PRAGMATISM PAR EXCELLENCE.....

Israel Lebanon: Hezbollah's pragmatism in the maritime dossier Thursday, October 27, between Israel and Lebanon on the delimitation of their maritime border is a victory that Hezbollah fully claims. In a televised speech, the leader of the Party of God, Hassan Nasrallah, hailed "a very great victory for Lebanon: for the state, the people and the resistance". The Lebanese Shiite movement can only applaud an agreement it has called for, because of the economic benefits that Lebanon hopes for from the exploitation of gas fields in the Mediterranean. It nevertheless places him in an uncomfortable position.

Spearhead of the "axis of resistance" to the Jewish state, Hezbollah is forced to justify the signing of an agreement with the enemy against those who raise the bogeyman of normalization. It is "not an international treaty, nor a recognition of Israel", insisted Hassan Nasrallah, presenting the agreement as a simple "technical arrangement". He was responding to Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who on Thursday welcomed a "recognition" of Israel by Lebanon, two countries technically in a state of war.

The idea is also being debated in Lebanon, agitated by detractors of the armed movement such as the leader of the Lebanese Phalanges (Kataëb, Christian party), Samy Gemayel, who estimated, in a tweet, on October 12, after the finalization of the agreement, that Hezbollah “has fully recognized Israel (…) and has moved on ideologically to another stage”. Denouncing a "deception", Hassan Nasrallah insisted on the precautions taken by the Lebanese side to avoid this pitfall. At the end of indirect negotiations carried out under the aegis of the American envoy Amos Hochstein, the Lebanese and Israeli delegations signed the agreement on Thursday, each in a room, and on two separate letters, at the headquarters of the Interim Force of United Nations in Lebanon (FINUL) in Naqoura, southern Lebanon.

"It's not normalization in the strict sense, but it's still an agreement between two warring states, which creates a precedent for negotiation," said Mohanad Hajj Ali, researcher at the Carnegie Think Tank in Beirut. It broke a taboo in Lebanon, broke the argument that if you support the resistance, you can't negotiate with the enemy. Avoiding the collapse of the country It is a paradigm shift for the Party of God, created forty years ago under the aegis of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, to lead the "resistance" to Israel, and which still refuses to disarm, on the grounds that the Jewish state has occupied the disputed area of ​​Shebaa Farms since its withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.

On the issue of the maritime border, Hezbollah has played the card of pragmatism. Throughout the negotiations, which he followed down to the smallest detail without being a party to them, he showed support in principle for the position of the Lebanese authorities. On July 13, Hassan Nasrallah finally came out in favor of an agreement. "The extraction of oil and gas will bring billions of dollars to the Lebanese state, and it is the only way - economic and financial - to save the country", he said then. The Party of God is anxious to avoid a total collapse of Lebanon, both economic and security.

Already criticized for his involvement in Syria alongside the Assad regime, he is accused by many Lebanese of bearing responsibility for the country's financial sinking and the deadly explosion in the port of Beirut. “Hezbollah is keen to reap the benefits [of the deal], both to bolster its national legitimacy and narrative of 'resistance' – which has been fading for years – and to secure a sustainable cash flow for its operations at home and abroad,” said analyst Hanin Ghaddar in a note for the Washington Institute think tank. In party rhetoric, Hezbollah coerced Israel into concessions by using weapons of deterrence. On July 2, the Israeli army intercepted unarmed drones that the movement had launched over the Karish gas field to prevent the Jewish state from starting its exploitation.

The gesture, which caused a rise in tensions on both sides of the border, was interpreted as a tactic to relaunch negotiations then at a standstill, rather than as a real desire to rekindle a front, which had remained relatively calm since the war in 2006.

The Party of God has compromised. He gave the green light to the sharing of the Cana gas field and to the payment of compensation to Israel by the Total Energies group, which operates the field. He endorsed maintaining the status quo on the "line of buoys", which was established by Israel after its withdrawal from Lebanon as a presumed maritime border. And he implicitly recognized the mediating role of the United States. The signing of the agreement has the effect, in the short term, of avoiding a conflict.

