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FBI Arrests Michigan Man who Plotted to Kill Elected Jewish Officials

Pictured: Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is Jewish and amongst those targeted

According to a recently unsealed criminal case, the FBI coordinated with local authorities in mid-February to arrest a heavily armed man who had threatened on social media to kill all Jewish elected officials in Michigan.

The man appears to have been a former employee of the University of Michigan.

Jack Eugene Carpenter III, a resident of Tipton, Michigan, had tweeted on February 17 that he was “heading back to Michigan now threatening to carry out the punishment of death to anyone that is Jewish in the Michigan govt if they don’t leave, or confess,” according to the FBI’s affidavit. There are several prominent Jewish elected officials in the state, including Attorney General Dana Nessel, US Rep. Elissa Slotkin, and a handful of state senators and representatives.

Carpenter has been charged with transmitting an interstate threat, for which he could receive up to five years in federal prison, and is being held without bail in a federal court in Detroit, according to local reports. He was in Texas when he made the tweets, the FBI said.

On a Twitter account the FBI linked to Carpenter, he claimed to be a former employee of the University of Michigan who “was fired for refusing to take experimental medication,” apparently referring to the COVID-19 vaccine. The University of Michigan has more than 6,500 Jewish students, according to Hillel International.

“Probable cause exists that” Carpenter’s Twitter account “made threats to cause injury and death to Jewish members of the Michigan government,” FBI Special Agent Sean Nicol wrote in the February 18 affidavit.

This is the latest antisemitic threat to emerge in the state of Michigan. In December, a man in suburban Detroit was charged with ethnic intimidation after screaming antisemitic profanities at a local synagogue preschool. The state has also been home to a growth in violent extremist movements, including a group recently put on trial for plotting to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; one of the leaders of that effort was sentenced to 19 years in prison.

The University of Michigan had employed Carpenter for ten years and let him go in 2021, a spokesperson for the university told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. A review of the university’s publicly available salary disclosure information shows Carpenter was a systems administrator in the computing department at the dean’s office of the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, the school’s largest college.

The university did not elaborate on Carpenter’s employment or why he was no longer with the school, citing its policy on personnel matters.

Federal agents determined that Carpenter had previously been arrested on assault charges and had stolen one of his handguns from his girlfriend. His mother told authorities he was in possession of several firearms, including three handguns, a 12-gauge shotgun, and a military-style hunting rifle.

The February 17 tweet by Carpenter directly threatening to kill Jewish elected officials, as quoted by the FBI, was not visible on the public Twitter account linked to him as of March 1. But a stated intent to return to Michigan that was also quoted by the FBI was visible, as were many other violent threats and antisemitic rants, including threatening allusions to the antisemitic conspiracy theory that the COVID-19 vaccine was developed by Jews as a means of controlling the world.

“Any Jewish person holding a public office on my land after that time is subject to immediate punishment for their participation in an unlawful war of aggression using a biological weapon against me,” he wrote. Carpenter also threatened any law enforcement personnel who planned to interfere with him with “deadly force.”

In multiple paranoid manifestos posted to his Twitter, Carpenter also declared himself “the King of Israel” and declared that he was forming a new state on his property, one the FBI said he had declared “New Israel.” He also tweeted that, should he be arrested, he planned to “get the lawyer removed due to conflict of interest because they are Jewish.” Carpenter mentions some public figures by name in his manifestos, including Whitmer; Anthony Fauci; Chris Cuomo; and multiple University of Michigan personnel, all of whom he planned to target for “crimes against humanity;” the only Jewish figure he mentions is Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.

Carpenter also referenced several prominent right-wing conspiracy theories, including the QAnon movement and the belief that US President Joe Biden was not lawfully elected. In one tweet, Carpenter threatened to have Twitter CEO Elon Musk “publicly hanged.”

Carpenter further said he would “grant a brief reprieve to any Zionist Christian or Zionist Jew” who wished “to return to the country to which you actually owe allegiance.”

Cleveland State University Investigates Antisemitic Flyer in Residence Hall

Cleveland State University is investigating a community bulletin board in Fenn Tower, a residence hall, that was found to be vandalized with an antisemitic racial slur on February 21st.

In the letter from the office of the vice president for campus engagement, diversity, equity, and inclusion states the university acted swiftly to remove the offensive graffiti and shared resources for community members who may have been impacted.

