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Vicious Anti-Israel Display and Magazine Allowed at North Carolina Public School
Carrboro High School in North Carolina recently allowed their library to feature an anti-Israel display, which included large messages proclaiming, “RESISTANCE IS JUSTIFIED WHEN PEOPLE ARE OCCUPIED” and “FREE PALESTINE.” To many Jews, seeing the phrase “resistance is justified” is deeply troubling because it condones and justifies Hamas’ use of rape and sexual violence, torture, murder, and hostage-taking.
Included in this public school display was a call for students to “Learn about the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions movement” (BDS) against Israel, and a list of companies to boycott that included Starbucks, Airbnb, Coca-Cola, Hewlett Packard, and Burger King, the latter referred to as “APARTHEID KING.” Part of the display was presented in both English and Spanish.
A student group that prepared the display indicated on social media that it was active on Dec. 15. Multiple sources told me that the display was taken down after students, families, and community members protested.
I have met with more than a dozen local parents and current Carrboro high school students, who told me that two student clubs, the Student Socialist Alliance and the Zine club, were responsible. The prominent placement of the anti-Israel display in the school’s library likely left some students, staff, and community members believing that these views may have been endorsed by the school and district.
I have worked full-time in the public schools as a speech-language pathologist for the past 24 years. I have never seen, and cannot imagine, a display that vilifies an entire group of people being allowed anywhere on school grounds. For example, would such a display attacking Egypt, Honduras, Ethiopia, or South Korea be allowed? I highly doubt it. But for some reason, when it comes to Israel and the Jews, someone in authority permitted the display.
A student-created anti-Israel zine, or homemade magazine, was placed in the school’s library, and appeared to be part of the anti-Israel display. The creators of the zine are the Student Socialist Alliance and the Zine club.
The zine states, “The US military and police are terrorist organizations, so is the state of Israel and the IDF [Israeli Defense Forces].” It also says, “Israel is NOT a Jewish state.” The zine refers to Israel as “racist,” “colonial,” and an “apartheid” state, and accuses Israel of “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing.” A student told me that they saw possibly hundreds of these zines being distributed at Carrboro High School in ways that interrupted ongoing school activities. Another student told me the zine is being passed around school and that there may be as many as four versions. I have seen two different versions of the zine.
Carrboro High School allowed the display despite the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools hate speech protocol, which clearly states, “Hate speech is more than just harsh words. It can be any form of expression intended to vilify, humiliate, or incite hatred against a group or class of people.”
Without question, the anti-Israel display at Carrboro High School was a form of hate speech. It vilified Israel and its Jewish majority population. Parents and students that I met with are thankful the display was removed, but remain frustrated that Carrboro High School would ever permit such hate speech in their library in the first place.
A group calling itself the Carrboro High School (CHS) Organizing Alliance posted a series of anti-Israel slides on Instagram using the school logo on each slide. In these slides, Hamas is called a “liberation group;” the slides also say that “Zionism… can only lead to genocide.” In a slide comparing Israelis to Nazis, students wrote, “We should support all anti-imperialist movements, especially those that seek to destroy one of the most brutal concentration camps of all time: the Gaza strip.” According to the US Department of State, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is one example of antisemitism.
Sources tell me that school officials instructed the students to remove the logos. It appears that the entire Instagram account was deleted.
On February 8, students at Chapel Hill High School and Carrboro High School held a “For A Free Palestine: WALK-OUT AGAINST GENOCIDE” that took place during the school day. Many Jewish parents kept their children home that day out of fear for their mental well-being and safety. The Zine club posted a dismissive meme on Instagram, saying, “I’M NOT SORRY OUR PROTESTS BOTHER YOU, YOUR APATHY BOTHERS ME.”
Chapel Hill High principal Steven Sullivan sent parents an email the day before the protest, writing, “We are aware of some social media posts circulating among students (and adults) that encourage a ‘Walk-Out Against Genocide’ … we identified and met with students who are organizing the event in order to discuss concerns and reach an agreement on expectations.” Sullivan continued, “We have made abundantly clear that any vitriolic rhetoric during a peaceful protest will not be permitted.”
There is consensus among most, but not all, parents I spoke with that Chapel Hill High has handled this situation much better than Carrboro High. Multiple sources tell me that a Jewish Student Union at Chapel Hill High may have made part of the difference, as well as specific teachers who actively sought to support and check-in with Jewish students.
Multiple sources — which include parents, students, and community members — believe that some anti-Israel Carrboro High School faculty members are purposefully influencing and abetting this disruption. Some parents are considering filing lawsuits to ensure that Jewish students are treated equally and respectfully, and given a safe learning environment. Some parents are pursuing a Title VI complaint.
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools need to uphold and enforce their hate speech policy for all students — including Jewish students.
Peter Reitzes writes about issues related to antisemitism and Israel.
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Israeli Forces Redeploy to Northern Gaza to Quell Hamas Resurgence
Smoke rises following Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Jabalia refugee camp northern Gaza Strip, May 13, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa/File Photo
JNS.org – The Israel Defense Forces said on Sunday that Israeli forces had encircled Jabaliya in northern Gaza ahead of an operation there to prevent Hamas from reestablishing itself there.
