Friday, November 22, 2024

Sweden: Iraqi Teacher in Gothenburg Threatens Sweden and its Children (Additional Video)

 



Yesterday, we posted a video of an Iraqi woman in Sweden, a substitute teacher, who was fired from her school after Tiktok videos of herself surfaced in which she was talking about destroying Sweden. We have additional video material of the same woman speaking at a separate demonstration in which she tells Swedes to go to Hell, F-you, and wishes that Swedish children would suffer worse than Palestinian children are suffering. Many thanks to RAIR USA, Vlad Tepes, and Gates of Vienna for the subtitling. The translation is by Fousesquawk. Note that in this video there are two separate video clips we joined together. The first incident runs the first 25 seconds, and the second incident, which is the same incident we posted earlier, runs the second half of the video. You can tell that in the second video, the woman, who is identified as Tara Mohammed Saleh, is wearing a different-colored hijab.

Thursday, November 21, 2024

Sweden: Teacher Fired for Threatening Posts on Tiktok

Threats directed at Sweden and the schoolchildren  by a substitute teacher

About two weeks ago, a secondary school in the Gothenburg area of Sweden fired a substitute teacher after one of her Tiktok videos showed her threatening to destroy Swedn including the children at her school.

Apparently, it was school pupils themselves who discovered that the unidentified teacher was making threats against Sweden and the school on her Tiktok account. The video showed the female teacher, wearing a hijab, saying she and others would return to their home country after destroying Sweden. She also said she wished that Swedish children and those Swedes who voted for the Sweden Democrat (SD) and Liberal (L) parties would suffer the same fate as Palestinians.

The below article from Expressen (Sweden) dated November 8 is translated by Fousesquawk. We are also in the process of translating a video clip of some of the teacher's comments that appeared in a Norwegian news source (Dokument.no) on November 18 (with Swedish subtitles).


Investigating threat against school in Gothenburg-Substitute fired after Tiktok posting


Published November 8 2024 at 12:59

Updated at 15:40

When pupils discovered that a substitute teacher posted on Tiktok with "strong threats" she was fired from the private school in Gothenburg.

The substitute was reported to the police, and on Friday, police were on the scene at the school.

"It's awfully nasty," says one parent.

On Monday of last week, a substitute teacher was fired from her job at Ebba Pettersson School in Gothenburg after pupils discovered the teacher's Tiktok account.

"To all of you who voted for the disgusting Swedish government, and especially SD (Sweden Democrat) and L (Liberal), I wish that your children and grandchildren suffer worse than the Palestinians," the substitute wrote among other things in a posting.

"It has come to our attention in the past weeks that the person has a Tiktok account where she expressed very strong views regarding Sweden's democracy and basic law. Even more, it was directed against a certain (ethnic) group of people," says principal Ulrika Kragner.

Threatened school

"After that, this person laid out a direct threat against Ebba Pettersson School," says Principal Ulrika Kragner.

On Friday, the principal considered the situation so threatening that she contacted the police. On  Friday a police patrol was at the scene.

"During the morning, there was a school in West Frölunda that notified us as to a possible unlawful threat. So we went there, and after talking with school administrators, we filed a report on unlawful threats. At this time there is no suspect in the case," says Jens Andersson, spokesperson for Police Region West.

School: "Serious threat directed at (ethnic) groups".

On Friday, guardians at the school received several messages from school administrators.

"Last week, a substitute teacher at the junior high school was terminated. The reason was that the teacher expressed several strong views on Tiktok. The teacher also directed serious threats against (ethnic) groups of people. This means that we have an increased security risk against our school with threats now also directed to the school," they write in one of these (messages) and add that they are (implementing) all security measures recommended by police.

One parent at the school says that there is great concern.

"This is disgusting, and we are in panic as parents. What kind of consequences are there for the school and how safe are our children? These are the questions I ask myself," says the parent.

The pupils and guardians who wanted were able to leave school earlier on Friday.

"There were many pupils who chose to do so. 80-90% had already gone home for lunch," says Ultika Kragner.

*Update: Here is the above referenced video clip. Translation by Fousesquawk. Thanks to Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes for subtitling.


*Update: There is more video to come. Samnytt has a video containing the above clip and a separate clip filmed at a different demonstration. We are presently working on adding English subtitles to that video as well. Samnytt identifies the woman as Tara Mohammed Saleh, a Kurd from Iraq.


Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Four Students Charged in Univ. of Rochester "Wanted Poster" Case

-CNN


Earlier this month, the University of Rochester awoke to find wanted posters all over campus walls referring to Jewish faculty who, according to the poster children, were guilty of supporting Israeli war crimes- or some such rot. The university condemned the action and launched an investigation. 

It appears the investigation is bearing fruit. Four persons are now facing felony charges, and a 5th is still considered a person of interest. The four students have pled not guilty.


Legal Insurrection has the report here. The names of the four students are included in a link from Rochester First.

It appears the campus newspaper, Campus Times, has yet to report this update. That is understandable if it is published weekly. I'll check for updates.

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Standing up to Faculty for Justice in Palestine (FJP)


Subsequent to the horrific attacks by Hamas upon Jewish civilians in Israel on October 7, 2023, US campuses exploded in support, not of Israel, which has suffered the most hideous and catastrophic attack upon the Jewish people since the Holocaust, but in support of Hamas. Naturally, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a despicable, anti-Semitic organization, which for years, has engaged in tactics of disruption, bullying, and intimidation on college campuses in the name of  attacking the Jewish state of  Israel.

As SJP took the lead in setting up obnoxious encampments on university campuses across the nation this year, at last, several university administrators got up off their duffs and called in the police to break them up and restore order and safety, especially for Jewish students. 

During all this mess that we observed here in the US earlier this year, a bunch of university professors across the nation established campus chapters of Faculty for Justice in Palestine (FJP) to support SJP and pressure their schools to join the BDS movement against Israel (Boycott, Divest, and Sanction) including boycotts of Israel universities and the cutting off of joint projects and exchanges with Israeli universities. This would also shut down student exchange programs with Israeli universities.

