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University of California Santa Barbara Professor Celebrates Israelis Deaths

University of California, Santa Barbara professor Lisa Hajjar recently tweeted an image that suggested support for attacks on Israel.

The image, posted to Hajjar’s now private X account, is an artist’s depiction of a bulldozer plowing through a border fence waving a Palestinian flag.

Hajjar is currently co-authoring a book titled Genealogies of Human Rights in the Arab World. Her previous publications largely focus on criticisms of military torture of terrorists by both the U.S. and Israel, as well as assertions that Israel frequently commits human rights abuses against the ‘occupied’ state of Palestine.

Consider this excerpt from a 2019 article by Hajjar:

“If the 9/11 attacks were an act of war, then the terrorists who perpetrated them, as this reasoning went, were not civilians because civilians can’t make “war” and you can’t declare war on civilians. If they weren’t soldiers either, you wouldn’t have to treat those who were captured like prisoners of war. The purpose of inventing this new category of people who were neither soldiers nor civilians was to generate a legalistic basis for depriving them of any rights.”

According to Hajjar’s university bio, “her current research focuses primarily on the US ‘war on terror,’ particularly around the issues of torture, targeted killing, and Guantanamo.”

Antisemitic 'Goyim Defense League' (GDL) Flyers Littered in Georgia Neighborhood

Several Brookhaven residents woke up to antisemitic and “other hate speech” flyers spread across the city overnight, according to police.

The Jewish advocacy group StopAntisemitism has been tracking the activities of those responsible - the Goyim Defense League’ or ‘GDL’ for nearly five years and state they vilify Jews with their premeditated hate campaigns.

“Just earlier today antisemitic flyers were thrown about in my neighborhood in Brookhaven,” said Dov Wilker, Southeast Regional Director for the American Jewish Committee. “The number one thing that’s concerning American Jewish today, Jewish in the diaspora, is one of safety and security. Are we safe from our neighbors? Are we feeling protected? Thankfully, law enforcement has been doing an incredible job protecting the Jewish community, but every time we go outdoors, every time we stand in solidarity with the Jewish people, we have this anxiety about being attacked by somebody,” he said at the Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival on Sunday.

The Brookhaven Police Department said it is partnering with city leaders to investigate the distribution, which targeted at least three neighborhoods.

“We want our community to be assured that hate speech will not be tolerated in Brookhaven,” police said in a statement.

Elementary School Playground in Illinois Defaced by Nazi Symbols

A swastika was found carved into part of a playground at Lester Elementary School, according to the Downers Grove police blotter.

Police were called to the school at 236 Indianapolis Ave. on Oct. 18 for a report of criminal damage to property. Per police reports, a teacher reported the incident after seeing the swastika, which had been carved into a green drum on the playground.

The incident comes as acts of violence and hate crimes are surging amid the latest war between Israel and Hamas.

London Subway Driver Leads "Free Palestine" Chant During Work

The operator of a London Underground led passengers in a 'Free Palestine' chant in advance of the major demonstration there on Saturday, which drew an estimated 100,000 people and sparked significant controversy.

In a video that has since been shared widely on X, formerly Twitter, and on other websites, the driver is heard chanting, "Free, free," to which the passengers respond "Palestine!". The driver then goes on to wish everyone "a blessed day today, look after yourselves, and keep all of those people in your prayers."

London's transit authority, the TfL, indicated that they were aware of the footage and that they were investigating reports of a driver making political comments on the train, according to the Jewish News.

Commenting on the video, the Mayor of London's office said that "the Mayor is committed to ensuring all Londoners feel safe as they use public transport and go about their daily lives in our city. Anyone who breaks the law or incites violence or hatred will have action taken against them."

It is not the first time London's 'Tube' has become a battleground over Israel-related speech. In 2016, posters associated with an 'Israel Apartheid Week' ad campaign, part of the larger Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement, were plastered throughout the system, without authorization. Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, who later went on to become Prime Minister, took credit for having the posters taken down. 

The video appears to show passengers on their way to the 'Palestine Solidarity March.' In advance of the demonstration, police stated that anyone showing support for Hamas, banned as a terrorist organisation in Britain, would face arrest, and any incident of hate crime would not be tolerated. 'Free Palestine' is not considered one of these chants, but others, such as 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,' have had their legality challenged in recent days.

