On Tuesday, the Senate voted 70-29 to approve a foreign aid package that includes billions to support Israel's ongoing military campaign in Gaza. The package contains "$10.6 billion for the Defense Department to continue providing munitions and other weapons to Israel." There is also "another $3.5 billion in foreign military financing for Israel to buy more military equipment with cash grants."
We encourage a robust discussion about this and all topics. Please note, however, that hateful comments about groups of people will be deleted. It's not something we allow in the Popular Information community.
Might have been worth noting that Josh Paul wasn’t just “a former State Department official,” but that he resigned in protest of the described Biden administration policy.
Netanyahu's response to the Oct. 7 terrorist attack has been disproportionate and is coming very close to genocide. Biden's complicity would cost him my vote if he were running in a primary or against any normal Republican (if there are any). America's strings free support of Israel has to end, it's the only way that Netanyahu will be forced to stop. Because it's obvious what his goal is - not to eliminate Hamas (all he has done is strengthened them) but to force every last Palestinian out of the land he, and his far right wing religious head case supporters, want to claim for Israel.
This is disappointingly late in the game for you to address these issues and with a decidedly pro-Israel slant considering. I'm disappointed in you Judd Legum and Popular Information.
I respect your point of view on this. Our intention is not to "slant" the article but to present the facts of what's occuring on the ground, which is horrifying. We also examine the enforcement of existing US law and the impact of new policies, which appear to be minimal. I understand that addressing these issues will likely provoke a backlash, but we are committed to covering them anyway in the best way we know how.
Um there's an entire unnecessary paragraph where first the numbers of casualties in Gaza are put into question and then it's admitted that there's no reason to question them. That places in the readers mind that the numbers are incorrect then excuses itself from the responsibility of that statement. If that's not slant, I don't know what is.
Aren’t the casualty numbers and the sources relevant? Also the fact that the numbers do not separate civilians from those involved in the fighting? I did not see the numbers being questioned. I saw the Gaza casualty figures were followed by a statement of credibility —- But in prior wars, the health ministry's data "have held up to U.N. scrutiny, independent investigations and even Israel’s tallies." —-
Perhaps if you have an issue with a portion of the article a quote would be helpful.
There seems to be a general hesitation and reluctance to take this on in a forceful way.
Here in Vermont it took our two senators, including Bernie, and our one representative several weeks of massive bombing of Gaza and over 15,000 dead (plus who knows how many wounded) to come out for a cease fire.
Now in Missouri, Cori Bush has an opponent who is funded by AIPAC, American Israeli Political Action Committee, and Bush is down 2 to 1 in the polls.
Nonetheless, this popular information segment makes useful points which we can use in our local neighborhood list-serve.
now reluctant to fund this relief organization, so the aid that the USA would provide in this bill is critical. Unfortunately, killing bills that fund some things you want because other things you do not want are in it, may make a statement, but on the ground it does not seem to accomplish much. Israel is going to get aid from the USA, so stopping a bill to help Gazans does not seem effective, just as those who voted against the border piece of the bill, killed a bill that did other things that they wanted. How good are we going to be to people on the border if Putin destroys Ukraine and comes after our allies? None whatsoever. So, with the Congress that we have, this bill is going to be what we get, or nothing. Is inaction really the better route for anyone concerned?
It's never good when we violate our own laws, and this appears to the case here. I found this article helpful and plan to use it to inform letters to my (all Democrat) congressional delegation. While I support much of what Biden does, I have extreme misgivings about his support of Netanyahu's actions which have gone well past reasonable. It seems the President may be on the fence now, but that's simply not enough. That the Senate even considered more aid for them is horrifying. How about the aid for Gaza. And let's not forget the Ukrainians who have been defending themselves for so long; they require our support far more than Israel does now.
Yes the two states are not in the same situation at all, the opposite in fact, and putting the aid together is great for the manufacturers of weapons but bad for everyone else.
I hope and expect that most of the informed public (history and current day to day events) are in favor of supporting Israel's right to exist AND in strong favor of protecting all innocent civilians from the kind of devastation and apparent genocide currently taking place in Israel and Gaza. I have learned that Netanyahu has said he approves of "thinning the population of Palestinians in Gaza." We have seen videos of the Settlers looking for excuses to kill Palestinian olive grove farmers because "they are animals" said with pure hatred. We cannot pay for that kind of hatred carried out in the name of the United States of America.
I sense that Joe Biden understands all of this. I remember him wanting the Settlers to stop usurping land for anymore settlements during the first Obama term. He had warned that we would not tolerate a violation of this agreement. But, for some reason we did. Why then? Why now?
