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At pre-High Holidays roundtable, Eric Adams compares Israeli protesters and Netanyahu to family members in a ‘squabble’
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(New York Jewish Week) — At a pre-High Holidays roundtable on Tuesday night, Eric Adams compared Israeli antigovernment protesters and the prime minister they detest to quarreling relatives, describing the social strife in Israel as a situation where “family members squabble.”
“You disagree or agree with them, you clearly understand that they love Israel,” the mayor told the gathering, discussing his meetings with both leaders of the protest movement and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his three-day trip to Israel last month.
“They love the Jewish faith, they love the Jewish people,” he said of the protest movement. “That same emotion came over me when I walked out of the room with the prime minister. One can say what they want, but if you look at the history of his relationship with Israel, he loves Israel.”
At the roundtable, Adams debriefed the trip to Israel and discussed what the city is doing to prepare for the High Holidays. The event, which took place at the offices of the UJA-Federation of New York in East Midtown, was attended by about 100 people, including his Jewish Advisory Council and invited guests.
“We are all dependent on dependent on the survival of Israel because connected to the survival of Israel is the future of how we’re going to survive some of the major challenges that we’re facing across the globe,” Adams said. He said that he found visits to the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust museum, to be the most moving parts of his trip, which was his first as New York City mayor. He had previously visited twice as Brooklyn Borough President.
The mayor also spoke about antisemitism, which he said “is not just relegated to Borough Park, Williamsburg, Flatbush or Rockaway,” neighborhoods with large Jewish populations. “You’re seeing the ugly head of antisemitism spread throughout the entire globe,” he said.
He encouraged those in the room to connect with young people and bridge divides across communities.
“Look at the hate that’s coming up from young people,” he said. “We have to start anew. Your sons must know my sons. We must go after social media, we must utilize our partnership with the music industry, the sport industry and the entertainment industry and start sending out new messages. We must find creative ways to come together.”
Adams and his first deputy police commissioner, Tania Kinsella, also reviewed measures the city is taking to heighten security during the upcoming High Holidays, which begin with Rosh Hashanah on the night of Friday, Sept. 15. Adams said that the city will increase police presence and monitor social media to identify any potential threats, but added that officials “are very careful about not letting the bad guys know exactly what we’re doing. We have a full operation out there. We know the significance of the days that are in front of us.”
“No one in New York City should feel like they can’t practice their religion because they’re scared they can’t go to this synagogue because they’re scared,” Kinsella said. “I don’t even want you to have that thought in your mind, because we take it seriously and we’re proactive in making sure that we drive out hate from our community and our cities.”
Adams also boasted about some of his accomplishments as mayor, including increased subway ridership, taking guns off the street and paying for college for children in foster care. He said he was inspired by values he sees demonstrated in the Jewish community.
“We are who we are because of your community,” he said. “What mystifies me is that built into your culture is giving back. Even while you were in the midst of your own battles, you knew that if you deposited into the social bank of life, you would be able to withdraw the dividends as needed for your own community.”
Using one of his signature phrases, he added, “You’re a symbol of what’s great about the greatest race alive, and that’s the human race.”
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The post At pre-High Holidays roundtable, Eric Adams compares Israeli protesters and Netanyahu to family members in a ‘squabble’ appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Anti-Israel Activists Flood Streets of US Cities to Disrupt Fourth of July Celebrations
Illustrative: Anti-Israel demonstrators clash with New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers during a protest on April 18, 2024. Photo: Reuters Connect
Anti-Israel groups organized fiery and raucous demonstrations in both New York and Philadelphia to disrupt Fourth of July celebrations marking US Independence Day on Thursday, drawing attention to the ongoing war in Gaza while showing their antipathy toward the United States.
Organizations including the Philly Palestine Coalition, Coalition for Justice in Palestine, and Within Our Lifetime called on their supporters to reject America’s annual celebration of national independence and patriotism in favor of showing support for Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group that slaughtered over 1,200 people throughout southern Israel on Oct. 7.
Protesters responded by flooding streets and parks in Philadelphia and New York City, waving Palestinian flags and carrying signs denigrating both Israel and the United States.
In Philadelphia, roughly 400 protesters marched into Rittenhouse Square, bellowing chants such as “long live the intifada!” and “empire will fall!” The demonstrators proudly waved flags representing the Palestinians, Hamas, and the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah while tossing American flags on the ground and lighting them on fire.
