🧵 NEW: A forthcoming book by @normfinkelstein makes the case that ICJ president Julia Sebutinde is guilty of “wholesale plagiarism” in her dissenting opinion in support of Israel last year (re: Israel’s unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory).

“No less than 32%” of the opinion was “directly lifted from publications by notorious apologists for Israel,” per Finkelstein.

Moreover, he reportedly argues “in painstaking detail” that “the anomalies, errors, and legal contortions” found therein “could have only resulted from either bribery or blackmail by the Israeli government.”

See the quoted post for his full press release. See the rest of our thread below for further context.
2/ In the July 2024 advisory opinion in question, the ICJ ruled that Israel’s “continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful,” and that it is “under obligation” to:

“end its unlawful presence… as rapidly as possible”
“cease immediately all new settlement activities”
“evacuate all settlers” from the oPT
“make reparation for the damage caused…”

They further stated that “all states” are obligated “not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by” the Israeli occupation, nor to recognize it “as legal.”

Read more in our report from last year: decensored.news/icj-ruling-unl…

THREAD 🧵

In a November 4, 2024 audio recording provided to us by journalist @samhusseini, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller admits that he has been refusing to call on Sam as a matter of policy.

This was shortly after that day's press briefing: 2/ Having followed @samhusseini's appearances at these briefings closely since 2023, we want to emphasize that Miller only confirms in that recording what was already obvious for months: that Sam was completely blackballed.

NEW: We reconstructed @samhusseini's viral confrontation with Antony Blinken by combining footage from multiple sources, including @amrhsayed & @ryangrim. A must-see.

This was the culmination of months of State Dept stonewalling.

“Why aren't you in The Hague??” Here's an example of why they stopped letting @samhusseini ask any questions. 👇 One of the very few times Miller called on him in all of 2024. Sam presses them about things that other reporters in the room won't (in this case the Hannibal Directive).

https://x.com/decensorednews/status/1805680908059480344

“I'm not exaggerating when I say that 99% of the people I talk to [in Gaza] just want to die and think that death will finally give them a rest from all this,” says Palestinian journalist @HossamShabat. “The Israeli government has created hell on earth for the people of Gaza.”

This — deliberately creating hell on earth for Gaza's civilian population — is exactly what Daniella Weiss, director of the Israeli settler organization Nachala, discussed and condoned in an interview with BBC News' Orla Guerin that was published in April of 2024.

She told Guerin that “Arabs will not stay” in Gaza and will be replaced by Jews. “Africa is big. Canada is big. The world will absorb the people of Gaza.”

“How will we do it?” she asked rhetorically. “We encourage it.”

When Guerin asked what happens to the Palestinians who want to stay in Gaza, Weiss repeatedly insisted that “The Arabs want to go.”

Her reason? “Normal people don't want to live in hell.”

Guerin: “What you're talking about sounds like a plan for ethnic cleansing.”

Weiss: “You can call it ethnic cleansing, you can call it refugees, whatever you want... apartheid... you choose your definition...” For those who don't know, Weiss isn't just some random Israeli. Here's an edit of some of CNN & Channel 4's coverage of a conference she organized in early 2024.

Speakers included Itamar Ben-Gvir (national security minister) and Bezalel Smotrich (finance minister).

CNN has called her the “godmother” of the Zionist settler movement.

As seen around the 0:47 mark in this video, she freely admits that deliberately withholding humanitarian aid is one of the “methods” they're using to ethnically cleanse Gaza (i.e., create the “hell” on earth that she speaks of).

Weiss: “There will be no Arabs in [Gaza]... and we'll use different methods; one of them is not to give them any humanitarian aid, so the countries of the world will have pity on them and take them.”

Later in the video, she says that her organization gets funding and support from very “prominent” and “wealthy Jews” in the US.

WATCH: Asked about the Biden admin's newly-published letter to Israel, State Dept spox Matthew Miller admits a long-established fact — that the humanitarian aid that Israel is allowing to reach Palestinians in Gaza is at “very, very low levels” and that the situation is “dire.”

He claims that the election is “not a factor at all” in the timing of this letter, and implies that the fact that the 30 day implementation “window” ends after the election is purely coincidental.

Confronted by a CNN reporter about the fact that this man-made crisis is not new, and that Israel has been blocking huge amounts of aid for months, Miller claims they have “been having a number of ongoing conversations with” the Israelis prior to this letter.

