Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Israeli settlers targeting Palestinian factories to force workers off land: Rising Israeli settler violence targets Palestinian industrial facilities across the occupied West Bank, aiming to paralyse the local economy and force mass displacement.

Burned trees and scorched land are seen following an arson attack by Israeli settlers on the Al-Omari aluminium factory in Ein Siniya [Screengrab/Al Jazeera]

By Ola Mohammad

A massive fire, believed to have been started by Israeli settlers, has destroyed olive trees and farmland in the occupied West Bank.

A blaze broke out near the al-Omari aluminium factory in the village of Ein Siniya, north of Ramallah, on Monday morning, spreading to roughly 50 dunams (12.3 acres) of perennial olive trees and causing damage to the industrial facility’s yard.

It comes amid a settler campaign targeting the West Bank economy, including farmland and industry, in a bid to displace Palestinians, sources told Al Jazeera.

Emad Khater, the head of Ein Siniya council, told Al Jazeera that a settler from the Atara hilltops was seen close to the facility before the fire started. When the blaze broke out, Israeli soldiers prevented residents and workers from putting out the fire.

“[It] is one of a series of systematic attacks that previously affected Ein Siniya, which included deliberate fires in trees, homes, and cars, in addition to theft incidents and physical assaults with beatings that affected citizens and workers inside the factories,” said Khater.

Ein Siniya is in Area B according to the Oslo Accords, which should see it under Palestinian civil and joint Israeli-Palestinian security control.

Abdul Samad Abdul Aziz, the owner of the Ein Siniya facility, said Israelis from illegal settlements had infiltrated the industrial site in late July and set fire to heavy equipment. A stone crusher was severely damaged in the attack and caused an estimated $700,000 in losses.... READ MORE https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/8/27/israeli-settlers-targeting-palestinian-factories-to-force-workers-off-land

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine, or at least fair and just laws and policies here, there- and everywhere]

Wednesday, July 29, 2026

From 400 hives to 35: the Gaza beekeeper refusing to let war end his life’s work - Ibrahim al-Dabba continues to care for his colonies despite losing his home and most of his hives and equipment. Story by Lina Abu Zayed, photographs by Omar Ashtawy

Ibrahim Naji al-Dabba, 49, (in green) working with his sons. He was displaced from the Shuja’iyya area, east of Gaza City to Tel al- to the south

"Beekeeping... is our life, our livelihood, and our future."

The Guardian picture essay

Each morning, Ibrahim Naji al-Dabba climbs to the roof of a damaged residential tower in Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood, where rows of beehives sit surrounded by shattered concrete and the scars of war. The rooftop is far from an ideal place for beekeeping, but for the 49-year-old father of seven, it is the only place where he can continue the profession that has sustained his family for decades.

Before the war, al-Dabba owned more than 400 beehives spread across eastern Gaza. His apiaries, equipment, storage facilities, and four-wheel-drive vehicle allowed him to manage a thriving beekeeping business that supported his family. Today, almost everything he built over years of work has disappeared.

“Beekeeping is not just a business,” he says. “It is my family’s only source of income. It is our life, our livelihood, and our future.”

Al-Dabba, who also serves as president of the Gaza Beekeepers’ cooperative society, says beekeeping became a passion long before it became a profession. Over the years, he specialised in producing honey, breeding queen bees, and developing bee strains adapted to Gaza’s climate. Before the war, Gaza’s beekeeping sector had continued to grow despite years of blockade, with hundreds of beekeepers producing honey and supporting local agriculture through pollination.

That changed after the war erupted.

Unable to reach his apiaries because of bombardment and displacement, al-Dabba watched his life’s work vanish. He lost his home, more than 400 beehives, honey-processing equipment, storage facilities, and nearly all the tools required for his trade... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/jul/29/gaza-beekeeper-refusing-to-let-war-end-lifes-work

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes or watch videos) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]

Saturday, July 18, 2026

Dear America - Jobs created by the weapons industry bring temporary economic relief to some- while inflicting immense pain and suffering on many many many more.

That choking haze and orange mid-morning sun we saw here in Pennsylvania are mild hints compared to what has happened, hints of the horrific and widespread heart-breaking devastation as far away wildfires burn in Canada.

