A momentous - world shaking - action for Gaza? [Content Warning - discusses self harm and mass atrocity events]

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”. 

As a child in the 60s, I was moved - shocked, but also moved by their depth of feeling - of several  Buddhist monks in Việt Nam who died by self  immolation in protest against the corruption, violence, and bigotry of the South Vietnamese government. 

Remembering that it was also an act of self immolation that triggered the Arab Spring, we have now seen a similar event, one that - because it was willingly committed by a US service member - may well have even greater impact in our hyper-connected world.

For news reporting on this, see:

“US airman dies after setting himself on fire outside Israeli embassy | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/26/us-airman-who-set-himself-on-fire-outside-israeli-embassy-dies      “Suicide vs genocide: Rest in power, Aaron Bushnell | Israel War on Gaza | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/2/26/suicide-vs-genocide-rest-in-power-aaron-bushnell      “US air force member dies after setting himself on fire outside Israeli embassy”   https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/25/man-set-himself-on-fire-israel-embassy   “Aaron Bushnell, 25, declared he will ‘no longer be complicit in genocide’ before setting himself alight in Washington DC”      “US airman dies after setting himself on fire outside Israeli embassy”   https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-airman-dies-after-setting-himself-fire-outside-israeli-embassy-reports-say-2024-02-26/   “Aaron Bushnell: US airman dies after setting himself on fire outside Israeli embassy in Washington”   https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68405119      “US airman dies after setting himself ablaze outside Israeli Embassy in Israel-_____ war protest”   https://apnews.com/article/israel-us-embassy-man-fire-air-force-f730a09009ce56d818f87a8f4dcc6ca7      “U.S. Air Force member who set himself on fire outside Israeli Embassy in D.C. has died”   https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/us-air-force-member-set-fire-israeli-embassy-dc-died-rcna140455      “Air Force member dies after setting himself on fire outside Israeli Embassy”   https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/26/air-force-member-fire-death-israeli-embassy-00143269   “According to a video circulating online, the airman repeatedly shouted “free Palestine” during his protest on Sunday”      “US airman sets himself on fire outside Israeli embassy in Washington”   https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-airman-sets-himself-on-fire-outside-israeli-embassy-in-washington/      

 

PS - additional news links I have subsequently found are: 

“US Serviceman Dies After Setting Self on Fire Outside Israeli Embassy to Protest War in Gaza”   https://time.com/6821425/israel-embassy-air-force-protest-fire-self-immolation-aaron-bushnell-latest-updates/   &   “The History of Self-Immolation as Political Protest”   https://time.com/6835364/self-immolation-history-israel-hamas-war/   (which includes past incidents I did not know about - one related to the war in Gaza dating to December)   &   “Malcolm Browne: The Story Behind The Burning Monk”   (regarding one of the incidents in Việt Nam I mentioned)   https://time.com/3791176/malcolm-browne-the-story-behind-the-burning-monk/   This is an interview, and includes   “I read once what President Kennedy said about your photograph. He said, “No news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world as that one.””      “What We Know About the Man Who Self-Immolated in Front of the Israeli Embassy”   https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/aaron-bushnell-self-immolation-what-we-know.html      “Aaron Bushnell Protest: What is self-immolation? What you ought to know about this political protest”   https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/aaron-bushnell-protest-what-is-self-immolation-what-you-ought-to-know-about-this-political-protest-101709113692252.html      “Pentagon Reacts To Aaron Bushnell's Self-Immolation At Israel Embassy - Newsweek”   https://youtu.be/xGabJxibZYg?si=SLkgH-hZK1sVVsau   (note that the statement says further information is to come)      an opinion that “The self-immolation of Aaron Bushnell should serve as a wake up call for the military”   https://www.salon.com/2024/02/28/the-self-immolation-of-aaron-bushnell-should-serve-as-a-wake-up-call-for-the-military/      “Self-immolation of Aaron Bushnell”   https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Self-immolation_of_Aaron_Bushnell&oldid=1210831838   (The live link, which will inevitably eventually include commentary that I have not read as of the time I added the previous link, is   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-immolation_of_Aaron_Bushnell)  

