Andrea Fram Plotkin

do-gooder, working mom of two who watches too much tv for her own good. tweets are my own.

[Andrea Fram Plotkin @amframmy]

With everything going on in the world @X removing dark mode might be the thing that pushes me over the edge.

[Tony Castricone @Castricone]

A 2-star QB scrambling for potentially the national-championship-winning touchdown on 4th down in his hometown against his hometown team after winning the Heisman for the most losing program of all time while his mother with MS screams for joy from her seat is possibly the limit of how good sports can get

[Mark Cuban @mcuban]

Hoo Hoo Hoosiers !!! Let’s Gooooo!!!
@IndianaUniv @IUHoosiers @IUBloomington

[nohobal public relations director⁷ @jinyoongis]

gemstones deserved 300 emmy noms for this alone btw

[US Holocaust Museum @HolocaustMuseum]

Exploiting the Museum and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising to sanitize “globalize the intifada” is outrageous and especially offensive to survivors. Since 1987 Jews have been attacked and murdered under its banner. All leaders must condemn its use and the abuse of history.

[Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib @afalkhatib]

Today, I had a chance to speak to over 80 administrators of the country’s top universities about the subject of Israel and Palestine and the toxic discourse that is very prevalent on college campuses following October 7 and the ensuing war in Gaza. Many of the universities that participated in this conference, organized at Brandeis University, are struggling to grasp the nuances and the history of this conflict, hampering their ability to effectively respond to crises, complaints, and troubling trends

The goal was to expose university administrators to new ideas that can help inform a radically different pathway forward to stop the endless cycle of chaos, division, incendiary rhetoric, disruption, and even violence on college campuses by students and activists seeking to impose their views upon everybody else.

There is a hunger and even a desperation at this point on the part of so many universities and colleges to figure out how to hold space for diverse views while also ensuring that young, misinformed, and overly zealous students aren’t holding their campuses, other students, and indeed the administration hostage to a never ending cycle that fails the Palestinians and Israelis and makes this subject radioactive and unbelievably unproductive.

I shared with these administrators that multiple things can and should be true at once. There should be space afforded to all views and opinions, but support for violent terrorism and radical jihadi ideology should never be tolerated under the guise of diversity and inclusion.

I stressed how the Palestinian issue and cause must never be suppressed or prevented from being discussed and analyzed in an academic sense, and that any attempt to censor valid academic discussion with faux allegations of antisemitism only backfires. However, I made it clear that actual antisemitism is truly out of control and that universities have been way too accommodating of horrendous rhetoric by some “pro-Palestine” groups who have been promulgating hatred and ineffective rhetoric under the guise of “anti-Zionism.”

University administrators are frustrated that despite making space for student free speech and assembly, this has not resulted in a moderation of the discourse; quite the opposite- Jewish students feel marginalized, unheard, threatened, and unseen by administrators while the pro-Palestine students, despite dominating many college campuses and taking up an immense amount of space still feel that they are somehow censored and unheard by the administration.

I also discussed my own experiences of facing harassment and attempts to silence me when I am speaking on college campuses because I am “not pro-Palestine enough” for some of these students.

My recommendation was simple: create space for legitimate pro-Palestine sentiments to be discussed and expressed, but take robust action against all forms of hatred, support for Hamas and terrorism, antisemitism, disruptive and destructive behavior, and attempts to take up space at the expense of other students.

The time for coddling students and holding their hands is over; if serious and robust action is not taken, these schools will face further consequences that harm their communities and, ultimately, their students, not to mention blowback from the current Trump administration.

The Palestinian people have just and urgent aspirations, but they do not need extremists and misinformed lunatics on college campuses to hijack their cause and destroy their issue.

[Cory Booker @CoryBooker]

You know you need this today. You are welcome and happy Mother's Day.

[Emily Damari @EmilyDamari1]

Dear Members of the @PulitzerPrizes board,

My name is Emily Damari. I was held hostage in Gaza for over 500 days.

On the morning of October 7, I was at home in my small studio apartment in Kibbutz Kfar Aza when Hamas terrorists burst in, shot me and dragged me across the border into Gaza. I was one of 251 men, women, children, and elderly people kidnapped that day from their beds, their homes, and a music festival.

