Loss of 27 lives 7/11/2024

                                                                Loss of 27 lives

The loss of 27 lives, including many children, during an Israeli airstrike at a school-turned-shelter in southern Gaza is a devastating reminder of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region. Where a moment of respite during a soccer game turned into chaos and death, this underscores the urgent need for a resolution to the conflict.

The account of body parts and screams vividly illustrates the horrors faced by the people of Gaza daily. It is particularly alarming that this incident marks the fourth strike in four days to hit or damage a school building in Gaza, as noted by Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA. The targeting of areas housing civilians seeking refuge is unconscionable and must be condemned unequivocally.
The destruction of essential infrastructure and the immense loss of life necessitate an immediate and robust response from the international community. There must be a concerted effort to protect civilians, ensure the provision of humanitarian aid, and work towards a sustainable ceasefire. The ongoing violence only serves to deepen the suffering and perpetuate the cycle of retaliation and despair.
The world cannot stand idly by while such atrocities continue. The United States' ongoing delivery of 500-pound bombs makes our nation complicit in these horrific war crimes. President Biden, who has shown appalling weakness in standing up to Prime Minister Netanyahu, should resign.

To Biden or not to Biden 7/10/2024

                                          To Biden or not to Biden

We must demand Biden undergo a rigorous physical and cognitive test to assume the duties of President of the U.S. This should also apply to former President Trump, Supreme Court Justices, and members of Congress over 75. Biden’s legacy is already sullied by the blood of innocent Palestinians, and the killing is still going on. Killing and starving Palestinians is not defense of Israel but mass murder and genocide. America has long lost its moral compass.
We have gone from Howard Baker’s famous question about Richard Nixon — “What did the president know and when did he know it?” — to something much more pathetic: What does the president know, and does he even remember it? All this would be more sympathy-inducing if the president and his advisers weren’t engaged in what, to all outward appearances, looks to be an aggressive cover-up about the speed and extent of his decline. A phalanx of administration officials constantly insists that the president is sharp, spry, on top of it, slowed by age but well-oiled with wisdom. The president himself declared, “my memory is fine,” in an angry rebuttal in February to the report of Robert Hur, the special counsel, which described him as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” But the clearer it becomes that Hur was right, the more offensive the denials feel — not only because they are so transparently untrue but also because they seem so obviously self-interested. If, as Axios reported, the president is “dependably engaged” between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., then who are the Edith Wilsons running the country the other 18 hours of the day?
This is worse than reckless. We still elect a president, not a cabinet, and the president alone holds the vast constitutional powers of war, peace, justice, and administration. If the president’s secretaries, confidantes, and family members think they are helping him or the country by assuming an ever-increasing share of his decision-making, they aren’t. They are usurping his authority, deceiving the nation, and enticing our enemies into mischief or miscalculation. They are also feeding the rampant cynicism that in turn feeds MAGA nation. The embarrassment of Biden’s debate performance last month isn’t simply that it confirmed everything that Fox News gleefully alleged and MSNBC pompously denied about the president’s mental state. It’s that it perfectly fit the narrative of a deep state that protects its own, that calls its critics liars while lying all the time, that can barely hold it together but maintains a very high opinion of itself.
“Not only am I campaigning, but I’m running the world,” Biden told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in an interview last week. He made this grandiose — one might say Trumpian — claim in nearly the same breath as he flatly refused to take a simple cognitive test. No, it’s incumbent on those around him and, most of all, the Democratic Party, to force him to accept reality as it is, not as he wants it to be: he can’t win. He’s not fit to be president now, let alone in four years. The Democratic Party gave us this situation. Senior Democrats gaslit millions of voters to believe Biden was as “sharp as a tack” for over a year. The stories of his cognitive decline were “conspiracy theories.” It’s the biggest betrayal of trust I can think of, and if he is the nominee, Democrats are no different than Republicans: a hollow shell of a “party” to be filled with the whims of their leader. This great country deserves better.

