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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Meta has removed Instagram and Facebook accounts run on behalf of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after criticism over his support for Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack on Israel that sparked the monthslong war still raging in the Gaza Strip, the company confirmed Friday. Khamenei and accounts associated with the supreme leader had been praising the Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw some 250 others taken hostage. Immediately after the attack, Khamenei backed Hamas in a speech, saying: “We kiss the hands of those who planned the attack on the Zionist regime." Iran has provided arms and support to Hamas, though Tehran isn't believed to have directed the Oct. 7 attack. “He’s used these platforms for years to incite violent antisemitism, to legitimize militant anti-zionism and to make genocidal threats,” Greenblatt wrote online.

Persons: — Meta, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Donald Trump, Mahsa Amini, Tehran isn't, Yemen's, Jonathan Greenblatt, Meta's, “ He’s, ” Greenblatt Organizations: United Arab Emirates, —, Iran's, Organizations, U.S ., United Nations, U.S, Trump, Facebook, Green Movement, Twitter, Zionist, Defamation League Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Israel, Gaza, Menlo Park , California, Iran, America, Tehran, East

☆ Israeli hostage posters at Harvard vandalized with antisemitic messages
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Israeli hostage posters that were hung up at Harvard University had been vandalized with antisemitic messages just as students returned from winter break. Footage shared with CNN by Harvard student Alexander Kestenbaum shows a handful of hostage posters defaced with messages such as “Israel did 9/11.” A poster of a four-year-old Israeli hostage was defaced, while “LIES FAKE” was scrawled over another hostage poster. Photos and videos geolocated by CNN indicate the vandalized posters were hung just outside Holworthy Hall, a first-year student dorm located on the northern edge of Harvard Yard. The Harvard spokesperson said the vandalized posters near the Thayer Gate have been removed and the Harvard University Police Department is investigating the incident. “Instead, they were confronted with vandalism, the defacement of hostage posters, and vile antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Persons: ”, Alexander Kestenbaum, Israel, “, It’s, Kestenbaum, Claudine Gay’s, Jonathan Greenblatt, ” Greenblatt, Getzel Davis, ” Davis, Alan Garber, ” Garber, Larry Summers, Derek Penslar, Summers, Penslar, nauseous, Celina Tebor, Michelle Watson, Nic, Anderson Organizations: New, New York CNN, Harvard University, Harvard, CNN, Harvard Yard, Harvard University Police Department, Cambridge, Visitors, Harvard’s, Equity, Diversity, Defamation, Harvard Hillel, American Academy for Jewish Research, Columbia University, NYPD, Columbia Locations: New York, Harvard’s, Holworthy, Cambridge , Massachusetts, Israel

☆ IBM to pause ad spending on X after its ads ran on pro-Nazi accounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Liam Reilly | Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —IBM on Thursday announced it had suspended advertising on Elon Musk’s X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, after an ad for the computing giant appeared alongside pro-Nazi content. The accounts remained active on X Thursday afternoon, hours after the report was published. No brands had specifically targeted the pro-Nazi accounts identified in Thursday’s report for their advertisements, nor did the company intentionally place their ads there, the spokesperson said. Full stop.”IBM is not the first company to part ways with X after its ad appeared next to hateful content. Musk’s X has also come under fire for reinstating the accounts of users who were previously banned on the social media platform, including far-right and neo-Nazi figures.

