Palestine Open Thread 2024-054
Only for news & views directly related to the war in Palestine.
The current open thread for other issues is here.
Please stick to the topic. Contribute facts. Do not attack other commentators.
Posted by b on February 18, 2024 at 13:54 UTC | Permalink
next page »"The confluence of too many huge failures and too many horrible decisions
to be credible."
That is exactly what I think about the Jeffrey Epstein "suicide."
And the USS Liberty
And 9/11
Posted by: Share | Feb 18 2024 14:54 utc | 2
Smells strongly of 9-11. We have a very sophisticated system that lets us know if anything is penetrating our defenses along the border. I have always thought that our powers needed a reason for a massive attack on Iraq and Afghanistan. We had no proof that they were involved. Israel knew this plan and needed an excuse to eradicate the Palestinians. They manipulated this crime. They followed the playbook that they had used before.
Posted by: Charles Seifried | Feb 18 2024 15:08 utc | 3
I just realized something.
Ukraine vs Russia:
Feb 25 Ukraine appeals to ICJ to tell Russia to stop military operations because there is no way what is happening in Donbas is genocide as Russia alleges.
March 16: ICJ hustles. In only 18 days it orders Russia categorically to "stop military operations" because
a) Invading a country is "probably" not the best way to stop an alleged genocide
b) ICJ is terribly concerned about civilian casualties in Ukraine.
RSA vs Genociders: the ICJ is terribly concerned about the humanitarian catastrophe created by Israel's invasion. So it greenlights Israel to "Kill all you want but OUTSIDE the scope of Art 2 of Geneva Convention." (This is how Israeli media interpreted the ruling).
Sunday questions:
Q.1. All those who think Israel's neighbours should go charging in to save Palestine, how would the previous ICJ ruling apply?
You can bet Israel will run screaming to the ICJ to say: Holocaust 2.0 is happening if even one unauthorized aid truck or ship arrives.
The trucks/ships will be KHAMAS control centres.
It seems that ICJ March 16 order precludes SMOing a country to stop alleged genocide?
Q.2. All those who think the outraged Arab street should "rise up" and replace stooges with heroic leaders who free Palestine with one hand while fighting Axis of Genocide with the other hand, while ensuring their own countries remain stable and prosperous...how exactly does "rising up" work?
Where do the heroic new leaders come from? Who guarantees they stay alive?
If "rising up" can work "over there" could we not use this magical process "over here" in Axis of Genocide?
Is "rising up" too uncivilized for us?
Posted by: pq | Feb 18 2024 15:31 utc | 4
When an elephant jumps because a mouse bit its feet, all the elephants say: that didn't happen like that, it was pretending... the mouse is our creation, it was controlled...
Infantilism is suicidal in politics, but it is natural in the context of debacle and uncontrolled fall of the axis that still thinks of itself as hegemonic, dominant, invincible...
ps: I used the word "ruling" but I meant provisional measures or whatever the correct term is of March 16 orders.
Posted by: pq | Feb 18 2024 15:33 utc | 6
Oops forgot the most important thing. This is the 2017 Israel is an apartheid state report that was memoryholed by the UN and Guterres under pressure from Israel.
Israel needs to become synonymous with apartheid and genocide.
There are four principal domains of Israeli apartheid:
1. Palestinians who live as citizens of Israel: they have citizenship but not nationality
2. Permanent resident status of East Jerusalem Palestinians
3. Belligerent occupation of Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank
4. Denying Palestinians abroad the right to return
In the meantime, almost at 29,000 dead, 69,000 injured. Almost 105,000 including the missing.
This does not include West Bank deaths and injuries.
7,600 new hostages since Oct 7 held by Israel. Many doctors and patients kidnapped from Nasser.
Posted by: pq | Feb 18 2024 15:52 utc | 7
This one focuses on USA's 2024 election, in which Gaza is the only issue, so far as I'm concerned. We could not ask for a more telling litmus test, of whether any candidate meets the "human being" qualification, than Gaza.
To represent me, a "representative" needs to understand what's going on in Gaza...
Ocasio-Cortez and the Democrats want us to treat our anguish about the atrocities this administration commits as though they are mere personality differences.
They want us to believe that there is some higher-order reasoning or objective of greater import that should unify us and justify our continued support of them. In doing so, we must disregard the police and surveillance state they oversee, the hundreds of thousands of innocent children they kill abroad, the prison slavery economy they insist upon, and the domestic concentration camps that their donors profit from.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/war-on-gaza-aoc-is-genocide-progressive-value
Posted by: Aleph_Null | Feb 18 2024 15:55 utc | 8
The UN approaches Israeli apartheid from a different angle.
"THE United Nations’ highest court is set to open historic hearings into the legality of Israel’s 57-year occupation of lands sought for a Palestinian state, plunging the 15 international judges back into the heart of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Six days of hearings are scheduled at the International Court of Justice from Monday, during which an unprecedented number of countries will participate, as Israel continues its devastating assault on Gaza.
Though the case occurs against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, it focuses instead on Israel’s open-ended occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem.
Palestinian representatives, who speak first on Monday, will argue the Israeli occupation is illegal because it has violated three key tenets of international law, the Palestinian legal team has said.
They claim Israel has violated the prohibition on territorial conquest by annexing large swaths of occupied land, has violated the Palestinians’ right to self-determination, and has imposed a system of racial discrimination and apartheid."
Omar Awadallah, the head of the UN organisations department in the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, said: “We want to hear new words from the court.
“They’ve had to consider the word genocide in the South Africa case,” he said, referring to a separate case before the court. “Now we want them to consider apartheid.”
Awadallah said an advisory opinion from the court “will give us many tools, using peaceful international law methods and tools, to confront the illegalities of the occupation”.
The court will likely take months to rule. But experts say the decision, though not legally binding, could profoundly impact international jurisprudence, international aid to Israel and public opinion.
Yuval Shany, a law professor at Hebrew University and a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, said: “The case will put before the court a litany of accusations and allegations and grievances which are probably going to be uncomfortable and embarrassing for Israel, given the war and the already very polarised international environment.”
Israel is not scheduled to speak during the hearings, but could submit a written statement. Shany said Israel will likely justify the ongoing occupation on security grounds, especially in the absence of a peace deal.
It is likely to point to the October 7 attack in which Hamas-led militants from Gaza killed 1139 people across southern Israel and dragged 250 hostages back to the territory.
“There is this narrative that territories from which Israel withdraws, like Gaza, can potentially transform into very serious security risks,” Shany said. “If anything, October 7 underscored the traditional Israeli security rationale to justify unending occupation.”
But Palestinians and leading rights groups say the occupation goes far beyond defensive measures. They say it has morphed into an apartheid system, bolstered by settlement building on occupied lands, that gives Palestinians second-class status and is designed to maintain Jewish hegemony from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
Israel rejects any accusation of apartheid.
The case arrives at the court after the UN General Assembly voted by a wide margin in December 2022 to ask the world court for a non-binding advisory opinion on one of the world’s longest-running and thorniest disputes. The request was promoted by the Palestinians and opposed vehemently by Israel. Fifty countries abstained from voting."
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Feb 18 2024 16:00 utc | 9
(IDF - Intentional Defense Failure)
Posted by: librul | Feb 18 2024 13:57 utc | 1
I agree with what you said, but here is something you might consider adding in future posts- as I know you (and I) will make them on this subject: Motive.
For Netanyahoo, the late summer of 23 was a dangerous time personally. He knew that if he lost control of the government, he would prosecuted and jailed. Now, his freedom and power are assured as long as the Zionist entity is viable. If he somehow succeeds in removing the Palestinians from Gaza, or even a major portion of it, he will become a hero to his people. They already have turned to support an invasion of Lebanon by a 71% majority. He'll be another Moses.
Jail, or eternal fame and adulation among the Jews? Not a hard choice for a psychopath.
Posted by: Honzo | Feb 18 2024 16:06 utc | 10
The court will likely take months to rule. But experts say the decision, though not legally binding, could profoundly impact international jurisprudence, international aid to Israel and public opinion.