“Cleveland State University does not condone this type of behavior,” the letter states. “We embrace and support a culture of diversity and inclusion. As a community of scholars, we expect our students, faculty, staff, and visitors to treat everyone with dignity and respect.”

The letter was signed by Phillip “Flapp” Cockrell, vice president for campus engagement and chief diversity officer; Abbas Hill, executive director of residence life and housing; Kyle Wolfe, director for residential education in the department of residence life and housing; and David Kahoun, Fenn Tower community director in the department of residence life and housing.

The destruction or defacement of property is against the law and a violation of university policy, the letter states, and students found responsible could face criminal charges and be sanctioned under the Student Code of Conduct. Non-students could be charged with vandalism by CSU Police.

Antisemitic 'GDL' Flyers Canvas Baltimore Neighborhood

The Baltimore County Police Department has received reports that antisemitic flyers and other propaganda have been circulating in the Parkville area.

Howard Libit, the executive director of the Baltimore Jewish Council, said that several incidents of propaganda-sharing have occurred in the area over the past few days.

"These flyers are basically an attempt to intimidate and harass the Jewish community, Jewish residents," Libit said.  

Paul Simpson, who lives in the Parkville area, said he was shocked after finding the antisemitic flyers in front of his home. He said he found them last Saturday morning.

"It's disturbing," he said of the jarring discovery. "I don't like this kind of hate speech."

Libit told WJZ that he believes the flyers might be connected to a "day of hate," which extremists called for online last week.

"I know a lot of synagogues added an extra guard, added an extra precaution, spent more time thinking about security," he said.  

Jewish advocacy group StopAntisemitism has identified these antisemitic flyers belonging to a neo-nazi group, the Goyim Defense League (GDL). The GDL, led by white supremacist Jon Minadeo II, was one of the leading antisemitic groups pushing the ‘National Day of Hate’ against Jewish communities nationwide.

The Baltimore County Police told WJZ that it is aware of the flyers and is investigating the incident.  

Vandals Deface Texas High School Campuses with Antisemitic, Racist Graffiti

Parents at two schools in the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD were horrified to learn that someone spray-painted racist graffiti targeting Jewish, African American, and Hispanic students on two high school campuses.

One of the messages contained a vague campus threat.   

Parents said they were disturbed by what the graffiti said: violent, racist messages and a vague threat not to go to school on Friday.

Parents say they still plan to send their kids to school Friday despite the threat. 

Monday, Chisholm Trail High School parents like K'eisha Nelson got text messages from their kids showing pictures of violent and racial slurs spray painted on campus. 

"It makes you feel some type of way," she said. "I’m anxious to get my child out of the school, and he does graduate this year."

The same day, Chisolm High School’s principal sent a letter out to parents telling them about the vandalism relegated to the school’s courtyard.

But Chisolm wasn’t the only school hit. Similar graffiti was seen outside Ed Willkie Middle School, about two miles away from the high school campus.

Gisselle Mendoza is a Chisholm Trail graduate and was picking up her brother from school. 

"In the morning, he saw many pictures from students showing him the spray paint stuff," she said. "Yea, it’s scary."

Along with the racist slurs was a threat saying, "March 3rd, don’t come."

The district said there was no specific threat of violence and that police found "nothing to substantiate" the statement.

Yesenia Guerrero said she still plans to send her kids to school on Friday.

"People that do stuff like this want to get people scared and put words out like that, and they are probably mad at someone," she said.

Nelson hopes the district does more to prevent something worse from happening. 

"I think the district needs to focus on some cultural awareness training for the staff and students," she said. "Something needs to be done before we get to levels that other people have been for Christ’s sake." 

The district's only statement to FOX 4 was the letter sent home to parents. 

District police are now reviewing surveillance cameras to see if they can spot the suspect. We do not know if there will be any increased security on school campuses Friday. 

NGO StopAntisemitism shared the incident on Twitter to denounce the hateful incidents and express solidarity with the students & administration.

Antisemitic Graffiti Discovered Alongside Arkansas Greenway

The City of Fayetteville removed antisemitic graffiti from the Razorback Greenway trail after it was reported by the Temple Shalom of Northwest Arkansas.

On Saturday, Fayetteville police received a report that the graffiti, including swastikas, was painted across their adopted section of the trail. The city of Fayetteville quickly painted over the areas, but it caused concern for the Jewish community in the area.

