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‘Comics for Conversation’ Event in NYC Featuring Pro-Israel, Pro-Palestinian Comedians Aims to Promote ‘Dialogue Over Discord’
A police officer removes a Palestinian flag from the William Tecumseh Sherman monument as anti-Israel demonstrators attend a protest near the Met Gala, an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City, New York, US, May 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
A live comedy event taking place this month in New York City will feature pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian comedians coming together to share some laughs and have meaningful dialogue about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“Comics for Conversation – Because It’s Not Always a Laughing Matter” will take place on Dec. 16 and will include comedians performing stand-up sets followed by a moderated discussion on stage. The event will be the first initiative of a new movement called Don’t Hate Debate, a joint venture between the marketing platform The Heart Monitors and Stand Up NY. The format of the show showcases the mission of the Don’t Hate Debate movement, which is “to spark civil discourse through culturally relevant, grassroots activations that resonate with younger generations and diverse communities,” according to a press release for the upcoming event.
The names of participating comics and the location of the event will not be released in advance due to safety and security concerns, as well as protests against the show. Two of the pro-Palestinian comics who originally joined the lineup dropped out after facing pressure from anti-Israel activists who are against the event’s efforts to promote peaceful dialogue, Dani Zoldan, the founder of Stand Up NY and the Chosen Comedy Festival, told The Algemeiner.
“I’ve personally found that many comics do not feel comfortable speaking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in public due to fears of repercussions such as not being booked at a club or being ‘cancelled,’” Zoldan said. “Unfortunately, a few comics dropped out of our upcoming event due to pressure from one side. If we can’t have dialogue, then what else is there? It’s more reason to have this event to bring both sides together and not allow the mob and ‘keyboard warriors’ to tear us apart.”
The event hopes to promote “dialogue over discord,” offering a literal stage for people to comfortably discuss their opposing views together in a public setting. Organizers also hope to engage what they describe as the “moderate middle” who “feel disillusioned by the extreme rhetoric dominating public spaces.”
“Our Don’t Hate Debate launch of ‘Comics for Conversation’ is by no means an attempt to make fun of anyone or any issue. Quite the contrary,” Robin Lemberg, co-founder of The Heart Monitors, explained to The Algemeiner. “The first part of our event are comedic sets not poking fun of anyone. Rather, they are the ice breakers to lead to a moderated serious discussion on the issues of our time. The conflict is a microcosm of many other societal issues and one of most emotionally charged. Laughing together is a shared experience which opens us up perhaps to being more able to engage with empathy and understanding.”
Lemberg and Jon Bond co-founded Don’t Hate Debate at the beginning of last year in response to the protests and issues on college campuses related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “Our initial approach was to engage the student leaders in constructive debate,” Lemberg said. “We pivoted to the idea of using influencers to model civility, as it became clear that without other role models such as professors and certainly not politicians, student influencers were far more reluctant.”
“Comedy is just one lens to find common ground and shared humanity,” she added. “We intend to bring together other influencers from the realms of music, sports, cooking from opposing sides on the issues that matter to most to model for all how we can engage civilly and celebrate what we do share.”
The post ‘Comics for Conversation’ Event in NYC Featuring Pro-Israel, Pro-Palestinian Comedians Aims to Promote ‘Dialogue Over Discord’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US Congress Pushes to Designate Muslim Brotherhood as a Terrorist Organization
US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaking at a press conference about the United States restricting weapons for Israel, at the US Capitol, Washington, DC. Photo: Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Members of the US Congress are moving quickly to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as an official terrorist organization.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced on Tuesday that he will reintroduce an updated version of the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act.
“In the coming days, I will be circulating and re-introducing a modernized version of the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, which I have been pushing for my entire Senate career,” he posted on X/Twitter. “The Muslim Brotherhood used the Biden administration to consolidate and deepen their influence, but the Trump administration and Republican Congress can no longer afford to avoid the threat they pose to Americans and American national security.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) sent a letter to the White House on Tuesday asking US President Donald Trump to open an investigation into the Muslim Brotherhood, saying that the group maintains “a documented history of promoting extremist ideologies.”
“Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE all declared the Muslim Brotherhood an FTO [foriegn terrorist organization] over a decade ago, and France is considering its own action. Following suit would help the US disrupt the Muslim Brotherhood’s ability to recruit and finance terror around the globe,” Moskowitz wrote on X/Twitter.
The push to proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood gained momentum last month, when the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) organized a meeting to help members of Congress develop “strategies to ban the growing threat of the Muslim Brotherhood in the United States,” the research group said in a press release.
“The Muslim Brotherhood appears to be the intellectual inspiration behind all Islamist groups (and their jihadist offshoots) that operate today, such as ISIS, al Qaeda, and Hamas,” ISGAP wrote in a 2023 report. “Sunni jihadist groups are grounded in the firm ideological roots that key MB [Muslim Brotherhood] ideologues pioneered in the last century.”
Hamas, the internationally designated terrorist group that has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades and perpetrated the largest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust with its invasion of Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, is a Palestinian offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. Both Cruz and Moskowitz noted that Hamas is a “branch” and an “affiliate” of the global Islamist movement.
While several countries in the Middle East have already classified the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, the United States has yet to do the same, despite several attempts by Congress over the years. During Trump’s first term in office, officials in both the White House and Congress took initial steps toward sanctioning the group’s international branches, but a formal designation was never finalized.
US lawmakers believe they have identified multiple pathways to economically cripple the internationally designated terror organization. Congress could combat the Muslim Brotherhood by designating it a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) or placing it on the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) list. Both options would levy heavy penalties on the group through methods such as freezing its assets or sanctioning its leadership.
The post US Congress Pushes to Designate Muslim Brotherhood as a Terrorist Organization first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Iranian FM Meets Hezbollah Leader in Beirut as Tehran Tries to Ramp Up Support for Weakened Terror Proxy
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi lays a wreath as he visits the burial site of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon, June 3, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem in Beirut on Wednesday, as Tehran moves to bolster its weakened terror proxy and maintain its presence in Lebanon.
During their meeting, Qassem expressed gratitude to the Islamist regime in Iran for its regional influence and “steadfast support of Palestinian resistance factions.”
According to local media, he also emphasized his commitment to Lebanon’s “progress, stability, sovereignty, and the expulsion of occupation from its territory.”
The Iranian-backed terrorist group has been struggling to maintain its political grip in Lebanon as it continues to reel from the devastating consequences of its war with Israel — a conflict that erupted after Hezbollah expressed “solidarity” with Hamas following the Palestinian terrorist group’s invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
As part of his trip to Beirut, Araghchi also met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri — a key Hezbollah ally.
During those meetings, the top Iranian diplomat stressed the importance of bilateral relations between the two countries and reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to providing economic, political, and social support through enhanced cooperation.
“I expressed my full support for Lebanon’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and reconstruction in light of Israel’s occupation,” Araghchi wrote in a post on X. “Our goal and hope is to open a new chapter in our centuries-old relationship, built on mutual respect and shared interests.”
سررتُ بالعودة إلى بيروت الجميلة. خلال اجتماعاتي مع الرئيس، ورئيس مجلس النواب، ورئيس الوزراء، ووزير الخارجية، أعربتُ عن دعمي الكامل لاستقلال لبنان وسيادته وسلامة أراضيه وإعادة إعماره في ظل الاحتلال الإسرائيلي.
هدفنا وآملنا هو فتح صفحة جديدة في علاقتنا الممتدة لقرون، والمبنية على… pic.twitter.com/Gnv2sQeNaA
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 4, 2025
For his part, Aoun emphasized the importance of dialogue in “resolving differences” and highlighted post-war reconstruction as a top priority for his government.
According to local media, Araghchi also said that Iranian companies are prepared to contribute to the country’s post-war reconstruction efforts.
