FROM this week’s news ON: the war in West Asia [Content Warning - links to reports on bigotry/hate, violence including SA & CSA/abuse/war, genocide, language. Reader discretion is advised]

Note: CONTENT WARNING - some of this content is about upsetting, disturbing or triggering events & attitudes. Seek competent help - including professional - if you need it. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that linked articles may contains names and/or images of deceased people. READER CAUTION IS RECOMMENDED! For anyone distressed by anything in this post, or for any other reason considering seeking support, resources are available in Australia here, here, and here. In other nations, you will have to do an Internet search using terms such as “mental health support - <your nation>” (which, for instance, may lead to this, this, and this, in the USA, or this, this, and this, in France [biased towards English-language - my apologies]), or perhaps try https://www.befrienders.org/. 

Note: in my “from the news” posts, quotes are shown italicised and blue, my comments are in a different shade of blue, and “good” items are shown in green. I have loosely grouped the posts where such seemed reasonable, but that is subjective (i.e., my opinion - others are free to disagree), and challenging, as some posts belong in multiple “groups”.

Reporting on recent and currently ongoing tragic events in West Asia, in Israel, Gaza, and adjoining nations, includes the following: 

• “How Long can Israel Defy the World?”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/01/long-israel-world.html   This includes an excellent history, and a useful reminder of “the Samson Option, i.e., a nuclear attack on the countries endangering “Israel’s right to exist””    - see also   https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nuclear_weapons_and_Israel&oldid=1192206134#Doctrine  
  

• “Stakes high as South Africa brings claim of genocidal intent against Israel”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/04/stakes-high-as-south-africa-brings-claim-of-genocidal-intent-against-israel   “Israel’s decision to defend itself at the international court of justice will make it harder for it to brush aside any adverse finding”   Nations such as mine, which have not taken action on genocide and have dragged their heels on even relatively simple and clearcut matters such as Magnitsky sanctions, need to consider whether we are morally bankrupt - and who/what might have been appointed as receivers ...   and   “Israeli public figures accuse judiciary of ignoring incitement to genocide in Gaza”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/03/israeli-public-figures-accuse-judiciary-of-ignoring-incitement-to-genocide-in-gaza         “World’s Decades of Silence on Israel’s Colonial Violence is being Reaped in Gaza”   https://www.juancole.com/2023/12/decades-colonial-violence.html   
  

• ““Stop Weaponising Antisemitism”: Ex-Harvard Hillel Leader”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/01/weaponizing-antisemitism-harvard.html    An interesting article with points of view that are well worth considering   

• “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks full control of Egypt-Gaza border | SBS News”   https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/israel-must-have-full-control-of-gaza-egypt-border-benjamin-netanyahu-says/lh74eyzi2   This is concerning      “Can Masha Gessen get an Apology now that Israel’s S_______ called Gaza a “Ghetto” that Should be Depopulated?”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/01/apology-s_______-depopulated.html   Although some of the far right extremists in Israel have always wanted to get rid of all Palestinians (even before Israel was founded), I do not consider any thoughts of that were part of the initial response - and yes, that response has been barbaric and described by experts as genocide, but IF thoughts of ethnic cleansing have become incorporated into Israel’s thinking/planning, I consider that most likely due to an opportunistic pile on   See also   “Israel in discussions with Congo to resettle Palestinians from Gaza, Recalling Nazi Madagascar Plan for Jews”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/01/discussions-resettle-palestinians.html      

• On the the far right extremists,   “Extreme Right Israeli Gov't brands “Illegal” Supreme Court's upholding of Judicial Review; Divisions Loom amid Gaza War”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/01/upholding-judicial-divisions.html   The proposed changes were bad enough for tens of thousands of Israelis to protest, and for hundreds of reservists indicate - months ago - that they would not serve   See also   “Israel’s highest Court protects its Power to curb Government Extremism”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/01/protects-government-extremism.html  
  

 

on peace/ceasefires:   

• “Israeli defence minister outlines postwar plan for Gaza as Blinken flies in”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/05/israel-defence-minister-yoav-gallant-gaza-plan-after-war-hamas-palestine-control-antony-blinken-visit   “... proposal says Palestinians would control territory – but far-right members of Israeli cabinet have called for them to leave altogether”    See also   “Israel tries to appease US with proposals for Gaza as Blinken heads to Middle East | Israel-Gaza war | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/05/israel-tries-to-appease-us-with-proposals-for-gaza-as-blinken-heads-to-middle-east  
  

on human rights and human suffering (on both sides) aspects:    