On Thursday, Hassan Nasrallah announced the end of his party's "exceptional" mobilization against Israel. “Hezbollah can afford to pacify the Lebanese front in view of the new regional role it has assumed since 2016 as military adviser to resistance groups in Syria, Iraq and Yemen,” said Mohanad Hajj Ali. The agreement reduces the risk of escalation between the two parties, who are now interested in preserving their respective economic interests, without, however, eliminating the threat of a new conflict.

 Hélène Sallon .    This Saturday at 12:00 Négar DJAVADI Screenwriter, director and author of “Désorientale” answers questions from Dominique Laresche (TV5MONDE) and Ghazal Golshiri (Le Monde). Broadcast on TV5MONDE and on Internationales.fr Le Monde - October 29

A good article depicting some important tactical and strategic shifts in the local policies of all parties and sides surrounding the Lebanese and Israeli conflict.... As always , my usual many thanks to you all. 

ALL OCCUPATIONS, ANNEXATIONS AND POPULATION TRANSFERS ARE ILLEGAL.....

Israeli occupation is illegal under international law: UN Commission

By Commission of Inquiry

October 22, 2022: Information Clearing House -- "OHCR" -There are reasonable grounds to conclude that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is now unlawful under international law due to its permanence and the Israeli Government’s de-facto annexation policies, according to the first report to the General Assembly issued today by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.

Underlining that under international humanitarian law the occupation of territory in wartime is a temporary situation and does not deprive the occupied Power of its statehood nor its sovereignty, the three-person Commission called on the General Assembly to request an urgent Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of Israel’s continued refusal to end its occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

“Recent statements by the Secretary-General and numerous member States have clearly indicated that any attempt at unilateral annexation of a State’s territory by another State is a violation of international law and is null and void; 143 member States including Israel last week voted in favor of a General Assembly resolution reaffirming this”, stated Navi Pillay, Chair of the Commission. “Unless universally applied, including to the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, this core principle of the United Nations Charter will become meaningless”, she added.

In reaching its findings, the Commission reviewed the policies and actions employed by the Governments of Israel to maintain the occupation, and annex parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Commission’s review was based on interviews with experts and stakeholders, and submissions received following a call for submissions issued on 22 September 2021.

The 28-page report focuses on the sustenance and advancement of the settlement enterprise, including statements made by Israeli officials indicating the intent to maintain permanent control over the land in violation of international law. The Commission concludes that by continuing to occupy the territory by force, Israel incurs international responsibilities and remains accountable for violations of the rights of the Palestinians individually and as a people.

“By ignoring international law in establishing or facilitating the establishment of settlements, and directly or indirectly transferring Israeli civilians into these settlements, successive Israel governments have set facts on the ground to ensure permanent Israeli control in the West Bank”, Ms. Pillay stated.

In producing its report, the Commission reviewed Israel’s expropriation and exploitation of land and natural resources, and Israel’s restrictive urban planning and zoning policies in the West Bank, noting that land is often confiscated for military purposes but is then used for settlement construction. The Commission reviewed statements by Israeli officials indicating that Palestinian construction is seen as an impediment to Israeli settlements, requiring action such as confiscation, demolitions and displacement. The Commission also observed similar processes in East Jerusalem where the restrictive planning and zoning regimes, which have obstructed adequate housing, infrastructure and livelihoods, have contributed to shrinking space for Palestinians.

The report also points to Israeli Government policies which have had a serious and multi-faceted impact on all areas of Palestinian life, including access to clean and affordable water, which has impacted the entire Palestinian agricultural sector, limiting opportunities for livelihoods particularly affecting women.

“There is so much ‘silent harm’ and psychological trauma, that may not be immediately apparent, resulting from the erosion of economic, social and cultural rights. These debilitating processes have severe short and long-term consequences and must be urgently addressed”, said Commissioner Miloon Kothari.