and 

“The Burning Man”   https://theaimn.com/the-burning-man/   “In another distinctly American moment, a cop or Secret Service officer runs up and unholsters his gun and points it with two hands at the man dying on the ground. Did he expect fire from within the fire?   ...   The U.S. media did not know how to handle the tragedy.   ...   Establishment news sources immediately set about the business of diminishing Bushnell’s act.   ...   Colleagues who knew him in the military as a software engineer-in-training, described him as kind, soft-hearted, and caring, the diametric opposite of the angry radical as he is being portrayed in widespread reporting.   ...   Given American media’s response to Bushnell’s dramatic act, expecting a political swing against Israel is a waste of intellectual energy. He is clearly being marginalized ... but people frustrated with their ability to have an individual impact on horrible situations can sometimes ... act ... with more courage than can be comprehended by observers. Self-immolation is not a new form of political protest and has had some historic importance.”  

PPS - a more recent article provides some human insight: 

“Aaron Bushnell was my friend. May he never be forgotten | Levi Pierpont | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/02/aaron-bushnell-death-washington-gaza  

I ask you to write to your elected representatives (if you are in a nation that has them), urging your representatives to honour the self sacrifice of this serviceman by refusing to condone the genocide in Gaza.

 

PS - as an example, this is the email I have just sent (if you use this as a starting point, do NOT forget to take out my personal reflections in the second paragraph - which I have highlighted and struck through in this copy [but not the original] to aid any who do): 

Dear Members of Parliament,

Protest death in the USA against the genocide in Gaza [Content Warning - discusses self harm and mass atrocity events]

As you are by now no doubt aware, a serving US service member has committed death by self immolation against the genocide - as an example of the reporting, see “US air force member dies after setting himself on fire outside Israeli embassy”   https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/25/man-set-himself-on-fire-israel-embassy   “Aaron Bushnell, 25, declared he will ‘no longer be complicit in genocide’ before setting himself alight in Washington DC”     

As a child in the 60s, I remember the protest deaths by self immolation of several Buddhist monks in South Việt Nam - and in the 90s met someone who had witnessed one of those events. I am also mindful that the self immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Tunisia was the event which triggered the Arab Spring (which was then driven by pressures that had been building for some time).

I consider that the self sacrifice of Aaron Bushnell may turn out to be a similarly significant act - possibly a turning point in official attitudes towards the genocide being committed by Israel in Gaza as part of its self destructive Pyrrhic "victory" against the vile terrorists who committed such acts of barbarity on 7^th October last year.

In any case, I consider it high time for Australia to ensure that, while we continue to support Israel's continued existence (whilst noting the thousands who have been protesting against the Netanyahu government for several years - and the charges of corruption against Netanyahu), we are acting decisively against the genocide that, in its state of shock and horror, Israel is committing against Palestinians - including babies, toddlers, and children.

I consider it likely that history will judge those who did not - nearly as harshly as those who failed to act in the 1930s and 40s.

 

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/  

 

 

The problem of non-apparent (“invisible”) disabilities in the workplace

In my experience across half a century, one of the most bad-faith plagued aspects of work has been the issue of non-apparent disabilities in workplaces. 

Partly this was ignorance and the lack of legal protection at the start of that half century, followed by scepticism and inadequate legal protection, ending with a fight between genuine attempts to care vs. resentment-driven revenge by ultra-superficial-policing. 

That last one is the sort of problem that can manifest itself when people criticise people for using disabled parking spaces when they don’t look disabled ... which is the reason why I, despite intermittent physical mobility issues and the suggestion of my doctor, have not got a disability parking permit.

In workplaces, it can show up with such extreme things as wanting copies of daily blood sugar readings - which was pretty clearly an attempt to cover their legal backsides by having ammunition they can use against me, and had NOTHING to do with the blatant lie claiming they cared - caring would have been ensuring staff levels were adequate, and work conditions were flexible enough that I could do things like rest when I needed to. 

