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: my usual preamble to these posts can be found on the post at https://politicalmusingsofkayleen.blogspot.com/2024/04/from-this-weeks-news-on-war-in-west_24.html. I will omit that from now on for the sake of brevity.
- “My parents were taken hostage on 7 October. This Passover, we pray for leaders who bring dignity and peace” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/22/israel-hostages-gaza-_____-passover “My family’s kibbutz was devastated. After 200 dark days, we need to expand our compassion, to recognise each other’s pain” “Leaders of 18 countries urge _____ to release hostages held in Gaza” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/25/israel-hostages-gaza-rafah-ceasefire-negotiations
- “The Ideological Coup: How Far Right Kahanist Extremists Became the Face of Israel” https://www.juancole.com/2024/04/ideological-kahanist-extremists.html
- “Gaza detainees 'urinated on, made to act like animals' by Israeli forces, UNRWA says | Middle East Eye” https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/un-warns-mass-ill-treatment-palestinians-israeli-detention
- “Independent review panel releases final report on UNRWA” https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1148821 “An
independent panel released its much-awaited report on Monday about the
UN relief agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), providing 50
recommendations and noting that Israeli authorities have yet to provide
proof of their claims that UN staff are involved with terrorist
organisations. ... The much-awaited final report found that UNRWA,
established by the General Assembly in 1949, has extensive tools in
place to ensure it remains unbiased in its work and routinely provides
Israel with employee lists and “the Israeli Government has not informed
UNRWA of any concerns relating to any UNRWA staff based on these staff
lists since 2011.”” In my opinion, a reasonable person could be inclined to suspect some Israelis are lying ... “UNRWA committed to implement independent review recommendations” https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1148916
- “War on Gaza: Hundreds of bodies unearthed in Khan Younis hospital mass graves | Middle East Eye” https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/hundreds-bodies-unearthed-nasser-hospital-mass-graves “Mass graves in Gaza show victims’ hands were tied, says UN rights office” https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1148876 “Disturbing reports continue to emerge about mass graves in Gaza in which Palestinian victims were reportedly found stripped naked with their hands tied, prompting renewed concerns about possible war crimes amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said” an opinion on “How an ‘antisemitism hoax' drowned out the discovery of mass graves in Gaza | Middle East Eye” https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/antisemitism-hoax-drowned-out-discovery-mass-graves-gaza
- “US set to impose sanctions on Israeli military unit over abuses: Report | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/21/us-set-to-impose-sanctions-on-israeli-military-unit-over-abuses-report “‘An Israeli-style Wagner Group’: The ultra-Orthodox military unit in [the USA]’s crosshairs” https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20240423-netzah-yehuda-the-israeli-ultra-orthodox-military-unit-in-washington-crosshairs “For
the first time, the United States is expected to impose sanctions on an
Israeli military unit. The _ _ Battalion, initially set up to
accommodate Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jews but which quickly expanded to
become a popular unit for radical right-wing settlers, has over the
years been accused of a series of human rights abuses against
Palestinians in the West Bank.” “Israeli Squatter-Settlers in Palestinian West Bank Expanding at Fastest Rate in History, as they attack Indigenous Towns” https://www.juancole.com/2024/04/palestinian-expanding-indigenous.html
on military aspects:
- “Gaza’s unexploded ordnance could take 14 years to clear” https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1149051
regionally:
- “Settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank – visualised” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/22/israel-settlers-violence-against-palestine-west-bank “International attention is on Gaza – but attacks by Israelis who live on Palestinian land have been increasing”
- an opinion that: “Iran seems like it’s in escalation mode – but all-out war with Israel is the last thing it wants” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/22/iran-israel-middle-east-escalation-tehran “The country is on the defensive. While Israel has ironclad support from its allies, Tehran is vulnerable and isolated” “Israel’s Limited Attack on Iran Appears Aimed at De-Escalating Conflict” https://www.juancole.com/2024/04/israels-escalating-conflict.html
- “Caught between Israel and Iran, Jordan clings desperately to stability” https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20240419-israel-iran-jordan-clings-desperately-to-stability-us-washington-_____-gaza-palestinians
- “Syria crisis intensifies in shadow of Gaza war” https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1149016
internationally:
- “Student protesters are demanding universities divest from Israel. What does that mean?” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/25/divestment-israel-college-protests “Pro-Palestinian protests sweep US universities, targeting financial ties with Israel” https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20240424-pro-palestinian-protests-sweep-us-universities-targeting-financial-ties-with-israel “Police use rubber bullets and tear gas to break up university protest in Georgia” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/25/emory-university-protest-arrests “House speaker condemned for remarks on pro-Palestine student protests” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/25/mike-johnson-columbia-gaza-protests “Republican Mike Johnson accused of ‘wilfully spreading misinformation’ and ‘inciting violence’ after CNN interview” As I read somewhere that one protestor had commented, the war and abuses in Gaza are this generation’s Vietnam War, complete with protests, violently brutal suppression, and head-in-that-sand amathia from the establishment
- “Relatives ‘surprised and shocked’ after 68-year-old Gaza woman’s Australian visa cancelled on security grounds” https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/apr/26/fatma-almassri-visa-cancelled-palestine-gaza-israel-war “Palestinian
Australian advocates call for transparency after home affairs
department cancels visa of Fatma Almassri, a diabetic living in
displaced persons’ camp, without warning” Is that government department xenophobic and racist?At the very least, they seem professionally questionable
- “Oil price could exceed $100 a barrel if Middle East conflict worsens, World Bank warns” https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/apr/25/oil-price-could-exceed-100-a-barrel-if-middle-east-conflict-worsens-world-bank-warns “Increase in cost of crude could drive inflation up and force central banks to keep interest rates high”
- “Dispatches from the Northwestern University Liberated Zone” https://drdevonprice.substack.com/p/dispatches-from-the-northwestern
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.
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