#and also their aim is not really to help gaza | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

m1shka-moon-bear-feelings · 5 months

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On the New Conflict Between U.S and Yemen

First off, I gotta say, fuck the U.S for not acknowledging the true reason behind the whole Yemeni blockades in the Red Sea AND funneling money to Israel during the ICJ hearings. Still, I am sick and tired of tankies/non-nuanced obviously former/current Twitter users straight up defending the Houthis as if they're some sorts of heroes and freedom fighters (sounds familiar doesn't it). They are funded by Iran (theocratic fascist state) and their slogans and mission statements are disgusting (and actually anti-semetic). We cannot just hop on the bandwagon of unconditional support for a militant group just because they say "free Palestine", you folks gotta become more nuanced than this, come on now. Truthfully, the U.S is heading into a conflict that is going to be pointless, the Yemeni blockades won't do shit to free Gaza, since the Red Sea is merely a trade route shortcut, and us (a.k.a, Commander in Chief) bombing MENA and getting involved once again, much like when we got involved with Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11 also won't do shit but escalate the conflict. Our foreign policy is naive, imperialistic, and never should've been implemented in the first place, but hey, that Saudi oil money was too good to give up, and now we're being quietly complacent in an ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people. So please people, I sing the same damn song every time, get yourselves some nuance, and legitimately educate yourselves, please, I fucking beg of you. Politics and international relations isn't some fucking (American) football game, you can't just pick a side and root for them because they share one common idea.

#these people literally have “curse the jews” in their slogan #and these are the people you wanna be 100% on the side of #like yeah fuck america and israel and all #but y'all really gotta do more research on who the houthis actually are #they're literally a shiite version of hamas #and also their aim is not really to help gaza #but ultimately support hamas #though i'm not sure blocking off the red sea is the way to do it since it merely serves as a shortcut rather than a main pathway

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matan4il · 7 months

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Daily update post:

Navigation apps in Israel were instructed not to sure traffic jams anymore, so Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists won't be able to aim rockets at them.

The Minister of Defense made it clear that every benefit, support and compensation for the bereaved families of the Oct 7 massacre will apply to same-sex families, too.

Among Hamas' victims in the massacre are 235 people with non-Israeli nationality, an additional 74 are categorized as missing (meaning it's still unknown if they've been murdered or kidnapped), and they come from 41 countries. This includes at least 30 people murdered from Thailand, 10 from Nepal and 6 from China, at least some of them were beheaded.

Please explain to me how does beheading a student from Nepal help liberate any Palestinian, or why were non-Israelis butchered if the massacre was supposedly "resistance" against Israel?

The Israeli president revealed that among the documents recovered from Hamas terrorists were instructions from Al-Qaeda on how to build a weapon with cyanide.

This demonstrates how Hamas has been learning from other extremist Islamist organizations. They also adopted ISIS' use of the drug captagon to prevent a sense of fear in the terrorists, heighten their feelings of rage, as well as keep them going for longer. All of this (together with multiple reports that Hamas brought weapons for far more than just one day of slaughter) indicates that, while the massacre is the worst to have happened in the history of the Israeli-Arab conflict, what Hamas had in mind was probably even worse.

Israel screened today for foreign journalists 40 minutes of raw footage showing the massacre, most of it from Hamas terrorists' body cameras. Here is the full thread of one journalist, about some of the horrors seen in it. I'll share just one part of the thread, because I think #8 is really important:

The Israeli army has been releasing aerial photos showing how Hamas intentionally places its rocket launching sites next to civilians, so that either Israel is deterred from firing at these, to stop the rocket launching at civilians in Israel, or so that civilian Gazans will be harmed when Israel does act against these targets. For context, the Gaza strip DOES have uninhabited parts, where rocket launching would not endanger any civilians at all.

Today, Hamas has sent two attack drones and Hezbollah has sent one. The latter was flown and attacked from the direction of the sea.

An Israeli lawyers NGO has filed at the Hague to put Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad on trial for crimes against humanity.

Another personal story, this time of Atallah, a little Arab Bedouin boy whose father was told that, for being Israeli Arabs, they're more Jewish than Jews (and therefore legitimate targets to Hamas):

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

#israel #israeli #israel news #israel under attack #israel under fire #israelunderattack #terrorism #anti terrorism #antisemitism #hamas #antisemitic #antisemites #jews #jew #judaism #jumblr #frumblr #jewish

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somber-sapphic · 3 months

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Hate of all kind will be deleted, antisemitism and islamophobia are not tolerated here

Written on 2/14/24

I do not normally post "political" content. Political being in quotations because I do not consider this a political issue but the world does.

The genocide of the people in Gaza has been going on for 130 days (+75 years). It is estimated that 20,000+ Palestinian civilians have been killed with presumed thousands unaccounted for buried under the rubble.

This is collective punishment and it is a war crime. Collective punishment is a war crime.

I waited so long to speak on this here because I wasn't really sure how to. Before Oct 7th, had no clue of what was happening between Israel and Palestine through every fault of my own. I have been reposting from creators on other social media platforms but I was unsure how to do so here.

That being said, this is my most followed platform by hundreds of people. I will continue to post my usual content, but you will also more than likely be seeing more of this.

People To Follow:

All of these are on Instagram but many (such as Bisan, Mansour, Hind, Motaz, and Plestia) have accounts on FB, TikTok, and Twitter.

