The New Yorker: Since the U.S. and Iran agreed to a temporary ceasefire, on Tuesday night, Israel has continued pummelling Lebanon with air strikes, killing more than three hundred people on Wednesday and wounding over a thousand more.

 Israel’s War in Lebanon Has Not Stopped

While America and Iran negotiate a ceasefire, Beirut remains under siege.

 

Photograph by Adnan Abidi / Reuters

Since the U.S. and Iran agreed to a temporary ceasefire, on Tuesday night, Israel has continued pummelling Lebanon with air strikes, killing more than three hundred people on Wednesday and wounding over a thousand more. After the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, in February, Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shia paramilitary group in Lebanon, fired missiles at Israel; this was followed by a heavy Israeli response across the country, and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon. Israel has forced out over a million people from their homes, and killed more than a thousand, in a country of some five million, vowing to hold many of these areas as buffer zones. (The Israeli defense minister, Israel Katz, has compared the strategy to the one his country used in Gaza.) And the New York Times reported that Israel has recently made allowances for religious groups other than Shia Muslims to remain in the “evacuation zone.” Meanwhile, Israel and Lebanon are set to hold talks next week, but Iran and the United States have not yet reached an agreement on whether the ceasefire covers Israeli operations in Lebanon.

I recently spoke by phone with Maha Yahya, the director of the Carnegie Endowment’s Middle East Center, who lives in Lebanon and was in Beirut when we talked. During our conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity, we discussed what Israel is really trying to accomplish in Lebanon, the changing political fortunes of Hezbollah, and how Lebanese civilians are dealing with the war.

It seems that Israel has attacked areas across Lebanon, including Beirut, with huge civilian populations. Can you talk about what the past few days have been like?

Devastating. It’s not just about the bombs dropping around us but, also, about the anxiety, the frantic calling of friends and family to make sure they’re fine. The areas that were hit were considered relatively safe, to the extent that you can be safe in a war, but they were considered relatively safe. There’s no predominant military presence in these areas.

By military presence, you mean Hezbollah presence?

Hezbollah, yes. And I’m not describing the lack of a military presence to justify that this means it’s O.K. to hit certain areas, but not these areas. But, still, there is no predominant military presence of Hezbollah or any other political/military/non-state actor in these areas. So it was quite a shock to have entire residential buildings flattened in the space of minutes, a hundred air strikes or so in the space of ten minutes across Lebanon. It was really shocking. And then ... READ MORE  https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/israels-war-in-lebanon-has-not-stopped

[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]

"One hundred years later [after the end of slavery] the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have A Dream speech at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. 1963

Martin Luther King Jr. acknowledges the crowd at the Lincoln Memorial for his "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

I Have a Dream

delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.

"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now."  1963 I Have A Dream speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

 [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]

Letter from 100+ Refugee and Human Rights Organizations to U.S. Government: Withholding Funding to UNRWA a “Moral and Strategic Failure”

Read the letter and see the list of the 103 signatories HERE

(Washington, DC) – In a new letter sent today, more than 100 organizations call for “Congress to urgently introduce and pass legislation and for the President to support reinstating funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).” The organizations write that, “[f]ailing to do so would be a moral stain on this Administration and Congress’s legacy.” As the letter details, “the situation in Gaza is extraordinarily dire, and the need to ensure civilian protection and humanitarian relief is crucial … Cutting off funding to UNRWA completely erodes the international community’s ability to respond to one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time.”

Sent to President Biden, Speaker Johnson, and Majority Leader Schumer, the letter and list of signatories are available in full HERE. 

“By prohibiting funding to UNRWA, Congress has cemented the United States’ complicity in a humanitarian catastrophe which threatens millions of Palestinian lives,” said Abed Ayoub, National Executive Director at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). “It is an extension of a failed foreign policy that does not reflect the will of a majority of Americans. Exposing a Palestinian people facing genocide to the risk of losing what little humanitarian aid they are able to receive is inexcusable.”

