Life in Southeast Alaska vs. Life in Occupied Palestine:
Southeast: Kids back in school after holidays. No concerns that an occupier will shut down schools community schools.
Occupied Palestine: Israel is planning to shut down UNRWA schools in occupied East Jerusalem. That would include 7 schools in 2 refugee camps that are presently educating 3,000 students. Story below on January 20.
January, 2019 Week 3
Wednesday
01.15.2015 The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute insult to Angela Davis has boomeranged The Nation by Mairav Zonzein. The Israel Lobby-in trying to shut down Angela Davis for her pro-Palestinian activism-has created a national groundswell of support for her and a nationwide discussion about the Israel Lobby and its tactics. Cofounder of Black Lives Matter Alicia Barza compared the “incidents of censorship, intimidation, and suppression targeting speech supportive of Palestinian rights’ (in America) to tactics used by the Ku Klux Klan.”
01.15.2019 How Black Power spread support for Palestine Electronic Intifada by Rod Such. Review of Michael Fishbach’s book Black Power and Palestine. Article compares CNN’s recent firing of Black Professor Mark Lamont Hill for speaking in favor of Palestinian freedom at the U.N. to the 1979 forced resignation of Black Ambassador to the U.N. Andrew Young during the Carter Administration. Young was forced out because he met with a leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
01.15.2019 Video: Israel kills dreams of Gaza boxing champion Electronic Intifada 20-year-old Ahmad abu Marahil has been injured 3 times by Jewish snipers along the Gaza border. He was Gaza’s best boxer in his weight class. His dream was to represent Gaza internationally. He’d been invited to compete in other countries but Israel would not allow him out of the blockade. He is now in a wheelchair after having been shot in both legs with expanding bullets.
01.15.2019 Radical settler, ‘proud homophobic’ and wunderkid: meet the new leader of Israel’s far right Haaretz by Allison Kapan Sommer. Extremist bigot Bezazeel Smotrich, moving up Israel’s political food chain.
01.15.2019 Israeli settlers block road to Bethlehem area village Maan News About 50 Jewish extremists, protected by machine gun wielding occupation troops, blocked the road to the Palestinian village of Tuqu so the people couldn’t come or go.
01.15.2019 Israeli forces raid Beituniya, confiscate camera recordings Maan News Jewish occupation troops attacked the village to seize cameras from commercial buildings. Locals aren’t sure why. The assault provoked local youths to throw rocks at soldiers who shot at the kids with tear gas, stun grenades, and rubber coated steel bullets.
01.15.2019 Israeli army conducts military training at Gaza border Maan News
01.15.2019 Israeli bulldozers raze lands in northern Gaza Maan News again.
01.15.2019 Israeli army opens fire at Gazan youth near border Maan News No injuries reported.
01.15.2019 Palestinian girl released after 39 months of imprisonment Maan News 18-year-old Lama al-Bakri was accused of trying to stab a Jewish colonist in Hebron near the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba. At the time, occupation troops shot and severely injured her.
01.15.2019 Canada investigates Jewish National Fund for funding Israel’s crimes Electronic Intifada Under Canadian law funding foreign militaries with charitable donations, is illegal eh? Jewish National Fund monies go to support the occupation, and projects that enable the Israeli military.
01.15.2019 In three years, Israeli military courts have fined Palestinians $16 million Haaretz by Amira Haas. West Bank Palestinians were fined $16 million by Jewish military courts from 2015-2017 “even though the great majority of the offenses don’t involve the harming of people.” [a commenter points out that, “the very fact that military trials of Palestinians happen debunks Israel’s claim that there is no occupation.”]
01.15.2019 Debunking the ‘Startup Nation’ myth: How Israel’s economy cut itself off from the world Haaretz by Meirav Arlosoff. Quote from article “Despite it flashy image, Israel is a super power of mediocrity and inefficiency, with a resulting 23-percent plunge in international trade during the last decade.”
Wednesday
01.16.2019 Israeli bulldozers demolish caravan in West Bank Maan News. Caravan in the moveable home sense of the word. It was a 30 square meter building. Israel smashed it so the family is homeless.
01.16.2019 Malaysian PM: We won’t allow Israeli athletes to enter Maan News. Malaysia doesn’t recognize Israel and doesn’t allow people in on Israeli passports. Malaysian passports say, “valid for all countries except Israel.”
01.16.2019 Al-Quassam fighter dies of wounds sustained in accident Maan News Member of Hamas military wing wounded in accidental explosion last week has died of his injuries.
