Day 434 — Friday, December 13

Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the IDF to prepare for an extended stay in the conquered Syrian Hermon region, due to the instability in Syria.

The instruction follows a Thursday security assessment led by Katz and including IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and additional commanders.
Under the new orders, the IDF will remain in Syria throughout the winter months.

However, due to the inclement weather, the IDF will need to set up appropriate facilities and make special preparations for the soldiers’ stay in the area.

Katz stressed, “Due to what is happening in Syria, there is enormous security importance in our hold on the summit of the Hermon, and we must do everything in order to ensure the IDF’s preparedness in the area, so as to allow the soldiers to remain in the area even in inclement weather conditions.”

Arutz Sheva

Day 434 — Friday, December 13

The University of Michigan has fired an administrator after she was accused of saying that Jewish students should not benefit from diversity programs as they are “wealthy and privileged,” according to documents obtained by the New York Times on Thursday.

The administrator, Rachel Dawson, formerly worked as director of UoM’s office of academic multicultural initiatives.

According to the documents and her lawyer, the firing comes on the back of alleged comments made at a conference in March, in which she claimed the university was “controlled by wealthy Jews.”

Dawson also said that “Jewish people have no genetic DNA that would connect them to the land of Israel,” according to the documents, which formed part of a complaint from the Anti-Defamation League of Michigan. 

At the March conference, two Jewish professors, including Naomi Yavneh Klos of Loyola University New Orleans, approached Dawson as they were curious about the university’s approach to Jewish students.

The other professor asked Dawson if the DEI office works with Jewish students, to which Dawson reportedly said that it did not, as “Jewish students are all rich.” The professors then filed a report with ADL.

ADL Michigan sent a letter to the university in August with the claims, and the university subsequently hired a law firm, Covington & Burling, to investigate.

While Covington & Burling said it was “not possible to determine with certainty whether Ms. Dawson made the exact remarks” due to the lack of recording or witness other than those who reported it, the conclusion was that the “weight of the available evidence supports ADL Michigan’s report.”

Jerusalem Post

Day 434 — Friday, December 13

I’ve had many people ask me if this is a fulfillment of Isaiah 17:1, which says that Damascus must be destroyed. It is not. Assad’s regime was destroyed. Damascus is still standing.

The north is now back open for Israeli citizens to move home. Not all are ready to do so, but they can if they want. If you had told me a few months ago that by December both Hamas and Hezbollah would be gone, I would have told you that you were dreaming. But this is what we see. Both terrorist groups are decimated to the point of being non-threats. That doesn’t mean Israel will give up hunting down threats. It’s just that we no longer have to worry about an invasion from the north or the south.

Israel is in a very strong place right now. Netanyahu has done what he said he would do; he has brought safety back to Israel. Many doubted him and many still do, but he has proved his mettle and will go down in history as one of the greatest Israeli leaders of all time.

We are also in a great place because of the U.S. elections. Many in the incoming Trump administration are more Zionist than even some in our government. With our united front, Iran should be quaking in their boots. We’ve already seen the Iranian axis fall; next we’ll see their nuclear program collapse. It also looks very good for Israel in the Middle East. With the incoming Trump presidency, I see both the Saudis and the Indonesians quickly lining up for normalization with Israel under the Abraham accords.

With the collapse of Iran’s axis, Hamas has been left hanging. With prayer and strong negotiations, I believe we could see a hostage deal soon. Trump has already made it clear that the U.S. will step in to see the hostages returned quickly. Already, Israel’s Defense Minister Katz and America’s Secretary of Defense Austin are talking about the negotiations with Hamas.

The terrorists counted on two things: the public outcry for the hostages would overcome the government and Netanyahu would be forced to back down. Neither happened. Hopefully, individual Hamas members will give in to temptation and take the proffered $5 million for every hostage returned. Then they can slip away scot-free to enjoy their boon, at least until they get a secret visit from the Mossad.

These times are historic. Ever since October 7, we’ve constantly reminded ourselves “…but God is still on the throne.” This past week, He reminded us that He was there all along working and maneuvering. Then, when the timing was right – Bam! – He stepped in and did something marvelous before our eyes. He truly is the almighty God who proves over and over that He will never neglect to take care of His children.

Day 433 — Thursday, December 12

A young boy was fatally shot and several people were wounded in a terror attack targeting a Jerusalem-bound bus in the West Bank (Judea And Samaria) late Wednesday night.

The 10-year-old child was brought in critical condition to Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in nearby Jerusalem, where doctors declared his death early Thursday following intensive efforts to save him.

He was later named as Yehoshua Aharon Tuvia Simha of the Beitar Illit settlement — from where the bus had departed.

Three others were hurt in the shooting: a woman who suffered moderate wounds and two other people who were lightly hurt.

The bus was shot up by the gunman at a junction by the Palestinian town of al-Khader, the Israel Defense Forces said, before proceeding with the wounded to the Tunnels Checkpoint.

The Palestinian terrorist turned himself in, Israeli defense authorities said on Thursday morning.

The IDF, Shin Bet, and police said he did so amid their “exertion of military pressure in the area” — including by encircling Bethlehem.

He was named as Ezz Aldin Malluh from the town of Beit Awwa near Hebron.

He initially tried to turn himself in at a Palestinian Authority police station in the area, where his weapon was taken from him but he was refused entry.

Times Of Israel

Day 433 — Thursday, December 12

Amnesty Australia awarded its Human Rights Defender Award on Wednesday to three self-proclaimed “journalists” from the Gaza Strip, two of whom are members of recognized terror groups proscribed by Canberra.

Anas Al-Sharif, Bisan Owda and Plestia Alaqad were honored alongside “all the journalists in Gaza” for their “extraordinary resilience, bravery and courage,” Amnesty Australia said in a statement on social media.

In October, the Israel Defense Forces identified an Al Jazeera reporter by the name of Anas Al-Sharif as a Hamas terrorist operative. According to the military, al-Sharif was the head of a rocket-launching squad and a member of the Nukhba Force, which led the Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

During the attacks, in which 1,200 people were murdered, he wrote on his Telegram account, “Nine hours and the heroes are still roaming the country, killing and capturing. Allah, how great you are.”

