RSS
This US Social Media Influencer Went to Lebanon to Praise Hezbollah; Will He Faces US Consequences?
Funeral ceremony for former Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, outskirts of Beirut, Feb. 23, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani
There are attention-seekers, and then there’s Jackson Hinkle — a man who has built a career on peddling Hamas propaganda, and whatever conspiracy theory happens to be trending on social media.
Now, he’s taken his online extremism into the real world with a trip to Lebanon, where he attended the funeral of eliminated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, seizing the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the Iranian regime’s most senior terror proxies.
This isn’t just another performative social media stunt. Hinkle, who has been banned twice from Meta platforms thanks to HonestReporting’s efforts to push for enforcement of their own community guidelines, isn’t just firing off tweets about his adoration for Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida — he’s an American citizen physically engaging with US-designated terrorist organizations.
Before paying his respects to Nasrallah, he traveled across the region, referring to Hezbollah and Hamas operatives as his “brothers.” And because no terror pilgrimage would be complete without souvenirs, Hinkle was spotted purchasing Hezbollah merchandise, proudly sporting the group’s signature yellow scarf.
Aside from highlighting the sheer depth of Hinkle’s ignorance (bear in mind, this is a man who had never mentioned Palestinians before October 7, 2023, and recently claimed Jordan shares a border with Gaza), his actions could also be illegal.
Under US Federal law, providing material support to designated terrorist organizations isn’t protected under the First Amendment. If Hinkle’s little terror tourism adventure involved financial transactions, coordination, or any form of logistical aid, he might find himself in legal jeopardy.
Material support specifically includes services and expert advice. Given Hinkle’s clear expertise at marketing and social media, is he providing Hezbollah with free publicity?
From Online Clown to Hezbollah Cheerleader
Hinkle’s latest stunt is just the latest evolution in his career of online grifting. Before October 7, he was best known for parroting Russian disinformation. His contradictory political outlook is perhaps best demonstrated in his self-description as an “American Conservative Marxist-Leninist” — a phrase that should have been the first clue that he’s less of a serious political commentator and more of a clueless provocateur.
Then, on the morning of Hamas’ October 7 massacre in Israel, something changed. Hinkle, sensing an opportunity, went all in on pro-Hamas propaganda. His reward? A staggering rise in followers, jumping from 417,000 to over 2.3 million in just a couple of months.
Yet, despite his track record of falsehoods, social media platforms have been slow to act. Elon Musk promised demonetization for accounts spreading misinformation, and while some of Hinkle’s most blatant lies have been fact-checked via X’s Community Notes, the damage has already been done. Hinkle has turned hate and disinformation into a lucrative business, and now he’s taken that act offline.
Terror Tourism or Something More? The John Walker Lindh Parallels
Hinkle’s embrace of Hezbollah might seem like an isolated case of a grifter playing revolutionary, but history tells us where this dark path can lead. Consider the story of John Walker Lindh, the so-called “American Taliban” who was radicalized by extremist ideology abroad.
It’s unlikely that Hinkle — who prefers to pair his keffiyeh with a suit rather than battlefield fatigues — will follow the same trajectory as Lindh. But the case of Lindh does, however, serve as an example of how the US government has previously used its laws to intervene. Lindh was ultimately sentenced to 20 years in prison for aiding the Taliban and was released in 2019 after serving 17 years.
But Israeli legal scholar Professor Avi Bell told HonestReporting that there would need to be strong evidence to show Hinkle had provided “material support” to proscribed terror organizations during his time in Lebanon.
Hinkle’s so-called terrorist “brothers” are not just a threat to Israel; they have been responsible for attacks on American and European soil as well. From Al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks to ISIS-inspired vehicle rammings like the New Orleans truck attack, extremist violence has spanned continents.
As tensions in the Middle East escalate, it is crucial to assess whether current legal frameworks are sufficient to address individuals who amplify and legitimize Islamic extremism under the guise of “anti-imperialist” activism.
Lindh’s case set a precedent for how US law applies when American citizens engage with foreign terror groups. The question now is whether authorities will recognize the risks posed by similar individuals before their influence leads to greater consequences.
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.
The post This US Social Media Influencer Went to Lebanon to Praise Hezbollah; Will He Faces US Consequences? first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Iran Says It Has Replaced Air Defenses Damaged in Israel War
The S-300 missile system is seen during the National Army Day parade ceremony in Tehran, Iran, April 17, 2024. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Iran has replaced air defenses damaged during last month’s conflict with Israel, Iran’s Defah Press news agency reported on Sunday quoting Mahmoud Mousavi, the regular army’s deputy for operations.
During the conflict in June, Israel’s air force dominated Iran’s airspace and dealt a heavy blow to the country’s air defenses while Iranian armed forces launched successive barrages of missiles and drones on Israeli territory.
“Some of our air defenses were damaged, this is not something we can hide, but our colleagues have used domestic resources and replaced them with pre-arranged systems that were stored in suitable locations in order to keep the airspace secure,” Mousavi said.
Prior to the war, Iran had its own domestically-made long-range air defense system Bavar-373 in addition to the Russian-made S-300 system. The report by Defah Press did not mention any import of foreign-made air defense systems to Iran in past weeks.
Following limited Israeli strikes against Iranian missile factories last October, Iran later displayed Russian-made air defenses in a military exercise to show it recovered from the attack.