What makes this such a difficult issue is that no one involved has clean hands - not Israel, not the Palestinians, not the UN, US, Europe nor the Islamic world. Nothing will change there until the people on both sides decide they want to make a genuine peace with each other. It can’t be imposed by others - it must come from them.
The world can and should apply a variety of forms of pressure on the combatants to cause them to cease hostilities and negotiate. In Yugoslavia, a bombing campaign was employed; in Ireland, the international pressure was more peaceful.
Unfortunately, the US is actively resisting efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire and is continuing to sponsor Israeli atrocities. I would argue that Judd has understated the culpability of the Biden administration.
The objective of “cease hostilities and negotiate” is very different from that of a genuine peace. International pressure can certainly achieve the first, but it will be as temporary as every other one since 1948. Eventually the cycle of violence resumes.
Genuine peace can only come about when the parties want it - when they see peace as preferable to violence. That can’t be coerced. Rather the role of the international community is to incentivize & facilitate, giving the parties a clearer path to a better future - to help them “want it”.
Netanyahu has never wanted genuine peace. He fed Hamas to keep it happy and in charge so Palestinians would have divided leadership and no 2 state solution. Now he needs war to stay in office. Hamas, as a terrorist organization that took over Gaza by force & drove out its opponents, never wanted peace. Netanyahu’s government ignored the warning signs and now he hears the cell door in the back of his mind. When the war ends, it is a real possibility.
Before the war, most Gazans wanted a continuation of the truce and were interested in being under the same administration as the West Bank. Instead the Netanyahu incoming coalition announced it would annex the West Bank as part of its overall policy:
— The Jewish people have an exclusive and inalienable right to all parts of the Land of Israel. The government will promote and develop the settlement of all parts of the Land of Israel — in the Galilee, the Negev, the Golan and Judea and Samaria. Dec 28, 2022 —
Bill, I have said this to people over and over. No one has succeeded in accomplishing an agreement of lasting peace. One person said, all Biden has to do is make one phone call! 😂 First people say we shouldn’t be involved or supporting, then they want a foreign entity to be their stand in president.
Netanyahu is a nut like trump but has the ability to speak and think, unlike trump. There have been genocides all over our globe. Where were these people screaming then? The US is involved militarily all over the globe, so I’d caution people against assuming their tax dollars din’t end up in these other places as well. It’s all atrocious.
Netanyahu has a couple reasons to resist letting Biden pull his string. It could further weaken him re: factions have called Netanyahu a puppet of the US. Plus ‘Bibi’ resists because it is not in his self-interest. Only war keeps him in office.
I have noticed casualties have slowed greatly from earlier in the conflict. Now I fear that as ‘Bibi” and his extremists become desperate they will do more than make noise and grand threats. The polling by Israeli news outlets is worse than ever for Netanyahu and his Likud party. He (like his orange pal in the US) must hear the clank of the cell door in his nightmares.
Folks should take a longer term view of this situation. What we are seeing is just the latest phase of a 75 year conflict. Both sides have legitimate grievances and both sides have participated in genocide in varying degrees. And the rest of the world has been supporting & facilitating this conflict the whole time as one component of international power struggles.
Israel was founded after WW2 largely to ease Allied guilt over allowing the Holocaust (I know this over-simplified). It was not an unreasonable act, but had a fatal flaw in not treating the Palestinians with equal justice. They were just as entitled to a homeland as anyone else. They should have been generously compensated for what was being taken from them.
We don’t get a “do over”, but the principle of justice remains. The Palestinians must have a geographically and economically viable homeland. The billions of $ being spent on military aid should instead be used to build that homeland. A secure future for one’s family what defeats terrorism, not bombs & bullets.
How about giving them the entire Sinai peninsula including the Negev (a line drawn from Rafah to the Dead Sea). Israel doesn’t lose much, but gains the entire West Bank, the core of the ancient holy land.
But most important, end all economic and military aid to Israel, dead cold stop. It can pay its own way, it has rich and fanatical friends. Then add up all the aid it got since 1948, adjust for inflation, and give that same amount to making the Sinai (New Palestine) livable, with desalination plants, green energy, infrastructure and housing. No military aid, but a guarantee of security, enforced internationally. A treaty that no future president can renig on or slow-walk. And carefully managed so no corrupt overcharging for anything.
Ya, I know it won’t happen, but it’s better than the present mess.
