LIVE UPDATES — FROM NOV. 2nd – 8th
Israel At War: Week Fifty-Seven Coverage
TRUSTED ANALYSIS
Day 399 — Friday, November 8
Netanyahu Sends Planes To Save Jews In Amsterdam, US Congressmen Demand Action
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated at about 4:30 a.m. local time that he was dispatching two rescue planes to Amsterdam following a “very violent incident against Israeli citizens.”
The Israeli National Security Council stated in Hebrew that Israelis in Amsterdam should remain in their hotel rooms and avoid the street, refrain from wearing visible Jewish or Israeli symbols and notify Dutch police and the Israeli mission about any threat or attack. The council also advised Israelis to return to home, with more planes expected.
Geert Wilders, who leads the largest political party in the Netherlands, wrote that it “looks like a Jew hunt in the streets of Amsterdam.”
“A pogrom in the streets of Amsterdam. We have become the Gaza of Europe,” he added in another post. “Muslims with Palestinian flags hunting down Jews.”
“I will not accept that. Never,” he wrote. “The authorities will be held accountable for their failure to protect the Israeli citizens. Never again.”
Deborah Lipstadt, the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, wrote that she is “horrified by the attacks tonight in Amsterdam, which are terribly reminiscent of a classic pogrom.”
“I am also deeply disturbed by how long the reported attacks lasted and call on the government to conduct a thorough investigation into security force intervention and on how these despicable attacks transpired,” Lipstadt wrote. “In terrible historical irony, this is happening two days before the grim anniversary of Reichspogromnacht in 1938, when Nazi-sanctioned and led pogroms against Jews erupted across the German Reich.”
“This is outrageous. The government of the Netherlands must protect Jews from these attacks and prosecute the assailants,” wrote Rep. Brad Sherman. “I’m putting together a group of Jewish members of Congress to discuss this with the Dutch ambassador tomorrow.”
Rep. Ritchie Torres wrote that “the hysterical and hyperbolic demonization of Israel has led to a global outbreak of antisemitic vitriol, vandalism and violence. The single most monstrous manifestation of antisemitism is a pogrom that is presently unfolding against hundreds of Jews who were cheering on the Tel Aviv football club in Amsterdam.”
“Those inciting antisemitism now have the blood of a 21st-century pogrom on their hands,” he stated. “The situation is so dire that the Israeli government is dispatching rescue teams for Jews in danger. I am sick to my stomach that a pogrom is happening in the 21st century.”
Rep. Steny Hoyer wrote that “two days before the anniversary of Kristallnacht, Jews are once again experiencing antisemitism and vicious attacks in Europe.”
Day 399 — Friday, November 8
Herzog: Amsterdam Attack Is ‘Warning Sign’ For Countries That ‘Uphold The Values Of Freedom’
President Isaac Herzog calls the attacks on Israelis in Amsterdam “a warning sign for any country that wishes to uphold the values of freedom.”
“We woke up this morning to shocking images and videos that since October 7th, we had hoped never to see again: an antisemitic pogrom currently taking place against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and Israeli citizens in the heart of Amsterdam, Netherlands,” he writes on X.
“This is a serious incident, a warning sign for any country that wishes to uphold the values of freedom,” he continues.
He says he trusts that Dutch authorities “will act immediately and take all necessary measures to protect, locate, and rescue all Israelis and Jews under attack, and to eradicate the violence against Jewish and Israeli citizens by all required means.”
Day 399 — Friday, November 8
Violence In Amsterdam: Hundreds Of Israeli Soccer Fans Brutally Attacked By Arabs Outside Stadium
Hundreds of fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team reported that they were attacked overnight Thursday by Arabs in Amsterdam, as they left the stadium following Maccabi’s game against AFC Ajax.
The fans testified that an ambush had been prepared for them in advance at various points outside the stadium.
Disturbing footage from the city, which was posted to social media, fans are seen being violently attacked, beaten and even run over. One of the fans was forced to say “Free Palestine” before he was let go. Some of the fans barricaded themselves in shops and other places in the city. The local police escorted some of the Israelis back to their hotels.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that ten fans were injured and that two people are unaccounted for, and efforts to get in touch with them are ongoing.
About 30 suspects have reportedly been arrested, according to local reports in the Netherlands, but the incident has not yet been brought under control.
An Israeli who witnessed the goings on told Kan 11 News, “They waited in groups at every corner, and as soon as they recognized Jews – they started chasing them. Others waited near hotels and near the casino in larger groups, and there they also attacked fans. Then others drove by with cars and did not stop honking near hotels in which Israelis are staying.”
“The police were not present at the conclusion of the games, and Muslims were waiting near train stations for Israeli fans and followed them,” said another Israeli. “The police only started to intervene after about half an hour to 45 minutes into the attacks, after the attackers threw firecrackers at people and into buildings.”
Maccabi Tel Aviv was informed about the situation, called forces to the areas where the violence took place and involved the Israeli embassy as well.
The Prime Minister’s Office stated that “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been informed of the details regarding the very violent incident against Israeli citizens in Amsterdam, held an assessment with his Military Secretary and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and is receiving regular updates.”
“The Prime Minister has directed that two rescue planes be sent immediately to assist our citizens. The harsh pictures of the assault on our citizens in Amsterdam will not be overlooked.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu views the horrifying incident with utmost gravity and demands that the Dutch government and security forces take vigorous and swift action against the rioters, and ensure the safety of our citizens.”
The National Security Council told the Israeli public currently in Amsterdam to refrain from moving in the street and remain in their hotel rooms, avoid externalizing Israeli and Jewish symbols, and inform the local police immediately of any unusual incident.
The NSC recommends that those who can move up their flight back to Israel do so.
Incoming Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar commented on the situation and wrote on X, “We are in contact with the authorities in the Netherlands about the serious events there. Any Israeli or Jew who is currently in distress or has information and location about a violent event that is currently taking place – please contact the emergency hotline: 0097225303155.”
Day 398 — Thursday, November 7
Netanyahu Speaks To Trump About Iran After Election Victory
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Iran with Donald Trump when he called to congratulate him on securing a second term as President of the United States following Tuesday’s election.
“The conversation was warm and cordial,” Netanyahu’s office said, noting that the Prime Minister was one of the first world leaders to call Trump.
“The prime minister congratulated Trump on his election victory, and the two agreed to work together for Israel’s security,” Netanyahu’s office stated.
