Informed Comment daily updates (10/21/2023)

 

Juan Cole – 3 Possible Futures for Palestinians: One-State Solution, Continued Apartheid or Ethnic Cleansing (Again) Interview by Nedžla Kurtćehajić of Juan Cole for FACE TV (Sarajevo, Bosnia) | While in Sarajevo last week I did a television interview on issues in Islamophobia, Islamic History, and the Israel-Hamas conflict. Here it is: Article continues after bonus IC video FACE TV (Sarajevo): Juan Cole on War and Islamophobia

Hamas: A 2023 Counterfactual   Detailed Political Quizzes Because facts matter Hamas’s horrific October 7 terrorism should not be justified by any serious person. I have nothing to add to the intelligent writings of Professor Juan Cole on this matter. (For an illustrative example, please refer to Prof. Cole’s article dated October 16, 2023, available at:https://www.juancole.com/2023/10/dangerous-islamic-massacres.html) However, a worthwhile […]

A Reflexive Act of Military Revenge Burdened the US – and May do the Same for Israel By Peter Mansoor, The Ohio State University | – In the wake of the shocking invasion of southern Israel by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to destroy Hamas. “We are fighting a cruel enemy, worse than ISIS,” Netanyahu proclaimed four days after the invasion, comparing Hamas with the […]

Old posts you may have missed

Biden’s Historically Illiterate and Hypocritical Speech on Ukraine and Gaza Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity (Review) How our Petty Wars are Distracting us from the Existential Challenge of Climate Change “I expect you to Die” – Israel’s biggest Crime isn’t threatening Hospitals, it is Starving 2.2 Million Civilians of Potable Water Saudi moves to reduce Mideast Tensions Thwarted by Gaza Violence – Can it buy Time by Pausing Normalization with Israel? The Other Imperialism: Russia’s Mercenaries Abroad Why do US Politicians target Gaza Civilians with Bloodthirsty Rhetoric, Greenlighting Ethnic Cleansing?

WEEK IN REVIEW: Demanding a Cease-Fire in the Face of Mass Atrocities

 

What if Common Dreams ceased to exist? The only thing that keeps truly independent journalism alive is the people who support it. Our Fall Campaign needs your help. PLEASE DONATE TODAY

The Week in Review October 21, 2023 'Totally Insufficient': Groups Say Trickle of Gaza Aid No Match for Ongoing 'Mass Atrocities' "Collective punishment of two million people is a war crime and a moral outrage," said one head of a medical relief group. "The siege must end, a ceasefire must be secured, and aid must be allowed to reach any who need it." October 21, 2023 $10 Trillion in Added US Debt Since 2001 Shows 'Bush and Trump Tax Cuts Broke Our Modern Tax Structure' "In their blind loyalty to their mega-donors, Republicans' fixation on giant tax cuts for billionaires has created a revenue problem that is driving up our national debt," said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse in response to new Treasury Department figures. October 20, 2023 Amnesty Probe Finds 'Damning Evidence of War Crimes' by Israel in Gaza "Our entire family has been destroyed," said one survivor of an Israeli bombing in the besieged Palestinian territory. October 18, 2023 Sanders Blocks GOP Push to Make US Humanitarian Aid to Gaza Impossible "While we do our best to support Israel and destroy Hamas, please, let us not turn our back on the suffering people in Gaza." October 18, 2023 Amid House Speaker Chaos, GOP Confess Attack on Social Security, Medicare Still Top Priority "Raise your hand if you DON'T want a speaker of the House who is hellbent on cutting your hard-earned Social Security and Medicare," said one Democratic state lawmaker. October 18, 2023 'Not In Our Name!' Hundreds Arrested at US Capitol as Jewish-Led Protest Demands Gaza Cease-Fire "Cease-fire is the first step to stop the ongoing genocide by the Israeli military of the over 2 million Palestinians in besieged Gaza," asserted Jewish Voice for Peace. October 18, 2023 800+ Legal Scholars Say Israel May Be Perpetrating 'Crime of Genocide' in Gaza "The ongoing and imminent Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip are being conducted with potentially genocidal intent." October 17, 2023 House Republican Floats Bill to Authorize US Military Action in Iran as Fears of Broader War Grow "We are inching toward a regional war in the Middle East, further fueled by Biden's refusal to call for a cease-fire and deescalation," argued one analyst.