Let me be clear: Like SJP, FJP is made up of Jew-haters and misfits (including misfit Jews) who detest not only Israel but America and Western civilization in general. In a way, they are worse than SJP in that they are older than SJP members and supposedly wiser. Yet they are the very ones egging on the SJP brownshirts. They and their leftist brethren in academia have literally corrupted the culture of American universities.

The AMCHA Initiative is a California-based organization dedicated to exposing and combatting campus anti-Semitism. I am proud to call them my friends and colleagues. I highly recommend you visit their website and follow what they do. For example, they have an extensive database of anti-Semitic incidents on university campuses over the past several years. They also collaborate with other organizations to put pressure on universities to protect their Jewish students. This week, they have put out a press release announcing their program to stand up to FJP. I am cross-posting it here. It includes two videos which I encourage you to watch. (They are both under 3 minutes in length.)

The press release can be accessed here.

Austria: Police Seek Public Help Finding Chechen Knife Attackers

-Heute


Like many other Western European countries, Austria is plagued by gang warfare and other crimes involving so-called Chechen "refugees", largely military-age young men. Back in 2016, we reported on the problem of gang warfare in Austria between Chechens and Afghans.

 Back in July of this year, a group of young Afghan males was attacked by a gang of young males later identified as Chechens at the train station in Meidling (Vienna). The victims were chased and attacked with knives, brass knuckles, and other objects. Three Afghans received stab wounds and one other a serious head injury.

Since then, some of the attackers have been identified, and this week, police released images of several suspects still unidentified in the attacks to the public asking for help. The below article from Heute (Austria) is translated by Fousesquawk. The lead photo can be expanded to show individual closeups of the suspects.

So I guess that the war between the Chechens and Afghans continues. As for these mopes, who knows? They could already be in the US by now!

Attack at Meidling train station

Gang war in Vienna- New photos of the suspects

After the bloody battle at the Meidling train station in the summer, the Vienna police have published new photos of the brutal young suspects.

-By Newsdesk Heute

November 18, 2024

Caption: These unidentified young men are being sought by Vienna police since the bloody gang war at the Meidling train station in the summer of 2024.

July 7, 2024 at 9:20 pm. Screams, blood, then flashing blue lights at the Meidlin train station. Young Chechens, some of them still unidentified, surprised their victims from Afghanistan (15, 18, 23 years of age). During a chase, they caught them at different locations and attacked them with knives, hammers, telescopic (expandable) batons, and brass knuckles.

When the first blue lights (police) appeared on the horizon after a short time, the suspects quickly fled. The WEGA* was there in 39 seconds, thereby preventing the worst. The bloody result of the alleged gang war, several were seriously injured! Three victims suffered stab wounds and another a serious head injury.

On August 4, through examination and publication of photo material, some of the suspects were successfully identified. This morning, Monday, 18 November, follows another group of photos (see photo gallery above) of other, still unidentified alleged participants.

Witnesses who know the identities of the suspects are asked to contact the police. Tips are requested (also anonymous) by the Vienna State Police at telephone number 01-31310-33800.


*Translator's note: WEGA is a special operations police unit in Vienna under the Vienna State Police.




Monday, November 18, 2024

Netherlands: Blunt Words for the Dutch Muslim Community

Ronald Plasterk


Ronald Plasterk is a Dutch scientist and retired politician (Labour Party). In the wake of the recent anti-Jewish riots in Amsterdam, he has written an op-ed in the Dutch daily,  De Telegraaf, in which he bluntly advises the Dutch Muslim community to emulate the successes of the Jewish community instead of attacking it. The above op-ed in the De Telegraaf is subject to a subscriber block, but his words have drawn praise from the conservative Dutch news outlet, Dageljkse Standaard. That article is translated by Fousesquawk.


Ronald Plasterk: "Dutch Muslims should follow the example of the Jewish community!"

Opinion-15 November at 16:00

What a relief it would have been if Ronald Plasterk, with his clear view of society, had become the minister-president of this cabinet. In his recent column in De Teklegraaf, Plasterk puts his finger right on the sore spot. He states that Dutch Muslims would be better off following the example of Jewish society. And to be honest, who can be against that? Plasterk at least dares to tell it like it is.

In a world where anti-semitism, unfortunately, is flaring up again, Plasterk points out an uncomfortable truth: There seems to be a form of jealousy at play. Jews form only 0.2% of the world's population but are responsible for an overwhelming 20% of the Nobel prizes in the exact sciences.  That is no accident, it is the result of hard work and dedication. And that is precisely what Plasterk points out to Muslims: Work hard, be proud of your roots, and follow the example of the success stories of the Jewish community.

Plasterk makes short work of the victimhood that is currently so often embraced. He advises Dutch Muslims to focus less on the endless discussions about Gaza, Hamas, and Hezbollah. It is time to look beyond the eternal role of victim. As Plasterk correctly notes, the Dutch media are often pro-Gaza and anti-Israel, but this same "good community" will not choose the side of Hamas and Hezbollah if it involves the destruction of Israel. 

It would be much more sensible to learn from the Jewish society. Arabs and Jews belong to the same stock, as Plasterk makes clear in a conversation with Professor Peter de Knijff, professor of Anthropogeny at the University of Leiden. They are two societies that are genetically and culturally closer to each other than one might think. And still, there is a world of difference in approach. While the Jewish community is proud of its achievements and contributions to science, parts of the Muslim community engage in destructive rhetoric.

Frankly, it is a shame that Plasterk doesn't get the chance to proclaim his sort of wisdom from the tower at NSC*. His call to Dutch Muslims to emulate the successes of the Jewish community is not only justified, but it is also a message that is desperately needed in this time of polarization and mutual distrust. Instead of endless complaints over alleged inequality, it is time to show your worth, just as the Jewish community has been doing for decades.

