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The Media Whitewashes Columbia Student Group’s Support of Oct. 7 Massacre

Pro-Hamas protesters at Columbia University on April 19, 2024. Photo: Melissa Bender via Reuters Connect

Mahmoud Khalil, the Syrian-born Columbia University graduate and US permanent resident, was detained last weekend by US immigration officers and faces deportation for his activism on behalf of a student organization, Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), which supports Hamas — a US designated terror group.

Attorneys representing Khalil have challenged his arrest and planned deportation, and a US Federal court is set to begin hearing the case soon.

While the legal issues are complex, the move is seen as part of a broader attempt by the US administration to combat the surge in antisemitism and pro-terror activities on college campuses after the Oct. 7th massacre. While Khalil has become a cause célèbre at The Guardian, an outlet that’s institutionally incapable of seeing antisemitism within the anti-Israel movement, the BBC’s reporting on the row hasn’t been much better — particularly in their failure to report on the extremism of the anti-Israel group in question.

The BBC has published three articles on Khalil’s arrest, two of which mentioned CUAD. The first piece, “Who is Mahmoud Khalil, Palestinian student activist facing US deportation?,” March 12, written by BBC News senior editor Phil McCausland, mentions the group in this sentence:

Activists supporting Israel have accused Mr Khalil of being a leader of Columbia University Apartheid Divest (Cuad), a student group that demanded, among other things, the university to divest from its financial ties to Israel and a ceasefire in Gaza. [emphasis added]

The second piece, “Lawyers argue over moving detained pro-Gaza Columbia activist,” March 12, is co-written by McCausland and Madeline Halpert, as US based BBC reporter, introduces the group here:

Critics have accused him of leading Columbia University Apartheid Divest (Cuad) – a student group that demanded the school divest from Israel and called for a ceasefire in Gaza – which the Palestinian activist has denied.

First, Khalil’s involvement with CUAD is not in dispute. Moreover, contrary to the BBC’s benign framing of the group, CUAD, a coalition of far-left and anti-Israel student organizations, calls for Israel’s annihilation, and openly supports terror, including the Oct. 7th massacre.

Here’s a screenshot from the end of CUAD’s Substack article on Oct. 17th, 2024:

A November 7th CUAD Substack article included a tribute to Hamas Oct. 7th mastermind Yayah Sinwar, as well as an expression of support for the PFLP terror group. Here’s a screenshot of the piece’s table of contents:

Here’s another snapshot from that article:

The CUAD tribute described Sinwar as a “brave man” who will live in the hearts of many, and praised the October 7 Massacre as “Sinwar’s crowning achievement.”

Indeed, other mainstream outlets – including the Associated Press and New York Times – have published articles on Khalil which reported clearly that CUAD voices support for Hamas and their Oct. 7th massacre, which the group has called a “moral and military victory”.

Finally, in addition to supporting the most lethal and barbaric antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust, CUAD has called for the “eradication of Western civilization”.

The fact that the BBC chose to ignore widely available information of CUAD’s full-throated support for violent extremists who seek the mass murder of Jews, and instead told readers that the group merely supports a “ceasefire” and the boycott of Israel, is appalling, but should surprise nobody.

The author is the co-editor of CAMERA UK — an affiliate of the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA), where a version of this article first appeared.

The post The Media Whitewashes Columbia Student Group’s Support of Oct. 7 Massacre first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Surge of Antisemitic Incidents Rocks France Amid Growing Security Concerns

The Paris Holocaust Memorial, three synagogues, and a Jewish restaurant were all vandalized with green paint last weekend. Photo: Screenshot

France has been hit by a wave of antisemitic incidents in recent days, despite increased security at Jewish sites nationwide following last month’s antisemitic shooting in Washington, DC — prompting urgent calls from the country’s Jewish community for stronger government action amid growing fears of escalating violence.

On Friday, a French rabbi was violently assaulted by three drunken individuals in the town of Deauville, located in the Normandy region of northwestern France.

According to local police, Rabbi Eli Lemel — a prominent figure in French Jewry — was attacked around 3:30 pm by three men who approached him, repeatedly punched him in the stomach, and shouted antisemitic slurs.

French authorities have launched an investigation into the assault, but no arrests have been made so far.

After the incident, Lemel called on the Jewish community to draw spiritual strength amid the increasing hostility that Jews are facing across France.

“I’m deeply moved by the outpouring of support following the attack. Thank God, I’m okay,” the Jewish leader wrote in a post on X. “I was struck and verbally abused in a language I didn’t understand.”

In a separate incident, a 21-year-old man was arrested on Saturday after climbing a synagogue in the town of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine in north-central France, removing an Israeli flag from its façade, and attempting to set it on fire.

According to local media, the suspect — who was already known to authorities for prior offenses — confessed to committing the attack and admitted to being intoxicated at the time.

French police confirmed that the man is being charged with trespassing in a place of worship, theft by climbing, and causing damage to property on religious grounds.

The local Jewish community has voiced deep concern following this incident, viewing it as part of a broader surge in hostility targeting Jewish institutions across France.

Sandrine Dos Santos, the city’s mayor, expressed “[her] solidarity, as well as that of the city, toward the Jewish community directly targeted by these unacceptable antisemitic acts.”

“Faced with the increase in violence, our commitment against discrimination remains unwavering and will not waver. We repeat it loud and clear: no form of racism or rejection of others has a place in Poissy,” the French leader said.

In a separate incident on Saturday, three Serbs were arrested near Antibes in southeastern France, suspected of painting several Jewish community buildings green in Paris — an act currently under investigation as possible foreign interference.

