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Meeting a deadline, Education Department briefs Jewish groups on new efforts to combat campus antisemitism
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Top Education Department officials met their own deadline in responding to a spike of antisemitism on college campuses by holding a virtual hourlong briefing on Monday with Jewish organizational leaders.
Some of those leaders offered praise that the department was sticking to its promise to draft a plan for campus antisemitism within two weeks, while others said they were frustrated by the pace of progress.
The virtual hour-long briefing on Monday came two weeks after Miguel Cardona, the secretary of education, met in person with Jewish leaders alarmed by reports of antisemitic attacks and harassment on campuses following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and Israel’s military response.
“It was a continuation of their efforts to be transparent about what they’re doing to address antisemitism, both in K through 12 schools and in higher education institutions,” said Talya Steinberg, the associate director for government relations at the National Council of Jewish Women.
Participants said they appreciated the attention; Cardona himself briefly introduced the proceeding and two of his top officials, Cindy Marten, the deputy secretary, and Catherine Lhamon, the assistant secretary for the Office of Civil Rights, ran the session.
Officials described the outsized volume of complaints they had received since Oct. 7 and their continuing visits to campuses to meet with Jewish students. They reviewed reminders they sent to federally funded colleges last week that they have a legal obligation to address complaints of antisemitism, and they reported that they would meet this week in Washington with leaders of federally funded colleges and K-12 schools to discuss the issue.
At least two Jewish officials present said the presentation was welcome but they were concerned that the department was not being proactive enough.
“We appreciated that the secretary, the deputy secretary, and everybody else on the team is taking this seriously,” said Nathan Diament, the Washington director of the Orthodox Union. “They realize this is a crisis. But we’re still looking to them to match their actions to the moment in terms of being as aggressive as possible and as proactive as possible.”
Kenneth Marcus, the chairman of the Brandeis Center, a Jewish civil rights group with an emphasis on campuses, said there were further specific steps the Biden administration could take, including identifying cases of discrimination when they hit the news and not waiting for reports from Jewish groups.
“They shouldn’t have to wait for us,” said Marcus, who held Lhamon’s job in previous Republican administrations. “We’re all overstretched.” Among other measures, he recommended that the department’s Office of Civil Rights initiate investigations based on publicly available news and information “rather than simply waiting for complaints to roll in.”
A number of those who attended said they appreciated that the process would necessarily be deliberate, as each complaint is assessed and investigated and every accused institution and individual gets due process.
Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, a national public policy group, said it was unreasonable to expect the department to accelerate complaints about antisemitism over other complaints.
“It’s important to actually follow the process because there should be one transparent standard for any Title VI complaint no matter the student’s background,” she said, referring to the section of the 1964 Civil Rights Act that bars discrimination. “And so that means going through that process, it means investigating, it means requiring if there is a violation found they can seek voluntary action before removing funds and then if necessary, removing the funds.”
Cardona said last week that removing federal funding from schools that fail to address antisemitism is an option, and Lhamon wrote a letter to federally funded colleges reminding them that they are obligated under the law to address complaints of antisemitism and other forms of religious bigotry.
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, who directs T’ruah, a rabbinic human rights group, said campuses should provide Jewish students with immediate relief but added that the federal government needed to be judicious in how it applied the penalties available to it.
“A student on campus might want something to happen immediately and the campuses do have responsibilities to make sure that students feel safe,” she said. “That’s largely the responsibility of adults on any given campus. But that doesn’t mean that the [Biden] administration needs to jump in and just pull money without even investigating and finding out what the facts are.”
Some 30 officials from an array of organizations, including the Jewish Federations of North America, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Hillel, the Reform, Orthodox and Conservative movements, and Jewish civil rights groups, attended the meeting over Zoom.
Steinberg said that it was evident that the complaints, filed through the Office of Civil Rights website, had spiked. “They just really stressed they’re going to continue to do investigations of cases,” she said. “They kind of focused on the great amount of cases that are coming in. Especially after Oct. 7, it’s been an influx of submissions.”
