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Michigan State University says it is ‘deeply sorry’ for showing Hitler on screen at football game
(JTA) — Michigan State University apologized after an image of Adolf Hitler was displayed on the school’s video board at its football game against the University of Michigan on Saturday.
The photo was shown during a pregame trivia quiz at Spartan Stadium that came from the YouTube page The Quiz Channel. The question asked where Hitler was born.
The incident comes at a time of heightened fear and tension in the American Jewish community, which is reeling from the violence in Israel and the shocking murder of a Jewish community leader in Detroit on Saturday.
“I am deeply sorry for the offensive image we displayed on the Spartan Stadium video boards Saturday night,” the university’s athletic director Alan Haller said in a statement on Sunday. “I apologize for the pain it has caused our community. Ultimately, it is my responsibility to make sure all those who interact with Spartan Athletics feel safe, valued and respected. The image was harmful to our communities, especially our Jewish community which is currently experiencing a rise in antisemitism, including acts of violence.”
Haller said an employee was suspended with pay while the department investigates the incident, and added that his staff did not fully review the video before it was shown on Saturday, “exposing a failure in our process.”
Michigan State spokesman Matt Larson told the Associated Press that “MSU will not be using the third-party source going forward and will implement stronger screening and approval procedures for all videoboard content in the future.”
After Michigan State’s use of the image circulated online, the owner of the YouTube page responded in a comment on the original video, saying that the school did not seek permission for its use.
“To be clear, I was unaware Michigan State University is using my content for stadium entertainment and this was unsolicited and unauthorised use,” Floris van Pallandt wrote. “A random history trivia question in an inappropriate setting.”
The university’s interim president, Teresa Woodruff, also apologized Sunday.
“I am deeply sorry for the image displayed at Spartan Stadium, which made many of our community feel alienated and unsafe,” she said, according to the AP. “It was unacceptable. I asked last evening for a full review of this university event and will take all necessary steps to align our messages and actions to our values.”
Haller added that he would reach out to local Jewish community groups so they can “hear directly from me regarding our failed responsibilities as well as our promise to do better.” He denounced antisemitism and said it was important that he work to re-earn the community’s trust.
Matthew Berry, a Jewish NBC Sports analyst with a wide social media following, was one of many to react to the incident over the weekend.
“In a world where Jewish people are being killed and tortured every single day Michigan State puts a picture of Hitler on its massive scoreboard as a wacky trivia answer like he’s a movie star or something. Unbelievable,” Berry wrote to his 1.1 million followers on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
In a later post, Berry also noted that the employee allegedly behind the video was suspended with pay. “In almost any other job, posting a photo of Hitler in a lighthearted way would get you immediately fired. At Michigan State you get a paid vacation. Unreal,” Berry wrote.
Michigan State lost the game 49-0.
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The post Michigan State University says it is ‘deeply sorry’ for showing Hitler on screen at football game appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Canada vs Israel Davis Cup Match in Halifax Will Be Closed to Fans Due to ‘Safety Concerns’
Israeli athletes competing in the Davis Cup 2025 Qualifiers Israel vs. Germany. Photo: IMAGO/Paul Zimmer via Reuters Connect
A series of Davis Cup World Group matches between Canada and Israel will be played this weekend in Halifax in a closed venue without any fans in attendance due to safety concerns, organizers announced Tuesday.
Tennis Canada said its decision to close off the Canada vs Israel matches on Friday and Saturday was made in consultation with the International Tennis Federation in light of “escalating safety concerns” by local authorities and national security agencies. The games were originally scheduled to take place at the Scotiabank Center, but it remains unclear if the venue is being changed. The series of matches will determine which country advances to the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers.
“Intelligence received from local authorities and national security agencies, combined with disruptions witnessed at other recent events both in Canada and internationally, indicated a risk of significant disruption to this event,” Tennis Canada explained. “Ensuring the safety of everyone involved, including athletes, fans, staff, volunteers, and minors, such as ball kids, remains our top priority.” Ticket holders will receive a full refund within 30 days.
