INTERNACIONAL
Rubio says American Marc Fogel freed from Russia due to ‘strength’ of Trump
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Marc Fogel, an American who had been detained in Russia since 2021, was released because the U.S. has a «strong president» in President Donald Trump.
Rubio made the comments during an appearance on Fox News’ «Hannity.»
«We have a great team here … but none of this is possible without President Trump,» Rubio said. «This is the 10th American that has come home after being detained somewhere overseas in just three weeks. And for the White House, it’s an extraordinary achievement. This is what happens when you have a strong president.»
«Look, anytime an American comes home, we should be excited about it. This is a case that languished under the Biden administration, they really didn’t give it priority. And so tonight is really a happy occasion. It should be for all Americans, but certainly for Mr. Fogel and his family,» he continued.
FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL LANDS IN US AFTER YEARS IN RUSSIAN CAPTIVITY
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Marc Fogel back to the United States after being released from Russian custody, at the White House on February 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Fogel, a history teacher who was working at the Anglo-American School in Moscow, returned to the U.S. after his release from Russia following talks with the Trump administration.
He was serving a 14-year sentence after his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport for possession of drugs, which his family said was medically prescribed marijuana.
After his arrival in the U.S., Fogel, from Pennsylvania, met with Trump at the White House and called him a «hero» for securing his release. His family, in a statement, also thanked Trump for his «unwavering leadership» that helped free Fogel.
When asked by reporters on Tuesday whether the U.S. had given up anything in return for Fogel, Trump replied «not much» without offering additional details.
MOTHER OF FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL THANKS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: ‘HE KEPT HIS PROMISE’
Marc Fogel, an American schoolteacher detained in Russia since August 2021, gestures on an airplane flying him back to the United States after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff secured his release on February 11, 2025. (Adam Boehler/Handout via REUTERS )
Rubio stressed the importance of having a strong leader as president when handling sensitive matters with other leaders around the world.
«We have a strong president, I think people forget how important that is,» Rubio told host Sean Hannity. «At the end of the day, we are dealing all over the world with strong leaders. We may not like them or what they do, but these are strong leaders that respect strength. And that’s what we have with Donald Trump in the White House. And, he also made this a campaign priority. So, I think you’re beginning to see the fruits of what happened. We were led by a strong president who does what he says he’s going to do and doesn’t just give it lip service.»
He also suggested that with Trump in office, the U.S. government could achieve other foreign policy goals, including ending the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war, which is now under a ceasefire.
U.S. President Donald Trump greets released American schoolteacher Marc Fogel, who had been held in Russia since 2021, at the White House in Washington, D.C., February 11, 2025. (REUTERS/Nathan Howard)
«I think that the reason why this might be linked to so many other things over time is because of that strength,» the secretary said. «When you have a president that’s strong, like Donald Trump, you’re going to have a chance to achieve things, whether it’s in Ukraine and ending that war, whether it’s some of the conflicts that we’re now seeing in the Middle East or anywhere in the world, because they know he’s not playing around.»
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«He says he’s going to do it, and then he does it,» Rubio added. «And this is not some president that wastes a lot of time talking about things that he’s never going to do or doesn’t mean to do. If he says he’s going to do something, he’ll do it. And these leaders know it. And so, and hopefully, they’ll bear fruit in a bunch of places beyond just what we’re seeing tonight.»
INTERNACIONAL
Australian health care workers threaten Israeli man, claim to have killed Jews in their care on camera
Two Australian healthcare workers are being investigated after threatening to kill an Israeli man on camera, claiming they had previously killed Jews in their care.
The man and woman, who said they were doctors, spoke with the man via Chatrouletka, a website where strangers are matched internationally to have conversations.
After the Israeli man revealed his nationality, the female worker said «it’s Palentine’s country, not your country you piece of s—,» according to the video.
Skyline of Sydney, Australia, which is the capital of New South Wales (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images) (Getty )
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As the Israeli man asked for peace, the conversation escalated, and the woman said «when the time comes, I want you to remember my face, so you can understand that you will die the most disgusting death.»
