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US Consulate in Australia Vandalized With Pro-Hamas Graffiti
Aftermath of vandalism on the US Consulate in Sydney, Australia, on June 10, 2024. Photo: Screenshot
The US consulate in Sydney, Australia was vandalized on Monday by an unidentified man carrying a sledgehammer who defaced the building in what appeared to be a pro-Hamas demonstration.
A US spokesperson for the consulate confirmed in a statement that Sydney police are investigating the incident after discovering that the windows of the consulate had been struck by a hammer, creating nine holes in the glass, and that two inverted red triangles were spray-painted onto the building.
The inverted red triangle has become a common symbol at pro-Hamas rallies. The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, has used inverted red triangles in its propaganda videos to indicate Israeli targets about to be attacked, and anti-Israel protesters on university campuses have been using the symbol in their demonstrations. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), “the red triangle is now used to represent Hamas itself and glorify its use of violence.”
Hamas propaganda showing the targeting of an Israeli tank in Rafah with a red triangle. Photo: Screenshot from X/Twitter
In response to Monday’s attack, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the vandalism, urging anti-Israel protesters to “turn the heat down.”
“I would just say that people should have respectful political debate and discourse,” Albanese said in a televised media conference from Canberra. “Measures such as painting the US consulate do nothing to advance the cause of those who have committed what is of course a crime to damage property.”
Monday was not the first time the US Consulate in Sydney has been vandalized. In April, vandals spray-painted “freee [sic] Palestine” on the side of the consulate.
The party responsible for the latest attack, captured on camera wearing a black hoodie, remains at large. Consular operations have remained unaffected by the incident, according to the US spokesperson.
The vandalism came after a weekend of both pro- and anti-Israel protests across Australia after the rescue of four Israeli hostages from Gaza. About 1,000 pro-Hamas demonstrators gathered in Sydney’s Hyde Park. Meanwhile, in Melbourne, Adam Brandt — the leader of the left-wing Greens Party — declared that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute a”“war crime.” Victorian police deployed tear gas to clear out pro-Hamas protesters.
Melbourne is no stranger to such activism. Last year, anti-Israel activists gathered for an angry demonstration outside a hotel in the city, where a delegation of the families of Israelis murdered and abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7 were staying, forcing them to evacuate and discuss different security arrangements with police.
However, amid a spike in antisemitic outrages in Australia following the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre in southern Israel, numerous prominent Australians have openly declared support for the Jewish community.
Jacob Frankel is working as an intern for The Algemeiner before heading to law school.
The post US Consulate in Australia Vandalized With Pro-Hamas Graffiti first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Dozens of Terrorists Eliminated in Central Gaza, Weapons Seized from UN School in Raid
Some rises after an Israeli strike as Israeli forces launch a ground and air operation in the eastern part of Rafah, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 7, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
i24 News – Israel Defense Forces continue to operate in the Shejaiya area at the same time as fighting in the Rafah area and in the center of the Gaza Strip, the army said.
In the Shejaiya area, forces of the 98th Division attacked dozens of terrorist sites with the help of airstrikes from the Israel Air Force.
Over the weekend, Israeli soldiers raided a UN school in Shejaiya, where terrorists hid and stored weapons, grenades and valuable intelligence documents
This is yet another example of how Gazan terrorists use civilian structures to carry out attacks against Israeli forces pic.twitter.com/9oA9KLJehC
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) June 30, 2024
A UN school was raided where terrorists hid and stored weapons, grenades, and sensitive documents. In addition, a Hamas command center was discovered in a clinic.
Since Saturday, division forces located weapons, raided and captured terrorist compounds, and eliminated a number of terrorists.
IDF strikes Hamas target in Gaza
Israeli forces continue to operate in the Shejaiya area while continuing to push in Rafah and in central Gaza
The IDF attacked and destroyed a mortar launch position located within a tunnel shaft in Rafah pic.twitter.com/JqTACvuMys
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) June 30, 2024
The 162nd Division meanwhile continues in the Rafah area, eliminating a number of terrorists in various encounters and destroying tunnel shafts in the area.
The 99th Division 99 the center of the Gaza Strip carried out raids and destroyed terrorist infrastructure in the area.
Also on Saturday, an airstrikes destroyed a mortar launch position located inside a tunnel shaft in Rafah.
The post Dozens of Terrorists Eliminated in Central Gaza, Weapons Seized from UN School in Raid first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israeli Government Approves Danny Danon as UN Ambassador
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon at a briefing on Iranian aggression on May 6, 2020. Photo: Screenshot.
i24 News – The Israeli government unanimously agreed on Sunday to appoint Likud lawmaker Danny Danon as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, succeeding the current ambassador, Gilad Erdan.
Danon, who previously held this position, will soon serve a second term. Danon’s appointment to this important position comes at a particularly crucial time, as he is expected to represent Israel on the international stage as the country faces challenges at home and abroad.
“I am proud to return to serve the State of Israel as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations during this critical period,” he said on Twitter.
“As Israel faces battles on numerous fronts, each and every one of us must do his utmost within his skills and experiences,” he said in an earlier statement. “This is how I have behaved in the past, and this is how I will continue to behave in the future.”
I am proud to return to serve the State of Israel as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations during this critical period.
With Israel confronting challenges on multiple fronts, it is imperative for each of us to contribute to the best of our abilities and experiences. This…
— Danny Danon דני דנון (@dannydanon) June 30, 2024
“In the face of the diplomatic terrorism that is rearing its head these days, I am forced to present the truth and hold my head high for the people of Israel and our common future here,” he concluded.
It is expected that Avihai Boaron, a former member of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, will enter in place of Danon.
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‘Los Angeles Is Becoming Unsafe for Its Jewish Residents” Says Israeli Minister
Governor Newsom speaking at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Photo Credit: Office of Governor Gavin Newsom.
i24 News – Amichai Shikli, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora and Antisemitism, has urgently called upon California’s governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles’s mayor Karen Bass to address a concerning escalation of antisemitic incidents in the city.
In a strongly worded letter sent following a surge in antisemitic activities since October 7, 2023, Shikli expressed deep apprehension about the safety of Jewish residents in Los Angeles.
“Los Angeles is becoming more and more unsafe for its Jewish residents,” Shikli stated, emphasizing the urgent need for proactive measures to combat the rising tide of antisemitism.
He highlighted recent violent demonstrations on campuses that endangered Jewish students, alongside two serious incidents that he believes were mishandled by authorities.
One incident he pointed to was the tragic murder of Paul Kessler in November 2023 during a pro-Israel demonstration. Shikli criticized the court’s failure to classify the attack as a hate crime, stating, “It is shocking to see that the court did not recognize this as a hate crime. Paul was attacked for the sole reason that he was a Jew and a Zionist.”
Additionally, Shikli referenced an incident earlier in the week where an anti-Israel group disrupted an event at Adat Torah synagogue, resulting in an attack on Jewish attendees. Despite prior knowledge of the demonstration, law enforcement allegedly failed to take preventive actions to ensure the safety of Jewish residents.
Concerned about the city’s largest Jewish community in North America, Shikli urged immediate steps to enhance security around Jewish institutions and to ensure law enforcement is adequately trained to handle antisemitic crimes effectively. “At a time when antisemitism is at an all-time high, I urge you to implement measures to combat it,” he asserted.
The minister concluded his letter by proposing collaboration with local authorities and inviting the Los Angeles Police Department to participate in an international training program aimed at equipping security forces worldwide to combat antisemitism effectively.
The post ‘Los Angeles Is Becoming Unsafe for Its Jewish Residents” Says Israeli Minister first appeared on Algemeiner.com.