DOE Now Investigating Ohio State University for Antisemitism

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights is investigating a complaint against Ohio State University, alleging the school failed to respond to antisemitic incidents on campus.

The agency opened its investigation into Ohio State, as well as three other universities and one school district, on Jan. 16 for alleged Title VI complaints. Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin, including shared ancestry, by universities that receive federal funding.

According to a Jan. 16 letter addressed to Ohio State President Ted Carter from the agency, a complainant alleged that Ohio State "discriminated against students on the basis of their national origin (shared Jewish ancestry) by failing to respond to incidents of harassment on the University campus during fall 2023."

The other three institutions include the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania, Temple University, and the Oakland Unified School District in California.

OCR said in the letter that opening an investigation does not mean that a decision has been made about the complaint. Ohio State has 15 days to provide documentation to OCR for its investigation.

"Ohio State has never – and will never – tolerate discrimination or harassment of anyone based on their religious beliefs, nationality or identity," said Ohio State spokesman Ben Johnson.

Johnson said he didn't have any additional information to share related to details within the complaint or the complainant.

There are currently more than 100 open DOE Title VI investigations dating back to 2016.

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October, colleges across the country have been grappling with student protests, acts of violence, discrimination complaints and allegations of Islamophobia and antisemitism on their campuses.

Ohio State was no exception, with several incidents occurring on and around campus.

A student on the Oval buying an "I Stand With Israel" bracelet on Oct. 18 was spit on by a male student, according to a Columbus police report. Another incident took place on Nov. 9, when two young women entered the OSU Hillel Wexner Jewish Student Center, shouted anti-Israel statements and threats, and vandalized Israeli flags in the building's lobby.

On Nov. 10, two Ohio State students were assaulted by two men on North High Street. The suspects yelled a derogatory term and reportedly asked if the students were Jewish.

Two students inside the Alpha Epsilon Pi house, a Jewish fraternity not currently recognized by Ohio State, reported two people throwing bottles at their house and yelling "Jewish bastards" on Dec. 5, according to The Lantern, Ohio State's student newspaper.

A December 2023 report published by Brandeis University's Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies said that Ohio State was one of 12 universities considered "hotspots" of "highest antisemitic hostility." The report consisted of student survey results collected from nearly 2,000 Jewish undergraduate students at 51 U.S. colleges with large Jewish student populations.

On his first day in office, Carter sent a message to the campus community regarding safety, security and civil discourse.

"Let me be clear: Our university is a place at which safety will not be compromised. I am committed to continually exploring ways in which we can enhance the safety and security of our community," Carter wrote.

"We also will remain focused on creating an environment in which respect, civility and compassion are forefront while continuing Ohio State’s long-standing commitment to the First Amendment and upholding the laws of our state and country," he continued. "This has been my expectation over the course of my 40 years in higher education and military service, and it will be my expectation as your president."

Large Swastika Drawn in Snow in Massachusetts Town

A large swastika was discovered drawn in the snow on Randal Pond off of Geggatt Road in Falmouth on Sunday, January 21.

Caroline R. Inman, a parent of Falmouth High School students, said her daughter received a photo of the swastika from a friend. The friend told Ms. Inman’s daughter that none of the other skaters who were on the pond when she took the picture knew how the drawing got there.

“We surmise that the swastika was approximately 15 feet by 15 feet,” Ms. Inman wrote in an email.

Ms. Inman's family reported the incident to Rabbi Elias Lieberman of the Falmouth Jewish Congregation, who reported the incident to police. 

"We are looking into it and we are in consultation with the district attorney’s office regarding any laws being broken," Falmouth Police Lieutenant Michael Simoneau wrote in an email to the Enterprise on Tuesday, January 23. "We have a very good working relationship with the Falmouth Jewish Congregation, and we do not have any safety concerns for Jewish residents at this time."

Lt. Simoneau added that anyone with information about the incident should contact Falmouth police detectives at 774-255-4527.

Ms. Inman's children brought their concerns to Falmouth High Principal Alan G. Harris out of concern that Falmouth students may have been involved in the incident. Randal Pond is a popular skating spot for Falmouth students, Mr. Harris said.

Mr. Harris said there is currently no evidence that the person who made the drawing is a Falmouth High student. However, he said, the school is investigating the incident fully and he encouraged anyone with information about who may have drawn the swastika to reach out to the school.

Mr. Harris said he and other school staff will be addressing the incident with students and, in particular, the school’s hockey teams, since the drawing was found at a skating spot. He said his staff would be talking to students about being “proactive allies against antisemitism.”

