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Arizona Governor Vetoes Bill Allowing Lawsuits Against Teachers for Antisemitism Claims
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs speaks with Republic reporter Stacey Barchenger inside her offices at the State Capitol Building on Jan. 8, 2025. Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK via Reuters Connect
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs on Tuesday sent a letter to the state legislature’s Speaker of the House Steve Montenegro to explain her decision to veto House Bill 2867, legislation which would have empowered parents to file lawsuits against their children’s K-12 public school teachers over allegations of presenting antisemitic ideas in class.
Hobbs, a Democrat, acknowledged that “antisemitism is a scourge on our society and a deeply troubling issue in our country,” adding that she continued to “proudly stand with Arizona’s Jewish community against acts of hate, violence, and harassment, and remain[s] committed to fighting antisemitism in all its forms.”
After noting her administration’s efforts to counter hate through expanding Holocaust education, Hobbs stated that “unfortunately, this bill is not about antisemitism; it’s about attacking our teachers. It puts an unacceptable level of personal liability in place for our public school, community college, and university educators and staff, opening them up to threats of personally costly lawsuits. Additionally, it sets a dangerous precedent that unfairly targets public school teachers while shielding private school staff.”
The governor cited organizations which had opposed the bill, including the National Council of Jewish Women Arizona, the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, and the Rabbi Joseph H. Gumbiner Community Action Project. A letter from the groups co-signed by others urged Hobbs “to veto HB 2867. This bill weaponizes legitimate concerns about antisemitism to attack public education. If signed into law, it will push well-meaning educators out of the classroom while doing nothing to protect Jewish students.”
Hobbs wrote that “I believe this bill would undermine public education at all levels. Students and parents already have avenues through the State Board of Education to report allegations of unprofessional conduct, including antisemitism and all other forms of hate they may encounter in the classroom. I am confident that by using those tools, we can fulfill our moral and legal responsibility to eradicate hate and discrimination in our public school system.”
The bill had passed the Arizona House with a vote count of 33-20 which included some Democrats crossing the aisle.
“HB 2867 aims to ensure that pernicious form of hatred, antisemitism, and its often-violent outcomes, have no place being actively taught in our classrooms or in publicly funded institutions of higher learning,” the legislation’s sponsor, Rep. Michael Way, wrote in a letter to Hobbs. “It is not true that there are no instances of teachers in Arizona schools teaching antisemitism.”
Way responded to the veto on X.
“In her most disgraceful veto yet, Governor Hobbs struck down a bipartisan bill to stop antisemitism in Arizona schools,” Way wrote. “I am deeply disappointed by her decision — paying lip service to opposing antisemitism while backing away from a law with real teeth.”
Way wrote that rather than “standing with Jewish students and faculty,” Hobbs chose to side with “those who promote hate and hostility on campus. This bill was aimed at prohibiting the teaching of egregious and blatant antisemitic content. To suggest that it threatened the speech of most Arizona teachers is disingenuous at best. House Republicans acted to confront antisemitism — Hobbs’ veto protects it. I will continue to stand with the Jewish community in Arizona and in my district to ensure taxpayer dollars are never used to fund violent political indoctrination.”
Darrell Hill, policy director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, wrote that the bill would “chill speech on Israel and Jewish culture generally because teachers, administrators, and speakers will fear the possibility of lawsuits if a classroom discussion veers off course or a student expresses opinions that some may consider improper criticism of Israel.” He warned that “to limit liability and protect themselves, teachers will broadly avoid speaking about Israel and any discussion of current or past conflicts involving Israel.’”
On May 8, Hobbs signed HB 2880, a measure sponsored by Rep. Alma Hernandez of Tucson, who is Jewish. The law criminalized “establishing or occupying an encampment on a university or community college campus” with the intent of countering pro-Hamas campus protests.
Hernandez wrote on X following the bill’s adoption that “I am proud that AZ became the 1st state to take action to prevent this situation from unfolding here.”
She told The Algemeiner at the time that “I am especially proud that this was accomplished in a bipartisan manner. I want to thank Governor Hobbs and my colleagues from both parties who helped make this legislation a reality. HB 2880 is now the law of the land in Arizona, and I’m honored to have played a part in making it happen.”
The post Arizona Governor Vetoes Bill Allowing Lawsuits Against Teachers for Antisemitism Claims first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Pakistani Textbooks Promote Antisemitism, Distort History, Justify Violence, New Study Finds
Sinain Bibi reads at a makeshift school in a village in Swat district in Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Oct. 24, 2022. Photo: Thomson Reuters Foundation/Imran Mukhtar
Pakistani textbooks depict Jews and Israel through deep-rooted antisemitic stereotypes, promoting intolerance, distorting historical facts, and reinforcing prejudice among young readers, according to a new study released on Monday.
The Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se), a nonprofit organization that analyzes schoolbooks and curricula around the world, examined over 80 government-approved Pakistani textbooks in subjects ranging from Islamic education and history to social sciences, English, and Urdu as part of a national curriculum assessment.