For almost 500 days I lived in terror. I was starved, abused, and treated like I was less than human. I watched friends suffer. I watched hope dim. And even now, after returning home, I carry that darkness with me - because my best friends, Gali and Ziv Berman are still being held in the Hamas terror tunnels.

So imagine my shock and pain when I saw that you awarded a Pulitzer Prize to Mosab Abu Toha.

This is a man who, in January, questioned the very fact of my captivity. He posted about me on Facebook and asked, “How on earth is this girl called a hostage?” He has denied the murder of the Bibas family. He has questioned whether Agam Berger was truly a hostage. These are not word games - they are outright denials of documented atrocities.

You claim to honor journalism that upholds truth, democracy, and human dignity. And yet you have chosen to elevate a voice that denies truth, erases victims, and desecrates the memory of the murdered.

Do you not see what this means? Mosab Abu Toha is not a courageous writer. He is the modern-day equivalent of a Holocaust denier. And by honoring him, you have joined him in the shadows of denial.

This is not a question of politics. This is a question of humanity. And today, you have failed it.

[Dave Matt @davematt88]

Today, the President of the United States ordered the reopening of Alcatraz and declared that foreign movies were a national security threat and Republicans are just gonna pretend like he's not bat shit crazy.

[Pete Buttigieg @PeteButtigieg]

If we’re serious about more efficient government and better everyday life in America - which we all should be - that means actually improving government, not cutting health care for poor people and slashing support for veterans.

[Acyn @Acyn]

Molly: I'm going to respectfully push back on this. This is thought policing 101. This is not ok.They are using anti-antisemitism as a cloak...This is about targeting speech....It has nothing to do with anti-antisemitism and everything to do with authoritarianism.

[Andrea Fram Plotkin @amframmy]

@BriannaWu Red Alert

[Andrea Fram Plotkin @amframmy]

“I told you so” doesn’t have the satisfaction I’d hoped for. There is nothing satisfying about this.

[Oren Barsky @orenbarsky]

Israel’s national football team captain at the pre-match press conference ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Norway, responding to Norwegian political criticism of Israel:

“I’d be curious to see if those criticizing us in Norway can even point out Gaza on a map. If they can, I’ll be happy to hear what they have to say.

Let me remind you—we have hostages there being starved under horrific conditions. When something like that happens in Norway—and I truly hope it never does—then you can talk to me about these issues.”

Stud.

His name is Eli Dasa.

[Adam Grant @AdamMGrant]

People who can’t handle criticism are unfit to lead.

Weak leaders silence their critics to shield their egos. They fear dissent as a threat to their power.

Strong leaders silence their egos to learn from their critics. They welcome dissent as an opportunity for growth.

[Chris Murphy 🟧 @ChrisMurphyCT]

If you want to know why I’m at the 🚨🚨🚨stage on the short term risk of losing our democracy, it’s this.

Trump shuts off spending so each Congressman, Governor, Senator, Mayor has to come pledge loyalty to get the $$ turned back on.

It’s called “petitioning the king”.

[Andrea Fram Plotkin @amframmy]

#darkesttimeline

[Leah Greenberg says NO KINGS ❌👑 @Leahgreenb]

We’re all gonna die

[Eyal Yakoby @EYakoby]

Just to be clear, Israel did not violate the ceasefire agreement. Hamas violated it when they didn't return Shiri Bibas's body, blew up buses in Israel, and launched rockets at civilians.

The ceasefire then expired after Hamas refused to continue releasing hostages.

[Hen Mazzig @HenMazzig]

One week in the life of a Jew:

THURSDAY: Hamas returned sweet old Oded and the Bibas babies in coffins. They even gave the wrong body for Shiri, and only hours later returned hers, causing even more pain.

FRIDAY: Hamas’s West Bank wing planned a massive terror attack with at least five buses and one train set to explode during morning rush hour. It could have killed hundreds of Israeli civilians.

SATURDAY: Hamas released six hostages, all starved and in poor condition. One of them, Hisham, held in Gaza for 10 years, can’t even speak anymore.