Trump promised to stop all wars during his victory speech early Wednesday morning, speaking as Israel is in the middle of a protracted war with Iran and its proxy groups.
Israel and Iran have had two rounds of direct strikes and counterstrikes, and Israel is braced for yet another Iran attack. Pundits have hoped that Trump’s election would have a containing effect on Tehran.
Netanyahu discussed Israel’s security situation with the President-elect, who previously served as President from 2017-2021.
Trump and Netanyahu have a strong friendship, and the incoming President is seen as supportive of the Jewish state.
In a post on X/Twitter earlier in the day, Netanyahu wrote, “Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback! Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.”
“This is a huge victory!” Netanyahu wrote.
Day 398 — Thursday, November 7
Hezbollah Rocket Attack On The Western Galilee Kills Israeli Teen
An Israeli teenager was killed in a Hezbollah rocket attack on the Western Galilee on Wednesday night.
Magen David Adom first responders discovered the lifeless body of the victim in an agricultural field near Kibbutz Kfar Masaryk, south of Acre, the medical emergency response group said.
The slain teen suffered severe shrapnel wounds from a rocket and medics pronounced him dead at the scene.
According to local reports, he was wounded some 90 minutes before first responders arrived, in a barrage from Lebanon that targeted the kibbutz and consisted of approximately 25 rockets.
MDA medic Netanel Ben-Yehuda said, “We were led to the scene of the incident by a farmer from the area. We saw the wounded man lying in the field—he was unconscious with severe wounds from shrapnel. We performed tests on him but he was without a pulse and not breathing.”
Initial reports suggested that the victim was a foreign worker, but local authorities later confirmed that an Israeli citizen was killed. He was subsequently identified as Sivan Sadeh, 18, from Kfar Masaryk.
The teenager was “one of our best sons,” Moshe Davidovich, who heads the Mateh Asher Regional Council, told Kan Reshet Bet. “He went out to open the irrigation in the fields. I was told he followed instructions and laid down on the ground, but there were no interceptions in the field.”
Hezbollah terrorists fired rocket barrages toward central Israel on Wednesday, setting off sirens in several cities, including Tel Aviv. At least one rocket hit the parking lot of Ben-Gurion International Airport.
Wednesday morning’s rocket attacks were the largest barrage fired by Hezbollah at Israel’s densely populated central region since the start of the war over a year ago.
Day 397 — Wednesday, November 6
Government Shakeup: Netanyahu Fires Defense Minister Gallant, Position To Be Filled By Foreign Minister Israel Katz
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in a brief, three-minute conversation on Tuesday evening, before issuing a press release.
Netanyahu began the statement by saying his “highest obligation as prime minister of Israel is to maintain Israel’s security and bring us to a complete victory.”
“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and the minister of defense,” Netanyahu continued.
The premier said that during the first months of the war, “there was such trust and there was very fruitful work,” however, he claimed, “during the last months this trust broke between me and the minister of defense.”
“Significant gaps were discovered between me and Gallant in the management of the campaign, and these gaps were accompanied by statements and actions that contradict the decisions of the government and the decisions of the cabinet,” Netanyahu remarked.
Netanyahu also said that the gaps between him and Gallant “came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy.”
The prime minister announced that he is replacing Gallant with Foreign Minister Israel Katz, and that Gideon Sa’ar, who only recently joined the coalition government, would take the position of foreign minister.
Day 396 — Tuesday, November 5
Israel Officially Informs UN That 1967 Agreement Recognizing UNRWA Is Void
The Foreign Ministry on Monday officially informed the United Nations that Israel is withdrawing from the 1967 agreement recognizing the Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA after the Knesset passed legislation to severely limit the operations of the agency in Israel and in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Foreign Ministry Director-General Jacob Blitshtein sent the letter to UN General Assembly President Philemon Yang of Cameroon, informing him that “Israel will continue to work with international partners, including other United Nations agencies, to ensure the facilitation of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not undermine Israel’s security. Israel expects the United Nations to contribute to and cooperate in this effort.”
Last week, the Knesset passed a bill banning UNRWA from operating from Israeli territory and prohibiting Israeli government agencies from working with UNRWA. The bill takes effect in three months.
“UNRWA — the organization whose employees participated in the October 7th massacre and many of whose employees are Hamas operatives — is part of the problem in the Gaza Strip and not part of the solution,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz said. “The UN was presented with endless evidence about Hamas operatives working at UNRWA and about the use of UNRWA facilities for terror purposes and nothing was done about it.”
Katz also noted that only 13 percent of the aid to Gaza currently goes through UNRWA, and argued the idea that there is no alternative to UNRWA is a fiction.
Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon welcomed Monday’s move, slamming the UN for not taking action after Israel submitted evidence of Hamas’s infiltration of the refugee agency.
“The State of Israel will continue to cooperate with humanitarian organizations but not with organizations that promote terrorism against us,” he wrote on X.
Day 395 — Monday, November 4
Chicago Authorities Under Microscope After Antisemitic Shooting: 'National Scandal'
After an Orthodox Jewish man was shot while walking to his synagogue on the Sabbath in Rogers Park, Chicago, last weekend, media outlets quickly gathered and disseminated information about the victim’s background. It was the media that also first confirmed that the suspect, 22-year-old Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, was a Mauritanian national who was in the U.S. illegally.
After the attack, fear rose within Chicago’s Jewish community about the lack of information from the Chicago Police Department and Mayor Brandon Johnson, who took five days to acknowledge the religious background of Abdallahi’s Jewish victim. Police also did not tell the public what Abdallahi shouted while shooting at officers, refusing to confirm the substance of Ring camera footage that was circulating, although they did acknowledge that “there was something stated.”
Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that “there is a clear cover-up going on to seal off information flow before next week’s election. They knew about the shooter’s illegal status from the moment they ran his ID.”
Abdallahi’s address, listed in a police news release, is 27 miles from Rogers Park. Goldberg noted that he went out of his way to travel a significant distance for the alleged attack.
The suspect’s alleged antisemitic motives then became a key theme during the Oct. 31 news conference where Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling announced long-awaited additional felony charges against Abdallahi for a hate crime and terrorism, bringing the total number of charges against Abdallahi to 16.
“We did not secure these charges because of public pressure or because of media attention,” Snelling told reporters. “Gathering evidence and facts takes time.” Snelling explained that detectives had been unable to interview Abdallahi, who remains hospitalized after being shot by police. Evidence on the suspect’s phone “indicated he planned the shooting and specifically targeted people of the Jewish faith.”