Last weekend, the Paris Holocaust Memorial, three synagogues, and a Jewish restaurant were all vandalized with green paint in an incident denounced by the French government.

On Monday, an elementary school in Lyon, east-central France, was set on fire and defaced with antisemitic and pro-Palestinian slogans, as well as swastikas, marking one of the latest antisemitic incidents to impact France in recent days.

As the school had no direct connections to the Jewish community, local police have launched an investigation to determine the motive behind the attack.

French authorities reported that the fire was limited to the outdoor bathrooms, causing no significant damage to the school. They also found antisemitic graffiti and swastikas in three classrooms.

Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF), denounced the attack, saying that “the Palestinian cause is used as justification for burning down a school” and that the “Nazification of Israel serves as fuel for crass antisemitism.”

“When a populist pro-Palestinian narrative is allowed to take hold, it is French Jews who ultimately pay the price,” Arfi wrote in a post on X. “The twisted use of the Palestinian cause is turning into a rallying cry of hatred against both Jews and the Republic itself.”

Beyond France, other European countries have also experienced a surge in antisemitic incidents in recent weeks.

On Monday, several headstones were vandalized at a Jewish cemetery in a suburb of Belgrade, located in north-central Serbia, marking the second such incident in the country in recent weeks.

The post Surge of Antisemitic Incidents Rocks France Amid Growing Security Concerns first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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US Vetoes UN Security Council Demand for Gaza Ceasefire

Smoke rises from Gaza after an explosion, as seen from Israel, June 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen

The United States vetoed a UN Security Council demand on Wednesday for an “immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire” between Israel and Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza and unhindered aid access across the enclave.

“The United States has been clear we would not support any measure that fails to condemn Hamas and does not call for Hamas to disarm and leave Gaza,” Acting US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea told the council before the vote.

“This resolution would undermine diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire that reflects the realities on the ground, and embolden Hamas,” she said of the text that was put forward by 10 countries on the 15-member council.

The remaining 14 council members voted in favor of the draft resolution.

Israel has rejected calls for an unconditional or permanent ceasefire, saying Hamas cannot stay in Gaza. It has renewed its military offensive in Gaza – also seeking to free hostages held by Hamas – since ending a two-month ceasefire in March.

The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 people in Israel in an Oct. 7 attack and took some 250 hostages back to the enclave.

The post US Vetoes UN Security Council Demand for Gaza Ceasefire first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Trump Picks Lawyer Who Called Oct. 7 Attack a ‘Psyop’ to Lead Federal Watchdog Agency

Paul Ingrassia (Source: Youtube- AMAC - Association of Mature American Citizens)

Paul Ingrassia. Photo: Screenshot

Paul Ingrassia, a 29-year-old lawyer who was recently nominated by US President Donald Trump to lead a federal agency dedicated to combating corruption and protecting whistleblowers, seemingly dismissed the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2o23, invasion of and massacre across southern Israel as a “psyop,” or “psychological operation, in resurfaced social media posts. 

“This ‘war’ is yet another psyop to distract Americans from celebrating Columbus Day,” Ingrassia wrote on X/Twitter on Oct. 8, 2023. 

“I think we could all admit at this stage that Israel/Palestine, much like Ukraine before it, and BLM before that, and covid/vaccine before that, was another psyop,” he posted a week later. “But sadly, people fell for it. And they’ll fall for the next one too.”

On the actual day of the Oct. 7 massacre, Ingrassia compared illegal immigration into the US to the Hamas-led onslaught.

“The amount of energy everyone has put into condemning Hamas (and prior to that, the Ukraine conflict) over the past 24 hours should be the same amount of energy we put into condemning our wide open border, which is a war comparable to the attack on Israel in terms of bloodshed — but made worse by the fact that it’s occurring in our very own backyard,” he posted. “We shouldn’t be beating the war drum, however tragic the events may be overseas, until we resolve our domestic problems first.”

Trump announced last week that he picked Ingrassia to serve as head of the US Office of Special Counsel, a position that requires confirmation by the Senate.

The Office of Special Counsel is an independent federal ethics agency that works to ensure fairness and accountability within the government. Ingrassia’s role, if he is confirmed, would involve investigating claims of wrongdoing, such as retaliation against whistleblowers or improper political activity in the workplace. The official can recommend disciplinary action and reports serious findings to Congress, helping to protect federal employees and uphold the integrity of the civil service system.

Ingrassia also maintains a relationship with and defends alleged sex trafficker Andrew Tate, who has promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories on social media. Tate wrote on X/Twitter that he refuses to “listen to women, Mexicans, or Jews” and that Jewish people are “subverting Western populations into mass genetic suicide” by advancing what he described as misguided immigration policy. Tate has also accused Israel of committing a “genocide” in Gaza against Palestinians and engaged in Holocaust denialism. 

The furor surrounding Ingrassia is the latest dustup the Trump administration has had regarding controversial personnel and antisemitism.

The Trump administration’s appointment of Kingsley Wilson as deputy press secretary at the Department of Defense also sparked widespread criticism due to her history of promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories and extremist views. Wilson, formerly associated with the Center for Renewing America, has a documented history of social media posts endorsing white supremacist ideologies, including claims about the 1915 lynching of Leo Frank — a Jewish man whose wrongful conviction and subsequent murder galvanized the founding of the Anti-Defamation League. In 2023, she tweeted that Frank “raped & murdered a 13-year-old girl,” a statement aligning with neo-Nazi narratives.

Late last month, the Pentagon announced that Wilson will be promoted and serve as the department’s new press secretary.

The post Trump Picks Lawyer Who Called Oct. 7 Attack a ‘Psyop’ to Lead Federal Watchdog Agency first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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