The Other Elephant In The Room

Shoshin1 · May 14

Al Jazeera
Israeli lawyer exposes looting of Gaza aid convoy by far-right activists protected by police

Sapir Sluzker Amran, an Israeli human rights lawyer who went to the Tarqumiyah crossing in Hebron to document the looting of a Gaza-bound aid convoy yesterday, has described the scenes to Al Jazeera.
For hours, a group of far-right Israeli activists tore food parcels out of aid trucks and destroyed them, including boxes of rice and noodles headed to desperately hungry people in Gaza.
Police at the scene protected the activists, giving them “full permission to do whatever they wanted”, said Sluzker Amran.
“I didn’t see anyone being arrested. The only one who was asked to leave was me,” she added, noting that the activists also threatened and physically attacked her for trying to document the incident.
She said she believes police or security forces fed the activists information on when and where the aid trucks would arrive, with the information being shared openly on social media platforms.

This brave Israeli human rights lawyer is now receiving death threats...simply because she shows compassion and not aggression towards the Palestinian men, women, children and babies who are being starved to death by the Israeli government and its supporters...

Shoshin1 · May 16

Rafah, US arms, UNRWA: How Biden defends supporting Israel amid Gaza war

Washington, DC – “It’s wrong,” United States President Joe Biden said last week of the ongoing Israeli offensive against the southern Gaza city of Rafah, pledging to stop supplying offensive weapons if the assault proceeds.

One week later, however, Israeli forces have seized the Rafah border crossing and pushed into the city, where more than 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering. Still, US media reported on Tuesday that Biden plans to advance a $1bn arms transfer to Israel, including tank shells

Rafah invasion
Claim: The US government says Israel has not launched a major invasion of Rafah.

“We believe that what we’re seeing right now is a targeted operation. That’s what Israel has told us. We have not seen a major operation moving forward,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday.

Fact: The Israeli offensive in Rafah has so far displaced 450,000 Palestinians from the city and further strained the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, raising fears of catastrophic consequences.

While Israeli troops have not entered the dense urban centre of Rafah, Israel’s tanks have been pushing deeper into the city. Last week, the State Department acknowledged that theoretically “a series of limited operations” can constitute “one large one”.

“It’s not credible to say that the Rafah offensive has not started. From everything we’re seeing, the Rafah invasion is happening. And it should have already crossed that red line,” El-Tayyab told Al Jazeera.

Shoshin1 · May 16

EXCLUSIVE: LIVE From Gaza, American Nurses TRAPPED

...And Israel calls this self defence...

Shoshin1 · May 17

SABC News

ICJ hears the application brought by South Africa against Israel

Around 53 minutes in, South African Dr Adil Asim's address to the court is quite powerful...

Mr. President, members of the Court, it is a privilege to appear again before you on behalf of South Africa, but it is also tragic that we are back here months after this court first ordered provisional measures in this case against the state of Israel. South Africa is compelled to appear before you with this urgent request for provisional measures in circumstances where the alarm sounded by the court on March that "all the indicators of genocidal activities are flashing red in Gaza" and in Rafa in particular is sounding louder than ever before. This is because Israel has defied every single provisional measure indicated by this court in its orders of January and March and in its decision of February. As I stand before you today, Palestinians in Gaza are not safe; they are not secure. They are still being subjected to an ongoing and intensifying genocide at the hands of Israel. Their future hangs in the balance.

Mr. Dupy explained in his address the assault unfolding in Rafa, the last area in Gaza in which Palestinian life can meaningfully be sustained. The assault on Rafa, which has triggered this application, is inextricably linked to the ongoing genocidal conduct being committed across Gaza. Mr. President, I place before the court again a map of Gaza. I remind the court that Gaza is a narrow strip of land of approximately square kilometers. It is just kilometers wide, the length from top to bottom is just kilometers, which is about the distance between this court and Schiphol Airport. In South African terms, this is even less than the distance between Johannesburg and Pretoria. Rafa lies in the south of Gaza within an area of approximately square kilometers. This time last year, Rafa was home to around Palestinians. As a result of Israel's onslaught and its evacuation orders covering more than a third of Gaza's total territory, million additional Palestinians fled into Rafa under order of Israel as a place of last refuge. Now, Israel has issued further evacuation orders directing Palestinians to leave Rafa. In just the past week, Palestinians have been forced to flee from Rafa but with nowhere to go. There is a total collapse of infrastructure, sanitation, water, and food supply—in short, the conditions necessary to sustain life for the million Palestinians in Gaza.

The picture on the screen shows Palestinians last month starting to return to their homes after Israel's withdrawal of its occupation of Khan Yunis. As we can all see, there is nothing left. Israel's most recent actions in Rafa bring its coordinated plan aimed at the destruction of the essential foundations of Palestinian life in Gaza into horrifying focus. We are in the final stages of that coordinated plan where the different actions of Israel—to use Lemkin's terminology—the systematic disintegration of the political and social institutions and the economic existence of national groups and the destruction of the personal security, liberty, health, dignity, and even the lives of Palestinians have led to the present precipice. Israel has the power over each and every Palestinian man, woman, and child in Gaza to determine if they live or how they die. History warns us what happens next. We cannot simply stand by waiting for that to happen again.

