Israel-Palestine

12/11 4:02 PM PT -- Yale President, Peter Salovey, has released a statement on the incident ... claiming it's still unknown if the perpetrator was an actual student at Yale, and correcting information floating around stating the incident happened on campus.

Salovey's statement reads, "Yale condemns in the strongest possible terms the desecration of a menorah on the New Haven Green during the religious holiday of Chanukah. The placement of a Palestinian flag on the menorah conveys a deeply antisemitic message to Jewish residents of New Haven, including members of the Yale community."

He continues, "Yale’s regulations reach conduct occurring on or off campus that imperils the integrity and values of the University community, and if such conduct is committed by a member of the Yale community, we take action. Yale has asked the New Haven police to investigate this incident and Yale may conduct its own investigation. Desecration of property such as a religious object is a crime under Connecticut law."

Salovey says the school does not yet have any info on whether or not the suspect is a member of the Yale community.

A pro-Palestinian student at Yale tried to co-opt the symbol of the current Jewish holiday by planting a Palestinian flag on a menorah.

The student climbed the oversized menorah, the symbol of Hanukkah, as others screamed, "Get the f**k down!," and "It looks bad for us" ... as seen in viral video posted by attorney Jake Dressler.

One student is seen climbing the menorah to 86 the flag. The flag has now been removed.

It's the latest skirmish on college campuses around the country -- especially elite colleges and universities. As you know, the President of the University of Pennsylvania resigned Saturday after a torrent of criticism over her testimony in Congress Monday, where she would not squarely say calling for the genocide of Jews was bullying or harassment.

Liz Magill -- the president of the University of Pennsylvania -- is stepping down after equivocating over the "genocide of Jews" and whether calling for that violated their rules.

The announcement over Magill's resignation came down Saturday straight from Penn itself -- with a statement from a member of the Board of Trustees reading ... "I write to share that President Liz Magill has voluntarily tendered her resignation as President of the University of Pennsylvania. She will remain a tenured faculty member at Penn Carey Law."

This follows a turbulent week on Capitol Hill, where Magill and 2 other presidents of prominent universities -- namely, Harvard and M.I.T. -- were grilled by lawmakers over the rise in antisemitism on college campuses after the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel.

When asked by Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican, if calling for the genocide of Jews, in and of itself, violated Penn's rules or code of conduct ... Magill gave a qualifying answer instead of just saying yes or no -- essentially explaining that it depended on the context.

Magill went on to say if the speech Stefanik referred to turned into actual action, it could then potentially constitute harassment. Stefanik gave her yet another opportunity to answer more directly -- again, over whether calling for the genocide of Jews was a rule-breaker -- and Magill kept giving conditional responses ... which turned into a testy exchange.

That all went viral, and Magill later apologized in a video posted to Penn's social media pages -- where she was much more clear ... yes, calling for the genocide of Jews is obviously in violation of the university's policies -- something she should've just said up front.

Just about everyone was stunned that Magill wouldn't just acknowledge that what Stefanik was (literally) asking was terrible and not in line with the university's values -- even if there's nuanced context to what exactly university students are saying/protesting for on campus.

We got into this issue further with a MIT free speech advocate ... who gave us a puzzling response to whether the KKK calling for the genocide of African-Americans on a college campus would be met with the same kind of response as calling for the genocide of Jews.

Apparently, it'd be dealt with differently ... but the reasons for why are still unclear, it seems.

Of course, this all stems from the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas -- which has thrust innocent people into the mix ... and has spurred a lot of people across the country to hit the streets to voice support ... mostly for Palestine. A lot of that rhetoric though -- namely, criticizing Zionism -- has been viewed as outright antisemitic hate speech by some.

Selena Gomez is catching heat over her relationship with Benny Blanco -- and it seems she's dealing with it by leaning on one of her best gal pals ... Taylor Swift.

The singer/actress stepped out Friday night in NYC for what turned out to be an all-female power dinner with not just Taylor -- but Cara Delevingne and Zoe Kravitz as well ... and later in the evening, Anya Taylor-Joy too. Sophie Turner was a tad bit busy, it seems.

Anyway, everybody was dressed to the nines for their pap walk ... including Selena, who was in some sort of snakeskin outfit that looked great on her. She was clearly ready for pics.

The group of ladies are said to have hit up a venue for Brooklyn for a comedy show, and then went to an Italian joint nearby shortly thereafter. As they came and went, the crew was putting on a pretty united front -- with T-Swift, of course, being the main centerpiece.

We know Selena and Taylor are tight, and they've gone out for high-profile dinners like this before ... so on its face, it's just a group of friends getting together to paint the town red.

