NEW YORK NEWS
During a rally in Times Square, Senator Chuck Schumer expressed his commitment to eradicating Hamas and rescuing hostages held in Gaza, where at least 203 individuals, including women, children, and a Holocaust survivor, were taken captive during the devastating attack on October 7.
Hundreds of demonstrators showed support for Israel and demanded the hostages’ release, and Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish official in U.S. history, pledged America’s full support to rescue those held by terrorists. The rally was organized by the Israeli-American Council and other New York Jewish organizations, with the faces of the kidnapped individuals displayed on 15 buildings in Times Square.
During a massive anti-Israel rally in Brooklyn, 19 people were arrested as thousands of demonstrators clashed with the police. The protest, titled “Flood Brooklyn for Palestine,” disrupted traffic in Bay Ridge for hours as protesters clashed with law enforcement, lobbing objects at officers and lighting fires in the streets while waving Palestinian flags. While the NYPD stated that most of the crowd was peaceful, some demonstrators acted aggressively, leading to arrests and confrontations with the police. The unrest is part of a series of protests following the surprise attack by Hamas terrorists on Israel on October 7, which killed more than 1,400 Israelis, mainly civilians. The demonstrators demanded an end to the “Israeli blockade, occupation, and support from the United States for Israel,” with some calling for an end to genocide. City Councilman Ari Kagan criticized the rally as “shameless,” characterizing it as pro-Hamas and anti-Israel. This rally came after nearly 200 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested in Manhattan for blocking traffic in a demonstration sponsored by the Democratic Socialists of America.
Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, has filed a $4.8 billion lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in Manhattan Federal Court, accusing the civil rights group of interfering with his First Amendment rights by wrongly labeling him an anti-Semite. Farrakhan argues that the ADL’s characterization of him as an anti-Semite is a “false narrative” and seeks to prevent the misuse of terms like “anti-Semite.” He claims that he has never harmed Jewish individuals and even admires some members of the Jewish community, despite his controversial history of making derogatory statements about Jews. The dispute between Farrakhan and the ADL dates back to 1984 when Farrakhan supported presidential candidate Jesse Jackson, who was accused of using a racial slur to refer to Jews. The ADL, in response, has dismissed the lawsuit, asserting that Farrakhan’s anti-Semitism is evident in his own words and statements.
The New York Times has acknowledged that it “relied too heavily on claims by Hamas” in its reporting of an explosion at a Gaza hospital, though it has not refuted Hamas’s allegations that Israel was responsible. The newspaper issued a statement five days after running a headline suggesting an “Israeli Strike Kills Hundreds in Hospital, Palestinians Say,” citing Hamas officials and displaying a picture of a damaged building that wasn’t the Al-Ahli Hospital. The Times admitted that it should have been more careful with its initial presentation, and both Hamas and Israeli reports on the incident have discrepancies. While Israel has denied responsibility, investigations by other media outlets suggest the missile came from Palestinian territory, not Israel. The Biden administration has also backed Israel’s claims.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams attended the inauguration and unveiling of a street sign naming the corner of Penn Street and Bedford Avenue as “Joseph Weber Way” in honor of Reb Yosef Weber, a Holocaust survivor and dedicated community member. Mayor Adams praised Weber’s tireless efforts for the community and highlighted his significant roles in community organizations. During the event, Mayor Adams also discussed the current situation in Gaza, expressing his belief in the need to disband and dismantle Hamas. He met with the Pupa Rebbe, Harav Yaakov Yechizkia Greenwald, and engaged in discussions with community leaders.
Two New York hospitals, HealthAlliance Hospital and Margaretville Hospital, which were affected by a cyberattack, have resumed admitting emergency patients after temporarily shutting down their computer systems for investigation. The cyberattack had also impacted Mountainside Residential Care Center, a skilled nursing facility affiliated with the hospitals. Ambulance diversions have ceased, but emergency stroke patients are still being temporarily transferred to other hospitals. The Westchester Medical Center Health Network, which operates these facilities, has IT experts working on resolving the issue, and the investigation into the source of the attack is ongoing.
Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff met on Thursday with Rabbi & Rosh Beit Midrash at the Young Israel of Woodmere and their students delivered 18,000+ letters to the White House. These letters were written by people all around the world and thank President Biden and VP Kamala Harris for their support of Israel.
