Italy: "What the F--- Are You Looking at? I am a Muslim!"

The suspect and the scene

-Il Tempo

We'll just call this the latest report from the Milan daily blotter. It is an all-too-familiar story in Italy's 2nd-largest city, which is also number 1 in crime. The only difference this time is that while the perp is a migrant from Algeria, his victim is also an Arab, a young woman from Morocco who was just minding her own business socializing with friends while awaiting a train back home from Milan's Pizza  Duomo. According to the complaint, she was sitting on a bench at the Duomo metro stop talking to a friend, also from Morocco, when she was accosted by 27-year-old Mohamed Saidi, from Algeria. The man reportedly approached the victim and asked her what the F she was looking at, also reportedly stating, "I am a Muslim!" before attacking her and leaving her bleeding and scarred.

Reportedly, the man had just been released from custody hours before, after being given an expedited trial for breaking into a car during the early morning hours of July 9,

The article below from Il Tempo is translated by Fousesquawk. According to other news reports from Il Tempo, Saidi punched the woman in the face.

 

"What are you looking at? I am a Muslim!" Investigation into radicalization of the attacker

July 10, 2026

"I thought I was going to die. I couldn't see anything, and the blood kept me from breathing." The victim, a 22-year-old, originally from Morocco, recounted her story in filing a complaint against Mohamed Saidi, a 27-year-old Algerian, arrested for having attacked and scarred her at the Duomo metro stop in Milan. The young woman recounts her afternoon in the city center: a casual meeting with a co-national in Duomo Square, one hour before the attack. Then a shopping walk in a group, and finally, entering the Duomo station, still in a group. And here, while she was seated with a friend on a bench awaiting the train direct to Comasina, "suddenly, a man I had never seen before addressed me in Arabic and in an intimidating tone exclaimed: 'What the f--- are you looking at?"' The 22-year-old answered him in Arabic, explaining that, " My look was actually directed at my friend." Saidi, however, did not believe her and shouted a series of scathing insults. The young woman, frightened, asks him to leave and tells him that if he didn't leave, she would call the police.

The Ros (Carabinieri Special Operative Group) Anti-Terrorism Unit in Milan is conducting checks throughout Europe through Interpol as to "a possible involvement in radicalized circles" on the part of Mohamed Saidi, the 27-year-old Algerian arrested for having attacked and scarred a 22-year-old young woman at the Duomo metro stop. That is how the arrest report by local police reads. A few hours before the attack, Saida had been released from custody with a ban on residing in Milan following an expedited trial held at the Palace of Justice less than one kilometer from Duomo Square. The arrest, which took place a few hours earlier, around 4 am between 8 and 9 July, was for theft from the interior of a car parked in Argentina Square. It was the first time the 27-year-old Algerian, who was listed as having no fixed abode and no criminal record, was documented in our country.

 

RAIR Foundation USA Interview of Robert Spencer: A Rebuttal of JD Hall

Hat tip RAIR Foundation USA and Vlad Tepes

I am cross-posting  an article from RAIR Foundation USA in which Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch effectively refutes claims made on a Tucker Carlson interview with JD Hall, a controversial American theologian, in which Hall claimed that under the Ottoman Empire's control over the Holy Land, Christians were well treated.

There is very little I wish to add to Spencer's rebuttal. After all, he is the true expert when it comes to Islam's persecution of other religions. In truth, there is no real Muslim-majority country in which non-Muslims are treated with equal rights and equal respect. To do so would contradict Islam's very teachings, as Spencer points out.

The RAIR article begins with a clip of the Carlson-Hall discussion and ends with a 20-minute interview of Spencer by RAIR.

I was once an admirer of Carlson, but he seems to have come to the conclusion, in my opinion, that it is more practical to take the side of Muslims against Jews and Israel since there are more of the former than there are of the latter. I take the opposite view based on what I think is the moral position and that Christians and Jews are both considered by Islam-not every Muslim on the planet- but by Islamic teaching to be its enemy.

Full disclosure: Until today, I had never heard of JD Hall, so I cannot speak with any authority on the accusations against him, so I will not offer any comment in that regard. The reader is free to do his/her own research.