Now, with the added context of this new "controversy," Selena finds herself in as it pertains to Benny -- whom she confirmed she was dating this week -- it lops on an extra layer of intrigue and speculation, as the timing appears to be too close to be a mere coincidence.

Fact is, fans (and haters) of hers suspect this outing might've likely been coordinated by Selena herself as a way to send a message to everyone who's up in arms about Benny.

That message being ... I'M HERE, AND I AIN'T GONNA BE SHAMED INTO GOING DARK!

Part of the reason she's catching flak over Benny -- aside from the fact people think she's "dating down" by being with him -- is because of this alleged IG comment she apparently responded to over the past 24 hours ... which points to her recent remarks on Palestine.

Someone slammed Selena for feeling the need to be very vocal over her relationship with BB, but shying away from the Palestine-Israel issue and taking a social media break over something objectively more important ... to which she replied "you're right."

If it sounds like an unfair critique ... well, you might have an argument that it totally is.

Joe Biden's L.A. fundraiser was interrupted Friday by screaming pro-Palestinian demonstrators as police in riot gear stood guard, trying to keep the peace.

The 46th Prez arrived by motorcade to last night's political event in Holmby Hills, where dozens of demonstrators had gathered to voice their anger over what they see as the extermination of the Palestinians by Israel.

Scores of Palestinians have been killed since the bloody Israel-Hamas war began in October. At the time, Hamas terrorists invaded the Jewish state and slaughtered 1,400 Israelis, triggering the deadly conflict. Hamas rules over the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

During Friday's fundraiser, demonstrators threw objects at officers and passing vehicles, while holding up signs that read, "No votes for mass murderer," a reference to Biden's 2024 presidential bid. They were also chanting "Free free, Palestine" and "Long Live Palestine."

LAPD Chief Michel Moore said his officers did not have to use force or make any arrests because the demonstrators eventually dispersed.

Meanwhile, Biden delivered a short speech at the celebrity-studded event, calling his 2024 Republican rival, Donald Trump, a threat to democracy. He also talked about his first-term economic successes and the federal judges he has confirmed to the courts.

La recaudación de fondos de Joe Biden en Los Ángeles fue interrumpida el viernes por manifestantes pro-palestinos que gritaban, mientras la policía con equipos antidisturbios montaba guardia y trataba de mantener la paz.

El 46º Presidente llegó en caravana al acto político de anoche en Holmby Hills, donde decenas de manifestantes se habían reunido para expresar su ira por lo que consideran el exterminio de los palestinos por Israel.

Decenas de palestinos han muerto desde que comenzó la sangrienta guerra entre Israel y Hamás en octubre. Entonces, los terroristas de Hamás invadieron el Estado judío y masacraron a 1.400 israelíes, desencadenando el sangriento conflicto.

Durante la recaudación de fondos el viernes, los manifestantes arrojaron objetos a los agentes y a los vehículos que pasaban, y llevaron pancartas que decían "No votes por un asesino (mass murderer)", en referencia a la candidatura presidencial de Biden para 2024. También coreaban "Free free, Palestine" y "Long Live Palestine".

El jefe de la policía de Los Ángeles, Michel Moore, dijo que sus agentes no tuvieron que usar la fuerza ni realizar ningún arresto porque los manifestantes acabaron dispersándose.

Mientras tanto, Biden pronunció un breve discurso en el evento repleto de celebridades, en el que calificó a su rival republicano de 2024, Donald Trump, como una amenaza para la democracia. También habló de los éxitos económicos de su primer mandato, así como de los jueces federales que ha confirmado.

Susan Sarandon's antisemitic rant has now cost her a role in a project -- just the latest hit to her career after she bashed Jews.

The actress has been dropped from a short film she was set to star in called "Slipping Away" -- this according to the co-founder of the production company that was putting it together.

David Barroso of PTO Films tells Page Six ... "As a company, PTO Films would like to make it clear that Susan Sarandon’s views do not reflect the opinions of our organization. We were considering her for a short film, but due to her recent statements, we have decided to pursue other options."

"Slipping Away" had been listed as an upcoming title on Sarandon's IMDb page, but it's gone now. There are 4 other future productions she's attached to -- three of them are in post-production and one is still in pre-production. Unclear if her roles in those are affected yet.

Remember ... Sarandon caught heat for speaking up at a pro-Palestine rally in NYC recently, but what she said specifically ended up costing her. The antisemitic comment in question was ... "There are a lot of people afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country."

El discurso antisemita de Susan Sarandon le ha costado un papel en un proyecto y es solo el último golpe a su carrera después de que atacara a los judíos.

