Why Ireland Has An Obsessive Hatred of Israel

Today I finally saw the answer to my question, "What have we ever done to Ireland to make them hate Jews and Israel so much?"

The answer?  "A pro-Palestine ‘cult’ has taken over the country’s politics."

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Lazar Berman and Alan Shatter, The Times of Israel 10/2/26.  Here's the link to their YouTube video on this subject. It makes you want to avoid Ireland if you're Jewish.

Alan Shatter: Palestine ‘cult’ endangers future of Irish Jews

As Ireland works itself into a fury over a soccer match, a leading pro-Israel ex-minister says Sinn Fein ‘poisoned’ Irish politics, and many Jews question whether they should stay  

"Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what’s behind the news that spins the globe.

"It was a stormy week politically in Ireland.

"It wasn’t over an attempted terrorist attack as we had here in Israel this week. It wasn’t over the rising cost of energy or immigration, like elsewhere in Europe.

"It was a soccer match against Israel.

"That was enough to dominate the country’s headlines.

"How did Ireland become so focused on Israel, and so hostile to the Jewish state?

"Alan Shatter, a leading Jewish figure in the country and former justice and defense minister, says a pro-Palestine ‘cult’ has taken over the country’s politics.

"The country has always had a checkered past with its Jews, Shatter said. The Provisional IRA had deep ties with Palestinian terrorists, and their political movement Sinn Fein ‘contaminated’ Irish politics by putting the Palestinian cause front and center.

"That obsessive focus has spread from politics across Irish society, Shatter lamented, and now trade unions, teachers, artists, and athletes have significant pro-Palestinian movements.

"The angst over the soccer match against Israel is a new “level of complete and utter absurdity,” he said.

"Now, he said, many Jews are asking whether they have a future in the country as they face daily abuse online and a toxic environment around Israel.

“There’s a deep problem here,” Shatter said. “It’s one the government refuses to recognize. It’s one the government is contributing to.”

Lazar Focus is available on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Yitzchak Ledee. 

Instantaneous Jew-Hatred and Conspiracy Theories

What took them so short?  Of course this kind of cancerous hatred and these sick conspiracy theories erupted so quickly -- it's because Israelis prevented the hijacked plane from crashing and killing nearly 200 Jews! If the plane had crashed as the terrorist co-pilot intended, then these same evil antisemites would be cheering instead.

I see our old friend Marjorie "Jewish Space Lasers" Taylor Greene has already sided with the "false flag" conspiracy theorists.

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Antisemitic conspiracies spread immediately after Flydubai attack

World Israel News, October 1, 2026

The researchers said the posts represented an inversion in which the Israelis endangered aboard the aircraft became the targets of allegations that Israel or Jews had secretly orchestrated the incident.

By JNS

Antisemitic conspiracy theories began circulating on social media just 67 minutes after the first emergency signal from the flydubai flight that was apparently targeted in a terrorist attack on Wednesday, according to a new study by the Combat Antisemitism Movement.

CAM’s Antisemitism Research Center identified 2,963 posts on X during a 12-hour monitoring period that attributed the incident involving Flight FZ1073 to Israel, the Mossad, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Zionists, or Jews.

The first such post appeared 67 minutes after the aircraft transmitted its initial emergency distress signal, according to CAM.

Within five hours, researchers had documented 1,000 posts promoting such claims.

The organization collected 4,136 posts containing the phrase “false flag,” of which approximately 72% advanced conspiracy claims blaming Israel or Jews.

In the final two hourly monitoring periods, that proportion rose to 81% and 82%, respectively.

“What’s striking here isn’t just the volume; it’s the speed,” said Oliver Marks, a research associate at CAM’s Antisemitism Research Center.

“Sixty-seven minutes is all it took for the near downing of a commercial airliner by a terrorist pilot to become fodder for antisemitic conspiracy theorists across the globe,” he said.

“It’s clear this isn’t a narrative that forms in response to an incident. Rather, it’s part of a script that already exists, sitting ready for use whenever opportunities arise.”

'Hidden hand’

The researchers said the posts represented an inversion in which the Israelis endangered aboard the aircraft became the targets of allegations that Israel or Jews had secretly orchestrated the incident.

“The pattern mirrors the influence operations that hostile states, Russia foremost among them, use to destabilize Western societies: sowing social division, exploiting breaking news events, and portraying Israel and Jews as the ‘hidden hand’ behind them,” the study concluded.

CAM said the speed with which the claims proliferated demonstrated how established antisemitic tropes can be applied to breaking news before the facts of an incident are known.

The organization said such narratives can erase victims’ suffering, redirect blame, and reinforce longstanding conspiracy theories portraying Jews as secretly manipulating world events.

Flight FZ1073 was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when the co-pilot allegedly stabbed Capt. Smit Machchhar and apparently attempted to crash the Boeing 737.

Despite being seriously wounded, Machchhar reportedly managed to open the cockpit door, enabling passengers to overpower the alleged attacker.

Two additional flydubai pilots traveling aboard the aircraft subsequently took control and made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Israeli authorities were participating in the investigation into the incident, whose motive remained under investigation.

Symptoms of COVID Variant SW.2

This was a surprise, as I had not even heard of this particular variant before.

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7 Key Symptoms of the COVID-19 SW.2 Variant You Should Watch For This October

Parade, 10-1-26

COVID-19 is still here and is still quite dangerous for many, even if your aunt thinks it's "just a cold."

In addition to the risk that COVID poses to at-risk, aging and immunocompromised people in the immediate term, you also run the risk of severe impacts on brain health over time, and long COVID can wreak havoc on even otherwise healthy and younger people. Trust us: You do not want to play games here.

As always, vaccination is one of the best forms of protection against COVID-19, and current COVID vaccines and boosters can keep you from getting severe cases that require hospitalization. Vaccines have also been shown to prevent people who do get infected from developing long COVID.

