Israel vs Palestine/Lebanon/Iran/Yemen/Syria: a New Middle East War

[Tintin]

Posted by Michel Leclerc (here)

Posted by Kryztian (here)

(...)

My mother grew up in Nazi Germany and was in the Hitler youth and the children were never taught to exult in genocide or sing songs about the destruction of a people,

(...)

Thank you Kriztian. I share your indignation ...and stronger feelings.

Yet – just singling out the above point in your post... For sure, the Nazis did not inspire the Germans or the HJ to sing about the extermination of Jewish people (although that was “in the works”)... but I am practically certain that they were taught to at least despise, and probably even hate, their Jewish fellow citizens. That definitely was part of the propaganda.

The Zionist insanity however goes beyond that: those who were probably also despised and hated (in songs as well?) are now being served the “final solution”. Mr Netanyahu and friends had their Wannsee-Konferenz some time ago (a guess: a week before Netanyahu’s UN speech).

Anti-Jewish racist “incidents” are currently happening in Europe. I caution my Jewish acquaintances that at the latest now is the time to clearly distantiate themselves from Zionism. This advice, or that distanciation, is not antisemitism or condoning antisemitism. It is Semitophilia. The antisemites are those who reserve white phosphorus and more for the Palestinians, who are of course Semites “in the first place”.

While I absolutely love what you have shared here, truly, can we please lead by example and not use the oxymoronic term "antisemitism", at all, anywhere on this thread, or forum. We know it's oxymoronic. Please restrict or discipline your genuine extraordinary understanding of language, and do not - please - use this term, anymore.

Use "anti-Jewish" as an alternative, if you must.

Semitism has nothing to do with race, nationality, or religion. Please do not use this term. You know it relates to language.

Thank you

[Kryztian]

Posted by Michel Leclerc (here)
For sure, the Nazis did not inspire the Germans or the HJ to sing about the extermination of Jewish people (although that was “in the works”)... but I am practically certain that they were taught to at least despise, and probably even hate, their Jewish fellow citizens. That definitely was part of the propaganda.

Yes, they had certainly been taught to hate Jews in the Nazi period, but I don't think the possibility of cultivating hatred was the same as it has been in Israel, because racism takes generations to cultivate. There were certainly some anti-Semetic "thinkers" in Germany in the 19th century, and the term "Anti-Semitism" traces back to the 1879, when journalist Wilhelm Marr started the "Antisemiten-Liga" ("Anti-Semitic League") with the goal of removing Judaism from Germany. But by the time Hitler came on the scene in the early 1920's, anti-Jewish feelings were not that strong if you compared the German attitude with that of other European countries. I think that may be due to the fact that Germany, being a mixture of Catholics and Lutherans, was a little more tolerant of religious diversity, unlike other European states that were almost exclusively Catholic or Orthodox Christian.

Of course Nazism worked to intensify German anti-semitism, but it only had about two decades to do so, while Isrealis have been cultivating Palestinian hatred for longer more than 80 years. Most Germans were not aware of concentration camps and would have been deeply disturbed to find out about them. My grandfather, who worked in construction, was in Warsaw and cleared away the emptied Jewish ghettos, after all the residents had been shipped off to the death camps. Of course, he had not been told about the death camps. When he came back to German and told his neighbors what he had been doing, he commented "And what happened to the people there? Where did they go?" to which my grandmother replied "Shut up. You are going to get us into trouble." So I think a lot of Germans either did not know the truth, or were afraid to say what the truth was and were deeply ashamed.

But perhaps it they had cultivated their anti-Semitism for a few more generations, perhaps it would have been acceptable to have children sing songs like the "Friendship song" with the lyrics "In a year we will annihilate everyone." and have that accepted in mainstream society, although I am sure this song is also controversial within Israel. I have to feel sorry for the children singing it, and think about how someday some of them will grow up to be deeply ashamed that they were ever involved in this project.

[shaberon]

Posted by Tintin (here)
While I absolutely love what you have shared here, truly, can we please lead by example and not use the oxymoronic term "antisemitism", at all, anywhere on this thread, or forum.

Perhaps Hebrew works better in this context.

A language that has not the primacy it claims, was offered for use in fits and starts, never amounted to much, until it was authorized for modern use as if that rebuilt the kingdom that never was.

No other Semites are involved with it.


The German attitude did not need much stoking. It was already a very public issue that many Germans were uncomfortable with non-Germans--Jews, but also Turks--owning properties and businesses to such a degree that they were "owning" Germany, and natives started to feel like they no longer belonged there. I can relate to that. "This isn't where I grew up". Has nothing to do with hatred or extermination. You are dismayed by what social progress turns out to be.



Considering that "semitic" was made up:

The term Semite, which was first used in 1781 to define languages related to Hebrew, initially referred to people of Near East origin. The word Semite is derived from the name Shem, the son of Noah. Abraham was a descendant of Shem.

“Antisemitism” came about (in its Germanic form) in the mid-nineteenth century. In 1860, an Austrian Jewish scholar, Moritz Steinschneider, introduced the term antisemitische vorurteile (anti-Semitic prejudices). He used the expression in a piece he wrote countering the ideas of French philosopher Ernest Renan, who claimed that the Semitic race was inferior to the Aryan race.

