"#Israel's reaction to the announcement by Norway, Spain, and Ireland, that they formally recognise the State of #Palestine, shows again that Israel seeks #annexation and permanent occupation over Palestine .. "
“We as South Africans sense, see, hear and feel to our core the inhumane, discriminatory policies and practices of the Israeli regime as an even more extreme form of the #apartheid that was institutionalized against black people in my country.”
— Vusimuzi Madonsela, South African ambassador to the #Netherlands
A record number of nations participated in the hearing at the International Court of Justice concerning the legality of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, now in its 8th decade. A ruling is not expected for a few months.
In 2004, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel's separation wall in occupied Palestine is illegal and ordered it be dismantled and compensation paid to those affected. Israel ignored the ruling (as it has ignored every UN resolution and ruling of international law against it) and its western allies did nothing to ensure the ruling was observed.
Today in Labor History February 25, 1843: Lord George Paulet, naval captain, occupied the Kingdom of Hawaii in the name of Great Britain. Paulet and his men controlled the islands for five months, until the U.S. sent warships to expel them. Great Britain supposedly never authorized the invasion. The Hawaiian Kingdom was a sovereign state from 1795-1883. King Kamehameha, from the island of Hawaii, created the state by conquering four other Hawaiian islands and unifying them in 1795. The U.S. acted as its “protector” during these years, preventing the UK and Japan from asserting hegemony. However, in 1898, the U.S. annexed the islands, after U.S. businessmen participated in the overthrow of the monarchy in 1893.
The Hawaiian flag depicted is based on Kānāwai Māmalahoe, or Law of the Splintered Paddle, a precept in Hawaiian law, originating with King Kamehameha I in 1797. The law states "Let every elderly person, woman and child lie by the roadside in safety," (i.e., safely protected whenever there is a battle). The law is enshrined in the Hawaiian state constitution, Article 9, Section 10, and has become a model for modern human rights law regarding the treatment of civilians and other non-combatants during times of war. The law was came as a result of an incident when Kamehameha was on a military expedition in Puna and chased after a fisherman. However, Kamehameha's leg got caught in the reef. The fisherman hit him on the head with a paddle in defense, which broke into pieces, but the fisherman stopped after this and spared him his life. Kamehameha later brought the fisherman before him in judgement. Instead of ordering a death sentence on the fisherman, he ruled that the fisherman had only been protecting his land and family, and so the Law of the Splintered Paddle was declared.
Heart broken over the loss of #Lahaina. Among the destruction is the #Episcopal parish of Holy Innocents, which predates #Annexation and was established by Bishop Staley not too long after HM King Kamehameha IV invited #Anglican clergy to #Hawaii to establish a National church as an alternative to the missionary churches. Of course the #church is its people and so the church remains. But it’s all still so very sad regardless.
Tamila Tasheva, President Volodymyr Zelensky's permanent representative for Crimea, told Newsweek on July 16 that Ukraine will have to deal with an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 Russian citizens who came illegally to Crimea after annexation.
#Ukraine 's president, Volodymyr #Zelensky , is in #Bulgaria for talks on defence and security. He's thanked the prime minister Nikolai Denkov for Bulgaria's military support, which he said had saved many Ukrainian lives. He's also meeting President Rumen Radev, who has publicly opposed sending Bulgarian- made #ammunition to Ukraine. (cont.)
'Radev’s #Crimea remark prompted criticism at home and an expression of “deep concern” from the US. He later said that #Moscow ’s #annexation of Crimea was in violation of international law. Some of his critics see him as an “agent of #Russian influence”, others say he is merely trying to appeal to pro-Russian voters.
His views have sparked several protests demanding his resignation, chanting slogans like “This isn’t #moscow”.
Russia may annex Georgian breakaway regions -Medvedev (www.reuters.com)
The deputy chair of the Russian security council Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow may annex Georgia's breakaway regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Official: Ukraine expects to kick out Russians who illegally moved to Crimea after annexation (kyivindependent.com)
Tamila Tasheva, President Volodymyr Zelensky's permanent representative for Crimea, told Newsweek on July 16 that Ukraine will have to deal with an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 Russian citizens who came illegally to Crimea after annexation.