Italy: Another Random Stabbing in Milan

Hat tip Gates of Vienna

San Siro Stadium, Milan

Last Saturday in the San Siro section of Milan, a group of men were sitting outside a bar chatting on the sidewalk when a 22-year-old man identified as Lamin Saidilly, while walking past them, without warning, attacked one of the men with a knife, stabbing him over 20 times before being subdued by the other men. The suspect attacked with no apparent motive and reportedly told police that "he had fun and would do it again as soon as he was out of jail."

The attack occurred near the famed San Siro soccer stadium in Milan. I lived in that area for a couple of years in the 1980s while working with DEA in Milan. The bystanders who subdued the attacker and held him until police arrived are reportedly middle-aged men from Egypt.

The below article from RAI News is translated by Fousesquawk. The article also contains a surveillance camera video of the actual attack (viewer warning). We are also working on adding English subtitles to a second video in the article of a witness interview. The article also describes another attack in the Milan area during the same time frame. Three young Egyptian men are charged with that stabbing attack.

Passante accoltellato a Milano, il 22enne fermato: "Mi sono divertito, appena esco lo rifaccio"

Bystander stabbed in Milan, 22-year-old arrested: "I had fun, as soon as I get out, I will do it again"

Before the judge of instruction, he exercised his right to silence. Prosecutor: "He wanted to kill an easy target". The 55-year-old is out of danger. Salvini: "He should never get out of prison."

Lamin Saidilly, 22, born in Italy to parents from Gambia, who on Saturday morning, without motive, stabbed a man in front of a bar on the edge of Milan, wounding him seriously, exercised his right to silence.  His lawyer, Simona Brambilla, made the statement as she was leaving San Vittorio (prison) after the initial hearing. "It was his choice," the defender stated, who described her client as "very shaken". "He remembers nothing until he found himself in the police car," she said, adding that the 22-year-old did not request the judge of instruction to reduce the precautionary measure.

On Saturday morning, Gerardo P., 55, was having breakfast with his elderly father at the La Giada bar on via Capecelatro, in the San Siro zone of Milan, when he was attacked by a young man with his face covered. The attacker, identified as 22-year-old Lamin Saidilly, struck him from behind with great force, inflicting about 20 stab wounds, hitting the victim in the head, neck, torso, and abdomen.

The public prosecutor of Milan, Elio Ramondini, has charged attempted murder with premeditation and with a "frivolous" motive. That is evident from the request to validate the arrest. As a basis of reconstruction, it is believed that the man planned to go out on the street to "cause the death" of the first person who could be an easy target. In addition, he was disguised and had a "double-edged blade of 21 centimeters".

The "frivolous" motive hangs on what he said to law enforcement. "I had fun, and as soon as I get out, I will do it again."

The intervention by bystanders and the silence of the attacker

Avoiding the worst was the immediate intervention of three Egyptian customers at the bar who managed to disarm and keep the young man on the ground until the arrival of police. According to the witnesses, the assault happened in absolute silence: There was absolutely no exchange of words or glances between the victim and the attacker.

In addition, once immobilized and taken into custody by law enforcement, the 22-year-old maintained a behavior of complete detachment, saying a sentence shocking to the officers: "I had fun, and as soon as I get out, I will do it again."

The investigations into the profile of Lamin Saidilly

The investigators are digging into the past of the young man to understand the reasons for the act and to verify any possible presence of psychiatric problems.

The parents of the young man, residing in Conegliano Veneto (Treviso), have stated that the son had not been in any structured medical care and that he had been away from home for about a week.

From initial searches, no connections have emerged with radical Islamic extremism, and in the wallet of the 24-year-old (sic?) were found notes containing almost rambling sentences. Investigators are also sifting through the 10 years the young man reportedly spent in England prior to arriving in Milan a few days ago.

The victim is not in a life-threatening condition.

Gerardo P., the 55-year-old (who was stabbed), is no longer in danger and is currently recovering in Niguarda Hospital. He has undergone several operations and is in intensive post-operative care, but his condition is improving. The knife wounds he received, in particular in the abdomen and torso, are not particularly deep. His prognosis remains guarded, but he should not have any particular consequences, and his stay in the hospital will not be long. 