The term antisemitism was made common by Wilhelm Marr, a German publicist and agitator. Unfortunately, his 1879 pamphlet, “The Way to Victory of Germanism over Judaism,” in which he used the term Antisemitismus, was very popular. That same year, Marr founded the League of Antisemites. It is interesting to note that Marr’s first three wives (he was married four times) were all of Jewish lineage and that, in 1891, he published an essay titled “Testament of an Antisemite,” apologizing for his mistaken antisemitic notions.

Let's see. It refers to the Phoenician language group. This pre-dates by millennia the invention of Shem.

Without Shem, there is nothing for Renan to claim to begin with. Of course, he is having to compete with the opposite doctrine, that Europeans really are the Semites.

Again, if someone can explain to me why Old Testament bloodlines are significant at all, there might be something to go by other than the mummering repetition of a Big Lie.

The fact that people believe in and cherish mistakes is not something I can forcefully prevent, but yes, Zionism specifically means a modern crime syndicate which apparently can only be stopped by force. Out of sympathy, I sometimes consider converting to Judaism so I could join Jews Against Zionism or NK or something.

"Zionism" is coined out of kitsch phrases like "lovers of Zion", which in fact are younger than the Jewish usage of "anti-semitism"; the difference again being its application to the new political movement. Like "Semite", "Capitalism" and "Dimensions" were also coined out of speculative writings of the time, and then re-interpreted under new meanings.

In general, we have an ad hoc, inaccurate, misleading language.

The phrase under scrutiny is used by Zionists to tell us how to think and talk, and to set up consequences for non-compliance.

The Tunisian reform tells us to eradicate that, starting from elementary school.





Today brings a little discipline:

The Israeli Occupation Army decided to sack two of its officers for withdrawing from the battle with the Palestinian resistance in northern Gaza, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Monday.

A head of a company and his deputy withdrew from the battlefield during the ground offensive on Gaza due to the lack of fire support while facing a Palestinian resistance ambush, the paper added.

“The soldiers withdrew when they did not receive support after being ambushed by dozens of fighters.”

The newspaper noted that about half of the soldiers in the force have not returned to the unit since the dismissal of the officers.

The officers admitted that the force was sent on a mission in a bad way after engaging in another prolonged activity in the Gaza Strip without rest, the newspaper added.

This created a difficult atmosphere within the force, according to the newspaper.

The newspaper quoted the army as saying: “A crisis of confidence arises in the force, but it is being dealt with correctly by extracting lessons at all levels.”

[Kryztian]

Netanyahu was protecting Hamas – WaPo
Israeli prime minister had stopped any attempt to remove the Palestinian militant group from Gaza, a historian told the newspaper
https://www.rt.com/news/588012-netan...shington-post/

Benjamin Netanyahu has had an “odd symbiosis” with the Palestinian militant group Hamas that has ruled Gaza for the decades he has been Israel’s prime minister, the Washington Post (WaPo) reported on Sunday, citing a host of experts on Israel.

The politician reportedly has found Hamas useful for stalling the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and for disrupting the establishment of the Palestinian state, the paper claimed.

Netanyahu, who headed the Israeli government uninterrupted between 2009 and 2020 and then returned to power in December 2022, has repeatedly vowed to destroy Hamas throughout his tenures but instead pursued policies that helped the group keep its grip over the enclave, the US media outlet reported.

The prime minister’s cabinet approved transfers of cash from Qatar used to pay public salaries in Gaza, improve local infrastructure, and supposedly even fund Hamas operations, it said, adding that, under Netanyahu, Israel also approved periodic prisoner releases that allegedly also benefited the group.

“In the last ten years, Netanyahu worked to block any attempt at demolishing Hamas in Gaza,” Israeli historian Adam Raz, who studied relations between the prime minister and the militant group, told WaPo, calling it a “strange alliance” that might have ended with the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the follow-up Israeli military operation in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s policy goal was allegedly to divide the Palestinians, leaving Hamas to rule Gaza and letting its rivals from the Palestinian Authority control the West Bank. The conflict between the two groups made a negotiated two-state solution impossible, WaPo claimed, adding that it also allowed the prime minister to just discard the Palestinian issue altogether.

“With no unified leadership, [Netanyahu] was able to say he couldn’t move forward with peace negotiations,” said Dahlia Scheindlin, an Israeli pollster and political analyst. “It allowed him to say, ‘There is no one to talk to.’” Instead, he focused on Israel’s standoff with Iran and economic development, the Post added, citing Netanyahu biographer Anshel Pfeffer.

“Netanyahu always felt that the Palestinian conflict was a distraction being used as a wedge issue in Israel,” Pfeffer told the paper. According to the Post, the prime minister in particular sought to prevent any reconciliation between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority amid an apparent rapprochement in 2018. It did not provide any details on the issue, though.

The prime minister’s office refused to provide any comments to the US newspaper but one Israeli official told it, on condition of anonymity, that Netanyahu “hit Hamas harder than any prime minister in history.” Although the prime minister had not destroyed the group earlier, it was something his “war cabinet” was doing after October 7, the official added.

Israel waged three large-scale military operations in Gaza under Netanyahu’s leadership, which were in 2012, 2014 and 2021. All of them eventually ended in negotiated ceasefires that left the group in control of the enclave.

https://www.rt.com/news/588012-netan...shington-post/

[ExomatrixTV]

• I've Had Enough:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=4kOzp9nqYI8

[ExomatrixTV]

• Civilian To Combatant Death Ratio In Gaza Higher Than Any War EVER:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=JqtFnlLrifA

The IDF once again produced flimsy evidence to justify their reasons for shelling and bombing hospitals filled with sick and injured civilians.