Thursday
01.17.2019 Israeli forces raid Al-Aqsa compound, mosques inside Maan News More Jewish state provocations at Al-Aqsa continue. An Israeli policeman tried to wear his kippah into the mosque, Jewish occupation troops stormed Dome of the Rock and Marawani mosques, closed the compound and deployed heavily armed troops around the place.
01.17.2019 OCHA: ‘humanitarian operations undermined by Israeli government’ Maan News UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), says Israeli government is working with civil society groups to delegitimize humanitarian aid workers and efforts by NGO’s trying to help people in the occupied territories. “Targeted defamation and smear campaigns allege violations of counter terrorism legislation and international law, or political action against Israel.”
01.17.2019 Al Maki to re-submit Palestine’s application for full UN membership Maan News. This year Palestine has been designated President of the Group of 77 and China (which is a UN group of developing nations plus China) who work together for their collective benefit.) Palestinian Foreign Minister Al Maki says Palestine will focus on doing a good job for the Group this year and wait until next year to re-apply to the UN for full membership. (right now its status is non-member observer because the U.S. blocks the application with its vote on the Security Council).
01.17.2019 GOP lawmaker pushes to derail Rashida Tlaib from leading delegation to West Bank Politico by Melanie Zanona. Congresswoman Tlaib plans to lead a delegation to the West Bank so congress people can see the other side. Rep. Brian Babin (R. Texas) has written a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and all Democratic Committee Chairs attempting to get them to halt the trip. Meanwhile, AIPAC/Israeli sponsored congressional indoctrination trips for congress people are going on as always.
01.17.2019 GOP rep seeks to block Tlaib’s congressional delegation trip to West Bank. The Detroit Press by Melissa Nann Burke. Has some choice quotes from Israel supporter Congressman Babin, who is trying to stop the trip. He called Israel, “…our most threatened ally” and the West Bank Palestinians “Israel’s nemesis.” Like Tlaib’s grandmother presumably, since the delegation is going to see her. Babin also claimed the trip is “…inconsistent with American values.” [Not mine, Brian.] and says, “Please consider…the perceptions of our own Jewish-American citizens.” [Is that a thinly veiled threat that wealthy U.S. Jews will shut off the spigot to American politicians who allow this trip?]
Friday
01.18.2019 2 Palestinians injured, minor detained in Kafr Qadam march Maan News Israel suppressed the weekly non-violent Palestinian march in the occupied West Bank again by shooting people with live ammunition, rubber coated steel bullets and tear gas grenades. Two Palestinians were taken to hospital, one with chest injuries, the other shot in the leg. Jewish troops also shot up a Palestinian home with live ammunition and arrested a 14-year-old boy.
01.18.2019 Israel blows up house of Palestinian prisoner in Yatta Maan News Last September a Palestinian stabbed and killed an Israeli colonist in the occupied territory. He was shot and imprisoned. In the pre-dawn darkness today Jewish troops attacked a 3 story building where the man’s family lived. They threw the people out in the street and demolished their home.
01.18.2019 Israeli bull dozers raze lands in southern Gaza Maan News Again.
01.18.2018 Israeli settlers chop down dozens of olive trees near Ramallah Maan News About 40 more trees killed. Another Palestinian family loses its livelihood.
01.18.2019 USAID to end all Palestinian projects on January 31st Maan News United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to end all project in occupied West Bank/Besieged Gaza. Dave Hardin, former US Aid mission director and current managing director of Georgetown Strategy Group, said, “Who suffers when USAID leaves schools and water projects unfinished? Palestinians, of course, but also Israelis and Americans.”
01.18.2019 Thousands of Palestinians protest at Gaza fence, 14 reportedly wounded by live fire Haaretz by Jack Khoury and Noa Landau. Apparently Israel is blocking funds from Qatar to Gaza. Foreign diplomats ‘concerned’ that this will escalate trouble between Israel and Gaza. [see also article above].
01.18.2019 Israeli officials discount US concerns over China: ‘The security warnings are a joke.’ Haaretz Among other things, Israelis sold control of Haifa port to Chinese state-owned corporation. U.S. Navy doesn’t like it because of danger this poses to Sixth Fleet. Israel’s response is to ridicule U.S. concerns. [This article comes 10 days after Nadav Argamon, head of Israel’s secret police, said Chinese investments in Israel could pose a security threat to Israel.]