VIEW ALL NEWS MAKE A GIFT TO COMMON DREAMS. Independent news is more important than ever. DONATE TODAY

Opinion What Is Jim Jordan and Who Is MAGA? The real drivers of the MAGA base—the ones the Ohio Republican was calling on to support his ultimately failed bid to become Speaker of the House—are financially successful people who are hungry for more power and wealth. Les Leopold Leave Venezuela! No, Go Back! Somehow the irony of the Biden administration sending Venezuelans back to a country whose economy our government is actively trying to destroy seems to have escaped many people—including those in the U.S. news media—entirely. Tom Gallagher The Explosion of Israel's Formaldehyde Strategy in Gaza There can be no peace in Palestine without justice, which means Israel's 20-year policy of disengagement, brutal apartheid, and occupation must end. Ramzy Baroud In Gaza, We Need a Cease-Fire Right This Minute If we’re serious about preventing violence, we need to change the conditions from which this brutality sprang. Sending more bombs, warplanes, guns and bullets won’t solve the problem. Phyllis Bennis

VIEW ALL OPINION

Call 207.775.0488 to donate by phone or mail a check to: Common Dreams, PO Box 443, Portland, ME 04112, United States Common Dreams is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Your contribution is tax-deductible. EIN: 20-3368194

TOP NEWS: Countless More Children Will Die If Israel Doesn't End Gaza Siege: HRW

 

Our crucial Fall Campaign is now underway and we need your help. Common Dreams is powered by people who believe a better world is possible and that genuinely independent journalism is critical to creating a  more peaceful, egalitarian, and sustainable future. DONATE TODAY

October 19, 2023 Top News 'For Shame': Pfizer to Charge $1,390 for Lifesaving Covid Drug That Costs Just $13 "Pfizer treats Paxlovid like a Prada handbag; a luxury for the few rather than a treatment for the many," said one consumer advocate. Brett Wilkins FCC Takes 'Great Step' Toward Restoring Net Neutrality Rules One expert called the move "a no-brainer to the millions of Americans who want the FCC to work to ensure that all of us are connected to quality, affordable, open, and secure broadband networks." Jessica Corbett 'We Need Peace': Israelis Who Survived or Lost Loved Ones in Hamas Attack Speak Out Against War "You can't cure killed babies with more dead babies," said the son of a peace activist likely held hostage in Gaza. Olivia Rosane Palestinian Knesset Member: World Must Act to Stop Netanyahu's Rampage in Gaza "Those of us who are Arab Palestinian citizens of Israel are uniquely positioned to see through his bluster and warmongering to the failure he really is—truths that the past several days have laid bare." Jake Johnson 'Big Trouble for Trump' as Big Lie Lawyer Sidney Powell Pleads Guilty in Georgia Election Case One reporter said the plea shows the prosecution is "working... up the proverbial food chain when it comes to flipping lower-level defendants and trying to get to the king at the top." Brett Wilkins Human Rights Watch Says Countless More Children Will Die If Israel Doesn't End Gaza Siege "Every hour that this blockade continues costs lives." Jake Johnson

More Top News

Ahead of Pivotal Supreme Court Gun Case, Domestic Violence Murders by Firearm Surge Jim Jordan Concedes Speaker Election—For Now—Backing More Power for Patrick McHenry Cornel West Defends Accepting Campaign Cash From Right-Wing Billionaire Harlan Crow Toxic Flame Retardants Contaminating Wildlife on Every Continent: Analysis US State Department Official Resigns Over 'Destructive, Unjust' Arms Transfers to Israel VIEW ALL NEWS MAKE A GIFT TO COMMON DREAMS. Independent news is more important than ever. DONATE TODAY

Opinion The Explosion of Israel's Formaldehyde Strategy in Gaza There can be no peace in Palestine without justice, which means Israel's 20-year policy of disengagement, brutal apartheid, and occupation must end. Ramzy Baroud In Gaza, We Need a Cease-Fire Right This Minute If we’re serious about preventing violence, we need to change the conditions from which this brutality sprang. Sending more bombs, warplanes, guns and bullets won’t solve the problem. Phyllis Bennis It's a Poverty Emergency and We Must Act Lives cut short from poverty and low-wealth is a moral indictment of a society that is abandoning millions amid abundance. Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II,Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis

VIEW ALL OPINION

Call 207.775.0488 to donate by phone or mail a check to: Common Dreams, PO Box 443, Portland, ME 04112, United States Common Dreams is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Your contribution is tax-deductible. EIN: 20-3368194