RSS
Carleton University faces backlash for employing professor convicted in 1980 Paris synagogue bombing
Carleton University is under significant scrutiny from Israeli universities and Jewish advocacy groups for employing Hassan Diab, a professor convicted in absentia by a French court for a 1980 synagogue bombing in Paris that killed four people and injured 46.
Diab, 71, who has taught at Ottawa’s Carleton University since 2006, is currently teaching a class on social justice in the university’s sociology department.
In November, a letter signed by all nine of Israel’s public research universities, coordinated through the Association of University Heads of Israel, called on Carleton to immediately terminate Diab’s employment, describing the hiring decision as a betrayal of academic values and a failure to uphold justice.
“While we respect Carleton’s commitment to social justice and diversity, the continued employment of an instructor convicted of multiple murders by the judicial system of a democratic nation raises profound questions about the university’s values,” the letter states.
“How can an institution dedicated to instilling moral principles in its students justify appointing someone convicted of such serious crimes to a teaching position? While we fully support academic freedom and the expression of diverse viewpoints, these principles do not extend to employing individuals convicted of hate-motivated acts of terror.”
The letter emphasizes the obligation of academic institutions to ensure their hiring practices reflect the values of justice and accountability, saying that the hiring decision crosses a “clear ethical line.”
The letter, signed by presidents of Israeli universities such as University of Haifa, Tel Aviv University, and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, emphasizes the obligation of academic institutions to ensure their hiring practices reflect the values of justice and accountability, saying that the hiring decision crosses a “clear ethical line.”
The Canadian Jewish News emailed the communications office of Carleton University for comment about Diab’s employment and the letter, but did not receive a response.
The Rue Copernic bombing
The Rue Copernic bombing occurred on Oct. 3, 1980, when a bomb exploded outside the synagogue during Shabbat services. The attack killed four people, including Israeli television producer Aliza Shagrir, and injured 46 others.
French authorities attributed the bombing to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a militant group and terrorist organization. Diab, a Lebanese-Canadian citizen, was identified as a suspect decades later and extradited to France in 2014. He spent three years in jail, awaiting trial.
In 2018, French courts released Diab, citing insufficient evidence. However, prosecutors reopened the case, and in 2023, Diab was convicted in absentia and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Diab has denied involvement, maintaining that he was in Lebanon at the time of the attack. His defense team has argued that evidence used against him, including handwriting analysis, is unreliable.
Students demand answers
One student at Carleton, involved with Jewish advocacy on campus who chose to remain anonymous, said that the university’s lack of transparency on this issue has left students feeling frustrated and disappointed.
“We deserve, at the very minimum, an explanation as to how the employment decision was made and why it was deemed appropriate considering his conviction in absentia in France.”
As a member of the Jewish community on campus, he said the situation is deeply troubling. “The Jewish community deserves better. There’s been a lid put on this, and it seems like there’s little accountability.
“Time and time again, it feels like Jewish students are left to fight these battles alone. We deserve better, he said. “When it comes to (protecting) the Jewish community, there always seems to be a higher burden of proof required for things to be taken seriously.”
CIJA calls for accountability
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) has also been outspoken in its criticism of Carleton’s decision, describing it as a failure of institutional responsibility and a dangerous precedent for Canadian academia. In a statement sent to The Canadian Jewish News, Judy Zelikovitz, vice-president of university and local partner services, emphasized the broader implications of Carleton’s choices.
“The incident at Carleton University highlights a glaring oversight: the lack of effective background checks at institutions of higher education,” Zelikovitz wrote. “While Canadian universities claim to prioritize the safety and well-being of their faculty, staff, and students by implementing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) policies, the absence of rigorous vetting for educators undermines these commitments.”
CIJA also pointed to concerns about how Diab’s employment affects the accessibility of education for students. “A classroom environment cannot reasonably be considered accessible to those who oppose terrorism if an individual with a conviction in a democratic state is present,” Zelikovitz said.
She also called for a stronger approach to academic hiring practices, arguing that academic freedom must come with responsibilities. “Ensuring rigorous evaluations of proposed curriculum content and upholding academic integrity must be a standard practice in all academic institutions,” she wrote.
On behalf of CIJA, Zelikovitz demanded immediate action, urging Carleton to terminate Diab’s employment and for the Canadian government to act on France’s extradition request.
“We call on Carleton University to immediately sever its relationship with Hassan Diab and to ensure no other academic institution offers him a position. Furthermore, CIJA urges the Canadian government to respond promptly to France’s request for Diab’s extradition. It is imperative that our educational institutions and government leaders prioritize safety, accountability, and justice in their decisions.”
Condemnation from B’nai Brith
B’nai Brith Canada has been vocal as well in its opposition to Carleton’s decision to employ Diab. In a post on social media, the organization wrote:
“Despite being handed a life sentence by a French court, Hassan Diab continues to live freely in Canada, while Carleton University, unconscionably, continues to allow him the privilege of teaching at a Canadian institution.”