And caring would NOT have been patronising, paternalistic, and invasive - which that demand was ... 

Ensuring businesses do not resort to extremist measures like this is the job of our elected representatives (for those nations that have them) - MANAGE and COUNTER business push backs on progressive measures. 

And some governments do exactly that - my home state government has a good history of doing so, and their federal counterparts have done so in the last couple of yeaars. 

And, to be fair, some businesses and managers have also done that - in some cases, ahead of governments. 

In fact, there are a few managers I have known this century who are amongst the best human beings I have ever met.

But some of their compatriots remain obtusely amongst the worst ...

 

These links may be of interest/use:  

• “EDS & Why We Misunderstand Disability”   https://youtu.be/3tr1RvErGn8?si=-BIyBlut6GiiPU_Q   This video is brilliant in many ways. One that particularly resonated with me is that if you have always lived with a something that doctors consider a symptom, how on earth are you meant to know it is a symptom? Doctors need to life their game   

• “You don’t have to see someone’s struggle to believe them!”   https://youtube.com/shorts/ixUux3IcB9k?si=c79ZxAGvUj88RHIB   
  

• Millions of Australians have a chronic illness. So why aren’t employers accommodating them?”   https://theconversation.com/millions-of-australians-have-a-chronic-illness-so-why-arent-employers-accommodating-them-219612   “... the continued exposure to work stressors can lead to or exacerbate chronic health conditions ...   Our research found 73% of people believed their chronic illness was at least partially caused or worsened by their job. Almost one in five people believed work entirely caused or worsened their illness.   These findings accord with data from Safe Work Australia”   Good question - and I suspect the problem is worse for non-apparent illnesses such as diabetes   
  

• “Should Disabled People Be Forced To Work?”   https://youtu.be/hpb_1aYtGds?si=RvNBVz1qjDPpoVrP  (The video was in response to right wing [destroy-the-world-through-economic-growth] rubbish about “doing duty”, and the arguments include all people have a valid existence, expectations to do work that one cannot do are harmful reality-denying fantasies [my wording], the problem of scepticism of the uninformed [especially regarding non-apparent disabilities], the threats to cut off money are to life, unsuitable workplaces, and the damaging [including guilt-tripping] and abuse-inciting “fraud” narrative and false claims.)

• “How accessibility for disabled university students can benefit all students”   https://theconversation.com/how-accessibility-for-disabled-university-students-can-benefit-all-students-189180   “Access fatigue is exhaustion people with disabilities face from constantly having to explain their situation and ask for help. Students reported having to negotiate their access needs repeatedly and to disclose private information (sometimes even to classmates, especially when they were assigned group projects)”   

• “Post No. 2,641 - Disability “accommodations” are just being decent - diagnoses are NOT required!”   https://gnwmythr.blogspot.com/2023/11/post-no-2641-disability-accomodations.html  
  

• “Post No. 2,710 - What constitutes a disability in the afterlife? [Content Warning - discussion on disability, and also on character flaws]”   https://gnwmythr.blogspot.com/2024/02/post-no-2710-what-constitutes.html   
  

 

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/  

 

 

FROM this week’s news ON: society generally, and broader issues [Note: Content Warning - may be links to distressing reports on this topic. 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”.

Frrom this week’s news on society generally, and broader issues (note: I may continue to add links for a few days, possibly up to a week, after these are published):

• “Australia’s 2.5 million smokers not jobless and dumb: research”   https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2024/02/19/smokers-research   “... and quit-smoking material needs to better reflect this, researchers say”   