Prominent Journalist's Offices Vandalized with Antisemitic Graffiti

The office of The Free Press, a media organization run by Jewish journalist Bari Weiss, was defaced with antisemitic graffiti this past week, Weiss announced on Twitter Sunday afternoon.

Weiss, founder and editor of The Free Press and former New York Times writer and opinion editor, is a vocal proponent of Israel in the media.

Photos on social media show the walls of the companies’ office defaced with the words “F*** Jews” and “F*** Israel”.

The Free Press has offices in New York City and Los Angeles. It was not immediately clear which location was attacked.

“If the antisemites who did this think it will intimidate me and the journalists of @TheFP , they don’t know me, they don’t know us, and they have no idea what we stand for,” Weiss wrote on Twitter.

Instances of vandalism and intimidation against Jewish institutions have been widespread since Hamas’ attack against Israel on Oct. 7.

Last week two Jewish primary schools in the Stamford Hill section of London were dousedwith red paint. While in Tunisia and a territory of Spain, synagogues were attacked.

Jewish Communal Center Shuts Down Temporarily after Vandalism

The House of Israel in Balboa Park, hit with vandalism in the past three days, will close until further notice, Ruth Mastron, its president, said Thursday.

Located among the international cottages near the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, the House of Israel offers exhibits about Israel and is well-known for serving bourekas to visitors.

In an online message, Mastron said: “You may have heard that a window was broken last night at the House of Israel. Fortunately, we were closed, and no one was inside. However, this is the second time in three days we have had to call the police.

“I continue to believe in the value of our core mission to welcome, inform, and educate about our wonderful country of Israel, ancient homeland of the Jewish people. But after a day of reflection, consultation, and soul-searching, I’ve concluded that we cannot guarantee the safety of volunteers, neighboring houses and visitors.

“I could not live with myself if anyone were to be harmed because I failed to take the painful and unprecedented but necessary decision to close the House of Israel until further notice.

“I am disappointed by this decision as anyone else, if not more so, but managing the current situation calls for competencies and resources I simply do not have, so I call upon the Jewish/Israeli community to come together to ensure the future of the House of Israel.”

“To vandalize a cultural center during this moment of deep Jewish pain is unacceptable,” the post said, thanking the San Diego Police Department “for investigating this incident and for asking the public to step forward if they have any information.”

Opened in 1948, the House of Israel is a 501(c)3 nonprofit run by volunteers.

San Francisco City Supervisors Receive Antisemitic Threats

Five Jewish members who were elected to serve on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors said they received anti-Semitic mail last month.

Supervisors Aaron Peskin, Dean Preston, Myrna Melgar, Hillary Ronen, and Rafael Mandelman all received postcards in the mail with vulgar language after a contentious September 27 meeting at the San Francisco Town Hall, the San Francisco Standard reported.

During the meeting’s public forum component, multiple attendees began shouting anti-Semitic and racial slurs at the board members. The disruption prompted Peskin, the board president, to introduce a change to board rules that currently allow the public to participate in and chime into meetings remotely. He’d like to introduce legislation that would eliminate the option to comment remotely except for people who require accommodations under the Americans With Disabilities Act.  

“This will be done," Peskin said, per the Standard. "Ain't going to happen in these chambers in the city. It is over.”

The postcards to the five supervisors included a URL that led to a website with anti-Semitic comments and assertions that Jewish people control the media and the “COVID agenda,” the Standard reported.

The front of the postcard reportedly read, “Why are Jews allowed to suck baby penis,” and featured images of a Jewish circumcision ceremony.

Each of the five supervisors received the postcard in their personal mail at home.

“That was the most antisemitic, sickening thing I’ve ever received in my life,” said Ronen, whose young daughter was the one who picked up the postcard from the mail before he did. “This is what we’re subjected to.”

The supervisors said they were creeped out that the postcards were sent to their home addresses.

“There’s weird stuff that comes across email all the time,” Mandelman said. “It’s a little weird to have them knowing addresses.”

It’s unclear who mailed the postcards, but the Standard reported that they are linked to flyers that appear to be affiliated with Goyim Defense League.

