Picture this scenario: Your homeland has been getting bombed for nearly 5 months. Most homes, hospitals, schools, and places of worship are destroyed. You’ve lost many friends and relatives. You scrounge for food and water each day, trying to survive as the constant hum of drones fills the air. Then, finally, aid trucks arrive. You and your hungry comrades desperately try to get something to feed your family with. But all of a sudden, rapid gunfire is aimed towards the crowd, massacring more than 100 innocent civilians. I wish this were just a scene out of a horror movie. It should be nothing beyond fiction, nothing beyond one’s sick imagination. Yet, this is precisely what happened on February 29, 2024 as Palestinians gathered to collect aid in Gaza City. As if circumstances weren’t bad enough for Palestinians, the IDF opened fire on the crowd and slaughtered over 100 Palestinians. Over 700 Palestinians were wounded according to CNN.
Think about that. How much prolonged gunfire was required by the IDF to cause that much damage? They were just randomly spraying bullets into the crowd. It makes me sick to my stomach. Can you imagine an act more evil than this? Don’t be fooled. I used to be naive and think “it can’t get any worse.” But I’ve been proven wrong time and time again.
On February 16, 2024, CNN published a video about Israeli soldiers’ use of social media to show off their crimes. They showed clips from Israeli terrorists’ own videos of them blowing up mosques and other buildings in Gaza and then cheering. They’re having a blast…literally.
These soldiers must be so proud of themselves. Who else but the IDF could pull off such a dangerous and complex mission of blowing up a mosque?
One has to be pretty sick to rejoice in such things, but when a society teaches its people that Palestinians are worthless, these heinous actions are actually seen as something good. What a bubble to live in.
As Israeli actress Tzofit Grant said during an interview on Israeli TV, Palestinians are “disgusting losers”, among other vile things. The host agreed wholeheartedly. Imagine a society with such supremacist, hateful views. What do you think they will do to the “vermin”? We don’t need to look too far back in history to find the answer.
Sometimes what people say is actually a reflection of themselves. Tzofit Grant hit the nail on the head when she stated: “People are the product of the education they grow up with.” Bingo!
Anyback, back to the CNN report…
Let me ask you this: If someone blew up a synagogue and posted a satirical how-to video, what would be the response? Or, more accurately, what would be the consequences? Would that person be shamed, blacklisted, and called anti-Semitic? Maybe even prosecuted for a hate crime? Not so when Israeli soldiers blow up a mosque. Instead, they are celebrated as heroes. Originally posted on https://maximumintifada.wordpress.com/
I think the Jews are jealous of the Muslim men and women in Palestine the hijabi women and the praying men that's why....
Believers do not be close friends to outsiders who spare no effort to ruin you and want to see you suffer. Their hatred is apparent in what they say, and what their hearts hide is even worse. We have made Our revelations clear to you, if you would only use your reason.
Vampires, Werewolves, and...Ramadan? Well, folks, there’s a new baddie in town. Lurking in the night, ready to pounce on innocent bystanders. A monster so bloodthirsty and fierce that even Bigfoot has gone into hiding. Its name is…Ramadan!?
To quote Israel’s Heritage Minister, Amihai Eliyahu: "The so-called month of Ramadan must be wiped out, and our fear of this month must also be wiped out."
How frightening! Can you imagine a month in which Muslims fast from dawn till sunset, engage in extra prayers, and give in charity? Like, OMG! Somebody call Superman.
But wait…How do we actually wipe out an entire month? While we’re at it, can we wipe out Mondays?
What is it about fasting, prayer, and charity that’s so spooky to the likes of Eliyahu? To put it bluntly, Eliyahu is an Islamophobic, genocidal maniac. This is the same person who suggested dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza in November 2023. The same person who wanted to allocate portions of Gaza to IDF soldiers who fought in the war. The same person who in May 2023 said, “the fly must be killed and also his children if he hides behind them,” referring to Palestinians.
This does not seem like a normal, mentally fit person who should be serving in any country’s government. Some of the things he has said make me wonder: Who is the real monster?
Selling Stolen Land In March 2024, a number of real estate events took place in the US and Canada. Real estate events take place all the time. What was unique about these particular events is that they focused on selling property in the West Bank. But not on behalf of Palestinians who own the land. It was on behalf of Israel.
These events were hosted by creatively named groups such as Home in Israel (backed by real estate giant Keller Williams), Your Home in Israel, and My Home in Israel. With such imaginative names, these folks might want to consider a side gig in marketing.
Naturally, there was some outcry in response to these events. To be fair, Keller Williams claims that their properties are sold in Tel Aviv and Haifa, not in the Occupied West Bank. But even if it’s just the latter two groups attempting to sell stolen land in the West Bank, it doesn’t make the situation any better.
For starters, Israel has no business being in the West Bank. It was not part of the 1947 UN Partition, and it was not some sort of prize that Israel won in the 1967 war. It’s not “disputed territory” as propagandists would like you to believe.
Israel has no right to be building settlements there for Jewish people only. Israel has no right to build separation barriers in the West Bank. Israel has no jurisdiction in the West Bank to arrest and indefinitely detain Palestinians. Israel has no right to force Palestinians to live under a brutal military occupation that denies them freedom and the right to self-determination.
UN Security Council Resolution 2334 affirms “that the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace”.
It goes on to state “that it will not recognize any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines [that is, the borders right before the Six-Day War], including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations”.
So how can they sell land and homes in the West Bank when it seems to be in direct violation of international law?
Suppose you owned a nice house in Los Angeles overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Then a Chinese company decides to sell your home and the plot of land it sits on to a Chinese buyer. Now it’s theirs. Sure, you can complain, but China can simply claim that they recognize this home in Los Angeles as Chinese property. Perhaps they even have an old oracle bone stating as much.
Makes a ton of sense, right? What a bizarre sense of entitlement.
Don't Say You Didn't See This Coming https://maximumintifada.wordpress.com/ On March 7, 2024, CNN issued a report stating that more than 20 Palestinians had already died of starvation, and that the youngest victim of this fate was a mere one day old.