Persons: Elon Musk’s, ”, NBCUniversal’s Bravo, Adolf Hitler, Linda Yaccarino, NCTA, Yaccarino, Musk, Jonathan Greenblatt, ” Greenblatt, Musk’s, –, Brian Fung Organizations: New, New York CNN, IBM, Elon, Media, IBM —, Apple, Oracle, Comcast, NBCU, CNN, and Television Association, Gilead Sciences, Adobe, Adobe , New York University Langone Hospital, University of Maryland’s, Whites, Defamation League Locations: New York, Nazi, Adobe ,, America

☆ Opinion | The Question of Anti-Zionism and Antisemitism
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Charles M. Blow | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Last week, I gave a lecture at the University of California at San Diego about politics and social justice. Afterward, as I was signing books, a young Black woman approached my table and whispered a question, asking me what I thought about the horrors playing out in Gaza. Almost all of them described themselves as anti-Zionist, but in our conversations, all of them also condemned antisemitism. When I talked to the pro-Palestinian activists and scholars, I posed a simple question that is often asked: Do you believe that Israel has a right to exist? When I told Greenblatt that none of my interviewees gave a direct “yes” to the right-to-exist question, he said that was “almost indescribably offensive” because he connects any hesitation on the question to historical antisemitism and a denial of the Jewish people’s right to self-determination.

Persons: Jonathan Greenblatt, Defamation League —, ”, I’m, Marc Lamont Hill, “, Hill, Greenblatt, “ There’s, ” Greenblatt, Israel Organizations: University of California, Palestinian, Defamation League, Amnesty, West Bank Locations: San Diego, Gaza, Israel, America, Palestine, East Jerusalem

☆ ADL leader slams corporation's response to terror attacks on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt slammed Corporate America’s response to the terror attacks on Israel as “disappointing at best, disastrous at worst.”“We have arguably the most vibrant commercial sector on the planet. Where were you when your Jewish employees needed you?” Greenblatt said of the CEOs. Greenblatt credited JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Antonio Neri and other executives who condemned the terror attacks and pledged solidarity with the people of Israel. “In America, your Jewish employees are dealing with something that is qualitatively and quantitatively different than any time in living memory. “This is not just some far-off conflict – though that would be enough for CEOs to speak out,” Greenblatt said.

Persons: Jonathan Greenblatt, ” Greenblatt, “, George Floyd, Izzat, Greenblatt, Chase, Jamie Dimon, Antonio Neri, ” Dimon, ” Kathryn Wylde, Martin Luther King, Jr, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Defamation, CNN, ADL, Israeli Defense Forces, Hamas, Wednesday, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, US Chamber of Commerce, Business, “, World Trade, Partnership, Companies, Accenture, Adidas, Eagle, NASCAR, NBA, New York Locations: New York, Israel, Kfar Aza, Israeli, York, New York City, United States, France, United Kingdom

☆ Trump shares post on Jewish New Year attacking American Jews who didn’t support him
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Kate Sullivan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The content of the flier appears to have initially been created by a group calling itself JEXIT, which encourages American Jews to leave the Democratic Party. The American Jewish Committee posted on X: “Claiming that American Jews who did not vote for Mr. Trump voted to destroy America and Israel is deeply offensive and divisive. Your antisemitism is loud & clear.”Trump has a long history of criticizing Jewish American voters who do not support him and of playing into antisemitic tropes. More recently, ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, he criticized American Jews for what he argued was their insufficient praise of his policies toward Israel, including moving the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. While Orthodox Jews lean heavily Republican, American Jews of other denominations, including the Reform and Conservative branches, have identified with or leaned toward the Democrats.

Persons: Donald Trump, “, ”, Trump, “ Trump, ’, Amy Spitalnick, Jonathan Greenblatt, ” Greenblatt, Jerry Nadler, ” Trump, Israel ” Organizations: CNN, Israel, Rosh Hashanah, Democratic Party, Jewish Council, Public Affairs, Defamation League, American Jewish, Mr, Democratic, Jewish, Embassy, Republican Jewish Coalition, Las Vegas ., Republicans, Pew Research Center, Conservative Locations: Rosh, Israel, Rosh Hashana, America, York, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Las Vegas

☆ ADL chief fires back at Elon Musk for waging campaign of harassment against the group
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Greenblatt told CNN on Wednesday that the ADL has seen a surge in threats directed at the organization since Musk began waging his campaign of bullying against the renowned institution. As a result, Greenblatt said, the ADL has been forced to increase its security. Nevertheless, despite the ominous climate, Greenblatt said that the ADL remains undeterred in its mission and insisted that it will not be intimidated. “For over 100 years, the ADL has been the leading anti-hate organization in the country fighting raging anti-semites, wild bigots, hardened anti-Zionists. Greenblatt said that while Musk is blaming the organization for its advertising woes, he has not been talking to advertisers.