Chicago officials did not provide details about Abdallahi’s immigration status in their news conference. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson Erin Bultje confirmed to Fox News Digital that Abdallahi was apprehended while entering the country near San Ysidro in March and was subsequently released inside the U.S.
“It’s pretty obvious what happened here,” said Goldberg, a former NSC official in the Trump administration. “We have an act of terrorism committed by someone who entered the country illegally and was allowed to stay under Biden-Harris policies. And the second Democratic officials realized the potential impact that might have on the presidential election, they panicked and tried to lock down information flow. But the Jewish community fought back.”
Day 395 — Monday, November 4
Netanyahu: Israel Committed To Hezbollah’s Removal ‘With Or Without’ Deal
The Israel Defense Forces will push the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group north of Lebanon’s Litani River even without a ceasefire deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday night.
“With or without an agreement, the key to restoring peace and security in the north, to return our northern residents to their homes in safety, is to distance Hezbollah beyond the Litani, to strike any attempt to rearm it, and to respond firmly against any action against us,” the prime minister said during a visit to IDF soldiers serving on the Lebanese border.
“Simply put: Enforcement, enforcement, enforcement,” Netanyahu said following a meeting with reservists of the IDF’s 228th Brigade, known as the Northern Nahal. “And cutting off Hezbollah’s oxygen pipeline from Iran through Syria. We are committed to all of this,” the premier added.
On the Jewish state’s northern border, “you see and hear the change in reality—planes in the sky and our heroic fighters on the ground, across the border, eliminating the entire underground terror array that Hezbollah prepared for the invasion of the Galilee and an even larger massacre” than the one in southern communities on Oct. 7, 2023, according to Netanyahu.
“It won’t happen anymore,” Netanyahu vowed.
Day 394 — Sunday, November 3
11 Israelis Wounded As Hezbollah Fires 160 Rockets Toward Israel In The Span Of 24 Hours
Eleven Israelis were wounded by a Hezbollah rocket impact in the central town of Tira on Saturday, as the terror group shot some 160 rockets and ten drones at Israel over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, the IDF eliminated four senior Hezbollah commanders through airstrikes.
Israeli media reported that of the 160 rockets launched overall, 130 crossed into Israeli territory, where most were either intercepted by IDF air defenses or fell in open areas. Seven of the ten drones were shot down.
Early Saturday morning, a volley of three rockets was launched at central Israel, triggering alerts in Herzliya, Kfar Saba, and the Arab-majority town of Tira.
While two were shot down, one directly hit a home in Tira, moderately wounding three people. Eight others were lightly wounded by shrapnel and shards, while seven more people were treated for acute shock and anxiety.
Hezbollah claimed to have aimed at the IDF intelligence base in Glilot, which is some 20 km from Tira.
Later in the morning, Hezbollah launched three drones, one of whom impacted in the Jezreel Valley area, another hit a factory in Achziv, and the third was intercepted.
Amid incessant rocket fire throughout the day, notable rocket barrages included 10 launches at Haifa’s Krayot suburbs and the central Galilee in the morning, and a volley of 30 rockets at Karmiel and 35 rockets at Nahariya and its surroundings in the afternoon.
The IDF continued its targeted eliminations of Hezbollah commanders over the weekend, killing the head of the terror group’s coastal district and his artillery chief in a strike in Tyre late on Friday, and the Nasr Unit’s missile and drone commanders in Jouaiya on Saturday.
Coastal commander Muein Musa Izz al-Din was responsible for the rocket fire at the Krayot on Thursday and had taken the post only in April after his predecessor was also killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Together with the commander of the unit’s artillery array, Hassan Majd Diab, he was responsible for over 400 rocket launches against Israel in the past month alone, the IDF stated.
Izz al-Din’s rank was equivalent to a brigade commander and he is Hezbollah’s 15th officer of his rank to be eliminated by Israel in the war so far, according to Army Radio.
In the town of Jouaiya, the Israeli Air Force killed the commander of the Nasr Unit’s missile and rocket array, Jaafar Khader Faour, as well as the unit’s drone array commander on Saturday.
Faour was responsible for the rocket fire from southern Lebanon’s easter sector starting on Oct. 8 of last year, the IDF said.
Among the attacks conducted under his command were the rocket strike that killed 12 children in Majdal Shams, the attack that killed an Israeli couple in Kibbutz Ortal, and the recent strike in Metula that killed five people.
Meanwhile, Israeli troops continued their grinding advance across southern Lebanon, with 10 wounded soldiers being evacuated to Ziv Hospital in Safed this weekend.
Forces of the IDF’s 91st Division raided military buildings and confiscated numerous weapons, the military said. In one incident, reconnaissance troops directed an airstrike at a building after spotting several terrorists operating there.
Soldiers of the 146th Division spotted Hezbollah operatives who were about to launch rockets at the Galilee. They directed aircraft that struck and killed the terror cell.
Over the weekend, the Israeli Air Force struck over 120 terror targets belonging to Hezbollah and Hamas in Lebanon and Gaza. In Lebanon, airstrikes destroyed anti-tank missile positions, military buildings, weapons warehouses and military headquarters, the IDF said.
Day 393 — Saturday, November 2
Iran Plans To Attack Israel; Signals It May Now Pursue Nuclear Weapon
Iran is reportedly signaling that it will now respond to Israel’s limited strike on Iranian military and missile production facilities last week after it initially sought to downplay the incident because it wanted to avoid escalating a military conflict against a far superior opponent.
Iranian state-controlled media highlighted remarks from two top officials this week who said that they would respond after Israel struck the country following Iran’s decision to fire 180 ballistic missiles at Israel.
“Iran’s response to the Zionist aggression is definite,” said General Ali Fadavi, the deputy commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). “We have never left an aggression unanswered in 40 years. We are capable of destroying all that the Zionists possess with one operation.”
Gholamhossein Mohammadi Golpayegani, head of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office, said that Iran would deliver a “fierce, tooth-breaking response.”
Analysts say that Iran is stuck between a rock and a hard place because if it does not respond, it will appear weak and lose credibility with its allies and terrorist proxy groups. Not responding will also embolden opposition groups in the country that are ganging popularity as the country increasingly sours on the regime.
