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 tragic events in West Asia, 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.
There is still no mainstream western media coverage of the initial and ongoing sexual violence by _____ - and the remaining female hostages held by _____ are certainly ... “at risk” In the meantime, Israel’s conduct continues to put it at risk of a pyrrhic “victory” - as I mentioned several times in previous posts. In fact, I am seeing indications that the loss of active US support may occur sooner than I anticipated - unless the war spreads, which will be a disaster for the entire world, beginning with the currently declining support for Ukraine become so absolute as to force a ceasefire of some kind (likely with loss of territory) and with a risk of the spread of war - which admission of Ukraine to NATO would also create
- noting that the ICJ has issued preliminary directions, but not made a formal finding regarding genocide: opinions that “Israel's Reputation forever Besmirched by UN Court Injunction to Cease Genociding Palestinians” https://www.juancole.com/2024/01/reputation-besmirched-palestinians.html and “Western moral Credibility is dying along with Thousands of Gaza Citizens” https://www.juancole.com/2024/01/credibility-thousands-citizens.html It is difficult to argue with those opinions ... See also “Israeli ministers attend conference calling for ‘voluntary migration’ of Palestinians” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/29/israeli-ministers-attend-conference-calling-for-voluntary-migration-of-palestinians “Attendance of 11 cabinet ministers and 15 coalition members of Knesset appears to violate ICJ ruling on Gaza war” “AOC says no one should be ‘tossed out of public discourse’ for accusing Israel of genocide” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/29/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-public-discourse-israel-gaza-genocide “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday declined to join critics who accuse Israel of genocide in its actions in Gaza, but said American society should not “toss someone out of our public discourse” for doing so” AOC is a noted progressive US politician who is well known for supporting minorities an opinion that “Ruling by UN's Top Court means the U.S. and Canada could be liable for Complicity in Gaza Genocide” https://www.juancole.com/2024/01/canada-complicit-genocide.html The ICJ has not yet actually ruled that genocide IS actually occurring However, these sorts of actions make such a finding more likely: “Huge Israeli Conference in Jerusalem Plots Squatter-Settlements in Gaza once it is Ethnically Cleansed” https://www.juancole.com/2024/01/conference-settlements-ethnically.html
- “Joe Biden issues executive order against Israeli settlers in West Bank” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/01/joe-biden-expected-issue-order-israeli-settlers-west-bank-palestinians “Financial sanctions and visa bans imposed on four individuals as US frustration with Israel grows” This is exactly the sort of problem Israel is creating for itself through its unconscionable conduct - whether genocide or not!
- “US District Court Judge: “It is every individual’s obligation to confront the current siege in Gaza”” https://www.juancole.com/2024/02/district-individuals-obligation.html “U.S.
District Judge Jeffrey S. White ... found that the suit had merit
on the facts but that a district court could not overrule the president
of the United States on foreign policy. That is, the conclusion of the
case was more about the separation of powers than about whether the
Biden administration is guilty of participating in a genocide”
- “When is criticism of Israel antisemitic? A scholar of modern Jewish history explains” https://theconversation.com/when-is-criticism-of-israel-antisemitic-a-scholar-of-modern-jewish-history-explains-220995 “In my view, antisemitism must be identified and fought, but so too must efforts to squash legitimate protest of Israel by conflating it with antisemitism. By understanding the mythology underlying antisemitism, hopefully both can be accomplished” This has an excellent, nuanced explanation of the terms, and a good - IMO - test to determine when the line has been crossed See also “Australian media’s Instagram posts on Gaza war have an anti-Palestine bias. That has real-world consequences” https://theconversation.com/australian-medias-instagram-posts-on-gaza-war-have-an-anti-palestine-bias-that-has-real-world-consequences-221609 “Journalism does not merely hold a mirror up to reality, as some have argued. It creates versions of reality. With every decision of which story to include and exclude, which image to show or not show, even which grammatical choice is made, our impressions are sculpted” And, for that matter, why not also see “Every Propaganda Technique Explained in 11 Minutes” https://youtu.be/sybo484veJY?si=h9YoqqIej73Mzibs Very brief “explanations”, but a useful summary
- “Pentagon vows ‘all necessary actions’ to defend US troops after deadly strike” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/29/pentagon-lloyd-austin-jordan-troops-killed “Lloyd
Austin says president ‘will not tolerate attacks on US forces’, as
Qatar warns that reprisal attacks could undermine Israel hostage talks” “Three US troops are killed after drone strike in Jordan, Biden vows reprisal” https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20240128-biden-says-three-us-service-members-killed-in-drone-attack-in-jordan and “Biden blames Iran-backed groups over troop deaths” https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/us-news/2024/01/29/biden-blames-iran-backed-groups-troop-deaths “Three
United States service members have been killed and dozens are feared
wounded after an unmanned aerial drone attack US forces stationed in
northeast Jordan near the Syrian border, President Joe Biden and US
officials say” This risks a major escalation of the war See also “Drone attack on American troops risks widening Middle East conflict – and drawing in Iran-US tensions” https://theconversation.com/drone-attack-on-american-troops-risks-widening-middle-east-conflict-and-drawing-in-iran-us-tensions-222216 and “The Guardian view on escalation in [West Asia]: the region is inching towards the abyss” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/29/the-guardian-view-on-escalation-in-the-[West-Asia]-the-region-is-inching-towards-the-abyss “US orders reprisal strikes against Iranian-backed militia” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/01/us-orders-reprisal-strikes-against-iranian-backed-militia “Strikes expected to take place in Syria and possibly Iraq, after three US soldiers were killed at a base in Jordan” My
initial reaction was: “Will the militia stay in their bases to be hit? I
suspect not - but this shows taking action, so may be a way of meeting
political demands in the USA without too much risk of escalation.”