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
At the very start of this new interview by Judge Napolitano with Col. Douglas Macgregor, Macgregor reports that there's a flotilla of 1000 (a thousand!) Turkish ships on its way to Gaza right now — unarmed, and loaded with humanitarian aid supplies.

I'd not heard that anywhere else. Can anyone provide more details?

I found this report in The Times of Israel:

• https://timesofisrael.com/1000-boats...eedom-flotilla

1,000 boats said set to leave Turkey for Gaza waters in new ‘Freedom Flotilla’

Reminiscent of infamous 2010 Mavi Marmara protest, large maritime convoy plans to remain in international waters off Ashdod and disrupt sea trade route to Israel

Approximately 1,000 boats will gather in Turkey on Wednesday before heading toward Gaza in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade and disrupt maritime trade coming into Israel during the war with Hamas, in an apparent repeat of similar attempts from over a decade ago.

In an interview with Turkish news website Haber7, Volkan Okçu, one of the organizers of the protest, indicated the boats will carry 4,500 people from 40 countries, “including anti-Zionist Jews.”

Among the 1,000 vessels would be 313 boats filled with Russian activists, and 104 filled with Spanish activists, he said. Only 12 Turkish vessels will join the flotilla, he told Haber7.

Approximately 1,000 boats will gather in Turkey on Wednesday before heading toward Gaza in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade and disrupt maritime trade coming into Israel during the war with Hamas, in an apparent repeat of similar attempts from over a decade ago.

In an interview with Turkish news website Haber7, Volkan Okçu, one of the organizers of the protest, indicated the boats will carry 4,500 people from 40 countries, “including anti-Zionist Jews.”

Among the 1,000 vessels would be 313 boats filled with Russian activists, and 104 filled with Spanish activists, he said. Only 12 Turkish vessels will join the flotilla, he told Haber7.

Okçu said that the main objective of the operation would be to cause disruption in international waters off the Israeli coast to the maritime trade heading for the port of Ashdod, in order to interrupt the supply of goods to Israel for a week or even up to 10 days.

The protest action is reminiscent of the attempt by the so-called “Gaza Freedom Flotilla” in May 2010, which tried to breach the maritime blockade on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, but was intercepted by the Israeli Navy.

After the convoy refused Israeli Navy orders to reroute to Ashdod, Israeli commandos boarded one of the ships, the Mavi Marmara, which was carrying over 600 passengers. After being met with violent resistance the commandos opened fire, killing 10 Turkish activists. Ten Israeli soldiers were wounded during the attack.

Following the Mavi Marmara incident, several other flotillas to Gaza were attempted, but largely foiled by Israeli military and diplomatic activities.

“The Zionist regime seems to have no chance to repeat the Mavi Marmara incident,” the Turkish activist said. “The vessels sail under flags of the US, the UK, Luxembourg, Russian, Germany, Spain, Poland, and many other countries.” The activist noted that luxury boats will also join the flotilla and that participants from Europe and the USA will spend an average of $14,000 to join.

Okçu vowed that protesters would “strictly follow international rules” and would not carry any weapons, “not even a pocket knife,” so as not to give Israel any “excuse” to intervene.

Approximately 1,000 boats will gather in Turkey on Wednesday before heading toward Gaza in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade and disrupt maritime trade coming into Israel during the war with Hamas, in an apparent repeat of similar attempts from over a decade ago.

In an interview with Turkish news website Haber7, Volkan Okçu, one of the organizers of the protest, indicated the boats will carry 4,500 people from 40 countries, “including anti-Zionist Jews.”

Among the 1,000 vessels would be 313 boats filled with Russian activists, and 104 filled with Spanish activists, he said. Only 12 Turkish vessels will join the flotilla, he told Haber7.

However, Okçu said in a later tweet that he expected the number of Turkish vessels to be much higher, at least 1,000, and insisted that the initiative is not associated with the Turkish government. He did not explain the discrepancy in numbers.

The activist indicated to Haber7 that the flotilla is scheduled to leave Turkish coasts on Thursday. The maritime convoy is set to make a first stop in Cyprus before continuing toward the Israeli port of Ashdod. Some participants in the flotilla will also reportedly take their spouses and children on board.

Okçu said that the main objective of the operation would be to cause disruption in international waters off the Israeli coast to the maritime trade heading for the port of Ashdod, in order to interrupt the supply of goods to Israel for a week or even up to 10 days.

The protest action is reminiscent of the attempt by the so-called “Gaza Freedom Flotilla” in May 2010, which tried to breach the maritime blockade on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, but was intercepted by the Israeli Navy.

After the convoy refused Israeli Navy orders to reroute to Ashdod, Israeli commandos boarded one of the ships, the Mavi Marmara, which was carrying over 600 passengers. After being met with violent resistance the commandos opened fire, killing 10 Turkish activists. Ten Israeli soldiers were wounded during the attack.

Following the Mavi Marmara incident, several other flotillas to Gaza were attempted, but largely foiled by Israeli military and diplomatic activities.

“The Zionist regime seems to have no chance to repeat the Mavi Marmara incident,” the Turkish activist said. “The vessels sail under flags of the US, the UK, Luxembourg, Russian, Germany, Spain, Poland, and many other countries.” The activist noted that luxury boats will also join the flotilla and that participants from Europe and the USA will spend an average of $14,000 to join.