Dentistry School in Ohio Vandalized with Anti-Israel Messaging

Graffiti with an anti-Israel message was found on Case Western Reserve University’s Dental Clinic building in Cleveland Oct. 18 and covered with tarps as the university worked to remove it.

In photographs and videos provided to the Cleveland Jewish News by witnesses, the graffiti on the Chester Avenue building read: “Collective punishment is a war crime! End Israeli apartheid.”

The university shared a statement with the CJN Oct. 19, outlining its response to finding the graffiti.

“Early in the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 18, anti-Israel graffiti was found on the facade of Case Western Reserve University’s Dental Clinic building. By 7:25 a.m., the graffiti was covered with tarps,” the statement reads. “The white brick wall was pressure-washed throughout the day, removing most of the graffiti. While we work to fully remove the graffiti, we have covered the affected area with white tarps.

“Through several offices, the university is providing resources to its campus community,” the statement continued.

A Case medical student told the CJN she walks by the building every day on her way to her first class. On Oct. 18, she first noticed police cars and only noticed the message on the wall as she got closer.

“It was really upsetting to see right before class and have to deal with something like that in the beginning of the day,” said the student, who is Israeli and the CJN is not identifying by name out of concern about potential retribution for speaking publicly of the incident.

She said the university appeared to begin to cover and remove it pretty quickly, as after her two-hour class she noticed the tarps, and by the evening there was just an outline of what was scrubbed off. Still, as an Israeli student with family back home, the events in Israel and now this incident have affected her and other Jewish students, she said.

“I think if I wasn’t surrounded by friends, I would have cried – I cried later on the phone talking with my mom,” she said. “I think it’s been an issue that I’ve felt that daily, but it’s never really reached me in my community. But seeing it there, it was like ‘Wow, it’s gotten all the way here to my school,’ and I don’t know who might be thinking what and what people might be thinking of me. I feel very isolated about what’s going on.”

The student said she has not received an email from the university specifically regarding the graffiti, but CWRU previously sent two emails “showing compassion” and sharing mental health resources for students following the terrorist attacks in Israel. She also received an email from the Case Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Engagement to students of the Jewish Medical Student Association offering support.

“It’s really upsetting that the school is taking its time with the email,” the student said Oct. 19. “I’m sure it will come, but I know I wanted to see something that day because I want to feel reassured that the school is taking care of it and that it cares about its students and what they’re experiencing.”

The CWRU School of Medicine’s Medical Education News Oct. 20 newsletter addressed the impact that “recent world events” have had on students, but did not mention the graffiti incident specifically.

“We are in troubled times,” Lia Logio, vice dean of medical education, wrote in the newsletter. “There are no words to express our sense of vulnerability and helplessness as it relates to recent world events and how close to home they are becoming. We encourage each and every one of you to take care of yourselves and take care of each other.”

She continued by offering support services to students and urging the “future healers” to hold onto their commonality in their pledge to serve the sick and suffering to minimize differences.

Jewish Fraternity at University of Pennsylvania Vandalized with Antisemitic Message

A vacant property run by Campus Apartments — next door to the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity chapter house at 4040 Walnut St. — was vandalized with antisemitic graffiti on Friday night.  

The graffiti, found by members of AEPi around 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 20, read “The Jews R Nazis.” It has since been covered with duct tape and AEPi has contacted the University’s Division of Public Safety to investigate.

“The police came over, looked at it, removed the tape just to take a photo of the graffiti themselves, then put the tape back on and filed a report,” the AEPi president, who requested anonymity out of fear of personal safety, said. 

DPS wrote to the DP in a statement on Saturday that they will investigate the incident as “a potential hate crime.”  

“Public Safety was contacted this morning regarding graffiti written on the door at 4044 Walnut Street. Penn Police responded, took a report, and are providing support to the reporting parties. The reporting party stated that the writing was discovered last evening,” the statement read.

In response to a request for comment, a Campus Apartments spokesperson confirmed that its property at 4044 Walnut Street was vandalized.

"We take vandalism very seriously and do not condone any behaviors that stem from prejudice or hate," the spokesperson wrote. "We appreciate Penn Police Department’s attention to this matter and will provide any help possible to aid in the investigation of this incident. 

