Tag: anti-semitism

Reginald D Hunter has summons for ‘antisemitic’ social media posts quashed as judge rules private prosecution was a bid to get comedian ‘cancelled’

A court summons issued against comedian Reginald D Hunter has been quashed by a court after a judge ruled it was an ‘abusive’ bid to get the comedian ‘cancelled’.

The American comic, who lives in the UK, was the subject of a private prosecution by Jewish group the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA).

It had alleged that he had sent offensive communications to antisemitism campaigner Heidi Bachram three times in 2024, on August 24, September 10 and September 11 on the social platform X, formerly Twitter.

But a summons issued to Mr Hunter, 56, by the CAA was quashed at Westminster Magistrates’ Court by Judge Michael Snow following an application by the defence.

Judge Snow ruled that the CAA had been motivated by a desire to ‘have [Hunter] cancelled’ and that the prosecution was ‘abusive’, adding that the group was seeking to use the criminal justice system for ‘improper reasons’.

He criticised the Jewish organisation for a ‘wholly inadequate’ summary of Ms Bachram’s tweeting in its summary of its application when it came to disclosing her social media posts towards him.

This, he said, ‘misled’ him into believing that the comedian’s tweets were targeting her faith rather than responding to attempts to have him ‘cancelled’.

The private prosecution against Mr Hunter – known for his appearances on panel shows as well as a career of live stand-up – was brought without the involvement of the police or the Crown Prosecution Service.

Keep reading

Nine US attorneys resign over Trump administration’s ‘fraudulent’ anti-Semitism probe

Nine US attorneys resigned after being pressured by the administration of President Donald Trump to conclude that campuses had violated the civil rights of Jewish students and staff, according to a Los Angeles Times investigation exposing what has been described as a politically driven and legally baseless campaign targeting pro-Palestinian activism at the University of California (UC).

In interviews with The Times, nine former Department of Justice (DoJ) attorneys said they were instructed to prepare lawsuits against UC campuses even before investigations had begun, a practice one attorney described as a “fraudulent and sham investigation.”

“Initially we were told we only had 30 days to come up with a reason to be ready to sue UC,” said Ejaz Baluch, a former senior trial attorney tasked with probing alleged anti-Semitism at UCLA. “It shows just how unserious this exercise was. It was not about trying to find out what really happened.”

Keep reading

Three men arrested in hate-motivated attacks targeting Jews, accused of planning ISIS-linked terror attack

Three Canadian men accused of planning an ISIS terror attack have been arrested in connection to hate attacks targeting Jewish women.

The Toronto Police Service (TPS) have arrested Waleed Khan, 26, Osman Azizov, 18, and Fahad Sadaat, 19, on suspicion of kidnapping, attempted kidnapping with firearms, sexual assault, and other offences informed, in part, by hate-motivated extremism.

The arrests followed two attempted abductions, prompting a broader probe that uncovered a parallel terrorism investigation into Khan. 

He has since been charged with seven terrorism-related charges, including conspiracy to commit murder and funneling cryptocurrency to ISIS.

Police alleged Khan worked with an individual named Allah Kareem and received instructions from a group to carry out attacks. 

A search of his home by the RCMP uncovered evidence of national security threats, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said Friday.

In total, the trio faces 79 charges under Project Neapolitan, a major crimes investigation.

On May 31, a woman walking in Toronto was approached by three me, one armed with a handgun, another with a knife, who tried to force her into a vehicle. They fled when she screamed and a motorist intervened.

On June 24 in Mississauga, three men in an Audi SUV armed with a handgun, rifle, and knife chased two women before being stopped by a passerby.

Video footage captured the vehicle fleeing from the scene.

All three women were sexually assaulted, according to court filings.

Chief Myron Demkiw, Toronto Police Service said in a statement: ‘This investigation demonstrates the impact of strong collaboration in protecting our communities. Working with Peel Regional Police, the RCMP, and our law-enforcement and intelligence partners, we have arrested three individuals for offences targeting women and members of the Jewish community. 

‘The gravity of these alleged offences demanded a strong, united response – and that is exactly what this partnership delivered. I want to thank our members and all of our partners for their tireless efforts and their shared commitment to public safety.’

Keep reading

Antisemitic Social Media Posts Force Mamdani Appointee to Resign

Zohran Mamdani hasn’t even taken office, yet his administration is already showing signs of trouble.

On Thursday, disturbing antisemitic comments shared online by Mamdani appointee Catherine Almonte Da Costa, set to step into the role of Director of Appointments, resurfaced, causing a firestorm.

The vile rants included comments about “money-hungry Jews” and saying the Far Rockaway train “is the Jew train.”

The Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey shared Da Costa’s posts and demanded answers from the Mamdani administration.

The group said on X, “Mayor-Elect Mamdani has announced Catherine (Cat) Almonte Da Costa as his Director of Appointments, tasked with ‘bring[ing] top talent into this administration.’”

