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Showing posts with label tax payer funds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tax payer funds. Show all posts

Monday, August 24, 2026

Dear America, American taxpayers are being forced to fund the cruel destruction of Palestine, international law AND our own country's future... This is crazy and wrong- oh so wrong!

Gaza, Palestine A general view shows tents housing displaced Palestinians crowded along the Gaza City coastline and among buildings damaged during the war. Families sought refuge in temporary shelters after their homes were destroyed Photograph: Eldremle Rizek/Abaca/Shutterstock TWITTER/X
Dear America,

American taxpayers are being forced to fund the cruel destruction of Palestine, international law AND our own country's future...  This is crazy and wrong- oh so wrong!

Hate mongering, bigotry, injustice, and rage all fuel Israel's ongoing land grabs, settlement projects, and fundraising for more and more war.

Peace is an existential threat for Israel.  

STOP AND THINK- both America and the United Nations have been all about promoting real freedom and justice: Equality equals Peace & Security for all people, regardless of supposed race or religion.  Both America and international law are in serious danger right now- thanks to Israel.

Freedom of and from religion is the antithesis of the Zionist campaign for Israel.  Modern man-made weaponry and propaganda campaigns are exponentially more sophisticated and toxic than anything in the past.  These are very dangerous times, and there is no escape from the reach of our tech overlords as they push everything online "to save a tree" while bulldozing entire forests for more data centers and the weapons industry. 

Israel thrives on war and injustice... and misinformation.

Israeli occupation and outreach has been shaped to impoverish, divide, displace, denigrate, and silence Palestinians- and to push people on all sides and all throughout the region and beyond into religious extremism and violence.

Trump got trumped- The US-Israel war on Iran plays right into Israel's hands, empowering Israel while diminishing and undermining America in many ways.  

Apart from some obscenely wealthy CEOs and greedy businessmen whose wealth skews our GDP, most Americans are not thriving. We are struggling to make ends meet, to afford housing, healthcare and food. Unemployment figures based on how many Americans receive unemployment payments are an illusion that hides how many more able-bodied Americans are not able to get unemployment compensation or new jobs and how many young college graduates can't even find a decent paying job in the first place.

Trillions for war and more billions for billionaires adds up to tons and tons more pollution in a world already in crisis from toxic waste.

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

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

If you’re an Israeli occupier, you can terrorize Palestinians, steal their land, burn their trees, kill their animals, shoot, paralyze and kill them, and you’re called a “settler.” If you’re Palestinian and try to defend yourself against any of this, you’re called a “terrorist.” https://x.com/AssalRad/status/2091277430535451116

"Meanwhile, with his unwinnable war in the Middle East, capricious tariff regime and penchant for self-enrichment on an epic scale, Trump is turning the US into an increasingly unpredictable player in the global economy. Instead of the guarantor of rules-based markets and open global trade routes, the US has become a source of uncertainty and chaos." Heather Stewart in The Guardian

A June 2026 UN report identified 249 cases of extrajudicial executions and severe physical violence in Gaza between August 2024 and early 2026, at least 60 of which involved Hamas-affiliated forces.

Israeli settler attacks shift focus to West Bank areas under direct Palestinian rule: Report says violence is moving from Israeli-controlled areas to those earmarked for a future Palestinian state

Israel launches an ‘investigation’ into killing of Hind Rajab

In January 2024, 335 bullets were fired into a car containing five-year-old Hind and six of her family members in Gaza. When paramedics came to help, they were killed too.