“We deal with every one of these seriously,” Mr. Harris said. “We address it, we talk to our kids, we talk to our teams about the issue.”

Mr. Harris said he is proud of the students who brought the incident to his attention.

Concerned that Falmouth High students may have been involved in the incident, Falmouth Jewish Congregation’s director of lifelong learning Pamela Rothstein and Ms. Inman both reached out to school superintendent Lori S. Duerr.

Rabbi Lieberman said he thought the drawing was done by a young person, more likely in an expression of ignorance than one of anger or hatred.

“I don’t think that this kind of incident points to a threat of our physical wellbeing,” Rabbi Lieberman said.

However, he said, seeing a swastika can be emotional or frightening for a Jewish person. Describing his reaction to learning about the incident, he said, “I guess I would probably use the word ‘dismay.’”

Rabbi Lieberman added that he had gone by Randal Pond a few times himself recently, and each time saw the ice populated by many skaters. He said he was surprised because of how many people there were on the pond that no one knew anything about who had made the drawing, which he suspected was made with a shovel.

Ms. Inman said her family saw a Falmouth police officer near the synagogue and told him about the incident. She said the officer told her it was not vandalism because it was in the snow, but that he would make a note of what happened.

Rabbi Lieberman said he has observed an increase in expressions of antisemitism on Cape Cod over the past year or two, and especially after conflicts between Israel and Palestine escalated.

Rabbi Lieberman encouraged the Falmouth community to be vigilant when it comes to reporting antisemitism.

“We ignore expressions of hatred at our own peril,” he said.

The rabbi noted his congregation does not represent every Jewish person in Falmouth.

Dr. Duerr did not respond to requests for comment.

Arizona State University Under Investigation by DOE Over Handling of Antisemitism

The Department of Education Office for Civil Rights has opened an investigation into Arizona State University over its handling of antisemitic incidents, Campus Reform has learned.

The complaint, filed by Campus Reform Editor-in-Chief Dr. Zachary Marschall, states that Jewish students at Arizona State University have felt “threatened and discriminated against” since the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack.

An investigation by the Office for Civil Rights was opened into the Tempe, Arizona university on Tuesday. The initial complaint was received by the education department on November 28, 2023.

The complaint states that Arizona State University’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter held an event on October 8, 2023, one day after the Hamas terrorist attack, to help others “learn about the Palestinian liberation struggle against the U.S. and Israeli war machine.”

On Oct. 12, according to the complaint, the SJP chapter held a “day of resistance” rally where students carried Palestinian flags and chanted “free, free Palestine” as well as “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” according to Cronkite News.

The complaint seeks “sanctions against the University to the fullest extent OCR is able to impose them as well as forcing the University to ensure its funds are not sent to organizations spreading antisemitism.”

Campus Reform reached out to ASU for comment.

Northwestern University Under Investigation by DOE for Antisemitism

The Department of Education Office for Civil Rights has opened an investigation into Northwestern University over its handling of antisemitic incidents, Campus Reform has learned.

The complaint, filed by Campus Reform Editor-in-Chief Dr. Zachary Marschall, states that Jewish students at Northwestern University “have felt increasingly unwelcome” since the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack.

An investigation by the Office for Civil Rights was opened into the Evanston, Illinois university on Tuesday.

The complaint states that over 100 students attended a vigil by the Deering Library, where the colors of the Palestinian flag were projected onto the building, according to the Daily Northwestern.

The complaint also cites an Instagram post from the Northwestern University Asian American Studies Program, which said that Hamas is a “political group” and also objected to the phrase “Hamas is ISIS,” calling it Islamophobic.

As of Tuesday, the post remains on its Instagram account and is pinned at the top of the page.

On October 25, 2023, more than 150 students held a walkout and demanded that the university divest from organizations supporting Israel, according to the Daily Northwestern. Protesters chanted “Palestine will never die” and “Northwestern, you can’t hide — you’re paying for genocide.”

Asian American Studies and Black Studies Prof. Nitasha Tamar Sharma, the director of the Asian American Studies Program, told the student newspaper that the walkout was a “source of comfort” for her.

Earlier Tuesday, the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation into Arizona State University.

Campus Reform reached out to Northwestern for comment.

Missouri Messianic Temple Vandalized

Children of Jacob, a Springfield synagogue, has experienced "thousands" of dollars in vandalism, including smashed windows and damage to exterior signage.