It is not possible to recount every story of every Palestinian who is suffering at the hands of Israel's relentless genocidal campaign. Indeed, this court has held in the Bosnian genocide that "it is sufficient to examine those facts that would illuminate the question of intent or illustrate the claim by the applicant of a pattern of acts committed against members of the group such as to lead to an inference from such pattern of the existence of a specific intent." In these submissions, I show that Israel's genocidal acts against Palestinians in Rafa form part of a continuing escalating pattern of conduct across Gaza that provides persuasive and consistent evidence of Israel's genocidal conduct.

In light of these new facts, South Africa seeks an order from the court—the only order that will clearly protect what is left of Palestinian life in Gaza. It seeks an explicit order that Israel cease its military activities not only in Rafa but throughout Gaza. Turning then to the genocidal acts, in my remaining time before you, I will highlight the following features of the genocidal campaign by Israel. First, Israel has continued to kill Palestinians in Gaza, including women and children, at an alarming rate. Second, as a result of Israel's onslaught, Palestinians in Gaza are facing what the Under-Secretary-General of the UN has described as the worst humanitarian crisis he has seen for more than years. Third, Israel's systematic targeting and bombardment of hospitals and medical facilities and its throttling of humanitarian aid has pushed Gaza's medical system to collapse. Fourth, Israel's direct attack and siege of Gaza's biggest hospitals has led to the uncovering of mass graves, evidencing Israeli massacres of Palestinians seeking shelter and medical treatment.

Finally, most recently, Israel has intensified its attacks in the north while pressing on with its Rafa offensive, leaving displaced Palestinians nowhere safe to go. I will take these in turn. The first feature of the genocidal conduct: killing. Since South Africa appeared before the court on January, at least Palestinians have been directly killed by Israel. The majority of these casualties are women and children in an enclave where nearly half the population are children. This onslaught has occurred despite the binding orders issued by this court and the binding Security Council resolution on March demanding an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan. In fact, as UNICEF pointed out, a double-digit number of children were killed within hours of that resolution. Two mothers and four children are killed every hour. UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini says there are no words left that can do any justice to the people of Gaza. The numbers of dead and injured defy comprehension: at least Palestinians killed and injured with more reportedly missing or under the rubble, up to million displaced, most multiple times, and more than of all housing stock in Gaza and more than in parts of the northern region damaged or destroyed.

The second feature is a humanitarian catastrophe. Israel's coordinated plan in Gaza has resulted in a humanitarian crisis—the crisis that this court warned about in January, February, and in March. What Palestinians in Gaza face has been described as "apocalyptic levels of pain and injustice," given that food and other vital aid cannot get in and people, including the chronically sick and injured, cannot get out. These apocalyptic conditions look set to worsen with Israel's ongoing attacks on the north, middle, and south, with full-blown famine in the north moving its way south and where Israel's blockade on food, fuel, and medical supplies continues. Gaza's children have suffered particularly severely: more than have been killed, thousands more have been injured or lost family members, while an estimated children are unaccompanied or separated. Nearly all of Gaza's children have been exposed to traumatic experiences, the consequences of which will last a lifetime. Make no mistake, these conditions are a direct result of Israel's military onslaught on the besieged enclave with full knowledge of the destructive consequences of this humanitarian crisis. In these circumstances, the thwarting of humanitarian aid cannot be seen as anything but the deliberate snuffing out of Palestinian lives—starvation to the point of famine, obstructing aid in the face of famine, and killing of at least aid workers.

For the Court's previous orders to be effective, for the provision of humanitarian aid urgently and at scale, Israel has to be ordered to stop its military offensive. The third feature of genocidal conduct relates to the crippling of Gaza's medical system. Israel's offensive on Rafa has further reduced access to healthcare in an already decimated health system. Only two out of hospitals are located within the so-called humanitarian area designated by Israel. In just six days between May, Médecins Sans Frontières recorded that it was forced to suspend its life-sustaining activities at Al-Bureij Clinic, hand over its activities at Al-Emirati Hospital, and was forced to close its activities in Rafa Indonesian Field Hospital as it could not guarantee the security and safety of patients and staff with the ongoing offensive. The assault on healthcare within Rafa is the culmination of a pattern of attacks on healthcare services in Gaza, through which the main hospitals across Gaza have completely stopped functioning after Israel's military assault. After Israel's military seized the Rafa and Kerem Shalom crossings last week and prohibited the importation of lifegiving fuel to hospitals, on May, the European Gaza Hospital completely ran out of fuel and experienced a total blackout. Without fuel, hospitals cannot sustain incubators, respirators, and life-saving machinery.

Healthcare in Gaza is crippled by shortages of food, fuel, oxygen, medicines, and anesthetics. The obstetric and maternity health system in Gaza is virtually non-existent, and every functioning medical facility is overwhelmed with patients. Babies continue to die of malnutrition and starvation. Nor is there any escape; medical evacuations are impossible. Israel has seized control of all entry and exit points into and out of Gaza, trapping an already suffering population and inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about Palestinians' physical and biological destruction in clear violation of Article 2(c) of the Genocide Convention.