However, if Iran responds, it risks provoking a much greater response from Israel after Israel has repeatedly proven that it has significant military and technological advantages over Iran. Israel wiped out Iran’s air defenses during its strikes last week, allowing the Israel Air Force (IAF) to operate freely over Iranian airspace.
“We hit its underbelly,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “The boastful talk by the Iranian regime’s heads cannot conceal and compensate for the fact that Israel now has greater freedom to operate in Iran than ever before.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel has directly conveyed to Iran that if it launches a response, Israel will “mount a far more aggressive attack in return.”
Iran is also considering having one of its proxies launch a strike against Israel believing that going that route will protect it from an Israeli response.
Kamal Kharrazi, Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations head, said on Friday that the Islamic regime now possesses the technological capabilities to create a nuclear weapon.
Iran already has enough enriched uranium that — if it decided to break out — could build a weapon in roughly a week, assuming that they have technological abilities.
“We now have the technical capabilities necessary to produce nuclear weapons,” he claimed. “We are ready for war but we do not want to escalate because we have currently proven our ability to deter from doing so.”
“The matter is up to the Israelis – if they really want to continue, we will respond to them,” he continued. “Our missile capabilities are clear to everyone and everyone believes in them, and we have proven that during our operations.”
Day 393 — Saturday, November 2
IDF Says It Killed One Of The Last Remaining Hamas Politburo Members Still In Gaza
Top Hamas official Izz al-Din Kassab was killed Friday in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF and Shin Bet announced.
Kasab was one of the last remaining members of Hamas’s political bureau, where he served as head of national relations.
According to the military, he was responsible for coordination between Hamas and the other terror groups in Gaza.
“Kassab was a significant source of power and, by virtue of his role, was responsible for the organization’s strategic and military relations with other factions in the Gaza Strip. He held the authority to direct the execution of terror attacks against the State of Israel,” the IDF said in a statement.
According to the IDF, Kassab’s assistant, Ayman Ayesh, was also killed in the strike.
Day 393 — Saturday, November 2
House Probe Confirms What We All Knew: Colleges Prioritized Protesters Over Jewish Students
A new House probe into campus antisemitism reveals college leadership across the country collectively failed to hold the line on bigotry and refused to contain chaos on their campuses.
It’s time these administrators are held to account. All students suffered for their failures through the disruptions.
The 100-plus page report is the result of a year-long investigation by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. It draws on more than 400,000 pages of subpoenaed documents from colleges and universities.
The report alleges that school leadership across the country systemically prioritized the demands of pro-Palestine protesters and failed en masse to protect Jewish community members on campus in the wake of October 7th.
“Each incident last year escalated over the previous one as emboldened students realized there were no consequences to their actions,” Ari Shrage, president of the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association, told The Post.
“A year later, nothing has changed except one thing: the inmates now know they run the asylum and know there won’t be consequences. “
The report suggested that Harvard’s administrators intentionally cut descriptions of October 7th as “violence” and any references to Israeli hostages in their official statement after the atrocity — possibly in an effort to appease pro-Palestine activists who took over their campus chanting antisemitic slogans while Jewish students were still mourning.
The phrase “we denounce this act of terror” appeared in an earlier draft but was nixed from the official statement, according to the report.
“We’re very concerned when we see antisemitism raise its ugly head on campuses,” Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) previously told The Post. “That is not a good sign in our country, and it’s not good for students.”
Schools wouldn’t be in the position of having to make comments on international politics — if not for their extensive track record of making frivolous, contentious, and self-important statements on just about every political issue of the day.
By taking their time in responding to October 7th — and publishing weak statements at that — Jewish community members understandably felt let down by their administrators’ selective lack of professed outrage.
The report additionally alleged Claudine Gay asked the Harvard Corporation Senior Fellow not to consider “from the river to the sea” hate speech.
If the school had long held the line and tolerated offensive speech historically in the name of free speech, that would be understandable. But, in fact, Harvard has consistently been rated the nation’s worst school for free speech.
For a school that goes to such great lengths to make sure that nobody is misgendered and everyone uses “proper pronouns,” shrugging at “from the river to the sea” is revealingly inconsistent.
The committee also claims administrators conceded time and again to kids in the encampment.
They point to Northwestern University as an especially egregious example. Administrators there, according to the report, entertained demands from students in their campus encampment that they hire an “anti-Zionist” rabbi and stop buying Sabra brand hummus for the cafeteria on campus.
At Columbia, where I am a part-time student and covered the encampment debacle on the ground, I was astounded to see just how inconsistently lenient the school was with kids who were breaking the rules — and the law — in the name of Palestine.
After forcibly clearing out an illegal encampment with NYPD officers (something the school was well within their rights to do), administrators did absolutely nothing when another, larger, encampment popped up almost immediately in an adjacent quadrant of the lawn.
What message does that bombastic, inconsistent enforcement send?
That’s the sort of institutional cowardice that breeds activist brats like the Columbia students who violently broke into a school building and illegally occupied it — then had the gall to demand the school supply them free food and water inside Hamilton Hall; describing their own predicament as a “humanitarian crisis” as people in Gaza they were nominally demonstrating for were literally dying.
“Do you want students to die of dehydration and starvation,” one keffiyeh-clad student demonstrator (who is now teaching a class at Columbia) had the nerve to say at a theatrical press conference.
That sort of unfathomable entitlement is possible only in an environment of leniency and enablement, where students have long been praised more for activism than critical thinking.
To double down on their institutional feebleness, the report alleges many schools allegedly failed to punish students who engaged in antisemitic conduct.
Some particularly egregious offenders called out by the Committee include Rutgers, where Jewish students who spoke out about harassment were allegedly disciplined themselves, and UCLA, UC Berkeley, Yale, and MIT, where students in the schools’ respective encampments emerged with little to no consequences.
“For over a year, the American people have watched antisemitic mobs rule over so-called elite universities, but what was happening behind the scenes is arguably worse,” Foxx said in a statement about the report.
“University administrators, faculty, and staff were cowards who fully capitulated to the mob and failed the students they were supposed to serve.”
For years, colleges have been on a tirade against hate speech, offensive words, micro-agressions, misgendering — whatever the latest “trigger” of the day may be. They set up sensitivity trainings and bias response hotlines and kangaroo courts to adjudicate any “offense” taken on campus.
But, in the wake of October 7th, most leaders threw up their hands and let student activists and agitators have a field day, slinging around antisemitic slogans and harassing Jewish peers in the name of justice.
