Two teenagers, including an 18-year-old girl, were arrested earlier this week and charged with plotting a major attack on one of the largest Jewish synagogues in Houston.
Authorities arrested 18-year-old Angelina Han Hicks of Lexington, North Carolina, on Wednesday and accused her of planning to &#8220;kill as many Jews as possible&#8221; in an attack on Congregation Beth Israel in Houston, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-texas-synagogue-attack-plot-387b32d268fb0cd71c9415c418856a96">reported</a>. Hicks is accused of plotting the attack alongside two &#8220;male subjects.&#8221; The conspirators planned to murder Jewish worshipers by driving a vehicle through the synagogue on April 21, 2028, according to court documents.
It appears that one of the other alleged co-conspirators was also arrested earlier this week. The Houston Police Department announced on Thursday that a 16-year-old was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit capital murder in relation to &#8220;a threat directed towards certain Jewish institutions in our area.&#8221;
The Houston Police did not say the 16-year-old was arrested for a planned attack on Congregation Beth Israel specifically, but authorities in Texas&#8217; largest city said they learned about the threat on the same day Hicks was taken into custody in North Carolina. Court documents identified Hicks&#8217; alleged co-conspirators as &#8220;Teegan&#8221; and &#8220;Angel,&#8221; the Houston Chronicle <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/religion/article/houston-beth-israel-arrest-22221195.php">reported</a>.
Congregation Beth Israel, which also runs a school for pre-K through 5th graders, closed on Wednesday &#8220;out of an abundance of caution&#8221; after Houston police alerted the synagogue&#8217;s leadership to the threat. The synagogue reopened on Thursday.
The FBI <a href="https://x.com/FBICharlotte/status/2047385012278829223">said</a> that its Charlotte Joint Terrorism Task Force began investigating the alleged plot on Tuesday evening &#8220;after a tip to a North Carolina law enforcement agency.&#8221;
&#8220;This is an exceptional example of when you see something concerning, you say something to law enforcement,&#8221; the FBI added.
Hicks faces two felony charges of conspiracy to commit murder and felony conspiracy to commit assault with a deadly weapon. Her bond was set to $10 million, with District Court Judge Carlton Terry saying on Wednesday that Hicks&#8217; detention is necessary to prevent her from getting &#8220;a chance to communicate with either of those [co-conspirators] or those who could relay a message puts lives at risk.&#8221; Hicks&#8217; lawyer said his client&#8217;s young age could be a major factor in her legal defense.
North Carolina prosecutors warned that while the alleged plot highlighted a date two years from now, there was &#8220;some concern that there could be an imminent event&#8221; targeting Congregation Beth Israel.
The arrests come as Jewish Americans face increased threats and just a month after a Muslim man in Michigan rammed his vehicle into the largest Jewish Reform synagogue in the United States in an attack that the Justice Department said was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-synagogue-terrorist-attack-was-directed-by-hezbollah-fbi-says">directed by Hezbollah</a>. Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a 41-year-old Lebanese national, was killed after exchanging gunfire with security guards at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan. One of the security guards was injured after he was struck by Ghazali’s vehicle, but no one else was harmed in the attack, which occurred near a daycare with dozens of children inside.

Jewish Synagogue/Angelina Han Hicks

Teens Arrested Over Plot To ‘Kill As Many Jews As Possible’ In Major Synagogue Attack

Anti-Semitism

Crime

Houston

Jewish

North Carolina

Texas

U.S.

Democrats in Michigan nominated a Muslim attorney who has honored terrorists for a position on the University of Michigan&#8217;s Board of Regents.
At the Michigan Democratic Party&#8217;s nominating convention on Sunday night, delegates chose Amir Makled over incumbent regent Jordan Acker for a seat on the board that controls the university&#8217;s budget and leadership appointments, The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/04/19/jordan-acker-university-of-michigan-board-of-regents-amir-makled-wins-democratic-convention-vote/89691921007/">reported</a>. The contrast in the race could not have been clearer for Democratic delegates, who ultimately picked a Muslim who recently shared a post that referred to Israelis as &#8220;demons&#8221; over a Jewish regent who has faced antisemitic attacks.
Last June, Makled <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2026/04/09/university-of-michigan-regent-candidate-lawyer-amir-makled-deletes-posts-praising-hezbollah-leaders/89533176007/">shared</a> a post that called former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah a &#8220;martyr,&#8221; less than a year after Nasrallah was taken out in an Israeli airstrike. Another post shared by Makled honored Hezbollah official Abu Ali Khalil as a &#8220;martyr on the road to Jerusalem.&#8221;
In July 2025, Makled shared a post from Candace Owens, in which Owens referred to Israelis as &#8220;demons&#8221; who &#8220;lie, steal, cheat, murder, and blackmail.&#8221; The Muslim lawyer has since deleted those social media posts.
Makled secured the nomination over Acker, who has faced antisemitic threats from anti-Israel radicals following Hamas&#8217; attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. In December of 2024, Acker&#8217;s home was vandalized and damaged, and his wife&#8217;s car was spray painted with the words &#8220;Divest&#8221; and &#8220;Free Palestine.&#8221; Anti-Israel radicals also vandalized Acker&#8217;s law firm building, which police investigated as a hate crime, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/09/us/university-of-michigan-regents-vandalized-acker">reported</a>.
Last year, Acker, along with regents Mark Bernstein and Sarah Hubbard, were given 24/7 security due to threats from anti-Israel demonstrators. Makled represented anti-Israel students who were arrested and charged last year with trespassing and resisting arrest when police broke up an encampment on Michigan&#8217;s campus.
The nomination of Makled over Acker reflects a major shift in the Democratic Party throughout the country, which has seen multiple leftist Muslims elected to public office. That shift is on full display in Michigan this year as another leftist Muslim, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, is in a tight race for the Democratic nomination to the open seat for U.S. Senate. El-Sayed <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/19/politics/michigan-senate-democratic-primary">told</a> CNN over the weekend that Hamas is just as evil as the Israeli government.
The Michigan Democratic Party did not release the vote tally for Sunday&#8217;s nominating convention. For many statewide offices in Michigan, the Democratic Party chooses its nominees through delegates who meet to cast their votes at a nominating convention. Acker&#8217;s ticket-mate, Paul Brown, who has also called for punishment for anti-Israel demonstrators, was renominated to run alongside Makled in the general election.
Makled rode a wave of support from leftist University of Michigan students and campus labor unions to his nomination victory.
“This is beyond the support that I was expecting,” Makled <a href="https://www.michigandaily.com/news/administration/amir-makled-defeats-regent-jordan-acker-at-democratic-convention-to-run-alongside-incumbent-paul-brown/">said</a> after he was nominated. “This is the largest convention I’ve participated in in 20 years, and I’ve been coming to them since 2006. This really shows how much the Democratic Party has expanded the electorate and energized the base of what people want to see come November.”
Makled will face Republicans Lena Epstein and Michael Schostak in the general election on November 3.
Not all Democrats were enthused by Makled&#8217;s candidacy. Brandon Dillon, a former chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, blasted Makled and <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2026/04/17/dillon-the-democratic-party-has-no-room-for-amir-makled/89665735007/">wrote</a> in a Detroit News opinion piece that Makled&#8217;s social media posts &#8220;reflect a pattern of extremism and bigotry, all of which should be disqualifying for someone seeking one of the most powerful positions in Michigan higher education and statewide office.&#8221;
Acker faced opposition from Makled and many within the Michigan Democratic Party for his desire to hold anti-Israel radicals accountable after they intimidated Jewish students and obstructed law enforcement officers. Acker also faced scrutiny just a few days before the Democratic nominating convention when The Guardian published a report on alleged messages sent by Acker on Slack that appeared to be sexual in nature and included obscene comments about a female Michigan student.
Acker said that parts of the messages sent to The Guardian appeared to be &#8220;doctored,&#8221; adding that Acker &#8220;has never been on Slack.&#8221; Acker told The Detroit News that the allegations published in The Guardian are &#8220;ridiculous&#8221; and &#8220;fake.&#8221;

