Freshman terror plot at U.S. university alarms state lawmakers

JERUSALEM – Middle East/Israel Morning Brief

​​George Mason University freshman’s terrorism plot alarms Virginia lawmakers

George Mason University student who’s an Egyptian National was arrested for plotting a t*rrorist attack on Israel’s Consulate in NYC. He was previously interrogated by the FBI for spreading and praising Islamic State t*rrorist propaganda pic.twitter.com/s2TqeW0ydb

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 20, 2024

Lawmakers in Virginia raised varying degrees of concern about the safety of Jews in the state in statements to Jewish Insider after a George Mason University freshman was charged on Thursday evening with plotting a mass casualty attack at Israel’s consulate in New York.

The state’s Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, told Jewish Insider the thwarted terrorist attack “serves as yet another wake-up call that anti-Semitism and the threat to Jewish students and the Jewish community in Virginia, and across America, is very real.”

“We must remain vigilant against hatred and violence in all its forms,” Youngkin said. “My administration has been fully committed to safeguarding the safety of every Virginian, and we will continue working hand in hand with law enforcement to combat extremism wherever it appears.”

‘An absolute mockery’: Soros-backed news organization awards U.N. Persons of the Year to Israel’s fiercest anti-Semitic critics

At its end of year awards, the PassBlue news organization acknowledged the efforts of three United Nations employees, whom it assesses have had the most impact over the last 12 months. The three chosen, Francesca Albanese, Philippe Lazzarini, and Antonio Guterres also happen to be the most strident critics of Israel.

As WorldNetDaily reported, PassBlue, which on its website describes itself as “an independent, women-led nonprofit multimedia news company that closely covers the U.S.-U.N. relationship, women’s issues, human rights, peacekeeping and other urgent global matters playing out in the world body,” says its mission is to hold the powerful people and the 193-member countries of the United Nations to account. It also happens to receive funding from the deep pockets of George and Alex Soros via the Open Society Foundations.

Arsen Ostrovsky, CEO of the International Legal Forum and a senior fellow at the Misgav Institute for National Security, said the award “makes an absolute mockery of everything PassBlue is meant to stand for.”

“The organization claims to be a ‘women-led non-profit’ that covers the U.N., women’s issues and human rights,” he added. “To honor this group of U.N. individuals who have peddled in relentless Jew-hatred, rape denial and justification of Hamas crimes, is obscene, unconscionable and just inexcusable. They may as well have given the award posthumously to Yahya Sinwar.”

Islamists in Syria burn Christmas tree in Christian-majority town

Merry Christmas, everyone! While you’re celebrating, spare a thought for Syrian Christians…many were barred from celebrating by the new Islamist regime in Syria. Christmas trees? Burned. Their “crime”? Wanting to celebrate their faith. Oh, and guess what? The media didn’t bat… pic.twitter.com/FJKqnrdEBB

— Amjad Taha أمجد طه (@amjadt25) December 24, 2024

In Syria, thousands of Christians took to the streets on Tuesday to protest the burning of a Christmas tree in a predominantly Christian town in the center of the country, reported Ynet.

The incident, allegedly carried out by foreign jihadist rebels, has intensified fears among Christians and other minorities about the new leadership under the jihadist rebel group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham or HTS. Despite their attempts to project a moderate image and promises to safeguard all minorities, the attack has raised serious concerns about what the future holds under their rule.

The attack, which enraged Syria’s Christian minority – already significantly reduced during the country’s brutal civil war – took place in the town of al-Suqaylabiyah in Hama province, where the majority of residents are Christians. Video footage of the incident shows masked gunmen pouring flammable liquid on a large Christmas tree in the town square before setting it ablaze.

IDF intercepts 4th Houthi ballistic missile fired at central Israel in last week

Morning everyone, I woke up at 4.21am thinking I was hearing the sound of Santa’s sleigh bells unfortunately it turned out to be sirens warning of a ballistic missile attack from the Houthi terror pirates in Yemen, so I had to go down into the building’s basement. Merry… pic.twitter.com/9tSjYqoH4N

— leekern (@leekern13) December 25, 2024

A ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthis was intercepted by Israeli air defenses early Wednesday morning, the military said, marking the second night in a row – and the fourth in less than a week – that the Iran-backed terror group has fired at the country’s center in what has recently become a near-nightly occurrence, reported the Times of Israel.