The Committee is right to call out this double standard. And Jewish students are right to feel betrayed by it.
Day 399 — Friday, November 8
Netanyahu Sends Planes To Save Jews In Amsterdam, US Congressmen Demand Action
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated at about 4:30 a.m. local time that he was dispatching two rescue planes to Amsterdam following a “very violent incident against Israeli citizens.”
The Israeli National Security Council stated in Hebrew that Israelis in Amsterdam should remain in their hotel rooms and avoid the street, refrain from wearing visible Jewish or Israeli symbols and notify Dutch police and the Israeli mission about any threat or attack. The council also advised Israelis to return to home, with more planes expected.
Geert Wilders, who leads the largest political party in the Netherlands, wrote that it “looks like a Jew hunt in the streets of Amsterdam.”
“A pogrom in the streets of Amsterdam. We have become the Gaza of Europe,” he added in another post. “Muslims with Palestinian flags hunting down Jews.”
“I will not accept that. Never,” he wrote. “The authorities will be held accountable for their failure to protect the Israeli citizens. Never again.”
Deborah Lipstadt, the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, wrote that she is “horrified by the attacks tonight in Amsterdam, which are terribly reminiscent of a classic pogrom.”
“I am also deeply disturbed by how long the reported attacks lasted and call on the government to conduct a thorough investigation into security force intervention and on how these despicable attacks transpired,” Lipstadt wrote. “In terrible historical irony, this is happening two days before the grim anniversary of Reichspogromnacht in 1938, when Nazi-sanctioned and led pogroms against Jews erupted across the German Reich.”
“This is outrageous. The government of the Netherlands must protect Jews from these attacks and prosecute the assailants,” wrote Rep. Brad Sherman. “I’m putting together a group of Jewish members of Congress to discuss this with the Dutch ambassador tomorrow.”
Rep. Ritchie Torres wrote that “the hysterical and hyperbolic demonization of Israel has led to a global outbreak of antisemitic vitriol, vandalism and violence. The single most monstrous manifestation of antisemitism is a pogrom that is presently unfolding against hundreds of Jews who were cheering on the Tel Aviv football club in Amsterdam.”
“Those inciting antisemitism now have the blood of a 21st-century pogrom on their hands,” he stated. “The situation is so dire that the Israeli government is dispatching rescue teams for Jews in danger. I am sick to my stomach that a pogrom is happening in the 21st century.”
Rep. Steny Hoyer wrote that “two days before the anniversary of Kristallnacht, Jews are once again experiencing antisemitism and vicious attacks in Europe.”
Day 399 — Friday, November 8
Herzog: Amsterdam Attack Is ‘Warning Sign’ For Countries That ‘Uphold The Values Of Freedom’
President Isaac Herzog calls the attacks on Israelis in Amsterdam “a warning sign for any country that wishes to uphold the values of freedom.”
“We woke up this morning to shocking images and videos that since October 7th, we had hoped never to see again: an antisemitic pogrom currently taking place against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and Israeli citizens in the heart of Amsterdam, Netherlands,” he writes on X.
“This is a serious incident, a warning sign for any country that wishes to uphold the values of freedom,” he continues.
He says he trusts that Dutch authorities “will act immediately and take all necessary measures to protect, locate, and rescue all Israelis and Jews under attack, and to eradicate the violence against Jewish and Israeli citizens by all required means.”
Day 399 — Friday, November 8
Violence In Amsterdam: Hundreds Of Israeli Soccer Fans Brutally Attacked By Arabs Outside Stadium
Hundreds of fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team reported that they were attacked overnight Thursday by Arabs in Amsterdam, as they left the stadium following Maccabi’s game against AFC Ajax.
The fans testified that an ambush had been prepared for them in advance at various points outside the stadium.
Disturbing footage from the city, which was posted to social media, fans are seen being violently attacked, beaten and even run over. One of the fans was forced to say “Free Palestine” before he was let go. Some of the fans barricaded themselves in shops and other places in the city. The local police escorted some of the Israelis back to their hotels.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that ten fans were injured and that two people are unaccounted for, and efforts to get in touch with them are ongoing.
About 30 suspects have reportedly been arrested, according to local reports in the Netherlands, but the incident has not yet been brought under control.
An Israeli who witnessed the goings on told Kan 11 News, “They waited in groups at every corner, and as soon as they recognized Jews – they started chasing them. Others waited near hotels and near the casino in larger groups, and there they also attacked fans. Then others drove by with cars and did not stop honking near hotels in which Israelis are staying.”
“The police were not present at the conclusion of the games, and Muslims were waiting near train stations for Israeli fans and followed them,” said another Israeli. “The police only started to intervene after about half an hour to 45 minutes into the attacks, after the attackers threw firecrackers at people and into buildings.”
Maccabi Tel Aviv was informed about the situation, called forces to the areas where the violence took place and involved the Israeli embassy as well.
The Prime Minister’s Office stated that “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been informed of the details regarding the very violent incident against Israeli citizens in Amsterdam, held an assessment with his Military Secretary and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and is receiving regular updates.”
“The Prime Minister has directed that two rescue planes be sent immediately to assist our citizens. The harsh pictures of the assault on our citizens in Amsterdam will not be overlooked.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu views the horrifying incident with utmost gravity and demands that the Dutch government and security forces take vigorous and swift action against the rioters, and ensure the safety of our citizens.”
The National Security Council told the Israeli public currently in Amsterdam to refrain from moving in the street and remain in their hotel rooms, avoid externalizing Israeli and Jewish symbols, and inform the local police immediately of any unusual incident.
The NSC recommends that those who can move up their flight back to Israel do so.
Incoming Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar commented on the situation and wrote on X, “We are in contact with the authorities in the Netherlands about the serious events there. Any Israeli or Jew who is currently in distress or has information and location about a violent event that is currently taking place – please contact the emergency hotline: 0097225303155.”
Day 398 — Thursday, November 7
Netanyahu Speaks To Trump About Iran After Election Victory
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Iran with Donald Trump when he called to congratulate him on securing a second term as President of the United States following Tuesday’s election.
“The conversation was warm and cordial,” Netanyahu’s office said, noting that the Prime Minister was one of the first world leaders to call Trump.
“The prime minister congratulated Trump on his election victory, and the two agreed to work together for Israel’s security,” Netanyahu’s office stated.
Trump promised to stop all wars during his victory speech early Wednesday morning, speaking as Israel is in the middle of a protracted war with Iran and its proxy groups.