Children of Jacob Rabbi Jeff Friedman told the News-Leader that upon arriving at the synagogue on Tuesday morning, he saw two smashed windows in the synagogue's teen area. Initially, he thought the damage was caused by local "juvenile delinquents." An hour or two later, Friedman stepped outside the front of the synagogue and saw that two of the building's signs were vandalized, too.

Located at 1330 E. Seminole St., Children of Jacob is a Messianic Jewish congregation, a modern movement of Christianity that incorporates elements of Judaism. Friedman said the Springfield congregation is made up of about 50 people.

One of the signs, which previously was fastened to the synagogue's exterior, had been ripped from the wall and dragged about 100 feet away into the bushes, Friedman said. He also found a wrench beside the sign. The synagogue's other, larger sign, which is "right along Seminole," Friedman said, was also damaged. Friedman said he quickly reported the damage to the police. A Springfield Police Department spokesperson confirmed that a report was filed at around 11:12 a.m. Tuesday.

Friedman said the last time he was at the synagogue, before arriving Tuesday, was around 5 p.m. Saturday, following Shabbat, the Jewish day of holiness and rest observed from sunset on Friday to nightfall on Saturday.

Speaking to the News-Leader, Friedman said he was not surprised to find the vandalism at the synagogue, as the congregation has experienced several threats over the past few months.

One of these threats was a physical comment made by a young man, who Friedman said told the congregation that he was going to "kill" them. The synagogue has also experienced some other "minor" vandalism, but nothing comparable to what Friedman came across most recently.

In response to these threats, Friedman said the synagogue has installed mirrors and door peepholes for safety. Friedman also requested extra surveillance from the Springfield Police Department. An armed security person is always at the synagogue when the congregation is present, which Friedman said is common globally.

"I feel pretty much like we're in a bubble and a safe place to be, much safer than many other places, but it has its problems, too," Friedman said of Springfield. "We're not going anywhere. We're not going to change what we do."

Boston University Students Expose Widespread Antisemitism on Campus

A group of students at Boston University have compiled evidence of widespread antisemitic incidents on campus.

The evidence, which includes photos, videos, and screenshots of social media posts, are divided into five folders: “Antisemitic Activities - Vandalism on Campus,” “Antisemitic Social Media Posts,” “BU Promoting Antisemitism,” “BU Students Honor Terrorists,” and “Hostage Poster Videos-Photos.”

The first folder, “Antisemitic Activities - Vandalism on Campus,” contains photos and video footage of BU’s Greek Rock, painted with the colors and name of a Jewish fraternity being vandalized with antisemitic caricatures and Satanic imagery.

A photograph from 2021 reveals that this was not the first time that the rock has been subject to antisemitic vandalism. The picture shows the rock with the antisemitic slogan “Long Live the Intifada.”

The Greek Rock was not the only target of vandalism on campus. A photograph reveals that students vandalized the building of Hillel, a Jewish student organization, with the phrase, “Free Palestine.”

Another image shows an earlier instance of vandalism in March 2022, when anti-Israel students draped a banner with the slogans, “Free Palestine” and “End the Deadly Exchange.”

The folder also exposed antisemitism by the school’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter, showing members of the group engaging in antisemitic rhetoric and harassing students at pro-Hamas rallies, as well as reacting with laughing emojis to an article about the vandalism at Hillel.

The second folder, “Antisemitic Social Media Posts,” shows antisemitic activity on social media, mainly Instagram, by SJP and other student groups, as well as by individuals.

The third folder, “BU Promoting Antisemitism,” shows pro-Hamas articles published by BU Today. It also features texts in which a Jewish student spoke of a professor who demanded that the student delete a photo in which the professor was seen wearing a keffiyeh.

The fourth folder, titled “BU Students Honor Terrorists,” displays students in several protests and sit-ins. 

The fifth folder, titled “Hostage Poster Videos-Photos,” shows students and faculty taking down various pro-Israel posters, including those containing pictures of children kidnapped from Israel. In addition, it shows posters with pro-Hamas propaganda.

The information collected by the students also includes BU’s history with the Jewish community, BU’s statements on other events as compared to its “slow and lackluster” statement reacting to the Oct. 7 massacre, and quotes from Jewish students and professors about the climate on campus.

“My really close friend told me I belong in the oven,” said one anonymous Jewish student.

'Goyim Defense League' (GDL) Members Crash Pro-Life March Wearing "Jews Rape Kids" Shirts

A handful of violently antisemitic provocateurs attended an anti-abortion rally in San Francisco over the weekend, making Heil Hitler salutes, shouting at people filming them, using an ethnic slur and wearing a T-shirt that said “Jews rape kids.”