Leadership with the Temple Shalom of Northwest Arkansas issued the following statement:

“We are saddened and disappointed that this occurred in our community. We condemn antisemitism and religious and racial prejudice in all its forms. These acts of hatred have no place in our community.”

Saturday was known by some antisemitic groups as the National Day of Hate. On that day, certain groups were set to target the Jewish community with hateful messaging. While it’s not known when the vandalism happened, it’s concerning that it was found on the National Day of Hate.

NGO StopAntisemitism was one of the several Jewish advocacy groups monitoring the “Day of Hate.’’

The Fayetteville Police Department received the report and is investigating the incident. Sgt. Tony Murphy said they see graffiti frequently but none of this nature. The police department will be looking into it.

Antisemitic 'GDL' Flyers Littered Throughout Oregon Community

Police are investigating after a series of flyers containing hate speech were left in driveways and yards in three Oregon area neighborhoods over the weekend, coinciding with a so-called "National Day of Hate" prompted by neo-Nazi groups online.

One targeted neighborhood is tucked off Molalla Avenue, near a middle school.

"It's not funny, and whoever's doing this should be ashamed of themselves," said one neighbor who found one of the flyers in his front yard. "I pick it up and saw all the three K's and the white power."

The Oregon City Police department has canvassed the neighborhoods where the flyers were reported and forwarded its police report to the Oregon Department of Justice as a bias incident, according to a news release from the city.

"I think it's ridiculous that we have that in our country these days," said Captain David Edwins at the Oregon City Police Department. He said police picked up more than 20 of the flyers over the weekend.

A bias incident isn't the same thing as a bias crime, Edwins added, but said that "while it's not a crime at this point, you never know what it will turn into."

NGO StopAntisemitism has identified the flyers were produced and littered by a white supremacist group, the Goyim Defense League (GDL). The GDL is led by neo-nazi, Jon Minadeo II. This is not the first time Minadeo and his members have harassed Oregon residents with these flyers. In February, similar leaflets found in Eugene blamed Jews for the ongoing COVID crisis.

"It makes me sick that we have a National Day of Hate. Why would we — there's enough going on in the world as it is right now anyway," said another neighbor back in Oregon City.

Mayor Denyse McGriff, Oregon City's first Black mayor, said she was "appalled that this is happening in our city."

"Oregon City values are founded on understanding, inclusivity, and tolerance," she said in a statement. "The fact that someone feels the need to spread such hate-filled, hurtful messaging, shows that despite how far we have come, we still have a lot of work to do. I urge anyone who sees these flyers to remove them, or contact the police department’s non-emergency number."

Neo-Nazi 'GDL' Members Photographed Littering Antisemitic Propaganda Throughout Orlando

Orlando police are responding to a recent act of antisemitism that happened Sunday as flyers were placed in plastic bags in people’s front yards in the Laureate Park neighborhood.

This latest act of antisemitism has concerned the community. Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith condemned the behavior in a social media post.He said officers have responded to this incident and consulted with their legal department regarding enforcement action.

He said the police department would take any possible action to hold offenders accountable.

NGO StopAntisemitism has identified the group responsible for the antisemitic flyer drop as white supremacist group, the Goyim Defense League (GDL), led by Jon Minadeo II. Minadeo has spent the last few weeks spreading antisemitic propaganda throughout Florida.

In Orlando, people said the flyers bother them and want to know why individuals targeted their neighborhood. “I don’t see why people would spread hate to anyone,” Alexzia Angomas said.

Boca Raton Condominium Complex Vandalized by Swastika

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office confirms that a swastika was spray-painted on the side of Fanshaw J building in Century Village in West Boca.

Neighbors tell WPTV it's in the area by a directory and mailboxes.

PBSO sent personnel to the scene, but spokeswoman Teri Barbera said there were no surveillance cameras in the area.

The Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County security director, Alan Poland, urges everyone to be on the lookout and report any suspicious activity.

"In the last few years, we've seen an increase in this type of rhetoric, and one of the things that we have to remember is that at this point, we are really talking about hate that moves at the speed of social media," Poland said. "We need to understand that our community is prepared. Because we can't choose the time and place of the next act of hate, but we can choose our level of preparedness."

Boca Raton Police say they are increasing security at synagogues and every religious institution in the city.

"FDLE and our law enforcement partners across Florida are on full alert to protect our communities. FDLE will use the full weight of Florida law to ensure the safety of our Jewish and all faith-based communities against these hate groups."

