INTERNACIONAL
Josh Shapiro urges Philly schools to ‘take very seriously’ antisemitism as Congress opens investigation
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
EXCLUSIVE: A spokesperson for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that the School District of Philadelphia needs to address the mushrooming spread of antisemitism in classrooms.
The alleged anti-Jewish climate in the nation’s eighth-largest school district in the city, nicknamed the City of Brotherly Love, has recently sparked a congressional investigation into its education system that is reportedly infected with hatred of Jews and Israel.
Shapiro’s spokesperson, Rosie Lapowsky, told Fox News Digital that, «Governor Shapiro takes a back seat to no one on these issues, and as he has repeatedly spoken out about, antisemitism and this kind of hateful rhetoric is unacceptable and has no place in Pennsylvania — especially not in our classrooms. This is a matter the Governor has made clear the district needs to take very seriously.»
PHILADELPHIA SCHOOLS PARTNER WITH MUSLIM ADVOCACY GROUP FOR GUIDES ON ‘AMERICAN JEWS’ AND TEACHING 9/11
Anti-Israel protesters march against the war in Gaza in Philadelphia, Pa., April 25, 2024. (Matthew Hatcher/AFP via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital conducted interviews with parents and teachers from the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) and presented the findings, along with a November House Committee on Education and the Workforce investigation notice into antisemitism in Philadelphia public schools to the governor’s office.
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce is probing «whether there was or is a hostile environment against Jewish K-12 students,» according to its letter obtained by Fox News Digital.
The congressional letter stated, «The Committee is deeply concerned that SDP is failing to uphold its obligations under Title VI. Since October 7, 2023, the Committee has received allegations that SDP is rife with antisemitic incidents, including allegations of teachers spreading antisemitism in the classroom and SDP approving antisemitic walkouts that isolate Jewish students.»
The letter continued that «Because of these alleged failures, SDP entered into a federally mandated corrective action plan with the U.S. Department of Education in December 2024: however, according to press and whistleblower reports, antisemitic incidents have continued to proliferate since the plan.»
YC STUDENTS EXPOSE ‘EXTREMIST’ PROFESSORS FOSTERING CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM AT MAJOR UNIVERSITIES
Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks at the Celebration of Freedom Ceremony during Wawa Welcome America on July 04, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images)
Fox News Digital obtained messages and a document from a private Signal phone messaging group for Philadelphia Educators for Palestine. The group formulated a «Grounding Commitments» document that defends all Palestinian «resistance.» Critics say much of Palestinian resistance includes violence and also terrorism.
According to the Philadelphia Educators for Palestine, «All resistance is righteous. We reject any false equivalence between the violent systems that oppress us and our responses to them.»
Signal text messages stated the anti-Israel group has recruited school children to advance their anti-Jewish state agenda. According to district policy, educators should not be communicating with students on social media platforms. «In order to maintain a professional and appropriate relationship with students, District employees should not communicate with students who are currently enrolled in District schools on personal social media sites,» states SDP policy.
Fox News Digital reached out to Philadelphia Educators for Palestine for a comment.
TEACHER UNION SENDS MAP ERASING ISRAEL TO ITS MILLIONS OF MEMBERS FOR ‘INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S DAY’
Mika Hackner, director of research at the North American Values Institute, told Fox News Digital, «This is a shocking example of public school teachers knowingly misusing their position, and going against their own district’s policies, to encourage political activism in their students. Inviting high schoolers into a private Signal chat and involving them in discussions and events which promote political violence is just beyond the pale. The School District of Philadelphia must take appropriate action.»
Multiple Jewish parents and teachers spoke to Fox News Digital on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution from anti-Israel teachers and the School District of Philadelphia.
One Jewish parent said, «There are teachers and administrators who are perpetuating Jew-hate,» adding that «[Ismael] Jimenez uses his public social media to create Jew-hate.» Ismael Jimenez is the director of social studies curriculum for the SDP.
