At campus symposium, Jewish panelists push back as billionaire Bill Ackman defends Trump’s feud with Harvard

In the days before hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman was to speak at Sunday’s conference on “Jews and Elite Universities” at New York’s Center for Jewish History, some 60 scholars signed a letter objecting that the vocal critic of Harvard’s handling of antisemitism allegations had no place speaking in such a setting. The signers, either […]

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Larry David’s ‘My Dinner with Adolf’ essay skewers Bill Maher’s meeting with Trump

Add Larry David to the list of celebrities who were put off by comedian Bill Maher’s friendly sitdown with President Trump. In a New York Times opinion piece, “My Dinner with Adolf,” the Jewish creator of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” imagines a get-to-know-you meeting “at the Old Chancellery with the world’s most reviled man, Adolf Hitler.” […]

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Appalling or ‘common sense,’ Trump’s Gaza proposal reinforces his image as disruptor in chief

For all the millions of words written about Donald Trump’s inexplicable (to his opponents, anyway) political appeal, the simplest explanation may be the way he channels coffee shop banter into actual policy proposals. Too many immigrants? Build a wall. Greenland’s a commodity? Let’s buy it. Gaza is a wasteland? Let’s clear it out — of […]

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Trump taps Mel Gibson, actor-director with record of antisemitism, as ‘special ambassador’ to Hollywood

For years following his highly publicized antisemitic outbursts, Mel Gibson couldn’t find much work in Hollywood. But now he’s back in the filmmaking capital — as Donald Trump’s “special ambassador.” The president-elect announced Thursday he was appointing the actor-director, along with fellow conservative celebrities Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone, to the newly created role of […]

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Rubio, in Israel-heavy confirmation hearing, says US should revoke visas for ‘a supporter of Hamas’

In a Senate confirmation hearing that often turned to discussion of Israel, Marco Rubio voiced his view that the United States should revoke the visas of any “supporter of Hamas” in the country. The Florida GOP senator, who is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of state, also used his Wednesday hearing to back an […]

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Trump named Mike Huckabee ambassador to Israel. Is that a sign of the second coming of annexation?

WASHINGTON — When Donald Trump appointed David Friedman as his ambassador to Israel eight years ago, American Jews sensed — correctly — that it would presage big changes in the U.S.-Israel relationship.  Unlike any of his predecessors, Friedman was an Orthodox Jew and a public supporter of West Bank settlements. His ascension led to the […]

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