NY State Senator Under Fire for Making Fun of a Jewish Man's 'Stereotypical Looks'

New York State Senator Julia Salazar (D) was accused of making fun of a man for having a "stereotypically Jewish look," the New York Post reported on Friday.

David Kelsey, a Jewish man who is accusing Salazar of antisemitism, made a comment pointing to Salazar’s focus on her tattoos over her voting record.

In response to the jab, Salazar reportedly tweeted an enlarged photo of Kelsey’s head with the caption “submitted without comment.” The tweet has since been deleted.

Kelsey responded by saying, “what can I say, Senator Salazar? My grandparents are actually Jewish. And this is how I look.” 

Kelsey’s Twitter handle, @TheKvetcher, is identifiably Jewish as ‘Kvetch’ is a Yiddish term meaning ‘to press’ or ‘to squeeze’, which has come to also mean ‘to complain.’

Kelsey told the New York Post, “I look stereotypically Jewish and she was just mocking that. Why blow my face up like that unless you’re making fun of my looks? Who cares what I look like?” he added.

Since making the tweet, Salazar has made numerous tweets allying herself with the Jewish community.  n 2018,  Salazar said she identified as Jewish in part because of her father’s Jewish roots; her brother said their father was not Jewish.

Since the post was deleted, Salazar accused Kelsey of being “obsessed with her”, the Post reported.

'Hitler was Right' Graffiti Found at Ohio Park

Antisemitic graffiti was drawn across a pillar on a pavilion at Hilmar Park on Thursday in Genoa Township, Ohio. The graffiti had been wiped clean by early afternoon on the spring-like February day.

“Maybe it’s from a place of ignorance. Maybe they don’t know what a swastika is and understand the hateful language,” said Joel Marcovitch, a local leader in the Jewish community. “Hate has no place here. Antisemitism has no place here in Columbus.”

Jessica Bullock, who is Jewish, saw the words and symbols written on the pillar.

“I was shocked, I was angry, I was disturbed. I’m totally disgusted about it,” she said. “It’s not easy to be in a world of any kind of minority. It’s just not. People just don’t seem to accept there could be something different.”

Drawn in marker on the white pillar, the graffiti included a swastika and pro-Nazi phrases. It left Bullock distraught and wished that people would be more welcoming toward others from different races, heritages, and faiths.

“Understand you’re missing out on a lot of good information and a lot of good people out there,” Bullock said.

She questioned how the non-Jewish community sees incidents like these.

“It makes me mad. It makes me scared. And I also think, what does somebody who isn’t in the Jewish faith think? What are they thinking now? Does it get them mad or scared? It is probably just another news story to them, but for me, it’s deeper than that,” she said.

Marcovitch said he would say he is shocked, but he’s not. “Antisemitism is on the rise here. We’re seeing this a lot in different areas and forms,” he said.

He said it is not the first time the Westerville community has seen hate in graffiti.

“We’ve seen a few instances from the Westerville community. It’s not a population of huge Jewish significance, but it is there,” he explained.

It comes amid a wave of antisemitic rhetoric nationwide, including from high-profile Americans like Kanye West and NBA star Kyrie Irving.

“Whether it’s this, whether it’s Kanye West, whoever is spouting antisemitism, we need our allies and partners to speak as loud as they can,” Marcovitch said.

White Supremacist 'GDL' Group Target Michigan Neighborhood

Antisemitic flyers were found in a Brownstone neighborhood in Michigan. Police Chief Jeff Watson said sometime after 11 pm, antisemitic materials were found in plastic baggies across neighboring lawns.

NGO StopAntisemitism has identified the group responsible for littering the area with antisemitic propaganda as the white supremacist group, the Goyim Defense League (GDL). The GDL is led by neo-nazi Jon Minadeo II. Minadeo has made headlines recently with their ongoing antisemitic attacks throughout the Florida area.

Information and evidence have been forwarded to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office to review possible charges.

Watson said this remains an ongoing investigation to determine if anyone else is involved.

In Deputy Police Chief Andrew Starzec’s opinion, the incident falls in line with a hate crime but said that decision is for the prosecutor’s office to make.

In Michigan, a hate crime law that makes it a felony to harm, or threaten to harm, a person, or the property of a person, “with the specific intent to intimidate or harass” that person “because of that person’s race, color, religion, gender, or national origin.”

