RSS
‘Crush Zionism’: Masked Anti-Israel Agitators Disrupt Israeli History Course at Columbia University
Anti-Israel agitators disrupting an Israeli history class at Columbia University, New York City, Jan. 21, 2025. Photo: Screenshot
Masked anti-Israel protesters interrupted a class titled “History of Modern Israel” on the first day of the new semester at Columbia University on Tuesday.
The anti-Israel agitators entered the room, disrupting the class, and handed out flyers showing a leather boot stomping on a Star of David, shattering it, with the words “Crush Zionism” in all capital letters. Another poster depicted a keffiyeh-clad, masked man holding an Israeli flag on fire.
On the first day of classes, anti-Israel protestors interrupted @Columbia’s “History of Modern Israel” class and handed out flyers showing a boot crushing a Star of David. Columbia is out of control. And to be clear, there is no “academic freedom” to disrupt classes. pic.twitter.com/n0x9d0AxHw
— Columbia Jewish & Israeli Students
(@CUJewsIsraelis) January 21, 2025
After video of the incident and pictures of the fliers began to circulate on social media, the university responded.
“We strongly condemn this disruption, as well as the fliers that included violent imagery that is unacceptable on our campus and in our community,” Columbia University Interim President Katrina Armstrong said in a statement. “No group of students has a right to disrupt another group of students in a Columbia classroom.”
The statement continued, “Disrupting academic activities constitutes a violation of the Rules of University conduct and the nature of the disruption may constitute violations of other university policies.”
The president pledged to “move quickly to investigate and address this act” and emphasized that “any act of antisemitism, or other form of discrimination, harassment, or intimidation against members of our community is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
January 21, 2025 Statement From Interim President Katrina Armstrong on Class Disruption: https://t.co/SujD4x59yU pic.twitter.com/Y9uQVX1Zgv
— Columbia University (@Columbia) January 22, 2025
The Columbia University/Barnard College Hillel replied to the university’s message, writing that it is “grateful for this strong statement.”
However, it also argued that Columbia “must now identify the students who disrupted the class with hateful flyers and hold them accountable for their violations of university policies.”
The Columbia Jewish Alumni Association said that while the statement, which was posted to social media, may be an improvement for the administration, “we need action not words.”
Specifically, it argued the university should ban masking. “Show you mean business,” it wrote, “by doing this ONE THING [sic] that will transform campus by introducing real accountability.”
Over the past year, Columbia has been at the center of campus controversies related to Israel and its war against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza. It was the home of the first anti-Israel encampment last spring, which took off to become a national trend.
The Algemeiner documented dozens of instances of explicit support for terrorism within only a couple days of the encampment beginning.
Additionally, Khymani James, a Columbia student and reportedly one of the organizers of the encampment, was on video last year saying “Zionists don’t deserve to live” and proclaiming that people should “be grateful that I’m not just going out and murdering Zionists.”
He also said, “I don’t fight to injure or for there to be a winner or a loser, I fight to kill.”
In defense of James, major anti-Israel organizations at Columbia — Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) and Columbia Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) — later wrote on social media that “violence is the only path forward.”
It continued, “We are proud to be a part of the fight for the liberation of all oppressed peoples.”
The post ‘Crush Zionism’: Masked Anti-Israel Agitators Disrupt Israeli History Course at Columbia University first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Riding Anti-Trump Wave, Australia’s Albanese Secures 2nd term
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media during a press conference with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Aug. 16, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy
i24 News – Australia’s Anthony Albanese claimed a second term as prime minister on Saturday, in a comeback against once-resurgent conservatives that commentators said was powered by voters’ concerns about the impact of US President Donald Trump.
Peter Dutton, leader of the conservative Liberal party, conceded defeat and the loss of his own seat, echoing the fate of Canada’s conservatives and their leader Pierre Poilievre, whose election losses last week were also widely attributed to a Trump backlash.
Supporters at Labor’s election party in Sydney cheered and hugged each other as Albanese claimed victory and said his party would form a majority government.
“Our government will choose the Australian way, because we are proud of who we are and all that we have built together in this country,” Albanese told supporters.
The Australian Electoral Commission website projected Labor would win 81 of 150 seats in the House of Representatives, increasing its majority in parliament, with 68% of the vote counted.
The post Riding Anti-Trump Wave, Australia’s Albanese Secures 2nd term first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Israeli PM Netanyahu Postpones Upcoming Visit to Azerbaijan
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem, Feb. 16, 2025. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has postponed next week’s visit to Azerbaijan, his office announced on Saturday, in part due to recent developments in Gaza and Syria.
The prime minister’s office also cited “the intense diplomatic and security schedule” and said that the visit would be rescheduled, without announcing a new date.
Netanyahu was to visit Azerbaijan from May 7-11 and was expected to meet with President Ilham Aliyev. Israel and Azerbaijan maintain close security and energy ties.
The post Israeli PM Netanyahu Postpones Upcoming Visit to Azerbaijan first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Israel Says It Intercepted Missile Fired from Yemen; Houthis Claim Responsibility
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi addresses followers via a video link at the al-Shaab Mosque, formerly al-Saleh Mosque, in Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
Israel’s military said on Saturday it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen and Houthi forces claimed responsibility for the attack, the third of its kind by the Iran-aligned group in 24 hours.
The Israeli military said sirens were activated in a number of areas in Israel after the missile was launched. No casualties or serious damage have been reported from the missile salvos.
The claim of responsibility, announced by the Houthis’ military spokesperson, came amid an intensification of US airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
In March, US President Donald Trump ordered large-scale strikes against the Houthis to reduce their capabilities and deter them from targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The deadly strikes on the group have been the biggest US military operation in the Middle East since Trump took office in January.
The Houthis say their attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping are in solidarity with the Palestinians in the war between Hamas terrorists and Israel in Gaza.
The group pledged to expand its range of targets in Israel in retaliation for a renewed Israeli offensive in Gaza launched in mid-March, breaking a two-month-old ceasefire after the mediated talks on terms for extending it broke down.
The post Israel Says It Intercepted Missile Fired from Yemen; Houthis Claim Responsibility first appeared on Algemeiner.com.