Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Paul Rudnick, Paul Rogers

I love this Tweet.



It's funny and he does look like Granny.


To the serious news.  Will the slaughter in Gaza ever end?  Paul Rogers (GUARDIAN) notes how ineffective Joe Biden is:




Meanwhile, what of the other question: the position of the Biden administration? There may be increasingly strong messages directed at Netanyahu to limit the Palestinian losses, but they have been to little avail. It’s as if the Israelis know they can they ignore Biden without consequence.

The Israel lobby is certainly very strong in Washington, and the Pentagon connections with Israel are deep. They were greatly strengthened when Israeli advice was sought as the Iraq War went so wrong in 2003, and even now US forces are permanently based in Israel running a key X-band radar early warning facility. The US later helped to build Baladia, a permanent Arab “town” for military training. The flow of hardware through to Israel at present is massive, and highly profitable for the US military industrial machine.

The main Israeli lobby group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), is very effective but there are also American Jewish organisations, such as the J Street group in Washington, that are very unhappy about the direction of the war. What remains missing from an understanding of Biden’s position is the benefit Israel gains from the support of Christian Zionists in the US.


He's worthless and people are noticing it.  USA TODAY notes:


Senior advisers to President Joe Biden admitted “mistakes” and apologized privately to Arab Americans in Michigan for the way the administration has handled the war in Gaza and for how it has talked publicly about Palestinians during the deadly conflict with Israel.


Biden on Thursday dispatched several of his top aides to Dearborn, the U.S. city with the highest percentage of Arab Americans, for a series of private meetings with politicians, community advocates and faith leaders for discussions about the war in Gaza.

Abbas Alawieh, a Dearborn activist who attended one of the meetings, said the officials admitted “mistakes and missteps” in the administration’s response to the conflict.

Agreed.  He's blowing it and he should announce he's not seeking re-election.  His argument in 2016 was that he was the most electable.  There's no way he's that this year.




Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), who’s running for the Senate in California, said Monday that age limits “for all elected officials” should be discussed. 
“I do think generally that age limits are a conversation for all elected officials that we ought to be having,” Porter said Monday night during a California Senate debate. Porter made the remarks in response to a question about whether President Biden, 81, and former President Trump, 77, are “too old” to run for office.

“I think that’s a conversation we ought to be open to. I think we need a mix of people who’ve had years of experience and people like me, who’ve only been in Congress for five years. But I think we have to have that conversation,” Porter said.  



Agreed and can someone show Babsie Lee the door?  She'll be 78 in July and she doesn't need to be in the primary to fill DiFi's seat.  78 is too damn old to be joining the Senate.  


Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"


Tuesday, February 13, 2024.  Two Aljazeera journalists are attacked by a drone, the Israeli government makes a mockery of Joe Biden, the Church of England weighs in on the slaughter, and much more including you can Tweet Debra Messing's buddy and the director of her  upcoming 'documentary' on hate.



Our colleagues, Ismail Abu Omar, an Al Jazeera correspondent, as well as his cameraman Ahmad Matar in northern Rafah, were documenting the living conditions of displaced Palestinian families.

They were documenting the horror that they experienced within the past 24 hours as massive air strikes on major parts of Rafah city – where close to 100 people were killed – when they were directly targeted by a missile fired by a drone.

They were transferred to Gaza European Hospital, where they underwent immediate surgeries.

Unfortunately, Omar went through surgery where his leg had to be amputated as the shrapnel fractured his bones to the point that [his leg] was not attached properly. The doctors had to amputate his leg to save his life.

This is not the first incident and we are expecting this is not the last one. There is ongoing, systematic, almost consistent attacks on journalists – there are more than 100 journalists since the beginning of this war who have been targeted.

The death toll continues to climb.  At least 85 journalists have been killed in Gaza.  Ayat Khadoura was killed on November 20th and THE WASHINGTON POST notes her and others killed.  



Radio Free Amanda notes, "85 was the number two months ago -- CPJ tends to be slow at processing and releasing these figures. According to UN reports and Gaza's own Government Media office, the number is at least 122 journalists killed by Israel at this point."  Reporters Without Borders notes:

The toll of four months of war in Gaza on journalism is nothing short of horrifying: Palestinian journalists killed, wounded, and prevented from working without any possibility of safe refuge. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) strongly condemns the eradication of journalism and the right to information in Gaza by the Israeli army, and calls on States and international organisations to increase pressure on Israel to immediately cease this carnage.