@ Republicofscotland | Feb 18 2024 16:00 utc | 9
Often, you hear it said the court will likely take years. This judicial reality juxtaposed on the biological reality: How many months does it take for mass-starvation to render further deliberations moot? No matter, we could eventually see profound precedents of international jurisprudence. Like, wow. Hold me back.
Posted by: Aleph_Null | Feb 18 2024 16:27 utc | 11
Aleph_Null (11).
Yes I couldn't agree more, for instance a month from the SA case in the ICJ, the ICJ said that Israel should do all within its powers to protect civilians from harm, of course the complete opposite has happened lets see what the ICJ says and does when the month is up.
In reality Israel IS above International Law and as long as the West backs it, (Israel), Israel will continue the genocide until not one Palestinian remains in Gaza, killed or ejected, and then their evil eye of Sauron will switch fully to ethnically cleansing the West Bank.
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Feb 18 2024 16:35 utc | 12
Much as I love a decently sourced conspiracy theory, these are the folks who invaded a hospital, live cast a calendar as a terrorist list and found nothing else.
Is it possible its always been just a projection of superiority?
Posted by: Meh | Feb 18 2024 16:36 utc | 13
Meanwhile Israeli Intelligence has been busy.
"Sources in Israeli intelligence have revealed to the magazine that Israel has been spying on US private communication with the Palestinian Authority in order to “understand what the U.S. knows about settler violence.”
And they've discovered that the purpose for this spying, far from punishing settlers for their violence, is "to prevent the collected information from developing into sanctions", i.e. protecting settlers."
https://nitter.unixfox.eu/RnaudBertrand/status/1757938808061084031#m
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Feb 18 2024 16:38 utc | 14
Wow!
President Lula of Brazil doesn't hold back here, good for him.
"What's happening in the Gaza Strip isn't a war, it's a genocide. It's not a war of soldiers against soldiers. It's a war between a highly prepared army and women and children," Lula said while in Ethiopia for the African Union summit.
He added that, "What's happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people hasn't happened at any other moment in history. Actually, it has happened: when Hitler decided to kill the Jews."
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Feb 18 2024 16:45 utc | 15
What would you do if violent migrants stole your house and land (1917-, 1947-)) and put you in a ghetto (1967-) with no civil rights and under military domination by artillery and aviation plus the usual killing and kidnapping raids.
That is the reality of "our colonial project" (Vladimir Jabotinsky) ... the rest is children's literature.
Posted by: Simon | Feb 18 2024 16:46 utc | 16
Lula da Silva is a man with a human conscience on this planet of apes.
I think my grandfather Abraham, who was killed by fascists, would say the same. But today fascism is not only "kosher", but biblical fascism is the official religion of this empire, heir of the British empire and last version of the Roman empire.
Posted by: Simon | Feb 18 2024 16:51 utc | 17
I take the liberty, since this cannot be discussed on Sunday's Open forum, of reposting an excerpt from RepublicofScotland's long entry at | Feb 18 2024 16:00 utc | 9. I expect others will do the same as we consider the intent and resolve stated in this post, for the future reconciliation of the entities involved:
"THE United Nations’ highest court is set to open historic hearings into the legality of Israel’s 57-year occupation of lands sought for a Palestinian state, plunging the 15 international judges back into the heart of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Six days of hearings are scheduled at the International Court of Justice from Monday, during which an unprecedented number of countries will participate, as Israel continues its devastating assault on Gaza.
Though the case occurs against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, it focuses instead on Israel’s open-ended occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem.
Palestinian representatives, who speak first on Monday, will argue the Israeli occupation is illegal because it has violated three key tenets of international law, the Palestinian legal team has said.
They claim Israel has violated the prohibition on territorial conquest by annexing large swaths of occupied land, has violated the Palestinians’ right to self-determination, and has imposed a system of racial discrimination and apartheid."
Omar Awadallah, the head of the UN organisations department in the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, said: “We want to hear new words from the court.
“They’ve had to consider the word genocide in the South Africa case,” he said, referring to a separate case before the court. “Now we want them to consider apartheid....
...Israel is not scheduled to speak during the hearings, but could submit a written statement...
Thank you, b; and thank you, RepublicofScotland. Happy Zacchaeus Sunday everyone.
Posted by: juliania | Feb 18 2024 17:04 utc | 18
I should have closed the quotation of Omar Awadallah after the word "apartheid".
Sorry.
Posted by: juliania | Feb 18 2024 17:07 utc | 19
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Feb 18 2024 16:00 utc | 9
Thanks.
The Israeli defence sounds like the usual genocidal logic: we need the illegal 75 year occupation to continue indefinitely in order to protect ourselves from armed resistance which would not have happened if the illegal apartheid genocidal occupation had been dismantled in the first place.
Posted by: Pq | Feb 18 2024 17:13 utc | 20
I am 100% sure they stuck go's chipsets in the medications delivered for hostages.
That's why they kept insisting on Nasser's hospital
It will be another Israeli in competence fiasco.
They made a commando operation in Lebanon in 2006 to kidnap Hassan Nasrallah, but not the one, just another who was similarly named.
This zionazi army, they lever learn
Posted by: Animal | Feb 18 2024 17:37 utc | 22
I am obeying the injunction to not knock other commentators, so I will keep this short and vague, but people who are friendly to Palestine should be careful not to do the Israelis work for them. The Mossad and the IDF used to be extremely serious, extremely powerful, extremely efficient entities, in the 1950s and 1960s, but whether they are any more is much more dubious. Indeed, like the so-called 'might' of the US armed forces, over the last few decades the 'achievements' of the Israelis have been mainly in the field of PR.
In short, don't sell the resistance short. All the evidence we have so far is that the Israelis really were that incompetent and useless, and that Hamas really did burst though the apartheid wall and seize hostages to be used to negotiate to get the far larger number of Palestinian political prisoners back. Same with 9/11, the logic of which is always 'The Americans could never be that stupid and incompetent as to allow that.'
Oh but they could be, and are.
Posted by: Hidari | Feb 18 2024 17:37 utc | 23
Israel is not scheduled to speak during the hearings, but could submit a written statement. Shany said Israel will likely justify the ongoing occupation on security grounds, especially in the absence of a peace deal.---Republic/scotland @ 9
======================
Ever since the founding of the state of Israel, the "absence of a peace deal" has been Israel's intention and Israel's fault. They do not want a peace deal.They want Eretz Israel and they will have tantrums until they get it, or until someone forces them to "come to" out of their Zionist coma.
For very important observations on Israel's tactical and strategic bellicosity and straight-out LYING in the face of Palestine's actual willingness to compromise, please watch this short interview with Prof. Avi Shlaim, an Iraqi Jew who was forcibly uprooted with his family (by Zionists) and forced to move to Israel when he was 5 y.o. I consider this a must-see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krOE1QOWziA
Posted by: Jane | Feb 18 2024 17:46 utc | 24
Israel rejects any accusation of apartheid.
. . .
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Feb 18 2024 16:00 utc | 9
=========
Well, it's absurd. But just to go along and argue the point,
I recommend this video about the history and reality of the settler pheonomenon in the West Bank:
These fanatic condemn themselves as supremicists and apartheidistas out of their own smug mouths.
An excellent video. Longish, but very well done; comprehensive, with excellent maps showing the aims of the different stages of the settlement movement. An excellent introduction to the history and (verging on autistic) mentality of these cultists (males and females), who clearly are the fanatical "front lines" of the Eretz Israel project:
"The Settlers (Inside the Jewish Settlements)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prqtXMSdeUw
Posted by: Jane | Feb 18 2024 17:57 utc | 25
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/war-gaza-us-send-weapons-israel-while-pushing-ceasefire
Posted by: JAB | Feb 18 2024 17:58 utc | 26
Posted by: JAB | Feb 18 2024 18:00 utc | 27
The sad reality here is similar to Ukraine. Negotiated peace is not possible unless Israel gets drained so badly that it has no choice. And Netanyahu is similar to Zelensky in that he's doomed if the war ends. Both situations are extreme and cannot be otherwise.
