#israel AND THE US is rejecting all ceasefire attempts

[thecurrentevents]

governments are saying a ceasefire in Gaza will arrive soon. but Hamas and Israel are opposed to one. Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire and to have all troops leave the Gaza Strip while Israel insists it will have Hamas destroyed first.

I’m not saying Hamas is entirely good either, but in order to completely destroy the organization, how much more of Gaza will need to be destroyed to rubble? how many more civilians need to be killed? people are dying of starvation and malnutrition as the death toll reaches 30,000 (in reality, it’s probably already over since thousands are buried under the rubble), and yet, Israel won’t agree to a ceasefire until Hamas is destroyed.

to what extent will the West allow this genocide to continue before demanding a ceasefire?

[matan4il]

Daily update post:

Another Palestinian terrorist attack today, this time we're talking about a shooter, who opened fire at an Israeli minibus, and managed to injure several people, at least one is critically wounded, and 2 are in serious condition. The terrorist has been neutralized after a 5 hour chase, and his identity has been confirmed. His past includes both having served time in an Israeli prison for terrorist activity, and having served in the Palestinian Authority chief's guard. According to the army, he was using a snipers rifle, and had prepared in advance several organized sniping posts.

Iran, the country which funds at least 3 of the terrorist organizations currently attacking Israel (Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis), and which has directly targeted Israelis as well (through cyber and physical attacks), has had its ambassador summoned over Iran's suspected complicity in the attempted synagogue attack by a German Iranian in 2022.

The US brought a resolution to the UN security council, which suggests an immediate ceasefire AND an immediate releasae of all the Israeli hostages. 11 countries voted for it, only Russia, China and Algeria voted against it. But because Russia and China used their veto, the resolution was rejected. Next time you hear an official from Russia, China or Algeria claim to care about the lives of those in this conflict, please remember they could have saved people on both sides of it (including kidnapped Israelis of Russian or Chinese descent), and chose not to. Russia's excuse for it is especially ludicrous. If Hamas had released the hostages immediately, then Israel would have been obligated by this resolution to cease fire, and then there'd be no operation in Rafah.

After Canada, Sweden and Australia, now Finland has announced that it would renew its financing of UNRWA, the UN agency whose employees are complicit in the Hamas massacre, and in having symbiotic ties to Palestinian terrorist organizations. That's while some countries have never stopped funding UNRWA, and Saudi Arabia has even announced an increase in it. And I will mention each one as often as I can, for their complete disregard of Israeli lives, because this IS a STAIN on the so-called morality of these countries.

Speaking of Canada. The same country happy to continue financing an organization complicit in anti-Israeli terrorism, which shows a complete lack of care for the lives of Israeli civilians, has also been doing a lot of posturing as if it's oh so moral, and therefore will no longer sell weapons to Israel. So here are a few reminders of why it's indeed nothing more than posturing:

As I mentioned, Canada is fine with resuming the funding of UNRWA, without this UN agency being properly investigated, and without any assuraance that the Canadian money going to it, won't end up responsible for the murder of innocent civilians in Israel, including ones with Canadian nationality.

Canada has resumed its sales of military-used systems to Turkey, despite the fact that its known these systems have been used against ethnic Armenians, simply because Turkey agreed to Sweden joining NATO, not because it promised to change in any way its use of these systems.

3. Canada isn't actually selling weapons to Israel, it's selling components for weapons, for an annual worth of about 22 million dollars. Meanwhile, Canada is buying weapon systems from Israel at an annual worth of about a billion dollars.

4. According to Israeli reporters, about 99% of Israel's weapons and weapon components are bought from 3 countries, Canada is not one of them. In other words, Canada's sales to Israel don't make up even 1% of Israeli military imports, and make little relative difference for Israel's ability to continue its war, but it does mean that while Canada says Israel has the right to self-defense, in practice it acts like Israel doesn't, which begs the question, why does the Canadian government think Israeli civilians don't deserve to be militarily defended from a genocidal, antisemitic terrorist organization? (to make the below screenshot clear: it shows the countries Israel has bought munitions from between 2019 and 2023, with Canada being just one of the countries that compose the yellow block of 1% of Israel's puchases. See how well you can spot it)

(here's a screenshot slightly zoomed in on the yellow block, to give you kind of a better view)

I'll add to this that Israel has already dealt in the past with full or partial weapons embargo from the US, France and 3 times from the UK. And Israel's still here, still with one of the strongest armies in the world (because we have no other choice). So yeah, that's how likely this embargo is to make a noticeable difference.

5. Here's an interesting op ed, suggesting that the ban was kind of in place anyway, explaining why Canada was selling so little to Israel in the first place, and that this official ban has more to do with internal Canadian politics, than whether Israel deserves the ban or not.

As US President Biden continues to berate Israel for not conducting our military operations well enough, obviously based on his extensive experience from his many years of not serving in the army, let alone leading one, I got to hear on TV an Israeli expert on our relations with the US reminisce on about the time when Biden was the Vice President, and in 2010 berated Israel for intending to take over a sailing ship by having IDF soldiers propel down ropes onto its deck. "You guys need to come here and learn from us how it should be done," Biden said, according to this expert. Israel took the suggestion seriously, and prepared a delegation of army seniors, ready to fly to Wasngton, meet up with US army seniors, and learn from them. Not long before the plane was about to take off, they got a phone call. "Don't come. Our apologies, but we've checked, and there's no other way our people would do it, either."

This is 22 years old Libby Cohen Meguri (on the left side of the pic) with her mom, Shelly.