(We have no way to verify that claim, but if that's true then it suggests that they knowingly failed to take the necessary action – or even give Israel an ultimatum – for months.) Miller refuses to address what will supposedly happen if Israel doesn't start letting more humanitarian aid into Gaza

Q: “And the consequence if they don't do that is what?”

Miller: “So — I'm not going to speak to that today...” [long non-answer]

Q: “Um, yeah, but.... what's the consequence?”

Miller: “There are implications under US law, under policy, that I'm not gonna speak to here...”

“The experience of isolation for years in a small cell is difficult to convey. It strips away one's sense of self, leaving only the raw essence of existence. I am yet not fully equipped to speak about what I have endured; the relentless struggle to stay alive, both physically and mentally. Nor can I speak yet about the deaths by hanging, murder, and medical neglect of my fellow prisoners...”

Julian Assange begins his testimony: After thanking PACE and the many others around the world who have campaigned on his behalf for their efforts, Assange says “none of them should have been necessary.”

“But ALL of them WERE necessary, because without them, I never would have seen the light of day...”

“This unprecedented global effort was needed because, of the legal protections that did exist, many existed only on paper, [and] were not effective in any remotely reasonable time...”

“I eventually chose freedom over unrealizable justice...”

“Justice for me is now precluded, as the US government insisted on writing into its plea agreement that I cannot file a case at the European Court of Human Rights, or even an [FOIA] request over what it did to me as a result of its extradition request...”

WATCH: Journalist @samhusseini confronts French foreign minister @jnbarrot about his country's failure to properly implement the ICJ's orders in the genocide case against Israel

“You and most of the rest of the Security Council voted for a US resolution that FALSELY claimed that Israel agreed to a ceasefire resolution. Didn't that in effect give Israel a green light for further aggression?”

Barrot answers in French — even though he's fully fluent in English and answered the previous question in English — making it impossible for Sam (and other reporters) to follow up, and then walked off.

Sam: “Can you please give an English response?? You're literally speaking a different language!” A few quick examples of Barrot speaking English. He sometimes does entire events and interviews in English.

WATCH: Russian ambassador @Dpol_un calls out the US at the UN Security Council for its ongoing role in Israel's genocide in the wake of the massacre at the al-Tabin school in Gaza City

“Expecting our Western—primarily American—colleagues, who are in cahoots with Israel, to express any compassion for the Palestinians is pointless. Therefore, it's important to regularly bring the truth about what's happening in Gaza to the international community through the Security Council...”

“Unfortunately what happened in al-Tabin can't be seen as a one-off or some awful criminal misstep...”

“There's an obvious conclusion that what is happening is nothing less than a deliberate choice by the Israeli leadership. Condemnation of the actions of West Jerusalem and calls for restraint will not work. The problem runs much deeper...”

“The UN Security Council is increasingly turning into a passive and powerless bystander, who can only report of worsening degradation of the situation and ritually express their concern...”

“14 members of the Security Council have essentially been held hostage by the US, who block any action towards an immediate ceasefire...”

“40,000 people have been killed [since Oct 16]... more than 90,000 have been injured... this is the price of inaction of multilateral diplomacy and shortsighted interest of some members of the Council, who, with their ‘Veto of Damocles,’ for six months have hindered even the slightest moves towards a ceasefire...”

“We call on the Council not to be under the thumb of Washington, who is concerned only with protecting the interests of Israel and profits from delivering weapons to hotspots...”

“We should think together about what measures can be taken to de-escalate in Gaza, and the region as a whole. If, for that, we need a Security Council visit ‘to the field,’ then that's what should happen...”

“The Middle East should be a priority for Council visits, which should not become political tourism to comfortable locations...”

From yesterday (Aug 13): Ambassador @Dpol_un also discussed UN Security Council Resolution 2735—which was backed by the US and adopted in June—noting that Russia had abstained because they had “the most serious doubts” regarding its “feasibility”—doubts which, he says, have now been “confirmed.”

“[The resolution] contained three phases with extremely ambitious plans, from a comprehensive ceasefire to the start of a full-scale reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Not a single one of these phases has materialized. Now, they all look absolutely surrealistic. And, unfortunately, the Security Council signed up for this surrealism...”

“But what's worse than anything is that it signed up to a blatant lie: the first operative paragraph stated that Israel agreed to the proposed conditions of the ‘deal.’ Israel’s representatives on many occasions, including in this room, said directly that they did NOT agree to it...”

“Moreover, the entire rhetoric of Israeli officials shows that Israel has no intentions at all to stop its military operation, whatever the position of the Security Council may be...”

