Chicago Mayor Under Fire (What Else Is New?)

Hat tip Algemeiner

Brandon Johnson

The mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, one of the most left-wing mayors in the country, is facing widespread criticism from the local Jewish community and beyond after his remarks in the wake of the shooting of an Orthodox Jewish man walking to a synagogue in Chicago last Saturday. Johnson failed to mention that the victim was Jewish, and all indications are that this was a hate crime not yet charged as such.*

While Johnson's statement in itself is not objectionable, it is recalled that after the horrific stabbing death of a 6-year-old Palestinian boy in October 2023, in Plainfield Township, Illinois, Johnson issued a statement and made a point of mentioning the boy's ethnicity and religion while referring to Islamophobia. That is what has many Jews in Chicago and elsewhere wondering why Johnson did not use this opportunity to condemn acts of anti-Semitic violence.

Is there a double standard here?

The alleged shooter, Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi (22), is a young man from Mauritania, who when confronted by police, reportedly shouted, "Allahu Akhbar" while exchanging gunfire. It is also being reported by some media that he is in the country illegally, having entered last year, processed by immigration authorities, and released.

To be clear, both of the above attacks committed in Illinois in the past year are deplorable. Last October, there was widespread outrage at the horrific attacks by Hamas against innocent Israeli civilians of all ages and genders. That, however, could never justify murdering a 6-year-old Palestinian child in Illinois or anywhere else. By the same token, shooting a Jewish man in Chicago on his way to synagogue cannot be justified because one is angry at Israel's military response against Hamas and other terrorist groups attacking the Jewish state.

 Mayor Johnson should have enough sense to know that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly after last year's attack by Hamas, has spurred bad feelings on both sides here in the US. I don't have a problem with him using last year's murder to speak out against anti-Muslim feelings or Islamophobia though I have problems with that word itself. Why he did not use Saturday's shooting incident to condemn the wave of anti-Semitism sweeping the country is beyond me. One would think that the mayor of America's third-largest city would know enough to understand the sensitivities and what each incident represents.

*Update (11-2-2024)

Based on follow-up investigation by Chicago PD, hate crime charges have now been filed. This is based on evidence that the suspect specifically was targeting Jews,

Italy: Gang Rape in Turin

Hat tip Gates of Vienna

Parco Valentino, Turin

(Before the sun goes down and it's presumably safe)

 On October 15, a 27-year-old Peruvian woman was allegedly gang raped by a group of 5-6 suspects tentatively identified as North Africans. A 19-year-old Egyptian man is in custody after having been identified by the victim from a photo spread of mug shots. Another suspect identified by the victim is being sought, as well as those not yet identified.

The below article in Today Cronaca  (Italy) is translated by Fousesquawk.

Manhunt in Turin

Girl raped and abandoned unconscious and semi-nude in a park, turn in the case: There is an arrest

An Egyptian (19) in handcuffs, already known to law enforcement for previous minor arrests of drug dealing and theft. Now the other members of the pack are being sought.

Caption: The place where the presumed violence was committed in Turin.

There is an arrest for the rape of a 27-year-old Peruvian woman, raped on the premises of a former nightclub, closed to the public for some time, in Valentino Park in Turin on October 15. It was the (victim) who recognized his face, together with that of another man still being sought, after having identified (them) among the mug shots of an album of profiles of "previously convicted or dangerous subjects" in custody of the authorities.

Manhunt

The 19-year-old alleged perpetrator of the rape was arrested last Monday in the Giardini Sambuy zone of Porta Nuova by officers of the Railway Police. The boy was already known to law enforcement for minor crimes of drug dealing and theft. Today, the judge validated his arrest. The second suspect alleged to be responsible is being sought: He was also identified by the victim of the rape.

The robbery and chase

The girl was allegedly the victim of unspeakable violence. According to her story, after having drunk alcohol, she was approached by a young North African man on via Nizza, who reportedly asked for help in finding an (ATM) machine. The 27-year-old trusted his directions and began to follow him. "He led me toward Valentino Park," the girl reportedly told the investigators, "but before arriving, he took (my) cell phone from my hands". To get it back, the girl reportedly chased him to the ruins of the former discotheque in the heart of Valentino Park. Here, the nightmare occurred. At this point, another 5-6 North Africans arrived and surrounded the young woman pushing her down onto a mattress. Two of them allegedly raped her. 

