NEW YORK NEWS
Hundreds of Queens high school students rioted when a pro-Israel teacher at Hillcrest High School in New York City changed her social media profile photo to an image of her holding up an “I Stand With Israel” sign. The Jewish teacher was moved to another part of the building during the demonstration, involving approximately 400 students. The protest, fueled by tensions related to the Israel-Hamas war, led to a city investigation. Mayor Eric Adams condemned the incident as anti-sSmitism, and there were calls for the school’s shutdown pending a thorough investigation. School officials stated that some students involved in the protest faced suspensions for their conduct.
The President Elect of Argentina, Javier Milei, was spotted arriving at the Ohel of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Cambria Heights, Queens, Monday morning. Javier has made statements about the Rebbe on public television in the past, and made a promise to make a visit to the Ohel if he won the election.
Long Island GOP Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (NY-4) introduced a resolution condemning the use of the slogan “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as anti-Semitic. D’Esposito argues that the chant, used by Rep. Rashida Tlaib and others, is a call for the destruction of Israel and is prevalent on college campuses, indicating a troubling presence of antisemitic thought. Tlaib was recently censured for using the phrase. D’Esposito’s resolution denounces the chant as an antisemitic call to arms, citing the recent Hamas attacks and the historical context of the phrase. The resolution is expected to receive bipartisan support and go to a vote on the House floor before the year’s end.
The George Santos saga on Capitol Hill may soon conclude with a potential vote for his expulsion from the House of Representatives after a damning Ethics Committee report revealed his misuse of campaign funds for personal expenses, leading to federal charges. Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest has filed a resolution for expulsion, citing unprecedented fraud and abuse. Despite surviving an earlier attempt by New York Republicans to oust him, many have reversed their stance following the ethics report. Santos, who denies guilt, plans to stand for expulsion, predicting he will become the sixth person in history expelled from the House. Expulsion would trigger a special election, posing a pickup opportunity for Democrats in Santos’ Long Island-based seat and reducing Republicans’ slim majority in the House. Santos argues that expulsion would set a new era of due process, insisting he will wear it as a “badge of honor.” The Justice Department has charged Santos with various federal counts, and his trial is set for September 2024.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams faces accusations of assaulting a woman in 1993, according to a legal summons filed, seeking $5 million in relief. The filing, made under the Adult Survivors Act, does not provide details of the alleged assault but names Adams, the New York Police Department’s transit bureau, and the NYPD Guardians Association as defendants. Adams denies the allegations, stating he doesn’t recall meeting the woman and asserting it never happened. The summons comes amid an FBI investigation into Adams’s 2021 campaign, focusing on whether he inappropriately assisted the government of Turkey in gaining approval for a skyscraper, and follows the suspension of the usual time limit to sue for assault under the Adult Survivors Act.
A married couple, Kurt P. Villani and Monica Villani, both 53 and residents of Grand Island, New York, were identified as the individuals killed in a fiery car crash near the US-Canadian border at the Rainbow Bridge crossing. The incident, initially sparking concerns of a terror attack, occurred when the couple’s 2022 Bentley hit a curb and guardrail, becoming airborne and crashing into a Customs and Border Protection booth. Despite the vehicle being “basically incinerated,” no explosives were found, and the FBI found no connection to terrorism. Investigators believe the man had planned to attend a KISS concert in Canada, but the crash occurred after the concert was canceled, prompting a visit to a US casino. The incident led to the temporary shutdown of bridges between the US and Canada near Niagara Falls on a busy travel day. The case has been turned over to local police as a traffic investigation.
US NEWS
Jason J. Eaton, the suspect in a shooting in Vermont that left three Palestinian college students injured, pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted second-degree murder. The victims, Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and Tahseen Ali Ahmad, were shot while on a walk in Burlington. While the motive is still under investigation, some believe it was a targeted hate crime, possibly due to the victims wearing traditional Palestinian scarves. The suspect, who was recently terminated from his job, was found with a semiautomatic pistol, and investigators are exploring potential hate crime charges. The victims, all 20-year-old students, remain hospitalized.
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, was stabbed by a fellow inmate in a Tucson federal prison and is expected to survive, according to officials. Chauvin, serving a 22½-year sentence for state second-degree murder and 21 years for violating Floyd’s federal civil rights, was attacked on Friday. The US prisons bureau confirmed an unnamed person at the Tucson lockup was assaulted, providing no further details. Chauvin’s lawyers had expressed concerns about his safety in prison. Prison staff administered “life-saving measures,” and Chauvin was hospitalized. The Tucson prison has faced security issues in the past.
