The Currency of Convenience: Democracy, Human Rights, and Terrorism in the U.S. Foreign Policy

The Currency of Convenience: Democracy, Human Rights, and Terrorism in the U.S. Foreign Policy

    Friday, October 30, 2026   No comments

In the theater of global diplomacy, principles are often the first casualty of power. Yet, rarely has the gap between proclaimed values and actual practice been as stark, or as damaging, as it is today in United States foreign policy. A closer examination of two recent, seemingly disparate events—the granting of a U.S. visa to a fugitive Brazilian politician following a democratic election, and the White House reception of a former al-Qaeda operative turned Syrian leader—reveals a profound crisis of credibility. When placed side by side, these actions demonstrate that the Western rhetoric of championing democracy and combating terrorism has not merely faded; it has evaporated. What remains is a naked transactionalism where designations and recognitions are not matters of principle, but instruments of convenience, susceptible to corruption and personal indulgence.

The Brazilian Precedent: Subverting Democracy for Convenience

The erosion of U.S. moral authority is vividly illustrated by the decision to grant an entry visa to Flávio Bolsonaro, a failed Brazilian political candidate who fled his country to avoid criminal charges and corruption probes involving his family. This decision was accompanied by baseless claims that the Brazilian presidential election had been “rigged,” despite offering no evidence to undermine an electoral system widely considered one of the most secure in the world.

By offering a legal lifeline to a figure whose political immunity ended with his electoral defeat, the U.S. administration actively rejected the outcome of a legitimate democratic process. This move serves as a protective shield for a right-wing political dynasty with close ties to longtime political advisers, while brazenly ignoring the fact that the incumbent won the election fairly. The message is clear: when a democratic outcome displeases Washington, the U.S. is willing to harbor those who seek to overturn it, rebranding fugitives facing corruption charges as political refugees.

The Syrian Paradox: From a $10 Million Bounty to a White House Handshake

If the Brazilian case represents a rejection of democratic outcomes, the Syrian case represents the complete abandonment of counterterrorism principles. Following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, the U.S. government signaled its willingness to recognize and support a new Syrian government. However, the reality of this "new government" is led by Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly known as al-Joulani), a former senior al-Qaeda operative who was once imprisoned by U.S. and Iraqi forces.

Not long ago, the U.S. State Department had a $10 million bounty on al-Sharaa’s head for his involvement in terrorism. Yet, in a striking illustration of moral fluidity, he has been systematically rehabilitated. This transformation culminated in his diplomatic reception at the White House, marking the first such visit by a Syrian leader. This handshake completed al-Sharaa’s journey from jihadist leader to head of state, despite the glaring fact that he did not come to power through any democratic election, nor has he committed to allowing elections to take place in Syria.

The media and political establishment have facilitated this shift, glossing over his violent past and reframing his extremist history as a mere relic of a bygone era, rather than demanding genuine accountability. The former terrorist becomes a relatable figure and a symbol of resilience, while the victims of his past fade from the frame.

The AI Reality Check: When Fiction Becomes Foreign Policy

The sheer absurdity of this geopolitical whiplash is perhaps best captured by a recent, telling experiment. When prompted to analyze these very events—the harboring of a fugitive Brazilian politician and the White House reception of a former al-Qaeda leader—advanced AI models rejected the premise entirely. Trained on decades of historical data, diplomatic norms, and the stated principles of the liberal international order, the algorithms flagged the scenario as pure fiction, a hypothetical construct too radical to align with verified reality.

The AI’s skepticism is profoundly revealing. It takes a machine, unburdened by political spin or the desire to rationalize the indefensible, to point out that these actions represent a complete departure from the rules-based order. If an artificial intelligence cannot compute these events as plausible, it is because they defy the very logic of the principles the United States claims to uphold. This is not mere chaos; it is the logical culmination of a doctrine stripped of all pretense: the relentless pursuit of perceived interest through the application of unconstrained will.

The Evaporation of Principle

When the Brazilian and Syrian events are viewed in tandem, the sheer disconnect in U.S. foreign policy becomes impossible to ignore. On one hand, the U.S. administration rejects the verified outcome of a democratic process in Brazil, hosting a losing candidate who claims to be the legitimate leader while fleeing corruption charges. On the other hand, the same administration invites to the White House a Syrian leader who rules without a democratic mandate, has not committed to elections, and was recently the subject of a multi-million-dollar terrorism bounty.

The rhetoric of Western governments supporting democracy and fighting terrorism evaporates under the weight of this contradiction. How can the U.S. credibly condemn authoritarianism abroad while providing safe haven to those who undermine democratic institutions? How can it claim to lead a global coalition against terrorism when a former al-Qaeda operative is granted the ultimate diplomatic seal of approval without any meaningful reckoning for his past?

This selective redemption reveals a disturbing truth: labels like "terrorist," "democrat," or "corrupt official" are not fixed moral categories in Washington. They are flexible tools of foreign policy, applied or discarded based on geopolitical utility. The West’s willingness to forgive and legitimize former extremists based on political need sends a dangerous message to allies, adversaries, and citizens alike: justice is negotiable, and principles are subordinate to power.

A civilization in decline

The granting of a visa to a fugitive Brazilian politician and the White House reception of a former al-Qaeda operative are not isolated diplomatic missteps. They are symptomatic of a deeper rot within the U.S. approach to global leadership. Together, they spell out the sheer disconnect and lack of principle that now defines American statecraft.

Designation and recognition are no longer instruments of a rules-based international order. They are instruments of convenience, deployed without consistency and corrupted by personal and political indulgence. Until the United States reconciles its actions with its stated values, its foreign policy will remain devoid of credibility, and its calls for democracy and human rights will ring hollow across the globe. The world is watching, and the verdict is already in: when principles are for sale, trust is the first thing to go bankrupt.

    

Tucker Carlson Accuses US Government of Ignoring Israeli Settler Violence Against Palestinian-Americans

Tucker Carlson Accuses US Government of Ignoring Israeli Settler Violence Against Palestinian-Americans

    Friday, October 30, 2026   No comments

 The growing violence perpetrated by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has raised serious questions about accountability, law enforcement, and the willingness of the US government to protect its own citizens. A public dispute between conservative commentator Tucker Carlson and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has brought renewed attention to these concerns, following the release of footage showing a Palestinian-American man severely beaten by Israeli settlers in Turmus Ayya.

Carlson accused Huckabee and US diplomatic officials of ignoring the victim's requests for assistance despite formal outreach to the embassy on October 19.

"Ambassador Huckabee, this is unreleased video of an American who was beaten almost to death last week by Israeli settlers. You know his name because he came to you for help, but you blew him off. That’s disgraceful. Do your job," Carlson wrote.

Huckabee rejected the accusation, maintaining that consular officials had made repeated attempts to contact the victim and offer assistance through phone calls and emails. He attributed the difficulties to how communications were handled by the victim's son. These competing accounts have not been independently verified, leaving questions about the embassy's response unresolved.

Yet the controversy raises an issue that extends beyond a dispute between two prominent Americans: What protection can Palestinian-American citizens expect from their government when they are attacked by Israeli settlers, and what consequences follow when those responsible for the violence are not held accountable?

The problem is not limited to one victim or one incident. Another violent episode in the South Hebron Hills village of Umm al-Khair underscores the broader concerns. Israeli settlers reportedly assaulted US journalist Jasper Nathaniel and peace activists Andrey X and Adele Shoko while they were documenting a military gate restricting Palestinian communities' access to their land.