“So what result, then, came from—to quote our American colleagues—their ‘active’ and ‘assertive’ diplomacy on the ground to bringing the parties to agreement, which the Security Council was told it should not interfere with?... We are not aware of any progress at all. The only ‘anti-result’ since the adoption of Resolution 2735 was the blatant, provocative assassination of the main negotiator for Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh – the former Palestinian prime minister – during his visit to Tehran...”

New photos of Trump's ear without the bandage have been coming out over the past 48 hours or so, after he announced at an event on Friday night that he had just taken off "the last bandage." (🧵)

His ear: "As I think you can see I've recovered well. And in fact, just took off the last bandage off of my ear..."

"I just got it off. I took it off for this group..."

Trump at the Believer's Summit, hosted by Turning Point Action in West Palm Beach, July 26, 2024:

A new Haaretz story confirms that yes—as @TheGrayzoneNews, @intifada, @Mondoweiss, & others have reported for months—the Hannibal Directive was used on Oct 7.

Here's a quick 🧵 providing some of the key details from the article in timeline form.

Source: archive.is/CTeR2

https://twitter.com/decensorednews/status/1805680908059480344

7:18am: In response to a reported kidnapping at the Erez border crossing, a command is sent from divisional HQ saying: "Hannibal at Erez... dispatch a Zik."

"The Zik is an unmanned assault drone, and the meaning of this command was clear," reports Haaretz.

INCREDIBLE: In response to questioning by @samhusseini about Israel's "Hannibal Directive" — particularly regarding its use on Oct 7 and/or against US citizens — Miller claims that he's NEVER HEARD OF IT!

Miller: "I am not familiar in any way with either that supposed directive or those reports..."

Husseini: "You've never heard of the Hannibal Directive??" Comment from @samhusseini about this exchange:

https://x.com/samhusseini/status/1805697068046205050

Joe Rogan has been podcasting for almost 15 years, and has recorded 2,167 episodes and counting.

It speaks volumes that he's never invited @_whitneywebb. 🧵 1/

https://twitter.com/_whitneywebb/status/1803450046232330531

Also never invited onto The Joe Rogan Experience: James Corbett, G. Edward Griffin, @TLAVagabond, @StopTechnocracy, @samhusseini, just to name a few.

Invited: Dave Rubin, Ben Shapiro, Bret Weinstein, Eric Weinstein, Elon Musk, Jordan Peterson, Alex Jones, Tucker Carlson, Sam Harris, Michael Shermer, RFK Jr, Bari Weiss, Tulsi Gabbard, Michael Shellenberger, Gad Saad, Alex Berenson, and many others.

🧵 1/ WATCH: Journalist Sam Husseini (@samhusseini) tries to question the State Dept about whether Israel has really “committed to” the “ceasefire deal” as the Biden administration claims

Nadia Bilbassy-Charters (@nadia_bilbassy), DC Bureau Chief for Saudi Arabia's Al Arabiya news outlet, helps Miller box Sam out and once again evade answering any questions from him: 2/ Miller was finishing his answer to another journalist's question (Said Arikat) when Sam followed up to ask for clarification.

@nadia_bilbassy is part of a small group of "approved" journalists who Miller almost always gives multiple questions to.

Some Republicans won, some Democrats won, but you'll never guess who else won big on Super Tuesday (again)





And on, and on, and on...

🧵 1/ At the UN Security Council today, Christopher Lockyear, secretary general of Doctors Without Borders (@MSF_USA), provided an urgent update on Israel's assault on Gaza.

He began by describing a horrific attack on one of their staff shelters this week: 🧵 2/ @MSF_USA’s Christopher Lockyear describes “the systematic obliteration” of Gaza's health system

“Israeli forces have attacked our convoys, detained our staff, bulldozed our vehicles; hospitals have been bombed and raided, and now—for a second time—one of our staff shelters has been hit...”

“This situation is the culmination of a war Israel is waging on the entire population of the Gaza Strip. A war of collective punishment; war without rules; a war at all costs...”

“Our colleagues in Gaza are fearful that as I speak to you today, they will be punished tomorrow...”

🧵 1/ A lot of accounts on X are reporting that Argentina's President Javier Milei has called for the destruction of the al-Aqsa Mosque.

Many of them aren't providing a source, but this appears to be the video that's cited by those who do: 🧵 2/ Here's a transcript of the English translation of Milei's remarks in the video above:

“This story took place after the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans. Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues were observing the Temple Mount in ruins and they saw a fox leave the Holiest of Holies in the Temple. There could have been no more disheartening scene than that.

