Forum Topic

Anti-semitic murder comes to the streets of New York

I wonder how long it might be before the antisemitism which is at he core of support in the UK for the Palestinians in Hamas results in a similar incident in London ?From BBC News today."Suspect charged with murder of two Israeli embassy workers in Washington DC"'The suspect accused of gunning down two Israeli embassy staff members outside a Jewish museum in Washington DC has been charged with first-degree murder, as well as murder of foreign officials and related firearm charges.Wednesday night's attack is being investigated as a hate crime, and more charges are expected, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said at a news conference.Steve Jenson, from the FBI's Washington DC field office, called the killings "an act of terror and directed violence against the Jewish community".Couple Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were shot dead outside an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC around 21:08 local time (02:08 BST) on Wednesday, police said. The suspect opened fire on a group of four exiting the event, killing the two victims, police said.Police identified the suspect as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago who had bought a ticket to the museum event about three hours before it began. He was arrested at the scene shortly after the shooting.Police said the suspect also shouted "free Palestine" before he was taken into custody.Social media accounts linked to the suspect also indicate that he was heavily involved in the pro-Palestinian protest movement. Investigators said they were working to authenticate writings online purportedly authored by him, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, criticising US policy and discussing the use of political violence'.Not that I am suggesting they advocate 'political violence', but those that are so vociferous in attacking Israel and making often unfounded accusations against them, should be careful not to stir up a hornet's nest of potentially violent trouble makers in the UK.Already, the statistics of antisemitic attacks in London are on the rise.

John Hawkes ● 39d16 Comments

Mr Brigo'You are quoting something that I have never commented on, therefore it's not up to me to refute or apologise.Nice try though'.You obviously did not read or failed to understand my post and the points I made.Not unusual !

John Hawkes ● 36d

Mr Brigo'You are quoting something that I have never commented on, therefore it's not up to me to refute or apologise.Nice try though.'Sorry I do not understand your point.Please make it clearer.

John Hawkes ● 36d

You are quoting something that I have never commented on, therefore it's not up to me to refute or apologise.Nice try though.

Michael Brigo ● 37d

Mr Brigo'Facts are not Mr Hawkes strong point'.Nor it seems are they for the UN official who made the following claim -'After a top UN official told the BBC yesterday that some 14,000 babies in Gaza could die in the next 48 hours if aid does not reach them in time, the British broadcaster clarifies that this claim was false and based on an incorrect interpretation of a report issued by the UN’s Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).Tom Fletcher, the UN’s under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, claimed yesterday on BBC Radio 4’s “Today” show: “There are 14,000 babies that will die in the next 48 hours unless we can reach them. I want to save as many as these 14,000 babies as we can in the next 48 hours.”The claim was widely reported in international media outlets, including The Times of Israel, and was repeatedly cited by UK lawmakers during a House of Commons debate yesterday.However, BBC now says that after asking the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for clarification, it turns out the remarks were based on an IPC report that warned that 14,100 severe cases of acute malnutrition were expected to occur between April 2025 and March 2026 among children aged between six months and five years.This means that in fact, according to the UN report, not all of the 14,000 children are babies, they are not all expected to die, and — most notably — this is predicted to happen over the course of a full year, not 48 hours, if aid isn’t allowed into Gaza'.You see why some of us are so suspicious of Palestinian (especially from the terrorist group Hamas), and UN criticism of what Israel is supposedly carrying out in its self-defence over attacks by these people.Yet people like you lap it up for reasons we can all deduce.Rebuttal or apology Mr Brigo ?

John Hawkes ● 37d

Mr Rose'I think Sarah Smith chose to characterise Trump's claim as 'unfounded' because she feared the consequences for herself and the BBC if she were seen in any way  to give credence to an accusation that black people might be guilty of racism'. Absolutely.BBC balance is no less influenced by the political opinions of its journalists than is Fox News.And I am sure that the racist rantings of Malema and the legal backing for them from the highest courts will do nothing to make the whites in South Africa feel more comfortable.Yet still South African politicians have the cheek to criticise Israel at the UN.And of course  no non-whites were ever involved in the slave trade.

John Hawkes ● 37d

Facts are not Mr Hawkes strong point.

Michael Brigo ● 38d

No, Mr Hawkes, a considered opinion based on the Reuters new item. Your failing to grasp the facts! 

Michael Ixer ● 38d

I think Sarah Smith chose to characterise Trump's claim as 'unfounded' because she feared the consequences for herself and the BBC if she were seen in any way  to give credence to an accusation that black people might be guilty of racism. Personally I think that Trump's use of the word 'genocide' is absurd. He could more credibly have criticised the rhetoric of some African leaders like Julius Malema which has led many white people, particularly Afrikaners, to question whether they have a future in the country. For example, the Constitutional Court in SA last week rejected an appeal against a decision of the Supreme Court that singing 'Kill the Boers' is not hate speech, arguing that the words are not meant to be taken literally and that Malema's chanting of this song should be seen 'in context'.