Dying of starvation is not a pleasant thing. The body breaks down and fails. For any human to suffer that -- especially due to preventable, man-made causes -- is unacceptable in this day and age.
Many parents weren’t eating. Many children weren’t eating. People were malnourished. Pregnant women were giving birth prematurely. Some babies died in their mothers’ wombs. New mothers were unable to produce milk.
This was a nightmare situation. This was all taking place five months into Israel’s October 2023 invasion of Gaza. Looking back at it, any normal human being with at least half a conscience could agree that there were many unnecessary deaths in Gaza. But was it a surprise? To claim one didn’t foresee things getting this bad is to feign ignorance.
On October 9, 2023, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated: “We are imposing a complete siege on Gaza. There will be no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel. Everything will be closed. We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly.”
That’s right. The country’s Defense Minister stated in no uncertain terms that it was going to commit war crimes. And it did, as was illustrated practically on a daily basis for months following the commencement of this war. Gallant also used genocidal language with the term “human animals”.
Readers should be reminded that Israel had already imposed a blockade on Gaza since June 2007. To further restrict basic necessities like food and water was inhumane. Additionally, collective punishment is a war crime. Israel largely prevented aid from getting in, and even shot at civilians trying to access aid from the few trucks that did get into Gaza.
By the time Palestinians were literally starving to death, more than 30,000 Palestinians were already slaughtered by the Israeli military. Based on Gallant’s statement in October 2023, along with similarly vile statements by Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu around the same time, no one should have been surprised by the ensuing genocide that took place. And no one should be okay with the fact that the world’s leaders stood by and did little to stop it. Shame on humanity.
Unholy War
Originally posted on https://maximumintifada.wordpress.com/ In early March 2024, a video made its rounds on the internet of Rabbi Eliyahu Mali making some interesting statements. Rabbi Mali heads a religious school called Shirat Moshe in Jaffa. Here’s a rough translation of some of what he said:
"The basic principle that we have is that when we live through the 'holy war of the mitzvah,' in this case in Gaza, according to the choice of the judge [main judgement or main takeaway from Jewish law], you will not let every soul live. The meaning is very clear: if you don't kill them first, they will kill you."
"The terrorists of today are the children of the past, who have remained alive [the children that you left alive]. And in reality, it's the women who create these terrorists. What this means is that the definition of 'not every soul shall live' is very clear in the scriptures: it is either you or them."
"In the broader sense, it is not only the man between 18, 16, 20, 30 who shoots at you with a weapon, but also their new generation of the future, and also those who create the generation of the future. Because there is no difference."
When somebody asked, "What about old people?," the rabbi's response was: "There are no uninvolved people. It is the same with an elderly person, who is able to carry a weapon."
Then someone asked, "Also the same with children?" The rabbi responded: "It is the same thing. [shrugs shoulders] It is the same thing. If you save him...don't try to outsmart the Torah. The Torah does not allow you to let every soul live. Today, he is a child. Today, he is a boy. Tomorrow, he is not. The fighters, the terrorists, who are 18 today, were 8-year-olds in the previous war."
Very curious stuff he said there. He uses Jewish halakhah (rules about "the way to behave") to justify genocide. Does anyone want to live in such a zero-sum world where “the other” has to be exterminated so only your people can live? Last time I checked, the world was big enough for everyone.
Also, did Mali forget the actions of the Irgun, Haganah, and Stern Gang decades ago? Mali is right when he acknowledges that children from the previous war may be fighters now. Does he not get the hint? Bombing Gaza every few years in an effort to “mow the grass” is not a sustainable strategy.
Thankfully Rabbi Mali does not represent all of Israel and certainly not all Jews. For this type of ideology is simply not conducive to a peaceful world where we all coexist.
For those who work in the corporate world, have you heard of employees splitting up expense reports to keep each one below a certain dollar amount, or vendors splitting invoices to avoid additional approvals from higher-ups? Shady stuff happens in business, although government is no exception.
The US has long been an arms dealer to Israel (and other countries). Military aid is given to other countries (mainly Israel) using tax dollars collected from Americans, and that aid is used to buy weapons from US arms manufacturers like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon (RTX). Too bad that tax revenue couldn’t have been used to fix schools and roads in America instead of lining the pockets of executives, but that’s another story.
In any case, there is supposed to be a congressional review process in which the President of the US notifies Congress either 15 days or 30 days before a weapons or equipment sale can be finalized. The terms vary depending on the country, but generally applies to sales of $14 million or more for major defense equipment, and $50 million or more for defense articles or services. The threshold for certain countries like Israel, South Korea, and Australia is set higher at $25 million for major defense equipment and $100 million for defense articles or services, making it less necessary to provide a notice to Congress.
If you were in charge and were buddy-buddy with Israel, what would you do to fast-track sales of weapons to Israel and bypass the bureaucratic congressional review process? Hmm. How about keeping each sale below the thresholds and doing a bunch of small deals instead?
Well, that’s exactly what the Biden administration did after Israel’s October 2023 invasion of Gaza began…to the tune of over 100 weapons sales to Israel in about five months. No oversight or approval from Congress. No real details, either, of what specific weapons or equipment were sold.
Governments of most countries do all kinds of shady things, many of which the public never finds out about, but our tax dollars are being used for military aid and weapons sales to other countries that ultimately kill people and destroy buildings and infrastructure. Shouldn’t there be a little more transparency and oversight? Originally posted on https://maximumintifada.wordpress.com/
The New York Crimes On December 28, 2023, the New York Times published a questionable piece titled “Screams Without Words: How Hamas Weaponized Sexual Violence on Oct. 7”. The byline of the article included Jeffrey Gettleman, Anat Schwartz, and Adam Sella.
Jeffrey Gettleman is an established reporter, but Anat Schwartz is not. Schwartz was known as a filmmaker, not a journalist. How did she get a gig with the New York Times? Some young and upcoming journalists dream of such an opportunity.