Read on to find out about the current COVID-19 strains and variants for October 2026, as well as the most common COVID symptoms that doctors, infectious disease specialists and public health experts are warning about for the upcoming season.

What Is the Dominant COVID Variant Right Now?

"The leading variant nationwide is SW.2, at about 21% of cases, followed by XFG.1.1 at 16% and RW.1.1 at 9%," Tyler B. Evans, MD, MS, MPH, AAHIVS, DTM&H, FIDSA, public health expert and infectious disease specialist, tells Parade. "No single strain dominates the way Delta or the original Omicron did. That matters less than the trend line. As of September 18, CDC reports COVID-19 activity is elevated and rising nationally, though hospitalizations remain low."

The 7 Most Common Symptoms of the COVID Variant SW.2

According to doctors and infectious disease experts with whom we spoke, you can expect to see any combination of the following symptoms if you get infected with the SW.2 COVID variant (and these will apply to the other current strains as well):

1. Body aches

If you're feeling sore, even though you haven't hit the gym in a bit, beware!

2. Congestion

Your nose and sinuses may feel stuffy if you catch COVID-19 in October 2026.

3. Dry cough

The typical COVID dry cough that produces very little relief is another hallmark this month.

4. Fatigue

While you may or may not get that "bone tired" feeling from March 2026 variants, you will likely feel really sluggish if you get infected with COVID-19 this October.

5. Fever

Fever and chills that make it hard for you to feel comfortable will be common in October 2026 COVID infections from pretty much all common strains.

6. Runny nose

While some may get congested and stuffy noses, others may experience runny noses with SW.2 variants and those adjacent to it. Others who really hit the jackpot may get both. Awesome.

7. Sore throat

Thankfully, that "razor blade sore throat" seems to still be a thing of the past, but you'll likely still have some throat discomfort with October 2026 COVID strains.

"This is the same symptom complex that has characterized COVID for some time," Dr. William Schaffner, MD, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, notes. "They can become more severe, requiring hospitalization in persons who are older, have chronic medical conditions, are immunocompromised or who are pregnant."

How Are Today's COVID Symptoms Different From Earlier Strains?

They aren't! "The biggest change happened years ago, not this season," Dr. Evans tells Parade. "There has been no major shift in the latest variants. Compared with 2020, today's infections look more like an upper respiratory illness. Loss of taste and smell, once the signature symptom, is now uncommon. People who wait for that symptom before testing will miss most cases."

COVID-19 vs. Allergies vs. The Flu: How To Tell the Difference

Fall brings with it not just more cases of COVID-19 when everyone is getting cozy indoors, but also flu season, colds and autumn allergies. All of them suck, but obviously to different degrees. How do you know which one you're dealing with and what do you do about it?

"As an emergency medicine physician, one of the questions I get asked constantly this time of year is how to tell COVID apart from allergies or the flu," Dr. Niaz Farhat, MD, emergency medicine physician at Immediate Care Centers of Texas, explains. "The general rule of thumb: allergies don't cause fever and usually come with itchy eyes, whereas COVID and flu often do. Flu tends to hit harder and faster, with body aches and fatigue that come on suddenly, while COVID symptoms can build more gradually and are more likely to include loss of taste or smell in some patients. None of these are reliable enough to self-diagnose by symptoms alone, which is exactly why testing matters."

If you're not sure which affliction is making you feel crummy, see your physician or snag an at-home test (some will cover both COVID and flu) to suss it out and figure out how to treat it—if not to protect yourself, then at least to keep from infecting other people.

"Many people will describe it as a bad cold," Dr. Evans says. "And that is exactly why it spreads."

How Long Is the Incubation Period for the SW.2 COVID Variant?

Pay attention, because this one is important!

"The incubation period is similar to what we have seen with Omicron in general. Typically, it is about three to four days, although symptoms can appear anywhere from approximately two to five days after exposure," Dr. Suraj Saggar, DO, chief of infectious disease at Holy Name in Teaneck, N.J., tells Parade. "Compared with 2020, when the incubation period was more commonly around five to six days, the incubation period is now generally a day or two shorter."

Dr. Saggar adds, "Because the incubation period is shorter, testing too soon after exposure can result in a false negative. After a known exposure, if you have no symptoms, it is generally reasonable to wait three to five days before testing. If you develop symptoms, you should test when symptoms begin."

That said, if you know you've been exposed to COVID but still feel OK, you have options to keep feeling that way—if you hurry.

"Important, if you have been exposed to COVID (especially if you are in a high-risk group), there now is a medication you can take (XOCOVA) that will prevent the development of COVID," Dr. Schaffner says. "If someone tests positive, they can tell all their contacts, so that they can protect themselves. You never know when one of your contacts might have, for example, diabetes, which puts them at higher risk."

Do At-Home COVID Tests Still Work on the New Strains?

The good news: Yes, you can test at home for newer COVID strains!

"These tests generally target the nucleocapsid protein, which is part of the virus's inner structure. Most of the mutations associated with newer variants occur on the spike protein, so the core target of these tests remains relatively stable," Dr. Saggar explains. That said, he notes that test accuracy can depend on a few factors, including:

Proper COVID testing technique

"It's important to follow the instructions carefully and collect the sample correctly," Dr. Saggar explains. You'll also want to make sure your at-home test hasn't expired!

Timing

"Testing too early can result in a false negative," Dr. Saggar says. "If you've been exposed but don't have symptoms, waiting about three to five days before testing can improve the likelihood of detecting an infection. Testing on day zero or day one may simply be too early. If you test negative but still have concerns, you can repeat the test about 48 hours later."

Viral load

The amount of virus present can affect whether the test detects an infection.

"A positive test is generally very reliable, with relatively few false positives," he adds. "A negative test, however, is less definitive, particularly if you test very early in the infection. For example, you could have mild symptoms but not yet have a high enough viral load in your nose for an at-home test to detect the virus."

