Israel’s Supreme Court on Monday narrowly struck down a controversial law that’s part of the Netanyahu government’s judicial overhaul and limited the court’s ability to review government decisions.
Why it matters: The dramatic ruling could thrust Israel back into a constitutional and political crisis amid the war in Gaza and concerns about a potential war with Lebanon.
A strong reaction by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his radical right-wing political allies could push former Defense Minister Benny Gantz to leave the emergency unity government that was formed after the Oct. 7 attack. If Gantz, who is part of the opposition National Unity alliance, left the war cabinet, it would leave Israel with a radical right-wing government to make decisions about the war, which could have implications for U.S. support of the war in Gaza.
What they’re saying: Netanyahu’s Likud Party said in a statement that it is “unfortunate” that the court decided to publish a ruling that deals with a central disagreement in Israeli society amid the war in Gaza. “The court’s ruling is opposed to the people’s will for unity, especially in times of war,” the party said. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said the court upheld its duty to protect the citizens of Israel. “If the government resumes the fight over the supreme court it will show they didn’t learn anything from Oct. 7,” Lapid said
Driving the news: The legislation the court struck down was passed last July. It limits the Supreme Court’s oversight of government actions and policies and ends the court’s ability to strike down government decisions and appointments on the basis of “reasonability.”
The law was the first piece of legislation of Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul — a plan that destabilized Israel’s economy, military and foreign relations. The Supreme Court struck down the law in an 8-7 vote. The court ruled that the law should be canceled because it seriously and unprecedentedly damages Israel’s democratic character. Twelve out of 15 Supreme Court judges ruled that the court has the authority to conduct judicial oversight on basic laws and intervene in extreme cases when the Knesset oversteps its legislative authority.
A draft ruling was leaked a few days ago to Israel’s Channel 12 in an unprecedented way that resembled the leak of the 2022 Roe v. Wade ruling in the US. After the leak, Netanyahu and his political allies called on the court not to publish the ruling, claiming it would be divisive if it happened in the middle of the war in Gaza. Some also hinted that they believed the ruling would be illegitimate because two of the judges who supported striking down the law had already retired.
https://www.axios.com/2024/01/01/israel-supreme-court-judicial-overhaul-netanyahu-gaza
Comment: Good. This stymies Netanyahu’s central effort to keep his crooked ass out of jail. It also bolsters the cause of that substantial number of Israelis who’ve been protesting Netanyahu for months. Wait until they dig into his complicity in the care and feeding of Hamas for all these years.
In other news, the IDF Southern Command announced it would begin withdrawing thousands of its troops from Gaza and that the war against Hamas will shift to a lower intensity phase with more surgical targeting. I think this change is due far more to continued international pressure rather than any military calculation.
TTG
The protests were getting large before the war over this power grab.
“A draft ruling was leaked…”
Not partisan at all, nor was that 8-7 decision with the 15 supreme court judges meeting together for the first time in Israeli history.
The IDF has to withdraw many of their troops as they are not needed in this combat and given the make-up of the armed forces need to return to the civilian sector to keep their economy going. Especially since tens of thousands of Palestinians will never be allowed to work in Israel again. Not a surprise at all.
As to complicity in funding HAMAS let’s look at the NGOs, the UN, USAID, most if not all of the Gulf States, as well as Netanyahu’s political opponents. (Hamas, of course, like BLM or Antifa, has no agency at all and what they did is not their fault.)
On a completely unrelated political corruption note one of the nation’s biggest political donors, Sam Bankman Fried, had charges related to stealing $100,000,000 of client funds and channeling it to politicians and causes, mostly Democrats. Biden’s DOJ crime coverup operation it certainly is not, no no no.
Excellent point. Are they really going to do this work that was beneath them? Pretty sure that is not going to happen. I could see them importing Ukrainians.
The Ukrainians that aren’t elsewhere in the EU you mean? Israel isn’t likely to get invaded by Putin, so they have that going for them.
Perhaps they will try to continue importing Thais, although I think the asking wage will have gone up significantly.
“On a completely unrelated political corruption note one of the nation’s biggest political donors, Sam Bankman Fried, had charges related to stealing $100,000,000 of client funds and channeling it to politicians and causes, mostly Democrats.”
Fred – did you mean to end that sentence with “dropped?” If those charges were dropped, well, I don’t know what to say.
Bankman-Fried still faces seven counts, including fraud charges and money laundering …… the so-called “Biden Crime Syndicate DOJ” continues to press against their Dem Party $$$$$ contributor.
al,
LOL the other charges don’t require holding anyone responsible for stealing $100,000,000 nor releasing the name of any entity receiving the same. I know of no one but you who has used the phrase “Biden Crime Syndicate DOJ” but maybe you can get some traction with that over on X.
releasing the name of any entity receiving the same
Which would achieve what exactly? Oops, wasn’t aware of the dimension 0f matters:
Time is naming a lot of names, to the extent they are known, and then there is this bit:
Here’s What We Know About Sam Bankman-Fried’s Political Donations
… SBF claims he gave tens of millions in untraceable donations to Republicans [apart from using a front man/straw man for donations. In NY? Was it?]
Although federal election receipts show that Bankman-Fried donated almost exclusively to Democrats, he claimed on a November phone call with YouTuber Tiffany Fong that he donated an equal amount to Republicans and Democrats.
“All my Republican donations were dark,” he said, referring to political donations that are not publicly disclosed in FEC filings. “The reason was not for regulatory reasons, it’s because reporters freak the f—k out if you donate to Republicans. They’re all super liberal, and I didn’t want to have that fight.”
Given that he donated nearly $40 million to Democrats in the 2022 election cycle—and he admitted to giving an equal amount to Republicans—his total political contributions may have actually been around $80 million.
Stuart McPhail, senior litigation counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group that filed an FEC complaint against Bankman-Fried last week, says his claims and the campaign finance charges could spur changes to election laws.
https://time.com/6241262/sam-bankman-fried-political-donations/
Fred,
I just happened to see a story on Slash Dot about the SBF trial that explained why he’s not being charged with conspiracy to make unlawful campaign contributions.
“The prosecutors reasoned that much of the evidence that would be submitted had already been considered in his October trial — an event which yielded a guilty verdict after just four hours of jury deliberation. Although forgoing an additional trial means not holding SBF accountable for conspiracy to make unlawful campaign contributions, additional court dates would most certainly delay a scheduled March 2024 sentencing, as it would require negotiating with The Bahamas regarding terms of extradition.”
“SBF was extradited to the US from The Bahamas, where his crypto exchange FTX was headquartered, in December 2022. While the island nation agreed to extradition on seven out of eight charges, local authorities did not consent to extradition on a charge of conspiracy to make unlawful campaign contributions. US courts were therefore unable to pursue the eighth charge.”
TTG,
receiving the proceeds of theft is itself a crime. But now those organization in receipt of most of $100,000,000 won’t be held to account or even receive publicity. That’s even better than what’s being done for Epstein’s clients.
Fred,
A lot of the Democratic recipients of that money either returned it to FTX or donated it to charity. I haven’t heard if any Republican recipients have done the same.
FTX has threatened legal action if donated funds are not returned, but I don’t know how serious a threat that is.
“I think this change is due far more to continued international pressure rather than any military calculation.”
OK. You do understand that what Netanyahu intends is to withdraw the troops and then bomb and shell the strip until there is nothing left, right?
The only reason he sent the troops in the first place is that he needed to at least pretend he wants to rescue the hostages.
But that phase has passed and he calculates that he can now drop that pretense.
So he has, and now he will bomb and shell the strip until the IDF runs out, at which point he will demand more bombs and more 155mm artillery shells from Biden. And get them.
Then he will continue so that the Israelis can sit and enjoy the sight of the rubble bouncing around.
Not at all sure that this is going to ease that “international pressure”, though I’m quite sure that Netanyahu doesn’t give a s**t so long as he has Biden and the entire Congress in his pocket.
Which he has.