Al-Sharif has been pictured with Mahmoud al-Zahar, a founder of the Hamas terrorist organization; Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the Oct. 7 assault, who was eliminated by the Israel Defense Forces in October; and senior “political” official Fathi Hammad, who in 2021 urged Arabs to “cut off the heads of the Jews.”

Bisan Owda, described by Amnesty as a “Palestinian journalist, activist and filmmaker,” is reportedly an active member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which participated in the Oct. 7 atrocities, and which Australia designated a terror group some two decades ago.

In 2015 and 2016, Owda is said to have led celebrations in the Strip for the group’s founding anniversary, appearing in full PFLP military garb.

In the aftermath of Oct. 7, Owda reportedly wrote on her social-media accounts, “For every action, there is a reaction. This means: What was expected after 75 years of occupation and 17 years of siege?”

Alaqad, an “aspiring journalist” who has been featured in various outlets since Oct. 7, including The Washington Post and The Guardian, has been known to spread pro-Hamas propaganda and anti-Israel libels.

According to the HonestReporting watchdog group, Alaqad on Oct. 17, 2023, claimed the IDF committed a “massacre” of 1,000 Palestinians at Gaza’s Al-Ahli Hospital. In reality, the explosion in the hospital’s parking lot was found to have been caused by an errant rocket from Gaza. A European official told AFP that 10 to 50 people had died in the blast.

On Dec. 5, Amnesty International released a report titled “You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza.”

The 296-page file accused Israel of “prohibited acts under the Genocide Convention—namely killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm and deliberately inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction in whole or in part.”

The Israeli branch of Amnesty immediately and publicly rejected the claims that the Jewish state is perpetrating genocide in the Gaza Strip.

“Our careful analysis does not find that the findings meet the definition of genocide, as carefully formulated in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,” wrote the Israeli NGO, which is legally independent of Amnesty London headquarters.

In 2022, Amnesty called Jerusalem’s treatment of Palestinian Arabs “apartheid,” a conclusion that staff members of Amnesty Israel called “problematic,” “flawed” and at risk of producing “an adverse effect.”

JNS

Day 432 — Wednesday, December 11

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel is destroying what is left of the Syrian military just as the British destroyed the fleet of the defeated Vichy regime in France so the Nazis could not use it.

As Breitbart News reported earlier Tuesday, Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes in Syria since dictator Bashar al-Assad was ousted by rebels on Sunday. Israel wants to ensure heavy weaponry, and chemical weapons, do not fall into the rebels’ hands. It has destroyed aircraft, ships, missiles, air defenses, and a variety of other heavy weapons.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described the operations that had been undertaken (original emphasis):

Within the last 48 hours, the IDF struck most of the strategic weapons stockpiles in Syria, preventing them from falling into the hands of terrorist elements.

Naval Operations: Last night (Monday), Israeli Navy missile ships struck two Syrian Navy facilities simultaneously: the Al-Bayda port and the Latakia port, where 15 Syrian naval vessels were docked.

Targets: Dozens of sea-to-sea missiles with ranges of 80–190 kilometers were destroyed. Each missile carried significant explosive payloads, posing threats to civilian and military maritime vessels in the area.

Hours in the Sky: Manned aircraft flew hundreds of hours over Syrian airspace, conducting over 350 aerial strikes together with fighter jets.

Targets Struck: A wide range of targets were struck, including anti-aircraft batteries, Syrian Air Force airfields, and dozens of weapons production sites in Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia, and Palmyra. 

Assets Neutralized: Numerous strategic weapons were neutralized, including Scud missiles, cruise missiles, surface-to-sea, surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles, UAVs, fighter jets, attack helicopters, radars, tanks, hangars, and more.

Ground Operations: The Northern Command’s Fire Control Center conducted air strikes on 130 assets in Syria, including weapons depots, military structures, launchers, and firing positions.

In his own statement, Netanyahu said (translated from Hebrew by the Government Press Office):

We have no intention of interfering in Syria’s internal affairs; however, we do intend to do what is necessary for our security.

As such, I approved the Air Force bombing of strategic military capabilities left by the Syrian military so that they will not fall into the hands of the jihadists.

This is similar to what the British Air Force did when it bombed the fleet of the Vichy regime, which was cooperating with the Nazis, so that it would not fall into the Nazis’ hands.

We want to have relations with the new regime in Syria but if this regime allows Iran to re-establish itself in Syria, or allows the transfer of Iranian weapons, or weapons of any kind, to Hezbollah, or attacks us – we will respond forcefully and we will exact a heavy price.

What happened to the previous regime will also happen to this one.

Breitbart

Day 431 — Tuesday, December 10

The Israel Defense Forces has conducted 300 strikes in Syria since Sunday’s ouster of Bashar Assad, Israeli media reported on Tuesday, marking the heaviest air campaign in the country since the 1972 Yom Kippur War.

Israel’s Ynet news outlet cited Western intelligence sources late Monday night as confirming the figure, saying that the aerial assault is mainly targeting air force bases, including entire squadrons of fighter jets.

It is believed that the Syrian Air Force could be destroyed in its entirety “within a few days,” Ynet noted, which would substantially reduce the threat posed to the Jewish state by the incoming Syrian government.

The last time Israel destroyed an entire air force was in 1967, when the Egyptian Air Force was wiped out in the first hours of the Six-Day War.

Local security sources told Reuters on Monday that the Israeli Air Force had attacked at least three army bases that housed dozens of helicopters and jets in the largest wave of strikes on the Syrian Air Force since Assad was toppled.

JNS

Day 431 — Tuesday, December 10

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told journalists on Monday evening local time that Israel had destroyed in 14 months what it had taken Iran 45 years to build: a network of terrorist groups on the borders of the Jewish state.

