has garnered enormous attention from First Amendment advocates, who have argued the government is chilling free speech by revoking the green card of a noncitizen who outspokenly and aggressively opposes the Israeli government amid its offensive in the Gaza Strip and its escalating conflict with Iran. Judge Michael Farbiarz, a Biden appointee, denied Khalil's initial request to release him from detention while he continues to fight his removal from the country in federal court. Anti-israel Ringleader Mahmoud Khalil Posts $1 Bond After Federal Judge Rules Trump Administration Can't Detain Him Farbiarz agreed with Khalil and his supporters that Rubio's justification for revoking Khalil's green card was likely unconstitutional. But the judge noted that the Trump administration also cited a second reason for Khalil's removal that has not been adjudicated: that Khalil filed an incomplete green card application. The Trump administration alleged that in addition to Khalil's advocacy amounting to foreign policy defiance and antisemitism, Khalil's allegedly fraudulent application was grounds for his removal. Khalil, who was born in Syria but has Algerian citizenship, left off the government application form that he was a member of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest, and he failed to disclose other places he worked, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in 2023, according to the DHS. The DHS alleged that Khalil "procured his legal status through 'fraud or by willfully misrepresenting a material fact,'" in violation of immigration article source: DOJ seeks to keep anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil detained in Louisiana immigration jail
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anti-Israel ringleader Mahmoud Khalil posts $1 bond after federal judge rules Trump admin can't detain him
Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University anti-Israel ringleader, has posted bond after the Trump administration was temporarily blocked from deporting him amid their continued effort to hold him on "foreign policy" grounds. Khalil posted his $1 bond on Thursday afternoon. He has not been released. The government has until 9:30 a.m. on Friday to appeal the decision before Khalil must be released. The move came after U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz sided with Khalil on Wednesday, writing: "The government cannot claim an interest in enforcing what appears to be an unconstitutional law." Federal Judge Sides With Anti-israel Ringleader Mahmoud Khalil, Halts Trump Administratino's Deportation Bid Anti-israel Ringleader Mahmoud Khalil's Free Speech Lawsuit Against Us Government Must Be Heard: Judge Read On The Fox News App The ruling was a significant legal setback for the administration's efforts to deport Khalil, who has been held at a detention facility in Louisiana following his involvement in anti-Israel demonstrations at Columbia University. The court's decision will remain on hold until Friday morning, giving the government time to appeal. Khalil, a green card holder, was arrested after leading student protests on the Ivy League campus. He has argued that his free speech rights were being "eroded" by the Trump administration. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) attorneys have argued that Khalil's free speech claims were a "red herring," saying that the 30-year-old lied on his visa applications. Federal Judge Says Attempted Deportation Of Anti-israel Ringleader Mahmoud Khalil May Be Unconstitutional Khalil, they said, willfully failed to disclose his employment with the Syrian office in the British Embassy in Beirut when he applied for permanent U.S. residency. The agency also accused Khalil of failing to disclose his work with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and membership in Columbia University Apartheid Divest. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cited a provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 to justify Khalil's removal from the U.S. The provision allows the Secretary of State to deport noncitizens if the secretary determines their presence in the U.S. "would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences." Rubio accused Khalil of participating in "antisemitic protests and disruptive activities, which foster a hostile environment for Jewish students in the United States." "Condoning antisemitic conduct and disruptive protests in the United States would severely undermine that significant foreign policy objective," Rubio wrote. Khalil has Algerian citizenship through his mother, but was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in article source: Anti-Israel ringleader Mahmoud Khalil posts $1 bond after federal judge rules Trump admin can't detain him