Yeah, Right,
Nah, Fred’s reasoning makes a lot more sense, but I think you’re right about Netanyahu not giving a damn about the hostages.
Well, the one good thing about this difference of opinion is that we will have confirmation soon enough regarding who is correct and who is deluding themselves.
Unless, of course, Hezbollah intervene, at which point all these Very Cunning Plans go out the window.
Yeah Right,
As much as you may relish the idea of Israel being wiped out by Hezballah, it isn’t going to happen – so sorry to disappoint 🙁 because the US Navy and Marines are there to prevent it – and Hezballah is afraid of the US Navy and Marine Corps.
Eric, remind me of the last time the US Marines fought side by side with the IDF?
Or the last time that the US Navy intervened in a fight between Israel and….. well…. anyone.
Posturing and sabre-rattling are time-honored tactics of imperial powers. But it isn’t at all inevitable that if the bluff is called then the blow falls.
Yeah, Right,
The last time the US Marines intervened in a fight between Israel and the PLO was in 1983 in Lebanon. They left shortly after the PLO did, but returned a few months later. That return did not end well, but they stayed until 1984.
Being Lebanese Hezbollah has little reason to intervene on behalf of Hamas.
“so long as he [Netanyahu] has Biden and the entire Congress in his pocket.”
Excellent points.
Thank you.
I think that explains a lot of why the U.S. has been engaged in so many pointless, counter-productive wars since, say, 1980.
There is also talk of IDS losses being far higher than they are publicly admitting to. With as crooked as Bibi is, I’d wonder.
The IDF Infowarriors will inflate their own casualty numbers for their own evil purposes – either sympathy or so they can justify more intense bombing and total expulsion. Tony B Liar, sorry, Tony Blair, former UK Prime Minister is becoming lead man on their program to move the remnants of the 2.2 million Gazans to Europe, N America and elsewhere in the ME. Yeah Right, above, has is right – if they’re pulling out troops it’s because they don’t want to kill them with their own huge bombs and white phosphorus. The stuff about how they need the troops for their sputtering economy is clever, plausible bs for the folks who can read and reason a little bit. They’ve even fooled this Russian analyst who is usually pretty good:
https://t.me/malekdudakov/6450
Excerpt:The situation is only getting worse for Netanyahu. The withdrawal of some troops from Gaza has begun in order to somehow stabilize the Israeli economy. After all, it is suffocating in the absence of labor – 20% of the working-age population has been mobilized . 30 thousand businesses went bankrupt. And the cost of the war is approaching $100 billion.
“Friendly fire” reportedly has killed at least 29, with those injured considerably higher.
Posted this morning on Ru “Militarist” Channel. One data point, no coroboration. I’ve seen casualty reports among the Israelis running into the low several thousands, mostly wounded. 374 downed tanks is from a reported total of 2,200 – 17 percent.
6 more intervals at that rate (6×17=102) and no more tanks. 3 months have passed since Oct 7. Six such intervals equates to 18 months.
——————–
https://t.me/infantmilitario/116469
Two Merkava tanks in the Gaza Buraij camp and two more Merkavas, one armored personnel carrier and two military vehicles on the Khan-Yunus line were destroyed by Gaza factions.
351 Merkava 3/4 tanks were destroyed by Gaza factions, and 23 Merkava 4 tanks were destroyed by Hezbollah.
The total number of disabled tanks reached 374.
———————
Happy Trails To You – Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.
https://youtu.be/oG_fSoYFWLA
In America concern was expressed by several organizations.
1) The oligarch mega-billionaire rights organization expressed concern that a mega-billionaire oligarch may have had his feelings hurt.
2) Gay rights groups worried if maybe gay rights were not being respected.
3) Transexual rights groups were concerned over whether or not Transexuals would be allowed to bomb and strafe from the crossover-gender command of their choice.
4) Most vocal and numerous, of course, were the gun rights organization whose spokesperson said that reports were coming in that several guns may have been injured.
I believe the troops are being withdrawn in part to be used against Hesbollah.
They better eat their Wheaties.
I have been thinking this as well. 10/07 showed us that the weekend warriors didnt learn from 2006. Another rude awakening coming. The rot and the mismanagement in the IDF is apparent.
Well, whatever the results of the Israeli response to Oct 7th, at least you won’t have the alleged “genocide” of the poor little, innocent, Palestinians to make you cry and keep you up at night.
Of course another angle could be that the “genocide” objective was mere hysterical propaganda on the the part of the Marxist crowd, Jew haters and gullible tools who believe leftist media – and that Israel has determined that it has accomplished what it needed to with the hardcore kinetic phase of the response. After all, several Hamas leaders have been killed along with several thousand of their grunts.
Because anyone who objects to Israel’s actions MUST be a Jew hater.
Stefan,
That false equivalency is a tool favored by Israeli politicians and a trap some critics of Israel too easily fall into. Protesting Israeli actions in Gaza at synagogues and tearing down posters of Israeli hostages is idiotic, self-defeating and plays into the hands of Netanyahu.
Stefan,
Because those who object to Israel’s actions, overwhelmingly, minimally, de facto object to Israel’s very existence and have demonstrated such for a long time prior to 10/7/23.
Sure, let’s allow Israel to be flooded with Arabs that hate Israel. What would the result be for Jews, Stefan? Is that ok with you?
And they (jew haters) wallow in the warped propaganda history promoted by the likes of Hamas.
TTG,
Take some time to go through the comment sections at places like Larry Johnson’s sonar21. If you can’t detect massive generalized Jew hatred, then you’re blind. The level of animosity is at Mein Kampf levels. And you have “pundits” like LJ stoking those fires daily. I’m picking on LJ’s site b/c we know him. He is one of very many.
Eric Newhill,
I’m well aware that antisemitism and Jew hatred is real and has been for centuries. It is triggered way too easily. The Catholic Church blamed the Jews for the killing of Christ until fairly recently in spite of the doctrinal fact that it was all part of God’s plan. Even so, antisemitism now is not even close to the levels of the 30s.
TTG,
I agree 100%. Some things just dont look right even if your sole issue are Israeli actions. The pictures of Israeli hostages? It is stupid to tear them down, but it is also blatantly clear that the posters have nothing to do with the hostages. You arent doing anything to effect their release by putting the posters up in London and NYC, two places I have seen them recently. It is purely a political move meant to bolster support for Israel, but pulling them down is stupid.
But I wonder why people are not discussing the posters that support Palestinians that have been put up and pulled down by pro Israel Israeli supporters? I saw that in London, NYC, Washington DC, Cambridge and Bristol England recently. It would seem some hate is more accepted than others. Sad when we have had Arabs, including children, shot and killed in the US since 10/7.
At the end of the day it is none of our business here in the US. We have no real vested interests in Israel, one way or another. Our support of their decades of mistreatment of the Palestinians is a HUGE drag on the US politically on the international stage.
We need to remove them from the US/Western teat and let the face the international repercussions of their actions. Like the spoiled child we have enabled their bad behaviour that only gets worse.
TTG,
The former president of Harvard has engaged in some false equivalency in just the past few days. She being the victim of the usual suspects course. Who stole all that work product that wound up under her name all those years in succession is a mystery wrapped in an enigma….
Fred,
True. Plagiarism is a sin far worse than antisemitism in academia.
Eric –
What’s wrong with hating Jews if they’re criminal gangsters? I don’t like gangsters or criminals particularly. I can’t stand most Jews. Who are you or anyone else to say who or what anyone should or shouldn’t hate? And I am half Jewish and have an obviously Jewish last name and have been considered Jewish by most people I know for my entire long life. And I despise most Jews. Really despise them. And I sure don’t hate myself so take your self hating jew trope and feed it to the nearest garbage can or sewer. I don’t despise those Jews who I do despise (most of them by far) because they’re Jewish, I despise them because they’re stuck-up, obnoxious, arrogant self appointed holier than thou bastards who are essentially criminals.