"And whatever shape the first major AI-related disaster takes, it won’t impact all countries, companies and people equally. It therefore seems unlikely that just one disaster will be enough to bring us humans to our senses, acting together to control the superhuman power we are creating. I really hate to say this, but … an AI Hiroshima? We should be so lucky." Timothy Garton Ash in The Guardian

Former British and French diplomats urge action over Israel’s ‘erasure’ of Palestine. In letter to Macron and Burnham, more than 100 senior figures accuse Israel of ethnic cleansing and call for measures including trade ban

“I ask—they hate it when I say this, but I can’t help myself—‘What if I know my rights, and the government knows my rights, but they just don’t care?’ ” Mahmoud Khalil in The New Yorker

"59 years of predatory occupation. 1,049 days of genocide. 7 governments. One statement. Zero sanctions. And it even misses the international law obligation: per the ICJ 2024 Advisory Opinion, it's the occupation itself -not just the E1 plans- that must end. So: Cut trade now. " Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt, Int'l Lawyer | Scholar | Former UN Official | Sen.Adviser"

"Today the UN flag is lowered globally in solidarity with over 1,000 aid workers killed in past three years. We lower our flags. We remember our friends and colleagues. We demand accountability for those who killed them." Tom Fletcher

"The sad truth is that the income gap keeps widening between ordinary American families and the billionaires who make the decisions that affect our lives." Francine Prose

4 principles guide the United Nation's humanitarian work: Humanity + Neutrality + Impartiality + Independence

UNESCO: Pastoralists are custodians of knowledge that sustains livelihoods, protects biodiversity and helps communities adapt to a changing climate

"What’s “extremist” about Ben Gvir is that he says out loud what Israel’s mainstream political establishment prefers to do quietly under the false pretense of “fighting terrorism.” At the height of the genocide, Israel was murdering a far greater daily number of children " Omar Baddar

AMERICAN DOCTOR: ‘Can we accept what we have done or not done?’: harrowing film follows doctors in Gaza. American Doctor follows three volunteer doctors as they try to save lives on the frontline and then return to the US to become advocates in congress

"... But the moral weight of American Doctor lies not just in its depiction of Gaza but its unflinching examination of the political and media machinery that enables it."

Iraq’s ghost villages: Islamic State drove people away – now a new enemy is preventing their return. Nearly a decade after fighting ended in northern Iraq, the climate crisis has brought extreme heat and a water shortage, making life almost impossible

The real refugee crisis is the failure to make peace. Refugees flee war, conflict and persecution. End the wars that force people to run for their lives.

The first anti-AI protester to be jailed has a message for OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta: ‘Regain your humanity’: “It’s absolutely frightening and appalling that these CEOs and AI experts know the dangers and they are pursuing it anyway,” Kaufmyn said before she was imprisoned. “That to me is unconscionable and reprehensible.”

Assal Rad - headline fixer extraordinaire in search of the actual truth courageously uncovers constant HASBARA/Zionist Propaganda in America's mainstream news headlines & stories that fuel Israel's war machine, escalting injustice, and monstrous bigotry

Even during the ceasefire, Palestinians in #Gaza continue to face daily threats from unexploded ordnance left behind by the fighting. Overall, about 82% of the structures in Gaza – about 200,000 buildings – are damaged.

In Taybeh - the only remaining Christian village in the West Bank - children live in fear Taybeh, the only remaining Christian village in the West Bank, includes Christian archaeology dating back to the Roman era and early Christianity. Located in the Ramallah area of the West Bank, the village’s population has dwindled to 1,200 people, all of them Christians. During the 1980s, the population was around 3,000 people.

Israeli troops force families from homes amid settler terror campaign in West Bank - Former PM of Israel calls events ‘concerted and meticulous attempt at ethnic cleansing’ against Palestinians

Occupied West Bank: Settler siege of Palestinians marks a new low ..."“These criminal actions by the settlers, supported or acquiesced to by Israel, the Occupying Power, are making life unbearable for these Palestinian families and are clearly aimed at forcing them to leave their homes and their land,” the UN office said. “Time is running out for these three families before they are forcibly displaced”."

Calculated deception: How Israel uses diplomacy to buy time for Gaza’s destruction

“Platformicide is not simply about removing content. It is about denying a population access to the infrastructures through which they can claim their existence online.”