The army said that soldiers from the 162nd Division were redeployed to the Jabaliya area overnight Saturday after being stationed along the Philadelphi Corridor separating Gaza from Egypt’s Sinai.
Troops from the 401st and 460th brigades had encircled the area and were continuing to operate there on Sunday, according to the IDF. They were assisted by the Israeli Air Force before and during the ground operation, directed by the 215th Brigade. Among the targets hit were weapons storage facilities, underground infrastructure, terrorist cells and additional military sites.
The terror group reported that during the operation 30 people were killed and 150 were injured.
“This operation to systematically dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the area will continue as long as required in order to achieve its objectives,” the IDF said.
The 162nd Division last month defeated Hamas’s Rafah brigade after four months of targeted raids in the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city near the border with Egypt.
Speaking with reporters on Sept. 12, 162nd Division commander Brig. Gen. Itzik Cohen declared that “four battalions have been destroyed, and we have completed operational control over the entire urban area.”
However, intelligence showing a Hamas resurgence in Jabaliya prompted the 162nd Division to move north to the neighborhood.
IDF expands al-Mawasi humanitarian zone
The IDF on Sunday morning published a new evacuation map for the northern Gaza Strip, pointing noncombatants to an expanded humanitarian zone at al-Mawasi, which includes field hospitals, tent complexes, food, water, medicine and medical equipment.
As part of the effort to alert the residents of northern Gaza to get out of the active combat zone, the IDF dropped leaflets from the air and Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab Media Branch in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, tweeted in Arabic with accompanying maps.
“The terrorist Hamas continues its attempts to solidify its terrorist infrastructure in your area, exploiting civilians, shelters and medical facilities as human shields,” Adraee wrote, followed by evacuation details.
“I remind you that the northern Gaza Strip remains a dangerous combat zone,” Adraee warned.
Plans to turn northern Gaza into military zone
Kan News reported around a month ago that senior IDF officials were considering a plan to turn the northern Gaza Strip into a military zone.
Known as the “Island Plan,” it would see the IDF evacuate more than 200,000 Gazans from the northern part of the Strip, placing the area entirely under Israeli military control.
Sinwar wants wider war, not interested in a deal
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar wants a wider regional war and is not interested in reaching a ceasefire deal, The New York Times reported on Friday, citing U.S. officials.
The article noted that Sinwar, the mastermind of the Oct. 7 massacre and who is believed to be hiding in Gaza’s vast tunnel network, has long believed that he won’t survive the war and has hardened his attitude in recent weeks.
Hamas holds 101 hostages, including 97 of the 251 kidnapped during the onslaught on the northwestern Negev nearly one year ago, in which 1,200 people were killed and thousands more wounded.
“Hamas has shown no desire at all to engage in talks in recent weeks, U.S. officials say. They suspect that Mr. Sinwar has grown more resigned as Israeli forces pursue him and talk about closing in on him,” according to the Times.
“A larger war that puts pressure on Israel and its military would, in Mr. Sinwar’s assessment, force them to scale back operations in Gaza, the U.S. officials said,” it continued.
However, despite the war widening to include an expanded conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon and a direct engagement with Iran, the Gaza front remains active. American officials said that the failure of Hezbollah and Iran to damage Israel signals the miscalculation made by Sinwar.
The Times article noted that some Israeli officials have questioned whether Sinwar is still alive, with American and Israeli officials acknowledging that there has been no sign of him for months. However, in the absence of hard evidence of his death, U.S. officials believe he is still alive and in charge of Hamas.
Qataris say Sinwar ‘disappeared’
Channel 12 reported on Saturday that the Qatari officials involved in negotiations between Israel and Hamas told the families of hostages in recent days that Sinwar has “disappeared.”
“Sinwar is currently not communicating with us. He has disappeared from us as well and has not made contact. He stopped using phones because of the assassinations, and now he communicates using paper and pen, which makes things very difficult,” the Qataris reportedly told the relatives.
The Qatari officials also told the family members that they believe Sinwar has surrounded himself with hostages and that despite his disappearance, there is no indication that Sinwar is dead.
The Qataris, who maintain close ties with Hamas, also claimed that Israel’s policy of assassinations makes reaching a deal more difficult.
“Israel’s assassination policy has worsened the deal. In the past, there was Haniyeh, and he was assassinated. Now there is Khaled Mashal, and he is much more difficult than Haniyeh,” they were quoted as saying. However, the families of the hostages say that these claims should be taken with caution due to Doha’s close relations with the terror group.
Sharon Sharabi, the brother of Yossi Sharabi, who was murdered in captivity and whose body is being held by Hamas, criticized the Qataris at the meeting, telling them that “the blood of our families is on your hands because you transferred the money to the terrorists, but you may also be the ones who can try to save the hostages.”
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NY, MN Shuls Threatened on Rosh Hashanah, Michigan Rabbi Robbed in his Home at Gunpoint
A French police vehicle in the city of Lyon. Photo: Reuters/Xose Bouzas
JNS.org – Police departments in Minneapolis and New York City responded over Rosh Hashanah to threats against Jews worshiping in synagogues.
