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Feds arrest Michigan man who plotted to kill Jewish elected officials in the state
(JTA) – The FBI coordinated with local authorities in mid-February to arrest a heavily armed man who had threatened to kill all Jewish elected officials in Michigan on social media, according to a recently unsealed criminal case.
The man appears to have been a former employee of the University of Michigan.
Jack Eugene Carpenter III, a resident of Tipton, Michigan, had tweeted on Feb. 17 that he was “heading back to Michigan now threatening to carry out the punishment of death to anyone that is jewish in the Michigan govt if they don’t leave, or confess,” according to the FBI’s affidavit. There are several prominent Jewish elected officials in the state, including Attorney General Dana Nessel, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin and a handful of state senators and representatives.
Carpenter has been charged with transmitting an interstate threat, for which he could receive up to five years in federal prison, and is being held without bail in a federal court in Detroit, according to local reports. He was in Texas when he made the tweets, the FBI said.
On a Twitter account the FBI linked to Carpenter, he claimed to be a former employee of the University of Michigan who “was fired for refusing to take experimental medication,” apparently referring to the COVID-19 vaccine. The University of Michigan has more than 6,500 Jewish students, according to Hillel International.
“Probable cause exists that” Carpenter’s Twitter account “made threats to cause injury and death to Jewish members of the Michigan government,” FBI Special Agent Sean Nicol wrote in the Feb. 18 affidavit.
This is the latest antisemitic threat to emerge in the state of Michigan. In December a man in suburban Detroit was charged with ethnic intimidation after screaming antisemitic profanities at a local synagogue preschool. The state has also been home to a growth in violent extremist movements, including a group recently put on trial for plotting to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; one of the leaders of that effort was sentenced to 19 years in prison.
The University of Michigan had employed Carpenter for 10 years and let him go in 2021, a spokesperson for the university told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. A review of the university’s publicly available salary disclosure information shows Carpenter was a systems administrator in the computing department at the dean’s office of the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, the school’s largest college.
The university did not elaborate on Carpenter’s employment or why he was no longer with the school, citing its policy on personnel matters.
Federal agents determined that Carpenter had previously been arrested on assault charges and had stolen one of his handguns from his girlfriend. His mother told authorities he was in possession of several firearms, including three handguns, a 12-gauge shotgun and a military-style hunting rifle.
The Feb. 17 tweet by Carpenter directly threatening to kill Jewish elected officials, as quoted by the FBI, was not visible on the public Twitter account linked to him as of March 1. But a stated intent to return to Michigan that was also quoted by the FBI was visible, as were many other violent threats and antisemitic rants, including threatening allusions to the antisemitic conspiracy theory that the COVID-19 vaccine was developed by Jews as a means of controlling the world.
“Any Jewish person holding a public office on my land after that time is subject to immediate punishment for their participation in an unlawful war of aggression using a biological weapon against me,” he wrote. Carpenter also threatened any law enforcement personnel who planned to interfere with him with “deadly force.”
In multiple paranoid manifestos posted to his Twitter, Carpenter also declared himself “the King of Israel” and declared that he was forming a new state on his property, one the FBI said he had declared “New Israel.” He also tweeted that, should he be arrested, he planned to “get the lawyer removed due to conflict of interest because they are Jewish.” Carpenter mentions some public figures by name in his manifestos, including Whitmer; Anthony Fauci; Chris Cuomo; and multiple University of Michigan personnel, all of whom he planned to target for “crimes against humanity”; the only Jewish figure he mentions is Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.
Carpenter also made references to several prominent right-wing conspiracy theories, including the QAnon movement and the belief that President Joe Biden was not lawfully elected. In one tweet, Carpenter threatened to have Twitter CEO Elon Musk “publicly hanged.”
Carpenter further said he would “grant a brief reprieve to any Zionist Christian or Zionist Jew” who wished “to return to the country to which you actually owe allegiance.”