Initial reports, however, show the strikes were significant “What we know about US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/02/us-airstrikes-iraq-syria-what-we-know
- “US pauses funding as UNRWA staff fired for suspected role in 7th Oct attacks” https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20240126-us-funding-unrwa-staff-fired-oct-7-attacks “The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Friday it had opened an investigation into several employees suspected of involvement in the 7th October attacks in Israel by ____ and that it had severed ties with those staff members” and “Israel spells out accusations against UNRWA workers linked to ____ attack” https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20240129-israel-accusations-unrwa-workers-_____-attack “The accusations come after years of tensions between Israel and the agency known as UNRWA over its work in Gaza, where it employs roughly 13,000 people.” More than the Israeli allegations (because of the history of hostility), it is the organisation’s response that causes me to consider the allegations are quite possibly true See also “Australia joins UNRWA funding boycott over Gaza” https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/middle-east-news/2024/01/28/unrwa-funding-suspend I still suspect this will end UNRWA, which “UNRWA funding cuts threaten Palestinian lives in Gaza and region, say 20 NGOs - The Australian Independent Media Network” https://theaimn.com/unrwa-funding-cuts-threaten-palestinian-lives-in-gaza-and-region-say-20-ngos/ - see also “‘No substitute’ for UNRWA’s lifesaving work in Gaza: Senior Humanitarian Coordinator” https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/01/1146042 & “‘We cannot abandon the people of Gaza’: chiefs of UN agencies and NGOs unite in appeal for UNRWA” https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/01/1146062
- “Gaza economic recovery could take decades: UN report” https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/01/1146077
on peace/ceasefires:
- “Israel-Palestinian conflict: is the two-state solution now dead?” https://theconversation.com/israel-palestinian-conflict-is-the-two-state-solution-now-dead-221967 The
article presents some significant points, but I consider that if a
two-state solution is dead so are the prospects of a lasting peace “Guterres: Two-State solution the only path to a just, lasting peace” https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/01/1146097
- “_____ regroups in northern Gaza to prepare new offensive” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/30/_____-returns-northern-gaza-new-offensive
- “Gaza: Weaponisation of Food has been used in Conflicts for Centuries – but it hasn’t always resulted in Victory” https://www.juancole.com/2024/02/weaponisation-conflicts-centuries.html
regionally:
- “Mapped: how Gaza war led to violence spreading around [West Asia] | {[West Asia] and north Africa | The Guardian” https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2024/jan/30/mapped-gaza-war-violence-spreading-[West-Asia]
- “UN and partners launch $2.7 billion humanitarian appeal for Yemen” https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/02/1146142 Yemen has been reliant on humanitarian aid for many years, which is part of the concerns about US strikes
internationally:
- “Uganda says judge's dissent from World Court ruling on Israel does not reflect its position” https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/uganda-says-judges-dissent-world-court-ruling-israel-does-not-reflect-its-2024-01-28/ This suggests that judges on the ICJ are truly independent “‘Grave violations’: Western officials in unprecedented Gaza protest” https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/2024/02/03/transatlantic-statement-on-gaza “More
than 800 high-ranking civil servants in the United States and Europe
have voiced dissent against their own governments’ policies on the
Israel-Gaza war”
- “Pro-Israel ‘surveillance’ group turning attention to Australia, leaked posts show” https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/jan/30/pro-israel-group-shirion-collective-australian-politicians-leaked-texts “Members of Shirion Collective, which claims to ‘expose antisemites’ online, have discussed presenting lists of names to home affairs minister Shirion Collective, which has largely focused on the US and UK, boasts of its ability to scrape digital fingerprints to “aggressively track and expose antisemites”. It is one of a number of groups that have gained prominence on social media during the Israel-Gaza war, publicly naming individuals it accuses of being antisemitic” And it uses AI ...
- the initially reported phrase (which I will not repeat) is, in my opinion, more probable than the independent expert’s claimed phrase - and the depth of anger is sufficient that its use by some is, in my opinion, plausible: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/02/sydney-opera-house-palestine-protest-nsw-police-antisemitic-chant-no-evidence
- a The Guardian exclusive reports: “‘Shockingly amateurish’: Australian government delivers veiled rebuke to Israel over UN agency comments” https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/03/shockingly-amateurish-australian-government-delivers-veiled-rebuke-to-israel-over-un-agency-comments “Exclusive:
Canberra insider hits back at [the Israeli ambassador] who accused
Australia of forgetting ‘_____ culpability’ for 7 October attacks” I agree: the Ambassadors remarks WERE ridiculous and unbecomingly inept on the part of a national Ambassador
- “Pelosi condemned for suggesting pro-Palestinian activists have ties to Russia” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/29/pelosi-condemned-pro-palestinian-russia-ties “Former House speaker called on the FBI to investigate protesters pressuring the Biden administration to support a ceasefire in Gaza” This is utter amathia and incompetence from someone who should know better than resort to this rubbish
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.
Copyright © Kayleen White 2016-2024 NO AI
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