What the hell is going on?
A conspiracy theory about the Jewish takeover of TikTok, “Water in Occupied Palestine” featured in a Passover prayer book, politicians want Hamas to have veto power over U.S. aid to Israel, and more.
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Editor’s Note: “What the hell is going on?” is a weekly series in which we bring you the most bizarre, outlandish, and surreal developments from around the Jewish world during the past week.
So-called “anti-war” activists are all over the U.S. in response to President Joe Biden’s backing of Israel — yet they make no mention of the wars currently taking place in Syria, Myanmar, Sudan, Yemen, and other places.
Shabbir Rizvi, an organizer with Anti-War Committee Chicago, taught participants at a conference how to chant “death to Israel” and “death to America” in Farsi.1
Protesters blockaded the road entering Chicago O’Hare International Airport, forcing passengers to get out of their cars and walk to the terminals.
Outside the New York Stock Exchange for an anti-Israel rally, people were seen waving the flag of Hezbollah (you know, the Iranian-backed foreign terrorist organization based in Lebanon).
A Jewish American student from Columbia University showed up to counterprotest. They burned his American flag, lit his shirt on fire, and shouted, “Death to America!” The anti-Israel protestor’s response to the burning of the American flag? “Burn it down again and again and again.” One protestor praised the burning of the American flag and said that Osama bin Laden “did what he had to do.”2
To celebrate Northwestern University’s Admitted Students Day, anti-Israel protesters shouted at incoming students and passed out flyers accusing the university of “funneling Jewish students into Hillel, the Zionist ‘foundation for Jewish life.’”3
During a U.S. Congressional Hearing last week, the President of Columbia University equated supporting Israel with being anti-Islamic, anti-Muslim, and anti-Arab. When asked if there have been any anti-Islamic, anti-Muslim, or anti-Arab demonstrations on campus, she answered — and I quote — “There have been many pro-Israeli demonstrations on our campus.”
In a classroom at Loyola Law School, the school’s “Anti-Racism Fellow” was recorded screaming, “Get the f*ck out of here all you ugly a*s little Jewish people in this b*itch!” What great anti-racism advocacy.
At York University in Canada, a faculty committee recommended that the school henceforth define any acknowledgement of Israel’s existence as evidence of “anti-Palestinian racism,” and that any defense of Israel be viewed as “anti-Palestinian, Islamophobic, and anti-Arab.”4
Canadian lawyer Warren Kinsella said he went to his favorite Jewish deli in Toronto last week. The owner showed him a photo of what was on the deli’s door when she arrived one morning: “Juden” (German for “Jew”). She called the graffiti-removal police, who told her that there would be a two-day wait. She asked why, and they said, “Because there’s so much of it everywhere.”5
As one social media user observed, “2024: The year where Saudi Arabia became a stronger supporter of Israel than Canada.”6
Meanwhile, a transexual drag queen spoke at a Palestinian rally outside of Yale University, talking about “ongoing colonial violence of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and multiple indigenous genocides” — while expressing solidarity with Gaza (i.e. Hamas).
As one social media user noted, “Peace will come when it is safe to do this in Gaza.”7
The Biden administration is slated to announce sanctions against the IDF’s Netzah Yehuda battalion for alleged human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank, the Axios news site reported on Saturday. It would be the first time the U.S. has ever taken such a step.
Israel moved the unit out of the West Bank in December 2022 — though it denied it did so due to soldiers’ behavior — and it has since served mostly in the country’s north. It has also been deployed to the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing war against Hamas.
As George Mason University professor Eugene Kontorovich wrote, “It took a Hamas massacre to get the Biden administration to do something no U.S. government has ever done: impose sanctions on the IDF.”8
Video from last Saturday’s weekly anti-Israel march in London showed a British police officer physically preventing a man wearing a kippah (a Jewish head covering) from crossing the street during a demonstration, citing his “quite openly Jewish” presence among the pro-Palestinian protesters.
In the footage release by the Campaign Against Antisemitism, the officer can be seen using his arm to block the Jewish man, while telling him: “If I can ask to stay there please.” In response, the man told him, “I don’t want to stay here, I want to leave.”
“I don’t want anybody antagonizing anybody,” replied the officer. “At the moment sir, you are quite openly Jewish. This is a pro-Palestinian march. I’m not accusing you of anything, but I am worried about the reaction to your presence.”
Later in the video, another officer is seen telling the man that if he does not agree to be escorted from the area, he will be arrested.
“If you choose to remain here, because you are causing a breach of the peace with all these other people, you will be arrested,” warned the officer. “Your presence is antagonizing a large group of people.”
Iran’s supreme leader tweeted a video of Israel’s air defense systems shooting down Iranian missiles over the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, along with this message in Hebrew: “Jerusalem will be in the hands of the Muslims, and the Muslim world will celebrate the liberation of Palestine.”
As one social media user observed: “The so-called Islamic Republic fires missiles at Muslim holy sites. The Jewish state protects them.”
Israeli outlet Ynet News reported that Brigadier General Reem Aminoach, an economic advisor to the former IDF Chief of Staff, said that the defense against Iran’s attack cost between $1 billion to $1.3 billion.
As one social media user commented, “How much did the attack cost Iran? What is the U.S. doing about degrading Iran’s economic capacity to mount such attacks? Nothing. Actually, U.S. has relaxed sanctions and has stopped Israel from damaging Iran’s infrastructure.”9
Only one person in Israel was injured by the Iranian attack: a young Bedouin girl living in one of hundreds of illegal Negev villages that Arabs choose to live in. Naturally, The New York Times blamed Israel for not building them shelters, instead of her parents for raising her there and not in one of the legal Bedouin communities that Israel has built with infrastructure.
