Latest news with #Antisemitic
Fox News
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
'Critical' closed-door congressional huddle focuses on growing antisemitism in US, Mamdani's rise
EXCLUSIVE: Lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee met with stakeholders and law enforcement to address the rise of antisemitic violence in the U.S., during a closed-door congressional roundtable on July 22, Fox News Digital has learned. The roundtable comes amid growing concerns about antisemitic violence months after recent attacks in Boulder, Colorado, and Washington, D.C., along with growing fears surrounding the potential election of Zohran Mamdani, who has espoused anti-Israel viewpoints, as New York City mayor. "Jewish communities across the country are living in fear, and I am committed to standing with them. This roundtable comes at a critical moment: a far-left activist who has defended the phrase 'globalize the intifada' is inching closer to leading a city home to one of the world's largest Jewish populations," Rep. August Pfluger, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee's counterterrorism and intelligence subcommittee, said in his opening statement, obtained by Fox News Digital. "Antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric is becoming dangerously mainstream. We must act now to expose and combat this vile hatred wherever it is spread," Pfluger said. The roundtable focused on improving interagency coordination, intelligence sharing, training, and enforcement to better prevent and respond to antisemitic violence, according to a House Homeland Security Committee aide. In particular, the meeting addressed ways to bolster communication between the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, along with state and local law enforcement, according to Michael Masters, the CEO of the Secure Community Network, a non-profit organization focused on the safety of the Jewish community in North America. This interagency coordination is absolutely paramount as the Secure Community Network has flagged 500 credible threats to life this year – which all have required immediate law enforcement intervention, according to Masters. "Bad guys don't respect orders. Bad actors don't respect jurisdictions, and that means that our intelligence can't be siloed," Masters told Fox News Digital on Monday. Additionally, the roundtable's discussion highlighted how extremist rhetoric can spread, especially on college campuses and via social media, the aide said. Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, student protests have erupted across college campuses in the U.S., including at Columbia University in New York. Likewise, those participating in the roundtable addressed the prevalence of homegrown and foreign-influenced extremism, when one participant highlighted instances where anti-Israel terrorist organizations have disseminated tool kits and talking points aimed at promoting attacks in the U.S., the committee aide said. The discussion is expected to inform legislative priorities centered around bolstering officer training, improving data collection, and ensuring "robust prosecution" of antisemitic offenses, the committee aide said. Those who participated in the roundtable included representatives from the Secure Community Networks; the Anti-Defamation League, an organization dedicated to stopping the defamation of the Jewish people; the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence & Analysis; and law enforcement officials. Pfluger, a Republican from Texas, has spearheaded legislation that would bar any visa holders backing Hamas or other designated terror groups from staying in the U.S. He also led a hearing last month on the rise of antisemitic violence in the U.S., following a May shooting that killed two Israeli Embassy employees in Washington and a terrorist attack in Colorado targeting a grassroots group advocating for the release of Israeli hostages. Antisemitic violence reached a new high in 2024, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The group recorded 9,354 antisemitic instances of harassment, assault, and vandalism in the U.S. in 2024 – a 5% increase from the 8,873 incidents recorded in 2023 and a 344% increase in the past five years. Likewise, the number of incidents is the highest the group has recorded since 1979, when the group first started tracking these cases. Incidents of antisemitic violence in 2024 were highest in the state of New York, where Mamdani is currently a state assemblyman. Mamdani has attracted scrutiny, including from Democrats, for initially failing to condemn the term "globalize the intifada," a phrase used to back Palestinian resistance against Israel. However, he has since said he will not use the term and will discourage others from using it as well. Still, concerns remain over what his potential leadership as mayor could mean for the Jewish community in New York City. Roughly 1.4 million people in the Greater New York Area identified as Jewish in 2023, according to UJA-Federation of New York. "There's a lot of fear in the Jewish community if this guy becomes mayor," New York City Republican councilwoman Inna Vernikov told Fox News Digital. "This is a guy who wants to globalize the intifada," Vernikov said. "We've never seen anything close to this in New York City. We have the largest Jewish population in America, and I'll tell you Jews are telling me they're going to run away from New York City, and Jews have contributed a lot to the city and to this country, and the idea that they are now afraid to live here – it's unacceptable and unprecedented really, this has never happened here."
