A few days ago I ‘joked’ that the West will care about Baalbeck’s ppl if we focus on the ancient ruins. How naive.
#Israel can get away with bombing 500m away from the Temple of Bacchus/Dionysus, one of the best preserved in the world
Baalbeck itself is over 10,000 years old. Alexander called it Heliopolis, city of the sun. #Lebanon
#GazaGenocide / “reputational damage”
Since Israel's started its war on Gaza in October 2023, more than a dozen multinational firms perceived to be supportive of #Israel have been subject to grassroots consumer boycotts, including #CocaCola, #McDonald's, and #Starbucks. Turns out these boycotts are having a demonstrable impact, resulting in declining
sales, layoffs, and reputational damage.
https://www.dailysabah.com/business/gaza-boycotts-shake-coke-pepsi-boost-local-sodas-in-mideast/news
See also:
https://time.com/7014399/gaza-boycotts-coke-cola-mcdonalds-starbucks/
https://www.tiktok.com/@[email protected]@a.gup.pedrinks/video/7341308375185083680
#Palestine / Annexation. De facto.
Nahum Barnea in #Ynet:
#Smotrich, using his positions as Finance Minister and a minister in the Defense Ministry, has enacted significant changes in the West Bank over the past 20 months. His goal appears to be dismantling the Palestinian Authority, preventing a Palestinian state, and changing the demographic reality in the region. He's using financial measures to weaken the Palestinian Authority, including freezing or delaying tax transfers.
In the Defense Ministry, Smotrich has created a parallel power structure, appointing allies to key positions and bypassing traditional chains of command.
There's been a sharp increase in Jewish settlement activity and construction, while Palestinian building permits have become nearly impossible to obtain. Law enforcement in the West Bank is seen as partisan, with settler violence often going unchecked while Palestinian structures face increased demolitions.
Work permits for Palestinians in Israel, a crucial economic lifeline, have been cut off.
Critics, including some in Israel's security establishment, view these changes as de facto annexation and the creation of a two-tiered system of rights. There are concerns about the impact of these policies on rising terrorism and potential international legal consequences, including at the #ICJ.
Dan Turner, a resident of Kfar Adumim, a politically diverse settlement, has been fighting for years on behalf of his neighbors, including members of the Jahalin tribe, residents of Khan al-Ahmar:
[…] "There are no gatekeepers; no professional echelon; no IDF. Everything is managed through civilian, political entities. The civilianization of services was one of the means used by Smotrich and his people to break free from military control and strive for de facto annexation. Personally, I have no problem with annexation, as long as everyone enjoys equal rights and equal opportunities. This is not the case. In the last year and a half, there has been zero planning for the 300,000 Palestinians living in Area C and zero building permits. Meanwhile, demolitions are carried out as a matter of routine, including water wells and schools. Enforcement is accelerated and selective.
[…] "The trend is opposite in Jewish settlements - four times as many declarations of state land, four times as many building permits. In addition, dozens of outposts are being established without permits. There are over a hundred farms and mini-outposts in the heart of Palestinian grazing areas. Illegal construction by Jews is not enforced, with the encouragement of the minister in charge. In the Civil Administration, there is currently a complete and sweeping ban on enforcing the law against building offenders. Demolitions are carried out in rare cases, and only due to urgent security considerations."
Hebrew https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/yokra14069206
@palestine
@israel
#IsraelOccupation
#IsraelWarCriems
#Apartheid #SettlerViolence
בזרוע אחת הסמכויות כשר האוצר, בשנייה הסמכויות במשרד הביטחון: בתנועת מלקחיים, וכשנתניהו לא מפריע, מוביל סמוטריץ' שורת מהלכים שמרוקנים מתוכן את תפקיד הצבא כריבון ביו"ש. המטרה: מיטוט הרשות ונישול התושבים. במערכת הביטחון מודאגים מהשפעת "הכהניזציה" של הגדה על עליית הטרור, גם בבית הלבן חוששים. כשהמאבק על מערכת המשפט נמשך, זה המקום שבו המהפכה בעיצומה
"With an increasingly erratic #climate and following a year in which devastating floods reduced British farmers’ output by a fifth, putting off investment in the future is the opposite of responsible."
Editorial: The TUC should demand an economic rethink from Labour | Morning Star
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/tuc-should-demand-economic-rethink-labour
[cont’d] Alleged War Criminal Netanyahu Seeks to Censor Footage of His Own Investigations
#Ynet reporting that moments before the first screening of the film 'Bibi Files', Netanyahu today (Monday) submitted a request to the Jerusalem District Court to hold an urgent discussion, in light of the intention to include visual or audio documentation from his investigations in the film - and to order a ban on their publication before receiving permission.
#Netanyahu will not be able to prevent the planned screening of the film in #Toronto, which is scheduled to take place today at 6:15 PM Toronto time (1:15 AM Israel time), but in his request, he is trying to prevent the publication in #Israel of the documentations from his investigations and those of his family members, both videos and recordings. The film contains recordings from Netanyahu's police investigations that were filmed between 2016-2018.
[cont’d] UN rights chief calls on states to challenge Israel over occupation
[…] "States must not – cannot – accept blatant disregard for international law, including binding decisions of the (U.N.) Security Council and orders of the International Court of Justice, neither in this nor any other situation."
Labour refuses to publish impact assessment of winter fuel payment cuts until after MPs have voted
The impact already leaked. Could lead to 4000 deaths this winter. Shameful.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/winter-fuel-payment-starmer-reeves-b2609520.html
Exclusive: Energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh confirmed her department has assessed the impact the policy change will have on pensioners living in fuel poverty, but said only that it will be published ‘in due course’
Thinking about how Sonya Massey called cops for help and they shot her in the face at point blank range because her pot of water was threatening—and how Colt Gray killed 4 people and cops got him to put down his AR-15 and arrested him unharmed.
White supremacy is when a Black woman holding a pot of water is more threatening than a white mass shooter holding an AR-15 that he just used to kill 4 people.
Shameful UK Supreme Court decision.
Shamima Begum loses final UK court bid over citizenship - BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2n8xv61x3o
#GazaGenocide / UK’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy:
[…] International law could not be more clear - the deliberate starvation of civilians is a war crime. There can be no justification for Minister #Smotrich’s remarks and we expect the wider Israeli government to retract and condemn them.
Elia Ayoub (he/him)
oatmeal
Mark Burton
Michael
Qasim Rashid, Esq.