Amir Makled/University of Michigan

Dems Make A Stunning Switch And Backlash Is Building Fast

anti-Israel

Democratic Party

Elections

Michigan

Muslims

Politics

University of Michigan

The following is an excerpt from the new book ​​”<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Poisoned-Ivies-Academic-Americas-Universities/dp/1668087537/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.j306CWFwpsasj544DoZskg.x7d6MxQNY3W7C4_i3nSg1CNXwSThLN55XNmuxbmamSE&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;qid=1776193998&amp;refinements=p_27%3AElise+Stefanik&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1&amp;text=Elise+Stefanik">Poisoned Ivies: The Inside Account of the Academic and Moral Rot at America&#8217;s Elite Universities</a>,” by Elise Stefanik (Threshold Editions, April 14, 2026)
* * *
America’s higher education system is in the midst of a historic reckoning. The compact that existed for generations between our republic, the American people, and our institutions of higher learning has irrevocably broken down. Universities once dedicated to the pursuit of truth and academic excellence have become centers of radical political indoctrination—all while being generously subsidized by hardworking American taxpayers.
Americans of both parties, college-educated and non-college-educated, have lost faith in our universities at a staggering pace. A September 2025 Gallup poll revealed an astonishing trend; only about one-third (35 percent) of Americans today think that a college education is “very important.” That’s a rapid drop from 2019, when 53 percent of Americans agreed with that proposition. In 2010, it was 75 percent.
This hasn’t happened in a vacuum. Colleges and universities across the country have actively undermined their standing in the public imagination. They have chosen to embolden the most radical members of their faculty and staff. They have forced the divisive and discriminatory “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (DEI) regime as gospel. They have proactively silenced and canceled students and teachers who disagree with the groupthink progressive political agenda.
Just look at the data. Democrat faculty outnumber Republicans by at least eight-to-one at any major university. And political bias isn’t the only troubling issue. More than one-third (34 percent) of college students now say “using violence to stop campus speech” is acceptable. This is an absolutely stunning statistic and even more disturbing after the nation saw the horrific footage of Charlie Kirk’s assassination on a university campus during one of his iconic college tours where the main purpose of the event was to engage in respectful discourse and peaceful debate. Many on the Left, including some Democrat elected officials, viciously celebrated the loss of this young man’s life, saying it was somehow justified and deserved. This is a deeply disturbing and dangerous turning point for our national fabric and political culture.
<div id="attachment_1077721" style="width: 391px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Poisoned-Ivies-Academic-Americas-Universities/dp/1668087537"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1077721" class="size-large wp-image-1077721" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Stefanik-book-381x576.jpg" alt="Cover credit: Threshold Editions" width="381" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Stefanik-book-381x576.jpg 381w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Stefanik-book-199x300.jpg 199w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Stefanik-book-768x1160.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Stefanik-book.jpg 993w" sizes=" (max-width: 381px) 100vw, 381px" /></a>Cover credit: Threshold Editions</div>
Activism has come at the cost of education. Students are not learning the skills in the classroom that once defined a college graduate. Not only are they showing up academically unprepared, but they are leaving uneducated, unemployable, radicalized, and deeply out of touch with American values. Approximately one-third of college students require remedial classes before they begin earning credits. But once they start taking classes, grade inflation is worse than ever. They know less, but get better grades, than previous generations. More than 60 percent of college students admit to cheating.
Meanwhile, college tuition has increased at a preposterous rate as the value of a degree has declined. The average college student leaves school saddled with $40,000 of debt. A mere 30 percent of 2025 college graduates found entry-level jobs in their chosen field, while nearly half felt unprepared even to apply for entry-level jobs.
The American people are smart. We know that something has gone catastrophically wrong, and we are tired of being asked to foot the exorbitant bill on autopilot for a broken system that morphs students into anti-American zealots.
This didn’t happen overnight. The tremors leading up to this earthquake have offered warning signs for decades. An education system that was the envy of the world is now facing questions of its importance, quality, and meaning. A course correction is long overdue—so overdue, in fact, that the questions are no longer about minor improvements and reform; they have become existential. Questions such as: Are American colleges educating or indoctrinating? Can higher education even be reformed, or do we need to completely rebuild it from scratch? What is being taught in the classrooms, and why? When colleges and universities lose their way, how do we hold them accountable? How much foreign money is funding American higher education? Is a traditional college education even remotely worth the absurdly out-of-reach tuition price tag? Are these “elite” colleges and universities even worth saving? Americans are right to ask these hard questions. And the toughest questions are being posed to the most “elite” schools.
The most prestigious colleges and universities in America make up what is known colloquially as the Ivy League. The Ivy League, nestled in the Northeast and scattered across New England, is made up of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Brown, and Cornell. While each university has its own distinct character with unique qualities, these institutions taken as a group have historically been considered the bellwether and compass of American higher education. They set the standards and norms that other universities aspire to achieve, not just in the United States, but around the world.
Historically, Ivy League colleges were known for their institutional prestige, academic excellence, esteemed faculty, rigorous and extremely selective admissions processes, groundbreaking research, and extraordinarily successful alumni networks. Attending an Ivy League school was supposed to guarantee professional success for graduates. They were the crown jewels of the entire higher education system worldwide. For generations, admission to an Ivy League school meant winning a golden ticket to the American dream.