Photos and videos of the neo-Nazi demonstrators appeared on the San Francisco news website Broke-Ass Stuart Monday morning. Credit for the video was attributed to the TikTok account @acreativequeer, which did not respond to a J. message seeking comment. They can be seen holding a wad of antisemitic flyers produced by the antisemitic hate group the Goyim Defense League, which the group distributes in cities across the U.S.

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

It wasn’t the first time that the defamatory and antisemitic statement “Jews rape kids” has been used to publicly demonize Jews in the Bay Area. In 2018, a man named Patrick Little, in the midst of a longshot campaign for the U.S. Senate, emblazoned those words on a blimp he hoped to launch over the San Francisco Giants’ stadium during Jewish Heritage Night. The blimp failed to get off the ground, according to media reports.

The provocateurs who joined the rally Saturday to spread their propaganda were followers of the Goyim Defense League, a money-raising, vitriolically antisemitic web-based group with ties to Little, that launched in the Bay Area around the same time he campaigned for Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat.

Videos circulating online showed at least three men, two of them wearing paraphernalia sold by the Goyim Defense League. They can be seen extending their arms in Nazi salutes, smiling and shouting at people around them. Some were carrying “big f**ing knives,” according to one social media post.

The Goyim Defense League has its roots in the Bay Area. Its ringleader is Jon Minadeo Jr., 41, a graduate of Novato High School who for years ran his anti-Jewish propaganda outfit out of a home in Petaluma, but in late 2022 he moved to Florida.

Minadeo and other leaders of the organization maintain an online store with hundreds of items, including T-shirts, hats, flyers and bars of soap, many bearing swastikas or the group’s logo.

The GDL is one of the most notorious antisemitic hate groups in the United States. It has gained notoriety for acts like creating a disturbance at the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination and concentration camp in Poland, harassing Jews outside synagogues and coordinating a national flyer campaign, dropping thousands of antisemitic leaflets on doorsteps in nearly all 50 states.

Recently Minadeo has faced legal trouble and spent time in jail in Florida on littering charges  connected to the distribution of antisemitic flyers, but he is challenging the charges on free-speech grounds. Minadeo was also questioned by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security after his 2022 arrest in Poland for the stunt at the former death camp, where about 1 million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust.

The anti-abortion rally, dubbed Walk for Life West Coast, brought thousands to downtown San Francisco for the organization’s 20th annual event in the city. A tagline publicizing the event said, “because women deserve better than abortion.”

When reached by phone for comment, a spokesperson for Walk for Life, who declined to give her name, said in an exasperated tone that “we had no idea they were there” and “we didn’t have anything to do with that.”

“We put our heart and soul” into the event, she said. “We condemn, obviously, Nazism,” she added, saying that the rally included a Jewish speaker.

The incident comes two weeks after widespread news coverage of a passageway dug under the headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Brooklyn spurred a proliferation of antisemitic lies and conspiracy theories.

The Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area addressed the rally incident on X and shared a video of the men. “The presence of such explicit antisemitism in SF is concerning and must be unequivocally condemned,” the post said.

“This isn’t 1938 in Germany,” another post said. “This is 2024 in San Francisco.”

Antisemitic 'Goyim Defense League' (GDL) Flyers Found in Oklahoma City Neighborhood

Several antisemitic flyers and packets found in an Oklahoma City metro neighborhood.

Fox 25 spoke with a man who made it a point to drive around his community and pick up each of the packets. He then reported it to the police.

"Whether it's racism against black people, Jewish people, Islamic people, it doesn't matter. It's wrong," Jim Potts said.

In and around Westchester Drive Saturday, Potts picked up more than a dozen packets that shared hateful conspiracy theories about Jews in the media and politics.

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

"I couldn't let it stand, and this was the line. Somebody had crossed the line, and I felt like I had to do something. The only thing I knew to do was to pick it up, and not let it loose in my community."

On several pages of the packet, it says "these flyers were distributed randomly without malicious intent."

Rabbi Abby Jacobson with Emanuel Synagogue says she doesn't believe that one bit.

"Well obviously there's malicious intent," Rabbi Jacobson said. "Obviously this is intended to turn people and sway opinion against the Jewish community. Both in the United States, and worldwide."

According to Jacobson, antisemitism is nothing new to the Oklahoma Jewish community.

"I wish I could say this is the last time this is going to happen. Unfortunately, we've dealt with it before."

