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Orthodox influencer ‘Flatbush Girl’ seeks arrest of man who flashed her Instagram session

(New York Jewish Week) — A Brooklyn-based Orthodox activist wants her community to be the last one targeted by a possible serial flasher who crashed an online chat she was leading last week.

Adina Miles-Sash, who is known to her 61,000 followers as Flatbush Girl, also says her community’s reaction to the flashing incident underscores the changes needed if women are to feel respected and secure.

In the past, Miles-Sash has battled for women’s representation in Orthodox media, where their faces are frequently blurred or omitted; advocated for Orthodox victims of sexual assault, and joined an Orthodox women’s ambulance corps that fought for its right to operate. So after a man exposed himself to more than 3,000 viewers on an Instagram chat she was hosting with Shifra, a support group for Jewish women with unplanned pregnancies, she knew just how to spring into action.

She gathered information about other online sessions that had been infiltrated by a flasher in an apparently identical space and pose — even finding one featuring “Bachelor” contestant Chelsea Vaughn. She contacted both the NYPD and FBI, concerned that the presence of minors among the viewers elevated the disturbance into a more significant crime. 

She even floated hiring a forensic analyst to try to piece together other clues from the limited view captured on tape — though she moved away from the idea after posting that it would require a $15,000 retainer just to subpoena Instagram to find the flasher’s IP address and when the majority of her followers said they would not donate to cover the costs.

On Tuesday night, she revealed a breakthrough: screenshots from a third event interrupted by what appeared to be the same man. This time, the host was Daryl-Ann Denner, a Christian influencer in Southern California with 1.3 million Instagram followers.

“I’m assembling soooo much evidence you have no idea,” Miles-Sash told someone who messaged her with praise about her detective work, according to a screenshot she shared.

For Miles-Sash, the incident and its aftermath suggest both the strength and the challenges of the tight-knit online Orthodox community.

“I just really hope we can crack this case as a COMMUNITY cause he has done this to NUMEROUS other groups but he messed with the wrong crowd!!!” she messaged the fan.

But she also has been vocal about how the reaction to the initial interruption from some quarters of Orthodox social media had disappointed her. A handful of commenters blamed her for the interruption, citing what they said were her transgressions of mainstream Orthodox norms, and some even suggested that she had fabricated the incident to draw attention to her favored issues. 

“Sorry, but u had this coming,” said one message that Miles-Sash shared with her followers. (Miles-Sash did not post the names of the accounts that sent the messages she shared.) “U knew eventually things like this would pop up. Esp the fact that you talk about sex and bisexuals on ur platform.”

“You definitely set that up on purpose to try and make men look bad,” read another direct message that Miles-Sash received, sent from an account whose profile picture showed a man praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. “We’ll expose you for exposing the young and innocent to such horrible acts.”

Miles-Sash and her allies also said they expected more denunciation of the incident from rabbinic figures and other Orthodox leaders.

“Here’s a presumably Orthodox guy who’s literally naked and swinging himself in front of a camera,” said Shoshana Keats-Jaskoll, an American-Israeli activist on Orthodox women’s issues. “And instead of the Orthodox world screaming that is not OK, they’re actually accusing Adina of having set the whole thing up.”

Miles-Sash reserved particular scorn for Laibel Weiner, the host of the Orthodox comedy podcast MisLaibeled, who joked about the size of the man’s “shlong” on his Instagram page the day after the event. Many comments on that post condemned Weiner’s comments, including YeahThat’sKosher, a popular food blog in the Orthodox community.

“There is nothing humorous about this,” the comment said. “Get your priorities in check.”

Weiner said later in the week that he continued to find the whole situation humorous — but that he also valued Miles-Sash’s advocacy.

“There are times in life where jokes surrounding bad things that occur can be funny. I think this is one of those situations,” Weiner said. “That’s my personal opinion. I appreciate that Flatbush Girl has been able to use her platform to bring attention and awareness to important issues in our community. It doesn’t matter what her opinion is on a particular matter, I am glad she has the opportunity to share what she feels is right.”

Many of Miles-Sash’s followers expressed support all along, and particularly after she criticized the response from within Orthodoxy, some produced videos denouncing attacks on women, which she shared.

“Please know that you are in the eyes of so many women a true warrior,” wrote Melissa Chapman, an Instagram influencer with over 100,000 followers. Using a Hebrew name for God, she added, “May Hashem continue to give you the strength and fortitude to continue doing the life changing work you are so committed to doing.” 

Whether the flasher targeted an Orthodox women’s event in particular and whether the flasher has any connection to the community is unclear. He used the name of a friend of Miles-Sash to enter the Instagram chat — but he had done the same thing in previous interruptions, she said. Nothing in the limited view of the man’s room indicated a Jewish identity. 

