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Soccer Player for French League Set for Trial After Sharing Antisemitic Video Online

Algerian soccer player Youcef Atal was set to go on trial in France Monday over accusations of inciting hatred after posting a video in which a Palestinian preacher purportedly threatens Israel with a “black day.”

Atal, who plays for French Ligue 1 side Nice, shared the video on his Instagram account, which has 3.2 million followers, shortly after Hamas’s October 7 assault on southern Israel, in which terrorists killed some 1,200 people and kidnapped approximately 240 more, most of them civilians.

In the video, Mahmoud Al Hasanat calls on Allah to “send the Jews a black day,” and “steady the hands” of Gaza inhabitants if they should “throw stones,” prosecutors say.

He also speaks of the plight of children in Gaza.

The 27-year old defender, who quickly deleted the post and issued an apology, was suspended by his club while prosecutors probed the incident for suspected “justification of terrorism.”

But they dropped that line of investigation after watching the video and questioning the player, instead charging him with “incitement to religious hatred.”

Two associations, the International League against Racism and antisemitism (Licra) and the Jewish Observatory of France, have brought civil actions against the player.

If found guilty, Atal could be sentenced to up to one year in prison and fined 45,000 euros ($49,000).

He has been under judicial supervision with a ban on traveling abroad except to play professional soccer.

His club quickly suspended him “until further notice” after the post, while the professional football league banned him for seven matches.

Some of Atal’s Algerian teammates argued for leniency, saying he had apologized and not actually watched the video until the end before posting it.

Kosher Restaurant in New York Targeted by Anti-Israel Vandal

Hummus Kitchen, a Kosher restaurant on New York City’s Upper East Side neighborhood, was vandalized on Sunday evening by a woman who ripped down the Israeli and American flags hanging inside the establishment, according to videos shared on social media.

“It’s disgusting,” the unidentified young woman says in reference to the Israeli flag. She then proceeds to flip off the camera as she is hounded out of the restaurant by workers.

Jewish watchdog organization - StopAntisemitism - identified the woman as Jeanette Suleiman.

Police have not made any arrests.

The same restaurant was attacked last week, when a New Jersey woman went on an antisemitic rampage and threw a cup of hot soup at a restaurant worker.

“You are all murderers!” the woman said, before flipping over tables and chairs, according to a report in the New York Post.

The attacks come amidst a wave of property damage against Jewish organizations and institutions across New York.

Antisemitic property crimes have risen 85 percent in the city since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, New York City Police Department (NYPD) data shows. There have been 135 anti-Jewish complaints over a two-month period, up from 73 during the same period last year.

Survey Shows Robust Backing for Hamas Among French Muslims

Almost half of French Muslims consider the Oct. 7 Hamas pogrom in southern Israel to have been “an act of resistance against colonization” while nearly one in five expressed sympathy for the atrocities, according to a new survey published on Monday by Ifop, France’s leading pollster.

The survey contrasted French Muslim attitudes towards the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians with the population of France at large, uncovering significant differences regarding the perception of Hamas, French government policy in the region, and media coverage of the war in Gaza triggered by the Oct. 7 atrocities.

Asked whether they were sympathetic to Hamas, 19 percent of Muslim respondents answered affirmatively, compared with just three percent of the population overall. A majority of Muslims — 56 percent — said they were neither supportive of or opposed to Hamas, while a further 25 percent said they were opposed. Among the general population, 54 percent declared their antipathy towards Hamas, while a further 43 percent stated their neutrality on the question.

When asked to characterize the Hamas atrocities, 45 percent of Muslim respondents classed them as “resistance against colonization.” A further 26 percent described the Oct.7 atrocities as “war crimes” with another 29 percent describing them as “terrorist acts,” indicating a more or less even split among Muslims surveyed. Among the French population more broadly, a full 90 percent interpreted the Oct. 7 atrocities as “war crimes” and “terrorist acts.”

A further 62 percent of Muslim respondents said that Israel’s military response in Gaza amounted to “ethnic cleansing,” compared with 38 percent of respondents in the general population. Both segments, however, were in agreement with the contention that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict reverberates in France’s domestic politics, as expressed by 76 percent of Muslims and 82 percent of the overall population.