The incoming missile set off sirens over a wide swath of central Israel, sending millions of people scrambling to reach bomb shelters. The sirens were activated as a precaution against falling fragments from the interception.

The alerts were issued in a wider area than usual as part of a new policy implemented by the Home Front Command, following delayed alerts in a previous attack.

Hamas refuses to hand over list of names as hostage deal loses some momentum

Hamas is blocking a Gaza ceasefire by refusing to provide Israel with a list of hostages that would be released in the first phase of a deal pic.twitter.com/1QzKX5fykb

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) December 25, 2024

Recent optimism surrounding the hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas has given way to mounting frustration as Israeli officials reveal significant obstacles in their dealings with the terrorist group – specifically, Mohammed Sinwar, according to the Jewish News Syndicate.

Sources close to the talks paint a picture of deliberate obstruction, describing how slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s brother has consistently misled mediators over weeks, stonewalling requests for hostage lists and withdrawing from previously reached agreements. Security and political officials have expressed deep concern over Sinwar’s handling of the negotiations.

Two critical roadblocks persist: Hamas’ continued refusal to provide a list of hostages for initial release, and disagreements over the Palestinian prisoner exchange ratio and deportation terms.

Defense Ministry signs multi-billion shekel deal for more Arrow-3 interceptor missiles as Houthi threat grows

Israel MOD and IAI Sign Major Deal to Expand Procurement of Arrow-3 Interceptors

The Director General of the Israel Ministry of Defense, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Eyal Zamir, signed a production contract today (Wednesday) to expand the serial production of Arrow-3 interceptors. pic.twitter.com/Fh0OLsvcVR

— Ministry of Defense (@Israel_MOD) December 24, 2024

Israel’s Defense Ministry and Israel Aerospace Industries, or IAI, signed a major production contract Wednesday to expand the supply of Arrow-3 missile defense interceptors for the Israeli military.

The deal, valued at billions of shekels, marks a significant boost to Israel’s air defense capabilities. The agreement, led by the Israel Missile Defense Organization within the Directorate of Defense Research and Development, will provide the Israel Defense Force with a large number of Arrow-3 interceptors.

​​U.N. Security Council to hold emergency session on Houthi attacks

#BREAKING: The UN Security Council will reportedly convene for an emergency session amid ongoing Houthi missile attacks on Israelis, following Israel’s request.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon called on the Council to enforce international law and hold Iran accountable… https://t.co/LVd2nSzqQi

— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) December 25, 2024

At Israel’s urgent request, the United Nations Security Council will convene next Monday, following the Houthi missile launch toward Israeli territory overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday.

According to Israel Hayom, Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., expressed satisfaction with the scheduled council meeting: “The Houthis appear not to have grasped the consequences that await those who attempt to attack Israel. The Security Council must stand with Israel and condemn these attacks. I urge the council to uphold international law and establish Iran’s accountability in this matter.”

Biden’s commuting 37 out of 40 death row sentences doesn’t include Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue shooter

Joe Biden has commuted the death sentences of 37 out of 40 people on death row, exempting only the Tree of Life Shooter, the Boston Bomber, and the Charleston Church Shooter.

The families of the victims of these 37 other men will not see justice.

This group includes five… pic.twitter.com/7YwCc0TPSS

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) December 23, 2024

U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Monday he is commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump, an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment, takes office.

The move spares the lives of people convicted in killings, including the slayings of police and military officers, people on federal land and those involved in deadly bank robberies or drug deals, as well as the killings of guards or prisoners in federal facilities.

It means just three federal inmates are still facing execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018, the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history.

Amsterdam court hands out lenient sentences to five participants of pogrom

Amsterdam court hands lenient sentences to five ‘pogrom’ culprits https://t.co/2WYhfwAU37 pic.twitter.com/NTgTpOTryx

— New York Post (@nypost) December 24, 2024

A Dutch court on Tuesday passed the first five sentences over last month’s attacks against Israelis in Amsterdam, prescribing punishments critics said were inappropriately mild, according to the New York Post.