A global initiative for humanitarian law: The Global IHL Initiative exists to restore respect for the rules of war and ensure that the Geneva Conventions remain a living lifeline for the vulnerable. In an age of rising conflict and fading restraint, we stand for the sanctity of life, for accountability and for a future where the laws of war are not forgotten relics but the foundation of our shared humanity.

[ISRAELI] Settlers and soldiers cut off water and electricity to [PALESTINIAN] homes, and block medical care in campaign of terror: “Every night, the [ISRAELI] settlers throw stones, use obscene language and shout during the night. We are living in a state of terror,” [PALESTINIAN] Hassan said. His mother, brother and sister, and three neighbours have also been blockaded inside, and their power and water have been cut off.

Israel deliberately starting wildfires in southern Lebanon, firefighters say: First responders, residents and environmental groups say [Israeli] military dropping flares to destroy forests and crops

Self Portrait "FATIMA" by Palestinian Artist Fatima Abu Rumi ... Fatima's work explores identity, gender, and society through a critical and deeply personal lens. Her works deals with the complexity of life as a Palestinian woman living in Israel. She expresses these themes in her work through an integration of self-portraits.

Francesca Albanese says that what’s happening in West Bank is a continuation of Israel’s [1948] Nakba

“Despite a ceasefire nominally in force since October 2025, Israeli forces have killed about 160 Palestinians in Gaza in July alone, bringing the death toll in the ravaged enclave since the so-called ceasefire to more than 1,200. This includes women, children, older persons and others who had taken shelter in tents and areas to which they had been directed for their own safety,”

"Insane how little media coverage the occupied West Bank gets while Israel steals more land and terrorizes Palestinians every, single, day." Assal Rad

Amid the systematic killing of Palestinian and Lebanese journalists, one organisation has been quietly bringing British media workers to Israel.

Lobby group taking journalists on propaganda tours of Israel

AI-Enabled Weapons Systems- As Artificial Intelligence moves onto the battlefield, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has shared his deep concern about the potentially disastrous consequences. Describing the taking of human life by AI weapons as “morally repugnant,” the Secretary-General has stressed: “Some decisions must remain forever human — none more than taking a human life.”

"Far from envisaging any withdrawal, the Israeli military has expanded its presence and now controls about 65% of the territory. Hemmed in towards the coast in the rest of the strip, much of the [PALESTINIAN] population faces an unrelenting daily struggle. Formal schooling has not restarted, the healthcare system has been largely destroyed and the entry of medical and other humanitarian aid remains severely restricted. Reconstruction work has been blocked, while the first building contract issued by the Board of Peace has been for an outpost to host foreign troops. Meanwhile, the world’s attention has shifted to Mr Trump’s illegal and reckless war on Iran – a grievous miscalculation in which Israel’s prime minister also played his part...."

When will Israel fulfill its ceasefire obligations? "Netanyahu keeps getting away with constantly changing the goal posts" Daoud Kuttab in The Arab News

Israeli general says Gaza should remain ‘destroyed for generations’: Giora Eiland says Palestinian despair serves Israel and demands permanent control beyond the Yellow Line

A.I. Is Now a Major Election Issue: As Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan’s newly elected Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, put it, “People really effing hate data centers.”

Israel’s ‘Green Rafah’ plan aims to fragment Gaza, experts say Analysts warn Israel’s new administrative zones seek to erase the Palestinian cause and force mass displacement.

'They want to make us leave': Israel destroys West Bank wells serving Palestinian herders. Residents of Ras al-Ahmar say the destruction of their main water source follows months of settler attacks

UNICEF: At least 300 children reportedly killed in Gaza in past 300 days "A ceasefire that leaves an average of one child dead each and every day is failing children" ... "With hundreds more children injured, many severely, children in Gaza are still waiting for the end to the violence they were promised."

NPR: For decades Israeli Jewish settlers have been creating [ILLEGAL] settlements there, taking more and more of the West Bank away from Palestinians. This has the support of Israel’s far right government...