La actriz ha sido retirada de un cortometraje que iba a protagonizar llamado "Slipping Away", según el cofundador de la productora que lo estaba organizando.

David Barroso de PTO Films le dijo a Page Six: "Como empresa, a PTO Films le gustaría dejar claro que las opiniones de Susan Sarandon no reflejan las opiniones de nuestra organización. Estábamos considerándola para un cortometraje, pero debido a sus recientes declaraciones, hemos decidido buscar otras opciones".

"Slipping Away" figuraba como próximo título en la página IMDb de Sarandon, pero ya no está. Hay otras cuatro próximas producciones con las que está vinculada, tres de ellas en fase de postproducción y una aún en fase de preproducción. No está claro si sus papeles en esos proyectos se verán afectados todavía.

Recuerden, Sarandon recibió críticas en las redes tras hablar en una manifestación pro-Palestina en Nueva York recientemente. Lo que dijo específicamente terminó costándole caro. El comentario antisemita en cuestión fue: "Hay mucha gente que tiene miedo de ser judía en este momento y están saboreando lo que se siente ser musulmán en este país".

An American warship was attacked in the Red Sea this weekend as the fighting between Israel and Hamas picked back up again -- and the U.S. government says Yemen did it.

The USS Carney -- a Naval destroyer of ours that patrols the region -- was bombarded with missiles and drones over the course of 5 hours Sunday, but appears to have fought off much of (if not all) of the incoming fire ... this according to Pentagon officials.

There were accompanying commercial ships that were traversing the Red Sea alongside Carney -- and reports say some of those might've been hit during the cross fire.

None of those commercial ships are American, but some are said to have British and Israeli ties ... allies of the U.S. Government officials say Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility, although the rebels didn't specifically ID Carney as a target. Still, it appears the warship was caught up in it all ... at this point, no casualties have been reported.

The Houthi militia stand in solidarity with Hamas and are warning vessels that they believe come from Israel to stay out of the area -- and claim the ships that were attacked Sunday failed to heed their commands and evacuate the space.

Obviously, this comes on the heels of the end of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel last week -- with the IDF now continuing their campaign in Gaza to secure hostages.

It's unclear how the U.S. will respond to the Houthi aggression -- but it goes without saying ... attacking an American warship could easily result in an escalation of tensions on our end.

Un buque de guerra estadounidense ha sido atacado en el Mar Rojo este fin de semana al reanudarse los combates entre Israel y Hamás, y el gobierno de Estados Unidos afirma que ha sido Yemen.

El USS Carney, un destructor naval norteamericano que patrulla la región, fue bombardeado con misiles y aviones no tripulados en el transcurso de 5 horas el domingo, pero parece haber luchado contra la mayor parte (si no todos) del fuego entrante, esto de acuerdo con funcionarios del Pentágono.

Estaba acompañando a los buques comerciales que atravesaban el Mar Rojo junto a Carney, y los informes dicen que algunos de ellos podrían haber sido alcanzados durante el fuego cruzado.

Ninguno de esos buques comerciales es estadounidense, pero se dice que algunos tienen vínculos británicos e israelíes. Aliados de los EE.UU. y funcionarios del gobierno dicen que los rebeldes Houthi en Yemen han reivindicado la responsabilidad, aunque los rebeldes no identificaron específicamente a Carney como un objetivo. Aun así, parece que el buque de guerra se vio envuelto en todo por el momento, no se ha informado de víctimas.

La milicia Houthi solidariza con Hamás y le advierte a los buques que ellos creen que proceden de Israel que se mantengan fuera de la zona y afirman que los buques que fueron atacados el domingo no hicieron caso a sus órdenes y evacuaron el espacio.

Obviamente, esto viene tras el fin del alto el fuego entre Hamás e Israel la semana pasada, con las FDI continuando ahora su campaña en Gaza para asegurar a los rehenes.

No está claro cómo los EE.UU. responderá a la agresión Houthi, pero no hace falta decir que atacar a un buque de guerra estadounidense podría fácilmente dar lugar a una escalada de tensiones en nuestro extremo.

Julianna Margulies recientemente dijo que a las personas negras les han "lavado el cerebro" para odiar a los judíos,  algo de lo que ahora se arrepiente y se disculpa.

La actriz, que es judía, hizo el comentario incendiario a finales del mes pasado en un podcast con Andy Ostroy, en donde hablaron sobre el abrumador apoyo de los jóvenes a Palestina en la guerra entre Israel y Hamás, algo que atribuyeron al antisemitismo.

