Archives: Articles

By Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor

Palestinian territory – The Israeli government bears full responsibility for the life of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, amid alarming indications of torture and ill-treatment since his detention in late December.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has received information that Dr. Abu Safiya’s health has deteriorated due to the torture he endured during his detention, particularly while being held at the Sde Teyman military base in southern Israel. Euro-Med Monitor warns of the grave risk to his life, following patterns of deliberate killings and deaths under torture previously suffered by other doctors and medical staff arrested from Gaza since October 2023.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has documented testimonies confirming that Israeli soldiers physically assaulted Dr. Abu Safiya immediately after he left the hospital on Friday, 27 December 2024. He was then directly targeted with sound bombs while attempting to evacuate the hospital in compliance with orders from the Israeli army.

According to testimonies gathered by Euro-Med Monitor, the Israeli army subsequently transferred Dr. Abu Safiya to a field interrogation site in the Al-Fakhura area of Jabalia Refugee Camp. There, he was forced to strip off his clothes and was subjected to severe beatings, including being whipped with a thick wire commonly used for street electrical wiring. Soldiers deliberately humiliated him in front of other detainees, including fellow medical staff. He was later taken to an undisclosed location before being transferred to the Sde Teyman military camp under Israeli army control.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has also received information from recently released detainees at the Sde Teyman military camp, confirming that Dr. Abu Safiya was subjected to severe torture, leading to a significant deterioration in his health. This occurred despite him already being injured by Israeli air strikes on the hospital, where he worked tirelessly until the facility was stormed and set ablaze by Israeli forces.

The Israeli army has attempted to mislead the public regarding Dr. Abu Safiya’s detention and torture. Pro-Israeli media outlets circulated a misleading promotional video portraying his treatment as humane, even though he was tortured and humiliated immediately after filming.

Euro-Med Monitor warns of the severe implications of Israel’s denial of Dr. Abu Safiya’s detention, describing this as a deeply troubling indicator of his fate and detention conditions. This denial also reflects a blatant disregard for binding legal standards.

Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHRI) submitted a request on behalf of Dr. Abu Safiya’s family to obtain information and facilitate a lawyer’s visit on 2 January 2024. However, the Israeli authorities claimed to have no record of his detention, stating they had no indication of his arrest.

Euro-Med Monitor expresses deep concern that Dr. Abu Safiya may face execution during his detention, similar to the fate of Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh, head of the orthopaedics department at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, who was killed under torture at Ofer Detention Centre on 19 April 2024. Dr. Al-Bursh had been detained along with colleagues from Al-Awda Hospital in December 2023.

Likewise, Dr. Iyad Al-Rantisi, head of the obstetrics department at Kamal Adwan Hospital, was killed due to torture at an Israeli Shin Bet interrogation centre in Ashkelon, one week after his detention in November 2023. Israeli authorities concealed his death for more than seven months.

Dozens of doctors and medical staff remain subjected to arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance in Israeli prisons and detention centres, where they face severe torture and solitary confinement, according to testimonies from former detainees.

The detention of Dr. Abu Safiya must be understood within the context of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, which has persisted for nearly 15 months. His arrest, torture, and potential execution form part of a broader strategy aimed at destroying the Palestinian people in Gaza—both physically and psychologically—and breaking their will.

This strategy includes not only the deliberate destruction of the health sector and the disruption of medical staff operations, particularly in northern Gaza, but also an attack on the symbolic and humanitarian role represented by Dr. Abu Safiya. Despite the grave crimes committed against Kamal Adwan Hospital, its staff, and patients, especially in the past two months, Dr. Abu Safiya remained unwavering in his dedication to providing essential medical care and fulfilling his medical duties.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor calls on all concerned states, international entities, and UN bodies to take immediate and effective measures to secure the unconditional release of Dr. Abu Safiya. His fundamental rights to life, physical safety, and dignity must be protected, shielding him from torture or any cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.

Euro-Med Monitor also urges international and local human rights organisations to be granted full access to visit Dr. Abu Safiya, monitor his health condition, provide necessary medical treatment, and ensure he is free from human rights violations until his release.

Furthermore, Euro-Med Monitor reiterates its call for the United Nations to deploy an international investigative mission to examine the grave crimes and violations faced by Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. It calls for the immediate release of those detained arbitrarily, for international and local organisations to be granted visitation rights, and for detainees to have access to legal representation.