Want a list of other things and people I hate? Don’t be bashful, because I don’t pick on the Jews or single them out – it’s a long list and most of them make it easily with room to spare.
Mr. Newhill is a rare creature – completely one eyed support for the most extreme government in modern Israel’s short history.
the current war is being lost by Israel because you cannot kill an idea, but bini doesn’t seem to know that.
What’s left of Israel’s credibility is zero – like the USA, with the majority of the world. Unless Bibi is stopped Israel will end up a pariah nation.
If that happens, then anti semitism will rear its head big time. It will be very subtle at first, but people will stop giving people the benefit of the doubt.
true friends of israel don’t want it to go down the toilet.
Walrus,
Do you even notice the totally discrepant standards that your own perspective incorporates? I.e. Israel = extreme, but Hamas = reasonable.
The Muslim world is full of extreme intolerant governments and factions and no one calls them out, but Israel and the US are expected to live among them and adhere to the highest (unrealistic given the circumstances) standards.
Ah yes, of course, the white man’s burden must be carried, even if it kills the white man. Then what is left in the world? How much will you people enjoy living under Sharia?
Eric Newhill,
Walrus never mentioned anything about Hamas being reasonable. They’re an unrepentant terrorist organization. They made that abundantly clear on 7 October and in subsequent actions and statements.
walrus,
Israel has been a pariah nation for a long time. But since the idea of Palestine is so powerful when are their diaspora in Australia going home, along with all their fellows in Michigan?
TTG,
Theft if ok if it helps you get a phd, a job in academia, and promoted all the way to tenure and then top leadership? What’s the government (non-academic) equivalent career track? How many thieves should I have in my company, or do only ivy league grads get a corruption exemption?
Fred,
Palestinians living abroad have a rather hard time getting into Gaza and the West Bank, at the best of times. Visiting and moving there now? No way the Israelis would allow it. The control all access points to both places. The inability of Palestinians abroad to return is one of the big Palestinian demands.
As to “getting called out” the Saudis got called out on a regular basis during their war on Yemen. Both on the national and international level. No one calls out Muslim and Arab countries more than other Muslim and Arab countries. Unless you are blind you’ll see the national past time of Arab and Muslim nations condemning each other all of the place. It is a regular sport at times.
Eric Newhill,
You do a good job of glossing over the fact that Syria is our #1 enemy in the Arab world. Syria is ruled by a secular government that has separation of church and state (isn’t that a western value?) and which gives women equal rights. No sharia law there – the only countries in that region that have sharia law are all our allies.
Curtis actually wrote a book on our long history of backing the religious nutcases in the Muslim world while doing everything we can to eliminate the secular/progressive leaders:
https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Affairs-Britains-Collusion-Radical/dp/1788160223
Then what is left in the world? How much will you people enjoy living under Sharia?
Sounds like some centuries ago, Eric. Two more precisely. Can’t be what brought you to SST? That’s exactly what it was?
Reminds me of David Yerushalmi. What happened to him, his allies Pipes, Horowitz, Geller, Spencer or more precisely his Society of Americans for National Existence. At one point he restricted entrance to true believers. Too much attention?
saneworks.us
Looks like the domain is still up on a Go Daddy server. One, just not everyone can access? Gone one more step deeper into hiding? Hmm? To come back …
Eric,
Your reflexive racism against Arabs and Islamophobia is really nothing more than the mirror image of the Jew haters. Of course you will say you have every reason to hate Arabs and Islam, but of course the Jew haters will say the same thing about Jews and Judaism.
Fact is, Islam and Judaism are far closer, religious wise, than Judaism and Christianity. There is a reason why Jews are allowed to daven (pray) in a mosque but not in a church. This holds true for all Jewish sects with the exceptions of reform and reconstructionists, which are on the extreme liberal end of Judaism.
Jews and Arabs, especially Palestinians, share a lot of DNA. They are all Middle Eastern after all. Places like Yemen were almost all Jewish at one point. When some converted to Islam they changed their religion, not their DNA.
Non Jews, in my experience, who have a rabid hatred of Islam and Arabs usually also share a Jew hatred as well, even though they are not as open about expressing it. Because the reasons they hate Arabs and Islam pretty much apply to Jews and Judaism as well. There is a reason why the racist “alt right” have embraced Israel in the US despite their well known racism and Jew hatred.
They are no friends to the Jews.
Stefan,
“Places like Yemen were almost all Jewish at one point. ”
It was? That begs the question: What made the demographics change?
Those of us objective to real history know that just prior to the “Nakba” (or about the same time) Arab countries expelled somewhere between 750,000 and 850,000 Jews. Of course that was not a “Nakba” because, well, I guess the dirty Jews had it coming for …well for whatever…you know. Over time the few remaining Jews got the hell out too because probably they were Islamophobic for some bizarre reason.
It’s almost like the Arabs self-segregated and then demanded “their land” back in Palestine/Israel – though I am unaware of the location of their capitol. Maybe it was in the basement under the Turks administrative offices. I wonder where the Jews were supposed to go. Perhaps back into the ever loving arms of the germans.
Eric Newhill,
How many of those left because they sought a better life in Israel? Some already in Israel didn’t even want to let them in.
Yes, if you have read a single book on Middle Eastern history. Despite claims otherwise, Islam’s most successful way of spreading was by trade and commerce. This is why the largest Muslim country in the world never saw a Muslim army set foot in it. The religion was spread by trade and commerce. Of course there were armies involved, just like in the west and Christianity. But Islam’s best calling cards, back in the day, was governance, trade and science. Of course these days it is just the opposite.
I remember taking an Arabic class years ago at university. There were many government types in the class looking to pad their CV in hopes of future promotions, there were non Arab Muslims looking to learn the language for religious purposes, ect. One guy in this particular class was a very short guy from Indonesia.
In talking with him it turns out his family was originally Yemeni. They came to Indonesia around 500 years ago. He looked very Yemeni, but didnt speak Arabic. Although they were good at marrying with others in the Yemeni community there, over the last 500 years they had lost their Arabic. His ancestors came to Indonesia via small ships looking for new trade opportunities.
Amazing how some things dont change. The Yemeni community in the US is well known for its entrepreneurial spirt and start ups all over the country.
“How many of those left because they sought a better life in Israel?”
TTG, there is no question that the 750K to 850K were expelled by the Arab countries; literally forcibly removed.
But what are you suggesting? That life in a Muslim country sucks?!?!?!?! And that life in Israel is superior enough to want to uproot one’s family and immigrate? Are you a racist?!?!?!?!? What are other implications? That maybe life for Palestinians outside of Israel sucks compared to inside Israel because Muslims are not capable of creating a good quality of life in countries they control – and everyone wants what the Jews have built because it’s awesome? It sure looks that way. There is hope for you yet 😉
Jealousy often prompts mean thinking and even violence. Additionally, the frustration must be tremendous to be a member of a backwards culture right next door to a forward thinking successful culture and to be so backwards that you can’t figure out that you are backwards. Oh Allah, why have you forsaken us? Surely your will must be for us to become resolved to kill the infidels who humiliate your people.
Stefan,
I am 50% Middle Eastern genetically. My position has nothing to do with race. Rather, it has to do with culture and religion. I’ll ask again how you would enjoy living under Sharia, which violates, no doubt, some of your strongly held beliefs regarding equality; especially for women and homosexuals as well as religious freedoms, freedom of speech, freedom to dance to pop music, etc.
I would not live in a state run by “Sharia” but the fact of the matter is no such state exists. There are states that claim to be run by Sharia, but given the drastically different societies, cultures and laws, one would have to ask “which Sharia”?
What I have seen in these countries is often culture trumps “Sharia” as many things are implemented and sold as being part of Islam that are clearly not. They take large elements of the local culture, wrap it up with some religious background and call it “Sharia”. Take, for example, Afghanistan. They have banned girls and women from education but there is nothing in Shari’a to support this.
