Connect with us

RSS

The College Protests Are About Chaos, Violence, and Politics — Not Peace

Pro-Hamas demonstrators at Columbia University in New York City, US, April 29, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs

One of the most fascinating ethical narratives of the Talmud (Shabbat 31a) recalls an engaging exchange between Hillel the Elder and a potential convert to Judaism. The non-Jewish inquirer challenges Hillel to summarize the entire Torah as he listens while balancing on one foot, a seemingly impossible task given the vast and intricate nature of the Torah’s teachings.

Hillel’s response is both profound and concise: “Do not treat others in a way that you would find hateful. This is the essence of the Torah — the rest is simply commentary. Now, go and study it.”

Hillel’s principle, which he presented as a condensation of the entire Torah, is a derivation of the Biblical directive in Parshat Kedoshim: “Love your neighbor as [you love] yourself!” (Lev. 19:18). This fundamental ideal of Judaism establishes the core value of reciprocity and mutual respect.

Indeed, Hillel’s interpretation should serve as the cornerstone of ethical consistency in any and every socio-political movement that seeks to improve the lives of the underdog and those on the margins of society. This raises the question: if ideological activists advocate for actions against others that they would deem objectionable if done to them, is this not blatant and fundamental hypocrisy?

This question is particularly pertinent regarding modern neo-Marxist advocates, who often suggest or actively employ extreme tactics to dismantle systems they perceive as oppressive or exploitative. Neo-Marxism is the modern iteration of Marxism and communism, now reimagined and reformulated in the context of present-day socio-economic structures. It expands on Marxist ideology by assimilating concepts from diverse areas of academic study to underscore the significance of culture and ideology as potent tools of control.

Neo-Marxist ideology suggests that capitalist societies not only deliberately sustain economic disparities, but that they also exploit cultural and political establishments to reinforce these inequalities. Neo-Marxists push for the proactive disintegration of these structures in order to establish a social system that dovetails with their radical egalitarian ideology — which, according to them, is the only just form of society. What is so strange is that, to achieve this end, they resort to aggressive and disruptive methods, such as militant civil disobedience, rather than peaceful means.

Over the past few weeks, we have all witnessed the blatant manifestation of ruthless neo-Marxist tactics in the brazen establishment of tent encampments on prestigious college campuses throughout the United States. These encampments, masquerading as displays of solidarity with the Palestinian people, are nothing more than a calculated ploy. Under the guise of advocating for Palestinian rights in the aftermath of Israel’s incursion into Gaza after the Hamas massacre of 1,200 Israelis last October, these encampments are in reality the visible instruments of well-funded Neo-Marxist organizations orchestrating the unrest from behind the scenes.

The ultimate goal of this current neo-Marxist protest spasm is to sow chaos and discord, using the Israel/Palestinian conflict as a Trojan Horse to infiltrate and normalize their radical, anti-Western ideologies. The insidious strategy is to subvert traditional democratic values and impose a dangerous and extremist progressive agenda.

With the current high-profile conflict in Gaza being used as a distraction, Neo-Marxist forces seek to influence those on the left who sympathize with the plight of Palestinians to join forces with their radical agenda, using a clever combination of bait-and-switch manipulation tactics and outright deceit.

Their target audience — hapless students and well-meaning social activists — must not allow themselves to sleepwalk into this trap. And the key to exposing the ugly nature of those behind this campaign must be Hillel the Elder’s ethical maxim, which promotes a universal standard of behavior and empathy above all. In his words: “Do not treat others in a way that you would find hateful.”

Clearly Hillel’s principle stands in stark contrast to current Neo-Marxist tactics — intimidation, disruption, discrimination, and violence. While the protester cheerleaders justify their actions as necessary tools against oppressive systems, would they not find these same tactics reprehensible if used against them?

The exploitation of the Israel-Palestine conflict to propagate Neo-Marxist ideals in Western democracies has revealed a blatant inconsistency. While some “useful idiot” campus activists may see the tent encampments as a legitimate form of protest against what they perceive as injustice against Palestinians, the fact that the leaders of these protests have allowed these protests to descend into anarchy and open Jew-hatred should be the red flag that wakes them up to the true purpose of the campaign.

