Israel’s Escalating Violence Against Civilians in Gaza and Lebanon 11/11/2024

                                   Escalating Violence Against Civilians in Gaza and Lebanon

Buoyed by a chronically weak Biden-Harris administration, soon to be followed by a more menacing Trump administration, Israel's far-right government continues its aggressive campaign of bombings and blockades, killing and starving Palestinian civilians with the world's silent complicity. In recent days, Israel has intensified its airstrikes on Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria. In Gaza’s Jabaliya refugee camp, a brutal attack destroyed a family home, killing 36 Palestinians, including 13 children. Survivors, like Ahmed Al-Alooshe, describe the horrifying loss of civilians unconnected to any military group—people who had fled to the camp seeking safety.
Israel’s attacks have also claimed the lives of at least four Palestinian journalists, targeted at their workplaces or even in makeshift shelters. The U.N.-backed Famine Review Committee warns that northern Gaza is on the brink of famine due to these blockades. Meanwhile, Qatar has withdrawn from mediating talks between Israel and Hamas, signaling a further breakdown of peace efforts.
Lebanon faces similar devastation. Over the weekend, Israeli airstrikes killed dozens, including 10 paramedics. Entire villages have been razed, and civilians, like Ahmad Ali Hajj, find their homes destroyed without provocation. Such indiscriminate targeting of health workers and residential areas underscores Israel’s disregard for human life.
It is past time for the global community to condemn these attacks on innocent civilians. Without decisive action, this cycle of violence will only deepen.

Israel and U.S. Criminal policies in the Middle East 11/13/2024

                                           Israel and U.S. Criminal policies in the Middle East

The recent escalation of violence in Gaza and Lebanon underscores the urgent need for accountability and humanitarian intervention. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have killed at least 47 people in the past 24 hours, including a child in a makeshift camp in al-Mawasi—designated by Israel as a “safe humanitarian zone.” The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has repeatedly warned of impending famine in northern Gaza. UN humanitarian chief Joyce Msuya condemned Israel’s blockade of aid, describing Gaza as “a wasteland of rubble,” where civilian structures have been decimated, cutting off essential resources like electricity and food. She decried these actions as some of “the gravest international crimes.”
Despite a U.S.-mandated 30-day deadline for Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, the Biden administration has refused to enforce U.S. laws that prohibit arming nations engaged in human rights abuses. Aid groups report that humanitarian support reaching Gaza is at its lowest level since December. A coalition of former Biden administration officials recently urged the U.S. to uphold its own laws and halt arms to Israel, citing violations of the Leahy Law, the Foreign Assistance Act, and the Arms Export Control Act.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes in Beirut and the Mount Lebanon Governorate continue to inflict devastating casualties, force evacuations, and target civilian infrastructure. Notably, Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, Wael al-Dahdouh, recently received the National Press Club’s Press Freedom Award for his courageous reporting amid the loss of family members and personal injuries from Israeli strikes.
In a controversial move, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who has denied the existence of Palestinians and supported Israel’s annexation of occupied territories, was appointed as U.S. ambassador to Israel by Donald Trump. Such appointments and policy stances only deepen the crisis in the region and undermine any prospect for peace.
It is time for the U.S. government to prioritize human rights, enforce its own laws, and work toward de-escalating violence rather than exacerbating it through uncritical support of aggressive policies. This marks a shameful final chapter in Biden’s morally compromised Middle East policy, highlighting his unwillingness to stand up to Netanyahu's far-right criminal agenda.

War on immigrants, 11/12/2024

                                                          War on immigrants,

With the recent announcements about appointments in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, the United States faces a stark shift in immigration policy. Trump has reportedly named Stephen Miller, an architect of the previous administration's anti-immigrant policies, as deputy chief of staff for policy. Alongside Miller, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is expected to lead Homeland Security, and Tom Homan, known for his hardline stance, is set to become the "border czar."
Miller’s influence over Trump’s immigration agenda has long been noted. He was instrumental in creating policies such as the Muslim ban, family separation, and cuts to legal immigration during Trump’s first term. Miller, an avowed nationalist, has a history of undermining multiculturalism, evidenced by years of statements and policies aimed at shifting the racial demographics of the U.S. His approach reflects a goal to limit immigration drastically, impacting not only undocumented immigrants but also legal immigrants and naturalized citizens.
Jean Guerrero, author of Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, and the White Nationalist Agenda, argues that this campaign to radically reengineer U.S. demographics may ultimately harm the economy and tarnish the nation’s reputation as a refuge. Homan, too, has deep ties to the far-right and has previously suggested deporting U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants. This extreme rhetoric signals an intent to separate millions of mixed-status families, eroding the foundational values of compassion and inclusivity.
The U.S. has always been strengthened by diversity. Moving forward with policies driven by animus rather than pragmatism will create lasting damage and undermine the very principles America claims to uphold.

The Silencing of Gaza’s Journalists 11/12/2024

                                                               The Silencing of Gaza’s Journalists

Ms. Chekuru, a journalist and documentary producer, brings to light the recent, alarming threats faced by Palestinian journalists amid Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Journalist Hossam Shabat, reporting from northern Gaza, described his harrowing life on the frontlines, where just days prior, he and five other Al Jazeera journalists were baselessly accused by Israeli forces of being affiliated with militant groups. These claims, which Al Jazeera has denounced, place these journalists in grave danger, even as they provide essential coverage of alleged “crimes against humanity” in Gaza, as described by the UN.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), this year has seen a record 129 Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza, a toll that Gaza’s media office estimates even higher. Five of these were directly targeted, with Israel accused of ongoing attacks on press freedom. The U.S. has remained largely silent, neglecting tools like the Leahy Law, which could help investigate these deaths. This silence emboldens Israeli impunity and compromises the global community’s ability to understand the reality in Gaza.
The attack on journalists recalls the case of Shireen Abu Akleh, a U.S. citizen and journalist killed in 2022, where accountability remains elusive despite widespread calls for justice. Now, Gaza’s remaining journalists carry the weight of documenting the war, risking their lives each day. Al Jazeera cameraman Fadi al-Wahidi, recently shot by Israeli forces, lies paralyzed and in a coma, denied medical evacuation from Gaza’s crumbling healthcare system. His colleague Shabat pleads: “All we need is for you not to leave us alone, screaming…with no one to hear us.”