According to reports of the incident, Israeli occupation police responded by arresting the targeted activists while leaving the alleged perpetrators of the violence unpunished. The gate remained in place, continuing to restrict local Palestinians' access to their land.

If these accounts are accurate, the contrast is deeply troubling: Palestinians and those documenting or opposing the restrictions imposed on them face violence, arrest, and continuing barriers to their land, while those accused of carrying out the attacks appear to escape immediate consequences. Such a pattern demands independent investigation, not indifference.

The issue is larger than individual acts of violence. When settlers can intimidate Palestinian communities, attack residents and international observers, and obstruct access to land without facing meaningful consequences, violence becomes a means of enforcing dispossession and sustaining control over an occupied population. The absence of accountability does not merely fail to deter further attacks; it risks encouraging their repetition.

For Palestinians, the consequences are immediate and enduring: physical injuries, fear for personal safety, restrictions on movement, and the erosion of their ability to live on and cultivate their own land. For Palestinian-Americans, these dangers raise an additional question about whether US citizenship offers meaningful protection when violence occurs under Israeli occupation.

The US government should not treat attacks on Palestinian-Americans as isolated consular incidents. It should demand thorough and impartial investigations, press for the prosecution of those responsible, and insist that US citizens receive timely and effective consular assistance. More broadly, Washington should make clear that its relationship with Israel does not exempt Israeli authorities from their obligations to prevent violence, protect civilians, and ensure equal application of the law.

Ending settler violence requires more than statements of concern after another assault. It requires accountability for perpetrators, effective protection for threatened Palestinian communities, the removal of unlawful barriers that restrict access to land, and an end to the impunity that allows attacks to continue. Where Israeli authorities fail to provide that protection, the United States must use its diplomatic leverage to press for concrete action rather than offer excuses or remain silent.

The fundamental question is not whether Washington agrees with every accusation made against Israeli settlers. It is whether the United States will consistently defend the safety, rights, and dignity of its citizens and demand accountability for violence against Palestinians. If the same standards of justice are to apply to everyone, neither the identity of the victim nor the political power of the alleged perpetrator should determine whether an attack is investigated and punished.

Nine Americans Killed, No Accountability

The controversy surrounding the US Embassy's response to the beating of a Palestinian-American in Turmus Ayya comes amid mounting criticism of Washington's failure to secure justice for Americans killed in the occupied West Bank.

In July 2025, US Senator Chris Van Hollen led 28 Senate colleagues in demanding an independent American investigation into the death of Saifullah Kamel Musallet, a 20-year-old Palestinian-American who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers near Sinjil. The senators also demanded information about the investigations into six other Americans killed in the West Bank since January 2022. They warned that repeated failures to hold perpetrators accountable were fostering a culture of impunity.

The problem persisted. In February 2026, Nasrallah Abu Siyam, a 19-year-old Palestinian-American, was shot and killed by Israeli settlers during an attack on Palestinian farmers near Mukhmas. The following month, Van Hollen and 30 colleagues again pressed the Trump administration for an independent investigation and answers about the deaths of American citizens. By then, the senators had identified nine Americans killed in the West Bank since January 2022, with no one held accountable for their deaths.

In August, Van Hollen joined more than 40 Senate colleagues in urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to intervene against escalating settler violence, protect American citizens, and ensure that those responsible for attacks on Palestinians were held accountable. The senators called for transparent investigations and effective measures to prevent further violence.

The controversy escalated further in October, when The New York Times reported that David Milstein, a senior adviser to US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, had obstructed or altered embassy reporting on Israeli government actions. According to the newspaper, embassy staff had prepared a report on the investigations into the nine Americans' deaths that indicated no one had been held accountable. The report was allegedly blocked in favor of a response portraying Israel as appropriately handling the investigations.

On October 9, Van Hollen called for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing into the reported obstruction, accusing Huckabee and his adviser of withholding essential information from Congress. He demanded the release of the original report and an accounting of what US officials knew about the killings. Huckabee has rejected the newspaper's account, and the allegations have not been established through a completed independent investigation.

These developments raise questions that cannot be dismissed as a partisan dispute or a disagreement over diplomatic messaging. When American citizens are killed, their government has a responsibility to pursue credible investigations and demand accountability. When Palestinians face the same violence without effective protection, the obligation to act is no less urgent.

The failure to secure justice for American victims also exposes a deeper problem: Palestinian communities cannot reasonably expect protection from violence if the authorities responsible for maintaining public order fail to prevent attacks or hold perpetrators accountable. Nor can the United States credibly champion the rule of law while tolerating a pattern in which attacks on Palestinians—including American citizens—produce repeated promises of investigation but no demonstrated accountability.

Ending settler violence requires more than diplomatic expressions of concern. It demands effective protection for Palestinian communities, impartial investigations, prosecution of those responsible, and an end to the impunity that enables further attacks. The United States should use its diplomatic leverage to insist on these measures consistently, rather than allowing the political sensitivity of its relationship with Israel to overshadow the lives and rights of those harmed.

Israeli Commander’s Warning on Settler Violence Mirrors the Fatal Contradictions of White Minority Rule

Israeli Commander’s Warning on Settler Violence Mirrors the Fatal Contradictions of White Minority Rule

    Monday, July 20, 2026   No comments

 Echoes of Apartheid

In a rare moment of candid internal critique, a senior Israeli military official has sounded the alarm on the surging violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, explicitly labeling the phenomenon "Jewish terrorism." The admission, made by Central Command chief Avi Blot during a closed conference, highlights a deep fracturing within the Israeli security apparatus. Beyond the immediate tactical concerns, Blot’s warnings illuminate a grim historical parallel: the structural and ideological similarities between this unchecked settler violence and the white vigilante violence that ultimately consumed the Apartheid regime in South Africa.

According to reports from the public broadcaster KAN, Blot did not mince words, stating unequivocally that "Jewish terrorism threatens everyone’s security." He sharply criticized settler youth who reject the rule of law and disregard state institutions, noting that the establishment of illegal outposts and the broader rise in nationalist crime are placing immense strain on the military. The violence, he warned, consumes the time and resources of commanders while actively eroding Israel’s "international legitimacy."

While Blot did not oppose the broader concept of settlements—merely suggesting they be restricted to Area C—his confession underscores a reality long documented by human rights organizations: the Israeli military is increasingly bogged down not just by Palestinian resistance, but by the rogue, state-tolerated violence of its own civilian settlers.

This dynamic bears a striking resemblance to the fatal contradictions of white minority rule in South Africa during the Apartheid era.

The Parallels of State-Sanctioned Vigilantism

During the height of Apartheid, the South African state relied on a complex web of formal security forces and informal white vigilante groups to enforce racial subjugation and seize Black land. Much like the Israeli settlers in the West Bank today, white extremist groups in South Africa often operated with a profound sense of impunity. They carried out extrajudicial violence, forced removals, and intimidation against Black South Africans, frequently with the tacit approval or willful blindness of the state.

However, the Apartheid state eventually realized that this decentralized, vigilante violence was a double-edged sword. Just as Blot notes that settler violence "actively consumes the time and resources" of the Israeli military, the South African security forces found themselves stretched to the breaking point, forced to manage the chaos generated by their own ideological extremists. The white vigilantes, while sharing the state's overarching goal of territorial and racial dominance, ultimately undermined the state's monopoly on violence, creating internal instability that accelerated the regime's collapse.

The Hypocrisy of the "Rule of Law"

Blot’s criticism of settlers who "reject the rule of law" highlights a profound hypocrisy that is central to both the Israeli occupation and the Apartheid regime. In South Africa, the "rule of law" was a facade—a rigid, draconian framework used to criminalize the existence and movement of Black South Africans, while white citizens who committed violent crimes against Black people were rarely prosecuted by the white justice system.