Okçu vowed that protesters would “strictly follow international rules” and would not carry any weapons, “not even a pocket knife,” so as not to give Israel any “excuse” to intervene.

“The moment we enter Gaza’s territorial waters, [Israeli forces] can only search us,” the activist said, “or tow us to their ports, and impose fines,” but will not be allowed by international law to raid the convoy in international waters, the way they assaulted the Mavi Marmara in 2010. “[Israel] would pay a heavy price for attempting any crazy action against such a large international peace fleet.”

~~~

An update on this, which could be very important. Apparently the flotilla is preparing to set sail from Turkey tomorrow (Wednesday, 29 November). It seems self-evident that this is clearly defiant (and likely provocative) of Israel, which is in a no-win situation here.

Israel will face a storm of criticism if they try to stop or take military action against the flotilla, which would be pretty hard to do anyway if there really are 1000 ships. And assuming those ships reach Gaza, they have to be carrying a very large amount of aid — presumably medical supplies, fuel, food and water. It's potentially all a major development.

[Tintin]

Posted by shaberon (here)

Posted by Tintin (here)
While I absolutely love what you have shared here, truly, can we please lead by example and not use the oxymoronic term "antisemitism", at all, anywhere on this thread, or forum.

Perhaps Hebrew works better in this context.

A language that has not the primacy it claims, was offered for use in fits and starts, never amounted to much, until it was authorized for modern use as if that rebuilt the kingdom that never was.

No other Semites are involved with it.


The German attitude did not need much stoking. It was already a very public issue that many Germans were uncomfortable with non-Germans--Jews, but also Turks--owning properties and businesses to such a degree that they were "owning" Germany, and natives started to feel like they no longer belonged there. I can relate to that. "This isn't where I grew up". Has nothing to do with hatred or extermination. You are dismayed by what social progress turns out to be.



Considering that "semitic" was made up:

The term Semite, which was first used in 1781 to define languages related to Hebrew, initially referred to people of Near East origin. The word Semite is derived from the name Shem, the son of Noah. Abraham was a descendant of Shem.

“Antisemitism” came about (in its Germanic form) in the mid-nineteenth century. In 1860, an Austrian Jewish scholar, Moritz Steinschneider, introduced the term antisemitische vorurteile (anti-Semitic prejudices). He used the expression in a piece he wrote countering the ideas of French philosopher Ernest Renan, who claimed that the Semitic race was inferior to the Aryan race.

The term antisemitism was made common by Wilhelm Marr, a German publicist and agitator. Unfortunately, his 1879 pamphlet, “The Way to Victory of Germanism over Judaism,” in which he used the term Antisemitismus, was very popular. That same year, Marr founded the League of Antisemites. It is interesting to note that Marr’s first three wives (he was married four times) were all of Jewish lineage and that, in 1891, he published an essay titled “Testament of an Antisemite,” apologizing for his mistaken antisemitic notions.

Let's see. It refers to the Phoenician language group. This pre-dates by millennia the invention of Shem.

Without Shem, there is nothing for Renan to claim to begin with. Of course, he is having to compete with the opposite doctrine, that Europeans really are the Semites.

Again, if someone can explain to me why Old Testament bloodlines are significant at all, there might be something to go by other than the mummering repetition of a Big Lie.

The fact that people believe in and cherish mistakes is not something I can forcefully prevent, but yes, Zionism specifically means a modern crime syndicate which apparently can only be stopped by force. Out of sympathy, I sometimes consider converting to Judaism so I could join Jews Against Zionism or NK or something.

"Zionism" is coined out of kitsch phrases like "lovers of Zion", which in fact are younger than the Jewish usage of "anti-semitism"; the difference again being its application to the new political movement. Like "Semite", "Capitalism" and "Dimensions" were also coined out of speculative writings of the time, and then re-interpreted under new meanings.

In general, we have an ad hoc, inaccurate, misleading language.

The phrase under scrutiny is used by Zionists to tell us how to think and talk, and to set up consequences for non-compliance.

Thanks very much - this is a very helpful and informative post

There's a little more on "antisemitism" here in this unusual but interesting lecture which I'd put in the library a few years ago.

On page 18, three paragraphs in, it reads:

"To Druid thinkers, whether of ancient times, or modern times, the whole notion of anti-Semitism would have been a logical oxymoron: the Semite is etymologically the one who listens, the people who hear – and Phoenicians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Phoenicians, Hebrews and Arabs were all from this conglomeration of tribal peoples. Their complex ancient mythological stories, partly inherited from their mysterious Sumerian cultural progenitors, in many ways echo the complex pantheons and legends of the Celts and their Druids. Future transpersonal historians will probably discover that Indo-European languages, with all their mythological complexities, and Semitic languages and their own mythological pantheons, are all interconnected and can be jointly traced back to far more ancient Asian, European, Egyptian and African common ancestries

- Dr Thomas Clough Daffern, 11th Mount Haemus lecture (2015)

There are some other examples out there but difficult to find easily

----------------------------

Thomas Clough Daffern

Mini bio: Dr. Thomas C. Daffern is a philosopher, historian, poet, author, lecturer, musician, thinker, educator, consultant and religious studies specialist. He was awarded his PhD from the University of London for a thesis which explores the history of the search for peace from 1945-2001 and which proposes a new field of historiography, Transpersonal History, as the best way to establish a rigorous discourse on peace among rival and contending spiritual and intellectual traditions, currently battling for hegemony on the planet. More recently he has developed the Periodic Table of the World’s Religious and Philosophical Traditions as a teaching aid for use in schools and universities (See www.thewisdompages.co.uk).