Not only was she not qualified, Schwartz was likely too biased to be part of such a piece. For one, she served in the IDF’s Air Force Intelligence division. Further, she “liked” a social media post by David Mizrahy Verthaim in which the latter called for turning the Gaza Strip “into a slaughterhouse” if the Israeli captives were not returned immediately. (No mention by Verthaim of the thousands of Palestinian captives being held hostage by Israel in “administrative detention”.)
And Adam Sella? He’s a freelance writer with little experience (as of the December 2023 publication of the NYT article) according to his own website. Was he uniquely qualified to write a piece about sexual violence? Not at all. But he happens to be the nephew of Anat Schwartz’s partner. Good enough for the NYT, apparently.
Okay, so we have one out of three qualified writers on this piece. The article’s premise that Hamas engaged in mass rape on October 7th could still be true, right? Surely the writers gathered enough evidence from speaking with victims. A prestigious publication like the NYT has plenty of integrity, right? If you’re that naive, I’ve got some amazing snake oil to sell you.
In a February 2024 interview with the Institute of Global Politics, the lead writer Jeffrey Gettleman stated: “I, I don’t wanna even use the word ‘evidence’ because ‘evidence’ is almost like the legal term that suggests you’re trying to, to prove an allegation or prove a case in court…”
Um, what? If you’re going to make such damning claims as rape against someone, you’d better have some evidence. Hearsay is not good enough, certainly not for allegations of rape. Is Gettleman suggesting that the media’s role is simply to pass on gossip? The Intercept also reported that there was no forensic evidence.
As Mondoweiss put it: “[T]he veracity of the New York Times story was undermined almost as soon as it was published, including from the Abdush family itself who says there is no proof Gal Abdush was raped and that the New York Times interviewed them under false pretenses.”
Scwhartz herself was frustrated that despite calling 11 different Israeli hospitals, “no complaint of sexual assault was received,” as she explained in an interview with Israel’s “One a Day” podcast.
Why publish such a dubious piece? To sway public opinion and equate Hamas with ISIS (a.k.a. Daesh), which would help build international support for Israel and its ongoing military violations and human rights abuses against Palestinians. They were peddling a specific narrative. It was part of the hasbara -- propaganda -- effort.
This is a good reminder to be wary of mainstream media. Are they truly serving the public? We need to consider who is sponsoring them and with what motives. True journalism is about presenting verified findings and allowing the reader to make a judgement, not about brainwashing readers to adopt a certain viewpoint to serve a specific agenda. https://maximumintifada.wordpress.com/
On February 26, 2024, The New Yorker published a piece by Shane Bauer titled “The Israeli Settlers Attacking Their Palestinian Neighbors”. It was a timely piece that covered the ramped-up violence in the West Bank by illegal Israeli settlers against hapless Palestinians, all while the world’s attention was turned away to Gaza. How opportunistic.
Bauer interviewed both Palestinian residents and Israeli settlers. The article detailed some of the attacks by Israeli settlers: “Settlers have burned cars and houses, blockaded roads, damaged electricity networks, seized farmland, severed irrigation lines, attacked people in their fields and olive groves, and killed, all without repercussion.”
Bauer was also interviewed by Democracy Now! During this interview they shared footage that Bauer captured during his time in the West Bank. In one clip, he tried to reason with Israeli soldiers who were harassing a Palestinian family that was simply trying to harvest their olive grove.
One of the Israeli soldiers stated: “There are terrorists in all these villages…We arrest Hamas in all these villages.” Bauer tried to explain: “But they’re just harvesting olives. They don’t have any weapons.” Incredulously, while tucking his automatic rifle aside, the soldier replied: “I don’t fight with weapons…I am also with no weapons.”
Talk about delusional. For some reason this exchange reminded of a Spider-Man meme:
Some of the things these people say are ridiculous. One boot can be crushing a child’s skull while they look directly in your eyes and say, “Hamas uses children as human shields!”
The Palestinian Authority is the ruling party (if one could even call it that) in the West Bank, not Hamas. If the Israeli government and military continue to falsely claim that every Palestinian man, woman, and child is Hamas, are we really to believe them? Were the thousands of children murdered in Gaza by Israeli air strikes Hamas? How much credibility do propaganda mouthpieces like the slithery Eylon Levy and the leprechaun Rabbi Shmuley have left?
There is some truth to what this soldier said, though. They do arrest people in all these West Bank villages…but under what jurisdiction, and for what crime? Being a young male is not a crime. If they are guilty of something, why not charge and try them instead of holding them indefinitely under “administrative detention”?
At some point, the world must realize that Israel all too often cries wolf.
Perhaps you’ve heard this saying, or some variation of it: “Giving the Palestinians a state would be akin to rewarding terrorism.”
This is, of course, nonsense. It’s a trope. It’s a way of shirking international law, denying Palestinians the right to self-determination, and buying time for Israel to complete its takeover of the entirety of historical Palestine.
Let me pose this question to you: What if it was Israel, in fact, that was rewarded for terrorism?