On Oct 7, Libby was at the Nova music festival. Together with friends, she was fleeing the scene in a car, when the terrorists got to them. She managed to call her parents, and tell them that one of her friends is dead already, and she's been shot as well. "My biggest regret," Shelly said in a recent interview that I will never forget, "is that I didn't realize it was the end. I was screaming at my husband to do something, to save her, and that's how my daughter died, hearing me screaming instead of hearing me telling her that I love her. I'm not angry with myself for not understanding back then, because the truth is, I still don't understand. But I do regret it. Libby understood that it was the end. She was calm, she asked to talk to each one of us, to tell us all that she loves us. Then another group of terrorists got to the car. Her body was found outside the vehicle, with dozens of bullets in it. Killing her and her friends wasn't enough, they had to desecrate the bodies, too. But I'm not going to let those terrorists take being Libby's mom away from me. We work and do everything for our kids, so that's what I'll continue to do, I'll keep working to make sure that people know her, know who she was as a person. Libby's sister knew her IG password, so we turned her account into a commemoration page. Please, to anyone listening, go and have a look at it. Remember that such a wonderful girl as Libby existed. It would mean everything to us." I found Libby's IG page here.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[originalleftist]

Having seen various responses to Israel's exploding pager/walkie-talkie attack on Hezbollah, here are my reconsidered thoughts on the subject.

First, I recognize that I am neither Israeli, nor Jewish, nor Palestinian, nor Middle Eastern in any way, and I therefore do not have any personal experience or stake in this situation, except insofar as all people have a stake in what happens in our world.

I also have no expertise in international law, or in the relevant technology, so I will not attempt to argue whether this action was or was not legal (I have seen reasonable-seeming arguments favouring both perspectives from people I generally respect), nor whether it would have been technically possible to do a similar attack in a different or better way.

I will say that there was, and is, an immediate, gut rejection of this tactic. Undoubtedly there's some latent bias there that I need to examine. But I also think that I'd probably have a similar response if another country had done something like this. The idea that anyone could sabotage our electronic devices and kill us-tiny bombs going off all over the country at once-is inherently frightening, and justifiably so.

But emotion is not evidence, and can often lead us to knee-jerk conclusions.

This attack was, from everything I've seen, pretty precise. it wasn't just blowing up random peoples' phones- it was targeting devices being sent to and used by Hezbollah, an Anti-semitic terrorist force with whom Israel is effectively in a state of relatively low-intensity but nonetheless active war. There were non-combatants harmed, including at least child killed. But there is no way to inflict large-scale casualties on an enemy that doesn't pose some risk of civilians being harmed. This may be an argument against all war, but unless you are against all war, one cannot fairly condemn Israel specifically for this without engaging in a clear double standard.

There is NO evidence, to my knowledge, that civilians were deliberately targeted in THIS SPECIFIC CASE, and a good amount of evidence against it.

I can also understand some people, particularly Israelis and Jews, celebrating the success of this attack, because their country and people are at war, and that's generally how humans react in war. I personally find it distasteful to celebrate death, especially when there are civilians harmed, but I'll also cheer on Ukraine when it gets a good hit in on Russia, and almost certainly there were some civilian casualties in at least some of those strikes, so I can't in fairness condemn this.

That said, I would still rather that the attack had not occurred, simply because most everyone except the most militant hardliners on either side wants a ceasefire in Gaza, not a larger regional or world war, and I am concerned that this might cause escalation, both with Hezbollah and Iran (one of the casualties was reportedly an Iranian envoy).

[head-post]

US once again vetoes UN ceasefire resolution on Gaza, rejects effort to block arms sales to Israel

The US on Wednesday vetoed a UN resolution demanding an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza. The other 14 members of the UN Security Council voted in favour of the resolution.

US vetoes fourth UN Security Council Gaza ceasefire resolution

The resolution, the latest of many Gaza ceasefire resolutions to reach the Security Council, called for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” and the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.” However, the US said it disagreed with the demand for an “unconditional ceasefire” that “did not result in the release of hostages.”

Other member countries expressed their disappointment at the failure of the resolution. The representative of China noted that “insisting on a precondition for a ceasefire is tantamount to giving the green light to continue the war.”

The observer for Palestine shared similar disappointment, saying that “this veto is a dangerous signal to Israel that it can go ahead with its plans.” This is the fourth ceasefire resolution the US has vetoed in the Security Council since October 7 last year. A US-backed resolution endorsing the implementation of a three-phase ceasefire plan was passed in June, but little has changed in the conflict since then.

The UN resolution, which would have also demanded the unimpeded flow of aid into Gaza and rejected “any attempt to starve the Palestinians,” failed in light of recent UN reports that northern Gaza has received virtually no aid for the past 40 days and that Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war.

Senate motions blocking arms sales to Israel fail, but pick up Democrat support

The Senate voted Wednesday on Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders’ attempt to block a series of planned US arms sales to Israel.

Eighteen Democrats voted to block the transfer of $774 worth of tank shells, 19 Democrats sought to block the sale of $61 million worth of mortar shells, and 17 Democrats sought to stop the sale of $262 worth of Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM).

All Republican senators present and a 51-member Democratic majority rejected all three joint resolutions of dissent, led by progressive Senator Bernie Sanders, which were known in advance to be dead on arrival due to bipartisan support for Israel’s offensive against Hamas.

But the vote underscored the growing discomfort among Democrats over the IDF’s campaign in the Gaza Strip and the party split it has caused.

A Sanders-backed resolution in January to freeze US aid to Israel unless the State Department reports within 30 days on alleged Israeli human rights abuses in the Gaza Strip received just 10 Democratic votes, although some senators may have voted with the November election in mind.

Much of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million has been displaced and the U.S. has warned of the possibility of famine after more than a year of fighting sparked by a Hamas offensive on October 7 that killed about 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 hostages. Hamas officials say the Israeli offensive has killed more than 43,922 Palestinians.