As a member of OBOD and as Peace Officer to the Council of British Druid Orders, he has had a long love affair with Druidry and an eco-centred spirituality affirming the wisdom of primal peoples of all cultures, epochs and geographical regions. He founded and runs the Druid Peace Order dedicated to peacemaking and mediation. As a religious studies teacher he is committed to sharing scientific approaches to the study of religions with younger minds. He has lectured in all aspects of religious studies, peace studies and global philosophy, and directs the International Institute of Peace Studies and Global Philosophy (www.educationaid.net).

A fuller biography can be found here: https://educationaid.academia.edu/Th...urriculumVitae

----------------------------

[jaybee]

Posted by ExomatrixTV (here)

• I've Had Enough:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=4kOzp9nqYI8

very powerful and passionate outpouring from Richard Medhurst

it's brought tears to my eyes

I do think though------ that there's a need to go a step further to identify the 'real' enemy behind what's taking place, tragically, in Gaza right now... it's not the people of Israel.... but the neo fascist Global Elite pulling the strings behind the scenes and making pawns of the Palestinians in Gaza and the Israelis in Israel - (West Bank soon?) the whole Middle East has been steadily changed over the last 20 + years and this is another step -

I've heard it said that the Globalist's pushing for the One World Government (and all that comes with it) want Jerusalem to be their Head Quarters... this and aspirations for a Greater Israel fits in with what's going on (IMO) and they are continuing with their agenda.... no matter how many millions/billions of people protest around the world - they will sit it out - they will double down -

What's the answer? - what's going to stop them ? ..... I honestly don't know

But the divisions this has created between people around the world is a major, world wide upset...

Just like the Globalist's like it....divide and rule....

[ExomatrixTV]

• Israeli History Teacher Arrested & Jailed for Facebook Posts Opposing Killing of Palestinians:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=F5SMzQzdnZw

On November 9, 2023 Israeli police arrested Jerusalem History and Civics Teacher Meir Baruchin after he posted a message on Facebook about his opposition to the killing of innocent Palestinian civilians. Police seized his phone and two laptops before interrogating him on suspicion of committing an act of treason and intending to disrupt public order. After being in jail for four days, Baruchin was freed but lost his job as a teacher and is still facing charges. "These days Israeli citizens who are showing the slightest sentiment for the people of Gaza, opposing killing of innocent civilians, they are being politically persecuted, they go through public shaming, they lose their jobs, they are being put in jail," says Baruchin, who says if he had been Palestinian, he would have faced more violence.

• Amy Goodman: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.
• We turn now to look at how the Israeli government is cracking down on Israeli citizens who criticize their government’s bombardment of Gaza. We’re joined now by Meir Baruchin, a history and civics teacher from Jerusalem who was recently jailed for four days in solitary confinement after he posted a message on Facebook about his opposition to the killing of innocent Palestinian civilians, especially women and children.
• On November 9th, Israeli police ransacked his house and arrested him. They also seized his phone and two laptops. Police interrogated him on suspicion of committing an act of treason and intending to disrupt public order. He was then jailed for four days and labeled a high-risk detainee. Baruchin has since been freed, but he has lost his job as a teacher and is still facing charges. Despite this, Meir Baruchin has refused to stay silent and is joining us now from Jerusalem.
• Meir, welcome to Democracy Now! It was hard for us to get in touch with you over the last few days because your electronic devices, like your phone, were taken. Can you talk about exactly what happened to you? What did you post? And then, how did the Israeli police come to ransack your house?
• Meir Baruchin: First of all, thanks for having me.
• When I got to the first interrogation, the interrogators presented 14 posts, most of them before October 7th. There were posts from four years ago, from two years ago. Only one or two posts were after October 7th.
• What I’m trying to do in my Facebook posts is this. For most Israelis, Palestinians are really vague images. They have no names, no faces, no family, no hope, no plans. And I’m trying to give them names and faces, introduce them to Israelis, so more Israelis would be able to see Palestinians as human beings. So, that’s what I do in my Facebook. The police didn’t like it, so they arrested me.
• Juan González: And when you were arrested, what was the substance of the interrogation against you during that time? And how were you treated?
• Meir Baruchin: On November 9th, I got a call from the police to come over for interrogation on sedition. I called my lawyer, and he said that in order to interrogate an Israeli citizen for sedition, they need an approval from the general attorney. The police did ask for approval but was rejected, so they decided to interrogate me for intention to commit an act of treason and disrupt public order.
• The minute I walked into the police station, they shackled my hands and legs, and they showed me a warrant to search my house. Five detectives took me to my house and ransacked the place. Then I was taken back to the police station for the first interrogation, that lasted four hours. After that, I was taken to the jailhouse. Like you said, I was categorized high-risk detainee, separated from everyone. I wasn’t allowed to bring anything with me, a book or something. I spent there four days. In order not to go crazy, I exercised every hour and a half, two hours.