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The post Feds arrest Michigan man who plotted to kill Jewish elected officials in the state appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Israeli Airline El Al Launches New Youth Points Program to Encourage Young Travelers
Illustrative: The Israeli flag carrier El Al’s airliner lands at Abu Dhabi International Airport, United Arab Emirates, Aug. 31, 2020. Photo: WAM/Handout via REUTERS
Israel’s national airline El Al has announced a new program that allows young travelers between the ages of two and 18 to earn exclusive benefits and points through flights that won’t expire until they turn 21.
El Al Young is a free program that gives youth travelers access to rewards as part of the Matmid Frequent Flyer Program, and parents or guardians can register as many youngsters as they have starting at the age of two. The young passengers can earn points by flying on El A; or Sundor and gain access to content on the curated Youth Mode in the El A; app, where they can watch videos, play games, and learn facts about aviation all while earning loyalty points every time they fly. Kids who are already members of the Matmid Frequent Flyer Program are automatically enrolled in El Al Young.
Young travelers using the app will earn points that can be redeemed for rewards such as seat upgrades and free checked baggage, booking award tickets to fly with friends, and buying snacks from onboard duty-free. El Al will launch new promotions on the app in the months ahead that will help travelers earn more points and save on fares. El Al points typically expire after 18 months but travelers in the youth program can keep their points until they are 21.
“El Al Young is a game-changer for family travel, while making every journey more fun and engaging,” said Nadav Hanin, vice president of marketing and digital at El Al Airlines. “With this program, El Al Airlines is inspiring the next generation of travelers by allowing them to earn their own points, explore Youth Mode on the El Al app, and enjoy more independence and excitement when traveling with El Al. Family travel has always been at the heart of our business, and with El Al Young, we’re strengthening that bond while creating unforgettable adventures for travelers of all ages.”
El Al operated its first scheduled flight in 1949 and now serves 49 international destinations in 33 countries. It operates more than 50 weekly non-stop flights between the US and Israel.
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New Art Exhibit in NYC Examines Jewish Polish Artist Arthur Szyk and His Fight Against Nazism
“The Map Maker” (1942) by Arthur Szyk. The political drawing depicts Hitler painting his version of “Deutsches Sud America” (“German South America”) which consists of a large swastika painted over the shape of South America. Photo: Provided
An exhibition that opened on Sunday in New York City spotlights the work of prolific Jewish Polish and anti-fascist artist Arthur Szyk, including scathing portrayals of the Nazis and his attention to themes such as Jewish identity, resistance, and Zionism.
“Art of Freedom: The Life and Work of Arthur Szyk” opened at the Museum of Jewish Heritage –A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in Lower Manhattan on the anniversary of when the United States entered World War II. The exhibit in the museum’s Rita Lowenstein Gallery features over 100 objects, including original drawings, rare prints, illuminated manuscripts, commercial cartoons, and political materials. Visitors will have access to 18 never-before-seen pieces and 38 original artworks.
Szyk’s work “Anti-Christ” from 1942, which is a critique of Adolf Hitler and Nazi crimes, greets visitors at the exhibit and is back on view in New York City for the first time in over 80 years. The artwork shows Nazi officials standing over skulls, victims on the gallows, vultures bearing swastikas, and Hitler with tiny skulls in his eyeballs as he stares straight ahead at the viewer.
Also on view is “The Map Maker” (1942), a political drawing by Szyk that depicts Hitler painting his version of “Deutsches Sud America” (“German South America”), which is shown as a large swastika painted over the continent. Others stand around him — including Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and top Nazi officials Joseph Goebbels, Hermann Goering, and Heinrich Himmler — and they all want their own similar map. On the floor are folders that say, “Deutsches Europa,” Deutsches America,” “Deutsches Africa,” “Deutsches Australia,” illustrating the plan to have Nazism dominate the world. Also on the floor is a book titled Idiot’s Delight and a quote at the bottom of Szyk’s drawing says, “Now that you’ve joined us the Fuhrer will make a special map for you!”
Szyk was born in Łódź in 1894 but moved to Paris at the age of 15 to study art. With other Polish-Jewish artists and writers, he traveled to the area now known as Israel in 1914, which was an impactful trip that deepened his connection to Judaism and solidified his dedication to being a lifelong Zionist advocate. Szyk died in 1951.