Dear America,

Natural disasters (storms- fires- floods) bring loss, huge personal and public loss and life long suffering. Loss of life, homes, loved ones, cherished places and valuable things. That choking haze and orange mid-morning sun we saw here in Pennsylvania are mild hints compared to what has happened, hints of the horrific and widespread heart-breaking devastation as far away wildfires burn.

Man-made devastation from terrorism and state sponsored violence lasts longer than any storm or wildfire ever known.

With our post-1948 world of international law, UNIVERSAL human rights, and sophisticated technology, bully tactics and modern war are always the worst choice with increasingly terrible consequences.

In the 1930s & 40s IBM's technology was part of the Nazi Holocaust. At that time computer technology was quite primitive and much less invasive compared to computer technology, data processing and automation now. All tools can be misused. IBM did not set out to make machines that tyrants could use to calculate who to harass, who to imprison, and who to kill. But it happened. Newspapers did not set out to be the purveyors of ugly antisemitic cartoons and opinions. But it happened.

What is happening in our world today...

Pollution from weaponry, starting with the mining of rare earth minerals, through every stage of production, and the transport, and then the deployment of all types of bombs, missiles, & toxic poisons. Don't forget all the water & electricity hungry Data Centers used by the military-industrial complex. It all adds up into multiple "bad"s escalating into atrocious crimes against civilians.

Some people profit from war, but most people suffer because of war. They pay with their lives, their loved ones' lives, or their homes. And we are forced to fund war and injustice with our taxes. Taxes that should be paying for people's needs and a better way forward for all our communities near and far.

Jobs created by the weapons industry bring temporary economic relief to some- while inflicting immense pain and suffering on many many many more.

Trillions have already been spent on modern wars. How much more money will be wasted on our war mongering ways? !!!!

Jobs created by empathy centered sectors such as schools, libraries, museums, farms & farm markets, parks, land management, weather forecasting, environmental protections, repair shops, and every other life affirming and helpful career (including the creation of good books and magazines as well as news-you-can-use great journalism and charity for "others") are all good for the economy, good for America, good for the planet, good for diplomacy, and good for peace... A pervasive, inclusive peace where all children have a chance for a hope filled future.

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

Notes

*"Rare earth elements enable advanced radar, sonar, laser guidance, communication, and propulsion technologies, ensuring superior precision, stability, and resilience in combat environments." https://www.sfa-oxford.com/knowledge-and-insights/critical-minerals-in-low-carbon-and-future-technologies/critical-minerals-in-defence-and-national-security/

* NPR: When journalists talk about 'great journalism,' here's what they mean- Describing excellent journalism is the first step to being a good journalist https://www.npr.org/sections/npr-public-editor/2025/05/01/g-s1-63806/when-journalists-talk-about-great-journalism-heres-what-they-mean

NOTES https://anniesnewletters.blogspot.com/search/label/Notes

‘They want to break our will’: Gaza flotilla activist tells of rape in Israeli detention... Anna Liedtke files criminal complaint in Israel over alleged attack by female guards and says abuse was intended to silence campaigners

Why does the US want to ‘dismantle’ the international criminal court? Marco Rubio has offered nonsensical rationale in attacking the court. The Trump administration’s real goal is impunity

Near daily Israeli attacks have continued in Gaza despite a ceasefire announced in October, killing 1,127 Palestinians and injuring 3,643 since then, according to the Gaza health ministry. In its daily report, the ministry said four people were killed in the past 24 hours, and 28 were wounded.

MIFTAH: Targeting the Witness Not the Crime... The issue is no longer confined to Palestine. It becomes a question about the future of international law and accountability for EVERYONE. Protection of civil society, lawyers, and human rights defenders is NOT OPTIONAL, it is essential for truth, justice, and the demand for accountability

Tent of Nations (ToN) is an educational and ecological family farm committed to nonviolent resistance, environmental stewardship, intercultural education, and connecting people with the land. It serves as a living model of nonviolent action and faith-based community building, within the context of Palestine and the world.