B’nai Brith Canada added that Canadians “cannot stand by while a convicted terrorist, affiliated with a listed terrorist group, teaches on our campuses! The university has ignored B’nai Brith’s formal request to terminate his position, allowing Diab to remain in a position of authority over students.”
B’nai Brith says Carleton’s employment of Diab “not only presents a danger to the well-being of its students, but it is an insult to the memory of the innocent victims of his heinous crime and an affront to all Canadians who value law and order.”
B’nai Brith Canada has intensified its opposition to Hassan Diab’s employment through launching a public letter-writing campaign on its website. The campaign, addressed to Jerry Tomberlin, interim president and vice-chancellor of Carleton, calls for the immediate removal of Diab and highlights concerns over Carleton’s decision to retain Diab as a professor.
The letter further criticizes Carleton for ignoring its previous formal requests to terminate Diab’s employment, raising inquiries about the university’s commitment to ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment.
Support for Hassan Diab
While Hassan Diab’s employment at Carleton has drawn significant criticism, he has also received support from advocacy groups, academics, and members of his department. Supporters argue that he has been unfairly targeted and that his conviction in absentia by a French court lacks credible evidence.
The Hassan Diab Support Committee, which has campaigned on his behalf for over a decade, describes the accusations against him as a miscarriage of justice.
“Dr. Diab is a victim of wrongful allegations based on discredited evidence and unfair legal proceedings,” the committee states on its website. They also highlight that Canada’s courts previously deemed the evidence insufficient to justify his extradition to France in 2018.
Carleton’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology has publicly defended Diab in the past. In a 2021 statement, department chair Blair Rutherford expressed solidarity with Diab, calling the French court’s decision to pursue a trial “shocking” and based on “discredited evidence.” The department further urged the academic community to support Diab against what they described as an unjust prosecution.
In November 2022, the department promoted a rally calling on the Canadian government to protect Diab from what they described as “baseless prosecution” and to reject further extradition requests. The event was attended by supporters advocating for academic freedom and justice for Diab.
Supporters also argue that employing Diab reflects Carleton’s commitment to inclusivity and the presumption of innocence. “Dr. Diab’s return to teaching is an important step in restoring his career and reputation after years of legal persecution,” wrote one supporter on a public forum.
Calls for accountability
Israeli officials have also expressed dismay with Carleton’s hiring decision. Idit Shamir, Israel’s consul general in Toronto, described the university’s decision as “unconscionable,” highlighting her personal connection to the terrorist attack that Diab faced conviction for.
“[T]he terrorist who murdered my friend’s mother, Aliza Shagrir, before his eyes in the 1980 Paris synagogue bombing still lectures at Canada’s @Carleton_U,” Shamir posted on social media in November. “A French court gave him life for murdering four souls and maiming 46. Yet Carleton University rewards him with a teaching position?”
“Every class this convicted terrorist teaches dishonors the lives he destroyed,” Shamir added. “This isn’t just a failure of justice—it’s spitting on the graves of Jewish victims. Shame on those who enable this.”
The post Carleton University faces backlash for employing professor convicted in 1980 Paris synagogue bombing appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.
RSS
Iranian Media Claims Obtaining ‘Sensitive’ Israeli Intelligence Materials

FILE PHOTO: The atomic symbol and the Iranian flag are seen in this illustration, July 21, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
i24 News – Iranian and Iran-affiliated media claimed on Saturday that the Islamic Republic had obtained a trove of “strategic and sensitive” Israeli intelligence materials related to Israel’s nuclear facilities and defense plans.
“Iran’s intelligence apparatus has obtained a vast quantity of strategic and sensitive information and documents belonging to the Zionist regime,” Iran’s state broadcaster said, referring to Israel in the manner accepted in those Muslim or Arab states that don’t recognize its legitimacy. The statement was also relayed by the Lebanese site Al-Mayadeen, affiliated with the Iran-backed jihadists of Hezbollah.
The reports did not include any details on the documents or how Iran had obtained them.
The intelligence reportedly included “thousands of documents related to that regime’s nuclear plans and facilities,” it added.
According to the reports, “the data haul was extracted during a covert operation and included a vast volume of materials including documents, images, and videos.”
The report comes amid high tensions over Iran’s nuclear program, over which it is in talks with the US administration of President Donald Trump.
Iranian-Israeli tensions reached an all-time high since the October 7 massacre and the subsequent Gaza war, including Iranian rocket fire on Israel and Israeli aerial raids in Iran that devastated much of the regime’s air defenses.
Israel, which regards the prospect of the antisemitic mullah regime obtaining a nuclear weapon as an existential threat, has indicated it could resort to a military strike against Iran’s installations should talks fail to curb uranium enrichment.