Father of the arrested 22-year-old incredulous

For the father of the stabber, a Gambian man who has for years. has been employed with the Electrolux Union, the act of his son, Lamin Saidilly, is inexplicable. 20 stab wounds with a 21-centimeter blade against a stranger.

Salvini: "If he would do it again, he should never, never get out of jail."

Rome: "Thrilling words. If he had fun and would do it again? Then he should never get out of jail again!" That is what the vice premier and leader of the Lega (party), Matteo Salvini, wrote on social media.

Sesto San Giovanni: A second stabbing tied to drugs

During the same hours, the outskirts of Milan were the scene of a second serious bloody incident. A young man of 19 was stabbed in the chest and the thigh in a small park in Sesto San Giovanni. The young man is in grave condition. The Carabinieri have arrested three young Egyptian men, ages 20, 22, and 24, without fixed abode and with previous arrests in an episode the investigators have traced back to the dealing of drugs.

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*Fousequawk Update (7-7-26): Various Italian media are reporting that Saidilly served time in an English prison for a similar attack. According to Il Tempo, he was sentenced to 8 years in prison for a knife attack in Leeds in November 2023. According to Il Giornale, he reportedly attacked someone in prison with a makeshift knife. At any rate, he was reportedly deported to Italy in December 2025 before serving his full sentence. Italian police have reportedly discovered an image of a jihadist terrorist praying on a beach in Siadilly's WhatsApp account. His parents, who are Muslim, deny that he was radicalized.

Belgium Is Pissed at Trump-What Else Is New?

"Let the games begin."

 

Full disclosure: I am not a soccer fan. As a typical American who was born in the 1940s, I never played soccer as a kid. We never followed it, and I still never follow it. During the 1980s, I was living in Milan, Italy, and our apartment was literally across the street from the famed San Siro Stadium. Try as I did, I just couldn't get excited over the game. I went to one game and left before it was over.

In 1990, I had occasion to actually attend the World Cup in Italy in an official capacity (DEA) as we werer attempting to capture the leaders of the Cali cartel, who we thought would be attending the games since Colombia had qualified for the Cup. While the games didn't particularly interest me, I was impressed by the sheer spectacle that the international fans brought.

However, I have no interest in paying exorbitant prices to attend any of the games, and except for three games (Portugal-Croatia, Argentina-Cape Verde, and Mexico-England), all great games, I have not watched any of the games on TV. We did pull for Mexico since the Missus is from Mexico.

While there have been a couple of unfortunate incidents, as is to be expected with this sport, it seems the games have gone off very well, in the US, Mexico, and Canada, which are hosting the games. All in all, it seems that the foreigners attending the games are enjoying themselves and are impressed with the US. and the other host countries.

But now, the integrity of FIFA, the international body that oversees the games and which is notoriously corrupt, has once again been called into question. And, of course, President Trump has once again managed to suck all of the oxygen out of the room. I am referring, of course, to the controversial red card penalty against the American team's top player, Folarin Balogun, in its last match against. Bosnia-Herzegovina. Of course, I am the last person to analyze what should be a yellow card, red card, suspension, or anything else in soccer. Looking at the replay, it sure looked like incidental contact to me, nothing that would merit sending a player off with a one-game suspension. To many Americans, this is just another case of the refs screwing the US team. 

So, as a result of the automatic suspension, the US was scheduled to play its next game (tonight) against Belgium without its top scorer.

Enter President Trump. Yesterday, he made a phone call to the head of FIFA, Giovanni Infantino, and asked that their committee reconsider the call. They did exactly that, and as of now, Balogun will play against Belgium.

Understandably, Belgium is outraged and is appealing the decision. Due to Trump's intervention, international politics is now in full play. As of this writing, the Democrats have yet to call for impeachment, but that too could change within hours.

I personally don't care either way. I hope the US wins, but if they don't, I won't be crying in my beer. I guess what it comes down to is whether FIFA follows its procedures to the letter in its rulings. The red card seemed unfair to begin with, but I am no expert. The reversal, coupled with Trump's phone call to Infantino, has created a mess that threatens to overshadow the games overall. If Balogun plays and the US wins, Belgium will be furious. If Balogun doesn't play and Belgium wins, US fans will complain but will get over it in a couple of days.

After all, it's only a game, right?