The crime is punishable by up to two years in prison and/or up to $5,000 in fines.

This marks the second time this year antisemitic literature has been distributed in the township. It also occurred back on Jan. 9. This time around; there were about 60 baggies filled with antisemitic material tossed on properties.

Police said some residents called police when they discovered them.

Others trashed the material. “A resident was out walking his dog, and he picked up a bunch of them, too,” Starzec said. He said residents are working to clean this up on their own.

Brooklyn Jewish Man Viciously Beaten, Hospitalized after Antisemitic Attack

A Jewish man was viciously attacked on Wednesday in an antisemitic hate crime after a minor car accident in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York.

The car accident occurred near St. John’s Place and Brooklyn Ave around 5 p.m. As the two men examined the damage, the driver of the other vehicle, without warning, punched the victim repeatedly in the face and body. He also grabbed the victim’s neck and tried to choke him. The assailant yelled antisemitic abuse at the Jewish man as he brutally beat him.

The victim reported the incident to Crown Heights Shmira, who called the police after their volunteers arrived at the scene. The man was seriously injured and had to be taken to a nearby hospital.

Shmira is working to bring the perpetrator to justice and is currently searching for security camera footage from the area that might show the assault taking place or identify the attacker.

NYPD Investigate Queens Ambush of Jewish Man as Hate Crime

UPDATE March 27, 2023: A 16-year-old is the first suspect arrested in connection to a group attack on a Jewish man in Queens last month. The 16-year-old suspect was charged with 17 counts related to assault, robbery, and a hate crime; more here.

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Police are investigating an attack as a possible hate crime after a man was ambushed and robbed by a group of men at a park in Queens last weekend.

The old World's Fair grounds at Flushing Meadows Corona Park is one of the great tributes to global ingenuity, a park that celebrates innovation and big ideas, but none of that matters anymore to robbery victim Sam Levy.

"Right now, it only hurts but before you could see it all black and blue," Levy said. To him, it's just the place where he became a victim after a group of six men set upon him for his money, his cell phone and his dignity.

"He said these exact words, '(expletive) Jew' and then all of the force," Levy said. "They had the money, they had the phone, they could have just run away. But now they found out I was Jewish. All of it pure evil. I'm telling you they hit me with no mercy. I knew I was dead, there's no way I'm getting out of this."

It happened around Sunday around 8:30 p.m., when Levy was on his nightly walk past the unisphere and over a bridge over the Grand Central.

At the bottom of the bridge, he saw his attackers break into two groups, one blocking each direction he could take. Meaning, he had no choice but to walk directly into an ambush.

He thinks the muggers realized he was Jewish when they saw his name on his ID.

“Especially if it’s targeting a specific group, but with that being the fairgrounds, I don’t know if that’s the case,” he said.

Gossett said gasoline was poured into the livestock building where someone tried to set it on fire.

“It was gut-wrenching Gossett said. “It was heartbreaking. We’ve been working so hard over the last year just trying to get it up and going and have a fair here again.”

Gossett said they have been holding events in the exhibit hall, including weddings, birthday parties, and a fall festival.

Now many of the windows are boarded up and events have been put on hold.

“It’s devastating to everyone,” Gossett said.

Officials told Channel 9 that the grounds were set to host its first fair in seven years. Now, they are raising money in order to make repairs.

Israeli-Palestinian Event Disrupted by Masked Protestors

Protestors disrupted an Israel-Palestine discussion event in Tisch Library on Tuesday evening.

In a statement to the Daily, President Tony Monaco condemned the protest. “The disruption of the event and the offensive language directed toward the Jewish and Palestinian guest speakers are absolutely unacceptable and a violation of our community standards,” Monaco wrote. “Tufts University police and other relevant offices at the university are investigating, and we will hold accountable any members of our community who are found to be responsible.”

The event, organized by Tufts Friends of Israel and Tufts J-Street U, was a dialogue between Roots representatives Sarah Mandel, an Israeli citizen, and Khalil Sayegh, a Palestinian. Members of both student groups were in attendance.

Just before the talk started at 7:30 p.m., protestors entered the room dressed in masks and makeshift face coverings and congregated in the back. 

About 15 minutes into the presentation, loud music interrupted the discussion as the protestors began to shout phrases such as, “Roots, Roots, you can’t hide; you’re protecting genocide.”

