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radicalleft

radicalleft's Journal
radicalleft's Journal
December 8, 2023

There was an attempt at a peaceful march...

Israel police stop settlers march in Jerusalem after ‘racist chants’

Jerusalem — About 200 Israeli settlers gathered in the centre of West Jerusalem on Thursday night, making provocative speeches as part of a march before Israeli police forcefully dispersed them.

The march was expected to head towards the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem and enter through Damascus Gate. But police said the marchers violated conditions that had been set for them by authorities, forcing them to crack down and cancel the permission that had been given for the march.

Snip

“At first, racist chants were heard on the spot from some of the participants, and at one point, dozens of protesters disobeyed the instructions of the police officers on the spot and advanced without the permission of the police in a wild run for a short distance,” an Israeli police spokesperson said. “The police stopped them after a few tens of metres, and accordingly, an illegal assembly was declared by a police officer.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/israel-police-stop-settlers-march-in-jerusalem-after-racist-chants/ar-AA1lcC6Y?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=7a209ce12d0243baa96e87e1360f9157&ei=37
November 9, 2023

Unicorns and Magic Wishes - onion ninja alert

https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/unicorns-and-magic-wishes/

In November I received a delightful letter from a seven year old girl named Madeline, requesting our permission for her to keep a unicorn in her backyard if she could find one. I happily agreed to allow her to keep a unicorn, with conditions. These included compliance with Los Angeles County Code regarding the keeping of animals; the unicorn must have regular access to sunlight, moonbeams, and rainbows; it must be fed its favorite treat – watermelon – at least once a week; that its horn must be polished every month with a soft cloth; and any glitter used on the unicorn must be nontoxic and biodegradable.
November 7, 2023

Officer who arrested Elijah McClain found not guilty

Source: CNN

CNN

Aurora police officer Nathan Woodyard was found not guilty by a Colorado jury Monday on all charges related to the death of Elijah McClain, an unarmed 23-year-old Black man who died after he was wrestled to the ground by police and injected with ketamine by paramedics in 2019.

Woodyard had pleaded not guilty to charges of reckless manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in connection with McClain’s death. The officer remains suspended from the department without pay, pending the outcome of the trial.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/06/us/elijah-mccain-nathan-woodyard-manslaughter-verdict/index.html



This is soo very sad...trigger - embedded video hard to watch
November 7, 2023

Opinion piece: Why Israel wants to erase context and history in the war on Gaza

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/11/5/why-israel-wants-to-erase-context-and-history-in-the-war-on-gaza

On October 24, a statement by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres caused a sharp reaction by Israel. While addressing the UN Security Council, the UN chief said that while he condemned in the strongest terms the massacre committed by Hamas on October 7, he wished to remind the world that it did not take place in a vacuum. He explained that one cannot dissociate 56 years of occupation from our engagement with the tragedy that unfolded on that day.

The Israeli government was quick to condemn the statement. Israeli officials demanded Guterres’s resignation, claiming that he supported Hamas and justified the massacre it carried out. The Israeli media also jumped on the bandwagon, asserting among other things that the UN chief “has demonstrated a stunning degree of moral bankruptcy”.

snip

This reaction suggests that a new type of allegation of anti-Semitism may now be on the table. Until October 7, Israel had pushed for the definition of anti-Semitism to be expanded to include criticism of the Israeli state and questioning the moral basis of Zionism. Now, contextualising and historicising what is going on could also trigger an accusation of anti-Semitism.

The dehistoricisation of these events aids Israel and governments in the West in pursuing policies they shunned in the past due to either ethical, tactical, or strategic considerations.
November 3, 2023

Opinion A Brief History of the Netanyahu-Hamas Alliance

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-20/ty-article-opinion/.premium/a-brief-history-of-the-netanyahu-hamas-alliance/0000018b-47d9-d242-abef-57ff1be90000

For 14 years, Netanyahu's policy was to keep Hamas in power; the pogrom of October 7, 2023, helps the Israeli prime minister preserve his own rule

Much ink has been spilled describing the longtime relationship – rather, alliance – between Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas. And still, the very fact that there has been close cooperation between the Israeli prime minister (with the support of many on the right) and the fundamentalist organization seemingly evaporated from most of the current analyses – everyone’s talking about “failures,” “mistakes” and “contzeptziot” (fixed conceptions). Given this, there is a need not only to review the history of cooperation but also to conclude unequivocally: The pogrom of October 7, 2023, helps Netanyahu, and not for the first time, to preserve his rule, certainly in the short term.

The MO of Netanyahu’s policy since his return to the Prime Minister’s Office in 2009 has and continues to be, on the one hand, bolstering the rule of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and, on the other, weakening the Palestinian Authority.

