Israel/Palestine post 10/7 - follow-on events/thoughts as relate to other countries

Knowing Anais through friends, there is no way they would take down a post about BDS. Fuck that museum— but hey, at least Anais got the honorarium.

Also BDS isn’t antisemitic. Period.

Yes, I agree.

this like the museum being afraid of running afoul of german law

Most social media is ad-supported. So the entire social media industry is financially motivated to encourage controversy and grift. People are incentivized to stoke outrage and conflict by getting attention and clicks.

A few facts can be plucked out and sensationalized. People start doing their own research like they did with Covid.

No idea if avoiding controversy or creating controversy is in the best interest of the curator, the museum or the artists in this Afrofuturism exhibit. Because of where we are, a perceived failure to read the room has these kinds of outcomes. I feel bad for all the artists who won't have their work shown.

One of the most insidious things about calling BDS “antisemitic” is that it presumes that consumers— whether individual, corporate, or state-related— serve corporations, and that by refusing to buy from or invest in corporations based on values, those consumers are running afoul of basic human decency. It’s corporate interests legislating ethics, and that should make people feel queasy no matter whether it’s BDS or any other type of boycott or divestment.

Museum rep also states that BDS "questions Israel's right to exist", which seems a pretty nonsensical statement to me.

imo that 2019 resolution fucking sucks and curators falling foul of it are right to stand their ground, and if artists don’t get exhibited as a result that is the fault of the suck resolution and not of the curators

Was reading this thread earlier today on boycotts (wrt to the goings on in the Congo). It's strongly put, which is how I like it.

I can't boycott this, I can't stop watching that, I can't stop drinking this shit I can't stop eating that shit etc etc. Evaluate yourself because it is extremely sad how unable you are to be human.

— K.Diallo ☭ (@nyeusi_waasi) November 14, 2023

UEFA "looking into" Kosovo fans booing and whistling Israels national anthem. They recently fined Romania for "Kosovo is Serbia" banners in a recent qualifier (which in itself is contentious as Romania doesn't recognize Kosovo so the banners were a restatement of the Romanian governments official position)

Reading about the "March for Israel"

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philip lewis
@Phil_Lewis_
Van Jones at the March for Israel: “I’m a peace guy, I pray for peace. No more rockets from Gaza, and no more bombs falling down on the people of Gaza.”

The crowd breaks out into a “NO CEASEFIRE” chant shortly after

Which country is that in?

an ad I was just served

https://i.postimg.cc/rybz1Kgw/Screenshot-20231115-085407.jpg

abominable

Every post on Threads, the failed response to Twitter that IG/Meta continues to try to push, is just the most ludicrous, racist pro-Israel stuff. I normally wouldn’t notice but there are ads for it when I scroll.

This is the report on a press conference on the situation with the International Law UN expert:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/14/australia-and-other-western-governments-paralysed-in-response-to-gaza-conflict-says-un-expert

Clip found through social media of the reporter asking the question on "domination", and getting a fairly contemptuous reply:

Daniel Hurst from The Guardian.
Allegedly he's the Foreign Affairs correspondent.
He tried to smear Francesca with gotcha question focusing on the word "domination".

Francesca is smarter than this media hack.
She chooses words bc there's legal justification. pic.twitter.com/Vi8md4RIvD

— Dean Rosario (@DeanRosario) November 14, 2023

Threads has a really annoying but apparently effective algorithm. I keep seeing pro-isreal posts from Threads in Instagram because I clicked on one once just to read what it was saying (I clicked on pro-Palestine threads also, but it keeps shoving the pro-Israel ones at me). I barely even use Threads.

I suppose that's just what discussion is like on most social media, but since I only use bluesky where things to this point have been mostly intelligent it's a shock to stumble upon what the rest of the internet is like.

It’s just Threads showing this stuff to me, no other social media.

The Reddit algorithm shows me stuff from all over MENA now. It’s been interesting to read perspectives from Lebanon, Tunisia, etc, although I suspect Reddit skews toward a certain demographic in those countries like it does in the US

My insta threads posts are solidly pro-Palestine, not that I ever click on them.

I have a few Jewish friends who are fairly hawkish but otherwise progressive on IG who need notice/support navigating antisemitism, but only one is sharing the kind of pretty-girl Israeli propaganda that’s become me A Thing since 7/10.