The pair went on to say they wouldn’t treat the man, and would kill him if he came to their hospital.
The man in scrubs said «you have no idea how many Israelis came to this hospital and…,» while sliding his arm across his neck in a throat slashing motion.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (centre) gives an address to the Leaders’ Plenary during the 2024 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in Melbourne, Australia, March 6, 2024. (Joel Carrett/Pool via Reuters/ File Photo)
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns confirmed the two individuals are workers at Bankstown Hospital.
Minns and Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the pair were identified quickly and were «stood down» by NSW authorities.
«They have rightly been referred to the NSW Police for criminal investigation,» Albanese wrote in a statement Tuesday on X. «Individuals found to have committed criminal antisemitic acts will face the full force of our laws.»
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 06: Members of the Synagogue recover items from the Adass Israel Synagogue on December 06, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. An arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne forced congregants to flee as flames engulfed the building early on Friday morning. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the incident as an antisemitic act, emphasizing that such violence at a place of worship is unacceptable in Australia. (Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)
Albanese described the comments as «vile,» and condemned the healthcare workers’ actions.
«The antisemitic video circulating today is disgusting,» he wrote. «The footage is sickening and shameful. These antisemitic comments, driven by hate, have no place in our health system and no place anywhere in Australia.»
A synagogue was fire-bombed in Melbourne on Dec. 6, which authorities are now investigating as a likely terrorist attack. Other reports indicate cars have been set aflame and buildings have been vandalized in Sydney Jewish communities.
A member of the Jewish community recovers an item from the Adass Israel Synagogue on December 06, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. An arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne forced congregants to flee as flames engulfed the building early on Friday morning. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the incident as an antisemitic act, emphasizing that such violence at a place of worship is unacceptable in Australia. (Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images) (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images))
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) reported more than 2,000 antisemitic incidents in Australia since Palestinian militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Data was collected between Oct. 1, 2023 and Sept. 30, 2024.
In a news conference on Tuesday, Alexander Ryvchin, ECAJ co-chief executive officer, said members of the community have felt unsafe at Australian hospitals.
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«Hospitals are a place where people should never feel unsafe,» Ryvchin said. «It’s the exact contrary. People should feel entirely comfortable that they’ll be treated based on their condition and humanity, not in the way that we saw in that video.»
He added the incident was the «tip of the iceberg,» and he believes there are many Australians with the same ideology.
Members of the local Jewish community look at the damage of the arson attack at the Adass Israel Synagogue on December 06, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. An arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne forced congregants to flee as flames engulfed the building early on Friday morning. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the incident as an antisemitic act, emphasizing that such violence at a place of worship is unacceptable in Australia. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)
«Antisemitism has sadly taken root in Australia, and we need to expunge it root and branch,» Ryvchin said. «There need to be consequences.»
On Wednesday, Australia enacted a hate crimes bill imposing minimum mandatory penalties for certain hate-related crimes, including six years for terrorist offenses, three years for financing terrorism and one year for displaying hate symbols.
«There have been similar instances of such behavior in Sydney and Perth where perpetrators have been convicted and given only a token fine,» the ECAJ wrote in a statement posted on its website. «That is also unacceptable because perpetrators come to regard such fines as merely the cost of «doing business» and not as a real deterrent.»
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese posted on X after the video went viral online. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP)
Though it has faced more intolerance, the Jewish population of Australia is substantially smaller than the Muslim population, which accounts for 3.2%, according to previous reporting. Jews account for just 0.4% of the population.
The Australian Federal Police was previously tasked with conducting an operation that would «focus on threats, violence, and hatred» targeting the Jewish community, Fox News Digital reported.
In addition, the Prime Minister allocated $25 million, about $15 million in the U.S., beginning in 2022 to increase security for Jewish organizations, according to a Reuters report. He also took a stand against hate speech and banned the Nazi salute.
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Fox News’ Beth Bailey contributed to this story.
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