To Biden or not to Biden 7/10/2024

                                               To Biden or not to Biden

We must demand Biden undergo a rigorous physical and cognitive test to assume the duties of President of the U.S. This should also apply to former President Trump, Supreme Court Justices, and members of Congress over 75. Biden’s legacy is already sullied by the blood of innocent Palestinians, and the killing is still going on. Killing and starving Palestinians is not defense of Israel but mass murder and genocide. America has long lost its moral compass.
We have gone from Howard Baker’s famous question about Richard Nixon — “What did the president know and when did he know it?” — to something much more pathetic: What does the president know, and does he even remember it? All this would be more sympathy-inducing if the president and his advisers weren’t engaged in what, to all outward appearances, looks to be an aggressive cover-up about the speed and extent of his decline. A phalanx of administration officials constantly insists that the president is sharp, spry, on top of it, slowed by age but well-oiled with wisdom. The president himself declared, “my memory is fine,” in an angry rebuttal in February to the report of Robert Hur, the special counsel, which described him as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” But the clearer it becomes that Hur was right, the more offensive the denials feel — not only because they are so transparently untrue but also because they seem so obviously self-interested. If, as Axios reported, the president is “dependably engaged” between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., then who are the Edith Wilsons running the country the other 18 hours of the day?
This is worse than reckless. We still elect a president, not a cabinet, and the president alone holds the vast constitutional powers of war, peace, justice, and administration. If the president’s secretaries, confidantes, and family members think they are helping him or the country by assuming an ever-increasing share of his decision-making, they aren’t. They are usurping his authority, deceiving the nation, and enticing our enemies into mischief or miscalculation. They are also feeding the rampant cynicism that in turn feeds MAGA nation. The embarrassment of Biden’s debate performance last month isn’t simply that it confirmed everything that Fox News gleefully alleged and MSNBC pompously denied about the president’s mental state. It’s that it perfectly fit the narrative of a deep state that protects its own, that calls its critics liars while lying all the time, that can barely hold it together but maintains a very high opinion of itself.
“Not only am I campaigning, but I’m running the world,” Biden told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in an interview last week. He made this grandiose — one might say Trumpian — claim in nearly the same breath as he flatly refused to take a simple cognitive test. No, it’s incumbent on those around him and, most of all, the Democratic Party, to force him to accept reality as it is, not as he wants it to be: he can’t win. He’s not fit to be president now, let alone in four years. The Democratic Party gave us this situation. Senior Democrats gaslit millions of voters to believe Biden was as “sharp as a tack” for over a year. The stories of his cognitive decline were “conspiracy theories.” It’s the biggest betrayal of trust I can think of, and if he is the nominee, Democrats are no different than Republicans: a hollow shell of a “party” to be filled with the whims of their leader. This great country deserves better.

U.S. weapons are slaughtering children in Gaza, harking back to memories of the Holocaust. 7/8/2024

 U.S. weapons are slaughtering children in Gaza, harking back to memories of the Holocaust.

The British medical journal, The Lancet, reports that Gaza’s true death toll could be as high as 186,000, which starkly contrasts with the official figure of nearly 38,200. This discrepancy underscores the catastrophic indirect effects of the ongoing Israeli terrorist attacks on ordinary civilians, including shortages of medical care, food, shelter, and water, principally affecting children.
The report’s alarming revelation that roughly 8% of Gaza’s population may have perished demands immediate international attention and intervention. The situation is further exacerbated by repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure. Notably, a recent Israeli airstrike on a UNRWA school tragically claimed the lives of at least 16 Palestinians, many of them children.
Eyewitness accounts, such as that of Ayman al-Atouneh, paint a horrifying picture: “We saw bodies of children, in pieces. This is a playground. There was a trampoline here. There were swing sets and vendors. Civilians were killed. It’s a civilian school. These are United Nations schools, for the UNRWA. It is supposed to be safe for people and should not be targeted anytime.” Such attacks on civilian and humanitarian sites are deeply troubling and highlight the urgent need for accountability.
Furthermore, the situation in the occupied West Bank is equally concerning. The approval of nearly 5,300 new illegal settlements by Israel’s Supreme Planning Council marks the largest single land appropriation since the Oslo Accords, further inflaming tensions and undermining peace efforts.
The Israeli public is also voicing its discontent. Recent nationwide protests saw Israelis blocking highways, demanding a ceasefire, a hostage deal, and the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In light of these harrowing developments, it is imperative that the international community intensifies its efforts to mediate a lasting peace and provide humanitarian aid to Gaza. The staggering death toll and ongoing violence demand immediate and decisive action to prevent further loss of life and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.

"The Night Won’t End: Biden’s War on Gaza" 7/6/2024

                                       "The Night Won’t End: Biden’s War on Gaza"

I urge the general public concerned about the ongoing genocide in Gaza to watch the documentary, "The Night Won’t End: Biden’s War on Gaza" from Al Jazeera English, now available on YouTube. This new documentary investigates civilian killings in Gaza and U.S. Complicity in Israel’s horrific war crimes.
The documentary takes an in-depth look at attacks on civilians by the Israeli military in Gaza and the United States' role in the conflict. It follows three Palestinian families as they recount the horrific experiences they have endured under relentless Israeli assault. This includes the family of 6-year-old Hind Rajab, the young Palestinian girl who made headlines in January when it emerged that she had been trapped in a car with family members killed by Israeli ground troops. The film also features the Salem family, who first lost dozens of family members in an Israeli airstrike and then additional family members who were executed by Israeli soldiers.
The documentary features clips and interviews with journalists Kavitha Chekuru and Sharif Abdel Kouddous, the director and correspondent of The Night Won’t End, respectively. The discussion highlights the plight of journalists in Gaza and U.S. complicity in Israel’s war. As Kouddous points out, “There’s no question that U.S. weapons have killed civilians in Gaza. This violates both international humanitarian law and domestic law.”
This documentary sheds light on the devastating impact of the conflict on innocent civilians and raises important questions about the role of the United States in perpetuating the violence. It is crucial that we continue to bring attention to these issues and hold those like President Biden and his administration accountable.

