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All Jewish Groups, Synagogues Withdraw From San Diego Pride Festival Due to Kehlani Performance
Kehlani walking on the red carpet during the 67th Grammy Awards held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA on Feb. 2, 2025. Photo: Elyse Jankowski/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
All of the Jewish organizations and synagogues that were set to participate in this year’s Pride Festival in San Diego announced on Friday their decision to withdraw from the event due to “serious safety concerns” surrounding the headlining performance by anti-Israel R&B singer Kehlani.
Eight San Diego-based Jewish groups and synagogues, including the Jewish Federation of San Diego and Anti-Defamation League of San Diego, said they made the decision after organizers of the festival refused to cancel Kehlani’s performance and ignored concerns about what they described as the singer’s antisemitic behavior.
“In light of San Diego Pride’s decision to allow musical artist Kehlani to remain a headliner at this year’s Pride Festival despite Kehlani’s repeated amplification of violent antisemitic rhetoric, all participating Jewish organizations and synagogues — many of which have marched with, volunteered for, or supported Pride for years — will be withdrawing from the 2025 event due to serious safety concerns,” the Jewish groups and synagogues announced in a joint statement.
San Diego Pride is set to take place July 19-20 at Marston Point in Balboa Park. Last month, nearly three dozen Jewish organizations released a statement urging festival organizers to reconsider having Kehlani perform at the event. The Jewish groups that released a statement on Friday said last month’s appeal “has thus far gone unanswered, and as a result, there will be no organized Jewish presence at San Diego Pride this year.”
Kehlani has been highly critical of Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war. She has accused Israel of genocide and shared a number of anti-Israel and anti-Zionist posts on social media. In one Instagram post, she wrote: “Dismantle Israel. Eradicate Zionism.” She also posted an image that called for Israel to be removed off the map and replaced with “Palestine.” Last year, she shared the message “Long Live the Intifada,” a phrase that invokes violence against Israel and the Jewish community, in the opening of a music video for “Next 2 U.”
Kehlani has also criticized other artists for staying silent about Israel’s military actions in the war. In a video on X, she said, “It’s f—k Israel, it’s f—k Zionism, and it’s also f—k a lot of y;all too.”
The eight Jewish groups and synagogues that released the joint statement on Friday said Kehlani’s antisemitic and anti-Israel messages are not only “dehumanizing,” but “history has shown that when they are normalized and platformed, they can lead to real-world violence against Jews.”
They referenced the two recent terrorist attacks in Boulder, Colorado, and Washington, DC, and noted that the assailants behind both incidents shared “hateful rhetoric” similar to what Kehlani has been promoting. They added that the two attacks “have intensified fears among Jewish San Diegans, underscoring the dangerous consequences of unchecked antisemitism in public spaces.”
“As a queer, a Jew, a Zionist and as someone who is horrified at the suffering in Gaza, I will not be participating in Pride this year — and neither should any organization that claims to be inclusive and strives to be a safe place for all,” said Laura Stratton, a member of Temple Emanu-El of San Diego and the LGBTQ+ community who has been attending and volunteering for Pride festivals in San Diego and other cities for more than 35 years.
The festival’s volunteer director of medical operations and assistant director of medical operations, Dr. Jennifer Anger and Eliyahu Cohen-Mizrahi, respectively, have also withdrawn their involvement in the festival due to Kehlani’s scheduled performance.
“My role at Pride has always been to ensure the health and safety of everyone attending, but as a Jewish San Diegan, I can no longer ignore the very real risks that come with normalizing hate speech like the kind Kehlani has promoted,” said Anger, who has volunteered as a medical director for the festival for the last two years.
“It’s heartbreaking to step away from an event I’ve supported for years, but when the Jewish community’s safety is treated as negotiable, we’re left with no choice. Pride should be a place of healing and inclusion — not one that turns its back on a community in pain.”
Kehlani was set to perform at a concert in New York City later this month, but it was canceled in May after organizers faced pressure from New York City Mayor Eric Adams and other pro-Israel supporters because of the singer’s actions targeting the Jewish community. The cancellation was announced shortly after Cornell University’s decision to also cancel a performance by Kehlani.
In their joint statement on Friday, the San Diego-based Jewish groups and synagogues said San Diego Pride organizers “still has the chance to course correct and restore Pride as a space where all communities feel genuinely included and safe” by disinviting Kehlani from the event.