The other problem is that Biden is impotent as regards Israel (and perhaps in other ways !) because Congress is dominated almost as employees of Israel (campaign contributions). Netanyahu can ignore whatever the White House says because he has more power in Congress.
Posted by: Eighthman | Feb 18 2024 18:13 utc | 28
Posted by: Santi | Feb 18 2024 15:32 utc | 5
This and other would be corrections to the quasi LIHOP theory can't seem to wrap their minds around the quasi part Not in the initial failure and not in how we describe them.
Ironically yours is the black and white, all powerful vs. powerless view of the world, not ours.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Feb 18 2024 18:23 utc | 30
They had to remove the vast majority of the IDF troops surrounding Gaza just in time for Oct 7th
Once the jail break was under way support troops had to be delayed for hours. (They refuse to explain
why this happened, stating that they will "investigate" only after Hamas is defeated.)
They had to implement the Hannibal Directive in order to achieve maximum civilian casualties.
The confluence of too many huge failures and too many horrible decisions
to be credible.
The Oct 7th Intentional Security Failure has heightened war from Yemen to Lebanon to Iraq. A criminal, Netanyahu, has had temporary life breathed into his faltering administration. Most of all it has stirred blood lust in the iZraeli population such they support the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank and Gaza or Genocide, whichever comes first.
(IDF - Intentional Defense Failure)
Posted by: librul | Feb 18 2024 13:57 utc | 1
Soldiers were needed to protect settlers due to increased depredation activity in the West Bank.
I agree with all your points. Smells like the dancing Israelis of 9/11, they knew it was gonna happen, someone wanted to document it on film.
Posted by: Delhiliterally | Feb 18 2024 18:26 utc | 31
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Feb 18 2024 16:38 utc | 14
Your link doesn't work
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Feb 18 2024 18:26 utc | 32
He added that, "What's happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people hasn't happened at any other moment in history. Actually, it has happened: when Hitler decided to kill the Jews."
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Feb 18 2024 16:45 utc | 15
It is practically a repeat of the destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto and the expulsion of its population.
Posted by: Delhiliterally | Feb 18 2024 18:31 utc | 33
Aleph-Null 8
So the word for sexual deviance, Adult, is now transferred to violence deviance. I have heard two men in my own family tell.me that God doesn't care about sexual morality, on was my ex-wife's father and the other was her second partner.
She was also a vicar in the C of E.
It's obviously been too long since the political bubbles of USUKIS experienced and violence on their own selves. Presumably they think , like sex , or like films , violence doesn't hurt anybody.
This US politician is a psychopath if she somehow finds it possible to ignore the sufferings her country inflicts on others by its violence.
Psychopaths need locking into straitjackets and placing into locked asylums.
Posted by: Giyane | Feb 18 2024 18:35 utc | 34
Same with 9/11, the logic of which is always 'The Americans could never be that stupid and incompetent as to allow that.'
Posted by: Hidari | Feb 18 2024 17:37 utc | 23
======
It's dismaying how many here have not grown up with all sorts of evidence about 9/11.
It's clear it was an Israeli/Jewish op, from conception to story-boarding, to planning, execution and continuing cover-up. For details, take a look at Christopher Bollyn's 3 books titled Solving 9/11, available from Amazon. Or glance through his website, bollyn.com.
Posted by: sarz | Feb 18 2024 18:36 utc | 35
Let me bold enough to say that nothing is going to change and Israel will continue with its plans. No UN, ICJ or international anything will make a dent in Israel’s persona or plan.
I like to think that We are all law abiding citizens and like to follow the rules and like to see others do the same.
In the case of Israel, we are seeing at display a total disregard, if not an outright dare to the international community, with respect to the laws and rules. They are literally saying “catch me if you can”.
Barring a coordinated attack and total destruction of Israel, nothing will change and no one can stop it. Palestinians will leave or die collectively.
I sincerely hope I am wrong.
Posted by: Alpi | Feb 18 2024 18:38 utc | 36
At Munich:
The leaders of the G7 stepped up and “expressed concern” over the “catastrophic humanitarian situation” and “potentially devastating consequences” on Gaza’s civilian population of further military operations. This “expression” coincided with reports of new US military shipments to Israel including “MK-82 bombs and KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munitions that add precision guidance to bombs, as well as FMU-139 bomb fuses.”
Meanwhile, Sec State Blinken insisted: "Virtually every Arab country now genuinely wants to integrate Israel into the region to normalize relations... to provide security commitments and assurances so that Israel can feel more safe.”
The G7 is swimming in a pool of cognitive dissonance.
Posted by: jayc | Feb 18 2024 18:39 utc | 37
"..Meanwhile, Sec State Blinken insisted: "Virtually every Arab country now genuinely wants to integrate Israel into the region to normalize relations... ”
Almost correct, but not integrate. Perhaps assimilate, absorb so the toxic entity (the shitty little Middle Eastern cuntry) is destroyed.
Posted by: Ново З | Feb 18 2024 18:47 utc | 38
The Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, on Friday welcomed demands by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for Israel to implement immediate provisional measures in Rafah which is threatened by an Israeli ground assault.Hamas said it welcomes the ICJ decisions "which stressed the necessity to immediately implement provisional measures ordered by the court on Jan. 26."
It urged the court to develop its decisions into "direct and clear order to stop the brutal aggression that leads to genocide against the unarmed civilians in the Gaza Strip."
The world court declined to request from Israel further measures in Rafah but affirmed an order for Israel to prevent genocidal acts across the Gaza Strip.
Hamas noted that Israel killed more than 2,700 Palestinians since the ICJ issued an order Jan. 26 for Israel to take "all measures within its power" to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza.<\blockquote>
The War Party will ignore the ICJ decision from 26.Feb. However, 87% of the international community (aka BRICs+) will start applying all sorts of sanctions on Israel.
Posted by: Exile | Feb 18 2024 18:58 utc | 39
The Israelis are masters of torture - chemical brainwashing. You stress a human being and then feed them Lithium in their water. The areas of the brain that are reacting to the
stress carry the Lithium in the blood supply to the reacting parts of the brain.
I wouldn't be surprised if the overwhelming, but fictional , events of Oct 7 weren't being used deliberately in this way to de- sensitise the Israelis to the violence. Doctoring the drinking water with chemicals that brainwash the people.
When I went to Israel in about 1978 I met only educated, left - wing Labour supporters.
Since 2001 hundreds of thousands of Muslims have been rendition -tortured and brainwashed by USUKIS in prisons all round Eastern Europe and West Asia. Imho , a massive psyops is being waged by the likes of Dr Fauci.
The Re-nazification of Ukraine, exactly the same.
If these USUKIS psychopaths all round the world are allowed to continue to use the tools of democracy, opinion polls, elections, majorities, representative democracies with MPs that can be blackmailed or bribed, they will take over the world like stealing sweets from babes.
Posted by: Giyane | Feb 18 2024 18:59 utc | 40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krOE1QOWziA
Posted by: Jane | Feb 18 2024 17:46 utc | 24
Thanks Jane for the head's up-people need to listen to this gentleman to recognize the difference between a real Jew and a Zionist; some posters don't make a distinction.
The sad reality here is similar to Ukraine. Negotiated peace is not possible unless Israel gets drained so badly that it has no choice.
Posted by: Eighthman | Feb 18 2024 18:13 utc | 28
#################
In this regard, I am heartened by the news that Israel is planning to take on Hezbollah soon.
As Larry Johnson has said, there are two ways to learn things, the easy way and the hard way.
Zealots always choose the hard way.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Feb 18 2024 19:10 utc | 42
"The sad reality here is similar to Ukraine. Negotiated peace is not possible unless Israel gets drained so badly that it has no choice. And Netanyahu is similar to Zelensky in that he's doomed if the war ends. Both situations are extreme and cannot be otherwise.
The other problem is that Biden is impotent as regards Israel (and perhaps in other ways !) because Congress is dominated almost as employees of Israel (campaign contributions). Netanyahu can ignore whatever the White House says because he has more power in Congress."
Posted by: Eighthman | Feb 18 2024 18:13 utc | 28
I see it from a different angle.