 

In 124 days of conflict, at least 84 journalists have been killed in Gaza, including at least 20 in the course of their journalistic work or in connection with it, according to RSF’s data. Journalists are being decimated as the days of this interminable war go by, through incessant Israeli strikes from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip. Journalists who have survived these four months are living a daily hell: In inhumane conditions, they suffer shortages of all kinds, particularly of equipment, as well as regular media blackouts.


Just a reminder that Selma Blair is trying to hide out after making her anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim statements.  While she hides out, let's not forget that there are others.  Kelly McClure (SALON) notes:


In the since deleted comment, Blair writes, “Deport all these terrorist supporting goons. Islam has destroyed Muslim countries and then they come here and destroy minds. They know they are liars. Twisted justifications. May they meet their fate.”

In a series of replies beneath her own, actor Michael Rapaport chimes in with "Love it," and actress Debra Messing adds her own endorsement of the controversial sentiments with, "THANK YOU."


Like Selma, Debra Messing also thinks she can pretend it never happened and hide out.  And, of course, no one wants to leave a Tweet for Michael Rapaport because we all know any word having two or more syllables will go right over his head.

So what to do?  What to do?  

As Ava and I noted in "TV: The hate spreaders," Debra Messing -- of all people -- is producing a 'documentary' about the rise in hate.  And, no, it's not called THE DEBRA MESSING SHOW: WHERE I EXPLAIN HOW I HATEFUL AND ISLAMAPHOBIC I TRULY AM.  It could be called DEBRA MESSING: ANYTIME I TRY TO PART MY HAIR MY BALDNESS SHOWS.  She wants to call it PRIMAL FEAR and joining her in this 'documentary' will be director Wendy Sachs.  


She's thanking her friend Todd Richman -- the one with the face only a mother could love, the one who is co-chair of Democratic Majority For Israel -- a UN hating body of Americans dedicated to another country.  How sweet.

Wendy Sachs will be directing Debra's fictional 'documentary' and I'm sure Wendy's happy to hear all feedback and promote her 'documentary.'  So feel free to visit her Twitter base.
 

On Twitter, the prosecutor at The International Criminal Court has left a lengthy Tweet:



I am deeply concerned by the reported bombardment and potential ground incursion by Israeli forces in Rafah.     My Office has an ongoing and active investigation into the situation in the State of Palestine. This is being taken forward as a matter of the utmost urgency, with a view to bringing to justice those responsible for Rome Statute crimes.   All wars have rules and the laws applicable to armed conflict cannot be interpreted so as to render them hollow or devoid of meaning.  This has been my consistent message, including from Ramallah last year.  Since that time, I have not seen any discernible change in conduct by Israel.  As I have repeatedly emphasised, those who do not comply with the law should not complain later when my Office takes action pursuant to its mandate.   To all those involved: my Office is actively investigating any crimes allegedly committed.  Those who are in breach of the law will be held accountable.   I also continue to call for the immediate release of all hostages.  This also represents an important focus of our investigations.








AMY GOODMAN: Palestinian health officials say overnight Israeli strikes on Rafah in southern Gaza have killed at least 67 people as concern grows Israel will soon launch a full-scale ground invasion. Over a million displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in Rafah, which borders Egypt, after Israel claimed it was a safe zone. Palestinians in Rafah say a mosque and several houses were hit by the overnight Israeli strikes.

KHALED AL-TAWEEL: [translated] It was an Apache firing with a really loud noise. The F-16s fired, the Cobra, the drone, all kinds of aircraft. Terror, terror, so much terror. They wiped out mosques, people, and displaced people. They kept saying, “Go to Rafah. Go to Rafah.” And people came here. And then you target them?

AMY GOODMAN: Over the weekend, Israel carried out numerous airstrikes on Rafah, including one that leveled a five-story home, killing at least eight people.

ENAS AMER: [translated] My sister and her husband are sleeping in the room, and my mother and my other sister with her children in the living room, me and my father in the room over here. Suddenly, a rocket fell on us. My sister, her husband and their children, including my niece, who is 2 months old, all gone.

AMY GOODMAN: The overnight airstrikes came as Israeli forces carried out an operation in Rafah to free two Israeli Argentine hostages, who were found to be in good condition. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces increasing pressure at home to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza. Earlier today, a relative of the two men freed in Rafah called for Israel to reach a deal now.

EDAN BEGERANO: And we know about the discussions in Cairo, or in Paris, in others, between the Hamas and between Israel, with the mediators. Please, be serious and strike a deal. The Israeli people need the deal done — not yesterday, not tomorrow, today. We want it done as soon as possible in order for to give us some breath. We must breathe a little bit here.