Netanyahu was speaking in the aftermath of the sudden defeat of the Syrian regime by rebel forces, who moved with lightning speed to Damascus in the wake of Israel’s success in a war of self-defense against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iran had armed and funded Hezbollah, using the force not only to threaten and attack Israel, but also to dominate Lebanese politics, and to serve as the shock troops of the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad against Sunni militias.

Iran also controlled Hamas, which was originally a Sunni group but came to rely on the Shiite regime for weapons, arms, training, and other forms of support.

Israel has decimated Hezbollah and largely destroyed Hamas in Gaza.
Iran still has proxy militias in Iraq that fire missiles and drones sporadically at Israel, and it also controls the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who hit Israel with a drone on Monday. Iran is also smuggling weapons to terrorists in Judea and Samaria, otherwise known as the West Bank, in an effort to destabilize the Palestinian Authority as well as Israel.

Netanyahu spoke of a new beginning in the Middle East, and reiterated that he wanted good relations with Syria. In the interim, he confirmed, Israeli forces would operate in the formerly demilitarized zone between Israel and Syria, as well as on the peak of Mount Hermon, the highest mountain in the region, which was formerly a Syrian military site.

He stressed the strategic importance of the Golan Heights, which are a crucial buffer between the chaos in Syria and the Israeli heartland. He reminded the press that he had urged U.S. President Donald Trump to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the territory, which Israel took from Syria in the defensive war of 1967, after nearly two decades in which Syrians had been able to use the Heights to shell Israeli farms and communities in the Galilee valley below.

The Israeli prime minister also emphasized the suffering of the 100 hostages still in Hamas captivity in Gaza, and said that the collapse of Iran’s terrorist proxies, as well as Iran’s own weakness, would push Hamas towards making a deal.

Breitbart

Day 431 — Tuesday, December 10

While millions of Christians worldwide prepare to celebrate Christmas this month, the Vatican has sparked debate with a revisionist addition to its annual nativity display in St. Peter’s Square. Unveiled on Saturday, the scene features a depiction of baby Jesus adorned in a keffiyeh, a traditional Middle Eastern headdress often associated with Palestinian identity.

“Nativity of Bethlehem 2024,” the politicized exhibition, was designed by Fatem Nastas Mitwasi and Johny Andonia, two artists from Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, which is currently under Palestinian Authority (PA) control.

Pope Francis who attended the ceremony said that the keffiyeh-clad baby Jesus should remind the world of those who “suffer the tragedy of war in the Holy Land and other parts of the world.”

“Enough with wars, enough of violence!” the Pope stated while condemning the military industry “that thrives on war and death.”

The ongoing war in Gaza began on Oct. 7 of last year, when the Hamas terrorist group invaded and massacred 1,200 Israeli men, women and children. The terrorists also kidnapped 251 Israelis and foreign nationals into Gaza, at least 95 of whom remain in Gaza after more than a year of captivity.

Since the 1960s, the keffiyeh has become a symbol of “Palestinian resistance” for many. At the same time, many Jews and Israelis associate the keffiyeh with decades of Arab and Islamic-driven acts of terrorism against Israel and the Jewish people.

Palestinian Authority propaganda has for years falsely presented the Jewish-born Jesus as a “Palestinian.”

While Pope Francis condemned the Hamas massacre of southern Israeli border communities last October, he has become increasingly opposed to the State of Israel as the Israeli military continues to defend itself against terrorists who call for Israel to be eliminated.

Last month, Pope Francis called for an international probe to determine whether the IDF’s military operations against Hamas in Gaza have the “characteristics of genocide.”

“It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits the technical definition of genocide formulated by jurists and international bodies,” the Pope wrote in his newly published memoir, “Life, My Story Through History.”

“Pope Francis addresses current issues, including the suffering of war displaced and the famine in Palestine. He underscores the importance of respecting human dignity,” the Vatican News website stated.

The Vatican did not comment on the impact of Hamas and Hezbollah aggressions, including the suffering of Israeli victims or the displacement of tens of thousands of Israelis from their homes in the north and south.

Criticism of Israel by Pope Francis has not been limited to the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

He has also condemned Israel’s military operations against the Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon as going “beyond morality.”

The war in the north began on Oct. 8, 2023. when the Iranian-backed terror group launched an unprovoked attack on northern Israel, displacing tens of thousands of Israelis from their homes.

After facing a backlash for his “genocide” comments in his book, Pope Francis argued that his remark was taken out of its context.

“I did not claim that Israel committed genocide, Hamas should no longer exist in the world,” Pope Francis stated.

Rabbi Yosef Garmon, a former IDF tank commander in the 9026 Battalion who served both in Gaza and in the North, refuted the common accusation that Israel has been committing “genocide” in Gaza.

“Israel has the capability to end the war in one day and erase Gaza entirely, but it did not act that way and risked its soldiers to prevent the killing of innocents. You should investigate those who call to investigate Israel – not the other way around,” Garmon urged the Pope.

All Israel News

Day 430 — Monday, December 9

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the Israel Defense Forces to create a secure area free of “heavy strategic weapons and terror infrastructure” beyond the buffer zone with Syria, the Defense Ministry said Monday.

Katz said he had instructed the IDF to establish full control over the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights, which was established by the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Damascus and Jerusalem and ended the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Katz also ordered the continued destruction of strategic weapons that were previously held by the regime and Iranian-backed militias to prevent their falling into the hands of terrorist forces. Among these weapons are “surface-to-air missiles, air defense systems, surface-to-surface missiles, cruise missiles, long-range rockets and coast-to-sea missiles,” according to the ministry.

Katz has also instructed the army to “prevent and thwart the renewal of the arms smuggling route from Iran to Lebanon through Syria, in Syrian territory and at border crossing points.”

Lastly, Katz said he had asked the military to attempt to establish contacts with Syria’s Druze community and other local populations.

Former Syrian President Bashar Assad fled Damascus on Sunday after rebel groups stormed the capital, ending his family’s five-decade rule.

JNS

Day 430 — Monday, December 9

A third of Ontario’s Jewish medical practitioners are considering leaving Canada over the post-October rise of antisemitism in their field, according to a Jewish Medical Association of Ontario  (JMAO) survey released on Wednesday.