The Commission dedicated a significant part of its report to reviewing the impact of Israel’s occupation and de-facto annexation policies on Palestinian human rights, noting the coercive environment intended to force Palestinians to leave their homes and alter the demographic composition of certain areas. To this effect, the Commission reviewed the demolition of homes and destruction of property, the excessive use of force by security forces, mass incarceration, settler violence, restrictions of movement, and limitations on access to livelihoods, basic necessities, services and humanitarian assistance.

The Commission emphasized that this ongoing coercive environment has fragmented Palestinian society and ensured that Palestinians are unable of fulfil their right to self-determination among other rights. The Commission also noted the extremely harmful impact of the air, land and sea blockade of Gaza on Palestinian human rights.

The report outlines a specifically damaging impact on children, who experience constant military presence, arrest and detention, frequent attacks and acts of violence, restrictions on movement, home demolition and destruction of infrastructure and property. The Commission emphasized that the cumulative effects of occupation practices, including restrictions on movement, have had a pervasive discriminatory effect on Palestinian women, noting that they experience gender-based violence during their everyday activities.

The report concludes by saying that some of the policies and actions of the Israeli Government leading to permanent occupation and de-facto annexation may constitute elements of crimes under international criminal law, including the war crime of transferring, directly or indirectly, part of one's own civilian population into occupied territory, and the crime against humanity of deportation or forcible transfer.

“The actions of Israeli Governments reviewed in our report constitute an illegal occupation and annexation regime that must be addressed”, stated Commissioner Chris Sidoti. “The international system and individual States must act and uphold their obligations under international law. That must begin at this session of the General Assembly with a referral to the International Court of Justice”, he added.

Background

The UN Human Rights Council mandated the Commission on 27 May 2021 to “investigate, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law leading up and since 13 April 2021”. In July 2021, the President of the Human Rights Council announced the appointment of Navanethem Pillay (South Africa), Miloon Kothari (India) and Christopher Sidoti (Australia) to serve as the three members of the Commission and indicated that Ms. Pillay would serve as Chair. Resolution A/HRC/RES/S-30/1 further requested the commission of inquiry to “investigate all underlying root causes of recurrent tensions, instability and protraction of conflict, including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity.” The Commission of Inquiry was mandated to report to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly annually from June 2022 and September 2022, respectively.

The Commissioners will present their report to the General Assembly on 27 October.

The full report in six languages and more information on the work of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, can be found at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/co-israel/index

My many thanks to all my readers, stay safe and well. 

FACTS AND REALITIES ........

 

China is rapidly becoming the dominant power in the world...

 

1. They have a very low tolerance for crime. The death penalty is quickly and regularly used for terrorists, murderers and drug traffickers.

 

2. Very low tolerance for religion. They don't believe there is a magic man in the sky. Nothing like a God. Almost no religious killings???, and getting rid of all the negative aspects of the native Chinese Muslim population as fast as possible.

 

3. They have not been involved in any costly wars or invaded any country for the past seventy years.

 

4. Their main weapon of choice to take over the world is finance, and countries around the world are falling fast.

Not just the United States and Canada, but the whole world is in trouble.

 

In the near future, China will employ millions of American workers and dominate thousands of small communities across the United States. China's acquisition of US companies set a new all-time high last year, and it's on track to break that record this year.

 

The acquisition of Smithfield Foods is a prime example. Smithfield Foods is the world's largest pork producer and processor. It has facilities in 26 US states and employs tens of thousands of Americans. It directly owns 460 farms and has contracts with about 2,100 others. But now a Chinese company has bought it for $4.7 billion, meaning Chinese people will now be the biggest employer in dozens of rural communities across America.

 

Thanks in part to our massively inflated trade deficit with China, the Chinese have trillions of dollars to spend. They are only beginning to exercise their economic strength.

 

It is important to keep in mind that there is often not much difference between "Chinese government" and "Chinese companies". In 2011, 43% of all profits in China came from companies where the Chinese government held a majority stake. 

But China isn't just relying on acquisitions to expand its economic power.