Today, that once-pristine reputation has been sullied. Most Americans understand the Ivy League schools as something different. Instead of bastions of knowledge and vibrant intellectual life, they are considered hotbeds of radical ideology, groundless elitism, intellectual laziness, and anti-American hatred. The reputation of these schools has declined dramatically. It has been poisoned.
This process of institutional decay, almost entirely self-inflicted, culminated in a once-in-a-generation congressional hearing on antisemitism with university presidents in December 2023. This was the moment Americans decided that enough was enough. Our universities were failing us and our next generation of leaders.
At that hearing, a single line of questioning revealed the depths of the moral and academic rot in higher education. The presidents of Harvard, University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) were asked to testify before Congress on the wave of antisemitism on their campuses after Hamas’s terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, 2023. One question went viral and quickly became the most viewed congressional testimony in United States history. It was truly the hearing heard around the world. 
I know because I asked the question. 
“Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate your university’s code of conduct on bullying or harassment?” This was not a political question. It was a moral one. I thought it would be the easiest, most straightforward question of the hearing. I assumed their answers would be a resounding yes. But to my shock, the presidents of MIT, UPenn, and Harvard, arguably the most prestigious universities in the world, answered one after another deadpan and nearly verbatim: “It depends on the context.” And the world heard.
<div id="attachment_1077739" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1077739" class="size-large wp-image-1077739" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-1825446548-864x576.jpg" alt="Representative Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York, during a House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. Lawmakers on the education committee will grill the leaders of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology about their responses to protests that erupted after the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. Photographer: Haiyun Jiang/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-1825446548-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-1825446548-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-1825446548-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-1825446548.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Haiyun Jiang/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
Their morally bankrupt answers astonished everyone who heard them, including me. These university presidents were supposed to be some of the most learned, intelligent people in America, if not the entire world. They were the people responsible for teaching the next generation of leaders in every field imaginable. They were the leaders of the most prestigious universities in the world. My immediate reaction was apparent to everyone watching. I couldn’t hide my shock. I questioned them further, asking them to elaborate on what they meant—giving them an opportunity to correct the record and state the obvious. And still, they refused to give a clear statement. They refused to state clearly that calling for the genocide of Jews violated their universities’ codes of conduct.
I knew immediately that this was a significant hearing. I didn’t realize in the moment, however, that it would become a historic earthquake that instantly reshaped the debate on higher education overnight. The hearing changed the trajectory of higher education. In the weeks and months that followed, campuses exploded into riotous antisemitic encampments. Subpoenas poured into campuses as Congress opened multiple investigations. Scandal-plagued university presidents and compromised trustees resigned. Campus chaos shaped a presidential election.
Today, as a result of this hearing, elite campuses are in the midst of a generational upheaval. Governance structures are in question. Faculty and curricula are under scrutiny. Billions of dollars in foreign funding have been exposed. The long-standing relationship between the federal government and universities is being revised. Matriculation trends are shifting. Nothing is the same.
Nor should it be. Our hearing reset the course of American higher education. It was a reset that I firmly believe was long overdue.
This book tells the inside story of what is happening on America’s campuses and why. It goes in depth, with an insider’s view, into the deep moral and intellectual rot in higher education. What began as a question about antisemitism triggered a watershed moment.
In the long term, the hearing lit the match for not only accountability, but a far-reaching educational reform movement that has only just begun. This very dark chapter for American colleges and universities can and must lead to light at the end of the tunnel. Our institutions of higher learning have fundamentally lost their way. They strayed far from their founding missions and grew nearly unrecognizable. But that does not mean that the American people have to settle for this rotted and poisoned status quo.
We can and must fix our higher education system and return our colleges and universities to their founding mission. It is within the American people’s power to correct when these schools fundamentally lose their way. And it is our responsibility to ensure that we are educating and not indoctrinating our next generation of leaders. Our colleges and universities should promote academic excellence, intellectual inquiry, and our nation’s highest ideals, not left-wing indoctrination, heinous antisemitism, and anti-Americanism. That’s why it is important to look at what went wrong in this particular moment in history in painstaking detail. By seeing where and why our most elite schools failed, we can chart a better course for the future.
* * *
This excerpt is taken from ​​”<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Poisoned-Ivies-Academic-Americas-Universities/dp/1668087537/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.j306CWFwpsasj544DoZskg.x7d6MxQNY3W7C4_i3nSg1CNXwSThLN55XNmuxbmamSE&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;qid=1776193998&amp;refinements=p_27%3AElise+Stefanik&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1&amp;text=Elise+Stefanik">Poisoned Ivies: The Inside Account of the Academic and Moral Rot at America&#8217;s Elite Universities</a>,” by Elise Stefanik. Copyright © 2026 by Elise Stefanik. Threshold Editions, an imprint of Simon &amp; Schuster, Inc. Reprinted by permission.