In response to the increase of antisemitism in medical facilities and schools, 31% of the 1,000  Canadian Jewish doctors, medical students, and residents surveyed by JMAO are thinking of abandoning the country.

“I feel I no longer belong in Canada and may need to flee,” one respondent reportedly told JMAO.

JMAO chair Dr. Ayelet Kuper warned that Canada could lose a generation of medical professionals.

“This could lead to hundreds of doctors leaving Ontario at a time when our system is crumbling,” said Kuper. “Unquestionably, our institutions need to step up and ensure the protection of Jewish doctors, healthcare professionals, medical students, and residents. We can and must do better.”

Before October 7, last year, 1% of the survey participants, of which half were in Ontario, felt that antisemitism was a severe problem in the medical field. Since the Hamas-led 2023 pogrom in Israel’s south, 98% were worried about the impact of antisemitism on the healthcare system.

Over 80% of respondents had experienced antisemitism in medical institutions since the war sparked, whereas prior to the terrorist attack, 29% had experienced prejudice in their medical community, 39% in hospitals, and 43% in academic settings. 75% have experienced antisemitism in academic settings since October 7, 2023, and 64% have encountered Jew-Hatred in hospitals.

57% of respondents said that since the war, they had experienced antisemitism through organizational policies, 55% through organizational communications, 53% through personal interactions with colleagues, 41% with non-physician staff, and 38% through administration.

“It is incredibly concerning to watch antisemitism creep into our medical institutions across the province. Discrimination doesn’t just impact doctors. It undermines the entire healthcare system, compromising patient care and eroding workplace integrity. This is a crisis for all people in Ontario, not just Jewish doctors,” said Kuper.

Over half of the survey participants expressed concern that Jewish patients could receive substandard care because of pervasive bias in the Canadian healthcare industry.

Jerusalem Post

Day 429 — Sunday, December 8

Israeli Air Force fighter jets on Sunday struck dozens of targets across Syria, taking out weaponry that Israel feared could fall into the hands of hostile forces, in light of the dramatic fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime some two weeks into a lightning offensive by rebel groups.

Also on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces seized control of a buffer zone between the Israel-Syria border in the Golan Heights, in what it described as a temporary defensive measure.

Dozens of IAF aircraft struck numerous targets, with a focus on destroying “strategic weapons,” defense sources told The Times of Israel, describing the strikes as “very intensive.”

Times Of Israel 

Day 429 — Sunday, December 8

Syria’s army command has notified officers that President Bashar al-Assad’s rule has ended following a lightning rebel offensive, a Syrian officer who was informed of the move tells Reuters.

Syrian rebels also say Damascus is “now free of Assad,” calling on Syrians abroad to return to their newly freed country.

A journalist in Damascus reports seeing groups of armed civilians along the road in the outskirts of the capital and hearing sounds of gunshots. The city’s main police headquarters appeared to be abandoned, its door left ajar with no officers outside, they say.

After reports that President Bashar al-Assad left the country for an undisclosed location, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalili says the government is ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and hand over its functions to a transitional government.

“I am in my house and I have not left, and this is because of my belonging to this country,” Jalili says in a video statement.

There will be no changes to guidelines for residents of the Golan Heights, local authorities say, following a fresh assessment held by the military.

Earlier, Army Radio reported that the IDF was considering imposing restrictions on gatherings and schools following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.

The Golan Regional Council in a statement to residents says that a decision has been made by the army to not change the restrictions.

The statement also tells citizens that sounds of explosions may be heard as Israeli forces carry out operations in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria.

Times Of Israel 

Day 428 — Saturday, December 7

The IDF announced on Friday that based on the situational assessment that has been ongoing since Thursday in the General Staff and Northern Command, and following developments in the internal conflict in Syria, it has decided to reinforce aerial and ground forces in the Golan Heights area.

The IDF stated that troops are deployed along the border and the IDF is monitoring developments and is prepared for all scenarios, offensive and defensive alike. “The IDF will not tolerate threats near the Israeli border and will thwart any threat against the State of Israel.”

The Syrian Center for Human Rights reported on Friday afternoon that thousands have fled the major city of Homs and government troops have begun withdrawing from then city as the rebels, led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, make advances toward it. In addition, Russia, one of Assad’s strongest allies, has called on its citizens in the country to leave immediately.

Amid the developments in Syria and concerns that the Assad regime may be close to collapsing the Israeli Security Cabinet will meet on both Saturday and Sunday evening.

Arutz Sheva

Day 428 — Saturday, December 7

An anti-Israel convention that was recently held in a Chicago suburb offered advice to college students on how they could make their campus “Palestinian.” 

The Free Press reported on the 17th Annual Convention for Palestine, which took place last week at the Tinley Park Convention Center, dubbing itself “the largest gathering for Palestine in the US” according to its website. 

There was a game called “Crisis Room” aimed at “figur[ing] out strategies” on how to combat an Israeli official appearing on their campus.

“A war criminal is coming to your campus,” Jenin Alharithi, a recent graduate of University of Illinois in Chicago who led the game, told the participants, according to the report. “What are you going to do?”

A participant responded by saying the students should organize a protest and recruit demonstrators through the messaging app Telegram. Another raised concerns about accusations of antisemitism, suggesting the anti-Israel group Jewish Voice for Peace join the protest. 

“The first complaint is going to be ‘Oh, this is antisemitic,’ ” she said. “I think we need like a JVP, or something like that, with Jewish people. We want White people, Jewish students there.”

The convention was hosted by American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), a nonprofit the Free Press noted is currently under a congressional investigation over its alleged ties to Hamas. 

Among its speakers was Council on American-Islamic Relations executive director Nihad Awad, who sparked outrage last year when he said he was “happy to see” the terrorist attack unfold on October 7.

Fox News

Day 434 — Friday, December 13

Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the IDF to prepare for an extended stay in the conquered Syrian Hermon region, due to the instability in Syria.

The instruction follows a Thursday security assessment led by Katz and including IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and additional commanders.
Under the new orders, the IDF will remain in Syria throughout the winter months.