AEPi describes itself as “the world’s Jewish college fraternity,” while Campus Apartments is owned by David Adelman, the chair of the Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation.

There is no evidence confirmed by The Daily Pennsylvanian that the vandalism was targeted at AEPi or Campus Apartments.

The spokesperson added that Campus Apartments was prioritizing the wellbeing of its residents and Penn students, and "anything that threatens that will not be tolerated.”

“It’s very disturbing to myself, the chapter, and the Jewish community at Penn. We are hoping that this all ends peacefully and quickly as possible for all,” the AEPi president said. 

The DP reached out to Penn Hillel for a comment in regards to the incident, but did not receive a response in time for publication.

The incident comes one month after an unknown individual vandalized the Hillel building ahead of a morning prayer service, knocking over "several pieces of furniture" and "shouting antisemitic obscenities about Jewish people," according to a Hillel statement.

In response to the incident on Sept. 21, Hillel wrote that it had asked Penn to provide full time security in front of the Hillel building "beginning immediately." Penn's statement came hours before Penn Hillel held a campuswide show of support for Jewish students.

President of Detroit Synagogue Found Murdered Outside Residence

The president of a Detroit synagogue was found stabbed to death outside of her home on Saturday, police said.

Detroit Police said Samantha Woll was found dead outside of her home by a passerby at about 6:30 a.m. Saturday. Officers found a “trail of blood” leading to the inside of Woll’s home, where they said they believe the crime occurred.

Woll, who led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, was a former staffer for Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and senior staffer for Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s campaign last year.

Police have not identified a potential motive for the killing, they said.

“I and all of Team Slotkin is heartbroken at this news,” Slotkin said in a Facebook post on Saturday. “Sam worked for me from nearly the moment I became a Congresswoman, helping us set up the office & helping to lead it for my full first term.”

“My heart aches that we have lost someone so dedicated to serving others in such a senseless act,” she continued. “I’ll miss her relentless desire to serve & her bright smile seemingly everywhere across the Detroit area. Team Slotkin shares in the deep grief of her family & her greater community.”

Nessel also shared grief over Woll’s death in a social media post.

“I am shocked, saddened and horrified to learn of Sam’s brutal murder,” Nessel said. “Sam was as kind a person as I’ve ever known. She was driven by her sincere love of her community, state and country. Sam truly used her faith and activism to create a better place for everyone.”

"Kill The Jews" Graffiti Spotted on NYC Subway Wall

A hateful vandal scrawled the abhorrent message, “Kill the Jews” on the wall of a Manhattan subway station this week, authorities said Friday. 

The antisemitic missive was written in black marker in the 34th Street-Herald Square station — alongside what appears to be a misshapen swastika.

It was reported to the MTA around 7:20 p.m. Wednesday, police said.

“And they claim that antisemitism and anti-Zionism are not the same…,” Rachel Kastner, a Long Island native, film producer and public speaker living in Tel Aviv, posted to Instagram with a photo of the offensive vandalism.

“Bigotry will not be tolerated in the transit system,” MTA spokesperson Michael Cortez said in a statement. “When disgusting acts of vandalism are identified, they are quickly removed.”

The offensive message was discovered the same week that the iconic Jewish-owned 2nd Avenue Deli on the Upper East Side was also defaced with a swastika. 

Similar sickening vandalism was later found across the street. 

Illinois Attorney Fired After "Gas Chamber" Social Media Comments

An attorney serving in the Illinois state Comptroller’s Office has been fired for an antisemitic tirade in which she told a Jewish person that she wanted them to face the gas chamber and said, “Hitler should have eradicated all of you.”

Sarah Chowdhury referred to Jews as “vermin” and said “all Zionists should pay” in private messages with an Instagram account called Big Law Boiz.

Other messages, which the Instagram user screenshotted and were later posted to X, included, “Hopefully someone sends you anthrax or poison and you die a slow terrible death.”

In the messages, she also said, “I’d rather put you in a gas chamber” and “Hitler should have eradicated all of you.”

The comptroller’s office said in a statement Thursday it was made aware of Chowdhury’s private messages around 12:30 p.m., and Comptroller Susana Mendoza contacted her about an hour and a half later.

