A tribunal in the Australian state of Victoria has determined that the chant “All Zionists are terrorists,” shouted during a rally in central Melbourne, amounted to racial and religious vilification rather than protected political expression about Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, according to local media reports.
The case was brought by Melbourne Jewish community advocate Menachem Vorchheimer against Hash Tayeh, a former owner of the Burgertory restaurant chain and a well-known anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian activist. Tayeh led the chant at a protest held in May 2024.
In testimony cited by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, Vorchheimer described the personal impact of the slogan. “The notion of being labeled the derogatory term of ‘terrorist’ for something I have no responsibility for, and for that to be seen as normal, is gut-wrenching and soul-destroying to me,” he said. “I felt dehumanized. I felt like the lowest of the low. I no longer feel safe going into the Melbourne CBD, given I am identifiably Jewish.”
Tayeh contended that the chant was aimed at the Israeli government and those who support its policies, not at Jewish people as a group. He argued that protest slogans often distill complex political views into sharp, provocative language.
The tribunal rejected that argument. Citing the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001, it concluded that because a substantial majority of Australian Jews identify as Zionists, the slogan did not meaningfully separate political ideology from Jewish identity and therefore amounted to incitement of hatred against a racial and religious community.
In her ruling, Judge My Anh Tran dismissed the claim that the chant was shielded as political speech, writing, “There is no right to a catchy rally slogan.”
The Jewish Center for Law and Justice, an Australian organization that monitors antisemitism, praised the outcome. Its chief executive, Alessandra Steele, described the decision as a landmark that “draws an important line in the sand.”
Steele added that for many Jewish Australians, Zionism is deeply intertwined with cultural, religious and familial ties to Israel, and said that branding an entire group as terrorists “serves to reverse victim and perpetrator, inciting hatred and division.”
{Matzav.com}
The United States has reportedly presented Iran with sweeping conditions in ongoing nuclear negotiations, demanding that Tehran dismantle its three primary nuclear facilities and ship its stockpile of enriched uranium to the United States as part of any future agreement.
According to officials familiar with the discussions, the American proposal calls for Iran to take apart key components of its nuclear infrastructure at its main enrichment sites and surrender its accumulated enriched uranium to U.S. custody. The move would represent a far more stringent framework than previous arrangements, aiming to permanently restrict Iran’s ability to produce material that could be used for nuclear weapons.
The three sites at the center of the demand are understood to be Iran’s principal nuclear facilities, long viewed by Western governments as critical to the country’s enrichment capabilities. U.S. negotiators are said to be seeking full dismantlement rather than temporary suspension or monitoring measures.
The proposal also includes the transfer of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile out of the country. Such a step would remove material that could potentially be further enriched to weapons-grade levels, addressing one of Washington’s primary security concerns.
Iranian officials have previously maintained that their nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes and have resisted calls to eliminate enrichment entirely. Tehran has historically insisted on its right to maintain civilian nuclear capabilities under international agreements.
The renewed push comes amid heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear activities and ongoing diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation. President Donald Trump has publicly backed a hardline negotiating approach, signaling that any agreement must ensure that Iran cannot reconstitute a nuclear weapons capability.
It remains unclear how Tehran will respond to the latest demands. Past rounds of talks have stalled over disagreements regarding enrichment limits, sanctions relief, and verification mechanisms. The outcome of the current negotiations could shape the future of U.S.-Iran relations and broader stability in the region.
{Matzav.com}
New York City politician Brad Lander, joined by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, criticizes AIPAC in a newly released campaign video as Lander mounts a primary challenge for Congress, Times of Israel reports.
Lander is seeking the Democratic nomination to represent New York’s 10th Congressional District, where he is running against incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman.
Both Lander and Goldman are Jewish progressives and share similar positions on several national issues, including opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies and other key matters. However, Lander has taken a more hardline stance than Goldman on Israel. While Goldman has publicly criticized the Netanyahu government, Lander has gone further, including accusing Israel of genocide. The former city comptroller has also aligned himself closely with Mamdani, whom he supported during the mayoral race.
The campaign video features Lander and Mamdani walking together as they exchange remarks. “I’m Brad Lander, a lifelong progressive, and I’m running for Congress,” Lander says.
“A lifelong progressive? You mean you haven’t sold out to special interests?” Mamdani replies.
“Or AIPAC either,” Lander says.
“That’s impressive, though it shouldn’t be,” Mamdani responds.
The short clip singles out AIPAC as the only organization mentioned by name.
AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group, has in recent years become a frequent target of criticism from both progressive activists on the left and populist voices on the right.
{Matzav.com}
The Trump administration has filed a federal lawsuit against the University of California, alleging that administrators at UCLA failed to properly address complaints of antisemitism by employees and permitted what it describes as a hostile work environment for Jewish and Israeli staff members in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
The legal action, brought in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, marks a significant escalation in the administration’s scrutiny of the UC system and centers specifically on conduct at UCLA.
According to the Justice Department, the campus has been affected by an ongoing problem of “severe and pervasive” antisemitism. The complaint references pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including a protest in January, that federal officials contend crossed the line into anti-Jewish or anti-Israel activity.
The case was initiated by the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department against the Regents of the University of California. It alleges violations of Title VII, the federal statute that prohibits discrimination in the workplace.
Court records show that the complaint, filed Tuesday, is designated as Case No. 2:26-cv-01946 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
In a statement issued by UCLA, Chancellor Julio Frenk said antisemitism is unacceptable at the university and outlined a series of steps the institution has taken in response. These include strengthening campus safety leadership and coordination, creating an Initiative to Combat Antisemitism, restructuring the Office of Civil Rights, appointing a dedicated Title VI/Title VII officer, tightening time, place, and manner policies, and supporting anti-antisemitism community organizations through the Frankel settlement, under which more than $6 million has been allocated for anti-discrimination reforms.
University officials stated that these initiatives and enforcement measures are having an impact and said UCLA intends to continue defending its record while working to ensure a secure and inclusive campus environment.
The lawsuit comes after a series of civil rights inquiries launched since 2025 involving the UC system or specific campuses. In August, the administration sought nearly $1.2 billion to resolve civil rights investigations connected to UCLA. Those probes included claims related to antisemitism complaints by students and staff, race-based affirmative action policies, and campus policies recognizing transgender individuals’ gender identities.
The newly filed case stems from a federal investigation into workplace antisemitism that began last March. At that time, government lawyers indicated they believed there might be a broader pattern of discrimination affecting Jewish employees.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the department’s review concluded that UCLA administrators allegedly permitted “virulent anti-Semitism” to take root on campus and said the lawsuit reflects the department’s stance against antisemitism.
In announcing the lawsuit, the Justice Department further alleged that Jewish and Israeli faculty and staff members were subjected to a hostile work environment and that multiple employees felt compelled to take leave, work remotely, or resign from their positions.
At the same time, some protesters and civil liberties advocates maintain that political opposition to Israel must be distinguished from hostility toward Jews as Jews. They argue that backing Palestinian rights, criticizing Israeli government policy, or expressing opposition to Zionism does not automatically constitute antisemitism unless it relies on anti-Jewish tropes, assigns collective blame to Jews, or targets Jewish individuals because of their identity.
Those who draw that distinction often reference the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition, which states that “criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic.”
{Matzav.com}
