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toastykitten: (Default)
New Palestinian and Arab Studies program established at UC Berkeley. I love this so much: The May Ziadeh Chair will be held by UC Berkeley History Professor Ussama Makdisi(link is external), a leading scholar of modern Arab history, who joined UC Berkeley in 2022 from Rice University, where he was the first holder of the Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair of Arab Studies. Makdisi, who has written numerous books and articles on Arab history, is the recipient of several prestigious awards and honors, including the Berlin Prize and being named a Carnegie Scholar.

“This gift allows us to meet evident student demand and interest in modern Palestinian history,” Makdisi said. “It permits us to explore the complex and long history of a multi-religious Palestine in the context of the wider Arab world. Most of all, it invites us to expand scholarly and ethical horizons, and connect Palestinian history more deeply with parallel fields of inquiry such as Indigenous, Latinx and Black history.”

May Ziadeh (1886–1941) was a pioneering Palestinian-Lebanese feminist, poet and writer, who played a key role in the Arab cultural renaissance in the modern Middle East. Born and raised in Nazareth before moving to Beirut and Cairo, Ziadeh personified the deep interconnections between Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world.


Canada halts 30 arms export permits to Israel, including US-linked deal.

Palestine makes history by taking seat at 79th UN General Assembly.

Aug. 7th, 2024 09:38 pm

politics

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You'll have to excuse me posting about politics so much. Anyway, some stuff:
  • We should be clear that the people who heckled Kamala Harris at the Michigan rally and the members of the Uncommitted delegation who met with her prior are 2 different groups. Anyway, I'm not a fan of how she dismissed the protesters. There were more productive ways to deal with it, and no, none of it means they want Trump in the White House instead. Kamala is part of the Biden administration; she has Biden's ear, and she can influence him to change. So it's not an unreasonable ask for our country to commit to following US laws regarding use of weapons.
  • Especially in light of (SERIOUS TRIGGER WARNINGS) what's been revealed about what the IDF has been doing to Palestinian prisoners and Israelis rioting for their right to do it.
  • Anyway you can sign on to the Not Another Bomb petition here. Uncommitted's linktree.
  • I have some serious cognitive dissonance over Tim Walz's admirable championing of human rights in China, and his "unconditional support for Israel".
  • Seriously, I want to know what is the disconnect for all these politicians? That if people violate human rights in certain countries, it's morally reprehensible, but if Israel does it, it's always self-defense and morally justified? 
  • Interesting article on how Hollywood bigwigs are all in for Kamala Harris and are kind of fighting the techbro billionaires.

toastykitten: (Default)
the myth of kamala harris' gaza shift - As Caitlin so eloquently wrote yesterday, it is understandable that people are so hungry to seize on any scrap of potentially hopeful news about Harris. We have all been tormented by Joe Biden’s rotting visage and equally rotting politics for far too long, and there is a desperation for change.

But we should not invent change where no change is happening. Harris and Biden have been saying the same things about Gaza for a long time. The idea that she has any meaningful distance when it comes to the genocide is fanciful. Ahead of her meeting with Netanyahu, an aide was keen to point out to NBC that “Harris has been engaged on the Israel-Gaza conflict for the last 10 months…including participating in every call with Netanyahu as well as critical meetings like those with hostage families.” Maybe we should take that aide seriously.


Harris support for Israel "ironclad" after attack on Golan Heights - U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' support for Israel's security is "ironclad," her national security adviser Phil Gordon said on Sunday, adding that she has been briefed and is closely monitoring a rocket attack on a football ground in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

“The Vice President has been briefed and is closely monitoring Hezbollah’s horrific attack on a soccer field in Majdal Shams in northern Israel yesterday which killed a number of children and teenagers. She condemns this horrific attack and mourns for all those killed and wounded.

Arab Americans and the presidential campaigns - typical - Siblani, who organized Wednesday’s meeting with Trump surrogates, has spent months serving as an intermediary between his community and officials from all political parties and foreign dignitaries. Privately, he says, almost all express the need for a permanent cease-fire.

Everybody wants our votes, but nobody wants to be seen as aligning with us publicly,” Siblani said.