When To See a Doctor for COVID Symptoms

Ideally, you'd see a doctor as soon as you start feeling bad, and that's especially so if you've already tested positive for COVID—because it's more serious, still to this day, than many people want to believe or remember.

"People who test positive for COVID-19 or flu should contact a clinician to discuss whether treatment with an antiviral is a good idea based on risk factors for progression to more severe COVID-19 such as lung or heart disease, significant immunocompromise and extreme age," Dr. David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine, co-principal investigator of U.N.C. infectious diseases clinical research trials unit, advises. "In mid-January 2026, one out of every 125 people who died in the US died from COVID-19. It's not gone or always mild."

If you're on the fence, Dr. Farhat urges you to get checked out to be safe.

"Come in if you have trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion, bluish lips, a fever that won't come down or if you're in a high-risk group (age 65 or older, pregnant, immunocompromised or with an underlying condition like heart or lung disease) and your symptoms aren't improving after a few days," he says. "Most otherwise-healthy people can manage mild COVID at home, but freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care exist for exactly this decision point when someone isn't sure whether their symptoms are serious enough to warrant care." 

Melanie Phillips on "Those Amazing and Heroic Israelis"

The brilliant and perceptive Melanie Phillips has written a column worth waiting for, as all her columns are.  This one should be required reading.

And that last paragraph ought to be posted in the polling places here on Election Day, so the ignorant voters can see it. 

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Those amazing and heroic Israelis 

An averted catastrophe in the air shows how the Jewish state chooses life while Britain and the West embrace a culture of death

Melanie Phillips, 10-2-26

"On Monday, Britain’s foreign secretary Ed Miliband delivered a diatribe against Israel, accusing it of ethnic cleansing and war crimes, and vowing to punish it for the crime of allowing Jews to “settle” in their own historic land.

"On Wednesday, four ordinary Israelis on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv averted a new 9/11 by overpowering the co-pilot who was attempting to crash the plane, possibly in Israel.

"There could hardly be a better illustration of the way Britain is now choosing to embrace a culture of death while Israel is choosing life.

"When they heard an alarming commotion in the cockpit, a small handful of Israeli passengers jumped out of their seats and burst in to see the Omani co-pilot stabbing the captain.

"One of the Israelis, a plumber by trade, got the assailant in a chokehold. As other Israeli passengers and Emirati crew members helped tie the terrorist up, the plumber seized the control stick and pulled the plane out of its lethal dive.

"When Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, asked him afterwards how he’d known what to do, he replied that he’d seen it done on a TV show.

"Only the Israelis could behave like this — regular people displaying raw courage, heroism and the lion-hearted, can-do Israeli spirit. Alerted to an existential threat, these ordinary guys immediately took matters into their own hands, neutralised the danger and saved countless lives.

"What an amazing, wonderful, heroic country. What a symbol of everything Israel has been doing for the past three years, ever since Hamas launched its genocidal onslaught against it on October 7, 2023.

"What a statement of defiance against Britain and a Western world now consumed (whatever they think they’re supporting) by a deranged agenda to wipe this country out.

"How this lifts the spirits. And how those spirits are instantly lowered by contact with the life-destroying venom of the Western intelligentsia.

"Western media outlets tried everything they could to downplay the near-catastrophe in the skies over Saudi Arabia.

"CNN called it “an internal personnel incident between pilots”. The New York Times called it “a clash in the cockpit”. Reuters headlined it: “A pilot brawl, then a rapid descent: Passengers recount chaos in flydubai flight.”

"As ever, the BBC excelled itself as a disgrace to journalism. BBC News reported: “Israel’s far right national security minister Ben-Gvir says that an Israel bound flight that landed in Saudi Arabia was due to a terrorist who wanted to crash the plane and kill Israelis.”

"By pointlessly singling out the left’s principal Israeli bogeyman as its source of information, the BBC primed its audience to believe that the Israelis must be assumed to be lying because they are political extremists.

"Remarkably, a BBC reporter subsequently referred to Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport as “Ben-Gvir airport” — a slip of the mind, perhaps, but all-too revealing about the state of that BBC mind.

"On Thursday, a BBC News headline ran: “Too early to say what motive for Dubai-Tel Aviv flight attack was, Israeli PM says.”

"No, he didn’t. Netanyahu made it clear that intelligence confirmed it was a terror attack, and merely said it was too early to tell whether Iran had been involved.

"In other words, the BBC grossly misreported what he had said.

"Such wicked distortions by the media reflect a far wider pathology. Left-wingers simply can’t process the fact that Israelis may be targeted for destruction by the Palestinian Arabs or act courageously to defend themselves. Primed to believe in the oppression of the Palestinians at the hands of their cruel and demonic Israeli oppressors, leftists can only see the Palestinian Arabs as victims.

"That’s why the British government is now to prioritise for refugee resettlement those “Palestinians who have fled the horrors of Gaza,” as well as Afghan women and girls.

"Giving the Palestinian Arabs priority is astoundingly reckless. Many still support Hamas, and they overwhelmingly support the murder of Jews and the destruction of Israel.

"Only recently, a Palestinian Arab to whom Britain had granted asylum and British citizenship, and who was formerly a bodyguard of assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, was arrested on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack against Jewish communities and Israelis in Europe.

"And a Palestinian Arab influencer who was jailed for illegally entering the United Kingdom in a dinghy and had previously called for the slaughter of Jews is now facing deportation after he was found to be living in the Midlands.

"The British government is blind to the risks posed by the Palestinian Arabs because, to the morally bankrupt left, the Palestinian cause is synonymous with morality.

"The spittle-flecked fanaticism of Miliband’s speech to this week’s Labour Party conference took many people aback.

"Having paid lip service to standing against antisemitism and for Israel’s right to defend itself, this scion of a Jewish family decimated by the Holocaust denounced Netanyahu’s responsibility for Palestinian “suffering” in Gaza and the West Bank as a “stain on the conscience of the world”.