I have no quibble with any of that except a long view of history does not get us to resolution. There is not even an agreed upon history by those involved. All parties including those who would supply the money bomb must agree to a solution with long view into the future, not the past. In the current political landscape Netanyahu is probably the largest stumbling block as he has been since first elected in the wake of Rabin’s assassination.
I guess that presumes that because I didn’t address the long history I and or others are unaware. Or don’t think history is important. I am fairly certain all involved believe a version of the regional history. Although many don’t realize many Palestinians believe a state was promised to them for assisting the British over 100 yrs ago.
I see the immediate issue as using the conflict for personal self-interest. That self-interest stands in the way of resolving the conflict. Not ‘tit for that’ which is more of a symptom. One important thing history tells us is that there will likely be more not fewer terrorists in the aftermath.
I I find that daily cos has too strong a zionist bent for me to feel evenly informed. When they started running extreme Zionist ads, I took myself off their mailing list.
I'm really disappointed especially as my subscription renewed yesterday. Because since you guys had stayed out of reporting on this I could tell myself you did domestic only news and politics even though it left a bad taste in my mouth. But giving Biden credit for concern over the lives of Gazans when he has shown none at all is ridiculous and beyond insulting.
If you no longer wish to support Popular Information and its efforts, I am happy to provide a refund. This is a community centered around accountability journalism. And paid subscriptions are voluntary. We are working hard to provide value to every subscriber. If we aren't meeting your expectations, I'll return your money. Just contact me.
We do not have to agree on EVERYTHING. I find a LOT of value in the stories Judd has reported on. I find it troubling that one opinion that doesn’t-align-with-your-own results in such trashing of the reporter. It is perfectly fine for people to strongly disagree and to state their disappointment. But negating everything else that a person does because of a different view in rare instances is dangerous thinking in my mind. This is what some on the left are doing to Biden, just what the right wants. It seems not to matter that we have an active deadly seditionist, certified rapist, terrorist, psychopathic nut who is being ALLOWED to run for president despite our laws and constitution claiming he’s ineligible! And against a Democratic president who has accomplished much and loves his country…people are making them sound like two equally evil people. This could end up getting a Fascist elected! I have heard some pro Israeli/Netanyahu people deny Israel is doing anything wrong, I’d choose to ignore them. But I don’t think Judd has said that.
I personally agree with Bernie, but I will stand by those who contribute thoughtful, factual, researched information, even with an occasional disagreement on stance.
It's genocide. Literally any other subject I'm good with disagreement on. I'm not going to argue the merits of being anti-genocide. And I already cancelled it. But no I don't want my money back. I want people to understand that it's ridiculous to me I have to defend myself. You can say whatever IDGAF. But if you think Biden couldn't have stopped this in November, if he was so inclined, I think you're high.
I think she meant he could apply the Leahy law proactively instead of pretending to do it well after thousands are dismembered and crushed, and even then only in word. Scripture condemns loving in word only and not in deed. As evil as trump et al are, Biden and crew are not winning the moral battle.
1 John 3:14-18 is the passage.
The less elegant American way to say it is “put up or shut up.”
28,000+ and counting... And there's no shortage of those who scoff at allegations of genocide is occurring in Gaza. Netanyahu, Smotrich, Ben-Gvir, Gallant, Gantz and others have conducted a breathtakingly barbaric campaign since 10/7/23. Does any rational observer really think all this will conclude with "peace?"
(Judd, I have deep respect for your reporting and mean no incivility. I'm just appalled at the heart-wrenching violence and destruction that continues -- abetted by U.S. support).
It wasn't mentioned here, but this bill prevents any funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), at all, under any circumstances, and fails to assure that any amount will go to provide aid to Gaza, as the aid portion is to be divided amongst different groups with no specific allocations.
Section 614:
“None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this division and division B of this Act, and prior Acts making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs, may be made available for a contribution, grant, or other payment to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, notwithstanding any other provision of law.”
Let us, we the people, step up and support UNRWA. If our governments won’t act in accordance with humanity, then we will. https://www.unrwausa.org/donate
Rachel my millenial daughter age 35 would appreciate you. She shows me Tik Tok reports on the daily from Palestinian journalists. I don't often trust Tik Tok because of it's China connection, but this is real. It needs to be addressed and instead of tossing money at Netanyahu it should be withheld. We are just going to be killing civilians in Gaza from farther up the pike.
Weeks before Oct 7, Israelis were protesting his fascist judicial reforms in the streets. Conveniently a war came along and he's a hero at home. Nationalism bred the Iraqi war and Bush rode the wave. Same BS different country and over 20 years later, but still BS. Good for you for speaking out.
