Media Review; ToI: Iranian Leader does not believe in throwing the Jews into the sea and a general referendum must be held in Palestine

Media Review; ToI: Iranian Leader does not believe in throwing the Jews into the sea and a general referendum must be held in Palestine

    Wednesday, November 29, 2023   No comments

An Israeli media outlet, The Times of Israel, reported today that Iran's leader wants a referendum, not in throwing the Jews into the sea."

In a video released on his official website, Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei stated that “a general referendum must be held in Palestine, and Iran does not believe in the slogan of throwing the Jews into the sea.”

Iranian Leader, Ali Khamenei, said that the crimes of the Zionist entity in Gaza exposed the West and tarnished the reputation of Western culture and civilization.

Khamenei received a large gathering of mobilizers today, Wednesday, in Tehran. He said during the meeting that the Al-Aqsa Flood operation led to changing the American policy agenda in the region, and God willing, if it continues, it will erase the agenda.

He added: The Al-Aqsa flood was a historical event that was carried out against the Zionist entity, but in reality it is considered “de-Americanization.”

Khamenei said that the brutal crimes committed by the Zionist entity against the people of Gaza exposed the entity, America, European countries, and Western civilization and culture.

He added that the culture and civilization of the West is the same civilization that when five thousand children are martyred by a phosphorus bomb, the regime of a Western country says that Israel is defending itself. Is this self defense? This is Western culture; In this case, it exposed Western culture and tarnished its reputation.

He added that the tragedies of Gaza are the summary of the crimes of the Zionist entity in Palestine for 75 years.

He asked: Where did they build the Zionist settlements? They destroyed Palestinian homes and farms, built Zionist settlements in their place, and killed any woman or child who stood against settlement. They have been doing this for 75 years.

Khamenei stressed that the flood of Al-Aqsa cannot be extinguished, and this situation will not continue under divine power.

He referred to the policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran towards the Palestinian issue and said: Some people in the world talk about the Islamic Republic’s views on the region and falsely say that Iran believes that the Jews and Zionists should be thrown into the sea. Some Arabs used to say that the Jews should be thrown into the sea, but we never said this. We do not throw anyone into the sea.

We say that the opinion is the opinion of the Palestinian people and the government that is formed by the votes of the Palestinian people will make its decisions regarding those who are there; This government could say that everyone who came from other countries can stay in Palestine.

Khamenei added: Some of the African countries that I visited during my presidency struggled and won. The indigenous people were able to defeat the British, but they allowed the British to remain based on their interests.

The guide explained that the Palestinians could do the same thing. They may allow some to remain on their land, and they may tell others that they must leave. The Palestinians are the decision-makers, and we do not comment on this.

Israeli PM: “Islam in the Arab countries needs radical change”

Israeli PM: “Islam in the Arab countries needs radical change”

    Wednesday, November 29, 2023   No comments

The war in Gaza may not be a war against Hamas after all, it is a war on the ideology and beliefs of Hamas. Echoing France’ President who called for an “Enlightened Islam”, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during his meeting with American businessman Elon Musk, who visited the Gaza Strip settlements, that “Islam in the Arab countries needs a radical change.”

Israel will purge Gaza’s mosques and schools of their “poisonous” ideology once its war with Hamas concludes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told X (aka Twitter) owner Elon Musk in an interview on Monday.

 

The Israeli premier pointed to the wealthy Gulf states as examples of Muslim countries that had been “de-radicalized.”

 

Speaking to Musk in an interview live-streamed on X, Netanyahu said that the destruction of Hamas would be a “precursor” to more systemic changes in Gaza.

Expanding on his vision of a “de-radicalized” Gaza, Netanyahu told Musk that “you first have to get rid of the poisonous regime, as you did in Germany, as you did in Japan in World War II.”

 

Netanyahu pointed to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain as examples of Arab states that had undergone this process, likely referring to their recognition of Israel in 2020. With Riyadh on the cusp of a US-brokered recognition deal before the current war began, Netanyahu added that the “same thing is happening to a considerable extent in Saudi Arabia.”

 

The Israeli leader suggested that his country’s “Arab friends” could help rebuild Gaza, where the UN estimates that around half of all homes have been destroyed since the war began. Earlier this month, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said that the Arab nations would not take part in any potential post-conflict peacekeeping in Gaza, nor would they “clean the mess” left behind by the Israeli military.