En concreto, Margulies mencionó a los afroamericanos y a las personas de la comunidad LGBTQ+ como totalmente equivocados en su posición sobre el asunto, diciendo que serían los primeros en ser discriminados -si no directamente asesinados- en casi cualquier país musulmán.

Luego expresó su incredulidad por el hecho de que la comunidad negra, como grupo, parece estar hablando en contra de Israel y los sionistas, algo que ella aparentemente ve como odio a los judíos en general. Luego, sacó a colación que estos habían apoyado a los negros durante la época de los Derechos Civiles y ellos deberían hacer lo mismo a cambio.

A continuación, dijo que un reciente documental de Ken Burns sobre el Holocausto debería ser considerado como visionado obligatorio en las escuelas por estos días, especialmente entre la comunidad negra, de quienes sugirió que, o bien no conocían la horrible historia, o probablemente habían sido enseñados a "odiar a los judíos".

Sus declaraciones causaron una gran cantidad de reacciones y el viernes se retractó, diciendo: "Estoy horrorizada por el hecho de que las declaraciones que hice en un podcast reciente ofendieron a las comunidades negra y LGBTQIA +, comunidades que realmente amo y respeto".

Margulies continuó: "Quiero ser 100% clara: el racismo, la homofobia, el sexismo o cualquier prejuicio contra las creencias personales o la identidad de cualquier persona son aborrecibles para mí y punto".

Y añadió: "A lo largo de mi carrera he trabajado incansablemente para combatir el odio de todo tipo, acabar con el antisemitismo, hablar en contra de grupos terroristas como Hamás y forjar un frente unido contra la discriminación".

Julianna Margulies recently said Black people were "brainwashed" to hate Jews -- something she now regrets ... and is apologizing over.

The actress, who's Jewish, made the inflammatory comment late last month on a podcast appearance with Andy Ostroy ... where they talked about young people's overwhelming embrace of Palestine in the Israel-Hamas war -- something they chalked up to antisemitism.

Specifically, Margulies mentioned African-Americans and people in the LGBTQ+ community as being wholly misguided in their position on the matter ... saying they'd be the first ones to be discriminated against -- if not outright killed -- in just about any Muslim country.

JM went to express disbelief that Black people, specifically, as a group seemed to be speaking out against Israel/Zionists -- which she apparently views as hating on Jews, at large, as well -- and then brought up the fact that Jewish people had stood with Blacks during the Civil Rights era ... and basically said the same should be done now in return.

She then said that a recent Ken Burns doc on the Holocaust should be mandatory viewing in schools these days -- especially for the Black community ... whom she suggested either didn't know the horrid history, or whom she said had probably been taught to "hate Jews."

It caused a lot of backlash, and on Friday ... she folded, saying -- "I am horrified by the fact that statements I made on a recent podcast offended the Black and LGBTQIA+ communities, communities I truly love and respect."

Margulies continued ... "I want to be 100% clear: Racism, homophobia, sexism, or any prejudice against anyone’s personal beliefs or identity are abhorrent to me, full stop."

She added ... "Throughout my career I have worked tirelessly to combat hate of all kind, end antisemitism, speak out against terrorist groups like Hamas, and forge a united front against discrimination."

Susan Sarandon is now walking back antisemitic remarks she delivered at a pro-Palestinian rally in NYC last month ... offering her apologies to anyone she offended.

The actress posted a lengthy statement on Instagram Friday night, explaining that she made a "terrible mistake" when she said Jews are “getting a taste of what it is like to be Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence.”

Susan uttered the words in front of a large crowd at the November 17 rally in Manhattan's Union Square.

The demonstrators were protesting against the Israel-Hamas war, which broke out after the terrorist group invaded the Jewish state on October 7. Hamas militants, who rule over the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, slaughtered some 1,400 Jews, including babies.

In her IG post, Susan said she was invited to the event, but was not supposed to speak, yet ended up on stage with a mic in her hand, trying to communicate concerns about a rise in hate crimes throughout the country.

She pointed out the controversial phrasing she used falsely implied that Jews have not faced persecution. She then highlighted centuries of Jewish oppression and genocide in Europe, as well as the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, PA.

Susan went on to say she "deeply regrets diminishing the reality" and for voicing her hurtful remarks.

Susan Sarandon se está retractando de los comentarios antisemitas que hizo el mes pasado en una manifestación pro-palestina en Nueva York, ofreciendo sus disculpas a todos los que ofendió.

La actriz publicó una larga declaración en su Instagram el viernes, en donde explica que cometió un "terrible error" cuando dijo que los judíos están "saboreando lo que es ser musulmán en este país, tan a menudo sujetos a la violencia".