Read more HERE

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Erum Salam at The Guardian:

Student activists are planning a fresh wave of pro-Palestine protests at US colleges this fall, boosted by a “summer school” led by organizers over the break, ramping up coordination and strategy in the wake of police crackdowns on campuses this past spring. Despite academic suspensions, doxing attempts and the arrests of more than 3,000 students nationwide, the students who occupied their campuses’ lawns with tents last semester are gearing up for another – possibly bigger – round of demonstrations “on all fronts, by all means”, calling once again for a ceasefire in Gaza and for their colleges to divest from financial ties to Israel. The National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) organization held online education and training sessions this summer, offering unofficial courses to students who belong to specific student organizations – such as Jewish Voice for Peace, the Muslim Students Association and local SJP university chapters around the country – on the history of Palestine but also on how to organize, with the aim of creating a more unified and better prepared mass protest movement.

“The purpose of it was kind of to have all these people that are involved in SJP itself to build different workshops to be more educated on organizing and to be prepared for certain situations,” said Sereen Haddad, a Palestinian American undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University, a public institution in that state’s capital, Richmond. NSJP and local SJP chapters have been accused by their opponents of sympathizing with Hamas – a claim the organization vehemently rejects – and have been suspended on some college campuses including Columbia University in New York, Brandeis University in Massachusetts and George Washington University in Washington DC, for allegedly breaking campus rules.

[...] Inspired by their peers at Columbia, students at roughly 80 other US universities scrambled to replicate the tent protests in New York City, but with much less time to prepare. Legal observers and faculty members have said the protests were overwhelmingly peaceful, but shocking videos showed many protests – at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Texas at Austin, Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, Emory University in Atlanta, and many more – were met with violent clashes with police, called onto campus by university administrators, who eventually cleared the protest camps. Columbia’s president, Minouche Shafik, resigned on Wednesday after months of intense backlash from different sides for her handling of the protests, amid accusations of both tolerating antisemitism and effectively supporting of genocide. Despite police crackdowns across the country and academic punishments, student organizers expect to come back this fall just as determined to protest, and much more coordinated. Many have been boosted by sessions with the NSJP and a coalition of other groups that advocate for a free Palestine and argue, as does the United Nation’s international court of justice (ICJ), that Israel imposes a form of apartheid on Palestinians..

This fall, a return of pro-Palestine/anti-Gaza Genocide protests on college campuses is expected.

[workersolidarity]

🇺🇲🇺🇳 🚨 UNITED STATES SIGNALS SUPPORT FOR U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON GAZA

The United States has signaled potential support for a draft resolution in the United Nations Security Council on the genocide ongoing in the Gaza Strip, with a vote on the resolution set to be held later Friday, diplomatic sources told the Times of Israel.

This will make for the fourth attempt at getting a resolution passed on the Gaza conflict as negotiators try to win the support of the United States- a veto-holding permanent member of the Security Council.

The U.S. previously vetoed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on December 9th. The U.S. rejected that proposal due to its lack of condemnation of Hamas and its actions on October 7th.

The new proposal's wording now calls “for urgent steps to immediately allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and also for creating the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities.”

No steps to enforce a "sustainable cessation of hostilities" are included in the resolution, however, if passed, the resolution would mark the first time cessation of hostilities is mentioned in a Security Council resolution on the current conflict.

Negotiators scaled down the initial wording of the proposal, from a previous draft introduced by the Arab bloc which called for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" -something the U.S. vociferously opposed, arguing it would leave the current Hamas leadership in place.

The newest draft does, however, include calls for an “urgent and extended humanitarian pauses” in the fighting and the opening of humanitarian corridors throughout the enclave “for a sufficient number of days to enable full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access.”

This clause is a repeat of a previous resolution passed on November 15th, prior to the agreement on a 7-day truce beginning November 24th which led to the release of more than 100 hostages being held by Hamas and an Israeli release of at least 150 Palestinian prisoners.

The current draft resolution focuses on surging humanitarian aid into the war-torn enclave, and its authors initially sought to include a passage giving the Secretary General, Antonio Guterres "exclusive" control over inspections of aid trucks entering Gaza, however it was later removed from the text of the resolution due to opposition from the U.S. and Israel.

Security Council resolutions, though legally binding according to International Law, many parties choose to ignore the Council's demands for action. General Assembly votes on the other hand are not legally binding.

The latest resolution also demands that all sides "allow and facilitate the use of all… routes to and throughout the entire Gaza Strip, including border crossings… for the provision of humanitarian assistance.”

The resolution is also expected to call for the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

The resolution under consideration is sponsored by the United Arab Emirates and was amended in several key areas to ensure compromise and U.S. support.

The latest postponement came as the US, which has opposed several proposals during the resolution’s drafting this week, said it was ready to support it in its current form.

#source

@WorkerSolidarityNews

[aristoteliancomplacency]

‘Oct 27 (Reuters) - Israel is rejecting calls for respite in Gaza as its closest allies in the West have coalesced around the idea of "humanitarian pauses", or temporary stops to the bombardment.

Growing international distress at the conditions for 2.3 million people trapped under the heaviest air strikes Israel has ever unleashed on the Mediterranean enclave led major powers this week to call on Israel to allow such pauses to get aid in and Israeli hostages held by Islamist militant group Hamas out.’

If it wasn’t already clear, the Israeli government does not care about the hostages.

Agreement on these points could lead to more focus on lowering the violence in southern Gaza to let aid enter, the EU official said.

An average of 12 trucks a day have entered Gaza in recent days, down from 500 a day prior to the conflict, Guterres said on Friday.

Israel says any respite from fighting benefits Hamas, which it is determined to destroy, and which it says diverts aid such water, fuel, food and medicine to its fighters.

If it wasn’t already clear, the Israeli government sees all loss of Palestinian life as acceptable.

"A ceasefire means giving Hamas time to rearm itself, so they can massacre us again," Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan told the General Assembly on Thursday, calling it "an attempt to tie Israel’s hands."

If it wasn’t clear already, the Israeli government is literally framing this as ‘we, the invading force, are actually the ones being genocided. To prevent this we will commit genocide. (Except it’s not genocide when it’s Palestinian life).’