"Having falsely accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing” by the “settler terrorists of the West Bank,” “war crimes in Gaza” and the “illegal occupation of Palestine,” Miliband declared: “To the millions in Britain and elsewhere who have been moved and outraged by the plight of the Palestinian people, we hear you. You were right.”

"Precisely what does Miliband think those people were “right” about? Their claim that Israel is committing “genocide”? That Palestine must be Arab “from the river to the sea”? Their demand to “globalise the intifada”?

"Miliband, who came across as an unhinged demagogue, is a stain on the memory of his slaughtered family.

"The suicidal imbecility of Britain’s hostility to Israel was demonstrated by the incident at RAF Fairford, the base in southwest England from where US bombers have taken off for Iran.

"Last Sunday, five men were arrested on suspicion of being about to attack the base. Although much about this incident remains murky, Britain’s prime minister Andy Burnham has now said there are “strong indications” that Iran was involved.

"But as Netanyahu has revealed, it was Israel that gave the Brits the intelligence warning of such an Iranian attack — and pretty much the next day, he said, the United Kingdom announced sanctions against the Israeli “settlements”.

"Where Britain leads, the rest of the West follows. There is acute concern that these sanctions are intended to broaden out into a global financial strangulation of Israel, especially if the Democrats win the post-Trump presidency.

"There’s anxiety that American support for Israel is crumbling. Some reports suggest that, apart from CENTCOM, even the US defence establishment has become hostile to the Jewish state.

"This is fundamentally because the West is undergoing a rapidly progressive erosion of its core values, including the destruction of morality, truth and reason itself.

"Even today, diminished as it is, the UK sets the Western cultural pace. That’s why the British government’s defamation and delegitimisation of Israel are so important.

"Britain is leading the West into the heart of darkness — the abandonment of civilisation for the embrace of barbarism. And the people upon whose backs Miliband et al have accordingly stuck a bullseye are the Jews.

"But another narrative is emerging to counter this obscenity. Flydubai is a United Arab Emirates airline. The terrorist co-pilot was Omani. Oman is an ally of Iran. The UAE has become a close ally of Israel fighting Iran. The Emirati crew helped Israelis on the plane to avert catastrophe. And the plane was allowed to land in Saudi Arabia.

"A new order is being born in which Arabs and Jews are fighting together against the forces of barbarism in the Islamic world.

"On their way home to Israel, survivors of the hijacking sang the words written by the 18th-century Chassidic rabbi Nachman of Breslov: “The whole entire world is a very narrow bridge, and the main thing is to have no fear at all.”

"Britain and much of Europe — and even America if it allows the Democratic Party to gain power — are now hurtling downward towards a catastrophic crash. But Israel will live because it has seized the cockpit controls."

What Happened to America? They Did This in Nazi Germany, Too

This sounds sickeningly familiar.  Jewish art, authors, and performers were also banned in Nazi Germany.

What next, the firing of Jewish teachers? The yellow star? 

Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels must be smiling from their graves. 

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ADL report finds systemic exclusion of Jewish, Israeli artists across US cultural institutions.

Over 80% of respondents somewhat or strongly agreed that excluding Jews or their work from cultural spaces contributes to anti-Jewish hate, while 72% said the same about excluding Israelis. 

Jerusalem Post, 10-1-26 

"A comprehensive body of research released by the Anti-Defamation League on Thursday documents the systemic exclusion and marginalization of Jewish and Israeli artists across American cultural life. 

"The initiative, titled “State of the Arts: Advancing Jewish Inclusion in Arts, Entertainment and Culture,” examines institutional practices across art museums, the publishing sector, and live performance venues alongside a companion investigation into activist networks.

"Jewish artists are being canceled, blacklisted, and pushed out of American cultural life. We knew the situation was bad; we just didn't know how bad, and no one had documented it this way before," ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said. 

"Forty leading museums, not one includes Jewish identity in its DEI commitments. Authors are being told to strip Hebrew words and change Jewish character names just to get published. Jewish and Israeli performers are being harassed off stages and dropped from lineups. This is antisemitism and anti-Israeli discrimination, plain and simple, and the arts and culture sector needs to wake up before Jewish voices are silenced entirely."

"The museum sector report, titled “Behind the Frame: A Quiet, Systemic Erasure in America's Museums", evaluated antisemitism and Jewish representation across 40 leading US art museums, grading institutions on policies, artist representation, and programming.

"Of the 40 museums invited to review their assessments, 20 participated. The findings showed that only one museum, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, achieved the gold standard, while 12 museums received the lowest rating of "critically deficient," including the Whitney Museum of American Art and The Broad.

"Additionally, only one of the 40 museums recognized Jewish American Heritage Month in May 2026, even though 60% continued recognizing other heritage months during the same period.

Jewish, Israeli cultural motifs discouraged in publishing

"The publishing sector report, titled “Missing Chapter: Suppression of Jewish Voices in Publishing", identifies seven anti-Jewish trends reshaping the industry since October 7, 2023, based on secondary research and more than 30 interviews with authors and publishing professionals.

"These trends include the suppression of books with Jewish, Israeli, or Zionist characters at the acquisition stage, where manuscripts dealing with Jewish identity or contemporary Israel are increasingly treated as commercially risky. Authors face editorial pressure to remove Hebrew words, Israeli settings, and Jewish-sounding character names before their works can be considered for publication.

"Blacklistings and boycotts of authors have also proliferated across online reader communities and social media platforms like BookTok, Bookstagram, and X. This is highlighted by a viral May 2024 Google spreadsheet titled "Is your fav author a Zionist?" that sorted writers by political affiliation and urged readers not to buy, review, or promote their work.

"Additionally, transnational boycotts have targeted Israeli publishing institutions and translation rights. This includes a 2024 PalFest letter signed by more than 1,000 writers urging a total boycott of Israeli publishers, literary agencies, and festivals.