On the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima: "Let's move closer ro a world where the tragedy of Hiroshima is never repeated" Antonio Guterres

An Israeli professor lost a prestigious US job offer after speaking out on Gaza. Now the university is paying him $250,000... The University of Minnesota withdrew an offer for Raz Segal to lead its Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies after an organized campaign against his hiring

Deliberate attacks on civilians, which both journalists were, is a war crime. Israel has killed at least 15 journalists in Lebanon and 210 in Gaza since 2023, according to the UN human rights office. The reports also indicated that Israel delayed Lebanese ambulances from reaching Khalil and Faraj for hours – at one pointing dropping stun grenades on Lebanese Red Cross workers and firing on their ambulances.

Shameful media blackout over another massacre of civilians in Gaza. Stop Israeli crimes and international complicity- from the River to the Sea [!!!!!!!!!]

Jewish Voice for Peace: Over the weekend, a premature fetus was recovered from the rubble after an Israeli airstrike killed its pregnant mother. In another strike, 4 people were killed in their car. These are just some of the scenes emerging from Gaza this weekend—losses no one should have to witness, especially when the victims are their own loved ones.

How Biden Enabled Israel’s Aggression Toward Gaza—and Iran: Top officials from the previous Administration now express regret over their failure to rein in Netanyahu.

Washington’s imposition of sanctions and travel restrictions on the ICC Prosecutor, judges, and deputy prosecutors due to their work on cases involving US and Israeli officials is a blatant interference in the independence of international justice

AI is a bubble. Everybody knows it’s a bubble. The market is running on magical thinking... The House of Ellison is on the Brink: Everything the world’s briefly richest man built is failing at once.

"UNRWA acts decisively whenever staff misconduct is identified, while all employees are regularly screened, trained and required to comply with UN standards... Israel receives the names of all UNRWA staff twice a year for security screening"... "Nobody has the infrastructure, the experience, the skillset or the staff to be able to do what we do now on behalf of Palestine refugees," Christian Saunders said. "That doesn't mean UNRWA needs to exist forever. As soon as there is a recognised Palestinian administration able to assume these responsibilities, UNRWA should hand over those services. Until then, we have a mandate and an obligation to ensure that Palestine refugees have access to these critical services."

Gaza remains unsafe for civilians as Israeli attacks continue, including on schools and canvas classrooms

Jordan is convening an emergency meeting of foreign ministers from the Arab and Islamic world over what it says is an “imminent” threat of an Israeli takeover of the most important Muslim site in Jerusalem, with the potential to “trigger a religious conflict”. The meeting on Wednesday – and the Jordanian warning – follow an escalating pattern of government-backed incursions by Jewish religious extremists on the compound around al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock, in violation of a status quo treaty overseen by Jordan’s Hashemite monarchy, by which only Muslims can pray at the site. On 23 July, more than 2,000 Israelis from the religious right – mostly settlers led by the national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir – stormed the area...

After visits by US ambassador Mike Huckabee to the nearby Israeli settlement of Shilo, Palestinian Americans in Turmus Ayya have witnessed a terrifying rise in attacks... Abandoned by the US: Palestinian Americans trapped in a surge of Israeli settler violence

"An incompetent and gullible Trump is plainly responsible for yielding to Israeli pressure and dragging the US into the latest war." The pro-Israel lobby has swayed US presidents since Truman. It must end with Trump

How much is your support for Israel worth? Try $1 billion [that we know of]... Israel is spending wads of cash on public diplomacy in a desperate attempt to reverse waning American support for the country after it stands accused of genocide in Gaza and pushing the U.S. into the Iran war.

For 2,000 years, Christians have called the Holy Land home. CNN’s Clarissa Ward travels from Jerusalem to the occupied West Bank to examine how Israeli ultranationalist extremism is reshaping that reality.

DEAR AMERICA

WE THE PEOPLE are being forced to fund weapons, escalating war, hate, and hypocrisy everywhere.

ICE and Israel should both be de-funded and de-fanged.