 

“Economic bridgeheads” are established throughout America and Canada. For example, Golden Dragon Precise Copper Tube Group, Inc. recently opened a $100 million plant in Thomasville, Alabama. Many residents of Thomasville, Alabama will be happy to have a job, but it will also become another community that will now be heavily dependent on Communist China.

 And guess where other Chinese companies are rooting? DETROIT.

Chinese companies are investing in American companies and new automotive technology, selling everything from seatbelts to shock absorbers in retail stores, and hiring experienced engineers and designers in a bid to soak up talent and expertise. expertise of national car manufacturers and their suppliers. .

 If you recently purchased an "American-made" vehicle, chances are it contains a number of Chinese parts. Industry analysts struggle to put a price tag on Chinese suppliers in the United States.

 China is very interested in acquiring energy resources from the United States.

 For example, China is currently mining coal in the mountains of Tennessee. Guizhou Gouchuang Energy Holdings Group spent $616 million to acquire Triple H Coal Co. in Jacksboro, Tennessee.

 At the time, this acquisition didn't really make a big splash, but now a group of conservatives in Tennessee are trying to stop the Chinese from blowing up their mountains and taking their coal.

 And very soon, China may want to build entire cities in the United States, as it has done in other countries. Right now, China is building a city bigger than Manhattan, just outside Minsk, the capital of Belarus. And not only in America, just a quick look at Volvo, the Swedish car company and one of the leaders in car technology worldwide is fully owned by Chinese partners.... 

 

Are you starting to capture the image? China is booming and for a long time while America is playing political games.

 If in doubt, just read the following:

 

When you add up all the imports and exports, China is now the number one trading nation on the entire planet.

 # Overall, the United States has had a trade deficit with China over the past decade that amounts to over $3 trillion.

 # China has more foreign currency reserves than anyone else on the planet.

 # China now has the largest new car market in the world.

 # China now produces more than twice as many automobiles as the United States.

 # After being bailed out by US taxpayers, GM is involved in 11 joint ventures with Chinese companies.

 # China is the world's largest gold producer.

 # The US Olympic team uniforms were made in China.

 # 85% of all artificial Christmas trees in the world are made in China.

 # The new World Trade Center tower in New York features imported glass from China.

 # China now consumes more energy than the United States.

 # China is now overall the largest producer of goods worldwide.

 # China uses more cement than the rest of the world

I'm collecting and presenting these facts and numbers, not to make a statement against or for the U.S or the Western world in general, but to draw clear attention to what is China today and what might even happen in the future, I believe the U.S. and the world ought to look at China in different ways than the old classic look, and politics should follow and change from the past traditional ways, that has a lot of the old colonialist bias incorporated in it, a truly more global look with no absolute one sided leadership is the new rule, China and its people and leadership are showing great signs of responsibility in the way they're growing and becoming a true partner in leading the world and its common goals, Russia chose another way of classical behavior, war, invasion and brutality to maybe try and reach part of the same global sharing, and it's doomed to fail, let's be ourselves smarter and not push China into the same path. 

Let's not turn and build on our envious feelings and jealousy , more important let's not transform our envy and jealousy and our exaggerated sense of superiority into total cruelty and destruction.......

My usual many thanks to all my good readers, stay safe and well. 

TO SOME OF US...... THE OLDER ONES.

You know …… time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.

It seems just yesterday that I was young and embarking on my new life. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went.
I know that I lived them all.
I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.

However, here it is …… the last quarter of my life and it catches me by surprise.
How did I get here so fast?
Where did the years go and where did my youth go?

I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that I was only on the first quarter and that the fourth quarter was so far off that I could not visualize it or imagine fully what it would be like.

Yet, here it is …… my friends are retired and getting grey - they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me but I see the great change. They’re not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant …… but like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd become.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day and taking a nap is not a treat anymore. It's mandatory because if I don't of my own free will, I fall asleep where I sit.

And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did. But at least I know that, though I’m on the last quarter and I'm not sure how long it will last, that when it's over on this earth, it's over. A new adventure will begin!

Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done; things I should have done but truely there are many things I'm happy to have been done.
It's all in a lifetime.

So, if you're not on the last quarter yet, let me remind you that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life do it quickly.
Don't put things off too long. Life goes by so quickly.
So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether you're on the last quarter or not.

You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of life. So, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember - and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the past years.

‘Life’ is a gift to you.
Be Happy!
Have a great day!

Remember, it is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.

You may think:

Going out is good - but coming home is better!

You forget names - but it's okay because some people forgot they even knew you!

You realize you're never going to be really good at anything like golf - but you like the outdoors!

The things you used to care to do, you aren't as interested in anymore - but you really don't care that you aren't as interested.

You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV on than in bed – you call it ‘pre-sleep’!

You miss the days when everything worked with just an ‘On’ and ‘Off’ switch!

You tend to use more 4 letter words – ‘what’ and ‘when’

You have lots of clothes in your wardrobe, more than half of which you will never wear – but just in case!

Old is good -
• Old is comfortable
• Old is safe
• Old songs
• Old movies
• …… and best of all,
• Friends of old!

So, stay well, ‘Old friend!’
Have a fantastic day!
Have an awesome quarter – whichever one you’re in!

It's not what you gather but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived. 

As always, many thanks to all...

LEBANON TODAY .....

At times we may be accused of promoting and believing in conspiracy theory, but the reality on the ground reinforces our position and our vision of political philosophy and public policy planning for countries. From the start, what was required was the complete destruction of Lebanon on the economic, cultural, political and societal levels. This project comes after the complete destruction of Syria. The goals are now known to everyone. The goal is to get rid of the confrontation states through internal destruction, after Israel's wars failed to achieve this goal.

350,000 depositors whose money was confiscated in Lebanon's public and private banks, those within the general framework cannot access their accounts and can only benefit from it a little as these banks allow. On the other hand, the country lacks the most basic necessities of life such as electricity, gas, medicine and water, in the most complex crisis that Lebanon has experienced since the civil war.

The exchange rate of the dollar in the Lebanese market also rose to record levels, reaching 39,000 Lebanese pounds per dollar. On the political level, the government formation is stuck and there are no prospects for a breakthrough soon. All of what has been mentioned may suggest that the country is slipping into more chaos and turmoil and a fire is burning under the ashes in preparation for a new round of chaos and the collapse of institutions and entering into a new cycle of violence and instability.

Few days ago, a Lebanese girl attacked a Lebanese bank with a weapon (it was later said that it was just a toy) and demanded to release her frozen balance in the bank. The story in its first lines comes in a natural context. The girl is considered compelled to do such work, especially since it is said that she has a sister who has cancer and is waiting for treatment on the hospital bed. However, if we go a little further in analyzing and linking the events to each other, it will become clear to us that there is preparation for a new round of violence and chaos in which regional and international players are interfering.

While President Michel Aoun is speaking positively about the border demarcation talks with Israel and how the new proposals and joint talks have secured great demands on the Lebanese side, today a fierce campaign is underway in Israeli circles to torpedo the agreement from its foundation. Of course, reliance in this file is on spreading chaos in Lebanon, starting by exploiting the needs of depositors and ending with the file of the Lebanese presidency.

Officials in Lebanon should not be overwhelmed with optimism in the demarcation file, as the battle is long and delicate, and they must understand the conspiracies being hatched against them and be civilized for all of them. The resistance has created a pivotal equation in the border demarcation process that everyone should benefit from, which is the equation of “oil and gas wealth or war.” Every Lebanese official should benefit from this equation to the maximum.

Lebanon, which is going through a systematic process of starvation against its people from regional and international players on one side, and Israel on the other, must know that the solution lies in the first place in the acquisition of oil and gas fields. These wealth will provide the country with enormous job opportunities, in addition to being a prelude to establishing a solid infrastructure that will provide Lebanon with gas and electricity. And then we will talk about exports and their positive impact on the citizen's livelihood.