The victim said she lost consciousness and woke up in another part of the park minus some of her clothes. She was then rescued and transported first to Molinette Hospital and then to Sant'Anna. The medical examinations confirmed sexual (contact). Now the other members of the pack are being hunted.

"Peoples' Tribunal" at Stanford

"Where should we put the Palestinian flag?"

Remember when we were kids and little girls would play house? That's what the pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses remind me of. At Stanford, the little rascals have convened a "Peoples' Tribunal", protesting the arrest of the "Stanford 13", where they even charged the hapless university president with complicity in the "genocide" they claim Israel is conducting against the Palestinian people. Naturally, Students for Justice in Palestine is at the center of the controversy.

The campus newspaper, the Stanford Daily, has the report.

I propose that Stanford enlarge the size of the "Stanford 13" to a three-digit number.

Brown University Suspends SJP

 Hat tip Campus Reform

Brown University in Rhode Island has joined the growing list of universities around the nation to take action against Students for Justice in Palestine. The SJP chapter has been suspended while Brown investigates its actions during a protest on October 18. Hopefully, the suspension will be made permanent.

Campus Reform has the story with a link to the campus newspaper, the Brown Daily Herald.

Netherlands: Pro-Palestinian Protester Throws Ammonia Bottle at Police

Dutch police are looking for a man who threw a bottle of ammonia at riot police last May 8 in Amsterdam during pro-Palestinian demonstration..They have the suspect on videotape throwing the bottle, but he is wearing a mask. Police are seeking the public's health in identifying the man. One officer had to be treated at the hospital for loss of vision while others experienced breathing problems or vomiting.

How despicable, but this is what we have come to expect from these pro-Hamas mobs.

The below article from De Telegraaf is translated by Fousesquawk. The article has a video of the incident, and we are in the process of providing English subtitles.

Ammonia thrower at pro-Palestinian protest still not arrested, bought bottle  nearby

Updated  yesterday 21:28, (Posted) yesterday at 21:37 in Domestic

Amsterdam- The police are still looking for the man who in May, during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Amsterdam, threw a bottle with ammonia at a police riot unit. The bottle was believed to have been bought shortly before the protest at a nearby supermarket on the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, according to Opsporing Verzocht (Investigation Requested).

During the protest in central Amsterdam, a police officer got the liquid in his face, and as a result, could not see. He was treated in the hospital. Other riot police received serious breathing problems or had to vomit.

Using the bottle, the police have determined where it could have come from. The investigation reveals that a half hour prior to the incident, 4 bottles were purchased at the Albert Heijn (supermarket) on the Nieuwzijds Voorburgwal opposite the Royal Palace. But police have not been able to determine who purchased the bottles. 

In Opsporing Verzocht, images were shown in which a man can be seen throwing the bottle from the crowd. They were earlier shared by police.

The incident was on May 8. Earlier in the day, there was a demonstration in and near buildings of the University of Amsterdam on the Binnengasthuis Grounds. When that finished, some of the demonstrators moved to the Rodin, where there was another clash with police.

UCLA Task Force Report on Anti-Semitism

No more fun and games

In February 2024, UCLA set up an anti-Semitism task force to study the problem of anti-Semitism on campus and make recommendations. That report has just been issued, and it is highly critical of how UCLA handled the post-October 7, 2023 developments. Campus Reform has the story.

After going through the report, I found only two references to Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). One was where it identified SJP, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), and UC Divest as organizers of the spring pro-Palestinian campus encampment, while the other mentioned that SJP had called for an October 7, 2024 protest in which masks were required (in violation of campus regulations). Other than that, the report really fails to address who the perpetrators of campus anti-Semitism are. It does identify the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the main source of the anti-Semitism. The report also makes the requisite references to Islamophobia and anti-Muslim, anti-Arab bias, a separate issue. Among all the charts, the surveys, anecdotal testimonies of Jewish students, and shocking examples of anti-Jewish incidents on campus, including photos, the report fails to address the perpetrators.

