Latest news with #JewishSafety
Fox News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Jewish leader predicts violent future for NYC residents if Mamdani wins in November: 'Real concern'
A New York City Jewish leader is speaking out about the possibility of a Zohran Mamdani term as mayor of New York City, telling Fox News Digital he is concerned about the safety of Jewish residents, as well as all New Yorkers. Scott Feltman, executive vice president of the One Israel Fund, told Fox News Digital that the Jewish community in the country's largest city is "not against" a Muslim or any person of faith running for office, but what they do oppose is candidates that "align themselves with nefarious actors" like Hamas or Hezbollah. "He was just recorded at a local mosque where the Imam of that mosque has basically called for the death of IDF soldiers and praised the efforts of Hamas," Feltman said. "So that's what we're opposed to, and it's a very, very real serious concern." Feltman pointed to the rise of antisemitic attacks in recent years, particularly in New York City, which he says has "created a certain trepidation in the Jewish community and having this particular candidate now making such inroads" is a "real concern." Two Israeli embassy staffers were killed in Washington, D.C., earlier this year by a man shouting "free Palestine" around the same time that an Egyptian man targeted a pro-Israel demonstration, killing one person and injuring several others, in Boulder, Colorado. "I know that every single day I fear for my own staff knowing that our organization has been called out by this candidate, and we have no idea, you know, who's following him and what their interests and what their actions may be. So it is a real serious concern." Mamdani, along with actress Cynthia Nixon, called out the One Israel Fund earlier this month in a post Feltman responded to with an article in American Thinker. "When you go out and you align yourselves with terminology like globalize the intifada, which is basically a euphemism for kill Jews all over the world, that's what it is, the intifada was basically a movement in Israel 25 years ago to destroy the state of Israel and didn't discriminate against civilian or military personnel," Feltman told Fox News Digital. "And when you want to globalize that, the messaging is very clear to the people who are listening and following and that has put many people in the Jewish community, if not all of us, on notice and has created the feeling of genuine concern. I'm concerned for New York City in general. It's not just the Jewish community. His platform of defunding the police and basically offering all kinds of free things to people, which I don't think he can even accomplish, even though he keeps doubling down on the rhetoric, but just defunding the police puts everyone here in jeopardy." Mamdani has been widely criticized for his initial failure to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada", which many Jewish people view as a call for violence. Mamdani eventually walked back his initial reluctance by saying he discourages people from using the phrase and told business leaders he would not use it. Feltman referred to Mamdani as a "social media darling" and complimented the way he has been able to mobilize voters but said, ultimately, while discussing his rise, that the education system has done a "tremendous injustice to our children, especially on the university level where we see antisemitism exploding exponentially." Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani's campaign for comment.
Fox News
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Will Zohran Mamdani protect all New Yorkers? He owes the Jewish community an answer
As New York City faces an unprecedented surge in antisemitism, with Jewish residents experiencing the highest levels of hatred and violence in decades, every elected official and candidate should be held accountable for their commitment to protecting all constituents. This includes Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, whose past statements and associations raise serious questions about his dedication to Jewish safety and security. The data paints a stark picture. New York State experienced a record 1,437 antisemitic incidents in 2024—an 18 percent increase from 2023, and the highest number of any state in the nation. Even more alarming, antisemitic assaults in New York jumped by 52 percent in 2024, accounting for nearly one-third of all antisemitic assaults nationwide. This isn't just about statistics—it's about real people living in fear. This is a 12-year-old being bullied at a middle school in Queens, or an Orthodox couple harassed in broad daylight in Brooklyn. It's a group of Jewish college students trapped in a library with a mob screaming at them, banging on the windows. Jewish New Yorkers are being harassed and targeted at synagogues, schools, universities, businesses and on the street. Against this backdrop, Mamdani's past embrace of inflammatory rhetoric and support for radical anti-Israel groups make understanding his commitment to Jewish safety even more important. As a student, he founded the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter at Bowdoin College. It is one of the most radical groups on college campuses in America. As an assemblymember, he sponsored the "Not on our Dime Act" that attempted to stop New York registered charitable organizations from sending donations to Israel to "fund war crimes." This included needs like ambulance services, emergency response, food security, and more. Most recently, Mamdani's failure to condemn chants of "Globalize the Intifada"—a slogan that is nothing less than a call for indiscriminate violence against Israel, Jews and Jewish communities worldwide—raises fundamental questions about his commitment to Jewish safety. He was given multiple opportunities over the last several weeks, including with Meet the Press host Kristen Welker, to clarify his stance. Mamdani did not swing and miss; he refused to even take the bat off his shoulder and try to hit the pitch. But the concerns now have evolved far beyond simply calling out a clear statement of violence. Any candidate for mayor needs to explain to the Jewish community and to all New York City residents what specific steps they will take to curb surging antisemitism and hate — and what measures they will not take so as not to endanger the embattled Jewish community in a moment when it is already reeling. We should be asking some key questions and demanding public answers from the candidates rather than private reassurances. For example: To