Roots, a Palestinian-Israeli initiative, describes their aim as “to transform enemies into partners through direct human contact, deep listening and recognition of the other’s history and experience.” The group is entirely based in the West Bank, but Mandel and Sayegh were visiting Tufts as part of a speaking tour to U.S. colleges and universities. 

After a few minutes of chanting, one protester addressed Sayegh directly. Remarks included various profanity and insults in both English and Arabic. One of the protestors called Sayegh a “slut” in Arabic. 

The language used by the protestors resembled previous activism by Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine, but no group has taken credit for organizing the demonstration. The Daily could not confirm whether the protesters were members of Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine, as SJP did not respond to a request for comment.

As they continued chanting, Tufts J-Street U and Tufts Friends of Israel leaders informed demonstrators that TUPD officers were en route. It is unclear who called TUPD to the event. The protestors remained shouting in the back row for several minutes before suddenly fleeing the scene. 

After protesters had evacuated, the event continued as planned. 

Mandel discussed her reaction to the protestors following the conclusion of the event. “I would have really loved it if they would have stayed and listened,” Mandel said. “I would encourage all the students on campus to open their minds to people that are different, even if it feels incredibly challenging to listen to the differences.”

Sayegh said he wished the protesters would have been more respectful but understood their frustration. “I sympathize with [the] people’s opinions … as a Palestinian myself,” Sayegh said.

Ian Kaplan, vice president of Tufts Friends of Israel, responded to the protest. “I’m disappointed and saddened that the very idea of dialogue on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict has become controversial,” Kaplan, a sophomore, wrote in an email to the Daily. “These conversations need to be had, but when students take it upon themselves to disrupt these conversations … they not only harm those trying to do the right thing, but they undermine the university's fundamental mission. … I don’t think Jewish students should be intimidated by this, but rather empowered to stand up for themselves and what they believe in.”

Tufts J-Street U also commented on the protest. “J Street U Tufts was excited to have a dialogue event with Roots to hear from an Israeli and a Palestinian who have the shared experience of living in the occupied West Bank,” the organization wrote in a message to the Daily. “An integral part of the dialogue is listening to those with differing opinions. Therefore, we fully support all student groups’ right to protest and express their opinions.”

Monaco contextualized the protest within the national trend of increasing antisemitism and reiterated the university’s commitment to fighting antisemitism on campus.

“The incident is especially disappointing given the many steps that the university and its community members have taken to address antisemitism on campus, part of an alarming trend of increasing antisemitism nationally,“ Monaco wrote. “Incidents like last night’s will not deter us from our work to improve the quality of Jewish life at Tufts and combat campus antisemitism in its various forms.“

White Supremacist 'GDL' Members Harass Jewish People Attending Shabbat Services in Orlando

Antisemites and white nationalists of all stripes were drawn to join or support the GDL by their shared hatred of Jews.

Jon Minadeo II, the head of the antisemitic hate group, the Goyim defense league, is seen in a revolting and upsetting video harassing Jews in front of the Chabad house in Orlando, located at 7347 W Sand Lake Road, on Wednesday.

This past Friday, several Minadeo and several GDL members stood before the Chabad house and yelled, “Get Back to Israel!” and “You Belong in the Oven!”

NGO StopAntisemitism has been tracking and reporting the antisemitic activities of Minadeo and the GDL. StopAntisemitism is a U.S. based advocacy group exposing and fighting bias and hatred against the Jewish people. Minadeo was recently listed as organization’s ‘Antisemitic of the Week.’

Antisemites and white nationalists of all stripes were drawn to GDL by their shared hatred of Jews.

StopAntisemitism was reporting live on Twitter throughout the incident. The organization has contacted Governor DeSantis’ office regarding the horrific uptick in antisemitic activities which have plagued Florida over the past week.

NY Man Pleads Guilty to Vandalizing Dickinson College's Jewish Center with Antisemitic Propaganda

A New York man pled guilty in Cumberland County to one count of ethnic intimidation after antisemitic stickers were left at the Asbell Center for Jewish Life on the campus of Dickinson College.

Police say on Jan. 23, 2022, Frank Petromio was seen on video placing the stickers with “inflammatory and intimidating messages” on the Jewish Life building’s windows and doors.

Petromio was ordered to serve a year of probation, have no contact with the Asbell Center for Jewish Life, to not be on the premises of Dickinson College, and attend a cultural awareness course.