@ dr.haya.gaza

@ hindkhoudary

@ alijadallah66

@ byplestia

@ saleh_aljafarawi

@ dr.ghassan.as

@ wizard_bisan1

@ motaz_azaiza

@ hatem.h.rawaghone01

@ lama_jamous9 (the youngest journalist in Gaza, a 9 year old girl)

@ wael_eldahdouh

@ dahman.eyad

@ nouralsaqa

@ youmna_elsid

@ alhelou.y

@ chalanhamza

@ mansourshouman7

If you have other people to follow please let me know, these are just the people I could think of at the moment who I am following. There are I'm sure hundreds more that I'm unaware of and would love to know them.

For boycotts:

BDS Movement Official Website

"BDS aims to end international support for Israeli violations of international law by forcing companies, institutions and governments to change their policies. As Israeli companies and institutions become isolated, Israel will find it more difficult to oppress Palestinians." - BDS website

Another company to boycott is Starbucks, they are not on the BDS list but a grassroots boycott has been started. This is because the company filed a lawsuit against a union of Starbucks workers who posted pro-Palestinian content. They are also very well known for mistreating their employees so it's really worth not going for multiple reasons. Support local coffee shops, they taste better and cost less money :)

I would like to finish this off by saying again that hate of any kind is not tolerated on my platform, it will be deleted and you will be blocked.

Operation Olive Branch

They are an account on TikTok who has created a spreadsheet with the GoFundMe's of Palestinian trying to leave Gaza. On the spreadsheet you can see how much progress the family has made with their fundraising, why they need help, and can allow you to connect with that family or their representative via their social media. You can find Operation Olive Branch on TikTok with the handle @ operationolivebranch or on IG with the same handle. (Forgive my poor explanation, there's a lot more too it that is better explained on their page.)

#free palestine #all eyes on rafah #all eyes on palestine

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reading-comp-posting · 7 months

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I'm not sure if we can/how we should submit posts, so here's a link??

https://www.tumblr.com/comicaurora/731901731120857088/girl-help-i-put-a-nuanced-personal-experience-on

This made me realize that I never really talked about submitting posts, so here's a quick rundown.

I'm fine with requests being sent through asks and also tagging me on posts. I realize that you can't send links through anonymous asks, but I'd really appreciate it if you could make the url into a hyperlink if you're off anon.

Either way, I'll look at the post, and if...

I understand it well enough to be confident about it

There's enough content to make a couple questions on (I try to aim for at least 3)

It's not something I don't want to post about*

I feel like it

then I write questions and add it to queue. Everything with #request has been submitted.

*I don't have a concrete list of these, as it's a case-by-case basis. One thing that I definitely won't post about is real-world conflicts. This blog is primarily silly, and I simply do not think being like "Check for understanding: who bombed the hospital on the Gaza strip and killed 500 people?" is at all appropriate.

#not reading comprehension questions #extra post #ask #self post

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most-definitively-a-human · 4 months

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AHA. Take that tired brain. Have figured out a way to support Palestine despite it all. Email templates. Have not figured out how to email British BBC to stop Eurovision support but did figure out how to email Bailey's

If you also have a wonky brain which doesn't let you do things: here is a document with email templates. Hopefully it helps.

Many ways to support Palestine even if you don't understand. It's okay if you can't understand. You're not useless, and despair does nothing. Saying this because I almost fell into trap of "can't remember can't learn what's the point what can I do?"

It's easy to reblog misinformation though so be careful. You are not obligated to reblog things you don't understand even if they're important. It's alright. Misinformation spreads very quickly because of attitudes like that. You don't have to reblog this if you don't want to and this applies to all other things.

Recommend focusing on tangible ways to help because it's a lot harder to spread misinformation that way. That's what my focus is on currently because I don't think I'll be very good at anything else. E.G:

Esims help people in Gaza communicate and share their situation so they're not ignored. This website has clear instructions on what to do. Have donated three times. Hope the esims were useful.

Another way to help. Daily click on arab.org turns ad revenue into donations for UNWRA, a charity that helps Palestine.

Ask for advice and more details under the cut.

Reblogging on main account because it has more reach. Would appreciate advice helping me figure out how to email local broadcaster. Sorry if this is long/rambling don't know how to fix it.

The link to Bailey's is at the bottom of the email list. It took me a minute to figure out the subject line. I just put Eurovision. Hopefully that's clear enough.

Would greatly appreciated support with the other email parts. It says to contact local broadcaster - does that mean it's a bad idea to message the other places? Can't figure out how to send the UK email.

Wish I could give clearer instructions to actually help people in fellow brainweird situations do things. I hate being tired like this all the time. Could someone please give clear advice on what can be done if you have a brain that doesn't work well or remember much? Both for me and other people. Would be greatly useful and appreciated.

For context: I am too tired to play Minecraft. It is too difficult. Yes even with keepinventory. Please keep advice in mind to that. (As in - please please keep simple and actionable) (struggling to explain other than) (can't understand/comprehend basic videogames at the moment please give advice to that level) (really want to help but won't be able to if the advice isn't to that level) (does that make sense?)

#palestine #eurovision #free palestine

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gordonzola-ramen · 18 days

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RESOURCES FOR AID AND DONATIONS

Note that these will be centered on Palestinians, but I am looking out for resources to help Congo, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Brazil, Haiti, Lebanon, and many others. I will be updating this with the more information I can find, and any suggestions are very much appreciated. Please take a read through this and help where you can.

Gaza Funds fetches random gofundmes from Gaza, these are really useful so it shows you many and gives a spotlight to ones that maybe haven't gained much traction in social media.

Arab dot org generates money from you clicking a button, it has for many causes like refugees, women, children and Palestine, you can click once per day and the website comes with all the proof and information you could need! It also counts in different browsers and devices so try that for several clicks! Just make sure to take off your adblockers for these, since that's how they get the funds.