Susan pronunció estas palabras ante una gran multitud en la manifestación del 17 de noviembre en Union Square en Manhattan.

Los manifestantes estaban protestando contra la guerra entre Israel y Hamás, que estalló después de que el grupo terrorista invadiera el Estado judío el 7 de octubre. Los militantes de Hamás, que gobiernan a los palestinos en la Franja de Gaza, masacraron a unos 1.400 judíos, incluidos bebés.

En su mensaje de Instagram, Susan dijo que había sido invitada al acto, pero que se suponía que no iba a hablar, aunque terminó en el escenario con un micrófono en la mano, tratando de comunicar su preocupación por el aumento de los delitos motivados por el odio en todo el país.

Señaló que la polémica frase que utilizó implicaba falsamente que los judíos no habían sufrido persecución. A continuación, destacó los siglos de opresión judía y el genocidio en Europa, así como el tiroteo de Tree of Life en Pittsburgh.

Susan continuó diciendo que "lamenta profundamente haber empequeñecido la realidad" y haber expresado estos dolorosos comentarios.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is speaking out against the barbaric, unprovoked Hamas attack on Israel ... meeting with survivors and their families.

The former governor of California got emotional as he condemned the Oct. 7 slaughter of innocent civilians ... saying it's unlike anything he's ever seen and offering his support for Israel.

Arnold met with family members of Israeli hostages who are still being held by Hamas in Gaza .. presenting them with bronze eagle statues.

After the meeting, Arnold told us he's looking to spread peace ... because it's more powerful than hate and anger.

14-year-old Ella Shani was among the survivors traveling from Israel to Santa Monica to meet Arnold ... she recounted how her father was murdered on Oct. 7 by Hamas terrorists at Kibbutz Beeri, and how her 16-year-old cousin Amit Shani was kidnapped.

Ella says her cousin was hiding in a safe room in his home when Hamas set the place on fire and broke down the door. She says Amit and two other Israeli men from a neighboring house were ordered into a car, kidnapped and taken to Gaza.

As Ella spoke for about 30 minutes, Arnold teared up ... and they hugged in the end. He also showed her some of his cool movie memorabilia, like a robot head from 'Terminator.'

The Weeknd ha hecho un gran gesto para apoyar los esfuerzos humanitarios en Gaza, donando 2,5 millones de dólares para proporcionar 4 millones de comidas de emergencia.

El cantante, que también es Embajador de Buena Voluntad del Programa Mundial de Alimentos (WFP en inglés) de las Naciones Unidas, hizo la donación a través de su Fondo Humanitario XO, en beneficio de los esfuerzos de respuesta humanitaria del WFP en Gaza.

La donación equivale a cuatro millones de comidas de emergencia. Esto es apoyo económico para financiar 820 toneladas métricas de paquetes de alimentos que pueden alimentar a más de 173.000 palestinos durante dos semanas.

Desde que fue nombrado Embajador de Buena Voluntad (Goodwill Ambassador) en octubre de 2021, The Weeknd -cuyo nombre real es Abel Tesfaye- ha donado personalmente 1,8 millones de dólares a la misión mundial de alivio del hambre del WFP a través de su Fondo Humanitario XO establecido en asociación con World Food Program USA.

La contribución de The Weeknd llega en un momento crítico, con el Programa intentando alimentar a más de un millón de habitantes en Gaza.

La Directora del WFP para la Región de Oriente Medio, Norte de África y Europa Oriental, Corinne Fleischer, agradeció a Abel por su contribución, diciendo: "Agradecemos a Abel por esta valiosa contribución hacia el pueblo de Palestina. Esperamos que otros sigan el ejemplo de Abel y apoyen nuestros esfuerzos".

The Weeknd has made a big move to help the humanitarian efforts in Gaza, donating $2.5M ... an amount that will help to provide 4 million meals.

The singer, who is also a United Nations World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador, made the donation through his XO Humanitarian Fund ... benefiting WFP's humanitarian response efforts in Gaza.

The donation equates to four million emergency meals ... funding 820 metric tons of food parcels that can feed more than 173,000 Palestinians for two weeks.

Since being appointed a Goodwill Ambassador in October 2021, The Weeknd -- real name Abel Tesfaye -- has personally donated $1.8M to WFP's global hunger-relief mission through his XO Humanitarian Fund established in partnership with World Food Program USA.

The Weeknd's contribution comes during a critical time during the WFP's response efforts to feed more than one million Gazans.

WFP's Director for the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe Region, Corinne Fleischer, thanks Abel for his contribution ... saying, "We thank Abel for this valuable contribution towards the people of Palestine. We hope others will follow Abel's example and support our efforts."