However, due to the inclement weather, the IDF will need to set up appropriate facilities and make special preparations for the soldiers’ stay in the area.

Katz stressed, “Due to what is happening in Syria, there is enormous security importance in our hold on the summit of the Hermon, and we must do everything in order to ensure the IDF’s preparedness in the area, so as to allow the soldiers to remain in the area even in inclement weather conditions.”

Arutz Sheva

Day 434 — Friday, December 13

The University of Michigan has fired an administrator after she was accused of saying that Jewish students should not benefit from diversity programs as they are “wealthy and privileged,” according to documents obtained by the New York Times on Thursday.

The administrator, Rachel Dawson, formerly worked as director of UoM’s office of academic multicultural initiatives.

According to the documents and her lawyer, the firing comes on the back of alleged comments made at a conference in March, in which she claimed the university was “controlled by wealthy Jews.”

Dawson also said that “Jewish people have no genetic DNA that would connect them to the land of Israel,” according to the documents, which formed part of a complaint from the Anti-Defamation League of Michigan. 

At the March conference, two Jewish professors, including Naomi Yavneh Klos of Loyola University New Orleans, approached Dawson as they were curious about the university’s approach to Jewish students.

The other professor asked Dawson if the DEI office works with Jewish students, to which Dawson reportedly said that it did not, as “Jewish students are all rich.” The professors then filed a report with ADL.

ADL Michigan sent a letter to the university in August with the claims, and the university subsequently hired a law firm, Covington & Burling, to investigate.

While Covington & Burling said it was “not possible to determine with certainty whether Ms. Dawson made the exact remarks” due to the lack of recording or witness other than those who reported it, the conclusion was that the “weight of the available evidence supports ADL Michigan’s report.”

Jerusalem Post

Day 434 — Friday, December 13

I’ve had many people ask me if this is a fulfillment of Isaiah 17:1, which says that Damascus must be destroyed. It is not. Assad’s regime was destroyed. Damascus is still standing.

The north is now back open for Israeli citizens to move home. Not all are ready to do so, but they can if they want. If you had told me a few months ago that by December both Hamas and Hezbollah would be gone, I would have told you that you were dreaming. But this is what we see. Both terrorist groups are decimated to the point of being non-threats. That doesn’t mean Israel will give up hunting down threats. It’s just that we no longer have to worry about an invasion from the north or the south.

Israel is in a very strong place right now. Netanyahu has done what he said he would do; he has brought safety back to Israel. Many doubted him and many still do, but he has proved his mettle and will go down in history as one of the greatest Israeli leaders of all time.

We are also in a great place because of the U.S. elections. Many in the incoming Trump administration are more Zionist than even some in our government. With our united front, Iran should be quaking in their boots. We’ve already seen the Iranian axis fall; next we’ll see their nuclear program collapse. It also looks very good for Israel in the Middle East. With the incoming Trump presidency, I see both the Saudis and the Indonesians quickly lining up for normalization with Israel under the Abraham accords.

With the collapse of Iran’s axis, Hamas has been left hanging. With prayer and strong negotiations, I believe we could see a hostage deal soon. Trump has already made it clear that the U.S. will step in to see the hostages returned quickly. Already, Israel’s Defense Minister Katz and America’s Secretary of Defense Austin are talking about the negotiations with Hamas.

The terrorists counted on two things: the public outcry for the hostages would overcome the government and Netanyahu would be forced to back down. Neither happened. Hopefully, individual Hamas members will give in to temptation and take the proffered $5 million for every hostage returned. Then they can slip away scot-free to enjoy their boon, at least until they get a secret visit from the Mossad.

These times are historic. Ever since October 7, we’ve constantly reminded ourselves “…but God is still on the throne.” This past week, He reminded us that He was there all along working and maneuvering. Then, when the timing was right – Bam! – He stepped in and did something marvelous before our eyes. He truly is the almighty God who proves over and over that He will never neglect to take care of His children.

Day 433 — Thursday, December 12

A young boy was fatally shot and several people were wounded in a terror attack targeting a Jerusalem-bound bus in the West Bank (Judea And Samaria) late Wednesday night.

The 10-year-old child was brought in critical condition to Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in nearby Jerusalem, where doctors declared his death early Thursday following intensive efforts to save him.

He was later named as Yehoshua Aharon Tuvia Simha of the Beitar Illit settlement — from where the bus had departed.

Three others were hurt in the shooting: a woman who suffered moderate wounds and two other people who were lightly hurt.

The bus was shot up by the gunman at a junction by the Palestinian town of al-Khader, the Israel Defense Forces said, before proceeding with the wounded to the Tunnels Checkpoint.

The Palestinian terrorist turned himself in, Israeli defense authorities said on Thursday morning.

The IDF, Shin Bet, and police said he did so amid their “exertion of military pressure in the area” — including by encircling Bethlehem.

He was named as Ezz Aldin Malluh from the town of Beit Awwa near Hebron.

He initially tried to turn himself in at a Palestinian Authority police station in the area, where his weapon was taken from him but he was refused entry.

Times Of Israel

Day 433 — Thursday, December 12

Amnesty Australia awarded its Human Rights Defender Award on Wednesday to three self-proclaimed “journalists” from the Gaza Strip, two of whom are members of recognized terror groups proscribed by Canberra.

Anas Al-Sharif, Bisan Owda and Plestia Alaqad were honored alongside “all the journalists in Gaza” for their “extraordinary resilience, bravery and courage,” Amnesty Australia said in a statement on social media.

In October, the Israel Defense Forces identified an Al Jazeera reporter by the name of Anas Al-Sharif as a Hamas terrorist operative. According to the military, al-Sharif was the head of a rocket-launching squad and a member of the Nukhba Force, which led the Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

During the attacks, in which 1,200 people were murdered, he wrote on his Telegram account, “Nine hours and the heroes are still roaming the country, killing and capturing. Allah, how great you are.”

