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‘Cheersing in Bar to Ending Occupation of Palestine’: Biden Admin Official Has Long History of Anti-Israel Comments
Tyler Cherry. Photo: Screenshot
A White House communications official who the Biden administration just promoted has a long history of provocative anti-Israel comments and has compared law enforcement to slave patrols.
Social media users revealed that Tyler Cherry, who was promoted to associate communications director for the White House last week according to his LinkedIn, has an extensive record of controversial comments, especially regarding the Jewish state.
In July 2014, amid an escalation between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip, Cherry tweeted, “Cheersing in a bar to ending the occupation of Palestine — no shame and f—k your glares #ISupportGaza #FreePalestine.”
The war began after Hamas terrorists kidnapped three Israelis in the West Bank and murdered them.
Cherry has also suggested he supports cutting off US aid to Israel. In response to news of workers for UNRWA, the UN agency dedicated solely to Palestinian refugees and their descendants, being killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the 2014 war, Cherry lamented that the US “continues to let Israeli forces restock their arsenals with US ammunition and weapons.”
He also wrote, “No words can come close to the ever-increasing disappointment of the US’s omnipotence and complicity in this massacre #Free Palestine,” referring to the 2014 Hamas-Israel war.
Cherry has also been a strong defender of anti-Zionist activist and Women’s March organizer Linda Sarsour. After scrutiny of Sarsour rose due to what some consider to be antisemitic statements by her, Cherry wrote, “The right can’t STAND to see a fierce Muslim woman at the helm of the resistance and thus have to make s–t up to smear her #IMarchWithLinda.”
With Cherry’s new job, these posts have raised questions among pro-Israel supporters about the extent to which he agrees with the policy of US President Joe Biden when it comes to Israel — and whether the administration is allowing far-left views among its staffers to go unchecked.
At least one watchdog group dedicated to combating antisemitism has called on the administration to fire Cherry.
“We’re hoping this is the quickest hire and fire scenario in President Biden’s administration to date,” StopAntisemitism founder Liora Rez told Fox News Digital. “For the Biden administration to either A, not vet properly, or B, to vet and then approve an inner circle appointee like this … is just horrifying.”
In response to his posts being revealed, Cherry commented, “Past social media posts from when I was younger do not reflect my current views. Period. I support this administration’s agenda — and will continue my communications work focused on our climate and environmental policies.”
Posts regarding Israel were not the only ones that resurfaced. Cherry also called to “Abolish ICE,” referring to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement government agency, also writing “police = slave patrols” and “Voter ID = poll taxes.”
This is not the first time a staffer in the Biden administration has been revealed to have strong anti-Israel views.
In January 2021, The Washington Free Beacon reported that the person who Biden tapped for the role of senior director for intelligence programs at the US National Security Council was a longtime activist and supporter of the boycott, divest, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. The BDS movement seeks to isolate the Jewish state on the international stage as the first step toward its eventual elimination.
Before being named to the National Security Council, Maher Bitar was a student leader of his campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a group that expressed support for Hamas’ October 7 massacre in southern Israel.
In the 2006 yearbook from Georgetown University, Bitar is seen holding a sign reading “Divest from Israel Apartheid.” His involvement with the anti-Israel movement did not stop when he left college.
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) told The Washington Free Beacon at the time: “Appointing him for an integral role on the National Security Council is a slap in the face to our important ally Israel, and it sends a terrible message to the rest of the world. I strongly urge the Biden administration to quickly retreat from this dangerous decision and to appoint someone who is better aligned with our allies and less divisive.”
The post ‘Cheersing in Bar to Ending Occupation of Palestine’: Biden Admin Official Has Long History of Anti-Israel Comments first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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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.
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