Boycott guide:

Care For Gaza is a non-profit charity that helps Palestinian families in need. They have a twitter page where you can see their posts with the food, hygiene products and packages of basic needs they distribute. You can follow them on twitter here:

https://x.com/careforgaza?s=21

And if you want to donate to them, here are their gofundme and paypal:

UNRWA is an agency helping Palestinian refugees directly in Gaza, you can donate to them here:

Pious Projects distribute kits with menstrual pads, hygiene products, hairbrushes, etc., you can buy their kits here:

Direct Aid For Gaza is also an program aiding in Gaza, and you can see their strides in their twitter page:

https://x.com/gazadirectaid?s=21

And you can donate to them directly in their paypal:

#palestine #palesources #palestine resources #justice for palestine #save palestine #pray for palestine #justice for palestinians #palestinian lives matter #stand with palestine #from the river to the sea palestine will be free #free palestine #palestine will be free #i stand with palestine #palestine genocide #palestinian genocide #important #help

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workersolidarity · 7 months

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🇵🇸🇮🇱 A FEW THOUGHTS ON GAZA, THE PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE, AND THE EVENTS OF OCT. 7TH

I have to say, I don't think people really get it yet, I don't think anybody alive right now could possibly understand the implications the events of October 7th have had on the world order, or the effects it's going to have.

October 7th changes EVERYTHING.

Israel can never go back to the status quo, Palestine can never go back to the status quo, the US position in the middle east can never go back to the status quo, and the knock-on effects this is going to have are going to echo through time for many many generations to come.

As much as the U.S. wishes it could go back to the status quo, and as much as it thinks it can just magically wish the old order back into place through sheer imperialistic will, but it's not happening. It's not going to happen and the US has no more ability to turn back the clock than I do to bring my recently deceased mother back to life.

What Hamas and Palestinian Resistance groups did was part of a defined strategy to get us right where we are today.

"Hamas KNEW what this would bring on Gaza" is a refrain you're going to hear CONSTANTLY for some time, and honestly, its not wrong, nor does it excuse Israel's genocide on Gazans, nor its abuse of Palestinians in the West Bank or Jerusalem.

Instead, what it does is it illuminates the situation for us, and gives us a window with which to see the aims of the Palestinian Resistance, along with the incredible discipline and bravery, and cruel coldness of the best military tacticians it took to launch this operation.

Hamas not only managed a surprise attack on Israel, but it actually used Israel's OWN world-famous spy network to help execute this attack.

The incredible levels of detailed planning, strategic thinking, discipline within the ranks of officers and rank-in-file, (which they do have a hierarchy), and just the incredible patience this took is stunning in itself.

But this was, as retired UN Weapons Inspector, Scott Ritter has said multiple times, "a cold and calculated" decision. Extremely cold. Extremely calculated.

What the Resistance has done is to use Israel's own military bravado to instigate it into bombing the life out of the Gaza Strip, and to go diving into Gaza City with tanks and armored vehicles where the Resistance can pick them off one by one, ducking in and out of buildings through mouseholes and tunnels, and making some of the most jaw dropping propaganda videos in the history of guerilla warfare.

Each of these effects were part of the goals of the Resistance, to:

a) let Israel flatten Gaza and expose themselves to the entire world as the FUCKING MONSTERS these Zionists really are and to

b) force this issue onto the global stage in a way that initiates the world to confront the contradictions and issues surrounding Gaza and the wider relationship between the West and the Arab world, and, to also, of course,

c) instigate Israel into ground operations in Gaza where they are weak and vulnerable, and lastly, to

c) create guerilla warfare videos that will inspire Resistance groups, Guerilla groups, radicals, and military tacticians across the globe for generations to come.

The scale of what that will mean going forward is just so incredibly poorly understood this early on. I think we can't even begin to imagine the geopolitical implications of everything that's unfolded, and everything that is likely to unfold in West Asia, and across the entire world. (Hint: it's not going to be pretty process no matter what)

The effects of the events of October 7th will reverberate through every corner of the globe and affect every human being on this earth before this is over. I can promise you that.

@WorkerSolidarityNews

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ballerarena · 29 days

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hi guys !! sorry for not posting art rn ive been kinda busy for the past few days but since i posted about this on twitter and it flopped HARD (🤢) i wanted to come on here and share some resources for palestine that i know of, since time is seriously running out for the people of gaza to evacuate to egypt

okay first is decolonize palestine. this is a really good resource for researching the history surronding the attrocities occuring in palestine rn. if you want you can also check out their myth busting section which i find to be really useful information ^^

arab.org has 6 causes they are supporting rn, including palestine. with a click of a button you could be helping palestinian people RIGHT NOW from the comfort of your own home. when you press their "click to help" button, it generates revenue from sponsored advertising, and you can do it once per day. this is more of a popular one so youve probably already heard of it but yeah

operation olive branch is a volunteer based organization that has a HUGE spreadsheet of palestinian families and their gofundmes. if you want to donate DIRECTLY to a palestinian family, youll want to visit their spreadsheet.

lastly is the boycott list from the BDS movement. just dont buy from any of these brands please. this is a targeted boycott so please focus your boycotting on these brands

okay thats all that i have!!! if you have more you want me to add let me know

#free palestine #free gaza #palestine #gaza #current events #bds boycott #boycott israel #keep boycotting #fuck israel

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transfloridaresources · 4 months

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Hey, I just wanted to tell you thank you so much for making this blog. It means more than I could possibly tell you to see support that isn't just "move out", because so many of us just simply can't, or even if we can we don't want to. I shouldn't be expected to uproot my entire life because of other people's bigotry.