AMY GOODMAN: On Sunday, President Biden spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning against Israel launching a ground invasion of Rafah. Aid agencies fear the offensive would cause massive casualties, while UNICEF has warned an escalation of Israel’s attacks in Rafah will cause hunger and disease to skyrocket. Hamas cautioned an Israeli invasion of Rafah will torpedo ongoing negotiations for a truce. Authorities in Egypt have also threatened to suspend a key peace treaty with Israel if Rafah is invaded.

For more, we’re going directly to Rafah to speak with Duha Latif. She’s a 29-year-old teacher from Gaza trying to evacuate Rafah with her young children, 6-year-old Ameer and 1-and-a-half-year-old Kareem.

Duha, welcome to Democracy Now! Especially under these difficult circumstances, we appreciate you being with us. You are a native of Rafah. Can you describe the situation there now?

DUHA LATIF: Hello, Amy. Thanks for hosting.

I’m sure most of you saw the news yesterday. And what happened in Rafah, it was the worst night in my life, and I really cannot believe that I am still alive. And actually, situation here is very terrible. Rafah is a small city, and now 1.5 million people in Rafah, and Rafah is just 55 square kilometers, which means that per square kilometers in Rafah, there are around 24,000 Palestinians. Just imagine this, Amy. Therefore, it is very difficult to get food, water or medicine, in addition to the spread of diseases, because of a large population. Also, Rafah is a city with no hospital, no electricity, no bakeries since four months. This is the situation here.

AMY GOODMAN: You are 29 years old. You’re a teacher, Duha, in Rafah?

DUHA LATIF: Yes, that’s right.

AMY GOODMAN: The city has swelled to four times the population. Can you talk about your attempts to get out with your two little ones, your 1-and-a-half-year-old and your 6-year-old?

DUHA LATIF: The issue of leaving Rafah and evacuation to Egypt is very complicated, and it’s very, very expensive, because we need the approval of the Egyptian side to grant us exit arrangements, which costs a large amount of money. And this is what we don’t have at the present time. And this is what got me created a GoFundMe account, because we don’t have money to get out from Gaza.

AMY GOODMAN: What do you mean? How much money does it cost to leave Gaza? What are you raising money for?

DUHA LATIF: In fact, I can’t determine that exactly, but I can tell you that’s the amount required to be paid to exit Gaza. It’s considered somewhat high, very high, especially in our current case. This amount includes the travel cost and the expensive coordination, in addition to what is required when we arrive in Egypt side — of course, if we’re still alive — such as renting a place to stay and buy clothes and food and children needs. Actually, we don’t know to whom this money goes, and I cannot mention specific site. But what I know, it’s that we have to pay this amount for one of Egyptian offices.

AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about your little ones and how they are processing what’s happening right now? Do you hear bombing, shelling around you?

DUHA LATIF: Yes, yes. Last night, maybe you see this in the news. And it was terrible. And we are all — that my children was scared all the night, and they’re crying. And maybe you see what’s happened in the news. And what’s happened, really, is very, very hard and difficult.

AMY GOODMAN: I’m wondering if you heard the relative of the two Israeli Argentine hostages who the Israeli military freed in Rafah. Their relative said, “Please, have a truce now. It is not enough that you have freed our two loved ones.”

DUHA LATIF: Yes. No, I don’t hear of this. And I am like you: I hear this just from the news.

AMY GOODMAN: So, if you can talk about, at this point, what message you have for President Biden? You may have heard that his aides are saying that he’s made mistakes in dealing with the Middle East. What message do you have for President Biden?

DUHA LATIF: I will send a message. I have two children, and they are always nervous and afraid from the voices they hear around us, and always ask me questions I don’t have the answers for it: “Mom, when can we get out? Mom, when we will eat burger? Mom, when we can go back to school?” And it’s difficult to calm children while the mother needs somebody to calm her. So, my message to President Biden: We are innocent civilians, and we have no fault in what is happening. Our children deserve to live a normal life like the rest of the world’s children. Just one word, President Biden: ceasefire now. You have the power to make it happen right now.

AMY GOODMAN: And, Duha, do you have access to clean water? Also, have you taken in refugees from other parts of Gaza at this point into your own home?