Amazon is seeking 50,000 square feet of office space in Miami, according to reports. The company’s search for new space predates founder Jeff Bezos’ announcement that he is moving to Miami, though he cited being closer to family and Blue Origin’s operations in Florida as reasons for the relocation. The move aligns with a broader trend of individuals and businesses migrating to Miami, including notable companies like hedge fund Citadel and tech firm Anaplan. Amazon currently has over 400 corporate and tech employees in the Miami region and attributes the need for additional office space to its organic growth in the area over the past few years.
Sam Altman, the former CEO of OpenAI who was ousted last week, is returning to the company as CEO after a surprising turn of events. Altman is joined by a new board led by Bret Taylor, former co-CEO of Salesforce, Larry Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary, and existing member Adam D’Angelo, CEO of Quora. Microsoft, a key investor in OpenAI, played a role in reversing Altman’s firing and will likely have representation on the new board. The main priority is to select up to nine new directors, and negotiations are ongoing to determine which members will stay on the board.
Israel NEWS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly disclosed that he has instructed the Mossad to assassinate the top leadership of Hamas anywhere in the world. Netanyahu revealed this during a joint press conference, emphasizing that the heads of Hamas are targeted “wherever they are.” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant added that Hamas leaders “are living on borrowed time,” asserting a global struggle against them. Minister-without-portfolio Benny Gantz echoed the sentiment, stating that Israel would pursue Hamas leaders responsible for recent violence both in Gaza and worldwide, leaving no “sanctuary cities” for them. The leaders targeted include Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, Marwan Issa, Saleh al-Arouri, and Khaled Mashaal.
Israeli forces arrested the director of Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Mohammad Abu Salmiya, along with other medical personnel, accusing them of enabling the hospital to be used as a headquarters for the Hamas terrorist organization. Israel claims that the hospital, under Abu Salmiya’s management, served as a base for Hamas, including maintaining a tunnel system and storing weapons. The IDF and Shin Bet stated that considerable evidence supports these allegations. Shifa Hospital has been a focus of the Israeli operation against Hamas, and the arrests come amid ongoing conflict in the region. The hospital staff, including Abu Salmiya, denies allegations of collaboration with Hamas, while Israel continues its efforts to eliminate the terrorist group from Gaza.
Israeli newborns are being named after locations affected by the October 7 Hamas attack in southwestern Israel, according to the Population and Immigration Authority. Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the hardest-hit areas, has inspired names for 45 infants. The names Oz, Erez, and Nir, associated with places affected by the massacre, have also gained popularity. Additionally, three baby girls were named Nova, after the Supernova Sukkot Music Festival near Kibbutz Re’im, where many people were killed. In the seven weeks since the attack, 17,629 births have been registered in Israel. Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Israel Katz pledged to transform the damaged southern border communities into “energy islands” focused on advanced and renewable energy as part of a reconstruction plan.
WORLD NEWS
Around a hundred thousand, including former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, gathered in London for a march against anti-Semitism, organized as the largest in nearly a century. Attendees, waving Israeli flags and Union Jacks, expressed solidarity with the Jewish community amid rising tensions fueled by the Israel-Hamas conflict. Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis joined the march, emphasizing concerns about the surge in antisemitic incidents during pro-Palestinian protests. The rally aimed to counter anti-Semitism and racism, and police detained former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson, who was among counterprotesters during Armistice Day. Organizers highlighted this as the largest anti-Semitism-focused gathering since 1936.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party in South Africa tabled a motion, supported by the ruling African National Congress party, to close the Israeli embassy and sever diplomatic ties until Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza. The motion received the support of 248 parliament members, while 91 lawmakers opposed it. The vote followed President Cyril Ramaphosa accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza during a meeting with other world leaders. South Africa had previously referred Israel’s actions in Gaza to the International Criminal Court, leading to tensions with Israel and the recall of its ambassador.
German authorities conducted raids on the homes of 17 individuals in Bavaria, including 15 men and 2 women aged 18 to 62, accusing them of spreading anti-Semitic hate speech and threats online. The suspects were said to have celebrated the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel and were accused of spreading hate speech against Jewish people on social media. Police questioned the suspects and seized evidence from their homes, including cell phones and laptops. The raids focused on Munich, where nine of the accused resided, as well as other Bavarian towns. Germany has strict rules against hate speech, and raids related to the publication of banned symbols and Holocaust denial are not uncommon. Last month, Germany’s chancellor and president denounced a rise in antisemitism following the Israel-Hamas war.
