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‘A flame of faith that endures’: Biden’s Hanukkah party centers on the Oct. 7 massacre
WASHINGTON (JTA) — President Joe Biden had a menorah custom-made from a White House beam, but it was another menorah from thousands of miles away that elicited the most powerful reaction at the annual White House Hanukkah party Monday night.
Partygoers making their way up to the mansion’s residence, where the celebration took place, passed a landing where a smaller menorah was on display, one recovered from the rubble of a home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the villages targeted in Hamas’ terror attack on Israel two months ago.
“This menorah miraculously survived the October 7th massacre against the people of Israel,” said a framed plaque with the White House insignia.
The grief of the Oct. 7 massacre, and the determination to prevent its recurrence, permeated the festivities Monday night, where Biden welcomed more than 800 guests — the White House’s largest party of the season.
“From the Maccabees defeating one of history’s most powerful empires, and oil lasting eight days – it’s as a miracle all by itself, a flame of faith that endures from tragedy to persecution, to survival and to hope,” Biden said. “Most of you know someone directly or indirectly, a family friend who was stolen from you or wounded or traumatized, called up for reserve duty after this last attack in Israel.”
Biden stood in the East Room before the main menorah, which was introduced last year by First Lady Jill Biden as the first permanent White House menorah. It was fashioned by resident carpenters from wood left over from a previous renovation to symbolize the permanence of the U.S. Jewish community.
But the focus at this event was Israel, and its meaning to Jews as a bulwark against persecution.
“As I said after the attack, my commitment to the safety of Jewish people, the security of Israel, its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is unshakeable,” he said. “Folks, were there no Israel there wouldn’t be a Jew in the world who was safe.”
The crowd applauded and cheered. A minute later, Biden committed to backing one of Israel’s goals in the war, the eradication of Hamas, implicitly rejecting growing calls from the left, including from some in his party, for a ceasefire.
“We will continue to provide military assistance to Israel until they get rid of Hamas,” he said to more cheers.
Biden alluded to the failure of human rights groups to immediately condemn sexual violence that took place in the Oct. 7 attack.
“Let me be clear, Hamas using rape, sexual violence and terrorism and torture of Israeli women and girls was appalling and unforgivable,” Biden said. “When I was there, I saw some of the photographs, it was beyond” – Biden paused — “just beyond comprehension.”
Biden addressed the shock of many Jews after the attack, compounded by the isolation many felt when they did not hear condemnations from the left. He thanked Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Jewish Democratic Senate majority leader from New York, for his recent speech in the Senate excoriating many in his own party for playing down the significance of the massacre.
“I also recognize your hurt from the silence and the fear for your safety,” he said. “There’s a surge of antisemitism in the United States of America and around the world. It’s sickening. I know we see it across our communities in schools and colleges on social media. They surface painful scars from millennia.”
CNN reported that families of U.S. citizens still held hostage by Hamas in Gaza asked to be invited to the event, but were turned down. The White House declined to comment.
Lighting the menorah on the fifth night of Hanukkah was Doug Emhoff, the Jewish second gentleman, and four white staffers who were descended from Holocaust survivors. Biden met before the ceremony with five Holocaust survivors. He told the crowd that when his children and grandchildren come of age, he flies them to Germany to tour the Dachau concentration camp.
“I want them to see, I want them to spend the day there and see, you can’t pretend you don’t know: silence is complicity,” he said.
The plaque in front of the Kfar Aza menorah echoed Biden’s speech. “It is a reminder of the flame of faith that endures from tragedy and persecution, and is a symbol of the Jewish people’s eternal spirit of resilience and hope that continues to shine its light on the world,” it said.
Across from the Kfar Aza menorah, a military band played Jewish music throughout the evening. In another corner of the entrance hall, the U.S. Air Force Jewish Cadet Choir performed.
“This song is dedicated to the hostages,” the choirmaster said as people made their way upstairs.
The chorus launched into “Acheinu,” a Jewish prayer for those in harm’s way, to a melody by the Canadian songwriter Abie Rotenberg.
“Our brethren, all of Israel, subject to sorrow and to captivity, caught between the land and the sea,” they sang in Hebrew.
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The post ‘A flame of faith that endures’: Biden’s Hanukkah party centers on the Oct. 7 massacre appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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US State Department Revokes Visas of UK Punk Rap Act Bob Vylan Amid Outrage Over Duo’s Chants of ‘Death to the IDF’
Bob Vylan music duo performance at Glastonbury Festival (Source: FLIKR)
The US State Department has revoked the visas for the English punk rap duo Bob Vylan amid ongoing outrage over their weekend performance at the Glastonbury Festival, in which the pair chanted “Death to the IDF.”
The State Department’s decision to cancel their visas would preclude a planned fall concert tour of the US by the British rappers.
“The [US State Department] has revoked the US visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants. Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X/Twitter on Monday.
During a June 28 set at Glastonbury Festival, Bob Vylan’s Pascal Robinson-Foster ignited a firestorm by leading the crowd in chants of “Death, death, to the IDF,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces. He also complained about working for a “f—ing Zionist” during the set.
The video of the performance went viral, sparking outrage across the globe.
The BBC, which streamed the performance live, issued an on‑screen warning but continued its broadcast, prompting criticism by government officials for failing to cut the feed.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and festival organizers condemned the IDF chant as hate speech and incitement to violence. The Israeli Embassy in London denounced the language as “inflammatory and hateful.”
“Millions of people tuned in to enjoy Glastonbury this weekend across the BBC’s output but one performance within our livestreams included comments that were deeply offensive,” the BBC said in a statement following the event.