Euro-Med Monitor expresses regret over the continued inaction of Ms. Alice Jill Edwards, the Special Rapporteur on Torture, who has failed to address these atrocities. It condemns her bias and deliberate negligence in fulfilling her mandate and calls for her dismissal. A new Special Rapporteur who is neutral and committed to universal human rights principles must be appointed.

Additionally, Euro-Med Monitor urges the Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances to conduct immediate and thorough investigations into crimes committed by the Israeli military in Gaza. It calls for direct engagement with victims and families, as well as for reports to be submitted to pave the way for investigative committees, fact-finding missions, and international courts to prosecute Israeli crimes, hold perpetrators accountable, and compensate victims in line with international law.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor renews its call for relevant states and entities to fulfil their legal obligations to halt the genocide in Gaza. This includes imposing a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, holding it accountable for its crimes, and taking effective measures to protect Palestinian civilians. Immediate steps must also be taken to prevent forced displacement, ensure the return of residents, release arbitrarily detained Palestinians, and facilitate the urgent entry of life-saving humanitarian aid into Gaza without obstacles. Finally, Euro-Med Monitor demands the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the entire Gaza Strip.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor is a Geneva-based independent organization with regional offices across the MENA region and Europe

4 January 2025

Source: countercurrents.org

By Quds News Network

Ocupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Eight far-right Israeli lawmakers have called on Defense Minister Israel Katz to order the destruction of all sources of water, food, and energy in northern Gaza, as well as the killing of anyone “without a white flag.”

The members of the Israeli Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee called on the defense minister to order the destruction of all sources of water, food and energy in northern Gaza.

According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the eight coalition members said the Israeli military’s strategy was ineffective in defeating Hamas, demanding the army purge northern Gaza of residents by use of sieges and infrastructure destruction.

Their proposals include treating any man, woman and child remaining in the area without a white flag as a legitimate target to be killed. The lawmakers include figures from the ruling Likud party and its coalition allies Religious Zionism, Jewish Power and Shas.

They accused the military of not carrying out the forced expulsion of Palestinians “properly” from the besieged northern Gaza.

The lawmakers insisted that the Israeli army should impose a total blockade, destroy essential infrastructure and carry out what they described as a “complete cleansing” of the region.

They also suggested that such draconian tactics be applied across other parts of Gaza. “This must be done not only in the northern Gaza Strip, but also in every other region,” the letter said.

[https://twitter.com/EpshtainItay/status/1874845322259709981]

The group lambasted Israeli army officials for not providing clear explanations during committee sessions as to why such measures had not yet been adopted or what the army’s strategy entails.

The Israeli lawmakers’ demands simply echo the “Generals’ Plan”, which was conceived by retired Major-General Giora Eiland and aims to empty northern Gaza of its 400,000 residents to make way for a “closed military zone”.

The plan, which was launched in an Israeli TV campaign in September, called for the ethnic cleansing of northern Gaza, warning that those that remain will face starvation. Israel has implemented the plan despite condemnations from human rights organisations.

Northern Gaza has been under military siege and relentless assault since October 5. The health system has completely collapsed, residents are being forced to flee south and west under horrific conditions, and those who remain are being massacred and starved.

4 January 2025

Source: countercurrents.org

By Quds News Network

Gaza (Quds News Network)- Israel has confirmed the kidnapping of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza. The Israeli military told ABC News that Abu Safiya is being held over “terrorist activities” and is currently under investigation.

Dr. Abu Safiya is detained at Sde Teiman, an infamous detention camp in a military base in the occupied Negev Desert, according to Israeli media. The facility, established after October 7, has housed numerous detainees, including children and the elderly, amid reports of severe abuse and torture.

UN Special Rapporteurs Tlaleng Mofokeng and Francesca Albanese have called for Abu Safiya’s immediate release from his arbitrary detention. They condemned Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza’s healthcare system as violations of international law and acts of genocide.

The UN experts highlighted that over 1,750 Palestinian medical professionals have been killed during the genocide, with many others detained.