University of California Hit with Lawsuit Over its "Misgendering" Rules

This article first appeared in New English Review.

The University of California system is once again in the middle of a lawsuit. This latest one involves a civil complaint filed in federal court (Central District of California in Los Angeles) alleging that the university is actually disciplining students for the "heinous" offense of "misgendering," that is, referring to others using pronouns describing their gender at birth as opposed to how the affected person wishes to be identified. The lawsuit was filed by a conservative watchdog group called Defending Education on behalf of students as complainants.

The College Fix has an article on the lawsuit here. The article also has a link to the complaint document.

Here is my take, speaking as one who spent 18 years teaching English as a Second Language part-time at the UC Irvine Extension. This lawsuit is a welcome development, and I hope it is successful. Just as in the case of campus anti-Semitism, it has reached the point where lawsuits and the drying up of university funds are the only things that will bring true reform to our universities, and the University of California system needs reform badly. 

People who identify themselves as the opposite gender are to be sympathized with, given counseling, and treated with compassion. They are suffering from gender dysphoria. They should not be humiliated, harassed, or bullied by others. 

However, putting them on some sort of pedestal and catering to ("affirming") their dysphoria is not the solution, especially when others are punished simply for not using the preferred pronoun. There are countless cases where well-meaning people, with no harmful intent, have been punished by universities or employers for not using a preferred pronoun.  To me, it is especially egregious when universities engage in this type of thought policing when they, according to their own definition, are supposed to be places where thoughtful and civil discourse on controversial or difficult topics is supposed to rule the day. Unfortunately, that went away a long time ago. Ask any conservative or pro-Israel person who has ever spoken on a university campus.

It is unfortunate that people have to resort to lawfare to force universities to act rationally, but that is exactly what it takes. For years, the other side, the left, the Islamists, the pro-Palestinian activists, the LGBTQ lobby, and so many others have perfected the art. University administrators literally shake in their boots in the face of pressure groups like the Congress on American Islamic Affairs (CAIR). The result has been a wave of campus anti-Semitism that has festered for decades. Similarly, the LGBTQ community has exerted similar pressure. The results have been speech codes, preferred pronouns, entire departments devoted to LGBTQ studies, men in women's sports, and men in women's locker rooms. This goes far beyond the laudable goal of protecting LGBTQ students and others from harassment. It is time to stop the madness.

As much as I hate to say it, it is time to bring in the lawyers.

Germany: Another Grooming Case

Cologne

Just recently, we reported on a case involving sexual grooming in Nuremberg, in which a group of foreign-born men lured underage German girls into forced prostitution. This phenomenon has been occurring repeatedly in the United Kingdom, mostly at the hands of Pakistani men.

Now another case has arisen in the Cologne area, where three men have been arrested and accused of forcing underage girls into prostitution while robbing their clients. In addition, two others have been arrested as accomplices. The suspects were reportedly living in Cologne, Wesseling, Leverkusen, and Solingen. (Here's a fun fact: The notorious Nazi war criminal, Adolf Eichmann, was born in Solingen).

While several German news outlets are reporting the arrests, thus far, I have only found this article from Exxpress in Austria, which mentions that the men are of German-Moroccan, Macedonian, and Portuguese nationality. The article is translated by Fousesquawk. 

Forced prostitution, robberies of clients: Cologne shaken by grooming gangs

A gang in the Cologne area is accused of forced prostitution of minors and robberies of clients. Several suspects are in custody, accused of organized human trafficking.

July 1, 2026 at 09:30

Are these grooming gangs? A possibly sensational case. In the Cologne area, a gang allegedly forced underage girls into prostitution and robbed their clients. Three suspects, aged between 23 and 27, have been arrested by police, accused of organized human trafficking.

Arrest warrants against men from various countries

The accused have German-Moroccan, Portuguese, and Macedonian citizenship. Five apartments were searched in Cologne, Wesseling, Leverkusen, and Solingen, and mobile phones were also seized. The police believe there are 6 main perpetrators and two accomplices, as reported by Welt.

Forced into prostitution

At least one 17-year-old was allegedly forced into prostitution by the accused gang between October-November 2025. Another attempt against a 16-year-old was unsuccessful. Investigators also mention a possible rape. The suspects also allegedly lured two clients to a supposed sex date and robbed them using extreme bodily violence.

