Wednesday, January 21, 2026

While Jews are the highest targets of religious hate crimes (68% in the US), Governor Hochul of NY, governments in  Canada, and the UK lump antisemitism and "islamophobia" together and are trying to pass laws that will send people to jail for criticising Hamas.  You may have seen the term "anti-Palestinian racism" (APR).  If you are not paying attention, you should. APR isn’t “anti-racism”. It’s a political weapon designed to neutralise antisemitism safeguards and bully institutions into activist ideology. https://david-collier.com/the-invention-of-anti-palestinian-racism/ . The persistence and geographic spread of antosemetic incidents underscore why definitional clarity around antisemitism, sustained security funding, and responsible political leadership are essential.  The NYC Council, led by Speaker Julie Menin, recently announced a comprehensive 5-point plan to combat rising antisemitism. Will it pass? 
https://council.nyc.gov/press/2026/01/16/3060/ Meanwhile, NYPD Shuts Down Guy Hochman’s Show as Protesters Mob Venue https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/guy-hochman-nyc-show-canceled And Adelphi University reinstates SJP
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Wikipedia allowed organized antisemitic corruption of 10,000+ articles. This disinformation continues to spread through AI & feed antisemitism in the West. https://www.neutralpov.com/p/wikipedia-bans-gang-of-40-editor
Addressing biased edits becomes even more important when you know -- Wikimedia Foundation unveiled licensing AI content training deals with AI firms: Amazon, Meta Platforms, Perplexity, Microsoft and Mistral AI
https://ground.news/article/wikipedia-owner-signs-on-microsoft-meta-in-ai-content-training-deals_898d84
Now this: A PR firm founded by Keir Starmer's director of communications, has been editing Wikipedia to make clients look good, most notably for Qatar. 
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Argentina
Baseless antisemitic claims blaming Israelis for the wildfires in the Patagonia region drew sharp condemnations from Argentine President Javier Milei and Jewish communal leaders.

Australia
Have you heard about the big bruhaha over at the Adelaide Festival. The board decided to disinvite an artist, Randa Abdel Fattah, because of the hate she's spewed, including support for Hamas. FYI in 2024, this same artist and board rejected Tom Friedman because he was Jewish and said something positive about Israel. No one objected to his rejection. Over 180 artists boycotted the 2025 festival and the festival was canceled. The new board has invited the artist back for 2027
Must watch: Zach Sage "Undercover Queer 4 Palestine" 
Australia's Parliament passes anti-hate speech and gun laws proposed after Sydney attack https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/australias-parliament-passes-anti-hate-speech-and-gun-laws-proposed-after-sydney-attack

Egypt Is Revising Its Peace Agreement with Israel  (Jewish Chronicle-UK)  Egypt views Israel's military "occupation" of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border during the Gaza war as an illegitimate expansion of Israel's borders and a unilateral rupture of the 1979 Camp David Accords. Egypt will not dismantle its increased military build-up in Sinai, which it sees as a necessary deterrent to prevent the displacement of Gazans into Egyptian territory. Cairo will demand Jerusalem accept this new security reality as a consequence of its own unilateral action in border areas. A return to summit-level diplomacy, such as the Sisi-Netanyahu 2017 meeting, is now explicitly conditioned on a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a credible commitment to Palestinian self-determination. Security coordination and trade, like the gas deal will continue.

Iran
The names of the protesters are beginning to emerge despite the internet blackout, and it is heartbreaking. Reports estimate thousands (12,000 to 30.000) of civilians killed many with bullets to the head. 18,000 imprisoned. Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh falsely claimed protesters died from drug overdoses, blatantly dismissing widespread video evidence showing gunshot wounds. "The United Nations has failed to respond with the urgency this moment demands. The Secretary General himself has not spoken publicly against the massacre unfolding in Iran." -Iranian-American activist Masih Alinejad https://unwatch.org/report-un-experts-silent-on-iran/ Where are the reports on how much money the Mullahs have stolen from Iran? At the height of the protests, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Supreme Leader Khamenei, transferred $1.5 billion to escrow accounts in Dubai.
EmojiPresident Donald Trump opted against immediate military action in Iran at the behest of Saudi ArabiaQatarEgypt and Oman — as well as Israel, which reportedly asked Trump to delay any strikes on Iran in order to give Jerusalem more time to prepare for an Iranian reprisal targeting Israel.

Israel
Hamas had a military base under UNRWA’s HQ in Gaza City. This Hamas base had a server farm. Hamas used electricity from UNRWA’s HQ to power this server farm. In light of overwhelming evidence of the agency’s complicity—direct or indirect—with Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) offices in Jerusalem have been destroyed.