"The Nasser family are a Palestinian Christian family who have owned this farm for over 100 years. But 35 years ago, the Israeli authorities declared his farm and the surrounding area to be State land. Ever since then, the family have been engaged in a struggle to register and protect their farm. And with each passing year, settlements encroach on more and more of their land. But the Nassars continue their Tent of Nations work with steadfast nonviolence and faith, living their message every day: “We refuse to be enemies.” They are an example of creative, hopeful, Christian resistance to injustice and they need the support of Christians around the world. During my visit today I had the honour of planting an olive tree on the Nasser farm. At a time when many Palestinian Christians are leaving, olive trees are a symbol of their deep roots in this land..." Sarah Mullally, Archbishop of Canterbury

In Israel’s prisons, torture and death have become a norm that it barely tries to hide: The suffering of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya is no isolated case. The abuse of Palestinian detainees is happening in plain sight, yet nothing changes

RED CROSS ICRC: In armed conflicts, AI systems can fail, be manipulated or produce unreliable results. That is why decisions involving the use of force must remain under meaningful human control. Machines may support judgement. They must never replace human responsibility.

The ICRC is concerned that the use of AI in the military could accelerate the pace and scale of warfare, increase unpredictability and reduce human control over the use of force, creating serious risks for civilians.

AI systems are particularly vulnerable to failure in adversarial environments, where opponents may deliberately try to deceive or manipulate the systems, such as by tampering with data or exploiting weaknesses.

The ICRC emphasizes a human-centred approach because humans – not machines – remain legally responsible for decisions involving the use of force. Human judgement is essential to ensuring compliance with IHL and protecting civilians. AI systems should support human decision-making, rather than impair or replace it.

Bea Foster tells MEE she was left 'heartbroken' after being forced out of anti-racism charity [that she helped to found] over Facebook post in which she called Israel an 'apartheid state' ... "APARTHEID – IT WASN'T OKAY IN SOUTH AFRICA. IT WASN'T OKAY IN NAZI GERMANY. WHY IS IT OKAY IN PALESTINE?"

NPR: Israeli forces have been pushing deeper into Gaza in recent months. At the start of the ceasefire in October, the military controlled around half of the territory, along what is called the "yellow line." Israel's military now controls nearly 70% of Gaza [PALESTINE]

"We believe that all people are born free and equal, and advocate for everyone to have the same basic human rights, regardless of their race, sex, nationality, religion or any other status."

The Power of BDS: Our Impact So Far In 2026 ... DIVESTING from Genocide

"At the very moment that the Israeli regime, with the support of the United States, is pursuing the dismantlement of UNRWA in violation of international law, there can be no accommodation of political projects designed to facilitate its replacement. UNRWA was established by General Assembly Resolution 302 because the international community failed to implement Palestinian refugees' rights under United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194. Its mandate therefore remains exclusively under the authority of the General Assembly until those rights—including return, restitution, compensation, and reparation—are fulfilled. It cannot be transferred, conditioned, or terminated through political arrangements." Statement by BADIL and GPRN “Dismantling UNRWA: “The Board of Peace” Agenda”

DEAR AMERICA

Pushing all commerce online to "Save A Tree" ends up decimating numerous forests and fields for energy and water hungry Data Centers. CEOs and our elected leaders take huge profits while taxpayers are left with escalating losses, including the surging loss of land and water for hyperscale Data Centers.

Anti-immigrant legislation and excessive funding for ICE are more about protecting wealthy people and corporations, who can hire illegals knowing that the workers and their families will be too afraid to complain about dangerous working conditions, low pay, long hours, and slum landlord housing.

You can't win a modern war. You can destroy homes & families, you can usurp land & resources from the rightful owners, and you can undermine & destroy a free press and the fourth estate- but people worldwide have memories, as well as a sense of right and wrong that cannot be bombed into oblivion.

STOP THE BOMBS and the bigotry, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stop accepting bribes & propaganda & bad advice from a very foreign country that seeks to destroy support for UNIVERSAL human rights and the rule of fair and just laws.

Along the way we learned that slavery is wrong. We learned that domestic violence is wrong. We learned that racist hate is wrong. SO WHY are we funding Israel and why are we bombing Iran for Israel!!!

Violence is a problem- not the answer

"Attacks on critical infrastructure are not only about what is destroyed, but also about the people left without what they need to live. Even wars have limits and they must be respected." ICRC Red Cross

The power of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the power of ideas to change the world. It inspires us to continue working to ensure all people can gain freedom, equality and dignity...

