#Israel / Is Lebanon the next property development destination for Israel's neo-fascists?
Israel can barely manage one ongoing occupation, but it seems there's an appetite for more.
'Lebanon, Part of the Promised Land': Israel's Messianic Right-Wing Targets New Territory for Settlements
[...] "You have to dream," said Cohen, echoing Weiss. "There are many obstacles, but we will bang our heads against the wall and the wall will break. In Lebanon as well."
#Gramnay / German Ambassador: Israel and we had military relations for years, I will not apologize for that
The German Ambassador to Israel, Stephan Seibert, said at the "Tel Aviv University - The Future of Israel" conference that "I do not see all of Europe and Germany following Spain and Ireland, which recognized a Palestinian state. We believe that a sustainable agreement should be in the form of a peace agreement based on two states, with all security arrangements."
Seibert added that "for many years there have been military relations between our two countries, and I will not apologize for that."
Unsurprisingly, #Ackman and other Jewish mega-donors seem to have no qualms with antisemites, as long as they are the good old-fashioned ones like #Trump and #DeSantis, who despise Muslims nearly as much as they detest Jews. With that, they can live.
Trump's actions, such as accentuating Jon Stewart's Jewish last name "Leibowitz" (2013), making comments seemingly trafficking in Jewish stereotypes when addressing the Republican Jewish Coalition in 2015, his initial refusal to disavow support from former KKK leader David Duke during the 2016 campaign, his campaign's delayed condemnation of the extreme antisemitic harassment directed at Jewish journalists like Julia Ioffe after they wrote critical profiles of Trump/his wife, the use of his "America First" slogan echoing the antisemitic isolationist group from the WWII era, and listing a white supremacist leader as a delegate before removing him after media scrutiny – none of that seems to be a problem. Apparently, what makes one an antisemite in their eyes is wanting an end to 76 years of Israeli occupation and a brutal apartheid.
#US / Miriam Adelson’s money could transform Trump’s 2024 campaign, and the Palestine, again, will pay the price
[…] Now, in 2024, the two have unfinished Israel business from Trump’s presidency. Along with annexing the West Bank, the first Trump administration proposed recognizing Israeli settlers’ right to remain in homes on occupied lands. Also for Israel to remain an occupying force in any future Palestinian state.
Adelson wants to use her wealth to ensure unconditional U.S. support for Israel and its policies, including the annexation of the West Bank.
Her husband gave USD 20 millions to Trump to move the US embassy to #Jerusalem. She’ll pay much more to be able to shape Trump’s 2024 Israel agenda, including pushing for U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank.
Reportedly, she’s pursuing other unfinished goals from Trump's previous term, such as allowing Israeli settlers to remain in Palestinian territories, and letting Israel maintain an occupying military force in a future Palestinian state.
[…] Ten days before Donald J. Trump took office, Sheldon G. Adelson went to Trump Tower for a private meeting. Afterward, Mr. Adelson, the casino billionaire and Republican donor, called an old friend, Morton A. Klein, to report that Mr. Trump told him that moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would be a major priority […] The Adelsons were persuaded and donated $20 million to a political action committee that supported Mr. Trump’s campaign, and another $1.5 million to the committee that organized the Republican convention.
For Trump, an Embassy in Jerusalem Is a Political Decision, Not a Diplomatic One https://archive.is/wZIV8
[...] "Only a racist and corrupt police force arrests a citizen like Rasha Khreim Kharami from Majd Al-Krum, an Arab woman, because of a post against the war and a post against the police: handcuffs and blindfolding in the police station courtyard. She was brought before a judge, who released her home. The attackers of the kidnapped families are not arrested, the settlers who attack Palestinians are not arrested, the murderers and crime organizations roam free. But Rasha is arrested as a means of punishment and humiliation."
#IFJ / Record number of Palestinian journalists’ arbitrarily arrested by Israel
#Israel has significantly increased arrests and detentions of Palestinian journalists since the start of the war in #Gaza in October 2023. As of May 29, 2024, Israel had arrested a record 76 Palestinian journalists since the war began, according to the article.