“The world is watching and will not soon forget the callousness of the United States’ refusal to fund UNRWA’s crucial aid for Palestinians during this catastrophic and deadly conflict,” said Yumna Rizvi, Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Victims of Torture. “As the U.S. fails to act, children and families are being displaced in shocking numbers, and generations are experiencing the trauma of bombs, death, displacement, starvation and lack of medical care while trying to survive ongoing destruction. This is a moral failure.”

“With famine now stalking Palestinian families in Gaza, their fate hinges on the rapid infusion of massive amounts of humanitarian aid, a life-saving mission that UNRWA – and only UNRWA – is capable of carrying out,” said George Devendorf, Senior Director of External Relations at Church World Service. “For the sake of millions of Palestinians living in Gaza and across the region, we urge the U.S. government to do what’s right: resume funding immediately and help UNRWA save lives.”

“Cutting off life-saving funding to UNRWA at a time when millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza are being bombarded, displaced, and starved is unconscionable,” said Sharif Aly, President of the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP). “This impulsive and hyperbolic response by the United States amounts to collective punishment of Palestinians. Without U.S. funding for UNRWA, the deprivation of food, medicine, and shelter to Palestinians will only lead to more misery and death: Congress and the Administration must reverse course immediately.”

“The rapid onset of famine and its consequences for the civilian population should mark an inflection point for the Biden Administration and members of Congress on Gaza,” said Jesse Marks, Senior Advocate for the Middle East at Refugees International. “Stopping famine through a massive humanitarian aid effort must be the top immediate U.S. policy objective in Gaza alongside securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages. For this effort to be successful, it will require support for UNRWA and must come with a viable pathway for the restoration of U.S. funding for UNRWA.”

Key portions of the letter are excerpted below:  

“We, the undersigned 103 immigrant, refugee, human rights and humanitarian organizations, write to express our alarm and deep disappointment following Congress’s decision to reinforce and codify the Biden Administration’s suspension of U.S. funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the principal aid provider for millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza and in the surrounding region. Suspending funding during a humanitarian catastrophe, widespread starvation and looming famine is a moral and strategic failure that abandons nearly two million displaced Palestinians during a period of extreme need. We call on Congress to urgently introduce and pass legislation and for the President to support reinstating funding to UNRWA.

For over six decades, the United States has been one of the strongest supporters of UNRWA, including its largest bilateral donor. Without U.S. support, UNRWA cannot effectively carry out its role as the largest humanitarian agency in the region. Currently, UNRWA is working to provide life-saving assistance to Palestinians in Gaza who are facing extreme malnutrition, starvation, and an outbreak of deadly diseases due to Israel’s ongoing bombing campaign and deprivation of aid. To date, over 33,000 Palestinians have been killed and tens of thousands more injured without access to functioning hospitals or appropriate medical care. The situation in Gaza is extraordinarily dire, and the need to ensure civilian protection and humanitarian relief is crucial. 

Cutting off funding to UNRWA completely erodes the international community’s ability to respond to one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time. International NGOs and other UN organizations have repeatedly stated that they do not have the personnel, resources, or infrastructure to respond to the humanitarian needs in Gaza appropriately. Continuing UNRWA operations is imperative to address and alleviate the ongoing crisis. There is no debate that UNRWA’s ability to provide services, including food, water, medical assistance, and protection, is irreplaceable and essential to the survival of Palestinians in Gaza, especially now as famine is imminent. 

Furthermore, prohibiting funding to UNRWA not only affects Palestinians in Gaza, but also harms over three million Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria who depend on its services for education, financial assistance, access to healthcare, and more. Palestinian refugees are excluded from receiving any protection or other assistance from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which is mandated to provide aid to all other refugees globally. Thus, UNRWA is the primary entity serving this population and has effectively been doing so since its establishment over 75 years ago. UNRWA’s unique experience, knowledge, and expertise within the region and with the Palestinian refugee population is indispensable.