The post Iran Says It Has Replaced Air Defenses Damaged in Israel War first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Calm Reported in Syria’s Sweida, Damascus Says Truce Holding
Members of Internal Security Forces stand guard at an Internal Security Forces’ checkpoint working to prevent Bedouin fighters from advancing towards Sweida, following renewed fighting between Bedouin fighters and Druze gunmen, despite an announced truce, in Walgha, Sweida province, Syria, July 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Karam al-Masri
Residents reported calm in Syria’s Sweida on Sunday after the Islamist-led government announced that Bedouin fighters had withdrawn from the predominantly Druze city and a US envoy signaled that a deal to end days of fighting was being implemented.
With hundreds reported killed, the Sweida bloodshed is a major test for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, prompting Israel to launch airstrikes against government forces last week as it declared support for the Druze. Fighting continued on Saturday despite a ceasefire call.
Interior Minister Anas Khattab said on Sunday that internal security forces had managed to calm the situation and enforce the ceasefire, “paving the way for a prisoner exchange and the gradual return of stability throughout the governorate.”
Reuters images showed interior ministry forces near the city, blocking the road in front of members of tribes congregated there. The Interior Ministry said late on Saturday that Bedouin fighters had left the city.
US envoy Tom Barrack said the sides had “navigated to a pause and cessation of hostilities”. “The next foundation stone on a path to inclusion, and lasting de-escalation, is a complete exchange of hostages and detainees, the logistics of which are in process,” he wrote on X.
Kenan Azzam, a dentist, said there was an uneasy calm but the city’s residents were struggling with a lack of water and electricity. “The hospitals are a disaster and out of service, and there are still so many dead and wounded,” he said by phone.
Another resident, Raed Khazaal, said aid was urgently needed. “Houses are destroyed … The smell of corpses is spread throughout the national hospital,” he said in a voice message to Reuters from Sweida.
The Syrian state news agency said an aid convoy sent to the city by the government was refused entry while aid organized by the Syrian Red Crescent was let in. A source familiar with the situation said local factions in Sweida had turned back the government convoy.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported on Sunday that Israel sent urgent medical aid to the Druze in Sweida and the step was coordinated with Washington and Syria. Spokespeople for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Foreign Ministry and the military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Druze are a small but influential minority in Syria, Israel and Lebanon who follow a religion that is an offshoot of a branch of Shi’ite Islam. Some hardline Sunnis deem their beliefs heretical.
The fighting began a week ago with clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters. Damascus sent troops to quell the fighting, but they were drawn into the violence and accused of widespread violations against the Druze.
Residents of the predominantly Druze city said friends and neighbours were shot at close range in their homes or in the streets by Syrian troops, identified by their fatigues and insignia.
Sharaa on Thursday promised to protect the rights of Druze and to hold to account those who committed violations against “our Druze people.”
He has blamed the violence on “outlaw groups.”
While Sharaa has won US backing since meeting President Donald Trump in May, the violence has underscored the challenge he faces stitching back together a country shattered by 14 years of conflict, and added to pressures on its mosaic of sectarian and ethnic groups.
COASTAL VIOLENCE
After Israel bombed Syrian government forces in Sweida and hit the defense ministry in Damascus last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had established a policy demanding the demilitarization of territory near the border, stretching from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to the Druze Mountain, east of Sweida.
He also said Israel would protect the Druze.
The United States however said it did not support the Israeli strikes. On Friday, an Israeli official said Israel agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to the Sweida area for two days.
A Syrian security source told Reuters that internal security forces had taken up positions near Sweida, establishing checkpoints in western and eastern parts of the province where retreating tribal fighters had gathered.
On Sunday, Sharaa received the report of an inquiry into violence in Syria’s coastal region in March, where Reuters reported in June that Syrian forces killed 1,500 members of the Alawite minority following attacks on security forces.
The presidency said it would review the inquiry’s conclusions and ensure steps to “bring about justice” and prevent the recurrence of “such violations.” It called on the inquiry to hold a news conference on its findings – if appropriate – as soon as possible.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights said on July 18 it had documented the deaths of at least 321 people in Sweida province since July 13. The preliminary toll included civilians, women, children, Bedouin fighters, members of local groups and members of the security forces, it said, and the dead included people killed in field executions by both sides.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, another monitoring group, has reported a death toll of at least 940 people.
Reuters could not independently verify the tolls.
The post Calm Reported in Syria’s Sweida, Damascus Says Truce Holding first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Pope Leo Calls for End to ‘Barbarity of War’ After Strike on Gaza Church
Pope Leo XIV leads the Angelus prayer in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, July 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Yara Nardi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Pope Leo called for an end to the “barbarity of war” on Sunday as he spoke of his profound pain over an Israeli strike on the sole Catholic church in Gaza.
Three people died and several were injured, including the parish priest, in the strike on the Holy Family Church compound in Gaza City on Thursday. Photos show its roof has been hit close to the main cross, scorching the stone facade, and shattering windows.
Speaking after his Angelus prayer, Leo read out the names of those killed in the incident.
“I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, of indiscriminate use of force and forced displacement of the population,” he said.
The post Pope Leo Calls for End to ‘Barbarity of War’ After Strike on Gaza Church first appeared on Algemeiner.com.