And just who are the perpetrators? Clearly, they are pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel students, faculty, and outside agitators. They are not Nazis. Nor are they KKK or white nationalist types. They are largely, but not exclusively, Muslim students, including Palestinian students (some Palestinians are Christians, but most are Muslim). Are all Muslim students involved in this problem? No, but many are. In addition, the perpetrators have their leftist followers from other faiths, including some extremely misguided Jews (who have joined groups like SJP or JVP).

What about the role of the leftist National Lawyers Guild (NLG), who act as "legal observers" for the SJP rallies as well as their disruptions. A classic example of the "red-green" alliance, a marriage of convenience between Islamists and the extremist left in America. They participated in the UCLA encampment saga.

So I wonder how the recommendations will be implemented. Clearly, sensitivity training will not solve the problem. Strengthening enforcement measures will. What I suggest is this:

1 Ban Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) from the campus permanently.

2 Advise students in no uncertain terms that acts of anti-Semitism will not be tolerated. That includes vandalism, disruption of pro-Israel events, and physical or verbal intimidation of Jewish students. The penalty will be expulsion-not suspension-but expulsion. As for faculty who participate in unauthorized or illegal acts on campus in support of the above, they will be fired. An example would be any professor who was arrested at campus encampments, as occurred at some other universities.

3 If criminal acts are committed in the name of supporting Palestinians, the police will arrest and refer the cases to prosecutors.

4 Make it clear to all that the university will not divest or engage in any anti-Israel boycotts. Such resolutions to student governments are a waste of time.

5 Many university law schools have affiliations with the NLG. These should be discontinued.

I would hope that every UCLA student and professor read the report (with all its weaknesses). It appears that as yet, the Daily Bruin campus newspaper has not reported on the task force report, which is dated October 16. I have sent the link to the Daily Bruin in a comment to an article dealing with the campus conflict. 

Hatem Bazian Crying "Islamophobia"

-Hatem Bazian (center) with friends

As usual, UC Berkeley professor Hatem Bazian, a Palestinian who found his way to America as a student and stuck around to become a radical professor at Berkeley, is crying in his beer about Islamophobia. This comes after the organization he co-founded, Students for Justice in Palestine, has come under scrutiny after years of disruption, bullying, and intimidation of Jewish students across the nation. Like most bullies, he becomes a crybaby when he and his cohorts are criticized and put under the microscope.  Campus Reform has the story. 

It should also be noted that Islamophobia is a term coined by people like Bazian to silence any criticism of Islam and its relationship to acts of terror committed in its name around the world.

This is a man who has incited so much anti-Semitism on college campuses. He has helped destroy whatever reputation UCB once enjoyed as a premier university. He comes to this country for his education and hangs around condemning us as a racist, imperialist endeavor. Why in Hell doesn't he go back to Jordan, the West Bank, or whatever hellhole he came from if we are so bad?

We have just reported that 4 Republican senators are asking the DOJ/FBI to investigate what ties, if any, SJP and other similar groups have to Hamas and Iran. That investigation is more than appropriate. I don't know to what extent, if any, Bazian might also be under investigation, but I sure hope so.

Republican Senators Want FBI/DOJ to Investigate SJP and Others

 Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX)

As the pro-Palestinian protests continue on our college campuses, led by Students for Justice in Palestine, Faculty for Justice in Palestine, and other leftist forces,. it is now obvious that these protests are not just supporting the Palestinian people, but Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, and Iran, all of whom are attacking Israel and all of whom are sworn enemies of the US as well.

So now it is appropriate that 4 Republican senators in Washington are asking the FBI and Justice Department to what extent, if any, are these groups like SJP supporting our enemies. The Campus Reform blog has the report.

As I have written many times, the federal authorities need to start investing the ties that these groups have, if any, with terrorist organizations and Iran, the largest state sponsor of international terrorism. They also need to investigate the organized national coordination, which clearly exists, to create havoc on our campuses and strip away the civil rights of Jewish students. This needs to be stopped. The laws we have on the books need to be enforced just as the rules of campus conduct in our universities need to be enforced.

Ande where are the Democrat senators? Why are there no Democrats signing off on this request? Take note, Dear Voter.

