Now that Israeli & US officials have pivoted from sheer retaliation to their old “human shields” excuse, I debunk that argument in 5 points [published during last Gaza onslaught].
Point 1: Israel provides no evidence
Point 2: Israel has a history of lying about use of “human shields”
Point 3: Israel’s broad definition of “human shield” includes literally every single man, woman & child in Gaza
Point 4: If you apply Israel’s definition, the IDF uses their civilians as human shields as well
Point 5: If everyone in Gaza should be considered a legitimate “human shield,” that’s only by Israel’s own design
The “human shields” excuse has long been used to justify mass murder. But if Israel is so confident in its argument, they should have no problem defending themselves at the International Criminal Court. Why should they be their own judge & jury?
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I just got back from Cuba & am blown away by the graciousness and resilience of the Cuban people fighting to survive under the boot of the world’s biggest empire.
I was in Cuba in 2015 and it was a very different time. Cubans & Americans were optimistic about normalizing relations between neighbors & moving past the irrational Cold War era of hostility and punishment.
Trump installed 240 new sanctions on Cuba on top of the existing crippling US blockade as well as added it to the state sponsors of terrorism list—an absurd designation considering the long campaign of US backed terrorism that has taken 100s of Cuban lives wola.org/2021/05/right-…
YouTube just banned almost 600 episodes of my old show Breaking The Set. Years-long censorship campaign culminated in tech giants purging thousands of my critical interviews and reports about US empire. Gutted
In 2017 US Director of National Intelligence said Breaking The Set “promoted radical discontent” for covering things like socialism & third parties. The government campaign to censor forbidden viewpoints started then & won’t stop until we’re all gone
Knowing this was coming still doesn’t prepare you for the loss. Wasn’t able to get the full archive. The channel hosted a community, with a time capsule of comments & embeds in countless articles that are now dead. A chunk of the historical record removed in the blink of an eye.
The shuttering of RT America is devastating news. It was one of the only alternatives to US centric corporate domination of our airwaves & it gave unmatched platforms to consistent anti-war voices like Lee Camp, Chris Hedges & myself.
I had a show on RT America for three years. I had the editorial freedom to criticize Russia many times & was never told what to do or say. The cartoonish depiction of the network is false & it’s grotesque to cheer on censorship of voices that need exposure
The US establishment grossly exaggerated the impact of Russian propaganda to absolve its own political failures for years & was clamoring to eliminate RT because it featured forbidden viewpoints, not because it had real influence
After I was scheduled to give keynote speech at an upcoming @GeorgiaSouthern conference, organizers said I must comply w/ Georgia’s anti-BDS law & sign a contractual pledge to not boycott Israel. I refused & my talk was canceled. The event fell apart after colleagues supported me
@GeorgiaSouthern The organizers were afraid my pro-Palestine activism & film Gaza Fights For Freedom would violate Georgia’s anti-BDS law. Georgia is one of 27 states that passed legislation to criminalize BDS efforts. Ironically, the conference was centered around the notion of “media literacy.”
@GeorgiaSouthern The global awareness & success of BDS has terrified the political establishment, which has pursued an aggressive, bipartisan push to ban Israel boycotts across the US, especially at universities. Trump’s recent executive order furthers cements this goal. electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-bar…
With polls showing notable drop in support for Israel among Democratic voters, the political pressure on 2020 candidates has increased. But in response to this shift, most have made their positions on Israel & Palestine more ambiguous—so let's dig deeper into their views! Thread:
To start, nearly every candidate uses similar rhetoric saying they support a “two-state solution” & unequivocally agree on “Israel’s right to security” while they claim to oppose the “right-wing” in Israel. But these statements are mostly platitudes that obscure or avoid reality.
1. @CoryBooker: Considered one of most pro-Israel Dems. Only candidate to co-sponsor anti-BDS Act. Says he “texts like teens” w/ AIPAC president. Lobbied Black Congressmen to not boycott Netanyahu speech. Co-sponsored resolution against Obama & in support of illegal settlements.