"Other documented trends include author-level exclusion from literary festivals and events, as well as struggles to secure and keep literary agents who view Jewish or Zionist identity as too risky for the market. The report also highlights an institutional failure by major literary bodies to name antisemitism directly rather than grouping it under generalized anti-bigotry.

"The report documents cases of review-bombing, coordinated waves of negative ratings and reviews on public book platforms such as Goodreads, which function as critical marketing and discovery tools within the publishing industry. These malicious campaigns often occur months before a book is published and before reviewers could plausibly have read the work, damaging an author's commercial viability, retail visibility, and professional standing based on identity or perceived politics rather than the book's content.

ADL: US cultural institutions failing Jewish, Israeli artists

"The entertainment sector report, titled “Dark Stage: Jewish and Israeli Performers Are Being Canceled, Harassed and Silenced", alongside its accompanying case archive, catalogs 65 incidents across 41 US locations detailing the rising hurdles faced by Jewish, Israeli, and openly Zionist artists in live music, comedy, theater, dance, film, and campus events.

"The findings highlight how political demonstrations have increasingly shifted away from standard advocacy and toward targeted campaigns aimed at excluding Jewish and Israeli performers from the stage entirely, utilizing petitions, boycotts, and organized protests to block appearances.

"Venues frequently lean on safety rationales to enact a security veto, where the mere prospect of public outcry or disruption, rather than any confirmed danger, is enough to scrap a show. This environment also fosters informal cultural boycotts and quiet professional distancing, where bookings silently vanish.

"Furthermore, artists encounter frequent mid-performance harassment and audience heckling, exemplified by comedian Judy Gold facing hostile remarks during two separate shows in April 2026, including an audience member shouting "You're a Jew," and singer-songwriter Regina Spektor being interrupted by a protestor during a concert in Portland.

"Compounding these pressures is widespread institutional inconsistency, where venues and cultural organizations respond unpredictably to controversies without clear standards, leaving performers unable to anticipate how their events will be handled and forcing administrators into reactive decision-making that frequently leaves Jewish and Israeli artists to absorb the professional and reputational fallout alone.

"To accompany these sector analyses, the ADL Center on Extremism released an investigation into how external activist organizations target cultural spaces, detailing how groups work to pressure venues and museums to isolate Jewish and Zionist creators through coordinated demonstrations, blacklists, and confrontational tactics.

"To examine public attitudes toward these dynamics, the ADL Ratings and Assessments Institute fielded an online survey through Prolific in July 2026 with an analytical sample of 951 US adults.

"The survey found that 88% of respondents somewhat or strongly agreed they would visit an art gallery exhibiting work by Jewish artists, 87% would attend a performance featuring Jewish performers, and 84% would buy an interesting book even if it included Jewish topics or characters.

"Support remained robust for Israeli-identified work, with 77% saying they would visit a gallery exhibiting Israeli artists, 75% attending a performance featuring Israeli performers, and 73% buying a book with Israeli topics or characters.

"Furthermore, 85% of respondents somewhat or strongly agreed that excluding Jews or their work from cultural spaces contributes to anti-Jewish hate, while 72% said the same about excluding Israelis.

"Despite this widespread recognition of harm, 32% somewhat or strongly agreed it was understandable for people to avoid art galleries showing work by Jewish artists, and 46% said the same regarding Israeli artists.

"This research shows a clear and consistent gap between perceived market risk, what Jewish and Israeli authors are being told, and actual audience demand," said ADL Vice President of Public Affairs and Special Initiatives Shira Goodman.

“The interview ADL carried out with literary professionals for this research surfaced a recurring pattern of authors being told by agents and publishers to strip Jewish and/or Israeli themes and characters from their work over fears it won’t sell or is too much of a risk," she added. "The survey findings suggest this risk aversion is a misperception, not a market reality, and something that urgently needs to be addressed by the industry.”

"The ADL is calling on cultural institutions, museums, publishers, literary agents, and venue operators to close these gaps by naming antisemitism explicitly in policies and DEI commitments, recognizing Jewish American Heritage Month alongside other heritage observances, resisting pressure campaigns rooted in identity-based exclusion, and trusting data that shows American audiences want and will support Jewish and Israeli inclusion in the arts."

A Serious Case of JIDS in Texas

JIDS: My term for Jewish/Israeli Derangement Syndrome. And this guy sure has a bad case. His name is Benny Caldera Jr., not a typical name for a Jihadist.  What the Texas State Capitol has to do with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) isn't exactly clear.

What is clear from his own words is that he wanted to "exterminate these people", proving once again that not only is JIDS highly contagious, but it's also deadly. 

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Texas man accused of plot to attack state Capitol, was reportedly mad at AIPAC.

Benny Caldera Jr. charged with making a terroristic threat after reportedly saying he'd shoot up statehouse in Austin

By AP and Times of Israel Staff, 10-1-26

"AUSTIN, Texas — A 40-year-old man was arrested in Texas early Wednesday on suspicion of plotting to attack the state Capitol, authorities said, in an act reportedly motivated by anger at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobby group.

"The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said in a statement that it received “credible information about an individual planning a violent attack” for Thursday in Austin. Officials did not provide details about the alleged plot, citing an ongoing investigation.

"The tip came in Tuesday evening, and SWAT officers made the arrest at about 3 a.m. Wednesday at a residence in Converse, near San Antonio.

"Benny Caldera Jr. was charged with making a terroristic threat against a public servant, a felony, the DPS statement said. He made bond, according to online court records in Bexar County, but DPS said later Wednesday that Caldera was in federal custody after being arrested by the FBI to face additional federal charges.

"DPS did not provide further details, and the FBI’s San Antonio press office did not immediately respond to an email late Wednesday seeking comment.

"Messages were left seeking comment from John Bunk, an attorney listed for Caldera.

"DPS notified state lawmakers about the threat and arrest early Wednesday. The Capitol remained open during regular operating hours.  

"Gov. Greg Abbott said DPS was assisted by the FBI in making the arrest.