Steven Rose ● 38d

Mr Ixer'I would say that using Reuters video of an incident in the Congo to make a point to the South African President is disinformation:'Gaslighting again !

John Hawkes ● 38d

I would say that using Reuters video of an incident in the Congo to make a point to the South African President is disinformation:

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/trumps-image-dead-white-farmers-came-reuters-footage-congo-not-south-africa-2025-05-22/

Unless one thinks the Trump administration is so incompetent that they didn't realise it, in which case one might be charitable and class it as misinformation. Hence, I think is has been proven that this claim is unfounded based on Trump's false evidence? 

Given this deviation from the truth, a good case for becoming closer to our allies in Europe who seem a lot more rational? 

I see King Charles will be visiting another of his kingdoms to Open Parliament in Canada. Rumours are he will emphasise being head of state of another sovereign Commonwealth state so that commoner Trump should back off! 

Michael Ixer ● 38d

Mr Rose'Sarah Smith, twice referred to Trump's 'unfounded' claims of genocide'.I agree that the BBC has a bias against Trump and any politician seen as being to the 'right' of Starmer.Assuming of course anyone can define the centre of gravity of Starmer's political beliefs.But Smith not only displayed bias but used the wrong adjective.'Unfounded' - having no foundation or basis in fact.This is simply her opinion.She does not know this for as far as I know no investigation has taken place.She should have said 'unproven'.Words have meaning as one would hope a senior BBC commentator would know.

John Hawkes ● 38d

I agree, Sue, that the BBC is biased. I particularly dislike the way they editorialise when dealing with anything to do with race. Recently their America correspondent, Sarah Smith, twice referred to Trump's 'unfounded' claims of genocide against perpetrated against white farmers in South Africa. As it happens, everyone agrees that these claims are false. Very few white farmers have been killed, even though firebrands like Julius Malema have been allowed with impunity to sing songs saying 'kill the Boers'. But it is not for the BBC in the course of a news broadcast to tell the viewers that Trump's claims are unfounded. That should be left to a discussion programme. I don't recall any BBC newscaster telling the viewers that claims of genocide against Israel are 'unfounded'.

Steven Rose ● 38d

25 minutes of anti-Israel propaganda from the British Biased Corporation?  Not surprised really because the corporation refuses to acknowledge Hamas to be the murdering terrorist group that it clearly is.

Sue Hammond ● 39d

A few days ago BBC Radio Four played a clip lasting 25 minutes of a speech by Tom Fletcher as the authoritative voice of the UN on Gaza.

Steven Rose ● 39d

Does anyone not think Netenyahu, however much one might wince at his direct language, makes very good points here ?1) 'In a post on X on Thursday evening, the Israeli prime minister said Hamas wanted to “destroy the Jewish state” and “annihilate the Jewish people”.“I could never understand how this simple truth evades the leaders of France, Britain, Canada and others,” Netanyahu said.“I say to President Macron, Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer, when mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you’re on the wrong side of justice.”Netanyahu said the actions of those leaders were not “advancing peace” but “emboldening Hamas to continue fighting for ever”.(Note Hamas welcomed the comments of these three Western leaders).2) He went on to blame a recent claim by the UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, that thousands of babies would imminently die in Gaza if Israel did not immediately let in aid for the attack in Washington. “A few days ago, a top UN official said that 14,000 Palestinian babies would die in 48 hours. You see many international institutions are complicit in spreading this lie,” he said.“The press repeats it. The mob believed it. And a young couple is then brutally gunned down in Washington.”UN officials had to retract Fletcher’s claim of deaths in 48 hours by saying he was referring to a UN technical report on food insecurity classification that said 14,100 severe cases of acute malnutrition could occur among children aged six to 59 months between April 2025 and March 2026. The report’s time frame is one year and not two days, as mentioned by Fletcher'.And yet again the UN and its vastly over paid and over privileged staff shows its craven and deceitful support for terrorism, providing it is directed against Israel.Time for the UK to quit this organisation ?

John Hawkes ● 39d

"The pogrom comes to Washington"'The murder of Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky exposes the savagery of ‘anti-Zionism’.www.spiked-The pogrom comes to Washingtonline.com/2025/05/22/the-pogrom-comes-to-washington/A very erudite and perceptive statement with a worrying conclusion from Brendan O’Neill, Spike’s chief political writer. "Indeed, this act of violence does not stand alone. Since Hamas’s pogrom we’ve seen synagogues in the West attacked, Jews’ homes vandalised, Jewish students roughed up. Anti-Semitic abuse and assaults have spiked. It seems to me that what happened in DC last night was not a break from the post-7 October moment but a continuation of it, a raising of it to a grim new level, an intensification of the sheer unreason that has been unleashed these past 18 months. This is the globalisation of Hamas’s pogrom, a murderous assault not only on Jewish citizens and Israeli embassy staffers but also on our civilisation itself. If this fascistic killing does not open people’s eyes to the moral crisis of the 21st-century West, I fear nothing will".Brendan O’Neill is spiked’s chief political writer

John Hawkes ● 39d