• On Sunday evening, November 12th, they took me for a second interrogation. And their technique was — it wasn’t really asking questions. It was more of a rhetoric. When you install the answer inside the question, you don’t really let the other person choose his own answer. For example, they said something like, “As someone who justifies and legitimizes the rapes by Hamas people on October 7th, don’t you think that…” — you know, that was their technique. Also in my second interrogation, at a certain moment they said that my Facebook posts are just like The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Now, I’m history teacher, so I asked them, “Did you ever read The Protocols of the Elders of Zion?” There was no comment.
• I was taken back to the jailhouse. And on November 13th, I was released by the judge, and still they kept me in the jailhouse for another three-and-a-half hours.
• Juan González: And what has been the response of fellow teachers in Israel and of the press to your arrest and detention?
• Meir Baruchin: Most of mainstream media embrace the statement of the police spokesman who accused me as justifying and legitimizing the rapes committed by Hamas people on October 7th.
• As for my colleague teachers, hundreds of them are telling me, “Meir, I am fully behind you, but I have children to support,” “Meir, I’m with you, but I’m paying a mortgage,” “Meir, I’m with you, but my daughter is getting married,” “Meir, I’m with you, but we just started to redecorate the house.” They are afraid to speak up. They are afraid to lose their jobs. They see very clearly that these days Israeli citizens who are showing some — the slightest sentiment for the people of Gaza, opposing killing of innocent civilians, they are being politically persecuted, they go through public shaming, they lose their jobs, they are being put in jail. So they are afraid.
• Amy Goodman: Last week, Haaretz, the Israeli newspaper, published an editorial headlined “Arresting Arabs and Left-wingers: How Israel Intends to Crack Down on Domestic Dissent Over Gaza War.” In it, Haaretz wrote about your case, saying, quote, “Make no mistake: Baruchin was used as a political tool to send a political message. The motive for his arrest was deterrence — silencing any criticism or any hint of protest against Israeli policy. Baruchin paid a personal price.” So, Meir, if you can talk about the fact that you were fired from your job? You have four children, right? And also, how unusual is your arrest and being put in solitary confinement, both for Israeli Jews and for Palestinians?
• Meir Baruchin: Well, first, I must admit that the fact that I’m Jewish played a key role in my arrest. Had I been Palestinian, it was completely different. There would have been much more violence from the police officers and also in the jailhouse by the wardens.
• I think it’s a clear message for not only to the teachers, but to all Israeli citizens. One of the newspaper men from Yedioth Ahronoth, Ben-Dror Yemini, he called me a “soldier in the service of terrorist propaganda,” in those specific words. Other newspaper — other journalists also embraced the police statement without getting my response or without even trying to challenge the police statement.
• Amy Goodman: They took your phone and also your computer?
• Meir Baruchin: Yes.
• Amy Goodman: Have you gotten it back?
• Meir Baruchin: They took my phone. They took two laptops. No, no, not yet. My lawyer is working on it. But the case is still not closed. I’m still facing charges. Also, the Ministry of Education suspended my license, so I cannot go back and teach anywhere in the country.
• Amy Goodman: And what do you tell your kids? We just have 30 seconds, Meir.
• Meir Baruchin: My kids are proud of me, and that’s the most important thing.
• Amy Goodman: I want to thank you so much for being with us. Meir Baruchin is an Israeli history and civics high school teacher who was jailed for four days, held in solitary confinement, after criticizing the killing of innocent Palestinian civilians. His case is still open. He could still go to trial. He’s speaking to us from Jerusalem.

source

[ExomatrixTV]

• Israel Releases Palestinian Child Prisoners!:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=zfRVPZ9Cics

As part of the recent hostage swap with Hamas, Israeli authorities released dozens of prisoners, many of whom are or were children at the time of their arrest. Unbeknownst to most westerners, Israel routinely arrests Palestinian children and then subjects them to solitary confinement, physical and sexual abuse and other deprivations — this according to Save the Children.

Jimmy and Kurt Metzger, along with Due Dissidence’s Keaton Weiss, discuss Israeli propaganda about its treatment of Palestinians and how long American politicians can continue to spread these lies.

[ExomatrixTV]

• Israel Doesn't Even Try To Hide Its Genocide On The Palestinians | Ambassador Chas Freeman:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=OcXWHOhugyM

Interview part 1 of 3 with former US Ambassador Chas Freeman.

Well, this is as bad as it gets. A Genocide in plain sight, for everyone to see, merciless and cold blooded and "the West" with all its human rights talk, with all its hubris is in full support—maybe give the Palestinians a coffee break before continue killing them, but that's about the maximum the West is willing to concede to the victims.

Ambassador Chas Freeman is one of the view former US public officials willing to speak out against this travesty. In addition, he is a superb analyst of West Asian and World Affairs. In this interview, he analyses what the current tragedy in Palestine will mean for Geopolitics in the region and beyond.

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So Musk's line is essentially: "physically eliminate Hamas members and ensure the remaining Palestinians toe the line through reeducation."
https://twitter.com/Natsecjeff/statu...835670/video/1

Straight back to the 19th century...

Funnily enough his exact quote is: "there's no choice but to kill those who insist on murdering civilians". But he only applies it one way, not towards those who killed 20,000 Palestinian civilians...

I'm all for Palestinians and Israelis to live in peace but this is the exact wrong way to go about it. Subjugation and widespread killings is what LED US HERE. Two weeks ago a wise man said that what Israel was doing was creating more Hamas members than it killed and that its whole enterprise was therefore profoundly foolish. His name? Elon Musk.

https://x.com/RnaudBertrand/status/1729336025422721493

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🔴 RECAP: #Israel #Palestine (as of 07:00 GMT, 28 November)

• Early on Tuesday, Israel announced the release of 33 Palestinian prisoners "during the night" as part of an agreement that brought back hostages from the Gaza Strip. Freed Palestinians recalled harsh conditions in Israeli prisons, with some saying they were beaten before being hauled into buses