The Reddit algorithm shows me stuff from all over MENA now. It’s been interesting to read perspectives from Lebanon, Tunisia, etc, although I suspect Reddit skews toward a certain demographic in those countries like it does in the US

― longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Wednesday, November 15, 2023 6:45 AM bookmarkflaglink

Agreed, it is interesting. I browse posts from r/Palestine, r/Israel, r/NYC, r/worldnews and other subs to get a sense of what people discuss and where they are posting from.

Very polarized opinions and sources. It's been a study in seeing selectively presented information.

I am glad that The Times - seeking to condemn our movement as extremists - clarified which of my words they found most threatening pic.twitter.com/HtLrT6rIPG

— Barnaby Raine (@BarnabyRaine) November 15, 2023

I think I only saw this on bluesky, but this VC dipshit is getting fired. Nice to see someone taking a fall for anti-Palestine comments for once (his commentary was blatantly racist and genocidal).

https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/sf-tech-firm-fires-partner-gaza-18491861.php

"Ballenegger posted comments on social media about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas that were blatantly racist toward Palestinians. According to the screenshots, he wrote Sunday, “After the war, Israel should handle Gaza like China handles Xinjiang. Full surveillance state. Re education camps. Sterilizations. It's warranted and the only way to pacify the jihadi population.”

Business Insider reported that he doubled down in a second post, writing, “They reproduce like rabbits and raise them to be terrorists, creating more poverty misery and terrorism. Why should we allow that. The world would be a much better place if they didn't reproduce.”

Very good to see. Hope Biden chokes soon.

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Indonesian Pres. Joko Widodo surprises Joe Biden by calling on the US "to do more to stop the atrocities in Gaza," declaring that a "ceasefire is a must for humanity." Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world, and millions have rallied there in recent weeks. pic.twitter.com/NxKFLTNa3n

— BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) November 15, 2023

This is on the goings on at the NYT and American media in general

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/11/new-york-times-gaza-letter-resignation

Relatedly, Anne Boyer, the poetry editor for the NYTimes magazine, tendered her resignation today via a Substack post.

If this resignation leaves a hole in the news the size of poetry, then that is the true shape of the present.

https://www.kron4.com/news/apec-sf-2023/bay-bridge-protest-blocks-all-westbound-traffic/

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

"Relatedly, Anne Boyer, the poetry editor for the NYTimes magazine, tendered her resignation today via a Substack post."

Hope she can find something good soon.

from an interview with Zainab, a school student on the Tower Hamlets protest/walkout today https://t.co/Jh7E6xRiw5 pic.twitter.com/P3m17qfbyW

— bat020 (@bat020) November 16, 2023

Newham kids doing this tomorrow

Great.

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You voted for a genocide.

My statement about Labour women being threatened, intimidated or having their offices vandalised: https://t.co/vDOLJVStpU pic.twitter.com/Cegt7vfMFD

— Siobhain McDonagh MP (@Siobhain_Mc) November 17, 2023

https://www.timesofisrael.com/dermer-suggests-israel-should-prioritize-support-of-evangelicals-over-us-jews/

Former Israeli ambassador to the US Ron Dermer suggested Sunday that Israel should prioritize the “passionate and unequivocal” support of evangelical Christians over that of American Jews, who he said are “disproportionately among our critics.”

“People have to understand that the backbone of Israel’s support in the United States is the evangelical Christians. It’s true because of numbers and also because of their passionate and unequivocal support for Israel,” Dermer said in an onstage interview at a conference organized by Makor Rishon, a news outlet affiliated with the national religious community

The interview marked Dermer’s first public remarks since he ended a marathon seven-year term in January as Israel’s ambassador in Washington, where he became known for having the ear and “brain” of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

For years the Israel on Campus Coalition—a little-known organization with links to Israeli intelligence—has used student informants to spy on pro-Palestinian campus groups.