I'm disappointed in how credulously this piece is says that the Biden administration is "sounding the alarm." This article from a couple days ago provides a months-long list of articles suggesting that Biden is concerned with Israel's conduct of the war. https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/biden-upset-israel-netanyahu/ These concerns never correspond to any policy changes, which is crucial context.
Yes, but I would argue that after months of articles saying that Biden is privately concerned, saying that this counts as "sounding the alarm" is a bit of a mischaracterization. It feels like the pattern of reports that correspond to nothing concrete make the reported concerns seem disingenuous, a fig-leaf for Biden's domestic audience.
According to OCHA since the start of 2024, humanitarian partners had planned 77 missions to deliver aid and undertake assessments to areas to the north of Wadi Gaza. Of those, only 12 were facilitated by the Israeli authorities, three missions where partial humanitarian objectives were met, 14 were impeded, 39 were denied access, and nine were postponed by the UN agencies. Facilitated missions primarily included food distribution, while the access of missions to support critical hospitals and facilities providing water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) services remained among those overwhelmingly denied. During the same period, there were 189 planned missions to areas assessed as necessitating coordination to the south of Wadi Gaza. Of these, 107 were facilitated, two missions where partial humanitarian objectives were met, 18 were initially facilitated but then impeded, 48 were denied access, and 14 were postponed internally. Missions to areas not requiring coordination south of Wadi Gaza are not included in the above.
The number of trucks entering into Gaza remains well below the 500 trucks a day target, with significant difficulties in bringing supplies in through both Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) and Rafah. As of 12 February, the Rafah border crossing was closed due to security concerns.
As of 12 February, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since the beginning of hostilities is now 156.
Words are easy. Politicians say them all the time. This piece does a good job illustrating how empty they really are, when actions communicate an entirely different message:
"In recent days, the Biden administration has said publicly that it does not plan on using the memorandum to condition aid to Israel. A National Security Council spokesperson told Defense News, “[W]e have not seen any violations of the standards so have no plans to restrict assistance at this time.”
The feckless democrats - “All of our arms transfers, including arms transfers to Israel, are rooted in the basic proposition that they will be used consistent with law of armed conflict.” The ICJ will likely determine Israel is committing a genocide and the US is complicit in it. One of the only things the US exports is our military and weapons, so this isn't surprising. It does show that both the dithering dems and the Republicans are basically the same.
There must be a permanent ceasefire in Gaza in order to comply with the ICJ ruling, that there is a plausible case that Israel is committing genocide. The ceasefire, is not one, where Palestinians continue suffering under oppressive conditions, but as a place where all live with peace and equality. It is time for Pope Francis to do more than talk. He must go to Gaza and make a stand for peace and freedom.
Netanyahu in many cases is not much better at than Hitler. He stops short when it comes to branding Palestinians with tattoos and he hasn’t set up death camps yet. He just doesn’t let them escape before he destroys the buildings they live in.
I know many Israelis people feel the same way and protest against him.
We encourage a robust discussion about this and all topics. Please note, however, that hateful comments about groups of people will be deleted. It's not something we allow in the Popular Information community.
Might have been worth noting that Josh Paul wasn’t just “a former State Department official,” but that he resigned in protest of the described Biden administration policy.
Netanyahu's response to the Oct. 7 terrorist attack has been disproportionate and is coming very close to genocide. Biden's complicity would cost him my vote if he were running in a primary or against any normal Republican (if there are any). America's strings free support of Israel has to end, it's the only way that Netanyahu will be forced to stop. Because it's obvious what his goal is - not to eliminate Hamas (all he has done is strengthened them) but to force every last Palestinian out of the land he, and his far right wing religious head case supporters, want to claim for Israel.
This is disappointingly late in the game for you to address these issues and with a decidedly pro-Israel slant considering. I'm disappointed in you Judd Legum and Popular Information.
I respect your point of view on this. Our intention is not to "slant" the article but to present the facts of what's occuring on the ground, which is horrifying. We also examine the enforcement of existing US law and the impact of new policies, which appear to be minimal. I understand that addressing these issues will likely provoke a backlash, but we are committed to covering them anyway in the best way we know how.
This is reporting. There's no apparent slant.
Um there's an entire unnecessary paragraph where first the numbers of casualties in Gaza are put into question and then it's admitted that there's no reason to question them. That places in the readers mind that the numbers are incorrect then excuses itself from the responsibility of that statement. If that's not slant, I don't know what is.
That's actuality not what it says, but your characterization clearly shows your bias.
Please explain to me the purpose served by the presence of those sentences, factually.
