All articles tagged with #antisemitism
Germany’s culture ministry is reportedly pushing to replace Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle after a turbulent edition dominated by Gaza-related protests and accusations of anti-Semitism, with a special government meeting expected to decide the festival’s leadership and direction.
The Department of Justice filed an 81-page federal lawsuit against the University of California, alleging UCLA administrators routinely ignored antisemitism complaints from Jewish employees since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack and the Gaza war spurred campus protests, marking a sharp escalation in civil rights actions against UC after prior demands for about $1.2 billion in settlements.
Australia's federal royal commission into antisemitism began public hearings after the Bondi Beach mass shooting, with former High Court Justice Virginia Bell overseeing a probe into antisemitism drivers, its prevalence, and recommended government actions. An interim report is due by the end of April and a full report by the first anniversary of the attack, while some proceedings may be held behind closed doors due to ongoing criminal cases.
A 32-year-old Sunnybank man was charged in Brisbane with wilful damage, serious vilification or hate crime, dangerous operation of a vehicle and drug offences after allegedly ramming the gates of a Margaret Street synagogue with a ute; police say the attack targeted a Jewish place of worship but is not being treated as a terrorist incident, with no injuries reported and investigators considering mental health and intoxication as contributing factors.
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, a Hamas-linked NGO, launched WikiRights in Gaza to train 12 Palestinians as editors and human-rights researchers for Wikipedia pages on the Israel-Hamas war, aiming to document victims and human rights issues through live testimonies; critics point to the group’s Hamas ties and sanctions against its founder.
At the NBA All-Star Game in Inglewood, Spike Lee wore a keffiyeh-patterned sweater with Palestinian flag badges and Kyrie Irving wore a Wear the Peace 'PRESS' shirt honoring Gaza journalists, in a pro-Palestinian display amid the Gaza war; there were no disruptions during the game, and Israeli player Deni Avdija competed for Team World.
Israel’s president Isaac Herzog arrived in Australia to meet Bondi beach attack survivors and families, lay Jerusalem stones at a memorial, and condemn rising antisemitism as a global emergency, stressing shared bonds between Jews and Australians and signaling ongoing unity in the bilateral relationship amid security and protest concerns.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog is heading to Australia for a state visit that will be greeted with a government-backed show of solidarity for grieving Jews after the Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack, even as mass protests condemn him as a war criminal in the Gaza war. Prime Minister Albanese frames the trip as a unity gesture, but critics warn it could deepen social divides, with security and diplomatic-immunity considerations surrounding Herzog and his delegation amid ongoing international debates and local antisemitism concerns.
Longtime sponsors ADL, UJA-Federation of NY and the New York Board of Rabbis will not sponsor this year's NYC mayor’s interfaith breakfast; the ADL says it wasn’t invited, while progressive groups Jew for Racial and Economic Justice and New York Jewish Agenda are co-sponsoring, signaling a shift in NYC Jewish politics as Zohran Mamdani hosts the event.
Raanan Hershberg's new YouTube special Morbidly Jewish captures a moment when Jewish comedy grapples with anxiety over Israel, Gaza, and antisemitism; his sharp, subtext-heavy bits and provocative Nazi joke about overreacting to antisemitism illustrate a charged era in which liberal Jewish humor weighs its anxieties against humor.
A German-Israeli IDF sniper has filed a defamation suit against The Guardian and several German outlets for publishing his name and photo in a war-crimes story, alleging misidentification and manipulation of an interview in which the soldier didn’t intend for public release. The Guardian reportedly removed mentions after legal action, while German courts issued an interim injunction against Abendzeitung to stop publishing defamatory statements about a different individual linked to the case. The action highlights risks of doxxing and antisemitism-driven media coverage, with complaints filed by human rights groups and demands for compensation.
President Trump says his administration is seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard in a long-running federal-funding dispute tied to antisemitism concerns and ongoing settlement talks, a move following reports that Harvard won concessions and after earlier discussions of a smaller payout; a federal judge previously ruled the funding freeze violated Harvard’s First Amendment rights.
President Trump escalates his dispute with Harvard University by seeking $1 billion in damages over the school’s handling of campus antisemitism, part of a broader federal pressure campaign that has frozen billions in federal funding, threatened the university’s tax-exempt status, and aimed to limit enrollment of international students. Harvard has sued to reinstate federal research money and protect international students, while negotiations continue amid scrutiny of 60 universities for campus antisemitism issues; the case could influence how colleges respond to federal probes.
Gregory Bovino, a former U.S. Border Patrol commander, allegedly mocked Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen for observing Shabbat and used an antisemitic “chosen people” remark; Rosen has spoken out against antisemitism and hate crimes, and Bovino was removed from his Border Patrol post and is expected to retire in California.
Minnesota officials allege Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino used antisemitic language on a Jan. 12 planning call about coordinating a Saturday meeting amid a surge in immigration enforcement, including questions about Orthodox Jews taking Sabbath and the phrase “chosen people.” The remarks, described as an antisemitic rant, were reported amid broader tensions over federal immigration operations; Bovino has since been reassigned to California’s El Centro sector as backlash grew. Responses from DHS, the White House, and DOJ were not provided in the report.