Kamala Harris will only shift on Gaza only if we make her - The last 10 months of destruction and carnage, in which the Israelis have killed more than 40,000 civilians and displaced 2 million more, have been a humanitarian catastrophe. They have also been a political disaster for the Democrats. Poll after poll shows that the demand for a ceasefire is mainstream, with voters more likely to cast a ballot for a Democrat who expresses clear support for one than a Democrat who mirrors the Republican on the issue. More than 45 percent of voters who expressed support for the Biden-Harris ticket say that military assistance to Israel should be decreased. The campaign for the “uncommitted” ballot option in states like Michigan, New Jersey, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Washington enabled Democratic voters in the hundreds of thousands, alongside professional organizers and activists, to express opposition to Biden’s unconditional support of Israel’s occupation and apartheid system.

Having watched Kamala Harris in CA politics most of my adult life, my general observation is that: she goes where the wind blows. So keeping up the pressure on her is the correct thing to do.

toastykitten: (Default)
I don't know why but I keep messing up pita bread. I want nothing more than light fluffy pieces of bread that puff up in the oven but I get heavy disks that taste right but just don't have that lightness. Damn, ok, this might be what I need to review

We recently shopped at our local Middle Eastern grocery store - it's tiny but it sells halal meat for a quite reasonable price, and they have an amazing spice array in the front. Previously it was all Sadaf products, which we had recently learned was on the boycott list. It's now stocked with Greenland food products, which by the way, you can order online too. I wasn't sure if the removal was related to recent events, but Google reviews where the owner responds to people complaining about the removal of Sadaf products confirms it was. Anyway, Greenland food products are not just comparable to Sadaf, but honestly I think they are better quality than Sadaf. 

We also found that they stocked Palestinian olive oil. Bought a bottle to try, but we have not opened it yet. 

Anyway yesterday saw someone literally argue, sure the Israeli govt is starving Gaza, bombing them, and its leaders say genocidal stuff, but that doesn't necessarily meet the definition of actual genocide....Like literally do you even hear yourself? 


For anyone interested, MetaFilter just posted a roundup of links related to ICJ ruling. Of interest: Palestinian groups forming a unity agreement in Beijing


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 https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/186/186-20240719-adv-01-00-en.pdf

TLDR: Israel's presence in Palestinian occupied territories is illegal and should end


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NYT archive.is -  Israeli generals, low on munitions, want a truce in Gaza

“The military is in full support of a hostage deal and a cease-fire,” said Eyal Hulata, who served as Israel’s national security adviser until early last year, and who speaks regularly with senior military officials.
“They believe that they can always go back and engage Hamas militarily in the future,” Mr. Hulata said. “They understand that a pause in Gaza makes de-escalation more likely in Lebanon. And they have less munitions, less spare parts, less energy than they did before — so they also think a pause in Gaza gives us more time to prepare in case a bigger war does break out with Hezbollah.”

The war is the most intense conflict that Israel has fought in at least four decades, and the longest it has ever fought in Gaza. In an army largely reliant on reservists, some are on their third tour of duty since October and struggling to balance the fighting with their professional and family commitments.
Fewer reservists are reporting for duty, according to four military officials. And officers are increasingly distrustful of their commanders, amid a crisis of confidence in the military leadership propelled in part by its failure to prevent the Hamas-led attack in October, according to five officers.
More than 300 soldiers have been killed in Gaza, short of what some military officials predicted before Israel invaded the territory. But more than 4,000 soldiers have been wounded since October, according to military statistics, 10 times the total during the 2014 war in Gaza, which lasted for just 50 days. An unknown number of others are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
At least some tanks in Gaza are not loaded with the full capacity of the shells that they usually carry, as the military tries to conserve its stocks in case a bigger war with Hezbollah does break out, according to two officers. Five officials and officers confirmed that the army was running low on shells. The army also lacks spare parts for its tanks, military bulldozers and armored vehicles, according to several of those officials.

I guess it turns out the students and the activists have been right since the beginning. Too bad everyone else had to pay the price. 

toastykitten: (Default)
Because how else would it explain:

Jeff Zients throwing a "morale-booster" party for Biden staffers upset about Israel/Palestine, which by the way, was disrupted by protesters telling them to quit their job and call for a ceasefire

Asking China to intervene with the Houthis that the US is currently bombing, and somehow being surprised that China is just taking advantage of the current situation and basically telling the US "that's your biz, stop your hostilities, then". ForeignPolicy had some analysis on China's support of the Palestinians. I don't know how this isn't intensely humiliating or embarrassing for the US. And also by attacking them they are somehow uniting more groups who would have been enemies at other times. 