Haven't totally absorbed all of this, dismayed at the lack of support for a ceasefire, but some aspects of this are better than I expected

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/11/18/joe-biden-gaza-hamas-putin/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzAwMjgzNjAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzAxNjY1OTk5LCJpYXQiOjE3MDAyODM2MDAsImp0aSI6ImZmYzA1MTdmLWUyNjgtNDM3Mi05YjE1LTA5OWEzYjQwYjdlYSIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9vcGluaW9ucy8yMDIzLzExLzE4L2pvZS1iaWRlbi1nYXphLWhhbWFzLXB1dGluLyJ9.mOFUXh68oAfi8ipyt2e2znXrWbOasX59Nsavc9sjhaI

That letter is abominable. He won’t even cite the undercounted figures of Palestinians murdered by Israel. Pathetic.

don't think it'll lead to anything but at least it's being made an issue: https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/18/democrats-in-senate-house-discuss-conditioning-military-aid-to-israel-00127930

The Netanyahu government, or hopefully a new Israeli government, must understand that not one penny will be coming to Israel from the U.S. unless there is a fundamental change in their military and political positions. Read my statement: pic.twitter.com/x3LlSRhuYO

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) November 18, 2023

I only learned recently that Reagan suspended fighter jet sales to Israel in order to pressure them on Lebanon. I was kind of surprised by that. Made me think a little better of Reagan.

Uhhhh no

You dont gotta hand it to him

There been a lot of Reagan/Bush stanning lately by 20 year old self described Communists on Twitter on this one issue and I’m thinking “do you guys know anything else about these guys?”

i think 20 year-old self-described communists on twitter are aware of at least some of reagan and ghwb's (i'm assuming that's the bush you mean because i haven't seen much gwb praise) many other failings and if anything them seeming better than biden re: israel is just an indictment of biden and a sign of just how far things have shifted for the worse

i do think gwhb having done more to try to force a resolution to the situation than any other president in the last few decades is worthy of praise and is one of the few positive parts of his legacy

Yeah, otm - there are shades to this. The US can do more by being a lot tougher on arms sales and applying pressure, and I see the Biden admin's wordings as a continuation of domestic policy by being really anemic, late and ineffective on policy and communication.

Palestine continues to win the PR battle on 0.1% of the budget or probably less pic.twitter.com/h0lqNj6jXH

— ‏تمار 🌴 Тама́р 🌴 תמר (@tamars) November 17, 2023

I see the Biden admin's wordings as a continuation of domestic policy by being really anemic, late and ineffective on policy and communication.

it's worse than that really, it's that they're fundamentally not interested in applying pressure on israel beyond the bare minimum needed for pr purposes - "you have to let at least a little bit of aid in so you don't look too monstrous" etc.

i think 20 year-old self-described communists on twitter are aware of at least some of reagan and ghwb's (i'm assuming that's the bush you mean because i haven't seen much gwb praise) many other failings and if anything them seeming better than biden re: israel is just an indictment of biden and a sign of just how far things have shifted for the worse

i do think gwhb having done more to try to force a resolution to the situation than any other president in the last few decades is worthy of praise and is one of the few positive parts of his legacy

― ufo,

GHWB's secretary of state James Baker was the last to tell the Israelis to fuck off.

https://www.vox.com/world-politics/2023/11/18/23966137/us-weapons-israel-biden-package-explained

there are a lot of interesting/depressing details in this article, including:

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is a former board member of Raytheon, the major military contractor that co-produces Iron Dome receptors with the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. RTX, as Raytheon has been renamed, is one of the most significant providers to Israel. Austin and many other senior appointees to the Pentagon bring a depth of experience working for the arms industry. Even if they aren’t directly involved in the day-to-day — Austin has had to recuse himself from the Department of Defense’s dealings with Raytheon — the heft these appointments bring shows the seriousness with which the Biden administration takes the defense industrial base.

As Austin told the Senate, “We are flowing security assistance to Israel at the speed of war.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken co-founded WestExec Advisors in 2017, which has worked for military contractors, new military-tech startups, and Israeli companies. Blinken, for his part, advised the defense contractor Boeing, according to his financial disclosure. Last month, Boeing rushed the transfer of 1,000 smart bombs and 1,800 GPS-guidance bomb kits to Israel.

Much of the team that worked to get Israel the $38 billion Obama package over 10 years is leading the way. Other key State Department officials include Daniel Shapiro, who also worked for the Israel spyware maker NSO Group when he was out of government. Intelligence leaders, too, bring vast experience. Avril Haines, the director of the Office of National Intelligence, has worked as an adviser to the data-processing powerhouse Palantir, which has been a staunch supporter of Israel and apparently provides advanced tech to the Israeli military.