01.18.2019 Gaza hospitals about to run out of fuel Electronic Intifada by Maureen Clare Murphy. Gaza electricity went up to 11 hours a day in October after Qatar donated some oil. That’s running low now and Gaza hospitals face power interruptions with rough consequences to patients like the 800 kidney patients who need dialysis, people who need surgery, etc.
01.19.2018 Israeli forces detain Palestinian after crossing Gaza border fence Maan News Unarmed Palestinian taken away for interrogation.
01.18.2019 U.S. to buy two Iron Dome batteries as first part of $1.7 billion missle defense project Times of Israel by Jason Sherman. U.S. Army to trhow $373 million to Israel for parts of an anti missile system that U.S. tax payers already bought and paid for. Iron Dome is developed by Israeli weapons maker Raphael which is a partner of American weapons maker Raytheon. Raytheon currently builds 70% of the Iron Dome Tamir missile across 26 states in the U.S. article says, “Since 2011 congress has provided Israel with $1.4 billion.” for the project. [a Middle East Eye article publised in September of last years says the cost has been $5.5 billion since 2010. see: 09.27.2018 Funded by U.S., now Israel’s Iron Dome maker expects to sell it back Middle East Eye. American tax payers have shelled out $5.5 billion since 2010 for Israel’s Iron Dome.]
Saturday
01.19.2019 Time to break the silence on Palestine New York Times by Michelle Alexander. **America is going through a sea-change in its relationship with Israel. If you read one article on the topic this year, read this one.**
Martin Luther King, in 1967, stood up and spoke out against the Vietnam war when the majority of the country, especially the wealthy, both left and right, supported it. The speech cost him and his movement at the time. He’d been advised not to give it, or at least to soften it. King gave the impassioned speech because he saw doing so as a moral duty. The author points out that King was conflicted about Israel and that he cancelled a 1967 pilgrimage there because of what Israel was doing to the Palestinians. She writes, “…it seems the days when critiques of Zionism and the actions of the state of Israel can be written off as anti-Semitism are coming to an end.” and further,
“I can not say for certain that King would applaud Birmingham for its zealous defense of Angela Davis’s solidarity with the Palestinian people. But I do. In this new year, I aim to speak with greater courage and conviction about injustices beyond our borders, particularly those that are funded by our government, and stand in solidarity with struggles for democracy and freedom. My conscience leaves me no other choice.” She quotes Martin Luther King, Jr. “We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak.”
01.19.2019 Killing in Umm al-Hinan Forensic Architecture. On January, 2017 in pre-dawn hours Israeli troops killed a Palestinian math teacher, Yaqoub Abu al-Qiyan, as they attacked his small Bedouin village in Israel’s Negev desert to demolish it so Jewish colonists could have the land. Netanyahu and Israeli security minister Gilad Erdon immediately claimed Israel killed al-Qiyan because he made a terrorist attack with his car that killed the Israeli trooper. As proof they released drone footage from directly overhead, of al-Qiyan’s car accelerating towards the Israelis.
In this 30 minute video FA uses a fascinating combination of 3-D modeling, photogrammetry, image complex, synchronization of various video sources, and a live reenactment. This work exposed the Israeli government’s cover-up of Israel murdering al-Qiyan. What acutally happened was, he was driving when Israeli troopers attacked the village. They shot him as he drove slowly past. His car accelerated after that. Not because of the dying driver, but because it was on a hill—which you can’t see because the Israeli footage is directly overhead and makes it look like the car was on a flat road.
01.19.2019 43 Palestinians injured during Gaza’s weekly protests Maan News 43 more people hurt as Jewish snipers shot live ammunition, rubber coated steel bullets, and tear gas grenades into crowds of unarmed protesters. Among the injured are 3 paramedics and 2 journalists. Israel also targeted the ambulances again, hitting 3 with tear gas grenades.
01.19.2019 Report: Israel killed at least 45 Palestinian children in Gaza Maan News. Defense for Children International Palestine (DCIP) issued report in collaboration with Human Rights and Gender Justice Law Clinic at City University in New York. Submitted it to UN Commission of Inquiry on the 2018 Gaza protests by the UN Human Rights Council.
Report says of the 56 Palestinian children Israeli occupation troops and Jewish colonists killed in 2018, 45 died along the Gaza border.
01.19.2019 “Represent us” Women’s march is back amid controversy over anti-Semitism USA Today by Doug Stanglin and Mariiva Petofsky. Some leaders of Women’s March support BDS. Instead of reporting the story of the Women’s March and what women’s issues are at stake: reproductive and health rights, voting, race, and immigration rights, raising the minimum wage, environmental stewardship; this anti-Semitism headline/faux story is getting saturation coverage in media all across the country.