Things are getting worse here, and I'm scared. My mom told the doctor that my period was normal last time we went to the doctor, and refused to elaborate. She said that she didn't want specific information about my cycle on file, in case I went on puberty blockers for any reason. My school canceled the Scholastic book fair, because it's a charter school and they were scared of getting on DeSantis' radar. There's uncertainty over if we'll have a psychology course back by the time I reach the age to take it.

Even on a less political front, gay and trans are making a massive resurgence in terms used for bullying. I'm clinging on to my silly little microlabels like a lifeline, because even though it hurts to know that nobody outside of our community is going to know about them, at least that means they aren't going to be slung back in my face like a bullet.

It's really scary, and seeing how people are actually making efforts to combat this means more than you could ever know. It gives me hope that I can stick it out, and make my state a place where the kids younger than me can grow up safely and happily. Seeing adults openly wearing pride pins even in the midst of everything makes me feel safer with them than can be put into words. I hope that by the time I'm an adult and have control over my own life I can be that person for someone, but I also really hope I can help make it a world where that's not needed. And seeing that there's people here that care about us gives me hope that we can accomplish that.

Much love, a queer kid living in central Florida <3

Hello there, wonderful anon & thank you so much for reaching out 🫂💖 It is so meaningful to hear things like this and I'm so grateful that you took the time to write this message. I know so much seems bleak rn, but your message made me think about the world I grew up in when I was a kid / teen. I didn't even really know trans people existed. Queer people barely existed, either. There was no mainstream celebrity for any of those identities and social media didn't exist. I know it feels absolutely terrifying to see this happening now and wondering where you'll go and what life you'll have, but trust me - we'll always be here. We're targeted so much now because people are afraid of change and because these systems of oppression need a constant mark to aim hatred at in order to function. But we're louder than ever now and there's people like you who exist now who are aware of our existences and aware of themselves more than we ever used to have. That's powerful. That gives me hope for the future. YOU give me hope for the future. I look at you the same as you look at us who are older and you inspire me as well. I know this is painful and I know you're scared but know that you're not alone and you never will be. Remember that even if certain laws are passed and attempts to silence information and truth occur - there are still always ways to access that information and keep it alive. These TFR accounts look to BIPOC lives because those are the groups already living under so much oppression who can teach the most about persistence and resilience. Read about other social movements, look to past leaders, look to current events like the people in Gaza right now. Even through tragedy, the spirit of resilience remains. It's still possible to find happiness and fulfillment and build a life somehow. We are not at the mercy of any of this, we just need to learn how to best adapt & keep moving. It's not easy and it's not fair but it is doable. You will have a beautiful life and trans people will always exist. We are still thriving here. Florida (& the south in general) will always have a strong LGBT community no matter what. Let me drop a few links for you or anyone who might need them. CampOUT Florida is a week long summer camp in July for LGBT youth, located around Ocala. Queer Expression St. Pete finally got a permanent home & routinely offers a safe space for LGBT families & youth, especially. If you are struggling and need someone to talk to, Trans Lifeline and Thrive Lifeline both offer peer to peer support (meaning anyone on the other side is also LGBT and/or other identities as well) & also will not involve police / involuntary psych holds. They have a variety of options to communicate with them for support & Thrive even has a trans discord server for anyone 16+! We are also working on a discord server for trans Floridians, which should be available soon, and will have a dedicated channel for teens only (with support as needed from queer & trans adult moderators from a variety of racial backgrounds & who have professional experience working with children / youth). These are just a few things that exist as well. More and more are out there and will also soon be created in the face of increasing pressure on our community. We keep us safe 💖 You are loved, you have value, you have community, you have family, you have a future!

#asks #anon #florida #trans #transgender #lgbt #trans positivity #trans joy #trans youth #trans kids #trans resources #campOUT florida #thrive lifeline #trans lifeline #queer expression st pete #queerexpressionstpete

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bakafox · 8 hours

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Made the mistake of reading notes on a political post again.

Wondering where the FUCK people saying things like "Biden has bragged about deporting more people than Trump" get their news. Seriously I really want to know where Biden went on record bragging he has deported more people than Trump.

The last graphs I recall about deportation numbers and the like showed a rise since Biden took office- after the sharp drop during the worst of Covid, that was still not as high as pre-Covid Trump year numbers. The years before Covid, Trump's administration had one hell of a high number for a lot of shit that people keep saying Biden's administration has made worse. It's like the climate denial graphs that say ice sheets are growing that show only one year's cycle and not the previous years' ever increasing declines.

Project 2025 also openly aims to deport at least 15 million people from the US.

And of course I can understand the rage that Biden hasn't just somehow told the GOP they can't pull the shit they're pulling and slam them all in jail for their anti-trans shit and abortion shit and everything else but like, it is so misdirected and also would require Biden, the man they say is so fucking awful, to become a dictator or at the very least, to greatly expand the power of the executive branch.

The sort of power play that Trump fucking intends to do according to the GOP's own Project 2025 statements and Trump's very researchable and public ranting.

And the sort of shit Trump will be able to do if the GOP controls House, Senate, and White House, compared to the current world where the GOP has unfortunate majorities in places but isn't the sweeping overall majority.

So like, yeah Biden hasn't taken the steps to force state governments to fall into line OR ELSE but Trump will.

Ahahha I even still remember Trump trying to defund the shit out of my somewhat impoverished blue state during BLM! It is something directly in my memory! Remember him wanting to send in the National guard and shit to blue/liberal areas and wanting to shame and wrench control away? BECAUSE I DO.