Harvard_Ivy_ES

Elise Stefanik: The Moment The Ivy League Lost The Country

antisemitism

Books

Claudine Gay

Congress

Harvard University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

U.S. House of Representatives

University of Pennsylvania

A Jewish self-defense group is partnering with one of the nation’s most prominent gun rights organizations in a move its leaders say reflects a growing sense of urgency within the Jewish-American community.
National Rifle Association and Lox and Loaded will formally announce a new partnership this week — aimed at expanding firearms training, education, and community-based self-defense initiatives — according to a press release obtained exclusively by The Daily Wire.
The collaboration comes amid a dramatic uptick in antisemitism in the United States, particularly in the wake of ongoing tensions involving Iran and a broader spike in anti-Jewish incidents following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. Leaders behind the initiative say the partnership is rooted in a belief that Jewish Americans must take a more active role in their own security.
“In a time when our communities face rising threats and antisemitism, responsible firearm ownership is no longer optional — it’s essential for self-defense and peace of mind,” said Gayle Pearlstein, co-founder of Lox and Loaded in a phone interview with The Daily Wire. “Partnering with the NRA allows us to bring world-class training resources to our members and chapters nationwide.”
Lox and Loaded, founded after the October 7 attacks and the subsequent rise in antisemitic incidents, has rapidly expanded to more than 48 chapters nationwide and over 1,000 members. The organization combines firearms training with community-building, operating under the slogan “Shoot and Schmooze,” while emphasizing safety, preparedness, and cultural connection.
Pearlstein noted that access to NRA-backed training and infrastructure could significantly expand the group’s reach. “Being partnered with the NRA … it’ll make Lox and Loaded’s mission more honorable and attractive to ranges and private gun clubs,” she said, adding that greater access to facilities could help lower costs and improve availability for members across the country.
Membership in Lox and Loaded costs $118 annually, with additional fees for range access and instruction. Pearlstein expressed hope that the NRA’s involvement could help streamline those barriers and lead to more affordable options. “It’d be great if the NRA could get more ranges available … make it easier for our members to find a chapter near them,” she said, adding that many ranges were initially wary of the group.
From the NRA’s perspective, the partnership represents an extension of its longstanding mission to promote firearms safety and training across all communities. “The NRA has always stood for the fundamental right of all law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms,” said Doug Hamlin, CEO and Executive Vice President of the organization. “We are proud to partner with Lox and Loaded to support their important work in the Jewish community.”
NRA officials who spoke with The Daily Wire emphasized that the effort is about access. “We’re making the NRA’s resources available to them,” said Ed Friedman, editor-in-chief of the NRA. 
Friedman pointed to a noticeable cultural shift following recent global and domestic events. “This is becoming a focus of the Jewish community. At my synagogue … there was a lot of openness to carrying during services, but after October 7th it became more organized,” he said, describing a transition from informal conversations to structured planning around security.
Justin Davis, the NRA’s Director of Public Affairs, echoed that sentiment, calling the partnership a natural alignment of missions. “Success here is for every law-abiding citizen to be trained in the safe and effective use of firearms … the sky’s the limit with Lox and Loaded and the NRA,” he said. Davis added that the NRA sees itself as playing a supporting role. “We’re working together on this … we’re here as a resource to help in their mission. We’re here to make this mission go smoother,” he said.
Pearlstein also suggested the partnership could help reshape perceptions of gun ownership in communities that have traditionally been skeptical. “Having the NRA partner with Lox and Loaded shows they are aligned with our mission … it’s opening the door very gently to those more liberal people that would typically be very anti-gun,” she said. “They’re doing it in a very smart, savvy, and gentle way.”
At its core, both organizations say the goal is straightforward: preparedness and protection. “Making the community safer — that’s the goal,” Friedman said.
Pearlstein put it even more bluntly. “We’re very lucky and blessed to be partnered with the NRA,” she said. “They’re helping us save lives.”

new-york-jewish-gun-club-111871311.jpg

EXCLUSIVE: ‘They’re Helping Us Save Lives’: Jewish American Group Partners With 2A Powerhouse

Gun Rights

National Rifle Association (NRA)

A Pakistani national charged with plotting an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack on a Jewish center in New York City pleaded guilty on Wednesday, federal prosecutors said.
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a 21-year-old Pakistani citizen living in Canada, pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Khan was arrested while attempting to illegally enter the United States through the northern border. He &#8220;planned to inflict significant casualties,&#8221; <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/pakistani-national-pleads-guilty-attempting-commit-isis-inspired-attack-jewish-center-new">according to the Department of Justice.</a>
“Khan planned a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks, with the explicit goal of killing as many Jews as possible,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said.
Khan considered Brooklyn&#8217;s large Jewish population as the &#8220;perfect&#8221; venue for his attack, authorities said, and claimed his plan could have resulted in the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil since September 11.
“Muhammad Shahzeb Khan intended to come to New York City and carry out an ISIS-inspired act of terror against our city’s Jewish community,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said. “The NYPD, in close coordination with our federal partners, was able to stop this dangerous plot before it could become a devastating attack.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A Pakistani Muslim migrant named Muhammad Shahzeb Khan has been extradited to the U.S. from Canada after he was indicted for allegedly planning an ISIS mass shooting targeting a Jewish community center in New York City. <a href="https://t.co/GVhAGuC8Q0">pic.twitter.com/GVhAGuC8Q0</a>
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1932834242582495251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Investigators began tracking Khan in November 2023 after he posted ISIS propaganda videos on social media and openly expressed support for the terror group, according to authorities.
Prosecutors said Khan began plotting terrorist attacks in the United States, sharing specific details with two individuals he didn&#8217;t know were undercover law enforcement officers. During those exchanges, Khan told an undercover officer he had a U.S.-based associate and planned to use AR-style assault rifles in an unidentified city to “target Israeli Jewish chabads,&#8221; prosecutors said.
About a year later, authorities say Khan shifted his focus to a Jewish religious center in Brooklyn, hoping to carry out his attack around the first anniversary of the Hamas-led October 7 terror attacks against Israel.
On social media, Khan encouraged what he believed were co-conspirators to acquire AR-style rifles and hunting knives to <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/pakistani-national-pleads-guilty-attempting-commit-isis-inspired-attack-jewish-center-new">“slit their throats.&#8221;</a>
A month before the planned attack, Khan attempted to cross the U.S.-Canada border with the help of a human smuggler. Authorities arrested Khan near Ormstown, Canada, approximately 12 miles from the border.
Khan is set to be sentenced on August 12.