In 1945, 50 nations came together in San Francisco to create a new organization for peace, prosperity & human rights- the United Nations

"The United Nations is the only place on Earth where all the world's nations come together to discuss common problems and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity. This intergovernmental organization born out of the ashes of the Second World War remains indispensable to the pursuit of world peace, justice, equality and sustainable development" https://www.un.org/en/

The right of refugees to return to homes and lands they were expelled from is an individual right and cannot be unilaterally abrogated by third parties. https://imeu.org/resources/resources/fact-sheet-palestinian-refugees-the-right-of-return-under-international-law/441

"Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world..." https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

"Tech billionaires are plowing hundreds of millions into political campaigns, to fend off attempts at regulation and evade accountability lest their endeavors go awry. They want to make sure nobody butts in as they work to reshape society. And they are largely succeeding – for now, no one with the power to stop them is butting in."

Our tech overlords are planning for conscious AI to conquer the cosmos. What could go wrong?

A new belief set is uniting some of the wealthiest men in the world around a ‘transhuman’ future – actual humanity be damned

Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, took to the Internet a few years ago to propose that homo sapiens would be the first species “to design our own descendants”. In his best case scenario, the “merge” between humans and artificial intelligence occurs at some point over the next 50 years. The alternative, where we remain simply human and the machines follow their own path, is more ominous. “If two different species both want the same thing and only one can have it – in this case, to be the dominant species on the planet and beyond – they are going to have conflict,” he wrote.

More recently, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, who at one point last year was granted the power to reconfigure the US federal government, argued on his social media platform, X, that “it increasingly appears that humanity is a biological bootloader for digital superintelligence” – our role in the history of the cosmos reduced to that of the low level code that boots up a computer before you can run sophisticated programs on it.

And Musk is on the tame side of the evolutionary proposition. According to Silicon Valley lore, he once pushed back against Google co-founder Larry Page’s claim that our next manifestation, to follow in the steps of the meat-and-bone humans you see walking about today, would necessarily have digital form in order to spread throughout the galaxy. (In fact, he recently testified in court that it was those concerns that prompted him to found OpenAI with Altman.) Meat and bones do not make for efficient interstellar travelers.

It would be a mistake to understand these weird worldviews as an ultimately harmless take by techies who grew up on a diet of dystopian science fiction. The notion that we are approaching the end of the homo sapiens, as defined since Darwin’s day, is coalescing into a durable body of belief among the elites at the helm of our technological future.

Their dreams are not all perfectly aligned. But like the folk stories and superstitions that have for ever revolved around more established religious traditions, the collection of far-fetched scenarios valley oligarchs are writing into our future exhibits the hallmarks of a religion in the making, a body of belief to confer a sense of cosmic transcendence and inevitability to their hi-tech project.... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/may/31/transhuman-silicon-valley-ai

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes or watch videos) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]

Saturday, May 30, 2026

"Speaking to the Guardian, readers in the US echoed the pope’s concerns, describing AI as an “unregulated” industry increasingly being used to the “detriment of too many people”, while also raising fears about surveillance, labor displacement, war and environmental harm."

Pope Leo XIV speaks during a meeting with bishops, members of the clergy and families whose members have been victims of environmental pollution at the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, in Acerra, Italy, on 23 May 2026. Photograph: Ciro De Luca/Reuters

Americans echo Pope Leo’s concerns about AI: ‘It threatens workers, privacy and human life’

Guardian readers in the US spoke of fears about unregulated AI in response to the pope’s encyclical warning about the risks of the technology

Maya Yang

Sat 30 May 2026 07.00 EDT

In his first major papal text since assuming leadership of the Catholic church last year, Pope Leo issued a stark warning about the rise of artificial intelligence this week, denouncing the “culture of power” driving the AI age.

Calling for the “most rigorous” ethical constraints on AI – which he described as one of the greatest threats facing humanity today – the first US-born pope also warned of “new forms of slavery” emerging through the digital economy.

Speaking to the Guardian, readers in the US echoed the pope’s concerns, describing AI as an “unregulated” industry increasingly being used to the “detriment of too many people”, while also raising fears about surveillance, labor displacement, war and environmental harm.

For Linda Given, a 74-year-old resident of Boston, Massachusetts, who ran a small gift store in Cambridge for nearly 40 years, the pope’s warning resonated deeply.

“I think he’s right to emphasize the dignity of humans, and to warn that things in the AI field are moving both too fast, and without any significant oversight,” Given said, adding: “To use it as any kind of substitute for human interaction or human agency [is] awful … [and] the entirely likely possibility it could be manipulated to do destructive things.”

Stephen Sincoskie, a 55-year-old print shop supervisor from Howell, New Jersey, expressed similar concerns.