The oldest university in the Muslim world (in the world for that matter) was founded by a female Muslim in Morocco. Islam has a long history of female scholarship and female scholars. The degradation and contempt of women by groups like this fly in the face of the actual history of Islam. One of Mohammed’s wives actually lead men in combat. Imagine the Taliban having a female combat commander. But that is Islam and the history of Islam.
One of the biggest problems in the Muslim world is the people often have ZERO idea where culture ends and where religion begins. They literally have no idea what Islam actually says on any particular issue. The thinking being “we are a Muslim country, if it happens here it must be Islam”. Flies in the face of one well known quote, to paraphrase “I was in the Muslim world and saw Muslims everywhere and no Islam. I went to the west and saw Islam everywhere and no Muslims.”
I dont support forcing anyone to conform to anything, religious or otherwise. Incidentally, I would contend a reading of Islam would support the same thing. A well known and accepted Hadith (saying of the prophet) says a Muslim is obligated to cover the sins, the moral lapses of others, up to 70 times or more. Hence, if you were following what Mohammed said to do, there would never be anything reported to any authorities. The sin being between the person and their god, nothing to do with authorities.
50% Middle Eastern genetics? From where? You wouldnt be the first Middle Easterner I have meet who is far right in their politics and a Trump supporter.
Do you get pulled for “random” TSA searches based on your race?
Stefan,
I am beginning to realize that your grasp of reality may be ….. how can I say it? Eccentric? Unique?
@Stefan
“Take, for example, Afghanistan. They have banned girls and women from education but there is nothing in Shari’a to support this.”
I get your point, it shows that Sharia can even be “improved”. 😀
Eric,
I took Middle Eastern studies at university, I speak Arabic and have traveled widely in the region. I come from a well educated and experienced standpoint. My opinions are not unusual or unique, except for those who just hate Muslims and Islam. Your viewpoint on the issues is skewed because your hatred colours it so.
WE ARE PLEASED TO REPORT THAT THESE MESSAGES HAVE BEEN SCANNED FOR TRACES OF ANTI-SEMITISM.
(And plagiarism).
——————
Message 1:
In the immortal 1931 film Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi, the evil monstrous bloodsucking child murdering Vampire Dracula wears a the national symbol of the state of Israel on a chain pendant worn on his neck. Six pointed star.
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/howstrongis/images/1/19/Bela_lugosi_dracula.jpg
Message 2:
Happy Holidays and please keep in mind our Mostly Peaceful Genocide for your New Years and Yuletide best wishes!
Signed – Joe (I am a Zionist) Biden & Bibi (Shoot a Goyim Child) for Christmas Netanyahu.
But you can call us Genocide Joe and Lying Ph99kface Bibi for short!
Surprises just keep coming. Festival season! Here the lyin’ NY Times naturally has no problem forgetting to mention one little detail.
“You mean the part about how someone unmentionable with oodles of cash paid her a few zillion to step down so this morality tale could be published on the 2nd day of the new year?”
And had her sign an Non-Disclosure Agreement if she wanted to .. ?
Pretty nifty huh? She never breathed an antisemitic word, but a congress creature farther to the right than Emperor Tiberius and Attila the Hun simply accused her of not doing something that there was no reason not to do and … Voila! Welcome to America of 2024, former Harvard President and now, as a courtesy, lifelong antisemite and plagiarist too, Claudine Gay!
(And the really adorable, extra- special LGBTQ rights activist with organic honey and non-arsenic dosed cinnamon on top New York Times touch .. did you notice it? It’s because she’s a plagiarist, we never said anything about antisemitism, did we?)
Harvard President Resigns After Mounting Plagiarism Accusations.
Claudine Gay faced backlash over Harvard’s response to antisemitism on campus, which led to increased scrutiny of her academic record.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/01/02/us/claudine-gay-harvard
“I think this change is due far more to continued international pressure rather than any military calculation.”
Maybe – or maybe Israel has simply run out of obvious targets. They’ve certainly killed a lot of Hamas military leadership as well as thousands of their grunts. Probably smart to give Hamas some breathing room. Let them attempt to re-group and then slam them with precision strikes as the opportunities arise. The highly kinetic phase has created a better buffer zone, knocked out key Hamas positions, destroyed tunnel systems, communications centers, etc. All in all, a fairly successful operation on Israel’s part. If winding down the operation helps calm the international Jew hating ninnies, then that’s icing on the cake. Given the ninnies’ gnat like attention span, Israel will be free and clear to pursue the destruction of Hamas is more subtle ways in a couple of weeks.
The IJHN Society. (Designated into existence by Eric Newhill, not Jewhill – Newhill, on Jan 2, 2024).
Charter member ..
Bernie Sanders pushes to end Israel aid, calling Gaza war ‘illegal and immoral’.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/bernie-sanders-no-aid-israel-gaza-immoral
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called on Congress to reject the $10.1 billion in military aid to Israel that lawmakers are currently negotiating as part of a national security spending bill, calling Israel’s military operations in Gaza a “brutal war against the Palestinian people.”
The Vermont senator emphasized that the war began as a result of “Hamas’ barbaric terrorist attack” but said the military response from Israel has been “grossly disproportionate, immoral, and in violation of international law.”
———————————-
American Hating Ninny, Boston Hating Ninny, California Hating Ninny, Delaware Hating Ninny, .. Liberal Hating Ninny .. Nazi Hating Ninny, Communist Hating Ninny, Conservative Hating Ninny .. Fascist Hating Ninny
And their opposites ..
Nazi Loving Ninny, Jew Loving Ninny, Ninny Loving Ninny, ..
Question I: Do you count yourself more of a
1) Ninny
2) Non-Ninny
Question II: If you answered 1, please circle the category which best describes you
1) A Ninny Loving Ninny
2) A Ninny Hating Ninny
If you’re wondering why there’s no Question III for people who consider themselves Non-Ninny, please understand that to be either a Non-Ninny Loving Ninny or a Non-Ninny Hating Ninny is, in plain fact, impossible by reductio ad adsurdum, because a Non-Ninny can’t be a Ninny.
Well, isnt Sanders just a self hating Jew, besides being a pinko socialist?
Stefan,
Sanders proudly proclaims his socialist stance, but also speaks out against antisemitism.
TTG,
I was being facetious. I was born in Europe, a military brat and lived and worked there as an adult. Sanders would be decidedly centrist, even center right, in much of Europe.
Many of the pro Palestinian groups in the US are actually headed up and run by Jews, and never since 1948, have Jews stepped up and done so much to fight against the actions of the Israeli state. Taking over Grand Central Station in NYC, occupying Congressional buildings in DC, shutting down major roads in large cities in multiple locations in the US.
They are often label anti-Semites themselves and called self hating Jews. More often than not, by non Jews, which smacks of anti-Semitism itself.
Sanders is a self-serving cynical politician pushing Marxist crap to suckers – typically young and inexperienced or life long government employees – to whom that old garbage is attractive. Sanders is Jewish when it helps his self-promotion and not Jewish when that helps. But he is first and foremost dedicated to his Marxist schtick. So that trumps his Jewishness.
“They’ve certainly killed a lot of Hamas military leadership as well as thousands of their grunts.”
Have they now? Do tell….
Oh of course. If Israel says it, it’s propaganda lies. If a left wing/Hamas source says it, you can take it to the bank.
Yet, you are smart enough to recognize that if the ISW/Ukraine says it, it’s probably propaganda lies and if Russia says it, it might be true – even though Russia is the military aggressor in that case.
It’s almost as if people just believe reflexively whatever source confirms their deeply underlying psychological biases
“Oh of course. If Israel says it, it’s propaganda lies. If a left wing/Hamas source says it, you can take it to the bank.”
It’s not a matter of believing what anyone says, Eric.
Anyone can make up any shit they want, including both you and I.
The issue is that having “said that” the onus is on the person making the claim to provide the evidence to back it up.
There is no onus on the sceptic to prove them wrong.