Al-Sharif has been pictured with Mahmoud al-Zahar, a founder of the Hamas terrorist organization; Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the Oct. 7 assault, who was eliminated by the Israel Defense Forces in October; and senior “political” official Fathi Hammad, who in 2021 urged Arabs to “cut off the heads of the Jews.”

Bisan Owda, described by Amnesty as a “Palestinian journalist, activist and filmmaker,” is reportedly an active member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which participated in the Oct. 7 atrocities, and which Australia designated a terror group some two decades ago.

In 2015 and 2016, Owda is said to have led celebrations in the Strip for the group’s founding anniversary, appearing in full PFLP military garb.

In the aftermath of Oct. 7, Owda reportedly wrote on her social-media accounts, “For every action, there is a reaction. This means: What was expected after 75 years of occupation and 17 years of siege?”

Alaqad, an “aspiring journalist” who has been featured in various outlets since Oct. 7, including The Washington Post and The Guardian, has been known to spread pro-Hamas propaganda and anti-Israel libels.

According to the HonestReporting watchdog group, Alaqad on Oct. 17, 2023, claimed the IDF committed a “massacre” of 1,000 Palestinians at Gaza’s Al-Ahli Hospital. In reality, the explosion in the hospital’s parking lot was found to have been caused by an errant rocket from Gaza. A European official told AFP that 10 to 50 people had died in the blast.

On Dec. 5, Amnesty International released a report titled “You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza.”

The 296-page file accused Israel of “prohibited acts under the Genocide Convention—namely killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm and deliberately inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction in whole or in part.”

The Israeli branch of Amnesty immediately and publicly rejected the claims that the Jewish state is perpetrating genocide in the Gaza Strip.

“Our careful analysis does not find that the findings meet the definition of genocide, as carefully formulated in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,” wrote the Israeli NGO, which is legally independent of Amnesty London headquarters.

In 2022, Amnesty called Jerusalem’s treatment of Palestinian Arabs “apartheid,” a conclusion that staff members of Amnesty Israel called “problematic,” “flawed” and at risk of producing “an adverse effect.”

JNS

Day 432 — Wednesday, December 11

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel is destroying what is left of the Syrian military just as the British destroyed the fleet of the defeated Vichy regime in France so the Nazis could not use it.

As Breitbart News reported earlier Tuesday, Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes in Syria since dictator Bashar al-Assad was ousted by rebels on Sunday. Israel wants to ensure heavy weaponry, and chemical weapons, do not fall into the rebels’ hands. It has destroyed aircraft, ships, missiles, air defenses, and a variety of other heavy weapons.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described the operations that had been undertaken (original emphasis):

Within the last 48 hours, the IDF struck most of the strategic weapons stockpiles in Syria, preventing them from falling into the hands of terrorist elements.

Naval Operations: Last night (Monday), Israeli Navy missile ships struck two Syrian Navy facilities simultaneously: the Al-Bayda port and the Latakia port, where 15 Syrian naval vessels were docked.

Targets: Dozens of sea-to-sea missiles with ranges of 80–190 kilometers were destroyed. Each missile carried significant explosive payloads, posing threats to civilian and military maritime vessels in the area.

Hours in the Sky: Manned aircraft flew hundreds of hours over Syrian airspace, conducting over 350 aerial strikes together with fighter jets.

Targets Struck: A wide range of targets were struck, including anti-aircraft batteries, Syrian Air Force airfields, and dozens of weapons production sites in Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia, and Palmyra. 

Assets Neutralized: Numerous strategic weapons were neutralized, including Scud missiles, cruise missiles, surface-to-sea, surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles, UAVs, fighter jets, attack helicopters, radars, tanks, hangars, and more.

Ground Operations: The Northern Command’s Fire Control Center conducted air strikes on 130 assets in Syria, including weapons depots, military structures, launchers, and firing positions.

In his own statement, Netanyahu said (translated from Hebrew by the Government Press Office):

We have no intention of interfering in Syria’s internal affairs; however, we do intend to do what is necessary for our security.

As such, I approved the Air Force bombing of strategic military capabilities left by the Syrian military so that they will not fall into the hands of the jihadists.

This is similar to what the British Air Force did when it bombed the fleet of the Vichy regime, which was cooperating with the Nazis, so that it would not fall into the Nazis’ hands.

We want to have relations with the new regime in Syria but if this regime allows Iran to re-establish itself in Syria, or allows the transfer of Iranian weapons, or weapons of any kind, to Hezbollah, or attacks us – we will respond forcefully and we will exact a heavy price.

What happened to the previous regime will also happen to this one.

Breitbart

Day 431 — Tuesday, December 10

The Israel Defense Forces has conducted 300 strikes in Syria since Sunday’s ouster of Bashar Assad, Israeli media reported on Tuesday, marking the heaviest air campaign in the country since the 1972 Yom Kippur War.

Israel’s Ynet news outlet cited Western intelligence sources late Monday night as confirming the figure, saying that the aerial assault is mainly targeting air force bases, including entire squadrons of fighter jets.

It is believed that the Syrian Air Force could be destroyed in its entirety “within a few days,” Ynet noted, which would substantially reduce the threat posed to the Jewish state by the incoming Syrian government.

The last time Israel destroyed an entire air force was in 1967, when the Egyptian Air Force was wiped out in the first hours of the Six-Day War.

Local security sources told Reuters on Monday that the Israeli Air Force had attacked at least three army bases that housed dozens of helicopters and jets in the largest wave of strikes on the Syrian Air Force since Assad was toppled.

JNS

Day 431 — Tuesday, December 10

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told journalists on Monday evening local time that Israel had destroyed in 14 months what it had taken Iran 45 years to build: a network of terrorist groups on the borders of the Jewish state.

Netanyahu was speaking in the aftermath of the sudden defeat of the Syrian regime by rebel forces, who moved with lightning speed to Damascus in the wake of Israel’s success in a war of self-defense against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iran had armed and funded Hezbollah, using the force not only to threaten and attack Israel, but also to dominate Lebanese politics, and to serve as the shock troops of the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad against Sunni militias.

Iran also controlled Hamas, which was originally a Sunni group but came to rely on the Shiite regime for weapons, arms, training, and other forms of support.