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

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

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

Human Rights

"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

Saturday, July 25, 2026

Dear America- letter I just sent to my elected leaders: ICE and Israel should both be de-funded and de-fanged.

Gazelle near Gaza on the lower left hand corner of an 1850 Ottoman Palestine map- Palestine illustrated atlas and modern history of the world 1851
Dear America,

Before Trump opted to join Israel in bombing Iran, Israel was already shamelessly violating multiple international laws and expectations with its aggressively cruel mistreatment of indigenous non-Jewish men, women, and children in all the "Holy" land that was once called historic Palestine.

Modern man-made Israel (with a name borrowed from our bibles and prayers and hymns) wants our money and weaponry.   Heck if you want to hand over all your personal money and your children's inheritances to modern man-made Israel, please feel free to do so- BUT NOT OUR TAX $$$$ !!!

We have worked hard for our money, and many of us live on a very tight budget in order to afford both food and housing. 

Public funds should be for public good- not for endless wars, catastrophic pollution, and data centers.

Violence, rage, revenge, and rampant destruction are entertaining fun in TV shows, movies and video games- but violence is totally counterproductive and monstrously cruel in real life.  

We live in a post-1948 world where respect for UNIVERSAL human rights is the basis for international laws and criminal courts.  We should be empowering that. 

The 'preemptive' US-Israeli war on Iran is wrong, and a huge waste of American money and life. 

Pervasive pro-Israel harassment campaigns aim to silence voices for peace and justice worldwide. 

Our elected leaders are bullied and bribed to support Israeli injustice and war. Corruption and greed have become ubiquitous.  Thanks to multiple PR firms and paid propagandists working for Israel our mainstream media ignores or downplays Zionist violence and crimes.

Fact is Israel has been waging manipulative misinformation wars on America for decades, doing all it can to block international sympathy and support for  the men, women, and children  of Palestine. 

Fact is a very foreign modern nation state has been aggressively bulldozing homes and bombing refugee camps with American made weaponry and technology:  Israeli pogroms against Palestinians should be galvanizing worldwide outrage and sanctions.   

State sponsored terrorism is the worst type of terrorism.

ICE and Israel should both be de-funded and de-fanged. 

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

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

Rights groups call for help stopping Israeli 'pogrom' against Palestinians in West Bank: B’Tselem and Rabbis for Human Rights among others urge action after four Palestinians are killed by settlers near Nablus

Amputees take part in a match inspired by the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina amid the rubble in Gaza City. Palestinians widely supported Spain in the final because the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has strongly criticised Israel’s military campaign

The number of registered orphans in the territory [GAZA, Palestine] has risen to 65,279, including 54,468 children who it said lost one or both parents during the war.

"The headline is incredibly misleading. It completely reverses the point I was making. Rather than highlighting my explicit distinction between Zionist organizations and Jewish partners in justice, it collapses that distinction and leaves readers with the false impression that I accused British Jews collectively of complicity in Israel’s crimes. This is precisely the kind of framing that has made speaking about Palestine so difficult for so many years. It is not only manipulative; it fuels the false narrative that criticism of Israel is criticism of Jews." Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac - Jul 23, 2026

'A triumphant failure': How Israel's use of social media influencers to win back support backfired- Israel quadrupled its PR budget to $730m in 2026 and is reportedly paying influencers up to $7,ooo to post pro-Israel content

"Bombing the infrastructure people rely on will not make Iranians [or Palestinians] embrace those carrying out the attacks." .... ‘It’s truly hell here’: airstrikes, repression and water shortages become ‘new normal’ for Iranians

"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

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.

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

Human Rights

"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

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

Human Rights

"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

Thursday, April 23, 2026

Dear America- The devastation and cruelty of the Nazi Holocaust proved beyond the shadow of a doubt how modern weaponry and racist hate were a truly evil combination. We now have The United Nations, international law, and Universal Human Rights to steer more sane and compassionate choices for all human beings. Empower that please!