Germany: Custodial Battle Turns Deadly in Shelter

Frankfurter Allgemeine

*Update (July 3, 2026): The suspected shooter is now being (partially) identified in the German media as Fatih Kahn G. (45). In addition, Remix News (Hungary) is reporting that the female driver of the getaway car is a 65-year-old German woman named Sylvia S., who is reportedly a migration consultant and the godmother of the 3-month-old daughter of the alleged shooter. In addition, she is reportedly the mother-in-law of Deniz Kurku, a member of the Lower Saxony State Parliament for the Social Democrat Party (SPD), for which he is the migration minister, as reported by NIUS. Previously, the baby was examined for possible physical abuse, according to the above report.

If that isn't enough, WELT and other news outlets are reporting that the suspected shooter had previously escaped from Turkish police custody in 2021.

Today in the German town of Stade, near Hamburg, a 45-year-old man allegedly went to a shelter for mothers and their children and opened fire, killing 6 workers at the facility. He is allegedly the father of a 3-month-old child who was staying at the shelter with her mother. The motive for the rampage appears to be a custody battle between the mother and father. A custody hearing was scheduled for the same day.

Police responded and fired several shots at a car that was fleeing the scene with the suspect and a female driver. The tires were shot out and both have been taken into custody.  

The article below from Bild is translated by Fousesquawk. We are also working on adding English subtitles to a video of the actual arrest.

6 dead in Stade

It was about custodial rights for a baby!

All dead were employees of the mother-child-home

June 29, 2026 at 20:11

Stade (Lower Saxony)- Bloodbath in a child care facility: Six people died in a shooting in Stade on Monday. Five victims died at the scene, (and) a sixth succumbed to their serious wounds in a hospital in the evening.  According to the police, the background of the act is believed to be a custodial fight over a 3-month-old child. In the evening, investigators gave further details.

Shooting in mother-child home

The scene of the crime is located in a child care facility on Dankerstrasse (street) in Stade (Lower Saxony), which includes mother-child residential groups. All 6 fatalities, according to police, were in the building. Four women and a man died there. Four victims were killed immediately; a fifth died from their injuries in spite of resuscitation efforts. The sixth died later in the hospital. All of the victims were employees of the child care facility.

Police arrested the main perpetrator (45) from the Hannover area. He was born in Germany and is a Turkish citizen. The 45-old is known to police but not as a violent offender. According to the latest information, he does not possess a permit to carry the weapon he used.

According to police, the background for the bloody act is a custody dispute over a 3-month-old child. The 45-year-old main suspect is the father of the infant. On Monday, there was to be a custody hearing. The mother and daughter were staying in the mother-child home, which is also operated by the Hannover Youth Welfare Office.

An eyewitness described to "Focus Online" how a woman, together with a young man, reportedly tried to flee the scene of the crime in a car. A police officer called out: "Halt, stay where you are." As the car continued to drive off, several officers opened fire. According to witnesses, at least 10-15 shots were fired.

Police question 2 women

Two other women are under police investigation at this time and are being questioned. According to police, one of them is the mother (34) of the child. The (female) driver of the car (65) is also being questioned by police.

City Councilor Carsten Brokelmann stated in the name of the city administration: "I am grateful to the policewomen and policemen for their action in this chaotic situation." At the same time, he expressed "deep sympathy for the victims of this terrible act as well as their families". As to the background, at this time, nothing else could be said. He expressed confidence, however, that this would be cleared up soon. 

Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (70, CDU) announced on Monday evening: "The news from Stade is deeply shocking. Many people who wanted to help and protect (others) have lost their lives or were injured." He expressed his condolences to the victims and their families. "I thank the police men and women for their quick action." 

Information on the deadly crime can be submitted to the following address:

Polizei Niedersachsen Hinweisportal | Polizei Niedersachsen Hinweisportal

Insert: Transparency note:

During the evening press conference, the police initially stated that the perpetrator was a German with Turkish roots, and the woman who drove the getaway car and was being questioned by police was 55 years old. Later, the police corrected the information.