* NSC- New Social Contract political party


Sunday, November 17, 2024

Riot in Turin (Video)



 


Two days ago, students and other activists staged protests in major cities all over Italy against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and various other grievances. The pro-Palestinians were also out in force as previously reported.

The above video from RAI-TV1 in Italy shows some of the violence in Turin (the city that suffered the most), but also some of the protests in Milan and Rome. Hat tip to Vlad Tepes and Gates of Vienna for subtitling. Translation by Fousesquawk and HeHa.

*Note that the social centers mentioned in the video are radical independent social centers dedicated to protesting this or that.

Saturday, November 16, 2024

Italy: Students Across Italy Protest Meloni, the Government and Israel

Turin taken over by violent demonstrators and pro-Palestinians

"No Meloni Day"

Yesterday, thousands of students and young activists took to the streets of major Italian cities against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and other ministers, particularly the Minister of Education, Giuseppe Valditara. In addition to all that, the pro-Palestinians were out in force with their flags and keffiyas.

The worst violence occurred in Turin, where thousands pushed past police cordons, and occupied principal buildings in Turin, including the iconic Mole Antonelliana building, the symbol of the city. To add insult to injury, they took down the flags of Italy and the European Union and replaced them with a Palestinian flag. 

Some 15-20 police officers were hospitalized when someone threw a rudimentary explosive device, and the officers were overcome with smoke and fumes.  

We are working on translating a news video of the disgusting display of violence, particularly in Turin.


Turin 
-La Stampa

Turin
-RAI

Turin
-Il Giornale


Turin
-RAI

Turin
-La Stampa

Turin
Protesters pull down Italian flag and replace it with Palestinian flag
-Il Giornale







Belgium: Municipal Worker Fired for Defaming Graves in a Cemetery

Hat tip Francois DeSouche and Vlad Tepes


Auderghem, Belgium


The mayor and municipal council of the municipality of Auderghem, Belgium have fired a municipal worker after he allegedly put up a video of himself walking through the local cemetery and insulting the dead there as "kuffirs" (unbelievers) and "people who stink".

The below article from the Belgian daily, 7 sur 7, is translated from French by Fousesquawk. It includes the video in question.

In addition, the French blog, Francois DeSouche, has the video with the individual's face clearly shown.

"Cemetery of Kuffirs": A municipal worker in Auderghem fired for having insulted the dead in a video.

A municipal worker in Auderghem has been fired for serious misconduct as a result of a video in which he is seen insulting the graves of the dead in a cemetery in the Brussels municipality, DH (news) reports.

-Editorial staff, November 15, 2024 at 12:37

"Cemetery of Kuffirs (Unbelievers), cemetery of (people who stink)", says, in particular, the man in work clothes in this video disseminated about 10 days ago by an X account claiming to be "a whistleblower against Islamism". The images provoked numerous indignant reactions on social media.

Calling the incident, "totally unacceptable", the mayor of Auderghem, Sophie de Vos (DeFI party), and her municipal council unanimously decided on Tuesday, November 12 to fire the individual for serious misconduct, effective immediately. A judicial procedure is also in progress since a complaint was filed by the municipality. The man has since been interviewed by police.



Friday, November 15, 2024

UC Berkeley Blames Trump Win on Racism



I am cross-posting a piece in Campus Reform regarding an article in the University of California at 

Berkeley official news website, UC Berkeley News, in which a collection of UCB professors, you 

know the type, claim that Trump's victory was mostly a result of white resentment and refusal to vote for a 

black, South Asian woman for president (Kamala Harris). The article was hyperlinked in the Campus 

Reform report and may also be accessed here.


What I find striking is that this is not the student newspaper, The Daily Californian, rather the official UCB

website for news. Where are the opposing viewpoints? So here you have the usual collection of academic,

leftwing misfits railing against Trump and those who voted for him (in this case, more than 50% of the

voters). This is so emblematic of how far our universities have sunk.


 Harris did not lose because she was black, South Asian, or a woman. She lost because the Biden-Harris

administration has been a colossal failure by any measure. Inflation, cost of gas, food, and a wide-open

border that has literally cost the lives of Americans fully disqualified either Biden or Harris from winning

this election. Biden was senile, a point Harris studiously denied, and the media ignored, and Harris herself

was a joke who ran a horrible campaign and couldn't articulate a single reason why she should be president

other than calling Trump a horrible person.


What the learned professors fail to grasp is that Trump just didn't win white male votes. Women,

Hispanics and blacks increasingly decided that Harris was an empty vessel and that the Dems have

not delivered on their promises to make their lives better. Much like our news media, academia cannot

face the fact that most Americans are rejecting their propaganda and their world view.


Thursday, November 14, 2024

Netherlands: Geert Wilders Speaks out on Anti-Jewish Pogroms

Hat tip RAIR Foundation USA, Gates of Vienna, Vlad Tepes for subtitling. Translation of videos by Henk.

Geert Wilders


I am cross-posting an article from Gates of Vienna with two videos featuring remarks by Dutch politician Geert Wilders in the wake of last week's attacks on Israeli and Dutch Jews in Amsterdam at the hands of Muslims who reside in the Netherlands.

In the first video, Wilders tells reporters what he thinks needs to be done: Arrests, imprisonment, stripping of citizenship for offenders with dual nationality, and deportation.

In the second video, Wilders expresses his outrage over these anti-Jewish attacks. I feel it is important to help spread his remarks. He is spot on.


(Jewish) Wanted Posters at University of Rochester

University of Rochester


Another incident of campus anti-Semitism has broken out, this time, at the University of Rochester where unidentified pro-Palestinian activists plastered wanted posters of numerous faculty on campus, most of whom, if not all, are reportedly Jewish. PJ Media has a report here.

In addition, the University of Rochester Campus Times is reporting the story here. Interestingly, their headline identifies the targets of the posters as "university affiliates".