The fourth feature of genocidal conduct is the discovery of mass graves. In its targeted attack on hospitals, Israel has killed hundreds of civilians, including doctors and medical staff, turning centers built for healing into mass graves full of the decomposing bodies of men, women, and children. On April, a UN inspection team reported that Khan Yunis was reduced to rubble and dirt and discovered ghastly scenes of unearthed mass graves containing the massacred bodies of the elderly, women, children, and men at Al-Nasr Hospital. Blue scrubs reportedly still clothed the dead bodies of medical staff; many were decapitated. Decomposing bodies were discovered, many stripped and handcuffed. Of these, only were identified. Another bodies were discovered in two mass graves in Al-Shifa Hospital, with only bodies identified, prompting the UN Secretary-General to call for the immediate access of independent investigators. These bodies included women and children, with many reportedly showing signs of torture and summary executions.

The recent discovery of multiple mass graves containing hundreds of Palestinian corpses at Al-Nasr and Al-Shifa hospitals, where Palestinians were seeking refuge, confirms the existence of a widespread pattern of intentional killings constituting genocide.

Lastly, I address the final factor of genocide: Israel's latest forced displacement order on Rafa. What was home to million Palestinians is now reduced to half a million Palestinians displaced to the very edge of Gaza. For days, the million remaining residents in Gaza were targeted with dropping leaflets instructing them to evacuate Rafa and go south, while Israeli tanks moved in from the north, firing artillery shells. The precise coordination of Israel's offensive on Rafa with its occupation of the northern half of Gaza and its targeting of Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah has had the intended consequence of emptying Rafa of its Palestinian population and trapping the remainder of the Palestinian population in an area where conditions necessary to sustain life are virtually non-existent. With these final efforts, Israel's forced displacement campaign in Gaza, as part of its genocidal plan, is now reaching its climax.

Mr. President, members of the Court, in light of these facts and in light of Israel's defiance of this Court's previous orders, it is imperative for the Court to intervene once again. We ask for an explicit order that Israel cease all military activities in Gaza and respect the human rights and lives of Palestinians.

And South African lawyer Tembeka Nicolas Ngcukaitobi (who spoke after Dr Adil Asim) presents some extremely damning video evidence.

Shoshin1 · May 17

I wonder if any Western mainstream media have covered any of this ICJ's hearing...

Shoshin1 · May 17

SABC News
Israel-Hamas war | Israel says it complied with measures imposed by the ICJ

Israel's legal team says the country has complied with measures imposed by the International Court of Justice(ICJ) in February and March. Addressing the court, Israel says it has a right to defend itself. Israel presented its reply to South Africa's presentation where Pretoria has requested the ICJ to impose measures that include Israel halting its military operations in Rafah and Gaza. The lawyer representing Israel, Tamar Kaplan-Tourgeman, has told the World Court that Israel has done all in its power to obey the court's orders.

Shoshin1 · May 18

Anadolu Agency
South African lawyer Tembeka Nicolas Ngcukaitobi presents evidence to ICJ showing 'genocidal intent' of Israeli officials

Shoshin1 · May 19

Katie Halper

Germany ARRESTS Jewish Israeli Woman Over ‘Antisemitic’ Protest Sign

Iris Hefets is a Jewish-Israeli psychotherapist who moved to Berlin. She is an a member of Jewish Voice For Peace and has been arrested more than once for protesting Israel’s genocide and holding a sign saying “an Israeli and Jew says stop the genocide.”. She talks about the crackdown on pro Palestine activism and speech.

Lionduck · May 20

People can change policy - united and persistent.
A mighty fire often begins with but a tiny ember or spark.

Shoshin1 · May 20

What does Benny Gantz's ultimatum mean for Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government? | Inside Story

A new crisis for Benjamin Netanyahu at a time when public anger against his handling of the war on Gaza is rising with each passing week.
Senior minister Benny Gantz is threatening to quit Israel's coalition government if Netanyahu doesn't come up with a plan for the strip's post-war governance within three weeks.
Gantz has tabled his own goals, which include an international coalition to administer >Gaza's civil affairs.
It's put Netanyahu in a tough spot. Accepting the suggestions put forward by Gantz could cost Netanyahu the support of far-right partners and topple his government.
So, how will the deepening divisions in the war cabinet affect his coalition?
And what could they mean for the future of Israel's war on Gaza?

Presenter: Cyril Vanier

Guests:

Udi Goren -- Cousin of an Israeli whose remains are being held by Palestinian fighters in Gaza

Yossi Mekelberg -- Associate Fellow at the Middle East and North Africa Programme at the UK think tank Chatham House

Alon Liel -- Former Israeli diplomat

Shoshin1 · May 20

Democracy Now
Interesting Interview from December with Palestinian Diplomat at the UN Nada Abu Tarbush

Nada Abu Tarbush's full UN speech

State of Palestine UN Representative, Nada Abu Tarbush, gives an eviscerating address to the State of Israel at the 5th Meeting the High Contracting Parties (CCW), Geneva. 17 Nov 2023.

Shoshin1 · May 20

Al Jazeera English
World reacts to ICC prosecutor seeking Israel, Hamas arrest warrants

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has applied for arrest warrants against top Israeli and Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said on Monday that his office had applied for arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders for alleged crimes committed during the Hamas-led October 7 attack on southern Israel and Israel’s subsequent war on Gaza. Khan announced that his office had "reasonable grounds" to believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant bear "criminal responsibility" for "war crimes and crimes against humanity." Khan also applied for arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders – Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri (also known as Deif) – for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid reports. Our team of correspondents around the world are following all the latest developments on this story. We will be getting reactions from Mohammed Jamjoom in Amman, Jordan with the Israeli response to the news. Internationally, we have Gabriel Elizondo standing by at the United Nations and Patty Culhane at the US State Department. First, we go to Step Vassen, who is live for us at The Hague.