Fox News
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Mamdani's rise, 'vile hatred' of US Jews the focus of 'critical' closed-door congressional huddle
EXCLUSIVE: Lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee met with stakeholders and law enforcement to address the rise of antisemitic violence in the U.S., during a closed-door congressional roundtable on July 22, Fox News Digital has learned. The roundtable comes amid growing concerns about antisemitic violence months after recent attacks in Boulder, Colorado, and Washington, D.C., along with growing fears surrounding the potential election of Zohran Mamdani, who has espoused anti-Israel viewpoints, as New York City mayor. "Jewish communities across the country are living in fear, and I am committed to standing with them. This roundtable comes at a critical moment: a far-left activist who has defended the phrase 'globalize the intifada' is inching closer to leading a city home to one of the world's largest Jewish populations," Rep. August Pfluger, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee's counterterrorism and intelligence subcommittee, said in his opening statement, obtained by Fox News Digital. "Antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric is becoming dangerously mainstream. We must act now to expose and combat this vile hatred wherever it is spread," Pfluger said. The roundtable focused on improving interagency coordination, intelligence sharing, training, and enforcement to better prevent and respond to antisemitic violence, according to a House Homeland Security Committee aide. In particular, the meeting addressed ways to bolster communication between the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, along with state and local law enforcement, according to Michael Masters, the CEO of the Secure Community Network, a non-profit organization focused on the safety of the Jewish community in North America. This interagency coordination is absolutely paramount as the Secure Community Network has flagged 500 credible threats to life this year – which all have required immediate law enforcement intervention, according to Masters. "Bad guys don't respect orders. Bad actors don't respect jurisdictions, and that means that our intelligence can't be siloed," Masters told Fox News Digital on Monday. Additionally, the roundtable's discussion highlighted how extremist rhetoric can spread, especially on college campuses and via social media, the aide said. Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, student protests have erupted across college campuses in the U.S., including at Columbia University in New York. Likewise, those participating in the roundtable addressed the prevalence of homegrown and foreign-influenced extremism, when one participant highlighted instances where anti-Israel terrorist organizations have disseminated tool kits and talking points aimed at promoting attacks in the U.S., the committee aide said. The discussion is expected to inform legislative priorities centered around bolstering officer training, improving data collection, and ensuring "robust prosecution" of antisemitic offenses, the committee aide said. Those who participated in the roundtable included representatives from the Secure Community Networks; the Anti-Defamation League, an organization dedicated to stopping the defamation of the Jewish people; the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence & Analysis; and law enforcement officials. Pfluger, a Republican from Texas, has spearheaded legislation that would bar any visa holders backing Hamas or other designated terror groups from staying in the U.S. He also led a hearing last month on the rise of antisemitic violence in the U.S., following a May shooting that killed two Israeli Embassy employees in Washington and a terrorist attack in Colorado targeting a grassroots group advocating for the release of Israeli hostages. Antisemitic violence reached a new high in 2024, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The group recorded 9,354 antisemitic instances of harassment, assault, and vandalism in the U.S. in 2024 – a 5% increase from the 8,873 incidents recorded in 2023 and a 344% increase in the past five years. Likewise, the number of incidents is the highest the group has recorded since 1979, when the group first started tracking these cases. Incidents of antisemitic violence in 2024 were highest in the state of New York, where Mamdani is currently a state assemblyman. Mamdani has attracted scrutiny, including from Democrats, for initially failing to condemn the term "globalize the intifada," a phrase used to back Palestinian resistance against Israel. However, he has since said he will not use the term and will discourage others from using it as well. Still, concerns remain over what his potential leadership as mayor could mean for the Jewish community in New York City. Roughly 1.4 million people in the Greater New York Area identified as Jewish in 2023, according to UJA-Federation of New York. "There's a lot of fear in the Jewish community if this guy becomes mayor," New York City Republican councilwoman Inna Vernikov told Fox News Digital. "This is a guy who wants to globalize the intifada," Vernikov said. "We've never seen anything close to this in New York City. We have the largest Jewish population in America, and I'll tell you Jews are telling me they're going to run away from New York City, and Jews have contributed a lot to the city and to this country, and the idea that they are now afraid to live here – it's unacceptable and unprecedented really, this has never happened here."
