Alarm raised over increase in antisemitism

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There has been too much silence and indifference for far too long, which enables and emboldens this harmful hate and abuse. It's time for real support and solidarity and a rejection of the civic inertia that has left Jewish people unsafe, marginalized, and threatened in Massachusetts, New England, and across the country.
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Noam Schimmel
Framingham
The writer is a lecturer in global studies at the University of California, Berkeley.
Israel's punishing campaign in Gaza has to be taken into account
In a Voice of America
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Samantha Joseph's op-ed does allude to the 'elevated threat' to the Jewish community that the FBI links to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Regrettably, though, Joseph fails to acknowledge that in the 21 months since Hamas's brutal killings and kidnappings of Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli government's grossly disproportionate punishment levied against the people of Gaza — a relentless assault viewed by many international legal scholars and human rights organizations as amounting to a genocide — has likely triggered the recent awful attacks on Jews.
All of which tells us that Israel's ending the carnage in Gaza is what's desperately needed — for the people of Gaza, for the remaining hostages, and, frankly, for Jews everywhere.
Michael Felsen
Jamaica Plain
BDS movement is a gray area between antisemitism, criticism of Israel
Samantha Joseph is right to decry antisemitic violence perpetrated by supporters of Palestinian rights. No matter how one feels about Israel's attacks on Palestinians (and now Iranians), that does not justify attacks on American Jews. We all need to draw a sharp line between criticism of the government of Israel and antisemitism. However, later in her op-ed, Joseph blurs this line by calling the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement against Israel antisemitic. This movement is precisely an attempt to impose financial and reputational consequences on Israel for its treatment of Palestinians. Contrary to to the claims of the movement's critics, it has nothing to do with antisemitism.
Ken Olum
Sharon

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CNN

40 minutes ago

• CNN

5 things to know for June 23: US-Iran, Israel-Iran, Church attack, Mahmoud Khalil, Ten Commandments

5 Things The Middle East Donald Trump National securityFacebookTweetLink Follow From digging into President Donald Trump's battle with the courts to deciding whether people can be required to identify themselves before viewing porn online, the Supreme Court in the coming days is set to deliver its most dramatic decisions of the year. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. As President Donald Trump weighs the idea of regime change in Iran, the Iranian power structure appears to be more focused on how it will respond to America's attack on its nuclear facilities. The Iranian envoy to the UN condemned the US and Israel for their 'acts of aggression' and asked the Security Council to address such 'injustice and gross violations.' Iranian hardliners and members of parliament took to social media to call for retaliation after the US strikes, including attacks on American bases in the region, the disruption of oil shipments in the Strait of Hormuz and a possible withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The attacks have also inspired thousands of Iranians to demonstrate against Trump and the US. One Iranian politician said even people critical of the regime were protesting. With the Israel-Iran conflict in its 11th day, both countries have launched a fresh wave of strikes on each other. About 20 Israeli fighter jets attacked military targets in Tehran and the western Iranian city of Kermanshah. The Israel Defense Forces said the strikes took out several surface-to-surface missile launch and storage sites. Six Iranian airports were also targeted overnight and at least 15 fighter jets and helicopters were reportedly destroyed. In retaliation, Iran reportedly fired missiles at Israel, prompting people across the country to take shelter. Although the IDF attributed the sounds of explosions to interceptions or fallen projectiles, teams of first responders were still dispatched to reported impact sites. A suicide bomber attacked a Greek Orthodox church in Syria on Sunday, killing at least 20 people and injuring dozens more, the country's health ministry said. The attacker reportedly opened fire on the congregation of Mar Elias Church in Damascus and then blew himself up using an explosive vest. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but Syria's Ministry of Interior Affairs told CNN that it was carried out by a 'suicide bomber affiliated with the terrorist organization ISIS.' The United States' Special Envoy for Syria, Thomas Barrack, called the attack an act of 'cowardice.' Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil reunited with his wife and met his newborn son for the first time after being detained for 104 days at an ICE facility in Louisiana. A judge ordered Khalil's release on bail Friday after finding he was not a flight risk nor a danger to public safety. The Columbia University graduate played a central role in negotiations on behalf of pro-Palestinian student protesters last year. Although he is a lawful permanent resident and is married to a US citizen, Khalil was one of the first people the Trump administration arrested in its crackdown on student activists. 'Trump and his administration, they chose the wrong person for this,' he said. 'That doesn't mean that there is a 'right' person for this. There's no right person who should be detained for actually protesting a genocide, for protesting their university.' A panel of three federal appellate judges ruled on Friday that a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in public school classrooms is unconstitutional. 'This is a resounding victory for the separation of church and state and public education,' said Heather L. Weaver, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union. '…The Fifth Circuit has held Louisiana accountable to a core constitutional promise: Public schools are not Sunday schools, and they must welcome all students, regardless of faith.' Over the weekend, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a similar bill requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public school classrooms. He also signed legislation that allows school districts to provide students and staff with a daily voluntary period of prayer or time to read religious texts during school hours. Get '5 Things' in your inbox If your day doesn't start until you're up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the '5 Things' Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 103-91 Sunday night and won their first NBA title since moving from Seattle to Oklahoma. National baseball champs, againFor the second time in three years, the Louisiana State University Tigers have won the College World Series. Jones bows outJon Jones, 37, who laid claim to being the greatest mixed martial arts fighter of all time, announced his retirement over the weekend. Thank you for being a … frenemy?Apparently, not all of 'The Golden Girls' were as warm and fuzzy as the sitcom's theme song suggested. Two of the show's stars 'couldn't warm up to each other if they were cremated together,' a co-producer recently said. Decanting successThe winners of the Decanter World Wine Awards 2025 were recently announced and one country triumphed above all others. $200,000That's how much money 55% of Americans said they would need to make — or more — per year to 'feel rich/attain financial freedom,' a new survey showed. 'These reefs are essential to protecting the islands they surround. Without action taken now, we risk allowing these reefs to erode past the point of no return.' — Kelly J. van Woesik, after studying the exploding population of sea urchins in Hōnaunau Bay in Hawaii. Sea urchins eat the reef and too many of them can cause damaging erosion. Check your local forecast here>>> 'No more war!'Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was holding a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, over the weekend when he learned about President Trump's attack on Iran. In reacting to the news, Sanders and the audience did not mince words. 5 Things AM is edited by CNN's Andrew Torgan.