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wrote in her “My Day” newspaper column that Szyk’s work “fights the war against Hitlerism as truly as any of us who cannot actually be on the fighting fronts today.”
“As an institution committed to educating visitors about Jewish life before, during, and after the Holocaust, we are thrilled to present Arthur Szyk’s exquisitely detailed and beautiful work, and to look back at his influential role inshaping public discourse around America’s pivotal entry into WWII,” said Jack Kliger, president & CEO of the Museum of Jewish Heritage.
The new Szyk exhibit highlights pieces by Szyk that are on loan from private collections as well as newly acquired pieces from the museum’s permanent collection, which will be on view for the first time. The exhibit will remain open at the Museum of Jewish Heritage through July 26, 2026.
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Netanyahu Will Meet Trump on Dec. 29 to Discuss Second Phase of Gaza Plan, Spokesperson Says
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach to shake hands at a joint press conference in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, DC, US, Sept. 29, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Donald Trump on Dec. 29 to discuss the next steps of the Gaza ceasefire, an Israeli government spokesperson said on Monday.
“The prime minister will meet with President Trump on Monday, Dec. 29. They will discuss the future steps and phases and the international stabilization force of the ceasefire plan,” Shosh Bedrosian said in an online briefing to reporters.
The prime minister’s office said on Dec. 1 that Trump had invited Netanyahu to the White House. Israeli media have since reported that the two leaders may meet in Florida.
The spokesperson’s comments came one day after Netanyahu said on Sunday that the second phase of a US plan to end the war in Gaza was close, but cautioned several key issues still needed to be resolved, including whether a multinational security force would be deployed.
Netanyahu, speaking to reporters alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Jerusalem, said that he would hold important discussions with Trump at the end of the month on how to ensure the plan‘s second phase was achieved.
Netanyahu said that he would discuss with Trump how to bring an end to Hamas rule in Gaza. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is entering its second month, although both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating the truce agreement.
Netanyahu said that it was important to ensure Hamas not only upholds the ceasefire but also follows through on “their commitment” to the plan to disarm and for Gaza to be demilitarized.
Israel retained control of 53% of Gaza under the first phase of Trump‘s plan, which involved the release of hostages held by terrorists in Gaza and of Palestinians, many convicted of terrorism, detained by Israel. The final hostage remains to be handed over are those of an Israeli police officer killed on Oct. 7, 2023, while fighting Hamas-led Gazan militants who had invaded Israel.
“We’ll get him out,” Netanyahu said.
Since the ceasefire started in October, the terrorist group has reestablished itself in the rest of Gaza.
GERMAN CHANCELLOR: PHASE TWO MUST COME NOW
According to the plan, Israel is to pull back further in the second phase as a transitional authority is established in Gaza and a multinational security force is deployed, Hamas is disarmed, and reconstruction begins.
A multinational coordination center has been established in Israel, but there are no deadlines in the plan and officials involved say that efforts to advance it have stalled.
“What will be the timeline? What are the forces that are coming in? Will we have international forces? If not, what are the alternatives? These are all topics that are being discussed,” Netanyahu said, describing them as central issues.
Merz said that Germany was willing to help rebuild Gaza but would wait for Netanyahu‘s meeting with Trump, and for clarity on what Washington was prepared to do, before Berlin decides what it would contribute but that phase two “must come now.”
Israel has repeatedly carried out air strikes since the ceasefire came into effect that it says are fending off attacks or destroying terrorist infrastructure.
NETANYAHU: WEST BANK ANNEXATION REMAINS A SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION
Netanyahu said that he would also discuss with Trump “opportunities for peace,” an apparent reference to US efforts for Israel to establish formal ties with Arab and Muslim states.
“We believe there’s a path to advance a broader peace with the Arab states, and a path also to establish a workable peace with our Palestinian neighbors,” Netanyahu said, asserting Israel would always insist on security control of the West Bank.
Trump has said he promised Muslim leaders that Israel would not annex the West Bank, where Netanyahu‘s government is backing the development of Jewish settlements.
The “question of political annexation” of the West Bank remains a subject of discussion, Netanyahu said.