September 11, 2020
THE WEEK’S BIG 3
Top officials with the Department of Homeland Security directed agency analysts to downplay threats from violent white supremacy, a whistle-blower complaint released on Wednesday said. Vice President Mike Pence and top officials from the Trump campaign are slated to attend a Montana fundraiser next week hosted by a couple who have expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory. A Palestinian woman who played a part in the hijackings of two airplanes has been invited to speak at San Francisco State University later this month, drawing condemnation from Jewish groups.
Read on for more on these headlines, news you can use to fight hate and the latest info about ADL from around the country.
1) DHS Downplayed Threats From White Supremacists, Whistle-Blower Says
“In other instances, the department’s second-highest ranked official, Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, ordered Mr. Murphy to modify intelligence assessments to make the threat of white supremacy ‘appear less severe’ and include information on violent ‘left-wing’ groups and antifa, according to the complaint, which was filed on Tuesday but released Wednesday by the House Intelligence Committee.” The New York Times: READ MORE
+ ADL Resource: Murder and Extremism in the U.S.
2) VP Pence to Attend Event Hosted by QAnon Backers
“The hosts of the fundraiser, Caryn and Michael Borland, have shared QAnon memes and retweeted posts from QAnon accounts, their social media activity shows. The baseless conspiracy theory posits that Trump is fighting entrenched enemies in the government and also involves satanism and child sex trafficking.” Associated Press: FULL STORY
+ ADL Resource: What is QAnon?
3) Palestinian Hijacker Leila Khaled to Speak at San Francisco State University
“In 1969, Khaled and other PFLP members notoriously hijacked TWA Flight 840 bound for Tel Aviv, and a year later hijacked El Al flight 219 traveling from Amsterdam to New York City. She was arrested in London after the El Al flight was rerouted, but was later swapped in a prisoner exchange for civilian hostages taken by PFLP members in another hijacking.” Fox News: FULL STORY
+ READ: ADL’s Statement on Leila Khaled at SFSU
+ ADL Resource: Antisemitism and the Radical Anti-Israel Movement on U.S. Campuses
KEY ADL SOCIAL STATEMENTS
- Voting is an integral part of our democracy, and yet our country has a long history of suppressing the vote & preventing the right to vote for all…
- A new survey from @EchoesReflect shows Holocaust education helps students…
- We commend @USTreasury for sanctioning 2 ex-Lebanese ministers for providing material support to #Hezbollah…
IN THE COMMUNITY
- State elections director opposes Harris County mail ballot plan, says in-person voting safe across Texas (Houston Chronicle)
- California state senator facing antisemitic, homophobic death threats (JTA)
- Louisiana GOP State Rep Under Fire for Tweeting Infamous Antisemitic Mural (Algemeiner)
ADL IN THE NEWS
- The UAE breakthrough could spread tolerance across the region (The Times of Israel – Kenneth Jacobson op-ed)
- White nationalism upsurge in U.S. echoes historical pattern, say scholars (Reuters)
- How Trump And COVID-19 Have Reshaped The Modern Militia Movement (FiveThirtyEight)