Israel lies children die. 7/5/2024

                                                     Israel lies children die.

 US restores funding to “UNRWA
Children are the greatest gift to mankind. Without them, the world would be empty. Children, of all faiths should be revered, valued equally, and nourished and protected by the leaders of all countries. However, both Israel and the Biden administration have violated this cardinal rule.
In one case, Biden was uncharacteristically decisive: After Israel alleged involvement in terrorism by staff members of the United Nations agency at the center of efforts to avert starvation in Gaza, Biden swiftly suspended funding for the agency. Congress then extended the funding freeze.
Yet it now appears that Biden was wrong for the factual basis behind accusations against the agency has proved elusive. It pains me that in a misguided effort to impose accountability, the United States instead appears to have layered additional misery on hungry people.
Far-right Israeli politicians are pushing to abolish the agency in question, UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, which provides schools, clinics, and other services in the region. A bill in the Israeli Parliament that would ban UNRWA as a terrorist organization easily passed a first reading, leading to international condemnation. Doctors Without Borders called the move “an outrageous attack on humanitarian assistance,” and the European Union described UNRWA as “crucial and irreplaceable.”
“UNRWA is staggering under the weight of relentless attacks,” said Philippe Lazzarini, the Swiss Italian humanitarian who leads the agency. He warned that it may “crumble” in ways that “sow the seeds of hatred, resentment, and future conflict.”
The ground around the U.N. agency’s headquarters in East Jerusalem is charred where violent Israeli protesters attacked the compound and twice set it on fire. During the arson attacks, a crowd chanted in Hebrew, “Let the U.N. burn.”
Since then, two independent investigations have been undertaken, and they suggest a pattern of Israel making wild accusations against UNRWA and failing to back them with significant evidence. One investigation, led by a former French foreign minister, recommended reforms but exonerated UNRWA of allegations that it was complicit with Hamas; it added that “UNRWA is irreplaceable and indispensable” and “pivotal in providing lifesaving humanitarian aid.”
Given that UNRWA seems to be a force for stability, it’s hard to see the Israeli campaign against it as anything but one more effort to silence voices for Palestinians. That’s how Lazzarini sees the campaign against the organization he runs.
“Ultimately, there is a political objective to strip the Palestinians of their refugee status, to weaken their further aspirations for self-determination,”. “It’s also a way to undermine the two-state political solution.”
So Biden should acknowledge his misstep. As famine threatens Gaza, the United States should be backing the agency at the center of efforts to fight starvation, not undermining it.
The carnage in Gaza will be a moral stain on Biden forever. There is enough evidence out there that Israel is deliberately starving Gaza. This is no longer "self-defense." This is a deliberate strategy of annihilation of the Palestinians.
The EU and several individual countries, including Canada, have restored funding to UNRWA. Since Israel has supplied no evidence for its charges against UNRWA employees, I suggest it's time for the YS to restore funding to UNRWA.

President Biden 7/4/2024

                                                                 President Biden

President Biden has indeed faced challenging events, but in my opinion, he has waited far too long. The damage from the debate is already done, and I don't think there's anything he can do to change public perception at this point.

I hope all this "we're still in it" talk by the Biden team is just public fodder while behind-the-scenes discussions are taking place about the orderly logistics of a transition to new candidates. I am hopeful tonight's meeting with governors, several of whom are likely potential Biden/Harris replacements, is a big part of that transition conversation. Step away gracefully before any more damage is done and save our democracy from Trump. Let’s nominate a competent, younger candidate who will bury Trump before SCOTUS finishes coronating him.
The most patriotic thing Biden can do now is to release his delegates and go for an open convention. I wish him well. I do not want his legacy tarnished in the way that Ruth Bader Ginsburg tarnished hers. Perhaps a sufficiently large chorus of appreciative supporters asking him to step down could help him do the right thing.
It would be so much better for everyone (except Republicans) if President Biden withdrew his candidacy for re-election:
1.      The focus on age would shift to Trump.
2.      President Biden's awful debate performance would evaporate since he would no longer be a candidate.
3.      The Democratic Party would be seen as capable, not culpable.
4.      A younger candidate would eviscerate Donald Trump's candidacy and make plain all Trump deserves is a one-way ticket to political oblivion.
Prime Minister of Israel Netanyahu has judged a weakness in President Biden and is capitalizing on that weakness, forcing him to maintain a constant supply of weapons and remain silent about the starvation and killing of Palestinians—a cardinal sin which has adversely affected his presidency. America is on the wrong side of human justice and needs to recalibrate its moral compass before more damage is done. Spain, Norway, and Ireland have pushed for a separate Palestinian state along with over 140 countries around the world. America, principally Biden, should hear their call and recognize that Palestinians deserve a separate state.
Mr. Biden, it’s time to leave office. We need a younger man to challenge the potential disastrous presidency of Trump, who will take us to the dark side of politics.