UN experts appalled by reported human rights violations against Palestinian women and girls

 

UN experts today expressed alarm over credible allegations of egregious human rights violations to which Palestinian women and girls continue to be subjected in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Palestinian women and girls have reportedly been arbitrarily executed in Gaza, often together with family members, including their children, according to information received. “We are shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge, or while fleeing. Some of them were reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when they were killed by the Israeli army or affiliated forces,” the experts said.

The experts expressed serious concern about the arbitrary detention of hundreds of Palestinian women and girls, including human rights defenders, journalists and humanitarian workers, in Gaza and the West Bank since 7 October. Many have reportedly been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment, denied menstruation pads, food and medicine, and severely beaten. On at least one occasion, Palestinian women detained in Gaza were allegedly kept in a cage in the rain and cold, without food.

“We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers. At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence,” the experts said. They also noted that photos of female detainees in degrading circumstances were also reportedly taken by the Israeli army and uploaded online.  (more...)

UN experts appalled by reported human rights violations against Palestinian women and girls

Honk, Honk and the science changes

 

We had a great turnout at Innocente Brew pup for a freedom reunion and many thanks to Free Speech Media for joining and recording the day and the Best Damn Roofer.

Most Africans are horrified, shocked and disgusted by what Israel is doing – Nigerian lawyer

 

RT had the pleasure of talking with Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, a Nigerian lawyer and veteran politician who's held several ministerial posts. We discussed the Israel-Palestinian conflict, as the International Court of Justice is in the middle of hearings on the issue.

Sarah Jama’s Plan As An Independent MPP

 

“I’m putting my head down and I plan to run regardless of having a party or not.”

On Oct. 10, 2023, three days into Israel’s brutal war on Gaza that followed a Hamas-led attack on Israel, Ontario MPP Sarah Jama published a statement calling for an immediate ceasefire. The statement also condemned Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestine, Israel’s system of apartheid and its systematic violations of Palestinian human rights.

The next day, Jama apologized for “the pain that many Jewish and Israeli Canadians, including my own constituents, must be feeling,” and condemned both Hamas’ actions and Israel’s massive bombing campaign, which to date has killed more than 29,000 Palestinians and resulted in allegations of genocide being brought against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Jama said in October that “there is no military solution to this conflict.”

On Oct. 23, 2023, the Doug Ford government voted to censure Jama, after she refused to verbally apologize for and delete her original statement, and she was also kicked out of the Ontario NDP Caucus.

Since then, Jama has been sitting as an independent MPP. In the following interview, The Maple spoke to Jama about her plans for the new legislative session as an independent, her thoughts about the NDP, and the possibility of creating spaces for left-wing politics that exist independently of the party.  (more...)

Sarah Jama’s Plan As An Independent MPP

Poisoning Gaza

 

The buildings and the people in them are burning while the soil, sea, air, and groundwater are being poisoned in Gaza.

Joshua Frank’s article, Making Gaza Unlivable ought to be read by everyone. Frank is the managing editor of CounterPunch. He describes the collapsing infrastructure and dire circumstances of Gaza in this January 12 story:

“Like the Allied forces of World War II, Israel is killing indiscriminately. Of the 29,000 air-to-surface munitions fired, 40% have been unguided bombs dropped on crowded residential areas. The U.N. estimates that, as of late December, 70% of all schools in Gaza, many of which served as shelters for Palestinians fleeing Israel’s onslaught, had been severely damaged. Hundreds of mosques and churches have also been struck and 70% of Gaza’s 36 hospitals have been hit and are no longer functioning. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), Israel is using a lack of food and drinking water as a tool of warfare.”

We’ll examine the deadly contamination that accompanies the Israeli onslaught, starting with Aljazeera’s coverage.

Al Jazeera reports: “Thousands upon thousands of Israeli and Western-supplied bombs dropped on Gaza bring not just death but a toxic legacy from explosive chemicals, dust, and debris from destroyed buildings that pollute the air and the ground. Israel’s military offensive in Gaza is leaving a new layer of toxic chemicals in Gaza’s soil, adding to those left behind from many wars it has waged before.”  (more...)