“Yet, you are smart enough to recognize that if the ISW/Ukraine says it, it’s probably propaganda lies and if Russia says it, it might be true – even though Russia is the military aggressor in that case.”
I am quite capable of speaking for myself, Eric, thank you very much. There is zero need for you to claim to be my spokesmodel.
“It’s almost as if people just believe reflexively whatever source confirms their deeply underlying psychological biases”
This straw man argument of yours is getting very, very tedious.
I am quite happy to accept that the IDF claims to have killed thousands of Hamas militants. I would have been astounded if they hadn’t made that boast.
But as a much better wordsmith than me once pointed out: “sayin’ ain’t doin’ ”
Where’s the evidence for that claim, Eric?
Take your time, I’ll wait.
That cuts both ways, YR.
Where are all the dead bodies of the children that Hamas media keeps claiming have been killed? Where are all the dead bodies of Palestinians, period?
The bodies are in mass graves, footage of which has been caught and published on international media.
Only a fool would ask why bodies by the thousands, are not buried as quickly as possible. Aside from the Muslim (and Jewish) requirements of burying bodies as soon as possible, keeping thousands of corpses unbutied in a place already lacking clear water and sanitation stattions would just be the worst possible thing for a populace seeking to stop outbreaks of disease.
I haven’t confirmed this but it makes sense because the exchanges are hot n heavy back n forth for two days now. Voronezh has been hit (and Sevastopol and Belgorod again) which is 250 km further into Ru than Belgorod. Zelensky in the Economist is all about hitting Crimea with cruise missiles is the theme of 2024. I’m not happy to say I predicted this months ago, it’s the source of my ongoing friendly debate with Eng Outsider. I hope he’s right that it won’t matter in the long run. Meanwhile that earthquake in NYC today was right where I live – who’s gunning for me?
————————————-
https://t.me/Znovosticegodna/15633
The United States allowed the Ukrainian Armed Forces to launch long-range strikes from the HIMARS MLRS.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces can now independently choose the range of strikes using the American HIMARS MLRS, said US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink.
According to Brink, Washington will soon transfer several additional payments to Kyiv.
The publication did not confirm that the Pentagon will supply the Ukrainians with shells for firing at distances of over 160 kilometers. Although recent events confirm that these ammunition may already be in the hands of the Ukronazis.
In the coming weeks, shelling of the Crimea, Rostov, Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk regions from the HIMARS MLRS, ATACMS tactical missiles and Storm Shadow and SCAPL cruise missiles cannot be ruled out – the US and NATO will continue to raise the stakes.
As we wrote earlier, everything that lies below the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons can and will be used during the war in Ukraine.
P.S. Why shouldn’t Russia respond by supplying Yemen with anti-ship warfare systems in this case and let them sink a couple of American ships?
Bibi’s career is over.
it’s just going to take a bit for the embers to grow cold.
ked
If I had a nickel for every time I have heard someone confidently state that “Bibi is done”. I will believe it when I see the stake through his heart with my own eyes.
https://t.me/logikamarkova/9715?comment=2668027
🔍 The Government Information Office in the Gaza Strip published an infographic on the scale of destruction as a result of Israeli aggression from October 7, 2023 to January 1, 2024:
• 87 days of all-out genocidal war.
• 1,838 massacres.
• 28,978 victims and missing persons.
• 21,978 victims were taken to hospitals.
• 9,280 child martyrs.
• 6,600 women martyrs.
• 326 medical workers died.
• 40 martyrs of civil defense.
• 106 journalists died.
• 7,000 missing; 70% of them are children and women.
• 56,697 wounded.
• 10,000 cancer patients are at risk of death.
• 99 arrests of medical workers.
• 10 arrests of journalists.
• 1.9 million displaced people in the Gaza Strip.
• 350,000 Gazans contracted infectious diseases as a result of displacement.
• 130 government centers destroyed.
• 93 schools and universities were completely destroyed.
• 292 schools and universities were partially destroyed.
• 120 mosques were completely destroyed.
• 212 mosques were partially destroyed.
• 3 churches were attacked and heavily damaged.
• 65,000 residential units were completely destroyed.
• 292,000 residential units partially destroyed.
• 30 hospitals are out of service.
• 53 medical centers are out of service.
• 150 medical centers were partially destroyed.
• 104 ambulances were completely destroyed by the occupation.
• 200 archaeological cultural heritage sites destroyed.
• 65,000 tons of explosives dropped on Gaza
#Газа #Палестина
F&L,
Now do Nigeria so we can see the world’s concerns for Christians. BTW did you notice all those nice round numbers, and the lack of men being ‘victims’?
You mean like 53, 93, 104 etc? It’s terrible. Why not just 50, 90, 100 – and I see your point – killing women and children is embarrassing and doesn’t belong in the press or social media. Hospitals, schools, mosques, churches, reporters, doctors … needlessly repetitious. “We nuked Hiroshima and then Nuked Nagasaki 3 days later, wiping out shitloads of Jap bastards.” Now that’s reporting. Concise, not confusing and especially – with precision accuracy it gets the point across. You’ve inspired my next post, Fred. It will be fun fun fun.
Smoother and creamier than filets of Camembert deceptively mislabeled as Wisconsin grade Velveeta and highjacked off pearl-enameled private jetliners exclusively servicing Monaco and Lichtenstein – this Nick Paton Walsh year end roundup for CNN is thankfully uncringe and un-Zakaria, though smooth and creamy for sure for sure:
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/26/world/2023-year-of-the-brink-intl-cmd/index.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Paton_Walsh
F&L – From Putin’s statements during his visit to the military hospital the Russians see this as an attempt to provoke retaliation. Kiev is attacking civilian targets in the hope the Russians will do the same back and thus look bad. Putin made it clear in the Q and A at the hospital he’s not going down that road.
Might it not be correct, however, to see this differently?
At the start of the SMO NATO hopes were clear and clearly expressed. Russia was expected to take Kiev and declare victory. The Russians would then have been faced with an insurgency.
The weapons and training we had supplied to the Kiev forces before 2022 were mostly suitable for small unit or urban fighting. We didn’t train or equip them for “proper” combined arms warfare. The expectation was that the Russians would defeat the Kiev army quickly and would then be faced with the task of policing the country.
It would have been a very difficult job, policing a country that size and with all those fighters and lethal equipment around. Northern Ireland cubed, I used to call that job in ’22, had the Russians been fool enough to undertake it then.
The Russians didn’t have enough troops for it for a start. Their convoys and patrols would have been vulnerable to guerilla activity. It would have required very heavy policing to locate and deal with small, often informal, groups of resistance fighters in the cities. The ultra-nationalists are some of them very determined and resourceful and could have kept a guerilla war – or terrorist activity, depending how you look at it – going for a long time, given there was no lack of suitable weapons and explosives and full Western support.
Only 3,000 fighters were said to be active in Northern Ireland. They didn’t have a lot of outside support and not much in the way of explosives and weaponry. Nevertheless it took half the British army to keep even that under control. Policing an occupied Ukraine in 2022 would have been a murderous nightmare by comparison.
That was the scenario hoped for. At the start of the SMO we heard many statements to the effect that Ukraine would become “Russia’s Afghanistan”. It wasn’t too unrealistic a bet had the sanctions war worked. The sanctions war was expected to destabilise Russia and an intractable guerilla war on top of that would have been difficult for the Russians to handle.
The Russians sidestepped all that. Instead of chasing around Ukraine locating and dealing with pockets of resistance here and there they sat back and let the Ukrainian fighters come to them to be killed. As simple and as brutal as that.
Still going on. When you think about it, every time we or Zelensky shovel more of the unfortunate Ukrainian PBI into the killing grounds, we’re just helping the Russians complete the work they’re doing anyway.
So maybe – just a thought – we’re hoping giving Kiev gear to attack Russian civilians will bring the Russians storming out to occupy Ukraine to put a stop to it. Then we’d get our “Russia’s Afghanistan” for real. Sort of thinking our people do. If so, I doubt the Russians will bite, as Putin made clear at that visit to the hospital. They’d much prefer to have a puppet remnant Ukraine than an occupied one anyway, if they get the choice.
