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How a Hearing in the New Jersey Legislature Turned Into a Hate-Filled Rant Against Jews
Trenton’s City Hall in the state capital of New Jersey. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
After 16 months of delays, Jewish community leaders from across New Jersey traveled to Trenton last week, prepared to testify before the Assembly Community Development and Women’s Affairs Committee about why Jews need a definition of hate that protects them.
Instead, Democratic Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter opened the hearing by canceling the scheduled vote and announcing it would be “discussion only.”
Her reason? “These issues are complex.”
Antisemitism is not complex. It’s hate. It’s direct. It’s deliberate. It’s deadly.
Imagine arriving at your own state capital, prepared to speak your truth, only to be told that the threats you face and the harassment you endure for being Jewish, are somehow too difficult to confront, and that your safety is debatable.
In the stunned silence that followed, Democratic Assemblyman Gary Schaer, the bill’s primary sponsor, and Jason Shames, CEO of the Federation of Northern New Jersey, described the sudden decision as “deeply hurtful, disturbing, and disappointing to the more than 600,000 Jews who call New Jersey home. We will return when there’s a vote.”
With quiet dignity, they and those who had come prepared to speak left the room in protest.
Then came the testimony.
The hearing began with Sadaf Jaffer, former Assemblywoman (D) and Princeton researcher, launching into a tirade accusing Israel of murdering New Jerseyans and children abroad. At the 17:16 mark of the official hearing audio, she stated: “The goal of the silencing campaign is for Israel to be able to kill them and say they enjoyed it.”
It was a modern blood libel, grotesque and public, delivered in opposition to a bill meant to protect Jews from hate. She made no distinction between the Israeli government and Jews supporting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, and that was her point.
She has the right to say it, and we have the right to call it what it is: dangerous hate. The kind that echoes medieval tropes used to justify centuries of violence against Jews.
Words matter, and those words, those accusations are soaked in centuries of Jewish blood. She didn’t stop there. Jaffer went on to falsely frame IHRA as a weapon to silence dissent.
But its origins are Holocaust scholars. It is supported by leaders across the political spectrum. Its purpose is to name and protect against rising antisemitism.
You can’t protect people from hate if you refuse to name it.
Speaker after speaker rose not to oppose hate against Jews, but to accuse Jews of causing it. Jewish existence itself became the target. The committee had front row seats to a masterclass in antisemitism, delivered as testimony against the very definition meant to expose it.
Our right to self-determination? Genocide.
Our connection to Israel? Colonialism.
Our identity? White supremacy.
One speaker said, “Zionism weaponizes Jewish fear and pain to commit the same types of atrocities that have been committed against the Jewish people.”
Another went further, saying, “It’s painful for us while the Zionists are using our suffering during the Holocaust to justify these crimes.”
Jewish Voice for Peace declared, “The real Jews are anti-Zionist.”
Then someone said the quiet part out loud: “This will label every single one of us Muslims, non-Muslims, Latinos, Blacks as antisemitic.”
They wanted Jews isolated and defenseless.
What happened in Trenton wasn’t a discussion. It was erasure. A systematic assault designed to replace the global Jewish consensus that Zionism is central to Jewish identity with fringe theology serving as a fig leaf for ancient hatred.
Trenton shattered the promise: Never again.
There is no definition of antisemitism that will survive this kind of betrayal if leaders lack the courage to clearly and publicly say, “Jews are being targeted, and it matters.”
They denied Jews the right to define hatred against us.
They framed Jewish safety as everyone else’s oppression.
They glorified anyone who condemns the Jewish State, and demonized the rest.
They turned our grief into a weapon against us.
When they say Zionist, they mean Jew.
This bill doesn’t silence anyone. It draws a moral boundary between free speech and hate. Free speech means you can say what you want, but it doesn’t mean others can’t name it for what it is. Just as racist slurs are legal but recognizable as hate, the same must be true for antisemitism. That’s what IHRA’s working definition of antisemitism ensures.
The post-October 7 surge of antisemitism has emboldened our neighbors to persecute Jews without consequence. Jewish students are being harassed out of schools. Synagogues are being vandalized. Jews are being told to “Go Back to Auschwitz.”
Apparently, even naming that is now too much to ask.
Jewish pain, dignity, and safety are not up for debate.
And the committee said “thank you.”
