#the ceasefire is meaningless

[news4dzhozhar]

Because the United Nations (like the ICJ) is toothless and requires for countries to police themselves and abide by the decisions passed (and international law), Israel is simply refusing to acknowledge the ceasefire. The video above was shot last night (March 26th). Considering the ceasefire was to only be 2 weeks long it really shows the belligerence and bloodlust on the part of Israel. It also reaffirms that Netanyahu and the IOF don't give a damn about hostages as the agreement would have seen them ALL released.

[cuties-in-codices]

one year of ongoing genocide against palestinians and the brandenburg gate in berlin is being lit with the israeli flag while chancellor scholz reaffirms german solidarity with israel

[maslows-pyramid-scheme]

The final count is in:

Trump received 76,458,390 votes, an increase of just over 2 million votes from 2020. It's a very minor increase, and it doesn't match republican voting trends - in almost every election since the 1940s, Trump and Romney being the sole exceptions, Republicans have steadily increased their number of votes (usually by around 4 million).

Harris received 73,764,589 votes, a decease of around 7 million votes from what Biden got in 2020. A small number may have gone to Trump (no more than 2 million, though given Trump's targeting and the minor increase in support Trump received I'd assume that few of the 7 million who voted for Biden in 2020 voted for Trump in 2024), but the biggest problem is the non-voters - the people who couldn't be bothered, or didn't want to vote for a biracial woman, or who thought their moral comfort was far more important than keeping Trump out of power.

The election results show that people who voted for Biden in 2020 didn't vote for Harris in 2024; in 2020, Biden received a record-breaking 81 million votes, whereas Harris, in 2024, has only received 70 million votes so far. If current trends continue, Harris can expect to have gotten about 73-4 million votes.

The election results also show that, contrary to popular opinion, Trump didn't make huge, nation-wide gains with minority voters: in 2020, Trump received 74 million voters, and in 2024, he has received - wait for it - 74 million votes so far. If current trends continue, Trump can expect to have gotten about 77-8 million votes.

Now, I've been seeing people blame marginalised groups for Trump's victory - it's white women voting along racial lines, it's Black, Asian, or Hispanic men voting along sex lines - but I don't think the results actually support that analysis given how small Trump's vote actually increased by (from the Dems or from non-voters?). I think the results show that, while Trump did made some gains, his victory can primarily be attributed to the 7-8 million people who voted for Biden in 2020 but did not vote for Harris in 2024, either because they flipped sides, or, more likely, because they just didn't vote at all...

[librarycards]

Writers who try to do this work are told that our words don’t mat­ter. When we demand a ceasefire and an end to occupation, we are told that those words are meaningless, that they do not prompt action, and that they cause tremendous injury (as in, to demand a ceasefire or to demand that the genocide in Gaza end is to cause injury and not to demand the cessation of injury). To name a per­son, institution, state, or a set of acts as racist or anti-Palestinian or antiblack is to cause injury. It is not the racism that injures, it is not the bullets and bombs that injure, it is the words that seek to name the injury—that name a murderous structure like apartheid or settler colonialism—that cause injury.

Meaning is in crisis. And we are embroiled, everywhere, in contests over meaning—which are also contests of power, contests over living. And dying.

When Anne Boyer resigned as poetry editor of The New York Times Magazine in November 2023, she wrote on her Substack,

Because our status quo is self-expression, sometimes the most effective mode of protest for artists is to refuse. I can’t write about poetry amidst the “reasonable” tones of those who aim to acclimatize us to this unreasonable suffering. No more ghoulish euphemisms. No more verbally sanitized hellscapes. No more warmongering lies. If this resignation leaves a hole in the news the size of poetry, then that is the true shape of the present.

Christina Sharpe, The Shapes of Grief: Witnessing the Unbearable

[giyrut-girlie]

In the wake of non stop whataboutisms in the last week about the Bibas family, I feel like I need to verbalise why I don’t consider their deaths as the same as other children who have died during the war. This is honestly just for myself but I’m bringing y’all along in my thought process.

The Bibas boys (of blessed memory) were stolen from their home during a terrorist attack that broke the previous ceasefire. As far as we can tell, they were traded like pawns between terrorist groups for money and clout, and ultimately murdered in a brutal fashion for no reason other than psychological warfare and a PR opportunity for their captors.

The deaths of G/azan children throughout the war have been awful. I will not stand here and say that their lives were meaningless or that their deaths were positive. BUT, they were casualties in a war that was not targeting them. Their deaths were absolutely preventable, Hamas did not have to invade Israel and take hostages, did not have to build their armouries and bases into civilian infrastructure, did not have to put them in harms way for their own gain. Let’s be clear: if Hamas had not committed such vile acts of terror, most of these children would be alive.

I do also want to get across that, in my mind, the cause of death is important. The children who have been killed throughout the war have not died of targeted attacks. Again, they were casualties of urban war. The ratio of civilians to combatants who have died (at best guess) is an astounding feat of harm minimisation. Most urban warfare has a much higher civilian causality rate. Air strikes, building collapses, famine etc are horrible, and again, the deaths of children in this capacity are awful. But these children were not manually strangled and mutilated post mortem. That kind of brutality is next level evil. A civilian being killed in an air strike targeting hostile military forces is a different ball game to murdering a baby with your hands.

