Macron to Netanyahu: Defending civilization is not about sowing barbarism

Macron to Netanyahu: Defending civilization is not about sowing barbarism

    Saturday, October 26, 2024   No comments

10/25/2024 : French President Emmanuel Macron criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's description of the war on Gaza and Lebanon as a "war of civilization," saying that "defending civilization is not done by sowing barbarism."

The tension between Netanyahu and Macron continues to escalate after the latter called for an arms embargo on Israel.

In a speech he delivered in Paris during the opening of the international conference in support of the people and sovereignty of Lebanon, on Thursday, Macron responded to Netanyahu's description of the Israeli war on Gaza and Lebanon as a "war of civilization against barbarism."

Macron said: "Recently, there has been a lot of talk about the war of civilizations or civilizations that must be defended, but I do not believe that civilization is defended by sowing barbarism."

In an interview with French media on Wednesday, Netanyahu said that "Israel is waging a war of civilization against barbarism."

He continued: "We are not only fighting for ourselves, but for you as well."

Previously, Macron called on Israel to stop killing Gaza's women and babies.

Related, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, warned the world of a "big fire, after losing its humanity by ignoring the conflicts in the Middle East." Borrell said that "the world is on the brink of a big fire, and as long as the war continues in Gaza and Lebanon, we will remain on the edge of a spark that ignites a bigger fire."

Borrell's statement came to the Spanish radio "RNE", commenting on the genocide committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip for more than a year, and its aggression on Lebanon since September 23. The European official pointed out that the United Nations confirms that the Gaza Strip is witnessing the most violent and dangerous humanitarian crisis the world has witnessed since World War II. Borrell added, "What is happening in the Middle East shows that we have lost our humanity."

An Arab country with a peace treaty with Israel just blasted the government of Israel for statements made by one of its ministers. Jordan condemned, the extremist efforts of the Israeli government to change the status of the occupied Palestinian territories, the latest of which was the call by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to apply Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

On Sunday evening (Oct. 27), Smotrich called during a conference held in occupied Jerusalem to apply Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

He said in a video clip he shared on Monday via the "X" platform that "the land division agreements did not succeed and will not succeed, simply because they want the whole country," referring to the Palestinians.

He added that "Palestinians who agree to adopt the decision (annexing the West Bank and Gaza) will be granted the benefits of Israeli citizens," and "whoever refuses this will be displaced, and whoever refuses both will be treated as a terrorist."

In response, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it "condemns in the strongest terms the extremist racist provocative statements made by Smotrich, calling for the annexation of the occupied Palestinian territories, expanding settlements therein, and displacing Palestinians from them."

The ministry considered these statements "a flagrant violation of international law and the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent, sovereign state on the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital."

It stressed "the Kingdom's rejection and condemnation of these provocative settlement calls, in a blatant violation of international law and UN Security Council resolutions, especially Resolution 2334, which condemns all Israeli measures aimed at changing the demographic composition, character and status of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem."

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry stressed that "the racist ideology evident in the statements of the Israeli Finance Minister is an extension of the extremist policy of the Israeli government, which continues its aggression on Gaza, besieges the northern part of the Strip and prevents the entry of food and medicine to its residents in an attempt to displace them from their homes."

 [This news story was update to include related developments]

Is this what self-defense looks like?

Is this what self-defense looks like?

    Wednesday, September 25, 2024   No comments

 France's Macron to Israel: stop killing babies

If these are the images and characterization of what Israeli "self-defense" looks like, then what basis is there to condemn other "self-defenses"?

If Israel can kill babies and women, starve two million people, throw injured persons off rooftops, kills medical doctors and aid workers, sexually abuse Palestinian prisoners, and torture detained Palestinians, then what basis is there to condemn others if they do it?

Former French Prime Minister: Gaza is the biggest historical scandal

Former French Prime Minister: Gaza is the biggest historical scandal

    Friday, September 20, 2024   No comments

 Dominique de Villepin, former Prime Minister of France, on Gaza:

"No longer has a voice on the international scene", because (among other things) of its "double-standards" and lack of action with regards to Gaza. 

He calls France's internal silencing of what's happening in Gaza a "real scandal in terms of democracy", making France live in "absurdity" and resulting in it "fading away". He says that we (France and the West in general) would have many levers to stop the war - in terms of armament or economic sanctions - "but we refuse to use these levers with arguments which are absolutely unreal culturally or intellectually speaking. Saying 'we need to let Israel fight its war to the end': but what end? What is the end?".