The USA Today article a bit about the march, freezing temperatures this year and a few details, the opening line (which is all many people read) is screaming unsupported claims of anti-Semitism by the March’s leadership. Jewish women of color spoke out supporting the march. there’s one line about that. Body of story includes lines about a co-founder of the march refusing to condemn Nation of Islam’s Louis Farenkamph for comments he once made about Jews.
01.19.2019 ‘Many people are trying to divide us’ thousands attend third annual Women’s March Haaretz by Amir Tibon, et al. The Israel Lobby tried and failed to co-opt the Women’s March. After weeks of promotions accusing the Women’s March leadership of anti-Semitism, Palestinian-American (and frequent target of the Israel Lobby) Linda Sarsour said in her speech at the march, “We will protect our right to boycott, divestment, and sanctions in this country.”
At the New York March Jewish far-right attention seeker, Laura Loomis, who the week before jumped over the fence at Nancy Pelosi’s house to pitch a tent protesting immigration, ran out on stage, seized the microphone and screeched, “The Women’s March hates Jews!”
And as the women were marching towards Central Park they passed far right attention seeker Dion Cini who had a giant Trump 2020 flag along with a smaller Israeli flag. Ciri was in the news two months ago after being banned for life from Disney World for waving pro-Trump signs on multiple occasions after they told him to cut it out.
01.19.2019 Ben Shapiro: I wouldn’t kill baby Hitler Haaretz daily dose of Nazi.
Sunday
01.20.2019 Report: Israel strikes Syria in rare daytime attack; Syria fires at Golan Jerusalem Post by Anna Ahronheim. Israel attacked Syria again today. Once again Jewish state air force pilots tried to hide behind inbound civilian aircraft to cover their bombing run on Damascus International Airport. The Russian Defense Ministry says 4 Israeli jets fired 7 missiles. Syrian defenders directed the civilian planes away and shot the missiles down.
In return, the Syrians fired several ground to ground missiles at the Golan Heights. Given that Israel has attacked Syria 200 times in the past two years, including shooting 2,000 missiles during 2018, with almost no military response from Syria, today the Israeli media is expressing shock and disbelief that the Syrians would have the effrontery to respond to an Israeli attack.
01.20.2019 Israeli forces detain 5 minors in Tuqu Maan News Occupation troops raided the village again in the night and took away some more of the kids.
01.20.2018 OCHA: 10% increase in Israeli demolition of Palestinian structures in 2018 Maan News Israel destroyed or seized 460 Palestinian structures last year according the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs. The increase wasn’t uniform. Occupied East Jerusalem saw a 25% increase.
01.20.2019 Israel demolishes Palestinian home for 2nd time in Lod City Maan News Palestinians in Lod, Central Israel, attacked by Jewish police with bulldozers who flattened their home under the pretext that they didn’t have a building permit that Israel makes it a practice to withhold from Palestinians.
01.20.2019 Hospital forces Palestinians off bus while Israeli passengers remain Maan News A public bus route goes to a Jewish hospital. When the bus gets to the hospital grounds the Israelis kick off the Palestinians and search them. Then they have to wait until the bus comes back. They get back on and are taken to where they were going. Jews don’t have to get off.
01.20.2019 Israel plans to close UNRWA schools in occupied East Jerusalem Al Jazeera In addition to violating the 1946 Refugee Convention, UNRWA spokesperson Sami Meshasha points out that Israel is violating, “bilateral agreements binding on Israel to respect (UNRWA) installations, jurisdiction, and immunity in Jerusalem” Israel is planning to shut down UNRWA schools in occupied East Jerusalem next school year and replace them with schools run by the notoriously racist Israeli Education Ministry. That would include 7 schools in 2 refugee camps that are presently educating 3,000 students.
01.20.2019 FM commends Malaysia, says ‘Israel uses sports to normalize the occupation’ Maan News Palestinian Foreign Minister thanks Malaysia for supporting the boycott of Israelis.
01.20.2019 Netanyahu’s party escalates attack on media with billboard blasting journalists Haaretz by Jonathan Lis. Sounds familiar.
01.20.2019 Over 3 million tourists visited Palestine in 2018 Maan News Something positive out of the area for a change.
01.20.19 Trump’s ‘Arab NATO’ push against Iran comes to a head, and he’s the biggest obstacle Haaretz by Zvi Bar’el. Zionist/Saudi/U.S. plan has some problems.