The Guardian
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Jewish father attacked by mob at Italian service station
A Jewish father and his six-year-old son were targeted by a mob on Sunday chanting 'Free Palestine' and 'murderers' at a service station near Milan, with the man eventually pushed to the floor and repeatedly kicked, in the latest of a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents across Europe. According to the victim – a 52-year-old French Jew who lives in France and gave his name only as Elie– the incident began when a cashier shouted 'Free Palestine', upon noticing that he and his son were wearing kippahs. The incident was captured on video by the father. In the video several individuals direct verbal abuse at the pair, including 'Go back to your country, murderers', 'This isn't Gaza, this is Milan, this is Italy', and 'You'll end up in hell sooner or later'. He reported that more and more people inside the service station joined in the verbal abuse as he and his son made their way to the restroom. At least three individuals began pushing him, apparently trying to force him out of the rest area. ''I ended up on the ground, and they took advantage of that like animals, kicking me in the stomach,'' Elie told Il Corriere della Sera newspaper. ''Then one of them tried to pull me up and aimed a blow at my face, but I managed to block it. Amid the chaos of the scuffle, I caught a glimpse of my son, who – thankfully – a woman had taken aside and was holding safely in a corner. 'I started shouting 'Police! Police! Police!' he added, ''and only then did they stop and go back upstairs.' Police have launched an investigation into the attack, which has been condemned by politicians and Jewish associations. Commenting on the incident, Noemi Di Segni, the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, said: 'If simply being visibly Jewish is enough to provoke such a violent attack – if a family cannot safely move through public spaces in this country – then the legitimisation of hatred and antisemitism has become viral. This is about everyone's freedom being at risk. Holding on to respect and dignity for every person is the only path that protects us all.' Elie told Il Corriere that ''given the climate of hatred that has developed across Europe toward the Jewish community, I expected it. But I never thought it would happen to me, especially not in Italy, which I had always considered a tolerant country, a place where one could feel safe. 'These kinds of incidents are becoming more and more frequent,,' he added. Antisemitic incidents have risen across countries with the largest Jewish communities outside Israel, according to the Anti-Defamation League's J7 taskforce report published in May. The report states that attacks on Jewish schools, synagogues and businesses, alongside individuals, have increased significantly, in some cases more than doubling in 2023 compared with the previous year. Antisemitic incidents increased in Germany by 75% from 2021 to 2023, 185% in France and 82% in the UK. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion On Friday, an Israeli tourist had part of his ear ripped off by an attacker at a beach while on holiday in Greece and was then was arrested by police over alleged racist comments he made to his assailant, he told the Israeli news broadcaster Channel 12. The Israeli man said the altercation started when a man started filming them and chanting: 'Free Palestine, fuck Israel, I am Hamas.' A cruise liner carrying Israeli tourists was forced on 22 July to reroute to Cyprus after being turned away from the Greek island of Syros after a quayside protest over the Gaza war. About 1,600 Israeli passengers onboard the Crown Iris were prevented from disembarking amid safety concerns when more than 300 demonstrators on the Cycladic isle made clear they were unwelcome over Israel's conduct during the war in Gaza and its treatment of Palestinians. Marina Rosenberg, the senior vice-president of international affairs at the Anti-Defamation League, said that because people are being harassed just for being Jewish, 'many Jews around the world are hiding their Jewish symbols', such as the Star of David. On Tuesday federal prosecutors in Germany filed terrorism charges against a Syrian man accused of stabbing a Spanish tourist at Berlin's Holocaust memorial in February – an attack that the authorities say was intended to demonstrate allegiance to Islamic State. In France in May 2024 police shot dead an Algerian man who had set fire to a synagogue in Rouen and threatened officers with a knife.
The Guardian
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Jewish father attacked by mob at Italian service station
A Jewish father and his six-year-old son were targeted by a mob on Sunday chanting 'Free Palestine' and 'murderers' at a service station near Milan, with the man eventually pushed to the floor and repeatedly kicked, in the latest of a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents across Europe. According to the victim – a 52-year-old French Jew who lives in France and gave his name only as Elie– the incident began when a cashier shouted 'Free Palestine', upon noticing that he and his son were wearing kippahs. The incident was captured on video by the father. In the video several individuals direct verbal abuse at the pair, including 'Go back to your country, murderers', 'This isn't Gaza, this is Milan, this is Italy', and 'You'll end up in hell sooner or later'. He reported that more and more people inside the service station joined in the verbal abuse as he and his son made their way to the restroom. At least three individuals began pushing him, apparently trying to force him out of the rest area. ''I ended up on the ground, and they took advantage of that like animals, kicking me in the stomach,'' Elie told Il Corriere della Sera newspaper. ''Then one of them tried to pull me up and aimed a blow at my face, but I managed to block it. Amid the chaos of the scuffle, I caught a glimpse of my son, who – thankfully – a woman had taken aside and was holding safely in a corner. 