• Israel has agreed to add 50 female Palestinian prisoners to the roster of those scheduled for release in the event more Israeli hostages are freed from Gaza, the Israeli prime minister's office announced on Tuesday

• The Israeli government has been given a list of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, who are anticipated to be released this Tuesday as part of the extended truce, as reported by Israel's Army Radio. According to Axios, the list includes 10 hostages

• The man accused of shooting and injuring three Palestinian college students on Saturday night in the north-eastern US state of Vermont was charged with attempted murder

🔗 Click the link below for live updates:
https://middleeasteye.net/live/israe...uce-hamas-live

https://x.com/MiddleEastEye/status/1729399154001191303

https://x.com/MiddleEastEye/status/1729355720070693272

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https://x.com/MiddleEastEye/status/1729538075762491568

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/i...=ap_4oawb5ui9b

Israel-Palestine war: Gaza’s main public library destroyed in Israeli bombing

Palestinians inspecting the destruction wreaked by the Israeli military have been dismayed to find Gaza’s main public library in ruins following at least seven weeks of bombing.

A temporary truce came into effect on 24 November, with the cessation of bombing allowing Palestinians to see loved ones, attempt to find food and return to their homes to check up on the damage.

Authorities in Gaza announced on Monday that the pause in fighting has revealed that Gaza City’s main public library was among the many civilian buildings destroyed during the war.

Officials have decried the bombing of the building as a “deliberate attempt to destroy historical documents and books”.

Photos of the destroyed building, with books scattered around on the floor, were released by the Municipality of Gaza.

The library was in regular use by members of the community, including schoolchildren, before the start of the war on 7 October.

Video footage shared by Storyful, an intelligence agency and open source intelligence and verification platform, showed the destroyed building and the collapsed bookshelves inside.

Municipal authorities in Gaza have called for the intervention of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to “intervene and protect cultural centres and condemn the occupation’s targeting of these humanitarian facilities protected under international humanitarian law”.

Erasure of culture

Literary Hub, a daily literary website launched in 2015, compared the bombing of the library to the 1992 attack on the library in Sarajevo, where Bosnian Serb forces, stationed in the hills above the city, razed the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the ground.

“The targeted destruction of Gaza’s primary public library is a stark reminder that genocide is about more than just the premeditated mass extinguishing of human life; it’s also about the calculated, and often vindictive, destruction of a people’s culture, language, history, and shared sites of community,” Literary Hub said in a statement.

They added that Israel’s destruction of cultural and historical sites in Gaza was a “way for Israel to erase all evidence of Palestinian life and Palestinian humanity”.

Online, people shared their feelings of sadness at the loss of the library, coining the world "culturecide" to show that a "cultural genocide" is underway.

“As someone whose sister was killed after trying to save books from the burning National Library in besieged Sarajevo in '92, I ache at such vile acts of destruction. Books have real and symbolic meaning: once gone, people feel lost and disconnected,” one social media user wrote.

Since the start of the war, over 60,000 buildings have been damaged in Gaza, including most of the buildings in the north.

While the bombing has destroyed 56,450 housing units, according to Euro-Med Monitor, places of worship, media offices, hospitals and universities have also been damaged.

The Islamic University of Gaza was one of the buildings bombed by Israel, which the Israeli army alleged was a “central training centre for Hamas engineers and a training institution for the development and production of weapons”.

Videos shared online showed Israeli military fighter jets targeting the Gaza City campus. According to Euro-Med Monitor, at least 266 schools have also been destroyed in the bombings.

The rights group highlighted that Gaza's oldest mosque, the Al-Omari Grand Mosque, famed for its minaret dating back 1,400 years, has been damaged along with three historic churches, among them the Church of Saint Porphyrius, which was originally constructed in around 407 AD.

“Various cultural institutions have also been targeted by Israeli attacks, including at least six cultural centres and five bookstores which are now destroyed; most notably, these are the Orthodox Cultural Centre, Al-Qarara Cultural Museum (which was built in 1958), and the Rafah Museum,” said Euro-Med Monitor.

This is not the first time bookshops and libraries have been targeted in Israeli bombing in Gaza.

In May 2021, a bookshop named Iqraa al-Jadeed in Gaza was reduced to rubble when Israeli jets pummelled the store during an 11-day bombing campaign.

A video of the owner, Shaaban Aslem, tearfully describing the sacrifices he made to open his shop in front of its wreckage quickly went viral, gaining the attention of thousands of people globally.

“I kept building it up, book by book, until it was complete," Aslem told Middle East Eye at the time. "The bookshop supported my family, and my extended family, around 22 people.”

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/...tell-netanyahu

Elon Musk’s Israel trip: What was the purpose, what did he tell Netanyahu?

X CEO Elon Musk, who has been accused of platforming anti-Semitic posts, visits kibbutzim attacked by Hamas.

Billionaire tycoon Elon Musk, who has been accused of platforming anti-Semitic content on his social media platform X, on Monday met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Israel.

Accompanied by Netanyahu, the tech billionaire also visited a kibbutz that was raided by Hamas fighters on October 7, during an assault that left 1,200 people dead and triggered Israel’s deadliest-ever military assault on Gaza. Nearly 15,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s bombardment of the coastal enclave.