*Update, 6-29-2026: This article from Bild has a video showing the actual arrest, to which we have added English subtitles.. Hat tip Vlad Tepes, RAIR Foundation USA, and Gates of Vienna for the subtitling. Translation by Fousesquawk. (Note: You will have to sit through the ad. The actual video starts at the 26-second mark.)

Spain: Brutal Hammer Attack in Torre Pacheco (Murcia)

Torre Pacheco is a southeastern Spanish coastal town in the Murcia region. It is heavily populated by migrants from North and Sub-Saharan Africa, and violent crime is a serious problem in the city.

On Thursday, a man identified as an Algerian national was arrested after he violently attacked two men with a hammer on Avenida Juan Carlos 1. One victim, identified as a Senegalese citizen, was gravely injured by several blows from a hammer to the head. A second man, identified only as a Sub-Saharan African, suffered lesser injuries. The attacker, whom police suspect was trying to rob his victims, was arrested at the scene covered in the blood of his victims.

The article below from El Periodico is translated by Fousesquawk. 

Remix News (Hungary) has posted an English-language article (viewer warning) on the incident with two videos. It appears that a witness is calling emergency services and directing them to the scene, which is next to the Virgin of Pasico Driving School on Avenida Juan Carlos 1. (Hat tip Gates of Vienna).  

Arrested in Torre Pacheco for attacking two neighbors in the head with a hammer in the middle of the city

Murcia, 26 June 2026 at 09:53

A man was arrested on Thursday as the alleged perpetrator of an attack on two other persons in broad daylight in Torre Pacheco

The incident occurred around 6 pm on Juan Carlos I Avenue

According to what the Civil Guard told EFE (news), the arrested man, of Algerian nationality, attacked two men, one of Senegalese nationality, and the other of Sub-Saharan origin. 

The Senegalese citizen suffered extremely serious injuries after receiving several blows with a hammer and was taken to the Intensive Care Unit (UCI) of the Virgin of Arrixa Hospital. The second injured man suffered minor lesions.

The principal line of investigation indicates that the alleged attacker intended to rob the two victims before committing the violent attack, although the proceedings continue to be open to completely clarify what occurred. 

The arrested man was detained shortly after the incident, and the Civil Guard has taken charge of the investigation to determine the exact sequence of the attack and to establish the corresponding criminal responsibility.

*Update, June 30, 2026:  This is a video taken by a witness and carried on Spanish media. Hat tip Gates of Vienna, RAIR Foundation USA, and Vlad Tepes for subtitling. Translation by Fousesquawk.Viewer warning.

An Israeli Settlement in Italy Under Threat

This article first appeared in Times of Israel Blogs.

Valsesia (Piemonte) Italy

 There is an area in the Piemonte region of Northwest Italy called Valsesia, a series of valleys. One of the small towns in this area is Varallo. The mayor of Varallo, Pietro Bondetti, received a letter at the town hall about a week ago, along with a bullet inside the envelope. The letter, printed in stencil and signed by the “Anti-Zionist Movement”, drew attention to a settlement of about 70 Israeli families living in the area. The letter went on to state that they would not tolerate any more Israeli families and threatened to “start shooting if the settlement continued to grow. Here is an article from the Italian newspaper, La Stampa, which I have translated and which gives further details.

Aside from what is contained in the article, I can state that Mayor Bondetti has received support and solidarity from the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella. In addition, it is reported that the Israeli families living in the area are people who have chosen to get out of the Middle East to escape the wars and tensions that go along with them. They are reportedly not very religious and would not be considered as being real Zionists. These are people who are living quietly, renovating abandoned buildings, saving dying villages, and keeping a low profile.

I have been checking the local news for updates, but it seems that, as of this writing, there have been no arrests. The obvious question, especially given the situation in Europe, including Italy, is whether the writer(s) of this letter are Italians or immigrants, particularly from some Muslim country. At the risk of jumping the gun, I will offer a few thoughts as an American who lived in Italy for 5 years.

Either possibility exists. I do not consider Italians, as a people, to be anti-Jewish. However, the radical left in Italy, as elsewhere, has linked arms with the pro-Palestinian movement, and that implies at least a tolerance of anti-Semitism, in my view. In addition to the leftists and anarchists, the country has had its problems with organized mafias in Sicily, Calabria, and Naples. There was also the infamous Red Brigades of a few decades ago. So it is entirely possible that the letter writer(s) are Italians.