 

Indonesian Foreign Minister: We will pursue "Israel" in the International Court of Justice

Indonesian Foreign Minister: We will pursue "Israel" in the International Court of Justice

    Tuesday, November 28, 2023   No comments

Indonesian Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, asked today, Tuesday, whether what the Israeli occupation is committing in the Gaza Strip is acceptable from the standpoint of international law, stressing that the international community has “double standards.”

During the United Nations General Assembly meeting on Palestine, Marsudi said that Indonesia would pursue "Israel" legally in the International Court of Justice.

The Indonesian Foreign Minister stressed that the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories must end, and also called on the international community for equal treatment to build peace and justice.

I stand before the #UNGA #ESS10 on Palestine (26/10), not only as the Foreign Minister of Indonesia 🇮🇩, but also as a woman, a mother, a grandmother… and to defend justice & humanity

I plead… stop the killing, protect the civilians, let in the humanitarian assistance to #Gaza pic.twitter.com/IBOm4whXoQ

— Menteri Luar Negeri Republik Indonesia (@Menlu_RI) October 26, 2023

She added: "We need a permanent ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian aid, standing for justice, and the resumption of the peace process and the political process."

Marsudi pointed out that Indonesia cannot stand idly by "to see thousands of innocent women and children killed, and to see homes, schools and hospitals razed to the ground and turned into rubble."

I spoke at the General Assembly meeting at UNHQ today (28/11) on Palestine.

Indonesia cannot stand still to see thousands of death of innocent women & children. Indonesia cannot stand still to see homes, schools & hospitals being flattened to rubbles. pic.twitter.com/8ftFp6BTLi

— Menteri Luar Negeri Republik Indonesia (@Menlu_RI) November 28, 2023

Media Review: The Washington Post: How does Israel detain hundreds of Palestinians in prisons without charge?

Media Review: The Washington Post: How does Israel detain hundreds of Palestinians in prisons without charge?

    Tuesday, November 28, 2023   No comments

The American newspaper The Washington Post reported that administrative detention rates rose in the West Bank, even before October 7, that is, the day the Palestinian resistance launched its epic “Al-Aqsa Flood.”

Under international law, administrative detention is supposed to be practiced only “in exceptional circumstances,” according to the newspaper, but this has become the norm in the West Bank, as human rights groups document.

The newspaper referred to figures published by the Israeli human rights organization HaMoked, indicating that the total number of Palestinians in administrative detention increased from 1,319 on October 1 to 2,070 on November 1, meaning about a third of the total number of Palestinian prisoners.

Here, it is worth noting that the number of detainees in the West Bank has exceeded 3,000 since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip, according to what was reported by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club.

The Israeli occupation authorities have claimed for years that their practice of administrative detention is consistent with policies followed in “other democracies,” as the newspaper put it, and constitutes a “necessary preventive measure,” given the security conditions in the West Bank, in reference to the operations carried out by resistance fighters against the occupation.

In contrast, the dynamics of Israel's prison system for Palestinians raise anger about the broader nature of Israel's military occupation of Palestinian territories, according to the Washington Post.

Israel's widespread practice of administrative detention has long been the subject of criticism by international observers, and a European parliamentary report, issued in 2012, described administrative detention as a tactic used "primarily with the aim of restricting Palestinian political activity."

Later, in 2020, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Michael Lynk, called on Israel to abolish this practice.

Likewise, Israel's critics assert that the Palestinians faced a "skewed and unfair judicial system," according to the Washington Post, which also noted that Palestinians in the West Bank are subject to Israeli military courts, unlike the half a million settlers among them.

The newspaper also pointed out that in some years, these courts issued 99% convictions, which raises questions about “the legal procedures granted to the Palestinians.”

It should be noted that the Washington Post report comes at a time when the pace of arrests is escalating in the West Bank, following the increase in operations carried out by resistance fighters against the occupation forces and their response to their attacks.

Since the beginning of the "Al-Aqsa Flood", the rate of arrests in the West Bank has increased significantly, to the point that hardly a day goes by without confrontations erupting between the Israeli occupation forces, which launch massive campaigns.

Even during the days of the temporary truce reached by the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian resistance in Gaza, Israeli arrest campaigns continued against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.

Media Review: Aljazeera highlights Qassam fighters' treatment of Israeli prisoners and the treatment of Palestinian prisoners by Israeli forces

Media Review: Aljazeera highlights Qassam fighters' treatment of Israeli prisoners and the treatment of Palestinian prisoners by Israeli forces

    Monday, November 27, 2023   No comments

The al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas,” broadcast a video recording showing the handover of the second batch of Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip to an International Committee of the Red Cross team under a prisoner exchange agreement with Israel.