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I am beginning to think that Bibi really doesn't care about the small part of land that is the Gaza strip - it's a distraction for the chance at a bigger catch: taking complete control of the west bank

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https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-11-01/ty-article/.premium/far-right-israeli-knesset-member-zvi-sukkot-to-head-subcommittee-on-the-west-bank/0000018b-8b93-db71-a7df-ffdfd1ea0000

Far-right Israeli Knesset Member Zvi Sukkot to Head Subcommittee on the West Bank

Knesset member MK Zvi Sukkot of the far-right Religious Zionism party, is due to be appointed chairman of a Knesset subcommittee on West Bank issues, his party announced on Wednesday. Sukkot was appointed to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday, replacing his party colleague Moshe Solomon, the outgoing chairman of the subcommittee on West Bank issues.
November 3, 2023

Please take a moment to read - empathy required

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-11-02/ty-article-magazine/.premium/ahmed-wanted-israelis-to-listen-to-gazans-then-23-of-his-family-members-were-killed/0000018b-8fb6-db7e-af9b-eff7d71f0000

Ahmed Wanted Israelis to Listen to Gazans. Then 23 of His Family Members Were Killed

On the Facebook page 'Across the Wall,' Israelis read personal stories by Gazans in Hebrew, until the last update came in: 'The entire family of this page’s founder has been bombed to death.' The Israeli co-founder of the page now says: 'I don’t know if we’ll be able to build that bridge again'

For four years, a Facebook page has been bringing Israelis personal stories and glimpses into daily life that is completely foreign to them: that of average Gazans. The page, called “Across the Wall,” features the accounts of children fleeing bombardment, local initiatives to clean up Gaza’s beaches, and direct addresses from civilians living in the Strip to Israelis.

“Across the Wall” is run by the Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, who co-founded it with Gazan journalist Ahmed Alnaouq. They are both 29.

“It’s more important now than ever. We need to start to understand how we can build more equal relations between Israelis and Palestinians,” says Abraham. “A big part of that is to listen to Palestinians from Gaza and what they experience – to think about how we would feel if we were in their shoes.”

snip

“I grew up in southern Israel. When I was growing up, we didn’t hear anything about Gaza – even as an adult, in leftist circles,” Abraham says. “During ‘peacetime,’ Israelis don’t hear anything about Gaza or know anything about Gaza. It’s very much a black hole, a threatening place that we just know is dangerous. One of the reasons that I felt it’s very important to know what’s going on in Gaza is that there is no ‘peacetime’ in Gaza… when you live under siege, even when there is no war, every day is a sort of war to survive. It was important to me that the Israeli public hear this, because this situation is unsustainable. This can’t be a permanent situation. We can’t think we can manage it if we just build a tall enough wall.”
November 2, 2023

Saudi Arabia getting involved?

Can't link to a news source but found a couple of mentions

https://twitter.com/Megatron_ron/status/1719704587588800770

and this from the D.O.D.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3576388/readout-of-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iiis-meeting-with-saudi-minister/

Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:

The Secretary met today with the Saudi Minister of Defense, His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Salman to discuss the importance of the enduring U.S. security partnership with Saudi Arabia. Secretary Austin emphasized U.S. commitment to the territorial defense of the Kingdom, and to reinforcing and expanding a strong, bilateral defense partnership.

The Secretary underscored the Kingdom's central role in regional security and stability. He expressed deep thanks for the Minister of Defense's leadership, including sustained support and coordination in working toward a durable peace for Yemen. He also commended Saudi humanitarian support to Ukraine, and efforts in Sudan to host diplomatic talks and support of evacuation operations.

In response to increasing threats in the region, the Secretary reiterated U.S. commitment to working with the Kingdom to promote greater integration, especially on air and missile defense and maritime security.

The Secretary provided an update on U.S. support to Israel as it works to restore security in the wake of Hamas' abhorrent terrorist attack. He reaffirmed the U.S. emphasis on the protection of civilians and unfettered access for the delivery of humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza.

Both leaders agreed to work together towards preventing regional escalation. Secretary Austin also emphasized the U.S. commitment to supporting the defense of its partners in the region.

November 1, 2023

Hamas reports bad / IDF reports bad

https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033

The ministry is the only official source for Gaza casualties. Israel has sealed Gaza’s borders, barring foreign journalists and humanitarian workers. The AP is among a small number of international news organizations with teams in Gaza. While those journalists cannot do a comprehensive count, they’ve viewed large numbers of bodies at the sites of airstrikes, morgues and funerals.

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My comment - If the Hamas numbers are not to be trusted, then let the journalist from indepentdent countries in to report on the casualties and provide some neautral informantion.

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https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2023/10/29/open-up-access-to-gaza-and-protect-journalists_6212695_23.html

Since October 7, journalists have been faced with a serious and worrying situation. While the Gaza Strip has been under intense Israeli bombardment, the foreign press has been denied access by Israel and Egypt. They have made it impossible to enter, impossible to report on events without depending on the press department of each side.
November 1, 2023

No privacy, water or sanitary napkins

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/31/no-privacy-no-water-gaza-women-use-period-delaying-pills-amid-war

Samira al-Saadi, who is displaced with her family in a UN-run school west of Khan Younis, wishes she could do more for her 15-year-old daughter who got her first period a few months ago.

Her daughter is overwhelmed by both recently starting to menstruate and having to manage her period in a crowded shelter, the 55-year-old says. “She needs sanitary pads and water to wash, but these basic needs are not available.”

Samira is concerned about buying her daughter period-delaying pills as she worries how they might affect her child’s health.

“She just doesn’t understand why she has to go through all of this,” Samira says. “I try to help her, but what she needs is not at hand.”

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So very sad indeed...I am appalled by suffering of these children.

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Name: John
Gender: Male
Hometown: Detroit
Home country: USA
Current location: Detroit
Member since: Sun Jan 10, 2021, 04:24 PM
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