I find it astounding that putting up posters of Jewish faculty members on campus who are perceived as pro-Israel can be dismissed as not being anti-Semitic. Of course, nobody is going to claim credit for this cowardly act, no doubt carried out in the dead of night, but the despicable Jewish Voice for Peace denies that it is anti-Semitic.



Matt Gaetz for Attorney General?

Matt Gaetz


Of all of President-elect Trump's picks for cabinet positions, the choice of Matt Gaetz for attorney general is raising the most eyebrows, including mine.

Being a retiree from the Justice Department (DEA), I take this position very seriously. In my view, it is the most important cabinet position there is, at least on the domestic front. I have seen too many bad AGs in my lifetime. I have seen the effect they have had on DOJ and its agencies.

I'm not an expert on Gaetz. I understand that he has a total of two years of experience as an attorney. As a member of Congress, representing a district in Florida, he has been controversial and has made enemies not only among Democrats but among some Republicans as well. More seriously, was the subject of a criminal investigation involving alleged sexual offenses and alleged bribes. Though prosecutors ultimately declined to file charges, the House of Representatives had been investigating him for ethics violations until he resigned from Congress after being nominated by Trump.

For all I know, Gaetz could turn out to be a good attorney general. He has been one of those in Congress fighting the weaponization of the criminal justice system to go after political opponents. The Justice Department is in serious need of reform, and it will take a strong leader to take the necessary steps. Is Gaetz that person? I don't know, but I have doubts.

I strongly believe that the attorney general should be a person of unquestioned reputation and stature within the legal world. Over the years and decades, we have had too many who did not fill that bill. Political appointees tend not to fill that bill. And we don't need people leading the Department of Justice who are or have been under suspicion of committing illegal acts. I don't know if Gaetz is guilty of the allegations against him, and I repeat that the prosecutor decided not to file charges. Thus, he enjoys the presumption of innocence. I hope I am proved wrong, but right now, I do not like this choice.  DOJ needs to be reformed but without added turmoil and controversy.

Netherlands: More Pro-Palestinian Violence at Amsterdam's Dam Square

On Wednesday night, about 100 pro-Palestinian activists showed up to protest on Amsterdam's Dam Square in spite of a city-imposed ban on protests at that location. Violence broke out, and police made numerous detentions.

The below video from Algemeen Dagblad shows part of what occurred. Hat tip to Vlad Tepes and Gates of Vienna for subtitling. Translation by Fousesquawk.



The Puinhoop in the Netherlands

 This article first appeared in New English Review.


Last week, pro-Palestinian thugs in Amsterdam viciously attacked Israeli soccer fans and other Jews on the streets of that city following a soccer match between a Dutch team and a team from Israel. Five people had to be hospitalized, dozens were arrested, and Israelis had to be escorted to the airport by police. While it is undeniable that some of the Israeli fans behaved badly before and during the match (as soccer fans around the world are prone to do), nothing justified what happened after the match when roaming gangs of thugs, many on motorbikes, hunted down and attacked Israeli fans and other Jews on the streets.

The incident has shocked the nation and is forcing the Dutch government to consider stronger measures against anti-Jewish violence. With a more conservative government now in place, hopefully, the country (and the rest of the world) will finally say enough is enough. Yet, as I write, on Wednesday evening, hundreds of pro-Palestinians gathered on Amsterdam’s Dam Square to protest in spite of a ban imposed on protests by the city’s mayor. Predictably, it turned violent and police removed 265 people from the square. Their custodial situation is as yet not clear.

One of the measures being considered by the Dutch government is stripping away Dutch passports from perpetrators with dual nationality. That would be a positive first step. Mass deportations of these criminals, who are overwhelmingly of immigrant backgrounds, would be the best step of all.

But back to the question of what to do now. I am hesitant to lecture the Europeans what to do about their problem when we have a similar problem here in the US. Nevertheless, let me share my ideas.

Obviously, more severe prosecution is in order. Offenses like these need to be met with stiff prison sentences that would serve as a deterrent, at least for some.

Once a foreign suspect goes through the judicial process and is released from custody, they should be promptly deported. If certain countries, most notably Morocco, refuse to accept them back, countries like the Netherlands should cut off any foreign aid or trade with that country. Morocco is actually a prime example with the Netherlands-based Moroccan Maffia, a particularly vicious organization that largely controls the illicit drug trade in the Netherlands. Morocco generally refuses to accept convicted Moroccan criminals back. There should be consequences for that.

The deportation question obviously will involve opposition from liberal political parties, social associations, and likely the courts. That is also true in the US, and we are about to see this played out with the return to power of Donald Trump and his promise to deport illegal aliens. Unquestionably, that will begin with the identified criminal elements and suspected terrorists.

Returning to the Netherlands, they and their European neighbors first need to stop the bleeding. That means putting a halt to mass Muslim migration into Europe. To be fair, this migration began decades ago and largely involved needed workers for European countries with a low birth rate. Now that has turned into a flood of millions of people, largely stemming from the Syrian civil war in 2015.  In addition, Western Europe now has a young generation of people, largely from Islamic backgrounds, born in Europe, and who speak the language. Yet, they are clearly not fully assimilated. Worse yet, they have not adopted Western norms and values, preferring those from countries from which their families immigrated. Still, I don’t favor deporting some law-abiding restaurant owner who has been in the country for an extended time and done nothing wrong. I am talking about people like the Moroccan Maffia, those who attacked Jews in Amserdam last week, radical Islamists, and those who refuse to respect the values and laws of their adopted country.

Many European countries have a different citizenship system than the US. That means in some countries, full citizenship is not automatically granted to someone born in that country to immigrant parents. In the Netherlands, there are many with dual nationality, thus, the discussion now in Dutch political circles about stripping those people of their Dutch nationality if they engage in criminal behavior.