Three Jews Brutally Assaulted for Speaking Hebrew by Mob of Men in UK

The Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into an “antisemitic hate crime” after three Israelis were physically assaulted in London’s Leicester Square by a group of up to 20 thugs who overheard them speaking Hebrew.

The three, who included a woman, were confronted by a large group of males in the early hours of Sunday, who allegedly spotted one of the males wearing a kippah.

The Israelis later said they were punched in the head and neck by the gang who chanted “free Palestine” before they carried out the assault. The attack took place at around 1.30am on Sunday.

The female victim, who gave her name as Tehilla, told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that the group were speaking Hebrew when men confronted them asking ‘are you Jewish?’

The 28-year-old told the paper: “I said, ‘Yes, I’m Jewish,’ and then they started chanting ‘free Palestine’, and f*** Jews, all this kind of swearing at us.

“So we just tried not to get into trouble, to walk away, but they started following us and then all of a sudden, it started with like two or three guys, and all of a sudden, they called all their friends and 15 to 20 guys started attacking us physically.”

Photographs posted on social media showed a male victim with a visible bruise on the side of his head.

Tehilla was also shown with a wound to her knee.

In a statement the Metropolitan Police confirmed it had taken them 28 minutes to respond to a call about the incident. Detective Supt Lucy O’Connor said: “We are investigating this incident as an antisemitic hate crime.

Harvard Students Deface Hostage Posters Around Campus

Jewish students who returned anxiously to Harvard for the spring semester last night were met with yet more vile antisemitism plastered all over posters of Hamas hostages. 

The posters were vandalized with vile remarks, comparing some of the victims to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and blaming 'Israel' for 9/11. 

In one sick jibe, thugs wrote 'evidence, head still one' on a photo of ten-month-old Kfir Bibas, the youngest hostage taken, who remains separated from his family more than 100 days later. 

The slur is in reference to the disputed claims that Hamas beheaded babies during the October 7 massacre.  

Harvard is yet to comment on the posters. 

Student Shabbos Kestenbaum - who is suing the school for a tuition refund - said it's further proof that Jewish students are not safe at the school. 

'The night before Harvard begins a new semester, every single Jewish hostage poster on campus has been defaced with vile antisemitism.

'Jews are neither safe nor welcomed at Harvard.' 

He previously told DailyMail.com how his parents had begged him not to return to the campus. 

'There’s a tremendous amount of tension, nerves, anxiety… I am home just now for the break and my parents don’t want me to go back to campus. 

'They’re afraid for my physical safety... I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if there are physical attacks on Jewish students when we go back.

'We have no reason to believe the spring semester will be any better, and actually a lot of reason to believe that there will be increased and intensified acts of antisemitism given the accelerated antisemitic posts on social media,' he said on January 13. 

Tensions had bubbled on campus in December, after Claudine Gay's  disastrous testimony before Congress.

When she stepped down, classes were out for the winter break. 

How the school's new president, Alan Garber, will respond to the issue remains to be seen. 

Two Bay Area Districts Under Federal Investigation for Alleged Antisemitism

Two California school districts are under federal investigation amid accusations against the districts of antisemitism.

Although it is unclear whether the inquiries are specifically about antisemitism, the Department of Education in the past week opened probes into the San Francisco Unified School District and the Oakland Unified School District, both of which have received criticism from Jewish groups.

The investigations are in response to complaints of discrimination based on "shared ancestry," which Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits, the Bay Area's Jewish Community Relations Council said on X, formerly Twitter.

Last week, the San Francisco Unified School District made headlines after National Review revealed that it suggested teachers use a resource that promoted an article arguing that "Israeli terrorism has been morally worse than that of the Palestinians."

Supported by teachers, high school students in the district staged an October walkout for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza, in which city supervisor Hillary Ronen, who is Jewish, said she saw "the Israeli military commit genocide in our name."

The Oakland district in October also received backlash after its teachers' union published a since-deleted Instagram post that expressed "unequivocal support for Palestinian liberation and self-determination." In demanding a ceasefire and an end to American military aid to Israel, it called on "labor siblings and elected officials to act in unconditional solidarity with the Palestinian people."

The union also made a post on its Facebook page condemning "the 75-year-long illegal military occupation of Palestine" and accusing Israel of creating "an apartheid state" and its leaders of espousing "genocidal rhetoric." It later updated the message with an apology for the Instagram post and a call for the release of hostages Hamas took in its Oct. 7 terror attacks.

The news about the investigations comes as institutions of higher education have also faced accusations of antisemitism. Students at Harvard University sued their school last week, alleging that "anti-Jewish hatred" was "rampant." In November, an organization that combats antisemitism sued the University of California, Berkeley, for the alleged "longstanding, unchecked spread of antisemitism."