The group’s newly released study reveals persistent antisemitism in Pakistani textbooks, with hostile portrayals of Jews in Islamic education and a complete absence of Judaism in comparative religion sections.
In several textbooks, Jews are repeatedly portrayed using long-standing antisemitic stereotypes, consistently depicted as “inherently treacherous and disloyal,” the study found.
For example, a 6th-grade textbook portrays Jewish tribes in Medina as conspiring against the Prophet Mohammed, the founder of Islam, on multiple occasions.
Meanwhile, a 5th-grade textbook repeats the antisemitic stereotype that Jews “caused Prophet Isa [Jesus] and his mother to suffer,” claiming they plotted against him to protect their authority.
According to the study, this portrayal reflects medieval antisemitic tropes that blame Jews for the crucifixion of Jesus.
“These narratives frame Judaism as inherently treacherous and promote intolerance,” the report explained.
IMPACT-se also pointed out that the Holocaust is completely omitted from school curricula in Pakistan, with some textbooks even praising Adolf Hitler for restoring German pride while ignoring the atrocities committed by the Nazis.
“Given Pakistan’s prominent regional role, its nuclear status, and large percentage of young people, this curriculum has far-reaching consequences,” IMPACT-se CEO Marcus Sheff said in a statement.
“What is taught in classrooms today will define Pakistan’s future global outlook, including its relationship with Israel and the Jewish people,” he continued.
In more recent history, the study found that Pakistani textbooks portray Israel as an aggressor solely responsible for the war in Gaza, while encouraging support for Muslim nations that seek to destroy the Jewish state.
For example, a 12th-grade textbook blames Israel for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, while making no mention of Hamas’s role in sparking the current war with its invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The textbook “frames Israel as the sole aggressor and the source of the humanitarian catastrophe with no mention of the broader conflict,” the study explained.
“Israel is portrayed as an adversary and is shockingly handed exclusive blame for the current war in Gaza,” it continued.
IMPACT-se also pointed out that several Islamic education textbooks portray jihad as a physical or armed struggle, reinforcing the idea that violent resistance is justified in the face of perceived injustice.
For instance, a 9th-grade Islamic education textbook depicts jihad as a moral duty to protect the oppressed, portraying armed action as a religious obligation with a “broader and noble purpose.”
According to IMPACT-se, this portrayal is used to justify unlimited violence under the guise of moral duty.
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US Justice Department Secures Conviction of Ohio Man Who Mauled Jewish Students
Timur Mamatov, 20. Photo: Screenshot.
US federal law enforcement officials on Friday secured a guilty plea from a man who assaulted two Jewish students at The Ohio State University (OSU) in November 2023, amid an explosion of antisemitism precipitated by the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel.
As previously reported by the Algemeiner, five Jewish students returning home from an off-campus event were brutally assaulted by two men who had detained and interrogated them to determine if they were Jewish, according to a civil rights complaint filed against OSU. Finding their answer, the two men allegedly shouted “Free Palestine!” and slugged one Jewish student each, breaking one’s jaw and the other’s nose and leaving one of them bleeding effusively. The complaint noted that the OSU Medical Center later denied one of the injured students more than one visitor and prohibited the other a seat in the waiting room, forcing them to stand “outside in the freezing cold for over five hours.”
One of the perpetrators was identified as Tipp City resident Timur Mamatov, now 20 years of age, with the help of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office, the US Department of Justice said in a press release on Friday. He was charged with and later admitted to violating the Hate Crimes Prevention Act and could spend as much as a decade in prison, pending sentencing.
“Mamatov admitted in court today that he assaulted victims because they were Jewish,” US attorney for the Ohio southern district Dominick S. Gerace II said in a statement. “No American should fear being violently attacked based on their religious beliefs. This office, along with our law enforcement partners, will aggressively pursue violence motivated by hate.”
Jose A. Perez, FBI criminal investigative division assistant director, added, “These college students were targeted by Mr. Mamatov simply because they were Jewish. Hate crimes not only impact the victims but have devastating impact on our entire community.”
Meanwhile, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Harmeet K. Dhillon said, “Violence against people of faith is illegal and unacceptable.”
Just days before Mamatov’s guilty plea, the Justice Department announced the sentencing of a man who fired a pump-action shotgun outside the Temple Israel synagogue in Albany, New York to express his anti-Israel views and intimidate Jewish community members.
The perpetrator, 29-year-old Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, committed the offense on Dec. 7, 2023, exactly two months after Oct. 7, amid preparations for the observance of Hanukkah. According to the Justice Department, he commuted there via Uber from his residence in Schenectady, a city of the Capital Region that once possessed a thriving manufacturing sector and large middle class. Positioning himself in the front entrance, Alkhader discharged his firearm, purchased illegally, twice “into the air” as he bellowed “Free Palestine.”