Aren’t the casualty numbers and the sources relevant? Also the fact that the numbers do not separate civilians from those involved in the fighting? I did not see the numbers being questioned. I saw the Gaza casualty figures were followed by a statement of credibility —- But in prior wars, the health ministry's data "have held up to U.N. scrutiny, independent investigations and even Israel’s tallies." —-
Perhaps if you have an issue with a portion of the article a quote would be helpful.
I’ll just add that at one point the data base was inoperable due to Israeli bombings & lack of electricity. I have never seen a number released on how many people may be missing. It is a painstaking and difficult process to compile this information. https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-health-ministry-gaza-hamas-fe30cbc76479fa437d5f5a0e96c36e52
Good observation.
There seems to be a general hesitation and reluctance to take this on in a forceful way.
Here in Vermont it took our two senators, including Bernie, and our one representative several weeks of massive bombing of Gaza and over 15,000 dead (plus who knows how many wounded) to come out for a cease fire.
Now in Missouri, Cori Bush has an opponent who is funded by AIPAC, American Israeli Political Action Committee, and Bush is down 2 to 1 in the polls.
Nonetheless, this popular information segment makes useful points which we can use in our local neighborhood list-serve.
All of these points have been covered better and more accurately by other outlets. Which is extremely uncharacteristic for Popular Information pieces.
The concerns I have are many for the innocent people being killed, but also that there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Now traditional partners are not funding humanitarian assistance since Israel has stated that members of the relief organization UNWRA are members of Hamas. So, you have countries like Germany, which was providing relief, per the claim of their Foreign Office. https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/aussenpolitik/-/2627918#:~:text=The%20German%20Government%20sees%20the,new%20funding%20since%207%20October.
now reluctant to fund this relief organization, so the aid that the USA would provide in this bill is critical. Unfortunately, killing bills that fund some things you want because other things you do not want are in it, may make a statement, but on the ground it does not seem to accomplish much. Israel is going to get aid from the USA, so stopping a bill to help Gazans does not seem effective, just as those who voted against the border piece of the bill, killed a bill that did other things that they wanted. How good are we going to be to people on the border if Putin destroys Ukraine and comes after our allies? None whatsoever. So, with the Congress that we have, this bill is going to be what we get, or nothing. Is inaction really the better route for anyone concerned?
It's never good when we violate our own laws, and this appears to the case here. I found this article helpful and plan to use it to inform letters to my (all Democrat) congressional delegation. While I support much of what Biden does, I have extreme misgivings about his support of Netanyahu's actions which have gone well past reasonable. It seems the President may be on the fence now, but that's simply not enough. That the Senate even considered more aid for them is horrifying. How about the aid for Gaza. And let's not forget the Ukrainians who have been defending themselves for so long; they require our support far more than Israel does now.
Yes the two states are not in the same situation at all, the opposite in fact, and putting the aid together is great for the manufacturers of weapons but bad for everyone else.
Did you see the title of this piece?
Yes and it's a bullshit title.
I hope and expect that most of the informed public (history and current day to day events) are in favor of supporting Israel's right to exist AND in strong favor of protecting all innocent civilians from the kind of devastation and apparent genocide currently taking place in Israel and Gaza. I have learned that Netanyahu has said he approves of "thinning the population of Palestinians in Gaza." We have seen videos of the Settlers looking for excuses to kill Palestinian olive grove farmers because "they are animals" said with pure hatred. We cannot pay for that kind of hatred carried out in the name of the United States of America.
I sense that Joe Biden understands all of this. I remember him wanting the Settlers to stop usurping land for anymore settlements during the first Obama term. He had warned that we would not tolerate a violation of this agreement. But, for some reason we did. Why then? Why now?
What makes this such a difficult issue is that no one involved has clean hands - not Israel, not the Palestinians, not the UN, US, Europe nor the Islamic world. Nothing will change there until the people on both sides decide they want to make a genuine peace with each other. It can’t be imposed by others - it must come from them.
The world can and should apply a variety of forms of pressure on the combatants to cause them to cease hostilities and negotiate. In Yugoslavia, a bombing campaign was employed; in Ireland, the international pressure was more peaceful.
Unfortunately, the US is actively resisting efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire and is continuing to sponsor Israeli atrocities. I would argue that Judd has understated the culpability of the Biden administration.
The objective of “cease hostilities and negotiate” is very different from that of a genuine peace. International pressure can certainly achieve the first, but it will be as temporary as every other one since 1948. Eventually the cycle of violence resumes.