US NEWS
The killing of Samantha Woll, the president of a Detroit synagogue, is under investigation by local, state, and federal authorities. Woll, aged 40, was found fatally stabbed outside her home in Detroit’s Lafayette Park neighborhood, with a trail of blood leading back to her residence. While police have several persons of interest, they have not confirmed a motive for the attack and have not classified it as a hate crime at this time. Woll was a beloved community leader, heavily involved in politics, interfaith work, and grassroots organizations. Her tragic death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from friends, family, and colleagues who praised her dedication to justice and her commitment to equality for all.
During a pro-Palestine rally Monday night in Skokie, IL, violent incidents occurred where a man fired a gunshot into the air and another man maced the crowd. Fortunately, no one was injured by the gunshot. The incident occurred outside an event organized to show support for Israel at Ateres Ayala in Skokie, attended by over a thousand people. There were also plans for a “peace and prayer” rally by a Jewish group in Federal Plaza, but it was canceled due to threats. The pro-Palestinian protesters had initially gathered peacefully but later confronted the event attendees. The situation escalated, leading to the discharge of a firearm and the use of mace, resulting in the arrest of the individuals involved.
Hamas’ Telegram channel on Android devices has apparently been blocked by the Google Store. Its channel has about 700,000 users. The official Telegram channels of Hamas and the al-Qassam Brigades were made inaccessible for users who downloaded the app from the Google Play Store, citing Google Play’s guidelines. Telegram responded by stating that these channels could still be accessed on other platforms or by downloading the Telegram for Android app directly from the Telegram website. Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, defended his decision not to remove war-related content from the platform, arguing that shutting down such channels could exacerbate an already dire situation and that they serve as sources of first-hand information for researchers, journalists, and fact-checkers. However, critics argue that Telegram channels, including those affiliated with terrorist groups, have a considerable impact on spreading propaganda and misinformation.
The U.S. Senate passed a resolution expressing unanimous support for Israel, affirming its right to self-defense, and condemning Hamas’s attacks on civilians. The resolution, supported by all 100 senators, also condemns Iran’s backing of global terrorism, including support for terrorist groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The U.S. stands ready to assist Israel with security, diplomatic, intelligence, and emergency resupply needs. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer emphasized that the resolution reaffirms the strong bipartisan support for Israel and condemns the attacks by Hamas, stating that the U.S. stands firmly with Israel in its right to self-defense. President Joe Biden planned to call for Congress to pass a supplemental package with aid for Israel in a speech.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has stated that if he becomes president, he would revoke the visas of international students who express support for Hamas terrorists. DeSantis made this declaration in response to how some university students in the U.S. reacted to the Israel-Hamas War, expressing support for Hamas during protests. He also supported businesses that have refused to hire students with anti-Israel views. DeSantis criticized the culture in American universities and said that there is a “sickness” spreading through modern college campuses. This aligns with the efforts of Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who is working on a resolution to revoke visas for foreign citizens in the U.S. who support Hamas or its allies, seeking Senate approval for deportations of visa holders with such affiliations. DeSantis expressed concern over foreign students praising Hamas and questioned what was happening within the U.S. education system.
The United Automobile Workers (UAW) union has expanded its six-week-long strikes against major U.S. automakers, instructing 5,000 workers at General Motors’ (GM) largest U.S. plant in Arlington, Texas, to halt work. This expansion came as GM reported a drop in its third-quarter profit, with UAW strikes costing the company $800 million so far. The union’s strategy involves targeting some of GM’s most profitable vehicles, including large SUVs such as the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade produced in the Texas factory. In addition to GM, UAW has also struck Ford Motor’s largest plant in Louisville, Kentucky, which manufactures small SUVs. GM executives had hoped to reach a tentative agreement with the union soon, but the strike’s expansion dampened those hopes, potentially posing a risk to the US economy as the strike continues.
This week, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate reached 8%, a level not seen since 2000, following several months of rate increases from below 5% in April, primarily due to the Federal Reserve’s series of interest rate hikes to combat inflation. Persistent inflation has prompted the Fed to maintain high-interest rates for an extended period, which, in turn, has pushed up the 10-year Treasury yield, impacting mortgage rates. High mortgage rates have significantly slowed the housing market, leading to lower mortgage applications and a sharp drop in home sales, with the housing industry expressing concern about the impact of rising rates on the sector.