Lebanon
Lebanon's balancing act: Will Hezbollah ever disarm? 
Nearly 2,000 Hezbollah ceasefire violations. Zero accountability in media coverage, until Israel responds. https://honestreporting.com/ceasefires-in-name-only-how-the-media-ignores-hamas-and-hezbollah-violations/

Palestinians
President Trump is instituting phase 2 of his 20-point plan to ostensibly end Hamas rule aka the ceasefire deal placing Hamas supporters, e.g., Turkey and Qatar, in control of GazaMeanwhile, Hamas refuses to implement the terms of the ceasefire that it agreed to with at least 79 ceasefire violations. Hamas refuses to disarm, continues to attack IDF units on the yellow line and hold one hostage. Ran Gvili's remains have been held hostage by Hamas for 838 days.
The white-washing of Hamas
>A PBS NewsHour segment on the war’s damage to Gaza’s cultural history erased Gaza’s rich Jewish cultural heritage dating back to antiquity, and claimed that an unharmed 1,600-year-old church was “destroyed” by an Israeli strike. https://www.camera.org/article/pbs-erases-gazas-jewish-history-destroys-an-unharmed-church/
>Hamas released a manifesto documenting how the group understands October 7, why it carried out the massacre, and why it continues to justify it. Reuters, Getty Images, and AFP images are featured in the Hamas propaganda manifesto justifying mass murder. The photographers have ties to Hamas.
Top PA honors given to Putin, Xi Jinping, Maduro, and Chavez 
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Syria
Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF, have worked with America for years preventing ISIS prison breaks. Without the support of the US or coalition forces, the prisoners have escapedReports of thousands of ISIS fighters escaped/freed. Syrian government forces, allied with Turkey have forced SDF forces to withdraw. Under President Trump and US Ambassador to Turkey & Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, the Kurds and Christians in Syria have been abandoned.
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The 20 Swiss citizens who joined the pro-Gaza “Sumud” flotilla have just received an invoice of up to €11,000 each, sent by the Swiss Confederation. What was included in the bill? 👉 Arrest in Israel 👉 Consular assistance 👉 Prison visits 👉 Diplomatic negotiations 👉 A flight back homeBern’s message was simple and direct: “Want to play ideological heroes abroad? Fine. But cover the costs yourself.”
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Diversity leader at UK school that blocked Jewish MP praised Hamas