Today, a similar dual legal system exists in the West Bank. Palestinians are subjected to military courts, administrative detention, and strict civil controls, while settler violence against them is overwhelmingly ignored by Israeli law enforcement. Blot’s frustration with settlers ignoring state authority mirrors the late-stage Apartheid dilemma: a state that builds its foundation on systemic lawlessness and oppression eventually finds that its own citizens no longer respect the law either. When the law is used merely as a tool of subjugation rather than justice, it loses all moral and practical authority.

Settlers Violence to Erase Palestinian Identity

Israeli settlers storm Sebastia archaeological site during Palestine's UNESCO bid. Israeli settlers stormed the archaeological site in the town of Sebastia, northwest of Nablus, on 20 July, raiding the grounds in several vehicles under heavy Israeli military protection, WAFA reported.

The incursion came as Muslim, Christian, and Samaritan religious leaders were gathered at the site in a show of support for Palestine's urgent request to add Sebastia to the UNESCO World Heritage List, submitted at the World Heritage Committee's 48th session underway in Busan, South Korea.

Settlers and occupation forces regularly raid Sebastia, particularly its archaeological area, in a sustained campaign to seize control of the historical site and erase its Palestinian identity.

Land Grabs, Overextension, and International Isolation

Blot highlighted the establishment of illegal outposts in areas designated under Palestinian civil or security control as a major point of friction. This mirrors the Apartheid regime’s endless attempts to redraw borders, consolidate white-controlled land, and push Black South Africans into fragmented "Bantustans." In both contexts, the relentless drive for territorial expansion requires a massive, ongoing deployment of security forces to protect the settlers, draining the military and creating endless flashpoints for violence.

The human cost of this expansion is staggering. Official Palestinian records indicate that since October 2023, the combined actions of the Israeli military and Jewish settler violence have resulted in 1,181 Palestinian deaths and nearly 13,000 injuries.

It is this exact brand of relentless, unchecked violence that led to the international isolation of Apartheid South Africa. Blot’s explicit concern that settler violence is eroding Israel’s "international legitimacy" is a direct nod to this historical trajectory. The Apartheid regime fell largely because the global community refused to tolerate the brutal, legalized violence inflicted upon Black South Africans, leading to crippling sanctions and diplomatic pariah status. Blot’s warning suggests that Israel’s military leadership recognizes they are walking the exact same path.

A System Consuming Itself

Avi Blot’s unprecedented admission is a stark acknowledgment that the occupation is mutating. The Israeli military, tasked with securing the state, is increasingly finding itself in the role of managing a rogue settler population whose "Jewish terrorism" threatens the very security and global standing of the state they claim to defend.

The parallels to Apartheid South Africa are structural and systemic. When a state empowers a privileged class of settlers to dispossess and violently subjugate an indigenous population, it unleashes forces it can eventually no longer control. The white violence against Black South Africans was the rot that hollowed out the Apartheid state from within. As Blot’s warning makes clear, the unchecked violence of Israeli settlers in the West Bank is proving to be the exact same fatal contradiction for the state of Israel.

Israeli minister Ben Gvir demands Gaza style destruction across occupied West Bank

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has publicly called for applying the catastrophic military devastation inflicted on Gaza to Palestinian towns and villages throughout the occupied West Bank.

A Luxury Resort in Albania is Exposing the Toxicity of Modern Political Corruption

A Luxury Resort in Albania is Exposing the Toxicity of Modern Political Corruption

    Thursday, June 11, 2026   No comments

The pristine coastlines of Albania are rapidly becoming the flashpoint for a crisis that stretches from the Balkans to Washington, D.C. At the center of the storm are billion-dollar luxury development projects tied to the family of the United States President. What began as a real estate opportunity has ignited mass protests, threatened to collapse the Albanian government, and raised profound, uncomfortable questions about the global intersection of political power and private financial gain.

The Discovery and the Destruction

The catalyst for the current turmoil in Albania can be traced back to a chance encounter. According to reports, Ivanka Trump, while sailing on a yacht along the Albanian coast, "discovered" Sazan Island. The uninhabited island, a protected bird sanctuary off the coast of Vlorë with a rich history dating back to Italian and Soviet occupations, is now slated to become the site of a massive luxury resort.

Simultaneously, development plans tied to Jared Kushner are reportedly encroaching on the Vjosa-Narta ecosystem. According to conservationists from BirdLife International and the PPNEA, who recently visited the delta—the last free-flowing river delta in the Mediterranean and a refuge for critically endangered species—the environmental toll is already visible. Bulldozers have begun tearing into the wetlands to make way for a resort and an airport built in defiance of local environmental laws.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has staunchly defended the projects, dismissing environmental concerns as "fake news" and declaring to protesters in the capital, "There is no chance for this investment to stop as long as I am here."

A Nation in Turmoil and the EU Dream on the Line

Rama’s defiance has backfired spectacularly. Thousands of Albanians, ranging from environmental activists to pro-democracy advocates, have taken to the streets of Tirana. The protests have grown so large that they now threaten to bring down Rama’s socialist government.

However, the fallout extends far beyond domestic politics. Albania has long harbored aspirations of joining the European Union. However, EU accession requires strict adherence to the rule of law, environmental protections, and anti-corruption standards. Pushing through ecologically destructive projects that appear to be driven by foreign political connections strikes at the very heart of these criteria. If the Albanian government collapses under the weight of the protests, or if the EU determines that the country's democratic and environmental institutions have been compromised, Albania’s hopes of joining the bloc could collapse with it.

The American Dimension: An Unprecedented Blurring of Lines

While the physical destruction is happening in Albania, the ethical questions surrounding the projects are echoing in the United States. The situation highlights a broader, deeply troubling trend regarding how political power is being leveraged for financial benefit.

In an unprecedented move in modern American politics, the U.S. President has increasingly utilized his personal social media platform to release official government statements. However, observers and ethics watchdogs have pointed out a glaring conflict of interest: positioned directly next to these official government communications are advertisements that financially benefit the President and his private backers.

Critics argue that this practice represents a fundamental breach of the public trust. When the highest office in the land is used to broadcast official policy while simultaneously monetizing the attention through self-serving advertisements, the line between public service and private enterprise effectively vanishes. If the blending of official government duties with direct personal profit is not viewed as a definitive conflict of interest, it raises the question of what would ever qualify as one.

When the highest office in the land is used to broadcast official policy while simultaneously monetizing the attention through self-serving advertisements, the line between public service and private enterprise effectively vanishes

The Global Fight Against Kleptocracy

The events in Albania and the evolving norms in Washington serve as a stark case study in the toxicity of political corruption. Whether it is a Prime Minister fast-tracking environmentally devastating resorts to appease foreign political figures, or a President monetizing official government communications, the underlying mechanism is the same: the leveraging of public office for private gain.

The resistance seen in the streets of Tirana demonstrates a growing global fatigue with this model of governance. Citizens are increasingly unwilling to accept the degradation of their environment and the erosion of their democratic institutions for the financial benefit of political elites and their well-connected relatives.

As the bulldozers continue to roll through the Vjosa-Narta wetlands and the protests swell in Tirana, the world is watching. The outcome of this crisis will not only determine the fate of Edi Rama’s government and Albania’s European future, but it will also set a precedent for how democracies handle the dangerous, toxic intersection of family, finance, and political power.