Consider the following historical facts:
A Jewish terrorist group called Haganah was founded in 1920, out of which was eventually formed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in 1948
A more extreme Jewish terrorist group called Irgun Zvai Leumi (or simply Irgun, a.k.a. Etzel) was formed in 1931 to oppose Haganah
On July 6, 1938, Irgun terrorists detonated car bombs at a market in Haifa, slaughtering 21 civilians and injuring tens more
An even more extreme Jewish terrorist group called Stern Gang (a.k.a. Lohamei Herut Israel, acronymized as Lehi) was founded in 1940, which split from Irgun
On November 25, 1940, Haganah terrorists launched a heinous attack on a ship called Patria filled with illegal Jewish immigrants (in an effort to prevent those immigrants from being deported), bombing and sinking the ship; this resulted in the killing of more than 250 Jews, British soldiers, and crew members
Notably, Palestinians helped rescue the survivors, and the surviving Jews were given permits to remain in Palestine
Haganah’s Palmach unit launched an unscrupulous terrorist group in 1942 called Mista’arvim (a.k.a. Musta'ribeen in Arabic), which consisted of Israeli agents dressing up as Arabs to infiltrate Palestinian society and carry out attacks
Remember this and be wary of who/what you trust, as Mista’arvim units still operate today
On November 6, 1944, Stern Gang (Lehi) terrorists assassinated Britain’s Lord Moyne (Walter Edward Guinness)
Interestingly, Lord Moyne was a good friend of Winston Churchill, a supporter of Zionism
Beginning in October 1945 and lasting several months, Haganah, Irgun, and Stern Gang (Lehi) terrorists teamed up and launched more than 70 attacks against British forces in Palestine by targeting troops, bases, oil refineries, and railways and trains
On July 22, 1946, Irgun terrorists bombed the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, which the British military was using as headquarters; more than 90 people were killed and tens injured
Note that this operation involved Jewish terrorists dressed up as Arabs
On October 30, 1946, Irgun terrorists set off three bombs at Jerusalem’s main railway station, killing three
On March 1, 1947, Irgun terrorists launched a comprehensive attack on the Goldsmith Officers Club, killing nearly 20 people
On September 29, 1947, Irgun terrorists barrel-bombed the police headquarters in Haifa, killing around 10 people and injuring many others
In early 1948, Stern Gang (Lehi) terrorists carried out a couple attacks using mines against the Cairo-Haifa train; the February 29th attack killed 28 British soldiers, and the March 31st attack killed 40 civilians
On April 9, 1948, Irgun and Stern Gang (Lehi) terrorists attacked the Palestinian village of Deir Yassin, slaughtering approximately 100 Palestinians (including women and children), wiping out more than 10% of the village’s total population
Perhaps you noticed that all of the above took place before Israel declared its independence on May 14, 1948. Unfortunately it didn’t end there. Other massacres took place following this date, including in the Palestinian villages of Tantura, Lydda, and Saliha.
Now go ahead and ponder the question: Was the creation of the State of Israel a reward for terrorism?
You know things are bad when unhinged people like Alex Jones and Joe Rogan refer to Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide. Thankfully you don’t have to take their word for it.
On March 26, 2024, Francesca Albanese presented her report “Anatomy of a Genocide” at the United Nations Human Rights Council, where she stated it was her “solemn duty to report on the worst of what humanity is capable of”. Albanese is an international human rights lawyer and author who was appointed as the UN Special Rapporteur in 2022.
The report, dated March 25, 2024, listed a number of depressing stats in its opening summary:
Over 30,000 Palestinians killed, including more than 13,000 children
About 71,000 Palestinians injured
70% of residential areas in the Gaza Strip destroyed
80% of the population of Gaza forcibly displaced
Bodies left decomposing in the streets or in homes
Thousands of Palestinians detained and treated inhumanely
Immeasurable psychological trauma inflicted on the people of Gaza
Without mincing words, the report goes on to call Israel’s onslaught of Gaza a genocide, while also condemning Hamas’ October 7th attack and calling for the release of Israeli hostages. It acknowledges Israel’s claim of abiding by international humanitarian law, but also condemns Israel for -------izing concepts of this legal framework “such as human shields, collateral damage, safe zones, evacuations and medical protection in such a permissive manner so as to gut these concepts of their normative content, subverting their protective purpose and ultimately eroding the distinction between civilians and combatants in Israeli actions in Gaza.”
The report defines genocide as “the denial of the right of a people to exist and the subsequent attempt or success in annihilating them”. It even states that genocide is part and parcel of settler-colonialism, listing the requisite acts that Israel has incidentally engaged in for decades, such as forcible transfer, movement restrictions, and mass killing (whether with tangible weapons or intangible weapons like disease and starvation).
While the above actions are examples of actus reus, there must be intent to commit one or more of these things, known as mens rea. Intent is a key factor in determining whether something is genocide. We don’t have to look too far back in history to gather information on intent.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to Palestinians as “Amalek” in October 2023, a people who deserved to be totally annihilated according to 1 Samuel 15 (verses 3-9) of the Bible. Around the same time, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a siege on Gaza that would deny everyone living there basic necessities like food, water, and electricity. Israeli Knesset Member Galit Distel Atbaryan called for “erasing all of Gaza from the face of the Earth”, and Israeli Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu gleefully expressed his desire to “Blow up and flatten everything”, which would be “a delight for the eyes.”
While not necessarily groundbreaking -- it formally reiterated what we already knew -- Albanese’s report successfully and succinctly argued that Israel has engaged in genocidal acts:
“The overwhelming nature and scale of Israel's assault on Gaza and the destructive conditions of life it has inflicted reveal an intent to physically destroy Palestinians as a group. This report finds that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating the commission of the following acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza has been met: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to groups’ members; and deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part. Genocidal acts were approved and given effect following statements of genocidal intent issued by senior military and government officials.”
“Anatomy of a Genocide” also mentions the expulsion of Palestinians and destruction of their homes and villages in the late 1940s and again in 1967, rather than pretending that history began on October 7, 2023. It also discusses Israel’s ongoing military occupation, house demolitions and land confiscation, and segregation in the West Bank. Without this context, one simply cannot understand the conflict.
The report wrapped up by reminding UN member states of their obligation to prohibit genocide, and recommended an arms embargo on Israel. It also demanded that Israel and others complicit in this genocide acknowledge the harm done and pay for the reconstruction of Gaza, that an international force be deployed to protect Palestinians against violence in the occupied territories, and that UNRWA be properly funded.
Will any of this actually be taken seriously and implemented? No, of course not. But this report is still a moral victory. It takes a lot of courage to speak truth to power, especially knowing that it will result in backlash and death threats. For that we commend Albanese.
On April 1, 2024, several World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers were assassinated by an Israeli Hermes 450 drone. Two days later, on April 3, 2024, +972 Magazine published an article titled “‘Lavender’: The AI machine directing Israel’s bombing spree in Gaza”.