In the face of this terrible scene, the rabbis cried in mourning, but Rabbi Akiva started to laugh. His colleagues asked how he could possibly laugh in the face of such a tragedy, to which Rabbi Akiva answered:

‘There's a prophecy about the destruction that says that a fox will break into the Holiest of Holies. There is another prophecy that says that the same place will be rebuilt. Now that I see with my own eyes the first prophecy come true, I laugh in joy and full of hope as the second prophecy will surely come true.’ ”

🇵🇸 PALESTINE: “The ICJ has offered a resounding rebuke to those who claimed that the case of genocide against Israel was ‘meritless’ and ‘baseless.’ ”

“The court also dismissed the premise that somehow Israel, by its very nature, would be above the law and could not be accused of committing the crime of genocide...”

“Enough racism and supremacy. Enough impunity.”

Ambassador Riyad Mansour at Wednesday’s UN Security Council meeting (THREAD): 🇵🇸 Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour, seemingly referencing the debate over whether the ICJ order should have explicitly called for a “ceasefire”:

“Concentrate on the six provisional measures adopted. Do not be more royalist than the king. Even the ad hoc judge of Israel voted in favor of these two provisional measures.”

“Read it. Study it. And re-read it to know what's in it; not what the illusions in the minds of some of what was not in it.”

“It is CRYSTAL CLEAR that the provisional measures adopted by the court ARE BINDING, and Israel MUST COMPLY with them.”

NEW: South Africa to the UN Security Council: “We reiterate that the international community CANNOT proclaim the importance of international law and the importance of the UN Charter in SOME situations and not in others, as if the rule of law only applies to a select few.”

“For international law to be credible, it should be uniformly applied, and not selective.” 🇿🇦🇺🇳 🇿🇦 South Africa summarizes Israel's obligations under the ICJ order to the UN Security Council

“These provisional measures are directly binding on Israel...”

“There's clearly no credible basis for Israel continue to claim that its military actions are in full compliance with international law, including the Genocide Convention...”

From today's meeting:

NEW: China tells the UN Security Council: “The ICJ has taken forceful action” in “the face of repeated violations of international law” and repeated breaches of “human dignity, morality, and conscience.” 🇨🇳🇺🇳

“The Security Council has no alternative but to take further action—swiftly—with the greatest sense of responsibility and the strongest determination to safeguard justice, save live, and achieve peace.”

“There has long been an overwhelming consensus in the international community for an immediate ceasefire. Yet, it's regrettable that a certain country has persisted in their obstruction...”

“The Security Council should take strong action to [pool/pull] all diplomatic efforts towards an immediate ceasefire. Israel should immediately cease its indiscriminate military attacks and destruction in Gaza...” China 🇨🇳: “There has long been an overwhelming consensus in the international community for an immediate ceasefire. Yet, it's regrettable that a certain country has persisted in their obstruction...”

Larger version of the same video from the UN Security Council meeting today:

🇿🇦 SOUTH AFRICA @ THE ICJ: “Today we are joined in court by representatives of the Palestinian state... Palestinians who work in the field of human rights, including residents of Gaza, who were in Gaza just a few days ago. They are some of the lucky ones who managed to get out of Gaza. Their future, and the future of their fellow Palestinians who are still in Gaza, depends on the decision this court will make on this matter.” 🇿🇦 Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola at The ICJ:

“South Africa unequivocally condemned the targeting of civilians by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups—and the taking of hostages—on the 7th of October (...)

That said, no armed attack (...) no matter how serious—even an attack involving atrocity crimes—can provide any justification for, or defense to, breaches to the Convention, whether as a matter of law or morality.

Israel's response to the 7th of October, 2023 attack has crossed this line, and give rise to the breaches of the Convention.

Faced with such evidence and our duty to do what we can do to prevent genocide as contained in Article 1 of the Convention, the South African government initiated this case.”

MUST SEE: @MaxBlumenthal & @aaronjmate just called the Washington Post's Elizabeth Dwoskin live on air, after she emailed The Grayzone saying she wanted to talk to them for an article she's working on about Oct 7.

She said in an email to @AliAbunimah that her piece is about “efforts to minimize or misdirect information about [the] Hamas attacks on Israel.”

Here's what happened: Here's the email she sent @AliAbunimah, and his reply.

She says WaPo describes @intifada “as a far left publication” with an “anti-Israel bent.”

Ali: “More accurate labels might be pro-fact, pro-Palestinian rights, pro-international law & anti-genocide.”

https://twitter.com/AliAbunimah/status/1743205029618536550