Israel has decimated Hezbollah and largely destroyed Hamas in Gaza.
Iran still has proxy militias in Iraq that fire missiles and drones sporadically at Israel, and it also controls the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who hit Israel with a drone on Monday. Iran is also smuggling weapons to terrorists in Judea and Samaria, otherwise known as the West Bank, in an effort to destabilize the Palestinian Authority as well as Israel.

Netanyahu spoke of a new beginning in the Middle East, and reiterated that he wanted good relations with Syria. In the interim, he confirmed, Israeli forces would operate in the formerly demilitarized zone between Israel and Syria, as well as on the peak of Mount Hermon, the highest mountain in the region, which was formerly a Syrian military site.

He stressed the strategic importance of the Golan Heights, which are a crucial buffer between the chaos in Syria and the Israeli heartland. He reminded the press that he had urged U.S. President Donald Trump to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the territory, which Israel took from Syria in the defensive war of 1967, after nearly two decades in which Syrians had been able to use the Heights to shell Israeli farms and communities in the Galilee valley below.

The Israeli prime minister also emphasized the suffering of the 100 hostages still in Hamas captivity in Gaza, and said that the collapse of Iran’s terrorist proxies, as well as Iran’s own weakness, would push Hamas towards making a deal.

Breitbart

Day 431 — Tuesday, December 10

While millions of Christians worldwide prepare to celebrate Christmas this month, the Vatican has sparked debate with a revisionist addition to its annual nativity display in St. Peter’s Square. Unveiled on Saturday, the scene features a depiction of baby Jesus adorned in a keffiyeh, a traditional Middle Eastern headdress often associated with Palestinian identity.

“Nativity of Bethlehem 2024,” the politicized exhibition, was designed by Fatem Nastas Mitwasi and Johny Andonia, two artists from Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, which is currently under Palestinian Authority (PA) control.

Pope Francis who attended the ceremony said that the keffiyeh-clad baby Jesus should remind the world of those who “suffer the tragedy of war in the Holy Land and other parts of the world.”

“Enough with wars, enough of violence!” the Pope stated while condemning the military industry “that thrives on war and death.”

The ongoing war in Gaza began on Oct. 7 of last year, when the Hamas terrorist group invaded and massacred 1,200 Israeli men, women and children. The terrorists also kidnapped 251 Israelis and foreign nationals into Gaza, at least 95 of whom remain in Gaza after more than a year of captivity.

Since the 1960s, the keffiyeh has become a symbol of “Palestinian resistance” for many. At the same time, many Jews and Israelis associate the keffiyeh with decades of Arab and Islamic-driven acts of terrorism against Israel and the Jewish people.

Palestinian Authority propaganda has for years falsely presented the Jewish-born Jesus as a “Palestinian.”

While Pope Francis condemned the Hamas massacre of southern Israeli border communities last October, he has become increasingly opposed to the State of Israel as the Israeli military continues to defend itself against terrorists who call for Israel to be eliminated.

Last month, Pope Francis called for an international probe to determine whether the IDF’s military operations against Hamas in Gaza have the “characteristics of genocide.”

“It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits the technical definition of genocide formulated by jurists and international bodies,” the Pope wrote in his newly published memoir, “Life, My Story Through History.”

“Pope Francis addresses current issues, including the suffering of war displaced and the famine in Palestine. He underscores the importance of respecting human dignity,” the Vatican News website stated.

The Vatican did not comment on the impact of Hamas and Hezbollah aggressions, including the suffering of Israeli victims or the displacement of tens of thousands of Israelis from their homes in the north and south.

Criticism of Israel by Pope Francis has not been limited to the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

He has also condemned Israel’s military operations against the Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon as going “beyond morality.”

The war in the north began on Oct. 8, 2023. when the Iranian-backed terror group launched an unprovoked attack on northern Israel, displacing tens of thousands of Israelis from their homes.

After facing a backlash for his “genocide” comments in his book, Pope Francis argued that his remark was taken out of its context.

“I did not claim that Israel committed genocide, Hamas should no longer exist in the world,” Pope Francis stated.

Rabbi Yosef Garmon, a former IDF tank commander in the 9026 Battalion who served both in Gaza and in the North, refuted the common accusation that Israel has been committing “genocide” in Gaza.

“Israel has the capability to end the war in one day and erase Gaza entirely, but it did not act that way and risked its soldiers to prevent the killing of innocents. You should investigate those who call to investigate Israel – not the other way around,” Garmon urged the Pope.

All Israel News

Day 430 — Monday, December 9

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the Israel Defense Forces to create a secure area free of “heavy strategic weapons and terror infrastructure” beyond the buffer zone with Syria, the Defense Ministry said Monday.

Katz said he had instructed the IDF to establish full control over the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights, which was established by the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Damascus and Jerusalem and ended the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Katz also ordered the continued destruction of strategic weapons that were previously held by the regime and Iranian-backed militias to prevent their falling into the hands of terrorist forces. Among these weapons are “surface-to-air missiles, air defense systems, surface-to-surface missiles, cruise missiles, long-range rockets and coast-to-sea missiles,” according to the ministry.

Katz has also instructed the army to “prevent and thwart the renewal of the arms smuggling route from Iran to Lebanon through Syria, in Syrian territory and at border crossing points.”

Lastly, Katz said he had asked the military to attempt to establish contacts with Syria’s Druze community and other local populations.

Former Syrian President Bashar Assad fled Damascus on Sunday after rebel groups stormed the capital, ending his family’s five-decade rule.

JNS

Day 430 — Monday, December 9

A third of Ontario’s Jewish medical practitioners are considering leaving Canada over the post-October rise of antisemitism in their field, according to a Jewish Medical Association of Ontario  (JMAO) survey released on Wednesday.

In response to the increase of antisemitism in medical facilities and schools, 31% of the 1,000  Canadian Jewish doctors, medical students, and residents surveyed by JMAO are thinking of abandoning the country.

“I feel I no longer belong in Canada and may need to flee,” one respondent reportedly told JMAO.