Abu Safiya, a symbol of resilience in Gaza, has faced immense personal tragedy caused by the Israelis, including the killing of his son and his own injury while treating patients. Despite these hardships, he remained committed to his role, refusing to leave his hospital even as Israeli forces raided it last week.

The UN experts have urged Israel to halt its attacks on Gaza’s medical infrastructure and ensure accountability for war crimes. Mofokeng and Albanese also appealed to global medical organizations to pressure Israel by cutting ties.

As international criticism mounts, Abu Safiya’s kidnapping underscores the dire situation for Gaza’s healthcare workers under Israeli occupation.

Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnes Callamard, stated that the rights group is “extremely alarmed by the latest information” regarding the whereabouts of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital. She emphasized that he should be considered a victim of enforced disappearance.

4 January 2025

Source: countercurrents.org

By Ramzy Baroud

The latest news from the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) so-called “Protecting the Homeland” operation in the Jenin refugee camp paints a grim picture. Nine Palestinian lives have been claimed in this ongoing crackdown which began on December 5, including a young journalist, Shaza Al-Sabbagh.

The assault, as reported by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, has, expectedly, received a stamp of approval from the Israeli occupation army, which seems content with the PA’s performance. Meanwhile, Israel’s Channel 14 confirmed that Israel has issued a clear deadline to the PA to finish the task—effectively eradicating what remains of resistance in Jenin, in the name of ending lawlessness and apprehending outlaws.

It is an irony that has become all too familiar: the Palestinian entity that was supposed to represent the will of the people and lead them toward freedom has become complicit in crushing resistance in one of the most marginalized and impoverished areas of the West Bank, all while serving the interests of Israel. This is the heart of the Palestinian paradox in the West Bank.

For years, the PA has demanded unflinching obedience from the Palestinian people in the name of preparing Palestine for sovereignty and statehood. Yet, as the years have passed, this pledge has slipped further and further away. In its place, the PA has become complicit in the expansion of Israel’s territorial control and the erosion of Palestinian rights. This might be a difficult conclusion to digest, but the killing of innocent Palestinians in Jenin at the hands of Palestinian security forces, while Israel and its settlers are cracking down on Palestinians elsewhere in the West Bank, should be all the proof needed to support the above claim.

Moreover, the PA’s strategy of appeasing Israel through ‘security coordination’ has done little to hinder Israel’s systematic land grab and the continued construction of illegal settlements. To the contrary, such ‘coordination’ has emboldened Israel and its unruly settlers.

What is perhaps more damning is the fact that the PA has often become an active participant in the Israeli oppression of Palestinians, as is the case in Jenin today. In its role as an enforcer of Israeli policies, the PA has become a tool of the Israeli occupation, tasked with quelling political dissent and silencing critics.

The latest operation in Jenin is a clear manifestation of how Israel uses the PA to carry out its dirty work. The Jenin refugee camp, an area of less than half a square kilometer, has always been a symbol of Palestinian resistance. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel has raided Jenin 80 times in the last year alone, killing over 220 Palestinians and wounding hundreds more. Yet, Jenin remained unbowed. To now see the PA working in concert with the Israeli army to break the will of Jenin’s 23,000 inhabitants is a deeply painful reality for most Palestinians.

What complicates this crisis even further is the silence of many Palestinian intellectuals, both in the West Bank and the diaspora, who have failed to confront the PA with the same vigor with which they criticize the Israeli occupation. But why have so many prominent voices, intellectuals, and political analysts remained mute on the issue of the PA’s betrayal of the Palestinian struggle?

The answer lies in a complex mixture of fear, political pragmatism and historical inertia. For decades, the PA has maintained a stranglehold on the political landscape of Palestinian life. It controls the levers of power, and anyone who dares to challenge its authority risks being silenced—through arrests, imprisonment, or even torture. Palestinian intellectuals, particularly those in the West Bank, are all too aware of this reality.

Additionally, there is a deep sense of paralysis within the Palestinian intellectual community in the occupied West Bank, in part due to their leadership’s failure to confront Israel over the ongoing genocide in Gaza. But there is more to this ongoing paralysis.

For years, the PA has framed itself as the ‘sole legitimate representative’ of the Palestinian people. Many intellectuals who would normally criticize Israel’s occupation are unwilling to take on the PA for fear of further fragmenting the Palestinians. There is a deep-seated belief among some that a public confrontation with the PA would lead to greater disunity, which could play into Israel’s hands.