• “Alan Kohler: Do we have the smarts to handle AI? History isn’t encouraging”   https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2024/02/19/kohler-ai-risks-rewards   “How AI deepfakes threaten the 2024 elections”   https://journalistsresource.org/home/how-ai-deepfakes-threaten-the-2024-elections/   “We don’t yet know the full impact of artificial intelligence-generated deepfake videos on misinforming the electorate. And it may be the narrative around them -- rather than the deepfakes themselves -- that most undermines election integrity”      “AI Behaviour, Human Destiny and the Rise of the Killer Robots”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/02/behavior-destiny-killer.html   “As the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have shown, the earliest drone equivalents of “killer robots” have made it onto the battlefield and proved to be devastating weapons. But at least they remain largely under human control. Imagine, for a moment, a world of war in which those aerial drones (or their ground and sea equivalents) controlled us ...”      “What is Sora? A new generative AI tool could transform video production and amplify disinformation risks”   https://theconversation.com/what-is-sora-a-new-generative-ai-tool-could-transform-video-production-and-amplify-disinformation-risks-223850      This next report is on concerns being raised about attempts to deal with a very real, massively harmful problem   “Apple warns Australian proposal to force tech companies to scan cloud services could lead to mass surveillance”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/22/apple-warns-australian-proposal-to-force-tech-companies-to-scan-cloud-services-could-lead-to-mass-surveillance   “Scanning for known child abuse material would compromise the privacy and safety of every user, tech giant says”      For this next article, while there is, indeed, a need for users to be wary, there is ALSO a need for governments to accept reality and ensure that the information they make available to apps - and if they aren't, they are incompetent - is also accurate   “German tourists blame Google Maps mishap for week lost in Queensland | SBS News”   https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/german-tourists-blame-google-maps-mishap-for-week-lost-in-queensland/1ndpm4lzu  
  

• as a prelude to this article, throughout much of human history most languages have only been spoken by a few thousand people. This led to humans being multilingual being the norm for most of our existence - and that is well exemplified by places such as the Balkans, and Indigenous language speakers in Australia. That this article is about an act of decency that seems so exceptional is an indication of how far we have declined as a species   “This 25-year-old is learning his seventh language. It's proving critical in his job | SBS News”   https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/this-25-year-old-is-learning-his-seventh-language-its-proving-critical-in-his-job/3kbf5upi2   
  

• “Care Packages for the Man Who Shot Him”   https://piperhendricks.medium.com/care-packages-for-the-man-who-shot-him-c2f72f19d829   “... part of me would like to believe I am the way I am because of some inherent goodness   ... But when I think harder, I admit that’s pretty preposterous and recognize just how lucky I’ve been   ...   Cheryl’s son   ...   stayed in touch with the man who shot him throughout the time he was in prison and showed him month after month that someone cared.   ...   And where is the man who shot Cheryl’s son now?   Out of prison. No further violations. And mentoring students in his community to help them avoid turning to violence”      but, on the other hand,   “Two charged with murder in Super Bowl parade shooting”   https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/us-news/2024/02/21/two-charged-murder-super-bowl-shooting   ““A verbal altercation occurred and gunfire broke out with no regard for thousands of other individuals in the area.””   I have known people like that: they are disturbed, incompetent as human beings,   possibly sociopaths, and must be restrained to prevent other people being harmed. Discernment is needed over when to forgive, and when to put safety first  
  

• “How our love of pets grew from a clash of world views”   https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00541-7   “Indigenous Americans’ relationships with and knowledge of animals have influenced how Europeans have thought about animals since 1492”   Animistic and reverential attitudes also existed in Europe prior to neochristianity  
  

• “What ‘psychological warfare’ tactics do scammers use, and how can you protect yourself?”   https://theconversation.com/what-psychological-warfare-tactics-do-scammers-use-and-how-can-you-protect-yourself-223959      this is abusive, perverted, and risks the mental health and wellbeing of innocent passers-by   https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/feb/23/perth-festival-invisible-opera-scarborough-beach      “How productivity gurus are making you less productive”   https://joanwestenberg.medium.com/how-productivity-gurus-are-making-you-less-productive-ce271b7cecb6   Well said  
  

My links for activism post may aid any activism you may decide to do on any/all of these. If you do, don’t get too fixated on specific instances of problems - important though they may well be: take a moment to also consider the broader issues these incidents and groups of incidents may suggest/reveal.