The US system is busted and needs a shit tone of reforms and repairs but has managed so far to keep things from hitting the kind of rock bottom that is very likely ahead and very damn quickly when and if Trump or any other GOP type candidate gets the office of President while all other seats also fill with like-minded individuals because not enough people vote against them.

And I still fail to see how the implementation of Project 2025 will actually help Palestine or any other corner of the world rather than make shit worse in those places too, for all the one-issue non-voters.

Project 2025 literally says it will heighten support of Israel and Nentanyahu himself wants Trump to win and actively hates Biden because Biden chastises his decisions even to degrees that almost no one supporting Gaza thinks are enough.

Nentanyahu when visiting the US stayed as a guest of Trump's family, rather than being asked to even pay the bribes and enrichment of staying in a Trump hotel, they are allies.

Trump winning will make things worse at home, and there's people saying they don't care about that, and we deserve it, collectively, as a people, which I fucking disagree with, because collective punishment is bullshit regardless of who the 'collective' group is, but it will also make things worse abroad. He will directly put full US political, financial, and military support towards Putin and Netanyahu and other far right ideologues around the world.

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i-still-mask-because · 7 months

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love your page but majorly inappropriate to pivot political aims in your comment on that video specifically regarding the ongoing genocide in gaza. kindly make your own post.

Thanks for the consideration and suggestion.

I reblogged from that particular post because that was my own post from my main blog. Since the advice in the video was motivating in finding a way to help Palestine, I thought it would be helpful and motivating to bring up how it could also be used to speak up about getting what we need for the ongoing pandemic.

I can see how it looked like I was pulling attention away from Palestine. My bad for that, that really wasn't my goal.

However, while I didn't explicitly say it in that reblog, it would be remiss to not point out that the neglect of the covid pandemic and what's happening in Palestine are both genocides that are not only equally important but are very much connected. Those same US tax dollars that are being used to kill civilians in Palestine are the same US tax dollars that should be used to fund the US healthcare system, including the resources and materials US civilians need for the on-going pandemic. Imani Barbarin explains this briefly in this TikTok and Tweet.

Yes, call & email your representatives to tell them you're against the financial support of genocide overseas, AND speak up about how the money SHOULD be used.

#ask queue #palestine #covid pandemic #covid awareness

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theultimatenonbinarynerd · 3 months

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Readalong For Palestine 1: Minor Detail

Introduction

We have all felt helpless over the horrific violence and genocide happening in gaza. The Palestinian people deserve better and it definitely feels like we've failed them. I would love to donate all my money to help people escape and get fed but unfortunately I don't so I've been think about other ways to help spread awareness with this being one of the ideas.

I would love to constantly spam and repost in order to bring to light what governments and the media is trying to censorship but now with the crisis so bad I believe there's more I can do to help. Reading is powerful and a powerful tool which is why countries like America try to ban books. So I believe that even if it's just a small thing hosting a few Readalongs for books by Palestinian Authors will make a huge difference.

So to start I will he hosting a public Readalong of Minor Detail By Adania Shibli, translated by Elisabeth Jaquette. It's a novel loads of people have been recommending for people who are uneducated and struggling to grasp what's happening in Palestine. I also have chosen it worse because I'm aware of the situation where Adania Shibli had her award postponed due to the October Attack. She deserves better and although I'm aware there was a read along done in her name, I want to do one again as its super important to keep this novel out there.

Aims

My aims for doing this are pure and not for any malicious reasons. I was one of the many people who were brainwashed by the media's deadly narrative and I want to help educate other people as there's no justification for genocide.

So here's are all my hopes and aims with these readalongs.

1: Get More Books From Palestinian Authors Out There!

2: Getting people to talk about what's happening through reading and discussing Palestinian content.

3: Fight back against censorship and allow people access to Palestinian media that they want to silence.

Like I said please be assured that those are my intentions and I hope they are intentions everyone else has too.

Other Readalongs

I will be doing four other readalongs and I promise that those dates will follow in their own separate posts.

I'd love to read more Fiction Palestinian books but I desperately want to platform books that are educating non biasely on this content really well. On Palestine was again another no brainer as most people have recommended this as a key essential book to understanding the conflict further. Very excited to read it and evolve my perspective in further in this terrible time where tons of awful retric is being spewed out. In My Mother's Footsteps was a last minute one but one I thought that was so essential to understand especially in terms of reflecting on how Palestinians are being cruelly expelled of their own land in the name of Zionism another thing I want to read up further having grown up in a Zionist religion. Another bonus one I'm adding in is This Arab Is Queer as it has content from Elias Jahshan who is a Palestinian author and he's the one who edited the overall Anthology so it's important to highlight I think.

I hope that you might be able to join me and get something out of the content.

Conclusion

As I said the dates for the other readalongs will come in other posts and I will keep everyone updated. I hope those who are on Storygraph can join me and help raise more awareness about what's happening. They don't want us to be aware and it's important we fight back against that.

-Melody-

They/Them

#free gaza #free palestine #palestine #read along #palestinian genocide #palestinian voices #palestinian authors #minor detail #translated #bookworm #bookish #book tumblr #booklover #reading #storygraph

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abigailspinach · 1 month

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Combatting low turnout

In 2020, Tennessee's youth turnout was among the lowest in the nation at 43%, well below the national youth-voting average of 50%. And in the 2022 mid-term elections, Tennessee had the country's worst youth-voter turnout at just 12.7%.

Some voting-rights groups say young voters often feel disillusioned because lawmakers suppress their participation. In Tennessee, for instance, the state won't accept a college ID as proper identification at the polls, but will accept a firearms registration card.