Shoshin1 · May 21

Zeteo
Interesting descussion regarding the potential issuing of ICC arrest warrants for the leaders of Israel and Hamas...

The International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor announced Monday that he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. In response, ‘Two Outspoken’ hosted a special breaking news town hall for Zeteo paid subscribers where Owen and Mehdi were joined by two guests: former PLO legal adviser Diana Buttu and Israeli academic Ilan Pappé.

Paid subscribers were able to ask their questions directly to Owen, Mehdi, Buttu and Pappé. They discussed how the ICC’s prosecution team is also seeking warrants for Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as two other Hamas leaders — Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, and Ismail Haniyeh. They also covered what a shock it is for the Israeli political class to find itself held to account by international legal institutions; and whether this move will change anything on the ground for Palestinians.

Professor Pappé also told the hosts of ‘Two Outspoken’ about his bizarre experience last week when he was questioned by the US Department of Homeland Security agents about his views on Gaza and genocide on his arrival at Detroit airport.

‘Two Outspoken’ is a twice-monthly conversation between broadcaster, author, and Zeteo CEO Mehdi Hasan and political commentator, author, and activist Owen Jones. Mehdi and Owen will be discussing the news of the week, offering their analysis on the state of American and British politics, and even, like today, taking questions from Zeteo paid subscribers.

Shoshin1 · May 22

Senator Bernie Sanders Powerful Speech before the Senate
"We cannot apply international law only when it’s convenient."

Laying out the truth plain and simple.

Shoshin1 · May 24

"Europe has lost its soul and the U.S. has lost its mind"
Francesca Albanese the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967

Shoshin1 · May 24

Nelson Mandela on Palestine (1990)

What a brillant oriator he was....

From a commenter "The man who walked out of Prison to become a President"

Shoshin1 · May 24

Al Jazeera English
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivers an Order in the case South Africa v. Israel

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, delivers its Order on the request for the indication of provisional measures and the modification of provisional measures previously prescribed by the Court submitted by South Africa on 10 May 2024 in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel), on 24 May 2024, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court. Session held under the presidency of Judge Nawaf Salam, President of the Court.

The ICJ Order

Shoshin1 · May 25

Tory minister grilled by MPs over UK's support of Israel's bombardment of Gaza

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Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell was in front of the Business and Trade Committee where he had to defend the UK's continued refusal to call out Israel for the incessant attacks on Palestinians in Gaza.

When hearing the UK Deputy Foreign Secretary trying to weasel his way out of giving a direct answer to the questions put to him, the word "sleazebucket" comes to mind.

It's truly a sad state of affairs knowing that the UK government is run by people like him—dishonest and untrustworthy. Not long ago, Western governments would call the governments in countries in the Global South corrupt and untrustworthy.

This is truly a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Lionduck · May 26

If it weren't for the clear tragedy, the tangled mess of conflicting treaties and circus act of what passes for diplomacy would be comically entertaining. Sadly, the tragedy far exceeds the comic duplicity. This sever lack of humanism is tragic of itself.

Shoshin1 · May 26

@Lionduck said:
If it weren't for the clear tragedy, the tangled mess of conflicting treaties and circus act of what passes for diplomacy would be comically entertaining. Sadly, the tragedy far exceeds the comic duplicity. This sever lack of humanism is tragic of itself.

Yes, it's so sad knowing that these Western policticians who are backing Israel's slaughter of innocent Palestinian, men, women, children and babies, know full well what Israel's plans are for Gaza and the Palestinian people...
When it comes to the horrorific scenes coming out of Gaza, these poor excusing for human beings (aka pro Israel Western politicians) just pay lip service to all the suffering...

Shoshin1 · May 26

Channel 4 News
Hamas launches rockets at Tel Aviv after 81 people killed in Gaza

Shoshin1 · May 27

Assal Rad: The headline fixer | The Listening Post

Eight months of Israel’s war on Gaza has shone an often unflattering spotlight on media coverage by mainstream United States news outlets.

Historian Assal Rad explains the mission she has undertaken to “fix” misleading headlines.

"In the case of Gaza, too often there are no references to Palestinians. This goes back to the idea of how, not just in the media but also in our political discourse, Palestine is fragmented. People might not understand that Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem are all part of a Palestinian state. They're all Palestinian territories.

If you single out Gaza without explaining that they're Palestinians, you're essentially separating Gaza from the larger issue of Palestinian statehood and liberation. This falls into an Israeli pattern of erasing Palestinian identity and Palestinian statehood by treating each of these illegally occupied territories and their people as separate entities. People in Gaza are Palestinians, and journalists should call them that."

"When you talk about a mask-off moment, Gaza has really shredded anything that resembles the sort of world order we had become accustomed to hearing. Western powers, especially the United States and mainstream media in the US, have championed this for such a long time. They're still using that language but with such an egregious level of hypocrisy that everyone can see it now.