People who genuinely care for the suffering of the underdog cannot allow themselves to be used as pawns in an ideological war that seeks the destruction of the very freedoms they claim to uphold.

Clearly, there is a profound dissonance between the professed aims of the Neo-Marxists and their tactics. The irony of protesting “occupation” while occupying college campuses is just too obvious not to notice. Utilizing strategies such as force and coercion while advocating against the alleged aggression of Israel towards Palestinians exposes a clear moral inconsistency.

Calling for the destruction of the State of Israel while claiming to care for the establishment of a Palestinian state exposes a clear moral inconsistency.

Accusing Israel of racism and prejudice against a minority population while discriminating against Jewish students on campus who refuse to join their cause exposes a clear moral inconsistency.

The targeting of Jewish individuals or symbols under the banner of anti-Zionism exposes a clear moral inconsistency. And these are just the tip of the iceberg.

Consistency is crucial when it comes to the ethical grounding of socio-political movements. Hillel the Elder’s straightforward yet profound guidance, “Do not treat others in a way that you would find hateful” is a timeless measure for evaluating the morality of those who claim to care for others, particularly in the realm of activism. Neo-Marxist strategies, particularly in recent months, have exposed a significant failure to uphold this ethical standard. And the inconsistencies not only undermine the credibility of the protests, but also hinder their potential to bring about the meaningful and enduring change they claim to represent.

If these social justice protesters were truly interested in being constructive and helping the Palestinians, they would adopt methods that align closely with their own declared ideals – namely, promoting dialogue over confrontation while ensuring the tactics they employ do not mirror the injustices they claim to want to abolish. Critically, they would foster an environment where self-criticism is valued, and ethical consistency is prioritized.

If pro-Palestinian activists held themselves to the same standards they demand of others, they would not only bolster their own moral standing but would also enhance their persuasiveness and appeal. So far, the protesters have rejected any such approach, which only confirms that their true motives — and the motives of their insidious Neo-Marxist paymasters — is anarchy and chaos, and the downfall and destruction of those they have deemed oppressors. In short, we are witnessing a replay of the Marxist-Leninist revolutionary ideals that caused so much misery and suffering in the 20th century, and that we erroneously thought were a thing of the past. Sadly, the fight is far from over — and the sooner we recognize that reality, the better.

The author is a rabbi in Beverly Hills, California.

The post The College Protests Are About Chaos, Violence, and Politics — Not Peace first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Continue Reading

RSS

Haaretz Claim That IDF Was Ordered to Fire on Unarmed Gazans Refuted by Translation Discrepancies, Contradictions, and Eyewitness Accounts

Gazans receiving humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip. Photo: Col. Richard Kemp

A recent Haaretz exposé accusing the Israeli military of ordering troops to fire at unarmed civilians near food aid sites in Gaza relied on mistranslation, selective quotes, factual omissions, and contradictions to construct a narrative of unprovoked Israeli violence, according to independent observers interviewed by The Algemeiner.

Debunking the claim of indiscriminate fire by the IDF, the experts instead described widespread fear of Hamas, not the Israeli military. 

The Haaretz report quickly gained traction in international media. Titled “’It’s a Killing Field’: IDF Soldiers Ordered to Shoot Deliberately at Unarmed Gazans Waiting for Humanitarian Aid,” it was cited by outlets such as NPR, CNN, and Reuters, . 

British military analyst Andrew Fox criticized the article for its framing and language. One of the discrepancies he pointed to was the shift in the English version of the story from soldiers firing “towards” civilians, as stated in the Hebrew original, to “at” them. The original Hebrew subheader also specified that soldiers were told to fire “towards” crowds “to distance them” from the aid sites, suggesting the shooting took place as a means of crowd control. 

“It’s a matter of intent,” Fox told The Algemeiner. The phrase “‘at civilians’ means they are trying to kill them. It’s misleading because they’re firing warnings to avoid harm rather than shooting to cause harm.” 