Asked about the French government’s position, a clear majority of Muslims — 58 percent — believed that President Emmanuel Macron’s administration was sympathetic to Israel, compared with 20 percent in the population at large. Similar discrepancies were revealed in the question about media coverage, with 67 percent of Muslims saying that the French media is more sympathetic towards Israel, compared with 38 percent of the general population.

The demographic breakdown of Hamas sympathizers among French Muslims revealed that 50 percent of those under 25 supported the terrorist group, rising to 53 percent among those aged over 50. An average of 41 percent of Muslims aged between 25 and 49 answered similarly.

About six million Muslims live in France.  A total of 1,022 people participated in the Ifop survey, which was conducted at the end of November.

Antisemitism has exploded in France since Oct. 7, with more than 1,500 outrages recorded. Nearly 200,000 people attended a demonstration in Paris on Nov. 11 to oppose antisemitism.

Man Arrested After Shouting "Gas the Jews" in Washington D.C.

A man was arrested on suspicion of shouting "gas the Jews" and spraying a foul-smelling substance on two people outside the Kesher Israel Congregation in the Georgetown neighborhood in Washington DC on Sunday, according to NBC Washington.

The suspect was identified as Brent Wood, a resident of Toledo, Ohio. The victims were not physically hurt in the attack.

Wood is being charged with simple assault and resisting arrest, and the incident is being investigated as a hate or bias-motivated crime.

Multiple Bomb Threats Sent to Synagogues in Georgia

The Roswell Police Department is currently looking into multiple bomb threats sent out to two synagogues Sunday morning.

In a Facebook post, officers stated "These threats are not unique to Roswell; identical threats have been sent to other synagogues throughout the Metro area."

Thankfully, officers said that nothing suspicious was found at either Roswell location.

At this point, police have not specified which synagogues were precisely threatened.

Elsewhere in the post, Roswell PD stated "We will continue to collaborate with our partners to investigate these threats thoroughly and remain vigilant in ensuring the safety and security of all in our community."

Salt Lake City Elementary School Vandalized with Antisemitic Graffiti

Police are investigating criminal mischief and a possible hate crime at a Salt Lake City elementary school.

Investigators with the Salt Lake City Police Department believe that around 7:15 p.m. Saturday night, someone or multiple people spray-painted every side of Bonneville Elementary School with various kinds of hate speech and images.

“The type of hate speech that was used ranges everything from homophobic, antisemitic hate speech, as well as racist hate speech,” said SLCPD spokesman Brent Weisberg.

There was also hate speech directed toward people with physical disabilities.

Weisberg said the police department has seen a recent uptick in possible hate crimes. Investigators are not sure if it’s all connected.

“A few weeks ago, we had someone spray-painting hate speech at the Utah Pride Center. We also had someone stealing Pride flags from the Ballpark neighborhood. Then we had that hate crime directed potentially at that Asian-owned business downtown,” he explained.

Parents, students, and neighbors of the school joined together all day Sunday to scrub off the vandalism and decorate the front of the school with colorful ribbons.

“This is a very peaceful neighborhood. People have a lot of respect and kindness for each other,” said Janet Hemming, chair of the Yalecrest Neighborhood Council.

There are only three days left until the holiday break, but the community wanted to affirm a message of inclusivity.

“We have people putting up ribbons just for love. To celebrate the love that we have in our community and the love that we have for other people,” said Lindsay Monson, a parent at Bonneville Elementary.

“[The hate speech is] just uncharacteristic of the neighborhood. That’s not who this neighborhood is,” said Hemming.

What the neighborhood is, they say, is a community choosing to combat hate with love.

“That’s the only way to stop it, really,” said Monson. “Hate with hate begets more hate.”

The Salt Lake School District is working with the department on the investigation. There are security cameras on the building, but detectives are asking anyone who lives nearby to review their home security footage as well.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Salt Lake City Police Department at 801-799-3000 and reference case number 23-282047.

