Hello, readers. I am not your dear leader Nellie Bowles, who left a Post-it on my desk that read “gone fishing, good luck!” I’ll be doing my best Nellie impression this week. Unlike your TGIF commissar, I am short and blonde. But still, let’s give it a try.
Two quick things: We have new merch. Baby onesies for your free thinkers in training and book club shirts and tote bags for the childless like myself. We also have a merch competition happening. Readers can pitch their ideas in the Forum. The winner will see their idea brought to life and receive a merch bundle.
Now it’s been quite an exciting week in the US of A, by which I mean I’m applying for Polish citizenship. Let’s get into it!
→ The people doth protest too much: This week marked the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attacks, during which Hamas terrorists killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and kidnapped another 251 of them into Gaza. On that day in 2023, I was in grad school at Columbia University refining two passions of mine: writing and wasting my parents’ money. I had no idea what would come next, in the Middle East or on campus, which became its own bizarre little political battlefield in the years that followed. All the time, people told me the protesters “just want peace.” Part of wanting peace was going out to celebrate on October 7 because, you know, what a tranquil day. On the first anniversary of October 7, I took this photo of the student protesters at Columbia, which gave me the sneaking suspicion they didn’t want peace:
I made lots of friends!
This year, Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism said more than 250 demonstrations against Israel were planned across the globe, including 75 on October 7 itself. Eleven people, some of whom were protesting outside the office of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, were arrested at pro-Palestinian demonstrations in London. They chanted “stop killing babies,” and “we will see you in The Hague.”
In New York, far away from The Hague, pro-Palestinian protesters found an exciting new genocide culprit: Mayor Zohran Mamdani. In a demonstration of the warmth of collectivism, Mamdani managed to piss off everyone this October 7 anniversary: Jews and jihadis. He started by infuriating the pro-Israel crowd with a post that included a drive-by mourning over the massacre of October 7 before a much more passionate outcry over Israel’s response to it.
When he said October 7 is unthinkable, I think he meant “don’t think about it.” But my favorite part of this is that he rounded down to 1,100 (about 1,200 people were murdered). In three years of October 7 coverage, I have never seen anyone round down. Next year he’ll post that Hamas killed “at least one Israeli.” Technically true! Touché, Mr. Mayor.
Then, in the evening, Mamdani attended a vigil in Union Square organized by a group called “Israelis for Peace,” meant to honor those who died on October 7—and, notably, Palestinians who died in the subsequent war. He was met by protesters who booed him, screamed at him, and chanted “Zohran, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.” Ah, remember that one, Zohran? They also shouted “Mayor Mamdani, take a side, justice for Palestine.”
He just hates being there. He wants to tell the protesters, “Guys, I’m obviously on your team, cool it,” but he can’t. It’s awesome.
→ Checking in with Mamdani’s private wife, the one who graces magazine covers: This week brought a report that Rama Duwaji, First Lady of New York City, has illustrated two bottles for Olive Odyssey, a luxury Palestinian olive oil brand. One of the bottles is nearly $100. She also illustrated the bottle honoring Khalil Abu Osba, apparently a militant who shot down a British plane. Honestly, Duwaji’s not a bad artist. I hope she’ll do my portrait, but maybe I have to hijack a plane first. The company has praised olive trees watered with “martyrs’ blood” (okay, but the Jews are bloodthirsty?) and called Israeli salad “food appropriation.” Olive Odyssey oil is also used in a line of weed chocolate. “This bar & it’s [sic] THC content works to calm my overwhelm/sadness + helps me recharge to advocate for freedom from occupation & safety for all Palestinians, every single day. [T]hank you for doing a collab that is truly meaningful,” one reviewer said. Why do we need food and social movement collabs? Next we’ll see ConservaTea, a calming bedtime blend packed with hydroxychloroquine and subtle notes of meth.
Read more