Musk was said to have backed Israel’s war on Gaza after the trip that came during the truce between Hamas and Israel.

Musk also agreed to not provide internet access to Gaza through his satellite company Starlink without Israeli approval.

Here is what to know about Musk’s visit to Israel and its significance.

Why did Elon Musk visit Israel?

Musk’s visit to Israel, which came amid a truce between Hamas and Israel, follows backlash against a post on X that many have labelled as anti-Semitic, triggering a wave of advertisement withdrawals from the platform by corporate giants such as Apple and IBM, potentially costing X millions of dollars.

Earlier this month, Musk agreed with a social media post accusing Jewish people of pushing “dialectical hatred” against white people. Musk’s remarks received condemnation in the United States from the White House for being “abhorrent”.

Musk has also been accused of allowing advertisements from major corporations next to neo-Nazi and white nationalist content.

X is also facing a probe from the European Union into the spread of disinformation and violent content about Israel’s war on Gaza.

Musk has either criticised or denied findings from organisations such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Center for Countering Digital Hate that X has witnessed an increase in hate speech since he became CEO last year.

Where did Musk go and what did he say during the trip?

Escorted by Netanyahu and other security personnel, Musk toured the Kfar Aza kibbutz, attacked by Hamas fighters on October 7. He was also shown footage of the Hamas attack and met some of the families of people taken into captivity from Israel.

“It was jarring to see the scene of the massacre,” said Musk later in an X Spaces conversation with Netanyahu, adding Israel has “no choice” but to eliminate Hamas.

In the brief life-streamed conversation on X, Musk and Netanyahu agreed that Hamas needs to be eradicated – a mission that Israel has used as justification for its military offensive that has claimed overwhelmingly civilian lives.

“You first have to get rid of the poisonous regime as you did in Germany, as you did in Japan. Yeah, in World War II,” said Netanyahu.

Musk replied, “There’s no choice. There’s no choice.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog told Musk during a meeting that he had a huge role to play in the global fight against anti-Semitism.

“We have to do whatever is necessary to stop the hate,” Musk replied, according to a statement released by Herzog’s office.

Why did Netanyahu escort him weeks after asking him to condemn anti-Semitism?

On the X space, Netanyahu said that Musk’s visit to Israel points to his solidarity with Israel.

“The fact that you came here, I think, speaks volumes to your commitment to try to secure a better future”, he said.

Netanyahu reminded Musk that the last time they spoke, the two had a conversation about artificial intelligence. He told the tech CEO that “great talents are available” in Israel and pointed to Israeli manufacturing of iPhones and operations of the navigation app, Waze.

Netanyahu previously met Musk in California on September 18 where the Israeli prime minister urged him to strike a balance between protecting free expression and fighting hate speech after weeks of controversy over anti-Semitism on X.

Musk responded by saying he was against anti-Semitism and against anything that “promotes hate and conflict”, repeating his previous statements that X would not promote hate speech.

An Israeli government source described Monday’s visit as a follow-up to the September meeting.

Why Musk’s trip is being criticised?

Musk’s visit to Israel is being criticised by some supporters of Israel and Palestine.

Esther Solomon, editor-in-chief of the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, blasted Musk’s trip as a “PR visit” in a post on X.

In an opinion piece on the news site, Haaretz correspondent Ben Samuels also said Israel’s embrace of Musk is a “betrayal of Jews” and a “stain on Netanyahu’s legacy”.

Musk has also been questioned online for not visiting Gaza despite the deaths and destruction wrought on the territory by Israeli bombs.

What has Musk decided about Starlink access to Gaza?

Musk reached an agreement with Israel “in principle” that internet access to Gaza may be provided through Starlink, but only using units operated by Israel and with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications.

In October, CEO Musk had said that “Starlink will support connectivity to internationally recognised aid organisations in Gaza.”

As Gaza plunged into darkness after its communications blackout in October, social media users pleaded with Musk to provide the besieged enclave with internet access through Starlink.

The company uses satellite technology instead of cable technology to provide internet access, and also came to the aid of Ukraine when the country faced its own blackouts during its war with Russia.

Musk’s instant provision of Starlink access to Ukraine prompted people to call him out for having “double standards” when it came to Israel’s war on Gaza.

Israel has also previously opposed Starlink connectivity for Gaza, contesting that Hamas would use it for “terrorist activities”.

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❗️🇮🇱 Israel violated the truce by opening fire in the south of the Gaza Strip

This was reported by the Arabic TV channels Al Arabiya and Al Hadath. According to them, explosions and gunfire can now be heard west of Gaza City. The Israeli military is conducting massive fire east of the town of Khan Yunis in the south of the Palestinian enclave.

At 08:00 Moscow time the first day of the additional period of humanitarian pause was supposed to begin. - Ostashko reports

https://x.com/djuric_zlatko/status/1729389099507736756

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🇺🇸 US Secretary of State Blinken arrived in Brussels.

It is planned that he will meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and then with the foreign ministers of NATO countries.

https://x.com/djuric_zlatko/status/1729401699847004671

Blinken's final destination will be Israel, where the US Secretary of State will make his third trip since the start of the war.

He will travel to Israel and the West Bank after meetings with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, from where he will fly to Israel via Skopje in North Macedonia.

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