الجزيرة تبث مشاهد لتسليم كتائب القسام الدفعة الثانية من المحتجزين الإسرائيليين والأجانب إلى الصليب الأحمر#حرب_غزة #الأخبار pic.twitter.com/B3HpDpFYpG

— قناة الجزيرة (@AJArabic) November 25, 2023

5 women and 8 children were handed over, in addition to 4 foreigners outside the agreement, in exchange for the release of 39 Palestinian women and children imprisoned in Israeli occupation prisons.

The scenes showed some Israeli prisoners, women and children, bidding farewell to al-Qassam fighters with a smile on their faces and a greeting, which sparked widespread controversy on social media, especially in light of Israeli doctors and the families of the prisoners declaring that they were in good health and were being treated humanely.

The release of the second batch came shortly before midnight, as it was hours late than scheduled on Saturday afternoon, the second day of the truce in the Gaza Strip, after al-Qassam Brigades announced the postponement of the operation until the occupation adhered to the criteria of the exchange deal, which the occupation authorities agreed to later, after Qatari-Egyptian mediation. .

What caught attention in the published “Al-Qassam” video was that the Israeli detainees saluted Hamas members, the moment they were released and transferred to the Red Cross vehicles, where one of the Qassam fighters bid them farewell by saying: “See you now,” and a woman and her child greeted him while smiling.

Other media outlets from the region, inclduing Aljazeera reported that one of the released woman left a two-page letter addressed to Qassam "generals" thanking them for the way they treated her daughter.

The sister of a young girl who was held in Gaza tells Israeli Channel 12 that she has developed new positive habits she did not have before — such as offering others to eat first.

Media review: CNN: The possibility of the Israeli army placing weapons in Al-Shifa Hospital is high

Media review: CNN: The possibility of the Israeli army placing weapons in Al-Shifa Hospital is high

    Saturday, November 25, 2023   No comments

After accidentally revealing that the tunnels under the hospital were built by Israel, CNN is raising doubt about the weapons the Israeli military claimed was found in the healthcare facility.

The American network "CNN" reported that the number of weapons that appeared in a video clip of the occupation "army", which he published on November 15, in which he said that he found them in Al-Shifa Hospital and that they belonged to the Hamas movement, differs from similar scenes that were filmed. By the media crews, which indicates, according to the American network, that the Israeli “army” may have transferred the weapons, or placed them there, before the media crews arrived.

CNN said that it compared the footage published by the Israeli army with the scenes captured by Fox News, which was granted access to Al-Shifa Hospital in the following hours.

The network added that the wristwatch on the wrist of the Israeli army spokesman, who led the photography tour at Al-Shifa Hospital, showed that the time was 1:18 p.m. The Fox News correspondent, who was later admitted to the hospital, said in his report that it was midnight.

"CNN" explained that the "Fox News" scenes showed a bag located behind the MRI machine inside the hospital, and two AK-47 rifles appeared on top of it, while the "Army" scenes showed the presence of one rifle of this model. CNN said that it is not clear where the second weapon came from, and why it did not appear in the Israeli army video.

The network reported that it had contacted the Israeli army to obtain clarifications regarding the apparent contradiction, but had not received a response.

CNN said that there is no evidence yet of the existence of a network of tunnels under Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, and that there is no indication that Israeli forces have uncovered a multi-level tunnel with underground rooms.

Israeli media confirmed that the massive Israeli propaganda after the Israeli occupation “army” stormed Al-Shifa Hospital was a disappointment to the Israeli settlers, who thought that “Israel” would eliminate “Hamas” during its operation.

The Israeli media said that the leadership of Hamas remains cohesive even after the storming of Al-Shifa Hospital, and that its fighters are continuing to fire rockets towards the settlements on the Gaza Strip and towards Tel Aviv.

The media also pointed out that "the army reached recovery, but the goal was not achieved, and we have not yet captured Sinwar or Deif. Yesterday, the army announced that it had eliminated a Hamas official whom no Israeli knew."

The Arab affairs analyst for the Israeli Channel 13, Tzivi Yehezkeli, said that it is clear that there is nothing of real value in Al-Shifa Hospital.

Al-Azhar Observatory: The Zionist entity and ISIS are two sides of the same coin

Al-Azhar Observatory: The Zionist entity and ISIS are two sides of the same coin

    Wednesday, November 22, 2023   No comments

The Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism released a note stating that the Zionist entity and the terrorist organization ISIS are “two sides of the same coin.” The Observatory reached this conclusion by comparing the Israeli occupation’s aggression against the Gaza Strip and the terrorist actions of ISIS, as a great similarity between them emerged.