Yaqob's Mission: As a photojournalist, he aims to "share the truth about what is happening in Gaza with the world". His work highlights the deep psychological trauma and instability faced by children, where it is estimated that 96% of children in Gaza feel that death is imminent. Children Not Numbers
letter I just sent to my elected leaders 

Dear America,

Impoverishing America coming & going with misguided foreign policies plus a budget that aggressively funds war and weaponry to destroy faraway homes, jobs, and economies mainly helps destroy families and our future right here in America.

Many Americans already struggle to afford basics like food, housing, healthcare, and transportation. Misguided government spending compounded by corporate greed and corruption only makes this situation worse.

Our tax money should be invested in the people's needs NOT WAR!   Modern war is poisoning the planet. 

It is painfully obvious to me and many others that a large portion of America's leadership have been primed and/or bribed to hate Arabs and Muslims. How else to explain America's continued arming of Israel while Israel bombs refugee camps and apartment buildings filled with children in Gaza.

Don't put the cart before the horse: Long before Hamas or Hezbollah were created Israel was destroying Palestinian homes and communities. 

Israel has been destroying Palestinian homes, communities, farmland, jobs, schools, hospitals, and vital infrastructure for decades now. 

But heck even ignoring the Israeli bombs, bulldozers, checkpoints, closures, imprisonment of and cruel attitudes towards the native non-Jewish people of historic Palestine- why has America been supporting and arming Israel as it violates international law and all borders, illegally occupying the land that is supposed to be a part of Palestine... Syria... and now Lebanon!

Stealing land and resources is WRONG!  You want the Ten Commandments in our classroom so read them please:

6. Thou Shall Not Murder.

8. Thou shall not Steal.

9. Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10. Thou shall not Covet.  https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-are-the-10-commandments-their-meaning-and-significance.html

War has always been wrong, but once upon a time people in power were able to influence which voices were heard, how stories were told, and what side "won" and was remembered.... Times have changed.

The devastation and cruelty of the Nazi Holocaust proved beyond the shadow of a doubt how modern weaponry and racist hate were a truly evil combination. We now have The United Nations, international law, and Universal Human Rights to steer more sane and compassionate choices for all human beings.  Empower that please! 

Empower goodness and decency and diplomacy.  Empower the rule of fair and just laws. Empower Golden Rule Thinking at every turn.

Just as Israel's blatantly racist war on the indigenous Palestinians is evil and wrong, Trump's misguided "preemptive" war on Iran is evil and wrong in every way.

America should not be trusting Israel and its Zionist minions to translate and negotiate, or give good advice. 

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

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

"It’s no accident, Israel murdered her. From Shireen to Amal, the press vest is a target for Israel." Assal Rad

May 11, 2022: Palestinian American Arab Christian Journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, was assassinated by Israeli sniper fire while she was documenting and exposing Zionist violence & Israeli crimes

"Remember this was the Israeli military's first response after murdering Shireen Abu Akleh in broad daylight, repeatedly lying about it and then getting away with it. Doing Journalism was [IS] enough to get you killed by Israel." Yousef Munayyer

Israel’s military “prevented the completion of the humanitarian mission by firing a sound grenade and live ammunition at the ambulance”... Journalist Amal Khalil had been buried in rubble after an Israeli strike that also injured another journalist, Zeinab Faraj. In total Israeli strikes killed five people on Wednesday, including Khalil, despite the ongoing ceasefire. Lebanon’s prime minister Nawaf Salam said the targeting of journalists and the obstruction of relief efforts constituted “war crimes”.