I think that's the part that's resonating with so many people. With these headline corrections, the state of Israel seems to be able to get away with anything and not be held accountable. The fact that the media is so complicit in this process, continually whitewashing Israel's crimes and parroting whatever the US's official line is, is a real abdication of its role. These incomplete, inaccurate headlines are shaping how people think, and that's why it's so important to point it out."
~Assal Rad

DagobahZen · May 27

A big "defence" tactic now is calling anyone who disagrees with what Israel are doing antisemitic. How low. I don't care what ethnic background or what religious background anybody who kills innocent civilians, men , women , children and babies needs to be called out. Shame on Israel and all those who are letting this happen.

DagobahZen · May 27

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/27/global-shock-after-israeli-airstrike-kills-dozens-in-rafah-tent-camp

Shoshin1 · May 27

From the article

Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said in parliament that “something unfortunately went tragically wrong” with the airstrike. “We are investigating the incident and will reach conclusions, because this is our policy,” he said

What a load of crap..
All the killing of innocent Palestinian men. women children and babies by the IOF are deliberate acts...

The US, Israel’s staunchest ally and weapons supplier, described the images from the aftermath as devastating.

....Then shipped more weapons to Israel...

France, a European ally of Israel, said it was outraged by the Rafah strike. “These operations must stop,” the country’s president, Emmanuel Macron, posted on X. “There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire.”

The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, posted: “Horrified by news coming out of Rafah on Israeli strikes killing dozens of displaced persons, including small children. I condemn this in the strongest terms.”

..And they continue to support Israel and supply them with more weapons...

After criticism of the Rafah strike, the IDF said it had not anticipated civilian casualties, and had bombed an area outside the latest “evacuation zone” to where Palestinians have been ordered to move, although that claim appeared to contradict a previous “safe zone” map from 22 May

Several rightwing Israeli journalists celebrated the Rafah attack in appearances on Israeli television and on Twitter, likening it to this week’s Jewish bonfire festival, Lag B’Omer. Commentator Yinon Dromi retweeted another user’s post which showed a fire in Rafah, adding her own: “Happy Holidays.”

Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue

Shoshin1 · May 28

@DagobahZen said:
A big "defence" tactic now is calling anyone who disagrees with what Israel are doing antisemitic. How low. I don't care what ethnic background or what religious background anybody who kills innocent civilians, men , women , children and babies needs to be called out. Shame on Israel and all those who are letting this happen.

This is a ploy that the Israeli government has used for years in an attempt to silence critics of the atrocities the IDF ( many would use the term IOF, Israeli Occupation Force, because they are an occupying force) continue to commit in Palestine.

It's quite sad, really, because what they (the most anti-Semitic of them all—the right-wing Zionist led Israeli government) are doing is making Jewish people both in Israel and elsewhere more unsafe and prone to anti-Semitic attacks. This is due to their actions and their disingenuous claim that they are carrying out these atrocities in the name of all Jewish people and to make them 'feel' safe.

Since October 7th, almost half a million Jews have left Israel. No doubt many with dual citizenship would move back to where they were born or have strong ties.

Netanyahu and his gang of thugs government have a lot to answer for...

Shoshin1 · May 30

And more bulls#!t from the US government sleaze person.

He's just so full of bull$#!t...
Shocking...

paulysotoo · May 30

my simple comment, evil that is lived will face the supreame karma judge. her judment is balance and fair. the most evil act, like genocide, they will have a rude awakening realizing their not dead after they die.in the dead zone "Kama" will weigh their actions.

sleep well good people, evil people will be in samsara special prison for a while. and hitler,stalin,musilini, they are "cooked" mother earth is not uncaring to the souls crying for justice.

as i said, these souls are trash. play silly games you get silly price. hitler wanted to be God above all gods. well my mother will acomidate.she will have infinite shits and gigle. his stupidity. he thinks in his arrogence through his occult drivel understand a mind of supreame infinite Shakti power. well mom have at it. eternal infinite punishment so be it.

when he perverted the hindu-buddhist swatzika into the crooked cross swatzika tied to white supremacy burning cross the lord shiva and lordet tara took notice.hitler is being pass around by my god seal lotus cross, chan buddhas, hindus buddhas christ voodu black lordette and lordet power all get a crack at him. on the bright side i acasionally like whatching a horror flick.

paulysotoo · May 30

in the deadzone, space is divine, their karma will determine hell stress or heaven rest--new lease on life--untill their next re-in-carnate sam bodhi nature.

o well, i was born to practice good religion, my lotus cross seal, a buddhist christian observant. the prodigal son is born from earth. i was manefesting myself the cosmic boddhisatva exploring the universe.

Shoshin1 · May 31

On my YouTube feed...
Macklemore "Hind's Hall" Free Palestine Protest Song

Shoshin1 · May 31

Where Olive Trees Weep

"Where Olive Trees Weep" offers a searing window into the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. It explores themes of loss, trauma, and the quest for justice.

We follow, among others, Palestinian journalist and therapist Ashira Darwish, grassroots activist Ahed Tamimi, and Israeli journalist Amira Hass. We witness Dr. Gabor Maté offering trauma-healing work for a group of women who have been tortured in Israeli prisons.

Ancient landscapes bear deep scars, having witnessed the brutal reality of ancestral land confiscation, expulsions, imprisonment, home demolitions, water deprivation, and denial of basic human rights. Yet, through the veil of oppression, we catch a glimpse of resilience—deep roots that have carried the Palestinian people through decades of darkness and shattered lives.