20 Palestinian journalists are currently being held under administrative detention, which allows indefinite detention without charges or trial based on secret evidence. Amongst them photojournalist Bilal Al Tawil, and prominent journalist Rula Hassanein, whose home was raided.
Palestinian journalist unions accuse Israel of trying to intimidate journalists and control the narrative by arresting those covering the Israeli occupation.
The IFJ condemns Israel's "over-reaching campaign to harass and prosecute Palestinian journalists" and vows to advocate for journalist safety. At least 102 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed since the Gaza war began, according to IFJ data.
#Spain and #Ireland are the largest and most politically influential #EU nations to recognize Palestinian statehood, joining a few other European countries that have already done so.
While largely symbolic, the three nations hope their move will gather momentum and spur more EU countries to follow suit. The #UK, #Australia and some other EU states have indicated they could also recognize Palestinian statehood. However, #France said now is not the right time, while #Germany sided with the #US in rejecting a unilateral approach, insisting dialogue is needed for a two-state solution (the model, the Oslo accords, favored Israel and the status quo at the expense of Palestinian right for self-determination).
[cont’d] #Palestine / Macron Pushes for End to Two-State Solution Delays
Macron called for an end to the "systematic postponement" of implementing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establishing an independent Palestinian state. He stated this process should involve a "perspective of recognizing the Palestinian State" as part of a constructive dynamic.
The comments came after a phone call between Macron and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Macron appears to be pushing to break the longstanding stalemate and delays in resolving the conflict through the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, as part of a negotiated two-state solution.
This is roughly how mainstream Israeli media whitewashes IDF’s war crimes. If you start with Hamas militants targeted, any atrocity that follows will be acceptable to the Israeli ear.
Haaretz: dozens dead in an Israeli strike at a camp; IDF: we attacked Hamas militants
Ynet: IDF eliminated senior Hamas commanders; Palestinians (claim): tents set a blaze (nothing to do with the attack on a densely populated refugee camp, presumably), 28 dead
[cont'd] Israel's Media Silence: Fear of Exposing National Joy Over Gaza Suffering [Prof.
Dmitry Shumsky]
So why is Israeli media coverage of the war on Gaza so biased, focusing solely on the Israeli narrative while downplaying the suffering of Palestinian civilians? Here's another perspective on the disturbing complicity of Israeli media in the on going massacre in Gaza:
[translation of key paragraphs from the article:]
[...] "Israelis do not acknowledge that before the murderous attack on Israeli civilians on October 7, the Palestinians lived under oppressive conditions and a denial of basic human and national rights by Israel (it should be emphasized: this in no way justifies or normalizes the brutality of Hamas on October 7). Most Israelis are convinced that the Israeli-Palestinian situation prior to October 7 was normal and even understandable from the Palestinian perspective. In their eyes, the occupation, not to mention apartheid, are inventions of anti-Semites; and in fact, they believe that the Palestinians living beyond the Green Line (another invention of Israel-haters) live reasonably well, certainly compared to their Arab brothers in Syria, Iraq, and every other Arab country, except for the oil and gas producing nations. In Gaza, Israelis believe, the Palestinians even had a state in every respect. And yet, despite all this, they chose a deadly, treacherous, and forced campaign of terror."
[...] "Against the backdrop of this distorted reality perception, it's no wonder that the Israeli national anger towards the Gazan Palestinians, the Israeli indifference to their suffering, and especially the sense of national joy, sometimes suppressed and sometimes bursting forth, in the face of fragmented information about the scope of the destruction and killing in Gaza – a joy that is evident to anyone who lends an ear to the whispers of the Israeli public on the street – are the main and total characteristics of the Israeli view of the current war."
[...] "In light of all this, it would not be far-fetched to assume that the refusal to direct the Israeli media spotlight towards the civilian victims of the IDF's pointless strategic campaign in Gaza stems, in part, from the fear of shaping public opinion in Israel, lest it arouse overly explicit and intense feelings of joy and celebration among the broader Israeli public. This would certainly not contribute to improving Israel's already tarnished image in the world."