I think that sums up my thoughts on the whole thing and I hope it makes sense, but I’ve been ruminating on this for a few days and needed to get it off my chest. Again, I need to stress that I don’t think that G/azan children deserved to die, deserve the ongoing effects of this war, or anything that antisemites would probably accuse me of. Their deaths are also tragic, and much like the Bibas children, their deaths are HAMAS’ FAULT

Bring them ALL home, may this ceasefire deal bring lasting peace.

[justalittlesolarpunk]

If you’re feeling despair, I’d really encourage you to follow along with the journey of the Madleen. The Freedom Flotilla are sailing straight into danger, determined to deliver aid whatever governments might say or do. Even if this ends in a terrible tragedy, I will hold on tight to the hope and pride and joy I feel in being a human being at a time like this. A time when ordinary people rise to reach out a hand in solidarity. A time when they don’t wait for permission, where they reveal the truth that nation states are meaningless and mutual aid is everything. I hope and pray that they arrive safely, make their deliveries and help the people of Gaza, that they depart in peace and return again with more - more food, more medicines, and more and more boats sailing beside them. I hope a People’s Humanitarian Corridor is established, that there’s a ceasefire and peace but most importantly justice and self-determination for Palestinians. But even if their boat is bombed out of the water, I will carry their memory in my heart and be inspired by their courage and integrity. I wish I had half their strength. May we all sail on freer oceans one day.

[navree]

You keep saying refusing to vote for Biden on moral grounds because of Palestine is ineffective because Trump would be worse, but that really isn't the point. Largely (with the exception of a few extremists and a contingency of people who wouldn't have voted anyways) the philosophy of a movement that has people withhold their vote is to force a significant policy change that wouldn't have changed otherwise. Its a form of protest. I understand from your perspective, election-focused and pragmatic, it is a threat to whoever is running, but if Biden had wanted the votes being withheld he would have capitulated.

Not that this isn't a moot point since he's out, but whatever.

See, this is intensely fucking dumb.

"force a significant policy change" it would not. One, because Biden is the president of the United States, and Israel is not one of those states. Short of sending the CIA to, idk, assassinate Netanyahu in his bed, which most of these people would be against I think because of how much they bitch and moan about US foreign policy at any given opportunity, he cannot actually make an independent foreign power do what he wants and what is electorally convenient for him. Like, I'm very sure Biden would love it if Netanyahu and his partisans stopped acting like fucking freaks for five minutes, if only so that it would stop being a PR nightmare for him. But that's not happening, because he cannot control what Netanyahu does. He could vastly reduce the support the US is providing Israel, and in my view he should, but that's not going to stop what Netanyahu and the Israeli government is doing. Because, I hate to break it to you, but the reason they're carpetbombing Gaza is because they want to be carpetbombing Gaza, and even without US aid they will continue to do it, even it just means with older and less effective weapons. Ultimately, the change that leads to a ceasefire and an end to the war is going to come from the actual parties involved, not Joe Biden.

Two, you've already gotten the significant policy change. Biden has, on multiple occasions now, come out in favor a ceasefire. He has actively been working, along with the Qatari government, to try and broker some kind of peace agreement between Israel and Hamas, but those two keep on fucking it up because they're both run by bloodthirsty psychopaths who don't care one iota about the people they're meant to be governing and only on killing whoever they want. That's been open fact for months now. And it has meant fuckall. The people doing their moral purity about how they'd never vote for Biden were still doing it, just moving the goalposts on what they wanted. First it was ceasefire, then it was 'no ceasefire until [insert impossible demand here] is given', because moving goalposts is what these people do. It's the same mentality as people who saw that Biden was doing COVID stimulus, or cancelling student loans, or reclassifying marijuana, and decided that the issue now was that he wasn't doing enough of it. It's a movement that's been consistently comprised of dogs that caught the car, and are angry that they caught the car because now they can't complain, and they don't want to actually affect meaningful change, they just want to complain because that's easier. And if that's what these people have been doing for his entire presidency, why on Earth would any reasonable person suddenly believe it's different on this one specific issue?

Three, cool you're protesting, then what? Your protest is utterly unserious and completely meaningless if it's not going to have any tangible effects, so what's the next step? You've decided to make your moral purity stance an issue that the vast majority of you learned from infographics on Instagram rather than listening to the voices involved (which is why the red triangle brigade is still a thing on Twitter), so what happens now? No political party is ever going to capitulate entirely to it, because the constituency is just too small (that "uncommitted" gambit was only getting like 10% of the vote wherever it was happening, Biden won over it as a literal write-in candidate in at least one state), so other than the compromise that's already happening, the goalpost movers are gonna withhold their votes because blah blah blah my morals. And their next step is, what? Trump gets elected. And their movement, which has no thought or serious effort put behind it or any actual attempt to provide material aid to the people actually suffering, has helped put a man who is going to be far worse for it in power. The "significant policy change" is going to be that Trump gives Netanyahu whatever he wants and he proceeds to wipe Gaza off the map. The "significant policy change" is that President "Trump Heights" actively makes things worse for the people this protest is supposed to help, as a consequence of that very protest.

