The Return of Gidra

09/03/2024

By Arno Rosenfeld
March 8, 2024
More than 450 rabbis called on President Joe Biden Friday to end the war in Gaza, adding momentum to growing calls for a ceasefire among liberal American Jews who have become deeply uncomfortable with Israel’s military operation.

“There is no military solution to this conflict,” the rabbis, including leaders of large synagogues, stated in a letter organized by T’ruah, a rabbinic human rights group. “A ceasefire is the only reliable, proven means for securing the release of the remaining hostages and ensuring the provision of desperately needed humanitarian relief to Gaza.”

07/03/2024

J Street, the so called “centrist” Zionist org, finally calls for a ceasefire. We’re not going to make a snarky comment. The center shifting is noteworthy. “The issue is that the war on Gaza is not about Israel defending itself. Fighting Hamas … on October 7th would have been self-defense although, thanks to Netanyahu’s failed “security” apparatus, the people of southern Israel were essentially defended by nobody. And after October 7th, when the bombing of Gaza began, Israel was not engaged in “defending” itself but in vengeance, and in all too many cases killing for the sheer joy of it.”

06/03/2024

Vote undecided during the primaries. But think about the fact that if Trump becomes elected, he will have to swayed starting from scratch. Biden’s been at least a little swayed. Swaying Trump would be worse than talking to a brick wall.

04/03/2024

Some funding has been resumed. Canada has also resumed funding.

04/03/2024

Netanyahu is crouching in a corner that he painted himself and Israel into. The US can pull the plug on aid to Israel. The emergency aid is still stuck in limbo. Biden can make the call to completely stop any transfer of armaments, weapons, and parts. “While the IDF tries not to address the issue publicly, Major General Eliezer Toledano admitted last month that the IDF is reducing air attacks, emphasizing the necessity to “manage the economy of armaments” because the war will last a long time. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also commented on the matter, stating that “we need three things from the U.S.: armaments, armaments, armaments.” At a press conference two weeks ago, Netanyahu announced that Israel is preparing the Israeli defense industries to “cut off dependence on the world,” a goal that is not realistic in any way.”

01/03/2024

Even Germany is not buying Israel’s lying excuses. “Germany and France have joined widespread condemnation of the deaths of over 100 Palestinians yesterday while they were gathered to receive humanitarian aid in Gaza during an incident in which Israeli troops opened fire. Germany’s foreign minister Annalena Baerbock demanded Israel’s army “fully explain how the mass panic and shooting could have happened”, while her French counterpart, Stéphane Séjourné said “there will have to be an independent probe to determine what happened”. Earlier French president Emmanuel Macron said he felt “deep indignation at the images coming from Gaza where civilians have been targeted by Israeli soldiers.”

01/03/2024

The ICJ’s interim ruling on Israel’s genocide against Palestinians is fueling political movement. It’s also stirred courts in E.U. countries to order a halt to weapons sales/transfers to Israel. “More than 200 MPs from 12 countries have committed themselves to trying to persuade their governments to impose a ban on arms sales to Israel, arguing they will not be complicit in “Israel’s grave violation of international law” in its assault on Gaza. In their letter the politicians argue that, after the international court of justice ordered Israel to ensure its forces did not commit acts of genocide in Gaza, “an arms embargo has moved beyond a moral necessity to become a legal requirement”. This week, UN experts made a similar pronouncement, claiming “any transfer of weapons or ammunition to Israel that would be used in Gaza is likely to violate international humanitarian law and must cease immediately”.

29/02/2024

Organizers for the “uncommitted” vote were hoping for 10,000 votes. They ended up with over 100,000. Keep protesting. Keep resisting. Change may seem slow. But the tide and compass have forever changed. There has been more criticism of Israel in two weeks than there has been since its violent, catastrophic founding.

26/02/2024

An end to the war is inevitable. The fall out after the war will reveal the true cost to Israel that Netanyahu and his extremist ministers feverishly and vengefully chose. Global public and diplomatic opinion has been forever swayed for a Palestinian state. “Israel’s dignity will indeed be damaged, Hamas will be crowned the winner of the war – a dubious winner but a winner nevertheless (except that it had already crowned itself such on October 7). Even if Benjamin Netanyahu’s “total victory” were to be achieved, which will, of course, never happen, Hamas has won the war. Therefore, it is better to put an end to it.