“Texas will NOT tolerate threats of violence against our Capitol,” the governor said in a statement on social media.

"Officials did not provide details about the alleged plot, citing the ongoing investigation. But an arrest warrant affidavit cited by NBC News quoted a friend of Caldera who said he was angry at the AIPAC, and believed that “these people have to be exterminated.”

"He also reportedly said: “I am going to the Capitol and I am going to shoot it up.”

"AIPAC, which once enjoyed broad support from both sides of the aisle, has seen its standing fall in American politics as Americans have grown increasingly hostile toward Israel, amid the war in Gaza and the subsequent conflicts in Lebanon and Iran.

"Critics say the demonization of AIPAC is linked to age-old antisemitic tropes about Jewish wealth and Jews wielding outsize power in politics."

A Free and East Way Mamdani Can Fight Antisemitism

The antisemite Mayor himself claims to want to fight antisemitism in New York City. I have an idea for him that won't cost a cent and can happen immediately:

(1) Look in the mirror

(2) Stop talking

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Fox News, 9-30-26

Mamdani’s antisemitism plan draws criticism as rabbis say it avoids key driver of hate.

'All of this money is pure pork barrel politics...Outside of $1million dollars in security, it is all being spent on community initiatives that will reward his supporters,' rabbi says 

"New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a multimillion-dollar strategy to combat antisemitism, drawing criticism from prominent Jewish leaders who described the announcement as an attempt to deflect attention from the mayor’s own rhetoric while avoiding one of the defining sources of modern anti-Jewish hostility: the demonization of Israel and Zionism.

"Mamdani announced what his administration called the nation’s first municipal strategy dedicated to combating antisemitism, declaring that Jewish New Yorkers "should feel cherished and celebrated in the most Jewish city in America."

"The mayor cited New York Police Department statistics showing that although Jewish residents constitute approximately 12% of the city’s population, antisemitic incidents account for more than half of its confirmed hate crimes."

Terror & Heroism on a Flight From UAE to Israel, Reminiscent of Flt 93

As soon as I saw the torrent of breaking news e-mails this morning, I knew this was terrorism, and if the pilot hadn't regained control of that plane, they would have crashed, like the EgyptAir 990 deliberately did years ago. 

From what I heard, the pilot of the jet, who had been stabbed by the terrorist/co-pilot, managed to send out a code 7500, which is the sign for a hijacking, and badly wounded, managed to open the cockpit door so the passengers, two of whom were pilots, could help.  That's too reminiscent of Flight 93 on September 93, isn't it?

Since the media doesn't seem to know what terrorism is,  I wasn't surprised to see some networks referring to this attack as being a result of the co-pilot's possible "mental illness".  Yes, Jew-haters do tend to go mental from IDS when Israel is involved.

So you see how this terrible thwarted terrorist attack will be downplayed and gaslighted

---------------------------------

Copilot subdued after stabbing pilot in alleged attempt to crash plane full of Israelis

Flydubai flight from UAE lands safely in Saudi Arabia with no non-crewmembers seriously hurt after Israeli passengers rush cockpit, subdue stabber; Israeli warplanes were scrambled

 

 

A commercial flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a bloody clash in the cockpit on Wednesday morning that Israeli officials suspect was an attempt to wrest control of the plane and crash it in an act of terrorism. None of the 180-odd passengers, almost all of whom were Israeli, were reported injured.

People who were on the plane, and loved ones to whom they’d spoken, told Hebrew media that it appeared the flight’s copilot had stabbed the captain, at which point the plane went out of control. The plane initially plummeted some 17,000 feet in under two minutes.

A group of Israeli passengers managed to force their way into the cockpit, subdue the stabber and stabilize the plane, witnesses said. It was speculated that the captain, even as he was being attacked, may have opened the cockpit door.

Daniel, an Israeli passenger, said a pair of off-duty pilots who were on the plane took control of the flight after the assailant had been subdued. About an hour later, it landed in Saudi Arabia.

“The spinning stopped. It took some — I don’t know, it felt like an eternity, but I think it was two minutes, at least two or three minutes, during which the plane was simply diving and spinning like crazy,” Daniel recounted. “It felt like, that’s it. It’s over. September 11 is happening again.”

In a video statement on Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “One of the pilots stabbed the other pilot, and all indications show that he tried to crash the plane along with its passengers.”

He said he had spoken to an Israeli passenger “who told me that the plane went into a dive. He told me that somehow, he managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members, and together they managed to stop the [co]pilot while he was attempting to damage the plane’s systems.”

“We are in continuous contact with the relevant authorities to guarantee the continued safety of the passengers and their safe return home,” Netanyahu said, praising the bravery of those who thwarted the “extremely serious security incident.”

The Saudis were interrogating the suspect, he said.

Although Israel had not formally designated the incident an act of terrorism, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said bluntly late Wednesday afternoon that the incident “was a jihadist terrorist attack attempt, which was thwarted only thanks to the bravery of several Israeli passengers who broke into the cockpit, overpowered the terrorist and, with their own hands, restored control of the plane to another flight crew who was present there.”

Screams and blood

Passenger Daniel said he “definitely” believed it was a terrorist attack. “I heard the screams during the struggle and saw the blood on the floor from the pilot, who was brought out.”

“Those three Israeli guys [who. he said, subdued the attacker] are real heroes. It’s hard to explain just how heroic they were,” he said.

A passenger is seen with a bloodied shirt aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv that suffered an emergency mid-air, with the co-pilot subdued after stabbing the captain in an alleged attempt to crash the plane full of Israelis, September 30, 2026 (Social media: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon described the screaming on the plane and said it was “really on the way to crashing,” before it was saved by “the resourcefulness” of the people who overpowered the copilot “and neutralized him.”

“There was also a doctor who gave first aid,” and others who treated the captain and the copilot, she said, noting that there “was a lot of blood. “There were no other injuries, she said, “but the bigger fear was really a crash, which is exactly what [the assailant] was trying to do.”