Man Throws Eggs and Shouts Antisemitic Slurs at Southern Oregon Chabad Center

Ashland's Chabad Jewish Center of Southern Oregon was vandalized by a man throwing eggs while shouting antisemitic slurs the night of Wednesday, December 13. The Ashland Police Department is still looking for the man and is asking the community's help in identifying him.

This attack comes just weeks after bags full of sand and antisemitic rhetoric were found throughout Jackson County. These instances are in the wake of a recent increase of antisemitic incidents since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7 and the war that followed.

The Rabbi of the Chabad center, Avi Zwiebel says instances like this one are another rock being thrown in a recent barrage of attacks, “People are generally shaken up, so it's a general problem now we're facing throughout the past few months and this instance definitely didn't help out. It just feeds into that fear that people are experiencing, and that's why it's important not to be afraid now, to stand up for who we are.”.

Zwiebel says that these instances are shocking, but hearing yells of antisemitism isn’t uncommon for the congregation. Hearing antisemitic rhetoric, Zwiebel says rhetoric is dangerous to the community, “it's never okay. It's never okay. Rhetoric is also not okay because rhetoric does lead to action.” Zwiebel said.

The Ashland Police department say’s instances of hate have no place within the Ashland community and that it’s understandable to see so much unease. “ I think it would only be natural for anybody who's targeted with a hate crime to feel ill at ease. And this is, of course, a great time globally of tension for the Jewish community,” said Ashland chief of police, Tighe O’Meare

Ashland Police are looking for help finding the man who committed these acts, and are asking for the community to call in if they recognize him. You can reach the Ashland Police Department at: (541) 488-2211.

Jewish Facilities Target of 200 Swatting Threats Across Country

"In the past 24 hours, the Secure Community Network [SCN] has tracked a staggering 199 swatting incidents and false bomb threats across the country targeting Jewish facilities, including 93 in California, 62 in Arizona, 15 in Connecticut, five in Colorado, and four in Washington state, among others," SCN said on Saturday.

These swatting incidents and false bomb threats followed incidents over the last week in Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia, and came in the wake of both the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel as well as a record rise in security incidents and antisemitic activity across North America.

In recent days, law enforcement in Ohio and California have announced the arrest of alleged perpetrators of a high volume of swatting activity and false bomb threats.

Secure Community Network (SCN) National Director and CEO Michael Masters said in a statement “The alarming volume of swatting incidents and false bomb threats being carried out across the country is a major concern for the safety and security of the Jewish community in North America, as well as law enforcement. SCN, community partners, law enforcement, and public safety agencies take these incidents seriously and are working hard to address them. It’s critical to recognize that these are not victimless crimes or innocent pranks: they can have real – and even deadly – consequences."

SCN has tracked more than 449 swatting incidents and bomb threats in 2023-to-date, up 541% from 2022 (83 incidents), as compared to a total of 23 between 2019-2021. In response, SCN has worked in coordination with local, state, and federal authorities to respond to these incidents and ensure coordination between law enforcement and the Jewish community across North America, to include safety and security resources and a national swatting update in conjunction with the Major Cities Chiefs Association, which over 1,400 community members and law enforcement representatives attended.

In the wake of the October 7th Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, the SCN has logged record highs in security incidents and antisemitic activity, with a record 772 incidents logged in October and 634 in November, up 290% from the year prior — incidents including vandalism, harassment, and assault among other acute threats and actions. In October and November alone, SCN has referred 230 individuals to law enforcement.

Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville and Other Jewish Organizations, Victims of Email Threat

The Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville announced they, and other Jewish organizations, received an email threat on Sunday morning.

The nonprofit organization said they immediately reported the threat to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

“These threats are part of a national trend to harass and intimidate American Jews.” - Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville

The organization said it is working with MNPD and the Secure Community Network, and established contact with other local and statewide Jewish leadership to coordinate a response.

You can read the Jewish Federation’s full statement here.

MNPD said they were notified by the Congregation Micah in Brentwood of the threat and officers were dispatched to investigate. No services were being held at the synagogue at the time and the building was cleared.

“Any Jewish kid in America knows what a bomb threat is,” Serith Israel’s Rabbi Saul Strosberg said.