Trying to send a campaign manager to a swing state to convince the Arabs you're on their side, and their only choice besides Trump without calling for a ceasefire or even mentioning the deaths of Palestinians in the last public statement made about the genocide. Everyone refuses to meet anyway. 


Jan. 18th, 2024 09:12 pm

ugh

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I'm supposed to vote for this guy? The best he can do is, "Well, I won't deport you like the other guy, at least."


Twitch streamer Hasan Piker interviews the Yemeni "Timhouthi Chamalet"


The next day, he posted a video explainer of Martin Luther King, Jr's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" of the "white moderate" part. 





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What is JewBelong’s Deal? This doesn’t really answer the question, but I would really like someone to get a deep dive behind this organization.

SaltCubeAnalytics interview with former US Ambassador Chad Freeman on Israel and whether it could be charged with war crimes. A very frank conversation where Mr. Freeman minces no words on Israel and how it will be viewed in the future. This is a YouTube video just FYI. No idea who the interviewer is, but it’s worth watching. 

Bloomberg, so I’m only linking for the headline: Red Sea Attacks: Shipping Shows Signs of Panic as Houthis Menace Key Trade Lane

McDonald’s CEO says Gaza boycott hurting sales in MENA region.

CNN Runs Gaza Coverage Past Jerusalem Team Operating Under Shadow of IDF Censor

Israel’s Talk of Expanding War to Lebanon Alarms US. No shit. WashPost link; I don’t have an account so don’t have a gift link.






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A Fired ‘Scream’ Star, Clients Booted From Agencies and a Secret Tom Cruise Meeting: Inside Hollywood’s Divide Over Israel - this absolute joke of a quote: “There’s just no excuse for not condemning Hamas and demanding the release of the hostages. Hollywood was quick to declare Black Lives Matter, as they should, and Time’s Up, as they should, and myriad other important causes,” Greenblatt tells Variety. “There’s plenty of room for criticism of Israel or to voice concerns about the ongoing war in Gaza, but that doesn’t provide celebrities and industry reps with an open license to wage unfair accusations against Israel, such as accusing it of ‘apartheid’ or ‘genocide’ or, worse, to celebrate the actions of Hamas terrorists.

The Push to Deactivate Students for Justice in Palestine

Facebook Approved An Israeli Ad Calling for Assassination of Pro-Palestinian Activist

Media Amplified US, Israeli Narrative on Palestinian DeathsWestern media never had any problem with health statistics from Gaza — until Israel was accused of bombing a hospital there. For years, English-speaking journalists straightforwardly cited reports from the “Palestinian health ministry in Gaza,” using its official name. But after the October 17 attack on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, media outlets began portraying the ministry as an arm of the rebel force Hamas.


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In California Schools, Palestinian History is Off-Limits

Crisis at the 92nd St Y

Israel's War on American Student Activists

59 Palestinian Journalists in Gaza Killed So Far

I'm Very Careful Not to Use Inflammatory Words Like "Genocide" - Anonymous in Hollywood

Sacha Baron Cohen Slams TikTok for "anti-semitism" - Ok, actual LOL at the fucking audacity of someone who tricked a HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR for fun in one of his movies to speak to "actual" anti-semitism. Where the fuck does he get off? Especially since he made a career out of perpetuating harmful stereotypes and racism with every single one of his productions. 

Also, see TikTok's statement on the truth behind the content that appears on TikTok regarding the Israel-Hamas war: The difference in volume between content related to Palestine and content related to Israel is similar across platforms. For instance, if you look at public data on other platforms, such as Instagram, you'll find there are 5.7M total posts tagged #FreePalestine compared to 214K total posts tagged #standwithIsrael. Looking at public Facebook data, there are 11M total posts tagged #FreePalestine compared to 278K total posts tagged #standwithIsrael.
 
An Open Letter on the Misuse of Holocaust Memory

EFF details platform censorship against Palestinians
Nov. 16th, 2023 11:04 am

incredible

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 https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/bay-bridge-protest-blocks-all-westbound-traffic/

Protesters blocked all lanes of westbound Interstate 80 traffic on the Bay Bridge during the Thursday morning commute. The protesters stopped their cars on the bridge, east of Treasure Island Road, and threw their keys into the Bay before chaining themselves together and to the bridge, according to California Highway Patrol.