Israel NEWS
Hamas and Israel are in advanced negotiations through intermediaries from Egypt and Qatar to secure the release of approximately 50 hostages who were taken captive into Gaza during the organization’s October 7 attack. These talks have shown progress, but a snag arose on Monday when Hamas began to condition the release of these dual nationals on Israel allowing the entry of fuel into Gaza. In response, Israel has insisted on the release of all approximately 220 hostages before permitting the entry of fuel, believing that Hamas could repurpose the fuel for military use as Israel prepares for a potential invasion to eliminate the terror group. These developments follow an earlier release of two hostages, Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz, who were freed from Gaza into Egypt and transferred to Israel after 17 days in captivity. The United States and other countries have been pushing Israel to delay a ground incursion to allow more time for hostage negotiations.
Clashes along the Lebanon-Israel border have intensified, with Hezbollah announcing the deaths of five more militants as the conflict escalates. The fighting has been ongoing since Israel’s war with Hamas began, with sporadic rocket exchanges across the border. Hezbollah has reported the deaths of 24 of its militants since Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel. In response to the situation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Lebanon not to allow itself to be drawn into a new war and vowed to respond forcefully to any escalation by Hezbollah. Meanwhile, the international community and Lebanese authorities are working to prevent Lebanon from getting embroiled in a new conflict.
Over 2,000 ultra-Orthodox Israelis have volunteered to enlist in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), marking an unprecedented mobilization within the haredi community. This move comes in response to the October 7 attack by Hamas, which resulted in the death of over 1,400 Israelis and left thousands wounded. Typically, ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students are exempt from military service due to a long-standing arrangement, but these volunteers, mainly from the Litvak ultra-Orthodox stream, have chosen to join the IDF. The exemption policy for ultra-Orthodox students had been scheduled for review and renewal in the Knesset. Historically, exemptions were offered to 500 ultra-Orthodox scholars, but the numbers have grown significantly over the years, causing tensions and resentment among the wider public.
The IDF released gruesome footage and images documenting the horrific events of Hamas’s October 7 attack in southern Israel. The raw footage includes a home security camera capturing a father and his two young sons rushing to a bomb shelter just before a grenade is thrown inside, killing the father. The video also shows graphic scenes of bodies being burned and mutilated, a man attempting to behead another individual, and instances of sexual assault. The IDF stated they have evidence of rape but cannot share it publicly. The military has referred to Hamas as having similarities to ISIS in terms of its methods, highlighting the brutality and cruelty seen in the footage.
Approximately 200,000 Israelis have been internally displaced due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas following the deadly attack by the terrorist group on October 7. About half of these individuals were instructed to evacuate from communities near the Gaza and Lebanon borders, with the other half leaving voluntarily. The Defense Ministry’s National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) is providing services to those displaced, including offering temporary accommodations in state-subsidized guesthouses. In response to the conflict, some hotels have been repurposed to accommodate displaced individuals, although the availability of suitable rooms is limited. Additionally, the Welfare Ministry reported that at least 21 children in 13 families have been left without parents due to terrorist attacks during the Hamas onslaught.
WORLD NEWS
In a joint-statement between US President Biden, UK Prime Minister Sunak, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, French President Macron, Germany Chancellor Scholz, and Italian Prime Minister Meloni, they reiterated their full support for Israel and its right to defend itself against terrorism while also abiding by International Law and insuring if possible the protection of civilians; they further state that they are committed to close cooperation with each other and partners in the Middle East to prevent the war from spreading.
A London Underground Tube driver who led a chant of “free, free Palestine” over the PA system on a packed train heading to a pro-Palestine march has been suspended pending further investigation, according to Transport for London (TfL). In a video shared on social media, the driver was seen leading the chant and expressing his support for the cause. The incident is being thoroughly investigated in line with TfL’s policies and procedures, and the driver has been identified and suspended. Up to 100,000 people attended the pro-Palestine march in London on that day, and 10 people were subsequently arrested by the Metropolitan Police.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned a firebomb attack on a synagogue in Berlin and expressed strong support for protecting Jewish institutions. Unknown assailants threw Molotov cocktails at the synagogue in central Berlin, while antisemitic incidents in Germany have been on the rise following the violent conflict in the Middle East. Scholz vowed to increase the protection of Jewish institutions, and the Central Council of Jews in Germany expressed shock over the attack, linking it to the influence of Hamas’ ideology. The attack occurred in a building complex housing a synagogue, kindergarten, yeshiva school, and community center. Germany has a sensitivity to attacks on Jews due to its Holocaust history.