New York City Increases Security At Jewish Religious Sites On Shavuot After Attack In Boulder, Colorado

Inspired By ISIS To Attack A NYC Jewish Center, A Pakistani National Just Entered A Surprising Plea

Terrorism

I don&#8217;t pray to Jesus. I never have. I was raised in a tradition that predates Christianity by a millennium, and when I pray — which I do, regularly, seriously — I do it in Hebrew, facing Jerusalem, according to a liturgy my ancestors carried through exile and persecution for thousands of years.
And I have absolutely zero problem with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth closing a Pentagon press briefing by <a href="https://www.war.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/4438625/secretary-of-war-pete-hegseth-and-chairman-of-the-joint-chiefs-air-force-gen-da/">asking the American people</a> to pray &#8220;on bended knee, with your family, in your schools, in your churches, in the name of Jesus Christ&#8221; for the safety of our troops.
Not an iota of irritation. Not a teaspoon of tumult.
The outrage is a performance — and a particularly threadbare one, conjured in response to perhaps the most banal, good-faith, unambiguously decent request a public official has made in recent memory.
When Hegseth stood at that podium and invoked Christ&#8217;s name on behalf of men and women in harm&#8217;s way, he was drawing on something Americans have done since before there was an America. George Washington is remembered kneeling in the snow at Valley Forge. FDR led the entire nation in prayer on D-Day, asking God for strength and providence as young Americans stormed the beaches at Normandy. Patton once called his chaplain and asked, point blank, for a prayer for good weather. This is the tradition Hegseth reached for — long, deep, distinctly American — the instinct of a nation that has always understood that some moments call for more than a press release.
The critics sputtering this week would have you believe that a cabinet secretary expressing his Christian faith in public is somehow a threat. To whom, exactly — to me? I am one of the people they&#8217;d presumably be defending. I am a Jew in a country that is, by any honest accounting, a majority-Christian nation with a majority-Christian culture and a majority-Christian history. I have known this every day of my life. It has never made me feel like a second-class citizen, because that is not what minority rights actually mean.
Minority rights mean the government cannot compel me to convert. They mean I cannot be prosecuted for my religion, fired from a federal job because I observe Shabbat, or told to leave the country because I don&#8217;t accept the Nicene Creed. They mean I have the full protection of the law and the full dignity of citizenship regardless of my faith. That is the promise of America, and it is a magnificent one — imperfectly but genuinely kept.
What it does not mean is that we all must pretend America has no religious character. It does not mean a Christian official must sand his faith down to a fine, inoffensive powder before speaking in public. It does not mean that mentioning Jesus at a press conference is an act of aggression against anyone.
The conflation of those two things — genuine religious persecution versus a majoritarian culture expressing itself — is doing serious damage to our civic life. Every time a Christian politician prays in public, a certain class of commentator treats it as a prelude to theocracy. This is not only dishonest. It is, as a Jew, a little insulting. It flattens my actual history — a history of pogroms and inquisitions and gas chambers — and asks me to treat a Pentagon official&#8217;s invocation of Christ as a comparable offense. I decline.
There is something else worth saying here. Every Saturday morning, in synagogues across America — certainly in mine — we recite a prayer for the safety of the United States Armed Forces. We do this whether American troops are in active combat or not. We do this because we understand, in the marrow of our tradition, that the soldiers who stand between a free society and its enemies deserve our gratitude and our supplication before God. Pete Hegseth was asking the American people to do what Jews have been doing in shul every week for generations. I recognize the impulse. I share it.
And this: if the worst my government is guilty of is asking faithful Americans to bend their knee in prayer and petition God for the safety of our troops, I will recommit myself to that government every day, and twice on Saturday. More Americans engaging in prayer can only be a positive movement for the nation.
The faith Hegseth expressed — one that asks its adherents to appeal to God on behalf of soldiers who may not come home — is not my enemy. It never has been.
America is a country where Christians pray, where Christian faith shapes public life, where references to Jesus are woven into the culture from the Pledge to the presidency. That is not a grievance. It is simply what a majority-Christian democracy looks like. A proud, observant Jew — or a Muslim, or a Buddhist, or an atheist — can accept that reality without feeling diminished by it. In fact, intellectual honesty requires it.
The capacity to hold both things at once — to cherish the legal protections that shield the minority while accepting the cultural reality of the majority — is one of the more demanding things American pluralism asks of us. It is also non-negotiable. It is the deal.
Hegseth asked people to pray for our troops. I hope they do. I will be saying my own prayers for those soldiers — in my own tradition, as I do each day.
* * *
Daniella Greenbaum Davis is an Emmy-award winning producer and communications strategist. Follow her on X: @DGreenbaum
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Secretary Of War Hegseth And Joint Chiefs Chairman General Caine Hold Briefing On Iran War

I’m Jewish. I Have No Problem With Hegseth’s Prayer.

I'm Jewish. I Have No Problem With Hegseth's Prayer.

Christianity

Opinion

Pentagon

Pete Hegseth

Prayer

U.S. Military

All Jewish organizations in the Detroit area were advised to enter “lockout protocol” amid reports of an active shooter at a synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan.
&#8220;We are aware of a security incident at Temple Israel. We are advising all Jewish organizations to go into lockout protocol &#8211; nobody in or out of your building. More information to follow,” the Jewish Federation of Detroit advised in a statement.
Reports indicate that a car slammed into the temple, after which the driver exchanged fire with security before being killed. The suspect, who reportedly attempted to set off an explosive device, is dead, law enforcement confirmed to The Daily Wire. 
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told people to shelter in place for at least a mile around the temple while law enforcement secures the scene. He said that “nobody at the moment has been confirmed to be hurt except potentially the shooter.”
“We&#8217;re looking to see if there&#8217;s more than one person, we&#8217;re still trying to figure that out, we&#8217;re trying to get access to the video at the moment,” he said, adding they were trying to confirm there were no assailants on foot.
Bouchard said that parents are looking to reunite with their kids at the local Jewish Center.
“It&#8217;s going to be secured by law enforcement, so no fear there. If you have nothing to do with the situation, don&#8217;t go there,” he said. He also said that there would be extra security in place at Jewish facilities in the area.
“All Jewish facilities in the area are going to have a lot of extra presence around it until we figure this out,” he said.
The FBI is also on the scene.
“FBI personnel are on the scene with partners in Michigan and responding to the apparent vehicle ramming and active shooter situation out of Temple Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan,” FBI Director Kash Patel said.