At the end of the day, it comes down to this: Are we going to protect our Jewish communities from lawless young thugs who want to attack Jews because they are angry about Israel, and aside from Israel, have been taught to hate Jews in general as part of their belief system? Are we going to protect ourselves-all of us- from this Islamist way of thinking that has invaded the West? Or do we throw up our hands and say, “It’s too late.  We now have millions of them, Europe is already lost”?

I hate to disappoint the Pollyannas out there who say the answer is sensitivity training, interfaith cooperation with Islamic leaders, and trying to encourage assimilation. It’s too late for that. This week, the Dutch government leaders have met with both Jewish and Muslim community leaders trying to find an answer. I have no objection with reaching out to true Muslim moderates and imams who are against this anti-Jewish, anti-Western hate and violence. The problem is that there are many imams and many mosques who are a part of the problem. If certain imams in certain mosques are giving sermons, damning Israel, Jews, the West, and anything that is not Islamic while calling for violence, there is no point in asking them for cooperation. These mosques must be closed and offending imams (who largely come from other countries) should be sent home. In some cases in Europe, this has happened as in France and Italy among others. But it is a long and difficult process. Laws need to be changed in many of our countries. In many cases, existing laws simply need to be enforced.

Let me be clear: I am not calling for countries like the Netherlands and ours to deport every last Muslim, only the bad apples. At the same time, we have to recognize that the Netherlands and other Western European countries have allowed so many millions of Muslims into their countries, many not fully vetted, who now threaten to demographically change the face of Europe forever. I am not talking about whether Europeans are all brown 50 years from now. I am worried that Europe will actually become Eurabia with a whole new culture and set of values hostile to our own.

I speak Dutch fairly well (The reason why I learned it is a long story), and there is a word that describes the situation the Dutch find themselves in. It is a “puinhoop” literally a pile of rubbish, but often used to describe something as a “mess”. Another term, “bende”, usually meaning “gang”, can also be used for  a “mess”.  Take your pick. The Netherlands, like many of its European neighbors, has a mess on its hands. Fixing the problem, if it can be fixed, will also be a mess. Far be it for me to tell the Europeans how to fix their mess when we have our own mess here in the US, like Europe, largely of our own creation. Historically, immigration has been great for the US, but it has gone off the rails.

The Dutch people have a long history of welcoming true refugees and for their tolerance. Centuries ago, they welcomed Jewish refugees from Iberia fleeing persecution. In the 1930s, they welcomed Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, mostly notably Anne Frank and her family, German Jews from Frankfurt. Of course, that all ended with the German occupation in World War 2. Today, Dutch tolerance and hospitality has been abused, not by all, but by far too many. The Dutch people themselves are not anti-Semites, but anti-Semitism has been imported into their country and to the detriment of the Dutch people as a whole. As a side note, the country is faced with a severe housing shortage. Yet, Dutch citizens have to wait years for housing because the so-called asylum-seekers go to the top of the list.

To me, the dilemma in the Netherlands is somewhat similar to the one they faced during the German occupation. Are they going to surrender their Jewish citizens to the new invaders?  Either direction will be a puinhoop, but I hope the answer is a resounding, “No”.

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

My Response to an Op-ed in The Hill

Hat tip to College Professors United for Israel and Jews


Thanks to an alert from College Professors United for Jews and Israel, I have sent a letter to  The Hill, a leading political news site reporting on national events. My letter was in response to an op-ed by two professors opposed to the investigations launched by the Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights into complaints of anti-Semitism in US universities. It appears the letter I sent will not be published by The Hill, so I am sharing it here.

 The Department of Education’s approach to anti-Semitism is fully warranted

By Gary Fouse

Former part-time lecturer at University of California at Irvine Extension 

 

I am writing in response to The Hill's recent op-ed by Glenn C. Altschuler and David Wippman criticizing the Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (DOE/OCR) investigations of anti-Semitism in many of our universities (The Department of Education's approach to anti-Semitism is dangerous and won't work, November 10, 2024).

I was a part-time lecturer at the University of California at Irvine from 1998-2016. During those years and beyond, I have personally witnessed anti-Semitism on that campus. I respect free speech and concede that mere criticism of Israel's policies does not in itself constitute anti-Semitism. However, all too many times, I have seen and heard anti-Israel speech cross the line into pure Jew-hatred. I have personally witnessed events in support of Israel by Jewish students disrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters from Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Muslim Student Union. I have witnessed Jewish students being insulted, bullied, and intimidated by pro-Palestinian students. On numerous occasions, I saw and heard an Oakland imam named Amir Abdel Malik Ali come to campus and attack various individuals as "Zionist Jews", literally spitting out the word "Jew" as Nazis did back in the 1930s and 1940s. Over and over again, this man came to our campus and called for the wiping out of Zionists. 

In February 2001, a Washington DC-based imam named Mohamed al-Asi came to UC Irvine and said the following: 

"We have a psychosis in the Jewish community that is unable to co-exist equally and brotherly with other human beings. You can take a Jew out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the Jew. And, this has been demonstrated time and time again in Occupied Palestine. And, now they have American diplomats and politicians and decision makers and strategists in their pocket because they have the money."

In May 2008, I personally photographed a caricature of Ariel Sharon on the so-called Apartheid Wall put up by the UC Irvine Muslim Student Union, which was drawn in the style of Julius Streicher's Der Stuermer Nazi newspaper.

I also was present in 2010 when the Muslim Student Union disrupted the speech of the Israeli Ambassador to the US, Michael Oren at UC Irvine.

In 2013, two students from the General Union of Palestinian Students at Francisco State University openly expressed their desires to kill Israeli soldiers, one by displaying a poster, and the other by making a videotape while brandishing a knife.

As a Gentile, I am appalled and outraged by the resurgence in anti-Semitism in our country and the world. The focal point for that resurgence in the US has been on our college campuses, and now, it has metastasized into the communities at large.