If West wants to maintain the Hegemony the West would have to have at least a toe hold in the Levant.
Enter Israel the glorified proxy army for the Empire. Of course the US makes it look like the Israel tail is wagging the US. The rich Zionists support the geopolitical strategy you don't see the or their kids fighting in the IDF ranks-just mindless Mizrahi Jews, the lower classes doing the Empire's work. (1)
The US is in the latter stages of Empire like the Western Roman Empire in the late 4th and 5th centuries. They could not longer recruit from Romans, Italians or even civilized Gauls so they used barbarian mercenaries that , inevitably, overthrew the Empire from within. The US has the same problem.
Ukrainians, Polish, Israelis , Latvians these are proxy forces the Empire utilizes to maintain Hegemony. Twenty years ago the CIA and MI6 manipulated the Chechens to rebel against Russia-now they are loyal Russian front line troops.
I expect the same for Ukrainians in the next 20 years to do the same.
1. Mizrahi Jews constitute one of the largest Jewish ethnic divisions among Israeli Jews. Mizrahi Jews are descended from Jews in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia and parts of the Caucasus, who had lived for many generations under Muslim rule during the Middle Ages.
In short, don't sell the resistance short. All the evidence we have so far THAT I CHOOSE NOT TO IGNORE is that the Israelis really were that incompetent and useless, and that Hamas really did burst though the apartheid wall and seize hostages to be used to negotiate to get the far larger number of Palestinian political prisoners back.
Posted by: Hidari | Feb 18 2024 17:37 utc | 23
I fixed it for you.
Posted by: Honzo | Feb 18 2024 19:53 utc | 44
canuck 43
Maybe you saw voltairenet's piece on Biafra black Jews. Methinks Africa in the Southern hemisphere is regarded as a safer place in which to survive a nuclear catastrophe in the North.
One land for growing potatoes in Ukraine, and another in Nigeria for escaping from their own warcrimes.
Posted by: Giyane | Feb 18 2024 19:55 utc | 45
it will follow ibn Khaldun's theory. Empires grow when people think their cause and values are shared, but slowly values and causes diverge, and the empire will collapse.
It's happening already in the US
It will happen in Israel aswell.
Palestinians are converging and will grow only stronger after this.
Posted by: Animal | Feb 18 2024 19:56 utc | 46
Jane, canuck
Here is another excellent expose of Zionism from its founding inception, by Ahmed Paul Keeler
https://youtu.be/C2tKwj4GNYI?si=vt1h7RB2N3toAaM0
Posted by: Andrew Sarchus | Feb 18 2024 20:01 utc | 47
“Sec State Blinken insisted: "Virtually every Arab country now genuinely wants to integrate Israel into the region to normalize relations... ”
Master of blatant lies, as usual, when the truth is much closer to “Virtually every [decent] country wants to disintegrate Israel”
Posted by: Dalit | Feb 18 2024 20:02 utc | 48
Thanks Jane for the head's up-people need to listen to this gentleman to recognize the difference between a real Jew and a Zionist; some posters don't make a distinction.
Posted by: canuck | Feb 18 2024 19:10 utc | 41
And some posters don't understand that being a 'real Jew' is also problematic.Have you noticed how 71% of Israelis want an invasion of Lebanon, although 40% were secular Jews in 2021? Now that the atrocities are in full bloom, it seems that polling shows 90% identify as Zionists. How many who deny being Zionists call for the levelling of Gaza? There is no wall between Judaism and Zionism, people pass freely from one to the other as they find convenient. I grew up with a lot 'liberal Jews' who donated heavily to Israel. They complained about Israel's treatment of Palestinians, but they donated anyway. They were against war and imperialism, but they donated anyway. No doubt some of them, if still among the living are marching for Palestine- but when was their last donation made? When is the last time they voted for a Zionist-controlled politician?
Posted by: Honzo | Feb 18 2024 20:06 utc | 50
Egyptian Foreign Minister blames Hamas for the split in Palestine (via Kommersant)
...In his opinion, Hamas is responsible for the division of Palestine, which arose as a result of the conflict between the movement and the Palestine Liberation Organization, CNN Arabic reports .
“I think it is absolutely true that Hamas does not have the support of the majority of Palestinians and the Palestinian National Authority,” Mr. Shoukry said. He said Hamas does not recognize Israel and does not renounce its support for violence.
The Foreign Minister noted that he has questions about the circumstances surrounding the movement’s rise to power in the Gaza Strip, which occurred in 2007, who financed Hamas, and why the movement had a split with Palestinian forces advocating a peace settlement with Israel.
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This is the propaganda arm of Zionism. He wants to blame Hamas for the division of Gaza and the Palestine National Authority, i.e. the Bantustan maintained at the pleasure of Israel (which explicitly refuses recognition of the nation of Palestine). He blames Hamas for not recognizing Israel, which is the position of most Arab states. The peace settlement with Israel he promotes i.e. (post-)Oslo is recognized as a fraud by Israel's own diplomats who negotiated it. The Egyptian FM of course can't even speak clearly as to the circumstances of Hamas' empowerment, which Kommersant nonetheless provides:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In 2005, Hamas won parliamentary elections in the Gaza Strip. The movement's election program implied the complete destruction of Israel. In 2006, Hamas began armed clashes with the movement for the national liberation of Palestine (Fatah), which formed legal security forces in the Gaza Strip. In 2007, Hamas seized power in the enclave.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, the horrible division with the Bantustan and the colonizer who won't recognize it's victims who they demand recognition from, somehow resulted from an election whose resulting government which sought to carry out it's electoral program. And worsening it's moral stature (/s), this government came into conflict with armed forces rejecting it's authority (i.e. a coup by Bantustan militia with no authority but that derived from Israel).
Kommersant helpfully provides further context with:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On February 8, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a peace plan for the Gaza Strip proposed by Hamas. (...) The prime minister called the demands “delusional” and promised to continue the military offensive in Gaza.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Of course these demands are largely never reported on in Western media, other than obliquely as in this citation of Netanyahu as authority on what is "delusional".
Posted by: test | Feb 18 2024 20:18 utc | 51
Hidari | Feb 18 2024 17:37 utc | 23
You are entirely correct. Some people, effectively useful idiots for the empire, simply will not believe that its is possible to challenge the United States or its proxies.
Hamas and the other allied Palestinian militias carried out a meticulously planned coup on the seventh of October. In doing so they changed the agenda in Palestine, the Arab and muslim worlds and the international arena as a whole.
The idea that it was all planned- in the sense that its development was watched and followed as if those involved were not agents but rats in a laboratory cage, observed by higher beings- is, like pandemic denial or a refusal to take the dangers of global warming seriously, another indication of the character of the cultural hegemony which constantly distracts people from making obvious conclusions from observed phenomena.
The truth is that the IDF was surprised and discredited by the Hamas action. And during the past four months it has consistently demonstrated an inability to deal with guerrilla resistance, has suffered many casualties, lost much materiel and has demonstrated that, far from being a strong point in West Asia, Israel has become the worst kind of liability for the imperialists, not least by exhibiting, dramatically the callousness of the imperialist governments, as they watch insouciantly a genocide without any justification, apart from racism and bloodlust.
If, as librul suggests, the CIA was behind it then the CIA is working for BRICS and Arab nationalism.
Personally I find that unlikely.
Posted by: bevin | Feb 18 2024 20:32 utc | 52
Jane, canuck
Here is another excellent expose of Zionism from its founding inception, by Ahmed Paul Keeler
https://youtu.be/C2tKwj4GNYI?si=vt1h7RB2N3toAaM0
Posted by: Andrew Sarchus | Feb 18 2024 20:01 utc | 47
=================
I think you posted that on an earlier thread and I did watch it.
Very simpatico person. I had never heard of Ahmed Paul Keeler, but his observations were very interesting---particularly his account of how "total" the convictions about the rightness of Zionism and the "wrongness" of Arabs were and are and his pointing out how these notions are enforced in the media, movies, etc.
Not exactly news to barflies, but coming from a child of empire these observations carry quite a lot of weight.