UC Berkeley Law School Dean, Erwin Chemerinsky, Under Fire-From the Pro-Palestinian Mob

Erwin Chemerinsky

UC Berkeley Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky is once again under fire. This time, it comes from the pro-Palestinian crowd on the UCB campus. They are upset that Chemerinsky wrote an op-ed criticizing the violent tactics of the anti-Israel groups on campus. They also feel that he does not fully understand the "suffering" of black students at UCB.

It is ironic that I would come to his defense since I have been a critic of Chemerinsky going back to the days he started the UC Irvine Law School and denied there was a problem of anti-Semitism on that  campus. After moving to Berkeley, he gradually came to the realization, after October 7, 2023, that there is, indeed, a problem of anti-Semitism on US campuses, including his own.

So now a "coalition" of black and pro-Palestinian Jewish law students have written to the campus paper, the Daily Californian, to take issue with Chemerinsky's remarks. I have felt compelled to add my two cents worth in the reader comments thread.

I have criticized Chemerinsky on this blog many times over the years, but when support is warranted, I will give it. As for any perceived insensitivity to black concerns on campus, I doubt very much that is the case. In fact, I consider it to be ridiculous.

Visiting Mexico: Guadalajara, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Queretaro

My wife and I have just returned from a ten-day visit to Mexico. We spent three days in Guadalajara and a week in San Miguel de Allende with side trips to Guanajuato and Queretaro. While my wife, who is Mexican by birth had previously been to Guadalajara and Guanajuato, it was my first time in all four places. All four being inland, there were no beach resorts, but in terms of beauty and culture, it was our best trip to Mexico to date.

Our first three days were spent in Guadalajara, and we stayed at the old colonial-style Hotel de Mendoza, right off the main square in the historic city center. Most of our time was spent around this square and the cathedral, but we did take a bus trip to the Tlaquepaque neighborhood of Guadalajara, where the shops and restaurants were amazing.

Guadalajara, of course, was the scene of the 1985 kidnap, torture, and murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena in 1985 along with his associate (pilot) Alfredo Zavala-Avelar. Being retired from DEA, I admit I was not completely comfortable visiting the city, but I am glad I did. One of the tours we took passed by the former American consulate. It was on a side street near the site where  Camarena was kidnapped by members of the Rafael Caro Quintero-led drug cartel. We took both a day tour and a night tour of the city, the latter of which included a live Mariachi band and shots of tequila and beers.  

Below are photos we took of the main square and cathedral both at day and at night.

From Guadalajara, we took a bus to San Miguel de Allende, a trip of some 5+ hours. The inter-city buses in Mexico are first class and quite comfortable. (The city buses are more of an adventure, but to save on  taxi fares, we rode both several times.)

Below are scenes of the main cathedral and town square that we shot.

The Mexican Day of the Dead holiday was approaching and the appropriate costumes and skull images were out in force.

My wife is the short one.

On our last day, a wedding was held in the cathedral.

Musicians performing in the central plaza.

On our second day in San Miguel de Allende, my wife's niece (who lives in Jalisco State) drove over and took us to Guanajuato, about one hour away. October is the time when the city celebrates its annual Cervantino Festival. In addition, students and professors from the University of Guanajuato Music Department (Estudiantina de Guanajuato) were giving guided musical tours through streets of the old city, and that was very entertaining.

We went back a couple of days later by bus and spent a few hours there. We intended to visit the Museum of the Mummies, but we didn't have time. The museum contains the mummified remains of dead who had been buried in the local cemeteries many years ago and later exhumed due to lack of space. Once exhumed, it was discovered that due to the soil content, there was limited decomposition, thus they were put on display. It is one of the top tourist attractions of the city.

View of Guanajuato from the Pipila Monument overlooking the city.

On another day, we rode the bus to Queretaro, the town where French-installed Emperor Maximilian was captured and executed.in 1867. I wanted to visit the site of the execution, the Cerro de las Campanas, but we didn't have enough time.

Queretaro

On our final night in San Miguel de Allende, after dinner, I dragged the Missus into a cantina, and we enjoyed a couple of margaritas in the bar. Outside the window, musicians were performing, and we were able to enjoy the show through the window of the bar. While there, we made the acquaintance of famous Country singer, Tanya Tucker and her husband, Craig Dillingham, also a singer and songwriter. Craig and I had a long conversation about this and that at the bar. Nice people. It was a memorable ending to a great trip. 