I also condemn the inaction and cowardice of university administrators all over the country. They either sympathize with these outrages or are too afraid to confront groups like SJP, the Muslim Student Association chapters, or the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). It goes without saying that far too many professors have contributed to the rising anti-Semitism by egging on the campus bullies. Now we even have chapters of Faculty for Justice in Palestine cropping up around the country.

In 2006 and 2007, investigations regarding complaints of anti-Semitism at UC Irvine were undertaken by the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) and DOE/OCR. Regrettably, they ultimately went nowhere due to issues of timeliness of complaints and the fact that there were no actual Israeli student complainants. Being Jewish was not enough since religion was not covered in Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Subsequently, DOE has rightly included religious status when it comes to complaints of discrimination.

Since October 7, 2023, the problem on our campuses has increased dramatically in terms of disruption and bullying of Jewish students. Jewish students are subjected to fear and are being robbed of their right to get a quality education without being harassed. And it's not just since October 7, 2023. This has been going on for at least two decades.

To reiterate: Everyone should have the right to support the Palestinian narrative and criticize Israel's policies. In itself, that is not anti-Semitic. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, which has developed its own working definition of anti-Semitism, concedes that. However, there are elements pertaining to Israel which, according to that definition, are anti-Semitic, such as denying Israel's right to exist, blaming all Jews for Israel's policies, calling Israelis Nazis, accusing Jewish citizens of having dual loyalty, and holding Israel to a different standard when it comes to human rights as contrasted with other countries.

Free speech aside, it is not OK to bully Jewish students on campus. It is not OK to disrupt their events. It is not OK for swastikas to appear on campus. It is not OK for students and outside guest speakers to call for violence. That is not part of the "free, unfettered, and robust debate that is central to (the universities' ) academic mission". There is no question that this has all led to a hostile environment for Jewish students.

Far too many universities, including the one where I taught, have for years, failed to protect their Jewish students from bullying, threats, and intimidation. It is right and proper that DOE/OCR step in. It is high time that the public spotlight be shone on these institutions. The federal government and state governments should be able to make informed decisions about giving public funds to these institutions. Parents, especially Jewish parents, should be able to make informed decisions about where they will send their children to college. Those who donate huge sums of money to universities should be able to make informed decisions as to continuing or discontinuing that financial support. 

Mere wringing of hands by university administrators, condemnations of anti-Semitic incidents, empty phrases about the university's "standards of civilized discourse and inclusion" are not enough and do not constitute, in my mind, compliance or a sincere effort to protect Jewish students.

Finally, I believe that the recent hearings by the House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workplace have been a positive first step in bringing about the process of reform. In that same vein, the DOE/OCR has an important role to play. That effort should be supported, not halted.

 

Netherlands: Dutch Political Leaders Considering Strong Measures to Tackle Anti-Semitic Violence


-Reuters


In the wake of last week's horrendous pogrom against Israeli soccer fans and Dutch Jews in Amsterdam, Dutch politicians are meeting to discuss how to tackle the problem of anti-Semitic violence by pro-Palestinian hoodlums in their country. With a more conservative government now in power, hopefully, stronger measures are coming. One of the ideas under consideration is stripping away of Dutch passports from perpetrators with dual nationality.

The article below from yesterday's NOS (NL) was translated by Fousesquawk.

NOS News  Today 18:23

Schoof: Not to offend young people, but it is important to "name things"

Premier Schoof says that "in no way is it the intention to offend groups of young people", but he stresses that after the violence last week in Amsterdam, it is "important to name things". He said that today after a conversation he held with Jewish and social organizations at the Catshuis* about combating anti-Semitism.

Schoof was reacting to criticism from, among others, mosque leaders and opposition parties who think that members of the cabinet have thrown "fuel on the fire" with their statements about integration problems. Several cabinet members said after the violence last week in Amsterdam that there is an integration problem.

After the end of the soccer match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv Thursday, Israelis were chased and beaten at various places in the Amsterdam inner city by small groups of rioters.

Anti-Semitic insults can be heard in the videos, and in some cases, references are also made to victims of the war in Gaza. There are also images of Maccabi supporters misbehaving.

For some, the statements of State Secretary Nobel on the violence went too far. He said yesterday that "a large part of the Islamic youth" do not subscribe to Dutch norms and values.

Wide societal problem

Schoof reiterated that "hard action must be taken" against anti-Semitism. According to him, this is a group with "a migration background" that has its "back to society" and "does not share Western values." 

He thinks it is important to continue naming (the problem), but he also thinks it is important to tackle the problem "together" That's why he wants to engage in conversation with other religious and societal organizations.

After the meeting with the cabinet, Naomi Mestrum from the CIDI (Center for Information and Documentation Israel) spoke of a "constructive" conversation, in which the great need to tackle the problem of anti-Semitism and Jew hatred was discussed.

"Anti-Semitism has never been gone, it is a broad societal problem. The demonization of Jews must stop". Mestrum hopes that the cabinet will come up with a "decisive" plan of attack this week.

Taking away of Dutch passport

Indeed, the cabinet intends to come up with such a plan this week. At this morning's cabinet meeting, PVV leader Wilders and BBB leader Van der Plas argued for rigorous measures. Wilders thinks that the videos of the violence being circulated speak for themselves.

"I've been warning about this for more than 10 years. It has absolutely nothing to do with Western norms and values, but with Islamic values, and they stand opposite from ours." In addition, Van der Plas and VVD leader Yesilgöz have drawn conclusions over the background of the perpetrators. The authorities have not yet commented on that. There have been dozens arrested, but nobody has appeared before the judge as yet.

The coalition partners are thinking, among other things, about taking Dutch passports away from perpetrators of anti-Semitic violence who have dual nationality. Whether there are suspects with dual nationality among those arrested last week is still unclear, Schoof acknowledged.

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Translator's note:

*Catshuis: The Dutch premier's official residence in the Hague, literally translated as "Cats House".