Persons: CNN — Elon, Jonathan Greenblatt, Greenblatt, Musk, ” Greenblatt, “, It’s, —, We’ve, I’m, ”, Red Bull, Puck Organizations: CNN, Defamation, ADL, Twitter, Apple, Gatorade, Ritz Crackers, Samsung, NFL, MLB, Paramount, State Farm, IBM, Century Fox ., Washington Post, Street, The New York Times, Bloomberg, CNBC

☆ ADHD may increase risk of anorexia, major depression, PTSD and suicide, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Our study suggests that both ADHD and major depressive disorder are risk factors for suicide attempt,” Freuer said in an email. Instead, “the increased risk for anorexia nervosa can be attributed entirely to ADHD,” Freuer said. Researchers looked for a link between ADHD and seven mental health conditions: anorexia nervosa, anxiety, bipolar disorder, major depression, PTSD, schizophrenia and at least one suicide attempt. “Also on the list are Tourette syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, substance use disorders, eating disorders, learning disabilities and sleep dysfunction,” he added. Both children have the same biological disorder — ADHD — but different environments will uncover different symptoms such as anxiety or depression, Greenblatt said.

Persons: ”, Dennis Freuer, “, ” Freuer, isn’t, ” Mayo, Freuer, “ Impulsivity, James Greenblatt, Greenblatt, ” Greenblatt, ideation Organizations: CNN, University of Augsburg, Mayo Clinic, Walden Behavioral Care, Mental Health Locations: Germany, Waltham , Massachusetts, fizkes

CNN —Robert Bowers, the gunman who killed 11 worshippers at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, was convicted by a federal jury Friday on all 63 charges against him. Bowers was also convicted of 11 counts of hate crimes resulting in death. The shooting unfolded on a day when the synagogue was hosting three congregations, Tree of Life, Dor Hadash and New Light, for weekly Shabbat services. In addition to the 11 killed, two worshippers and four responding police officers were wounded. Before the shooting, Bowers spent years posting about attacks on immigrants and Jewish people on Gab, a small social media platform used by far-right extremists.

Persons: Robert Bowers, Bowers, David Klug Diane Rosenthal, Cecil, David Rosenthal, ‘, ’, Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, ” Myers, ” “, ”, Jonathan Greenblatt, that’s, ” Greenblatt, Dan Frankel, “, Frankel, ” Bowers, Robert Bowers David Klug, Robert Colville, Elisa Long, ” Long, Eric Olshan, ” Olshan, Dor Hadash, Andrea Wedner, Rose Mallinger, ’ ”, Mary Hahn, – Organizations: CNN, U.S, Attorney, Defamation League, Pennsylvania, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Police, Immigrant Aid Society Locations: Maryland, New York

☆ Tucker Carlson texted 'It's not how white men fight,' New York Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jon Passantino | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —In a newly revealed text message, ousted Fox News host Tucker Carlson made a racist comment and said he found himself briefly rooting for a mob of Trump supporters to kill a person, according to the New York Times. The text message alarmed Fox’s board of directors and played a role in Carlson’s abrupt firing last month, the paper reported. Tucker Carlson did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment. At the end of his text, Carlson reportedly continued that he does not condone violence. “What’s not news is the fact that Tucker Carlson is a white nationalist,” Greenblatt tweeted.

