Tag: israel

Two Wings, Same Bird

If you have not realized that the United States is completely backing Israel’s crimes against humanity that began with Gaza, moved to the West Bank and now extends to Lebanon, then I ask you to wake from slumber.

The United Nations has been consistent in its condemnation of Israel and the Biden administration has continued to use “defense” as a cover for Israel’s brutal destruction of communities and all-out murders. It has been nearly one year that we have been witness to this genocide. It has been nearly one year that the United States has given diplomatic cover and billions of dollars to the terrorist nation which Israel has become.

As we remain divided between the two wings of the same bird, we are unable to stand united against crimes against humanity. In this case, the two wings are the GOP and the Dems, and the bird is militarism. The winds that keep the wings afloat are the lobbying dollars of the war industry and of the nations who benefit from the wars of resource and land theft.

Our politicians are bought and sold while our humanity wallows in moral decay.

The political arena is a circus with celebrated clowns, including the so – called third parties that emerge every four years adding confusion to an already broken system. And if you look closely, you can see that international players choose our election cycles to wreak havoc on innocent human beings – as we willingly comply by ignoring the essential for the macabre.

And what is the essential? Essential is the recognition of the primary needs of every human being: clean food, water, air, shelter and the possibility of peace. 

Polls show the majority of us want a ceasefire. It’s time we demand it.

Let us fly on the wings of peace.

The United Nations has repeatedly called for Ceasefire which the US has blocked. Now as we witness Israel’s unchecked bombing of Lebanon, the US and “allies” are calling for a three week ceasefire. We must ensure that Biden does not tell us again how “tirelessly” he is working for ceasefire. We must demand it.

“Lebanese Civilians Are Paying the Price” https://www.democracynow.org/2024/9/25/lebanon_aya_majzoub

Cutting Our Ties to Terror

A new terror has descended on the world as Israel unleashed the simultaneous explosions of pagers followed by a second day of explosions of walkie talkies in Lebanon.

Israel’s defense minister claims this is a “new era” in Israel’s war effort. The simultaneous pager explosions on Hezbollah fighters killed at least thirty-seven and wounded 3400. Hospitals were overwhelmed by amputees, eye injuries and more. The second day of attacks came through walkie talkies and killed at least 20 and injured 450. And while Israel is not claiming the second round of explosions, this new form of terror and dominance is rocking Lebanon, the region and the world.

The United Nations Human Rights chief said this, “Simultaneous targeting of thousands of individuals, whether civilians or members of armed groups, without knowledge as to who was in possession of the targeted devices, their location and their surroundings… violates international human rights law and… international humanitarian law.”

And now the question falls to us, the citizens of the United States, whose government has for the past eleven months supplied Israel with war machines and money to carry out what is being denounced world-wide as crimes against humanity, what will we do?

Will we continue to allow our government free reign in support of the terrorist regime that Israel has become? Or will we demand peace? If we believe the story line that Israel needs our help in self – defense, then when do we acknowledge the need of those who are being illegally attacked as needing the same kind of defense?

The entire argument is insane. War will never bring peace. Supporting violence will only beget violence. The Biden administration would do well to cut ties with terror.

And we would be wise to ensure it.

By Al Jazeera English – Growing Up in Gaza, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17512081

Listen to Bernie and learn why we need to stop sending Israel supporters he introduces a resolution to block another $20 billion arms sale to Israel. He says, “We must end our complicity in the immoral & illegal war against Palestinians.”

I agree.

Restore Human Dignity

For decades, we allowed the narrative regarding Israel to dominate our thinking and our choices. In doing so, we allowed the humanity of Palestinians to be diminished. We have turned our eyes as Israel developed a system of control that included water rationing, check points, blocked access, settler theft of Palestinian land, homes and sovereignty, bogus arrests and mistreatment of children and so much more. Israel is and has been an apartheid state.

For the past ten months we continued our path of complicity during the inhuman and illegal crimes against humanity that Israel has waged on the Palestinian people since the horrific attack by Hamas.

The more I learn, the more painful the reality. Biden has given more military aid to Israel than any president before him. Supporting Israel’s right to defend itself does not extend to mass slaughter of civilians. As the nations of the world have increasingly moved towards censoring and boycotting Israel because of its crimes against humanity, the United States alone has declared unwavering support for the roque nation. In doing so, we condone genocide. In doing so we prolong the human misery and relinquish any path towards peace.

I am not going to quote numbers of dead, missing, or injured (but you can read it here). I have done that weekly since October. It does not seem to move our hearts, nor do we act to end the madness.

Last week far too many Congress members applauded the war criminal Netanyahu in a joint session of Congress. It seems our citizens are more concerned with bashing the Olympic opener then ending our relationship with the butcher Netanyahu.  This self proclaimed “Christian nation” is awash in hypocrisy.