Minneapolis officers arrested a man on Friday after he allegedly stood outside Temple Israel with a gun on Thursday. The department said that Jaden LeBlanc, 21, also made threatening calls to the Reform congregation last month saying he would “shoot up” the synagogue, KSTP-TV reported.
“Everyone in Minneapolis has the right to feel safe in their communities, and we will ensure our Jewish neighbors are protected as they celebrate the holy days,” Brian O’Hara, the police chief, said, per the television station. “We take all threats made against our religious institutions seriously and will continue to hold the individuals accountable who threaten any of our city’s houses of worship.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nominee, did not comment on the threat to Minneapolis Jews on social media. (He shared a Rosh Hashanah message on his official governor‘s account, which he reposted from his campaign one.)
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, released a statement on Friday following “multiple” bomb threats at synagogues in the state earlier that day.
“After a comprehensive investigation, it has been determined these were not credible threats. Recognizing the potential for disruptions during this time of year, I had already directed the New York State Police to coordinate with local law enforcement to ensure the safety of all communities,” the governor stated. “This deployment will continue at least through the anniversary of the Oct. 7 terror attacks.”
“These threats are horrific and unacceptable—and targeting houses of worship on one of the holiest days of the Jewish calendar is particularly craven,” she stated. “We will not tolerate acts of antisemitism or attempts to incite fear. New Yorkers stand united against all forms of hate and violence.”
Also on Rosh Hashanah, a gunman robbed a rabbi in his home as he held a meal with University of Michigan students, the Detroit News reported.
“Late last night, a group of Jewish students had gathered for dinner at the Southfield home of a local rabbi when, shortly before 11 p.m., an armed individual entered through an open backdoor, stole a bag and fled,” Santa Ono, the university president, stated. “No one was injured and law enforcement officials with the Southfield Police Department are investigating this as a home invasion and a crime of opportunity.”
Per the Detroit News, the gunman did more than just enter, steal a bag and flee. “Investigators believe the suspect, a black man in his late teens or early 20s, entered the home through the back door with a handgun and stated, ‘I’m taking everything, give me everything,’ according to the release,” the paper reported. “The occupants of the home exited through the front door, police said. Officers searched the home, but the suspect had left.”
The post NY, MN Shuls Threatened on Rosh Hashanah, Michigan Rabbi Robbed in his Home at Gunpoint first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US States Order Flags at Half-Staff to Mark Oct. 7 Anniversary
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul delivering remarks on major legislation requiring colleges and universities in the state to strengthen hate crime policies. Photo: Darren McGee/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
Multiple US states will lower their flags to half-mast during the day on Monday to mark the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attack in southern Israel.
“The hearts of Iowans go out to the innocent Israeli families and American citizens killed by Hamas,” stated Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, who ordered flags lowered at the state Capitol building and on all public grounds and sites in the state. (She encouraged individuals, businesses, schools and others to do the same.)
“Iran and its terrorist proxies continue to attack, as Israeli forces fight to protect their people against the forces of evil,” Reynolds added. “Iowa stands, as it always has, with Israel.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, ordered flags at state buildings at half-mast and that more than 12 landmarks—including several bridges, Empire State Plaza, Niagara Falls, Moynihan Train Hall and 1 World Trade Center—be lit up in yellow “in solidarity with Israel and the hostages still in captivity.”
“One year after the horrific atrocities committed against the people of Israel, my heart goes out to the victims and their families,” Hochul stated. “New York stands with Israel—today and every day.”
“As the home of the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, we will do everything in our power to defend against the forces of hatred and stand firmly against those who perpetuate it,” Hochul added.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a Republican, ordered that the state flag be flown at half-mast throughout Arkansas on Monday.
“Israel is right, and the terrorists are wrong,” she stated. “Arkansas stands with Israel, prays for Israel and supports Israel as they fight to defeat the terrorists and bring the hostages home.”
“This week, Iran launched a missile attack against Israel, emphasizing that this conflict is far from over,” Huckabee Sanders added. “Alongside the ongoing attacks against Israel, there has been a shocking rise in antisemitism and pro-Hamas protests in the United States. These activists deny Israel’s fundamental right to defend itself in this war between good and evil.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, and Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, also ordered flags at half-staff on Oct. 7.
“One year after the tragedies of Oct. 7, 2023, we continue to mourn the devastating losses and urge all parties to reach an agreement that immediately returns every hostage and puts an end to the continued suffering of civilians in Israel, Gaza and throughout the region,” Murphy stated.
“Our hearts go out to the families that have been shattered by the terrorist attacks on Oct. 7 and the humanitarian suffering that followed, and we continue to pray for a swift end to the war and restoration of peace across the region,” he added.
“In remembrance of the one-year anniversary of the horrific Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, I invite all Montanans to join me in remembering the innocent victims who were brutally murdered or injured during acts of war committed by Hamas and for the seven Americans still held hostage,” Gianforte stated.
“The State of Montana continues to stand with Israel and the Jewish people as they continue to face unspeakable persecution, hatred and terrorism,” he added.
The post US States Order Flags at Half-Staff to Mark Oct. 7 Anniversary first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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