 

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/  

 

FROM this week’s news ON: the war in West Asia [Content Warning - links to reports on oppression/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 currrently ongoing war in West Asia (I object to the colonial term “Middle East”), in imperialistic Israel, Gaza, and adjoining nations, includes the following: 

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 VE group I refuse to name is, and has been for some time, clear, according to this from experts in that topic. Information suggests that several thousand of the Palestinian deaths to date are likely to be from that group - maybe up to 20% (as a maximum) of the total: the rest - more than 80% - are innocent civilians, including babies, toddlers, and children. 

 In my opinion, a safe place for Jewish people has to exist because of the world’s collective failures in the 1930s and 40s (the problem was not only Germany, but every nation that rejected Jewish asylum seekers/refugees [including my nation - although Yorta Yorta man William Cooper was a notable “upstander”] or allowed antisemitism - and that continues now) ... but the Arab nations’ proposal for a single nation with Arab and Jewish provinces should have been given more consideration, IMO, and now that MUST be as part of a two state solution, lest Israel’s foundation and existence be inherently based on an injustice - which, as part of correcting an injustice, intrinsically morally weakens that foundation and existence.  

Note also:   mainstream media continues to fail to report on the sexual assaults by _____ (which may be a bias resulting from having a majority cismale editors);   media bias towards Israel has been reported, but I have not seen that in the media I read;   this, on when criticism of Israel becomes antisemitism;   and   Israel’s conduct since the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the collapse of the Oslo Accords has been damaging of its standing (and devastating to those people on the receiving end), and its conduct now risks an even more self-damaging Pyrrhic “victory”.

 

• “The Battle for the Soul of Judaism: Tribalism, Amalek and the Axial Age Universalism of Isaiah”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/02/judaism-tribalism-universalism.html   Interesting - but note this was written by a Zen Buddhist priest   See also   “Eyeless in Gaza: Being Jewish and Being Heartbroken by the War”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/02/eyeless-jewish-heartbroken.html   
  

• “Rights experts call for probe into alleged violations against Palestinian women and girls”   https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/02/1146667    These reports are not new    “UN Human Rights Experts Blast Israel over “credible” Reports of Rape, Sexual Abuse, Arbitrary Imprisonment of Palestinian Women”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/02/arbitrary-imprisonment-palestinian.html   
  

• “Why do Israelis and the rest of the world view the Gaza conflict so differently? And can this disconnect be overcome?”   https://theconversation.com/why-do-israelis-and-the-rest-of-the-world-view-the-gaza-conflict-so-differently-and-can-this-disconnect-be-overcome-223188   “Decades of mutual grievances, tit-for-tat violence, daily rights violations of Palestinians and intergenerational trauma have eroded whatever goodwill may have existed once for the “other side”.   ...   The only hope for peace now is of a plan imposed from the outside.   ... mediators will have to demonstrate both fairness and a previously missing commitment to push the parties into making such concessions – on assurances of robust and durable international support   ...   Hate comes easily in the face of injustices   ...   Selective denunciation of atrocities based on one’s support or rejection of a cause — any cause — is not only morally flawed, but counterproductive as well   ...   Those who have been severely aggrieved may struggle to apply the same yardstick to others, but the rest of us could and should. We can do better.”          An opinion that   “The world’s moral failure in Gaza should shame us all | Opinions | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/2/21/the-worlds-moral-failure-in-gaza-should-shame-us-all   I agree  
  