In conclusion, do not go unnoticed by the new Israeli statements based on Israel's readiness to secure 10 percent of European gas this winter. Therefore, you, the Lebanese government and people, must be patient and maintain the new equation to benefit from Lebanon's wealth. "Our fortunes or war".

This analysis was written originally for Arab readers by Dr. H. Abul EZ, the translation and moderate adjustments to suit the blog by me. Thanking all my good readers for following up. 

WHILE WE PRESENT OUR RESPECTS TO THE VICTIMS, WE STOPED ASKING WHO AND WHY ....

 

The Triumph of the Official Narrative: How the TV Networks Hid the Twin Towers’ Explosive Demolition on 9/11 By Prof. Graeme MacQueen and Ted Walter Global Research, September 09, 2022 AE911Truth 8 September 2022

This article is the second installment of a two-part research project we began in July 2020 with the article “How 36 Reporters Brought Us the Twin Towers’ Explosive Demolition on 9/11.” In that article, our goal was to determine the prevalence, among television reporters on 9/11, of the hypothesis that explosions had brought down the Twin Towers. Through careful review of approximately 70 hours of news coverage on 11 different channels, we found that the explosion hypothesis was not only common among reporters but was, in fact, the dominant hypothesis. Our second question, which we set aside for the present article, was to determine how, despite its prevalence, the explosion hypothesis was supplanted by the hypothesis of fire-induced collapse. In this article, we shall concentrate not on reporters in the field, as in Part 1, but on the news anchors and their guests who were tasked with discovering and making sense of what was happening. As we trace the supplanting of the explosion hypothesis with the fire-induced collapse hypothesis, we witness the great shift toward what quickly became the Official Narrative. We do not see our task as trying to discover whether the Official Narrative of 9/11 is true or false. In the 21 years since the attacks took place, it has been proven beyond all reasonable doubt, we believe, that the Official Narrative is false. While we support and participate in the further accumulation of evidence for this position, as well as the presentation of this evidence to the public, we believe it is also important to look into how the triumph of the Official Narrative was accomplished. If we are able to discover this, we will greatly advance our understanding of the psychological operation conducted on September 11, 2001 — and, thus, our understanding of how other psychological operations are perpetrated on the public. Our Argument Our argument is that two strategies were employed to accomplish the triumph of the Official Narrative: (a) Where news anchors were sincerely dedicated to discovering the facts of the situation, Strategy One was employed. This strategy involved directly confronting the news anchor of the relevant network with an “expert” who would explain that the destruction of the Twin Towers was caused by structural failure induced by the airplane impact and the ensuing fires. This would allay concerns about reports of explosions in the towers and would domesticate the news anchor so that he or she would stop raising problematic questions. Of course, as we can see clearly today, these experts could not possibly have known what they so confidently proclaimed. In fact, we can now see that their explanations were simply wrong. But their interviews seem to have accomplished their goals on 9/11. To illustrate this strategy, we shall choose as our chief examples CNBC and CNN, whose anchors showed the most interest in the explosion hypothesis, and we will also look at CBS and NBC. (b) Strategy Two was used on all networks, regardless of the stance of the news anchors. This strategy involved developing two related narratives — two engaging, emotionally charged stories — that appeared to explain the day’s horrors and offered viewers a set of active responses. They were not scientific hypotheses and were not directly related to the destruction of the Twin Towers, but indirectly they appeared to favor the fire-induced collapse hypothesis more than the explosion hypothesis. By the end of the day, they had silenced the explosion hypothesis. The first of these two stories is what we shall call the War on Terror narrative. This grand narrative, resonant with older storied events, explained how the righteous, the civilized, the United States had been subjected to an act of war from the evil, the uncivilized, the terrorists supported by nations in the Middle East and Central Asia; and how American leaders must respond to this aggression with an initiative that was warlike on many levels. This narrative was articulated early (before noon on 9/11) and was repeated throughout the day. It established the foundations of the Global War on Terror. The second story is the Bin Laden narrative, which nested within the wider War on Terror narrative and was used to transform myth into plausible history. According to this narrative, an evil Saudi national based in Afghanistan had masterminded the attacks. It is extremely important to grasp the relationship between these two narratives and what may seem as detailed — even esoteric — facts about the destruction of the Twin Towers. If the buildings were destroyed by pre-planted explosives — as we believe has been demonstrated through years of research — the two narratives, however rational and moral they appeared to be to many television viewers, are profoundly misleading in their political analysis and profoundly immoral in their prescriptions. A very good assessment through a different angle, but factual and sober by two academic and research specialists.  As always my many thanks to all, stay safe and well.