Misdemeanor charges for harassment and disorderly conduct were dismissed at sentencing on February 21, 2023. The incident was investigated by the Carlisle Police Department and Dickinson Public Safety.

Neo-Nazi 'GDL' Flyers Continue to Plague Florida in Ongoing Antisemitic Hate Spree

More antisemitic flyers were found in Volusia County on Tuesday, this time on car windshields at the S. James Foxman Justice Center in Daytona Beach, continuing a hateful pattern of antisemitism that began over the weekend.

Assistant Public Defender Jay Crocker said when he walked out to his vehicle in the early afternoon, he discovered one of the flyers on his windshield. He said he looked around, and the flyers appeared to be on nearly all, if not all, the vehicles in the parking lot at the courthouse at 251 N. Ridgewood Ave.

NGO StopAntisemitism has been following this particular white supremacist group and credits the Goyim Defense League (GDL) with this antisemitic flyer drop. The GDL, led by neo-nazi leader, Jon Minadeo II have been scouring the Florida region with antisemitic flyers, anti-Jewish banners, and even physically harassing Jewish residents as they enter Shabbat services.

It is the latest incident of hate being spread in the area.

CUNY Retaliates Against Jewish Professors for Making Antisemitic Claims

Two Jewish professors at Kingsborough Community College say the New York City community college is targeting them with retaliatory investigations for their complaints about antisemitism on campus. They further allege that the college and its outside counsel acted in bad faith, failing to provide either with a copy of the complaint.

To complicate matters, the college insinuates that the two professors shared the complainant’s address with a news outlet, causing her to fear for her safety. JNS has viewed evidence that the school, which is part of the City University of New York, included the complainant’s address on a letter it sent to her, upon which it copied the accused professors. The letter did not provide the accused any indication of the nature of the complaint.

One of the accused, Michael Goldstein, a business professor at the college, told JNS that the investigation is “definitely retaliatory. There’s no doubt about it.”

“They’re doing this because we’ve made accusations against them,” he added. “This has been going on for years. This is their way of getting back at us.”

JNS has viewed documents confirming that active CUNY investigations are underway against Goldstein and Jeffrey Lax, the school’s business department chair, for “discrimination” and “harassment.”

Kingsborough is part of CUNY, which has been under fire for years for failing to take action against rampant antisemitism throughout its system, including within faculty, union, and administrative ranks.

In 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency, found evidence of discrimination against Jewish CUNY faculty, following an investigation launched by one of Lax’s complaints.

Lax and Goldstein are among the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against CUNY administrators and its Professional Staff Congress (PSC), a union that holds exclusive rights to bargain on behalf of CUNY faculty members, irrespective of their union membership. PSC has endorsed the BDS movement that boycotts Israel, and Goldstein asserts that union advocates are behind a harassment campaign aiming to get him fired. Goldstein, Lax and their colleagues lost a lower court decision but have since appealed.

Lax and Goldstein are members of S.A.F.E. CUNY, which supports Zionist and observant Jewish members of the university community.

According to now-public documents, Lili Shi, an assistant professor of communications at Kingsborough, is the one who filed the complaint against Lax and Goldstein.

Last August, Lax filed a complaint when Kingsborough appointed Shi to a search committee to fill the new position of assistant dean for diversity, equity and inclusion. The position was created, in part, to tackle antisemitism on campus, per a job listing that remains on LinkedIn, though none of the committee’s seven members was Jewish.

Not only did CUNY find no Jewish search committee members to fill a role that was supposed to address antisemitism but in May 2021, Shi signed a statement demanding that CUNY and its 25 campuses endorse and support an academic and cultural boycott of Israel, among other measures.

Ironically, Lax’s grievance was turned over to Saly Abd Alla, CUNY’s chief diversity officer and a former civil-rights director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations. CAIR has defended terrorist groups, including Hamas. Only following Lax’s protest did the college forward his complaint to outside counsel for review.

The complaints did not stop there. Shi lodged her own a little over a month later, which CUNY immediately turned over to outside counsel. CUNY confirmed it was investigating Shi’s complaint in a general notice it sent to Shi last November. It copied Lax and Goldstein on both the email and in an attached letter, but it did not explain the circumstances of Shi’s complaint or how they might be involved.

The university did not say why it copied the two professors, and it used an incorrect email address for Goldstein.

CUNY selected David Holley, a partner at global firm StoneTurn, which advises companies on investigations and business disputes, to handle Shi’s complaint. JNS has viewed documents that show Holley initially refused to tell Lax and Goldstein about the nature of the complaints against them.