• “_____ Is Returning to Northern Gaza Because Israel Has No Plan for the “Day After” - War on the Rocks”   https://warontherocks.com/2024/02/_____-is-returning-to-northern-gaza-because-israel-has-no-plan-for-the-day-after/   “Providing for the welfare of Gaza’s civilians is therefore a political, military, and humanitarian imperative. Israel expanded the scope of its military operations to pursue its objectives — it should now correspondingly broaden its mission parameters to provide aid and assistance to the territory’s residents”   This goes into past examples of problem attitudes, but it was also an issue after World War (part) Two in South East Asia - and the use of defeated Japanese forces for civil order as a stop gap measure because of lack of planning was problematic for many reasons. Several years of prior planning resulted in the situation in Europe being better - or less bad, Israel’s failure on this aspect is just another part of its self destructive Pyrrhic victory - a case of, if you will, shooting itself in the other foot. In fact, Israel’s worst/biggest/main enemy is ... itself ...      “Israeli parliament backs Netanyahu’s rejection of a Palestinian state | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/21/israeli-parliament-backs-netanyahus-rejection-of-a-palestinian-state   For the sake of a future and lasting peace, Israel’s current politicians need to be voted out for better ones in 2026  
  

• “Israel says it will launch Rafah assault if hostages not freed by Ramadan”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/19/israel-says-it-will-launch-rafah-assault-if-hostages-not-freed-by-ramadan   In three weeks ...   
  

 

on peace/ceasefires:   

• “Gaza ceasefire hopes fade as Netanyahu rejects calls to halt Rafah offensive”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/18/gaza-ceasefire-hopes-fade-netanyahu-rejects-calls-halt-rafah-offensive-israel   “Diplomatic efforts stall amid Israeli opposition to what it calls ‘unilateral recognition’ of a Palestinian state”      “US proposes UN resolution calling for ‘temporary ceasefire’ in Gaza | United Nations News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/19/us-proposes-un-resolution-calling-for-temporary-ceasefire-in-gaza   Hmm      “US vetoes Algerian resolution demanding immediate ceasefire in Gaza”   https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/02/1146697   “World slams US ceasefire veto at UN Security Council on Israel’s Gaza war | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/21/world-condemns-uss-latest-un-security-council-veto-on-gaza-ceasefire   “... the third US veto of a UNSC resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, and came a day after Washington circulated a resolution that would support a temporary ceasefire linked to the release of all Israeli captives from the Palestinian enclave.   The vote in the 15-member council was 13-1, with the United Kingdom abstaining, reflecting the strong support from countries around the globe for ending the devastating conflict that has killed more than 29,000 Palestinians.”  
  

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

• “If Israel continues War on Gaza for 6 Months, death toll will Exceed 100,000 from Trauma and Disease: Public Health Study”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/02/continues-exceed-disease.html   The study referred to is a  joint report by the the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health at Johns Hopkins University      “Rafah, Gaza: Urgent Statement from CEOs of Humanitarian and Human Rights Organisations”   https://theaimn.com/rafah-gaza-urgent-statement-from-ceos-of-humanitarian-and-human-rights-organisations/      “WFP halts food deliveries to north Gaza amid ‘complete chaos, violence’ | United Nations News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/21/wfp-halts-food-deliveries-to-north-gaza-amid-complete-chaos-violence      ““The Scenes in Rafah Are Straight From a Nightmare””   https://jewishcurrents.org/the-scenes-in-rafah-are-straight-from-a-nightmare   “Three displaced Palestinians describe unlivable conditions in a city bracing for imminent Israeli invasion”   

• “US intelligence casts doubt on Israeli claims of UNRWA-_____ links, report says”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/22/us-intelligence-unrwa-_____   “Intel report says some accusations that aid workers participated in Hamas attacks credible but could not be independently verified”   The assessment is - in everyday language - that some participation probably happened, but cannot be confirmed (I consider the headline misleading - or, at the very least, inaccurate). This is still of grave concern, but the issue of whether millions of other Palestinians should be collectively punished for those few is also of grave concern   “Independent review group on UNRWA may request Gaza visit”   https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/02/1146857      “UNRWA at ‘breaking point’ warns agency chief”   https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/02/1146867      “Which countries are still funding UNRWA amid Israel’s war on Gaza? | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/17/which-countries-are-still-funding-unrwa   “Norway to help transfer tax funds frozen by Israel to Palestinian Authority | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/19/norway-to-help-transfer-tax-funds-frozen-by-israel-to-palestinian-authority  
  

on military aspects:    