The author is a Councilwoman of Teaneck, NJ, and author of Teaneck’s resolution condemning Hamas and “Every Jewish Mother is Shiri Bibas.”
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Switzerland Moves to Close Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s Geneva Office Over Legal Irregularities
Palestinians carry aid supplies received from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in the central Gaza Strip, May 29, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed/File Photo
Switzerland has moved to shut down the Geneva office of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israeli-backed aid group, citing legal irregularities in its establishment.
The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza in late May, implementing a new aid delivery model aimed at preventing the diversion of supplies by Hamas, as Israel continues its defensive military campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group.
The initiative has drawn criticism from the UN and international organizations, some of which have claimed that Jerusalem is causing starvation in the war-torn enclave.
Israel has vehemently denied such accusations, noting that, until its recently imposed blockade, it had provided significant humanitarian aid in the enclave throughout the war.
Israeli officials have also said much of the aid that flows into Gaza is stolen by Hamas, which uses it for terrorist operations and sells the rest at high prices to Gazan civilians.
With a subsidiary registered in Geneva, the GHF — headquartered in Delaware — reports having delivered over 56 million meals to Palestinians in just one month.
According to a regulatory announcement published Wednesday in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce, the Federal Supervisory Authority for Foundations (ESA) may order the dissolution of the GHF if no creditors come forward within the legal 30-day period.
The Trump administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Swiss decision to shut down its Geneva office.
“The GHF confirmed to the ESA that it had never carried out activities in Switzerland … and that it intends to dissolve the Geneva-registered branch,” the ESA said in a statement.
Last week, Geneva authorities gave the GHF a 30-day deadline to address legal shortcomings or risk facing enforcement measures.
Under local laws and regulations, the foundation failed to meet several requirements: it did not appoint a board member authorized to sign documents domiciled in Switzerland, did not have the minimum three board members, lacked a Swiss bank account and valid address, and operated without an auditing body.
The GHF operates independently from UN-backed mechanisms, which Hamas has sought to reinstate, arguing that these vehicles are more neutral.
Israeli and American officials have rejected those calls, saying Hamas previously exploited UN-run systems to siphon aid for its war effort.
The UN has denied those allegations while expressing concerns that the GHF’s approach forces civilians to risk their safety by traveling long distances across active conflict zones to reach food distribution points.
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Key US Lawmaker Warns Ireland of Potential Economic Consequences for ‘Antisemitic Path’ Against Israel
US Sen. James Risch (R-ID) speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Washington, DC, May 21, 2024. Photo: Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch (R-ID) issued a sharp warning Tuesday, accusing Ireland of embracing antisemitism and threatening potential economic consequences if the Irish government proceeds with new legislation targeting Israeli trade.
“Ireland, while often a valuable U.S. partner, is on a hateful, antisemitic path that will only lead to self-inflicted economic suffering,” Risch wrote in a post on X. “If this legislation is implemented, America will have to seriously reconsider its deep and ongoing economic ties. We will always stand up to blatant antisemitism.”
Marking a striking escalation in rhetoric from a senior US lawmaker, Risch’s comments came amid growing tensions between Ireland and Israel, which have intensified dramatically since the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Those attacks, in which roughly 1,200 Israelis were killed and more than 200 taken hostage, prompted a months-long Israeli military campaign in Gaza that has drawn widespread international scrutiny. Ireland has positioned itself as one of the most vocal critics of Israel’s response, accusing the Israeli government of disproportionate use of force and calling for immediate humanitarian relief and accountability for the elevated number of Palestinian civilian casualties.
Dublin’s stance has included tangible policy shifts. In May 2024, Ireland formally recognized a Palestinian state, becoming one of the first European Union members to do so following the outbreak of the war in Gaza. The move was condemned by Israeli officials, who recalled their ambassador to Ireland and accused the Irish government of legitimizing terrorism. Since then, Irish lawmakers have proposed further measures, including legislation aimed at restricting imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, policies viewed in Israel and among many American lawmakers as aligning with the controversial Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
While Irish leaders have defended their approach as grounded in international law and human rights, critics in Washington, including Risch, have portrayed it as part of a broader pattern of hostility toward Israel. Some US lawmakers have begun raising the possibility of reevaluating trade and diplomatic ties with Ireland in response.