It's not about me only being concerned with being "election focused" or some cold hearted bitch. It's about me, as a person who thinks what Israel has been doing since the start is godawful and deeply horrendous, realizing that this entire "protest" is not only asinine but will result in deeply negative consequences and very real harm for the people this protest is purported to be for, and being sickened by that. I live in the real world, and in the real world action speaks far louder than intent. I don't have to acknowledge that the protest wants this or that outcome or what the hypothetical impossible asks that are never going to be answered are, because I understand that they will not matter. What matters is what you get out of your protest, what gains are received, how that protest actually affects change, not the change it gives wishy washy lip service to.

[otakuvampyre]

hi um i don't mean to be rude or hurtful. i just want to add some information! i hope you're having a wonderful day

unfortunately links aren't supported, but i've tried to make references where i can

there has been famine in the gaza strip since may. the un's office of the high commissioner of human rights has an article about this which mentions young children starved to death, death from malnutrition

al jazeera has a list of the children killed

aid has been blocked, including food.

there was an attack during the month of Ramadan which people getting flour aid where killed deliberately known as the 'flour massacre'. there's many instagram posts about this.

netanyahu and gallant have warrants for their arrest accusing them of starvation as a warfare tactic. this was issued by the icc they actually have quite interesting pages on accused people, so i'd reccommend looking at that if you do want to

Not all the people affected by lack of food died, or visibly look affected. people showing photos of eating meals does not negate the famine. food has been able to get in, yes. it is still available. but there are also people affected by lack of it.

thanks for reading this, i just am interested in sharing information. violence is bad no matter who it is exacted against. all civilians, israeli and palestinian, should be able to live without the threat of such things happening

thank you.

Actually no, there was no famine. It was vastly exaggerated.

Al Jazeera is a Hamas propaganda site that even the Palestinian Authority has banned. Their "lists" are fake.

Aid has not been blocked. Hundreds of trucks enter Gaza daily. A handful of right wing protestors in Israel blocking one route is not the aid being intentionally blocked by Israel.

The "flour massacre" never happened, there are satellite images and videos that show that the crowd rushed the aid vehicle and many were hurt and killed as the driver panicked and tried to run. Israel did not fire on them just cuz random people on Instagram say so. Social media is not a reliable source for proof of a crime.

The ICC is a UN organization. The UN is corrupt. Their arrest warrants are thus meaningless. They've long proven their bias against israel.

A country the size of new york facing famine and genocide would not have people who look unaffected by it. There would not be people with an entire 3 course meal sitting on a table in the middle of rubble looking photogenic, well groomed and well fed during a genocide and a famine. That is not how victims of either of those would appear fresh from the genocide and famine.

We can agree on your final sentiment tho. All civilians, Israeli or Palestinian, should be able to live without fear of this shit happening. Unfortunately, Gaza is controlled by a terrorist faction bent on ensuring this shit happens.

Fingers' crossed the ceasefire deal holds.

[lovenonymously]

kid from bombay

you've seen the news, you've heard about tensions between India and Pakistan. you've heard about the terror attack in Kashmir. you've heard about India's retaliation and Pakistan claiming India killed civilians, giving them funerals meant for martyrs.

so let's talk about them. martyrs.

let's talk about the soldiers that die on the LoC whenever ceasefire is violated. let's talk about those women who had to watch their husbands, fathers and brothers be shot point blank for being Hindu. let's talk about the innocents who lost their lives on 26/11. let's talk about the rush hour in Mumbai locals and the bomb blasts that took lives of people who were just trying to make a living.

this war isn’t born from one attack. it’s a product of years of generational trauma.

bombs on local trains, on any random thursday, were just another part of life. our parents taught us to check under the seats. there were constant announcements to report abandoned bags or tiffin boxes. we learned to spot explosives before we even understood algebra.

every day my father took those trains.

every day we knew it could happen.

every day it didn’t, meant we survived one more.

and now, i’m supposed to thank the U.S. for a ceasefire?

a ceasefire they arranged like they’re somehow the heroes of a story they don’t even fully understand?

a ceasefire they announced in a tweet that said "common sense" and "great intelligence" like some catchphrases?

it felt like a principal trying to mediate a schoolyard fight. patronizing. empty. unbelievable.

and guess what?

IMF just handed Pakistan $1.3 billion.

they fund military aid and bailout loans, then pretend to be neutral.

they demand evidence of the Pahalgam attack like it's some dinner table murder mystery.

they ask India for restraint while we bury our dead. over and over. for decades and generations.

like we haven’t been living this reality over and over again.

things like these makes it feel like we're still colonised.

i’m not thanking U.S.

i don’t respect how the U.S. meddles.

i don't like how they think they can patch up a situation they only want to see from a distance.

i understand why they want to stop the war now.

because the world is tipping toward chaos, and they want to slow things down.

but at what cost?

they didn’t end the war. they just muted the situation.

i’ve seen the daily news since i was a child, reading about another soldier martyred.

i’ve felt the silence after each ceasefire violation.

because Kashmir was, is, and always will be a part of India.

even the parts taken. even the parts silenced.

the world keeps saying “both sides.”

but for once, the side that bleeds and is asked to show restraint must be acknowledged.

this isn’t about wanting war.

over the past few days, i’ve flinched at ambulance sirens. i’ve jumped at thunder because it sounded like planes overhead.

i don’t want war. i just really wished this debate would finally end.

that more generations wouldn't have to be taught to check under train seats.

i wanted the world to stop asking for proof of our pain.

i wanted this to be the last time we had to explain ourselves while the other side just denies, again and again.

this wasn’t an escalation from nowhere.

this is the result of letting things sit too long. and now, they've made us do it again.

no.

this ceasefire is meaningless.

your funding doesn't fix things.

your foreign interference doesn’t help.

this isn’t your land, U.S. stay the fuck out of my country.