[*] Prof. Dmitry Shumsky is Israel Goldstein Chair in the History of Zionism and the New Yishuv at the Department of Jewish History and Contemporary Jewry, and Director of the Bernard Cherrick Center for the study of Zionism, the Yishuv, and the State of Israel at the Hebrew University.
[cont'd] Israel's Media Silence: Fear of Exposing National Joy Over Gaza Suffering [Prof.
Dmitry Shumsky]
So why is Israeli media coverage of the war on Gaza so biased, focusing solely on the Israeli narrative while downplaying the suffering of Palestinian civilians? Here's another perspective on the disturbing complicity of Israeli media in the on going massacre in Gaza:
[translation of key paragraphs from the article:]
[...] "Apparently, as many critics of the Israeli media believe, the avoidance of presenting the enormous dimensions of the killing and suffering of the civilian population in Gaza stems from the fear that exposing Israelis to these horrific images could shake their faith in the sacred morality of the IDF and lead to doubts about its combat policies - which could harm national morale during wartime."
[...] "Israelis do not acknowledge that before the murderous attack on Israeli civilians on October 7, the Palestinians lived under oppressive conditions and a denial of basic human and national rights by Israel (it should be emphasized: this in no way justifies or normalizes the brutality of Hamas on October 7). Most Israelis are convinced that the Israeli-Palestinian situation prior to October 7 was normal and even understandable from the Palestinian perspective. In their eyes, the occupation, not to mention apartheid, are inventions of anti-Semites; and in fact, they believe that the Palestinians living beyond the Green Line (another invention of Israel-haters) live reasonably well, certainly compared to their Arab brothers in Syria, Iraq, and every other Arab country, except for the oil and gas producing nations. In Gaza, Israelis believe, the Palestinians even had a state in every respect. And yet, despite all this, they chose a deadly, treacherous, and forced campaign of terror."
[...] "Against the backdrop of this distorted reality perception, it's no wonder that the Israeli national anger towards the Gazan Palestinians, the Israeli indifference to their suffering, and especially the sense of national joy, sometimes suppressed and sometimes bursting forth, in the face of fragmented information about the scope of the destruction and killing in Gaza – a joy that is evident to anyone who lends an ear to the whispers of the Israeli public on the street – are the main and total characteristics of the Israeli view of the current war."
[...] "In light of all this, it would not be far-fetched to assume that the refusal to direct the Israeli media spotlight towards the civilian victims of the IDF's pointless strategic campaign in Gaza stems, in part, from the fear of shaping public opinion in Israel, lest it arouse overly explicit and intense feelings of joy and celebration among the broader Israeli public. This would certainly not contribute to improving Israel's already tarnished image in the world."
[*] Prof. Dmitry Shumsky is Israel Goldstein Chair in the History of Zionism and the New Yishuv at the Department of Jewish History and Contemporary Jewry, and Director of the Bernard Cherrick Center for the study of Zionism, the Yishuv, and the State of Israel at the Hebrew University.
#Palestine / Norway, along with Ireland and Spain, to recognize Palestinian state (to be followed by Slovenia and Malta)
With over 140 UN member states now recognizing Palestine, the wave of European support signals growing impatience with the stalled peace process and a willingness to challenge U.S.-backed insistence on direct negotiations favoring Israel's position.
[...] "In the middle of a war, with tens of thousands of dead and injured, we must keep alive the only thing that can provide a safe home for both Israelis and Palestinians: two states that can live in peace with each other," --- Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere (#Norway)
Israel swiftly condemned the move, recalling its ambassadors from Norway and Ireland, and warning of "dire consequences" if Spain follows through. The Israeli Foreign Minister accused the countries of "undercutting Israel's sovereignty and endangering its security."
[cont'd] Gallant declared the ineffective cancellation of the disengagement in northern Samaria [occupied West Bank], as the commanding officer prohibited the entry of Israelis into the area already in April
In March 2023, Israeli parliament passed the first reading of amendments to the 2005 Disengagement law. The proposed law allow illegal settlers to rebuild and re-occupy settlements in the occupied West Bank dismantled in 2005 as a part of Israel’s so-called unilateral Disengagement plan.