“Lavender” is the name given to the Israeli military’s artificial intelligence program that generates Palestinian targets for execution. While Israel’s other AI program -- The Gospel -- is used to target buildings and physical structures, Lavender is used to target human beings (or human animals, as Defense Minister Yoav Gallant prefers to call them). Officially, the system is designed to identify fighters from armed resistance groups like Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades and Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s (PIJ) al-Quds Brigades.
This program typically attacked Palestinian males at night while they were home with their families. This was done using an automated surveillance and tracking system called “Where’s Daddy?” Whoever named this must have had a crude sense of humor. And what was the expected “collateral damage” while killing “daddy” at home with his family? Did the AI program calculate this?
The only human check on this AI system was to confirm that the targeted victim was a male, as if all Palestinian males are armed fighters. It was also known by the Israeli military that Lavender had a 10% error rate.
The result? Five months into Israel's October 2023 assault on Gaza, about 40,000 Palestinians were slaughtered according to Euro-Med Monitor, with nearly 15,000 of those being children and over 9,000 of those women. This certainly doesn’t imply that the Palestinian men killed were all militants. Further, it doesn’t account for the 2 million Palestinians displaced, the 74,000 injured, the journalists killed, the doctors killed, the aid workers killed, etc.
One of several Israeli intelligence officers who was interviewed for this +972 piece stated: “[T]he IDF bombed them in homes without hesitation, as a first option. It’s much easier to bomb a family’s home. The system is built to look for them in these situations.” Another source confirmed that “even some minors were marked by Lavender as targets for bombing.”
Ah, so maybe the collateral damage was accounted for, and perhaps welcomed. In fact, according to the article, there were several instances where it was allowed to kill 100 or more Palestinians civilians if it meant taking out one single Hamas commander. Additionally, less precise “dumb bombs” were used for lower-ranking Hamas members as a cost-savings initiative; those bombs can cause a lot of unintended damage (or in the case of Israel, intended damage?).
When basically every young man is considered a potential militant due to being of fighting age, when children are considered “future terrorists”, and when their families are considered fair game, it’s a very dangerous recipe. Apologists can argue about the “intended” targets and about Lavender becoming more precise in the future through machine learning, but we’ve already seen the results of such programs with this genocide.
In general, a 90% accuracy rate might sound decent, but not when it entails human lives. And for all we know, Israel might be using Gaza as a test ground for this technology that they can later sell to other despotic governments as “battle-tested”.
In short, Lavender appears to be an indiscriminate killing machine. Not that Palestinian lives were ever valued in the past, but using AI and automation further removes the human element of killing. It’s evil. It’s dystopian. It’s inhumane. But I’m afraid it’s the future.
Is Zionism a Form of Racism? Harvard University defines Zionism as follows:
“Zionism is a political movement that was initiated in the late 19th century with the aim of actualizing the Jewish sense of peoplehood in a physical nation, leading to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.”
That definition doesn’t sound objectionable, but it skips over the how. How was the State of Israel established? Through terror and skullduggery.
To be sure, Zionism is not the same as Judaism. Jewish people are largely good people with good values, and a number of Jews have been supportive of Palestinian human rights, such as Jewish Voice for Peace and B’Tselem. We must not fall into the trap of conflating Zionism with Judaism.
In 1974, Yasser Arafat -- who at the time was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) -- delivered a watershed speech at the United Nations General Assembly. In this speech, Arafat called for a world free of “colonialism, imperialism, neo-colonialism and racism in all its forms, including zionism.”
Arafat also called for a one-state solution. He said: “So let us work together that my dream may be fulfilled, that I may return with my people out of exile, there in Palestine to live with this Jewish freedom-fighter and his partners, with this Arab priest and his brothers, in one democratic State where Christian, Jew and Muslim live in justice, equality and fraternity.”
A year later in 1975, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 3379. Following are a few notable statements from this resolution:
“[T]he General Assembly condemned, inter alia, the unholy alliance between South African racism and zionism…”
“[I]nternational co-operation and peace require the achievement of national liberation and independence, the elimination of colonialism and neo-colonialism, foreign occupation, zionism, apartheid and racial discrimination in all its forms, as well as the recognition of the dignity of peoples and their right to self-determination…”
“...most severely condemned zionism as a threat to world peace and security and called upon all countries to oppose this racist and imperialist ideology…”
“Determines that zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination.”
This UN resolution, in no uncertain terms, equated Zionism with racism. This was about five decades ago. It’s a miracle that it passed. But it was somewhat short-lived. In 1991 the UN General Assembly decided to revoke this resolution.
More than 30 years have passed since the revocation, and a number of events have taken place since then, including the following:
In August 2000, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef referred to Palestinians as “snakes”. He questioned rhetorically: “How can you make peace with a snake?” He also said “that God is sorry he ever created those sons of Ishmael.”
In the early 2000s, Israel approved and began building an apartheid wall, about 85% of which runs through the West Bank (i.e. Palestinian territory). It effectively usurped more Palestinian land and cut off some Palestinians from their farmland.
A group called Lehava was founded in 2005 with the express goal of preventing assimilation. It opposes marriage between Jews and non-Jews, and opposes the presence of Christians in Israel.
According to human rights organization B’Tselem, more than 5,700 Palestinian housing units have been demolished since 2006.
Palestinian vehicles in the West Bank have separate license plates and are not allowed to drive on certain roads reserved for Israelis only.
Palestinians in the West Bank are under constant surveillance by Israeli forces. The latter’s technology includes facial recognition using a system called Red Wolf.
Palestinians in the West Bank have their freedom of movement restricted by checkpoints, roadblocks, and regular harassment by Israeli occupation forces.
Palestinians in Jerusalem are often prevented from praying at al-Aqsa Mosque and are regularly beaten and abused by Israeli occupation forces.
Human Rights Watch published a piece in April 2021 in which it said “Israeli authorities methodically privilege Jewish Israelis and discriminate against Palestinians.” It also stated: “Every day a person is born in Gaza into an open-air prison, in the West Bank without civil rights, in Israel with an inferior status by law, and in neighboring countries effectively condemned to lifelong refugee status, like their parents and grandparents before them, solely because they are Palestinian and not Jewish.”