Prior to Netanyahu’s video statement, there were no official statements on the circumstances of the incident by Israeli, Saudi or Emirati authorities. An Israeli official, speaking anonymously, said “the most severe incident” was prevented, evidently referring to the potential for the plane to have crashed with all passengers on board.

The captain was an Emirati citizen, and the copilot an Omani, who had reportedly worked for the airline for less than a year. According to one passenger, the captain was “seriously wounded” and was taken for treatment after the plane landed. Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk airport said the pilot and copilot were both injured and had been hospitalized.

The flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv sent a “squawk code” of 7700, an international emergency signal, some time before 9:30 a.m., according to flight tracking data. It then sent a 7500 code, signaling a hijacking or unlawful interference, a short time later. Israeli air traffic controllers were reportedly unable to make contact with the plane for “long minutes.”

In the intervening time, Israeli Air Force fighter jets were scrambled toward the plane, security sources said. Netanyahu and Katz also held emergency consultations, and the Israel Defense Forces said Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir conducted an assessment with senior officers.

“The situation is under control, and all measures are currently being taken to bring the Israeli passengers back to Israel safely,” said the Prime Minister’s Office, in a statement around 10:45

A commercial flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a bloody clash in the cockpit on Wednesday morning that Israeli officials suspect was an attempt to wrest control of the plane and crash it in an act of terrorism. None of the 180-odd passengers, almost all of whom were Israeli, were reported injured.

People who were on the plane, and loved ones to whom they’d spoken, told Hebrew media that it appeared the flight’s copilot had stabbed the captain, at which point the plane went out of control. The plane initially plummeted some 17,000 feet in under two minutes.

A group of Israeli passengers managed to force their way into the cockpit, subdue the stabber and stabilize the plane, witnesses said. It was speculated that the captain, even as he was being attacked, may have opened the cockpit door.

Daniel, an Israeli passenger, said a pair of off-duty pilots who were on the plane took control of the flight after the assailant had been subdued. About an hour later, it landed in Saudi Arabia.

“The spinning stopped. It took some — I don’t know, it felt like an eternity, but I think it was two minutes, at least two or three minutes, during which the plane was simply diving and spinning like crazy,” Daniel recounted. “It felt like, that’s it. It’s over. September 11 is happening again.”

In a video statement on Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “One of the pilots stabbed the other pilot, and all indications show that he tried to crash the plane along with its passengers.”

He said he had spoken to an Israeli passenger “who told me that the plane went into a dive. He told me that somehow, he managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members, and together they managed to stop the [co]pilot while he was attempting to damage the plane’s systems.”

“We are in continuous contact with the relevant authorities to guarantee the continued safety of the passengers and their safe return home,” Netanyahu said, praising the bravery of those who thwarted the “extremely serious security incident.”

The Saudis were interrogating the suspect, he said.

Although Israel had not formally designated the incident an act of terrorism, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said bluntly late Wednesday afternoon that the incident “was a jihadist terrorist attack attempt, which was thwarted only thanks to the bravery of several Israeli passengers who broke into the cockpit, overpowered the terrorist and, with their own hands, restored control of the plane to another flight crew who was present there.”

Your Local Epidemiologist-The Dose, 9-29-26

Flu is here early. Plus Covid, mosquitoes, and more.
The Dose (Sept 29)

Katelyn Jetelina, 8 hours ago

Happy fall, y’all!

Here come the pathogens: flu is coming in hot and early, Covid-19 is peaking, and mosquito-borne diseases are having a bad year in the Southwest. And with the wave of diseases, come more falsehoods and rumors. I answer a reader question: Do the benefits still outweigh the risks of the Covid-19 vaccine?

Here’s what’s going on in the world of health and, most importantly, what it means for you.

Disease “weather” report

Flu is here unusually early

While levels are still low nationally, flu metrics are ticking up, including emergency department visits. This is especially true in the West.

Two things are unusual about this:

    It is early (see graph below). Typically, we see metrics start to increase in October or November.

    Flu activity usually starts in the Southeast (Florida and Texas) and then slowly spreads across the country. It doesn’t usually start in the West.

But flu is doing what it does best: being unpredictable.

Number of tests that are coming back positive for flu. Source: CDC; Annotated by Your Local Epidemiologist

The U.S. doesn’t seem to be alone. Flu is also increasing early in the U.K., Japan, and other Northern Hemisphere countries. We don’t know why it’s coming early.

The Southern Hemisphere’s viral season occurs a few months before the Northern Hemisphere’s, since their winter is our summer, and vice versa. This flips the weather and how and when viruses thrive, allowing epidemiologists to look south for clues about what to expect for flu in the north.

What happened in the Southern Hemisphere this summer?

    The flu starting line was a mixed bag. Argentina’s season started about three weeks early. Chile and South Africa were on schedule, while Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji were unusually quiet through their usual window, then surged unexpectedly in August through September.

    The flu’s later arrival to the Pacific region may be related to the new strain (subclade K) that circulated last year, which really skewed some patterns. In Australia, for example, 2025 was their worst flu season on record, and it ended late, peaking just before Christmas. So flu immunity waned late, causing a later season this year.

2026 flu activity across countries. Source: PAHO. Figure created by Your Local Epidemiologist using Claude.

    Flu season was severe in many places this summer. In parts of South America, the flu hit hard. Argentina recorded its highest number of flu-like illness cases in a decade, partly due to its early start, with flu test positivity among outpatients peaking above 45% in late May.

So, the flu is having a weird year across much of the globe. Will it mean that we will have a bad season? Not necessarily. But epidemiologists will be keeping a close eye on it.

What this means for you: Now is the time to get your flu vaccine. Usually, advice is in October (the common saying is “flu before boo”), but for maximum protection, I think that advice will be late this year. Schedule your flu vaccine appointment this week. I am.