Genuine peace can only come about when the parties want it - when they see peace as preferable to violence. That can’t be coerced. Rather the role of the international community is to incentivize & facilitate, giving the parties a clearer path to a better future - to help them “want it”.
A ceasefire and negotiations are not sufficient to achieve lasting peace, but they are necessary. When a genocide is occurring, it must be stopped.
Netanyahu has never wanted genuine peace. He fed Hamas to keep it happy and in charge so Palestinians would have divided leadership and no 2 state solution. Now he needs war to stay in office. Hamas, as a terrorist organization that took over Gaza by force & drove out its opponents, never wanted peace. Netanyahu’s government ignored the warning signs and now he hears the cell door in the back of his mind. When the war ends, it is a real possibility.
Before the war, most Gazans wanted a continuation of the truce and were interested in being under the same administration as the West Bank. Instead the Netanyahu incoming coalition announced it would annex the West Bank as part of its overall policy:
— The Jewish people have an exclusive and inalienable right to all parts of the Land of Israel. The government will promote and develop the settlement of all parts of the Land of Israel — in the Galilee, the Negev, the Golan and Judea and Samaria. Dec 28, 2022 —
Bill, I have said this to people over and over. No one has succeeded in accomplishing an agreement of lasting peace. One person said, all Biden has to do is make one phone call! 😂 First people say we shouldn’t be involved or supporting, then they want a foreign entity to be their stand in president.
Netanyahu is a nut like trump but has the ability to speak and think, unlike trump. There have been genocides all over our globe. Where were these people screaming then? The US is involved militarily all over the globe, so I’d caution people against assuming their tax dollars din’t end up in these other places as well. It’s all atrocious.
What about Palestinians right to exist in Palestine? I don't get it
This 2020 article from Peter Beinart talks about Biden's time as VP. He says "No one in the Obama administration did more to shield Netanyahu from consequences." https://jewishcurrents.org/joe-bidens-alarming-record-on-israel
Unfortunately many of those extremist settlers are also American citizens.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/15/biden-extremist-jewish-settlers-travel-ban-loophole
Netanyahu has a couple reasons to resist letting Biden pull his string. It could further weaken him re: factions have called Netanyahu a puppet of the US. Plus ‘Bibi’ resists because it is not in his self-interest. Only war keeps him in office.
I have noticed casualties have slowed greatly from earlier in the conflict. Now I fear that as ‘Bibi” and his extremists become desperate they will do more than make noise and grand threats. The polling by Israeli news outlets is worse than ever for Netanyahu and his Likud party. He (like his orange pal in the US) must hear the clank of the cell door in his nightmares.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/gantz-builds-strong-lead-over-netanyahu-in-new-poll/
Folks should take a longer term view of this situation. What we are seeing is just the latest phase of a 75 year conflict. Both sides have legitimate grievances and both sides have participated in genocide in varying degrees. And the rest of the world has been supporting & facilitating this conflict the whole time as one component of international power struggles.
Israel was founded after WW2 largely to ease Allied guilt over allowing the Holocaust (I know this over-simplified). It was not an unreasonable act, but had a fatal flaw in not treating the Palestinians with equal justice. They were just as entitled to a homeland as anyone else. They should have been generously compensated for what was being taken from them.
We don’t get a “do over”, but the principle of justice remains. The Palestinians must have a geographically and economically viable homeland. The billions of $ being spent on military aid should instead be used to build that homeland. A secure future for one’s family what defeats terrorism, not bombs & bullets.
How about giving them the entire Sinai peninsula including the Negev (a line drawn from Rafah to the Dead Sea). Israel doesn’t lose much, but gains the entire West Bank, the core of the ancient holy land.
But most important, end all economic and military aid to Israel, dead cold stop. It can pay its own way, it has rich and fanatical friends. Then add up all the aid it got since 1948, adjust for inflation, and give that same amount to making the Sinai (New Palestine) livable, with desalination plants, green energy, infrastructure and housing. No military aid, but a guarantee of security, enforced internationally. A treaty that no future president can renig on or slow-walk. And carefully managed so no corrupt overcharging for anything.
Ya, I know it won’t happen, but it’s better than the present mess.
Interesting proposal...I've often wondered why they couldn't work out the so-called two-state solution more equitably and clearly.
I have no quibble with any of that except a long view of history does not get us to resolution. There is not even an agreed upon history by those involved. All parties including those who would supply the money bomb must agree to a solution with long view into the future, not the past. In the current political landscape Netanyahu is probably the largest stumbling block as he has been since first elected in the wake of Rabin’s assassination.