Israel and Iran have had two rounds of direct strikes and counterstrikes, and Israel is braced for yet another Iran attack. Pundits have hoped that Trump’s election would have a containing effect on Tehran.
Netanyahu discussed Israel’s security situation with the President-elect, who previously served as President from 2017-2021.
Trump and Netanyahu have a strong friendship, and the incoming President is seen as supportive of the Jewish state.
In a post on X/Twitter earlier in the day, Netanyahu wrote, “Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback! Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.”
“This is a huge victory!” Netanyahu wrote.
Day 398 — Thursday, November 7
Hezbollah Rocket Attack On The Western Galilee Kills Israeli Teen
An Israeli teenager was killed in a Hezbollah rocket attack on the Western Galilee on Wednesday night.
Magen David Adom first responders discovered the lifeless body of the victim in an agricultural field near Kibbutz Kfar Masaryk, south of Acre, the medical emergency response group said.
The slain teen suffered severe shrapnel wounds from a rocket and medics pronounced him dead at the scene.
According to local reports, he was wounded some 90 minutes before first responders arrived, in a barrage from Lebanon that targeted the kibbutz and consisted of approximately 25 rockets.
MDA medic Netanel Ben-Yehuda said, “We were led to the scene of the incident by a farmer from the area. We saw the wounded man lying in the field—he was unconscious with severe wounds from shrapnel. We performed tests on him but he was without a pulse and not breathing.”
Initial reports suggested that the victim was a foreign worker, but local authorities later confirmed that an Israeli citizen was killed. He was subsequently identified as Sivan Sadeh, 18, from Kfar Masaryk.
The teenager was “one of our best sons,” Moshe Davidovich, who heads the Mateh Asher Regional Council, told Kan Reshet Bet. “He went out to open the irrigation in the fields. I was told he followed instructions and laid down on the ground, but there were no interceptions in the field.”
Hezbollah terrorists fired rocket barrages toward central Israel on Wednesday, setting off sirens in several cities, including Tel Aviv. At least one rocket hit the parking lot of Ben-Gurion International Airport.
Wednesday morning’s rocket attacks were the largest barrage fired by Hezbollah at Israel’s densely populated central region since the start of the war over a year ago.
Day 397 — Wednesday, November 6
Government Shakeup: Netanyahu Fires Defense Minister Gallant, Position To Be Filled By Foreign Minister Israel Katz
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in a brief, three-minute conversation on Tuesday evening, before issuing a press release.
Netanyahu began the statement by saying his “highest obligation as prime minister of Israel is to maintain Israel’s security and bring us to a complete victory.”
“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and the minister of defense,” Netanyahu continued.
The premier said that during the first months of the war, “there was such trust and there was very fruitful work,” however, he claimed, “during the last months this trust broke between me and the minister of defense.”
“Significant gaps were discovered between me and Gallant in the management of the campaign, and these gaps were accompanied by statements and actions that contradict the decisions of the government and the decisions of the cabinet,” Netanyahu remarked.
Netanyahu also said that the gaps between him and Gallant “came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy.”
The prime minister announced that he is replacing Gallant with Foreign Minister Israel Katz, and that Gideon Sa’ar, who only recently joined the coalition government, would take the position of foreign minister.
Day 396 — Tuesday, November 5
Israel Officially Informs UN That 1967 Agreement Recognizing UNRWA Is Void
The Foreign Ministry on Monday officially informed the United Nations that Israel is withdrawing from the 1967 agreement recognizing the Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA after the Knesset passed legislation to severely limit the operations of the agency in Israel and in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Foreign Ministry Director-General Jacob Blitshtein sent the letter to UN General Assembly President Philemon Yang of Cameroon, informing him that “Israel will continue to work with international partners, including other United Nations agencies, to ensure the facilitation of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not undermine Israel’s security. Israel expects the United Nations to contribute to and cooperate in this effort.”
Last week, the Knesset passed a bill banning UNRWA from operating from Israeli territory and prohibiting Israeli government agencies from working with UNRWA. The bill takes effect in three months.
“UNRWA — the organization whose employees participated in the October 7th massacre and many of whose employees are Hamas operatives — is part of the problem in the Gaza Strip and not part of the solution,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz said. “The UN was presented with endless evidence about Hamas operatives working at UNRWA and about the use of UNRWA facilities for terror purposes and nothing was done about it.”
Katz also noted that only 13 percent of the aid to Gaza currently goes through UNRWA, and argued the idea that there is no alternative to UNRWA is a fiction.
Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon welcomed Monday’s move, slamming the UN for not taking action after Israel submitted evidence of Hamas’s infiltration of the refugee agency.
“The State of Israel will continue to cooperate with humanitarian organizations but not with organizations that promote terrorism against us,” he wrote on X.
Day 395 — Monday, November 4
Chicago Authorities Under Microscope After Antisemitic Shooting: 'National Scandal'
After an Orthodox Jewish man was shot while walking to his synagogue on the Sabbath in Rogers Park, Chicago, last weekend, media outlets quickly gathered and disseminated information about the victim’s background. It was the media that also first confirmed that the suspect, 22-year-old Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, was a Mauritanian national who was in the U.S. illegally.
After the attack, fear rose within Chicago’s Jewish community about the lack of information from the Chicago Police Department and Mayor Brandon Johnson, who took five days to acknowledge the religious background of Abdallahi’s Jewish victim. Police also did not tell the public what Abdallahi shouted while shooting at officers, refusing to confirm the substance of Ring camera footage that was circulating, although they did acknowledge that “there was something stated.”
Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that “there is a clear cover-up going on to seal off information flow before next week’s election. They knew about the shooter’s illegal status from the moment they ran his ID.”
Abdallahi’s address, listed in a police news release, is 27 miles from Rogers Park. Goldberg noted that he went out of his way to travel a significant distance for the alleged attack.
The suspect’s alleged antisemitic motives then became a key theme during the Oct. 31 news conference where Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling announced long-awaited additional felony charges against Abdallahi for a hate crime and terrorism, bringing the total number of charges against Abdallahi to 16.
“We did not secure these charges because of public pressure or because of media attention,” Snelling told reporters. “Gathering evidence and facts takes time.” Snelling explained that detectives had been unable to interview Abdallahi, who remains hospitalized after being shot by police. Evidence on the suspect’s phone “indicated he planned the shooting and specifically targeted people of the Jewish faith.”