He says unfortunately this is just the latest in a long list of threats aimed at the Jewish community in Nashville.

“Everything’s stepped up, but we were already in a pretty serious, serious way,” Strosberg said.

Years ago his synagogue decided to hire a private security team, so they were confident in continuing with their regular programming today, but many in Nashville did not.

“To be cautious is a smart thing to do. Even though they’re 99% sure, and even though Metro may have swept the building, as an additional measure - just cancel,” Strosberg said.

In 1958 a Jewish Community Center was bombed in Nashville - it’s an event that weighs on Strosberg.

“It still could happen anytime, anywhere. We should be concerned anytime anybody’s safety is at stake,’ Strosberg said.

Israel has been embroiled with Palestinian militants since October 7 when multiple Islamic military groups launched a coordinated attack on Gaza, killing hundreds and taking more than 130 hostages.

There has been an increase in antisemitic rhetoric since the conflict.

Michigan Congregation Target of Bomb Threat

East Lansing Police Department responded Sunday morning to 1924 Coolidge Road after a bomb threat was made to a congregation there, officials said.

ELPD did not give the congregation’s name Sunday, but the address corresponds with Congregation Shaarey Zedek, a local synagogue.

According to ELPD, responders at the scene determined that there was no threat to the congregation or the public.

“We take these types of threats very seriously,” said East Lansing Police Department Deputy Chief Chad Pride. “We will utilize any and all resources to find those responsible and bring them to justice.”

ELPD officials said in a news release Sunday afternoon that the investigation into the bomb threat remains open, and that officials are working with the congregation to find the person or persons responsible.

In November, an Upper Peninsula teen pleaded guilty to threatening the same East Lansing synagogue, Congregation Shaarey Zedek. He admitted to sending multiple messages on Instagram about planning to commit a mass shooting targeting Jewish people, U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said.

If you have any information about Sunday’s bomb threat to the congregation, ELPD asks you to call them at 517-351-4220.

Five Missouri Synagogues Receive Bomb Threats

Jewish centers of worship are on high alert after five synagogues in the St. Louis area received bomb threats. While we are not disclosing the names of the synagogues for security reasons, we can tell you that police did not find a bomb at any of the locations, three of which are in Creve Coeur.

The synagogues received an alarming email on Sunday morning.

“Individuals stating that there has been a device planted at the location,” Scott Biondo, director of community security for the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, said. “And you have this many hours, expressing a hatred for Jews.”

Biondo said the synagogues followed bomb threat protocols and contacted local authorities.

Officers secured each synagogue and used canine units from both Creve Coeur and St. Louis County police departments to conduct thorough searches. All the buildings were examined, and officers confirmed that there weren’t any immediate threats.

One synagogue in Columbia and another in Joplin also received bomb threats.

Police are working to identify the sender(s) of the threatening messages and to determine if there is any connection to similar statements received by other synagogues across the country in recent times.

“I’m certain that there’s connectivity in a number of these threats across the United States. That’s going to end up being the case. Whether they’re all connected?” Biondo said.

“We like to stay vigilant. But also stay the mission. We encourage our folks to not be dissuaded from coming to synagogue, but let us be responsible for the security piece.”

The Creve Coeur Police Department is still leading the investigation. A police spokesman said since Oct. 7, his department has had and will continue to have heightened patrols.

Biondo is also in close contact with all the Jewish centers in the St. Louis area, including not only synagogues but schools, social service organizations, and community organizations.

Congregation in Oregon Victim of Bomb Threat Hoax

South Portland Congregation Bet Ha’am was searched by police after a bomb threat was emailed to the organization on Sunday morning, according to the temple’s Rabbi.

Religious classes are usually held at the congregation on Sundays, so the building was evacuated immediately.

According to Rabbi Jared Saks, police determined the threat to be a hoax after they searched the building. At this time, we’re still waiting for confirmation from police, but according to Saks similar threats were emailed to other synagogues across the state on Sunday.

Saks says the threat is part of a concerning rise in antisemitism.