(I won't say anything about the airport experiences in Los Angeles and Dallas going and coming back.)

If you are interested in seeing something of the history and culture of Mexico beyond the resorts, all four of these cities are worth a visit.

Pro-Palestinian Destruction at University of Minnesota

 Hat tip College Professors United for Jews and Israel

https://abcnews.go.-com/US/11-arrests-pro-palestine-protesters-university-minnesota/story?id=115012036

Eleven pro- Hamas protesters have been arrested at the University of Minnesota. According to ABC News, they barricaded a building and locked staff members inside. They also engaged in vandalism and destruction inside the building.

Hopefully the local prosecutor’s office will follow up with formal charges. If they are students, they should promptly expelled. If any are professors, they should be promptly fired.

University of Illinois Removes Recognition of SJP

 Another university has taken action against Students for Justice in Palestine. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has withdrawn its recognition of SJP as a student organization. I applaud this   action (though they can apply for reinstatement in the fall term), and I  would like to see every chapter at every campus removed. They are nothing more than a bunch of brown shirts and terror supporters. Their tactics are disruptive and have no place anywhere in this country. 

In the case of UIUC, SJP was a principal organizer of the spring pro-Hamas encampment on campus.

Italy: 28-Year-Old Man Accused of Raping, Impregnating 10-Year Old Girl

Brescia, Italy

This is a big story in Italy for obvious reasons. In the northern Italian town of Brescia, near Milan, a 28-year-old Bangladeshi man is in custody accused of raping and impregnating a 10-year-old Sub-Saharan girl. The suspect, the victim, and her mother were all lodged in a refugee reception center when the crime allegedly occurred.

Hotel Al Cacciatore

-Corriere della Sera

The below article from TPI (Italy) is translated by Fousesquawk. Though the article does not mention that the girl is from sub-Saharan Africa, many other Italian news sources do.

Brescia-10-year-old girl raped and pregnant in a migrant center: 28-year-old arrested

-By Enrico Mingori

 October 14, 2024 at 16:32. Updated October 14, 2024 at 16:34

A 28-year-old man from Bangladesh was arrested in Brescia, accused of having raped a 10-year-old girl, (who) then became pregnant. The crime reportedly took place a few weeks ago at a reception center in San Colombana di Collio.

Both the man and the girl were staying at the Cas (Special Reception Center) located in the Al Cacciatore Hotel, where some 20 refugees and asylum seekers are lodged.

According to what the local newspapers have reconstructed, the 28-year-old reportedly gained the trust of the little girl and the mother by showing kindness, only to turn to sexual abuse. A few weeks ago, the girl's mother reportedly noticed a change in the daughter's behavior, more and more detached from reality. The little girl then reportedly told (her) what had happened, which was reportedly also confirmed by the center. 

The 28-year-old Bangladeshi has been in Italy for about two years, and up to now, was not known to law enforcement. The man is in jail, and his arrest has been validated.

The Juvenile Prosecutor's Office in Brescia is coordinating the case. Up to now, the man reportedly has not responded to questions from the investigators.

Dimassi

Germany: Protesters in Hamburg- "Caliphate Is the Solution"

-Hamburger Abendblatt

On Saturday, about 2,000 Muslims demonstrated in Hamburg against what they labeled "the genocide in East Turkistan (Uyghurs)". The event was organized by an organization called Muslim Interactive, which German police say is very close to the Islamist organization, Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in Germany (and should be banned everywhere, in my view since they are supremacist in nature). A similar demonstration was held in Hamburg by Muslim Interactive in April, in which there were calls for "Caliphate is the solution" on placards.

The below article in the Austrian daily, Kronen Zeitung, is translated by Fousesquawk It has a short video of demonstrators chanting in Arabic. One local newspaper, the Hamburger Abendblatt, has a photo from this protest, but only a couple of lines of information.

Ban impossible

Thousands of Islamists at demonstration in Hamburg

Foreign October 12, 2024 at 19:24

By Jakob Drechsler, Michael Arning, and Mahe Cruesemann

Caption: At a demonstration in April in Hamburg, by the same organizer, this sign of a participant caused a commotion. (Sign reads: "Caliphate is the solution".)