During a “Flag March” in Jerusalem in June 2021, Israelis shouted things such as “Death to the Arabs” and “A good Arab is a dead Arab”.
In a now-deleted social media post, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in regards to the October 2023 assault on Gaza: “This is a struggle between the children of light and the children of darkness, between humanity and the law of the jungle.”
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in October 2023: “We are fighting human animals and we act accordingly.”
Deputy Minister of Jerusalem Arieh King said in December 2023: “They [Palestinians] are not human beings and not human animals, they are subhuman and that is how they should be treated.” He also suggested burying them alive using US-supplied Caterpillar bulldozers.
In the US, we enjoy a certain level of freedom of speech, codified under the First Amendment to the Constitution. It’s not an absolute right, though. If pro-Palestinian folks post or say something like “from the river to the sea…”, they could get labeled as anti-Semitic and have their reputation smeared. Blacklisted, fired, doxed. Groups like the ironically named Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Canary Mission are watching and ready to slander people who don’t toe the line. They want to stifle free speech, unless it’s blindly loyal to Israel.
Tech companies whose products we use are also complicit in censorship. Human Rights Watch discovered in its investigation that Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, was actively suppressing pro-Palestine content.
“In reviewing the evidence and context associated with each reported case, Human Rights Watch identified six key patterns of undue censorship, each recurring at least 100 times, including 1) removal of posts, stories, and comments; 2) suspension or permanent disabling of accounts; 3) restrictions on the ability to engage with content-—such as liking, commenting, sharing, and reposting on stories—for a specific period, ranging from 24 hours to three months; 4) restrictions on the ability to follow or tag other accounts; 5) restrictions on the use of certain features, such as Instagram/Facebook Live, monetization, and recommendation of accounts to non-followers; and 6) ‘shadow banning,’ the significant decrease in the visibility of an individual’s posts, stories, or account, without notification, due to a reduction in the distribution or reach of content or disabling of searches for accounts.”
Still, the subjugation we face on our freedom of speech in the US is only a fraction of what Palestinians face under Israeli military occupation. Aside from physical restrictions like checkpoints and roadblocks, they are under constant surveillance by fixed cameras and drones. Israel uses facial recognition against Palestinians, such as technology by Israeli firm Corsight. In addition, they have programs like Red Wolf and Blue Wolf to surveil and track Palestinians, as well as build a database for facial recognition. There’s also a sickening practice of Israeli occupation soldiers taking photos of young Palestinian men and children, sometimes in their own homes.
Even in the comfort of their own homes Palestinians are not free. In TRT World’s documentary Digital Occupation, they found that Palestinians are regularly monitored by Israeli authorities. According to one of the interviewees, Sophia Goodfriend: “Palestinians are also subjected to quite draconian incitement laws, which means that many people who accidentally post, you know, a lyric to a song, or a status update that’s taken out of context, can be accused of inciting violence…”
Imagine being arrested and detained simply for “liking” a social media post that the government doesn’t agree with, or for listening to a rap song with lyrics calling for liberation. What’s more, every phone call Palestinians make can be intercepted and listened upon by Israel. They are continually under the watchful eye of Israel’s infamous Unit 8200, the military’s intelligence gathering unit. Perhaps in North Korea you would expect this, but not in a country that espouses democracy. The point is to instill terror into Palestinians about what they say and post, and ultimately what they think and believe.
This might sound alarmist, but if we allow this to be normalized in Palestine, it’s only a matter of time before we’re next. Israel excels in producing spyware such as Pegasus and sells it to other countries. Those governments are not just using Israeli spyware to track criminals, but for nefarious purposes. Journalists and human rights activists have already fallen prey to this.
Israeli spyware companies to be wary of include NSO Group, Circles, and Candiru. Unbeknownst to us, we could already have spyware on our own mobile devices. Those text messages you receive from someone pretending to contact someone else (“Hi, is this Cathy?”) might not be lone scammers.
The apps you download might trace back to Israeli firms. For example, there is a mobile app called Al Quran Sharif by an Israeli company called ZipoApps, and it happens to contain a number of (purposeful?) translation errors. And who knows what permissions you inadvertently give them by downloading the app. Nobody actually reads the terms & conditions.
Israel’s surveillance and censorship is not about ensuring Palestinians are on their “best behavior”, nor will it result in Palestinians “earning” the right to their own state and self-governance. It’s about absolute control over a people. It’s about supremacy and dominance. It’s a power trip. Where they go, what they do, what they say, even what they feel and think…Israel wants jurisdiction over all of this. Stealing the land and appropriating the culture wasn’t enough.
If you are Palestinian and want to live in Palestine, there is basically only one alternative to resistance: bow down and obey Israel. Freedom is not an option.
Warning: This post contains images that some readers may find distressing. Reader discretion is advised.
On April 11, 2024, Common Dreams published a piece by Dr. Feroze Sidhwa and Dr. Mark Perlmutter, two American doctors who had recently volunteered at Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis. These two gentlemen were also interviewed by Democracy Now! and shared their experience in the war-torn Gaza Strip. What they described seeing in Gaza was worse than any horror movie. Dr. Perlmutter, who is Jewish, even called it “overt genocide”.
The hospital was chaotic, with ill-equipped doctors working around the clock to save lives. The hospital was also full of civilians simply looking for a safe haven. Those who weren’t fortunate enough to find space inside were camping outside on hospital grounds. Even these two American doctors feared for their lives while they were there, knowing that Israel targets aid workers and journalists with impunity.
Dr. Sidhwa discussed violence by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) directly targeting children. In fact, most of the patients they treated were elementary school age or younger. He said it was no accident that Palestinian children were shot by “the best-trained marksmen in the world”. Similarly, Dr. Perlmutter said, “The world’s best marksmen are not going to shoot a kid in the forehead twice…and that doesn’t happen by accident.”