This emotional journey bares the humanity of the oppressed while grappling with the question: what makes the oppressor so ruthlessly blind to its own cruelty?

Shoshin1 · May 31

Macklemore's message in his song "Hind's Hall"
When I say free Palestine, it's not against anyone. It actually means we should protect everyone. It means equality for all, respect, peace, and love. It means a right to exist regardless of what sector you're from.

My intention is to never offend anyone. I want every soul in this arena to feel the reflection of love, but there are innocent humans in Gaza getting murdered with our dollars. Those precious human lives are an extension of us. I can't get up here in the fur coat, jump around, and pretend while my gut says you know better. The ancestors are yelling, "You better step up for us."

I love my Jewish brothers and sisters so much. And my perspective is one which says free Palestine, is also rooted in your protection my loves, And there isn't a drop of anti-Semitic thought in my head or my blood. "Never again" means never again for all. Have we not learned the lessons? My love, the self-centring around what is potentially threatening to us is actually at the root of what disconnects all of us.

The word genocide is such a point of contention that it's more hurtful than seeing dead babies getting pulled out of the crumbled cement and the dust. Comparative suffering leads to believing the lie that there's a "them" and "us." It's a lie. We don't own this Earth; we're just guests here my love.

And at some point in time, we drew lines in the mud based on the colour of our skin, the gods we worshipped, and the Divine above. And historically, we've exploited black and brown bodies to climb up the rungs, but the ladder doesn't work when it depends on the oppression of some.

And I've been hearing the Earth cry lately. The deepest cry is, "My oh my, what have we done?" We've got some work to do to unlearn and rewire the plugs that are short-circuiting in a selfish cycle, and we're blind to the drug that we're all addicted to: me, myself, and not us.

In this moment in time, we're being called to rise and see ourselves in the pain of others, and not separate from them. I'm gonna say it till I die with my chest to the sky: free Palestine. The message is love.

Yeah the people they won't leave with is threatening about divesting and wanting peace. The problem isn't the protest; it's what they're protesting. It goes against what our country is funding. Block the barricade until Palestine is free.

When I was seven, I learned a lesson from Cuban Easy E. What was it again? Oh yeah, "Fuck the police." Actors and badges protecting property and a system that was designed by white supremacy. But the people are in the streets. You can pay off Meta, you can't pay off me.

Politicians who serve by any means, AIPAC CUFI and all the companies you see. We sell fear around the land of the free, but this generation here is about to cut the string. You can TikTok take us out of the algorithm, but it's too late. We've seen the truth, we bear witness. We've seen the rubble, the buildings, the mothers, and the children, and all the men that you murdered. Then we see how you spin it. Who gets the right to defend and who gets the right of resistance has always been about dollars and the colour of your pigment.

White supremacy is finally on blast. Screaming "Free Palestine" to their home at last. We see the lies and claiming anti-Semitic to be anti-Zionist. I've seen Jewish brothers and sisters out there in the ring in solidarity and screaming "Free Palestine" with them. Organizing and unlearning, and finally cutting ties with the state that's got to rely on an apartheid system to uphold.

An occupying violent history has been repeating for the last seventy-five years. The Nakba never ended. The colonizer lied. If students' tents posted on the lawn, occupying the quad is really against the law and a reason to call the police in their squad. Where this genocide land and your definition hold, destroying every college in Gaza and every mosque, pushing everyone in the row and dropping bombs. The blood is on your hands, Biden. We can see it all. And fuck no, I'm not voting for you in the fall.

Undecided, you can't twist the truth. The people out here are united, never to be defeated when freedom's on the horizon. Yet the music industry is quiet, complicit in their platform of silence. What happened to the artist? What have you got to say? If I was on a label, you could drop me today. I'll be fine with it because the heart at my page, I want to ceasefire. Fuck a response from Drake. What are you willing to risk? What are you willing to give? What if you were in Gaza? What if those were your kids? If the West was pretending that you didn't exist, you'd want the world to stand up, and the students finally did. Let's get it.

Lionduck · June 1

The two worst man made tragedies leading the news cycles this day:
1. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and Putin's regime's deliberate attack upon civilians.
2. The Israeli genocidal purge (war) of Palestine's West Bank
Both are deliberate negation of the inherent value of life, of med, women, children.

It is our ongoing challenge to change the mindset of our communities, our nations and our Lone Blue Marble. We must never give up in our quest for compassion and peace. We must never let the Demon King and his horde overwhelm us in this endeavor.

Peace to all

Shoshin1 · June 1

Yes, both the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are tragedies, but there are significant differences in how the civilians are affected.

Ukrainian civilians can flee to safer places or even leave Ukraine entirely. Western countries have opened their doors, and thousands, if not millions, have fled. Ukrainian forces are well-armed with state-of-the-art weapons supplied by the US, UK, and other NATO countries. The conflict has resulted in thousands of Russian and Ukrainian troops being killed, along with around 10,000 Ukrainian civilians.

Palestinian civilians, however, have nowhere to go. Israel won't let them leave, effectively making them sitting ducks for Israeli bombs. Thousands upon thousands of innocent Palestinian men, women, children, and babies have been killed by Israeli forces, who claim they were either Hamas fighters or human shields—claims discredited by reputable sources. Since October the 8th around 600 Israeli troops have been killed and there are no reports of Israelis in Israel being killed by Hamas and Hezbollah rocket attacks.