Hamilton Spectator

42 minutes ago

• Hamilton Spectator

Israel targets Iran's government, a notorious Tehran prison as Iran launches more attacks on Israel

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel hit Iranian government targets in Tehran on Monday in a series of strikes that followed a salvo of missiles and drones fired by Iran at Israel in the wake of the Trump administration's massive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites the day before. Israel's Defense Ministry said it hit targets including the notorious Evin Prison in the Iranian capital and the security headquarters of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guards. 'The Iranian dictator will be punished with full force for attacking the Israeli home front,' the Ministry said. Iran's underground enrichment site at Fordo, which was one of those hit in Sunday's attack by the U.S. on three nuclear facilities, was also struck again on Monday, Iranian state television reported. There was no immediate word on damage or who hit Fordo. Nuclear fears mount after US strikes In Vienna, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said he expected there to be heavy damage at the Fordo facility already following the Sunday's U.S. airstrike there with sophisticated bunker-buster bombs. 'Given the explosive payload utilized ... very significant damage ... is expected to have occurred,' said Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. With the strikes on Sunday on Iranian nuclear sites , the United States inserted itself into Israel's war , prompting fears of a wider regional conflict. Iran said the U.S. had crossed 'a very big red line' with its risky gambit to strike the three sites with missiles and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs . Several Iranian officials, including Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, have claimed Iran removed nuclear material from targeted sites ahead of time. Grossi told the IAEA board of governors on Monday that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had informed him on June 13 that Iran would 'adopt special measures to protect nuclear equipment and materials.' 'I indicated that any transfer of nuclear material from a safeguarded facility to another location in Iran must be declared,' Grossi said, without saying whether Iran had responded. Israel and Iran press their attacks Iran described its Monday attack on Israel as as a new wave of its Operation 'True Promise 3,' saying it was targeting the Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, according to Iranian state television. Explosions were also heard in Jerusalem. There were no immediate reports of damage. In Iran, witnesses reported Israeli airstrikes hit areas around Iran's capital, Tehran, around midday. Iranian state television confirmed one Israeli strike hit the gate of Evin Prison. The report shared what appeared to be black-and-white-surveillance footage of the strike. The prison is known for holding dual nationals and Westerners often used by Iran as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West. Evin also has specialized units for political prisoners and those with Western ties, run by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The facility is the target of both U.S. and European Union sanctions. Earlier Monday, Iranian Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of joint staff of armed forces, warned Washington its strikes had given Iranian forces a 'free hand ' to 'act against U.S. interests and its army.' Tens of thousands of American troops are based in the Middle East, many in locations within range of short-range Iranian missiles. Calls for de-escalation The U.S. described its Sunday attack on the Fordo and Natanz enrichment facilities, as well as the Isfahan nuclear sit , as a one-off to take out Iran's nuclear program, but President Donald Trump has warned of additional strikes if Tehran retaliates. Mousavi described the American attacks as violating Iran's sovereignty and being tantamount to invading the country, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. In the wake of the American attacks, calls came from across the globe for de-escalation and the return to diplomacy to try and resolve the conflict. On Monday, the European Union's top diplomat said the bloc remained 'very much focused on the diplomatic solution.' 'The concerns of retaliation and this war escalating are huge,' Kaja Kallas said at the start of a foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels where Iran has jumped to the top of the agenda. 'Especially closing of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is something that would be extremely dangerous and not good for anybody,' Kallas said, referring to a maritime route crucial for oil transport. After Sunday's attacks, Iranian officials repeated their longtime threats of possibly closing the key shipping lane. Iran, which insists its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only, previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the U.S., France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief. But after Trump pulled the U.S. unilaterally out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium up to 60% — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90% — and restricting access to its nuclear facilities. As he arrived in Brussels on Monday for a meeting with his EU counterparts, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul renewed calls for Iran to agree again to direct talks with the United States but says Europe still has a role to play. 'We already made it very clear to the Iranian side that a real precondition for a settlement to the conflict is that Iran be ready to negotiate directly with the U.S.,' he said, while adding that the European group known as the E3 'will contribute what we can.' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was meeting on Monday in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, one of Iran's key allies. ___ Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin, Ella Joyner in Brussels, Stephanie Liechtenstein in Vienna and Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. 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Newsweek