These doctors had formerly served in other disaster zones, such as after Hurricane Katrina and the Boston Marathon bombing. This wasn’t their first time going into an extreme situation. Regardless, nothing they previously experienced prepared them for what they witnessed in Gaza.
“Now we know the pain of being unable to treat a child who will slowly die, but also alone, because she is the only surviving member of an entire extended family. We have not had the heart to tell these children how their families died: burned until they resembled blistered hotdogs more than human beings, shredded to pieces such that they can only be buried in mass graves, or simply entombed in their former apartment buildings to die slowly of asphyxia and sepsis.”
One interesting detail they shared was that during Ramadan (the Muslim holy month of fasting), the Israeli military always made sure to drop bombs during iftar, which is when Muslims break their fast at sunset. This disturbance was another way of adding insult to injury. This may be an indication of Israeli hatred towards Islam and Muslims, which has been expressed a number of times during this war, whether it was through bombing and destroying mosques, mocking the Muslim call to prayer, or tearing up the Quran (Islamic holy book).
Dr. Perlmutter also acknowledged: “My tax dollars are paying for the bombs that are killing children, and that’s horrible…we’re responsible, and we have to open our eyes as a society and realize that it’s not just seven [World Central Kitchen] aid workers that unfortunately died, but there were 17, 18,000 children that were shredded like paper. They just don’t happen to be white children.”
Below are some of the images these doctors captured during their time in Gaza. It’s bad enough that the IDF purposely targets civilians, including women and children, but they also attack hospitals to make it difficult if not impossible to treat those who are injured and dying. The aim is to maximize pain and suffering.
For years, Israel has attacked Iran. Not only has Israel assassinated Iranian professors and scientists, it has also launched several cyberattacks against Iran.
On April 1, 2024, Israel upped the ante by bombing Iran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria, killing seven people. This was a grave violation of international law, as consulate buildings and embassies must never be targeted. These are considered the sovereign territory of the residing country, so Israel’s attack in Damascus was akin to an attack on Tehran. The attack was also flat-out murder.
After such a terrible and unprecedented breach of international law and political norms, you can imagine how outraged Western leaders like Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak, and David Cameron were. You can imagine the press releases and speeches condemning Israel’s violation. You can imagine the calls for sanctions against Israel. Except…none of that happened.
Iran showed remarkable restraint after previous Israeli attacks. Even this time they waited to see how the international community would respond. Russia drafted a statement to condemn Israel’s attack on the Iranian consulate at the United Nations Security Council, but -- surprise, surprise -- the US, UK, and France shot it down (no pun intended).
What would the US, UK, or France do if another country bombed one of their consulates? Should we allow this type of behavior to be normalized? The double standards are mind-boggling.
Iran responded by launching around 300 missiles and drones against military targets in Israel on the night of April 13, 2024. They didn’t target hospitals, schools, or places of worship like Israel does. What’s more, Iran informed its neighbors and the US in advance of its retaliation, which Israel’s collaborators like Saudi Arabia and the UAE promptly used to provide intelligence to Israel.
Once the missiles and drones were launched -- which took hours to reach Israel -- the US, UK, France, and Jordan all helped intercept them on Israel’s behalf. Apparently Jordan was okay with flaming shrapnel falling on its own citizens’ heads in order to protect Israel. Israel boasted that 99% of the missiles and drones were intercepted. This should be no surprise given Iran’s advance notice.
Iran’s retaliation could be seen as a failure, but upon initial examination it appears they did everything within their legal and moral rights under Article 51 of the United Nations charter. They even announced at the UN that their retaliation was over. Has Israel ever done this sort of due diligence with its own attacks against Palestinians or neighboring countries? And who knows, Iran may have gathered priceless intel on Israel’s defense capabilities, not to mention that Israel and its defenders spent a lot more on interception than Iran spent on those missiles and drones.
After Iran’s legally acceptable retaliation, mass hypocrisy ensued. World leaders rushed to condemn Iran, and the US promised further sanctions. Israel vowed retaliation, claiming this was an act of war, not realizing the absurdity of retaliating against a retaliation. Maybe don’t bomb other nations’ consulates? The mainstream media played dumb and acted like Iran’s attack was totally unprovoked and perhaps even anti-Semitic. Was it collective amnesia? Were people blind or brainwashed? Are we in the Twilight Zone? It was unbelievable how many people couldn’t put two and two together.
In the first place, why would Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu order or approve a direct strike on Iran’s consulate? Commentators have thrown out various theories, from Israel wanting to divert attention from its war crimes in Gaza to prolonging the war so Netanyahu can stay in power, as he would likely lose if an early election took place. He would also be forced to face the music in regards to the corruption case against him from 2019 in which he was charged with fraud and bribery.
But another theory is that Israel wants to pull the US into a regional war with the primary aim of taking out Iran. There’s substance to this theory.
For those who only began following the Palestinian-Israeli drama after October 7, 2023, they may not realize how deceptive and sleazy Benjamin Netanyahu is. In 2002, he testified in the US Congress and made some interesting statements, such as: “No question whatsoever that Saddam [Hussein] is seeking, and is working, and is advancing towards the development of nuclear weapons…”
He also said: “...[I]f you take out Saddam, Saddam’s regime, I guarantee you that it will have enormous positive reverberations on the region…”
It’s been over 20 years since the US invasion of Iraq. How did those positive reverberations turn out? And where exactly are those sneaky nuclear weapons?
Netanyahu fooled the US into invading Iraq in 2003 and slaughtering more than a quarter-million Iraqi civilians, all on the pretext of “weapons of mass destruction” (to be read in George W. Bush’s voice). This was a preemptive, unprovoked attack based on a lie, not based on evidence. Netanyahu got what he wanted, which was regime change in Iraq. And he didn’t have to spend a dime. To his credit, he’s a skilled politician. He knows what to say and how to say it.
And guess what. He also wants regime change in Iran. He wants to reformulate the Middle East to make every country “friendly” (or subservient) to Israel. During this same hearing in 2002, Netanyahu also encouraged regime change in Iran. When Netanyahu was invited back to address the US Congress in 2015, he tried the same tactic as with Iraq by claiming that Iran was a nuclear threat. So says the only country in the Middle East with nuclear weapons.