Tennis Canada CEO Gavin Ziv said the “difficult decision” was made to maintain the organization’s “responsibility to protect people while ensuring that this Davis Cup tie can still take place.”
“We were forced to conclude that playing behind closed doors was the only way to both safeguard those involved and preserve the event itself,” Ziv explained. “While this outcome is very disappointing, it allows the tie to proceed in Halifax and ensures that our athletes can continue to compete at the highest international level. We are looking forward to returning to Halifax with Team Canada in the coming years to ensure we can fulfill our mission of promoting tennis and creating opportunities for fans and players to engage with the sport in Nova Scotia and across the country.”
Media will also not be allowed to attend the games. Halifax Regional Police did not say if the Israeli team received direct threats but noted that its local officers will be present at the games, according to the Associated Press. The tie will be broadcast on television on TVA Sports, and available for viewing online via CBC Sports’ livestream on CBC Gem, Cbcsports.ca, and the CBC Sports YouTube channel.
The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs criticized the decision. “We all want to know: Are we a nation governed by peace, order, and good government? Or do we let fear and intimidation dictate our way of life?” CIJA wrote in a post on X.
“Cheering for Team Canada is part of what it means to be Canadian. Yet, a small group of extremists have hijacked the Davis Cup, silencing thousands of fans — many of whom traveled from afar — who simply wanted to show pride in their country,” CIJA CEO Noah Shack said in a separate statement. “Tennis Canada’s decision was made to protect Canadians in the face of serious threats. It is unacceptable that hate, harassment, and intimidation have made it unsafe to support our athletes in our own country.”
Tennis Canada faced pressure last month from hundreds of anti-Israel activists — including Canadian athletes and academics, and Olympic runner Moh Ahmed — to cancel the Davis Cup match-up with Israel because of its military actions in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war. Both ITF and Tennis Canada insisted that Israel will not be banned from the competition.
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Israel ‘Did Exactly What America Did’: Netanyahu Justifies Qatar Strike, Compares Oct. 7 to 9/11 Terrorist Attack
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during ‘Christian Conference’ in Jerusalem, July 27, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
On the eve of the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justified Israel’s recent military strikes on Hamas leaders in Qatar and compared the al Qaeda suicide attacks on US soil to the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Israel’s strike on Tuesday, which targeted Hamas leaders based in Qatar, was widely criticized by governments around the world, including France, Britain, Turkey, and the US. American President Donald Trump said the strike in Qatar “does not advance Israel or America’s goals” while Qatar’s prime minister accused Israel of derailing Gaza ceasefire efforts, in which Doha has been a mediator. Netanyahu said the strike was a direct response to the deadly terrorist attack in Jerusalem on Monday, for which Hamas claimed responsibility.
In a video shared on Wednesday, the eve of the 9/11 anniversary, Netanyahu said Hamas’s Oct. 7 onslaught — in which Palestinian terrorists murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages across southern Israel — was his country’s version of the Sept. 11 attack that killed nearly 3,000 people and led to the US invasion of Afghanistan.
“We remember Sept. 11. On that day, Islamist terrorists committed the worst savagery on American soil since the founding of the United States,” Netanyahu explained. “We also have a Sept. 11. We remember Oct. 7. On that day, Islamist terrorists committed the worst savagery against the Jewish people since the Holocaust.”
Justifying the Qatar strike, the prime minister said the US promised to punish the terrorists responsible for 9/11 and Israel vows to do the same for those who carried out the Oct. 7 attack.
“What did America do in the wake of Sept. 11? It promised to hunt down the terrorists who committed this heinous crime, wherever they may be … Yesterday, we acted along those lines,” he said. “We went after the terrorist masterminds who committed the Oct. 7 massacre. And we did so in Qatar which gives safe haven, it harbors terrorists, it finances Hamas, it gives its terrorist chieftains sumptuous villas, it gives them everything.”
