Donald Trump is accusing Joe Biden of offering a weak response to antisemitism, wielding the clashes on colleges campuses over the war in Gaza as a campaign issue. But Trump's attacks ignore his own long history of rhetoric that invokes the language of Nazi Germany and plays on stereotypes of Jews and politics. The latest example came over the weekend, when Trump " accusing the White House of having a role in his multiple state and federal criminal prosecutions " told Republican donors gathered for a private retreat at his Florida resort that Biden is running a "Gestapo administration," referring to the secret police force of Nazi Germany. Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, called it a "deliberate tactic" to attack Biden and distract from his own track record. "It's wholly aligned with his long history of offensive and irresponsible comments when it comes to the Jewish community, including the normalization of antisemitism," Spitalnick said. Biden's campaign called it "despicable" and an attack on law enforcement. Trump's attempts to claim a moral high ground against antisemitism come as the Democratic president is navigating the intense divisions of the Israel-Hamas war and the resulting unrest from demonstrations. Trump and other Republicans have seized on the disruptions on college campuses, which have at times been violent, as a sign of weakness from Biden and Democrats. It's also the latest example of Trump's timeworn tactic of repackaging a censure he's received and stamping it on his opponents. As pro-Palestinian demonstrations have broken out at college campuses, some people have reported antisemitic chants and messages at and around the protests and some Jewish students have said they have felt unsafe on campus. Trump's campaign on Monday released a video on Yom Hashoah, Israel's Holocaust remembrance day, that aimed to contrast the 2024 presidential candidates' responses on antisemitism. The video shows images of Trump visiting Israel and speeches he has given pledging to stand with Jewish people and confront antisemitism, while showing footage of the protests on campuses and clips of Biden responding to protesters upset with his administration's support for Israel in its war against Hamas. One of the clips shows Biden saying, "They have a point," but does not include the next sentence in which Biden said, "We need to get a lot more care into Gaza." Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for Trump's campaign, criticized Biden for taking "weeks to even talk about the Biden Campus Protests" and not condemning what she described as "pro-Hamas, pro-genocide mobs," saying "the sad truth is that he needs their votes." "Jewish Americans and Jewish leaders around the world recognize that President Trump did more for them and the State of Israel than any President in history," Leavitt also said Monday. Trump also spoke about the protests as he arrived in court Monday for his trial in a felony hush money case. Noting Columbia University has cancelled its main commencement ceremony following weeks of pro-Palestinian protests, Trump said "that shouldn't happen." He also claimed that many protesters were backed by Biden donors. "Ok, are you listening Israel? I hope you're listening, Israel. Hope you're getting smart," Trump said. Biden has said he condemns "the antisemitic protests" and last week, he broke days of silence and called for "order" after some schools cleared demonstrators by force, leading to clashes. James Singer, a spokesperson for Biden's campaign, said Biden stands against antisemitism but Trump does not. "Trump has praised neo-Nazis, dined with neo-Nazis, echoed the rhetoric of neo-Nazis, and reportedly praised the accomplishments of Adolf Hitler," Singer said in a statement. "He cannot lead us, so he seeks to divide us with the oldest of ideas " hate, anger, revenge, and retribution." After white nationalists chanting "Jews will not replace us!" rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017 and clashed with anti-racism protesters, Trump drew some of his fiercest backlash as president when he said that there " were very fine people, on both sides. " Trump last week downplayed Charlottesville, saying the deadly rally was "nothing" compared to ongoing pro-Palestinian campus protests. Not long after launching his third White House campaign in 2022, Trump drew widespread condemnation for having dinner at his Mar-a-Lago club with a Holocaust-denying white nationalist and the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, shortly after he made weeks of antisemitic comments. He's drawn criticism on his third White House campaign for using language echoing that used by Adolf Hitler to argue that immigrants entering the U.S. illegally are "poisoning the blood of our country," and labelled his opponents as "vermin." Trump has also been accused of promoting antisemitic tropes as he's suggested that Jewish people who vote for Democrats " hate Israel" and hate "their religion" are "very disloyal to Israel." Critics have said the comments evoke the drop of dual loyalty, accusing Jews of being more loyal to their religion than their country. After Trump's reference to "Gestapo" over the weekend, Jonathan Sarna, an American Jewish history professor at Brandeis University, said there are "great dangers" in the Nazi comparisons. "Not only it's historically incorrect, it's morally offensive," Sarna said. "The problem is looking to associate whatever you don't like with the most evil forces, ignoring all the crucial differences. At that point, we forget what the Holocaust really was." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 May,2024 02:03 PM IST | New York | APA Uyghur rights advocacy organisation, the World Uyghur Congress, released a statement opposing the ongoing Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Europe, claiming that China's deepening ties with Russia are ignorance of the human rights abuses inflicted by China on the Uyghur community. Chinese President Xi Jinping made his six-day visit to Europe, marking his first trip to the continent since 2019, with the exception of his trip last year to Russia. "Despite recent developments within Europe, including arrests and charges related to Chinese espionage, as well as China's deepening ties with Russia, European countries exhibit varying degrees of concern amid increasing views of China as a 'systemic rival'. Xi's trip aims to address criticism while highlighting areas that remain receptive to Chinese influence," the WUC said on Sunday. WUC president Dolkun Isa said, "France must raise the continuous human rights abuses committed by the Chinese regime inside East Turkistan, Tibet, and Hong Kong, as well as across Europe, with China's growing transnational repression". He also mentioned that "the Uyghur genocide must be raised publicly by the French President Emmanuel Macron, urging Xi Jinping to end the ongoing erasure of our people, reflecting the resolution adopted by the Assemble Nationale recognizing the Uyghur genocide." The statement read, "In France, the increasing trade deficit of the EU with China, as well as the war in Ukraine, will be on the agenda in the presidential meeting. Whereas particularly in Serbia and Hungary, the growing investment ties with China and the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade by NATO on May 7, 1999, will contribute significantly to Beijing's enduring mistrust of NATO." As per WUC statement, "The World Uyghur Congress opposes the openness displayed by Europe towards the People's Republic of China (PRC) and its leader, Xi Jinping. Particularly, Hungary's position blocking the discussion on China's human rights abuses and the Uyghur genocide is of concern, as well as the recent news on the China-Europe Railway Express, a train set to transport agricultural goods produced by Uyghur forced labour which left East Turkistan for Salerno, Italy on May 3." "In light of the EU forced labour regulation and due diligence directive, products made by forced labour, produced inside and outside the EU, and companies involved in these violations through their supply chains face bigger scrutiny. Yet, one thing significantly missing is the focus on Uyghur forced labour," the statement added. "France should nevertheless raise China's state-import forced labour scheme and advocate for a strengthening of the EU's trade tools against these violations. The WUC furthermore calls on Macron and Ursula von der Leyen President of the European Commission to explicitly raise Beijing's abuses against Tibetans, Hong Kongers, and Uyghurs and take a strong stance against the CCP's growing transnational repression, which endangers the lives of the community's diaspora and the security and sovereignty of European nations" the statement by WUC said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 May,2024 08:43 AM IST | Munich | ANIRussian plans to hold drills simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons, the Defence Ministry announced on Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine. The drills are in response to “provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation”, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. It was the first time that Russia has publicly announced drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, though its strategic nuclear forces regularly hold exercises. Tactical nuclear weapons have a lower yield compared to massive warheads that arm intercontinental ballistic missiles intended to obliterate entire cities. The announcement appeared to be a warning to Ukraine’s Western allies about becoming more deeply involved in the more than two-year war. French President Emmanuel Macron repeated last week that he doesn’t exclude sending troops to Ukraine, and UK. Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Kyiv’s forces will be able to use British long-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia. The Kremlin branded those comments as dangerous, heightening tension between Russia and NATO. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 May,2024 08:18 AM IST | Moscow | AgenciesThe Israeli military struck a Hamas command and control centre located in a UN complex in central Gaza on Sunday night which served as a staging ground for multiple attacks against ground forces and humanitarian efforts, the Israel Defence Forces said. Meanwhile, the army said three soldiers were killed and 11 injured in a rocket attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing earlier in the day. The command and control facility was used as a staging ground for multiple attacks on Israeli troops in Gaza’s central corridor in recent weeks. Furthermore, the forward operations base was used to carry out attacks on humanitarian efforts trying to increase the distribution of aid to the Strip’s civilians. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 May,2024 07:33 AM IST | Tel Aviv | AgenciesAn Israeli airstrike in the town of Mays al Jabal in south Lebanon killed four civilians and wounded several others, Lebanese state media and the town’s municipality reported. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that the strike took place “while a number of the town’s residents were inspecting their homes and shops and the damage they sustained” in previous strikes. Those attacks came over seven months of near-daily clashes between the Hezbollah militant group and Israeli forces against the backdrop of Israel’s war against Hezbollah ally Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said its jet targeted military infrastructure in the southern Lebanese town belonging to Hezbollah, which has clashed with Israeli troops since October 8. Hezbollah on Sunday said it conducted at least 10 attacks targetting Israeli military positions and surveillance gear near the tense Lebanon-Israel border. US push for Qatar to expel Hamas strident American pressure on Qatar to expel the Hamas leadership is mounting as the Gulf state’s mediation of another ceasefire collapsed. The Biden administration blames Hamas for the failure of ceasefire talks and the situation raises questions about where the terror group may relocate. Protesters leave USC after police arrive Students protesting the war in Gaza abandoned their camp at the University of Southern California late Sunday after being surrounded by police and threatened with arrest, while Northeastern University’s commencement ended peacefully at Boston’s Fenway Park. Kerem Shalom crossing shut for aid Israel has closed the major entry point for humanitarian aid to reach Gaza after a Palestinian armed group launched rockets at a military installation near the site, according to Al Jazeera. The Israeli military, on Monday, announced that it has closed the Karem Abu Salem gate. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 May,2024 07:31 AM IST | Beirut | AgenciesIndian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams is ready to fly into space for the third time on Tuesday as the pilot aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in its the first crewed test flight. Boeing’s Starliner will blast off for the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral in Florida. Starliner will carry Williams, 58, and Butch Wilmore to the International Space Station, marking what could be a momentous and long-awaited victory for the beleaguered Boeing programme. The scheduled lift-off is set for 22:34 local time on Monday (8:04 am IST on Tuesday) “We are all here because we are all ready. Our friends and family have heard about it and we’ve talked about it and they are happy and proud that we are part of the process to fix it all,” the BBC quoted Williams as saying. The mission has been delayed for several years because of setbacks in the spacecraft’s development. If it is successful, it will become the second private firm able to provide crew transport to and from the ISS, alongside Elon Musk’s SpaceX. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 May,2024 07:29 AM IST | Washington | AgenciesThe head of the United Nations’ atomic watchdog will travel Monday to Iran, where his agency faces increasing difficulty in monitoring the Islamic Republic’s rapidly advancing nuclear programme as tensions remain high in the wider Middle East over the Israel-Hamas war. Rafael Mariano Grossi already has warned Tehran has enough uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels to make “several” nuclear bombs if it chose to do so. He has acknowledged the agency can’t guarantee that none of Iran’s centrifuges may have been peeled away for clandestine enrichment. Those challenges now find themselves entangled in attacks between Israel and Iran, with the city of Isfahan apparently coming under Israeli fire. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 May,2024 07:25 AM IST | Jerusalem | AgenciesPolice on Sunday were searching for suspects in a late-night shooting that wounded seven people, four critically, in Long Beach, California. At least two gunmen were suspected of opening fire on a group of people around 11.15 pm Saturday, according to the Long Beach Police Department. All of the victims were adult men. Videos of the aftermath posted to social media showed a heavy police presence outside the Prendido de Noche nightclub nearby, the Los Angeles Times reported. In addition to the four critical victims, three people had injuries that were not life-threatening, police said. The suspects fled before officers arrived, and there was no immediate information about a possible motive, police said. "The Long Beach Police Department has been actively investigating this shooting since late last night, and we will continue working until we identify and arrest those involved in this unacceptable act of gun violence," police Chief Wally Hebeish said in a statement Sunday. Investigators believe the shooting was gang related, but no suspects have been identified and no arrests have been made, police said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 May,2024 08:41 AM IST | California | AgenciesThe death toll has risen to 75 in Brazil floods, as the calamity continues to wreak havoc in the country's southern Rio Grande do Sul state, Al Jazeera reported. Another 103 people are reportedly missing, the local authorities have said. More than 88,000 people were displaced from their homes as a result of the rains, according to state civil defence authorities on Sunday. Approximately 16,000 people sought refuge in schools, gyms, and other temporary shelters. Meanwhile, state Governor Eduardo Leite said on Sunday morning, "I repeat and insist: the devastation to which we are being subjected is unprecedented." Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also visited Rio Grande do Sul for a second time on Sunday, accompanied by Defence Minister Jose Mucio, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad and Environment Minister Marina Silva, among others, according to Al Jazeera. The leader and his team surveyed the flooded streets of the state capital, Porto Alegre, from a helicopter. Rescue operations are underway as emergency responders race against time to locate survivors trapped amidst the debris of collapsed homes, bridges, and roads. The surge in water levels in the state of Rio Grande do Sul is straining dams and threatening the metropolis of Porto Alegre, the country's civil defence agency said, according to Al Jazeera. Governor Eduardo Leite declared a state of emergency as the region grapples with the aftermath of the catastrophic weather event. "We are dealing with the worst disaster in [our] history," Governor Leite lamented, acknowledging the grim reality that the death toll is expected to rise further as rescue efforts continue. Forecasters have issued warnings of further peril, as the state's main Guaiba river is anticipated to reach alarming levels, exacerbating the existing crisis. Entire communities have been cut off, with infrastructure severely compromised by the relentless downpour. The dire situation has prompted authorities to urge residents to evacuate from high-risk areas near rivers and hillsides susceptible to mudslides. Access to basic amenities such as drinking water has been disrupted, leaving hundreds of thousands without essential services. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 May,2024 08:31 AM IST | Brazil | ANIBritish Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Sunday promised to work “as hard as ever” after a disastrous set of election results saw his Conservative Party being unseated across several local authorities and even losing a mayoralty stronghold in the West Midlands region of England. The British Indian leader admitted his disappointment after Andy Street, the party’s popular Mayor of West Midlands, narrowly lost to Labour rival Richard Parker by a mere 1,508 votes after a recount had to be ordered for the knife-edge result. This leaves Sunak with a solo sliver of hope in Ben Houchen, who had held on to the party’s mayoralty in Tees Valley on Friday amid a virtual sweep for the Opposition parties, with Labour in the lead. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 May,2024 07:28 AM IST | London | AgenciesA 16-year-old boy armed with a knife was shot dead by police after stabbing a man in the Australian west coast city of Perth, police officers said on Sunday. The incident occurred in the parking lot of a hardware store in suburban Willetton on Saturday night. The teen allegedly attacked the man and then rushed at police officers before he was shot, Western Australian Premier Roger Cook told reporters on Sunday. “There are indications he had been radicalised online,” Cook told a news conference. “But I want to reassure the community at this stage it appears that he acted solely and alone,” Cook added. Police and Australian Security Intelligence Organization agents have been conducting a counterterrorism investigation in the east coast city of Sydney since a 16-year-old boy stabbed an Assyrian Orthodox bishop and priest in a church on April 15. The boy has been charged committing a terrorist act. Six of his alleged associates have also been charged with a range of offences, including conspiring to engage in or planning a terrorist act. All remain in custody. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 May,2024 07:28 AM IST | Melbourne | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