The sentences, the heaviest of which was six months in prison, prompted indignation from Dutch Jews, who were shocked by the coordinated mass assaults by dozens of Arabs and Muslims on fans of Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv team who were in Amsterdam for a match.

Herman Loonstein, a prominent lawyer and Jewish community activist, said the prosecution bore some of the responsibility for the sentences, which he found excessively lenient.

“The prosecution rushed this but at the expense of their preparedness.” “A better preparation could have led to an attempted homicide indictment,” which did not happen.

RFK Jr. wants the U.S. to stop fluoridating its water, Israel has lessons to offer

RFK Jr:
Removing Fluoride from our Water Supply will dramatically Decrease Bone Cancer and it will Noticeably Raise your Child’s IQ

The EPA and CDC will fight tooth and nail to keep it in.. since they already said it was one of the greatest things to ever occur, they don’t… pic.twitter.com/D6gNHXrgXK

— MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) November 6, 2024

The nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist and harsh critic of government health agencies, has cast a spotlight on debates over the role the government should play in public health – and over the degree to which mounting distrust in science should guide policy-making.

According to Israel National News, fluoridation offers a case study in those debates. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fluoridation in water has been shown to reduce cavities in children and adults by about 25% over a lifetime, with the organization dubbing it “one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.”

Those same debates lay at the root of the decision in 2013 by Israel’s health minister to end water fluoridation. Now, Israel’s policy change could act as a case study for how defluoridation could affect Americans. And the discourse is ongoing, with Israeli public health experts and some parents agitating for fluoride to be reinserted in the water – citing worsening dental outcomes for children – at the very moment when the United States may move in the opposite direction.

U.S. ambassador to Israel slams Washington-funded report claiming Gaza famine

Ambassador Lew calling out a US agency for inaccurately accusing Israel of starving Gazans https://t.co/B3uHwm0tls

— Lahav Harkov ️ (@LahavHarkov) December 24, 2024

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew rejected the claims made in a report published by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, or FEWS NET, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development as relying on data which was “outdated and inaccurate.”

The Jewish News Syndicate reported the U.S. government-funded network released a “Gaza Strip food security alert” on Monday, in which it claimed that Israel had enforced (a near-total blockade of humanitarian and commercial food supplies” for nearly 80 days in areas of northern Gaza. The report no longer appears on the network’s website.

After JNS published, a USAID spokesperson said the “decision support team” at FEWS NET decided to take the Dec. 23 Gaza alert down “until further notice,” “to address inaccuracies in the population data set.”

Several Syrians wounded in Quneitra skirmish, following protest at IDF presence in buffer zone

Five Syrians protesting Israel’s operation over the buffer zone were wounded by IDF fire in Quneitra, according to Syrian reports on Wednesday.

In addition, a Syrian man in his 20s, identified as Khalil al-Aref, was taken into Israeli custody from the town of Abdeen and brought to Israeli territory, reported i24NEWS.

Since the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, the IDF has been operating in the buffer zone and beyond, responding to the prospect of advanced and dangerous weapons arriving in the hands of Islamists who swept to power in the country.

Despite Israeli attempts at explaining the operations, some Syrians have expressed anger at what they perceive to be a violation of their sovereignty.

Turkey’s Erdogan warns Kurdish fighters in Syria they’ll be ‘buried’ if they don’t lay down arms

Erdogan: Kurdish militants in Syria will be buried if they don’t lay down weapons https://t.co/0Fd0P3ppdq

— ToI ALERTS (@TOIAlerts) December 25, 2024

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that Kurdish militants in Syria will either lay down their weapons or “be buried,” amid hostilities between Turkey-backed Syrian fighters and the militants since the fall of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad this month.

“The separatist murderers will either bid farewell to their weapons, or they will be buried in Syrian lands along with their weapons,” Erdogan told lawmakers from his ruling AK Party in Parliament, and reported in the Times of Israel.

He also says Turkey would soon open its consulate in Aleppo, and adds Ankara expects an increase in traffic at its borders in the summer of next year, as some of the millions of Syrian migrants it hosts begin returning.