Netanyahu stated during his 2015 address: “Iran could have the means to deliver that [imaginary] nuclear arsenal to the far reach [sic], corners of the earth including to every part of the United States.”
Aww. Would you look at that? He cares so much about the US and our safety.
Netanyahu went on to say: “The Middle East would soon be criss-crossed by nuclear tripwires. A region where small skirmishes can trigger big wars, would turn into a nuclear tinderbox…We’ll face a much more dangerous Iran, a Middle East littered with nuclear bombs, and a countdown to a potential nuclear nightmare.”
Yeah, not alarmist at all. What shall we do? Maybe a preemptive strike against Iran? If the US falls victim to Netanyahu’s ploy once again, we, the US taxpayers, will pay for it with our blood and treasure. But who will ultimately benefit?
As the old adage goes, actions speak louder than words.
On a number of occasions over the years, US officials have touted the two-state solution for Palestine and Israel, all the while continuing to support Israel’s brutal occupation of Palestinian territory (or what remains of it). Any United Nations resolution that could help us inch closer towards peace and a two-state solution has been vetoed by -- you guessed it -- the United States.
In the meantime, Israel has been able to keep the Gaza Strip under blockade and continue its illegal military occupation of the West Bank while building new illegal settlements. The West Bank is so fractured, and disconnected from the Gaza Strip, that a two-state solution is pretty much impossible at this point.
Those who have been following the Palestinian-Israeli conflict for some time know that the US has never been an honest broker. Since the Oslo Accords were signed in the 1990s, what has changed or improved for Palestinians? They’ve gotten no closer to realizing self-governance or self-determination. They’ve gotten no closer to a Palestinian state. More of their homes have been demolished. More Israeli settlements have been built. More Palestinians have been put under administrative detention. And the Palestinian Authority under President Mahmoud Abbas seems to have become even more of a puppet for Israel.
Despite all the setbacks for the State of Palestine, it managed to achieve Permanent Observer status at the UN in 2012. Not that it comes with many benefits, but at least it’s some form of recognition and provides them with the privilege of attending meetings in a formal capacity. Still, even for this miniscule privilege, the US, Canada, and Israel votedagainst it in 2012. What were they afraid of?
Twelve years later, Algeria presented a short and simple draft resolution to the UN Security Council urging nations to recognize Palestine as a full Member State of the United Nations. In essence, simply recognize that Palestine exists. This would have served as a solid step towards actual statehood, and therefore, peace. It would still require the end of Israel’s decades-long military occupation, but it would have been a step in the right direction. After all, Israel was accepted as a permanent UN Member State in 1949 despite a series of terrorist attacks by Haganah, Irgun, and Stern Gang against Palestinians and the British since the 1920s.
On April 18, 2024, a vote took place at the UN Security Council where 15 Security Council member nations voted on Algeria’s resolution. In order for a draft resolution to move forward for a wider vote, at least nine of the members must vote in favor. However, it only takes a single veto by one of the five permanent members (i.e. US, UK, France, Russia, China) to obliterate the resolution. If this draft resolution would have moved forward to the UN General Assembly, then all 193 nations would get to vote on it, which would have been in Palestine’s favor since most countries support its statehood.
Twelve nations voted in favor of the resolution. Not bad. Two nations -- Switzerland and the UK -- abstained. Okay. But in classic fashion, the US representative proudly raised his hand high to vote against the resolution. And that was the end of it.
One has to question if the US and Israel truly want peace, or would they prefer the Palestinian people eventually just go away? In vetoing this UN resolution, the US continues to deny the Palestinians their right to self-determination and arguably their basic human rights. Just another shameful chapter for the history books and another example of the farce that international law and diplomacy are.
On April 16, 2024, the US House of Representatives passed a bill driven by prejudice and hate. H.Res. 883 states that chanting the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is anti-Semitic.
The text falsely states that this phrase is “is an antisemitic call to arms with the goal of the eradication of the State of Israel, which is located between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea”. It also states that “the slogan seeks to deny Jewish people the right to self-determination and calls for the removal of the Jewish people from their ancestral homeland”.
Did you catch that? The people who wrote this resolution and voted Yea (377 to 44 Nay) perhaps didn’t see the irony of the text, or chuckled at the sick joke. By stating that Israel “is located between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea”, it is they who have eradicated Palestine. And in practice, it is they who have denied the Palestinian people their right to self-determination and have effected the removal of the Palestinian people from their ancestral homeland.
When pro-Palestinian people chant “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, they are actually calling for an end to illegal settlements, apartheid, military occupation, and oppression. For those who believe in a one-state solution, it means freedom and equality for everyone in this land living in one democratic state. For those who believe in a two-state solution, it’s about self-governed Palestinian territory that is free from illegal Israeli military occupation and oppression. In either case, it’s a call for an end to the human rights abuses against Palestinians.
There is another aspect to this phrase that’s not about physical geography. It’s about being free from the propaganda and being able to see the truth, rather than being brainwashed and toeing the line.
On the other hand, some have argued that Israel’s ruling Likud Party takes this phrase to the extreme. The 1977 Likud Party charter states:
“The right of the Jewish people to the land of Israel is eternal and indisputable… therefore, Judea and Samaria [i.e. the West Bank] will not be handed to any foreign administration; between the Sea and the Jordan there will only be Israeli sovereignty.”
While snowflakes in the US shed crocodile tears about words or phrases that they found hurtful or dangerous, an actual genocide was taking place in Gaza. The weekend after H.Res. 883 passed, the House of Representatives approved an additional $26 billion in military aid to Israel (part of which is suppose to reimburse the US for its defense of Israel against Iran’s retaliation for the consulate bombing in Damascus), and during that same weekend Israeli airstrikes in the city of Rafah slaughtered 18 Palestinian children.
What a strange world we live in where verbally opposing a genocide is more offensive than the crime of genocide itself.
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