His views on childhood and the negative effects of constant exposure to phones---total agreement there. In addition IMO these devices are instruments of totalitarian control.
Posted by: Jane | Feb 18 2024 20:39 utc | 53
Technical:
I continue to get constant interjection screens demanding verification and "resend" notices etc. and dialogue boxes that demand OK and then prevent me from posting. This is new since a couple of days ago. I have lost a few posts, so now I am copying them before trying to navigate the cyber-rigmarole.
What is going on? Is this just me, or the site?
Posted by: Jane | Feb 18 2024 20:42 utc | 54
"And some posters don't understand that being a 'real Jew' is also problematic. Have you noticed how 71% of Israelis want an invasion of Lebanon, although 40% were secular Jews in 2021? Now that the atrocities are in full bloom, it seems that polling shows 90% identify as Zionists. "
Posted by: Honzo | Feb 18 2024 20:06 utc | 50
Ok, 90% are Zionists. The other 10% whom are not Zionists there are peaceful Jews which, in my opinion, are 'real Jews not the religious mutants-the Zionists.
I don't want throw the baby out with the bathwater.
@ Jane | Feb 18 2024 20:42 utc | 54 with the posting problems.....I think it is on your end, IMO
Posted by: psychohistorian | Feb 18 2024 20:53 utc | 56
It's dismaying how many here have not grown up with all sorts of evidence about 9/11.
It's clear it was an Israeli/Jewish op, from conception to story-boarding, to planning, execution and continuing cover-up.
...
Posted by: sarz | Feb 18 2024 18:36 utc | 35
For details of the dancing Israelis of 9/11, see this contemporary news story
https://youtu.be/CWzsl8MivO0?si=ttv-JVIa5Q13k8_c
The fact that they had a camera on a tripod indicates foreknowledge, the fact that they were held by the FBI for 70+ days without being charged indicates there was something implicating on that camera, and the fact that they were released and immediately deported indicates someone high up finally succeeded in a coverup.
The fact that the story was buried and never pursued, and that they found it necessary to muddy the waters by having their stooge Trump muddy the waters with his lie about "thousands of Muslims celebrating 9/11" at the same location without attracting the same attention indicates the coverup is continuing in full force.
Posted by: Delhiliterally | Feb 18 2024 20:56 utc | 58
Posted by: test | Feb 18 2024 20:18 utc | 51
English language Russian media is no better than Western MSM. I think they have misreported the statement but since ALL media are carrying the same interpretation it must be from the wire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmMdq4aBXhA
I don’t know what goes on in the background but taking all three participants at face value, the Belgian does a good job at being the usual Eurosupremacist colonizer: “Israel has a right to self defence and Palestinians have a right to self determination”. She called Palestinians “these people”.
The Egyptian FM Sameh Shoukry said the UN Charter is clear on the right to resist occupation. He said should we start counting deaths going back to 1948 and before…
On Hamas he said, “Hamas was outside of the accepted majority of the Palestinian people, the PA, the recognition of Israel, the recognition of negotiated settlement, their refusal to advocate for violence but there has to be also accountability. Why Hamas was empowered in Gaza, why was it being financed in Gaza to perpetuate the division between Hamas and the rest of the mainstream Palestinian peacemaking entities that existed whether it was the PA or the PLO or the general public etc. I think this is an issue that has been neglected that should be addressed as well. I think the current circumstance and the objectives ..there was a mention of the lack of consistency, this is unprecedented. This is the first conflict where there has been a reluctance to call for a cessation of hostilities. In every other conflict the immediate task has been the cessation of hostilities and then the resolution of whatever dimensions of a problem through negotiations. If there is a reluctance to end the military engagement, what is the objective?“
He then talks about eliminating an ideology not being achievable. Given his earlier remarks on the total death count since 1948 and before + the mention of the right to resist occupation, I think he’s alluding to Israel’s attempts to divide and conquer Palestinians. I did not get the impression he was blaming Hamas.
I thought the Saudi FM threw some cool shade. To the Israeli Tzipi bitching about Hamas he said: the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, this is the FIFTH war in Gaza.
To me it certainly seemed as if both Egypt and Saudi FM are hopping mad at Israel. If I have one criticism of both, it’s that they’re not aggressive enough and do not go on the offensive. They should speak from the position of moral authority. I suppose that’s the trait of the settler colonialist.
Posted by: pq | Feb 18 2024 21:41 utc | 59
This article at Mondoweiss ought to be widely read.
"The unthinkability of slave revolt"
BY ZUBAYR ALIKHAN FEBRUARY 8, 2024 22
"Those who say that Israel knew about the plans for October 7 all along are repackaging an old colonial trope which believes that the natives are too docile, too submissive, too cowardly, and too inferior to revolt against their oppressors..."
Posted by: bevin | Feb 18 2024 21:47 utc | 60
The article referred to above was published first on Feb 8th. The current link is via A Socialist In Canada.
https://socialistincanada.ca/world-news/?
Posted by: bevin | Feb 18 2024 21:51 utc | 61
Posted by: Jane | Feb 18 2024 17:46 utc | 24
Posted by: Jane | Feb 18 2024 17:57 utc | 25
Thanks for the recommendations and links to those excellent videos.
Posted by: Siddhartha | Feb 18 2024 21:53 utc | 62
Israel is starting to build a settlement road that will divide Gaza in two.
The construction of an asphalt road stretching from east to west of the Gaza Strip has begun in order to separate the northern part from the rest of the strip.
https://t.me/PalestineONG/9426
Posted by: Hankster | Feb 18 2024 22:11 utc | 63
Re Egyptian FM on Hamas, different quotes, but essence is clear -
The statement, together with the latest statements of the officials of the Palestinian Authority, shows there is a concerted attack on Hamas, as part of increasing pressure, and hurry, to force a "solution' on the Palestinians, which is against their interests and negates their inalienable rights to freedom from colonial oppression, independence and self-determination.
Hamas adheres to the tenets of Palestinian liberation and anti-colonial struggle; the PA is a tool of Palestinian, regional and international capitalist interests which are in a huge hurry to preserve their privileges and control.
The coming period is crucial for the fate of the Palestinians so the attack on Palestinian political forces which reject partition and are committed to ending colonialism and to independence is going to get very dirty, very loud and very ugly. Hamas is the main target.
It is becoming clearer by the day that the new multi-polar world is not going to be much different than the US-world of yesterday and today. The Palestine question is exposing it all.
The Palestinian people, wronged like no other by the big powers and the UN, is going to be forced, at any cost, to accept a 'solution', based on a wrong premise (partition) to suit everybody else's interests, but those of the Palestinians. Partition is a quintessential colonialist recipe.
This miserable spectacle of "the solution" unfolding in parallel with the genocide in Gaza that should have never been allowed to happen and that could have been stopped, is going to end in a tragedy and injustice of the greatest proportions. And there will be no peace in the Middle East.
Posted by: JB | Feb 18 2024 22:35 utc | 64
Posted by: test | Feb 18 2024 20:18 utc | 51
==============
The comments about Hamas "not recognizing Israel" are pretty rich, seeing as how it is Israel that did not recognize Hamas as a legitimate governing entity after Hamas won the 2006 election fair and square.
Prof Avi Shlaim also addresses himself to this issue in the short but dense 20-minute interview linked above.
Posted by: Jane | Feb 18 2024 22:48 utc | 65
To me it certainly seemed as if both Egypt and Saudi FM are hopping mad at Israel. If I have one criticism of both, it’s that they’re not aggressive enough and do not go on the offensive. They should speak from the position of moral authority. I suppose that’s the trait of the settler colonialist.
Posted by: pq | Feb 18 2024 21:41 utc | 59
Their idea of "doing something to help the Palestinians" consists or repeatedly asking the Zionist Occupation Government of the US and Western Allies to pressure Netanyahu. Maybe if they ask nicely enough times?
The idea that white Christians conditioned by zionist owned propaganda media can be persuaded to take sides against Israel on behalf of predominantly
Muslim Arabs is a mistake everyone except the 3Hs and Iran are making.