To some, the incident was a reminder of lessons learned during the pandemic’s pivot to online events: Be wary of Zoombombing, as it takes only a single bad actor to derail thousands of people’s experience.

“I tried to kick him off the screen as fast as I could, but even within that full five or six seconds, a lot of damage was done,” Miles-Sash said.

Others are left reflecting on the potential of the Instagram pulpit, which Orthodox women have wielded to fight racism and antisemitism, share medical information and build businesses.

“These women have more followers than any rebbe,” Keats-Jaskoll said. “If Jewish leadership was smart, they would harness the power, passion and potential of Jewish women to improve the community.”


The post Orthodox influencer ‘Flatbush Girl’ seeks arrest of man who flashed her Instagram session appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

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‘Demolishing Gaza’: How the New York Times Rewrites the Story on Instagram

The New York Times building in New York City. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Since Hamas’ brutal takeover of the Gaza Strip, the terrorist organization has made it part of its modus operandi to embed itself in any civilian infrastructure.

In the aftermath of the October 2025 ceasefire, Israel has taken considerable steps to remove existing terrorist infrastructure in areas that fall under IDF control, all within the realms of the agreed terms.

Despite this, The New York Times would like to have its audience believe that Israel is systematically destroying the Gaza Strip, even after the signing of a ceasefire.

In “Israel Is Still Demolishing Gaza, Building by Building,” the Times highlights satellite imagery showing that thousands of structures have been demolished since the October 2025 ceasefire, presenting this as ongoing destruction despite the truce. The framing casts Israel as the all-encompassing villain, while Hamas is effectively granted a free pass.

Perhaps worse, when the New York Times transferred the article to its Instagram feed of nearly 20 million followers, the misleading narrative was blasted with even larger gaps in the story.

The Instagram version omits even the limited factual caveats included in the full article, leaving audiences with a one-sided story that excludes Hamas’ role, its terrorist infrastructure, and the realities driving Israeli operations. What remains is not comprehensive reporting, but a carefully curated narrative designed for maximum emotional impact and minimal accountability.

While the Times portrays the ceasefire as “respite” solely for Palestinian civilians after a “punishing” two-year war, nowhere do the journalists acknowledge that ceasefires are intended to apply to both sides.

More importantly, it was Hamas’ invasion of southern Israel — which was accompanied by rockets and the slaughter of innocent civilians — that began this war. In presenting the war as one against Gazan civilians rather than a campaign against a terrorist organization embedded within civilian areas, the New York Times empties the ceasefire of its reciprocal meaning.

Following Israel’s offensive in Gaza, it became increasingly clear the extent to which Hamas has embedded itself and its military infrastructure within civilian locations.

In fact, the very end of the article quotes a Gazan that blames Hamas for having “militarized civilian spaces.” Naturally, a quote blaming Hamas was omitted from the Instagram carousel and hid until the bottom of the article, ensuring the fewest eyes so as not to sway too far from the narrative of absolving Hamas of wrongdoing.

The New York Times is also acutely aware of the terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, having visited tunnels on a tour with the IDF during the war.

Still, when the IDF showed the Times classified maps displaying Hamas’ tunnel system — particularly in Shejaiya, within the Israeli-controlled area beyond the yellow line — the newspaper claimed it could not “independently verify” their accuracy. The context of Hamas’ vast tunnel network is missing from the Instagram post entirely.

What Instagram users are left with are two satellite images taken in two different locations in the Gaza Strip, both of which show IDF-controlled areas beyond the yellow line. While the photos are described ever so slightly more in depth in the article, the Instagram post hopes to use them as the concluding evidence that Israel is acting against the ceasefire to continue its ruthless destruction of civilian infrastructure. However, because they are beyond the yellow line, not only are there no civilians there, but Israel is within its full right under the ceasefire to remove any existing terrorist infrastructure.

The New York Times‘ Instagram post presents itself as a case study in media literacy — or, more accurately, its absence. Designed for audiences with short attention spans who are unlikely to click through to the full article, the post strips away essential context, leaving users without any meaningful understanding of why or how the IDF has continued military action against Hamas in the wake of the October 2025 ceasefire.

While the article itself omits critical facts, the Instagram post goes even further. By removing what little context remains, it actively misleads its audience, inviting millions of followers to fill in the gaps with assumptions rather than facts. This is not journalism adapted for social media. It is narrative curation that sacrifices accuracy for maximum impact.

The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.

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Fatah Spokesman: Gaza Was ‘Paradise’ Before Oct. 7, and Massacre Wasn’t a Problem — Only Its Scale

Rockets are launched by Palestinian into Israel, amid Israeli-Palestinian fighting in Gaza, August 7, 2022. Photo: Reuters/Mohammed Salem

While the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas may argue among themselves over tactics, timing, and optics, they are united on the core issue — the legitimacy of terror.