THE MEDIA YAWNS AT THE ISRAELI ARMY'S DEATH SQUADS

 By Gideon Levy

August 02, 2021"Information Clearing House" - "Haaretz" Israeli terror is at it again. The Israel Defense Forces’ death squads chalked up another successful week: four bodies of innocent Palestinians piled up between the two Fridays. There doesn’t seem to be a connection between the four incidents in which four sons were killed, but the link cannot be broken. And the killing goes on , 8 now in less than a month.

In all these cases, soldiers chose shooting to kill as the preferred option. In all four cases another way could have been chosen: Arrest them, aim for the legs, don’t do anything or simply don’t be there at all. But the soldiers chose to kill. It’s probably easier for them that way.

They come from different branches of the army with different backgrounds, but they share the incredible ease with which they kill, whether they have to or not.

They kill because they can. They kill because they’re convinced that this is how they’re expected to act. They kill because they know that nothing is cheaper than the life of a Palestinian. They kill because they know that the Israeli media will yawn and not report a thing. They kill because they know that no harm will come to them, so why not? Why not kill a Palestinian when possible?

They killed a 12-years old boy and a 41 year-old plumber. They killed a 17 years old youth and a 20 years old young man attending a funeral, all in one week. An Israeli slogan during the 1948 war went "To arms, every good man," Leading later to the concept of the IDF's "Purity of arms." four in one week, for no reason, with no terrorist facing them. Four executions of young men with dreams, families, plans and loves. 

None of the four endangered the soldiers, certainly not in a way that justified lethal fire. Thirteen bullets at a car driving by innocently, carrying a father and his three small children. Shooting a plumber holding a wrench and claiming that he was “moving rapidly toward the soldiers.” Three bullets at the stomach of a 17-year-old who was on his way to take his brother home.

All this can be called terror; there is no other definition. All this can be called the actions of death squads; there is no other description. It sounds horrible, but it really is horrific.

It could be less horrific if the Israeli media bothered to report on it, possibly shocking Israelis. It could be much less horrific if IDF commanders took the necessary steps given their army’s murderous recklessness. But most of the media believed that the killing of a child interests no one or is unimportant, or both, so this shocking incident wasn’t reported on.

If the soldiers had shot a dog – also a shocking act, of course – it would have attracted more attention. But a dead Palestinian child? What happened? Why should it interest anyone, why is it important?

 “Are you working for the Arabs?” journalist Yinon Magal maliciously tweeted, addressing Haaretz’s Hagar Shezaf, virtually the only journalist who covered the boy’s funeral. This is the new journalistic ethos: Reporting the truth is tantamount to working for the Arabs.

Gideon Levy is an Israeli journalist and author. Mr. Levy writes opinion pieces and a weekly column for the newspaper Haaretz that often focus on the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. Levy has won prizes for his articles on human rights in the Israeli-occupied territories.

Unfortunately these same acts, are still in force on almost daily basis, with no impunity or review by the authorities or the judicial system, of course not the media, whether local or international, this is simply a way of life for both the Palestinians and the Israelis in their own homeland.....  In Lebanon crimes are on the rise because people are hungry and many don't have enough to feed their children, in Palestine the killing is mostly ideological and part of the army's training, becoming a real part of daily life for all, in the U.S. killing people is in good part because owning machine guns and heavy armament is a fun hobby that many cherish and adore, exercising the killing is a different story..... 

This article was published and  copied from world News Daily, Information Clearing House. With all due respect.        Thanking all my good readers.