Chicago officials did not provide details about Abdallahi’s immigration status in their news conference. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson Erin Bultje confirmed to Fox News Digital that Abdallahi was apprehended while entering the country near San Ysidro in March and was subsequently released inside the U.S.
“It’s pretty obvious what happened here,” said Goldberg, a former NSC official in the Trump administration. “We have an act of terrorism committed by someone who entered the country illegally and was allowed to stay under Biden-Harris policies. And the second Democratic officials realized the potential impact that might have on the presidential election, they panicked and tried to lock down information flow. But the Jewish community fought back.”
Day 395 — Monday, November 4
Netanyahu: Israel Committed To Hezbollah’s Removal ‘With Or Without’ Deal
The Israel Defense Forces will push the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group north of Lebanon’s Litani River even without a ceasefire deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday night.
“With or without an agreement, the key to restoring peace and security in the north, to return our northern residents to their homes in safety, is to distance Hezbollah beyond the Litani, to strike any attempt to rearm it, and to respond firmly against any action against us,” the prime minister said during a visit to IDF soldiers serving on the Lebanese border.
“Simply put: Enforcement, enforcement, enforcement,” Netanyahu said following a meeting with reservists of the IDF’s 228th Brigade, known as the Northern Nahal. “And cutting off Hezbollah’s oxygen pipeline from Iran through Syria. We are committed to all of this,” the premier added.
On the Jewish state’s northern border, “you see and hear the change in reality—planes in the sky and our heroic fighters on the ground, across the border, eliminating the entire underground terror array that Hezbollah prepared for the invasion of the Galilee and an even larger massacre” than the one in southern communities on Oct. 7, 2023, according to Netanyahu.
“It won’t happen anymore,” Netanyahu vowed.
Day 394 — Sunday, November 3
11 Israelis Wounded As Hezbollah Fires 160 Rockets Toward Israel In The Span Of 24 Hours
Eleven Israelis were wounded by a Hezbollah rocket impact in the central town of Tira on Saturday, as the terror group shot some 160 rockets and ten drones at Israel over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, the IDF eliminated four senior Hezbollah commanders through airstrikes.
Israeli media reported that of the 160 rockets launched overall, 130 crossed into Israeli territory, where most were either intercepted by IDF air defenses or fell in open areas. Seven of the ten drones were shot down.
Early Saturday morning, a volley of three rockets was launched at central Israel, triggering alerts in Herzliya, Kfar Saba, and the Arab-majority town of Tira.
While two were shot down, one directly hit a home in Tira, moderately wounding three people. Eight others were lightly wounded by shrapnel and shards, while seven more people were treated for acute shock and anxiety.
Hezbollah claimed to have aimed at the IDF intelligence base in Glilot, which is some 20 km from Tira.
Later in the morning, Hezbollah launched three drones, one of whom impacted in the Jezreel Valley area, another hit a factory in Achziv, and the third was intercepted.
Amid incessant rocket fire throughout the day, notable rocket barrages included 10 launches at Haifa’s Krayot suburbs and the central Galilee in the morning, and a volley of 30 rockets at Karmiel and 35 rockets at Nahariya and its surroundings in the afternoon.
The IDF continued its targeted eliminations of Hezbollah commanders over the weekend, killing the head of the terror group’s coastal district and his artillery chief in a strike in Tyre late on Friday, and the Nasr Unit’s missile and drone commanders in Jouaiya on Saturday.
Coastal commander Muein Musa Izz al-Din was responsible for the rocket fire at the Krayot on Thursday and had taken the post only in April after his predecessor was also killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Together with the commander of the unit’s artillery array, Hassan Majd Diab, he was responsible for over 400 rocket launches against Israel in the past month alone, the IDF stated.
Izz al-Din’s rank was equivalent to a brigade commander and he is Hezbollah’s 15th officer of his rank to be eliminated by Israel in the war so far, according to Army Radio.
In the town of Jouaiya, the Israeli Air Force killed the commander of the Nasr Unit’s missile and rocket array, Jaafar Khader Faour, as well as the unit’s drone array commander on Saturday.
Faour was responsible for the rocket fire from southern Lebanon’s easter sector starting on Oct. 8 of last year, the IDF said.
Among the attacks conducted under his command were the rocket strike that killed 12 children in Majdal Shams, the attack that killed an Israeli couple in Kibbutz Ortal, and the recent strike in Metula that killed five people.
Meanwhile, Israeli troops continued their grinding advance across southern Lebanon, with 10 wounded soldiers being evacuated to Ziv Hospital in Safed this weekend.
Forces of the IDF’s 91st Division raided military buildings and confiscated numerous weapons, the military said. In one incident, reconnaissance troops directed an airstrike at a building after spotting several terrorists operating there.
Soldiers of the 146th Division spotted Hezbollah operatives who were about to launch rockets at the Galilee. They directed aircraft that struck and killed the terror cell.
Over the weekend, the Israeli Air Force struck over 120 terror targets belonging to Hezbollah and Hamas in Lebanon and Gaza. In Lebanon, airstrikes destroyed anti-tank missile positions, military buildings, weapons warehouses and military headquarters, the IDF said.
Day 393 — Saturday, November 2
Iran Announces Plans To Attack Israel; Signals It May Now Pursue Nuclear Weapon
Iran is reportedly signaling that it will now respond to Israel’s limited strike on Iranian military and missile production facilities last week after it initially sought to downplay the incident because it wanted to avoid escalating a military conflict against a far superior opponent.
Iranian state-controlled media highlighted remarks from two top officials this week who said that they would respond after Israel struck the country following Iran’s decision to fire 180 ballistic missiles at Israel.
“Iran’s response to the Zionist aggression is definite,” said General Ali Fadavi, the deputy commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). “We have never left an aggression unanswered in 40 years. We are capable of destroying all that the Zionists possess with one operation.”
Gholamhossein Mohammadi Golpayegani, head of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office, said that Iran would deliver a “fierce, tooth-breaking response.”
Analysts say that Iran is stuck between a rock and a hard place because if it does not respond, it will appear weak and lose credibility with its allies and terrorist proxy groups. Not responding will also embolden opposition groups in the country that are ganging popularity as the country increasingly sours on the regime.
However, if Iran responds, it risks provoking a much greater response from Israel after Israel has repeatedly proven that it has significant military and technological advantages over Iran. Israel wiped out Iran’s air defenses during its strikes last week, allowing the Israel Air Force (IAF) to operate freely over Iranian airspace.