DUHA LATIF: And actually, Amy, yes, I have, but there is only canned foods, beans and tuna, for four months. My children are in a growing stage and need healthy and useful food, like an egg, milk, fruits. And all of this doesn’t exist at the present time. There is no clean water. Because of this, my young son Kareem, 1-and-a-half years, suffered intestinal khatar. And also, there is also no medicine for this. Also, about the refugees, yes, our situation like the situation of thousands people here in Rafah. Yes, I have many refugees in my home. They are my relatives from Gaza, in northern Gaza. Every home in Rafah is full of refugees.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, I thank you so much for taking this time, speaking to us from Rafah.

DUHA LATIF: Amy, I want just to say a word. Can I?

AMY GOODMAN: Yes.

DUHA LATIF: We are urgently trying to leave Rafah, but we need money to leave. We have a GoFundMe account, if people want to support us by donating or sharing or help my family. We need to leave to keep my family safe.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, Duha Latif, I thank you so much for being with us, 29-year-old teacher from Rafah, trying to evacuate there with her young children, her 6-year-old Ameer and her 1-and-a-half-year-old Kareem.

When we come back, we’ll speak with Palestinian human rights attorney Noura Erakat, as the U.S., the European Union, countries around the world warn Israel against a ground invasion of Rafah. Stay with us.


This morning, DAWN notes:

Pakistan has condemned Israel’s “military aggression against Rafah city in Gaza and the resulting destruction and massacre of the Palestinian people”.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said: “Israel’s offensive in Rafah violates the provisional measures indicated by the International Court of Justice to protect the people of Gaza from “genocide”.

“It will further aggravate the humanitarian disaster witnessed in Gaza over the last four months and jeopardise the ongoing efforts for a potential ceasefire,” the FO warned.

Pakistan urged the “international community, especially the UN Security Council, to take urgent measures to bring an immediate end to Israeli aggression and its incessant crimes against humanity”.


Gaza remains under assault. Day 130 of  the assault in the wave that began in October.  Binoy Kampmark (DISSIDENT VOICE) points out, "Bloodletting as form; murder as fashion.  The ongoing campaign in Gaza by Israel’s Defence Forces continues without stalling and restriction.  But the burgeoning number of corpses is starting to become a challenge for the propaganda outlets:  How to justify it?  Fortunately for Israel, the United States, its unqualified defender, is happy to provide cover for murder covered in the sheath of self-defence."   CNN has explained, "The Gaza Strip is 'the most dangerous place' in the world to be a child, according to the executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund."  ABC NEWS quotes UNICEF's December 9th statement, ""The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. Scores of children are reportedly being killed and injured on a daily basis. Entire neighborhoods, where children used to play and go to school have been turned into stacks of rubble, with no life in them."  NBC NEWS notes, "Strong majorities of all voters in the U.S. disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of foreign policy and the Israel-Hamas war, according to the latest national NBC News poll. The erosion is most pronounced among Democrats, a majority of whom believe Israel has gone too far in its military action in Gaza."  The slaughter continues.  It has displaced over 1 million people per the US Congressional Research Service.  Jessica Corbett (COMMON DREAMS) points out, "Academics and legal experts around the world, including Holocaust scholars, have condemned the six-week Israeli assault of Gaza as genocide."   The death toll of Palestinians in Gaza is grows higher and higher.  United Nations Women noted, "More than 1.9 million people -- 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza -- have been displaced, including what UN Women estimates to be nearly 1 million women and girls. The entire population of Gaza -- roughly 2.2 million people -- are in crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse."  NBC NEWS notes, "More than 28,400 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. More than 68,000 have been injured, and thousands more are missing and presumed dead."  Months ago,  AP  noted, "About 4,000 people are reported missing."  February 7th, Jeremy Scahill explained on DEMOCRACY NOW! that "there’s an estimated 7,000 or 8,000 Palestinians missing, many of them in graves that are the rubble of their former home."  February 5th, the United Nations' Phillipe Lazzarini Tweeted:






And the area itself?  Isabele Debre (AP) reveals, "Israel’s military offensive has turned much of northern Gaza into an uninhabitable moonscape. Whole neighborhoods have been erased. Homes, schools and hospitals have been blasted by airstrikes and scorched by tank fire. Some buildings are still standing, but most are battered shells."  Kieron Monks (I NEWS) reports, "More than 40 per cent of the buildings in northern Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, according to a new study of satellite imagery by US researchers Jamon Van Den Hoek from Oregon State University and Corey Scher at the City University of New York. The UN gave a figure of 45 per cent of housing destroyed or damaged across the strip in less than six weeks. The rate of destruction is among the highest of any conflict since the Second World War."   