But this political pragmatism comes at a heavy cost. While many Palestinian intellectuals hesitate to criticize the PA, they are forced into a position of complicity with its actions. The PA’s betrayal of the Palestinian cause is no longer a matter of debate—it is a fact. Yet, by failing to confront this betrayal head-on, intellectuals and activists alike risk forfeiting their moral credibility.

In the face of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and unprecedentedly violent crackdowns on Palestinians in the West Bank, the betrayal of the PA has been laid bare for all to see. The PA’s willingness to assist in the subjugation of Palestinians in the West Bank, while pretending to represent them, has exposed the institution like never before.

But can the PA itself be saved? The answer may not even matter. What matters is whether the Palestinian people, in their collective will and resistance, can liberate themselves from Israel’s settler colonialism and the moral corruption of their self-proclaimed leadership. The events of the coming weeks and months will be decisive.

Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle.

2 January 2025

Source: countercurrents.org

By Quds News Network

Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Since October 7, 2023, the United States has spent over $22 billion in military aid for Israel. This includes assaults on Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reports that the US supplied 69% of Israel’s arms from 2019 to 2023. This share rose to 78% by the end of that period.

In December 2023, the US delivered over 10,000 tons of weapons worth $2.4 billion to Israel. By August 2024, this number increased to 50,000 tons, transported via hundreds of planes and ships.

The US has provided advanced military equipment to Israel. This includes Iron Dome missiles, precision-guided bombs, CH-53 helicopters, AH-64 Apache helicopters, 155mm artillery shells, bunker-busting munitions, and armored vehicles.

Since 1946, US military and economic aid to Israel has totaled over $310 billion, adjusted for inflation. A 10-year, $38 billion military aid deal signed in 2016 remains active, allocating $3.8 billion annually. Emergency packages in 2024 added billions more, including $14.1 billion approved in February and a $2.5 billion arms shipment in March.

US weapons used mainly against civilians have drawn condemnation. Critics point to limited Congressional oversight and ongoing scrutiny over the impact on Palestinians in Gaza.

Lawsuit against US State Department Over Military Aid

In December 2023, a group of Palestinians filed a lawsuit against the US State Department. The lawsuit accuses the department of bypassing US human rights laws to fund Israeli military units accused of committing atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank.

Filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, the lawsuit states that Secretary of State Antony Blinken ignored the Leahy Law. This law prohibits US military aid to units committing gross human rights violations without accountability.

One plaintiff, a teacher from Gaza, was displaced seven times during the genocide. He lost 20 family members in the genocide.

The lawsuit criticizes the US for supporting Israel amid escalating human rights abuses since the genocide began in October 2023.

Senate to Vote on Arms Sale Restrictions

The US Senate is set to vote on legislation to block specific arms sales to Israel. Senator Bernie Sanders, along with Democratic Senators Jeff Merkley and Peter Welch, introduced resolutions to prevent the sale of 120mm mortar shells and Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs).

Another resolution, supported by Senator Brian Schatz, seeks to halt tank shell sales. JDAMs, manufactured by Boeing, convert unguided bombs into GPS-guided weapons.

Despite these efforts, bipartisan support for Israel makes it unlikely the resolutions will pass. Advocates argue that Israel has obstructed aid shipments desperately needed by Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Criticism of US military aid to Israel continues to grow as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens.

2 January 2025

Source: countercurrents.org

By Nabi Fai

Professor (Dr.) Imtiaz Khan, Kashmiri American scholar said that “On January 5, 1949, the United Nations passed a resolution regarding the Kashmir conflict, which became a significant milestone in the ongoing dispute between India and Pakistan over the region of Jammu and Kashmir. The UN called for a plebiscite (a vote by the people) to determine the future of Jammu and Kashmir. The plebiscite was to be conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. The resolution was never implemented, and events and its aftermath have had a lasting impact on the political and diplomatic discourse surrounding the Kashmir dispute. The region surrounded by three nuclear powers, remains the most militarized zone in the world.  The potential of nuclear   conflagration that could engulf almost half of the world population remain reasonably high.