Trump wants $1.5tn for the Pentagon – and cuts to healthcare and housing. The president’s proposed $445bn increase in military spending would batter popular domestic programs as millions struggle

The TWO BILLION DOLLARS a week that Donald Trump was spending on his reckless war in Iran could have funded saving more than 87 million lives, the head of the UN’s humanitarian agency, Tom Fletcher, said on Monday. He also warned the normalisation of violent language, such as threatening to bomb Iran back to the stone ages, was very dangerous since it encourages every “wannabe autocrat” to use similar threats and tactics, including the destruction of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

"All they will find is sand" Eyal Weizman on the demolition of Gaza in The London Review of Books April 2026

The terrifying reality of life under US sanctions by Brian Feeny in The Irish Times... & Francesca Albanese responds "Surely my life is not easy. But it is nothing compared to that of the Palestinians under Israeli Apartheid, who continue to be genocided and tortured. With or without sanctions, I will not stop standing for justice. Together we can and we will. #UNA"

News is propaganda everywhere with America duped, taxpayers robbed, & international law ignored while war mongering Israel aggressively gains endless power and resources.

"Israel created the largest group of child amputees in modern history and now blocks prostheses... The cruelty is always the point." Assal Rad

"We're talking about a federal administration that has spent close to $30 billion dollars killing thousands of people at a time when working class people across this country cannot afford the bare minimum," he said. "And to be told that a city-run grocery store is implausible, but spending more than $500 million a day to kill people in Iran and Lebanon is not only plausible but necessary, it speaks to a broken kind of politics." Zohran Mamdani April 17, 2026 NPR interview

The United States is destroying itself - The daily news can’t adequately convey the administration’s sabotaging of our government, economy, alliances and environment

Israeli forces have fired teargas at Palestinian schoolchildren who were staging a sit-in in the occupied West Bank after settlers blocked access to their school.

‘My life has become a rollercoaster’: Francesca Albanese on death threats, danger and dread after accusing Israel of genocide. When the UN special rapporteur published her report Anatomy of a Genocide in March 2024, she was lionised by some and demonised by the Trump government. She describes what happened next...

What Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli right really mean when they invoke ‘Greater Israel’ - The concept is about much more than acquiring territory, it is also about Netanyahu’s desire for Israel to become a regional superpower.

Israel’s attack on UNRWA is central to its genocide of the Palestinians: UNRWA’s mandate to provide for Palestinian refugees makes it a direct threat to the Israeli genocidal project.

‘Everything is gone’: Israel destroys entire villages in Lebanon ... Rights groups fear tactic of ‘domicide’ trialled in Gaza, where entire areas are made uninhabitable, is being used again

We reiterate the urgent need Israel to uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law and ensure civilians are protected. Israel has an appalling track record of carrying out unlawful attacks in Lebanon and displaying a callous disregard for civilian life, fueled by the impunity Israeli officials feel they enjoy.

Dear America- Israel's aim is to be THE GLOBAL SUPERPOWER that we once were.

American leadership has been opting to waste billions and now trillions of our tax money on war, all for what?

Please stop funding and fueling Israel's wars and the ongoing destruction of historic Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria... and Iran.

War and terrorism are for tyrants, not for freedom or justice. Bully tactics teach all the wrong lessons.

Billionaires want Ballrooms. The rest of us want clean water; safe neighborhoods; good schools, libraries, & museums; National Parks; playgrounds; PBS; good job opportunities for ourselves and our children; affordable heath-care; AND PEACE.

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

Funding and arming terrorism and violence is evil and wrong: America should not be funding, arming, defending, or trusting today's Israel in any way, shape or form.

Violence is a problem- not the answer.

Pope Leo urged "those who have the power to unleash wars" to chose peace. This should not be a peace “imposed by force”, he stressed, but one achieved through dialogue – “not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them”.

Red Cross ICRC: Indiscriminate warfare is indefensible and incompatible with law... Deliberate threats, whether in rhetoric or in action, against essential civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities must not become the new norm in warfare. Any war fought without limits is incompatible with the law. It is indefensible, inhumane and devastating for entire populations. Across the Middle East, our teams are seeing the destruction of infrastructure essential for civilian life. Power plants, water systems, hospitals, roads, bridges, homes, schools, and universities have come under fire. Most alarming are potential threats to nuclear facilities. Any miscalculation can cause irreversible consequences for generations to come.

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

DEAR AMERICA