As the assault goes on, US President Joe Biden tut-tuts and does nothing.  Harriet Sherwood (THE GUARDIAN) reports:

Church of England bishops have added their weight to calls for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas

In a statement on Tuesday, the bishops said: "With the onset of Israel’s ground offensive into Rafah, we call for an immediate ceasefire. The relentless bombardment of Gaza and its huge cost in civilian lives and civilian infrastructure must stop. The manner in which this war is being prosecuted cannot be morally justified.

"We urge Israel to adhere to the ICJ order and to ensure that Palestinians have access to food, water, healthcare, and safety, that have long been denied to them. We welcome the [UK] foreign secretary’s recent call for an immediate pause in the fighting and would also welcome further representation to the government of Israel about the way that it is exercising its right to self-defence and to affirm adherence to international law.

"We continue to advocate for the release of the remaining hostages and an end to the missile attacks on Israel by Hamas. All sides must begin to imagine a future beyond this conflict: for a just peace for Israelis and Palestinians. This war can’t result in the consolidation of a system of occupation that has for too long denied Palestinians their rights and freedoms.

"In praying for all those in Israel and Palestine living in the midst of war and the fear of war, we pray particularly for the Palestinian Christian communities, that they may know strength and the presence of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

"As we consider the impact of the current conflict in the Middle East on community relations here in the UK, we again condemn all antisemitic and anti-Muslim sentiment. We are horrified by the growing threats and abuses of Jews on university campuses, in our neighbourhoods, and online. We appeal to our communities to be safe for all people whatever their nationality, ethnicity or religion. For our own part, we commit to working alongside our fellow faith leaders for the common good, despite and with our differences."



Of Namby Pamby Joe, the BBC notes, "US President Joe Biden has said civilians who are 'packed'  into Rafah in the Gaza Strip are 'exposed and vulnerable' and must be protected.  Israel must make 'credible' efforts to protect the more than one million Palestinians sheltering in the southern Gazan city, he said."  The Israeli government isn't even pretending to listen.  CNN's Alex Stambaugh reports, "The Israeli military has not yet presented its plan to the government for the evacuation of Rafah, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told CNN on Tuesday."  If no plan's been presented, Joe's insisting (meekly) that a plan for evacuation needs to be in place before the assault starts?  They've blown off Joe.  They're not listening.  

 
The following sites updated:


Posted by at

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

X-Men movies; cray cray GOP politicians

DARK PHOENIX should have been a great movie.  It was garbage.



Like Kat, I blame Sophie Turner and her weak-ass and pathetic portrayal of Jean Grey.  But Sophie wasn't the only problem.

I liked the first X-Men film. I found Rogue boring but thought Wolverine and Jean and Storm were great.  I liked the second X-Men movie.  But the third was way too overpopulated and Jean shouldn't be competing with that weak-ass Kitty Pride who did nothing but run, run, run!!!! from the meanies.  Pathetic.  


The First Class was more garbage.  And women became even less powerful.  Days of Future Past was more garbage except for the real time scenes with Storm.  Instead, we had Quick Silver and all these other male characters and weren't supposed to notice.  


It's a real shame that after all the X-Men films, the best one remains the first one.  By contrast, there are three Wolverine films and each one got better.

Anyway.

Today, I found myself asking, "Who is Nancy Mace?"  With so many Republicans -- crazy Republicans -- rabid Republicans -- in the House, it can be difficult to keep track of them.  Andrew Sanders (STATE OF THE UNION) reports:


Republican Rep. Nancy Mace has experienced significant staff turnover, with her entire Capitol Hill team leaving since November 1, 2023.

Her former chief of staff, Dan Hanlon, who was fired in December 2023, is now running against her in the congressional primary.

Reports have surfaced citing a “toxic” and “abusive” environment within Mace’s office, with former staffers expressing dissatisfaction with unrealistic expectations, long hours, and a focus on media appearances over legislating.

How bad do you have to be in order for your entire office staff to quit on you?

C'mon.  

So I'm looking at WIKIPEDIA.  She's not as crazy as some.  She feels that contraception should be available -- especially for those serving in the military. She's not an Islamaphobe.  She's not a homophobe.  So what's going on?  Sometimes it can just be someone's persona.  Or maybe she's considered 'out of touch' with some who wanted to work for a Republican member of Congress.



A CNN report published Sunday details how a group of House Republicans are taking heat politically and financially for leading the coup that saw former Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., ousted from the speakership in October. 


The report noted that conservative Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Bob Good, R-Va., have "arguably received the most incoming fire," as each politician faces "serious threats" to their primary reelection. CNN also reported that Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., who recently joined the Senate race in his state, is likewise being buffeted by certain Republican sentiment for his vote to boot McCarthy.