“Unregulated AI is a possible threat to workers, privacy and even human life. Unfortunately, the most corrupt family in politics … is making money to look the other way,” he said.

“I’m concerned the use of AI will replace workers and assist in the ushering in of a fascistic surveillance state. I do not believe for one second the 1% are interested in paying out guaranteed monthly salaries for everyone to relax and enjoy a career and ‘debt free’ life.”

Others focused on the effect AI is already having on education and critical thinking.

Debra, a 58-year-old college professor in Massachusetts, said she worries students are losing critical thinking skills.

“From my perspective, AI is robbing many students of the need to think critically, learn the ways of research and express themselves by writing,”... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/30/pope-leo-ai-reaction

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Dear America- Golden Rule Thinking IS GOOD

PEACE, JUSTICE, AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS: The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16, promotes just, peaceful, and inclusive societies.

Dear America,

The rule of fair and just laws IS GOOD: Corporate greed and corruption ARE BAD. Criminal acts are bad.

ICE did not have to be, but right now IS BAD.

Murder IS BAD.

Home invasions and kidnapping ARE BAD. BOMBS are BAD and war's toxic pollution IS VERY VERY BAD!!

Military spending for this year is supposed to be an astronomically high ONE TRILLION dollars- but the current administration wants it to be raised to 1.5 trillion, and does not want to spend a single penny on health care for we the people.

Fattening up the already massive military-industrial complex, the ravenous corporations, and the corrupt politicians that profit from funding endless war and state sponsored terrorism IS BAD!!

Today's America is leading a global arms race by aggressively undermining international law, sovereign territorial rights, and respect for human dignity at every turn.

Bully tactics and lies ARE BAD. VIOLENCE is very VERY BAD!!!

Leading by good example IS GOOD. Compassion and caring for people in need IS GOOD. Feeding the hungry IS GOOD.

Golden Rule Thinking IS GOOD.

Funding and arming American OR Israeli bigotry, injustice, tyranny, racist hate and state sponsored terrorism IS BAD. So are data centers, computer programs, and "security" scams deploying AI to track, target, impoverish and destroy innocent people.

POVERTY IS BAD. Poverty convinces vulnerable people to do horrible things just to survive.

Our economy needs people and peace based jobs for everyone's sake. No one should be forced to chose between being overworked & underpaid wage slaves to major corporations and billionaire's whims... or risk bankruptcy by medical bills.

Furthermore, no one any where in the world should have their home, land, job, and security taken away from them because American or Israeli invaders want more land, resources, and/or reasons to wage more AND MORE WAR.

And shame on American leadership that decides to sanction and punish those who object to racist Israel's escalating violence and cruelty.

Do you really think Israel cares if America survives the Zionist quest to be the new Uber Alis... We are pawns in their deadly game of take take take.

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

NOTES https://anniesnewletters.blogspot.com/search/label/Notes

United Nations experts strongly condemn the large-scale #US military action against #Venezuela & forcible abduction of President Nicolas Maduro & his wife, warning that such actions set a dangerous precedent & risk destabilising the entire region & the world.

ICE’s New-Age Propaganda With its string of “wartime recruitment” ads, often featuring pop songs and familiar meme formats, the agency has weaponized social media against itself. by By Brady Brickner-Wood

Israel pushes ahead with vast illegal settlement in heart of West Bank: Tender posted for construction of 3,401 homes in [ILLEGAL] settlement designed to ‘bury idea of a Palestinian state’... “We said there will be no Palestinian state, and indeed there will be no Palestinian state! This place is ours,” Netanyahu said.

On this day in 1948, the Haganah zionist militia bombed the Semiramis Hotel in Jerusalem at 1 am, killing 26 people & injuring 60. The victims were mostly Palestinian Christians. Entire families were eliminated. The Spanish vice-consul was also among the dead... 77 years later, the pattern remains unchanged: terrorizing indigenous populations to clear land for settlement. From Qatamon in 1948 to Gaza today, zionism operates as what it has always been—a settler-colonial project built on displacement, dispossession, and destruction.