“Jewish groups continue to urge San Diego Pride organizers to reflect on the message being sent by continuing to feature Kehlani — and whether safety and equal rights can truly be hallmarks of this event under the present circumstances,” they said.
The statement came out as a new report by the nonprofit A Wider Bridge detailed how anti-Israel activists in the LGBTQ+ community are subjecting Zionist Jews to extreme levels of discrimination, including expulsions from major progressive groups and even physical assault.
“Now more than ever, Pride should be a celebration of inclusion and solidarity, not a platform for divisive voices that incite hatred and violence,” said Heidi Gantwerk, president and CEO of Jewish Federation of San Diego County. “As we’ve seen in DC and Boulder, when antisemitism is ignored or tolerated, it fuels a culture that leads to violence. We cannot wait for tragedy to strike our own community — again — before we act.”
On the red carpet at the American Music Awards in late May, Kehlani talked to Variety about why she feels the need to be outspoken about Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and concluded her remarks by saying, “Free Palestine.”
“It shouldn’t be a hard thing … It should be second nature if people are being blown up and being murdered at mass rates. It should be as easy as breathing to just say, ‘Hey, I don’t really think this should be happening. Maybe we should stop.’ And we’re funding it,” she said. “All I can say is, Free Palestine.”
Kehlani claimed that she is not antisemitic in an Instagram video uploaded in late April. “I am not antisemitic, nor anti-Jew. I am anti-genocide. I am anti-the actions of the Israeli government,” she stated in the video. “I am anti-the extermination of an entire people, I am anti-the bombing of innocent children, men [and] women. That’s what I’m anti.”
The post All Jewish Groups, Synagogues Withdraw From San Diego Pride Festival Due to Kehlani Performance first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israeli Cruise Ship Targeted Again as Pro-Palestinian Protests Escalate in Greece
Greek riot police clash with pro-Palestinian protesters near the port of Rhodes during a demonstration targeting an Israeli cruise ship. Photo: Screenshot
Pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with Greek riot police on Monday on the island of Rhodes as they attempted to block an Israeli cruise ship from docking at the island’s main port.
The MS Crown Iris — operated by Israeli cruise line Mano Maritime — was once again targeted by anti-Israel activists this week.
Demonstrations against the war in Gaza took place during the ship’s scheduled stop on the island, where more than 600 passengers were set to disembark.
According to videos circulating on social media, riot police can be seen confronting a group of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered near the dock, who shouted antisemitic slogans like “Freedom for Palestine.”
As authorities worked to control the crowd, tensions escalated and brief clashes broke out.
Ένταση στο λιμάνι της Ροδου με την άφιξη Ισραηλινών τουριστών, πολλες προσαγωγές.
Συνελήφθη υποψήφια βουλευτής της Πλεύσης ελευθερίας. pic.twitter.com/gAPnUnxu1A
— Ακροκεντρώος (@akrokentrwos_2) July 28, 2025
However, unlike a previous incident, passengers were able to disembark from the cruise ship without any major interruptions.
Last week, approximately 1,600 Israeli passengers expecting a peaceful stop on their cruise were unable to disembark from a ship docked on the island of Syros after a pro-Palestinian protest erupted at the port, raising safety concerns.
Around 300 protesters had gathered at the dock to protest against the war in Gaza, while Syros Port Authority police guarded the area and intervened to prevent violence until the ship departed.
Amid the large anti-Israel protest, the cruise company chose to divert the ship to Limassol, Cyprus.
In videos circulating on social media, protesters were seen waving Palestinian flags and holding banners with slogans such as “Stop the Genocide” and “No AC [Air Conditioning] in Hell,” while chanting antisemitic slogans.
Since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitic incidents have surged to alarming levels across Europe. This recent incident appears to be just one of the latest in a wave of anti-Jewish hate crimes that Greece and other countries have witnessed in recent months.
Earlier this month in Athens, a group of pro-Palestinian activists vandalized an Israeli restaurant, shouting antisemitic slurs and spray-painting graffiti with slogans such as “No Zionist is safe here.”
The attackers also posted a sign on one of the restaurant’s windows that read, “All IDF soldiers are war criminals — we don’t want you here,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces.
Last month, an Israeli tourist was attacked by a group of pro-Palestinian activists after they overheard him using Google Maps in Hebrew while navigating through Athens.
When the attackers realized the victim was speaking Hebrew, they began physically assaulting him while shouting antisemitic slurs.