Both conflicts are tragic, where the vast majority of suffering is inflicted upon the innocent population in both conflicts. However the Palestinian people have been neglected by the West for the last 76 years. They get a few crumbs in the form of humanitarian aid and little more than lip service to their plight.

I am fortunate to attend the Palestinian solidarity rallies each Sunday. I do so to show the innocent Palestinians that I, and many like myself, care deeply about them and their plight. They are in our hearts and minds, and we want "all" the killing to stop.

Personally, I see this as a duty to humanity and a crucial part of my Dharma practice.

Shoshin1 · June 2

Irish member of parliament, Thomas Gould TD of the Sinn Fein Party gave a speech in the Irish parliament after Ireland's recognition of Palestine. He criticised the Israeli government for killing over 15,000 innocent children and then later on saying that Israeli Prime Minister and his government deserves to be burned in hell.

I can understand his frustration at what the Israeli government is doing and the reluctances of other Western governments to speak up and condemn them...

Shoshin1 · June 2

Break Through News
‘New Era of Struggle’: Thousands Convene to Strategize Future of Palestine Movement

As indigenous people back in Aotearoa New Zealand, we unequivocally and completely stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine. Back home, we've been organizing for months with rallies, marches, and snap actions with our Palestinian community because the struggle for Palestinian liberation opens up possibilities for all of us indigenous people worldwide.

~Bianca Ranson~

(She's from the island where I live-She had an article in our local paper where she mentioned that she would be away from the island for a while attending an international conference in the US on indigenous people's rights )

"You volunteer to serve for freedom and then you're watching our own country oppress people to the point of slaughtering children. Now you have veterans looking in the mirror saying, "Why did I go there and sacrifice my own conscience as a human being to kill someone who I was told was the enemy, when in fact, I was being lied to?" The only people who believe that Israel is the greatest ally are those who are financially benefiting from the fact that Israel continues to be our ally. They are testing AI weapon systems right now on the Palestinians. We are not going to take those weapon systems and put them on a shelf to collect dust. If you look at the level of militarization in the police force within our country, even from the Black Lives Matter movement, we have advanced significantly to provide equipment and training. Look at what's happening on college campuses: the police force is coming in Humvees and literally looks like the military attacking American citizens."
~Josephine Gilbo a former captain in US Army intelligence~

SuraShine · June 2

@Shoshin1 said:

It's quite sad, really, because what they (the most anti-Semitic of them all—the right-wing Zionist led Israeli government) are doing is making Jewish people both in Israel and elsewhere more unsafe and prone to anti-Semitic attacks. This is due to their actions and their disingenuous claim that they are carrying out these atrocities in the name of all Jewish people and to make them 'feel' safe.

Sadly, BOTH sides are ignoring this fact.

Shoshin1 · June 2

Yesterday's rally

All the rallies I have attended have been peaceful, with a diverse group of people showing solidarity. We’ve been calling out those politicians who support the ongoing killing of innocent Palestinian men, women, children, and babies.

The crowd included Black, white, brown individuals, Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, and Atheists.

There was a significant turnout, with more island locals than usual attending. It seems the mainstream media had no choice but to show what is happening in Rafah, which has motivated some of those who were previously on the fence.

SuraShine · June 3

I have no sound on my PC at the moment so I can't hear what's being said. Do your organisers want to take a trip to Australia to show them how to protest here? The streets descend into feral madness every time here

Shoshin1 · June 4

The chants are the common ones which most Palestinian solidarity rallies around the world chant, with slight variations to suit the country.

Biden Biden or Netanyahu Netanyahu or Luxon Luxton you can't hide you're committing genocide (Luxon is NZ's right wing PM)..and from the river to the sea Palestine will be free.
Also chants about the different companies to be boycotted. for example Starbucks and McDonalds and ...

At the start of every rally, the organisers make it clear that we're there to support the Palestinian people and their struggle. It's important to stress that these rallies are not about anti-Semitism; we have Jewish people, including Israelis, joining us. However, you'll often hear speakers, including Jewish individuals and Israelis, criticising Zionism and the actions of the Israeli government. It's worth noting that this criticism isn't about calling for harm; it's about demanding accountability, especially for war crimes...

Jeroen · June 4

I don’t usually watch political speeches, but Bernie Sanders is one of a handful of politicians I respect (literally about five), and the headline kinda spoke to me.

Shoshin1 · June 4

Even though he took awhile to get off the fence regarding condemning Israel's attack on the Palestinian people, I like Bernie because now he is speaking from the heart, a thing which not many politicians are not capable of (them being heartless)...

Jeroen · June 4

@Shoshin1 said:
Even though he took awhile to get off the fence regarding condemning Israel's attack on the Palestinian people, I like Bernie because now he is speaking from the heart, a thing which not many politicians are not capable of (them being heartless)...

Yes, very much so. You can see from his reaction to the photographs that he showed in the end that the pure human side of the situation has moved him. I think it’s interesting that he didn’t mention the ICJ and the genocide investigation, likely because it wouldn’t play well with the audience of Americans who are largely ignorant of world affairs, and it would have gotten him labelled as more of a Hamas sympathiser. But he told the human story, of homes and infrastructure destroyed, universities and hospitals targeted, people fleeing with only what they can carry.