The Education Department’s media office did not reply to a request for comment.
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The post Meeting a deadline, Education Department briefs Jewish groups on new efforts to combat campus antisemitism appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Daycare Run by Israel’s Oldest and Largest Food Charity Damaged in Iranian Missile Attack
Illustrative: Israeli soldiers work at an impact site following Iran’s missile strike on Israel, in Be’er Sheva, Israel, June 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen
A daycare center that is part of the oldest operating charity in Israel and the country’s largest food security non-governmental organization was among the sites damaged by the series of cluster bombs Iran launched at the Jewish state on Friday morning.
Colel Chabad’s daycare center in Be’er Sheva with hit with shrapnel that resulted in glass being scattered across the facility’s play areas and torn classroom walls, among other damage seen in photos shared on the daycare’s website. Colel Chabad said the building “suffered serious damage.” The daycare center was empty at the time and has been closed since the Iranian missile attacks began on June 13.
No one was injured in the missile strike. Surveillance camera footage shared by Colel Chabad show the exact moment the Iranian missile hit the daycare center.
Chabad is a Hasidic movement within Orthodox Judaism that operates globally and is headquartered in New York City.
Colel Chabad was established in 1788 by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Rebbe of Chabad. The daycare is part of the Ohr Chaya and Larisa Blavatnik chain of daycares and is one of 18 early childhood centers for underprivileged families across Israel that is operated by Colel Chabad.
“In our 230-year history, we have faced many challenges. Through our faith in G‑d, we find the strength to continue. This daycare will be repaired and reopened as soon as it is safe to do so,” said Colel Chabad Director, Rabbi Sholom Duchman, according to Chabad.org. “This building will once again be filled with laughter, learning, and the strength it provides to families in Be’er Sheva. It is our sacred duty — and we will not falter.”
Leaders at Colel Chabad are working to secure a different site for the daycare in anticipation for when security conditions allow it to reopen, Chabad.org reported.
“To see it torn apart by an act of war is devastating,” said Leah Blau, who is the director of the damaged daycare center. “We thank G‑d that no one was injured, but our work must continue — rebuilding not just walls, but a sense of security for our children.”
Colel Chabad’s soup kitchens have been closed since the Israel-Iran war began on June 13 due to safety concerns, but it has expanded its meal delivery services, particularly for elderly residents. The organization has also distributed emergency relief cards, which act like debit cards, worth 4,000 shekels each ($1,100) to those impacted by the war to help them buy basic necessities such as clothing and food. Colel Chabad said some 3,000 families have been displaced in areas including Ramat Gan, Bat Yam, Tel Aviv, and Rishon Letzion.
The post Daycare Run by Israel’s Oldest and Largest Food Charity Damaged in Iranian Missile Attack first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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‘Not Appropriate’ for Scottish Band Accused of Hezbollah Support to Perform at Glastonbury, Says British PM
Liam O’Hanna, also known as Liam Og O hAnnaidh and performing under the name of Mo Chara, walks outside the Westminster Magistrates’ Court, in London, Britain, June 18, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Chris J. Ratcliffe
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer admitted he does not think it would be “appropriate” for the Scottish hip hop trio Kneecap to perform at the upcoming Glastonbury Festival after one band member was charged for allegedly expressing support for the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization.
The Belfast-formed band is scheduled to perform on Saturday at the music festival, which takes place from June 25-29 at Worthy Farm in Pilton, located in Somerset, England.
In May, Kneecap member Liam O’Hanna – who goes by the stage name Mo Chara – was charged with a terrorism offense in the United Kingdom for displaying a flag in support of Lebanon-based Hezbollah during a concert in November 2024. During the same show, the 27-year-old also shouted “up Hamas, up Hezbollah,” allegedly expressing support for both UK-designated terrorist organizations in violation of the UK’s Terrorism Act of 2000.
Wearing a keffiyeh around his neck, O’Hanna appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court earlier this month along with his band members. Together they urged supporters to watch their performance at Glastonbury and declared “free, free Palestine.” O’Hanna was released on unconditional bail until his next court hearing on Aug. 20. Kneecap claimed they have “never supported” Hamas or Hezbollah.