We have to put aside the clichés and tired slogans Israelis have been fed and calmly consider important questions: Is the deal really that bad? In what way? Is there a better one?”

24/02/2024

“The ICJ’s influence on the tribunal was undeniable, triggering a more sympathetic approach among judges and significantly influencing the Dutch court’s proceedings,” said Lex Takkenberg, Senior Advisor on the Question of Palestine with the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD), in an interview with The New Arab.

“The prima facie case recognised by the ICJ has undoubtedly put other parties, especially Israel’s backers, on notice,” he added. “The deterrent effect is unmistakable.”

24/02/2024

“Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused the UN Human Rights Council of collaborating with Hamas on Saturday, after a group of UN rights officials called for an arms embargo on Israel, saying that any export of weapons or ammunition to the Jewish state for use in Gaza was “likely to violate international humanitarian law.”

In the statement, issued under the auspices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the rights experts said that all countries have a responsibility not to sell weapons “if it is expected, given the facts or past patterns of behavior, that they would be used to violate international law.” The same thing went for military intelligence.”

24/02/2024

What was the point of the US showing up at the ICJ hearing? Even Germany didn’t bother to show up.

23/02/2024

What’s the point in softening the numbers by subtracting positive responses. If the total percentage of negative attitudes towards Israel were shown, it would the overwhelming majority. People with positive attitudes would be shown to be a tiny minority. “New data shared with TIME from the business intelligence company Morning Consult shows that support for Israel around the world has dropped significantly since the war in Gaza began.
Net favorability—the percentage of people viewing Israel positively after subtracting the percentage viewing it negatively—dropped globally by an average of 18.5 percentage points between September and December, decreasing in 42 out of the 43 countries polled.

China, South Africa, Brazil, and several other countries in Latin America all went from viewing Israel positively to negatively. And many rich countries that already had net negative views of Israel—including Japan, South Korea, and the U.K.—saw steep declines. Net favorability in Japan went from -39.9 to -62.0; in South Korea from-5.5 to -47.8; and in the U.K. from -17.1 to -29.8.”

23/02/2024

“David Ivry is worried. “We are entering a war of attrition,” he says in his quiet voice, and sighs. We are speaking in early January, when the Israeli casualty toll was far lower than they are today. “I am familiar with this dynamic from Lebanon, when I served as Israel Defense Forces deputy chief of staff [1983-85]. We are in a place that we conquered, people get used to the situation and we gradually shift from being conquerors to being targets.”

23/02/2024

The UK is pulling s**t out of thin air. The US, UK, and Fiji are the only countries arguing for Israel. Canada didn’t even think it was worth showing up for Israel and bailed at the last minute. 49 other countries are at the ICJ presenting arguments in favor of Palestinians. 52 countries participating in an ICJ hearing is unprecedented. Israel is a rogue, pariah state.

22/02/2024

Former Fiji prime minister Frank Bainimarama says the country’s intervention at the International Court of Justice on the Israel-Gaza issue betrays Fiji’s legacy as peacekeepers.

Paul Reichler, an attorney representing Palestine at the ICJ revealed this week that Fiji and the United States - the only nations - to defend Israel’s occupation of Palestine.

Bainimarama said Fiji’s stance “insults the intelligence of every Fijian”.

The former prime minister and military commander said that position undoes Fiji’s long-standing commitment to neutrality, peacekeeping, and the principles of self-determination and decolonization.

“The coalition government’s claim that the occupation of foreign territory by Israel is legal - an argument not even advanced by Israel itself - reveals a disturbing truth that Fiji’s voice to the world is hostage to a demented few who are hellbent on destroying our national reputation,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

22/02/2024

21/02/2024

The US stands alone at the ICJ in defending Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. One of two nations? The other is Fiji, an island nation that gets aid from Israel. Two countries out of 52 speaking on the matter of Israel’s occupation of Palestine. Who knows why Hungary even bothered to so up to make a tepid fart. All the other nations are supporting the Palestinian cause to one degree or another.

21/02/2024

Of course, Israeli media tries to downplay the economic devastation to Israel. Israel touts its innovative industries and tech with a bunch of adjectives and no real nouns. Like what is Israel innovative at? Israeli companies typically work on innovating parts and fragments for existing products and tech. Name one Israeli product or tech company that has international brand appeal. The market share for making parts and pieces can easily be overtaken by another country.