☆ An estimated $16 billion worth of bets will be placed on the Super Bowl
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —With more states legalizing gambling on sports, Super Bowl LVII will probably be the biggest event for the industry ever. But how will casino and online/mobile sports betting companies stand out in an increasingly crowded field? “We have prepared for this Super Bowl like never before,” Greenblatt said. That’s more than double the number of wagers on last year’s Super Bowl. That’s different from 2021 when customer growth was being rewarded.”That being said, both DraftKings and FanDuel still plan to advertise during this year’s Super Bowl.

Under Musk’s leadership, Twitter has slashed its staff, relaxed some of its content moderation policies and reinstated a number of incendiary accounts that were previously banned. Those moves raised concerns that Musk’s Twitter could contribute to a rise in public displays of hate and antisemitism offline. Musk, however, has repeatedly pushed back at claims that hate speech is rising on the platform. Twitter, which eliminated much of its public relations team during last year’s layoffs, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “With this direct and heightened threat environment in mind, how will you work with other stakeholders to combat the rise of antisemitism on Twitter?,” Moskowitz concludes in his letter to Musk.

☆ Dave Chappelle’s ‘SNL’ monologue sparks backlash as being antisemitic
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Dave Chappelle’s comments about the Jewish community during his “Saturday Night Live” monologue are being slammed as antisemitic. Anti-Defamation League chief executive officer Jonathan Greenblatt took to Twitter on Sunday to criticize the comedian and the NBC late night show. “We shouldn’t expect @DaveChappelle to serve as society’s moral compass, but disturbing to see @nbcsnl not just normalize but popularize #antisemitism,” Greenblatt tweeted. “But if they’re Jewish, it’s a coincidence and you should never speak about it.”Chappelle went on to talk about the abundance of Jewish people in Hollywood. “But it’s a crazy thing to say out loud.”Writer Adam Feldman tweeted “That Dave Chappelle SNL monologue probably did more to normalize anti-Semitism than anything Kanye said.”“Everyone knows Kanye is nuts,” Feldman wrote.

“To that end, we’ve made the decision to suspend our relationship with Kyrie Irving effective immediately and will no longer launch the Kyrie 8. Reporters asked Irving earlier Thursday – before he posted his apology – if he holds antisemitic beliefs or if he was sorry. When asked Friday if there was any consideration of releasing Irving, Nets general manager Sean Marks replied, “No. Asked if he had any antisemitic beliefs, Irving responded: “I respect all walks of life. “Kyrie Irving made a reckless decision to post a link to a film containing deeply offensive antisemitic material,” Silver said in a statement before Irving apologized.

☆ Kyrie Irving will begin suspension of at least 5 games Friday over antisemitism controversy. The NBA star has since apologized
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Aya Elamroussi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The Nets suspended Irving Thursday after he initially doubled down on his decision to share the content on his Twitter account. Reporters asked Irving earlier Thursday – before he posted his apology – if he holds antisemitic beliefs or if he was sorry. Asked if he had any antisemitic beliefs, Irving responded: “I respect all walks of life. After Irving was suspended Thursday, the ADL refused to accept a $500,000 donation that Irving and the Nets had previously announced. “Kyrie Irving made a reckless decision to post a link to a film containing deeply offensive antisemitic material,” Silver said in a statement before Irving apologized.

☆ Ye’s graveyard of hate: What Kanye West’s agreement to purchase Parler actually means
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN Business —After being locked out of his Twitter and Instagram accounts for anti-semitic posts, Monday’s announcement Kanye West will buy the far-right social platform Parler for an undisclosed amount drove headlines. As of press time, the music icon had just 10,000 followers on the platform — a tiny sliver of the 31 million followers he has amassed on Twitter. (By comparison Twitter, also a small social platform compared to giants like Meta, has more than 237 million daily active users.) In truth, West did not even agree to purchase a “conservative social media platform,” as many headlines in the press would have led readers to believe. What he agreed to purchase is a platform with an embarrassingly small user base comprised of far-right extremists and racists.

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