“We hit its underbelly,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “The boastful talk by the Iranian regime’s heads cannot conceal and compensate for the fact that Israel now has greater freedom to operate in Iran than ever before.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel has directly conveyed to Iran that if it launches a response, Israel will “mount a far more aggressive attack in return.”
Iran is also considering having one of its proxies launch a strike against Israel believing that going that route will protect it from an Israeli response.
Kamal Kharrazi, Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations head, said on Friday that the Islamic regime now possesses the technological capabilities to create a nuclear weapon.
Iran already has enough enriched uranium that — if it decided to break out — could build a weapon in roughly a week, assuming that they have technological abilities.
“We now have the technical capabilities necessary to produce nuclear weapons,” he claimed. “We are ready for war but we do not want to escalate because we have currently proven our ability to deter from doing so.”
“The matter is up to the Israelis – if they really want to continue, we will respond to them,” he continued. “Our missile capabilities are clear to everyone and everyone believes in them, and we have proven that during our operations.”
Day 393 — Saturday, November 2
IDF Says It Killed One Of The Last Remaining Hamas Politburo Members Still In Gaza
Top Hamas official Izz al-Din Kassab was killed Friday in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF and Shin Bet announced.
Kasab was one of the last remaining members of Hamas’s political bureau, where he served as head of national relations.
According to the military, he was responsible for coordination between Hamas and the other terror groups in Gaza.
“Kassab was a significant source of power and, by virtue of his role, was responsible for the organization’s strategic and military relations with other factions in the Gaza Strip. He held the authority to direct the execution of terror attacks against the State of Israel,” the IDF said in a statement.
According to the IDF, Kassab’s assistant, Ayman Ayesh, was also killed in the strike.
Day 393 — Saturday, November 2
House Probe Confirms What We All Knew: Colleges Prioritized Protesters Over Jewish Students
A new House probe into campus antisemitism reveals college leadership across the country collectively failed to hold the line on bigotry and refused to contain chaos on their campuses.
It’s time these administrators are held to account. All students suffered for their failures through the disruptions.
The 100-plus page report is the result of a year-long investigation by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. It draws on more than 400,000 pages of subpoenaed documents from colleges and universities.
The report alleges that school leadership across the country systemically prioritized the demands of pro-Palestine protesters and failed en masse to protect Jewish community members on campus in the wake of October 7th.
“Each incident last year escalated over the previous one as emboldened students realized there were no consequences to their actions,” Ari Shrage, president of the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association, told The Post.
“A year later, nothing has changed except one thing: the inmates now know they run the asylum and know there won’t be consequences. “
The report suggested that Harvard’s administrators intentionally cut descriptions of October 7th as “violence” and any references to Israeli hostages in their official statement after the atrocity — possibly in an effort to appease pro-Palestine activists who took over their campus chanting antisemitic slogans while Jewish students were still mourning.
The phrase “we denounce this act of terror” appeared in an earlier draft but was nixed from the official statement, according to the report.
“We’re very concerned when we see antisemitism raise its ugly head on campuses,” Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) previously told The Post. “That is not a good sign in our country, and it’s not good for students.”
Schools wouldn’t be in the position of having to make comments on international politics — if not for their extensive track record of making frivolous, contentious, and self-important statements on just about every political issue of the day.
By taking their time in responding to October 7th — and publishing weak statements at that — Jewish community members understandably felt let down by their administrators’ selective lack of professed outrage.
The report additionally alleged Claudine Gay asked the Harvard Corporation Senior Fellow not to consider “from the river to the sea” hate speech.
If the school had long held the line and tolerated offensive speech historically in the name of free speech, that would be understandable. But, in fact, Harvard has consistently been rated the nation’s worst school for free speech.
For a school that goes to such great lengths to make sure that nobody is misgendered and everyone uses “proper pronouns,” shrugging at “from the river to the sea” is revealingly inconsistent.
The committee also claims administrators conceded time and again to kids in the encampment.
They point to Northwestern University as an especially egregious example. Administrators there, according to the report, entertained demands from students in their campus encampment that they hire an “anti-Zionist” rabbi and stop buying Sabra brand hummus for the cafeteria on campus.
At Columbia, where I am a part-time student and covered the encampment debacle on the ground, I was astounded to see just how inconsistently lenient the school was with kids who were breaking the rules — and the law — in the name of Palestine.
After forcibly clearing out an illegal encampment with NYPD officers (something the school was well within their rights to do), administrators did absolutely nothing when another, larger, encampment popped up almost immediately in an adjacent quadrant of the lawn.
What message does that bombastic, inconsistent enforcement send?
That’s the sort of institutional cowardice that breeds activist brats like the Columbia students who violently broke into a school building and illegally occupied it — then had the gall to demand the school supply them free food and water inside Hamilton Hall; describing their own predicament as a “humanitarian crisis” as people in Gaza they were nominally demonstrating for were literally dying.
“Do you want students to die of dehydration and starvation,” one keffiyeh-clad student demonstrator (who is now teaching a class at Columbia) had the nerve to say at a theatrical press conference.
That sort of unfathomable entitlement is possible only in an environment of leniency and enablement, where students have long been praised more for activism than critical thinking.
To double down on their institutional feebleness, the report alleges many schools allegedly failed to punish students who engaged in antisemitic conduct.
Some particularly egregious offenders called out by the Committee include Rutgers, where Jewish students who spoke out about harassment were allegedly disciplined themselves, and UCLA, UC Berkeley, Yale, and MIT, where students in the schools’ respective encampments emerged with little to no consequences.
“For over a year, the American people have watched antisemitic mobs rule over so-called elite universities, but what was happening behind the scenes is arguably worse,” Foxx said in a statement about the report.
“University administrators, faculty, and staff were cowards who fully capitulated to the mob and failed the students they were supposed to serve.”
For years, colleges have been on a tirade against hate speech, offensive words, micro-agressions, misgendering — whatever the latest “trigger” of the day may be. They set up sensitivity trainings and bias response hotlines and kangaroo courts to adjudicate any “offense” taken on campus.
But, in the wake of October 7th, most leaders threw up their hands and let student activists and agitators have a field day, slinging around antisemitic slogans and harassing Jewish peers in the name of justice.
The Committee is right to call out this double standard. And Jewish students are right to feel betrayed by it.