[calaroseeey]

You are the Dawn

Adar x Galadriel. Rated G. 3825 words. One-shot.

Together they walked in darkness, yet apart. Now a star shines upon the valley that will one day be known as Rivendell, and it's never too late - not for Adar, or even for Galadriel.

My Adariel Secret Santa gift for Silvershade

───── ※※※ ─────

There was a time when Galadriel still saw the world in color. During the Years of the Trees in the naivety of her youth, she would go down to the shore. Sometimes she was in company with her brother Finrod, closest to her in kin. Other times she was alone, but never lonely. The cold water rushed up the shimmering shore and ran over her feet. The Gold Tree Laurelin reflected her light on the topaz-blue surface of the waters, while the brilliant shore was filled with gems beyond count such as diamonds, rubies and opals. The salted air was fresh and filled her lungs with an ambition and hunger for what lay beyond the Sea. It was easy to imagine the adventures that await her in Middle-earth before the War. She could not foresee the death, betrayal, and utter loss that would find her.

Finrod was gone with the rest of her brothers, Celebrimbor was no more, the great city in Eregion and its smiths had fallen, and Halbrand- she could not even think of him. The very thought of him sickened her and the wound to her chest burned with echos of pain.

She remembered the ring, shining bright on Adar’s hand. Adar. Memories rushed into the front of her mind. His hand trembled as he held it out to her, the same hands that killed too many of her kin. When he turned around for her to see what Nenya had healed, it was as if she saw him for the first time.

She called out his name. “Adar…”

“When last I looked like this, I was known by a different name.”

“What was it?”

“A meaningless name. It does not matter now.”

Galadriel was silent, awaiting for Adar to say more. He slipped off the ring without saying anything else. She stepped nearer to him, and reached out her hand. She let him brace her wrist as he slid it on her finger.

“There has been great pain and sorrow I have caused, Alatáriel.”

“Nor am I blameless, I have killed many of your children. I was prepared to kill you as well.”

“I forgive you.” The wind blew gently through the forest, rustling her hair as it shone in the sunshine. They were still so close. “No more flame. No more darkness. I have much wisdom received from your ring, but it remains yours. I know I cannot vanquish Sauron with this, and it would be selfish to keep it for myself.”

She looked in awe at the ring on her hand, then at him.

“He will not find us here in the forest.” she turned to the hillside they came from. “I must find Elrond. Command your army to ceasefire-”

“Us?”

Her gaze darted back to him. “You can come or not, Adar. But I would much prefer if you did.”

Although she had multitudes of reasons to feel hatred for him, she knew she could trust him now. With her life, with her ring, with the future of the world.

There was no going back now.

Yet, between the holly trees and pine in the forest, there was a Maia clad in false light who had assumed control over the Uruk. And while the spell that kept Adar constrained in darkness was broken, his children had now fallen under the same shadow.

The memory retreated as Galadriel’s surroundings came into focus, and her chest ached again from the cold burn of Morgoth’s crown. She heard the voices of her kin, the wind running through the valley. The rest of what followed rushed into her mind. She remembered the Uruk had found her and Adar first, followed by their enemy. There was a clash of swords and there was shouting, and Sauron had played a cruel dance with her, while Adar was left to fend against his fallen Uruk. Upon opening her eyes she could see the top of the tent softly rippling like waves in the wind.

“Galadriel?” A voice called her out of her lull. She saw at the entrance to her tent Adar standing there. She shouldn’t be surprised by now, as he had taken to frequently checking in with her, although it was he who had sustained far worse physical injury. Her wounds had been of a deeper nature. Adar seemed to be aware of this and was all too familiar, as he had drank of the same cup that had been poured upon her. He could sit with her in shared silence or in conversation. Although their time spent at each other’s bedsides had been at first hesitant and strange, quickly they had grown accustomed and familiar to each other’s presence. His insight had been more keen than even that of her closest friend Elrond.

She repositioned herself on her bed to sit up, bracing herself against the headboard. Adar walked around to a seat by her bedside. “You slept all night,” he stated.

“It would appear so,” she said.

“Come,” he stood up. “I have something to show you.”

He left the tent and waited for her outside. Their camp was made some ways north of the fallen city in a cloven valley settled next to the Misty Mountains guarding them to the east. The river Bruinen narrowed in the valley and several streams came from the river, with small waterfalls cascading down the mountains and even smaller ones in and around the dell.

Galadriel found him waiting outside. Then, he led her to a small open meadow in the forest where elves were planting seeds in the fertile ground. Adar invited her to work with them, and she joined. Although the other elves kept their distance from him, the atmosphere grew a little less anxious with her presence.

Her heart fluttered when his hand brushed against hers by accident, or when the silence between them was brimming with words left unsaid.

───── ※※※ ─────

Galadriel had stayed in the valley to help Elrond establish a fortress. She felt like she was sinking further and further since the siege of Ost-in-Edhil. Sauron taunted her with every worry spoken of the future, every conversation she shared in council with the High King, in the way Adar appeared resigned to his sorrow and how utterly broken his sense of self was. An unnamed hunger dug itself into her, and it fueled her to help her kin, but it was unbearable alone. Most of all, she wanted to know what it is she longed for.