Chowdhury was fired after she admitted making at least some of the comments.

“Comptroller Mendoza has zero tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech,” the comptroller’s office said in a statement.

She was also ousted from her position as president of the South Asian Law Association.

“The South Asian Bar Association of Chicago stands against hate, bigotry, and bias in any form,” the group said in a statement on Facebook.

Of Chowdhury’s comments, the bar association said: “We are deeply saddened and horrified by her words and their impact on our friends, families, and colleagues, and apologize for any harm they may have caused.

“Her words are and will never be reflective of SABA Chicago,” it continued. “To be clear, SABA Chicago condemns such hateful rhetoric and is committed to supporting our communities and all those impacted by hate.”

“We will not tolerate such behavior by any of our members.”

Chowdhury said she is “extremely” sorry for the “inappropriate and reprehensible” comments, and apologized to the person she messaged and anyone who read her comments, in remarks to the Chicago Tribune.

She said she was distraught over the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and grew frustrated with the way the conflict was being covered by the media and discussed on social media.

Chowdhury is just the latest in a string of Americans who have lost their jobs over antisemitic remarks in recent days. Citibank announced Thursday it fired one of its staffers after she posted “revolting” commentary on Instagram that endorsed the mass murder of Jewish people during the Holocaust.

“No wonder why Hitler wanted to get rid of all of them,” Nozima Husainova wrote with a smiley-face emoji in an Instagram Story, which has since been deleted along with the 25-year-old’s Instagram and other social media accounts.

Husainova had written the explosive comment in response to a post about the Gaza hospital bombing that was initially blamed on Israel but was later revealed to have been caused by the Islamic Jihad terror group after its operatives misfired a rocket.

An Atlanta cancer doctor has also been put on leave after sharing a pro-Hamas Facebook post, where she celebrated the “glory” of the terrorist group and wished for “no peace on stolen land.”

Bay Area City Council Bans Zoom Comments After Antisemitic Fiasco

In an effort to stymie hate speech, the City of Morgan Hill announced Friday that it would shut down remote public comment over Zoom at city council meetings, adding to a growing list of Bay Area cities who have weighed fighting bigoted language over preserving remote participation.

The announcement follows an incident on an October 4 city council meeting where four Zoom participants took advantage of remote public comment to read neo-Nazi, anti-Semitic, and anti-LGBTQ materials. Several high-schoolers were in attendance on an assignment to participate in the public meeting.

“Many, if not all of us, felt repulsed and sickened by the hate speech,” said Morgan Hill Mayor Mark Turner over email. “I want to apologize to those in attendance at our October 4th council meeting who had to bear witness to such bigotry and discrimination.”

The incident marks one among a nationwide swath of similar disruptions at public meetings by extremist voices. Many of the disruptions are orchestrated by a handful of anti-Semitic and white supremacist groups, according to August 2023 reporting by the Anti Defamation League. Now, Morgan Hill joins officials in Antioch, El Cerrito, Fremont, Modesto, Sacramento, Santa Rosa and Sonoma County, and Walnut Creek in a ban of remote Zoom comment.

“By making these changes, the City of Morgan Hill aims to strike a balance between promoting free speech and protecting the safety and dignity of all participants in its public meetings,” said city spokesperson Michelle Bigelow over email. The ban should protect vulnerable communities and ensure more efficient meetings, she said.

Having to make the move is “disappointing” since Zoom comments allowed for increased participation by community members who couldn’t make in-person meetings, said Morgan Hill City Attorney Donald Larkin, who was part of the decision to opt for the ban.

However, the ban serves as an important stopgap measure that protects city employees from “the definition of a hostile work environment” until Morgan Hill finds a long-term solution, he said. “I don’t think the conversation’s over.”

For now, the city will continue to accept public comment via email, mail, and in person.

Jewish Dorm Rooms at American University Defaced with Anti-Jewish Symbols and Message

Swastikas and a Nazi slogan were drawn on the doors of two residence hall rooms belonging to Jewish students and in a bathroom in Letts Hall on Thursday night, American University President Sylvia Burwell announced to the community in an email Friday afternoon.