What we’re doing now is merely waiting around to see whether the Kiev administration collapses first, or the Ukrainian army. Either way, neither remnant Ukraine nor the annexed territories are going to have many ultra-nationalists left hanging around to keep a Northern Ireland scenario going. They’ll either be dead or living in Germany. So giving Kiev the means of killing Russian civilians won’t alter the big picture.
…………………………
On a personal note, F&L, if you don’t object to my mentioning it, you were very uncivil recently about our Liz Truss. Thought that was going a bit far even for a rebellious colonist. She looked very fetching, perched up on top of a tank in Latvia. You’ll understand that since Maggie hammered the Argies it’s pretty well de rigueur for our politicians to be seen in battledress or clambering around various bits of military equipment. They’re always hoping some of the Falklands magic will rub off on them. Never does, and won’t this time.
EO,
You have the early expectations right. No one except the Ukrainians expected their defense to stand up the Russian invasion. The best the West hoped for was a Ukrainian government in exile and a continued resistance to a Russian occupation much like the Baltics. Sanctions would remain and, unlike in the Baltics, Western aid would be provided to the Ukrainian resistance.
What you did not get right was the costs to Russia of an occupation. The costs would pale in comparison to the costs of the current war. There is an active resistance to the Russian invaders and their collaborators in the lands already occupied by Russia. This is true even in Crimea. But the casualties and destruction suffered by the Russians in those occupied lands to this unconventional war are small compared to what the Ukrainian military is doing to the Russians in the conventional war.
TTG
If Russia gives western Ukraine back to Hungary/Romania/Poland then occupation of Ukraine will be cheaper than occupation of Chechnya.
James –
That was actually tried by Putin back in 2014. He invited Hungary, Poland & Slovakia to hold referendums in areas of western Ukraine where they had held territory prior to WW2. His puppet Yanukhovich was prez or Ukraine at the time and may have gone along with it. All three countries ignored Putin’s invite. Orban would do it today in a New York minute if he got the opportunity.
leith –
Holding referendums to allow people to decide their own destiny is a “trick”? I guess it depends on whether it bolsters US foreign policy goals, or not.
The Poles hate the Russians with a passion. But does that mean that they don’t want that territory back? I don’t know – I meant to ask my Polish sister-in-law over Christmas but alas I forgot.
James –
Trick is your word, not mine. But it fits since it was done by the Kremlin. Zhirinovsky actually, leader of an ultra-nationalist party, not Putin wrote the letter. But Putin said the same verbally to Radoslaw Sikorsky, Polish MFA. Neither Poland nor any other European country showed any interest in the proposal.
By the way, speaking of allowing people to control their own destiny – Crimea, Donetsk oblast and Luhansk oblast all voted for Ukrainian independence.
leith –
The Canadian polling company Gallup did a poll to ask the Ukrainians if the results in the March 16 2014 referendum to secede [from Ukraine] reflected the views of the people. A total of 82.8% of Crimeans said yes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2015/03/20/one-year-after-russia-annexed-crimea-locals-prefer-moscow-to-kiev/?sh=1ab2b4d7510d
I’m uncivil about that woman? No I wasn’t I mentioned her gaffe, likely intentional because it was so grossly provocative, concerning geography, but good for me if you think so. She was one of the most despised people on the planet during her PM stay, and for good reason – she’s awful. I guess you missed the little incident where your queen Elizabeth II dropped dead a day after shaking the Truss creature’s paw. If you had brains to match your long-winded faux chumminess you might be interesting, but you’re not – a fantastic bore though, and of course oh so superior.
F&L,
You may not have been uncivil about Truss (I don’t think you were), but you’re being damned uncivil towards EO. Knock off the personal attacks. That’s schoolyard stuff. I thought you were clever enough to get your point across without resorting to that crap.
Short Quiz: 1 question, multiple choice. Circle choice A or B.
A) During review of the video tape by TTG he missed him calling F&L a rebellious colonial. (Which is personal and a travesty, btw).
B) Critical Shortage of Red Flags and unfortunately, due to retired Lt Col TTG’s Tinnitus he prefers not to utilize the referee’s whistle.
F&L,
A little bit of both A and B
If being called a rebellious colonial truly offends you, then of course you should demand satisfaction. Perhaps you can call EO a lobsterback. I would wear that appellation (rebellious colonial) proudly much like when the 25th ID G3 referred to me and my RECONDO School cadre as a band of pirates who he would not invite to any more G3 functions. BTW, my band of pirates included a Medal of Honor holder.
I seldom delete comments, but I do from time to time, sometimes for the flimsiest and petty reason. Nor have I banned anybody. I haven’t even bothered to figure out how to ban anybody from the blog. No one has done anything that warrants a ban in my opinion. I certainly wouldn’t ban you or EO. I like you both and you are valued contributors to this committee of correspondence.
BTW, you’re right about my preference not to blow a referee’s whistle. I probably wouldn’t hear it if i did.
TTG,
yes, calling EO a lobsterback would certainly get under the skin of a King’s man, Haselrig being a parliamentarian and all.
Might I correct? My memory was at fault. Estonia. I checked too late.
https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/liz-truss-margaret-thatcher-tank-photo-foreign-secretary-most-popular-minister-1327348
…………………
Not that it makes much odds who hold what cabinet rank or who is Prime Minister. Judging from recent articles in the Times and FT, both fanatically neocon, HMG is holding to its usual role of Washington’s sheepdog. Kiev needs money. Now. The Euros are getting cold feet and we have to keep them up to the mark. We’re broke and Congress is being difficult. So it’s up to the Euros to find the money and up to us to make sure they do.
That’s the story anyway. In reality it’s a case of “when thieves fall out …” Looks as if the various partners in crime in this Ukrainian enterprise are positioning themselves for the debacle. Blaming the other will be something of an industry in the West.
Don’t take offence, F&L. Just saw your comment. That paragraph (politicians on tanks etc.) was not intended to be serious and I’m sorry it reads as if it was. You don’t think I’d write into the site defending our politicians do you? I couldn’t. They’re indefensible. I said that clearly and often enough on the Colonel’s old site.
In fact there’s no European politician I know of who comes well out of this affair. Some American but even there not many. They used Ukraine to get at Russia and in the process destroyed a country.
There’s no “Defence of National Interests” or “Reasons of State” excuse can justify that. Putin said as much in that blunt UN speech and like him or not he was right. “Do you even now not realise what you have done?” You remember that? That’s still the truth. These politicians of the West pay no heed to considerations of common humanity. When I listen to Shapps or Wallace – or Graham or Baerbock – it feels more like listening to psychos than to normal people.
So yes, mea culpa. However ludicrous their antics one should not find amusing politicians who, from Blair onwards to my certain knowledge, leave nothing in their wake but trails of corpses.
You think..Trump and Netanyahu for one last waltz first.Putin the same.
I think that iranian society is changing.Woman are fed up.Their treatment these past 2 years has gone beyond normal religious bounds.Fundemental questions are being asked about the role woman are being forced to accept in the name of religion.
MC O’Hen –
Iran isn’t the only place where woman are mistreated.
Exhibit A – Nevada:
Defendant attacks judge during sentencing. Las Vegas.
https://youtu.be/Pg2uR-b5Yeg
Exhibit B – a court decision overheard by our listening-in services:
Judge Brimstone Meriwether Fairplay III:
“So our ruling, young lady, is that despite your virginal status at the age of 13 years and 1 month when you were raped by an escaped felon and congenital madman, and despite his having murdered both your parents before raping you, and yes, despite the clinical evidence and expert DNA analysis submitted to the court that the child you carry is severely deformed and missing one third of a normal human brain, yes despite all that I MUST uphold the laws of 21st century America. You will remain under guard and house arrest for the next 7 months or until you deliver your child. Then the court will consider whether or not to imprison you for the crime of calling a woman’s reproductive rights organization in a neighboring state. As has been explained to you by council, the persons who showed you how to find the phone number of that organization’s offices are under arrest and awaiting trial.”