“Her social media footprint includes posts from more than a decade ago that echo classic antisemitic tropes and otherwise demean Jewish people. Tweeting about ‘Money hungry Jews’ is indefensible.”

“We appreciate Da Costa has relationships with members of the Jewish community, but her posts require immediate explanation — not just from Ms. Da Costa, but also from the Mayor-Elect.”

“Vetting the appointment of city leaders will be Ms. Da Costa’s responsibility and the Jewish community deserves to know:

1) Were these comments previously identified by the Mayor-elect’s team? If so, why were they excused?

2) What will be the policy of the new Administration if comments like these are discovered during the vetting process?”

The organization shared screenshots of Da Costa’s tweets, which remained up until Thursday, when it appears she deleted her account.

Keep reading

Oxford University student, 20, is charged with stirring up racial hatred after allegedly promoting an antisemitic chant at pro-Palestine demonstration

An Oxford University student caught on camera allegedly making antisemitic chants at a pro-Palestine demonstration has been charged with a public order offence.

The Metropolitan Police said Samuel Williams, 20, was charged with stirring up racial hatred at a Palestine Coalition demo in Whitehall, central London, on Saturday, October 11.

He was charged today and will appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court in the new year.

Williams was identified by the Daily Mail after footage emerged of a man allegedly chanting an antisemitic chant at the pro-Palestine protest.

Williams was arrested at a property in Oxfordshire on suspicion of inciting racial hatred following an investigation launched by Scotland Yard detectives.

The philosophy, politics and economics student at Balliol College was also suspended by Oxford University.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said there had been an ‘unacceptable increase in anti-Semitism’ at universities and added that many Jewish students did not feel safe on campus.

She called on universities to strengthen protections for Jewish students and said the Government was funding training to help staff and students ‘tackle this poison of antisemitism’.

Keep reading

California man who went by ‘Billy Badass’ busted for synagogue bomb threats, feds say

A California man who went by “Billy Badass” on social media allegedly threatened to bomb every synagogue within a 20-mile radius — then doubled down with more antisemitic rants even after cops threw him in a psychiatric hold.

Elijah Alexander King, 36, of San Luis Obispo, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges stemming from his August rampage of hate that has him staring down a decade behind bars.

King used his “Billy Badass” X account to spew the hate messages on Aug. 28. “I’m gonna blow up every synagogue in a 20-mile radius,” King threatened according to federal prosecutors.

“This is a real threat send the police and report me for terrorism,” said a second messaged ten minutes later. King then searched for synagogues nearby on his cellphone, prosecutors said.

Police found King and had him check into a psychiatric hospital for monitoring where he continued to spew hate from the “Billy Badass” handle, states. 

Keep reading

An Unexpected Con To End Free Speech

Rooting out terrorism and antisemitism was the supposed reason that plainclothed ICE agents arrested doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk on a street in Somerville, Massachusetts, after she coauthored an op-ed calling on Tufts University to divest from companies with ties to Israel due to the killing and starvation of Palestinian civilians. There is an international movement to boycott, sanction, and divest from Israel, but in the United States, President Donald Trump is imperiling the freedom even to publicly discuss such ideas, which should, in effect, be considered a test case for his larger attack on free speech. So far, the test is going well for Trump.

In what seems a long time ago, in 2024, the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank, released a blueprint for what it called “a national strategy to combat antisemitism” by addressing what it described as “America’s virulently anti-Israel, anti-Zionist, and anti-American ‘pro-Palestinian movement.’” In essence, and in what’s amounted to an extraordinarily effective work of political theater that has been sold to my own state, Massachusetts, among other places, that foundation dubbed its political opponents “supporters of terrorism.” It also labeled organizations working in opposition to its agenda a “terrorist support network,” and claimed for itself the noble mantle of “combating antisemitism” — even as it deftly redefined antisemitism from hatred of Jewish people to criticism of the U.S.-Israel alliance. President Trump has put the Heritage Foundation strategy into action and gone even further.

It may be his most original idea. As political scientist Barnett Rubin put it in September, “President Trump always says he’s very creative and accomplishes things no one has ever done before. And now he is building a fascist regime which is legitimized by the fight against antisemitism. Nobody ever thought of doing that before.”

Keep reading

Man arrested with body armor and a suitcase filled with ammunition after threatening multiple synagogues, officials say

In the latest antisemitic incident to rock a community, threatened attacks on synagogues in Alabama and surrounding states were thwarted when a person was arrested with a suitcase full of ammunition, body armor and other items, officials said Tuesday.

The FBI and other agencies were notified of “credible threats of violence” against the places of worship and a suspect was eventually identified and arrested Tuesday, according to a Facebook post from the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office.

A search of the suspect’s home yielded weapons, the suitcase filled with ammunition, body armor and “other items related to the plans of violence,” the office said.