(Seriously.)


Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Netherlands: Podcaster Praises Amsterdam Mayor Fenke Halsema as "Hero" of Amsterdam Pogrom

Claims she allowed attacks against "Zionists"


Femke Halsema


In the wake of the pogrom against Jews in Amsterdam last week, a Dutch Arab took to his podcast to tell his "homies" that Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema was actually a "hero" in that (according to him) she facilitated the attacks by pro-Palestinians on Israeli soccer fans and Dutch Jews.

The below video of this podcast was translated by Fousesquawk. Hat tip to Vlad Tepes and Gates of Vienna for subtitling. The translated video appears on RAIR USA.

Since the attack, Mayor Halsema has rightly condemned the events that occurred and expressed support for the Jewish community of Amsterdam. Yet, many are criticizing her for her liberal policies that have enabled those who would attack Jews on the streets. Make no mistake: She is a liberal figure and recently, prior to the riot last week, she had allowed anti-Israel counter-ptoertswers to assemble in Amsterdam close to where pro-Israel supporters were gathering on Amsterdam's Dam Square. The result was violence.

So it is not altogether unreasonable for this character who fully supports the pogrom to praise Halsema and tell his followers that she is really on their side.

I am not knowledgeable enough to judge how sympathetic Halsema may be to the rioters or how antagonistic she may be to Israel. I would like to give her the benefit of the doubt and merely dismiss her as a liberal who engages in misguided policies that have increased the risk factor for the city's Jewish residents..


Monday, November 11, 2024

Antwerp on Guard Against Jewish Attacks

 Hat tip Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes for subtitling. Translation by Fousesquawk.



In the wake of this past week's pogrom against Jews in Amsterdam, Belgian police are on the alert for similar attacks in their cities. Police in Antwerp learned that a group was being formed on Snapchat to organize attacks against Jews in that city. As a result, security was heightened in the Jewish neighborhood. Five persons have been arrested, interrogated, and apparently released.

Belgian political leader, Filip Dewinter, of the Flemish Vlaams Belang party posted video on his X account showing Jews being accosted in Antwerp. His introduction to the post is translated from Dutch as follows:

 "Jewish Antwerp residents were attacked on the street after a call in Islamic circles to organize  “action against Jews” It is urgently time for the army to be deployed in the Jewish neighborhood and to take strict action against the perpetrators. Islamization is not without consequences."


Netherlands: Dutch Politician Calls a Spade a Spade



Caroline van der Plas is the head of the Farmer-Citizen Movement party in the Netherlands. Subsequent to the disgraceful riots in Amsterdam this past week, she participated in a round table discussion. She spoke plainly about the fact that the rioters were mainly of Moroccan and North African background and that it was an exercise in hunting down and beating up Jews. She dismissed a comment by Dutch journalist Sven Kockelmann that it was not proven that the rioters were mainly Moroccan or North African.

A video clip of her remarks appears in the below article from the conservative Dutch news outlet Dagelijkse Standaard, which is translated by Fousesquawk as is the video itself.  Many thanks to Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes for subtitling.

(Video) Caroline van der Plas furious at NPO (Dutch Public Broadcasting): "This is simply Jew hatred"

Politics; 9 November 19:30

At the WNL (Dutch Broadcasting Association), Caroline van der Plas lashed out hard at the politically correct fools who protect the anti-Semitic, Jew-hunting scum that have made Amsterdam unsafe. She is done with that. And she also names from where the young (perpetrators) come from. If Mr Kockelmann finds that annoying, that is his problem. Rock on, Lientje!

"This is simply organized," Van der Plas says about the Amsterdam pogrom. "This has been mostly of what we see youth from Moroccan, North African origin. They enjoy beating up Jews. And they get a lot of pleasure from it."

On that, Sven Kockelmann hilariously said that that was not yet "proven". Oh no, yeah Ok, that may be. But the Amsterdam City Hall says that there were also one or two stray native followers. Thus!

Van der Plas could make no sense of that politically correct nonsense.

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Fousesquawk comment: I applaud Van der Plas for supporting the Jewish community and calling a spade a spade. She is a rising star in Dutch politics. As a side note and in the interest of fair reporting, I must concede that some of the Israeli soccer fans who came to Amsterdam to attend the soccer match between Ajax (Amsterdam) and Maccabi Tel Aviv, behaved poorly before and during the match -as soccer fans tend to do in some parts of the world (like Europe). Some of their chants were offensive to Arabs. Some Palestinian flags were torn down from buildings and balconies. There was reportedly a violent confrontation between Maccabi fans and taxi drivers (identified as Muslims). I do not condone any of that. Having lived in Europe, I have seen how many soccer fans behave. In Europe, they are called "hooligans" and appropriately so. 

That did not justify the pogrom that occurred after the match was over. Organized bands of young men attacked Israelis and Jews wherever they could find them. People were beaten, kicked in the head, and in at least 5 cases, had to be hospitalized. According to one of my sources in the Netherlands, all of the arrests occurred either before or during the match. No arrests occurred after the match when the violence really began against Israeli fans and Jews.

The Maccabi fans have returned to Israel, but Dutch Jews remain in the Netherlands and must contend with this Jew-hatred, which is overwhelmingly imported. They must be protected, and those who persecute them must be removed from our societies through arrests, imprisonment, and when appropriate, deportation. That's not just in the Netherlands. That's everywhere.



Sunday, November 10, 2024

Italy: Pro-Palestinian Marchers in Milan Applaud the Amsterdam Pogrom (Video)


After pro-Palestinian thugs conducted a latter-day pogrom of Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam, pro-Palestinian supporters held a march in Milan, Italy in which they expressed their rabid support for what had transpired the night before in the Netherlands.

The below video is from Il Giornale. Hat tip to Gates of Vienna, HeHa, and Vlad Tepes for subtitling. The translation is by Fousesquawk. Note that the speaker with the bullhorn refers to the Amsterdam rioters as "Dutch citizens" and "European citizens". Although many may have held Dutch or European passports, that is misleading at best. What happened in Amsterdam was a Middle East show.