The shame of the siege of Eregion was now laid fully on the shoulders of Sauron. Adar had led the siege on Ost-in-Edhil against Sauron and many Elves had died both by his hand and the Uruk army. Despite this, Adar’s role was overshadowed by the greater enemy in the midst of collective recovery.

Still, there was doubt and a little unrest, but nobody said anything to go against a guest of the High King, and Adar remained a guest of the valley under Elrond, even after the departure of Galadriel to Lindon.

The temporary camp soon grew fortified and became a stronghold of military might, as well as shelter for those who fled Sauron’s continued onslaught on Eregion. But before the people had fully established the fortress, Sauron led a siege on the valley. Galadriel arrived under the High King Gil-Galad’s forces. But it was too late, for many Elves had been killed by Uruk. Adar had been unable to bring himself to kill any of the Uruk, unable to see them as anything other than his children. Although Sauron was driven out again, what the Elves had established had to be rebuilt, like autumn’s harvest was pulled up half-wrought by summer storm.

Destruction and death weighed heavy on the people from fallen Ost-in-Edhil. There were whispered hopes of sailing to Valinor. Some had spoken of remaining in the valley they now called Imladris.

Within those years war brought Galadriel and Adar united against the forces and allies of Sauron. But a distance remained between them. Elrond noticed from then on Adar remaining by himself. This was not uncharacteristic of him before, but there was a new sadness Elrond sensed in him.

───── ※※※ ─────

Adar awoke from dreams of slaughter and death. Pale moonlight spilt through the open window into his room. He laid atop the cold sheets on his bed. The house was quiet and the trees outside were still. True, restful sleep had eluded him for weeks. Whenever he started to feel like he belonged here, the glimpses of peace he had tasted turned bitter with the reminder of what Sauron had stolen from him.

The cool breeze from the window carried the subtle scent of spring flowers. He left his room and made his way to the gardens outside the Homely House. The moon was bright but emitted no warmth. The stars, though outshone by the moon, flickered like jewels set in the mural of the night sky. He followed a lowly path between the trees up the mountainside to an overlook where he could see across the valley.

The stars seemed all too distant. The ghost of the memory of his endless nights and years atop a nameless peak came to dance in his mind’s sight. His thoughts turned then to Galadriel’s ring, and from there to the greater beauty of the ring-bearer. He thought of her often, far too often. The memory of her was a light in the shadows when healing was more of a battle than a straightforward path. It had been autumn when he had last seen her, after the valley was besieged by Sauron and she came with her forces as aid. But a small and selfish part of him wondered if she thought sometimes of him with the same warmth in her heart.

The horizon between the valley to the east became a dusted blue. There somewhere, a light dwelt that evil could not touch. Adar was sure that there was a place in Arda where he could afford such peace. It would not be in this valley, that much was sure, although it had started to feel like a home. He was unsure if the rest of Elvenkind would welcome him as Elrond had. But if he could live among the people of fallen Eregion, perhaps there was a place out there where he was not only welcomed but wanted. And perhaps, he would not be alone.

His sight grew weary at the coming of the dawn.

───── ※※※ ─────

Years had come and vanished like vapor in the wind. It was summer again, and Galadriel had reached a standstill in the war against Sauron. The passage of time felt far more fleeting after the fall of Eregion than it had before.

Her heart grew weary from worry gnawing down her defenses. Hope was more of a wave than anything. Sometimes she was sinking and rough waves tossed her under, while other times she was above the surface managing to get a breath in before the waves grew strong again. There was a yearning that dwelt within her. In her dreams she saw visions of bountiful green forests filled with mallorn trees. Somewhere beyond the reach of Sauron, somewhere safe and hidden where good things could grow and live. She also dreamt, on occasion and often fleetingly, of Adar.

Too much time had passed. And so she returned to Imladris. She missed the company of Elrond, or at least that’s what she told herself was the reason for her visit. On horseback she rode under midsummer sun across the bleak northern terrain. The setting sun shone bright on the eastern side of the Misty Mountains, illuminating the tips of the peaks with molten sunlight and bathing the whole forest in the sun’s warm gaze. She vaguely remembered the sensation of the light of Laurelin on her skin while the land basked in her glory. The newly laid white stone path zig-zagged across the otherwise rocky and steep earth. The air was warmer as she descended into the hidden valley.

There were guards posted on the path. They welcomed her with recognition and a quick bow of their heads. She had only sent word to Elrond of her visit the day of her departure from Lindon. She wasn’t sure if Adar knew yet of her arrival.

She crossed on horseback a bridge of stone without a parapet over the rushing river. Elrond was at the entrance of the grounds ready to meet her, embracing her. There were more people up and about the grounds than she expected. Most of them were unfamiliar to her.

“Galadriel!” he said. “It is good to see you, my friend!”

“Thank you for welcoming me on such short notice.”

“That’s what this valley is for now, you see.” Elrond walked with her towards the Last Homely House. “How long do you intend to stay?”

“Until I find the reason I have been drawn back to this valley.”

“You will always be welcome here.” He turned to her, and laid his hand on her shoulder. “Know that.”

