Hatred surges over Israel-Hamas war

Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven’t yet, sign up here.Since the start of the Israel-Hama [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven’t yet, sign up [here](. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, Jews, Arabs and Muslims around the world face a shared daily reality: They’re increasingly [victims of hate crimes](. From New York to London and Melbourne, reports of such attacks are reaching record highs. Mosques and synagogues, homes and businesses have been vandalized. There have been assaults, threats and harassment in schools, at universities and on public transport. In the worst incident, a six-year-old Muslim boy of Palestinian descent was stabbed to death by his family’s landlord in the US state of Illinois. It’s not the first backlash to a Middle Eastern conflict. Grief, anger and fear have often spread outside the region, causing friction in diasporas. But this time it’s more intense and the wave of hate may have a way to go before cresting, according to advocacy groups, former law enforcement officials and analysts. Social media has a lot to answer for. Disinformation and inflammatory content is spreading faster and further than ever before, normalizing offensive rhetoric and creating an environment where many people feel they have to choose a side. Extreme groups of all stripes have sensed an opening. “It’s a very dangerous time,” said Elizabeth Price, the mother of a Brown University student shot in the US state of Vermont while walking with two friends also of Palestinian descent over Thanksgiving. They were speaking a mix of Arabic and English at the time and two of them were wearing keffiyeh scarves. Police are investigating the attack for evidence of a hate crime. It’s impossible to measure the exact scale of this wave of hatred, or compare countries. What constitutes a hate crime by law differs wildly from one place to another, and vulnerable groups don’t tend to report abuse. But Muslims, Jews and Arabs are describing unprecedented feelings of vulnerability and insecurity. For policymakers, the challenges are clear. — [Caroline Alexander]( A vigil for 6-year-old Palestinian-American Wadea Al-Fayoume on Oct. 17 in Plainfield, Illinois.  Photographer: Scott Olson/Getty Images  Global Must Reads Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US hopes the pause in the Israel-Hamas war will continue after the [success in freeing hostages and delivering aid]( to Gaza. Israel and Hamas announced an extension of the truce for at least another day just minutes before it was set to end at 7 a.m. local time today. Qatar said it will persist in trying to broker a permanent end to hostilities. A helicopter with Israeli hostages released earlier by Hamas lands at Sheba Medical Centre today.  Photographer: Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images  President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is defying pressure from his military to [sign a conscription plan]( approved by parliament to draft more Ukrainian men into the army. Instead, he has asked his government and top brass for a more comprehensive package, one better tailored to a nation exhausted by war and entering another winter of fighting against Russia’s invasion. Xi Jinping visited Shanghai for the first time in three years, putting a spotlight on China’s top financial center as investors look to policymakers to [boost private sector sentiment]( and the technology sector. The president’s trip a year after the city saw rare street protests against strict Covid-19 curbs that upended business activity and daily life. WATCH: Annabelle Droulers reports on Bloomberg Television. Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders faced a setback in his bid to become prime minister after the head of the New Social Contract party declined to open talks on forming the cabinet. Pieter Omtzigt said in a letter that he wanted [clarity on Wilders’ views]( on issues ranging from European Union membership to supporting Ukraine and that some Freedom Party positions in its election manifesto are contrary to the constitution. Some of Chile’s wealthiest families are leading political donations to the campaign for a new [business-friendly constitution]( drawn up by a right-leaning council. Chileans will vote Dec. 17 in a second referendum on a proposed charter in as many years, with polls showing a majority of voters are inclined to reject the latest document. Russia said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s plane had to change its route to reach a European security summit in North Macedonia [after Bulgaria refused]( to allow it to cross its airspace because some of the passengers face EU sanctions. US federal prosecutors accused an Indian government agent of directing a thwarted [plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist]( with American citizenship in New York, allegations that mirror a killing in Canada and risk worsening US-India ties. Elon Musk said the advertisers that have stopped spending on his X platform due to [his endorsement of an antisemitic post]( can “f——” themselves. Washington Dispatch Fox News later today will present an unusual debate for a presidential campaign season — one of the participants is not running for president. But the Republican-Democratic clash between two high-profile governors, Ron DeSantis of Florida and Gavin Newsom of California, may well affect the political destinies of both men. DeSantis, whose campaign for the 2024 Republican nomination has languished and who remains far behind former President Donald Trump in polls, could parlay a successful showing against Newsom to promote his conservative victories in Florida as he courts voters in Iowa and New Hampshire. The races in those states are crucial to the survival of his candidacy. Newsom, who’s repeatedly said he’s not interested in a run next year, will defend President Joe Biden and his policies while at the same time casting himself as a successful and unabashedly liberal leader of a powerful US state. He will offer a counterpoint to DeSantis and his vision — and perhaps a prelude to 2028. One thing to watch today: Biden will host Angolan President João Lourenço at the White House. [Sign up for the Washington Edition newsletter]( for more from the US capital and watch Balance of Power at 5pm ET weekdays on Bloomberg Television. Chart of the Day There is a good chance of delegates at this year’s United Nations climate summit in Dubai committing to [tripling renewable energy](, but few countries have a plan for limiting warming to 1.5C. If countries achieve their existing climate goals, warming this century could be as much as 2.8C, based on the latest UN analysis. So the pressure is on for parties to agree on bold, specific recommendations that drive governments to ratchet up their climate commitments by 2025. And Finally China paid tribute to former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who helped [open the Asian nation]( to the West, portraying him as invaluable to building ties between the two economic superpowers. Kissinger met President Xi in July and remained China’s preferred go-between with Washington until just [before he died yesterday]( at age 100. WATCH: Here’s a look back at Kissinger’s life and legacy. 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