…The United States should uphold its commitment to the human rights of the Palestinian people and resume its role as a strong supporter of UNRWA by passing legislation to reinstate funding to the humanitarian agency immediately. Failing to do so would be a moral stain on this Administration and Congress’s legacy.”

https://refugeerights.org/news-resources/letter-from-100-refugee-and-human-rights-organizations-to-u-s-government-withholding-funding-to-unrwa-a-moral-and-strategic-failure

https://refugeerights.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Refugee-and-Human-Rights-Org-Letter-on-Restoring-U.S.-Funding-to-UNRWA.pdf

The Gaza famine is human-made. And the US is complicit in this catastrophe- Mohamad Bazzi

 Experts first warned of rising hunger in December – yet when Israel blocked a vital US food shipment, Biden did nothing

Palestinians gather to receive free food in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, 19 March 2024. Photograph: Mahmoud Issa/Reuters

The people of Gaza are enduring “catastrophic” levels of hunger, and famine is imminent in northern Gaza as Israel continues its devastating war and siege of the Palestinian territory. That stark warning came in a report on Monday from a global authority on food security which was set up 20 years ago by UN agencies and humanitarian groups to sound the alarm on famines.

While Israel bears much of the responsibility for this human-made famine, it’s not alone. Joe Biden and his administration are also complicit in this unfolding catastrophe: the UN and international relief groups have been warning about the potential for widespread starvation in Gaza since December. The Biden administration could have acted then, pressuring Israel to allow more aid into the territory and enforcing an existing US law that bars weapons shipments to US allies that obstruct humanitarian aid.

Instead, the US president and his aides dithered, as they have done repeatedly since Israel launched its war against Gaza after the 7 October attacks on Israel by Hamas. And it’s now too late to prevent a famine. As Martin Griffiths, the UN’s top emergency relief official, wrote on Twitter/X: “The international community should hang its head in shame for failing to stop it … We know that once a famine is declared, it is way too late.”

The aid group Refugees International was even more direct, noting that the “opportunity to avert famine in Gaza has been lost... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/21/gaza-famine-biden-netanyahu-role

[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]

Responses to genocide are often determined by where the crime is committed, and what the victims look like...

 

How can so many in the West so easily ignore genocide?

Responses to genocide are often determined by where the crime is committed, and what the victims look like.

• 
  Somdeep Sen

  Associate Professor of International Development Studies at Roskilde University

Published On 11 Jan 202411 Jan 2024

“The commander said, ‘Shoot all of them.’ And they starting firing – pop, pop, pop, like this … I left everything behind and accepted I was going to die.”

“We are being exterminated. We are being massly eradicated. And you pretend to care for humanitarian and human rights, which is not what we are living now. To prove us wrong, please do something.”

It may be surprising to some, but these two current testimonies describing active genocidal campaigns are not from the same conflict, or even the same continent.

The first witness testimony comes from West Darfur, Sudan, where the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are targeting the Masalit community. According to human rights organisations, the RSF has been going “door to door”, killing thousands of civilians, raping women and girls and burning down entire neighbourhoods. They have raised the alarm that there is a systematic campaign to entirely erase “an indigenous Darfuri group” and that the international community must stop the “genocide going on in West Darfur”.

The second testimony is an excerpt from Palestinian doctor Hammam Alloh’s October 31 interview with Democracy Now. Two weeks after the interview, he was killed in his wife’s family home in Gaza by an Israeli air strike. Alloh is among the more than 23,000 Palestinians killed by the Israeli military campaign in the Strip – a campaign that experts, academics and civil society organisations have deemed as “genocidal” as it has systematically destroyed all facets of Palestinian life in the besieged enclave.

But curiously, many in the West seems to ignore mass atrocities like these with ease. And Western leaders have become skilled at evading calling them what they are: crimes against humanity. Why?  ...READ MORE https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/1/11/how-can-so-many-in-the-west-so-easily-ignore-genocide

[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]