His gun jammed on the third attempt, after which he turned his frustration on an Israeli flag pitched in front of the institution, the Justice Department said in a press release announcing the sentencing last week. Local law enforcement later apprehended Alkhader, but the security incident he precipitated frightened the congregation, causing it to “cancel a planned concert and candle lighting ceremony to celebrate Hanukkah that evening.”
Alkhader ultimately faced several criminal charges — for purchasing an illegal firearm, violating the religious rights of Temple Israel’s worshippers, and wielding a weapon while committing a violent crime. He will serve ten years in lockup and five years of supervised release.
“This shooting, outside of a synagogue on the eve of a Hanukkah celebration, was unfortunately emblematic of the antisemitic violence, rhetoric, and practices that have swept this country over the last few years,” acting US attorney John Sarcone for the Northern District of New York said in a statement. “This year, the Justice Department has emphatically said — through its words and actions — no more. My office, with our law enforcement partners, will do everything within our powers to make sure everyone in the Northern District of New York can exercise their right to practice their religion without fear and violence and hatred.”
Alkhader’s assault on Temple Israel occurred during an unrelenting wave of over 10,000 antisemitic incidents that hit the American Jewish community in the first year after Oct. 7. According to a 2024 report published by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Center on Extremism on the first anniversary of Hamas’s massacre across southern Israel, antisemitic incidents in the US increased 200 percent. Thirty percent of the incidents recorded took place on college campuses and another 12 percent happened during anti-Israel protests. Another 20 percent targeted Jewish institutions, including nonprofit organizations and houses of worship. Of these, 50 percent were bomb threats.
The hatred has carried into 2025.
In June, a gunman murdered two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, DC, while they exited an event at the Capital Jewish Museum hosted by a major Jewish organization. The suspect charged for the double murder, 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, yelled “Free Palestine” while being arrested by police after the shooting, according to video of the incident. The FBI affidavit supporting the criminal charges against Rodriguez stated that he told law enforcement he “did it for Gaza.”
Less than two weeks later, a man firebombed a crowd of people who were participating in a demonstration to raise awareness of the Israeli hostages who remain imprisoned by Hamas in Gaza. A victim of the attack, Karen Diamond, 82, later died, having sustained severe, fatal injuries.
Another antisemitic incident motivated by anti-Zionism occurred in San Francisco, where an assailant identified by law enforcement as Juan Diaz-Rivas and others allegedly beat up a Jewish victim in the middle of the night. Diaz-Rivas and his friends approached the victim while shouting “F—k the Jews, Free Palestine,” according to local prosecutors.
According to the latest data released by the FBI earlier this month, antisemitic hate crimes in the US have been tallying to break all previous statistical records. In 2024, even as hate crimes decreased overall, those perpetrated against Jews increased by 5.8 percent in 2024 to 1,938, the largest total recorded in over 30 years of the FBI’s counting them. Jewish American groups have noted that this surge, which included 178 assaults, is being experienced by a demographic group which constitutes just 2 percent of the US population.
A striking 69 percent of all religion-based hate crimes that were reported to the FBI in 2024 targeted Jews, with 2,041 out of 2,942 total such incidents being antisemitic in nature. Muslims were targeted the next highest amount as the victims of 256 offenses, or about 9 percent of the total.
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
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Trump Says Hamas Must Be ‘Confronted and Destroyed’ to Secure Release of Remaining Hostages in Gaza
US President Donald Trump speaks at a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (not pictured), at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, June 25, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
US President Donald Trump on Monday called for the outright defeat of Hamas, posting on social media that the only path to the safe return of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza is through the Palestinian terrorist group’s destruction.
“We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!! The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be,” Trump said on Truth Social.
His remark came as Israel continued to wage its military campaign in Gaza to free the hostages and dismantle Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, military and governing capabilities in the enclave following the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel, where Palestinian terrorists murdered 1,200 people and abducted 251 hostages.
Nearly two years later, 50 hostages still remain in Gaza, including 20 believed to still be alive.
“Remember, I was the one who negotiated and got hundreds of hostages freed and released into Israel (and America!),” Trump added on Truth Social.
Israel has said it will ramp up military pressure on Hamas by seizing control of Gaza City, a major hub for the terrorist group, while simultaneously pursuing negotiations for a potential ceasefire and hostage-release deal. Hamas has reportedly accepted the latest proposal for a 60-day ceasefire with Israel that includes the return of half the hostages the terrorist group holds in Gaza and Israel’s release of some Palestinian prisoners.
Many families of current and former Israeli hostages have argued against escalating operations on Hamas, expressing fear that such a move could lead the terrorist group to execute their loved ones. Others have argued that military pressure is the best way to force Hamas to release hostages as part of a ceasefire on more favorable terms for Israel.
On Monday, Trump also touted his decision to authorize the US military to bomb Iranian nuclear sites in June, an act which was intended to prevent the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism from building nuclear weapons.
“I was the one who ended 6 wars, in just 6 months. I was the one who OBLITERATED Iran’s Nuclear facilities. Play to WIN, or don’t play at all! Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT,” he wrote.