Netanyahu said Israel “did exactly what America did when it went after the al Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan and after they went and killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.” He argued countries worldwide that condemn Israel for the attack in Qatar “should be ashamed of themselves” and “should applaud Israel for standing up to the same principles and carrying them out.”
“I say to Qatar and all nations who harbor terrorists, you either expel them or you bring them to justice. Because if you don’t, we will,” Netanyahu declared in conclusion.
Other Israeli officials who shared messages in tribute to the anniversary of the 9/11 attack include Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar. “Remember 9/11. Remember the victims. We stand together in our shared fight for freedom and against terror,” he wrote in a post on X.
In another post on X, former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman noted that Israel’s 9/11 Living Memorial in Jerusalem is the only 9/11 memorial outside the US that features the names of all the victims. “Combining 9/11 with the death of Charlie Kirk makes today especially somber,” he wrote, referring to the Wednesday’s assassination of the conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder.
A post on the official X accounts for the State of Israel and the Israel Foreign Ministry said that the 9/11 Living Memorial in Jerusalem “represents the unbreakable bond between our nations.”
“The United States and Israel stand together in grief and resilience, and in the determination to fight terror and defeat it” the post also stated. “The memory of those who died on that fateful day, will forever live in our hearts.”
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US House Passes Defense Policy Bill, Including Provisions for Israel Military Aid
US House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks to members of the media at the Capitol building, April 20, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ken Cedeno
The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the annual defense policy bill, authorizing nearly $900 billion in military spending including a slate of provisions aimed at bolstering Israel’s security.
Passing by a vote of 231 to 196, largely along party lines, the bill underscores Washington’s continued military and political support for the Jewish state as it wages war against Iran’s network of terrorist proxies in the Middle East, primarily targeting Hamas in Gaza.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025 includes more than $650 million in direct US-Israel defense cooperation programs and several new policy directives. The measures were praised by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which has been lobbying for expanded security commitments.
The package includes $500 million for missile defense cooperation, including funding for the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow systems, along with bilateral research, development, testing, and evaluation. Another $35 million is directed toward joint emerging technologies, ranging from artificial intelligence and quantum to directed energy and cybersecurity. The bill also earmarks $50 million for anti-tunneling programs and $70 million for counter-drone efforts.
Beyond funding, lawmakers moved to extend the War Reserve Stockpile Authority for Israel until 2029, ensuring Israel continued access to US military equipment pre-positioned in the region. The NDAA also requires the Pentagon to provide briefings to Congress on the status of aircraft and air-launched munitions approved for delivery to Israel.
Several provisions target international institutions seen as hostile to US and allied forces such as Israel. The bill directs the Pentagon and State Department to work with NATO and major non-NATO allies to block enforcement of International Criminal Court (ICC) warrants against American or allied military personnel. It also prohibits US Defense Department participation in international defense exhibitions that exclude Israeli firms, an increasingly common occurrence in Europe.
In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, and now-deceased Hamas terror leader Ibrahim al-Masri (better known as Mohammed Deif) for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict. The ICC said there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant were criminally responsible for starvation in Gaza and the persecution of Palestinians — charges vehemently denied by Israel, which has provided significant humanitarian aid into the war-torn enclave throughout the war.
Lawmakers also mandated new assessments on regional security threats. The NDAA requires studies on preventing Hamas and other groups from using tunnels or maritime routes to smuggle weapons, along with reports on the status of integrated air and missile defense across US Central Command’s area of responsibility.
To deepen industrial cooperation, the bill establishes a US-Israel defense innovation field office in Israel and starts a new Defense Industrial Base Working Group to explore opportunities for greater integration between the two countries’ defense sectors. The Pentagon is also directed to continually assess the impact of foreign arms embargoes and sanctions on Israel’s military readiness.
The Senate still needs to finalize its version of the defense bill and reach a consensus with the House, before the legislation can head to US President Donald Trump’s desk to be signed into law.