When asked over the weekend by The Sun if he thought Kneecap should still perform at Glastonbury, Starmer replied: “No, I don’t, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this. I won’t say too much, because there’s a court case on, but I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
Kneecap responded to the prime minister’s remarks on Saturday in a social media post.
“You know what’s ‘not appropriate’ Keir?! Arming a f–king genocide,” they wrote, referring to Israel’s military campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza. Anti-Israel activists have falsely accused the Jewish state of perpetrating a genocide during its efforts to dismantle Hamas and rescue the hostages kidnapped by the terrorist group.
In its statement, Kneecap used an expletive against The Sun and expressed support for a group called Palestine Action, which describes itself on Instagram as a “direct action network dismantling British complicity in Israeli apartheid.” British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she will proscribe Palestine Action under anti-terror laws after members of the group on Friday broke into a Royal Air Force base in central England, where they damaged and vandalized two planes used for refueling and transport.
On Saturday, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch urged the BBC not to air Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury. “The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda,” she wrote in a post on X. “One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act. As a publicly funded platform the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.”
Several UK government leaders and Members of Parliament, Jewish organizations, and pro-Israel supporters in the entertainment industry have also urged Glastonbury organizers to remove Kneecap from the festival’s lineup of performers because of their anti-Israel comments at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in May, alleged support for Hamas and Hezbollah, and incitement of violence against British MPs. The controversy surrounding Kneecap during the last several months has resulted in a number of their concerts being cancelled by organizers.
A BBC spokesman said decisions about what it will and will not broadcast from Glastonbury “will be made in the lead up to the festival,” as cited by The Sun.
The post ‘Not Appropriate’ for Scottish Band Accused of Hezbollah Support to Perform at Glastonbury, Says British PM first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Netanyahu Vows Israel Won’t Be Drawn Into War of Attrition as Iran Threatens US, Allies With Sleeper Cells, Proxy Strikes
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a Plenum session of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, in Jerusalem, June 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel would not be drawn into a war of attrition, even as Iranian threats of retaliation mounted across multiple fronts.
Declaring that Israel was “close to achieving the goals of the campaign,” Netanyahu’s message on Sunday came amid reports that Iran warned it may activate sleeper cells abroad and called on its proxies — from Hezbollah to the Houthis — to target Israeli and American assets in response to the US strikes on its nuclear program earlier in the day.
Also speaking Sunday, US President Donald Trump appeared to entertain the idea of regime change in Tehran — a notable departure from earlier statements by senior administration officials, who have insisted that removing the Islamic Republic’s leadership is not a strategic goal. Writing on Truth Social, he posted: “It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!”
Iran, for its part, warned that American bases across the Middle East could come under fire in response to US and Israeli operations.
“We won’t continue our actions beyond what is needed to achieve [the goals], but we also won’t finish too soon,” Netanyahu told reporters. “This is a regime that wants to wipe us out [and] this operation will eliminate the two concrete threats to our existence: the nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat. We are moving towards achieving these goals and we are very, very close to completing them.”
Meanwhile, Israel has ramped up its airstrikes against Iran, with Defense Minister Israel Katz announcing on X on Monday that the Israeli military was attacking not only the regime’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs but also its infrastructure of domestic repression.
“In accordance with the directives of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and myself, the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] is now attacking with unprecedented force regime targets and government repression bodies in the heart of Tehran, including the Basij headquarters, Evin Prison for political prisoners and opponents of the regime, the ‘Destruction of Israel’ clock in Palestine Square, the internal security headquarters of the Revolutionary Guards, the Ideology Headquarters, and other regime targets,” Katz said. “For every shot fired at the Israeli home front, the Iranian dictator will be punished, and the attacks will continue with full force. We will continue to work to defend the home front and defeat the enemy until all war goals are achieved.”
Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that any site used by American forces — in the region or beyond — could now be targeted. “Any country in the region or elsewhere that is used by American forces to strike Iran will be considered a legitimate target for our armed forces,” he said in remarks published by the state-run IRNA. “America has attacked the heart of the Islamic world and must await irreparable consequences.”
American military intelligence reportedly detected Iran-backed Shi’ite militias in Iraq — and possibly Syria — preparing to launch attacks on US positions following the strikes, The New York Times reported on Sunday. Those groups include some of the most powerful paramilitary factions aligned with Tehran and have a well-established record of targeting American forces with rockets and explosive drones.
The US, meanwhile, ordered the evacuation of staff from its embassies in Iraq and Lebanon, and issued warnings to citizens worldwide about the risk of Iranian reprisal. The Department of Homeland Security cited “a heightened threat environment in the United States,” while the State Department urged Americans abroad to exercise increased caution due to “the potential for demonstrations against US citizens and interests abroad.”
According to a report by NBC News, Iran has privately warned the United States that it could activate sleeper cells on American soil in response to military action. While no specific plots have been publicly disclosed, the threat is being taken seriously by US authorities, who have increased domestic security measures and intelligence monitoring in anticipation of possible attacks. Vice President JD Vance said the administration is examining the possibility of an Iran-backed homeland attack “very closely.”
Beyond the threat of sleeper cells, Iranian retaliation is also expected to come through its regional proxies. On Sunday, Yemen’s Houthis declared that their forces were “ready to target US ships in the Red Sea” in response to the American strike on Iran’s nuclear sites. Washington’s entry into the war has also raised concerns over the possibility that Iran could disrupt global shipping by closing the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supply passes.
However, Sha’ul Chorev, a national security and maritime expert, said that such a move would have limited impact on American energy needs.
“The United States is expected to be largely unaffected by the closure,” he told The Algemeiner, pointing to long-term trends showing a steep decline in US energy imports from the region. In 2024, the US imported around 0.5 million barrels per day of crude oil and condensate from Persian Gulf countries, accounting for just 7 percent of total US imports and 2 percent of overall petroleum consumption. That figure was the lowest in nearly four decades, as domestic production and imports from Canada have increased.
“Regarding the Houthis, oil exports have minimal influence since alternative land routes for oil production in Yanbu exist,” Chorev added.
In Lebanon, Iran’s most heavily armed terror proxy, Hezbollah, is sitting out the fight for now, despite mounting pressure from hardliners in Tehran to escalate. A Hezbollah spokesperson told Newsweek on Sunday that “Iran is a strong country capable of defending itself … Hezbollah remains committed to all matters agreed upon since the ceasefire.”
Lt. Col. (Res.) Sarit Zehavi, a former IDF officer and founder of the Alma Center, said “clear messages were sent to Hezbollah through the Lebanese government that if it will join, it will suffer huge damages while it is already very weak and very busy in recovering since the previous war that ended in November.”
While Hezbollah retains the capacity to fire rockets from its dwindling supply or send small units across the border, it is not in a position to mount a large-scale assault or cause serious nationwide damage.
As a resident of northern Israel, Zehavi added a personal observation about the constant uncertainty facing civilians near the border. “Each time I hear the sirens go, I ask myself whether it’s Iran or Hezbollah and how much time do I have to go to the bomb shelter.”
Maj. (Res.) Shadi Khalloul, a researcher and expert on Hezbollah and Lebanese affairs, said the group is in a deep strategic bind. “There’s a chance they might react, but if they do, it could be the end for them and their community,” he told The Daily Brief. Hezbollah, he said, fears not only a devastating Israeli response but also retribution from Sunni jihadist forces — including those linked to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammad al-Julani) — who might seize the opportunity to enter the Bekaa Valley and strike Shia communities in revenge for Hezbollah’s role in the Syrian civil war.
“They know, if they interfere, this will be their end game,” he said. “Not reacting is their chance for survival.”
The post Netanyahu Vows Israel Won’t Be Drawn Into War of Attrition as Iran Threatens US, Allies With Sleeper Cells, Proxy Strikes first appeared on Algemeiner.com.