Sunrise light hits the U.S. Capitol dome on Thursday, January 2, 2025, as the 119th Congress is set to begin Friday. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The congressional letter also references Jimenez as an SPD senior administrator who «has been widely condemned by Jewish advocacy groups in light of his ‘pattern of denying the Jewish connection to the Land of Israel, refusing to speak about peace or coexistence, and downplaying the lived experiences of Jewish people in the face of violence. In a recent example, after the murder of two Israeli embassy workers and the antisemitic firebombing attack in Colorado, the senior administrator wrote, ‘The groups who align themselves with American savageness should not be surprised when the savageness is turned on you.»
NATION’S LARGEST TEACHERS UNION VOTES TO SEVER TIES WITH ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE OVER ISRAEL SUPPORT
According to the congressional letter, «Today, SDP employs numerous educators who allegedly promote antisemitic content in their classrooms. One such teacher has allegedly threatened Jewish parents and students online. She and other Philadelphia educators also allegedly use lessons from an effort called Teaching Palestine, whose class materials rationalize terrorist violence and advocate for the destruction of Israel.»
The congressional letter highlights the actions of the teachers and the administrator. One who was allegedly «Threatening Jewish parents and students» was identified as Kaziah Ridgeway. Other teachers allegedly used lessons from «Teaching Palestine,» according to social media posts and the letter.
A Philadelphia school teacher told Fox News Digital that the prevailing situation in SDP is «being complacent and encouraging pro-Palestinian bias in the district. There is no prescription to counter antisemitism in school.»
Shelly Robinson, a Philadelphia school teacher who retired in 2021 and taught at Northeast High School, the largest high school in Pennsylvania, told Fox News Digital, that at one at multicultural fair, «there was a map on stage at school and there was no Israel.» Robinson, who graduated from Northeast and has deep contacts to the school, said a «Muslim student group started selling buttons stating ‘From the River to the Sea’ after Oct. 7. Things got really bad for Jewish teachers at Northeast after Oct. 7.»
The Anti Defamation League described the saying as «an antisemitic slogan commonly featured in anti-Israel campaigns and chanted at demonstrations.»
Memorials at the site of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, Israel, on Monday, May 27, 2024. (Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, and slaughtered over 1,200 people, including more than 40 Americans.
Robinson recalled a professional development trainer who told a student group called «No Place for Hate» that they «should stop promoting white heroes named Shakespeare and Einstein, and said we should promote refugees.»
When Robinson noted that the German physicist Albert Einstein was a refugee who fled Nazi Germany, the development specialist for teachers said, «But he was a Jew.» Robinson said, «I started to see what was going on in the school district and had been going on for 20 years.»
Jimenez and Ridgeway, who are also reportedly members of Philadelphia Educators for Palestine, declined to respond to Fox News Digital press queries.
While Shapiro readily called out the situation, other leaders in the state preferred to pass the buck.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Leah Uko, a spokesperson for Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, told Fox News Digital that «This is a matter with the School District of Philadelphia, not City government. We have no comment.»
A spokesperson for Dr. Tony Watlington, superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, told Fox News Digital that «It is the policy of the School District of Philadelphia to refrain from commenting on active investigations.»
anti semitism,israel,philadelphia,campus radicals,congress,governors
INTERNACIONAL
El Estrecho de Ormuz se vuelve clave en la guerra en Medio Oriente: qué es y cómo afecta al precio del crudo
Los árabes lo conocen como Bab as-Salam, la “Puerta de la Paz”, pero la guerra en curso en Medio Oriente lo convierte en un elemento clave del conflicto entre Irán y la coalición conformada por Israel y Estados Unidos.
El estratégico estrecho de Ormuz está a un paso de transformarse en el centro de la desesperada estrategia bélica del gobierno de los ayatollah. Su anunciado cierre amenaza con provocar una crisis en el mercado petrolero mundial y una fuerte e inédita alza en el precio del barril de crudo. Según analistas, podría llegar hasta los 100 dólares.