Dr. Khan added that the question that begs attention is “how long can the world and especially UN continue to exhibit criminal negligence towards this protracted issue that threatens the world peace?”. India continues to unleash tyrannical measures on the people of Kashmir and there is feeling that their sufferings go unnoticed around the world. We fervently appeal to world in general and UN in particular that it should be conveyed to Indian government that their atrocities, oppressive measures and total disregard for international guarantees cannot be further tolerated. It should be impressed upon them that the only choice before them is to come to negotiating table with Pakistan and genuine leadership of Kashmiri people so that acceptable solution to this longstanding problem is found. Is should be unequivocally stated that farcical elections conducted in the region cannot dupe international community.  A plebiscite under UN supervision is the only solution. Anything short of that will be injustice to people of Kashmir and non-resolution of the issue can prove to be unmitigated disaster for the region.

Dr. Ghulam N. Mir, President, World Kashmir Awareness Forum and Chairman, Kashmiri Diaspora Coalition said that peace in Jammu and Kashmir and along with it in entire South Asia will remain illusive and a distant dream as long as India refuses to accept its culpability in its mischievous role in defying the implementation of multiple UNSC -mandated resolutions for plebiscite.

Dr. Mir added that Kashmir is a historical entity just as India is despite its size and military might. Kashmiris have given more sacrifices for its relative size than Indians have. We have had the misfortune of being in a bad neighborhood since 1947 when India invaded it. Whenever the UN stops being a mere paper tiger and let be pushed around by bullies like India it can exert its power help Kashmir to exercise its right to a free and fair referendum. The world is going to change, and hegemons are going to have to see the writing on the wall. Kashmiris may be the last nation to end occupation and settler-colonialism. But the day will surely. Come

Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Chairman, World Forum for Peace & Justice said that part III of the resolution of  13 August 1948, adopted by the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) stipulates: “The Government of India and the Government of Pakistan reaffirm their wish that the future status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir shall be determined in accordance with the will of the people and to that end, upon acceptance of the truce agreement, both Governments agree to enter into consultations with the Commission to determine fair and equitable conditions whereby such free expression will be assured. And the January 5, 1949, resolution adopted by the UNCIP clearly mandated that all authorities within the State of Jammu and Kashmir collaborate with the Plebiscite Administrator to guarantee the basic conditions for free and informed voting by the people of Kashmir, including protection of fundamental political rights of expression and association”

Dr. Fai added that the denial of self-determination has brought death, destruction, and devastation to the people of Kashmir. Today, Kashmir is at the brink of genocide (Genocide Watch) and Kashmir has become the hell for the people of Kashmir as reported by the New York Times.

Therefore, Dr. Fai suggested the grave situation in Kashmir demands that it could be brought to the attention of the Security Council. Whether this could be done successfully depends on the attitude and policies of the permanent members, but they should be left in no doubt that any failure to resolve the problem could lead to serious disorders throughout the South Asian Subcontinent and possibly to yet another war between India and Pakistan, with incalculable consequences for the whole world, since both states now have nuclear capabilities.

Sardar Zarif Khan, Advisor to the President of Azad Kashmir said that the Kashmir issue is simply this: the people of a large territory which is not part of any existing sovereign state were assured by the entire international community represented by the United Nations that they would be enabled to decide their future by a free vote.  Until now, this assurance has not been honored.

 Sardar Shoaib Irshad, General Secretary, Kashmir American Welfare Association (KAWA) said that the people of Kashmir trust that Mr. Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations will bring its influence to bear on both India and Pakistan to initiate peace process with which the United Nations as well as the people of Jammu and Kashmir will be associated so as to ensure that settlement arrived at will be based on the principle of justice.

Sardar Zubair Khan, leader of KAWA appealed to Antonio Gutters, the Secretary General of the United Nations to appoint a special envoy on Kashmir who could assess the situation in Jammu & Kashmir as well as in Azad Kashmir and report back to the Security Council about its findings.

Washington, D.C. January 5, 2025

Dr. Fai is also the Secretary General, World Kashmir Awareness Forum.

He can be reached at: WhatsApp: 1-202-607-6435   or.  gnfai2003@yahoo.com

www.Kashmirawarenss.org

By Zeenat Khan

A tribute to Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore.