Neo-Nazis Project Swastika on Dorm of Wisconsin College

A group of neo-Nazis gathered on the UW-Whitewater campus Sunday night outside Knilans Hall around 9:30 p.m. The members were heard chanting loudly and seen using a light to project a red swastika onto the side of the dormitory building.

The group was recorded and posted on social media shouting phrases including “we are everywhere” and “there will be blood,” but no faces can be seen in the videos.

In the Warhawk Family Connections Facebook group University Housing Executive Director Terry Tumbarello replied to a parent’s post about the danger of a hate group on campus.

“I can confirm that we were made aware earlier tonight of this situation and that the University Police, along with other appropriate university staff have been made aware,”  Tumbarello posted.

The UW-Whitewater Police Department would not comment on the event due to it being an ongoing situation.

To report a campus emergency dial 911 from any phone. For non-emergencies or to report a crime, contact the University Police Department at 262-472-4660 or visit in person at Goodhue Hall.

The Royal Purple will follow up on this story as information becomes available.

Anti-Israel Protesters Shut Down Area of Seattle for Second Time

After shutting down I-5 in downtown Seattle, antisemitic protesters were at it again. This time, their protest shut down a Sound Transit light rail station. Only they didn’t even have to step foot into the station.

Ahead of the hate rally on Saturday at 6 pm, Sound Transit proactively shut down its University District light rail station. The decision was announced on X just one hour before the anti-Israel propaganda and chanting began. The post said the station was closed down for “safety reasons.”

The post announced that “Trains will be bypassing the station. We apologize for the additional inconvenience this causes our riders during our current service disruption.” There was concern that protesters would storm the facility and maybe even stand on the tracks to block light rail trains as they did cars on I-5 three weekends ago.

According to local blogger Cormac Wolf, organizers claimed they never intended to shut down the station. The hate rally was titled “Shut it down for Palestine,” indicating they did, indeed, intend to “shut it down.” They also chanted, “shut it down.”

Traffic around the light rail station was also directed away from the unpermitted hate rally by Seattle Police. The light rail station didn’t reopen until around 9:30pm on Saturday, over four hours after it closed.

Sound Transit could have partnered with law enforcement to arrest any antisemitic protestor who broke the law on its premises. But that would have resulted in an inconvenience for radical activists. Instead, Sound Transit leadership appears to have chosen political cowardice, inconveniencing riders instead. It did not matter that they were already struggling with downtown closures due to emergency rail fixes.

The Radical Left owns this city, and they will either be accommodated, or they will get to impact all of us without fear of consequences.

The antisemitic protesters targeted Sound Transit because it contracts with Siemens for its light rail trains. You must play the “Six Degrees of Jew Hating” game to connect Sound Transit to Israel.

According to a flyer for the hate rally, Siemens is a contractor Euro-Asia Interconnector, a company that works in Israel. It connects the Greek and Israeli power grids through Cypress via the world’s longest submarine power cable. Because it helps provide electricity to Jews, the company landed on the list of companies to boycott.

Sound Transit is purchasing light rail trains through Siemens, which is connected to Israel through Euro-Asia, thus antisemitic protesters claim the transit agency is funding “genocide.”

The hate rally featured the same talking points and chants we’ve heard at previous events in downtown Seattle. It was, of course, met with the same silence we’ve come to expect from local leaders who won’t dare condemn antisemitism when it comes from their base.

Speakers called out Jews for arresting Hamas terrorists, which the antisemitic protesters describe as “freedom fighters.” As is always the case, there was no condemnation of Hamas. In fact, the crowd again defended the rape, decapitations, slaughter, and kidnapping of innocent Jews as they chanted, “Resistance is justified when people are occupied.” Gaza hasn’t been occupied since 2005, but the protesters believe all of Israel belongs to Palestinians, despite not having any ancestral connection to the land.

Some antisemites waved signs that read, “Queers say no to genocide.” Ironically, Hamas and Gazans say no to queers. There are no gay rights in Gaza. These activists are willing to sacrifice LGBT lives to honor their hatred of Jews.

Seattle’s antisemitic community vows to continue to rally until they “Free Palestine” — or until another cause catches their interest. They’ve been going strong since the October 8 celebrations of the terrorist attack on October 7 in Israel.