Posted by: Delhiliterally | Feb 18 2024 22:50 utc | 66
Posted by: Delhiliterally | Feb 18 2024 22:50 utc | 67
I never said they were doing something to help. I said they are angry. NO Arab state is in a position to stop Israel or even cross the border to bring in aid without basically DECLARING WAR ON ISRAEL.
I recognize that basic facts and regional knowledge are not your strong point but you are pretty damn good at shifting blame.
I repeat: none of Israel's neighbors wants to go UP the escalation ladder.
Again, this is not something you are likely to be able to understand.
None of the Arab regional neighbors have significant trade with Israel. Stopping that minimal trade will make NO difference to Israel unlimited access to US arms and whatever else it needs.
Posted by: Pq | Feb 18 2024 23:02 utc | 67
Posted by: JB | Feb 18 2024 22:35 utc | 64
I hear your concerns.
However the Egyptian FM never said the words as reported by Kommersant. I have transcribed exactly what he said and it was clear he was alluding to the Israeli divide and conquer strategy.
The Qatari PM talked about how Arabs see the shocking double standards and they ask their leaders: WTF is going on???
I think people tend to see the Arab leaders as "dictators" but the flip side to that is their people hold them responsible and expect accountability. Tony Blair and Bill Clinton can move on to think tanks but Arab leaders don't have that luxury.
My impression was they understand that you can't force a solution AND get peace.
The pressure on Hamas is coming from US and Israel, not the Arabs. That was my impression after listening to Qatar PM and Saudi and Egyptian FM. There were two sessions.
I do understand your worries.
Every Arab looks at Gaza and understands that what Israel does in Gaza, it can do to them.
Posted by: Pq | Feb 18 2024 23:12 utc | 68
@JB
Media deliberately distort quotes to put pressure on Hamas. I've seen this so many times now.
They quoted the Qatar FM spokesperson at John Hopkins saying "Hamas reached a deal". Hamas said no we didn't.
When I listened to the full speech, the guy never said they reached a deal. He said there was agreement on "principles to arrive at a deal".
Distorting quotes is a deliberate strategy. I am a bit suspicious of Russia hosting Hamas at PA's insistence. I am sure Russia also wants to arm twist.
But Russia fans will disagree.
Posted by: Pq | Feb 18 2024 23:18 utc | 69
bevin 52
' If, as librul suggests, the CIA was behind it then the CIA is working for BRICS and Arab nationalism.
Personally I find that unlikely.'
Yes, but Alistair Crooke says the West can control 'civilisational Islam' which means those Muslims who engage in the scrum of Western politics to look after national interests.
But they can't control people who believe in Allah, His Holy Qur'an, the Truths contained in it and the rewards of the Afterlife.
Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's.
Render unto CIA what is CIA 's.
Caesar's and CIA 's mean worldly interests which the old and new superpowers make sure they control every aspect of.
Blinken is telling the truth when he says that virtually every nation state is drinking CIA koolaid.
That truth contains the same terror as Alistair Crooke's truth that the CIA cannot control the intelligence of the Heart, that God is One and Prophet Muhammad SAW is his True Messenger.
This is deliberately placed beyond the disbelievers mental grasp, or they would be sitting in sackcloth and ashes asking God for forgiveness.
Posted by: Giyane | Feb 18 2024 23:22 utc | 70
https://thecradle.co/articles/illegal-west-bank-settlements-broke-record-in-2023-report
Posted by: JAB | Feb 18 2024 23:31 utc | 71
I never said they were doing something to help. I said they are angry. NO Arab state is in a position to stop Israel or even cross the border to bring in aid without basically DECLARING WAR ON ISRAEL.
I recognize that basic facts and regional knowledge are not your strong point but you are pretty damn good at shifting blame.
I repeat: none of Israel's neighbors wants to go UP the escalation ladder.
Again, this is not something you are likely to be able to understand.
None of the Arab regional neighbors have significant trade with Israel. Stopping that minimal trade will make NO difference to Israel unlimited access to US arms and whatever else it needs.
Posted by: Pq | Feb 18 2024 23:02 utc | 68
No one cares if the Satraps are angry. They are in fact afraid of their own people being angry, angry enough to overthrow them and the system designed to use them and their self-interest to protect Israel.
They are hoping that they can convey that fear to Netanyahu via Biden, and apparently Netanyahu doesn't care what happens to them.
Posted by: Delhiliterally | Feb 18 2024 23:33 utc | 72
The world is witnessing the worst genocide since the Holocaust perpetrated ironically by the Holocaust’s victims.
But genocide it is and its perpetrators are exhibiting sickening celebratory brutality in the clear belief of impunity. Because unlike 1943 this Holocaust has the active support of some of the world’s most powerful nations, the US and EU.
Foremost in this violent and racist imperialism are the US and U.K. and other Anglo Saxon nations. The whole world are witnessing this in full technicolour.
All this leads to a question.
Gaza is a despicable crime that will defile eternally the reputations of all participants. Forget about Israel - that grotesque Jurassic will return to extinction soon enough.
But a wider question is about the deep complicity of specifically the English speaking countries. The world will not forget Gaza. Rather, like an expanding light cone, the implications of this ugly genocide will grow steadily in the coming decades.
All this brings me to my speculative prediction - that worldwide use of the English language will decrease in the coming years, as disgust at the Gaza genocide ripens into permanent attitudes towards its arrogant exponents. I predict that because of Gaza, and Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya etc., English will die as the global default language. To be replaced by Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Indonesian or some other possibly surprising language.
Posted by: Andrew Sarchus | Feb 19 2024 0:02 utc | 73
Correction:
“Forget about Israel - that grotesque Jurassic Park will return to extinction soon enough.”
Posted by: Andrew Sarchus | Feb 19 2024 0:06 utc | 75
What an average Joe in Egypt feels about his government's betrayal of the Palestinians in Gaza:
https://youtu.be/Swzu1rkH8Ho?si=UFnrZfl8LUCckc1R
If enough ordinary Egyptians begin to feel like this man there might be a chance the odious regime of Al Sisi could be made to bow to the will of the Egyptian people and not the other way around.
If there is one there are thousands ...
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Feb 19 2024 0:26 utc | 76
Some claim that if Hamas is eradicated in the strip it will simply arise again.
It's now clear to me that if Hamas is eradicated something new and more dangerous will arise in it's place.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Feb 19 2024 0:31 utc | 77
Ok, 90% are Zionists. The other 10% whom are not Zionists there are peaceful Jews which, in my opinion, are 'real Jews not the religious mutants-the Zionists.
I don't want throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Posted by: canuck | Feb 18 2024 20:52 utc | 55
By all means save the 10% but send the rest straight to hell.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Feb 19 2024 0:35 utc | 78
Posted by: Honzo | Feb 18 2024 20:06 utc | 50
Even judge Richard Goldstone betrayed his own judgement and became a Zionist (essentially). This after his family was ostracized by the Jewish community in South Africa.
Entire Jewish communities act as one when it comes to supporting Zionists.
The few that buck the trend don't change the fact that that's the trend.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Feb 19 2024 0:41 utc | 79
Posted by: Aleph_Null | Feb 18 2024 16:27 utc | 11
Justice delayed is justice denied.
That slogan makes more sense now than ever.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Feb 19 2024 0:48 utc | 80
the word for sexual deviance, Adult, is now transferred to violence deviance
@ Giyane | Feb 18 2024 18:35 utc | 34
Brilliant verbal evidence of the mounting terrors we're expected to accept.
"Those who say that Israel knew about the plans for October 7 all along are repackaging an old colonial trope which believes that the natives are too docile, too submissive, too cowardly, and too inferior to revolt against their oppressors..."