GOP sources close to the situation told CNN that an external Republican spending group and McCarthy himself have readied plans to be involved in the races against both representatives. Good came under fire for aligning himself with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis instead of former President Donald Trump, ahead of DeSantis' official bid for the 2024 presidential race, which he has since dropped.

Two Washington D.C.-based center-right-leaning groups, the Main Street Caucus and Republican Governance Group, have let go of Mace, with one House Republican telling CNN, "She really wants to be a caucus of one. So we obliged her."

Broader discontent with Mace has ostensibly been mounting for some time — it was recently reported by The Daily Beast that the entirety of Mace's D.C. staff had turned over since November 1, 2023, alleging a "toxic" workplace and "abusive" behavior by the congresswoman.


Go read Ava and C.I.'s "TV: The hate spreaders" -- and I'm glad they posted that Sunday night.  After the Super Bowl, I wasn't of the mind, "Great, now we can spend hours working on THIRD!"

Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"


Monday, February 12, 2024.  Hate merchants Selma Blair, Michael Rapaport and Debra Messing take the masks off to go full KKK, a missing six-year-old girl is discovered in Gaza days after the IDF killed her, despite Joe Biden's begging the assault on Rafah has begun, and much more.


 

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization, today condemned anti-Muslim remarks made by actress Selma Blair and encouraged her to apologize and dialogue with the Muslim American community.

CAIR also called on film studios and talent agencies to stop punishing artists who express support for Palestinian human rights while ignoring hateful remarks by artists who support the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

In a comment on Instagram, Blair reportedly wrote: “Deport all these terrorist supporting goons. Islam has destroyed Muslim countries and then they come here and destroy minds. 

They know they are liars. Twisted justifications. May they meet their fate.”

According to allegations posted online, Blair has also allegedly liked other posts on social media that expressed anti-Muslim and anti-migrant sentiment.

In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:

“No one is born a bigot, and we should never assume that someone is doomed to remain a bigot. 

“Based on the hateful and ignorant remarks that Ms. Blair made, we doubt that she has ever engaged in any meaningful interactions with her Muslim colleagues in Hollywood or other members of the American Muslim community. We encourage Ms. Blair to apologize, and we also invite her to dialogue with our community. 

“We also call on Hollywood studios and agencies to stop punishing artists who express support for Palestinian human rights while ignoring hateful comments by artists who support the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”

CAIR recently released new civil rights data showing that it has received 3,578 complaints during the last three months of 2023 amid an ongoing wave of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate. Most recently, in Austin, Texas, a man screaming racist slurs attacked a group of Palestinian American Muslims who had just attend a pro-ceasefire protest.

On Monday, Feb. 12, (noon ET), CAIR plans to hold a news conference with the sons of Samaher Esmail, an American citizen and grandmother from New Orleans who was recently kidnapped, beaten, and denied access to medicine by Israeli forces in the West Bank.


Some may be saying "Who?" because, yes, she is a little nobody.  She's been wrongly billed, over the weekend, as a star of CRUEL INTENTIONS.  That film and the films before it and the novel have three main characters, she's not playing any of those three.  She's a supporting actress in that film.  She's a hacktress who got fired by Charlie Sheen (from the TV show ANGER MANAGEMENT).  She rode her illness to something akin to fame and did so while real disability activists were calling her into question.  She never had a career to speak of and now she probably never will because hate doesn't sell a lot of tickets.  In "The hateful people who destroy our world," Marcia gathered some of the responses on Twitter to Selma.  Speaking of Marcias, Marcia Cross of MELROSE PLACE and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES fame is in the news.  ALJAZEERA reports:

Marcia Cross, known for her role as Bree Van de Kamp on the popular TV series Desperate Housewives, has written on her Instagram page: “I’m struggling to comprehend how to live among people with eyes that don’t water, hearts that don’t flinch, and voices that remain silent.”

She ended her statement with emojis of a broken heart and the flag of Palestine.

“There are no words for the horror that has and is being unleashed. And the silence has me believing I am deaf,” she wrote in the post.


Back to the trash that is Selma Blair, THE NEW ARAB notes:

Blair was joined by controversial actors Michael Rapaport, who commented on Hamra's video "Love it", and Debra Messing, who posted: "THANK YOU".

Messing herself received backlash for ridiculing the exit of Palestinian Journalist Motaz Azaiza from Gaza on Instagram, going as far as to question Azaiza's journalistic credentials.