Leé también: Qué es la Fuerza Quds, el cuerpo de elite iraní que organiza los ataques en el exterior
El paso marítimo entre Irán y Omán es clave. Por allí circula más del 20% del tráfico petrolero y gasífero del mundo. Gran parte de la producción de crudo de Arabia Saudita, Irak, Kuwait, Bahréin, Qatar y los Emiratos Árabes Unidos pasa por ahí. Se trata de unos 19 millones de barriles diarios transportados por un promedio de 13 buques por día. De hecho, el gobierno qatarí depende en forma casi total del estrecho. EL ESTRECHO DE ORMUZ. Por ahí circula cerca de un tercio del crudo mundial.
Pero por ahí transita también gran parte de las exportaciones iraníes. Su cierre es una decisión extrema con profundas implicaciones internas en tiempos de guerra.
Además, hay un elemento extra a tener en cuenta: China se vería perjudicada por su cierre. El gobierno de Beijing es el principal beneficiario de las exportaciones energéticas a través del paso de Ormuz, especialmente iraníes. China tiene una gran influencia en Teherán.
¿Dónde queda el estrecho de Ormuz y por qué es tan importante?
El estrecho de Ormuz está ubicado entre el Golfo de Omán y el Golfo Pérsico. En la costa norte está el territorio iraní. En el sur se encuentra la península omaní de Musandam. Ambos países están separados por una lengua de mar de apenas 45 kilómetros.
Después de tres días de guerra, el comandante de la Guardia Revolucionaria de Irán anunció que el Estrecho de Ormuz está cerrado y advirtió que prenderá fuego a cualquier barco que intente pasar, según informaron los medios iraníes.
“Incendiaremos cualquier barco que intente pasar por el estrecho de Ormuz”, dijo el general Sardar Jabbari en una publicación en el canal de Telegram de la Guardia iraní y alertó: “También atacaremos los oleoductos y no permitiremos que salga ni una sola gota de petróleo de la región. El precio del petróleo alcanzará los 200 dólares en los próximos días”, alertó.
Leé también: Irán: los tres desafíos que enfrenta la oposición en el exilio para intentar tomar el poder
No sería la primera vez que buques petroleos son atacados en la región.
Ya lo hizo su grupo proxy yemení, el de los rebeldes hutíes, cuando a fines de 2023 empezó a atacar a buques y cargueros que atravesaban el Mar Rojo, otra área vital en la región, en solidaridad con Gaza. Entonces se paralizó el comercio en ese paso clave del tráfico de mercaderías internacional.
¿Qué pasa con el precio del petróleo?
El petróleo Brent para entrega en mayo escaló este lunes hasta situarse en los 77,74 dólares por barril al cierre de la sesión del Mercado de Futuros de Londres, ante los temores de escasez de suministro por la guerra.
El barril de crudo del mar del Norte, de referencia en Europa, avanzó 4,87 dólares en el Intercontinental Exchange londinense (ICE) en comparación al cierre de la sesión del pasado viernes, cuando terminó en 72,87 dólares.
El crudo reaccionó al alza y alcanzó su nivel más alto de los últimos ocho meses tras el estallido de la guerra.
Leé también: Trump enumeró los cuatro objetivos de su ofensiva contra Irán y no descartó enviar fuerzas terrestres
El sentimiento alcista, que llegó a superar los 80 dólares horas antes, aunque algo más moderado, predominó entre los inversores ante los temores de escasez de suministro por el aumento de las tensiones en Oriente Medio y pendiente de la evolución del conflicto en Irán, uno de los principales productores de crudo de la OPEP+ y que controla el estrecho de Ormuz.
Algunos analistas vaticinan que, de cerrarse por completo y durante un tiempo prolongado ese paso clave, los precios del petróleo podrían llegar a alcanzar hasta los 100 dólares por barril, en el peor de los escenarios.
Además del petróleo, los precios del gas también se incrementaron cerca de un 45% hoy después de que Qatar cerrase la mayor refinería de gas natural licuado del mundo, tras haber sido atacada por drones iraníes, afectando al 20% de la producción a nivel global.
Irán, Israel, Donald Trump
INTERNACIONAL
Trump admin warned lawmakers Israel was ‘determined to act with or without us’ before massive Iran strikes
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., described the recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran as a defensive measure, saying, «Israel was determined to act with or without us» following a classified briefing on Monday evening.