They took a brief pause last week to rally for the Houthi rebels that are attacking U.S.-bound cargo ships. Nearly none of the protestors have heard of the Houthis (“Who? These?”) before the American and British strike against the terrorists on January 12. The Iran-backed group wants to see Israel destroyed and has a slogan, “God Is Great, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam.” Once the protesters understood their shared values with the Houthis, they felt called to show their support.

The hate rallies have become more extreme and disruptive because there are no consequences. As of last week, the Washington State Patrol has not made any arrests of the activists who shut down I-5. Some even posted videos of themselves breaking the law but knew they would not be arrested or charged.

Feeling emboldened, the protesters continue to look for ways to one-up previous events. With an I-5 blockage, Sound Transit and Christmas tree lighting ceremony shutdowns, and an attempted New Year’s Eve fireworks show disruption, who knows what’s next?

Pro-Hamas Mob Descends on Connecticut Town, Defacing Multiple Buildings

A rally that was organized by several groups, billed as “New Year for a Free Palestine,” was scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Town Hall and was attended by an estimated 150 people, according to West Hartford Police.

Participants did not remain on the grounds of  Town Hall, however, and police said the group moved through areas of Blue Back Square and West Hartford Center.

According to Capt. Daniel Moffo, “At one point, members of the group posted signs on the exterior of the businesses located at 65 LaSalle Road. Afterward, it was discovered that unidentified group members vandalized the exterior of the building with red paint.”

Photos provided to We-Ha.com show signs plastered all over the front of the building that houses Webster Bank and Becker’s Jewelry, as well as red spray paint on the window, exterior of the building, and the sidewalk.

A social media post promoting the rally indicated that it was being organized by American Muslims for Palestine Connecticut Chapter, UConn Students for Justice in Palestine, and We Will Return Palestine.

Police are actively investigating the incident, and have not yet made any arrests as of early Sunday evening, Moffo said.

Antisemitic Brooklyn Councilwoman Co-Chairing NYC ‘Task Force to Combat Hate’

A socialist Brooklyn councilwoman who has blamed Israelis for instigating Hamas’ barbaric attacks on the Jewish state has been named co-chair of the new Task Force to Combat Hate.

Shahana Hanif, the first Bangladeshi and Muslim woman elected to the City Council, will oversee the six-member panel with fellow chair Eric Dinowitz, a Bronx Democrat who is Jewish.

“Letting Shana Hanif co-chair an anti-hate task force is like letting Jamal Bowman run a congressional fire drill,” quipped Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, referring to the NYC congressman who infamously pulled a fire alarm in a Capitol Hill office building in September to delay a vote to avert a government shutdown.

Dinowitz declined to comment on Hanif’s appointment — part of controversial new Council committee assignments backed by Speaker Adrienne Adams that included Amanda Farías (D-Bronx) replacing Keith Powers (D-Manhattan) as majority leader.

Hanif in April voted against a council resolution to establish an “End Jew Hatred Day” in New York City that overwhelmingly passed.

In October, she was among more than 100 protesters arrested at a pro-Palestinian rally in Bryant Parkwhere hostile demonstrators bellowed antisemitic chants and waved signs supporting the bloodthirsty Hamas terrorists.

Days earlier, she pointed blame at Israel for the death of its citizens.

“The root cause of this war is the illegal, immoral, and unjust occupation of the Palestinian people,” she said on X. “The Occupation has brought violence toward Israelis and Palestinians for over 75 years. There will be no peace unless the rights of all people in this region are respected.”

Hanif said she’s “deeply proud to be co-leading the new task force, adding said she’s “taking up this new challenge not only to fight for my community — but all New Yorkers.”

Speaker Adams didn’t return messages.

Connecticut Town's Municipality Meeting Derailed by Antisemitic Comments

A virtual Zoom meeting held by the municipality of Norwalk, Connecticut was interrupted by several unknown individuals who made antisemitic comments, Norwalk Common Council officials announced on Wednesday.

"I unequivocally condemn these ignorant, racist individuals for their antisemitic, racist statements made during last night's Ordinance Committee meeting," said the city's mayor, Harry Rilling. "These individuals are bigots, and such statements are incredibly gross, obscene and hateful and demonstrate the exact opposite of what the City of Norwalk stands for.

"We are a community that values diversity among race, religion, sexual orientation, nationality and more. Our Norwalk Police Department Detective Bureau has initiated an investigation into the comments made last night." He also stated that the city is developing new protocols by its IT and Law Departments to prevent further incidences.

The police department of the city additionally began investigating into the antisemitic statements that were made, with criminal charges possibly being filed to the suspects if they were motivated by hate or bias.