Saturday, November 9, 2024

Academia in Mourning: The Ivy League



In addition to the mainstream news media, no other institution in America is taking the 2024 election harder than our universities. This is not to suggest that among the student bodies of our universities, there are those who favored Donald Trump. There are the College Republicans and a handful of other conservative groups. Occasionally, they get to get their views published in the respective campus newspapers. Suffice to say, their voices are pretty much drowned out in the din of the politically correct, liberal, anti-Israel noise that dominates most universities today.

As regular readers of this blog know, I cover a lot of campus stories around the nation, including checking to see how the campus newspapers are reporting these happenings. Thus, I have scoured many campus papers to gauge how they are reacting to Trump's victory. Today, I went through the Ivy League Schools. (I, like others, had incorrectly considered Colgate and Rutgers to be in the Ivy League. That is actually incorrect.) Time permitting, I may post additional articles like this featuring other universities based on geography.

To summarize, I chose one item from the news section or the opinion section of each campus paper to highlight.  (I chose two from Harvard.) Predictably, the reaction to Trump's victory was uniformly negative. I scanned to see if there were any positive reactions to Trump's victory. I saw none, but the reader is free to double-check. 

I should note that it is not my wish to personally denigrate the writers, reporters, or students interviewed in these papers. They are young people who may feel very differently about things ten years or so from now. On the other hand, I feel it is important to show the tone and bias of campus newspapers in general. In addition, a campus newspaper is an open public source. I don't begrudge the expression of any of these opinions. What I would like to see is a little more balance. 

Linked below are the articles I selected.

Columbia

The Columbia Spectator

Princeton

 Daily Princetonian

Harvard (2)

Harvard Crimson

Harvard Crimson

University of Pennsylvania

Daily Pennsylvanian

Cornell

Cornell Sun  (Viewer warning-racy language)

Yale

Yale Daily News

Brown

Brown Daily Herald

Dartmouth

The Dartmouth












Italy: Pro-Palestinians Celebrate Amsterdam Pogrom in Milan

-Il Tempo


Yesterday, we reported on the vicious attacks against Israeli soccer fans by pro-Palestinian thugs in Amsterdam, an event that has shocked the nation and the world. It occurred just one day prior to the anniversary of Nazi Germany's infamous "Night of the Broken Glass" in which Jews, their homes, synagogues, and businesses were attacked all over the country.

Today in Milan, Italy, pro-Palestinian demonstrators held a march in support of their Hamas "heroes", complete with Palestinian flags and photos of the dead terrorist leader, Yahya Sinwar. There was also applause and chants of support for the attacks in Amsterdam against innocent Israelis. All in all, it was a sickening display, no doubt in full awareness of the significance of the date.

Photo of Yahya Sinwar
-Corriere della Sera


I have said it before, and I will say it again: Even though Europe has a centuries-old history of anti-Semitism, what happened in Amsterdam is not representative of the Dutch people today. Similarly, this spectacle in Italy is not representative of the Italian people today. In both cases, this vicious anti-Semitism has been imported to Europe over the past years and decades from countries where Jew-hatred is pretty much universal. This ugliness has no place in our society, and we need to make it clear that it is not welcome in our countries.

The below article in today's Il Tempo is translated by Fousesquawk.


Milan, Photos of Sinwar appear at pro-Pal(estinian) march. And there is applause for the pogrom in Amsterdam.

November 9, 2024

A march began in Milan in support of Palestine, marked by chants and slogans against Israel, called a "terrorist state", and by incitements to the intifada, such as, "a rock here, a rock there, a rock for liberty". Among the demonstrators, some showed photos of Yahya Sinwar, the brains behind the October 7 attacks, killed a few weeks ago in Gaza.

"Applause for the boys in Amsterdam, who taught a lesson." From the megaphone of the pro-Pal march in Milan came the justification for the pogrom against the Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attacked in Amsterdam. "Victimization is a characteristic of the Zionist movement". From the crowd, there was applause as well as some whistles. Nor was there lacking, also from the megaphone, an attack against the press: "Cowardly journalists".

"Boycott Israel. Boycott McDonald's". Some pro-Pal demonstrators gathered in front of McDonald's on Largo Cairoli (Square)  in Milan to carry out a boycott against the chain accused of distributing free meals to Israeli soldiers. Harsh words from the megaphone. "Every time you eat a sandwich, you are eating the blood of Palestinians."


Friday, November 8, 2024

Netherlands: Israeli Soccer Fans Attacked on Streets of Amsterdam

 Dutch premier returning home from Hungary

Geert Wilders: ''I just spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and told him of my anger and shame of what happened in Amsterdam."

There is no place for antisemitism and Jew hate in The Netherlands and I will do all I can to protect Jews and stop and expel Islamic radicals.''


-NL Times


Last night in Amsterdam, pro-Palestinians rioted in the streets and attacked Israeli soccer fans who were in town to attend a soccer match between a Dutch team (Ajax Amsterdam) and an Israeli team, (Maccabi Tel Aviv). Several Israelis and Jews were beaten and had to be rescued by police. The Dutch premier, Dick Schoof, has returned home from a visit to Hungary.

-Amsterdams Dagblad

-OproepPowNed.nl

-De Telegraaf

The entire nation has been shaken by this turn of events. We will try to get some articles translated from Dutch today including the official statement by Amsterdam's mayor, Femke Halsema. 

This RTL (NL) article has a video showing some of the violence (Viewer warning).

*Update: Here is the statement from Mayor Halsema. Hat tip Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes for subtitling. Translation by Fousesquawk.



*Update (November 11, 2024): One of my reliable sources in the Netherlands tells me that all of those arrested were before or during the soccer match. No arrests were made after the match when the attacks against Israeli fans occurred.