VP Harris has distanced herself from Biden’s lock step with Israel. It is up to us to make sure that distance widens. The U.S. military aid to Israel must end quickly as Netanyahu seems determined to drive the Mideast into a regional war. 

Keep applying pressure on Biden and Harris to recognize a free Palestine and to restore human dignity and independence – for all of us.

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/not-another-bomb-sign-on-letter/
NOT ANOTHER BOMB sign on letter.

Kissing a War Criminal’s Ass

The brag on Capitol Hill is that Netanyahu has now addressed the joint session of Congress more times than Winston Churchill. For nearly ten months, the extremist right-wing prime minister has extracted civilian punishment on the people of Gaza for the attack by Hamas that killed 1200 and took 240 hostages. The Palestinian death toll nears 40,000 with many believing it’s closer to 186,000. 

The indiscriminate slaughter of innocents, predominantly women and children, and the very targeted murders of journalists, professors, and medical personnel along with the total destruction of infrastructure has led to the accusations of crimes against humanity.

Recently the head prosecutor of the International Court of Justice applied for an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. The process could take months. But the starvation, dehydration and epidemics ravaging displaced Palestinians means the people are running out of time.

Biden has been in lock step with Netanyahu while the majority of our citizens have demanded immediate ceasefire and are now calling for an arms embargo. Yet the joint session of Congress invited this war criminal to speak. Bibi didn’t offer anything new. He didn’t accept Biden’s offer to secure a ceasefire and his cabinet last week rejected the suggestion of a two-state solution.

Kudos to the over 100 legislators who boycotted the speech. Their refusal to stand and applaud a war criminal was patriotic and human. Bravo to the thousands of humans, including the hundreds pepper sprayed and arrested, for daring to expose the depravity of genocide and our complicity with it.*

Biden still has time to rectify his inhuman support of an unhinged prime minister. He has the capacity to pressure Israel to end this madness. It’s up to each of us to demand he do so. 

  • Since the initial writing of this piece, the main stream media news has shifted to condemn all Pro-Palestinian protesters, who stood up against our Joint Session of Congress welcoming a war criminal, and who have for the past 10 months demanded a ceasefire on innocent civilians and an end to US military support of Israel – as agents of Hamas and Iran.
  • These are blatant lies demonizing college students, rabbis and all people of conscience who have from the beginning challenged US complicity in this genocide – because of a few.
  • My writings since the horrific attack by Hamas on Oct 7, have never supported Hamas. Not will I ever support the actions of the right-wing Netanyahu and the illegal settlers that are displacing and killing Palestinian people.
  • We must rise to our humanity and stop allowing intentional media driven storylines to destroy the anti-violence, and anti-war – for all peoples’ sake. Palestinians, Israelis and us. We must STOP aiding Israeli military. NO MORE BOMBS for GENOCIDE.

End War Save the Planet

When we think of war it’s often through the heroic lens of a movie screen. Good guys versus bad guys and we’re always the good ones. This archaic notion is finally getting the scrutiny it deserves. Putin’s destruction of Ukraine and the reckless takeover of a nuclear power plant reveals the ignorance power carries. Now a case of ecocide is pending against Russia for breaching the Nova Kakahova Dam. 

Ecocide. The term is relatively new and characterizes mass damage and destruction of ecosystems. Widespread harm to nature is getting its day in court as countries create laws to govern and punish ecocide.

As we begin to understand the finite nature of earth’s resources, we can also begin to reckon with the diabolical aspect of war. War’s environmental disruptions have grown exponentially as chemicals and nuclear scorched earth policies are used.

Today the most glaring destruction of earth, water and air are found in the retaliatory war that Israel is using to remove the people of Gaza from their homeland. Numerous international health agencies report high levels of airborne toxins from debris, ash and dust. Carbon dioxide emissions are expected to add to climate vulnerability world-wide. But the most sinister and inhuman damage is the contamination of water.

It’s speculated that 97% of water in Gaza is contaminated. Even before this latest war, it was the leading cause of death in children. The Israeli blockade that has imprisoned Palestinians since 2007 added to the crumbling infrastructure. The water restrictions imposed on the people of Gaza created immense hardship.  Forced removals, continued bombing and total community destruction by Israel are war crimes with ecocide being among them.

The United States funds the war against Palestinian people and their environment.

We will be held accountable.

A Conversation with Rachel Ida Buff on anti-Semitism vs. anti-Zionism

Kindness and Sanity

Ramadan is the most cherished of Islamic holidays and begins on March 10 and continues to April 9. During this time members of the faith fast during daylight hours. It’s a time devoted to prayer and contemplation. 

With this as a backdrop, South Africa has urged the International Court of Justice to order Israel’s compliance with measures issued in January. These measures ordered Israel to halt acts that may be deemed genocidal against Palestinians. The new South African request noted “The threat of all-out famine has now materialized” and asked the court to order Israel to take “immediate and effective measures” ensuring humanitarian assistance reaches the starving masses. 