'I started shouting 'Police! Police! Police!' he added, ''and only then did they stop and go back upstairs.' Police have launched an investigation into the attack, which has been condemned by politicians and Jewish associations. Commenting on the incident, Noemi Di Segni, the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, said: 'If simply being visibly Jewish is enough to provoke such a violent attack – if a family cannot safely move through public spaces in this country – then the legitimisation of hatred and antisemitism has become viral. This is about everyone's freedom being at risk. Holding on to respect and dignity for every person is the only path that protects us all.' Elie told Il Corriere that ''given the climate of hatred that has developed across Europe toward the Jewish community, I expected it. But I never thought it would happen to me, especially not in Italy, which I had always considered a tolerant country, a place where one could feel safe. 'These kinds of incidents are becoming more and more frequent,,' he added. Antisemitic incidents have risen across countries with the largest Jewish communities outside Israel, according to the Anti-Defamation League's J7 taskforce report published in May. The report states that attacks on Jewish schools, synagogues and businesses, alongside individuals, have increased significantly, in some cases more than doubling in 2023 compared to the previous year. Antisemitic incidents increased in Germany by 75% from 2021 to 2023, 185% in France and 82% in the UK. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion On Friday, an Israeli tourist had part of his ear ripped off by an attacker at a beach while on holiday in Greece and was then was arrested by police over alleged racist comments he made to his assailant, he told the Israeli news broadcaster Channel 12. The Israeli man said the altercation started when a man started filming them and chanting: 'Free Palestine, fuck Israel, I am Hamas.' A cruise liner carrying Israeli tourists was forced on 22 July to reroute to Cyprus after being turned away from the Greek island of Syros after a quayside protest over the Gaza war. About 1,600 Israeli passengers on board the Crown Iris were prevented from disembarking amid safety concerns when more than 300 demonstrators on the Cycladic isle made clear they were unwelcome over Israel's conduct during the war in Gaza and its treatment of Palestinians. Marina Rosenberg, the senior vice-president of international affairs at the Anti-Defamation League, said that because people are being harassed just for being Jewish, 'many Jews around the world are hiding their Jewish symbols', such as the Star of David. On Tuesday federal prosecutors in Germany filed terrorism charges against a Syrian man accused of stabbing a Spanish tourist at Berlin's Holocaust memorial in February – an attack that the authorities say was intended to demonstrate allegiance to Islamic State. In France in May 2024 police shot dead an Algerian man who had set fire to a synagogue in Rouen and threatened officers with a knife.
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago communities recovering from string of hateful defacements
Daniel Kirzane said he was cautious and curious after learning someone posted antisemitic graffiti across the street from his synagogue in Hyde Park. While the congregation contacted Chicago police just to be safe, Kirzane said he didn't think it was a 'real threat.' Rather, Kirzane said he viewed it as 'public intimidation' — the kind his congregation wouldn't 'give in to.' 'These aren't the values we hold by in Hyde Park, which is a community that's proud of its diversity,' said Kirzane, rabbi at KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation. 'And I think many Jews are upset to be singled out in this negative way.' Vandals tagged at least four locations in Hyde Park in June with antisemitic messages, police said. Murals depicting solidarity with Palestinians and immigrants were defaced that same month in Pilsen. Just weeks later, taggers drew hate symbols and language on buildings in Little Village. The rash of vandalism has shaken communities across Chicago, and while residents have mustered support for their affected neighbors, the vandalism reflects a concerning rise in hateful ideologies, experts and advocates said. 'To experience something like this is scary,' Chicago Human Relations Commissioner Nancy Andrade said. 'It really rattles you, and what you think may have been a safe community makes you start to think again.' While overall hate crimes in Chicago have decreased between 2023 and 2024, reported cases against Jewish people and gay men increased, according to a July 18 city news release. Antisemitic hate crimes increased 58% last year to account for about 38% of total hate crimes. Still, it seems people are more willing to express their hate, said Loyola University Chicago professor Jeannine Bell, who studies policing and hate crime. She attributed that willingness in part to the rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and civil rights enforcement at the federal level. Those policies create a national conversation that has 'percolated down' to more local displays of hate and bias, she said. To DePaul University professor Joseph Mello, President Donald Trump and his administration's attacks on immigrant groups have contributed to what he described as a trickle-down effect. 