Saturday, January 10, 2026

US plans to start 2nd phase of Gaza deal before Hamas disarmed, last hostage’s body returned
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Will the protesters in Iran defeat the Islamic Republic? At least 3 cities have fallen. There are protests in all 31 provinces. Will Iranian oil will make up for China's loss of Venezuelan supply ? While most reports repeat that the protests are driven by the economy (definitely a spark), please recall that "No Gaza No Lebanon My Life for Iran" chant first began during 2009 protests. Day 13 and the protests are growing.
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protest-soleimani-trump/33643152.html The headline from Denmark's public broadcaster: "Iran expert: It looks like the point of no return for the Mullahs' regime" https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/udland/iran-kender-det-ligner-et-point-no-return-praestestyret
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Antizionism is a hate movement targeting Jews worldwideYehuda Setton, CEO and director general of the Jewish Agency for Israel, “The greatest risk facing world Jewry today is not antisemitism alone. It is complacency."   https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/from-bondi-beach-to-the-next-crisis-why-the-first-hour-matters/ 
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How Maduro’s Arrest Became Another Anti-Israel Campaign  https://honestreporting.com/how-maduros-arrest-became-another-anti-israel-campaign/ See Also: Venezuela’s acting leader says ‘Zionist undertones’ marked US capture of Maduro https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/06/nicolas-maduro-guerra-son-donald-trump-venezuela-narcotics/ 
In related news, El Pais, widely considered The New York Times of Spain, reports that Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who will preside over the Maduro trial, is a highly regarded jurist "𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲."  The mainstreaming of antisemitism in Spain should trouble us all. Here's a simple exercise for everyone who’s now having trouble seeing it- replace the word Jewish or Zionist with any other marginalized group and you’ll see immediately that a statement sounds bigoted. Because of online outrage, the bigoted comment was removed. https://www.camera.org/article/impartial-despite-being-jewish-el-pais-quietly-removes-antisemitic-slur/
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This week, we had the pleasure of meeting Pastor Dumisani Washington, the Founder and CEO of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel (IBSI). The only Black led pro-Israel organization. He expressed his concern that the free-Palestine movement exploits Black Americans, that the Trans-Saharan slave trade hasn't ended [see https://www.charlesjacobs.org/], that Christian communities in the Middle East and Africa are under threat, and that the United States is funding the terrorists that threaten us [from money going to the Taliban and support of Qatar]. He pointed out that what happened in Israel on October 7th, happens every week to Christians in Africa, and Muslims call it "Ghazwa."
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Members Of The Qatar-Funded International Union Of Muslim Scholars Call For Action Against The UAE Over Its Stance Toward The Muslim Brotherhood https://www.memri.org/reports/members-qatar-funded-international-union-muslim-scholars-call-action-against-uae-over-its
The UAE announces it will cuts funds for citizens who want to study in the UK out of fear of Emirati students being radicalized by Muslim Brotherhood Islamists on British campuses. 
The UAE's engagement with Somaliland dates back to the mid-2010s, https://www.middle-east-online.com/en/somalilands-emerging-alliances-deepening-ties-israel-and-uae
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>US launches large scale attacks on ISIS/ISIL targets in Syria
> Syrian government forces have taken near-complete control of Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh areas; SOHR  reports govt. forces abusing civilians/human rights violations. AJ and SOHR seem to be the only outlets covering fighting. 
>Syria-Israel talks in Paris positive https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-882884
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FYI We've known this at least 2023, but it's worth repeating: Founder of Students for Justice in Palestine Is the Jewish Voice For Peace https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/hatem-bazian-is-the-jewish-voice-for-peace In November 2025 the two Instagram accounts (SJP.UR and JVP.UR) posted identical messages.
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>Please see the difference between The Australian and BBC headlines, 
UK police ‘covered up’ Islamist threat to Jewish fans bit.ly/4jrpmUJ 
vs  No conspiracy over Israeli football fans ban, West Midlands Police say
The Birmingham, UK football ban of Jews is getting more attention as more evidence comes to light about police lies, including that the police concealed evidence that they knew of Muslim men planning to attack Jews. 
>BBC once again being forced to apologize. Britain’s national broadcaster issued a clarification this week after the outlet faced criticism for airing a Christmas special on the Holocaust-era evacuation of Jewish children from Europe that removed all references to Jews.
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People's Forum and links to China here https://www.instagram.com/reels/DTLIIfUDd8d/ 

Sunday, January 4, 2026

2026 is having quite the start:
>Have you seen images of the Massive Anti-Regime Protests Sweeping Across Iran, heard about it other than President Trump's statement that he would step in? TikTok appears to have blocked any videos coming out of Iran. 
> Did you know there was New Year's Eve Violence Across EuropeThere are no details that I can find on why there was "unprecedented" violence in Europe and especially in the Netherlands on New Year's Eve.  
>In New York, the new Mayor's first actions included revoking adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism and also revoked Executive Order 61, which mandated that the New York Police Department strengthen its protection around synagogues in the wake of growing harassment and threats from "pro-Palestinian" and anti-Israeli protesters. 
>President Trump said the Gaza ceasefire will be moving on to phase 2 soon, despite there still being one hostage, Hamas's refusal to disarm, and no international force willing to keep the peace.

2025 the year in review:
>The Pictures of the Year That Got Left Out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi_ewaKX6Xs&t=37s
>2025 Editor's Picks: MEMRI Daily Brief And Inquiry And Analysis Reports https://www.memri.org/reports/2025-editors-picks-memri-daily-brief-and-inquiry-and-analysis-reports
>2025 Year In Review and The New York Times’ 2019 Bellwether For Antisemitism https://www.camera.org/article/2025-year-in-review-and-the-new-york-times-bellwether-2019-antisemitism/
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CANADA
Unfortunately, the Canadian Jews I know agree: Canada is Ground Zero for international Antisemitism https://agpiworld.com/antisemitism-1 See also https://ngo-monitor.org/the-ngo-network-driving-antisemitism-in-canada/

IRAN
Iran arming ballistic missiles with biological, chemical weapons 

ISRAEL
>Israel blocking less than 4% of NGO's, 1% of aid into Gaza because specific NGOs failed to detail their staff lists. Aid continues into Gaza uninteruppted.
>WATCH: IDF destroys 2-km tunnel in northern Gaza -the IDF is still uncovering Hamas tunnel networks 

SAUDI ARABIA
Recent Saudi moves across Yemen, Sudan and the Horn of Africa - including a widening rift with the UAE and closer alignment with Qatar - are challenging long-held assumptions about Riyadh's regional posture https://jewishinsider.com/2025/12/saudi-arabia-yemen-sudan-israel-uae-moderation-abraham-accords/

VENEZUELA