Poisoning Gaza

German Protests Are Being Manipulated To Focus on Mythic Anti-Semitism at Time of Growing Popular Anger Over Germany’s Support For Israel’s War on Gaza and U.S. Proxy War in Ukraine

 

The U.S. border problem, like everything else, it seems, has its mirror image in Germany.

It is not as uncontrolled as it is in the U.S., but is still a problem, caused by the open-door policy on refugees.

It is complicated because Germany actually lacks skilled workers, but the immigrants we are getting are not skilled and there is no way to train them quickly enough, are a financial burden, etc.

The “far-right” AfD was the first party to complain about this, often enough in the crudest manner so that they acquired a reputation as “racists” and “Nazis”—not undeserved.

But since the Ukraine war the AfD has surged in popularity, with many people, also from the so-called “far left” (the Linke) voting for them because the AfD is also the only one of the five major parties that opposes military aid to Ukraine and economic sanctions against Russia.

Now there is a new party, the BSW (Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance) that split off from the Linke (which has been reduced to virtual obscurity), which is also against the war and not “pro-Russia” but not Russophobic either, and already has a large following.

Thus, the ruling coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP are seriously threatened by not only the largest party (CDU/CSU) but also by the second-largest (AfD) and what may soon become the third-largest, the BSW—especially by the BSW and AfD because they actually oppose the current government policy on two of the three most important issues: Ukraine and Russia. In the meantime, all of the parties have recognized the immigration problem.

The recent massive demonstrations here are actually two different sets. One is real and authentic, that of the farmers opposed to cuts in government subsidies for small farmers.

The second set, I believe intended to merge with and distract from the first, is the extremely media-hyped demonstrations against the “extreme right” and “anti-Semitism.” This is the mirror image of the also much-hyped demonstrations against “anti-Semitism” in the U.S., also meant to distract from and defuse the pro-Palestine and anti-Israeli genocide protests that came first. 

It is hard not to see the absurdity of demonstrating against anti-Semitism while both the U.S. and German governments are making a point of “standing with Israel” as Israel proceeds to murder the Palestinians.

Nevertheless, this is the case, and especially here, given Germany’s history, it is hard for most people to overcome the collective guilt over the Holocaust to criticize Israel openly, even now that the Israelis are doing to the Palestinians some of what the Germans did to them.  (more...)

German Protests Are Being Manipulated To Focus on Mythic Anti-Semitism at Time of Growing Popular Anger Over Germany’s Support For Israel’s War on Gaza and U.S. Proxy War in Ukraine

Polish Farmers to Block Entire Border with Ukraine as Well as Transport Hubs, Railway Depots and Seaports

 

After the shock discovery of thousands of tons of illegal Ukraine rapeseed at a fuel, gas train and truck depot near the Ukraine border, Polish farmers vowed to step-up their actions against all food imports from outside the EU and increase pressure on Brussels and the Polish government to abandon the implementation of ‘Green Deal’ and outlaw uncontrolled mass food imports entering Poland.

NSZZ RI Solidarity on 9 February 2024, announced a 30-day farmers’ general strike, which was met with unprecedented support from the entire agricultural community and the public.

A Press Release of 16/02/2024 from National Solidarity Farmers Union on the general strike of farmers states:

“We know that this is only the beginning of a long road to victory….

The problem of profitability of agricultural production, processing and other industries in our country is the uncontrolled influx of goods from Ukraine, which are being imported due to the opening of the EU border with the country.

Therefore, for February 20, as part of the 30-day general strike of farmers, we announce that all protest activities will be focused on the complete blockade of all border crossings of Poland with Ukraine and protests in the field.

Not only border crossings will be blocked but also transport hubs and access roads to transshipment rail stations and seaports.

…Our actions have only one goal: “To ensure the country’s food security, by providing the public with healthy and top-quality Polish food.”  (more...)

Polish Farmers to Block Entire Border with Ukraine as Well as Transport Hubs, Railway Depots and Seaports