Risch’s warning is one of the clearest indications yet that Ireland’s policies toward Israel could carry economic consequences. The United States is one of Ireland’s largest trading partners, and American companies such as Apple, Google, Meta and Pfizer maintain substantial operations in the country, drawn by Ireland’s favorable tax regime and access to the EU market.
Though the Trump administration has not echoed Risch’s warning, the remarks reflect growing unease in Washington about the trajectory of Ireland’s foreign policy. The State Department has maintained a careful balancing act, expressing strong support for Israel’s security while calling for increased humanitarian access in Gaza. Officials have stopped short of condemning Ireland’s actions directly but have expressed concern about efforts they see as isolating Israel on the international stage.
Ireland’s stance is emblematic of a growing international divide over the war. While the US continues to provide military and diplomatic backing to Israel, many European countries have called for an immediate ceasefire and investigations into alleged war crimes.
Irish public opinion has long leaned pro-Palestinian, and Irish lawmakers have repeatedly voiced concern over the scale of destruction in Gaza and the dire humanitarian situation.
Irish officials have not yet responded to The Algemeiner’s request for comment.
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Israel Condemns Iran’s Suspension of IAEA Cooperation, Urges Europe to Reinstate UN Sanctions
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar at a press conference in Berlin, Germany, June 5, 2025. REUTERS/Christian Mang/File Photo
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Wednesday condemned Iran’s decision to halt cooperation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog and called on the international community to reinstate sanctions to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
“Iran has just issued a scandalous announcement about suspending its cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency),” Saar wrote in a post on X. “This is a complete renunciation of all its international nuclear obligations and commitments.”
Last week, the Iranian parliament voted to suspend cooperation with the IAEA “until the safety and security of [the country’s] nuclear activities can be guaranteed.”
“The IAEA and its Director-General are fully responsible for this sordid state of affairs,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on X.
The top Iranian diplomat said this latest decision was “a direct result of [IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi’s] regrettable role in obfuscating the fact that the Agency — a full decade ago — already closed all past issues.
“Through this malign action,” Araghchi continued, “he directly facilitated the adoption of a politically-motivated resolution against Iran by the IAEA [Board of Governors] as well as the unlawful Israeli and US bombings of Iranian nuclear sites.”
The Parliament of Iran has voted for a halt to collaboration with the IAEA until the safety and security of our nuclear activities can be guaranteed.
This is a direct result of @rafaelmgrossi‘s regrettable role in obfuscating the fact that the Agency—a full decade ago—already…
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 27, 2025
On Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian approved a bill banning UN nuclear inspectors from entering the country until the Supreme National Security Council decides that there is no longer a threat to the safety of its nuclear sites.
In response, Saar urged European countries that were part of the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal to activate its “snapback” clause and reinstate all UN sanctions lifted under the agreement.
Officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), this accord between Iran and several world powers imposed temporary restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
During his first term, US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal and reinstated unilateral sanctions on Iran.
“The time to activate the Snapback mechanism is now! I call upon the E3 countries — Germany, France and the UK to reinstate all sanctions against Iran!” Saar wrote in a post on X.
“The international community must act decisively now and utilize all means at its disposal to stop Iranian nuclear ambitions,” he continued.
The time to activate the Snapback mechanism is now!
I call upon the E3 countries- Germany, France and the UK to reinstate all sanctions against Iran!
Iran has just issued a scandalous announcement about suspending its cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy…— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) July 2, 2025
Saar’s latest remarks come after Araghchi met last week in Geneva with his counterparts from Britain, France, Germany and the European Union’s Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas — their first meeting since the Iran-Israel war began.
Europe is actively urging Iran to reengage in talks with the White House to prevent further escalation of tensions, but has yet to address the issue of reinstating sanctions.
Speaking during an official visit to Latvia on Tuesday, Saar said that “Operation Rising Lion” — Israel’s sweeping military campaign aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear capabilities — has “revealed the full extent of the Iranian regime’s threat to Israel, Europe, and the global order.”
“Iran deliberately targeted civilian population centers with its ballistic missiles,” Saar said at a press conference. “The same missile threat can reach Europe, including Latvia and the Baltic states.”
“Israel’s actions against the head of the snake in Iran contributed directly to the safety of Europe,” the Israeli top diplomat continued, adding that Israeli strikes have set back the Iranian nuclear program by many years.
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