After several email exchanges, Holley finally informed Lax on Jan. 24 that Shi alleged experiencing “targeted cyberbullying” by Lax, and asserted “a case of race and gender discrimination,” as well as her “vulnerability as an immigrant.”

Holley wrote that the complaint stemmed from actions, including Twitter messages and online media articles. Holley provided them with only five words from Shi’s complaint—that the text “a Jew-hater” appeared alongside her photo and “an obituary” naming her.

A tweet from the S.A.F.E. CUNY account called Shi a Jew hater, although neither Holley nor anyone else could know who, among the several members of the group with access to the account, authored the tweet. Goldstein admits he retweeted the message on his personal account.

“Anyone who supports the BDS movement is a Jew-hater. It’s an antisemitic movement,” Goldstein told JNS. He said he uses “antisemite” and “Jew hater” interchangeably since they essentially mean the same thing.

Lax did not retweet the S.A.F.E CUNY tweet from his personal account, but he told JNS he agrees fully with the tweet’s sentiment.

Lax and Goldstein told JNS they have no idea what the reference to an “obituary” is in Shi’s complaint, and neither has made or disseminated comments about Shi’s race, gender, or immigrant status. They said neither has attempted to contact Shi in person or electronically.

Lax and Goldstein have repeatedly asked CUNY to provide them with a copy of Shi’s full complaint to prepare their defense. Holley has refused, according to documents JNS has reviewed.

Writing to the professors, Holley cited concerns for Shi’s safety and privacy, given that her home address was made public when the Washington Free Beacon published the university’s notification letter in its coverage of the story. Newsmax republished the Free Beacon story.

Holley wrote to Lax and Goldstein that the two were quoted in the Free Beacon article and that neither Shi nor CUNY shared the letter with reporters. “Out of an abundance of caution,” Holley wrote them, he was withholding the complaint to avoid it “repeating the same extensive travel as the November 21, 2022 letter.”

He added “deep concerns for Professor Shi’s privacy and safety” were factors. “I am confident that should the university have a contrary view, they will raise it.”

Holley failed to note that the university placed Shi’s address on the letter and copied the professors on the email—the colleagues she alleges are risking her safety. And Lax says that as soon as he saw Shi’s address was made public, he—not the university—asked the Free Beacon to redact it. JNS viewed emails confirming that Lax asked the Free Beacon to protect Shi’s personal information and that the publication agreed to redact it.

Lax told JNS that it was “completely outrageous” that CUNY provided him with Shi’s home address. “I am actually the only one at every point who protected her personal information,” he said. “I redacted her address when I posted the letter on Twitter on my personal account. I fixed their mistake.”

If CUNY or Holley was so concerned about Shi’s safety, one or both would have asked the Free Beacon to remove it as soon as they saw it was published, said Lax. Instead, he thinks, they are dispatching a cynical strategy to hobble Lax’s and Goldstein’s abilities to defend themselves.

“How long have they known that the Free Beacon posted that letter? What did they do about it? Nothing,” said Lax. He noted it took a single email to the story author to get the address removed.

“These guys didn’t care about her privacy. They only cared about using it as a strategy to conceal the complaint against me, which is really disgusting,” Lax said.

JNS's documents also indicate Holley made a false statement to Goldstein when attempting to arrange a conversation. On Jan. 12, Holley wrote to Goldstein that “while there are no allegations of you violating any specific CUNY policies, we are investigating some social media and other online posts mentioning Professor Shi, and are hoping you may provide assistance in our effort.”

Only after Goldstein attempted several times to get Holley to clarify whether he was asking Goldstein to speak as a witness or whether he was under investigation did Holley acknowledge that Shi’s complaint accused Goldstein.

When JNS sought comment, a CUNY spokesman said, “CUNY does not comment on confidential personnel matters.” An email to Shi went unanswered, and when reached by phone, Holley declined to comment, citing ongoing investigations.

Meanwhile, JNS has seen documents indicating Holley is pressing for Lax and Goldstein to cooperate so he can complete his work on CUNY’s timeline. Both say the investigation is a pretext to discipline them, and they believe possible termination is on the table.

“Imagine if this was an African-American person calling out racism. This would never happen,” said Goldstein. “Jews don’t count anymore in this country, and definitely not at CUNY.”