Former Irish president, Mary Robinson: On The West's Selective Silence

Former Irish president, Mary Robinson: On The West's Selective Silence

    Friday, March 20, 2026   No comments

How International Law Falters in the Face of Power

In a world where the rules-based international order is repeatedly invoked as a cornerstone of global stability, a troubling pattern has emerged: the selective application of international law. Nowhere is this more evident than in the muted Western response to the United States and Israel's military campaign against Iran—a campaign that leading legal experts and respected voices like former Irish President Mary Robinson have unequivocally labeled illegal.

Mary Robinson—a former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and a moral authority on global justice—has issued a stark warning against "double standards" in upholding international law. "It's really very important that other countries do speak up, because we need to support the international rule of law. It's one of the great gains of humanity," Robinson stated, contrasting the robust condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine with the tepid reaction to US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Her message is clear: international law cannot be "à la carte." When powerful nations act with impunity, the entire framework designed to protect the vulnerable crumbles.

The joint US-Israeli attacks launched on February 28, 2026, targeting Iranian military and governmental sites and assassinating political leaders, raise profound legal questions under the United Nations Charter—the foundational treaty of the modern international system.

Article 2(4) of the UN Charter explicitly prohibits "the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state." Exceptions are narrowly defined: either authorization by the UN Security Council or self-defense against an actual armed attack.

Yet the US and Israel have not secured Security Council authorization for these strikes. Nor can they credibly claim self-defense under the strict legal standard required by international law. As UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul has noted, lawful self-defense requires responding to an armed attack that is actual, not speculative. Preventive strikes aimed at disarmament, counterterrorism, or regime change do not meet this threshold—and may, in fact, constitute the international crime of aggression.

Legal scholars reinforce this assessment. The concept of "imminence" in international law requires a threat that is "instant, overwhelming, leaving no choice of means, and no moment for deliberation." The US justification—citing Iran's missile and nuclear programs—fails this test, especially given that diplomatic talks were ongoing when strikes commenced.

Rebecca Ingber, a professor and former US State Department adviser, has described the prohibition on the use of force as a "bedrock" principle. "States may not use force against the territorial integrity of other states except in two narrow circumstances," she explained—neither of which apply here.

The contrast with Western responses to other conflicts is glaring. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Western governments swiftly invoked international law, imposed sweeping sanctions, and rallied global condemnation. Yet when the US and Israel—close allies of many Western capitals—launch strikes that kill hundreds, including civilians, and target critical infrastructure, the response has been markedly restrained.

Robinson highlighted this discrepancy pointedly: "We see aggression now by the United States and Israel on Iran, which is not justified on the Charter, which is illegal, and very few countries have spoken explicitly about it. They're trying to avoid."

This silence is not merely diplomatic caution; it is a betrayal of the principles Western nations claim to champion. When international law is enforced only against adversaries while allies operate with impunity, the system loses its legitimacy.

Beyond the Charter violations, the conduct of the conflict raises serious concerns under international humanitarian law. Reports of strikes on civilian sites—including an attack on a girls' school in Minab that killed at least 165 people—underscore the human toll of military escalation. Civilians are already paying the price for this escalation, and these strikes risk igniting a wider regional catastrophe.

Meanwhile, Iran's retaliatory strikes against regional targets also risk violating international law if they deliberately target civilians—a reminder that violations by one party do not justify violations by another. The war on Iran is another episode in the worrying trend of international law's unraveling.

Mary Robinson's intervention is more than criticism; it is a call to action. "Governments must be prepared to speak out" against violations of international law, regardless of the perpetrator. This means European leaders, in particular, must find the courage to state clearly that the attacks on Iran violate the UN Charter.

The stakes extend far beyond the Middle East. If the international community permits powerful states to rewrite the rules of engagement through force, we return to a world where might makes right—a world the UN Charter was designed to prevent.

The war on Iran is not merely a regional crisis; it is a test of whether the international community values law over expediency. By failing to condemn illegal uses of force by their allies, Western governments undermine the very system they claim to defend. As Robinson reminds us, double standards corrode the foundation of global justice.

If we believe in a rules-based order, we must apply those rules consistently. Anything less is not pragmatism—it is complicity. The time for selective silence is over. The time for principled leadership is now.

OIC Condemns Israel's West Bank Annexation Plans in Emergency Session

OIC Condemns Israel's West Bank Annexation Plans in Emergency Session

    Friday, February 27, 2026   No comments

JEDDAH — The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has issued a strong condemnation of Israel's recent moves to designate large swaths of the occupied West Bank as "state property," characterizing the actions as a de facto annexation and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

The declaration emerged from an emergency meeting of OIC foreign ministers held at the organization's headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Diplomats from across the Muslim world gathered to formulate a unified response to what they described as escalating Israeli violations in Palestinian territories.

In their final statement, member states declared the Israeli measures "null and void" and called upon the international community, particularly the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council, to uphold their responsibilities in preserving regional stability. The statement emphasized that unilateral actions altering the status of occupied territories undermine the foundations of peace and the rights of the Palestinian people.

The ministers also addressed recent remarks by the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, describing them as provocative and without legal or historical foundation. The OIC reaffirmed that such statements cannot alter the legal status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory nor diminish the fundamental rights of Palestinians or the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states in the region.

Alongside the condemnation of annexation efforts, the OIC called for full implementation of the current ceasefire framework in Gaza, a complete Israeli withdrawal, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid. The statement referenced ongoing international efforts to secure a comprehensive and permanent end to hostilities, noting the urgent need to address the humanitarian catastrophe that has unfolded over more than two years of conflict.

Saudi Arabia, host of the emergency session, reinforced its position through Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed al-Khereiji, who reiterated the Kingdom's rejection of Israeli initiatives in the West Bank. He warned that measures aimed at establishing sovereignty over Palestinian land sabotage prospects for peace and destabilize the broader region.

Israel's Security Cabinet recently adopted a series of decisions altering the administrative and legal landscape in the West Bank. These include removing barriers to land purchases by settlers, expanding state authority to seize areas previously under Palestinian administration, and restructuring local governance in Hebron to establish an Israel-affiliated parallel municipality. Additionally, the Israeli government approved a unilateral land registration process in the occupied territory—a move widely viewed as formalizing the confiscation of Palestinian property under international law.

Under longstanding international legal frameworks, the West Bank, occupied since 1967, is recognized as territory intended for a future Palestinian state. Israel's status as an occupying power prohibits the transfer of its civilian population into occupied areas and forbids alterations to property ownership structures. The OIC statement underscored that recent Israeli policies contravene these core principles.

The emergency gathering concluded with a call for coordinated diplomatic action to halt further escalation and to reinvigorate efforts toward a just and lasting resolution based on international law and mutually agreed parameters. As tensions remain high, the international community faces mounting pressure to translate condemnation into concrete measures that uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of all civilians in the region.

China among 80 nations and NGOs to Condemn Israel's West Bank Expansion as Assault on Palestinian Self-Determination

China among 80 nations and NGOs to Condemn Israel's West Bank Expansion as Assault on Palestinian Self-Determination

    Tuesday, February 17, 2026   No comments

In a significant display of diplomatic unity, a coalition of 80 countries and international organizations has issued a scathing condemnation of Israel's recent unilateral moves to expand its control over the occupied West Bank. The statement, delivered at a press conference in New York by Palestinian Permanent Representative Riyad Mansour, frames the Israeli actions not merely as policy shifts, but as a flagrant violation of international law that systematically denies the Palestinian people their fundamental right to self-determination.

The diverse coalition, which includes China, European nations, and Arab and Islamic states, declared its "categorical opposition to any form of annexation." The joint statement underscores a growing global consensus that Israel's entrenchment in the territories occupied since 1967 is not only illegal but poses an existential threat to the possibility of a just and lasting peace.