“Thank you,” she said. “This looks more like a sanctuary now than a fortress.”

“Can it not be both?” Elrond smiled.

───── ※※※ ─────

There was a feast that night to commemorate Galadriel’s visit. For some reason or another a nervous sensation settled in Adar’s stomach as he prepared to leave his quarters.

Dusk had bathed the valley in a blue hue as some of the stars above began to glimmer in the darkening sky. A gentle haze settled over Rivendell, the white fog sheer like a layer of one of Galadriel’s gowns.

Elrond had invited his guests to an open grove for the feast. Adar was already outside when Galadriel emerged from the house. She was wearing a gown blue as sky topaz decorated with flowers embroidered with silver thread, and her partially braided hair was draped around her shoulders bright like the last touch of summer over September dusk. Perhaps she caught Adar’s gaze, because he soon found her beside him. He was suddenly very aware of his plain, unadorned clothes and second-guessed his decision to have his hair loose.

“Adar.” she said, her eyes with a glint of delight.

“Alatáriel,” he said, “too much time has passed.”

“It’s barely been a few months since last autumn.” she smiled, before they began to walk down a path through the gardens. Fireflies danced in the bushes among gardens, and the summer air was perfumed by the forest flowers and pine. “There is peace here.” she said.

“There is.” he agreed. “Although still I am discontented. I will not deny Elrond’s kindness, nor the peace that dwells within this valley. Yet I do not belong here.”

“You do belong among us, Adar.”

“Perhaps Elvenkind, yes. But not among these Elves. It is a place for healing, and there can be no peace while the war still goes ever on and on. Not for us.”

“You grieve for your children?” It was more of a statement of what she already knew than a question.

“My heart, no- my whole soul aches for my children who are lost. There is nothing I can do. Here I am, healing and safe in Rivendell, while they are damned to be slaves of Sauron.”

“I will help you.” The words came out before she could catch up to them.

“What? Why would you do that?”

“Because I am your friend,” she stopped and turned to face him. “I do not share your love for them, Adar. But I too am acquainted with loss. If my brothers had been taken by the enemy, if they had been captured rather than killed, I would not rest until I had done all I could. Let me help you, to do what we can.”

“I will accept your help, my lady.”

She could see the surprise and joy in his expression, and it brought a little bit of hope to warm her heart. Merry laughter and conversation was already ignited when they arrived. Elrond gave Adar a quick but kind smile as they approached. The grove - sheltered between pine and aspen - was lit up by lanterns hung upon the trees. The aroma of roast meat with herbs and vegetables was enchanting.

Once the rest of his guests had arrived, Elrond announced Galadriel’s arrival and sat down at the head of the table. Galadriel settled into a seat near Elrond, and Adar sat beside her. During their feasting they drank fine wine from Rhovanion east of the Misty Mountains, and the table was filled with laughter and song mingled with sorrow. Elrond told of the progress of Imladris, and of those, both Elf and Man alike, they had sheltered. Many Elves shared stories of a time long past. Nearly a year had passed since the Elves last had seen war. The loss they had sustained started to settle into the hearts of the people in this momentary peace. Grief was too recent to become history, but healed enough not to weep for. Some had mentioned those who departed Middle-earth and sailed west over the Sea. The enemy was not mentioned by name, but they spoke of the war, of the dead, and of the greatness of that which was lost. Adar caught glimpses of fear in her eyes when the war was mentioned and when they spoke haphazardly of what is to come.

Galadriel, though he knew she carried secret sorrow, laughed and drank and sang songs with their kin that night. Perhaps it was the lanterns or the moonlight spilling through the trees, but she looked aglow. He understood why Men considered the light of Alatáriel’s hair to be magical, or attribute the feats of Elven craft to the magic of wizards and sorcerers.

He wondered if those of their kin who sat around him had casually dismissed such things as ordinary.

Adar was becoming re-accustomed to beauty. Before, his sight was sullied and grey after Sauron, and now the light shone out the clearer in the world around him. He wondered if the ring’s power truly was responsible, or if it simply gave him the clarity to do with it as he will.

The hour was late when the celebration ceased and they returned to the Homely House. Adar lingered longer, as did Galadriel.

“Walk with me?” he asked her. He half expected her to decline but she smiled and even more surprisingly took his arm in hand. A warmth settled in his heart as he guided her to the white-stoned path. She let go of his arm when they began to walk, the echos of her touch left on his arm.

“Often have I walked this path during the night.” Adar said. “Much time has been spent in quiet contemplation, or silence, or lament.”

They walked close beside each other along a white stone path between the beech and oak. The silence was heavy, though not unbearable. Although the eastern mountain range and the shelter of the valley hid some of the sky, still overhead the moon was bright and the stars glistened like jewels.

The path descended to reach a soft trickling stream, the water gently gliding over mossy rock. The warm air, thick and rich with the smell of flowers, was interrupted by a cool breeze. The gloom of war was lifted, if just for them this night.

They came to a small fall in the stream. White gushing water ran over the moss covered rocks and earth. Beneath the water were little blue flowers while white flowers grew upon the surface.

Adar sat down beneath a beech tree, then Galadriel sat close beside him. The light came not just from her ring. There was a light in and of herself, soft and cool, as if she were drenched in starlight. Had he not noticed before?