[cont'd] Ben Gvir in a genocidal rant on Haram al-Sharif this morning:
"We will not allow even a declaration of a Palestinian state. And I'll say one more thing: In order to destroy Hamas, we need to enter Rafah to the very end, to perform a root canal treatment. To get our captives back, we need to stop the fuel, to stipulate that humanitarian aid is only in exchange for humanitarian aid. And to control this place, the most important place."
He also inadvertently admitted the war in Gaza and the Hamas is about maintaining the occupation.
"From the holiest place for the people of Israel and which belongs only to the State of Israel, I say - this evening we will receive further evidence of why Hamas must be completely and totally destroyed."
"We will support the efforts of the High Representative of the European Union and other countries that believe that some long-term, stable solution is needed," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said.
"And we believe that such a stable, long-term solution would be the existence of two states."
#Palestine / Bedouin Shepherds Face Harassment and Violence from Israeli Settlers in West Bank
455 Palestinians have been killed and almost 8,000 arrested in the West Bank since October 7th on this 'third front' of Israel - alongside #Gaza and #Lebanon. The repression against Israeli activists has also intensified, following a hearing at the Knesset on March 12th, focusing on criminalizing 'anarchist' Israelis: several activists that Reporterre met with have been arrested and even banned from entering the West Bank by authorities since then.
Awdeh Hathaleen:
"We were chased off our lands in Arad (now in Israel) in 1948 and then from the hilltop in 1982; our entire village has been razed several times - but we've always come back, [...] This is apartheid: the settlers have water, electricity, security, and all the rights, and just a few meters further on, we're totally excluded, [...] It's essential to understand that settlers are just the tip of the iceberg of a colonial and genocidal system, [...] They're not only protected by the army and police, but also financed and armed by the government."
"Reporterre" is an independent media outlet dedicated to ecology in all its forms. The newspaper is managed by a non-profit organization with no shareholders, and therefore has no investor. It employs a team of professional journalists and many contributors. The journal is free access, without advertising, and funded 98% by donations from its readers.
#Israel / Israel Seeks US Bipartisan Backing to Block Palestinian State Recognition Amid Fears of International Pressure
Israel is concerned that if a Palestinian state is recognized internationally, it could lead to increased pressure on its own territorial claims (=illegal occupation) and potentially even the division of Jerusalem (=illegal annexation of East Jerusalem).
#Spain / Rallies in Madrid on 18 and 19 May amid political summit by Spain’s Vox party, including Israel's Minister of Diaspora Affairs (Amichai Chikli)
[...] The summit will reportedly be attended by representatives of various right-wing parties across Europe, leading several Spanish left-wing organisations to lead protests condemning the summit. Several thousand people are likely to attend.
Chikli not mentioned, but was reported to be attending.
#Gaza While Israel's fascists are pushing for full occupation of Gaza and imposing a 'military rule’, Netanyahu is not saying no, and the army warns of dire consequences of such a plan
At the dramatic press conference he held the day before yesterday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that he will not continue in his position if there is Israeli control over Gaza. Gallant believes that the current conduct has led to a situation where Israel is currently controlling the Strip, but this is a dangerous situation.
"A trend is developing that is promoting military and civilian rule in Gaza. This is dangerous for us, Israel must not have civilian control over the Gaza Strip. Since October I have been raising this issue in the Cabinet without receiving an answer. The end of the military operation is through political action," he warned.
These are the financial and administrative implications of 'martial rule' in Gaza.
Budget
NIS 20 billion in yearly operational costs
NIS 150 million for building an additional "corridor"
Reconstruction costs not included
Personnel
400 positions to staff five district governorates
4 offensive divisions and 1 defensive division - forces that will be drawn from the Northern and Central Commands
A dramatic increase in the scope of reserve duty for operational employment will be required
#Gaza While Israel's fascists are pushing for full occupation of Gaza and imposing a 'military rule’, Netanyahu is not saying no, and the army warns of dire consequences of such a plan
At the dramatic press conference he held the day before yesterday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that he will not continue in his position if there is Israeli control over Gaza. Gallant believes that the current conduct has led to a situation where Israel is currently controlling the Strip, but this is a dangerous situation.