It is also entirely possible that they are people who have brought a centuries-old hatred for Jews with them as they migrated to Italy, legally or otherwise. If that is the case, it is hoped that once identified and prosecuted, they will be deported. But it is premature to make that claim.

There is another point that must not be overlooked here. If the writer(s) are only “anti-Zionist”, why would they threaten people who are not really Zionists and not overly religious? My only conclusion is that the real issue here is that they are Jews. If my reasoning is correct, whoever they are, it is another example of how the claim of so many millions of people that they are not anti-Jewish, just anti-Zionist, rings hollow.
Having never been to Israel, I cannot claim to be an expert here. It may be that some readers in Israel, who consider themselves Zionists, may not feel empathy for this group of Israeli exiles, people who have chosen to leave. With all due respect, however, what matters more is how the Italian people and the Italian state react to this very troubling incident. I believe they will step up and stand with this community because the Italian people are generally good and compassionate people, and this community, the Israelis, the mayor, and any other figures associated with the Israelis, must be supported. I have a feeling the writer(s) will be identified and punished for this act. If it involves non-Italians, I hope that punishment will include deportation.

The Obama Library

This article first appeared in New English Review. 

This past week's opening of the Obama Presidential Library on Chicago's South Side was a real masked ball as we all expected it to be. There was Hillary Clinton, the Empress Dowager, wearing some preposterous black hat she probably stole from an Oktoberfest. She was even accompanied by her erstwhile husband, Bill. In addition, there were Jill and Joe Biden, and the optics were predictably terrible. The most embarrassing scene was ex-President Obama and Jill walking off the stage, Obama pretending to play a guitar with poor Joe left behind to wander alone across the stage with his now famous "Land ahoy" imitation. It was funny and sad at the same time. Unfortunately, he has a wife who will drag him all over the country so she can be seen by her adoring public.

Also present was Los Angeles mayor and current front-runner in the November mayoral election, Karen Bass. The day she flew to Chicago, another big fire broke out in the Boyle Hts. area of the city. Unlike the Pacific Palisades fire, where two communities burned down, it was just a factory this time. The LAFD estimates it should be extinguished by Friday!!! During the previous fires, Bass was in Ghana attending a presidential inauguration, which couldn't go off without the mayor of Los Angeles present. She was warned before she left that weather and wind conditions were making a major conflagration highly likely, but she went anyway.

Our California governor, Gavin Newsom, was there, interrupting his busy schedule running for president in 2028. Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Nancy Pelosi, the list goes on and on.

But I am seriously digressing here.

Back on topic, I am not a fan of presidential libraries to begin with. Not every president can get their mug on Mt. Rushmore, but they can all have their own presidential library, a monument to their ego.  There are currently 15 presidential libraries in the US, beginning with Herbert Hoover and not including President Trump (location as yet to be determined).

In the case of Chicago, particularly the South Side, the last thing they needed was this library. The city is bleeding-literally and figuratively. Its NFL team is leaving town, if not the state entirely. Its political leadership is horrendous, largely thanks to one-party rule, and the murder rate is a national scandal. No doubt there will be a lot of homicides committed in and around the spacious library grounds in the days, weeks, months, and years to come. What the city needs are more quality schools, hospitals to treat the gunshot victims, and jails to hold its burgeoning criminal population.

But instead, the city can proudly show off its Barack Obama Presidential Library. Or can it? I don't know who designed this thing, but I'm guessing he or she is a graduate of the Albert Speer School of Architecture. It looks like a cross between Hitler's Berlin bunker and the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City. If you are actually planning a visit, be forewarned that you may never be able to get back out. There don't seem to be a lot of doors and windows. Hopefully, there is at least a fire exit.

Albert Speer, Hitler's architect (left).

"Where are the windows, Albert?"

And then it is crowned, if you will, with a series of famous Obama quotes, like "You didn't build this. I did." Or something like that.

Now I know some wise guy is going to come along and say, "What about Trump? Have you seen that massive ballroom he is building at the White House? What about that Arc de Trump supposedly celebrating the country's 250th birthday? Have you seen the design?"

