Attacks Begin

Hi Global Recap readers,

When researching Global Recap stories, I pull from everywhere—left-wing media, right-wing outlets, social media, and sources from around the globe.

But honestly, ever since Trump’s presidency kicked off, it feels like everyone’s obsessed with dissecting his every move. It feels like déjà vu from his first term, with the press riding high on boosted ratings from all the drama they’ve spun around Trump.

So, looks like we’re going full meta—talking about others talking about Trump’s team. 🙃 

🇮🇱 ISRAEL
Tel Aviv Stabbing Rampage

A suspected terrorist went on a stabbing spree in Tel Aviv, wounding four people before being shot dead.

The Attack

A Moroccan national, Abdelaziz Kaddi, attacked four people in Tel Aviv.

• Kaddi was supposedly a US green card holder.

• He entered Israel on January 18 with a tourist visa.

• He was shot dead at the scene.

• The attack happened on January 21, 2025.

Victims

Four people were injured in the attack.

• Two men, aged 24 and 28, were moderately wounded.

• Two others, aged 24 and 59, were lightly hurt.

• All victims were taken to Ichilov Hospital.

Eyewitness Accounts

• Kaddi arrived on a motorcycle ridden by another person.

• He stabbed three people before running to an adjacent street.

• Members of an unspecified special forces unit shot him.

Previous Incident

This was the second terror stabbing in Tel Aviv in three days.

• A man in his 30s was seriously injured in a similar attack.

• The attacker in that incident was Salah Yahye, 19, from Tulkarem.

• Yahye was in Israel illegally and was shot dead at the scene.

🇦🇺 AUSTRALIA
Childcare Center Firebombed

A childcare center near a Jewish school in Sydney was firebombed and defaced with antisemitic graffiti early Tuesday morning.

Antisemitic Crime Surge

Australia has seen a significant increase in antisemitic incidents since October last year.

• Over 2,000 antisemitic incidents have been reported since October, quadrupling the previous year's numbers.

• Most incidents have occurred in Sydney and Melbourne, home to 85% of Australia's Jewish population.

Click here for a list of recent notable antisemitic incidents in Australia, including arson, threatening graffiti, vandalism, and more.

Details

The childcare center, located near a Jewish school and synagogue, was targeted.

• The center was empty at the time of the attack, but one part was completely gutted by the fire.

• Graffiti reading “Fuck the Jews” was sprayed on the exterior wall.

Possible Overseas Involvement

Federal police are investigating potential overseas involvement in recent attacks.

• Some criminals may have been paid in cryptocurrency by “overseas actors” to carry out these crimes.

• Authorities are also looking into the possible radicalization of young people online.

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
Attacks Begin

Speaking of antisemitism, let’s dive into the Elon Musk “hand gesture” controversy making waves. And if that wasn’t enough, it feels like déjà vu 2018—Trump’s getting hit from all sides from day 1.

Hand Gesture

Check out the video if you haven’t already. Honestly, I was watching this as it happened, and not for a second did I think “yeah, that’s a Nazi salute.” It just seemed like an exaggerated hand gesture holding his hand out to the people watching.

• That didn’t stop Representative AOC and others on the left from slamming Musk, accusing him of giving a “Heil Hitler salute.”

• However, I can also see where people are coming from.

• To combat the critics, people are posting these images below.

“Woke” Bishop?

Mariann Budde, the Episcopalian bishop of Washington, made headlines by confronting President Trump during the National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral.

• Budde is widely recognized in her community for support of LGBTQ rights and immigration.

• Either Trump’s team didn’t know about her political views, or they did and assumed she wouldn’t address them during the prayer. They looked baffled.

• Online: critics of the bishop are labeling her a “woke lunatic,” while Trump supporters are asking them, “were trans people’s lives really at stake during Trump’s first term?”

18 States Sue Trump

18 states have banded together to challenge President Trump’s executive order that denies US-born children of unauthorized immigrants citizenship.

• Trump signed an order on the first day, declaring that future children born to undocumented immigrants will not be treated as citizens.

• Controversy: The order challenges over 100 years of legal precedent. The 14th Amendment has guaranteed citizenship to every baby born in the US, regardless of their parents’ legal status.

• Legal experts believe that the courts will side with the states on this issue.

AP News

And then… there’s this article, along with many others, with provocative titles suggesting that democracy is hanging by a thread now that Trump is President.

Final Thoughts

Of course, a president isn’t immune to criticism. It’s essential to hold them accountable when necessary.

However, what’s concerning is how political and media attacks can often hinder a president’s ability to act in line with what he and his supporters deem necessary—especially since a president is elected through a democratic process.

This issue affects people across the political spectrum, many of whom treat politics like a sports game:

• When a right-wing president in South Korea gets impeached, right-wing Americans rush to his defense without understanding the full context, just because he’s “right-wing.”

• The Trump family launches meme coins, and the right jumps to defend it, even though they don’t know the details.

• Left-wing voters ignore the “free Palestine” crowd making Nazi salutes with swastikas but criticize Musk as a fascist after attacking “Zionists” just moments before.

Maybe, we can all do better.

🇷🇺 RUSSIA
Russia Warns Trump on Panama

Russia has a strong message for new US President Donald Trump: Hands off the Panama Canal.

Is Putin mad that Trump recently said that Putin is “destroying Russia”?

Trump’s Claim

Trump declared numerous times before and during his inauguration that the US would take back the Panama Canal, citing overcharges and Chinese control.

• He accused China of operating the canal, despite it being handed over to Panama in 1977.

• He also criticized Panama for giving it to a foreign adversary of the US, especially since the US built it for its own benefit, with US citizens dying for it, and then later gifted it to Panama in good faith.

Russia’s Response

Russia’s foreign ministry swiftly responded, asserting Panama’s legal ownership of the canal.

• Alexander Shchetinin, director of the Latin American department, stressed the canal’s permanent neutrality.

• Russia warned the US against military or economic coercion to reclaim the canal.

Panama’s Stance

Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino firmly rejected Trump’s claims.

• Mulino called Panama’s control over the canal “non-negotiable.”

• He emphasized that every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama.

Strategic Importance

The Panama Canal is a crucial maritime trade route for the US.

• About 40% of US container ships pass through the canal.

• The canal links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, making it vital for global trade.