The longer view enables more of a root cause analysis vs weighing current tit for tat. Understanding root causes enables a clearer long term view.
I guess that presumes that because I didn’t address the long history I and or others are unaware. Or don’t think history is important. I am fairly certain all involved believe a version of the regional history. Although many don’t realize many Palestinians believe a state was promised to them for assisting the British over 100 yrs ago.
I see the immediate issue as using the conflict for personal self-interest. That self-interest stands in the way of resolving the conflict. Not ‘tit for that’ which is more of a symptom. One important thing history tells us is that there will likely be more not fewer terrorists in the aftermath.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/2/13/2223276/-Biden-delivers-tough-love-takes-historic-step-Conditioning-aid-to-Israel
I I find that daily cos has too strong a zionist bent for me to feel evenly informed. When they started running extreme Zionist ads, I took myself off their mailing list.
I'm really disappointed especially as my subscription renewed yesterday. Because since you guys had stayed out of reporting on this I could tell myself you did domestic only news and politics even though it left a bad taste in my mouth. But giving Biden credit for concern over the lives of Gazans when he has shown none at all is ridiculous and beyond insulting.
If you no longer wish to support Popular Information and its efforts, I am happy to provide a refund. This is a community centered around accountability journalism. And paid subscriptions are voluntary. We are working hard to provide value to every subscriber. If we aren't meeting your expectations, I'll return your money. Just contact me.
We do not have to agree on EVERYTHING. I find a LOT of value in the stories Judd has reported on. I find it troubling that one opinion that doesn’t-align-with-your-own results in such trashing of the reporter. It is perfectly fine for people to strongly disagree and to state their disappointment. But negating everything else that a person does because of a different view in rare instances is dangerous thinking in my mind. This is what some on the left are doing to Biden, just what the right wants. It seems not to matter that we have an active deadly seditionist, certified rapist, terrorist, psychopathic nut who is being ALLOWED to run for president despite our laws and constitution claiming he’s ineligible! And against a Democratic president who has accomplished much and loves his country…people are making them sound like two equally evil people. This could end up getting a Fascist elected! I have heard some pro Israeli/Netanyahu people deny Israel is doing anything wrong, I’d choose to ignore them. But I don’t think Judd has said that.
I personally agree with Bernie, but I will stand by those who contribute thoughtful, factual, researched information, even with an occasional disagreement on stance.
It's genocide. Literally any other subject I'm good with disagreement on. I'm not going to argue the merits of being anti-genocide. And I already cancelled it. But no I don't want my money back. I want people to understand that it's ridiculous to me I have to defend myself. You can say whatever IDGAF. But if you think Biden couldn't have stopped this in November, if he was so inclined, I think you're high.
If you think he can do that, you are unbelievably naive! Sounds like you repeat what’s on tic toc.
I think she meant he could apply the Leahy law proactively instead of pretending to do it well after thousands are dismembered and crushed, and even then only in word. Scripture condemns loving in word only and not in deed. As evil as trump et al are, Biden and crew are not winning the moral battle.
1 John 3:14-18 is the passage.
The less elegant American way to say it is “put up or shut up.”
No she didn’t mean that, or she would have said that. Take your trolling BS elsewhere.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/2/13/2223276/-Biden-delivers-tough-love-takes-historic-step-Conditioning-aid-to-Israel
Get your facts straight.
https://www.ryandeitsch.com/post/from-parkland-to-palestine-jewish-american-gun-violence-survivor-demands-no-more-munitions-to-israel
That's funny, after reading this article i checked to see when my subscription is up for renewal - I am going to cancel in May.
Sorry about your bad timing.
28,000+ and counting... And there's no shortage of those who scoff at allegations of genocide is occurring in Gaza. Netanyahu, Smotrich, Ben-Gvir, Gallant, Gantz and others have conducted a breathtakingly barbaric campaign since 10/7/23. Does any rational observer really think all this will conclude with "peace?"
"𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘢𝘻𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘊𝘑," 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 (South African) 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘊𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘭 𝘙𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘢. "𝘈𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦-𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺."
(Judd, I have deep respect for your reporting and mean no incivility. I'm just appalled at the heart-wrenching violence and destruction that continues -- abetted by U.S. support).
Yes.
We can’t really call ourselves Free if we can’t stop our government from facilitating genocide.
It wasn't mentioned here, but this bill prevents any funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), at all, under any circumstances, and fails to assure that any amount will go to provide aid to Gaza, as the aid portion is to be divided amongst different groups with no specific allocations.