The arrest comes as antisemitic sentiment and attacks have surged globally. A car ramming and stabbing attack outside a synagogue left two dead in Manchester, England, earlier this month, less than two weeks after a late-night fire was set at a synagogue in Florida. Antisemitic incidents in the US rose in 2024 for the fourth year in a row, reaching their highest level since the Anti-Defamation League started tracking them, according to an annual audit from the organization.

It is unclear how the latest threats were made. The suspect was identified as Jeremy Wayne Shoemaker, the Facebook post said. He is 33, according to Choctaw County Sheriff Scott Lolley.

Keep reading

Northwestern University Can Toss Students Who Refuse To Complete Anti-Semitism Training, Judge Rules

Northwestern University can strip students’ financial aid, access to on-campus housing, and even their student status for refusing to complete a mandatory anti-Semitism training, a federal judge ruled Monday.

The ruling represents an early blow to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in the lawsuit it filed against Northwestern on behalf of the school’s Graduate Workers for Palestine, alleging the training violates federal civil rights law and bans “expressions of Palestinian identity.” The plaintiffs had asked the court for a temporary restraining order to stop the school from punishing students who boycotted the training while the case played out, but Judge Georgia Alexakis rejected that request.

“Because the plaintiffs have failed to meet their burden in this threshold inquiry, we do not move on to conduct a balancing of the harms,” Alexakis said, according to the student paper, the Daily Northwestern. “For that reason, I have to deny the motion.”

CAIR’s suit focuses on a training video produced by the Jewish United Fund that shows quotes from Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke alongside those from anti-Israel activists to make the point that “you can’t tell the difference.” CAIR, a terror-tied pro-Hamas group, argued the video “equates critical engagement with Zionism with anti-Jewish statements by the Ku Klux Klan” and discriminates against “the University’s Palestinian and other Arab students by branding their ethnic and religious identities, cultures, and advocacy for the rights of their national group as antisemitic and subject to discipline.”

Northwestern barred students who didn’t complete the training from registering for classes and gave them until Monday to view the video. After that, they would face escalating penalties, including the loss of financial aid, access to on-campus housing, and even the revocation of their student status, effectively booting them from the university and forcing them to reapply. Northwestern attorneys have identified 16 students who have not completed the training, the Daily Northwestern reported.

While rejecting CAIR’s request for a temporary restraining order, Alexakis cast doubt on the plaintiffs’ claims that Northwestern discriminated against them on the basis of race, essentially questioning whether they could win the case.

“I find that the plaintiffs have established irreparable harm, but I also find that the plaintiffs have failed to establish the likelihood of success on the merits of the claims that they advance,” Alexakis said. She noted students aren’t required to endorse the video to complete the training, let alone watch it—they could simply allow it to play until the end.

Elsewhere in the suit, CAIR alleges the “training course is replete with political commentary which restricts Northwestern students from advocating for Palestinian liberation, equal rights, an end to apartheid in Palestine, and for the rights of Palestine’s indigenous people (Jewish and non-Jewish).” The plaintiffs also described the spring 2024 Deering Meadow encampment as home to “nonviolent protest, display of signs, speeches, dancing, prayer and other overtly Jewish religious activities, and community building.”

Keep reading

Harvard Law Professor Placed on Leave After Firing Pellet Rifle Near Boston Synagogue — Told Police He Was There ‘Hunting Rats’

A Harvard Law professor has been placed on administrative leave after being charged with firing a pellet rifle near a Boston synagogue.

Carlos Portugal Gouvea, who is a visiting professor, was taken into custody on Wednesday after allegedly firing two pellets outside Temple Beth Zion synagogue in Brookline.

According to the Harvard Crimson, he is facing charges in Brookline District Court for illegally discharging a pellet gun, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, and property damage.

The incident prompted a response from more than a dozen police officers as Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish year, was beginning Wednesday evening.

Two private security guards reportedly tried to restrain Gouvea before police arrived, resulting in a “brief physical struggle.”

Gouvea told officers he had been “hunting rats” and later entered a not guilty plea to all charges on Thursday, the outlet said.

He was released on personal recognizance pending a court appearance scheduled for early November..

Jeff Neal, spokesperson for the faculty, confirmed that “has been placed on administrative leave as the school seeks to learn more about this matter.”

However, he has not yet been subject to formal disciplinary action.

In an email sent Sunday morning to Temple Beth Zion members, synagogue president Larry Kraus and executive director Benjamin Maron said the temple’s leadership “have no reason to believe this was an antisemitic event.”

Brookline police informed synagogue leaders that Gouvea “was unaware that he lived next to, and was shooting his BB gun next to, a synagogue or that it was a religious holiday,” the message said.

“It was potentially dangerous to use a BB gun in such a populated spot,” the leaders added, “but it does not appear to have been fueled by antisemitism.”

Keep reading