Source: Reuters

[rpfofficial]

equating judaism with zionism is one of those weird paradoxical bigotries where one group of people doing it is antisemitism and another group of people doing is self-preserving imperialism. the state of Israel is trying very hard to shed judaism in the same light as zionism as an attempt to gain sympathy for what is fundamentally a racist, colonialist and genocidal ideology (particularly in today's context and through history since 1948). so when antisemites justify their hatred for Jews by equating zionism with judaism its harrowing, and ironic. because they're essentially doing what the state of Israel wants them to do, but for a different reason. its the biggest irony of the existence of the Israeli state. seeing slogans in times square, for example, saying "ceasefire is antisemitic", is so bleak and depressing because Israel is not helping its cause at all on a social level (ie the US government will perpetuate this sentiment, while social "progressives" within the public will reject it and see it as a valid foundation for outright antisemitism) and is in fact endangering the lives of the jewish diaspora in the countries where that sentiment is widespread by politicians and news stations. but then you remember that political zionism was born from the idea that its "the only solution to European antisemitism" and the founders of zionist ideology always had the aim of drawing Jews out of the rest of the world and settling them in Palestinian land. and suddenly the propaganda spread in the USA and Europe feels far less ironic and far more sinister. its almost self perpetuating anti-semitism, because, as always, the settler ideology beneath the surface is not actually about safety, asylum, or creating a peaceful nation (regardless of whether it was in the "first place"). it's about establishing a colonial power that can uphold itself economically, militarily, and geopolitically, at the expense of an entire nation of people. and to do this it needs population, it needs moral and religious support as well as political and economic, and it needs to use the front of an innocent ethnoreligious group (a minority in the rest of the world) to justify and protect its actions and its existence as settlers (and oppressors). because as long as zionism is viewed as the same as judaism, people will truly believe in "israel's right to defend itself", and ignore the suffering of the palestinian people.

[jack-bytez-genuine-corner]

Btw our Supreme Court just affirmed that the President could order the military to kill their political rivals and it wouldn't be a criminal act as that touches on their power over the armed forces, and any conversations from the president or the president's aides discussing that assassination would not be something prosecutors can use due to presidential privilege which now applies to people who aren't even the president but in the inner circle. This also means that if you killed the people who voted against certifying you to be the next president until you die that would also not be a criminal act. So we're literally talking about the president being above the law and only accountable if 2/3rds of both houses convict him before they get to the "Lol no you can't remove me I use drone strike to kill you for trying" part of the script.

Also, Rep Bowman, a pro Palestine, pro ceasefire House Dem just lost his primary in New York to an Israel backed pro Israel candidate who will likely rubber-stamp the genocide in Gaza via the military funding bills, a thing that Republicans will also push to do and have been pushing to do the whole time while Biden tries to slow walk arms and strongarm negotiations between Israel and Hamas, a thing he's tried 3 times that has built towards a potential but has been rejected by either party based on attempt. In a practical sense, this means Bowman's replacement who ran the most expensive house race in the US will be another vote against a redline when giving arms to Israel, and not keeping a vote towards that redline, while simultaneously Biden is trying to use any diplomatic power to get to a ceasefire but if Trump were to win the US would not be at the table of any potential ceasefire which means it would be wholly on everyone else and Israel to be at that table, and similarly means Israel would have no reason to even be at the table cause the US isn't there.

It's not just Biden here, it's Biden and Dems down ballot who will be the difference between OBGYN services existing in states or those doctors being in prison for keeping women alive, the difference between the FBI and every other federal agency being fully under control of the president or those agencies being cleaned up and fixed while making sure they exist to uphold the law fairly and protect the people over just those in power, the difference between President's being allowed to kill people via the military whenever they want even within our own borders and purely for power or extensive oversight of a SCOTUS where 6 of the 9 justices lack all merits to be seen as faithful arbiters of the law while eating endless bribes and rubbing the backs of those who pay them enough, on and on. For the record, I hate this country cause there's too many people who are perfectly content with innocent people suffering on every level, but there's also so many good people who are perfectly content with that same suffering as long as they can be righteously smug about it. I truly hate being American and I've never had pride for this country and even I'm going to bother to vote so women aren't forced to give birth or die, so we can actually pass laws to help people, so we can maybe do something about climate change, so we can maybe, IDK, do a good for once instead of just constantly declining while hurting and killing as many people as possible both foreign and domestic. The US fucking sucks and it's just as much due to evil people in power as it is the people who say they care while doing everything they can to hurt you, it's on the level of fence sitters MLK Jr talked about, at least the racists will just tell you they're racist, they won't just sit there complaining about decorum and how it's too far / not enough while claiming they'd help if you were just perfect in every way in their eyes. When inevitably the worst happens and I'm sent off to the gay desert box to die in a neo-facsist Evangelical Christian authoritarian dictatorship concentration camp I guess I can be a little happy that I put in more than zero effort to try and make things a little better while being cooked alive by the heat unlike the literal millions who choose not to vote every year which has done nothing but accelerate us to that point.

Look.

I have made you a chart. A very simple chart.

People say "You have to draw the line somewhere, and Biden has crossed it-" and my response is "Trump has crossed way more lines than Biden".

These categories are based off of actual policy enacted by both of these men while they were in office.

If the ONLY LINE YOU CARE ABOUT is line 12, you have an incredible amount of privilege, AND YOU DO NOT CARE ABOUT PALESTINIANS. You obviously have nothing to fear from a Trump presidency, and you do not give a fuck if a ceasefire actually occurs. You are obviously fine if your queer, disabled, and marginalized loved ones are hurt. You clearly don't care about the status of American democracy, which Trump has openly stated he plans to destroy on day 1 he is in office.

[political-explorer]

Trump vs Harris Debate 9/10/24 notes

These are my notes on the main topics talked about, not everything from the debate is included in this, these are just the key points I retained.