Michael Rapaport is human filth and the best that can be said about his "Love it" is that maybe typing that prevented him for a moment or two from again beating up a woman.  The most appalling thing is that hate merchant Debra Messing is making a 'documentary,' as Ava and I noted in "TV: The hate spreaders."  The mask is off, she's shown her true self -- she actually showed her true self on the set of the WILL & GRACE reboot so grasp what Megan Mullally had to work with and why Megan said, "No more."  But now she wants to be a documentary director and thinks she can show her hate online but still trick people into believing she's worth listening to.  She is not.  And anyone who participates in her garbage documentary -- I'm looking at you, Kirsten Gillibrand, especially --  should be ashamed of themselves.  And if you participate in it, you are signing off on the hate hate Debra herself has applauded.  You will own that look.

US President Joe Biden doesn't have a good look currently.   Yes, there have been multiple things in the last day.  I'm just focusing on the attack in southern Gaza, in Rafah.  Joe warned the world that Israel better have a plan for evacuation before the attack.  They didn't.  They don't.

The government of Israel just blew him off.  Just ignored him.  Just treated him like a powerless, doddering fool.  Is that the look he was going for?


Sunday?  ALJAZEERA notes, "Our Al Jazeera Arabic colleagues are reporting that at least 63 people were killed in strikes on two mosques in Rafah earlier tonight."  Yes, Israel is attacking Rafah -- home of an estimated 1.3 million people --  by ground and air. AP notes, "On Sunday, the White House said President Joe Biden had warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel should not conduct a military operation against Hamas in Rafah without a 'credible and executable' plan to protect civilians."  They also point out that they witnessed a strike on a hospital.  They don't point out that that is a War Crime.  Chantal da Silva (NBC NEWS) reports, "In photos captured by NBC News’ crew, multiple children could be seen among with the injured, including a young boy with a bandaged head and blood on his face and sweater."

They just blew him off and ignored him.


Other governments haven't been as weak as Joe.  CNN’s Catherine Nicholls reports today:


The Netherlands must stop the export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel within seven days, a Dutch court ruled on Monday, citing concerns that they could be used to violate international law as part of the Israeli campaign in Gaza.

“The court finds that there is a clear risk that Israel’s F-35 fighter jets might be used in the commission of serious violations of international humanitarian law,” The Hague Court of Appeal said in a statement.

“This means that the export of F-35 parts from the Netherlands to Israel has to be stopped.”

Three non-governmental organizations — Oxfam Novib, Pax for Peace, and The Rights Forum — appealed a previous Dutch court decision that allowed the continued export of F-35 parts to Israel.

On Monday, The Hague Court of Appeal said that under several international regulations that the Netherlands is a party to, the country must prevent the export of military equipment if there is a “clear risk of serious violations of international humanitarian law.”

The court said that Israel does not take “take sufficient account of the consequences of its attacks for the civilian population,” adding that its attacks on Gaza have resulted in a “disproportionate number of civilian casualties.”


Lisa O'Carroll (THE GUARDIAN) reports, "The EU’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, has said he is 'extraordinarily concerned' about Benjamin Netanyahu’s threats to launch attacks on Rafah with no evacuation plan and no prospect of refugee camps in Egypt." 

Doctors Without Borders is also objecting:


Doctors Without Borders, a medical charity also known by its French initials MSF, has said that “Israel’s declared ground offensive on Rafah would be catastrophic and must not proceed”.

“As aerial bombardment of the area continues, more than a million people, many living in tents and makeshift shelters, now face a dramatic escalation in this ongoing massacre,” it said on X.

“Nowhere in Gaza is safe, and repeated forced displacements have pushed people to Rafah, where they are trapped in a tiny patch of land and have no options,” it added.

MSF also said that, since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza, the organisation’s medical teams and patients have been forced to evacuate nine different healthcare facilities in the Gaza Strip.

It said the MSF facilities have come “under fire from tanks, artillery, fighter jets, snipers and ground troops, or being subject to an evacuation order”.



A top Biden administration aide privately admitted failures and "missteps" in the communication of US policy regarding Israel's ongoing war in Gaza in a closed-door meeting with Arab American and Muslim leaders in Michigan last week. 

"We have left a very damaging impression, based on what has been a wholly inadequate public accounting for how much the President, the administration, the country, values the lives of Palestinians," Deputy National Security adviser Jon Finer was heard telling community leaders in a recording obtained by CBS News. "We are very well aware that we have misstepped in the course of responding to this crisis." 