The Sunni religious organization added that the occupation added "a mixture of fascism and Nazism, and produced something uglier than all the terrorist organizations combined, regardless of their names and ideologies."

Al-Azhar Observatory summarized the similarities between the Israeli occupation and the terrorist organization ISIS in the following points:

1- Using religion to achieve political gains: In this context, the Observatory noted that the head of the occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu, cited biblical texts more than once in justifying the Israeli massacres against innocent men, women and children in the Gaza Strip.

2- Achieving the dream of empire and imperial expansion: Here, Al-Azhar Observatory explained that the ambition of the terrorist organization “ISIS” to build a theocratic state, under the name of reviving the caliphate, is the same dream of the extremist Zionists, regarding establishing the “Greater Kingdom of Israel” or the “Kingdom of David” on the land of occupied Palestine. Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, in addition to part of Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

3- Racism, arrogance, and expanding the circle of racist conflict: In this regard, the Observatory pointed out that racism and the claim of superiority and the possession of rights are among the common features in the literature of ISIS and the occupation, in justifying acts of violence, killing, and assault on others, which distances itself from using methods Similar in resistance and self-defense. He added that the speeches of ISIS and the occupation perpetuate violence and terrorism in the name of religions.

4- Ethnic cleansing and genocide: Al-Azhar Observatory confirmed that there is a strong similarity between the genocidal operations carried out by ISIS members against the Yazidi nationality in Iraq, and the crimes of the occupation in the Gaza Strip, and Palestine in general. According to him, the international handling of the two cases revealed Western double standards.

5- Excessive violence and the use of brutality: With regard to this matter, the Observatory pointed out that the world has not forgotten that ISIS burned the Jordanian pilot Moaz Al-Kasasbeh alive, nor cut off the heads of members, nor blew up people’s heads with firearms and explosive devices.

According to what he continued, the starting point for these actions by ISIS is the book “Managing Savagery,” by “theorist” Abu Bakr Naji, and how to exploit brutality to “terrorize” the organization’s enemies.

The Al-Azhar Observatory stated that this is embodied in our reality with the Zionist entity, which is following the example of ISIS in “management of brutality,” in an even uglier way and with greater firepower, as we see the remains of children in Gaza every day, bodies without heads and organs without bodies, and the remains of entire families. It collects in a handful, or two handfuls, or a bag, or two bags, as well as destroying thousands of homes.

6- The scorched earth strategy: With regard to this point, the Observatory reported that the displacement policy that the Israeli occupation insists on is preceded by the scorched earth strategy.

ISIS used this same policy in Iraq and Syria, as the Al-Azhar Observatory added. He also pointed out that Jaafar Al-Ibrahimi, the Iraqi government’s advisor for infrastructure, told Reuters that “ISIS has caused losses estimated at about $30 billion in Iraqi infrastructure since 2014.”

Al-Ibrahimi continued: “ISIS used a policy of comprehensive destruction of facilities, factories, and buildings, with the intention of causing the greatest economic damage to Iraq.”

7- Disavowing international laws and conventions: According to the Observatory, ISIS continues to repeat that it does not respect international resolutions and does not respect international conventions.

Likewise, the Israeli occupation did not implement United Nations resolutions, did not respond to the calls of the world order, and did not abide by the texts of international laws and conventions. He does not see, hear, or implement all of them, to the point that many writers see him as above international law and UN resolutions, according to the Al-Azhar Observatory.

The subdivision of al-Azhar, the observatory outlines its mission as follow:

Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism seeks to consolidate the teachings of the true Islamic religion, and to maximize its message based on moderation, moderation, tolerance, and human brotherhood by providing moderate and purposeful content in various languages, emphasizing the universality of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, and enhancing Egypt’s global position in the field of combating extremism and building societal peace.

  

Former US official: Killing 4,000 Palestinian children is “not enough”

Former US official: Killing 4,000 Palestinian children is “not enough”

    Wednesday, November 22, 2023   No comments

To understand why US foreign policy in the Middle East was a complete failure, listen to this former US official, talk to a NYC food cart operator and tell him how he really feels about Muhammad, Quran, Muslims, Egypt, and the war in Gaza.

Stuart Seldowitz, a former US State Department official under President Barack Obama, said that the killing of 4,000 Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip is “not enough,” in a scene that sparked great criticism and reactions.