be clear, these aren't unreasonable requests – they're basic expectations for any public servant but relevant based on past associations, positions and statements. At the same time, the onus is not just on Mamdani. There are many candidates in this mayoral race. We expect all of them to support the Jewish community. Antisemitism is not an abstraction – it is a clear and present danger to Jewish Americans. In the past few months, we have seen it manifest in very threatening ways in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and Boulder, Colorado. In light of these very real acts of violence, we need a mayor who demonstrates in deed, not just in word, how they will prevent the bedlam from spreading to New York and how they will protect Jewish New Yorkers, considering their singular set of challenges and do so with the same degree of care and respect shown to all other New Yorkers. The Jewish community—and all New Yorkers who value tolerance and safety—deserve clear, unambiguous answers. *As a 501(c)(3) organization, ADL takes no position in support of or in opposition to any candidate for elected office.
ABC News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Antisemitism plan would strip funding from unis, arts events who fail to fight Jewish hate
The special envoy to combat antisemitism will work with government to withhold funding from universities who fail to reduce hatred against Jewish students, monitor media organisations to ensure accurate coverage, and screen visa applicants for antisemitic views under a sweeping plan launched by the prime minister on Thursday morning. Special envoy Jillian Segal says she will also work with the government to review Australia's hate speech laws, including vilification offences and the promotion of hatred. Ms Segal, who was appointed to the envoy role by the prime minister a year ago, said her plan was a comprehensive, long-term approach to combating antisemitism and introducing a strategy already in place in many other nations. "We cannot hope to really abolish antisemitism, but we can push it to the margins," Ms Segal said. The envoy warned that antisemitism in Australia had become more common since the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel, and Israel's subsequent invasion of Gaza. "In the space of just one year, reported incidents increased over 300 per cent. These are not isolated events and they form part of a pattern of broader intimidation and violence that is making ordinary Jewish Australians feel very unsafe," she said. Standing alongside Ms Segal, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed her report and said it would now be considered by the government. Ms Segal has been working on the plan since her appointment, but it has been delivered just a week after another series of antisemitic incidents in Melbourne. Last week, the entrance of a Melbourne synagogue was set alight, while protesters stormed Israeli-owned restaurant Miznon in the city's CBD. "It furthers illustrates the importance of adopting this," Ms Segal said. Mr Albanese set the measure of success for himself. "It will be successful … where students can go to school without any fear, where cultural diversity and expression is flourishing, where people can engage with each other and be enriched by the diversity that is our society," he said. Under the envoy's plan to combat antisemitism, Ms Segal intends to review federal and state legislation addressing antisemitic and other hateful conduct, including vilification offences. Those laws were strengthened by the federal government, and last term bans on Nazi symbology were also introduced with strict penalties. But Ms Segal has continued to advocate for reforms that would criminalise the promotion of hatred. Under current laws, inciting a person to commit a hate crime is a criminal offence, but is difficult to prove, and is only triggered if a person's hateful commentary leads to an act of violence. Guidance for police would also be developed to assist in applying the laws. With the prime minister pointing to social media as one of the causes of a rise in hatred, Ms Segal also recommended regulations that would require social media companies to be more transparent with their algorithms to "prevent the amplification of online hate". "In particular, law enforcement should be supported to prioritise the identification and prosecution of those who commit offences online, with cooperation from the host platforms. Group harm should be considered as well as individual harm in framing any law reform," the envoy wrote. She noted that a group of envoys globally were already in discussions with the major social media platforms in relation to this. Ms Segal warned Australia must prevent "the normalisation of antisemitism", with the plan including a wide-ranging approach to debate online, in the media and at school and university campuses. The envoy recommended that she become a monitor of media organisations to encourage "accurate, fair and responsible reporting" to ensure impartiality and balance and to avoid "accepting false or distorted narratives". While the envoy said freedom of expression was vital to Australian culture, funding for public institutions like arts galleries, festivals and public broadcasters should be able to be "readily terminated" where organisations facilitate antisemitism. "Jewish Australians have historically been highly active in Australian cultural life. Unfortunately, in recent times, there have been many examples of the active and deliberate exclusion of Jewish artists, performers and creatives. Such conduct must be strongly rejected and countered," she wrote. Ms Segal would also assess universities with a "report card" of their implementation of practices to combat antisemitism, including complaints systems and policies to ensure Jewish students and staff could participate "actively and equally" in university life. Those who failed to act against antisemitism would have government funding withheld where possible, and grants terminated where if recipients were found to engage in discriminatory or hateful speech. Ms Segal also raised concerns with investigating foreign sources of funding for "antisemitic activities and academics" at universities. A judicial inquiry would be established into campus antisemitism by the start of the 2026 academic year if the envoy determined matters had remained unaddressed. She noted that there was a marked difference in the experiences of younger Jewish Australians and older Jewish Australians, and that education was needed in schools and universities to improve understanding of Jewish culture.
Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Germany foils 'Iranian spy's plot to attack Israeli and Jewish community leaders'
German officials have thwarted an alleged Iranian espionage plot to target Jewish people in Berlin. Federal prosecutor Jens Rommel said a suspect named 'Ali S.' was arrested in Aarhus, Denmark, last week after allegedly being commissioned by a unit of Tehran's military to prepare the attacks. The man is said to be a Danish national with Afghanistan heritage and had been scouting buildings and potential targets in the German capital - one of which included the headquarters of the German-Israeli Society. Der Spiegel reported that the other building Ali.S had been taking photos of was where the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, often stays. They say investigators believe that the man had been commissioned by the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, who specialise in operations outside Iran and are said to have ties to Hamas and Hezbollah. The Quds Force were formerly headed-up by Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in 2020 by a US drone strike, and are now led by Esmail Ghaani - who was presumed dead after Israel 's strikes on Iran in June, but reports suggest he is still alive. Mr Schuster said: 'The arrest of a suspected spy for the Iranian terror regime, who is alleged to have deliberately spied on Jewish and Israeli institutions in Germany, is a clear alarm signal. 'This successful defense must be a final signal to all those who continue to downplay the mullah regime's hatred and fantasies of annihilation against Israel and Jews around the world.' Volker Beck, President of the German-Israeli Society, added: 'I thank the German security authorities for their vigilance. 'The fact that Iran is preparing and planning attacks against Jewish representatives and pro-Israel activists demonstrates the terrorist nature of this regime.' Speaking on a visit to Odesa in Ukraine, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that, if confirmed, the incident 'would once again underline that Iran is a threat to Jews all over the world'. The suspect will be brought before a judge at Germany's Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe after being extradited from Denmark, according to The Guardian. The Iranian embassy has called the allegations 'unfounded and dangerous' and implied that it was a false narrative. A statement from the embassy read: 'Previous discussions with relevant German authorities have already highlighted that certain third parties are attempting to divert public perceptions from the actual events through artificial staging.' The German Foreign Office yesterday posted on X to announce they had 'summoned' the Iranian ambassador to Germany, Majid Nili Ahmadabadi, to the Federal Foreign Office. They added: 'We will not tolerate any threats to Jewish life in Germany. The suspicion against a man in Denmark of alleged espionage on behalf of Iran must be thoroughly investigated.' Germany has been on high alert for possible attacks against Jewish people since Hamas's assault on Israel on October 7, 2023. In September, German police shot dead a young Austrian man known to have had ties to radical Islam as he was preparing to carry out an attack on the Israeli consulate in Munich. Authorities have also been on alert for potential Iranian espionage activity on their soil. A German-Iranian national was jailed in late 2023 over a plot to attack a synagogue in the western German city of Bochum in 2022. Authorities said the plot was planned with the help of 'Iranian state agencies'.
Wall Street Journal
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Jews Can Defend Themselves
Cynthia Ozick's excellent op-ed 'Antisemitism and the Politics of the Chant' (June 4) reminded me of a quote from the comedian George Carlin (1937-2008): 'Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.' In a letter Nathan Diament counsels that while condemning these mobs is important, 'taking steps to keep American Jews actually safe from violence' is all the more so ('How Can Congress Keep American Jews Safe?,' June 6). With respect, relying solely on politicians to keep American Jews safe isn't the answer. To quote the late Holocaust survivor and educator Simon Wiesenthal: 'Freedom is not a gift from heaven, it's something we have to fight for each and every day.' In that light, perhaps more Jews should avail themselves of that great American innovation: the Second Amendment.