• ““We have to shout”: Thousands in Tel Aviv call for return of Israeli hostages from Gaza”   https://youtu.be/db8S5n7aP8k?si=Vk6gFISP8pKmBnh1   

• “Everyone is hungry in Gaza, warn UN humanitarians”   https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/01/1145227  

on military aspects:    

• “Israel hints at pulling troops back from Gaza as US aircraft carrier heads home | SBS News”   https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/israel-hints-at-pulling-troops-back-from-gaza-as-us-aircraft-carrier-heads-home/6jxv2403l   Hmm ... the fighting shows no sign yet of slowing down so that this could happen ...  

regionally:    

• “Israel-Gaza war: will the Red Sea crisis lead to a wider Middle East conflict? | Israel-Gaza war | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/02/israel-gaza-war-risk-wider-conflict-us-iran-houthi-ships-red-sea   See also   “Security Council meets over Red Sea attacks amid growing threat of spillover from Gaza war”   https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/01/1145267   and   “Iran deploying warship to the Red Sea after U.S. strikes Houthi rebels”   https://youtu.be/wXyMNFcyFKw?si=741gW40a2hXFC_iq         And in a major risk of escalation,   “Twin bombs explode in Iran’s deadliest ‘terror’ attack”   https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/2024/01/04/iran-terror-blast   and   “Guterres strongly condemns attack in Iran; over 100 reportedly killed”   https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/01/1145257   and   “What's known so far about the deadly explosions in Iran | DW News”   https://youtu.be/flewPUghQ5o?si=8KRbQ46h3ULkTvfh   The USA has denied responsibility, and also said Israel did not do this, and then ...   “______ S_____ claims responsibility for Iran bombings that killed at least 84”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/04/iran-kerman-attack-islamic-state-suspicion-border-afghanistan-pakistan  
  

• “Turkïye detains 33 people accused of spying for Israel’s Mossad”   https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240102-turkey-detains-33-people-accused-of-spying-for-israel-s-mossad  
  

internationally:

• “Top Executive Leaves ADL Over CEO’s Praise of E___ M___”   https://jewishcurrents.org/top-executive-leaves-adl-over-ceos-praise-of-elon-musk   A long read, but worth it   

• “The Economic Incentive: Blocking Israel’s Supply Chain - The Australian Independent Media Network”   https://theaimn.com/the-economic-incentive-blocking-israels-supply-chain/   Assesses the potential impact of community action, in view of the absence of any governmental sanctions - either now, or before 7^th October  
  

 

Note: as with other mass murderers/serial killers/and the like, violent extremists crave publicity, so I refuse to give that to them - I will avoid using their names (which is a policy adopted by good law enforcement and media for other mass murderers), and I will not give them the satisfaction of being described with the T word. 

This is explained further in my post at https://politicalmusingsofkayleen.blogspot.com/2023/10/from-news-on-war-in-west-asia-content_25.html.  

Note also that the genocidal intent of the VEs I refuse to name is clear, according to this from experts in that topic.

My links for activism post may aid any activism  you may decide to do on any/all of these.

 

Assumptions / basis 

In writing this, I have assumed / started from the following: 

• this blog states quite clearly that it is about political and human rights matters, including lived experience of problems, and thus I will assume readers are reasonable people who have noted the content warning in the post header;

Possible flaws 

Where I can, I will try to highlight possible flaws / issues you should consider:

• there may be flawed logical arguments in the above: to find out more about such flaws and thinking generally, I recommend Brendan  Myers’ free online course “Clear and Present Thinking”; 
  
• I could be wrong - so keep your thinking caps on, and make up your own minds for yourself.
  

 

If they are of any use of interest, the activism information links from my former news posts are available in this post. 

 

If you appreciated this post, please consider promoting it - there are some links below.

Remember: we need to be more human being rather than human doing, and all misgendering is an act of active transphobia/transmisia that puts trans+ lives at risk & accept that all insistence on the use of “trans” as a descriptor comes with commensurate use of “cis” as a descriptor to prevent “othering”.

Copyright © Kayleen White 2016-2024     NO AI   I do not consent to any machine learning aka Artificial Intelligence (AI), generative AI, large language model, machine learning, chatbot, or other automated analysis, generative process, or replication program to reproduce, mimic, remix, summarise, or otherwise  replicate any part of this post or other posts on this blog via any means. Typo’s may be inserrted deliberately to demonstrate this is not an AI product.     Otherwise, fair and reasonable use is accepted under Creative Commons 4.0 on an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike basis   https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/