Sure this will be talked about for a while, but history was made today. And, I’m hopeful, justice prevailed. Here’s how it was reported by my local paper. https://wapo.st/3KoMJh8#GiftLink#TFG#WaPo
I haven't heard the album yet, probably won't ever hear it except whenever various songs trickle in through the membranes of my social media bubble. But I can tell you right now, I don't need a bearded white man in the Washington Post to tell me what I ought to think about Beyoncé’s country music album.
#Gaza / The U.S. and Israel have a ‘major credibility problem’
[…] intolerable — it’s a blight on the consciousness of humanity. This kind of thing can’t happen in the modern day and age,” one White House adviser told my colleagues. “It’s the humanitarian situation that has tipped us over the line into open confrontation with the Israelis.”
#Palestine / Israel announces largest West Bank land seizure since 1993 during Blinken visit
Israel's settlements in the occupied West Bank are widely viewed as a violation of international law, which prohibits the transfer of civilian populations to territories seized through military force. Despite this legal standing, the Israeli government has continued to expand its control over Palestinian lands in the West Bank through various mechanisms, including land appropriation orders.
[…] “If the Israelis annex this area near Maale Adumim, it will be a catastrophe for Palestinians who live in the south, […] Palestinian traders, especially in the south, will be cut off, and it will become impossible to have any independent Palestinian ways of life.”
#Gaza / Drone footage raises questions about Israeli justification for deadly strike on Gaza journalists
While the #IDF claimed the attack targeted “militants” operating a drone that posed a threat, the footage apparently shows the journalists were simply covering the aftermath of a previous Israeli strike using a commercially available consumer drone bought at Best Buy... Deliberately targeting and killing journalists undermines press freedoms and cannot be justified without overwhelming evidence of an imminent threat. The recovered drone footage raises doubts about the IDF's stated rationale for the attack.
#WHO / Famine in Gaza is imminent, with immediate and long-term health consequences
The World Health Organization, along with numerous other humanitarian organizations, are depending on an #IPC report to raise awareness about the pressing issue of an impending famine in Gaza. There are claims by some that the famine is architected by Israel.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is a multi-partner initiative that uses a classification and analytical approach to determine the severity and magnitude of acute and chronic food insecurity and malnutrition situations in a country. The goal is to provide decision-makers with evidence-based analysis to inform emergency responses and long-term policies. The IPC was developed in 2004 by FAO's Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) and has since been implemented globally in over 30 countries. It is considered a best practice in the food security field and a model of collaboration.
Too bad the #WaPo didn't bother to mention WHO, exactly, is raising the rents on the seniors in these mobile home parks: It’s Private Equity (PE) firms — all run by Right Wingers / Trumpers — who have been gobbling up real estate across the nation since 2020 and are at the root of the housing crisis:
Before we rush him to sainthood 😇, let’s not forget Navalny was, still, a Russian nationalist who, like Putler and the masses inside Russia, thought that Crimea wasn’t Ukraine’s anyway (Ukraine wasn’t a real country after all, right?), so no, Russia wouldn't be giving what they illegally invaded and annexed back under a President #Navalny. Sure, he moderated on Ukraine 🇺🇦 over the last 1.5 years or so but still…
A group of anarchists in North Carolina that run a bookstore took in thousands of books banned in Florida, and are now distributing them to anyone who wants them. Lots of them right back to Florida 😂
#US / Biden memo says countries receiving U.S. weapons must adhere to international law
Biden issued a memo requiring countries receiving U.S. weapons to adhere to international law, and mandating the State Department obtain written confirmation of compliance. This comes amid concerns from Democrats about #Israel's adherence to international law in its military campaign in Gaza following #Hamas attacks in October 2022. The memo creates accountability through requiring an annual report to Congress assessing if countries meet standards.
While not naming Israel specifically, the memo gives #Biden leverage to ensure recipients like Israel limit civilian casualties and allow humanitarian access. It formalizes existing policy but provides a new enforcement tool without immediately suspending aid.
The memo represents a historic action to hold U.S. allies accountable on use of American weapons.
[…] A senior administration official stressed that the White House was not issuing the memorandum because it felt any country was violating existing standards. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly, said the administration is having regular conversations with Israel about limiting civilian casualties, adhering to international law and allowing more humanitarian aid to #Gaza but did not believe the country was failing to meet U.S. standards.