Section 614:
“None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this division and division B of this Act, and prior Acts making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs, may be made available for a contribution, grant, or other payment to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, notwithstanding any other provision of law.”
Let us, we the people, step up and support UNRWA. If our governments won’t act in accordance with humanity, then we will. https://www.unrwausa.org/donate
Thank you! Exactly.
Rachel my millenial daughter age 35 would appreciate you. She shows me Tik Tok reports on the daily from Palestinian journalists. I don't often trust Tik Tok because of it's China connection, but this is real. It needs to be addressed and instead of tossing money at Netanyahu it should be withheld. We are just going to be killing civilians in Gaza from farther up the pike.
Weeks before Oct 7, Israelis were protesting his fascist judicial reforms in the streets. Conveniently a war came along and he's a hero at home. Nationalism bred the Iraqi war and Bush rode the wave. Same BS different country and over 20 years later, but still BS. Good for you for speaking out.
I'm disappointed in how credulously this piece is says that the Biden administration is "sounding the alarm." This article from a couple days ago provides a months-long list of articles suggesting that Biden is concerned with Israel's conduct of the war. https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/biden-upset-israel-netanyahu/ These concerns never correspond to any policy changes, which is crucial context.
That's the context that we are putting it in. The the policy change -- the memorandum -- will likely have no practical impact.
Yes, but I would argue that after months of articles saying that Biden is privately concerned, saying that this counts as "sounding the alarm" is a bit of a mischaracterization. It feels like the pattern of reports that correspond to nothing concrete make the reported concerns seem disingenuous, a fig-leaf for Biden's domestic audience.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/2/13/2223276/-Biden-delivers-tough-love-takes-historic-step-Conditioning-aid-to-Israel
According to OCHA since the start of 2024, humanitarian partners had planned 77 missions to deliver aid and undertake assessments to areas to the north of Wadi Gaza. Of those, only 12 were facilitated by the Israeli authorities, three missions where partial humanitarian objectives were met, 14 were impeded, 39 were denied access, and nine were postponed by the UN agencies. Facilitated missions primarily included food distribution, while the access of missions to support critical hospitals and facilities providing water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) services remained among those overwhelmingly denied. During the same period, there were 189 planned missions to areas assessed as necessitating coordination to the south of Wadi Gaza. Of these, 107 were facilitated, two missions where partial humanitarian objectives were met, 18 were initially facilitated but then impeded, 48 were denied access, and 14 were postponed internally. Missions to areas not requiring coordination south of Wadi Gaza are not included in the above.
The number of trucks entering into Gaza remains well below the 500 trucks a day target, with significant difficulties in bringing supplies in through both Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) and Rafah. As of 12 February, the Rafah border crossing was closed due to security concerns.
As of 12 February, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since the beginning of hostilities is now 156.
The numbers don't lie. Thanks for you work, Rachel.
Thank you for this one.
Words are easy. Politicians say them all the time. This piece does a good job illustrating how empty they really are, when actions communicate an entirely different message:
"In recent days, the Biden administration has said publicly that it does not plan on using the memorandum to condition aid to Israel. A National Security Council spokesperson told Defense News, “[W]e have not seen any violations of the standards so have no plans to restrict assistance at this time.”
Oh.
The feckless democrats - “All of our arms transfers, including arms transfers to Israel, are rooted in the basic proposition that they will be used consistent with law of armed conflict.” The ICJ will likely determine Israel is committing a genocide and the US is complicit in it. One of the only things the US exports is our military and weapons, so this isn't surprising. It does show that both the dithering dems and the Republicans are basically the same.
In no way are they the “same”—stop trolling with false information.
https://www.jphilll.com/p/how-mass-media-is-enabling-mass-murder?r=xr3cf&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
There must be a permanent ceasefire in Gaza in order to comply with the ICJ ruling, that there is a plausible case that Israel is committing genocide. The ceasefire, is not one, where Palestinians continue suffering under oppressive conditions, but as a place where all live with peace and equality. It is time for Pope Francis to do more than talk. He must go to Gaza and make a stand for peace and freedom.
Please sign the petition and share widely.
https://chng.it/CRQ7qw4Gzn
Code pink
https://www.codepink.org/cnngaza?utm_campaign=12_15_pali_update_alert_3&utm_medium=email&utm_source=codepink
If we can do more, let us do more.
Netanyahu in many cases is not much better at than Hitler. He stops short when it comes to branding Palestinians with tattoos and he hasn’t set up death camps yet. He just doesn’t let them escape before he destroys the buildings they live in.
I know many Israelis people feel the same way and protest against him.
Thank you for clear and concise explanations.