“I have dreamt of you.” she said. “And of forests, of a secret place beyond the reach of war.” She turned to sit in front of him.

“Come with me.” she said.

“Where would we go?”

She laughed, sweet and melodic. “We could go anywhere, but first come with me to Lindon. There is work yet to be done.”

He turned to look at her hand where the ring glimmered bright like a pulsating star. She reached for his hand and took it within her own. The cool metal of the ring buzzed against his skin. He wrapped his other hand around hers and pulled her a little closer. Night birds sang sweet melodies as the wind blew through the tops of the trees.

“Galadriel,” he whispered, reluctant to interrupt the song of the forest. “The stars pale against your countenance. I have never been witness to such beauty; if I had, I do not want to remember it. Perhaps I can only see it now, with the clarity that came from your ring.”

“Shhh.” she pressed her finger gently to his lips.

Silence hung between them for a moment, before Adar closed the distance and gently pressed his lips against hers. She returned the kiss, with a desperation and desire he did not expect. As her heartbeat quickened, the tension in her body relaxed.

The sounds of the gently splashing water, the birdsong, the swaying of the trees when wind rustled them, had interwoven with the gentle thud of her heartbeat, and the song her beauty was already singing.

The thorns in his heart had been ripped out, and in that wound left in its wake, he felt the embers of hope begin to burn again. All of the suffering and grief, from when she held him at knifepoint in the Southlands, to the fall of Eregion, every enmity between them seemed in this moment like an ugly dream from which they had been awakened.

He pulled away for a moment. To his surprise her reaction was kind and soft as moonlight. He had never seen the Two Trees or the blessed land of the Valar, yet he didn’t feel the need to. For the very light of Laurelin and Telperion was captured within Galadriel's countenance. Fate had been untangled to reveal that Adar’s life was not fixed. There were many paths he could choose now. He had lived in that waiting in this valley, but now only one path was clear.

“I will come with you.” he whispered, just loud enough to chime in with the songs of the forest. “You are as bright as the morning star, Alatáriel, and your beauty surpasses all the jewels set in the heavens and on earth. You are my dawn.”

She reached for the side of his face, gently tracing her fingers over his scars. Perhaps in another lifetime he would’ve flinched from her touch. But not now. He leaned into her embrace and closed his eyes.

“You are my ocean of color.” she said, before he felt her lips, soft and warm, meet his again.

[eretzyisrael]

By  Ryan Saavedra

The Hamas terrorist organization played the mainstream media on Monday by claiming that they accepted the ceasefire agreement offered by Israel.

The claim instantly went viral on social media and dominated breaking news headlines across the media landscape as the war in Gaza enters its seventh month.

Israeli officials quickly came out and disputed Hamas’ claims, noting that the Palestinian Islamic terror group agreed to things that were never offered by Israel.

Hamas agreed to a deal that it came up with Egypt that did not include any discussion with Israeli officials, The Times Of Israel reported.

Israeli officials said that Hamas lied in an effort to control the media narrative and to falsely portray Israel as the side that is refusing to negotiate even though Israel has made highly generous offers, including releasing dozens of convicted Palestinian terrorists and criminals for each hostage released by Hamas.

Israel said that proposal that Hamas accepted was “far reaching” and could never be accepted.

The White House said that they were looking over the bogus offer that Hamas accepted but would not give further comment.

Israeli officials, media figures, and advocates pushed back on news reports that falsely conveyed the situation.

“Let us all be very clear on what is happening right now: Hamas has not agreed to any known proposal for a ceasefire,” said Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief Avi Mayer. “Its announcement that it has agreed to ‘a ceasefire’ is meaningless, an obvious ploy and delay tactic meant to prevent the imminent military operation in Rafah.”

Former Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy posted: “It looks like Hamas didn’t agree to ‘the ceasefire.’ It agreed to ‘a ceasefire,’ i.e to a proposal Israel hasn’t agreed to and maybe hasn’t even seen. That’s not how negotiations work, but it is how media manipulation works.”

“This reported Hamas approval looks like textbook deception: approving a deal that isn’t on the table in order to apply pressure on Israel to accept Hamas terms,” said former IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus.

[thoughtportal]

In this opinion video, David Hearst, editor-in-chief of Middle East Eye, examines how Israel’s Ramadan massacre in Gaza, carried out with Washington’s approval, marks a new era in global politics. At 2:20 am on Tuesday, Israel launched mass attacks on 100 targets, deliberately timing them during suhoor, the pre-dawn meal of Ramadan, to inflict maximum civilian casualties. More than 400 Palestinians were killed, including 170 children. US President Donald Trump not only gave Netanyahu the green light for these attacks but also shattered the credibility of any ceasefire or treaty brokered by the West. Hearst argues that Netanyahu’s brutal resumption of the war on Gaza proves that US-backed ceasefires are meaningless. With air strikes also hitting Yemen, Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, Trump has abandoned his pledge to end wars, instead positioning the US as a rogue actor on the global stage. For Netanyahu, this war is about more than Gaza. It is about dodging corruption charges and clinging to power. Meanwhile, Religious Zionists, now the most powerful group in Israel, see the Gaza war not as a military operation but as the army of God’s vengeance in action. Britain and Europe remain complicit, unwilling to confront Israel’s massacres, illegal sieges, and violations of international law. While European leaders denounce Trump’s plans to carve up Ukraine with Russia, they turn a blind eye to the ongoing slaughter in Gaza, exposing the selective nature of their so-called moral leadership. But Hearst warns that this is far from the end of the story. Neither Hamas nor the Palestinian people will disappear. And just as Tony Blair’s war in Iraq destroyed his legacy, Keir Starmer’s complicity in Gaza’s genocide could lead to his own political downfall. Whoever inherits the wreckage of the Trump era must face one undeniable reality: the West’s claim to moral leadership is gone - permanently. middleeasteye In this opinion video, David Hearst, editor-in-chief of Middle East Eye, examines how Israel’s Ramadan massacre in Gaza, carried out with Washington’s approval, marks a new era in global politics. At 2:20 am on Tuesday, Israel launched mass attacks on 100 targets, deliberately timing them during suhoor, the pre-dawn meal of Ramadan, to inflict maximum civilian casualties. More than 400 Palestinians were killed, including 170 children.