Follow AROCBayArea for updates
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This set of links are about how violence and death are choices for the politicians in charge:

Biden's secrecy on arms transfers unnerves some Democrats


Macron calls for ceasefire

Biden approves arms deal despite his own security order.

Netanyahu rejected ceasefire for hostages deal in Gaza weeks ago

Overwhelming demands for ceasefire catch Dems by surprise - “Members see members who step out of line lose their elections,” the Democratic aide said.

They sense safety in the herd.

“If only, what, 24 members are for a cease-fire, and even [Vermont Sen.] Bernie Sanders won’t say the word, maybe they should just go with the pack,” another staff member said. “That’s the calculation.”

Their caution is demoralizing even for a workforce used to profound cynicism.

Maryland Democrats threaten funding of immigrant rights group that called for Gaza ceasefire.

Palestinian woman who lost 68 family members in Gaza confronts Elizabeth Warren

What is up with Bernie Sanders not calling for a ceasefire? He had no issue two years ago. 
Nov. 8th, 2023 06:02 am

gaza

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My public posts right now are going to be about mostly Gaza because there are very few other places where I feel like I can post safely about it and without posting a million disclaimers. So it's going to be mostly a bunch of links to things that I think people should read and/or watch. You can skip them if you like. The other thing is that you should just assume trigger warnings apply to all of them as they discuss war crimes, genocide, people suffering in many different ways. As of today, I think we're up to maybe 24 members of Congress supporting a ceasefire, and neither of them include Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren, which is a huge disappointment to me as someone who's long admired them both. They're calling instead for a "humanitarian pause". 

An American nurse who just returned from Gaza describes her experience to Anderson Cooper.



Palestinian children in Gaza plead for the bombing to stop. This is a Youtube link, so just know that you will be faced with children pleading for their lives if you click on it. 

One concrete way to help Gazans on the ground is to purchase eSim cards for them so they can connect with their families and friends. 

Amid death, Gaza's journalists dream of home-cooked meals






Conservative fault lines revealed over Israel - Tucker Carlson isolationist view vs Ben Shapiro supporting a pro-Israeli viewpoint. 

On Jewish action for Palestinian liberation

What It's Like to Take Over the Statue of LibertyHundreds of Jewish Voice for Peace members calling for a Gaza ceasefire occupied the pedestal of the statue. This is how it happened.

I Feel a Human DeteriorationThe Israeli writer Etgar Keret has spent the last few weeks trying to make sense of the violence and loss around him. So far, he can’t. 

This idea of people saying: Condemn this, condemn that. I don’t want anybody to condemn anything. I say, be human. You see somebody in pain, try to see that pain. Later, there’s enough time to figure out whose fault it is. I speak to people, also in Israel, who say, “After what we’ve been through, after I lost my sister, I don’t care how many people die in Gaza.” And I say to people: When you do that, you’re hurting yourself. You’re hurting yourself. You are basically saying: “I’m downgrading myself. I want to be something that is less than what I used to be.” It’s the inability to say: I don’t know. I don’t understand. I’m confused. I have feelings, but I don’t have a structure around them. And it’s OK.

Unexpected, but celebrity gossip subreddit fauxmoi has been keeping track of what all the celebs have been saying about Israel and Gaza on their social media. 
Apr. 6th, 2007 10:40 pm

easter

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Palestinian Christians celebrate Easter. With lots of recipes.

Found via Serious Eats. This link is for Mark.
Dec. 4th, 2005 10:06 am

random

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Don't Bomb Us - A blog by Al-Jazeera staffers, found via Making Light.

Random Vin Diesel Fact - Top 30 - my favorite is: The eternal conundrum "what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object" was finally solved when Vin Diesel punched himself in the face. Oh, and To attain inner peace, Vin Diesel eats Buddhists.

New LJ Community - reading_genji - I am so glad that this now exists, because I quit reading around chapter five, after many mentions of the perfect Genji's sleeping around with anything that moves, and the last straw was when he hit on a ten-year-old girl, everyone tells him he should wait until she hits puberty at least, and then he kidnaps her so that he can raise her to be the perfect woman. First novel or not, classic literature or not, I have my limits. Now, maybe I'll be able to go back and be traumatized again with other readers.
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