Facebook continues to violate Palestinian free speech, this time by shutting down – without warning – Safa Palestinian Press Agency, a major news outlet. This in spite of the great amount of anti-Palestinian incitement on Israeli Facebook accounts, including that of justice minister Ayelet Shaked. This bowing to Israeli pressure does not bode well for other social media (or for Palestinian free speech).
Democratic Congressional leader Nancy Pelosi is leading a Congressional delegation visit to Israel and Jordan. Pelosi stated: “There is no greater political accomplishment in the 20th Century than the establishment of the State of Israel.”
Newly appointed National Security Advisor John Bolton is expected to lead the rest of Trump’s hawkish team into war. It’s just a matter of time, according to Philip Giraldi, before the US will be fighting a war in which it has no actual stake for an ally with which we have no defense agreement.
The 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act created a secret “court” whose records and rulings are not available to the public, and that violates the U.S. Constitution. It is now used by the government to spy on anyone who has communicated with anyone else who has ever communicated with a foreigner.
Writer Paul de Rooij has been tracking Amnesty International’s reporting methods, and indicates that AI’s track record is not objective but at times pro-war, anti-Syrian government, and soft on Israel…
As is the case every week in the oPt, Israel has been busily using violence to break up peaceful protests, invading villages and arresting Palestinians (including women and children), disrupting freedom of movement, shooting at fishing boats, and demolishing homes. In other words, it was business as usual.
Israeli officials welcome Bolton; other supporters have been AIPAC, American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, the Orthodox Union, Agudath Israel of America, the Zionist Organization of America, the Republican Jewish Coalition, The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Zionist Organization of America…
AIPAC President Mort Fridman sent supporters an email announcing: “Our work together just made a difference for Israel’s security and for its future.” He crowed that Congress passed legislation giving Israel almost $4 billion of US tax money, while taking away US aid to many Palestinian widows and orphans…
Jake Tapper’s piece on Israeli psychologists working with children after HS shooting in Parkland FL highlights Israel’s “vast experience with terrorism and war.” As usual, Israel is the innocent victim of Palestinian terrorism.
Palestinians survive such whitewashing by developing a unique coping mechanism, “Sumud.”