SUNDAY: Hamas released a propaganda video showing two hostages at the ceremony. They brought in the two Israelis to torment them further, sending videos of the desperate young men to their families.

MONDAY: The testimonies from the newly released hostages confirmed our worst fears. They were chained, starved, beaten, humiliated, isolated, unable to move or see the sun for months…

TUESDAY: We buried Oded Lifshitz, 85, a kind man who spent his life believing in peace and helping Palestinians by driving them to Israeli hospitals.

WEDNESDAY: We buried the Bibas family, and our hearts broke as we saw Yarden standing alone, burying his wife and two young children. Hamas tried to disrupt the funeral by sending rockets.

THURSDAY: Hamas returned four more coffins, containing Israeli hostages who should still be alive.

And now, a terrorist deliberately rammed his car into eight pedestrians before stabbing them in northern Israel.

This is just one week. Seven days of anguish, fear, pain, and tears.

[Hen Mazzig @HenMazzig]

Eulogy by Dana Silberman Sitton - Shiri's Sister and Aunt to Kfir and Ariel:

“Baz, Lulu, and Purpur.
For a whole year I've been preparing myself for this moment,
But nothing could truly prepare me adequately for saying goodbye to you.

Baz has been Shiri's nickname since we were children.
I've already shared how much we looked forward to becoming aunts.
Shiri and I decided that when we had children, they couldn't call us by our first names—only "Aunt"!
And so it was.
Lia, Alon, and Erez were blessed with an aunt like no other, caring, loving, and protective.

Shiri and I grew up in a home filled with love, compassion, and understanding.
Dad and Mom raised us to be strong women, to love others and respect differences.

When we were children, I was the annoying sister; Shiri was always the innocent and sweet one.
Shiri wanted to clean the table—I would lie on it.
Shiri wanted to watch television—I would suddenly feel compelled to dance in front of it.
I admit I tormented her a bit and always waited for her reaction. "Why don't you get back at me?" I would ask.
And Shiri would say, "Wait until I'm older, then I'll get you back." A few years ago, I reminded her that I was still waiting...
When our children came along, I told her about their antics and she said, "See? Now they're getting you back for everything you did to me."

When Shiri and I would pick up the children from kindergarten, we would go straight to Mom and Dad's house. We'd open the door, and they would immediately rush to hug and kiss their grandchildren and whisk them away. Shiri and I would look at each other and say, "Well, it seems we're unnecessary here." That's how deeply they loved their grandchildren—with such special love.
Now Baz, you're here beside them, with them, so I'm not worried.

My Lulu,
A little redhead with a mischievous laugh,
Playful yet gentle,
Small but wise.
I was privileged to be your aunt for only 4 years,
But they were 4 years of being a proud aunt!
I'll miss you so deeply,
I'll miss our shared dinners with Lia, Alon, and Erez at Grandpa and Grandma's house, eating pizza from Grandpa's special recipe.
I'll miss your walk, like a little man,
Your laughter, your kind eyes, and your sweet hugs.

Purpur,
Sadly, I only had 9 months to cherish you.
It wasn't difficult to fall in love with you immediately,
Smiling and pure,
And a redhead too—you didn't disappoint.

You were both my beloved, special, and one-of-a-kind nephews!
You'll be in our hearts for eternity and forever present in our lives.

I want to ask your forgiveness on behalf of our leadership and military who weren't there for you that day,
And who took so long to bring you back to your homeland.
Please watch over us from above—five angels who are uniquely mine. Baz, hug Dad and Mom tightly for me and watch over them for me.
Please send energies here to drive all evil from the world and leave only goodness.

I promise you, as I promised Mom and Dad, that the monsters beyond the fence will not succeed in their mission. They will not defeat us, they will not break us.
On the contrary, their mission failed because we united, because we grew stronger, because we became invincible. They lost.

I hope you're up there embraced by Mom and Dad, playing and running through green fields of happiness and love.

I promise you, Baz, and you, Lulu and Purpur, that no one will forget you. Lia, Alon, and Erez will grow up to be proud of you. You will be forever bound in our hearts and souls.
I'm certain we'll meet again...”