Displaced children from Gaza express the scenes of war they have lived through in an artwork, under the supervision of artist Murad Al-Assar

"This is where things get tricky: I’m not sure what I’m allowed to say about Palestine Action in this column without getting chucked in jail myself. Last July, you see, the British government took the extraordinary, and hugely criticized, step of terming the group a terrorist organization on the same level as the Islamic State militant group. This is despite the fact that Palestine Action has killed nobody; its efforts are focused on trying to shut down weapons manufacturers enabling the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Even the government’s own intelligence assessment, a declassified version of which was obtained by the New York Times, undercut its condemnations of the group, finding that most of their activities “would not be classified as terrorism” under Britain’s legal definition. Still, the British government has been very busy arresting thousands – many of whom are elderly activists – for the “crime” of peacefully holding up a sign saying: “I support Palestine Action.” "

Greta Thunberg came to stay – and my kid may have inadvertently helped her get arrested- Arwa Mahdawi in The Guardian

Military Industrial Complex Infographics

Military spending worldwide hits record $2.7 trillion in 2024 amid intensifying wars and rising geopolitical tensions worldwide... “The world is spending far more on waging war than in building peace,”

“When people’s lives improve, when they have access to education, healthcare, economic opportunities and when they can live lives of dignity and self determination, we will have more peaceful societies and a more peaceful world.”

Nuclear weapons are ‘one-way road to annihilation’ warns Guterres

1940s, Nazareth, Palestine 🇵🇸 Palestinian girl-scouts.

January 2026's supermoon over the Nuseirat area of Gaza Photograph by Anadolu/Getty Images

Families are struggling to survive amid the devastation. Israel’s ban on international NGOs will worsen this disaster: The Guardian view on Gaza’s winter [ISRAEL'S WAR ON PALESTINIANS]... the world must take heed as Palestinian suffering deepens again

"... What other ethnic group would be treated with such indifference or ignorance or bias? Especially a devastated population, with the heaviest casualties among babies and children, by U.S.-made weapons. " Ralph Nader

"The media’s continued indifference to the massive under death count of Palestinians in Gaza at the hands of the genocidal Netanyahu—embraced for the 5th time this year at the White House—by Dictator Trump. The total death count coming from the most intense bombardment and starvation (food, water, medicine and healthcare) of a human population in military history in the tiny enclave is not nearly 70,000. It’s about 600,000—or slightly over a quarter of the civilian population."- Ralph Nader, author of Civic Self-respect

✝️ Hosh Al-Syrian | Bethlehem, Palestine. 🇵🇸 It says in Arabic: “In the month of July, 1883 God is the guardian and the guide, and the house built by the Lord shall not shelter the wicked.”

Israel has banned 37 aid organisations from working in Gaza from January 1, severing access to lifesaving aid for Palestinians, as its genocide continues... & [NOTICE UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) is not on this list- UNRWA was already blocked by Israel earlier last month] UNRWA Commissioner-General on New Anti‑UNRWA Legislation Passed by the Israeli Parliament

[NOTICE UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) is not on this list- UNRWA was already blocked by Israel earlier last month]

" "Our home is dear to us, the memories are dear to us, the family, the neighbors, and the good people are dear to us," said Motaz Mohor, whose home was set to be destroyed as he watched the bulldozers. "The first time our grandparents were displaced, and this is the second time." His grandparents had moved to Nur Shams after their original displacement from the cities of Jaffa and Haifa during the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation, when some 700,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes by forces of the nascent state or fled as troops advanced, an event Palestinians call the Nakba, or "catastrophe." "

Palestinians watch as Israeli bulldozers claw down their West Bank homes

"The deregistration of 37 INGOs undermines principled humanitarian action, endangers staff and communities, and compromises effective aid delivery." "Ensuring access to humanitarian aid is a legal obligation, not a discretionary choice.”

‘Data is control’: what we learned from a year investigating the Israeli military’s ties to big tech Our reporting revealed a symbiotic relationship between the IDF and Silicon Valley – with implications for the future of warfare By Noa Yachot

Dear America, Our land and resources are being gobbled up for AI data centers for what purpose? Is it for the greater good of tax paying citizens- or is it to feed the greed of corporations and companies that already use our data to charge us as much as they can at every turn.

Real freedom, justice, and democracy are being embezzled by corporate greed and political corruption to empower Israel and war.

"ISRAEL SAYS" is not God talking.

Israel has a right to exist, but Israel has no right to starve and displace the men, women and children of historic Palestine.

The vast majority of Americans are not wealthy & the taxes that We The People pay are being diverted into funding religious bigotry and terror via Israel's cruel war on the native non-Jewish men, women, and children of historic Palestine. HAMAS cruelty and stupidity echoes Zionist cruelty and stupidity and on and on it goes. Neither approach will build peace or security.