13 Year Old Rape Victim:
“But your honor, I am only 13 and I didn’t do anything wrong and the man who impregnated me by forcible rape killed my parents .. ”
Judge Brimstone Meriwether Fairplay III:
“Bailiff, take the defendant away now!”
mcohen
How do you know what is going on in Iran?
James.
I do not have a clue what is going on
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1100149/full
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9792772/
https://iranopendata.org/en/pages/the-drastic-increase-of-divorce-rates-in-iran-nearly-one-in-three-marriages-lead-to-divroce
You should try paying attention to the little details in life.Like the price of wheat.Or talk to Iranian woman in your local area.
mcohen,
National Library for Medicine from two years ago? LOL that’s a wonderful source. Oh, and Covid related too! That’s even better than F&L.
Fred
Yes you are right.in fact it looks like divorce rates are actually down.in kerman.
My apologies.
mcohen,
yes all those global government lockdowns under cover of Covid sure did disrupt families. I wonder if only Iran is affected. Could you at least report the vax injury rate in 98%vaccinated Israel, maybe comment on infertility due to all those shots?
mcohen
Well my gym is located in the part of Toronto known as “little Tehran” so I can try to do what you suggest. I will let you know if I am able to make such a conversation happen and what the results are.
I think Iranian women are fed up. But I would not confuse that with some sort of willingness to go along with western international actions. The two issues are not the same. I know many Middle Eastern people who are 100% against religious based government, religion in society, ect. But the vast majority are still supportive of the Palestinians, their government’s stances against western influence and actions in their countries.
The two issues are not related. Many people seem to think that the lessening of the control of the clerics over day to day life in the region would somehow end up with people being more friendly to the US and the West in general. This is not the case.
To paraphrase Trita Parsi:
1) Parsi has come to believe that the Biden admin totally and completely stands behind Israel’s genocide/removal of Palestinians.
2) Israel has concluded that ANY threat is not allowable. Hezbollah must be eradicated. (of course all roads lead to Iran)
3) if the US stopped supporting Israel now, Israel would have to stop the war, as their use of weapons is off the chart. Therefore instigation of US troops etc. in Middle East necessary.
4) no US-president has been as supportive of Israel as Biden has, another reason to get on with a regional war as soon as possible.
AND (not Parsi, but news & my opinion): outside the explosion in Iran, the US has drawn up plans for a LAND INVASION of Yemen. Why does that seem like a bright idea? How dare you make demands of us, you lowly vermin!!!
Maybe the whole premise of the article re; withdrawal is wrong. I see Israel intensifying operations in Gaza as of today. That is good, IMO.
TTG – The photos you sent to our facility for F&L’s upcoming adventure novella have been developed. We are sending you proof copies of several for your appraisal. If you find them satisfactory, you can expect delivery by the weekend via our usual method. Please note that any similarity or resemblance between any of the characters mentioned and anymore on you forum board here is purely coincidental and the entire composition is entirely fictitious.
————————————————————
Title: Fred and Eric Newhill’s Aurumn 2024 Vacation.
In the final weeks of this past summer, Fred said to himself while Eric Newhill was within earshot – “you know what? I think I’ll go the whole summer only dining on helpless little children, and nothing else, especially babies, because I expect they must be quite tender and tasty!”
But Eric Newhill heard him and said – “In that case you must take me along, because I know some fantastic recipes, Fred.”
And Fred said “fair enough Eric, I’ll be packed in an hour, so meet let’s meet up at the usual place.”
Here’s a photo of their aircraft.
https://fourthandlong.smugmug.com/Gaza/i-tdcDdw9
And here is day 1 of Fred and Eric Newhill’s Autumn 2024 Vacation for you:
Fred all alone at lunch.
https://fourthandlong.smugmug.com/Gaza/i-RL2C6Ld
Eric Newhill and Fred together. Probably breakfast.
https://fourthandlong.smugmug.com/Gaza/i-XZ4fjjN
Fred stepped out of the viewing frame and we caught Eric catching a little snack.
https://fourthandlong.smugmug.com/Gaza/i-55C7r6z
F&L,
That’s some weird shit. I’m curious to see what follows.
Dessert, of course, with a nice brandy and a good cigar
F&L,
Lizards, like gators, are a bit oily. What you really need for breakfast is a good bagel, with lox. (Canadian). Can you get a good bagel in Gaza? Now, thanks to Diversity Inclusion Equity (DIE!) you sure can. Once some dirty capitalist opens up a bagel place, that is. Sadly there will still be no good place for a BLT. Humus will still be great though. BTW the IZZY thing would be a bit more effective with race appropriate (didn’t we get the hoo-hah over that in Ukraine(whatever happened to that war?)) coloring. Everyone’s a bit too tan in this, especially the gecko’s.
I dont know where you get the idea you cant get a BLT in a Muslim area. I have had some really great BLTs in Muslim countries. Beef bacon of course. It is actually really good and is no different than pork bacon. Not like turkey bacon at all.
Same in Israel actually. A Beef bacon BLT makes a killer kosher sandwich. No dairy in mayo so no issues with mixing meat and dairy.
Stefan,
You had a BLT in Gaza? How wonderful for you. “Beef bacon” You europeans really fell for that marketing crap? Someone should tell Gates his food company needs to put out Bug Bacon.
Fred,
There’s beef bacon and bison bacon, as well. It’s very real.
I have never been to Gaza. I have had beef bacon BLTs in North Africa and the Middle East. Every type of salami and other meats you find in the west that are pork can be found in Muslim counties but made with beef, turkey or chicken. Beware your local pizza joint. Many of them are owned by Muslims and do not serve pork at all. They won’t advertise it, but when you get that pepperoni pizza with Canadian Bacon none of it is pork and you likely would have zero clue.
BTW, I am not European. I was born in Germany, but on a military base. Both of my parents were officers in the US military. I lived in Germany for years as a child and then moved back as an adult and lived and worked in Europe for the DoD for years.
I ended up marrying a British citizen and have children with British, as well as US passports. I travel to and from Europe regularly.
Apologies to Eric (and Fred) but desert is not served until the band finishes entertaining. And we are pleased to report to Fred that the lizard-hide (or IZZY-hide as he more cleverly expresses it) tanning dilemma has been solved temporarily.
Frame 1 – Our boys are singing along festivly.
http://tinyurl.com/5atat4wt
Frame 2 – Some passing geese sure look mouth-watering.
http://tinyurl.com/mrr5838z
Frame 3 – After waylaying the pianist Fred accompanies the crew as he and Eric sing “On the Titanic” by Lolita and Instasamka.
http://tinyurl.com/3w4p35bm
INSTASAMKA, Лолита – На Титанике.
https://youtu.be/V_qfFZf7hmQ
Lolita – On the Titanic (Live 7 months ago)
https://youtu.be/J1XYb9nDQeo
lolita milyavskaya on the titanic lyrics (translation button below).
https://g.co/kgs/cZkpYWn
Speaking of the IDF: Members of their Medical Branch put together a document on the ”medical aspects of the Russian-Ukrainian war”. Hat tip to @Acontece_ndo. Some critical points below regarding Russian troops medical care.
• Russian death rate of WIA is 33%;
• Major cause of death for troops is blood loss due to wounded arm or leg;
• Other typical causes of death for troops are untreated frostbite, TBI, and burns;
• Little or no air medevac available for WIA;
• Little or no first aid provided prior to medevac;
• Average time for medevac is 24 hours;
• Russian army guidance for field hygiene & sanitation not put in effect at the front.
https://twitter.com/Acontece_ndo/status/1742955951232028746
Poor bastards! Shoigu plus the commanders of the RF Military Medical Directorate and the various Army level units fighting in Ukraine should be hung from a lamppost.