At the heart of the condemnation is the recognition that Israel's expansionist policies constitute a form of systemic oppression. By altering the demographic composition and legal status of the land, Israel is actively dismantling the geographic contiguity required for a viable Palestinian state. The statement explicitly rejected all measures aimed at changing the character of the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem, labeling them as actions that "undermine ongoing efforts to achieve peace and stability."

The injustice lies in the asymmetry of power and the erosion of Palestinian agency. For decades, the international community has recognized the right of the Palestinian people to determine their own political future. However, the relentless growth of settlements and the imposition of Israeli civil law over Palestinian areas effectively preempt this right, imposing a reality of permanent subjugation rather than temporary occupation.

The diplomatic rebuke was triggered by a set of decisions approved by the Israeli government on February 8. These measures aim to fundamentally alter the legal and civil reality in the West Bank by expanding Israeli enforcement authority into areas nominally under the control of the Palestinian Authority.

Under the guise of addressing "unlicensed building," water usage, and environmental concerns, Israel is extending its bureaucratic and military grip over Palestinian daily life. Critics argue this is a mechanism of de facto annexation, bypassing negotiations and imposing Israeli sovereignty by force. The 80-nation coalition warned that such steps contradict Israel's obligations under international law and demanded their immediate reversal.

While diplomatic statements outline the legal breaches, the human cost on the ground paints a grim picture of the oppression faced by Palestinians. Since the escalation of the war on Gaza began on October 8, 2023, violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has intensified dramatically.

According to data cited in the report, the surge in military and settler violence has resulted in the martyrdom of more than 1,115 Palestinians in the West Bank alone. Approximately 11,500 others have been injured, and a staggering 22,000 have been detained. These figures highlight a strategy of collective punishment and fear, where civilians face the constant threat of displacement, arrest, or death.

Palestinians view these actions as a coordinated effort to "impose new facts on the ground," rendering the prospect of a future state increasingly impossible. The expansion of settlements, such as Kiryat Arba near Hebron, continues to carve up the land, isolating Palestinian communities and strangling their economic and social development.

The coalition's statement drew significant weight from the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on July 19, 2024. The group reaffirmed its commitment to the "New York Declaration," pledging to take concrete measures in accordance with international law to help realize the Palestinian right to self-determination.

"This is not just about borders; it is about dignity and freedom," the statement implied. By emphasizing the illegality of settlements and the threat of forced displacement, the nations highlighted that the denial of self-determination is the root cause of the conflict. The statement stressed that a just and permanent peace can only be achieved by ending the occupation that began in 1967.

Despite the deepening crisis, the coalition reiterated that the two-state solution remains the only viable path to security and stability for both peoples. The vision outlined is clear: two democratic states, Palestine and Israel, living side by side in peace and security within recognized borders based on the 1967 lines, including East Jerusalem.

However, the statement served as a stark warning. Continued settlement expansion and unilateral annexation threaten to kill the two-state solution entirely. The 80 nations called for adherence to UN resolutions, the Madrid Terms of Reference, and the Arab Peace Initiative, urging the international community to move beyond rhetoric and enforce accountability.

As the diplomatic pressure mounts, the message from the global community is unequivocal: the oppression of the Palestinian people and the denial of their sovereignty are not sustainable. Without an immediate halt to illegal expansion and a genuine commitment to ending the occupation, the cycle of violence and injustice will continue to destabilize the region and betray the principles of international law.

In the News: France and Germany Condemn U.S. Foreign Policy as “New Colonialism” and “Robber’s Den”

In the News: France and Germany Condemn U.S. Foreign Policy as “New Colonialism” and “Robber’s Den”

    Thursday, January 08, 2026   No comments

January 9, 2026 — Paris and Berlin

In a rare and forceful rebuke of U.S. foreign policy, the presidents of France and Germany have issued sharp criticisms of Washington’s recent actions under President Donald Trump, warning that America’s shift away from multilateralism and international norms threatens to unravel the postwar global order.

Speaking before France’s diplomatic corps at the Élysée Palace on Thursday, President Emmanuel Macron lamented what he described as a “gradual turning away” by the United States from its traditional allies and the very international rules it once championed. Macron characterized the current trajectory of U.S. diplomacy as exhibiting “a new colonial aggressiveness,” asserting that the world is increasingly dominated by great powers tempted to carve it up among themselves.

“The U.S. is an established power, but one that is gradually turning away from some of its allies and breaking free from the very international rules that it was until recently promoting,” Macron said. He added that multilateral institutions are “functioning less and less effectively,” and urged reform of the United Nations—calling on the G7 and major emerging powers to help reshape a faltering international system.

Macron’s remarks come amid growing European unease over a series of unilateral U.S. moves, including last weekend’s dramatic raid in Caracas that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and President Trump’s long-stated ambition to acquire Greenland—an autonomous territory of Denmark. Though Macron did not explicitly name these incidents, diplomats and analysts widely interpreted his comments as a direct response.

Across the Rhine, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, himself a former foreign minister, delivered an equally stark warning Wednesday evening during a public forum. Steinmeier said the international order is suffering a “second historic rupture”—the first being Russia’s annexation of Crimea and full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The second, he argued, stems from the erosion of democratic values by none other than America, “our most important partner,” which helped construct the very system now under threat.

“The world must not be allowed to descend into a robber’s den,” Steinmeier declared, “where the most unscrupulous take whatever they want, and entire regions or nations are treated as the private property of a few great powers.”

Both leaders emphasized the urgency of defending a rules-based international order while navigating the delicate balance of maintaining the transatlantic alliance. Europe, caught between upholding international law and preserving its strategic and economic ties with the U.S.—especially in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine—has struggled to formulate a unified response to Washington’s increasingly assertive and unilateral foreign policy.

Macron underscored France’s push for “greater strategic autonomy” and reduced dependence on both the U.S. and China—a vision increasingly shared across European capitals. “We reject new colonialism and new imperialism,” he said, “but also vassalage and defeatism.”

The simultaneous but apparently uncoordinated condemnations from Europe’s two most influential powers mark a significant escalation in transatlantic tensions. As the Biden-era emphasis on alliances and multilateralism appears to give way to a more transactional and expansionist approach under Trump’s regime, European leaders are signaling they may no longer accept U.S. leadership uncritically—and may act independently to safeguard global norms.

Media review: Israeli Airstrike on Qatar Shakes Gulf States' Confidence in US Protection, Report Says

Media review: Israeli Airstrike on Qatar Shakes Gulf States' Confidence in US Protection, Report Says

    Friday, September 12, 2025   No comments

A recent Israeli military strike on Qatar’s capital has triggered a significant crisis of confidence among Gulf Arab states, casting serious doubt on the reliability of American security guarantees, according to a report by The Washington Post.

The attack, which targeted Doha, has reportedly fueled deep-seated anger and a sense of insecurity across the Persian Gulf. Analysts suggest that Israel’s apparent ease in carrying out the strike led many regional powers to a stark conclusion: if a U.S. partner like Qatar can be attacked, then no neighboring American ally is truly safe.

At the core of the growing disillusionment is the perception that the United States was either unable or unwilling to restrain its close ally, Israel, even when its actions directly threatened another American partner. This has fundamentally shaken the long-standing pillar of Gulf security, which has heavily relied on U.S. military and diplomatic backing for decades.