As a consequence, he says, France and the West will "foot the bill" for what's happening in terms of loss of credibility and legitimacy.

On Gaza specifically he calls it "undoubtedly the biggest historical scandal since... I don't even dare to find a reference", calling it a war "not like the others since it is civilian populations that die". 

He also rebukes the journalist for using the usual term "according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health" with regards to the number of death: "There's not only the Ministry of Health from Hamas which says that there are 40,000 dead. And there are probably many more, MANY more! So from this basis let's not give the feeling that it would be a number like that, unreliable. No!"

Dominique de Villepin: "In Gaza bodies are torn into pieces, Hearts are in pieces! Souls are in pieces! Heads are in pieces!" ("À Gaza les corps sont en morceaux! Les coeurs sont en morceaux! Les âmes sont en morceaux! Les têtes sont en morceaux!")

He says that ""Israel has no political objective and when you have no political objective the only thing you can do is war... There is a security objective, there is an identity objective, there is a messianic madness and that explains the catastrophe that we're witnessing."

French artist Corinne Raye, known as "Coco" publishes a cartoon in the newspaper "Liberation" mocking Muslims in Gaza, who are being starved to death

French artist Corinne Raye, known as "Coco" publishes a cartoon in the newspaper "Liberation" mocking Muslims in Gaza, who are being starved to death

    Wednesday, March 13, 2024   No comments

Freedom of expression has no limits in the West, when the freedom of expression is used to attack Muslims, and now Muslims who are subjected starvation. The left-wing newspaper Liberation in France published a racist cartoon about the month of Ramadan in Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to a murderous, destructive Israeli war since last October 7.

 The French artist wanted to depict the scene of hunger in the Strip, so she showed the man chasing rats in search of food to satisfy his hunger.

Liberation newspaper's editor-in-chief is Dov Alfon, who formerly worked for Israel's military intelligence unit 8200. The newspaper is owned by French-Israeli billionaire Patrick Drahi.

This happens at a time when UN agencies gave reported catastrophic conditions in Gaza due to US government repeated vetoes that prevented UNSC resolutions from being adopted, and thanks to Western governments lack of concern for the deaths among civilians, 31,000 at this point, 72% are children and women. 

 

In Gaza, thousands of children have been injured and killed, more are losing their lives to malnutrition and diseases, hundreds of thousands have been displaced.

All children in Gaza are exposed to widespread destruction, deeply distressing events and trauma. ~ UNICEF, Mar. 12, 2024.

  

Media reports: Ukraine's allies proposed striking “Iranian drone production factories in Iran, Syria and Russia”

Media reports: Ukraine's allies proposed striking “Iranian drone production factories in Iran, Syria and Russia”

    Friday, October 06, 2023   No comments

Days after the British newspaper published in a report, details obtained from a secret document submitted by Ukraine to its Western allies in the Group of Seven, which included a proposal to target "Iranian drone production factories in Iran, Syria and Russia", a drone attack hit Syria killed more than 80 people and injured hundreds more.

The British newspaper "The Guardian" revealed a secret document that indicated that Ukraine's Western allies had proposed launching missile strikes on drone production factories in Iran, Syria, and Russia.

In the context of a newspaper report on “European components in Iranian drones,” The Guardian revealed a 47-page document that the Ukrainian government submitted to the G7 governments last August.

As part of the discussion to take measures against Iranian drones, the newspaper revealed, citing the document, that among the proposals presented by Ukraine’s Western allies “launch missile strikes on the production factories of these drones in Iran and Syria, as well as on a potential production site located on the territory of the Russian Federation.” ".

The newspaper indicated in its report that such a measure “is likely to be refrained from by Western powers,” quoting from the document that “the Ukrainian Defense Forces can implement what was mentioned above, if the partners provide the necessary means of destruction.”

According to the secret document that Kiev sent to its Western allies, it called for “the use of long-range missiles to attack production sites in Iran, Syria, and Russia.”

It is noteworthy that, in mid-February, “The Guardian” had quoted American officials as saying that Iran had become a “global superpower in the field of drones.”

Analysts at the US Intelligence Agency also said that Iran “has emerged as a global leader in producing effective drones at an affordable price.”

Dozens dead in a drone attack on a military college in Homs

The Syrian Minister of Health, Hassan Al-Ghobash, announced Thursday that the initial toll was not final, amounting to 80 martyrs, including 6 women and 6 children, and about 240 injuries as a result of the terrorist attack on the Military College in Homs.