Color Key:

Donald Trump

Kamala Harris

Taxes

Impose more tariffs - up to/more than 20% - the people pay these tariffs, Trump said they don't but they do (whoever is doing the purchasing is paying the tariffs)

Tax deduction of 6,000$ for young families during the first year of their child’s life

50,000$ aid for small businesses

25,000$ down payment assistance for first time homeowners

Abortion:

Rejects abortion

Supports abortion

Immigration:

“They’re eating the dogs, they’re eating the cats” in reference to immigrants from other countries and those who are coming from prisons, mental institutes, “insane asylums” etc.

Deportation

Rejected stance to add more border security to aid those already there

Policies:

Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) - if it costs the people and population less money & is better than ACA currently, then the policies would change

Has no actual plan but “has concepts”

Fracking - won’t ban it, new leases - reduce reliance on foreign oil

ACA - negotiable prices - insulin 35$/mo, prescription drugs for seniors 2,000$/yr (approx. 166$/mo), supports private insurance

Israel/Hamas War:

“If I were president, it would’ve never started. Russia would’ve never invaded Ukraine” - had sanctions on Iran regarding weaponry

Ceasefire deal, “Israel has a right to defend itself, but how it defends itself matters” - 2-state solution

War in Ukraine:

Question I thought of: how is it negotiating if Putin is building up soldiers?

Believes Trump would give up war and that’s why it’d be over so quick if he were to become president (he kept saying that the war would be over before he even entered office if he was elected)

Afghanistan:

If the withdrawal had been made while he was president, he says he wouldn’t have lost soldiers or left them and 85 B$  worth of brand new military equipment behind

Agreed with Biden’s withdrawal 

Race in Politics:

He (about Trump) attempted to use race to divide the country 

Talked about the Central Park 5 in reference to Trump Link to BBC Article on Central Park 5

Climate Change:

Didn’t answer question

Invested in clean energy, bringing oil production to the U.S. and creating manufacturing jobs

Closing Statements:

“She says she’ll do these things (in reference to Harris) why hasn’t she done them” “you believe in things the people don’t believe in (again in reference to Harris)” “we’re a failing nation, we’re a nation in decline”

“We’re not going back” intend to create an opportunity economy - bringing down the cost of living, sustaining standing in the world, being a president that will protect rights, intend to be president for the people

Notes on the speakers themselves: Trump interrupted the spokespeople a lot (Harris did too, but not nearly to the degree that Trump did). Neither of them would really give straight answers, which I understand is a lot of politics, but it got to a point where it was very annoying. If you're asked a yes/no question, give a simple yes/no answer, don't go off on BS tangents my dudes.

That's all!

[thecurrentevents]

i angry toward israel and hamas for treatment of Palestines , i angry how hamas leaders enjoy their luxury lifestyle in qatar while people in gaza are suffering and tankies and far right exploitation of palestine suffering on social media like x by used old footage of syrian war . Palestine deserved good leaders not hamas

I totally agree. when governments fight, it’s always the civilians that get hurt. but when you say “exploitation of Palestine suffering on social media,” Palestinians and the press record life in the Gaza Strip because the world needs to see this. I don’t think they want to record the damage, but the world wouldn’t believe what they’re going through otherwise.

however, it isn’t entirely Hamas’ fault either. Israel’s government has rejected all attempts at a ceasefire except for that ~seven day long one back in 2023. they have been attacking civilians — including ambulances and in crowded, dense spaces. if their government weren’t being so pressing and discriminatory toward the Palestinians, there wouldn’t be a Hamas or such militant groups.

But in the end: neither party/government is entirely good.

(edit: changed Hamas’ description from “terrorist organizations” to “militant group.”)

[thatstormygeek]

Unfortunately, whatever measure of success Israel has found in shifting blame is largely due to U.S. cooperation and involvement in this weak attempt to simultaneously reject peace while appearing to pursue it. As in past iterations of this cycle, the U.S. has responded to this UN Security Council resolution by pressuring Hamas, directing their messaging at Hamas, and simply ignoring that Hamas immediately backs the ceasefire while Israel plays games with the lives of thousands of people and again dances around an actual, straightforward acceptance of the ceasefire process. None of this is new. I wrote about some of it months ago, and again weeks ago, but the fundamental truth is that Netanyahu isn’t interested in peace, both because of his own motives and beliefs and because he’s in a governing coalition with people even further right than he is. And instead of distancing themselves from the fascist, genocidal leadership of Israel the Biden administration has tried to coddle them, persuade them, and most recently the preferred tactic appears to be some mix of tricking and coercing Israel to accept peace. Like every other effort, the most recent saga avoids using the real power the U.S. has both economically and militarily, and like every other effort it appears to have already failed. ... Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s Monday statements were even further from reality. Asked by a reporter about Netanyahu publicly opposing Biden’s ceasefire deal he not only said that Israel has accepted the plan, but that the ceasefire is the official position of the Israeli government, including Netanyahu. I, and many people around the world, wish this was true. Unfortunately reality contradicts his statements.  Biden has backed himself into a corner. His administration is, belatedly, trying to shift course somewhat. And yet they remain unwilling to take decisive steps to stop Netanyahu, they remain unwilling to use the massive and insurmountable leverage that the U.S. could exercise at any time to stop Israel in its tracks. Without that avenue, which could bring peace and end this genocide, they’re left with ineffective and manipulative tools. Namely, when Biden recently announced a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, he called it an Israeli deal. It rapidly became apparent to the world that this was simply not true, not least because Netanyahu himself shot it down. So Biden is left embarrassed on the world stage and Palestinians are left to die.