The translation of the song from the Geetabitan

Rabindranath Tagore (7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941)

Parjaay: Puja (324)

Upa-parjaay: Aanondo

Taal: Jhaptaal

Raag: Lachhasaar-Bilabal

Anga: Dhrupad

Written on: Autumn 1897

Swarabitan: 22

Notation by: Kangalicharan Sen

বহে নিরন্তর অনন্ত আনন্দধারা ॥

বাজে অসীম নভোমাঝে অনাদি রব,

জাগে অগণ্য রবিচন্দ্রতারা ॥

একক অখণ্ড ব্রহ্মাণ্ডরাজ্যে

পরম-এক সেই রাজরাজেন্দ্র রাজে।

বিস্মিত নিমেষহত বিশ্ব চরণে বিনত,

লক্ষশত ভক্তচিত বাক্যহারা ॥

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“The Shower of Eternal Bliss Forever”

Ceaseless flows the limitless, eternal bliss.

Sings the eternal voice in the infinite sky,

Awakening countless suns, moons, and stars.

In the realm of the unique, undivided universe

Rules the King of Kings, Lord of the Lords.

The world, amazed, bows at your feet, Oh Lord,

Devotees, in millions, at a loss for words.

Video:

Bahe Nirantar | Subinoy Roy | Legends Best Of Tagore Songs | Rabindrasangeet Collection

“As we close out this year, let us remember that even amidst challenges, the human spirit is resilient, and hope remains a beacon guiding us towards a brighter future. Together, we can overcome adversity, build bridges of understanding, and work towards a world where compassion, unity, and sustainability thrive. May the new year bring renewed optimism, courage to face the unknown, and the unwavering belief that we can create a better tomorrow for all. Let’s embrace the possibilities that lie ahead and step into the New Year with hearts full of hope.”

May the New Year Bring Brighter Days!

Zeenat Khan writes from Maryland, USA

31 December 2024

Source: countercurrents.org

By Chris Hedges

Jimmy Carter may have done good works out of office, but in power he fomented a series of domestic and foreign policy disasters.

Jimmy Carter, out of office, had the courage to call out the “abominable oppression and persecution” and “strict segregation” of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza in his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” He dedicated himself to monitoring elections, including his controversial defense of the 2006 election of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, and championed human rights around the globe. He lambasted the American political process as an “oligarchy” in which “unlimited political bribery” created “a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors.”

But Carter’s years as an ex-president should not mask his dogged service to the empire, penchant for fomenting disastrous proxy wars, betrayal of the Palestinians, embrace of punishing neoliberal policies and his subservience to big business when he was in office.

Carter played a significant role in dismantling New Deal legislation with the deregulation of major industries including airlines, banking, trucking, telecommunications, natural gas and railways. He appointed Paul Volcker to the Federal Reserve, who, in an effort to combat inflation, drove up interest rates and pushed the U.S. into the deepest recession since the Great Depression, a move that saw the start of punishing austerity cuts. Carter is the godfather of the pillage known as neoliberalism, a pillage fellow Democrat Bill Clinton would turbo charge.

Carter fell under the disastrous influence of his Svengali-like national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, a Polish exile, who rejected the Nixon-Kissinger reliance on détente with the Soviet Union. Brzezinski’s life’s mission, one that meant he saw the world in black and white, was to confront and destroy the Soviet Union along with any government or movement he deemed to be under communist influence or sympathetic to it.

Carter, under Brzezinski’s influence, walked away from the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks treaty (SALT II) with the Soviet Union, which sought to curb nuclear weapons deployment. He increased military spending. He sent military aid to the Indonesian New Order government during the Indonesian invasion and occupation of East Timor, which many have characterized as a genocide. He supported, along with the apartheid state of South Africa, the murderous counter revolutionary group, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas Savimbi. He provided aid to the brutal Zairian dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. He supported the Khmer Rouge.

He instructed the Central Intelligence Agency to back opposition groups and political parties to bring down the Sandinista government in Nicaragua once it took power in 1979, leading under the Reagan administration to the formation of the Contras and a bloody and senseless U.S.-backed insurgency. He provided military aid to the dictatorship in El Salvador, ignoring an appeal from Archbishop Oscar Romero — later assassinated — to cease U.S. arms shipments.