JMAO chair Dr. Ayelet Kuper warned that Canada could lose a generation of medical professionals.

“This could lead to hundreds of doctors leaving Ontario at a time when our system is crumbling,” said Kuper. “Unquestionably, our institutions need to step up and ensure the protection of Jewish doctors, healthcare professionals, medical students, and residents. We can and must do better.”

Before October 7, last year, 1% of the survey participants, of which half were in Ontario, felt that antisemitism was a severe problem in the medical field. Since the Hamas-led 2023 pogrom in Israel’s south, 98% were worried about the impact of antisemitism on the healthcare system.

Over 80% of respondents had experienced antisemitism in medical institutions since the war sparked, whereas prior to the terrorist attack, 29% had experienced prejudice in their medical community, 39% in hospitals, and 43% in academic settings. 75% have experienced antisemitism in academic settings since October 7, 2023, and 64% have encountered Jew-Hatred in hospitals.

57% of respondents said that since the war, they had experienced antisemitism through organizational policies, 55% through organizational communications, 53% through personal interactions with colleagues, 41% with non-physician staff, and 38% through administration.

“It is incredibly concerning to watch antisemitism creep into our medical institutions across the province. Discrimination doesn’t just impact doctors. It undermines the entire healthcare system, compromising patient care and eroding workplace integrity. This is a crisis for all people in Ontario, not just Jewish doctors,” said Kuper.

Over half of the survey participants expressed concern that Jewish patients could receive substandard care because of pervasive bias in the Canadian healthcare industry.

Jerusalem Post

Day 429 — Sunday, December 8

Israeli Air Force fighter jets on Sunday struck dozens of targets across Syria, taking out weaponry that Israel feared could fall into the hands of hostile forces, in light of the dramatic fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime some two weeks into a lightning offensive by rebel groups.

Also on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces seized control of a buffer zone between the Israel-Syria border in the Golan Heights, in what it described as a temporary defensive measure.

Dozens of IAF aircraft struck numerous targets, with a focus on destroying “strategic weapons,” defense sources told The Times of Israel, describing the strikes as “very intensive.”

Israeli Air Force fighter jets on Sunday struck dozens of targets across Syria, taking out weaponry that Israel feared could fall into the hands of hostile forces, in light of the dramatic fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime some two weeks into a lightning offensive by rebel groups.

Also on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces seized control of a buffer zone between the Israel-Syria border in the Golan Heights, in what it described as a temporary defensive measure.

Dozens of IAF aircraft struck numerous targets, with a focus on destroying “strategic weapons,” defense sources told The Times of Israel, describing the strikes as “very intensive.”

Times Of Israel 

Day 429 — Sunday, December 8

Syria’s army command has notified officers that President Bashar al-Assad’s rule has ended following a lightning rebel offensive, a Syrian officer who was informed of the move tells Reuters.

Syrian rebels also say Damascus is “now free of Assad,” calling on Syrians abroad to return to their newly freed country.

A journalist in Damascus reports seeing groups of armed civilians along the road in the outskirts of the capital and hearing sounds of gunshots. The city’s main police headquarters appeared to be abandoned, its door left ajar with no officers outside, they say.

After reports that President Bashar al-Assad left the country for an undisclosed location, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalili says the government is ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and hand over its functions to a transitional government.

“I am in my house and I have not left, and this is because of my belonging to this country,” Jalili says in a video statement.

There will be no changes to guidelines for residents of the Golan Heights, local authorities say, following a fresh assessment held by the military.

Earlier, Army Radio reported that the IDF was considering imposing restrictions on gatherings and schools following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.

The Golan Regional Council in a statement to residents says that a decision has been made by the army to not change the restrictions.

The statement also tells citizens that sounds of explosions may be heard as Israeli forces carry out operations in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria.

Times Of Israel 

Day 428 — Saturday, December 7

The IDF announced on Friday that based on the situational assessment that has been ongoing since Thursday in the General Staff and Northern Command, and following developments in the internal conflict in Syria, it has decided to reinforce aerial and ground forces in the Golan Heights area.

The IDF stated that troops are deployed along the border and the IDF is monitoring developments and is prepared for all scenarios, offensive and defensive alike. “The IDF will not tolerate threats near the Israeli border and will thwart any threat against the State of Israel.”

The Syrian Center for Human Rights reported on Friday afternoon that thousands have fled the major city of Homs and government troops have begun withdrawing from then city as the rebels, led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, make advances toward it. In addition, Russia, one of Assad’s strongest allies, has called on its citizens in the country to leave immediately.

Amid the developments in Syria and concerns that the Assad regime may be close to collapsing the Israeli Security Cabinet will meet on both Saturday and Sunday evening.

Arutz Sheva

Day 428 — Saturday, December 7

An anti-Israel convention that was recently held in a Chicago suburb offered advice to college students on how they could make their campus “Palestinian.” 

The Free Press reported on the 17th Annual Convention for Palestine, which took place last week at the Tinley Park Convention Center, dubbing itself “the largest gathering for Palestine in the US” according to its website. 

There was a game called “Crisis Room” aimed at “figur[ing] out strategies” on how to combat an Israeli official appearing on their campus.

“A war criminal is coming to your campus,” Jenin Alharithi, a recent graduate of University of Illinois in Chicago who led the game, told the participants, according to the report. “What are you going to do?”

A participant responded by saying the students should organize a protest and recruit demonstrators through the messaging app Telegram. Another raised concerns about accusations of antisemitism, suggesting the anti-Israel group Jewish Voice for Peace join the protest. 

“The first complaint is going to be ‘Oh, this is antisemitic,’ ” she said. “I think we need like a JVP, or something like that, with Jewish people. We want White people, Jewish students there.”

The convention was hosted by American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), a nonprofit the Free Press noted is currently under a congressional investigation over its alleged ties to Hamas. 

Among its speakers was Council on American-Islamic Relations executive director Nihad Awad, who sparked outrage last year when he said he was “happy to see” the terrorist attack unfold on October 7.

Fox News