Numerous Muslims gathered at a demonstration Saturday evening in Hamburg. Behind the action is a company named Muslim Interactive, which reportedly is close to a banned Islamist organization. 2,000 participants were expected.

The location is the Hamburger Steindamm in St Georg District near the Central Train Station. The motto of the event is: "Stop the genocide against our Uyghur brothers and sisters in East Turkistan". The demonstration was supposed to last three hours.

Connection to banned organization

As reported by Bild, the demonstration was announced by Joe Adade Boateng. The student is the leader of the Islamist movement, "Muslim Interactive". This is in close connection with the banned organization, "Hizb ut-Tahrir", which is monitored by the German Protection of the Constitution (agency- security police).

The organization shared a video of the demonstration on X:

"The solution for East Turkestan:

-The elimination of the treacherous rulers of the Islamic world.

- The complete overcoming of the national state order in the Islamic world.

-The replacement of the colonial order with a just system-the Caliphate, which will enable Jews, Christians, and Muslims to once again live in peaceful harmony."

Advertisement for a caliphate at a demonstration in April

In order to increase the number of participants, the organizers of the demonstration intensively advertised on the Internet. Previously in April, there was a "Muslim Interactive" demonstration, which for many, brought negative attention. One participant there openly propagated: "Caliphate is the solution" on a placard.

According to police, the assembly authorities conducted an examination as to whether the event could be banned. "Since the right of assembly, anchored in Basic Law, represents a cornerstone of our democracy, an assembly can only be banned under special circumstances, for example, when life or limb is endangered. The result of the examination by the assembly authorities was that a ban is not possible," a spokesperson explained to Bild.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fousesquawk comment: Deportation is the solution.

Netherlands: Home of Jewish Man Ransacked After Attending October 7 Commemoration

-Agence France Presse

It seems like the pro-Palestinian thugs even follow you home now. On October 7, after attending a commemoration in Amsterdam for the victims of the October 7 massacre by Hamas. One Jewish citizen subsequently found his home burglarized and the insides literally torn to pieces, including his Hebrew Bible. The perpetrators are as yet unknown, but the victim suspects that he was followed home by pro-Palestinian activists (who were holding a violent counter-demonstration nearby). You can't get much lower than this.

The incident also calls into question, the decision by Amsterdam's liberal mayor, Femke Halsema, to allow a counter-protest so close to the Jewish event on Dam Square.

-MSN

-Times of Israel

The below article from Nieuw Israelietisch Weekblad, a Jewish news weekly, is translated by Fousesquawk.

House of Amsterdam Jew ripped to pieces "by pro-Palestinian activists"

Editorial staff 10 October 2024, 15:18

Caption: Violent, masked activists attack peaceful people in Amsterdam commemorating the October 7 pogrom.

The contents of Michael Asuss' house in Amsterdam-Buitenveldert were completely destroyed by unknown burglars. He himself thinks that anti-Israel activists followed him home after the commemoration of the October 7 pogrom and then attacked his house. The police say they are conducting an investigation "with high priority", the Telegraaf writes. Jewish symbols, in particular, suffered, (and) an antique Hebrew Bible was even torn up.

The mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, called the attack, "horrendous". But it is yet another violent incident against Jews and pro-Israel demonstrators in the capital, and critics lay part of the blame on the refusal of Halsema to act against the exploding anti-Semitism in the capital. As an example, she permitted a "counter-demonstration" by violent, masked extremist leftists and Islamiist anti-Israel activists to take place at the Damrak*, just a stone's throw from the Dam (Square), where a peaceful and dignified commemoration of the October 7 pogrom was being held.

(*Damrak: An avenue running from the train station to Dam Square.)

Insert: Critics suggest that Halsema's level of action depends on her own political preference.

The "counter-demonstrators" attempted to disrupt the commemoration and threw paint-and smoke bombs. The people commemorating (October 7) were also physically attacked. Halsema says that she had no choice, and that the violent activists had to be allowed on the Damrak, but this call for freedom of protest seems in sharp contrast with how actions were previously taken against demonstrators during the Corona crisis or the protesters from Extinction Rebellion on King's Day. The mayor has almost unlimited powers in the framework of public order and anyone could have foreseen that the commemoration would end in violence. Critics- including PVV leader (Geert) Wilders, as well as the JA21 faction in the Amsterdam City Council- are suggesting that Halsema's level of action depends on her own political preference. 