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Ritchie Torres Says Netanyahu Has Done ‘Irreparable’ Harm to Democratic Party Relationship With Israel
US Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) standing at the US Capitol in February of 2023. Photo: Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), one of Israel’s most vocal supporters in Congress, delivered pointed criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, saying the longtime leader has “done harm” to Israel’s relationship with the Democratic Party and called for an end to the war in Gaza.
“If you’re a Democrat, and if you’re a Democrat of color and if you’re a Black Democrat, you take immense pride in Barack Obama. He represents one of the greatest achievements in politics. We take great pride in his presidency,” Torres said in an interview with . “To see a foreign leader visibly disrespect him in the manner that Bibi Netanyahu did, I feel did irreparable damage to the relationship with the Democratic Party.”
Torres offered a gloomy assessment of Netanyahu’s relationship with the Democratic party, arguing that “the damage may be irreparable.” He also cautioned that support for the Jewish state is rapidly “eroding” according to various polls.
Furthermore, Torres stated that despite his strident support for Israel, he does not “consider myself having a good relationship with the Israeli government.”
Torres said that Netanyahu “made a terrible mistake” in establishing a cozy relationship with President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, arguing that the Israeli premier politicized the US-Israel relationship. The progressive lawmaker said that there is a “legitimate perception that the present Israeli government is just aligned with the Republican Party.”
The remarks represent a notable shift from Torres, a New York Democrat who has historically defended Israel amid bipartisan divisions over the war. While maintaining his commitment to Israel’s security, Torres said Netanyahu’s government has failed to articulate a clear endgame in Gaza and warned that the ongoing military campaign is undermining both humanitarian values and strategic interests.
“There’s a real need to end the war, secure the release of the hostages, bring humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in distress.”
Torres cited prominent Israeli journalists and media figures that have warned that Gaza has approached “catastrophic” levels of hunger and that famine might be looming without a rapid policy shift.
Torres’s comments come amid growing pressure from the Democratic base on centrist and progressive Democrats alike to take a firmer stance on Israel’s military operations, which have resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Israel launched its campaign following the October 7 Hamas attack that killed approximately 1,200 people and took over 200 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
Torres’s comments underscore a growing divide within the Democratic Party over the U.S.-Israel relationship. While the party remains broadly supportive of Israel’s right to defend itself, a significant faction ,including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) condemned the war in Gaza and called for a suspension of U.S. military aid to Israel.
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Israeli Defense Firm Lands Huge Deal With Germany
An Elbit Systems Ltd. Hermes 900 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is seen at Elbit’s drone factory in Rehovot, Israel, June 28, 2018. Photo: REUTERS/Orel Cohen
On Monday, Elbit Systems Ltd., a military contractor based in Israel, announced it had received a $260 million government contract from Germany to spend six years installing Directional Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) self-protection systems for defending Germany’s A400M aircraft fleet.
The contract is just the latest in a string of blockbuster deals between Israeli defense firms and international militaries. Israeli defense exports to Europe jumped to 54% of overall defense exports last year, up from just over 33% in 2023, according to the Israeli media outlet Globes.
Elbit’s defense system works to counter infrared-guided missiles, with a focus on mobile anti-aircraft weapons. It offers the ability to track missile threats as they happen and also provides automatic protection without needed human action.
Other countries which have deployed the system include Israel, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Brazil. In February, Morocco announced plans to purchase 36 Atmos 2000 self-propelled artillery systems from Elbit, making Israel the country’s third largest weapons supplier.
“This contract further strengthens Elbit Systems’ position as a leading global provider of DIRCM solutions,” Elbit president and CEO Bezhalel Machlis said. “Our systems are already trusted by numerous air forces and defense organizations around the world, and we are proud to support Germany in enhancing the protection of their strategic air assets. Our successful collaboration with Airbus DS on this important program is highly valued, and we are pleased that our advanced self-protection systems will contribute to the safety and operational readiness of the German A400M fleet.”
The announcement prompted Elbit’s share price to jump 1 percent on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE).
Since Israel’s 12-day war against Iran, Israel’s financial markets have been buoyed by significant foreign investment and renewed investor confidence. Over the past year, the TASE has repeatedly broken past its all-time highs, despite Israel’s multi-front wars.
On Friday, Germany announced that it would not join France in recognizing a Palestinian state. A government spokesperson said “Israel’s security is of paramount importance to the German government” and that “the German government therefore has no plans to recognize a Palestinian state in the short term.”
On Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the country had no plans to sanction Israel and that “for now, we want to await the foreign minister’s trip and the talks that will be held with the Israeli government in the coming days.”
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