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The ACLU’s Egregiously Dishonest Attack on CAMERA for Exposing Georgetown Academics
In Washington, DC, on March 23, 2025, a group of Georgetown University students and community leaders protest against ICE, MPD, and other law enforcement agencies on the college campus and call for the release of the Georgetown scholar facing deportation by DHS. Photo: Andrew Thomas via Reuters Connect.
Double standards are anathema to civil liberties. Yet the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which claims to protect the latter, instead exemplifies the former. Consider its recent attacks on CAMERA.
The ACLU has been a leading voice advancing the narrative that the Jewish community uses charges of antisemitism to silence criticism of Israel. For example, in a 2023 letter, the ACLU wrote: “the clear objective behind the promotion of the IHRA definition [of antisemitism] is the suppression of non-violent protest, activism, and criticism of Israel and/or Zionism…”
Contrast this with the ACLU of Virginia’s defense strategy for its client Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University academic facing deportation. In short, the ACLU has resorted to accusations of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian bigotry to suppress activism against and criticism of terrorism.
In court documents and public statements, the ACLU claims that Suri and his Palestinian-American wife, Mapheze Saleh, have been targeted because of their “Muslim religion” and Saleh’s “national origin.”[1] In this regard, the ACLU singles out CAMERA, calling it a “group that spreads misinformation and seeks to discredit American Muslims.” According to the ACLU, CAMERA was a leading player in the “racist and Islamophobic doxxing” and “smear campaigns” that led to Suri being detained by immigration authorities.
What is the ACLU’s evidence of CAMERA’s anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian motivations? None is provided.
Unable to contend with the evidence CAMERA uncovered regarding the histories of both Suri and Saleh, the ACLU resorted to a cynical — and exceedingly hypocritical — smear to misdirect both the court and the public.
To comprehend the level of the ACLU’s dishonesty, it’s worth exploring the other ways in which the once well-respected organization resorted to lies, omissions, and rhetorical sleights of hand to mislead both the court and the public.
In February, CAMERA exposed that Saleh, the daughter of a senior Hamas official, had herself worked with entities directly tied to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. Shortly after, another organization, Middle East Forum, exposed several reprehensible social media posts by her husband, Suri. In March, Suri, an Indian national, was detained by immigration authorities and now faces deportation. Further research by CAMERA uncovered evidence that Suri had participated in a 2010-2011 “convoy” organized by a terrorist organization, IHH[2], for the purpose of aiding Hamas. CAMERA also uncovered years of public statements by Saleh and Suri spreading hate-filled rhetoric and propaganda.
So how does the ACLU mislead?
Start with one of the more egregious sleights of hand. In its court filings, the ACLU almost never uses the word “Hamas,” instead referring to the “Gazan government.” This enables a series of deceptive claims, going beyond the obvious effort to sanitize the terrorist backgrounds of Suri’s family.
Consider, for example, its description of Saleh’s father, Ahmed Yousef: “Mr. Ahmed Yousef is an academic. Between 2006 and until he retired from civil service in 2010, he worked as a political advisor to the Prime Minister of Gaza and as deputy foreign minister in Gaza.” But it’s not Yousef’s affiliation with “civil service” that matters; it’s his affiliation with Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization, of which the “Gazan government” is but one component. Notably avoided through this wording is whether Yousef is still a part of the US-designated terrorist organization.
In another case, the ACLU uses rhetorical sleight of hand to give the court both a lie and the truth in the same document. In a declaration to the court by Saleh, it states: “A website claimed falsely that my husband and I have ‘ties to Hamas.’” But CAMERA’s claim isn’t false, as Saleh’s own declaration proves. In it, she admits that she “was working in the Foreign Ministry of Gaza,” a Hamas entity, in 2011.
Regarding Suri, the ACLU describes his 2010-2011 terror convoy as simply a “humanitarian aid convoy.” Omitted is that the convoy was organized by another terrorist organization that was openly collaborating with Hamas for the express purpose of trying to help the latter “break the siege” (i.e., the blockade lawfully imposed on Gaza to halt the flow of weapons to Hamas, which had already launched over 5,000 rockets at Israel).
The ACLU uses the same misleading tactics to sanitize the extremist rhetoric of both Saleh and Suri.
Saleh, for example, is depicted as simply “express[ing] sorrow for the deaths of Gazan people.” Omitted is that she repeatedly expressed glee at the murder of Israelis. In one case, she approvingly reposted a Hamas propaganda video promising to murder Israeli civilian hostages.
Suri, too, is described simply as “an academic dedicated to ending wars and finding just and peaceful solutions to conflicts” and “expressing support for the Palestinian people.” But these descriptions are contradicted by Suri’s actual history. Recall that he engaged in a celebratory pose with Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas terrorist leader known for such “peaceful” rhetoric as: “we need the blood of women, children, and the elderly of Gaza so it awakens our revolutionary spirit!” and “we will never recognize Israel!” Suri himself has stated: “What Ismail Haniyeh is doing … is no different from what any national leader would do…”
Common sense dictates that people dedicated to peace and justice do not lionize senior terrorists who deliberately target civilians for murder.
But it’s worth highlighting that the ACLU’s focus on Suri and Saleh’s public expressions is itself misleading. CAMERA did not target Suri and Saleh for their speech; we targeted them for their conduct on behalf of and in support of a terrorist organization. It is this simple fact which the ACLU goes to such lengths to obfuscate. Working for and aiding terrorists is not a civil liberty. On the contrary, it is a very real threat to our freedoms.
The ACLU is entitled to zealously represent its client, Badar Khan Suri. But when it so casually resorts to dishonesty, the public is entitled to question the organization’s credibility. More fundamentally, when a “civil liberties” advocacy organization applies separate standards depending on a group’s religious identity or national origin, the public is entitled to question its fidelity to the cause.
David M. Litman is a Senior Higher Education Analyst at the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA).
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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.”
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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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