Is This What We Can Expect Every October 7th?

This article first appeared in New English Review.

UC Irvine, October 7, 2024

As predicted, the one-year- anniversary of October 7th was met with pro-Palestian mobs commemorating the wrong victims (their own) if not outright celebrating the monstrous attacks carried out last October 7 by Hamas. These attacks involved murder, rape, torture, beheadings, infanticide, and kidnapping. Over 1,200 innocent civilians were murdered, and over 250 taken hostage into Gaza. It was horrific, and you would have thought that those in the West who support the Palestinian cause would have hung their heads in shame.

Not so.

This year, while Jews and the civilized world commemorated those slaughtered on October 7, 2023, the pro-Palestinian mobs used the date to double down and rub our noses in it. Instead of saying one word about the Jews who were murdered and taken hostage, these people chose to mourn their own dead as a result of the war between Israel and Hamas/Hezbollah. As for the Israeli victims of October 7, it was all "justifiable resistance against the oppressor". 

Turin, Italy

And so, on October 7th, 2024, and in the days leading up to that date, the mobs turned out on the streets of US, Canadian, and European cities to wave their Palestinian flags and cover their faces with keffiyehs. On October 5 in Rome, there was a full-scale riot in which 30 police officers were injured.

And naturally, on American campuses, the fans of Hamas turned out in force to mark the date. While Jewish students and their supporters held quiet vigils in honor of the dead and those being held hostage, the other side turned out as well with varying degrees of loudness, if not vandalism and violence. The campus where I used to teach and attend countless events dedicated to the conflict from one side or the other, UC Irvine, was no exception though there were no disorders as far as I know. A few dozen students held a rally and chanted the same, tired old chants before marching around the campus with their bullhorns. Aside from Palestinian flags, there were also Lebanese and Yemeni flags. (At least there were no Iranian flags.) I was present and took pictures and videos. Some of the chants referred to "revolution" and "intifada". Once the crowd began their march around campus, I left. I couldn't stomach any more. I would also note that the National Lawyers Guild "legal observers" were also present as distinguished by their lime green baseball caps. Founded in the 1930s as a legal arm of the Communist Party USA, they are now standard fare for every pro-Palestinian protest or counter-protest, ever ready to document any transgression committed by police or pro-Israel supporters. I have encountered them many times just at UC Irvine alone.

You can bet that next October 7 and every year in the foreseeable future, while Jews and other civilized folks commemorate the victims of that awful day with orderly and respectful events, the pro-Palestinian side will mark the date to celebrate the "uprising" and pay tribute to their own dead, be they civilians or Hamas/Hezbollah terrorists. As always, we will note the difference in the tone of these events. The pro-Israel side will be orderly and wave both US and Israeli flags while the pro-Palestinian protests, if not violent, will be loud, threatening, and intimidating. No US flags will be featured, only Palestinian and the occasional flag from some other Middle East nation.

For  Israelis, Jews, and those of us who support them, October 7 will live as a date in infamy, to be commemorated somberly, as we do December 7 and September 11. For the other side, it represents a victory, just as Al Qaida remembers September 11. They would do well to keep in mind that Al Qaida's victory was short-lived because the US responded appropriately, just as we did after Pearl Harbor. That is what Israel is doing today. Unfortunately, we will likely have to witness certain people waving their obnoxious Palestinian flags every October 7, but most of us will be joining with our fellow Jewish citizens to mourn the victims of October 7.

Netherlands/France: Moroccan Maffia Leader Wanted in Netherlands Arrested in France

Dutch and French media are reporting the arrest of Said A. (last names of suspects are not usually reported in European media) in Paris. Said A. is wanted in the Netherlands for his involvement in the notorious Moroccan Maffia aka Mocro Maffia) and the smuggling of drugs into the Netherlands. This organization largely controls the smuggling of cocaine and methamphetamine from South America into the Belgian port of Antwerp, from where they are distributed mostly in Belgium and the Netherlands. The organization's leader, Ridouan Taghi, is currently imprisoned in the Netherlands.

This article from today's RTL Nieuws (Netherlands) is translated from Dutch by Fousesquawk. While it does not specifically mention the Moroccan Maffia, several other news sources do.