Seldowitz served as the acting director for the National Security Council South Asia Directorate under the Obama administration. He also worked as a senior political officer in the State Department’s Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs.

Seldowitz appeared in a video clip circulating on social media platforms, harassing a young Egyptian man who works as a street food vendor in New York by calling him a "terrorist."

The young man documented, via a video clip, that this former official came to him several times and provoked him in many ways. Among them was his inappropriate talk about Islam, and he also threatened to deport him from America.

The United States provides unlimited support to Israel during its war on the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing for more than 6 weeks and has left, to date, more than 14,000 martyrs, including about 5,800 children, in addition to tens of thousands injured and displaced due to the violent Israeli bombing.

Some excerpts:

Scenes posted on the “X” platform show the street vendor repeatedly explaining to Seldowitz that he is currently working, asking him to stay away from him. However, the latter refused and insulted him, calling him ignorant because he did not master English.

Seldowitz, after continuing to harass the street vendor, accusing him of supporting the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and "terrorism," told him, "Do you know? If we kill 4,000 Palestinian children. That's not enough, it's not enough."

In other scenes, Seldowitz also appears harassing the seller by uttering provocative and insulting words toward the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, and the Holy Quran.

"What do you speak? You speak Arabic, the language of the Quran, the holy Quran that some people use as a toilet. What do you think of that, people who used the Quran as a toilet? Does it bother you?" Seldowitz asks mockingly.

"That’s why you're selling food in a food cart, because you’re ignorant. But you should learn English. It’ll help you when they deport you back to Egypt and then the Mukhabarat wants to interview you.”

In another video, he harasses the same vendor but is interrupted by a bystander who tells him to leave, saying "It's not right; you are harassing."

 

Argentina will likely withdraw its application to join BRICS

Argentina will likely withdraw its application to join BRICS

    Tuesday, November 21, 2023   No comments

With a new president who wants to align Argentina with the US, especially if Trump returns to the White House next year, Argentina is likely to halt its pursuit of joining BRICS.

Diana Mondino, the candidate for Argentine Foreign Minister, relayed to Sputnik after the elections that Argentina will not be joining BRICS.

 “I don’t know why there is such interest in BRICS,” Mondino added.

 Mondino further added that joint collaborations with China and Brazil will stop, despite them being Argentina's main trading partners, as she stressed that the country intends to stay in the South American trade bloc Mercosur.

 It is worth noting that Milei is against joining BRICS.

Earlier in August, Argentina, alongside Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, UAE, and Saudi Arabia were invited to join BRICS.

Argentinian president Fernandez articulated at the time that Buenos Aires is grappling with an economic crisis with high inflation and weak foreign currency reserves, and was looking to join the bloc.

Meanwhile, BRICS nations meet today in a virtual summit to discuss the crisis in Gaza. After the meeting, the President of South Africa read the final statement of the BRICS countries regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip.

The statement expresses condolences to all those affected in Israel and the Gaza Strip, while also accusing Israel of violating international law. Ramaphosa, states that the primary cause of the conflict is Israel's illegal construction of settlements. The President of South Africa calls for the release of hostages taken during the Palestinian-Israeli conflict — a statement from the BRICS countries. The President of South Africa urges the International Criminal Court to initiate an investigation into those who committed war crimes during the Palestinian-Israeli conflict — a statement from the BRICS countries.

Media review: On CNN, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, 'Israel built the tunnels under Gaza hospital'

Media review: On CNN, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, 'Israel built the tunnels under Gaza hospital'

    Tuesday, November 21, 2023   No comments

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, just like that, dismantled the Israeli narrative that Hamas built the tunnel systems under hospitals and is using it as command-and-control centers--justifying Israel troops attack on hospitals and other protected places in international law. 

Ehud Barak revealed confirmed in an interview with CNN’s Amanpour, who was clearly surprised by the disclosure and tried to give him a chance to take what he said back… he disclosed that the tunnel complex beneath Al-Shifa Hospital was constructed by Israel when Gaza was under Israeli occupation decades ago.

Conflating news and propaganda is becoming a problem of credibility for both politicians and media outlets. First, it was the lie about “40 babies beheaded by Hamas.” Then Israel's claim that Hamas targeted and killed party goers on Oct. 7, only to learn later that Hamas did not know about the concert and that some Israelis were killed by Israeli troops who deployed a protocol that is mean to kill Israelis if they were in the process of being taken hostage. All in all, mainstream media are struggling to rebuild public trust.