The contents of more than 700 humanitarian aid trucks remain on the Gazan side of Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing after undergoing thorough security inspections and are waiting to be collected and distributed by United Nations agencies to the civilians of Gaza.
Yet the international community keeps bitching about “not enough” humanitarian aid entering the Strip.
The U.S. Congress is attempting to legislate against TikTok’s Chinese owners. Yet some on the social media app have identified a different culprit behind this push: the Jews.
“The entire world knows exactly why the U.S. is trying to ban TikTok,” declared James Li on March 16th to his nearly 100,000 TikTok followers. His video then cut to a subtitled clip of a Taiwanese speaker purportedly discussing how “TikTok inadvertently offended the Jewish People” by hosting pro-Palestinian content.10
“The power of the Jewish people in America is definitely more scary than Trump,” the speaker went on. “They have created the options: either ban or sell to the Americans. In reality, it’s neither — it’s selling to a Jewish investment group.”
As for James Li, he subsequently posted another video blaming Israel for the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, accrued more than 160,000 views for his TikTok theory — “and the video was one of the poorer-performing entries making similar claims on the platform,” according to journalist Yair Rosenberg.11
Qatar is reassessing its role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas after suffering criticism, its prime minister said last Wednesday.
“There is exploitation and abuse of the Qatari role,” he said, adding that Qatar had been the victim of “point-scoring” by “politicians who are trying to conduct election campaigns by slighting the State of Qatar.”
This is the same State of Qatar that funds terrorist organizations including Hamas and the Taliban, with whom a national security advisor to the Qatari Emir said that Qatar and shares “deep ideological ties.”12
The organization “Jewish Voice for Peace” (which is neither Jewish nor for peace) released its annual Passover Haggadah last week. Here are some of the highlights:
“This year the people of Gaza are in mitzrayim (Egypt). This year the Israeli government is Pharaoh. This year those of us who pay taxes to the American government, which has financed the Israeli military’s genocide of Gaza, are complicit … This Haggadah does not contain the answers, only the essential questions and songs that we carry with us as we continue organizing for liberation in Palestine.”
One section is called “Water in Occupied Palestine.” It says that the “water of Palestine has been occupied since well before October 7th. Since 1967, all Palestinians have had to retrieve permits from Israel for any water projects. Any existing non-authorized water wells were destroyed.”
Anyone who understands basic, worldwide water policy knows that this is because, without central control over water distribution, you get excessive digging and destruction of the entire water supply — which is precisely what happened in Gaza.
The “Jewish Voice for Peace” Haggadah also features quotes from a variety of Palestinians, such as Refaat Alareer (who is on record stating that “most Jews are evil”) and convicted murderer Assata Shakur.
As Rabbi David Wolpe wrote, “It is actually very easy to have an anti-Zionist Seder. Simply remove the story, the ending, the purpose and the prayers. On second thought, just go out for pizza.”13
Last week, the International Criminal Court was reported to be possibly considering issuing international arrest warrants in the relatively near future against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials for “alleged war crimes.”
Nowhere did the report mention any of the terrorist leaders of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iran, or Qatar.
A few days ago, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Biden administration is (still) pushing for a long-shot diplomatic deal in the coming months that presses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a new commitment to Palestinian statehood in exchange for diplomatic recognition by Riyadh, U.S. and Saudi officials said.
Discussions with Saudi Arabia encompass a range of issues, including defense cooperation, nuclear power acquisition, and regional stability.
As one social media user commented:
U.S. to Saudi Arabia: “Recognize Israel, and you get a Palestinian state, more military support from the US, and civilian nuclear power.”
Saudis: “Uh, verbal assurances on Palestine are fine. Tell us more about the other stuff.”
Palestine is a priority of Western leftists. Arabs don’t care.14
Another social media user noted: “Never thought Israel would have more support from Saudi Arabia than it does on college campuses, but here we are.”15
Pro-Hamas U.S. politicians Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush offered an amendment to the current congressional aid bill that prevents any aid from being provided to Israel until Hamas releases the hostages.
Yes, you read that correctly: According to these politicians, Hamas should get a veto over U.S. aid to Israel as long as terrorists hold hostages, including a handful of American citizens.
What the hell is going on?
“American Anti-War Activists Cheer for Iran’s War.” The Free Press.
Shai Davidai on X
Kassy Akiva on X
“York University faculty group recommends defining support of Israel as ‘racism’.” National Post.
Warren Kinsella on X
Anthony Koch on X
Eylon Levy on X
Eugene Kontorovich on X
Marc Zell on X
James Li on TikTok
“The Jews Aren’t Taking Away TikTok.” The Atlantic.
“Qatar Says It Shares Strong Ideological Bonds With Taliban.” Iran International.
David Wolpe on X
Richard Hanania on X
Peter Fox on X
If one reads history (almost too much to ask these days when no basis of fact is needed in stating opinions) one should remember: it may start with the Jews but it doesn't end with the Jews. I can literally "see" the scenario that will be developed and it is going to be ugly, very ugly ... and of course when all explodes, Jews will be blamed. I cannot believe people are that stupid!
You don’t mention the most shocking thing. ActBlue, the official Democratic funding organization, was funding anti Israel demonstrations. A15 action, which coordinated anti-Israel/ anti-US demonstrations has a single fundraising link on their website. It links to ActBlue. Yes, the Democratic funding machine is helping raise money for anti-Israel/ anti-US protests.