"While it brings us some comfort that these individuals were likely not Norwalkers, unfortunately, we are seeing a national trend among this type of vitriol," said Norwalk Common Council President Darlene Young.

The suspects who spread the antisemitic comments did so on six different occasions, local news source, The Hour, reported. Common Council member Lisa Shanahan cut short the public comment section of the meeting after the last antisemitic contact. 

Colorado Council Meeting Interrupted by Online Trolls Spewing Antisemitism

Online trolls crashed a Durango City Council meeting Tuesday via Zoom, spewing antisemitic statements during a public comment period intended to discuss a development proposal near Grandview and Elmore’s Corner.

Audience members and councilors alike were offended and sickened by the hate speech, as noted by councilors and the city attorney.

The meeting was derailed several times in a row by Zoom users who used the “raise hand” feature to indicate they wanted to comment on a proposed rezoning proposal under consideration by City Council, but when given the floor made disparaging sexual and antisemitic remarks instead.

The fiasco appeared to surprise and embarrass councilors. Mayor Melissa Youssef apologized to meeting attendees after several antisemitic commenters were removed one-by-one from the Zoom call, only for another interruption to occur a little later in the meeting.

City Attorney Mark Morgan said at the meeting the people participating over Zoom had to be given a chance to speak, but as soon as they went off topic of the public hearing – in this case by making racist statements about Jewish people – they could be removed from the call.

“The public comment has to be related to the issue before the council. These people have done this in other jurisdictions around the country and it’s something you have to tolerate in respect of free speech,” he said. “As soon as the comments go away from the subject at hand, they are out of order and we can stop it. But, if we stop it at any point before that we’re going to be accused of limiting free speech.”

He said that is the unfortunate reality of a government that recognizes free speech.

“Again, it’s a limited public forum. So it’s limited to comments on the subject,” he said. “And as soon as they go away from that subject, it’s out of order and we can stop it. And that’s the best we can do tonight.”

The antisemitic comments were edited out of the city’s recorded version of the meeting, available on the city of Durango’s official YouTube channel. In place of the hate speech, the recording features several text disclaimers overlaid on black backgrounds.

The disclaimers say:

“The public comment portion of the meeting was stopped here due to antisemitic hate speech. It was ruled to be out of order by the mayor. Antisemitic comments made prior to intervention by the council have also been removed from this recording.”

After yet another interruption, Morgan suggested City Council take a 10-minute recess. It appears as if the trolls lost interest after that as no more interruptions occurred after the meeting resumed.

When City Council closed the public meeting and voted to approve the rezoning proposal in question, Councilor Jessika Buell made a motion to strike the hate speech from the meeting recording.

All councilors except for Councilor Gilda Yazzie voted to censor the meeting recording. Yazzie abstained from the vote, and she explained her reasoning.

“I’m real opposed to colorful language like that. And normally, I would agree to removing that language,” she said. “But I think we’ve got to make a record of what happens at these public forums sometimes and how they get out of control.

“It was real offensive to me to hear that stuff,” she added, saying, “it’s offensive to me when even some of our local people here who say stuff like, ‘The people that we want in our community.’ When they testify that kind of language to me, it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh. Should I duck?’”

Councilor Olivier Bosmans called the hate speech “sickening.” He noted it would be appropriate for Buell’s motion to be brought up under new business as opposed to during the middle of the meeting’s regular agenda.

Morgan said Bosmans had a point, but it would also be appropriate to address the matter right away given the extraordinary circumstance.

“It’s a motion to strike any antisemitic comments from the recording so they’re not rebroadcast and available for the cowards that put them on the recording to listen to and show off to their friends,” he said.

Swastika Found on Campus at Ithaca College

Dear Ithaca College Community,

I am writing to inform you about a report to the Office of Public Safety made on Friday, January 19. An IC student reported that they found a swastika etched into the frost in the Baker Walkway windows. The Office of Public Safety investigated the incident and has identified the individual believed to be responsible. That person is being referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. 
As President Cornish wrote to the campus in December, "Acts of hatred have no place on our campus, and we must join together to condemn them and reaffirm that Ithaca College must remain a safe space for every member of our community." 
As a reminder, anyone who experiences or witnesses an incidence of bias, intimidation or hatred on campus or virtually should call the Office of Public Safety at (607) 274-3333 or file a Bias Impact Report. Resources for students in need of support are available at this link. 
Let us continue to work together to ensure that all members of our campus can live, learn, and be in community in an environment in which they feel safe and secure.

Sincerely,

Bonnie Solt Prunty
Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Life