The post Iranian Media Claims Obtaining ‘Sensitive’ Israeli Intelligence Materials first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Israel Retrieves Body of Thai Hostage from Gaza

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz looks on, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, in Jerusalem, Nov. 7, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
The Israeli military has retrieved the body of a Thai hostage who had been held in Gaza since Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Saturday.
Nattapong Pinta’s body was held by a Palestinian terrorist group called the Mujahedeen Brigades, and was recovered from the area of Rafah in southern Gaza, Katz said. His family in Thailand has been notified.
Pinta, an agricultural worker, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small Israeli community near the Gaza border where a quarter of the population was killed or taken hostage during the Hamas attack that triggered the devastating war in Gaza.
Israel’s military said Pinta had been abducted alive and killed by his captors, who had also killed and taken to Gaza the bodies of two more Israeli-American hostages that were retrieved earlier this week.
There was no immediate comment from the Mujahedeen Brigades, who have previously denied killing their captives, or from Hamas. The Israeli military said the Brigades were still holding the body of another foreign national. Only 20 of the 55 remaining hostages are believed to still be alive.
The Mujahedeen Brigades also held and killed Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, according to Israeli authorities. Their bodies were returned during a two-month ceasefire, which collapsed in March after the two sides could not agree on terms for extending it to a second phase.
Israel has since expanded its offensive across the Gaza Strip as US, Qatari and Egyptian-led efforts to secure another ceasefire have faltered.
US-BACKED AID GROUP HALTS DISTRIBUTIONS
The United Nations has warned that most of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is at risk of famine after an 11-week Israeli blockade of the enclave, with the rate of young children suffering from acute malnutrition nearly tripling.
Aid distribution was halted on Friday after the US-and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said overcrowding had made it unsafe to continue operations. It was unclear whether aid had resumed on Saturday.
The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of aid distribution which the United Nations says is neither impartial nor neutral. It says it has provided around 9 million meals so far.
The Israeli military said on Saturday that 350 trucks of humanitarian aid belonging to U.N. and other international relief groups were transferred this week via the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza.
The war erupted after Hamas-led terrorists took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in the October 7, 2023 attack, Israel’s single deadliest day.
The post Israel Retrieves Body of Thai Hostage from Gaza first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
US Mulls Giving Millions to Controversial Gaza Aid Foundation, Sources Say

Palestinians carry aid supplies which they received from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in the central Gaza Strip, May 29, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed/File Photo
The State Department is weighing giving $500 million to the new foundation providing aid to war-shattered Gaza, according to two knowledgeable sources and two former US officials, a move that would involve the US more deeply in a controversial aid effort that has been beset by violence and chaos.
The sources and former US officials, all of whom requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said that money for Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) would come from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which is being folded into the US State Department.
The plan has met resistance from some US officials concerned with the deadly shootings of Palestinians near aid distribution sites and the competence of the GHF, the two sources said.
The GHF, which has been fiercely criticized by humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations, for an alleged lack of neutrality, began distributing aid last week amid warnings that most of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is at risk of famine after an 11-week Israeli aid blockade, which was lifted on May 19 when limited deliveries were allowed to resume.
The foundation has seen senior personnel quit and had to pause handouts twice this week after crowds overwhelmed its distribution hubs.
The State Department and GHF did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Reuters has been unable to establish who is currently funding the GHF operations, which began in Gaza last week. The GHF uses private US security and logistics companies to transport aid into Gaza for distribution at so-called secure distribution sites.
On Thursday, Reuters reported that a Chicago-based private equity firm, McNally Capital, has an “economic interest” in the for-profit US contractor overseeing the logistics and security of GHF’s aid distribution hubs in the enclave.
While US President Donald Trump’s administration and Israel say they don’t finance the GHF operation, both have been pressing the United Nations and international aid groups to work with it.
The US and Israel argue that aid distributed by a long-established U.N. aid network was diverted to Hamas. Hamas has denied that.
USAID has been all but dismantled. Some 80 percent of its programs have been canceled and its staff face termination as part of President Donald Trump’s drive to align US foreign policy with his “America First” agenda.
One source with knowledge of the matter and one former senior official said the proposal to give the $500 million to GHF has been championed by acting deputy USAID Administrator Ken Jackson, who has helped oversee the agency’s dismemberment.
The source said that Israel requested the funds to underwrite GHF’s operations for 180 days.
The Israeli government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The two sources said that some US officials have concerns with the plan because of the overcrowding that has affected the aid distribution hubs run by GHF’s contractor, and violence nearby.
Those officials also want well-established non-governmental organizations experienced in running aid operations in Gaza and elsewhere to be involved in the operation if the State Department approves the funds for GHF, a position that Israel likely will oppose, the sources said.
The post US Mulls Giving Millions to Controversial Gaza Aid Foundation, Sources Say first appeared on Algemeiner.com.