One researcher from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) noted that the uniquely close relationship between Washington and Jerusalem made this strike "qualitatively different" from previous conflicts. Rather than acting as a deterrent, the U.S. response was perceived as weak, often limited to "pro-forma expressions of dissatisfaction" without imposing any concrete, deterrent measures to stop what is seen as "Israel’s unrestricted military aggression in the region."

The strike has "reinforced the feeling that Washington is an unreliable security partner," the analyst stated.

This incident is not an isolated event but the latest in a years-long erosion of trust. The Post highlights that Gulf confidence in American protection has been declining through both Democratic and Republican administrations. This trend is driven by a perceived U.S. "strategic pivot" towards Asia and the diminished strategic importance of Middle Eastern oil to Washington.

Furthermore, the attack on Doha has undermined a previously held belief among some Gulf leaders that a close personal relationship with a U.S. president could directly influence policy. Hopes that such a bond with former President Donald Trump would shape American actions were decisively dashed by the bombing of Qatar.

The event signals a potential strategic inflection point, forcing Gulf nations to seriously reconsider the foundation of their security architecture and question the dependability of a partnership that has been a cornerstone of regional stability for over half a century.

Media Review: Nationalism, Distrust, and the Specter of Regime Change

Media Review: Nationalism, Distrust, and the Specter of Regime Change

    Wednesday, August 13, 2025   No comments

 

1. Netanyahu’s Overt Call: “Iran for Iranians”

On August 12, 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a striking video address aimed directly at the Iranian people. He urged them to “take to the streets”, “demand justice”, and resist “ruling fanatics” in Tehran. Leveraging Iran’s current water crisis—one described as the worst drought in a century—he promised that “Israel’s top water experts will flood into every Iranian city,” offering cutting-edge recycling and desalination technologies once “your country is free.” Netanyahu framed this not merely as political pressure but as a humanitarian overture, rhetorically intertwining water scarcity with political liberation.
His language tugged at historical symbols—the “descendants of Cyrus the Great”—and invoked Zionist forebears: “as our founding father, Theodor Herzl, said... ‘if you will it, a free Iran is not a dream.’” Critics across the region condemned the message as a blatant interference in Iran’s sovereignty and a call for regime change.

2. Expansionist Imagery and the “Greater Israel” Vision

Simultaneously, in an i24 News interview, Netanyahu responded affirmatively when asked if he felt a connection to the concept of “Greater Israel”—a historical extremist vision stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates, enveloping Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. He stated flatly: "Very much." (Note: the Arabic-language Al Jazeera coverage confirmed condemnation by Jordan’s foreign ministry of these remarks, calling them “dangerous provocative escalation” and a violation of sovereignty and international law).  Jordan officially denounced these statements as “absurd illusions” that undermine Arab states and Palestinian rights, and called for international accountability.

3. Mutually Reinforcing Nationalist Narratives

These developments crystallize a deeper pattern of mutual antagonism: just as many in the Arab and Muslim worlds chant “Death to Israel” (often interpreted as opposition to the Zionist regime, not genocide), Israeli leaders—including Netanyahu—express parallel desires for overthrowing nationalist or Islamist regimes, from Iraq and Syria to Iran and potentially Turkey. Israel’s historical role in the fall of Arab nationalist regimes—the Ba’athists in Iraq and Syria, Nasserism in Egypt, Gaddafi in Libya—sets precedent for its current posture toward Iran, adding layers of distrust and ideological competition.

4. Media Narratives vs. Unspoken Realities

Mainstream coverage often frames Israel’s messaging as defensive—justified by existential threats or humanitarian concern. Yet the explicit linkage between Israel’s offer of technology and regime change reveals a more assertive posture: Israel positioning itself not only as a regional power but as a potential kingmaker.

This dynamic echoes past episodes: British and U.S. support for regime change in Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan, often under the banner of liberation, but frequently yielding destabilization. Indeed, analysts warn that regime elimination without a constructive transition plan can exacerbate chaos and strengthen hardliners—concerns now surging around Iran.

5. Broader Implications: Ethno-Religious Nationalism and Regional Instability

The mutual calls for regime change are not isolated acts of political posturing — they are rooted in competing nationalist visions that draw their legitimacy from deeply embedded historical, ethnic, and religious narratives. This clash produces a dangerous self-reinforcing cycle that shapes nearly every major crisis in the Middle East.

Israel’s vision:

Israeli statecraft, particularly under Netanyahu, increasingly draws on biblical and historicist narratives to justify a posture of permanent expansion and dominance. This is not merely about securing existing borders; it’s about positioning Israel as the central civilizational power in the region. The appeal to “Greater Israel” ties modern foreign policy directly to ancient territorial claims, allowing nationalist leaders to frame strategic moves as fulfilling a sacred mission rather than a negotiable political agenda. In this worldview, offering water technology to Iranians is not only a humanitarian gesture but also a demonstration of how Israel imagines itself — as a benevolent hegemon to “liberated” peoples, once they accept the dismantling of regimes seen as hostile.

Resistance’s response:

Arab nationalist and Islamist movements see this Israeli narrative as an existential threat — not only to Palestinian sovereignty but to the very idea of Arab or Islamic self-determination. From their perspective, the vision of “Greater Israel” confirms suspicions that Israel’s security discourse masks territorial ambitions stretching across multiple states. This perception reinforces a siege mentality, where even minor concessions to Israel are framed as steps toward regional capitulation. Consequently, slogans like “Death to Israel” — while often clarified by their authors as a rejection of the Zionist regime rather than the Jewish people — are received by Israelis as genocidal, deepening the emotional and political chasm.

Mutual demonization:

Each side interprets the other’s rhetoric in its most maximalist and threatening form. Israeli leaders often portray their regional adversaries as irredeemable aggressors whose regimes must be toppled for peace to be possible. Conversely, Arab and Islamist nationalists cast Israeli policy as inherently expansionist, immune to compromise, and bent on cultural erasure. This mutual framing leaves no space for recognizing reformist or moderate currents on either side. Internal dissent within Iran, for example, is subsumed under the binary of “pro-regime” or “agent of foreign powers,” while dissent within Israel against expansionism is marginalized as naïve or disloyal.

Media as a force multiplier:

Regional and global media ecosystems amplify these narratives by privileging official statements and the most provocative soundbites. Nuanced or dissenting voices rarely receive the same coverage. This selective amplification means that both publics primarily hear confirmation of their worst fears. Israeli audiences see chants and missile parades without context; Arab audiences see maps of an expanded Israel without the debates inside Israel over their feasibility or morality. In effect, media serves as a mirror that reflects back the most polarizing version of reality, hardening nationalist sentiment and making diplomatic de-escalation politically costly for any leader.

The result is a feedback loop: nationalist rhetoric begets reciprocal hostility, which then justifies the next round of escalation. Over time, this pattern entrenches zero-sum thinking, where any gain for one side is assumed to be an irreversible loss for the other.

6. What Comes Next?

With Israel openly signaling support for regime change, and invoking ideological justifications, the region edges closer to escalatory brinkmanship. If Iran responds—either through intensified repression or reprisals—the potential for conflict could spiral. Global actors—especially the U.S., Europe, Russia, and regional powers—must urgently clarify whether they support such overt regime-change diplomacy or seek de-escalation through dialogue and multilateral engagement.

The events of August 12, 2025—Netanyahu’s video appeal and the embrace of “Greater Israel”—are not isolated flashes of rhetoric but crystallize long-standing ideological and geopolitical fault lines. The language of liberation and water aid interwoven with conquest and regime overthrow exemplifies the complex, dangerous entanglement of ethno-religious nationalism, realpolitik, and regional power plays. As each side frames itself as the rightful architect of the region’s future, the real victims may be stability, human rights, and any hope for equitable governance.