“I’m sure there’s a lot of anxiety around it, especially with the rise in antisemitism that we’re seeing across the country and even around the world these days,” Saks said. “But we’re grateful for our relationships with our neighbors and with the South Portland Police Department.”

After the building was cleared, children in the congregation returned to their religious classes as usual.

“Knowing that we’re secure now when we have a number of security measures in place all of the time, some that congregants and community are aware of and others that we keep confidential, we’re going to proceed as usual,” Saks said.

Mississippi Police Responding to Bomb Threat at a Synagogue

Jackson police are responding to a bomb threat at a synagogue.

JPD Precinct 4 Capt. Timothy Hudson confirmed the threat to 16 WAPT News.

Our crews on the scene at Beth Israel said there is a heavy police presence.

Jackson police, along with Jackson fire, are both on the scene at the synagogue on Old Canton Road.
This is developing. You can check back for updates.

Six Jewish Sites in Alabama Victims of Bomb Threats

Six out of seven Jewish sites across central Alabama received bomb threats Saturday, a state representative has confirmed.

Sites in Auburn, Montgomery, Selma and Dothan, including both temples in Montgomery received the threats.

State Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, who is the executive director of the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama sent out an email updating the community on the acts.

Temple Emanu-El in Dothan, Temple Mishkan Israel in Selma, Temple Beth Or in Montgomery, the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama in Montgomery, Agudath Israel Etz Ahayem in Montgomery and Congregation Beth Shalom in Auburn each received the threats, Ensler wrote.

The only Jewish site in central Alabama that did not receive a threat was Hillel at Auburn, he said.

Authorities were informed of the threats and the facilities in Auburn, Montgomery and Selma were cleared by a K9 police dog, Ensler said. Saturday afternoon, the Dothan site was working closely with federation security to have a K9 search and clear their premises. 

“I know this is unnerving to say the least,” Ensler wrote. “Please be reassured though that our protocols worked to quickly communicate throughout central Alabama. The actual threat level was deemed low from but we must always respond out of an abundance of caution. We will continue to remain vigilant and please know that we will continue to work to keep our community safe. Law enforcement is investigating the culprit behind these emails.”

Hanukkah, the Jewish festival commemorating the rededication of the second temple in Jerusalem, started Thursday evening.

Media outlets reported 13 synagogues in Philadelphia and the cities' suburban counties received bomb threats on Friday.

This is the second time in about three months that Jewish locations received bomb threats. On Oct. 5, bomb threats were received hours before the Hamas attack on Israel.

Bomb Threat Sent to Multiple Jewish Synagogues in Colorado

No one was harmed after a bomb threat was sent to a Jewish synagogue in Boulder on Saturday.

About 8:30 a.m., officers responded to a bomb threat sent via email to Congregation Har HaShem, 3950 Baseline Road. Boulder police and the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office cleared the building and did not detect any threats in or around the synagogue.

The threat received by Har HaShem was also sent to other Jewish synagogues in the surrounding area, according to a release sent Saturday from the city.

“Fortunately, we were able to respond quickly to this threat,” Boulder police chief Maris Herold stated in the release. “We are glad to report that no bomb was found and nobody was hurt.”

Har HaShem Executive Director Alan Friedman and President Jim Edelman released a joint statement on the congregation’s Facebook page stating the threat was made to multiple synagogues in Colorado, and none of the threats have been deemed credible.

“Sadly, threats to Jewish institutions across the country have increased since October 7, and this morning’s threat was part of an ongoing, broader threat,” Friedman and Edelman stated.

Rabbi Fred Greene also posted a statement on the Facebook page commending the bravery of the congregants who were evacuated Saturday.

“With that said, this threat was designed to stoke fear and anxiety in Jewish communities,” Greene wrote. “I hope our response, as best as we can, is to continue to strengthen our brave spaces where we live out Jewish values of hope, justice, peace, and faith.”

Har HaShem will be open Sunday and its programming will continue as scheduled.

The Boulder Jewish Community Center, while not targeted with a security threat, canceled its programs Saturday morning. Executive Director Jonathan Lev and Board Chair Marcia Segall released a joint statement expressing support for Har HaShem.