MixCollage-12-Mar-2026-01-13-PM-354

Jewish Organizations In Detroit Told To Lock Down Amid Synagogue Attack

Detroit

Shooting

Police rushed to a large Jewish synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, after an attacker rammed a vehicle into the building and opened fire on Thursday afternoon.
The attacker targeted Temple Israel, which is the largest Reform congregation in the United States. Aerial footage showed smoke pouring out of the building as first responders rushed into the synagogue.
A law enforcement source <a href="https://x.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/2032169431200399865?s=20">confirmed</a> to The Daily Wire that the shooter was armed with a rifle and rammed a car into the synagogue before being killed by armed security in a shootout. The vehicle, which the attacker drove through the doors of the building, caught on fire, and the shooter&#8217;s body was burned.
A security guard at the synagogue engaged the attacker and &#8220;shots were fired,&#8221; according to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard. The shooter was found dead in the vehicle. One security guard was injured after he was hit by the attacker&#8217;s vehicle, but he&#8217;s expected to recover, according to Bouchard. Thirty law enforcement officers were also treated at the hospital for smoke inhalation after they ran into the smoke-filled synagogue to identify any potential threats and locate any victims.
The sheriff <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa2QqMTKLbw">told</a> reporters that no one else in the synagogue was injured.
Temple Israel also has a preschool, and runs a drive-thru food pantry on Thursdays, according to its website. Sheriff Bouchard said &#8220;everyone&#8221; in the preschool had been accounted for.
Authorities were still working to secure the area and ensure that there wasn&#8217;t a second attacker who might have escaped and fled on foot, Bouchard added. Schools in the area remained in lockdown.
The FBI was also on the scene and is now leading the investigation, calling it a &#8220;targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.&#8221;
&#8220;FBI personnel are on the scene with partners in Michigan and responding to the apparent vehicle ramming and active shooter situation out of Temple Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan,&#8221; FBI Director Kash Patel said.
The FBI <a href="https://x.com/FBIDetroit/status/2017244001225564419">held</a> an &#8220;Active Shooter Attack Prevention and Preparedness&#8221; training for clergy and staff at Temple Israel in January.
President Donald Trump said has been briefed on the attack, which he called &#8220;a terrible thing.&#8221;
&#8220;I want to send our love to the Michigan Jewish community and all of the people in the Detroit area following the attack on the Jewish synagogue earlier today,&#8221; Trump said.
Following reports of the attack, Jewish organizations were told to go into lockdown. West Bloomfield has the highest Jewish population in Michigan.
&#8220;We are aware of a security incident at Temple Israel. We are advising all Jewish organizations to go into lockout protocol &#8211; nobody in or out of your building. More information to follow,&#8221; the Jewish Federation of Detroit said.
Aerial footage and video from the ground outside the synagogue showed a massive police presence as officers with long guns walked near the building.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
AERIAL VIEW (via <a href="https://twitter.com/FOX2News?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FOX2News</a>): Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan as law enforcement on scene of reported &#8220;active shooter.&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/livenowfox?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@livenowfox</a> <a href="https://t.co/9icJskNiEK">pic.twitter.com/9icJskNiEK</a>
— Josh Breslow (@JoshBreslowTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshBreslowTV/status/2032148766296256754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After the attack, Temple Israel released a statement on social media, confirming that &#8220;all 140 students in our Susan and Harold Loss Early Childhood Center, our amazing staff, our courageous teachers, and our heroic security personnel are all accounted for and safe.&#8221;
&#8220;As you have no doubt heard, Temple Israel was the victim of a terrorist gunman who was confronted and neutralized by our security personnel who are truly heroes. Our teachers followed their training and kept the children safe and calm,&#8221; Temple Israel added. &#8220;We are deeply and humbly grateful to our teachers, staff, security, law enforcement, and Shenendoah Country Club that welcomed us, fed us, and sheltered our staff, teachers, children, and parents. What incredible neighbors we have. What incredible police force we have. This note is coming to you before we know anything about our future programming or services, or any investigation. We wanted you to know we are safe, and we love you all.&#8221;
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said the attack on Michigan&#8217;s Jewish community was &#8220;heartbreaking.&#8221;
&#8220;Michigan&#8217;s Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace. Antisemitism and violence have no place in Michigan I am hoping for everyone&#8217;s safety,&#8221; Whitmer added. &#8220;Thank you to law enforcement for their swift action.&#8221;
In 2022, a Muslim man named Hassan Chokr drove through the synagogue parking lot of Temple Beth El, a large reformed synagogue in nearby Bloomfield Township, Michigan, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/muslim-felon-threatened-jewish-preschoolers-then-tried-to-buy-guns-doj">shouted</a> antisemitic threats toward preschoolers and their parents. After Chokr was told to leave, he went to a gun store in Dearborn, Michigan, and tried to buy multiple firearms. He was sentenced to 34 months in prison last September.
Last September, a man rammed his truck into a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, before getting out and opening fire. Four people were killed in that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/multiple-injured-church-burning-after-mass-shooting-in-michigan">attack</a> before police killed the attacker.
The attack on Temple Israel in Michigan came shortly after a gunman opened fire at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Three people were wounded in the shooting, and the gunman was killed. The Old Dominion shooter was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/old-dominion-university-gunman-identified-as-ex-national-guardsman-turned-isis-operative?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Old+Dominion+University+Gunman+Identified+As+Ex-National+Guardsman+Turned+ISIS+Operative">identified</a> as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former National Guard soldier who was previously convicted of supporting ISIS. Jalloh was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heroic-students-rally-to-stop-gunman-who-carried-out-suspected-terror-attack-at-old-dominion?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Heroic+Students+Rally+To+Stop+Gunman+Who+Carried+Out+Suspected+Terror+Attack+At+Old+Dominion">subdued</a> by &#8220;a group of brave students,&#8221; according to FBI Director Patel.
This is a developing story; refresh the page for updates.