Johnson told reporters after the briefing that Israel viewed Iran’s capabilities as an existential threat and was prepared to conduct operations regardless of U.S. participation. He said Israel’s assessment shaped American deliberations, and it was «determined to act in their own defense here, with or without American support.»
The speaker said administration officials had to weigh risks to U.S. forces, regional assets and interests before supporting the operation.
«They had to evaluate the threats to the U.S., to our troops, to our installations, to our assets in the region and beyond. And they determined, because of the intelligence that we had, that a coordinated response was necessary,» Johnson said.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., gestures as he meets with reporters ahead of a key procedural vote to end the partial government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)
Johnson said he guarantees that if the U.S. had not acted, the Trump administration would have been hauled in by Congress and asked why they waited if they had «existential intelligence, knowing that that would happen.»
«I am convinced that they did the right thing,» he said.
Rubio confirmed that Israel was prepared to act against Iran and said the president «made a very wise decision.»
«We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces,» he told reporters. «And we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.»
FIRES RAGE AT IRAN’S BANDAR ABBAS NAVAL HEADQUARTERS, STRAIT OF HORMUZ TRAFFIC STALLED
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., a top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, emerged from the briefing and said he did not believe there was an «imminent threat» prior to Saturday’s strikes.
«There was no imminent threat to the United States of America by the Iranians. It was a threat to Israel,» he said. «We equate a threat to Israel is the equivalent of an imminent threat to the United States. Then we are in uncharted territory.»
«We have seen the goals for this operation change now, I believe 4 or 5 times,» he went on.
Plumes of smoke from two simultaneous strikes rise over Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026. (Mohsen Ganji/AP Photo)
US SURGES FORCES TO MIDDLE EAST AS PENTAGON WARNS IRAN FIGHT ‘WILL TAKE SOME TIME’
Rubio insisted the operation was not about Iranian regime change but about taking out its capabilities as a threat to the region – focused on ballistic missiles and naval capacity.
He did not say whether strikes would extend to nuclear facilities.
«I do believe there is more than adequate justification for our American and Israeli actions,» Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told reporters he believes there is «more than adequate justification for our American and Israeli actions,» without saying more.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital in an interview afterward that he felt administration officials did a good job of illustrating the threat level faced by the U.S. in the days leading up to the strikes.
«I think that’s largely been very open source. The president laid that out, you know, very clearly. It does go beyond that to what I can’t get into, but it goes beyond that. I’m sure it’ll come out in the administration’s good time, but it’s not for me to say,» Mast said.
Smoke rises in Tehran following an explosion on March 2, 2026, amid ongoing U.S. and Israeli military strikes. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
«But the more immediate nature of threats — I’m going through the negotiations with [Special Envoy Steve Witkoff], [Jared Kushner], Rubio, others that were a part of having those conversations and throughout that 10-day window of, you know, let’s call it countdown to make a deal, the threats that were going on in that window is probably the high-side information that you have.»
He also said there was a lot of daylight between what Democrats and Republicans in the briefing considered an «imminent threat.»
«It’s like, for me as a soldier, right, if I see an enemy machine gun nest, that to me, given that it’s an enemy machine gun nest, is an imminent threat,» Mast said. «To Democrats, unless that machine gun is burning up its barrels firing at you, it’s not yet an imminent threat. And those are the two separate ways that we’re looking at it.».
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
On February 26th, the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran in coordination with Israel. The offensive campaign has resulted in the death of 49 top Iranian leaders, including the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Six U.S. service members have lost their lives in Iranian counterattacks.
The opening phase of the conflict struck more than 1,000 targets in the first 24 hours, according to Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. American B-2 bombers flew 37-hour round-trip missions from the continental United States to hit underground facilities with penetrating munitions, he added.
Related Article
war with iran,mike johnson,iran,middle east foreign policy
INTERNACIONAL
Iran starts ‘indiscriminate’ strikes across Gulf of Oman, hits shadow tanker tied to regime
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Iran is conducting «indiscriminate» targeting of vessels across the Gulf of Oman and the wider Persian Gulf following the launch of U.S.-Israeli strikes under Operation Epic Fury, according to a maritime intelligence firm.