Israel’s prime minister’s call for Iranians to overthrow their government mirrors Iran’s rejection of the “Zionist regime,” underscoring two points: first, the deep incompatibility between race-based or religion-based nationalism and genuinely pluralistic societies; second, the role of supremacist ideologies as a driving force behind such nationalist regimes. Zionism—with both its religious dimension (membership in the Jewish faith) and its ethnic dimension (Jewish identity as race or ethnicity)—and Arab or Persian ethnic nationalism, alongside Islamism as a religious form, are locked in a clash that cannot be resolved by one prevailing over the others, but perhaps only by the eventual failure of them all.

  

Israeli soldiers fired at foreign diplomats visiting west bank, Palestine

Israeli soldiers fired at foreign diplomats visiting west bank, Palestine

    Wednesday, May 21, 2025   No comments

Approximately one hour ago, Israeli soldiers fired at foreign diplomats from European and Arab states who were touring Jenin in the West Bank, Palestine.

The IDF has released an official statement on the incident, claiming that the delegation 'deviated from the approved route,' leading soldiers to fire 'warning shots.' 

The delegation reportedly included 35 ambassadors, consuls, and diplomats from the European Union, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Jordan, China, Russia, Japan, and others.

Italy has summoned the Israeli ambassador due to the event, and soon after, France has also summoned the Israeli ambassador for an explanation.

EU foreign policy chief states, 'Any threats to the lives of diplomats are unacceptable,' in response to the attack on diplomats by Israel in Jenin.

EU foreign policy chief states, 'Any threats to the lives of diplomats are unacceptable,' in response to the attack on diplomats by Israel in Jenin.

 

 

Morocco principled foreign policy: If you support our occupation of Sahara you can say anything you want

Morocco principled foreign policy: If you support our occupation of Sahara you can say anything you want

    Wednesday, October 30, 2024   No comments

Rewarding Macron for supporting Morocco's continued occupation of Western Sahara, Moroccan politicians applauded him when he said "Palestinian resistance is barbaric." Moroccan lawmakers applauded French President Macron after he delivered a speech in the Moroccan Parliament in which he stated: "Israel has the right to self-defense. Palestinian resistance is barbaric."

Macron does not seeem to be able to make up his mind. Previously, he called on Israeli leaders to "stop killing Gazan women and babies". He was also reported to have told Israeli's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who described his war on on Gaza and Lebanon as a "war of civilization," Macron told him that "defending civilization is not done by sowing barbarism."

Macron, who still refuses to acknowledge the crimes France committed in Africa, including the massacring of 1.5 million Algerians, sees all resistance as Barbaric. But that is the only position that could justify war crimes at the hands of colonial occupiers.

Outside the Parliament, Moroccans took to the street to protest his statements. Morocco is a good example for where the rulers are governing with no popular support. Moroccans protesting outside claimed that "those who applaud in parliament do not represent the Moroccan people, neither closely nor remotely."

Israeli Minister says US Sanctions blow to State sovereignty

Israeli Minister says US Sanctions blow to State sovereignty

    Sunday, July 21, 2024   No comments

Historically, the US government has imposed sanctions on private citizens and government officials of other countries. Recently, with the continued attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in West Bank the US government decided to sanction some Israelis who are responsible for the violence. Last week, US media sources reported that the administration of President Joe Biden is considering imposing sanctions on Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir and Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, due to the deterioration of the security situation in the occupied West Bank.

Reacting to the news, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has described US efforts to impose sanctions on him over settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank as a “fatal blow to Israeli sovereignty.”

“Imposing US sanctions on an elected official and a senior minister is a fatal blow to Israeli sovereignty and relations between the two countries,” said Smotrich, who heads the Religious Zionism party.

“Washington’s efforts to impose sanctions on me stem from the domestic political goals of those who claim to lead the largest democracy in the world,” he added.

Smotrich claimed that his duty was to strengthen Tel Aviv’s grip on parts of the homeland in Judea and Samaria (the biblical name for the West Bank) and prevent the establishment of a state that would endanger Israel’s existence.

Of note, this week the International Court of Justice issued a ruling that Israel's activities in West Bank and Jerusalem are illegal, must be stopped, and Palestinians harmed by these activities must be compensated.

Media review: NYT's Friedman, "Biden must push Israel to accept Hamas' demands"

Media review: NYT's Friedman, "Biden must push Israel to accept Hamas' demands"

    Tuesday, June 18, 2024   No comments

American journalist Thomas Friedman confirmed that the Israeli occupation entity is currently living in "existential danger", at a time when the axis of resistance has managed to "tighten its grip on Israel", while "the latter has no military or diplomatic response".

In an opinion piece he wrote in the American newspaper "The New York Times", Friedman warned of the danger of war with Hezbollah on "Israel", noting that the Islamic resistance in Lebanon is armed with precision missiles capable of destroying large areas of the Israeli infrastructure.

Friedman explained that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "leads Israel, while he must remain in power, in order to avoid the possibility of being sent to prison on corruption charges", at a time when the occupation faces the possibility of war breaking out on several fronts.

According to him, Netanyahu, in order to remain in power and avoid prison, "sold his soul in order to form a government with right-wing extremists, who insist that Israel must fight in Gaza until Hamas is eliminated, in order to achieve complete victory", as they claim.

Now, the Israeli "war cabinet" has collapsed, due to "Netanyahu's lack of a plan to end the war and safely withdraw from the Gaza Strip," while "extremists in his government coalition are looking forward to their next steps to reach power," according to Friedman.

While the American journalist pointed out that these extremist ministers "caused a lot of damage," he warned that "no friend (of Israel) should participate in this circus," as he described it.

In this context, Friedman stressed the need to form a new government in "Israel" and remove Netanyahu from the position of Prime Minister, through new elections.

The American journalist also expressed his support for what former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak confirmed in the American newspaper Haaretz last Thursday, which is that "Israel is facing the most serious crisis in its history."

In light of this, Friedman warned that "every American should be concerned about this matter," explaining that it represents "a recipe for dragging the United States into a war in the Middle East to help Israel."

In this context, Friedman believed that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken "should not make another trip to the Middle East without the agreement of both Israel and Hamas on a clear plan to end the war."

While acknowledging the need for US President Joe Biden to push the occupation to submit to Hamas's conditions to stop the war, Friedman stressed that "Biden must tell Israel that it must accept Hamas's main demand: to end the war completely now, and withdraw from the Gaza Strip, in exchange for the return of all Israeli prisoners."

Friedman believed that ending the war in the Gaza Strip would "lead to reaching an agreement mediated by the US with Hezbollah, in order to calm the war on the northern border."

He added that Netanyahu's idea that some Palestinians, who do not belong to Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, will run the place for "Israel" is "a fantasy." In light of all this, the American journalist stressed that "Israel must leave Gaza," while the head of the Hamas movement in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, continues to run the Strip.

Friedman argued his point of view without even mentioning the human cost of this reckless war that civilians in Gaza have endured for more than 250 days and that may last for months more.

Reviewing Naomi Klein’s Declaration of Exodus from Zionism

Reviewing Naomi Klein’s Declaration of Exodus from Zionism

    Thursday, May 16, 2024   No comments

On the eve of the Jewish Passover, and at his “Seder” celebration in the streets of New York, which was witnessed by Jews and non-Jews, Naomi Klein, the Canadian Jewish writer and activist, professor of climate justice and director of the Center for Climate Justice at the University of British Columbia, delivered a memorable speech representing “Declaration of Exodus” for the Jews of the world from Zionism and its false idol in Palestine, in which it used two symbols from the Old Testament that have a very important significance for Jews of all times: - The Book of Exodus, one of the five books of the Torah, which tells the story of the exodus of the children of Israel, led by the Prophet Moses, from the captivity of Pharaoh. In biblical Egypt, the Exodus is the moment of liberation from captivity.