Fair enough. Most presidents have massive egos, and Obama and Trump are both champs in that regard. People like that tend to build monuments to themselves. But in the case of Chicago, could they not have at least built a structure that was attractive-something that would have added a touch of beauty to a part of the city that badly needs it?

Italy: Local Mayor Receives Threatening Letter Regarding Settlement of Israeli Families

Varallo, (Piemonte) Italy

This week in the northwestern Italian town of Varallo, located in a series of valleys in the Piedmont region known as Valsesia,  the town mayor has received an anonymous threatening note from somebody identifying themselves as the "Anti-Zionist Movement". Written in stencil, the note refers to the settlement of 70 Israeli families in the area and threatens to "start shooting" if any more arrive. a bullet was also enclosed in the envelope.

The article below from La Stampa is pretty self-explanatory and is translated by Fousesquawk. I will have more to write on this in the very near future. 

"This is the only warning before shooting," an envelope with a bullet addressed to Mayor Bondetti

In the message, the self-described "Anti-Zionist Movement" contests the presence of Israeli families who have been established for years in Varallo.

-By Andrea Bucci and Francesca Rivano

19 June 2026 at 0:500

A yellow envelope containing a letter apparently written in stencil headed, "Fuck Israel" and a 40 caliber Smith and Wesson bullet. "This is the only warning before we begin shooting". The threatening letter was delivered yesterday to the mayor of Varallo, Pietro Bondetti, signed by a self-described "Anti-Zionist Movement". Aside from the first citizen of the Valsesia town, also targeted is Ugo Luzzati, who, through his "Baita Project" in 2023, brought about 70 Israeli families to settle in Valsesia.

The envelope was delivered to the town hall during the late morning along with regular mail. On the sheet of paper, 16 lines oozing hatred, written in block letters and in ungrammatical Italian, implicate, aside from Bondetti and Luzzati, "mayors of Valsesia", accusing them of favoring the settlement of "Nazi Zionists" in the area. In the letter is also written: " We will not permit the transfer of more families".

"A very serious and unexpected event," comments Bondetti, who immediately filed a complaint with the Carabinieri station. A file has been opened with the prosecutor's office on the sending of the letter by persons unknown at this time. Public Prosecutor, Mariaserena Iozzo, under the direction of the head of the judicial office, Ilaria Calo, believes it is a crime of "threat". For now, there is caution at the courthouse. In the coming hours, the Dda, the district Anti-Mafia office, will be brought in since the victim of the threat is the mayor.     

But who could have an issue with the Israeli families? It is a mystery that the investigators will have to solve. Prior to this, in Varallo and in all of the Valsesia, nobody would have ever complained about the arrival of these new residents. On the contrary. Now, however, someone has apparently decided to act, raising the level and spreading hate. 

'The arrival of the Israeli families," comments the mayor of Varallo," is a very positive element for our territory. Those who have chosen to live in Valesia, have acquired and renovated residences abandoned for years and brought villages back to life that were depopulating. The children attend our schools, and, personally, I have never had the sense of tensions or problems." Profoundly embittered and worried about the incident, the mayor has shared the received threat, personally contacting Luzzati and the realtor who is handling the arrival of other families on property matters. They are people of every age, who often work from remote and who prefer an area in which one can live in the middle of nature.

"In these years, I have never felt myself the object of a threat," says Luzzati, born in Genoa, who arrived in Valsesia after having long lived in Israel. "This letter, certainly worrying, is absurd also in its content," he adds. "For a Zionist Jew to leave Israel is a betrayal. (Such a person ) would never relocate, not in Valsesia, nor anywhere else."

Driving the families who have chosen Varallo and its villages, on the contrary, is the search for a place to live without the tensions, the political pressures, and the wars that bloody the Middle East. "In the Valsesia territory, there are currently 70 families," Luzzati adds. "People who are integrating themselves into the local community and who, for the most part, are not even practicing from the religious point of view.  

Fousesquawk Architectural Wonders

 

Hitler's Wolfschanze

Hitler's bunker in Berlin 1945

Moscow State University

Present-day remains of Nuremberg Party Rally tribunal

Milan, Italy Central Train Station

Bates Motel (from "Psycho")

Tropicana Field, Tampa

Oakland Memorial Coliseum 

Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York City

Obama Presidential Library, Chicago