The American University Police Department has opened an investigation and the person found responsible will be “subject to university policies and appropriate disciplinary actions,” according to the email, which did not specify the policy or disciplinary actions. 

“When we are so deeply focused on our community of care─supporting each and every member of our community who is in pain and feeling scared and vulnerable─it is unacceptable that our Jewish community was targeted and harmed through this act,” Burwell wrote. “Hate speech will not be tolerated. It violates the values that define our community.”

The antisemitic vandalism follows a swastika being found on a ceiling tile in an Anderson Hall bathroom in September 2022 — during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. In September 2021, four symbols — three of which were Nazi propaganda — were found carved into a men’s bathroom stall on the Lower Level of Anderson Hall. The symbols — two swastikas, Nazi SS (Schutzstaffel) bolts and a Star of David — were found between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which is the holiest Jewish holiday. 

Burwell also acknowledged heightened antisemitism and threats against the Jewish community throughout the United States amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The FBI has warned of “heightened” antisemitic and Islamophobic threats and attacks in the U.S. as a result of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the violent retaliation that has followed.

“I ask that as a community we recognize that our Jewish and Israeli community members and families are frightened. Our Muslim and Palestinian community members and families are frightened,” Burwell wrote. “Acts of hate, intimidation, and dehumanization cannot be the way we live together and treat one another. This includes physical threats, as well as online harassment and doxxing. No matter your background, ethnicity, or faith, everyone has a right to feel safe.”

Burwell wrote that the University is working to support the students whose rooms were vandalized. Burwell encouraged other affected community members to utilize campus resources, including the Kay Spiritual Life Center. Students can also go to the Center for Well-Being and Psychological Services and call the AU ProtoCall 24-hour support line, and staff and faculty can turn to the University’s BHS service, which provides counseling for AU faculty, staff and their families.

Pennsylvania Synagogue Evacuated Over Serious Threats

Authorities are investigating after a reported bomb threat at an Allentown synagogue Thursday morning.

The Allentown Police Department received a report of a bomb threat at Congregation Keneseth Israel, according to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.

"At that time, a funeral service had just concluded, and our community members were leaving the premises," the organization said.

The Allentown Police Department, the Allentown Fire Department, and the FBI arrived and swept the facility room by room with sniffer dogs twice as an added precaution, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley said.

The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley says that, as of now, authorities believe the phone call was a hoax coming from a different state, and there are no credible threats to any other facilities in the Lehigh Valley.

The organization's regional security advisor, Tim Brooks, has been in touch with the Secure Community Network, and they are diligently monitoring for any potential threats. The call does not appear related to the current war in Israel, but more details might emerge from the FBI investigation, according to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.

"We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Allentown Police Department, the Allentown Fire Department, and the FBI for their immediate response to the incident. Their support is invaluable during this time," the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley said.

New York Times Slammed for Rehiring Reporter with Hitler Praise History Amid Israel-Hamas Conflict

The New York Times has re-enlisted a Hitler-praising Hamas propagandist as part of its team covering the war in Israel and Gaza.

When we last heard from Soliman Hijjy, it was back in 2022, when The Algemeiner reported under the headline “Unearthed: Another Hitler-Praising New York Times Gaza Journalist.” That article focused on the watchdog group HonestReporting’s disclosure of Hijjy’s social media posts from 2012, 2018, and 2020 with variants on the phrase, “How great are you, Hitler?” It also noted that a 2021 video that Hijjy created for the Times, titled “Gaza’s Deadly Night: How Israeli Airstrikes Killed 44 People,” was denounced when it came out as a “shocking” “hatchet job.”

After the 2022 disclosure, the Times told HonestReporting it reviewed the concerns and took “appropriate action.” Sure enough, Hijjy’s byline did not appear in the New York Times again afterward — until a few days ago, when it reappeared in the aftermath of the Iran-backed Hamas’ slaughter of more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, in Israel.

Ironically, the terrorist onslaught seems to have provided a career revival for Hamas’ Gaza-based, Hitler-appreciating propagandist — who has had eight bylines or contributor credits in the Times between Oct. 12, 2023 and Oct. 18, 2023. It sure looks like the Times has one standard for hiring Hitler-praising Gaza stringers in peacetime, and a different, more lenient standard for hiring Hitler-praising Gaza stringers in wartime.