The thing is, if you try to fight terrorists with a regular army, you end up targeting a country’s civilians, and really it is an intelligence failure that they are trying to address. The Israeli’s have chosen a brute force approach over anything subtle, taking from the Palestinian people what little they had. And it’s deliberate. This isn’t anything impulsive, it’s calculated to reduce Gaza to a giant tent city of refugees.

Shoshin1 · June 5

From the river to the sea

Hmm the same quote which many Israeli people and their supporters find offences when it is used by Palestinians and their supporters but don't seem to find it a problem if the Israeli PM and his cabinet members use it, when discussing plans to occupy and claim the whole of Palestine ...

The precise origins of the phrase are disputed. According to American historian Robin D. G. Kelley, the phrase "began as a Zionist slogan signifying the boundaries of Eretz Israel." Israeli-American historian Omer Bartov notes that Zionist usage of such language predates the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 and began with the Revisionist movement of Zionism led by Vladimir Jabotinski, which spoke of establishing a Jewish state in all of Palestine and had a song which includes: "The Jordan has two banks; this one is ours, and the other one too," suggesting a Jewish state extending even beyond the Jordan River. In 1977, the concept appeared in an election manifesto of the Israeli political party Likud, which stated that “between the sea and the Jordan there will be only Israeli sovereignty." The current ideology of the Israeli government in 2024 is rooted in Revisionist Zionism, which sought the entire territory of Mandatory Palestine

The 1964 charter of the PLO's Palestinian National Council called for "the recovery of the usurped homeland in its entirety". The 1964 charter stated that "Jews who are of Palestinian origin shall be considered Palestinians if they are willing to live peacefully and loyally in Palestine", specifically defining "Palestinian" as those who had "normally resided in Palestine until 1947". In the 1968 revision, the charter was further revised, stating that "Jews who had resided normally in Palestine until the beginning of the Zionist invasion" would be considered Palestinian. In the 1969 revision, the PLO promised equal citizenship to all Jews, including those who had recently immigrated, if they renounced Zionism.[26] Thus by 1969, the PLO use the phrase "free Palestine from the river to the sea" to mean a single democratic secular state that would replace Israel.

Now Australia plans to ban it's use ...how ridiculous...

The Israeli government and it's supporters aim is to silence any opposition by labelling anything which might be seen as a criticism of their actions/crimes against humanity as..."Anti-Semitism" ...

I find it somewhat ironic that Israel, which is being accused of committing acts of genocide at the ICJ, would label the actions of the people whom its armed forces are currently bombing and killing in the thousands as genocidal,
So much hypocrisy and double standards at play...

Shoshin1 · June 5

Interesting discussion .
Israeli-American Scholar Exposes Gaza Genocide

Raz Segal
In the context of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, the subsequent Israeli counteroffensive and complete blockade, which included the denial of water, food, power, and fuel to the civilian population of the Gaza Strip, Segal described it as a "textbook case of genocide" and connected it to the Nakba, the expulsion of Palestinians during the establishment of Israel in 1948. According to Segal, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are actively engaged in three genocidal actions: acts of killing, infliction of severe bodily harm, and implementation of measures strategically designed to destroy Palestinian existence. As evidence, he accuses the IDF of engaging in total warfare by destroying mass swathes of Gaza and imposing a strict blockade of essential goods

Shoshin1 · June 6

Al Jazeera English

‘Direct intention to set fire’ at Flag March: Israeli activist

Ultra-nationalist Israelis are marching through occupied East Jerusalem as part of their so called 'Flag Day' celebrations.
It marks Israel's illegal occupation of the area after the 1967 war.
Crowds have made incursions into the Al-Aqsa mosque compound.
In recent years, thousands of people have joined the march through the city, waving flags and chanting racist slogans.

The Israeli government has banned Al Jazeera from reporting in Israel, so Sara Khairat is in the Jordanian capital, Amman, with more on the march.

Sapir Sluzker Amran, an activist and human rights lawyer, says the Israeli right-wing has been holding the Flag March for years and “it’s always provocative”, but this year “there’s a direct intention to set fire”.

Shoshin1 · June 6

Kate Halper
Middle East Scholar EXPOSES Biden’s Ceasefire Plan For What It REALLY Is

Middle East scholar and media Assal Rad breaks down Biden’s ceasefire deal in a discussion with Katie and Dr. Thaer Ahmad. Why is America submitting an Israeli deal? What explains the timing? Why are Netanyahu and Biden contradicting each other?

Dr. Assal Rad is a scholar of Middle East history. She works on research and writing related to U.S. foreign policy issues, the Middle East, and contemporary Iran. Her writing can be seen in Newsweek, The National Interest, The Independent, Foreign Policy and more, and she has appeared as a commentator on BBC World, Al Jazeera, CNN, and NPR. She completed a PhD in History from the University of California, Irvine in 2018 and is the author of The State of Resistance: Politics, Culture, and Identity in Modern Iran (Cambridge University Press, 2022). Follow Assal on X/Twitter: @AssalRad (https://x.com/AssalRad)

Shoshin1 · June 8

The Hill’s ‘Rising’ FIRES Host Briahna Joy Gray Following Her Critiques Of The Israeli Government

DagobahZen · June 8

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jun/08/israel-destroying-schools-scholasticide

Shoshin1 · June 9

Dozens Of Palestinians Massacred To Rescue Four Israeli Hostages

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