He poisoned U.S. relations with Iran by backing the repressive regime of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi until the last minute and then allowing the deposed Shah to seek medical treatment in New York, triggering the occupation of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and a 444-day hostage crisis. Carter’s belligerence — he froze Iranian assets, stopped importing oil from Iran and expelled 183 Iranian diplomats from the U.S. — played into Ayatollah Khomeini’s demonization of the U.S. and calls for Islamic rule. He obliterated the credibility of Iran’s secular opposition.

Carter gave Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, although he ruled under martial law, billions in military aid. He armed the Mujahideen in Afghanistan after the Soviet intervention in 1979, a decision that cost the U.S. $3 billion, saw the deaths of 1.5 million Afghans and led to the creation of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. The blowback from this Carter policy alone is catastrophic.

He backed the South Korean military in 1980 when it laid siege to the city of Gwangju, where protestors had formed a militia, which led to the massacre of some 2,000 people.

Finally, he sold out the Palestinians when he negotiated a separate peace deal, known as the Camp David Accords, in 1979 between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. The agreement excluded the Palestine Liberation Organization from the talks. Israel never, as promised to Carter, attempted to resolve the Palestine question with Jordan and Egypt’s involvement. It never permitted Palestinian self-government in the West Bank and Gaza within five years. It did not end Israeli settlements — a refusal that led Carter to later claim Begin had lied to him. But since there was no mechanism in the agreement for enforcement, and since Carter was unwilling to defy the Israel lobby to impose sanctions on Israel, the Palestinians found themselves, once again, powerless and abandoned.

Carter, to his credit, did appoint the civil rights activist Patricia Derian as his Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, leading to the blocking of loans and reduction in military aid to the military junta in Argentina during the Dirty War, restrictions the Reagan administration removed. Derian’s commitment to human rights was genuine. She supported Philippines leader Benigno S. Aquino Jr. and the South Korean dissident and former president Kim Dae-jung. Carter allowed her to anger a few of our most repressive allies. But his human rights policy was primarily designed to back democratic dissidents and worker movements in Central and Eastern Europe, especially Poland, in an effort to weaken the Soviet Union.

Carter had a decency most politicians lack, but his moral crusades, which came once he was out of power, seem like a form of penance. His record as president is bloody and dismal, although not as bloody and dismal as the presidents who followed. That’s the best we can say of him.

Chris Hedges, who graduated from seminary at Harvard Divinity School, worked for nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent for The New York Times, National Public Radio and other news organizations in Latin America, the Middle East and the Balkans.

31 December 2024

Source: countercurrents.org

By Quds News Network

Gaza (Quds News Network)- Calls have grown for the release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, after he was abducted by Israeli forces during a raid on the area’s last remaining medical facility.

Kamal Adwan Under Israeli Attack

On Friday morning, the hospital was stormed by Israeli forces, following nearly three months of a suffocating blockade and constant air strikes on its departments and their vicinity.

The bombing caused several departments to catch fire, killing and wounding Palestinian medical workers and patients, according to Munir al-Bursh, director general of the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza.

All remaining medical staff, patients and their relatives were taken out of the hospital at gunpoint, forced to strip down to their underwear and transferred to an unknown location.

At the time of the raid, there were 350 people in the hospital, including 180 medical workers and 75 wounded people, according to the Gaza-based Government Media Office.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said dozens of doctors were taken to detention centres for interrogation.

On Saturday, it confirmed that Abu Safiya had been arrested. Israeli forces violently beat him before his arrest, Bursh told Al Jazeera.

Reports have confirmed that Abu Sagiya is now being held in the notorious Sde Teiman detention facility.

Over the past three months, Abu Safiya, a paediatrician, has published dozens of videos and sent out pleas to the international community to act against the Israeli attacks on Kamal Adwan Hospital.

He repeatedly warned that the lives of patients and medical staff were in danger amid constant Israeli bombings and a siege preventing the entry of aid and food.

In late October, Abu Safiya’s son died as a result of an earlier Israeli raid on the hospital, according to health officials.

A month later, he was wounded in an Israeli air strike on the hospital complex.

Growing Calls

Fears are growing for Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya’s safety, as he may face the same fate as Dr. Adnan al-Bursh, an orthopedic surgeon who continued treating the wounded amid Israeli airstrikes. Al-Bursh was abducted by Israeli forces on December 19, 2023, and taken to Sde Teiman, where he was likely raped, tortured, and murdered while in custody.