If it were simply the reporter’s social media posts at issue, that would be one thing. But the coverage with Hijjy’s name on it displays all the worst traits of the Times‘ coverage of the Middle East, and none of the best. For example, the Times has at times displayed flashes of refreshing honesty in its post-slaughter coverage. A Times report from Washington, for example, referred to the “Hamas-run Gazan health ministry.” Other Times coverage from outside Gaza has referred to the Oct. 7 slaughter as a “terrorist attack” and the people who committed it as “Hamas terrorists.”

Hijjy’s reporting from Gaza, on the other hand, refers simply to a “Hamas attack,” not a terrorist attack. It also refers to “the Gaza health ministry,” not to the Hamas-terrorist-controlled Gaza health ministry.

A story with Hijjy’s name on it describes a “chaotic scene” outside Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital following the explosion there on Tuesday, without providing the context that in 2014, the Washington Post described that hospital as “a de facto headquarters for Hamas leaders, who can be seen in the hallways and offices.”

Years earlier in 2009, PBS reported, “Israeli intelligence officials say that Hamas leaders are operating out of a bunker underneath Shifa Hospital — Gaza’s largest … ‘Shifa Hospital has long ago ceased to be just a hospital,’ Israeli Public Security Minister and former intelligence chief Avi Dichter said on Monday. ‘It is somewhat of an open secret that Hamas commanders walk around the hospital, in some instances wearing doctor’s robes,’ Dichter said.”

But in any case, both US and Israeli intelligence have concluded the hospital explosion was due to a misfired rocket launched against Israel by the Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group — not an Israeli air strike, as Hamas has claimed and several prominent media outlets were quick to echo.

The Times places these articles from Gaza on its front page and prominently on its website without disclosing to readers how the Hamas terrorist group that controls Gaza threatens to torture or kill journalists who deviate from their party line.

Russ Roberts, the president of Shalem College in Jerusalem, noted on Thursday that “not everyone has changed their lens. For many, the narrative of Israel as oppressor and the Palestinians as oppressed remains intact … That is why the [Times] unhesitatingly quotes Hamas blaming Israel for 500 hospital deaths.”

Roberts continued: “That’s why the Times even while now saying there are uncertain claims on both sides still has a video on their home page about the suffering caused by the blast and interviewing Palestinian doctors saying that there was a playground next to the hospital. And then showing the colorful backpacks of children scattered haphazardly on the ground as if children had been killed in a blast that everyone agrees took place in the middle of the night when no children were present.”

That image of the backpacks is credited by the Times to the apparently one-time suspended freelancer, Soliman Hijjy.

“It’s a good day to cancel your subscription to the New York Times,” Roberts added.

New York Man Punches Woman Shouting, 'You are Jewish'

The NYPD is looking for Christopher D’Aguiar, 28, who is accused in a hate crime assault at Grand Central Terminal.

It happened around 11:30 p.m. Saturday inside the 7 train passageway.

Police say a man randomly punched a 29-year-old woman in the face.

The woman told police she asked the man why he assaulted her, and he replied, "You are Jewish," before running away.

The victim suffered minor injuries.

Canadian Police Searching for Antisemitic Vandal who Defaced a Holocaust Monument

At approximately 2:20 p.m., yesterday, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023, police were called to the Calgary Jewish Community Centre, located at 1607 90 Avenue S.W., for multiple reports of a man making antisemitic comments and causing a disturbance. The man was throwing eggs at vehicles, the Holocaust Memorial Monument and the building, while shouting antisemitic profanities at individuals outside of the centre. The man fled prior to police arriving on scene.

The man is described as approximately 20 to 30 years old, with a slim build, wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, a black backpack, and white running shoes.

Photos of the suspect are available on The City of Calgary Newsroom.

There is no place for hate in our city. Hate-motivated crimes are recognizable crimes, like assault, theft, vandalism or any other crime, where the offender was motivated by bias, prejudice or hate that is based on one of nine personal characteristics of the victim. If you see hate, report it. Visit www.reporthate.ca for more information on how and why to report.