- And the story of the golden calf that the Samaritan made and which the Children of Israel took as a god in the absence of Moses, when he preceded them to the appointed time of his Lord, but the Samaritan led them astray, and they broke their appointment with Moses. It is a moment of tremendous setback for the Children of Israel’s journey with God, the prophets, and prophecy.

Klein recalled the moment of Moses descending from the mountain and his extreme anger when he found the children of Israel worshiping a “golden calf,” calling for the rejection of the worship of the new “golden calf,” by which she meant “the false idol of Zionism.” Klein said, before a gathering of Americans (the majority of whom were anti-war Jews), in a protest calling for an end to arming Israel, which was held in Brooklyn (New York), near the home of the majority leader in the US Senate, Senator Chuck Schumer: “Many members of our (Jewish) community worship a false idol.” ... They are delighted with it... They are drunk... The idol has defiled them... This false idol is called Zionism,” she said, considering that “Zionism is a false idol that took the idea of ​​the Promised Land and turned it into a bill of sale for an ethno-military state.” “It is a false idol that takes our deepest biblical stories of justice and freedom from slavery — the Easter story itself — and turns them into brutal weapons of land theft and colonization, and road maps for ethnic cleansing and genocide,” she added. “It is a false idol that has taken the transcendent idea of ​​the Promised Land, a metaphor for human liberation that has traveled through multiple religions to every corner of this world, and has dared to turn it into a bill of sale to a militaristic ethno-state.”

Also, Klein rejected Zionism's claims about liberating Jews from anti-Semitism and securing them in a Jewish state of their own, saying that "the version of liberation proposed by political Zionism is itself worldly." From the beginning, it required the mass expulsion of Palestinians from their homes and ancestral lands during the Nakba,” noting that “from the beginning (Zionism) was at war with dreams of liberation. It is worth remembering in the Easter celebration that this includes dreams of liberation and self-determination for the Egyptian people. This false Zionist idol equates Israel’s security with the Egyptian dictatorship and client states.”

 Zionism and genocide

Likewise, Klein spoke about the genocidal nature of the Zionist project against the people of Palestine and its immoral essence, saying that Zionism “produced an ugly type of freedom that viewed Palestinian children, not as human beings, but as a demographic threat, just as the Pharaoh in the Book of Exodus feared the increasing population.” Of the children of Israel, and therefore ordered the killing of their children. Zionism has brought us to the present moment of catastrophe, and it is time to say clearly: it always leads us here. “It is a false idol that has led many of our people down a very immoral path, making them now justified in tearing up the basic commandments: Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not covet.”

She also called for protest and the Jews’ exit from Zionism, just as they left Pharaonic captivity, and to disavow the Zionist entity and its crimes, saying: “We, in these streets for months and months, are the exit. Leaving Zionism. It is a false idol that equates Jewish freedom with cluster bombs that kill and maim Palestinian children. Zionism is a false idol that has betrayed all Jewish values, including the value we place on asking questions. “It is a practice rooted in Easter with its four questions asked by the youngest child, including the love we have as a people for text and teaching.” She added: “Today, this false idol justifies the bombing of every university in Gaza. The destruction of countless schools, archives, and printing presses; Hundreds of academics, journalists and poets were killed. This is what the Palestinians call educational genocide, that is, killing the means of education.”

 No to an ethnic Jewish state

“Meanwhile, in this city,” Klein continued, “universities are calling in the NYPD and barricading themselves against the dangerous threat posed by their students who dare to ask them basic questions, like: How can you claim to believe in anything at all, least of all of us, when you By enabling, investing in, and cooperating with this genocide? “The false idol of Zionism has been allowed to grow unchecked for too long.” She added: “So we say tonight: It all ends here.” Our Judaism cannot contain an ethnic state, because our Judaism is international in nature. Our Judaism cannot be protected by the rampaging military establishment of that (ethnic) state, because all the army does is sow sadness and reap hatred, including against us as Jews,” noting that “our Judaism is not threatened by people who raise their voices in solidarity with Palestine. Crossing lines of race, ethnicity, physical ability, gender identity and generations. Our Judaism is one of those voices, and it knows that in this chorus of voices lies our collective safety and liberation.”

Klein added, “Our Judaism is Passover Judaism: gathering in celebration to share food and wine with loved ones and strangers alike, a ritual that is portable by nature, light enough to carry on our backs, and we need nothing but each other: no walls, no temple, no Rabbi, there is a role for everyone, even - especially - the youngest children.” He considered that “the Passover Seder is a diaspora technology if there is one, and it is designed for collective grief, contemplation, asking questions, remembering, and reviving the revolutionary spirit.” So, look around. This, here, is our Judaism. While the waters rise and the forests burn and nothing is certain, we pray on the altar of solidarity and mutual assistance, whatever the cost.”

Liberation of Judaism

Klein added: “We do not need or want the false idol of Zionism.” We want freedom from the project that commits genocide in our name. Freedom from an ideology that has no plan for peace other than dealing with the murderous theocratic petro-states next door, while selling automated assassination techniques to the world. We seek to liberate Judaism from the ethno-state that wants Jews to feel perpetual fear, wants our children to be afraid, wants us to believe that the world is against us, so that we run to its fortress and under its iron dome, or - at the very least - to keep the weapons and donations flowing. That is a false idol.” According to Klein, the matter is not limited to “Netanyahu only, but the world that created it and created it: it is Zionism,” asking, “Who are we?” We, in these streets for months and months, are getting out… Leaving Zionism. And to the likes of the Chuck Schumers of this world, we do not say: “Let our people come out (from the captivity of Zionism).” Rather, we say: We have already left. And your children? They are with us now.” Exit statement finished.

 Resuming the battle against Zionism

The United States witnessed a decisive battle between Reform Judaism and the Zionist project, fought by the American Council for Judaism (the organization of observant American Jews) under the slogan that Jews are not a nationality but a religious group, and that it is necessary to revive the principles of Reform Judaism, whose rabbis have opposed Zionism since before World War First, they supported equal rights for Jews in the countries in which they lived. This battle was led by Elmer Berger (1908-1996), the Reform Jewish rabbi and writer, emancipated from Zionist thought, and who stood against Zionist intellectual terrorism. He contributed to the establishment and leadership of the “American Council of Judaism” with the aim of confronting the establishment of the Zionist state, because it does not represent all Jews in any national or political sense. He devoted his life, efforts, and writings to the issue of Palestine and opposing Zionism, exposing its claims, and warning Jews of its myths and dangers.

It is worth mentioning here that the United States, under the administration of Harry Truman, was the first country in the world to recognize the Zionist state, five minutes after announcing its establishment on May 15, 1948. On that day, everyone thought that Rabbi Elmer Berger and Reform Judaism had been defeated and had lost their battle against Zionism once and for all. But one who contemplates the statement of the Jewish “exit” from Zionism and the repudiation of the “settlement wheel,” in the heart of New York, as well as the popular movement across religions, generations, and races in the streets of the Western Metropolitan and its ancient universities, which was launched by the “Al-Aqsa Flood,” sees the resumption of Rabbi Elmer Berger’s battle against Zionism. The battle is not over, but is being fought with greater energy, broader horizons, and greater momentum.