21/02/2024

From The Jewish Insider. The budget that passed in the Senate is pretty much dead on arrival in the House. The Republicans aren’t budging in the House. Netanyahu never expected this in his wildest scenarios. “Israel has an immediate need for additional U.S. military aid, Israeli sources told Jewish Insider, as the support remains mired in Congress amid disputes between Republicans and Democrats, and the House and Senate, over Ukraine aid and border policy, among other issues — with no clear path or timeline moving forward.
Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein said that when he was on Capitol Hill last week, he told all of his interlocutors that the aid “is extremely urgent.”

20/02/2024

Israel had no allies here. Zero. Canada pulled out at the last minute. Who knows where Hungary went. “Ten countries presented their arguments on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.
South Africa, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Bangladesh and Belgium made their case during the morning session, with Belize, Bolivia, Brazil and Chile delivering their statements in the afternoon.”

20/02/2024

“The Knesset narrowly voted against the expulsion of lawmaker Ofer Cassif on Monday, with 85 lawmakers voting in favor of the measure, short of the 90 necessary to expel a lawmaker. Eleven members of Knesset voted against the measure, while 24 were absent. Lawmakers had sought to oust Cassif, a member of the Hadash party, for expressing support for the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.”

19/02/2024

Neener neener, bo**er bo**er. Israel’s so called reprimands and rebukes to heads of foreign states and diplomats are a fu***ng joke.

19/02/2024

Hungary might be the lone country that argues in favor of Israel. “A total of 52 countries – about 10 a day – will present their arguments to ICJ judges through the week. A majority of them originally voted in favour of the UN decision to approach the ICJ. A few, like Canada, voted against, while Switzerland abstained from the vote.”

19/02/2024

In a first-of-its-kind case, at least 52 countries will present arguments on controversial Israeli policies in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and occupied East Jerusalem. It’s the largest number of parties to participate in any single ICJ case since the court was established in 1945.

18/02/2024

Republicans care more about the US-Mexico border and defunding the Ukraine than they do about Israel. The House leader has been saying the new budget that passed the Senate would be dead on arrival in The House. The ongoing delays in US $$$ to Israel is a massive surprise and blow to Israel. Israel’s economy is tanking. Israel is burning through its arsenal of weapons. “The bill that was passed now faces an uncertain future in the House, where speaker Mike Johnson has said he will not bring it up for a vote. The Republican-led House will not be jammed or forced into passing a foreign aid bill that was opposed by most Republican senators and does nothing to secure our own border,” Mr Johnson insisted at a press conference.“

18/02/2024

Netanyahu is destroying Israel and he wants to kill as many Palestinians while Israel implodes. “To live in peace, Israel will have to finally come to terms with the Palestinians, and that is something Netanyahu has opposed throughout his career. He has devoted his tenure as prime minister, the longest in Israeli history, to undermining and sidelining the Palestinian national movement. He has promised his people that they can prosper without peace. He has sold the country on the idea that it can continue to occupy Palestinian lands forever at little domestic or international cost.”

18/02/2024

Defund the genocide. Defund the occupation. “Describing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza a “mass genocide,” leaders of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the nation’s oldest predominantly Black denomination, have called for the U.S. to halt “all funding and other support” for the Jewish state.

The statement came from the church’s Council of Bishops Thursday as the Israeli army continued to move into Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where 1.6 million Palestinians are sheltering.

Israel has “denied them access to food, water, shelter, and health care. After this torture, they plan to murder them,” the statement reads.”

18/02/2024

“Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Sunday compared Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza to the Holocaust, saying Israel was committing “genocide” against Palestinian civilians in the Strip and saying the only historical equivalent was “when Hi**er decided to kill the Jews.”

“What’s happening in the Gaza Strip isn’t a war, it’s a genocide,” Lula told reporters in Addis Ababa, where he was attending an African Union summit. It’s not a war of soldiers against soldiers. It’s a war between a highly prepared army and women and children,” the veteran leftist politician said”

15/02/2024

Genocide Joe. Slow Joe. Defund the Occupation. Please, let the new budget that includes aid to Israel die on the House floor.