“These abhorrent chants, which included calls for the death of members of the Israeli Defense Forces … have no place in any civil society,” Leo Terrell, Chair of the US Department of Justice Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, declared Sunday in a statement posted on X.
Citing the act’s US tour plans, Terrell said his task force would be “reaching out to the U.S. Department of State on Monday to determine what measures are available to address the situation and to prevent the promotion of violent antisemitic rhetoric in the United States.”
British authorities, meanwhile, have launched a formal investigation into Bob Vylan’s controversial appearance at Glastonbury. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed they are reviewing footage and working with the Crown Prosecution Service to determine whether the performance constitutes a hate crime or incitement to violence.
United Talent Agency (UTA), one of the premier entertainment talent agencies, dropped the duo, claming “antisemitic sentiments expressed by the group were utterly unacceptable.”
The band defended their performance on social media as necessary protest, stating that “teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place.”
The post US State Department Revokes Visas of UK Punk Rap Act Bob Vylan Amid Outrage Over Duo’s Chants of ‘Death to the IDF’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Dem House Leader Hakeem Jeffries Urges Mamdani to ‘Aggressively Address’ Antisemitism in NYC if Elected Mayor
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
US House Democratic leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY) urged Democratic nominee for mayor of New York Zohran Mamdani to “aggressively address the rise in antisemitism” if he wins the general election in November.
“‘Globalizing the intifada’ by way of example is not an acceptable phrasing,” Jeffries said Sunday on ABC’s This Week. “He’s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward.”
“With respect to the Jewish communities that I represent, I think our nominee is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development,” he added.
Jeffries’s comments come as Mamdani has been receiving an onslaught of criticism for defending the controversial phrase “globalize the intifada.”
Mamdani first defended the phrase during an appearance on the popular Bulwark Podcast. The progressive firebrand stated that he feels “less comfortable with the banning of certain words.” He invoked the US Holocaust Museum in his defense, saying that the museum used the word intifada “when translating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising into Arabic, because it’s a word that means ‘struggle.’”
The Holocaust Museum repudiated Mamdani in a statement, calling his comments “offensive.”
Mamdani has continued to defend the slogan despite ongoing criticism, arguing that pro-Palestine advocates perceive it as a call for “universal human rights.”
Mamdani, the 33‑year‑old state assembly member and proud democratic socialist, defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other candidates in a lopsided first‑round win in the city’s Democratic primary for mayor, notching approximately 43.5 percent of first‑choice votes compared to Cuomo’s 36.4 percent.
The election results have alarmed members of the local Jewish community, who expressed deep concern over his past criticism of Israel and defense of antisemitic rhetoric.
“Mamdani’s election is the greatest existential threat to a metropolitan Jewish population since the election of the notorious antisemite Karl Lueger in Vienna,” Rabbi Marc Schneier, one of the most prominent Jewish leaders in New York City, said in a statement. “Jewish leaders must come together as a united force to prevent a mass Jewish Exodus from New York City.”
Some key Democratic leaders in New York, such as US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Gov. Kathy Hochul, have congratulated and complimented Mamdani, but have not yet issued an explicit endorsement. Each official has signaled interest in meeting with Mamdani prior to making a decision on a formal endorsement.
The post Dem House Leader Hakeem Jeffries Urges Mamdani to ‘Aggressively Address’ Antisemitism in NYC if Elected Mayor first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Eyes Ties With Syria and Lebanon After Iran War
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar attends a press conference with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (not pictured) in Berlin, Germany, June 5, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Christian Mang
Israel is interested in establishing formal diplomatic relations with long-standing adversaries Syria and Lebanon, but the status of the Golan Heights is non-negotiable, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Monday.
Israeli leaders argue that with its rival Iran weakened by this month’s 12-day war, other countries in the region have an opportunity to forge ties with Israel.
The Middle East has been upended by nearly two years of war in Gaza, during which Israel also carried out airstrikes and ground operations in Lebanon targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah, and by the overthrow of former Syrian leader and Iran ally Bashar al-Assad.
In 2020, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco became the first Arab states to establish ties with Israel since Jordan in 1994 and Egypt in 1979. The normalization agreements with Israel were deeply unpopular in the Arab world.
“We have an interest in adding countries such as Syria and Lebanon, our neighbors, to the circle of peace and normalization, while safeguarding Israel‘s essential and security interests,” Saar said at a press conference in Jerusalem.
“The Golan will remain part of the State of Israel,” he said.
Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981 after capturing the territory from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War. While much of the international community regards the Golan as occupied Syrian land, US President Donald Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over it during his first term in office.
Following Assad’s ousting, Israeli forces moved further into Syrian territory.
A senior Syrian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Syria would never give up the Golan Heights, describing it as an integral part of Syrian territory.
The official also said that normalization efforts with Israel must be part of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative and not carried out through a separate track.
A spokesperson for Syria‘s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The 2002 initiative proposed Arab normalization with Israel in exchange for its withdrawal from territories including the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and Gaza. It also called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Throughout the war in Gaza, regional power Saudi Arabia has repeatedly said that establishing ties with Israel was conditional on the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
Israel‘s Saar said it was “not constructive” for other states to condition normalization on Palestinian statehood.
“Our view is that a Palestinian state will threaten the security of the State of Israel,” he said.
In May, Reuters reported that Israel and Syria‘s new Islamist rulers had established direct contact and held face-to-face meetings aimed at de-escalating tensions and preventing renewed conflict along their shared border.
The same month, US President Donald Trump announced the US would lift sanctions on Syria and met Syria‘s new president, urging him to normalize ties with Israel.
The post Israel Eyes Ties With Syria and Lebanon After Iran War first appeared on Algemeiner.com.