Monday
01.21.2019 New study finds 50-year history of anti-Palestinian bias in mainstream news reporting Mint Press by Kathryn Shihadah. Toronto based consulting firm 416 Labs did the largest ever computer analysis of headlines from 5 leading American newspapers. New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post from 1967 to 2017. Findings include: Israel was mentioned 4 times more than Palestine with Israel-centric headlines dominating Palestinian-centric headlines.
01.21.2019 Israel strikes Iranian targets in Syria after missile launch Haaretz by Yaniv Kubovich and Noa Landau. Israel bombs Syria again. Again the headlines try to connect and blame Israeli aggression on Iran. Israel killed 4 Syrian soldiers, wounded 6.
Unbelievably, an IDF spokesman, a General, told the press: “We warned the Syrians not to fire anti-aircraft missiles at our planes during the strike but they chose to fire anyway. The Syrian response led us to attack Syrian air defense systems in 3 waves of strikes by the Israel air force.”
01.21.2019 Israeli bulldozers raze, level lands in northern Gaza Maan News Again
01.21.2019 Israeli navy detains fisherman in Gaza Maan News Again.
01.21.2019 Attorney among 23 Palestinians detained by Israeli forces Maan News Night and fog raids across the West Bank again last night.
01.21.2019 Justin Trudeau’s pack of lies about BDS Electronic Intifada by Ali Albunimah. Handsome Trudeau once again morphs into Mitch McConnell when it comes to Palestinian human rights.
01.21.2019 New Norwegian government calls for closer ties with Israel, condemns BDS The Jerusalem Post. by Herb Keinon. The newly reelected Erna Solbergs coalition includes a small, new pro-Israel party, Myrland, and a pro-Israel Christian Democratic leader.
The newbies inserted nuggets into the government guidelines that look like they were written by the Israeli government. Like this one: The new government will, “lay the ground for strengthened research and development cooperation, trade, tourism, and cultural exchange with Israel.” In addition, the new government pans BDS and will, “…actively work against economic contributions to terrorism, including reward of prisoners…and not support organizations that encourage violence or promote hateful expressions, racism, or anti-Semitism, specifically in the Palestinian area.” [Worth noting: could be that one day soon that last one could be interpreted as Norway will stop funding apartheid Israel. Also worth noting: Five cities in Norway have voted to support BDS.]
01.21.2019 Dozens of injured turtles wash up on Israel’s beaches KULR8.com/film clip from CNN. More than 50 beautiful, endangered loggerhead turtles have washed up on Israeli beaches in the past few weeks at least 20 of them dead. Director of the Israel sea turtle rescue center, Yaniv Levy said, “They all suffer from soft tissue trauma that’s coming from some kind of shock wave. It could happen from either seismic surveys or explosions underwater. If its for military reasons or fishing, but it’s not common.” [This mass stranding looks very much like 2013 when hundreds of huge mobula rays washed up dead and bloodied on Gaza beaches.]
01.21.2019 Israeli election ad boasts Gaza bombed back to the ‘stone ages’ Electronic Intifada by Ali Albunimah. With elections coming up, last week Netanyahu boasted about how many Palestinians his government had killed and he’s bombing Syria almost daily. His rival in the campaign, Benny Gatz, has just put out the most perverted campaign ad ever picturing a bombed out Gaza neighborhood with a counter running, boasting how many Palestinians he killed in Gaza.
01.21.2019 Israeli forces raid Makassed hospital to prevent 50th anniversary event Maan News Event was to mark hospital’s 50th year. Occupation troops raided the hall where the event was to take place, closed the hall, and banned the event. At that, the administration and guests went outside to have the event. Israel attacked them, physically forced the people to leave, and arrested two of them.
01.21.2019 Women’s march condemns pro-Israel bill in newly released agenda The Daily Caller by Mike Brest. Once again the Israel Lobby strategy has backfired. After trying to divide the Women’s March by accusing its founders of anti-Semitism, The Women’s March came back swinging and their agenda now includes this paragraph: “One of the biggest threats to speech today are the attempts to silence social movements, including those advocating for Palestinian rights, Black liberty in the United States, indigenous rights and environmental progress. Whether it’s the attempt to create federal or state laws banning political boycotts or criticism of Israel (including the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions tactic), targeting environmental protest, or preventing students and faculty on college campuses from expressing their views or engaging in peaceable assembly, the silencing of one side of the debate is precisely what our First Amendment protects against.”