“This July 4th, join us as we stand with the resistance and support Palestine, not AmeriKKKA! We don’t celebrate the legacy of genocide, colonialism, and slavery that July 4th symbolizes, but struggle for true LIBERATION for all ” the Philly Palestine Coalition wrote on Instagram earlier this week.
In New York, hundreds of pro-Hamas agitators gathered in Washington Square Park on Independence Day to participate in the “Flood Manhattan for July 4th” demonstration, chanting slogans such as “there is only one solution, intifada revolution!” and “US imperialists, number one terrorists!” The activists then marched through the park, screaming chants and carrying banners that read “resistance until return” and “globalize the intifada” each of which represent calls to enact violence against Jews. In one video circulated on social media, radicals placed the American flag on the ground and incinerated it.
“This country emphasizes freedom and independence, but the truth is it’s only independence for whites,” Besan Ahmad, a Philadelphia-based organizer, told WHYY News. “And the independence of those whites came from black, brown, and indigenous people.”
The July 4 protests represented a broader pattern of leftist agitators disrupting traditions and celebrations to draw attention to the anti-Israel cause. Last month, pro-Palestinian activists obstructed and hijacked Pride Month parades in major cities across the United States. Activists have also disrupted concerts, festivals, and parties to show their solidarity with the Hamas terrorist group.
Beyond Israel, the demonstrations also revealed a shared animus toward the US. Protesters have repeatedly chanted “death to America” and unfavorably compared US police and the Israel Defense Forces to the Ku Klux Klan. The activists, who typically brand themselves as “anti-colonial” or “anti-imperialist,” have often praised countries such as Russia or Iran, the latter of which backs Hamas and Hezbollah and has routinely called for the destruction of both Israel and the United States.
The post Anti-Israel Activists Flood Streets of US Cities to Disrupt Fourth of July Celebrations first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Man Arrested, Charged With Hate Crime for Vandalizing Kosher Bagel Shop in Miami
A flag owned by Holy Bagels & Pizzeria that was vandalized on June 16, 2024. Photo: Miami PD.
The Miami Police Department on Tuesday arrested the man allegedly responsible for the antisemitic vandalism of a Jewish-owned kosher bagel shop in downtown Miami last month.
Kenneth Guerrera, 28, was charged with criminal mischief with prejudice, a hate crime charge, for vandalizing Holy Bagels & Pizzeria on June 16.
The kosher bagel and pizza shop was vandalized along with a flag outside the store’s entrance. The vandal spray painted “Free Palestine” and “Stop Genocide” on the front door and windows of the restaurant. The suspect also tore down from outside the store an Israeli-American flag that said “Stand With Israel” and spray painted “Free Palestine” on it. A number of volunteers helped clean off the graffiti after the vandalism, including Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and US District Court Judge Roy Altman.
Miami’s Local 10 news reported that a police officer in the Miami area identified Guerrera after seeing a police wanted flyer as well as surveillance video from the incident. Police said that after his arrest, Guerrera agreed to speak with detectives without an attorney, but his full confession was not shared with the public.
“The apprehension is a reminder that we will not tolerate such despicable acts of hate and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that our community remains a safe and inclusive place for all,” said Chief of Police Manuel Morales after Guerrera’s arrest.
The post Man Arrested, Charged With Hate Crime for Vandalizing Kosher Bagel Shop in Miami first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Palestinian Authority Pays for the Murder of Jews
PA President Mahmoud Abbas gestures during a meeting in Ramallah, in the West Bank August 18, 2020. Photo: REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman/Pool
An Israeli Arab stabbed two Israelis yesterday in the city of Karmiel, murdering one and seriously wounding another.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) rewards the families of Palestinian terrorists who are killed while perpetrating their crimes with a 6,000-shekel one-time reward, and 1,400 shekels monthly for life.
Since the terrorist who committed the attack yesterday was an Israeli Arab, the PA will provide his family with that amount plus 21% — for a total of 1,700 shekels a month for life.
Palestinian Media Watch exposed the Palestinians’ “Pay-for-Slay” program in 2011, and the world has condemned it ever since.
Despite this, PA leader Mahmoud Abbas has said dozens of times (and PA television has broadcast this) that even if the PA has one penny left, it will continue to pay prisoners and Martyrs.
Ephraim D. Tepler is a contributor to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW). Itamar Marcus is PMW’s Founder and Director. A version of this article originally appeared at PMW.
The post Palestinian Authority Pays for the Murder of Jews first appeared on Algemeiner.com.