Did you see where they (Ru) have brought back SMERSH? It’s too early to tell for sure what is happening but they already detained a resident of Belgorod who did nothing more than film with his iphone some of the airstrikes from yesterday. The guy was honestly hoping to assist Ru air-defence with his masterial. They put him on TV issuing an apology and warned that no one is to film airstrikes again. How ingenious. That way cities can be attacked and people killed and no one will hear about it because, well, where’s the evidence? Remember the 7 year old girl who drew the wrong picture in art class and became an orphan because she was sent home for the day after being admonished which caused her only guardian, her dad, to be imprisoned for sticking up for her publicly saying how can you do this to a 7 year old child? Evidently the kids were asked to draw something pertaining to current events and she crayoned something with rockets and guns. It looks like if this tit for tat shelling and droning of civilian areas continues then the Ru administration’s go-to will be simply to suppress media coverage, but it’s still early. I think the west – most likely the British – knows that quite well and are ordering the attacks to humiliate Putin as the March fake election approaches, but Hodges has been gung-ho for attacks inside Ru and he’s American, and today both the Poles and the French advocated for interior attacks and as mentioned yesterday the US Ambassador Brink already said the earlier restrictions are no longer in effect. So the strikes will reach much farther, since that’s been approved as have longer range HIMARs and ATACAMS and the F-16s have some very long range weaponry. This is hopefully to force acceptance of truce on Putin’s part because Biden figures his own reelection chances are made worse by continued warring.
The Emperor, once he returns to power, will have to take a leaf out of Putin’s script and deal with the equivalent of America’s own ‘inner terrorists’:
https://www.codastory.com/rewriting-history/memorial-human-rights-group-russia-crackdown/
On foreign relations, we’ll see, who will ask whom to dance first? Orange, Bibi? Or Bibi Putin? Or both Bibi & Orange Putin? A round dance with Orban and Erdogan? But not Xi and Rohani?
Some sombre reflections prompted by a couple of mad bastards, fresh out of college but even then playing with all the verve and technical precision that put them among the greats. The recording set, if the setting works, to a somewhat idiosyncratic version of a Händel passacaglia:-
https://youtu.be/PwWVf9Y525o?t=2332
The later products of an old inheritance. Many of the great 20th century virtuosi came from Jewish settlements in the old Russian empire. Don’t know why that background should have been so productive of genius but without those towering figures the roster would have been pretty bare. Best known in England was Menuhin and his most famous performance here:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eioIa_ELIUU.
A pig to play, apparently, not that that bothered the young Menuhin. The story is that Elgar rehearsed the concerto with the prodigy – but after a short time he was satisfied the recording would go OK so pushed off early to go to the races. Always so important to get one’s priorities right.
Menuhin had a difficult time later. He started to look at his amazing playing and wondering how he did it. Never a good idea, that. I’m not a musician but I get the same trouble with my prized Gränsfors Bruk. Work away without a care in the world and you hit the spot every time. Then comes the moment when you start to think about how it’s done and whether it’s being done right and whether the feet are in the right place and how does the backswing go exactly – and inevitably the whole show goes to pot. So there was much troubled introspection for the mature Menuhin to fight his way through but he managed it and still retained his unique style of playing. I was taken to hear him play right at the end, but he was running on fumes then so I didn’t appreciate him until I heard the recordings. And an English provincial boy was scarcely likely to understand he was watching the tail end of a legend.
Also a clear thinker, Menuhin. Like Barenboim – another professional’s professional and not I believe fully appreciated even yet – he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. Menuhin’s address to the Knesset, 1991:-
“This wasteful governing by fear, by contempt for the basic dignities of life, this steady asphyxiation of a dependent people, should be the very last means to be adopted by those who themselves know too well the awful significance, the unforgettable suffering of such an existence. It is unworthy of my great people, the Jews, who have striven to abide by a code of moral rectitude for some 5,000 years, who can create and achieve a society for themselves such as we see around us but can yet deny the sharing of its great qualities and benefits to those dwelling amongst them.[16]”
A similar plea to Barenboim’s:-
I am asking today with deep sorrow: Can we, despite all our achievements, ignore the intolerable gap between what the Declaration of Independence promised and what was fulfilled, the gap between the idea and the realities of Israel? Does the condition of occupation and domination over another people fit the Declaration of Independence? Is there any sense in the independence of one at the expense of the fundamental rights of the other?
” Can the Jewish people whose history is a record of continued suffering and relentless persecution, allow themselves to be indifferent to the rights and suffering of a neighboring people? Can the State of Israel allow itself an unrealistic dream of an ideological end to the conflict instead of pursuing a pragmatic, humanitarian one based on social justice?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Barenboim
And the voices of people who would be watching now with horror the demolition of a city, some watching even now, echo through time and space. Einstein to Finkelstein, my Jewish friends, some Israeli, all are saying “Not in my name.” And they are right to do so.
What’s that to do with me? I come from a different culture and a different tradition. “Not my fight”, as Adorno said when he wimped out of the McCarthy debate. But maybe it should be everybody’s fight.
Sombre reflections. The conflicts of today must give rise to such. I do not think it fanciful to ignore the musicologists and see what I regard as Elgar’s greatest work, and this the greatest performance of that work, to be at root infused with grief over the conflict from which his Europe had recently emerged, the Great War. That was a civilisation tearing itself apart as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPhkZW_jwc0&t=483s
Menuhin was descended from Lithuanian Jews. Heifitz, considered possibly the finest violinist of them all was born in Vilnius Lithuania. I knew his niece, a very talented person herself. Musical talent is genetically inherited and the Levites were originally the tribe, biblically, who played the instruments accompanying the priesthood at rites and festivals etc. Persistence of tradition and musical tradition particularly is fundamental to any people’s survival and continuation over the course of time, so those things by definition are preserved or nothing is.
Barenboim, btw, is deeply appreciated by those in the know in the classical music world. There’s a famous movie about him in his earlier years and his marriage to a famous cellist. He’s fallen off as a performer over the years, he was a really fantastic pianist in youth. By the way many of the great classical musicians as virtuoso performers (not composers) were Russian Jews, and Russians more generally and in part because the Russian tradition of musical study is so strong and the conservatories so strong.
The Elgar is marvelous. Listening.
The Jewish tradition did not and has not prepared them for statehood at all. Even their fiercest advocate and member, neoconservative founder Norman Podhoretz bemoaned publicly that they were really terrible at foreign policy. Einstein when he declined the Israeli presidency said explicitly that Zionism had been kidnapped by criminals and terrorists, which was true then and true now. They’ve always been a very bloody people, as their Old Testament testifies and their suicidally stupid rebellion against Rome proved. The New Testament and Christianity arose out of the Roman state’s need to end that maniacally wild rebellion. Flavius Josephus and other prominent Alexandrian Hellenic Jewish families collaborated with Roman aristocrats and generals to birth a movement to counter, via propaganda, that last spasm of furious, extremely violent Judaism. It was not ever a religion of peace and certainly not one of turning the other cheek. Yahweh is a warrior and killer tribal god, but so are others. The difference with the Jews is the tribal nature has persisted, while for advanced states it hasn’t and has been superceded by institutions and laws. It isn’t inclusive in the least bit, it’s a bloodline thing. They have experienced interludes of intermarriage etc but historically it snaps back as it is now doing in Israel and first did under Nehemiah and Ezra after return from Persian exile with strict rules against intermarriage.
They are cooking up a big one.I can feel it in my bones.ashkelon.ashdod.Timing is right.then claim it for soliemani.for this to happen.the rockets first in the snow at the top.Black Friday.Deli in y.hanassi hahaha something.hayarkon Street.1976.
Obviously, there are a lot of issues that are significant today.
I want to point back to something long ago that is influencing today’s reality:
The interaction between Germans, Jews relevant to the establishment of Israel:
https://www.unz.com/article/edwin-blacks-the-transfer-agreement/
I think this should be of interest to those who might be interested in what led to the formation of Israel.