Other examples: limiting polling places on college campuses, blocking same-day voter registration and requiring that voting registration be done via "wet" signature ‒ a hand-written signature signed in pen and mailed in or hand-delivered to registration officials. All of this seems very last-century to people who've grown up in the digital age.

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They're not apathetic, they're annoyed

While Trump has focused primarily on the health of the overall economy and closing the southern border, Biden in the past several months has announced initiatives aimed squarely at the concerns of young people, from tax credits to help people buy houses to capping credit card fees, reducing racial disparities in healthcare and income, and lowering college costs and student loan debt, including at historically black colleges and universities in Tennessee.

She's furious that past generations could more easily buy homes, afford college, save for retirement and access high-quality health care. She said she sees Biden as only marginally better than Trump, who she considers a "dictator."

She said older voters refuse to change society because it works for them, even if it means dooming young people to a subsistence existence without homeownership, savings or affordable cars, groceries and gas.

Schulz said college costs are among his students' biggest concerns, along with climate change and the war in Gaza. He said it's a mistake to think young people aren't interested in politics. The problem, he said, is that many feel their votes won’t make a difference, due to uncontested seats or gerrymandered districts.

Ware, who said she's likely to vote for Trump this fall, said the cost of groceries and gas are among her biggest worries, along with overspending by the federal government, including aid to Ukraine. And she worries that both Trump and Biden are too old to effectively connect with millions of young people like her. She said she feels Biden in particular makes the country look weak because he's so old.

“I’m just really not super into Joe Biden, you know,” she said. “It’s one of those things where … I don’t think the alternative is better but at the same time, he's being silent on these major issues, like Palestine and a hundred other things.”

The choice between Biden and Trump is a matter of "bad vs. worse" due to Trump’s stances on many of the issues impacting her, she said.

"I’m a queer person, I'm a woman and I have no interest in making that worse," she said. “But at the same time, I don’t think Biden is great, either."

University of Memphis student Luis Lopez Gamez, 21, said he's also disillusioned with Biden, and will likely just not vote over frustrations about the lack of border reform and Biden's inability to stop Israel's attacks on Gaza. Gamez is Latino and queer, and said that while Trump has been outwardly hostile to people like him, Biden doesn't seem much better.

#us politics

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crvvys · 2 months

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I’m listening to Bari Weiss’ three part series on Israel and Palestine and in the final part she interviews this Israeli journalist who’s been really interesting to listen to even if I don’t agree with everything he says. of course this is a pro Israel podcast that I don’t mind listening to bc I want to hear the real perspective of people living with this history and ongoing conflict. I listen to pro Palestine views as well which is why I consistently disagree with Zionist perspectives bc the history can sometimes come off either misinformed or one sided even at times when it aims to be fair and compassionate. I try to form a complete understanding with both sides of the history bc I don’t believe that I can know the whole truth of Israel or Jewish people without Israelis and Jewish people. even if I think some of the perspectives may leave out the Palestinian side within the history of the region at times.

at one point he’s talking about how Israelis will not react the way the French did in Algeria or the British did in Kenya. they will act as an indigenous population with nowhere to go. that is where their strong resolve comes from. they will fight terrorism bc they have nowhere to run to. I think that’s an admirable perspective and I do believe Israelis face terror from militants but I can’t help but think that…the Palestinians are in the exact situation but worse? where are the Palestinians supposed to go? they also aren’t the French in Algeria or the British in Kenya. they must have that same resilience and resolve that he speaks of because they’ve been there forever too. he says Palestinians have turned down peace processes as if that’s astonishing and not an understandable reaction to feeling invaded by an initially hostile population even if that population was indigenous to the same land.

there are some points he makes that I agree with regarding how the west generally views this conflict and how a lot of young people have a narrow view of the history and how the battle within Islamic factions plays a role in this and how westerners won’t touch on that bc they don’t know enough or fear being racist.

but I hear the talking point about Hamas a lot. how Israel is justified for going after them and destroying their infrastructure and ability to build in the way ISIS was destroyed in Syria but it falls flat to me. obviously Hamas further complicates any possible peace between Israelis and Palestinians which is already hard to reach anyway. but ISIS wasn’t completely destroyed either. they just more or less dispersed. there are factions in West Africa, they’re in Afghanistan and Pakistan now I believe…and I’m sure the destruction of Gaza will birth something equal or worse to Hamas bc that’s how these things go. he does mention Saudi Arabia cracking down on Wahhabism and mostly removing it from their society and I’ll have to read up on that but even then, I don’t know if that can be equated to bombing a fundamentalist regime into oblivion.

I’m also not so sure that this is the full intention of the current Israeli government either. under Netanyahu I’m pretty sure he’s seeking land for more Israeli settlers. allowing the funding of Hamas by the Qataris was supposed to make that easier. obviously it didn’t. the plan has changed and we all see the horrors of it. I still think the ultimate goal of defeating Hamas isn’t some path forward for both the Israelis and Palestinians but for a permanent end to a two state solution. and either the journalist knows that or he really believes the defeat of Hamas is justified for an eventual path of peace. maybe that’s what he actually thinks bc he seems to want peace. I don’t know

#I’m nearing the end of the interview. it’s giving me a lot to think about

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xtruss · 2 months

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US’ Double Standards, Hypocrisy Undermine Prospects For Lasting Peace In Gaza

— By Professor Victor Gao | March 15, 2024

Illustration: Chen Xia/Global Times

While the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate as regional conflicts drag on, the US military dropped food and water on Tuesday into the region. On the same day, it was announced by the Pentagon that the US army ships were also moving to the Eastern Mediterranean to build a pier to bring aid to civilians in Gaza. However, the US government is pushing itself into a quagmire, demonstrating a high level of double standards and hypocrisy.