The weapons industry and a global war machine- AND INJUSTICE- burgeon with American tax payer funds.

Violence is a problem- not the answer.

STOP THE SIEGE- stop funding crazy cruel Israeli schemes & the forced displacement, imprisonment, starvation, torture, and killing of human beings in Gaza and Palestine

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

The only entirely Christian village of the West Bank is getting ready to celebrate the Lord's coming in an atmosphere halfway between the joy of the festivity and the fear of new attacks by Israeli colonists.

Taybeh village

The old Melkite Greek church in Taybeh

By Jean-Charles Putzolu

A few days before Christmas, Israeli authorities announced the creation of 19 new colonies in the West Bank. A measure introduced by the Israeli government to prevent “the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state”.

In a context of growing colonisation following the October 7 Hamas attacks near the Gaza Strip, 69 colonies have been established in the last three years in the West Bank.

It is in this climate of tension that Palestinian Christians are getting ready to celebrate Christmas.

In Taybeh, the only entirely Christian village in the West Bank, settler attacks are common.

Over the past few weeks, five cars have been set on fire, according to Father Bashar Fawadleh, Latin priest of the village.

Last June, a massive fire ravaged farmland, blackening the perimeter walls of the ruins of an ancient Melkite Greek church not far from residential blocks.

Locals spoke out against a sort of impunity for the author of these acts and pointed out the delay in the Israeli army's response, which is responsible for security.

A tried and tested method

With each new settlement establishment, West bankers face the same situation all over again: burnt lands, the arrival of herds of cows or sheep, the first caravans and bungalows, a clearly visible Israeli flag and then the first constructions.

Here’s how, over the space of a few months, new settlements were built, often atop the hills, before spreading into Palestinian territory.

In Taybeh, Christian leaders decided not to respond with violence to acts of intimidation.

“We will resist peacefully”, said Jack Nobel, priest of Taybeh’s Melkite Greek church parish.

So far, none of the villagers have been killed or injured. In the mainly Muslim neighbouring villages, violent actions have caused casualties.

Everybody fears that something tragic might happen in Taybeh as well.

The village’s Catholic and Orthodox officials strive to teach not to use violence in their schools.

Christmas stronger than fear

Despite this backdrop, the joyful expectation of Christmas prevails. During last Sunday’s Mass, the priest of the Latin parish of Taybeh received a small French delegation.

Bishop Hughues de Woillemont, director of The Ouvre d’Orient, Jean Yves Tolot, president of the same organisation and Father Christophe Le Sourt, general secretary of France’s episcopal conference, gave their support to Taybeh Christians and celebrated with them the Nativity of the Lord.

Along with other associations, The Œuvre d’Orient provides funding to projects aiming at the sustainment of local Christian communities.

Due to the lack of work and future prospects, the fear of Christians leaving town is a significant issue.

In the past two years, 15 families left Taybeh in search of a better life abroad, Father Fawadeh clarified. Another Melkite family will leave the village before the end of the year.

Gradually, this Palestinian community of 1400 residents is shrinking.

Last Sunday morning, about a hundred people took part in the Eucharist in the village’s Latin church.

A crib sits at the foot of the altar, on the windows, light garlands invite the faithful to take in the joy of the moment and to forget, at Christmas time, threats to the future of Christians in the lands of Christ.

Last Sunday's Mass in Taybeh

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2025-12/christmas-west-bank-gaza-palestine.html

AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine, or at least fair and just laws and policies]

Christmas joy eases fear for future in West Bank Christian village

Israel allows 19 new settlements in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces raze Palestinian farmland in West Bank's Jenin area (ANSA)

Settlement activity has accelerated under Israel’s current right-wing coalition, which includes parties opposed to Palestinian statehood and supportive of expanding Israeli control over the West Bank.

Palestinian officials condemned the move, warning that it undermines prospects for a two-state solution and heightens tensions on the ground.

Western governments have repeatedly urged Israel to halt settlement expansion.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit called the approvals illegitimate and a violation of international law. He said the decision defies global consensus against settlement activity.

For his part, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also criticized Israel’s settlement policy, saying it restricts Palestinian access to land and threatens the viability of a future Palestinian state.

Under international law, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal.

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2025-12/israel-west-bank-settlements-palestinian-statehood.html