US President Donald Trump not only gave Netanyahu the green light for these attacks but also shattered the credibility of any ceasefire or treaty brokered by the West. Hearst argues that Netanyahu’s brutal resumption of the war on Gaza proves that US-backed ceasefires are meaningless. With air strikes also hitting Yemen, Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, Trump has abandoned his pledge to end wars, instead positioning the US as a rogue actor on the global stage.

For Netanyahu, this war is about more than Gaza. It is about dodging corruption charges and clinging to power. Meanwhile, Religious Zionists, now the most powerful group in Israel, see the Gaza war not as a military operation but as the army of God’s vengeance in action. Britain and Europe remain complicit, unwilling to confront Israel’s massacres, illegal sieges, and violations of international law. While European leaders denounce Trump’s plans to carve up Ukraine with Russia, they turn a blind eye to the ongoing slaughter in Gaza, exposing the selective nature of their so-called moral leadership.

But Hearst warns that this is far from the end of the story. Neither Hamas nor the Palestinian people will disappear. And just as Tony Blair’s war in Iraq destroyed his legacy, Keir Starmer’s complicity in Gaza’s genocide could lead to his own political downfall. Whoever inherits the wreckage of the Trump era must face one undeniable reality: the West’s claim to moral leadership is gone - permanently.

Middle East Eye

[darkmaga-returns]

On Monday, a fresh round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine kicks off in Istanbul. Both sides are expected to present ceasefire terms, though few anticipate surprises. Russia is bringing a detailed proposal rooted in its long-standing demands – essentially a “Istanbul-22 plus territory” formula. That means Ukraine must abandon its military ties with the West, reject what Moscow calls an “anti-Russian ideology,” and recognize the current frontlines as de facto borders.

Skeptics will argue: as long as the war grinds on, talks are meaningless. But this is the first time in three years that Russia’s position is being codified on paper – a shift that makes it harder to dismiss. Putin has been repeating these demands for years, mostly to little effect. Now, even an unsigned document gives the Kremlin a firmer diplomatic foothold.

Ukraine, for its part, is arriving with a proposal of its own. According to Reuters, it closely mirrors the draft Kiev took to London in April – a proposal that met firm resistance from Washington and ultimately derailed that summit. Central to Ukraine’s demands is a call for binding international security guarantees. In plain terms, Kiev is asking the West to commit to defending Ukraine – not just in theory, but militarily. It’s a request Western capitals have been reluctant to honor since 2022, when then UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson walked away from the table. That hesitation is unlikely to change now.

Drones, disruption, and the battle for leverage

Perhaps aware of the limited traction its peace terms are likely to get, Ukraine appears to be trying to bolster its negotiating posture through force. On Sunday, just a day before the talks, drones struck five long-range Russian airbases across Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions. Russia’s Defense Ministry says three attacks were fully repelled, while two partially succeeded.

[blackpilledkremlintsarina5294]

Trump is coercing Russia by threat of sanctions to commit to a ceasefire as he demands Europe rearm and expand NATO funding - NATO being the root cause of this war in the first place.

And as he claims to stop arming Ukraine while rerouting US arms to Ukraine through Europe.

This is Minsk 3.0.

Trump speaking "peace" is meaningless if he doesn't mean it.

[yuri-alexseygaybitch]

The second C*nada voted for the ceasefire in the (non-binding, meaningless) UNGA resolution I immediately got swamped with emails from all of my "representatives" who had ignored me for 2+ months talking about how measured and humanitarian and liSteNinG tO pALeStiNiAn vOicEs they are now while still managing to sneak in the "Israel's right to self-defence" line. Actual fucking spineless scum all of them.

[theivorybilledwoodpecker]

"Vote for Biden because it's clear he can be pushed to change."

No it's not. He's not calling for a ceasefire; he's calling for a pause. Which is what he's been calling for for months.

The airdrops are crumbs and meant as distractions. If he truly wanted aid to reach Gaza, he could threaten to withhold aid to Israel until Netanyahu let in trucks. He refuses to even do that because his sugar baby might refuse to suck Biden's wrinkled old cock.

The port will take months to build. Look at these pics and tell me this kid has months to spare:

All the aid in the world will not save Palestinians from the bombs Biden continues to drop on Gaza.

Yes, the moves show that Biden is scared of losing the election. But even with that fear, it's clear he's trying to take actions that loom good but are meaningless.