On the one hand, the US has become the main lifeline behind the Israeli military, providing a tremendous amount of equipment, ammunition, weapons of all kinds, military intelligence, as well as money. On the other hand, the US has taken some actions seemingly aimed at providing more humanitarian support to the Palestinian people, alleviating their agonies, pain and suffering.

However, even before the ink dries on the US' pronouncement, the US military has stated that constructing the pier may require up to 60 days. This means that there would be a waiting period of 60 days before the pier could even begin to operate and receive supplies from overseas.

Currently, a war is raging in Gaza, and innocent lives are being lost. How can we afford to wait another 60 days or so? The US government should take immediate action by enforcing a cease-fire while simultaneously expediting the construction of the temporary pier. I hope this can be completed in a shorter time frame. Subsequently, the international community should be called upon to rush supplies to Gaza to alleviate the pain and suffering of the Palestinian people.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is not being contained solely between the two sides. Instead, it has the potential to escalate out of control. Yemen's Houthis are attacking ships bound for or departing from Israel. Moreover, the US and the UK are bombing sites inside Yemen. Other countries, including Iraq, Syria and Iran, are facing increasing crises and strategic bombings by Israeli or Western forces.

Therefore, this is a critical moment for the US to stand up and do the right thing, rather than being accused by future generations of failing to live up to their responsibilities. However, the US does not appear to demonstrate any genuine commitment or willingness to end this conflict. I don't think they really care that much about the civilian deaths in Gaza. They are not dedicating enough resources or attention to do the right thing.

The Gaza crisis seems to be rapidly becoming a pawn in the US' presidential election. Just look at how Donald Trump and Joe Biden talk about the crisis in Gaza and how to deal with the Israeli government or its defense forces. They probably do not want to solve the problem and the crisis immediately. They would prefer to gain more votes by playing electoral tactics, any way they can.

In the US general election up to early November, even though the Gaza crisis itself is one of the most significant and horrific human tragedies in history, attention will likely be focused more on domestic issues rather than international ones. However, the Gaza crisis will undoubtedly influence the election in several ways.

First, many Muslim Americans are expected to mobilize their efforts to urge people not to vote for Biden. They perceive Biden as having let down the US by failing to stand firm in defending peace and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, as much as the US defends the legitimate rights of the Israeli people.

Second, they are frustrated by the complete failure of the US in helping end the tragedies in Gaza. They are dismayed by the fact that the US has repeatedly blocked resolutions in the United Nations Security Council calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. As a result, they will likely be mobilized. Political activists will attempt to hold Biden accountable for the US' failure to promote a cease-fire in the Israel-Palestine conflict, a failure that has been demonstrated to the entire world.

However, while the American people may be paying attention to the Ukraine crisis and the Gaza conflict, their main focus is on domestic issues, particularly the outcome of the presidential election. Unfortunately, news about civilian deaths, atrocities and indiscriminate killings may be overshadowed by headlines about domestic affairs. This will be a tragic chapter for both the Palestinian people and Israel, as it undermines the prospects for lasting peace in the region.

This is a critical moment for the US to do the right thing and prevent a real crisis of lasting instability, hatred and confrontation between the Palestinian people and the Israeli people. The US should treat the Palestinian people the same as they treat the Israeli people. If anyone attempts to prioritize the political rights of the Israeli people at the expense of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, they will ultimately fail to serve the fundamental interests of the Israelis, as this is not how lasting peace for Israel can be achieved.

— The Author is a Chair Professor at Soochow University and Vice President of the Center for China and Globalization.

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brexiiton · 5 months

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Human Rights Watch alleges Israel is breaching the rules of war in Gaza - what are they?

By Olivia Ralph, 23 Sat Dec 2023 at 5:52am

An expert says the laws of war are a range of principles that aim to reduce suffering. (AP: Fatima Shbair)

Earlier this week, Human Rights Watch accused Israel of "using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli government rejected the claims and instead blamed Hamas for hijacking aid intended for civilians.

There have been any references to "rules of war" being broken, and the US is investigation whether war crimes have been committed by Israel and by Hamas. But what exactly qualifies as a war crime.

Neutrality

International humanitarian law expert Dr Helen Durham said the laws of war were not created to take a moral stance on a particular conflict but to offer a "balance between military necessity and the principle of humanity" when conflict does occur.

Palestinians line up for a free meal in Rafah, Gaza Strip. (AP: Hatem Ali)

Dr Durham served as Director of International Law and Policy at the International Committee of the Red Cross from 2014 until last year.

She is now CEO of RedR Australia, an international humanitarian response agency that operates in partnership with frontline relief agencies and local governments and as a stand-by partner to 16 United Nations agencies and entities.

"I've spent 30 years trying to explain it in really simple ways because the laws of war are very different from laws relating to the use of force," said Dr Durham.

"The laws of war are a range of principles that, at the heart, aim to reduce suffering."

What are the rules of war?

#1 Protecting civilians

The intentional targeting of civilians, including civilian infrastructure like hospitals, schools, or water sources is considered a war crime.

Military operations should be limited to specific targets such as weapons stockpiles and military bases. However, there is an important exception to the rule when military combatants use civilians structures as bases for operations.

"I keep seeing in the newspaper 'they found guns in the hospital', and I wonder if people, who don't understand what that means under the laws of war, actually know why that's a problem," Dr Durham said.

"If a hospital is being used for military purposes, it takes away the general protection but there is still the requirement for proportionality in protecting civilians."