law_enforcement_montage

Security Guard Takes Out Shooter In Michigan Synagogue Attack

Synagogue

Days after Hamas attacked Israel in 2023, killing some 1,200 people and sparking the war in Gaza, an inverted red triangle was spray-painted on the front of a Jewish bakery in Sydney, the first of a string of antisemitic incidents in Australia.
Sixteen months and thousands of arson, firebombing, graffiti, and hate-speech incidents later, the head of the nation&#8217;s main intelligence agency declared that antisemitism was his number one priority in terms of threat to life.
Sunday&#8217;s shooting attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney&#8217;s Bondi Beach, which killed at least 12 people and wounded dozens, brought to reality a fear that many Australian Jews say they have been living with: that they are no longer safe in the country that was supposed to protect them.
&#8220;This is the worst fears of the Jewish community,&#8221; Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, told Sky News. &#8220;It&#8217;s been bubbling under the surface for a long time, and now it&#8217;s actually happened.&#8221;
Australia&#8217;s Jewish diaspora is small but deeply embedded in the wider community, with about 150,000 people who identify as Jewish in the country of 27 million. About one-third of them are estimated to live in Sydney&#8217;s eastern suburbs, including Bondi.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, calling the Hanukkah shootings a devastating terrorist attack targeting Jewish people, said his government would &#8220;dedicate every resource to making sure you are safe and protected.&#8221;
Amid constant reports of Jewish parents afraid to take their children to daycare and Jewish schools hiring extra security, the government last year appointed its first special envoy to combat antisemitism.
&#8220;Being Jewish, it&#8217;s been a very challenging few years,&#8221; said Terry, who gave only his first name and was at a nearby Hanukkah event that was put into lockdown.
&#8220;Maybe we need to move to Israel one day. The irony is that that&#8217;s looking like the only real safe place in the world we can be as Jews.&#8221;
Ryvchin&#8217;s organisation logged some 1,600 anti-Jewish incidents in the year to September 30, about three times the number in any year before the Hamas attack and Israel&#8217;s response, according to a report it published this month.
One of those incidents was antisemitic graffiti on Ryvchin&#8217;s former home near Bondi Beach in January, the report said.
Other incidents included a childcare centre firebombed and emblazoned with antisemitic graffiti, also in Sydney&#8217;s eastern suburbs, and two public hospital nurses who were sacked after being captured on a social media video-chat platform saying they would turn away Israeli patients.
&#8220;The inevitable has happened now,&#8221; said Rabbi Levi Wolff of Central Sydney Synagogue, speaking in Bondi. As a Jew in Australia, he added, &#8220;You&#8217;re always looking behind you.&#8221;
Reporting by Byron Kaye and Pete McKenzie; Editing by William Mallard

AUSTRALIA-CRIME

For Australia’s Jews, Bondi Shooting Feels Tragically Inevitable

Australia

Global Politics

I recently listened to the daughter of a Hamas sheikh share her story — one that serves as a warning for New York’s mayoral election. For her safety, I’m withholding her name. 
Her mother was Jewish and escaped their Arab village in Israel soon after giving birth. Her father was a wealthy, devout Muslim sheikh with multiple wives. At 14, his daughter chose to live with him, hoping for family and belonging. Instead, what she found was indoctrination and abuse.
Her father woke her routinely in the middle of the night to test her on the Quran. Beatings were justified because, in the Quran, women are only capable of reaching heaven if the men around them are satisfied. At 15, he forced her to marry her 22-year-old cousin. She immediately became pregnant. At six months, her husband beat her in the street for stepping outside her home without permission. She lost the baby at his hands. Her father blamed her — and made her thank her husband for not killing her.
Her father was embedded in Yasser Arafat’s inner circle — the leader of the Palestinian Authority (PLO), and architect of the Second Intifada. The men around her spoke of Israel as a meal to devour “bite by bite” — relentless, incremental, unending. In conversations she overheard, the goal was never compromise. The hate was endless.
She escaped at 17. Homeless, terrified, and alone, when an Israeli social worker discovered her and soon discovered Judaism’s light: a faith rooted in justice, kindness, and human dignity. Today, she raises her children in freedom and dedicates her life to protecting girls from the same abuse she endured.
Her warning is simple: no matter what you give, negotiate, or attempt at nation-building, political Islam’s hate will never stop. 
The ideology that brutalized her doesn’t stay overseas — it is finding its way into our American cities. Hamas wages physical war in Gaza, but its politics are being waged in local councils and mayoral races, where figures like Zohran Mamdani repurpose Hamas-style rhetoric of “resistance” and “liberation” under the banner of socialism.
I’ve seen it firsthand — radical doctrine pushed under the guise of progressive policy. Over the past two years, I helped apply pressure to block two BDS resolutions at the council level in Nashville, Tennessee. This isn’t theory — it’s unfolding through politics, education, and activist networks quietly advancing Islamist agendas to destabilize the West.
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<h3>Politics:</h3>
Islamist‑backed groups like <a href="https://www.cair.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Directory.pdf">CAIR sponsor or support at least 235 elected officials</a> at state and federal levels, shaping policy and narrative — including in the current New York mayoral race. Once in office, these politicians import religious ideology into governance, reshaping norms and weakening Western culture. 
CAIR’s Unity &amp; Justice Fund reportedly contributed <a href="https://www.jns.org/cair-reportedly-donated-100000-to-support-mamdani-campaign-for-nyc-mayor/">$100,000 to Zohran Mamdani’s campaign</a>, reinforcing the alliance between Islamist networks and democratic‑socialist politics. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) have called for a federal investigation into CAIR’s funding sources, questioning whether the organization is financed or directed by Hamas or other terrorist groups. 
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has renewed efforts to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization — a network whose U.S. affiliates, including the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT), hold the deeds to hundreds of mosques and Islamic centers across the United States. CAIR has documented ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, including being listed as a member of its Palestine Committee in the 2007 Holy Land Foundation terrorism‑financing trial, and was named an unindicted co‑conspirator.
<h3>Political Symbols And Education:</h3>
Anti-American and anti-Israel rhetoric are being woven into classrooms, books, and art — disguised as “diversity” or “multiculturalism.” This summer, a public school in downtown Nashville hosted “<a href="https://x.com/StopAntisemites/status/1966492472827101673">Keffiyeh Day</a>,” celebrating a political symbol tied to Yasser Arafat and the Second Intifada. <a href="https://combatantisemitism.org/cam-news/virginia-high-school-students-glorify-violence-in-horrifying-mock-kidnapping-videos/">At Thomas Jefferson High School in Northern Virginia</a>, students from the Muslim Student Association reenacted Hamas kidnappings in keffiyehs to promote their group. These are not isolated incidents — they reflect a broader ideological initiative.
<h3>The Socialist Cover For Islamist Ambition:</h3>
Words like justice, freedom, victim, oppressed, and occupation are being repurposed to advance extremism. Mamdani, who up until recently has refused to condemn chants to “globalize the Intifada” while promoting the anti-American and anti-Israel BDS movement, exposes how Islamist talking points are being mainstreamed through progressive politics. Under the banner of equity and oppression, Mamdani blurs the line between social justice and political Islam — turning compassion into a Trojan horse for division. His rhetoric mirrors the same moral inversion used by groups like Hamas and the BDS movement: recasting terrorists as victims, and democracies like America and Israel as oppressors. It’s not solidarity — it’s subversion.
The solution is not compromise — it’s clarity. If we elect leaders without Western values, we erase Western values.
Just as the daughter of the Hamas sheikh found light after darkness, our communities must commit to deradicalization, education, and the moral courage to say a definitive “no.”
The fight is no longer overseas. It’s here — on our American soil. We must act now, before the next bite is taken.
* * *
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/alyssarosenheck/">Alyssa Rosenheck</a> is a bestselling author, photographer, and advocate. Her forthcoming book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/White-Blonde-Jew-Extremism-Reclaim/dp/1637748329/ref=sr_1_1?crid=UJ7NPIJLIAN4&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.W7OErBmXjvcOkzIL6CaMWA.HJFSsuAGn5R9HuLVL4y2TZQ4fCAJZ29OsWCYVOVWZpY&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=white+blonde+jew&amp;qid=1761853630&amp;sprefix=%2Caps%2C114&amp;sr=8-1">White. Blonde. Jew.</a>, turns the three words meant to silence her into a roadmap for courage and clarity in an age of extremism.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Residents Cast Ballots In New York City Mayoral Election