“Warning shots are something all armies do — we did in Afghanistan — but when you pull the trigger there’s always a risk of harm, and that’s not great,” explained Fox, a think tank researcher and former British Army officer. “Still, there’s a huge difference between that and deliberately targeting civilians.”

Colonel Richard Kemp, a former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, said that “shooting towards,” as in the original Hebrew, was “quite reasonable as a means to exercise crowd control in a war zone.”

“It is highly unlikely the IDF would be ordered to shoot at unarmed civilians unless they directly endangered them,” Kemp told The Algemeiner, citing Israel’s interest in the success of US-backed humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza. “The IDF rigidly follows laws of war. It makes no sense for the IDF to want to damage aid efforts. They cooperate with and facilitate [the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation] and want it to succeed. The ones who want it to fail are Hamas because it deprives them of control and funds. If anyone has been doing this shooting, it would be Hamas. They have the motive the IDF do not.”

There were other discrepancies in the original headline and its translation. Whereas the Hebrew version reads “Soldiers testify: IDF deliberately shoots towards Gazans near aid collection points,” the English version not only omitted any reference to mediating testimony or attribution, but also framed the event as an empirical fact: “IDF soldiers ordered to shoot deliberately at unarmed Gazans waiting for humanitarian aid.” Further, the phrase “waiting for humanitarian aid” may carry specific legal implications under international law, suggesting heightened vulnerability, whereas the Hebrew version referred more vaguely to crowds “near aid collection points.”

The subheader — which claimed soldiers were ordered to fire at unarmed civilians “even when no threat was present” — conflicted with the body of the text, which acknowledged that Israeli soldiers were wounded near the aid distribution zones. One sentence, appearing for the first time in the 21st paragraph, stood out: “There were also fatalities and injuries among IDF soldiers in these incidents.” The piece offered no explanation for how such casualties could occur if, as the article claims, no one else present was armed. 

Elsewhere in the article, a soldier is quoted describing the IDF creating a “killing field,” supposedly involving heavy machine guns, mortars, and grenade launchers. But if such weapons were used with lethal intent, as Fox pointed out in a Substack post, the casualty rate would be far higher than the one to five reported per day. “That’s not a massacre,” he wrote, going on to quip that the only massacre to take place was one of “journalistic standards by Haaretz.”

“Could some soldiers accidentally miss and hit someone?” Fox wrote. “Yes. That is tragic and warrants investigation. However, the article itself acknowledges that the IDF is already examining those incidents. To jump from that to ‘deliberate killing fields’ is not responsible reporting. It is narrative laundering.”

The lack of video footage of the alleged mass shootings near GHF sites raises questions, given the large volume of media typically produced from Gaza, according to Fox, who noted that Hamas has repeatedly circulated images and clips for propaganda purposes. 

“Every Gazan has a mobile phone, and numerous videos of other events have been released,” he wrote. “Why is there a total absence of any credible footage of these supposed IDF combined arms assaults on queuing civilians?”

Kemp, who visited two of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s distribution sites in the days following the report’s publication, described hearing distant gunfire but reported that the aid operation proceeded mostly without disruption. 

Col. Richard Kemp at humanitarian aid site with Gazans. Photo: Provided

“None of the Gazans there showed any concerns [about the IDF] whatsoever,” he said. Many of the civilians identified Hamas, not the IDF, as the main threat to the aid effort — a dynamic not acknowledged in the Haaretz report — telling Kemp they could not return home for fear of being recognized and targeted by Hamas. 

“I must have spoken to at least 50 Gazans at each site,” he said. “Many told me they feared Hamas and Hamas threatened them if they used the sites.” 

Kemp added that the atmosphere was chaotic but manageable, with GHF workers — most of them local Gazans — interfacing directly with the crowds. He described people smiling, holding up food packages, and expressing gratitude for the aid. 

“The overwhelming impression was how grateful they were to be getting free aid for once, as opposed to buying aid looted by Hamas and sold at a premium,” he told The Algemeiner

Many Gazans at the GHF sites who spoke to Kemp voiced hatred for Hamas and praised the US-backed aid effort, with some chanting “kill Hamas” while others said “I love America” or expressed admiration for President Donald Trump. The alignment between Hamas and UN criticism of the food program was “shocking,” Kemp added, particularly given the visible gratitude expressed by many recipients.