On Friday morning, Syrian official media counted the deaths of 89 people and the wounding of 277 others.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an anti-government organization, reported on Friday that the death toll had risen to 123, including 54 civilians, including 39 children and a woman related to officers. It was also estimated that 150 others were injured.

After the incident, the Syrian Foreign Ministry announced its condemnation of the "heinous crime" committed by "terrorist organizations." It stressed that it expresses the perpetrators’ persistence in their “brutal terrorist approach,” due to which the Syrian people have suffered over the past years.

It added, in her statement, that this attack “will not deter” Syria from moving forward in its effort to “eradicate the scourge of terrorism and its sponsors.”

The Syrian government declared three days of official mourning for the souls of the martyrs of the terrorist attack.

Media reports: the technology used in the attack originated in France; and Syria's army responds

The Syrian army launched artillery and missile bombardment, mainly targeting the headquarters of the Turkestan Party and the Migrant Brigade, in Jericho, Jisr al-Shughur, Idlib, Binnish, and Sarmin, in response to the terrorist attack that targeted the Military College in Homs.

According to media reports, the Turkestan Party and the Muhajireen Brigade "are the two factions that possess drone technology."

The information also indicated that parts of advanced drones “were transferred to the two factions three months ago, and France was the one that provided them with this technology.”

According to media sources, the information confirmed that a drone had been launched from areas under the control of the Turkestan Party, prior to targeting the Military College in Homs.

Early Warning

It hsould be noted that on October 4, Deputy Head of the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria, Admiral Vadim Collet, reported that “terrorist groups are preparing to launch attacks on military sites belonging to both Moscow and Damascus.”

According to Collet, these groups are active in the provinces of Idlib, Aleppo, and Latakia.

Collet explained that the data the center received from Syrian intelligence agencies showed that the groups “Turkistan Islamic Party” and “Ansar al-Tawhid” were preparing to carry out “attacks on Russian and Syrian military bases using locally made drones.”

The two groups will use "long-range multiple missile launch systems," according to Collett.

The Deputy Head of the Russian Reconciliation Center added that the leadership of the Russian group and the Syrian Armed Forces "will take the necessary proactive measures in order to prevent armed provocations by terrorists."

The center's announcement comes after statements made by the head of Russian Foreign Intelligence, Sergei Naryshkin, to the effect that the United States of America is "preparing to assist militants to carry out terrorist attacks in Syria."

According to Naryshkin, these attacks affect "crowded public places and Syrian government institutions."

Over time, the conenctions among many of the otherwise seemingly isolated armed conflicts or coups, in Ukraine, Yemen, Sudan, Syria, Niger, Mali, and other places,  become more evident.

For instance, it has been reported that Ukrainian special forces have been conducting operations outside Ukraine, including in Africa.

Since the start of the armed conflict in that country, Ukraine used drones very well, first to stop Russian troops advances toward Kyiv, using Turkish made drone, and there after using drone for attacks beyond the frontline, including attacks on Moscow. Ukrainian drone in Sudan last month reveals that Ukraine is now operating beyond its borders.

  

France expels a Sri Lankan student who is fluent in French under the pretext of not integrating

France expels a Sri Lankan student who is fluent in French under the pretext of not integrating

    Monday, October 02, 2023   No comments

The French authorities issued a deportation order for a high school student who came from Sri Lanka, under the pretext of not integrating into French society, despite her surroundings praising her and her fluency in the French language.

The French media reported the story of Shanaya Fernando, 18 years old, who came from Sri Lanka 4 years ago with her family to study in the city of Bordeaux. She received a deportation order and a grace period until the end of the month, claiming that she had not integrated well with French society and had no connection with the French.

The decision issued on September 21, by the Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information, affiliated with the French Prime Minister, recommended that the student leave the country, after refusing to issue her a residence permit.

Shanaya's story began at the end of 2019, when she fled Sri Lanka with her parents following "death threats due to the father's political opposition to an elected Sri Lankan official." The family arrived in France, then to Bordeaux a few weeks later.

Shanaya has been attending secondary school in Majendie since 2020. She is currently in her final year and speaks French fluently. According to Sandrine Nibot, a teacher at Majendie School, “Shania also got a 15/20 in oral French a few months ago, and she is a very serious and interested student.” ".

The teacher added, "This situation is very unfair. This family has given up everything in their country to protect their child. It also means ignoring everything that Shanaya has been able to achieve since her arrival, and everything that we can offer our students."

In excellent French, Shanaya says that she dreams of being a veterinarian, and she does not have much time left to knock on university doors, adding that she found a special association for the protection of cats in which she practices her passion.