It’s time to stop the lying. It’s time to use real leverage and not try underhanded and failed manipulation and rhetorical tricks. Reports are now coming out that Biden administration officials have discussed a potential deal with Hamas to release five Americans held hostage in Gaza if ceasefire talks involving Israel break down. And again, this is change, one that could further isolate Israel. But it should never be necessary; the U.S. should have acted decisively to force Israel to accept peace, a move that would have seen all the hostages walk free, months ago. Instead Biden has thrown away so much for so little. In an election year, with the stakes repeatedly described as a battle against fascism, Biden is supporting Israeli fascists against the wishes of American voters. Not only do the majority of Democrats, Independents, and even Republicans want a ceasefire, but people want the U.S. to stop arming Israel. New polling shows that a majority of U.S. Jews, a demographic you might think Biden is afraid to lose if he uses the full range of tools at his disposal to pressure Israel into accepting peace, now want us to stop arming Israel. But there is one group left that Biden, specifically the Biden campaign, is concerned about. The one demographic left is billionaires and the ruling class. This group is steadfast in their support for Israel’s genocide. They don’t want peace – they want the weapons to keep being built and the money to keep flowing so that they can keep profiting. ... Lord knows that plenty of billionaires are flocking to Trump, and that many never stopped supporting him to begin with. They want deregulation, tax cuts, and more money than anyone could spend in ten lifetimes. But in a country where the rich buy elections, Biden wants to retain the support of this class as much as he can. They, along with the president’s long-time support of Israel and Zionist beliefs, are why the administration is twisting itself into strange lies and distortions and embarrassing themselves in front of the world instead of bringing peace. A fear of losing their money, combined with a growing realization of just how untenable continuing to support Israel is with Democrats, not to mention how it negatively affects U.S. relations with countries around the world, has led team Biden to a strange catch-22 where they’re repeatedly caught out in lies for the world to see, and where they double down on those lies instead of simply pivoting to the truth, to peace. So, like the vast majority of the problems we face today, we find ourselves confronting the reality of concentrated wealth and its direct corollary – concentrated power. To have a functional country that prioritizes peace and stability and humanity over war and death and profit we need to confront the reality of the capitalist investment in violence; it has both proven to be immensely profitable in itself and is crucial to maintaining the systems that extract and generate profit for the ruling class. Behind all the lies and obfuscation sits that simple, sad truth. And we won’t get far unless we build the power to replace this violent reality with something very different.

[librewolf]

[Photo: Gazans in the rubble, Sinistra In Europa, Nov. 21, 2023.] By Mahboob Khawaja, PhD Global Mankind vs. Political Wickedness Rationality requires objective reasoning and it is not coming for an impending cataclysm of the Israeli onslaught on Rafah and the United States - the complicit friend in making genocide betrayed its history of civility, morality, responsible political governance, equality of human rights, freedom, and justice and a lot more that only future will unfold. Ferocious concepts of good and evil are being implied by the Israeli war agenda challenging the human consciousness of principles of truth, freedom, and honesty. Mike Whitney (“Genocide in Gaza: King Bibi’s Land Grab” Global Research: 5/10/2024), is an independent reputable citizen journalist who captures the prevalent facts: The assault on Rafah comes despite the acceptance by Hamas Monday of a proposal for a temporary cessation of hostilities in exchange for the release of hostages. But after spending weeks attempting to blame the Palestinians for the ongoing war, Israeli officials flatly rejected the proposal….The cynical and misleading phrase “Israel’s right to defend itself” has become synonymous with the premeditated mass-murder of civilians. Most people have never seen anything as horrific as Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza which explains why college campuses across the United States have become hotbeds of political activism almost overnight. America’s students now serve as the nation’s conscience by opposing a flagrantly immoral onslaught that deliberately targets defenseless women and children....If you’ve ever taken a lifesaving course, you know there’s a real possibility that a drowning person will drag you under and you’ll both die. It’s a lesson that should be kept in mind when discussing America’s relationship with Israel. (Adapted from @LarryBoorstein. PM Netanyahu is not winning the camouflaged political battle and resorts to an extreme fractured mindset to annihilate the innocent people of Gaza and more so at Rafah. He looks like a despotic figure, not a leader, broken in moral, spiritual, and human integrity lacking distinction between virtue and vice, and using the logic of power as the source of controversial strategies violating the international civilized norms of human safety, conflict resolution, and peacemaking. Across the US, new generations of thinking people demonstrate revulsion against the one-track established political perspective of the State of Israel and its war in Gaza on university campuses and question the rationality of catastrophic human sufferings, crimes against humanity, and the alleged genocide of Palestinians. Ironically, America and Israel appear to be ignoring the legally binding implications of the ICJ verdict demanding Israel to “prevent all acts of Genocide in Gaza.” Western Colonialism and the Betrayal of Arab-Muslim Leaders The static Arab-Muslom leadership lacking credibility hides under the OIC (The Organization of Islamic Conferences) - a dry-inked paper entity to propel its meaningless resolution for the ceasefire and peace in Palestine. Some of those signing the paper enjoin business relationships with Israel. They are being watched and cursed by the Arab masses for indifference and betrayal of the Islamic principles of helping the helpless victims of war. There are reportedly several thousand Western (German, French, the US, and British) mercenaries fighting alongside the Israeli forces in Gaza. The Western mythologists view the oil-exporting Arab leaders as “camel jockeys” and brainless figures. They live in palaces protected by American and European mercenaries, while erecting high-rise buildings, organizing football matches, Olympic games, and COP28, while 2.5 million are being displaced and more than 34,547 are massacred across Gaza and some 14,700 innocent children killed. Israeli attacks on hospitals, places of worship, and the killing of civilians go unabatedly. The Arab-Muslim