@ bevin | Feb 18 2024 21:47 utc | 60
Oct 7th as an all-but-impossible slave revolt, like the great rebellion which keeps Haitians indebted to their former owners to this day! Food for thought:
At the outbreak of the Haitian Revolution [in 1791], the most common reaction in France, England, Spain, and the U.S. was disbelief. The news was false. The facts — much like those of the Al-Aqsa Flood — were too unlikely. In any case, the facts had to be false, because the blacks, like the Palestinians, were mindless beasts, savages whipped into docility, lazy, disorganized, and inferior — they were flatly incapable of thinking up such an operation, much less organizing themselves or carrying it out.
https://mondoweiss.net/2024/02/the-unthinkability-of-slave-revolt/
Posted by: Aleph_Null | Feb 19 2024 1:05 utc | 81
Posted by: Delhiliterally | Feb 18 2024 20:56 utc | 58
Also: https://www.mintpressnews.com/tag/dancing-israelis/
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Feb 19 2024 1:06 utc | 82
A Subject We Haven't Discussed: Did Israel suffer a huge population loss since Oct. 7?
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231207-report-nearly-0-5m-israelis-left-israel-after-7-october/
This subject is hard to find on Google search - as it's full of glowing narratives about births and the law of return. Could it be that secular Jews are finding a safer place to live since Oct.7? There was once a concern that the Haredi were Israel's greatest threat -avoiding military service and gainful employment, making babies and soaking up welfare. Interesting to think about.
Posted by: Eighthman | Feb 19 2024 1:34 utc | 83
ISRAELI PATROL BOAT SPOTTED ON FIRE OFF NAHARIYYA COAST
https://southfront.press/israeli-patrol-boat-spotted-on-fire-off-nahariyya-coast/
Posted by: UWDude | Feb 19 2024 2:52 utc | 84
No compent...
Qatar, UK launch joint $50m global aid fund
Qatar and the UK have allocated $50m to address “the most pressing humanitarian and development challenges,” Lolwah Alkhater, Qatar’s minister of state for international cooperation, has said.
The new co-funding initiative reflects the two countries’ “shared responsibility to respond to crises on a global scale”, Alkhater added in a video posted to social media.
Alkhater noted the two countries had previously cooperated to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip as well as Syria and Somalia.
https://aje.io/9rxkm3?update=2716845
Posted by: Minaa | Feb 19 2024 3:15 utc | 85
Sorry for the typo, shld be: comment
I can imagine the dilemma for Egypt or even Lebanon: dying for Qatar's shenanegans?
Posted by: Minaa | Feb 19 2024 4:01 utc | 86
Every Arab looks at Gaza and understands that what Israel does in Gaza, it can do to them.
Posted by: Pq | Feb 18 2024 23:12 utc | 69
====================
As is made perfectly clear by the settlers interviewed for the film on settlers linked up-thread. I think I quoted these fellows previously on a prev. thread so will not repeat. The film is worth watching to see the fanatical character of these "front line" Israeli forces. They will go anywhere and claim with violence whatever they want. Also in Transjordan. Also in the Sinai. They will take the Suez Canal if no one stops them.
One historical instance from the film: The Israeli govt had said (wink, wink) no settlements within Palestinian cities. But the settlers wanted Hebron. A group of them booked rooms in the Hebron Hilton and then refused to leave. From there they started their terrorist campaign on the city and invited other fanatics in to help them found a settlement in the middle of old Hebron, which has now pushed more and more Palestinians out of their homes and generally terrorized them with a heavy IDF presence in the streets of Hebron.
Posted by: Jane | Feb 19 2024 4:02 utc | 87
Entire Jewish communities act as one when it comes to supporting Zionists.
The few that buck the trend don't change the fact that that's the trend.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Feb 19 2024 0:41 utc | 80
===============
This is the control that rabbis still have over Jews.
No wonder the assimilated Jews of Second Reich Germany didn't want to have shtetl Jews pouring in to German cities.
It seems as though modern communications have made it harder for assmilationist Jews to "hide" in the mainstream.
I suspect that the Chabad organization plays an important role in luring secular Jews into a web with free meals, "community activities," etc. in a nice house paid for by a hedge-fund manager . . . They want to keep tabs on all Jews and lower the guilt and peer pressure booms as needed and hit up everyone for fundraising for Israel, for the settlements, for the IDF . . .
Of course these are just my speculations. I may be paranoid.
Posted by: Jane | Feb 19 2024 4:08 utc | 88
Eighthman @ 84
"A Subject We Haven't Discussed: Did Israel suffer a huge population loss since Oct. 7?
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231207-report-nearly-0-5m-israelis-left-israel-after-7-october/"
===================
I don't know which Schadenfreude is more delectable, the idea of the rats abandoning the ship, or the idea that most won't be able to debark before the ship goes down . . . Obviously, it is the better off who can vote with their feet and their airplane reservations.
Meanwhile, probably it's a great business opp'y for charter companies.
Posted by: Jane | Feb 19 2024 4:18 utc | 89
All this brings me to my speculative prediction - that worldwide use of the English language will decrease in the coming years, as disgust at the Gaza genocide ripens into permanent attitudes towards its arrogant exponents. I predict that because of Gaza, and Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya etc., English will die as the global default language. To be replaced by Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Indonesian or some other possibly surprising language.
Posted by: Andrew Sarchus | Feb 19 2024 0:02 utc | 74
=======
An interesting train of thought. And interesting to discuss from the p.o.v. of a language nerd (like me), even though I won't be around to see what happens. I was interested to read the musings of Francophones on the many ways that English language hegemony conferred on Anglophone countries many advantages in the economic, science and political spheres.
I rather think that English will maintain its hegemony, not because of the soft power of Anglophone nations (which is already rapidly waning), but because (I think) English, an uninflected language, is easier to learn to an intermediate level than other languages that I know of, and much of the world's scientific and business literature and infrastructure is based on English.
However, for the billions of people who start out with Chinese or Japanese or Arabic or Urdu as their native language, this ease may not hold. It may be easier for them to learn another character-based written language (although English is practically a lingua franca in India, I believe). I'll lay my bets on Russian as the lingua franca of the new era, even though for many BRICS nations, English is closer than Russian. But if fewer and fewer indispensable international communications are in English, ease of learning it won't matter.
Posted by: Jane | Feb 19 2024 4:34 utc | 90
Netanyahu hits out at Brazil’s Lula for comparing war on Gaza to Holocaust.
The Article HERE
Posted by: Menz | Feb 19 2024 4:36 utc | 91
ashok kumar 🇵🇸
@broseph_stalin
BREAKING: Effective Immediately. The Water Transport Workers Federation of India representing workers at 11 major Indian ports will refuse to load or unload weapons to Israel. This is in solidarity with a call by Palestinian trade unions. India sends $7bn in arms to Israel a year
https://twitter.com/broseph_stalin/status/1759115905408114831
Posted by: Menz | Feb 19 2024 4:37 utc | 92
Forensic Architecture
@ForensicArchi
·
Feb 17
Our latest findings on the al-Ahli hospital blast: using 3D trajectory analysis, we dispute the Israeli military’s claim that the hospital was struck by a misfiring Palestinian rocket from a salvo of 17, with most of the damage caused by unspent rocket propellant.
https://twitter.com/ForensicArchi/status/1758563590406086960
Posted by: Menz | Feb 19 2024 4:38 utc | 93
John Cassidy
@JohnCassidy
When 2 headlines are worth 10,000 word(s).
https://twitter.com/JohnCassidy/status/1759272066132439516
Posted by: Menz | Feb 19 2024 4:39 utc | 94
Posted by: Jane | Feb 19 2024 4:34 utc | 91
My initial reaction to his prediction was "No way". A lot has gone in to learning English, as I believe it is required in China, and know China has more English speakers than America.
However...
...universal translators are pretty much here. So with that in mind, who knows?
I believe, however, that English, and the latin alphabet, are so widespread, and easier to learn than glyph languages (chinese, japanese, etc), and even Crillic, (with its weird extra character that means nothing), and coding uses english words, chat ais are mostly English based... That English is probably will continue to dominate.
Also, his predicate of disgust, therefore lack of use, greatly overestimates the amount of disgust in the world. Vast majority of people, dont care enough to do anything at all. Not even simply stop eating at McDonalds or Starbucks.