Crystal meth producer

Said A. arrested in Paris: Extremely dangerous ringleader

By RTL Nieuws- 8 hours ago. Updated 1 hour ago.

Yesterday in Paris, the French police arrested an important gang leader and drug (trafficker). According to the daily, Le Parisien, he is Said A., a producer of crystal meth.

The criminal, considered extremely dangerous, was first followed for hours by the French military police. Then he was finally arrested in a Paris snack bar.

Dutch arrest warrant

Last August, a warrant was issued by the Netherlands against A. for his involvement in the international drug traffic. According to French media, A.is of Moroccan nationality.

Why A. was in Paris is not clear, according to Le Parisien. "It appears that the man was on the run from Dutch authorities, but it is also possible that he had professional contacts in France," the newspaper writes.

Today, he will be brought before the French court where it will be decided if he will be delivered to the Netherlands. According to Le Parisien, A. is suspected of, among other things, having contact with drug cartels in Mexico.

Confirmation

A spokesperson from the Public Prosecutor's Office in the Netherlands confirms the arrest. The Public Prosecutor's Office suspects the man of involvement in the importation of methamphetamine into the Netherlands. In April, the police found about 100 kilos of methamphetamine in a car in a parking area along A58 near Gilze.

Further investigation led the police to this suspect, the spokesperson from the Public Prosecutor's Office says. At the parking area along the expressway, a 33-year-old man from Tilburg was arrested.

Pro-Hamas "Commemorations" of Oct 7

 This will be updated in the coming hours and days.

Berlin

-Berliner Morgenpost

Turin, Italy

New York City

-NY Post

Seattle

The Daily (UW)

Ottawa (Oct 5)

-CVT News

Los Angeles (October 5)

NBC News

Amsterdam

Pro-Palestinians attempt to disrupt Jewish memorial on Dam Square

NU.nl

Italy: Hamas Supporting Imam Expelled

Italy has taken action to deport Pakistani Zulfiqar Khan, an imam from a Bologna mosque, due to his history of supporting radical jihadist causes, his anti-Semitism, homophobia, and support for Hamas. We have previously reported on Khan.

The below article from La Stampa is translated by Fousesquawk.

Zulfiqar Khan, Imam of Bologna expressed support for Hamas

The  Interior Minister has signed the removal order from Italian territory for reasons of state security.

-Editorial staff

8 October 2024  Updated at 15:26

Pakistani Zulfiqar Khan, the imam of the mosque at via Jacobo de Paolo in Bologna, was taken to the police headquarters in order to be expelled. The news was given in a press release in which his lawyer, Francesco Murru, spoke of,  "a return to a police state and the persuit of crimes of opinion".

The Minister of Interior has signed an order of removal from Italian territory for reasons of state security: It noted that Zulfiqar has shown a fundamentalist vision of the concept of jihad, and, among other things, has exalted martyrdom and the work of the mujahadin in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, expressing support for Hamas.

Minister Matteo Piantedosi notes in the order of expulsion for Imam Zulfiqar Khan how since the autumn of 2023 he had raised attention for his "growing ideological fanatism" and his" propensity" towards radical positions, "characterized by a strong anti-Western and anti-Semitic resentment and by homophobic and anti-feminist rhetoric." In one of his sermons, it is added, he exhorted the Muslim faithful to fight the intention of the State to impose taxes as the resources should remain within the Muslim community.

In a meeting in central Bologna, he reportedly defined homosexuality as "a disease to be cured", that every Muslim has the right to fight "to avoid catastrophic consequences like the very extinction of the human race". In videos posted on social media between November 2023 and April 2024, he accused Americans, Germans, French, English, and Italians of supporting, "the impure Zionists", and in another, he invoked Allah to destroy the oppressors, that is, the Western nations that support Israel.  He will also be in a position to generate proselytization and be in contact with foreigners who have emerged in investigations for their belonging to "ultra-radical Islam" and in a position to further the infiltration into Bologna of political-religious and part-social, part-terrorist organizations. 

The 54-year-old Pakistani entered Italy in 1995 and holds a residence permit that was revoked at the time of the expulsion (order). The action must now be validated in court and can be appealed to TAR in Lazio (Administrative Regional Tribunal).