leaders have no sense of time or history and capacity to defend the interest of Islam as the Israeli Ultra Nationalists plan to dismantle the 3rd holiest site Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Please see: “Al-Aqsa Mosque Waiting for the Arab Leaders” and “America-Israel War on Gaza a Prelude to Conquest of the ArabWorld ”https://www.uncommonthought.com/mtblog/archives/2024/01/05/america-israels-war-on-gaza-a-prelude-to-conquest-of-the-arab-world.php Planet Earth is Living for All - Those Bombing it are Morally and Intellectually Sick People Earth is living and sustains life and all that is needed by all living things and rotates itself at a speed of 1000 miles per hour at the equator and orbits the Sun at an average speed of 67062 MPH. Earth is a “trust” to humankind for its existence, sustenance of life, survival, progress, and future-making. Those who bomb the Earth and destroy human lives and habitats are not normal human beings and God will hold them accountable for the consequences of their crimes against mankind.“Fear God” and ‘do not violate the covenants of peace and trust on Earth’, remind the teachings of the Bible, Torah, and Quran to all mankind, otherwise God’s punishment to the transgressor will be severe. (Quran: 40: 21): “Do they not travel through the Earth and see what was the End before them? They were even superior to them in strength; And in the traces (they have left) in the land: But God did call them to account for their sins; And none had they to defend them against God.” Those who believe in and follow the Divine Judaism - the generations of Israelites are reminded by God (Quran 2: 84-85): And remember, We took a Covenant from the Children of Israel (progeny of Jacob), Worship none but God; ….shed no blood amongst you, Nor displace people from homes: and Ye solemnly ratified...... And on the Day of Judgment they shall be consigned to the most grievous penalty, For God is not unmindful what ye do.  And killing of innocent people is prohibited in the Ten Commandments (Torah): 'Thou shalt not kill' (Exod. 20:13; also Deut. 5:17). Jewish law views the shedding of innocent blood very seriously, and lists murder as one of three sins (along with idolatry and sexual immorality), that fall under the category of yehareg ve'al ya'avor - meaning "One should let himself be killed rather than violate it."According to Rabbi Judah Loew of Prague: ‘Jewish law forbids the killing of innocent people, even in the course of a legitimate military engagement.’ PM Netanyahu admits “ Israel stands alone.” Do the people of Israel feel confident of PM Netanyahu’s leadership towards peacemaking and global harmony? When egoistic transgressors challenge the sanctity and limits of the Laws of God, they become an object of punishment from God and that is how many powerful nations were destroyed in history.   Lessons of History are ignored and how America Has Lost Humanity If the global institutions were not defunct, the 2.5 million civilians should have been protected by the UNO and leading powers as the Charter makes them obligated in conflict zones. Mass graves of medical professionals, and innocent civilians targeted at gunpoint are discovered from three hospitals in Gaza but Western intellect does not call for accountability of the aggressors. What if the Arab-Muslim world had armed forces and honest leaders to protect the people of Gaza? The American-Israeli collaborative war on Gaza and its immediate consequences made the Western world and all of its institutions shamefully redundant in the 21st century global norms of civility, human rights, freedom, justice, and safety of civilians - whereas crimes against humanity are captured in obscure impulses and indecision and deliberate inaction by the UNO and the Security Council. Mike Whitney (“Genocide in Gaza: King Bibi’s Land Grab” Global Research: 5/10/2024), quotes author Lawrence Davidson to answer some of the critical questions by showing how the transplanting of mainly

European Jews to Palestine created “cultural and ‘racial’ incubators for an ‘us (superior) vs. them (inferior)’” which is fairly common among settler populations. Here’s more: The founders of modern Zionism were both Jews and Europeans and (as such) had acquired the West’s cultural sense of superiority in relation to non-Europeans…..This sense of superiority would play an important role when a deal (the Balfour Declaration) (in which), the British would… help create a “Jewish national home” in Palestine……in other European colonies, where large numbers of Europeans resided, the era following World War II saw their eventual evacuation as power shifted over to the natives….Unfortunately, in the case of Palestine, this process of de-colonization never occurred…..And, from the Zionist standpoint, this entire process has worked remarkably well. Today all but a handful of Israeli Jews dislike and fear the people they conquered and displaced. They wish they would go away. And, when their resistance gets just a bit too much to bear, they are now quite willing to see them put out of the way…. Like Israel, Palestine is a nation, a human culture, and its entire natural visibility is obliterated by Israeli war machines. The animals have no bombs, no guns, and bullets to kill each other and do not reflect on the imperatives of life. We, human beings, are supposed to be intelligent and responsible species on this Earth. At the edge of reason, the notion of evil leads to the realization that evil and the tyranny of war must be stopped by all means, and those responsible for bombing the innocents, genocide, and crimes against humanity must be held accountable to restore the vision of a sustainable moral and intellectual humanity. Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in international affairs-global security, peace and conflict resolution with keen interests in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and is the author of several publications including the latest: One Humanity and the Remaking of Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution. Germany, 12/2019.

[jordanianroyals]

5 March 2024: King Abdullah II stressed the need to end violations by Israel and unilateral Israeli measures in Jerusalem, which impact freedom of worshippers at Al Aqsa Mosque, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.

Receiving a delegation from the United Arab List in the Knesset headed by MK Mansour Abbas, His Majesty said Jordan will continue to undertake its historical and religious role in safeguarding Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, under the Hashemite Custodianship.

The King warned of the danger of the ongoing war on Gaza and extremist settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

His Majesty reaffirmed the importance of exerting all efforts to reach an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza and ensure the protection of innocent civilians.

The King said Jordan will continue to deliver humanitarian, relief, and medical aid to Gaza using all available means.

His Majesty reiterated Jordan’s absolute rejection of attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as attempts to separate them.

The King stressed the need to maintain support for UNRWA in line with its UN mandate.

His Majesty reaffirmed that the only way to restore regional security and stability is to relaunch a political process to achieve just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution, guaranteeing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The King commended the United Arab List’s support for efforts to achieve peace and create a political horizon to the Palestinian cause on the basis of the two-state solution, as well as its key role in representing the Arab voice.

The delegation included MK Waleed Taha, MK Waleed Alhwashla, MK Iman Khatib-Yasin, MK Yasir Hujeirat.

[head-post]

Tel Aviv suburb hit by large rocket, Israel kills at least 50 in Gaza

A rocket fired from Lebanon injured at least six people and caused a fire in Tel Aviv on Monday night. Israeli authorities were divided over whether the attack was intercepted or not.