an hour ago

• Newsweek

AOC Should Be 'Tried for Treason' Over Trump Impeachment Calls: Giuliani

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Democrats calling for President Donald Trump to be impeached over the U.S.'s military strikes on Iran should be "tried for treason," Rudy Giuliani has said. The former mayor of New York, an ardent supporter of the president, made the comment on Newsmax's Sunday Agenda after Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York known as AOC, criticized Trump's decision to bomb Iran as "clearly grounds for impeachment." Newsweek has contacted representatives for Giuliani and Ocasio-Cortez for comment by email outside standard working hours. Why It Matters On Saturday, the president announced strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan in response to the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, a U.S. ally. On June 13, Israel struck Tehran, Iran's capital, and other cities to disrupt its nuclear capabilities, and Iran retaliated with strikes of its own, the majority of which were intercepted by Israeli defense systems. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani speaking to reporters outside his apartment building in New York on August 23, 2023. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani speaking to reporters outside his apartment building in New York on August 23, 2023. Seth Wenig/AP Photo While Democrats are split on Trump's response, Ocasio-Cortez said the attack was "disastrous," writing on X, formerly Twitter, that it was "a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers." What To Know Giuliani told Newsmax that the military strikes were "brilliant" and called Iran "a terrorist state." He then criticized Democrats for speaking out against the strikes. "I find what the Democrats are doing—they want an impeachment, they should be tried for treason," he said. "American and military personnel are right now in harm's way coming back from that strike, and they are in harm's way all over the Middle East. And they are condemning the president for taking action against a country that wants to annihilate us." While Giuliani did not mention Ocasio-Cortez by name, the Newsmax host said after his comments, "You're referring to Congresswoman AOC, who's now calling for President Trump's impeachment." Rudy says AOC 'should be tried for treason' after she called for Trump to be impeached over Iran. — Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) June 23, 2025 What People Are Saying Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, also criticized Ocasio-Cortez, writing on X on Saturday: "Shut up you pathetic little hypocrite. YOU fully supported our military and IC running the proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. And you VOTED to fund the Ukraine war under your President with dementia. You don't get to play anti-war and moral outrage anymore." Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, wrote on X on Saturday: "The President's disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers. He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment." Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from Michigan, said in a news release on Saturday: "President Trump sending U.S. troops to bomb Iran without the consent of Congress is a blatant violation of our Constitution. The American people do not want another forever war." What Happens Next Iran's response to the U.S.'s strikes remains to be seen. Trump has warned the country of further U.S. military strikes if it does not seek peace quickly.