Since Lebanon’s US-backed army commander took office earlier this year and a new cabinet with reduced influence for Hezbollah was established, the terrorist group has faced mounting calls for disarmament as the new government seeks to assert full control over the country’s territory.
In November, Lebanon and Israel reached a US-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended a year of fighting between the Jewish state and Hezbollah. Under the agreement, Israel was given 60 days to withdraw from Lebanon’s southern border, allowing the Lebanese army and UN forces to take over security as Hezbollah disarms and moves away from Israel’s northern border.
Although Jerusalem has withdrawn most of its ground forces since the war ended, Israeli officials have said it will retain control of five strategic positions in the south of the country until the Lebanese army demonstrates it can maintain security there.
Last fall, Israel decimated much of Hezbollah’s leadership and military capabilities with an air and ground offensive, which ended with the ceasefire.
Tens of thousands of residents in northern Israel were forced to evacuate their homes last year due to relentless attacks from Hezbollah, which expressed solidarity with Hamas amid the Gaza war.
Last month, the Lebanese government and the Palestinian Authority reached an agreement to disarm all 12 Palestinian refugee camps across Lebanon. Both leaders pledged that Palestinian factions would refrain from using Lebanese territory as a launchpad for attacks against Israel and that all weapons would be placed under government control.
The post Iranian FM Meets Hezbollah Leader in Beirut as Tehran Tries to Ramp Up Support for Weakened Terror Proxy first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Former MLB All-Star Accuses Ocasio-Cortez of ‘Virtue Signaling,’ Weak Reaction to Colorado Antisemitic Attack
Law enforcement officers work at the scene, after an attack that injured multiple people in Boulder, Colorado, US, June 1, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt
Former Major League Baseball player and World Series champion Kevin Youkilis lambasted US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on Tuesday for her reaction to the violent antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, on Sunday night.
On Monday, Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a post on X she was “horrified” by the attack in which a dozen people were injured at an event organized to raise awareness for the hostages abducted from Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and still held by the US-designated terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip. The firebombing took place on the eve of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.
“My heart is with the victims and our Jewish communities across the country,” the lawmaker wrote in her post on X. “Antisemitism is on the rise here at home, and we have a moral responsibility to confront and stop it everywhere it exists.”
Youkilis — a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, who formerly played for the Boston Red Sox — responded to Ocasio-Cortez’s post by accusing her of ignoring those who are calling for “intifadas” — a reference to periods of rampant Palestinian terrorism targeting Israelis — in her district and throughout New York City.
“Jews are targeted with violence and it’s the same virtue signal post time and time again,” he posted on X. “What have you done to confront those calling for intifadas in NYC? Until you create a plan of action, your repeated virtue signaling after the violence occurs holds no weight.”
In the comments section on his post, Youkilis said Ocasio-Cortez should “confront the radical mobs chanting for intifadas in NYC.” Youkilis added: “That would be brave leadership, but we know politicians, on both sides of the aisle, shy away in fear of losing votes and power.”
“Prove me wrong and show what she has done to combat antisemitism in her district?” he later said in response to one user on X who attempted to defend the lawmaker. “You have no response because there has been zero action.”
Egyptian national Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, has been charged by US authorities with throwing Molotov cocktails and using a flamethrower to target those who attended the pro-Israel event on Sunday night. Among those injured in the attack were two elderly people who were hospitalized with severe burns. Soliman, who lives in Colorado Springs, told investigators that he wanted to “kill all Zionist people,” according to court documents. He was charged with attempted murder, assault, and a federal hate crime. Federal authorities said Soliman was in the country illegally since he overstayed a tourist visa and an expired work permit.
Soliman’s wife and five children were taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials “for expedited removal,” the White House said in a post on X on Tuesday.
Youkilis was drafted by Boston in 2001 but made his major league debut in 2004, the year Boston won its first World Series in 86 years.
The post Former MLB All-Star Accuses Ocasio-Cortez of ‘Virtue Signaling,’ Weak Reaction to Colorado Antisemitic Attack first appeared on Algemeiner.com.