Father of Israeli captive accuses ADL leader of spreading false claims
Yehuda Cohen, father of the Israeli captive Nimrod Cohen, has accused Anti-Defamation League (ADL) chief Jonathan Greenblatt of making “unequivocally false” statements about his son as part of an effort to promote support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
While the plight of those who remain captive in Gaza has become a central part of calls to support Israel’s war in Gaza, within Israel itself the family members of numerous captives have expressed anger at Netanyahu’s refusal to come to an agreement that would secure their return in exchange for an end to hostilities.
A statement from We Are All Hostages said Greenblatt released a video falsely stating that Yehuda’s eldest son, Yotam, wants to rejoin the war effort.
“My family has consistently and publicly advocated for an immediate end to the war through a hostage deal that ensures the safe return of all captives,” Yehuda’s statement reads, adding that he confronted Greenblatt during a private event on Wednesday but that the ADL chief “deflected responsibility” and did not apologise.
“Mr Greenblatt’s statements have broader implications, as they inadvertently support propaganda that falsely suggests widespread Israeli support for continuing the war,” the statement added.
CAIR urges lawmakers to take stronger stand against anti-Palestinian remarks
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has released a statement stating that US lawmakers who make racist anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian remarks must face consequences.
After Muslim Congresswoman Ilhan Omar denounced Netanyahu’s visit to the US, Republican Congressman Randy Fine responded Tuesday by stating on social media he was sure it was difficult for her “to see us welcome the killer of so many of your fellow Muslim terrorists”.
Fine has also called for CAIR to be designated as a terrorist organisation.
Democrat leadership issued a statement Wednesday condemning Fine, while Republicans have yet to comment.
“House leadership has failed to address prior incidents of anti-Muslim bigotry and anti-Palestinian racism by other members of Congress,” CAIR said in a statement, which urged Democrats in particular to take a stronger stand.
“The belated statement condemning Fine must be followed by meaningful steps to hold lawmakers, even from within the Democratic Party, accountable,” the group added.
Mahmoud Khalil suing Trump admin for ‘politically motivated arrest, detention’
Mahmoud Khalil, the former Columbia University graduate student who was detained as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestine advocacy in the US, is seeking $20m “to help others similarly targeted”, his lawyers say.
“He would accept, in lieu of payment, an official apology and abandonment of the administration’s unconstitutional policy”, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) said in a statement announcing the soon-to-be-filed lawsuit.
Khalil, who was released in June after more than three months in detention, was the first known activist to be detained and have his legal immigration status revoked by the Trump administration over involvement in student protests in support of Gaza.
“Nothing can restore the 104 days stolen from me. The trauma, the separation from my wife, the birth of my first child that I was forced to miss”, Khalil said in the CCR statement.
“There must be accountability for political retaliation and abuse of power. And I won’t stop here. I will continue to pursue justice against everyone who contributed to my unlawful detention or spread lies in an attempt to destroy my reputation, including those affiliated with Columbia University”, he said.
“I’m holding the US government accountable not just for myself, but for everyone they try to silence through fear, exile, or detention”.
US State Department defends deadly GHF aid sites in Gaza
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce says the GHF aid distribution scheme “works” despite weeks of deadly Israeli attacks on Palestinian aid seekers.
“We also call on other aid agencies and the UN to participate in this system. It has been implemented, and it works,” Bruce told reporters in Washington, DC.
Israeli forces and American contractors have opened fire on Palestinian aid seekers at GHF sites, killing at least 782 people and injuring 5,179 since the group began operating in late May, according to the latest Gaza Health Ministry figures.
The UN and other humanitarian groups have denounced the US- and Israeli-backed GHF as “forcing two million people into overcrowded, militarised zones where they face daily gunfire and mass casualties”. Amnesty International said last week that the GHF “was designed so as to placate international concerns while constituting another tool of Israel’s genocide”.