“We know this is incredibly unsettling for the community, and news like this can spark fear and concern,” Lev and Segall wrote. “… We are grateful for the immediate response and support of our local, regional, and national law enforcement agencies to keep our community safe.”

In 2015, both Har HaShem and the Boulder JCC were sent envelopes containing a white powder. The powder was ultimately determined by authorities to be nontoxic.

Before that, in 2010, a hacker posted antisemitic messages on the Har HaShem website. The hacker also posted similar messages on the websites of the Boulder Rabbinic Council and Boulder synagogue Bonai Shalom.

The FBI was contacted about Saturday’s bomb threat, and the incident is now part of an ongoing investigation. Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to call Boulder’s nonemergency dispatch line at 303-441-3333.

Canadian Youth Arrested After Facilitating Terrorist Activity Against Jewish People

Canada’s national police force said Saturday that a youth was arrested and charged with terrorism-related offenses that allegedly targeted Jewish people.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the young person arrested Friday was charged with facilitating terrorist activity by communicating instructional material related to an explosive substance.

The youth is further charged with knowingly instructing a person to carry out terrorist activity against “Jewish persons.”

Police did not release further details about the alleged offenses. Officials also said no further information about the youth could be released due to the suspect’s age.

In a news release, the national police force said it is seeing a concerning trend of violent extremism and terrorist use of the internet, including among young people.

The RCMP urged adults in authority positions to watch for early warning signs of radicalization. Those include dehumanization of others, extreme anti-government attitudes and clear statements of intention to carry out violent acts.

Many officials have been raising the alarm about a reported rise in hate crimes against Jewish communities since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack in Israel, prompting that country’s military offensive in Gaza.

“I was shocked to learn the details of a planned attack against Ottawa’s Jewish community,” Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “There has been a rise in antisemitism in Ottawa in recent weeks.”

He added he was grateful that strong investigative work by the RCMP and Ottawa police was able to avert an attack. He said police would continue to patrol synagogues and other Jewish institutions.

NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force Investigating Road-Rage Incident After Swastika Keyed Into Car

A Queens man discovered a swastika keyed into his car Wednesday stemming from what authorities believe was a road-rage incident that occurred in Forest Hills earlier in the day.

The victim allegedly got into a dispute with a fellow motorist prior to parking his vehicle at 96-01 Metropolitan Ave., police said. When he returned to his car sometime later the vehicle had been vandalized with the hate-filled symbol etched into the front hood.

While details of the incident are still unclear, elected officials condemned the incident, noting that it comes at a time when there has been a surge in antisemitism.

“Let us be clear: we will not stand for antisemitism or hatred in any forms in our communities,” said U.S. Rep. Grace Meng, State Sens. Joseph Addabbo Jr. and Leroy Comrie, Assembly Members Andrew Hevesi and Sam Berger, and Council Member Lynn Schulman in a joint statement.

“Law enforcement will use every resource at its disposal to investigate this reprehensible and cowardly act, and we are confident that the perpetrator will be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law — as has happened time and time again,” the electeds said.

The incident is being investigated by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force.

“We stand strong behind our neighbors and will not tolerate for anyone to be targeted or made afraid in our communities,” the officials added.

The NYPD reported earlier this month that there were 96 hate crimes across the city in November, with 62 targeting Jews. In November 2022, there were 72 hate crimes, with anti-Jewish incidents accounting for 47 of them.

Synagogue in Pennsylvania Evacuated Following Bomb Threat

The Beth Or Synagogue at 239 E Welsh Road in Maple Glen was evacuated Thursday afternoon after a bomb threat surfaced via email at 11:25am.

The threat brought an immediate response and a sweep of the building and grounds by the Upper Dublin Township Police Department and first responders, Patch reported.

Nothing was found during the search.

“At this time, there is no credible threat to our community. Our children, teachers, staff, and clergy are all safe and accounted for,” the synagogue said in an email to congregants.

Congregation President Leslie Weiss is working with law enforcement to investigate the source of the bomb scare email.

“Our security remains vigilant and in place as always,” the synagogue said. “General building security continues to be in effect per procedure.”

For more on Beth Or Synagogue, you can visit their website.