Windward AI noted the sanctioned Palau-flagged tanker Skylight was hit as the conflict across the Middle East entered its second day, with the tanker also holding Iranian nationals among the crew and ties to the regime.
«Analysis of vessel affiliations, targeting patterns, and cargo data points to a strategy of indiscriminate area denial — not precision targeting — aimed at demonstrating Iran’s capability to disrupt the Strait and deter commercial shipping,» the firm said Monday.
Gulf of Oman tanker attacks escalate as Iran retaliates against Operation Epic Fury with missiles targeting U.S. allies, disrupting commercial traffic through choke point. (Reuters)
Iran has been retaliating with missiles and drones targeting U.S. and allied positions across the region, including in Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Gulf of Oman to the Persian Gulf, is the world’s most critical energy chokepoint.
While three other vessels were reported attacked since the hostilities escalated Feb. 28, Windward described Skylight as «the highest-risk vessel in the group and the most anomalous target.»
The UKMTO Operation Centre also later confirmed attacks on Skylight, MKD Vyom and Hercules Star, warning of significant military activity across the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the North Arabian Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.
Skylight had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control in December 2025, and was used to transport Iranian petroleum products, according to reports.
It was operated by United Arab Emirates-based Red Sea Ship Management LLC, which Windward noted has documented ties to front companies linked to Iran’s Ministry of Defense.
The vessel had been at anchor since Feb. 22 and carried 20 crew members — 15 Indians and five Iranians.
DUBAI HOTEL FIRE APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY IRANIAN STRIKE; INJURIES REPORTED
A satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy supply, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. (Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2025/Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)
«The Skylight anomaly — striking a vessel with an Iranian crew, Iranian operational ties, and active OFAC sanctions — is the single strongest piece of evidence against deliberate targeting by affiliation,» Windward said.
Reuters also reported March 1 that the Palau-flagged tanker was hit off Oman’s Musandam Peninsula in the Gulf of Oman, injuring four.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Oman’s Maritime Security Center said in a post on X that Skylight was attacked about 5 nautical miles north of Khasab Port, caught fire and was evacuated.
Related Article
war with iran,iran,middle east,wars,ali khamenei
Incómodo por la participación de la AFA, el Gobierno defendió a Quirno y Bullrich, excluidos de la liberación del gendarme Gallo
El Estrecho de Ormuz se vuelve clave en la guerra en Medio Oriente: qué es y cómo afecta al precio del crudo
Con el dólar en alza, las acciones y los bonos argentinos operaron volátiles en medio de la incertidumbre por la escalada geopolítica
Banfield le ganó 2-0 a Aldosivi por la fecha 8 del Torneo Apertura
Karina Milei reunió a autoridades de La Libertad Avanza: ordenó mayor presencia territorial y promover la boleta única
Con un llamado a la reconciliación, se estrenó el documental sobre la trágica historia del Mayor Argentino Larrabure
Evangelina Anderson contó qué pasará con sus hijos ante el próximo desafío de Martín Demichelis en España
Destrozaron a Andrea del Boca por el terrible pecado que tuvo en Gran Hermano: “La quiero presa”, apuntaron contra la actriz por un detalle en la cocina
¡Tensión en vivo! Aníbal Pachano y Nancy Pazos protagonizaron un cruce explosivo en la mesa de Mirtha Legrand
Las predicciones más importantes en la vida de cada signo del horóscopo en marzo, según Jimena La Torre: «Será un cambio rotundo»
CHIMENTOS2 días agoDestrozaron a Andrea del Boca por el terrible pecado que tuvo en Gran Hermano: “La quiero presa”, apuntaron contra la actriz por un detalle en la cocina
- CHIMENTOS2 días ago
¡Tensión en vivo! Aníbal Pachano y Nancy Pazos protagonizaron un cruce explosivo en la mesa de Mirtha Legrand
- CHIMENTOS2 días ago
Las predicciones más importantes en la vida de cada signo del horóscopo en marzo, según Jimena La Torre: «Será un cambio rotundo»