In a single radio interview, the Fatah spokesman in the Gaza Strip — representing the ruling party of the PA, which is now positioning itself as a future governing authority in Gaza — revealed three truths that Palestinian leaders usually avoid stating so openly: that Gaza was not an unlivable hell before October 7, that the mass murder of Israelis is not rejected in principle, and that the internal Palestinian debate is about how much terror is useful, not whether terror is acceptable at all.

Fatah Spokesman in the Gaza Strip Mundhir Al-Hayek: ” … The Gaza Strip before Oct. 7 was a paradise. The situation was very good.

But Hamas exploited this and took over all the economic areas and collected taxes, and unfortunately, the result was moving towards the uncalculated October 7. We needed 10% of Oct. 7 to convey a message to the world that the Palestinian people is persecuted and oppressed, and it needs self-determination. But the political leadership [Hamas] failed.” [emphasis added]

[Radio Mawtini (Fatah radio station), Facebook page, Jan. 6, 2026]

Al-Hayek’s admission that “the Gaza Strip before October 7 was a paradise” and that “the situation was very good” directly contradicts two years of Palestinian claims that October 7 was launched in response to unbearable humanitarian conditions or Israeli “siege.”

According to a senior Fatah official speaking from Gaza itself, life there was not only tolerable, but “very good” until Hamas chose war.

Equally revealing is what Al-Hayek did not condemn.

“I’m not talking about the operation itself,” he emphasized, meaning the atrocities of October 7, but only about what followed. The massacre itself is not rejected. It is treated as a given.

As Palestinian Media Watch has documented consistently, the Palestinian Authority does not morally condemn terror overall, nor October 7 in particular.

Instead, it criticizes October 7 for being politically or tactically mishandled. For Al-Hayek, the failure was not the slaughter of civilians, the rapes, the kidnappings, or the mass atrocities, but that Hamas did not “rescue our people” afterward and failed to manage the consequences of the violence it initiated.

Perhaps the most instructive statement came when Al-Hayek argued that the massacre itself was excessive, not unjustified: “We needed 10% of October 7 to convey a message to the world.”

So, what does “10% of October 7” mean? Does it mean kidnapping 25 people instead of 251? Does it mean murdering 120 people instead of over 1,200? Does it mean raping fewer women or burning fewer families alive?

The answer exposes the PA/Fatah’s true ideology, which does not see terror as a moral question but a quantitative one. Indeed, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas described October 7 as an attempt to achieve “important goals,” while his senior advisor Mahmoud Al-Habbash called it “a legitimate thing.”

Al-Hayek’s remarks underscore the PA/Fatah view that terror is acceptable and is constrained only by political utility and cost.

Ephraim D. Tepler is a researcher at Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), where a version of this article first appeared.

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Iran Summons Italian Ambassador Over Push for EU Clampdown on Revolutionary Guards, State Media Says

Members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attend an IRGC ground forces military drill in the Aras area, East Azerbaijan province, Iran, Oct. 17, 2022. Photo: IRGC/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS

The Iranian foreign ministry summoned Italy’s ambassador over efforts by Rome to place Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the European Union’s terrorist register, state media reported on Tuesday.

Iran‘s foreign ministry warned of the “destructive consequences” of any labeling against the Revolutionary Guards and called upon the Italian foreign minister to “correct his ill-considered approaches toward Iran,” the media report said

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday that Italy will ask European Union partners this week to label the IRGC as a terrorist group.

Until now, Rome had been among the governments resisting efforts to brand the IRGC as a terrorist group, but Tajani said a bloody Iranian crackdown on street protests this month that reportedly killed thousands of people could not be ignored.

“The losses suffered by the civilian population during the protests require a clear response,” Tajani wrote on X, adding he would raise the issue on Thursday at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

“I will propose, coordinating with other partners, the inclusion of the Revolutionary Guards on the list of terrorist organizations, as well as individual sanctions against those responsible for these heinous acts.”

Being branded a terrorist group would trigger a set of legal, financial, and diplomatic measures that would significantly constrain the IRGC’s ability to operate in Europe.

Set up after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, the IRGC holds great sway in the country, controlling swathes of the economy and armed forces, and is also in charge of Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs.

While some EU member states have previously pushed for the IRGC to be listed, others have been more cautious, fearing that it could lead to a complete break in ties with Iran, harming any chance of reviving nuclear talks and jeopardizing any hope of getting EU nationals released from Iranian jails.

However, Iran’s violent crackdown on protests has revived the debate and added momentum to discussions about adding the IRGC, which is already included in the bloc’s human rights sanctions regime, to the EU terrorist list.

Italian, French, and Spanish diplomats raised qualms during a meeting in Brussels earlier this month about adding the IRGC to the list, EU diplomats told Reuters at the time.

If France continues to object, then the move to sanction the IRGC will fail, diplomats have said.

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