Free Republic

Colombia broke diplomatic ties with Israel, becoming the second Latin American country to do so since the beginning of the war in Gaza. Bolivia broke diplomatic ties with Israel last fall over the war, while Cuba and Venezuela haven't recognized the country since 1973 and 2009, respectively. Colombia, having already previously withdrawn its ambassador from the country shortly after the beginning of the war, took things a step further by cutting all ties with Israel, President Gustavo Petro announced on Wednesday. "Here in front of you, the government of change, of the president of the republic announces that tomorrow we...

Democrats are in full hand-wringing mode over the anti-Israel protests on campus. The louder the protesters scream about "Free Palestine," the more nervous the Democrats become. They know that there aren't many potential Donald Trump voters yelling antisemitic epithets at Jewish students from "Gaza Liberation Zones." These were Joe Biden voters in 2020 and may yet be again. In fact, as close a race as the 2024 presidential race is going to be. Biden is going to need these antisemites to win. As much as Democrats want to sympathize with the pro-Hamas protesters, they know they have to walk a...

More than 1,300 people have been arrested at pro-Palestinian protests on at least 40 college campuses across the U.S. over the last two weeks. Why it matters: University administrations have cracked down on student demonstrators in unprecedented ways as protests grow in size and intensity. The majority of arrests have occurred at encampments and sit-ins. Dozens of smaller-scale college protests haven't seen altercations between demonstrators and police. More than 100 universities have had encampments or sit-ins.

Across the world people have been shocked by social media footage of heavily armed law enforcement officers arresting peacefully protesting students and professors at university campuses around the United States. The so-called “land of the free and home of the brave” looks neither free nor brave – except for the brave protesters who continue to stand up to state and university repression.

Several European member states are expected to recognize Palestinian statehood by the end of May, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday...

After Abu Marzouk claims good relations with Amman, veteran Jordanian diplomat responds that country ‘has closed the book on Palestinian cells’ Jordan on Tuesday quickly dispelled the idea that Hamas leaders would be welcome to set up their offices on their territory after a senior Hamas official suggested the terror group’s political bureau would move to the kingdom if it was forced to leave its current home in Qatar. It was reported earlier this month that Hamas’s political chiefs are exploring moving their base of operations out of Qatar, as the Gulf state faces increasing pressure over its influence with...

The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program could move some Palestinians out of Gaza Top Biden officials have discussed resettling some Palestinians Family members of U.S. citizens and permanent residents could be considered The Biden administration is considering allowing some Palestinians to come live in the United States as refugees. CBS News reported Tuesday that senior officials across several federal agencies have discussed how to resettle Palestinians from Gaza, potentially using the United States Refugee Admissions Program. The individuals chosen would have to have immediate family members who are American citizens or permanent residents. They would have to pass a series of...

Biden considering allowing some Palestinian refugees into the U.S -CBS News

Dozens of protesters began occupying the building at 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, pledging to remain until the University meets their demands. Student protesters occupying Hamilton Hall will face expulsion, University spokesperson Ben Chang wrote in a Tuesday press release. “Protesters have chosen to escalate to an untenable situation – vandalizing property, breaking doors and windows, and blockading entrances – and we are following through with the consequences we outlined yesterday,” Chang wrote. Dozens of protesters have occupied Hamilton Hall—which they renamed “Hind’s Hall,” in honor of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian child killed by the Israeli military—since 12:30 a.m. on...

CNN’s Dana Bash confronted Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Sunday over Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN)’s visit to Columbia University, where she gave a statement about the pro-Palestinian protests. Omar’s own daughter was suspended from Columbia-affiliated Barnard College last week after being arrested at the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on the Morningside Heights campus. Omar was recorded saying, “I think it is really unfortunate that people don’t care about the fact that all Jewish kids should be kept safe and that we should not have to tolerate anti-Semitism or bigotry for all Jewish students, whether they are pro-genocide or anti-genocide.” Bash asked Sanders,...

Dozens of Columbia students just became felons. Columbia president is probably asleep. Where are campus police officers. Where is the nypd. Khymani James is back on the scene. They’re stacking tables to block the entrance, zip tying the doors. Breaking — Columbia terrorists break windows and take over Hamilton Hall. Unconfirmed reports of hostage. Second video from Hamilton Hall. Situation is developing. Columbia terrorists broke windows and have taken over Hamilton Hall. They are using picnic tables to barricade themselves inside. There are unconfirmed reports that a member of facilities staff is being held hostage.