Posted by: UWDude | Feb 19 2024 4:45 utc | 95
OK Posting in this thread feels like 2 betrayals to me one little the other considerably larger The small betrayal first. I have felt for a while now that since there appears to be nothing we can do that will have any effect at all on the zionist slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza and on the West Bank deliberately following the cruel details of ersatz israel's murderous carry-on was the act of a voyeur trying to live vicariously and becoming miserable by remote a type of Munchausen by proxy so as long as I cannot actively assist the people of Palestine (marching down the street clutching a sign as a form of virtue signalling imo) I have largely forsworn endless debate because it is never-ending and changes nothing. I still make myself watch one aljazeera news bulletin a day to make sure I'm not avoiding the issue but that's been it for me.
The big act of self betrayal I feel writing this is that I promised myself years ago to never allow myself to be caught up in amerikan elections. I see them as pointless endeavours centered around winding sheep up to get angry over issues that are rarely anything to do with most voters lives, the so-called culture wars.
Never again would I show any interest in the democrat party aka 'the dims' because of the way they claim to be there for the left but have never committed any legislation that could be termed 'leftist' in any sense of the word apart from the dims own deceitful propaganda. The worst of these are members of 'the squad' that group of self-described democratic socialists whose actions haven't been either democratic nor socialist.
Yet here I am despite that advocating for a dim who is both a member of that woebegone bunch of eaters and the squad. Why? Because she has been consistent in her demand for a ceasefire to end the genocide and now faces being out-primaried in her re-election campaign by a Missouri DA heavily subsidized by aipac, the peak zionist electoral PAC in amerika because of her opposition to this genocide.
A while ago I wrote of the need for an end to the zionist domination of electoral politics in FukUS plus the rest of europe if the Palestinian people were to have a chance of avoiding being wiped off the map becoming as extinct as the dodo.
Amerika lies at the heart of zionist funding, that is where a couple of zionist financiers provided a couple of suitcases containing USD $2 million dollars to Harry Truman as he embarked on his whistle-stop tour attempt to seek re-election in 1948. Before the week was out amerika had recognised the illegal terrorism riven ersatz state of israel. From little things big things grow as within a couple more electoral cycles the zionist lobby began to exert control over presidents, senators, and congressers of 'both' alleged political stripes.
It has now gotten to the point where only two, 2! members of congress have resisted zionist gold to abhor and more importantly vote consistently against the slaughter/massacre/genocide of Palestinian people.
THey are Ilhan Omar outta Michigan and Cori Bush of Missouri. Omar should be fine as she comes from a state where there is a large population of Islamic voters who support her.
Cori Bush is an entirely other kettle of fish who is being out-primaried and out-spent by a slick pol that has access to zionist millions.
If these murderous fuckers are ever going to be stymied by a politician who has completely lost touch with reality, it will be because he/she knows of an example of a recent election where a pol has challenged aipac's domination and won.
I do not care what Bush may have voted for/said/ reneged on/ or whatever, even though I am old and consequently living on a small income my earning days well behind me I have spent some time this afternoon here trying to find a mob advocating for bush's re election that I can send a few bucks to understanding that if I do it wrong as someone from overseas donating a pittance there is a good chance the zionist creeps will cost her campaign far more in lawyers fees than I give for her re-election.
Amerikans have no such restrictions.
This isn't about Bush's broken promises on other issues, this is about arsehole careerist amerikan politicians seeing that it is possible to stand up to the zionists and still win. It will require many more than just myself of course, which is why I'm posting here.
These genocidal jewish supremacists are more than just simple racists, they want to destroy everyone of Palestinian heritage to ensure that they only they, not the indigenous population of Palestine, get to rule over all the lands which were once claimed by the crazy fringe lunatics on the edge of judaism, that the romans had to teach reality to and now it is our turn to do the same.
We don't want to kill anyone. What we want is for the people of Palestine to have a voice in their lands. If as we all believe there are more Palestinians than zionists committed to those lands, it will be Palestinians who have the dominant voice.
Please consider supporting this campaign - not for the sake of a dim politician, for the sake of the people of Palestine who have been sentenced to death by bullet, bomb, famine and plague just so a mob of greedy western arseholes can claim they deserve to rule the world when their actions demonstrate why a zionist sympathiser should never be elected even town parking warden.
ps If anyone does know where a foreigner can donate to the C Bush re-election campaign I would appreciate a post, the same for where amerikans can donate. This is something real each of us can do for Palestinians.
Posted by: Debsisdead | Feb 19 2024 4:53 utc | 96
>>that worldwide use of the English language will decrease in the coming years...
Posted by: Andrew Sarchus | Feb 19 2024 0:02 utc | 74
English is a polyglot language in that it has adsorbed words from a lot of different languages and thus has has little internal consistency. The spelling is often goofy compared to the sound. Like German it is somewhat harsh Given how common it is, I suppose we are stuck with it.
If it could be done I would favor Esperanto as a universal language. It is contrived and comes mainly from the European languages, and is mostly derived from the Romance languages. Kind of like Spanish, but with many of verb inflections thankfully dropped. It is less harsh sounding than English, and the spelling often resembles the sound. The internal consistency makes it fairly easy to learn.
Posted by: Jmaas | Feb 19 2024 5:04 utc | 97
If we want English to stop expanding its empire (cognitive and material) we need a decentralized internet. Currently everything is done for the anglo world to accaparate all the resources, including in education. They are even freezing all open source evolution in the name of security (see the EU AI act)
Posted by: Minaa | Feb 19 2024 5:09 utc | 98
Kyle Sockwell
@kylesockwell
Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko just got booed during her interview after getting 2nd in the Women’s 400 IM at the Swimming World Championships in Doha
https://twitter.com/kylesockwell/status/1759271024246259875
Posted by: Menz | Feb 19 2024 5:12 utc | 99
Posted by: Debsisdead | Feb 19 2024 4:53 utc | 97
You forgot Thomas Massie (R) Kentucky.
And recently there was a vote where all voted to condemn Hamas, including your two gals. 0 no votes, with only one abstention, Rashaida Tlaib, (D).
Posted by: UWDude | Feb 19 2024 5:34 utc | 100
The comments to this entry are closed.
Is it appropriate to also post here what I posted on
MoA Week in review?
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I wonder what role the CIA had in planning the Oct 7th Intentional Security Failure at the Gaza border?
iZrael (and the CIA?) had possession of Hamas' jail break plan a year ahead of time.
They obtained Hamas' detailed plans for Oct 7th a year ago- a monumental success.
Created a prison wall with multilayered security monitoring - human and electronic - success
Had human intel - spooks embedded in Hamas and the Gaza civilian population - success (and also likely the source that absconded with Hamas detailed Oct 7th plans)
Real-time monitoring of Hamas' hand-held radio network.
Had large number of IDF troops surrounding Gaza
(there is more, but that should make the point)
They recognized that Hamas' written plan for Oct 7th could not succeed under the above conditions.
They decided to stop monitoring Hamas' hand-held radio network, so they claim.
They had to ignore the alerts being sounded by border watchers.
They had to give a thumbs-down to written reports by intelligence officers
warning of an imminent Oct 7th (this happened!).
They had to ignore that Hamas had been trying to lull them into complacency (this was in writing in the Hamas Oct 7th plans).
They had to remove the vast majority of the IDF troops surrounding Gaza just in time for Oct 7th
Once the jail break was under way support troops had to be delayed for hours. (They refuse to explain
why this happened, stating that they will "investigate" only after Hamas is defeated.)
They had to implement the Hannibal Directive in order to achieve maximum civilian casualties.
The confluence of too many huge failures and too many horrible decisions
to be credible.
What did the CIA know, besides *everything*?
Destabilization. To borrow from the letter signed by 51 CIA agents interfering with a US Presidential election - "has the classic earmarks of a CIA destabilization operation."
The Oct 7th Intentional Security Failure has heightened war from Yemen to Lebanon to Iraq. A criminal, Netanyahu, has had temporary life breathed into his faltering administration. Most of all it has stirred blood lust in the iZraeli population such they support the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank and Gaza or Genocide, whichever comes first.
(IDF - Intentional Defense Failure)
Posted by: librul | Feb 18 2024 13:57 utc | 1