Finer also acknowledged that many in the Arab American community believe Mr. Biden doesn't empathize with Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The audio recording was verified by a National Security Council official. 

Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy responded to Finer's remarks Sunday during an interview on "Face the Nation With Margaret Brennan" and said the administration plans to make changes. He pointed to President Biden's Thursday statement that Israel has "gone too far" in Gaza, and a recent call by Secretary of State Antony Blinken for Israel not to dehumanize others as Israelis themselves had been dehumanized by Hamas during the brutal attacks on Oct. 7 that began the current conflict.





How do you respond to that?



Gaza remains under assault. Day 129 of  the assault in the wave that began in October.  Binoy Kampmark (DISSIDENT VOICE) points out, "Bloodletting as form; murder as fashion.  The ongoing campaign in Gaza by Israel’s Defence Forces continues without stalling and restriction.  But the burgeoning number of corpses is starting to become a challenge for the propaganda outlets:  How to justify it?  Fortunately for Israel, the United States, its unqualified defender, is happy to provide cover for murder covered in the sheath of self-defence."   CNN has explained, "The Gaza Strip is 'the most dangerous place' in the world to be a child, according to the executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund."  ABC NEWS quotes UNICEF's December 9th statement, ""The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. Scores of children are reportedly being killed and injured on a daily basis. Entire neighborhoods, where children used to play and go to school have been turned into stacks of rubble, with no life in them."  NBC NEWS notes, "Strong majorities of all voters in the U.S. disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of foreign policy and the Israel-Hamas war, according to the latest national NBC News poll. The erosion is most pronounced among Democrats, a majority of whom believe Israel has gone too far in its military action in Gaza."  The slaughter continues.  It has displaced over 1 million people per the US Congressional Research Service.  Jessica Corbett (COMMON DREAMS) points out, "Academics and legal experts around the world, including Holocaust scholars, have condemned the six-week Israeli assault of Gaza as genocide."   The death toll of Palestinians in Gaza is grows higher and higher.  United Nations Women noted, "More than 1.9 million people -- 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza -- have been displaced, including what UN Women estimates to be nearly 1 million women and girls. The entire population of Gaza -- roughly 2.2 million people -- are in crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse."  NBC NEWS notes, "The war in Gaza has killed 28,340 people and injured 67,984, health officials in the enclave said today."  Months ago,  AP has noted, "About 4,000 people are reported missing."  February 7th, Jeremy Scahill explained on DEMOCRACY NOW! that "there’s an estimated 7,000 or 8,000 Palestinians missing, many of them in graves that are the rubble of their former home."  February 5th, the United Nations' Phillipe Lazzarini Tweeted:






And the area itself?  Isabele Debre (AP) reveals, "Israel’s military offensive has turned much of northern Gaza into an uninhabitable moonscape. Whole neighborhoods have been erased. Homes, schools and hospitals have been blasted by airstrikes and scorched by tank fire. Some buildings are still standing, but most are battered shells."  Kieron Monks (I NEWS) reports, "More than 40 per cent of the buildings in northern Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, according to a new study of satellite imagery by US researchers Jamon Van Den Hoek from Oregon State University and Corey Scher at the City University of New York. The UN gave a figure of 45 per cent of housing destroyed or damaged across the strip in less than six weeks. The rate of destruction is among the highest of any conflict since the Second World War."   



The decomposing body of a missing young Palestinian girl was found Saturday in Gaza surrounded by her dead relatives in a bullet-ridden, tank-crushed car near a blasted ambulance and the bodies of two paramedics killed by Israeli troops while trying to save the child.

The plight of 6-year-old Hind Rajab drew worldwide attention after the Palestine Red Crescent Society published a recording of a desperate phone call made by her 15-year-old cousin Layan Hamadeh to the PRCS as her family came under Israeli tank attack while trying to flee to safety in their car in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood of southern Gaza City at dusk on January 29. 

"They are shooting at us. The tank is right next to me. We're in the car, the tank is right next to us," Hamadeh said before screaming as gunfire erupts and the call goes silent. 

Along with Hamadeh, Rajab's aunt, uncle, and two other cousins were killed. But Rajab—who was wounded in the back and hand—initially survived.

"Come take me. Will you come and take me?" she begged PRCS dispatcher Rana al-Faqeh over the phone, telling her that she was afraid of the dark. "I'm so scared, please come!"

An ambulance was dispatched to rescue Rajab. But it, too, came under Israeli attack, and crew members Yusuf Zeino and Ahmed Al-Madhoun were killed.

   



The following sites updated:





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