• “US to send weapons to Israel amid invasion threat in Gaza’s Rafah: Report | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/17/us-to-send-weapons-to-israel-amid-invasion-threat-in-gazas-rafah-report      “France under pressure to suspend military sales to Israel as war in Gaza grinds on”   https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20240222-france-under-pressure-to-suspend-military-sales-to-israel-as-war-in-gaza-grinds-on  
  

• “High court rejects legal challenge over UK arms sales to Israel”   https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/feb/20/high-court-rejects-legal-challenge-against-uk-arms-sales-to-israel   “Campaigners to appeal after court declines to block export licences despite concerns about human rights breaches in Gaza war”  
  

regionally:    

• “Israeli air strikes target Ghaziyeh in southern Lebanon | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/19/israeli-air-strikes-target-ghaziyeh-in-southern-lebanon       “Israeli air strikes kills two people in Syria’s capital: State media | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/21/israeli-air-strikes-kills-two-people-in-syrias-capital-state-media      “Occupied Jerusalem: ‘There is no Palestinian male that hasn’t been beaten’ | Israel War on Gaza | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/2/21/occupied-jerusalem-there-is-no-palestinian-male-that-hasnt-been-beaten  

• “H_____s claim cargo ship is at risk of sinking after Red Sea attack”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/19/houthis-claim-cargo-ship-risk-sinking-red-sea-attack   “Two projectiles hit Belize-flagged vessel in strike that if confirmed would be a propaganda victory”  “Rubymar cargo ship targeted by Yemen's Houthi rebels 'at risk of sinking'”   https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20240219-rubymar-cargo-ship-targeted-by-yemen-s-houthi-rebels-at-risk-of-sinking   “The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported the crew had abandoned a ship off Yemen after an explosion”        “EU launches Red Sea naval mission to protect shipping from Houthi attacks | European Union News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/19/eu-launches-red-sea-naval-mission-to-protect-shipping-from-houthi-attacks   

internationally: 

• “Corporate Japan deals an unwitting blow to US East Asia policy | Israel War on Gaza | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/2/19/corporate-japan-deals-an-unwitting-blow-to-us-east-asia-policy   “Japanese trading giant Itochu’s decision to cut ties with an Israeli defence contractor over the ICJ’s preliminary ruling on Israel’s war on Gaza will have consequences beyond Palestine.   ...   Itochu stated specifically that they based their decision on ... the position of the Japanese government that the ICJ decision must be implemented “in good faith”.   ...   The decision puts Itochu in a different league from the many Western states and companies that have either ignored the ICJ ruling or disparaged the charges of genocide as “without merit”.”   Well done!  
  

• in the USA   “A majority of Jewish Democrats and Muslim Democrats agree on one Thing: Immediate Gaza Ceasefire”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/02/democrats-immediate-ceasefire.html   

• “Social media users say their Palestine content is being shadow banned – here’s how to know if it’s happening to you”   https://theconversation.com/social-media-users-say-their-palestine-content-is-being-shadow-banned-heres-how-to-know-if-its-happening-to-you-222575   
  

• “The Israel-_____ War and Resurgent _ Threats to Europe and the United States | Lawfare”   https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-israel-_____-war-and-resurgent-jihadist-threats-to-europe-and-the-united-states  

• a The Guardian exclusive reports   “From a ‘pause’ to a humanitarian ceasefire: emails reveal why Australia shifted its position on Gaza”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/23/from-a-pause-to-a-humanitarian-ceasefire-emails-reveal-why-australia-shifted-its-position-on-gaza   “Exclusive: Documents obtained by Guardian Australia show confidential advice given to the foreign minister, Penny Wong, before she authorised ‘yes’ vote at UN”  
  

My links for activism post may aid any activism you may decide to do on any/all of these. If you do, don’t get too fixated on specific instances of problems - important though they may well be: take a moment to also consider the broader issues these incidents and groups of incidents may suggest/reveal.

 

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/