The Israeli government has maintained that Hamas uses civilian infrastructure to launch military attacks. Its forces recently raided the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, the site of an explosion on October 17 that killed dozens of Palestinians.

Initially thought to be the result of Israeli missile strikes, an Associated Press investigation later determined it was likely caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket.

Civilians must also be allowed to evacuate a war zone, and all parties to a conflict must help them do so.

An ABC News analysis found that evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military to Gaza residents have been "unclear and contradictory".

Leaflets distributed to Gazan residents instructing them to check the IDF grid system for evacuation warnings. (X: Times of Gaza)

With extremely tight time frames for residents to leave and many of Gaza's 2 million residents already sheltering in the south, there are few safe places to go.

The Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border remains the only way for civilians to leave but has so far been limited by Egyptian authorities to foreign nationals or Palestinians with dual citizenship.

#2 Proportionality

The principle of proportionality requires that any use of military force be proportionate to the threat being faced.

Overall, it is about weighing harm to civilians against military objectives rather than balancing the number of casualties on both sides.

"It's prohibited that you can kill civilians, but the principle of proportionality says, if there's a very high military objective and some civilians get killed, as long as it's proportional to the military objective, it's not illegal," said Dr Durham.

The US military makes a determination using a "collateral damage estimate" that seeks to predict and quantify harm to civilians that may occur during a military operation.

The problem is that there is no universal definition of proportionality in humanitarian law, so it becomes difficult to assess those decisions from afar.

"11,000-plus strikes by Israel in the last month … there's probably good evidence of both disproportionate and indiscriminate strikes by Israel, but that's a lot harder to prove," said Professor Saul.

"Just from seeing a bombed building, you can't tell any of that."

#3 Protecting humanitarian aid and workers

The deliberate restriction or prevention of humanitarian relief that leads to the starvation of civilians is a war crime.

This accusation was levelled against the Israeli government this week by Human Rights Watch.

Challis Chair of International Law at Sydney University Professor Ben Saul said while some aid trucks had been able to get across the border into Gaza, the number was nowhere near sufficient to provide for the nearly 2 million civilians still stranded in the war zone.

"Access to humanitarian relief has absolutely been a focus [in the media], but there's been a lot less attention to the fact that it's actually a war crime to deny [humanitarian aid]," he said.

"You can't starve civilians, even if you are fighting a war of self-defence."

Aid workers themselves are seen as neutral actors in a conflict and are to be protected as such.

"As an ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross] delegate, I used to go out, and my colleagues did with the big red cross on my jacket, and that's what kept me alive," said Dr Durham.

"Before any conflict, the ICRC sends out a letter explaining to both parties what their obligations are under international humanitarian law.

"You have to be able to have a neutral dialogue — focusing on humanitarian issues without taking political side and raise humanitarian concerns … what we call 'demarche', saying to the Israeli authorities: 'This is not acceptable' … and then saying to Hamas: 'This is not acceptable.'"

#4 No use of torture

The laws of war emphasise the principle of humane treatment of all individuals, whether they be civilians, combatants, or prisoners of war. Torture and cruel treatment are expressly prohibited without exception.

Israeli officials are investigation allegations of sexual violence committed by Hamas militants against civilians using collected evidence including video footage, witness reports, and forensics gathered during the October 7 terrorist attack.

More than 1,200 Israeli civilians and soldiers were killed in the Hamas-led attack and some 240 were taken hostage.

Where did the rules come from?

These modern rules of war have ancient lineage, but the foundation of international humanitarian law as we understand it today dates back to the signing of the first Geneva Convention in 1864, requiring the protection and car for those wounded and sick on the battlefield.

The Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field, signed in 1864, is pictured at the Red Cross Museum in Geneva.(Reuters: Denis Balibouse)

It wasn't until after World War II that those protections were expanded to protect civilians with the adoption of the Geneva Conventions of 1949.

"Under the Geneva Conventions, commanders are responsible for ensuring that their forces comply with humanitarian law, they're got an explicit obligation to refer wrongdoing for investigation and prosecution," said Professor Saul.

However, it took almost another half-century for the first permanent international court with the mandate to prosecute the most serious crimes to be established.

"The [International Criminal Court] is a court of last resort as a principle of what's called 'complementarity'," said Professor Saul.

"The international court will only look at a case if the relevant national jurisdictions are unable or unwilling to genuinely prosecute.

While Israel is not a party to the International Criminal Court, the government of Palestine has been since 2015.

"So the court can investigate crimes in Palestine by Palestinians or Israelis, but it can also investigate crimes by Hamas committed inside Israel, even though Israel is not a party to the court," said Professor Saul.

Are they still relevant?

whether the rules of war can still effectively protect civilian life or if their enforcement falters in a growing landscape of armed conflict and geopolitical complexity.

"Legally there, of course, can be really good reasons why you might treat situations that, on the surface, look similar, differently," said Professor Saul.

"If international law is not seen to be applied in an impartial, non-selective way then people will rightly feel like those institutions, for whatever reasons going on behind the scenes, political or otherwise, are compromised."

Dr Durham said answers from a 2016 ICRC survey stick with her to this day when 17,000 people globally were asked whether they though the laws of war made a difference.

"It was quite a percentage [of difference] between people who had experienced conflict being more positive and saying it does make a bit of a difference … and people who hadn't experienced conflict being really cynical and saying it doesn't make any difference."

"Deep cynicism is the luxury of those who haven't really sometimes suffered."

#terrorwave #terror wave #terror #news #israel hamas conflict #israel #israeli #israel hamas war #hamas #hamas attack

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