Covid-19 is peaking nationally

Wastewater—a strong indicator of how many people are spreading Covid-19—has clearly peaked at the national level. A few states in the Midwest are still increasing, but they will soon begin to decrease as well.

If this pattern continues, this summer’s peak will be as high as winter’s, but not as high as last summer’s.

 

Wastewater levels for Covid-19. Source: CDC via PopHIVE.

With reduced spread and increased immunity, we continue to see deaths plummet, falling about 54% each year. (See figure below.) This year, if the trend continues, Covid-19 will have contributed to ~9,100 deaths, which is less than half of the deaths caused by the flu each year.

Figure source: Gideon M-K: Health Nerd.

What this means for you: The population-level impact of Covid-19 continues to decline this season and overall, which is fantastic news. However, the vaccine is still important, especially for high-risk folks. After some bumps in the road (covered in YLE last week), the vaccine should now be widely available.

Mosquito season isn’t done yet

Nationally, this year has been quieter than last year for mosquito-borne diseases, even though the West Nile season started earlier than any year since 2004. The one exception is for those of us in the Southwest: Phoenix and California are well above last year. (Matt over at YLE California has been keeping close tabs on this.)

Thankfully, mosquito activity peaks in August, so it’s now trending downward. But those boogers are definitely still out there until they go dormant or die off because of weather changes.
 

 

Human West Nile cases in California. Source: CDPH.

West Nile disease is local by nature: heat, standing water, and how many animals (i.e., hosts) are already immune determine where it flares up. (Hotspots were in Colorado and Illinois last year.)

What this means for you: The end of the mosquito season isn’t here yet, but it’s close. Expect activity until the first sustained cold snap. Until then, use repellent at dusk and dump standing water weekly.

Flu vaccine spotlight: Common falsehoods

With the flu season comes an increase in falsehoods and rumors on social media, and in our daily conversations with family and friends. Here are some of the top ones in case you find yourself in a conversation with someone in line at the grocery store (like I did just recently):

    “The flu shot can give me the flu.”

A lot of people believe this from personal experience, but it’s biologically impossible: the shot doesn’t contain live virus. (The nasal spray uses a weakened live virus that can't cause flu illness, though it may cause a mild runny nose.)

Side effects aren’t the explanation either. In randomized controlled studies, the only differences between people who received the flu shot and those who received a placebo were increased arm soreness and redness at the injection site.

The more likely reason is bad luck: getting exposed to the flu after vaccination but before the shot kicks in, which takes about two weeks.

    “I do not need the vaccination.”

Humans have certainly normalized the flu, but it’s a big deal. About 8% of the U.S. population (anywhere from 3% to 11%, depending on the season) can expect to get the flu each year. Since 2010, that has meant between 120,000 and 710,000 hospitalizations and 6,300 to 52,000 deaths every year.

    “I don’t think the flu vaccine works.”

They aren’t perfect, but they do help. They don’t always prevent infection, but they are especially good at preventing severe illness and hospitalization. The effectiveness is generally around 40 to 60% when the vaccine is well matched. In the 2019–2020 season, for example, flu vaccines prevented an estimated 7.5 million illnesses, 3.7 million medical visits, 105,000 hospitalizations, and 6,300 deaths.

Among children, a 2017 study found that flu vaccination halved a child’s risk of death.

    “I got the flu shot last year, so I am protected.”

Unfortunately, you should get a flu vaccine every year. Because flu viruses change fast, the flu vaccine is updated annually to target the strains research predicts will be most common this season. Vaccine and/or natural immunity also wanes over time, so you need to get a vaccine annually for optimal protection.

Question grab bag

“I recently sat in on a doctor visit with a friend who is being treated for cancer. When the subject of vaccines came up, her cancer doctor told her to get her flu shot in October and said that he didn’t recommend the Covid-19 vaccine. I was surprised to hear that. Are blood clots, heart inflammation, long Covid, and other complications still an issue?”

Obviously, I am not part of her clinical care team, and many factors could influence this decision. But, broadly speaking, this is how I would think about it:

If she received a stem cell transplant or CAR T-cell therapy, this is the right call. It is advised to delay vaccination for at least 3 months. During that time, her immune system is heavily suppressed, so the vaccine is less likely to work well.

If she wasn’t getting this treatment, I am disappointed that he didn’t recommend the Covid-19 vaccine for her. People receiving cancer treatments that weaken the immune system have a high risk of severe disease from Covid-19.

This comes down to a very simple question: do the benefits outweigh the risks? I went searching for numbers, given that we haven’t had a CDC ACIP meeting in a long time. These are estimates, but they still make clear that the benefits continue to outweigh the risks, especially for those over 65 years old.

    Benefits: The number of hospitalizations prevented among those over 65 years old is about 1,200 per 1 million doses. For people 65 and older, the updated vaccine also lowers the risk of Covid-related blood clots, including strokes, heart attacks, and blood clots in the legs or lungs.

    Risks: A myocarditis complication isn’t a thing anymore with the Covid-19 vaccine. This is due to increased immunity (from infections and spaced-out vaccines). Allergic reactions and Guillain-Barré (maybe) are really the only vaccine-related risks in the data, and they are very, very small. There is no risk of blood clots from the vaccine. (This was associated with the J&J vaccine early in the pandemic, which is no longer available.)

 

 Figure created by Your Local Epidemiologist using CDC data and Claude, which happens to be much faster than Excel these days!

Bottom line

Flu is here, while Covid-19 and mosquito-borne diseases are decreasing. Thankfully, we do have vaccines that are, yes, beneficial; the benefits still greatly outweigh the risks. Stay healthy out there!

Love, YLE

Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE) comprises a team of experts, ranging from physicians to immunologists to epidemiologists to nutritionists, working together with one goal: to “translate” ever-evolving public health science so that people are well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. The YLE suite of newsletters reaches over 475,000 people across more than 132 countries. This newsletter is free to everyone, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members.