“They associate this aid program with the US,” he said. “They seem to like it, whereas Hamas and the UN seem to be its greatest enemies.” 

The post Haaretz Claim That IDF Was Ordered to Fire on Unarmed Gazans Refuted by Translation Discrepancies, Contradictions, and Eyewitness Accounts first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Continue Reading

RSS

Former Australian Nurses Charged Over Threatening Viral Video Banned from NDIS

Illustrative: Supporters of Hamas gather for a rally in Melbourne, Australia. Photo: Reuters/Joel Carrett

Two former Australian nurses who were charged over a viral video in which they allegedly threatened to kill Israeli patients have been banned from working under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), four months after being suspended from their jobs at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital in Sydney.

Earlier this year, Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, both 27, gained international attention after they were seen in an online video posing as doctors and making inflammatory statements during a night shift conversation with Israeli influencer Max Veifer.

The widely circulated footage, which sparked international outrage and condemnation, showed Abu Lebdeh declaring she would refuse to treat Israeli patients and instead kill them, while Nadir made a throat-slitting gesture and claimed he had already killed many.

Following the incident, New South Wales authorities suspended their nursing registrations and banned them from working as nurses nationwide. They are now also prohibited from working with or providing any services — paid or unpaid — to NDIS participants for two years.

This latest ban, which took effect on May 9, applies nationwide and prohibits Nadir and Abu Lebdeh from working with NDIS participants or performing any role for or on behalf of NDIS providers in any Australian state or territory.

Abu Lebdeh was charged with federal offenses, including threatening violence against a group and using a carriage service to threaten, menace, and harass. If convicted, she faces up to 22 years in prison.

Nadir was charged with federal offenses, including using a carriage service to menace, harass, or cause offense, as well as possession of a prohibited drug.

Currently, both of them remain free on bail and have not yet entered any pleas, with a court appearance scheduled for July 29. They’ve been prohibited from leaving Australia or using social media while their cases proceed.

According to Nadir’s lawyer, the video was captured “without the consent and knowledge” of his client, and he intends to argue for its exclusion from court.

“We will be challenging the admissibility of the video recording because it was a private conversation which was recorded by the person overseas without my client’s consent and without his knowledge,” Nadir’s lawyer said. “That video recording was made secretly overseas and was unlawfully obtained.”

This incident, which drew international attention, occurred amid a surge of antisemitic acts across Australia since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began in October 2023, with Jewish institutions targeted in arson attacks and businesses defaced.

Antisemitism spiked to record levels in Australia — especially in Sydney and Melbourne, which are home to some 85 percent of the country’s Jewish population — following Hamas’s Oct. 7 atrocities, with the escalation continuing amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

According to a report from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), the country’s Jewish community experienced over 2,000 antisemitic incidents between October 2023 and September 2024, more than quadrupling from 495 in the prior 12 months.

The number of antisemitic physical assaults in Australia rose from 11 in 2023 to 65 in 2024. The level of antisemitism for the past year was six times the average of the preceding 10 years.

The post Former Australian Nurses Charged Over Threatening Viral Video Banned from NDIS first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Continue Reading

RSS

Boulder Firebomber Charged With Murder Following Death of Victim

Boulder attack suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman poses for a jail booking photograph after his arrest in Boulder, Colorado, June 2, 2025. Photo: Boulder Police Department/Handout via REUTERS

A victim of the antisemitic Boulder, Colorado firebombing died on Monday, prompting local law enforcement to charge suspect Mohamed Soliman with murder in the first degree.

“Severe injuries” caused the death of Karen Diamond, 82, the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office (BCDA) said on Monday in a statement. She was one of 13 people injured when Soliman hurled Molotov cocktails into a crowd of Jewish people who were participating in a demonstration to raise awareness of the hostages who remain imprisoned by Hamas in Gaza. Her death adds five new charges to the over 200 federal and state criminal charges which could lock Soliman away for over 600 years.