"A trend is developing that is promoting military and civilian rule in Gaza. This is dangerous for us, Israel must not have civilian control over the Gaza Strip. Since October I have been raising this issue in the Cabinet without receiving an answer. The end of the military operation is through political action," he warned.
These are the financial and administrative implications of 'martial rule' in Gaza.
Budget
NIS 20 million in operational costs
NIS 150 million for an additional "corridor"
Reconstruction costs not included
Personnel
400 positions to staff five district governorates
4 offensive divisions and 1 defensive division - forces that will be drawn from the Northern and Central Commands
A dramatic increase in the scope of reserve duty for operational employment will be required
#Palestine / Thought to be delivering aid to Gaza: They set a truck on fire, attacked the driver - and wounded two officers and a fighter
Dozens of Israel settlers attacked a truck driver in Benjamin, assuming it was carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The driver was moderately injured.
A force that was rushed to the scene tried to separate the assailants from the driver and provide him with medical treatment, but the IDF said they responded with violence and lightly wounded the soldiers.
The attack on the driver and the torching of the truck joins the recent disruption actions by activists of the "Order 9" movement, who last week stopped humanitarian aid trucks arriving from Jordan, spilled their contents and even set some of them on fire.https://kolektiva.social/@oatmeal/112447165098405044
The international community considers Israeli settlements to be illegal, but the state of Israel disputes this, and this applies to all communities under the administration of Mateh Binyamin.
#Palestine / Thought to be delivering aid to Gaza: They set a truck on fire, attacked the driver - and wounded two officers and a fighter
Dozens of Israel settlers attacked a truck driver in Benjamin after mistakenly assuming he was on his way to provide humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The driver was moderately injured.
A force that was rushed to the scene tried to separate the assailants from the driver and provide him with medical treatment, but the IDF said they responded with violence and lightly wounded the soldiers.
The attack on the driver and the torching of the truck joins the recent disruption actions by activists of the "Order 9" movement, who last week stopped humanitarian aid trucks arriving from Jordan, spilled their contents and even set some of them on fire.https://kolektiva.social/@oatmeal/112447165098405044
The international community considers Israeli settlements to be illegal, but the state of Israel disputes this, and this applies to all communities under the administration of Mateh Binyamin.
#Israel / Zionism cannot produce a just peace. Only external pressure can end the Israeli apartheid. @raph), May 2021]
#Zionism has created a dominant narrative in Israel that justifies the occupation and human rights violations against Palestinians. This narrative portrays Israel as acting in self-defense, Palestinians as unwilling to compromise for peace, and justifies the occupation, discrimination, and human rights violations against Palestinians.
Only external pressure can meaningfully push Israel to end the occupation and achieve a just peace.
#Israel / Netanyahu: The Palestinian Authority “supports terrorism, funds terrorism and educates for terrorism”
Nobody did more than #Netanyahu to funnel money to the #Hamas, the PA’s staunch enemy. Most countries in the world see the #PA as a political authority who’s the legitimate representative of Palestinian aspirations for statehood, which in Netanyahu’s vocabulary means “terrorism”.
Netanyahu (who’s indicted for several corruption charges) responded to the statements of Defense Minister Gallant, and said: "After the terrible massacre, I instructed to destroy Hamas. IDF fighters and security forces are fighting for this. As long as Hamas remains, no other entity will govern Gaza - certainly not the Palestinian Authority."
He added that "80% of the Palestinians in the West Bank support the terrible massacre. The Palestinian Authority supports terrorism, funds terrorism and educates for terrorism. The first condition to pave the way for another entity is to eliminate Hamas and do so without excuses."
In his statements, though, he did not address the possibility of establishing a military government in the Strip.
With a greenlight from Biden to continue the its invasion into #Rafah, despite evidence of war crimes https://kolektiva.social/@oatmeal/112421478297802310, #IDF is now calling residents of eastern #Rafah to evacuate to the “humanitarian zone” in the coastal al-Mawasi region in southern #Gaza. Similarly IDF called residents of Jabaliya and Beit Lahiya, two neighborhoods in northern Gaza, to evacuate to western Gaza City.