'It creates a permission structure for average people to say some pretty vile stuff and do some pretty vile things,' said Mello, a political science professor who researches speech rights and law. Throughout June, Pilsen was hit with hate-related defacements. At a mural depicting a Palestinian man by 16th Street and Ashland Avenue, a woman burned the face of the painted subject. The woman also threw trash and feces at the mural, according to Natalie Figueroa, who said the vandal assaulted her when she tried to intervene. Alyssa Hall, a technology consultant who has lived in Pilsen for six years, said the defacements have upset her. 'They're kind of taking the heart of what this neighborhood is — resistance, building a community outside of your own and that solidarity — and attacking it,' she said. As a result of recent hate-related vandalism in Pilsen, Hall is more wary of people from outside the neighborhood and their intentions, she added. She urged her community to stay vigilant and for visitors to remain respectful of the neighborhood. One of the most significant impacts of hateful expressions, including the graffiti in Hyde Park and the mural defacement in Pilsen, is its chilling effect on the rest of a community, Mello said. 'Hate speech is … meant to intimidate and silence other people into not speaking,' Mello said. 'It's designed to make people speak less, to scare people.' Mello pointed to last weekend's vandalism in Little Village, where Latino-owned businesses and advocacy organizations discovered their buildings tagged with swastikas and pro-immigrant enforcement messages. He said those messages can make immigrants feel less safe about their communities. And even if the iconography isn't familiar to the general public, hate-related vandalism can still damage a community, Mello added. An individual defaced Hoste, a recently opened event space in Pilsen, with a Nazi symbol called the Black Sun in mid-June. Co-founder Jordan Tepper said when his staff saw the circular shapes spray painted on four exterior doors the morning of June 16, they had to look up what they represented. In the last few years, several far-right and neo-Nazi groups have adopted the symbol. 'What was really affected was the staff,' Tepper said. 'It's not good to feel unsafe in your place of work.' Though police caught the vandal, they told Tepper it would be difficult to charge the incident as a hate crime, he said. Nonetheless, community members who reached out in support of Hoste told Tepper they felt 'hurt and frustrated' by the graffiti, he said. Jordan Esparza-Kelley, a spokesman for the Council on American Islamic Relations-Chicago, said the vandalism has made many Muslim, Arab and South Asian Chicagoans worried about the 'viability' of living here. 'It does, for many in the community, beg the question of 'Is it OK for us to exist here?'' he said. ''Is it safe for us to exist here?'' He added that authorities need to do more when hate affects communities of color, such as in Pilsen. Police did not make an arrest after the mural defacement, and the woman responsible walked away from the scene after officers arrived, advocates said during a June 18 news conference. How officials respond to hate-related vandalism can make or break a community's recovery, Bell said. 'This is not a victimless crime. … Words matter, damage matters,' Bell said. 'It is incredibly traumatizing to … walk past a swastika or a slur on a building. When you catch the perpetrator, punish the perpetrator, that is recognition that this is something that is damaging not just to the property owner but to anyone who sees it.' Based on her research, dedicated hate crime units in municipal law enforcement are the best positioned to accumulate expertise to fight hate incidents, she said. Chicago police established a human relations section in the 1940s to deal with 'ethnic intimidation' cases. Over the decades, it's evolved into the hate crimes team housed in the office of equity and engagement. Aside from organization, the amount of effort put into solving hate crimes is also important, Bell said. The percent of hate crimes resulting in arrests and charges decreased from about 14% in 2021 to 5% in 2024, according to Chicago police data. Between 70% to 80% of cases were suspended in that time period, meaning all investigative avenues were exhausted but the case couldn't proceed. Chicago's Human Relations Commission also provides victim support to property owners and individuals targeted by hate-related vandalism, Andrade said. After the antisemitic messages in Hyde Park the commission reached out to KAM Isaiah Israel, she said. Andrade's staff also contacted local business owners and advocacy groups such as Latinos Progresando in Little Village after their buildings were tagged, she added. The Human Relations Commission also focuses on educational outreach, Andrade said, launching campaigns to help residents understand when and how to report hate incidents. 'They're speaking up, which is wonderful. That is awesome,' Andrade said. 'Hyde Park communities spoke up. Little Village communities spoke up: 'We don't want this.'' They immediately alerted the authorities. We were alerted about this. We are very happy that (reporting) is happening.' And based on the recently released data showing an increase in hate crimes against Jewish people, the Human Relations Commission plans to hold special hearings on antisemitism in September. Just like government responses, how a community reacts to hateful vandalism can also affect how targeted groups recover, Bell said. If a majority of neighbors speak up to say a hate display doesn't represent the neighborhood, it doesn't have to 'stain' the community, she said. Kirzane said by and large, the Hyde Park community has moved on from late-June's antisemitic taggings. In addition to encouraging responsiveness from police and the Human Relations Commission, Kirzane said the offices of two aldermen, local churches and neighbors also reached out to ask how they could help. 'If we didn't have that, it would be harder to move on,' Kirzane said.