In Cairo, ceasefire talks continue between Hamas and Israel – with intermittent stalls. This as children are dying of starvation due to shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

Also, in acknowledgement of Ramadan, Britain is circulating a United Nations ceasefire petition for both sides of the Sudanese civil war that has raged the past year with thousands being killed and displaced. At this time, the United States seems poised to agree with this Sudanese ceasefire request.

Yet our country has been a holdout in demanding ceasefire in Gaza. We remain in staunch support of the horrific actions against the Palestinian people. We’ve allowed Israeli characterizations of Palestinians as less than human to enter our discourse. We believe the false narratives of Hamas using Palestinians as shields and ignore Israel’s outright murders of Palestinian civilians and even of their own. 

We’ve allowed hatred and retribution to win.

There’s still time to do the right thing. Cities and counties are passing ceasefire resolutions and Democrats are voting uncommitted in a united voice against Biden’s support of genocide. As in reference, in Wisconsin the primary vote on April 2 is for “uninstructed”, if someone wants to voice a call for ceasefire.

Sanity must prevail.

South Africa to bring the US and Britain before the ICJ for Complicity in committing genocide.

Don’t Be Numb

There’s a preciousness to life. One that can be missed if all we’re doing is running around and fixing broken pieces. There are a lot of broken pieces. Like shards of glass the insanity of violence cuts through us. Sometimes we’ve been cut so badly that we can’t feel anymore. We’ve grown numb. Thoughts about heaven and righteous language about “God’s will” give us a pass on feeling. Humanity suffers from ineptitude and God is our excuse for apathy.

We can lay this genocide of Palestinians at the feet of God. We’ve been indoctrinated into believing that God gave the land to the Jews and so this ethnic cleansing must be God’s will, right?

For the most part, Israeli’s have been kept from knowing Palestinians and have accepted that the indigenous people of Gaza are inferior and to be feared. And citizens of the United States, whose infatuation with war seems insatiable, eagerly devour the reminders of the horrific October 7th Hamas attack – with little to no recognition of the suffering of millions of human beings. Human beings, not terrorists. Human beings whose lives have been entrapped for generations in displacement, murder and subjugation. Palestinians in apartheid.

It would take one call from Biden to end this nightmare. And maybe a few calls to the arms brokers and energy giants. Or one united shout out from our citizenry to stop funding this genocide. 

The world is watching. It was watching when Aaron Bushnell, the twenty-five-year-old airman engulfed his body in flames and shouted “Free Palestine.”  

Life is precious. All of life is precious. And as a friend told me, “God is not a real estate broker.”

But you know that. Don’t let yourself go numb.

Evolution of Compassion

South Africa took the bold step to bring a case against Israel for the conduct and the intent to commit genocide against the Palestinian people before the International Court of Justice. The extensive legal document asserted that Israel’s conduct towards the people of Gaza is a breach of the 1948 Geneva Conventions regarding genocide. Israeli war operations and the intent voiced by Israel’s leading politicians were given as examples of inciting and not preventing genocide. The concluding request of South Africa’s application to the court asked that Israel immediately cease military operations in Gaza. 

In legal terms this case is an evolutionary step forward regardless of outcome. It is one that calls for a legal standing based on human obligations “owed to all”. If granted, it would allow the court to begin to enforce human rights treaties that have long gone unchecked. The Geneva Conventions of 1948 marked the first time nations agreed upon what constitutes genocide. This ruling could finally give power to that understanding. 

The International Criminal Court also began investigating Israel’s abuses of international humanitarian law. It does not have jurisdiction over the Geneva Conventions, as does the ICJ. While primarily focused on the warring activities since, October 7, the South African application to the ICJ does not excuse Hamas, but does elaborate on the seventy-five years of apartheid, the fifty–six years of hostile occupation and the sixteen year blockade of Gaza.

Why South Africa? South Africa’s experience of and the dismantling of apartheid gives it unparalleled status to be the convener of this legal remedy. And what is the system of apartheid used in South Africa’s past and by Israel today? When one group of people asserts power over others through unequal treatment under the law, discrimination due to ethnicity, race or religion, and uses brutal military force to maintain control, these are practices of apartheid. 

The case before the ICJ began Thursday, January 11. The court may ask Israel to cease the bombardment by Feb 12. Here are the other nations in support of South Africa’s application.

This is an important time to speak out. We have it within our reach to uphold human principles of dignity, preservation of life and the pursuit of peace. Peace will never be achieved through military means.

May the ICJ recognize the case against Israel and act to end the genocide. May our evolution of compassion continue to grow as we realize the power of peace and begin to demand it. 

The Promise and Risk of South Africa’s Case Against Israel

Bernie Sanders calls on Congress to block funding to Israel. Contact your senators and urge them to support Bernie Sanders bill S. Res. 504 on Tuesday, January 16 at 5:30 pm EST.

The flag of South Africa. Honoring their commitment to humanity and human rights.