“These additional charges, including the counts of First Degree Murder, are being filed after consultation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Boulder Police Department,” said the DA’s office, adding that it “continues to work closely with federal, state, and local partners in the strong response to this attack. We stand united against acts of antisemitism and hate.”

“This horrific attack has now claimed the life of an innocent person who was beloved by her family and friends,” said Michal Dougherty, district attorney of Boulder County. “Our hearts are with the Diamond family during this incredibly difficult time. Our office will fight for justice for the victims, their loved ones, and the community. Part of what makes Colorado special is that people come together in response to a tragedy; I know that the community will continue to unite in supporting the Diamond family and all the victims of this attack.”

Prosecutors said in May that Soliman yelled “Free Palestine” during the attack, and, according to court documents, told investigators that he wanted to “kill all Zionist people.”

That incident came less than two weeks after a gunman murdered two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, DC, while they were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum hosted by the American Jewish Committee. The suspect charged for the double murder, 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, also yelled “Free Palestine” while being arrested by police after the shooting, according to video of the incident. The FBI affidavit supporting the criminal charges against Rodriguez stated that he told law enforcement he “did it for Gaza.”

In Garret Park, Maryland, a middle-aged man, Clift A. Seferlis, was recently arrested by federal authorities for sending a series of threatening messages to Jewish organizations in Philadelphia. Seferlis referenced the war in Gaza in his communications.

“The Victim Jewish Institution 1 received numerous additional messages since April 1, 2024, which contained a threat to physically destroy the institution,” the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said in a statement. “Prior to the receipt of the May 7, 2025, mailing, Victim Jewish Institution 1 and its employees had received very similar-looking letters, believed to have been sent by Seferlis, which referenced Victim Jewish Institution 1’s ‘many big open windows,’ ‘Kristallnacht,’ ‘anger and rage,’ and a future need to ‘rebuild’ the institution following its destruction.”

Another antisemitic incident motivated by anti-Zionism occurred in San Francisco, where Juan Diaz-Rivas, Alejandro Flores-Lamas, and others law enforcement is working to identify, allegedly beat up a Jewish victim in the middle of the night. Diaz-Rivas and Flores-Lamas, along with their associates, approached the victim while shouting “F—ck the Jews, Free Palestine,” according to the office of the San Francis district attorney.

“[O]ne of them punched the victim, who fell to the ground, hit his head and lost consciousness,” the district attorney’s office said in a statement. “Allegedly, Mr. Diaz-Rivas and others in the group continued to punch and kick the victim while he was down. A worker at a nearby business heard the altercation and antisemitic language and attempted to intervene. While trying to help the victim, he was kicked and punched.”

According to data released by the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) latest Audit of Antisemitic Incidents in April, antisemitism in the US is surging to break “all previous annual records.”

In 2024 alone, the ADL recorded 9,354 antisemitic incidents — an average of 25.6 a day — across the US, an eruption of hatred not recorded in the nearly thirty years since the organization began tracking such data in 1979. Incidents of harassment, vandalism, and assault all increased by double digits, and for the first time ever a majority of outrages — 58 percent — were related to the existence of Israel as the world’s only Jewish state.

The Algemeiner parsed the ADL data, finding dramatic rises in incidents on college campuses, which saw the largest growth in 2024. The 1,694 incidents tallied by the ADL amounted to an 84 percent increase over the previous year. Additionally, antisemites were emboldened to commit more offenses in public in 2024 than they did in 2023, perpetrating 19 percent more attacks on Jewish people, pro-Israel demonstrators, and businesses perceived as being Jewish-owned or affiliated with Jews.

“In 2024, hatred toward Israel was a driving force behind antisemitism across the US, with more than half of all antisemitic incidents referencing Israel or Zionism,” Oren Segal, ADL senior vice president for counter-extremism and intelligence, said when the report was released. “These incidents, along with all those documented in the audit, serve as a clear reminder that silence is not an option. Good people must stand up, push back, and confront antisemitism wherever it appears. And that starts with understanding what fuels it and learning to recognize it in all its forms.”

Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.

The post Boulder Firebomber Charged With Murder Following Death of Victim first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Continue Reading

Copyright © 2017 - 2023 Jewish Post & News