The report by the Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll found older voters supported Israel more than younger voters, with 90% of voters over the age of 54 claiming they support Israel over Hamas, compared to 57% of respondents aged 18-24.. Many Americans support Israel over the terrorist organization Hamas in a poll released on Monday, with 80% of respondents saying they support Israel more in the conflict. The poll comes as anti-Israel groups hunker down at dozens of colleges and universities nationwide. The groups have been protesting over the war, with students calling for their schools to cut financial ties with Israel,...

Hamas should accept an “extraordinarily generous” proposal to release Israeli hostages it is holding in the Gaza Strip in exchange for a temporary cease-fire, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday, speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hamas is expected to respond to the U.S.-led proposal Monday in discussions with Egyptian and Qatari officials in Cairo. “Hamas has before it a proposal that is extraordinarily, extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel,” Blinken said during a panel discussion at the WEF. “And in this moment, the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and...

Israel's Channel 12 News reported that officials in Jerusalem think that the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague will issue arrest warrants as early as this week to some senior officials. The people include Prime Minister Benjamin Netaanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi. It is being reported that diplomatic efforts to stop ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan from moving ahead with arrest warrants have failed. The arrest warrants could be issued over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. There are also accusations that Israel breached the Fourth Geneva Convention as it...

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Sunday argued the rights of those participating in peaceful pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses should be protected, pointing to the country’s history of multi-day demonstrations. Asked on “Fox News Sunday” about the GOP calls for the Biden administration to be more forceful in quelling the protests, Murphy said, “We should… all speak out, right? When [a] protest crosses a line, when it becomes violent or when there’s hate speech.”

AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin suspended the Palestine Solidarity Committee, a registered student group at the campus and a chapter of the national Students for Justice in Palestine. The move follows several campus protests last week that saw nearly 60 people arrested for criminal trespass. The arrests occurred on Wednesday after law enforcement orders to disperse and leave the central tower area of the campus were ignored. On Friday, after receiving formal notification from the university that the organization was being suspended, the group posted a message on Facebook encouraging supporters to contact the administration and...

Far-left Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was arrested during an anti-Israel protest at Washington University in St. Louis on Saturday — a day after she was confronted outside of Columbia University. ... Stein’s Campaign Manager Jason Call and Deputy Campaign Manager Kelly Merrill-Caye were also arrested. ... Stein was “holding the line with students” before police “used force against” her and other protesters. ... The protests were demanding an end to the war in Gaza and ... “It quickly became clear through the words and actions of this group that they did not have good intentions on our campus...

First, let me apologize to my Jewish readers. I realize that hearing those three words must be painful. Many of you have parents or grandparents whose friends or family were gruesomely murdered in that very manner. The reason I use those words is that today in the year 2024 we are closer to such horror than we’ve been for 80 years, and we must not pretend otherwise. The Jewish nation that promised “never again” is being explicitly threatened with “again.” This moment comes in the wake of the atrocious murdering, raping, beheading, burning alive and hostage-taking committed by Palestinians against...

The House of Representatives Israel aid bill is under scrutiny for including more than $9 billion in humanitarian assistance, which is significantly more than the annual gross domestic product of the Gaza Strip, as critics say the U.S. is essentially funding Hamas through the bill.The Israel bill, which passed in a 366-58 vote Saturday, allocates $26.4 billion in aid to the region, including more than $9.1 billion marked as "Migration and Refugee Assistance" and "International Disaster Assistance," to address the humanitarian needs that arose in the Gaza Strip following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.The aid is more than...

More than six months into the war in Gaza and with dimming hopes for a cease-fire deal, Palestinians there are growing more critical of Hamas, which some of them blame for the months-long conflict that has destroyed the territory — and their lives. The war has displaced most of the Gaza Strip’s population, killed tens of thousands of people and pushed the enclave toward famine, its infrastructure in ruins. The Israeli military waged a punishing campaign to eliminate Hamas after the group, which ruled Gaza for 17 years, attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing an estimated 1,200 people and abducting...