Hezbollah fires missiles at central Israel

Hezbollah shelled central Israel and the Sharon Plains on Tuesday, leaving six people lightly wounded when a rocket landed near Netanya. The IDF said at least five projectiles fired from Lebanon were detected, some of which were intercepted, while others fell inside the country. The attack came after a rocket landed in the Tel Aviv neighbourhood on Monday, causing damage and injuries.

US special envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in Beirut on Tuesday to push for ceasefire talks to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Hochstein is expected to receive Lebanon’s final response to the proposed agreement and hand it over to Israel.

The Hezbollah-affiliated al Akhbar newspaper reported on Tuesday that Hochstein’s visit is the latest attempt to reach an agreement, but obstacles remain.

According to the newspaper, the two issues to be resolved are Israel’s “self-defence” and the composition of the international commission that will monitor compliance with the terms of the agreement.

Ceasefire talks

Lebanon argues that self-defence is already recognised by international law and therefore should not be part of the ceasefire agreement, and that Israel’s insistence on including it in the agreement is an attempt to legitimise any future military action. Lebanon therefore rejects this proposal.

Beirut also opposes the participation of Britain and Germany in an international commission to monitor the agreement, but sources told the publication that the issue could be resolved more simply.

Saudi TV channel Al Hadath, in a report on Tuesday, quoted sources as saying that the US wants Lebanon’s consent for American oversight of Beirut’s international airport and seaports, as well as border controls, to prevent the flow of weapons for Hezbollah coming from Syria.

According to the TV station, Hochstein was negotiating an agreement that would cover all of Lebanon, not just the south.

The success of the talks would open the way to finalising the international border between Israel and Lebanon. But the envoy’s success was not guaranteed, Al Hadath said. Nabih Berry, the speaker of the Lebanese parliament who led the negotiations on Hezbollah’s side, wanted to pressure the Iranian-backed group to agree to the American-proposed terms.

50 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza

At least 50 Palestinians were killed, including women and children, and many others were injured on Monday in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Civil Defence in Gaza said.

The Civil Defence said in a press statement that the Israeli bombardment targeted homes and shelters for displaced people in Beit Lahiya and Jabalia in northern Gaza, Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, and the towns of Khan Younis and Rafah in the south.

The organisation said its work remains suspended in northern Gaza due to “continued Israeli shelling and aggression,” leaving thousands of citizens without humanitarian aid, medical care and assistance.

Meanwhile, Raed Al-Namas, a spokesman for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, told reporters in Gaza that the health system in the north is deteriorating due to a lack of medicine and staff.

Al-Namas said the services provided are at a minimal level and 12,000 wounded need treatment outside the Gaza Strip.

Israel has been waging a major offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to avenge the Hamas rampage on Israel’s southern border on October 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people were killed and some 250 taken hostage. The number of Palestinians killed in ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza has risen to 43,922, Gaza’s health authorities said in a statement on Monday.

Read more HERE

[arpov-blog-blog]

The United States has proposed a rival draft United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and opposing a major ground offensive by its ally Israel in Rafah, according to the text seen by Reuters.

The move comes after the U.S. signalled it would veto on Tuesday an Algerian-drafted resolution — demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire — over concerns it could jeopardize talks between the U.S., Egypt, Israel and Qatar that seek to broker a pause in the war and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Until now, Washington has been averse to the word ceasefire in any U.N. action on the Israel-Hamas war, but the U.S. text echoes language that President Joe Biden said he used last week in conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

It would see the Security Council "underscore its support for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza as soon as practicable, based on the formula of all hostages being released, and calls for lifting all barriers to the provision of humanitarian assistance at scale."

The United States does "not plan to rush" to a vote and intends to allow time for negotiations, a senior U.S. administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Monday.

To pass, a resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the U.S., France, Britain, Russia or China.

The U.S. draft text "determines that under current circumstances a major ground offensive into Rafah would result in further harm to civilians and their further displacement including potentially into neighboring countries."

Israel plans to storm Rafah, where more than 1 million of the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza have sought shelter, prompting international concern that an assault would sharply worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The U.N. has warned it "could lead to a slaughter."

The draft U.S. resolution says such a move "would have serious implications for regional peace and security, and therefore underscores that such a major ground offensive should not proceed under current circumstances."

Washington traditionally shields Israel from U.N. action and has twice vetoed council resolutions since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants. But it has also abstained twice, allowing the council to adopt resolutions that aimed to boost aid to Gaza and called for extended pauses in fighting.

While the U.S. was ready to protect Israel by vetoing the Algerian draft resolution on Tuesday, International Crisis Group U.N. Director Richard Gowan said Israel would be more concerned by the text Washington drafted.

"The simple fact that the U.S. is tabling this text at all is a warning shot for Netanyahu," he said. "It is the strongest signal the U.S. has sent at the U.N. so far that Israel cannot rely on American diplomatic protection indefinitely."

Israel's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the U.S. draft.

A second senior U.S. administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. draft does not suggest "anything about the dynamics of any particular relationship, whether that's with the Israelis or any other partner we have."

The draft U.S. text would condemn calls by some Israeli government ministers for Jewish settlers to move to Gaza and would reject any attempt at demographic or territorial change in Gaza that would violate international law.

The resolution would also reject "any actions by any party that reduce the territory of Gaza, on a temporary or permanent basis, including through the establishment officially or unofficially of so-called buffer zones, as well as the widespread, systematic demolition of civilian infrastructure."

Reuters reported in December that Israel told several Arab states that it wants to carve out a buffer zone inside Gaza's borders to prevent attacks after the war ends.

The war began when fighters from the Hamas militant group that runs Gaza attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. In retaliation, Israel launched a military assault on Gaza that health authorities say has killed nearly 29,000 Palestinians with thousands more bodies feared lost amid the ruins.

In December, more than three-quarters of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly voted to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry political weight, reflecting a global view on the war."