[https://twitter.com/RyanRozbiani/status/1873360823864730011]

The last picture of Abu Safiya, widely shared on social media, showed him walking towards an Israeli tank near the Kamal Adwan Hospital.

[https://twitter.com/Portes_Thomas/status/1873103274414621041]

MedGlobal said Abu Safiya’s “arrest is not only unjust — it is a violation of international humanitarian law, which upholds the protection of medical personnel in conflict zones. MedGlobal urgently calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Abu [Safiya].”

[https://twitter.com/MedGlobalOrg/status/1872986035753250885]

Agnes Callamard, the secretary-general of Amnesty International, said Abu Safiya is considered a human rights defender by Front Line Defenders, an Irish-based organisation that works to protect people who are “at risk for their peaceful and legitimate human rights work”.

[https://twitter.com/AgnesCallamard/status/1873131005021962263]

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also demanded the “immediate release” of the Kamal Adwan Hospital director, calling to stop attacks on hospitals.

[https://twitter.com/DrTedros/status/1873595575167283556]

UN’s Palestine expert Francesca Albanese said “all of us must do all we can to save” him.

[https://twitter.com/FranceskAlbs/status/1873508452951343597]

[https://twitter.com/ClaudiaWebbe/status/1873135601735877053]

[https://twitter.com/jeremycorbyn/status/1873336113437589913]

31 December 2024

Source: countercurrents.org

By Quds News Network

Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has clarified that the occupation state will resume the genocide in Gaza even if a deal is reached with Hamas, reported Yedioth Ahronoth. A senior political source stated that any agreement will not mark the end of the war, as Israel remains committed to ‘achieving all its objectives’.

The comments were justified by claims from senior Israeli security officials about the lack of a post-war governance plan for Gaza. These officials said that without an alternative to Hamas, the situation could revert to the conditions prior to October 7.

Netanyahu emphasizes that Israel’s primary goal is to eliminate Hamas entirely. “Even if a deal is reached, Israel will return to fighting to complete the war’s objectives,” the political source confirmed. The source added that the issue of the so-called “the day after” Gaza is being discussed in appropriate forums and that Netanyahu’s policy ensures no presence of Hamas or the Palestinian Authority in Gaza’s civil governance.

“Thanks to the prime minister’s determined strategy, Israel has achieved significant victories, safeguarded its security, and will meet all war objectives,” the source said.

Meanwhile, Israeli Army Radio quoted sources saying that while negotiations for a prisoner exchange deal are not frozen, there have been no new developments. The sources revealed that the Israeli army continues to exert military pressure on Hamas’, a term that Israel usually uses to describe its brutal attacks on civilians, despite the failure of this strategy in recent months.

Hamas leader Osama Hamdan stated that the movement has shown maximum flexibility in negotiations but maintains conditions. These include ending the aggression, a complete Israeli withdrawal, unrestricted aid delivery, and reconstruction.

In an interview with Al-Aqsa TV, Hamdan stated that Israel is reneging on agreements at every stage of the talks. He said Israel insists on two non-negotiable points: refusing a full withdrawal from Gaza and continuing its military aggression.

Hamdan also dismissed Israeli claims of destroying Hamas’s capabilities. He said the resistance remains strong and continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience. “The scenes broadcast by the resistance show only a fraction of the heroism displayed by the Palestinian people,” he added.

Prisoner exchange negotiations, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, have repeatedly stalled. This is due to Netanyahu’s insistence on controlling the Philadelphi Route along the Gaza-Egypt border, Rafah crossing, and blocking the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza. Israel demands thorough inspections of returnees via the Nitzarim area in central Gaza.

Hamas, however, stands firm on its demand for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a full cessation of the war before accepting any deal.

Israel currently holds over 10,300 Palestinian detainees, while Hamas estimates that around 100 Israeli prisoners remain in Gaza. Hamas also says that dozens of Israeli prisoners have been killed in indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has launched an ongoing genocide in Gaza, supported by the United States. Over 153,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured, most of them women and children. More than 11,000 are still missing, amidst unprecedented destruction and a worsening humanitarian disaster.

31 December 2024

Source: countercurrents.org