She Fled Hamas. Now She’s Warning New York About Mamdani.

Hamas

Israel

Middle East

New York City

Radical Islam

Western Civilization

Yasser Arafat

Zohran Mamdani

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) still could not commit on Sunday to endorsing Zohran Mamdani, the self-proclaimed Democratic socialist who won his party&#8217;s nomination in the New York City Mayoral race.
Jeffries, who&#8217;s been asked about endorsing Mamdani on a number of occasions, told ABC&#8217;s Jonathan Karl that he was looking forward to &#8220;continuing&#8221; conversations with Mamdani — and although he didn&#8217;t rule out an endorsement altogether, the fast-approaching general election is becoming more and more likely to pass before he does so.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> that he has not endorsed Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate in the New York City mayoral race, but says he is looking forward to “continuing” conversations.
Read more: <a href="https://t.co/wHsSsY4AJk">https://t.co/wHsSsY4AJk</a> <a href="https://t.co/hlxOyFmicq">pic.twitter.com/hlxOyFmicq</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1979930411577831734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I want to also ask you, we&#8217;re getting closer to the New York mayor&#8217;s race,&#8221; Karl began. &#8220;You still haven&#8217;t endorsed Zohran Mamdani, have you?&#8221;
&#8220;I have not,&#8221; Jeffries declared.
&#8220;Why is that?&#8221; Karl wondered.
&#8220;Well, as I&#8217;ve indicated, I expect to have a conversation with him at some point this week, in advance of early voting which begins next weekend in New York City,&#8221; Jeffries replied. &#8220;And I will certainly have more to say about the mayor&#8217;s race and about our Democratic nominee prior to early voting beginning.
Karl continued to press, however, asking, &#8220;What is though that has held you back? I mean usually, this is someone that won a Democratic primary, you know, usually it wouldn&#8217;t be that much of a question whether or not a Congressman from the city of New York, the Democratic leader would endorse him. What&#8217;s giving you pause?&#8221;
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&#8220;Well, we&#8217;ve had very good conversations over the last few months in advance if the government shutting down,&#8221; Jeffries said, although he did not directly address Karl&#8217;s question. Instead he referred to those conversations as &#8220;forward-looking,&#8221; &#8220;community-based,&#8221; and focused on &#8220;efforts to make New York City more affordable.&#8221;
He gave a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spin-cycle-how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-mamdani">similar answer</a> when he was asked over the summer whether he&#8217;d throw his weight behind Mamdani, saying at the time that he wanted to have &#8220;a conversation&#8221; with the candidate first.
&#8220;Our districts don’t overlap. I have never had a substantive conversation with him. And so that’s the next step in terms of this process to discuss his vision for moving the city forward and addressing the issues that are important to the communities that I represent,” he said, and called on Mamdani directly to “clarify” his position on Israel.
“Globalizing the Intifada, by way of example, is not an acceptable phrasing,” Jeffries concluded. “He’s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward. With respect to the Jewish communities that I represent, I think our nominee is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development.”
Others have suggested that Jeffries, who represents a district that is 11% Jewish, has concerns about Mamdani’s support for BDS — “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions” — against Israel or his claim that, as mayor, he would have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he came to New York City.

House Minority Leader Jeffries Holds Capitol Hill Press Conference

Hakeem Jeffries Won’t Commit To Endorsing Commie Mamdani For NYC Mayor

Hakeem Jeffries Won't Commit To Endorsing Commie Mamdani For NYC Mayor

Gaza

Media

New York Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani would not say whether he thinks Hamas should disarm despite being asked several times during an interview with Fox News&#8217;s Martha MacCallum on Wednesday.
“Do you believe Hamas should lay down their weapons and leave the leadership in Gaza?” MacCallum asked, referencing reports that Hamas has continued killing Palestinian civilians and has not returned all of the deceased hostages&#8217; bodies — including American citizens — in accordance with the deal made earlier this week.
“I think those are bodies and remains that should absolutely be returned, and I think that I have no issue with critiquing Hamas or the Israeli government, because my critiques all come from a place of universal human rights,” Mamdani replied. “And my focus, however, is right here in New York City and transforming the most expensive city in America into one that’s affordable for each and every New Yorker.&#8221; 

Mamdani has faced scrutiny over his stances on Israel throughout his campaign, scrutiny that has not abated since the remaining living hostages were released earlier this week. The New York City area has the largest Jewish population outside of Tel Aviv, according to the Jewish Virtual Library. 
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&#8220;But do you believe that Hamas should lay down their weapons and leave the leadership in Gaza?” MacCallum pressed Mamdani.
“I believe that any future here in New York City is one that have to make sure that’s affordable for all. And as it pertains to Israel and Palestine, that we have to ensure that there is peace. And that is the future we have to fight for.”
“But you won’t say that Hamas should lay down their arms and give up leadership in Gaza?” MacCallum asked. 
“I don’t really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety, and the fact that anything has to abide by international law. And that applies to Hamas, that applies to the Israeli military, applies to anyone you could ask me about,” Mamdani responded.
Election Day in New York City is on Nov. 4, and Mamdani is currently in a high-profile battle against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — running as an independent — and Republican Curtis Sliwa. The candidates are scheduled to debate on Thursday night. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams recently dropped out of the race, and most polling shows Mamdani leading the pack by double digits, according to The<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/polls/nyc-mayoral-election-polls-2025.html"> New York Times</a>.

Mamdani Won’t Say Hamas Must Disarm, Cede Leadership In Gaza

mamdani

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