Daily Archives: December 20, 2019

2019-12-20: News Headlines

IMEMC News (2019-12-20). Illegal Israeli Colonists Burn Two Palestinian Cars, Write Racist Graffiti, Near Nablus. imemc.org A group of fanatic Israeli colonists, illegally squatting on private Palestinian lands burnt, on Friday at dawn, two Palestinian cars and wrote racist graffiti, in Far'ata village, west of Nablus, in the northern part of the occupied West Bank. Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian Authority official who monitors Israel's illegal colonialist …

Sarah Gertler (2019-12-20). Trump's Judaism Order Has Nothing to Do With Fighting Anti-Semitism. counterpunch.org The Trump administration says it's anti-Semitic to criticize Israel. That's the gist of a recent executive order that would treat campus calls to boycott Israel over its treatment of Palestinians as anti-Semitic discrimination on the basis of "national origin." Days after the order, the synagogue I most often attend here in Washington, D.C. became another More

IMEMC News & Agencies (2019-12-20). Charlotte Kates: The Palestinian Economy Under Israeli Occupation. imemc.org Press TV interviewed Charlotte Kates, international coordinator of Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, about Israel's occupation of Palestine and control of the Palestinian economy. "Israel consistently uses Palestinians as a captive, colonial market, to buy its goods, to work in its factories, and denies Palestinians the right to economic independence …

PCHR (2019-12-20). PCHR Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (12 — 18 December 2019). imemc.org Summary This week, PCHR documented 149 violations of the international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and settlers in the occupied Palestinian territory. As part of the Israeli violations of the right to life and bodily integrity: In terms of excessive use …

IMEMC News & Agencies (2019-12-20). Church of Scotland Calls on Israel to Make Holy Sites Accessible to Gazans during Holidays. imemc.org The Church of Scotland, today, called on Israel to affirm the right of Palestinian Christians in the blockaded Gaza Strip to visit their holy sites and families, during the Christmas holiday. "At this time of year, when Christians from across the world will be looking to, and visiting, Bethlehem and …

Saed Bannoura (2019-12-20). Illegal Israeli Colonists Attack Shepherd, Unleash Their Dogs Toward Him Near Bethlehem. imemc.org Many fanatic Israeli colonists, illegally squatting on Palestinian lands, attacked a Shepherd from Kisan village, east of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and unleashed their dogs at him, causing various injuries. Ahmad Ghazal, the deputy mayor of Kisan Village Council, said the colonists came from the illegal Ibei Hanahal …

IMEMC News & Agencies (2019-12-20). Trump's Executive Order Targets Federal Funding to Universities in Suppression of Speech on Palestinian Rights. imemc.org (photo: A classroom in Gaza destroyed in Israel's 2014 attacks. Credit:…

Tom Anderson (2019-12-20). BDS movement defiant after Tories announce anti-boycott measures and threaten international solidarity. thecanary.co Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigners have responded defiantly to Tory plans to pass an anti-BDS law. | The law is a threat to any international solidarity campaign which seeks to boycott companies or products because of the state policies of another country. As such, it presents a threat to international solidarity efforts as a whole. | Boycotting Israeli apartheid: | BDS is an international movement calling for a boycott of Israeli goods. It also calls for grassroots groups to initiate boycott campaigns against companies complicit in Israel…

IMEMC & Agencies (2019-12-20). UN Envoy: Israel Has Pushed Forward Plans to Build 22,000 New Housing Units in Settlements. imemc.org The United Nations Middle East envoy reported, on Wednesday, that Israel had pushed forward plans to construct over 22,000 housing units in settlements, in the occupied West Bank, since a UN resolution reaffirmed their illegality three years ago. Nickolay Mladenov, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, …

IMEMC News & Agencies (2019-12-20). Report: UN Body Criticizes Israel's Racial Segregation Policies. imemc.org A United Nations human rights committee has called on Israel to "ensure equal treatment for all persons on the territories under its effective control and subject to its jurisdiction" — inside Israel, in the Occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem, and in the blockaded Gaza Strip, according to a press …

Middle East Eye (2019-12-20). International Criminal Court to Launch Full Investigation Into Israeli War Crimes. theantimedia.com "In brief, I am satisfied that war crimes have been or are being committed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip."

Stephen Lendman (2019-12-20). Leaked Information on Trump's No-Peace/Deal of the Century. globalresearch.ca Information on what may be in Trump's no-peace/peace plan was leaked before — its accuracy unknown unless and until a plan is released. | It hardly matters. It was dead before arrival. Trump's one-sided support for Israel is more extreme than …

Staff (2019-12-20). Fiery Disagreements Erupt at Sixth Democratic Debate. truthout.org At the sixth Democratic primary debate, a smaller field displayed greater distinctions and fiery disagreements. The PBS/Politico debate at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, opened with questions echoing GOP talking points, such as claims about the alleged economic harm of wealth taxes (which Warren rebuffed well) but eventually ventured into real substance with challenging questions about Guantánamo Bay, Israel and Pal…

IMEMC News (2019-12-20). Israeli Air Force Fires Several Missiles Into Gaza. imemc.org The Israeli air force fired, on Friday at dawn, several missiles into a few areas in the besieged Gaza Strip, causing damage. The army claimed it was retaliating to one shell reportedly fired from the coastal region. Media sources in Gaza said the army fired at least two missiles into …

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-20). Israel Bombs Gaza, 2020 NDAA's Israel Focus, Iran Excuse Now In Afghanistan & West Bank Take Over. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/19/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Robert Fantina (2019-12-20). The Forgotten Past Will Always be Repeated. counterpunch.org "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." So said George Santayana. It is difficult today to look at many, many situations in the world and not see some of the worst events in history being repeated, especially as they relate to racism and genocide. Has the world forgotten Nazi atrocities against Jews, Gypsies, intellectuals and More

Paul Street (2019-12-20). More Fascist Nonsense from a Disgraced President. counterpunch.org In the demented mind of the disgraced fascist oligarch Donald "Perfect Call" Trump, "the Radical Left Democrats have been trying to impeach me from Day 1." This is nonsense on at least three levels. First, the reigning forces in the dismal, demobilizing, neoliberal and dollar-drenched Democratic Party are anything but radical or Left. They are More

Brenda Norrell (2019-12-20). Buffy Sainte Marie Truthtelling Indigenous Genocide. indybay.org Buffy Sainte Marie described the genocide, slavery, murder and rape of Indigenous Peoples, that the kings and queens, military, churches and banks are responsible for, speaking with AIM West's Tony Gonzales, during the 50th Anniversary of the Occupation of Alcatraz.

news.un (2019-12-20). Top Criminal Court to conduct official probe into alleged war crimes in Palestine. news.un.org Following a "thorough, independent and objective assessment", the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Friday that she plans to open a formal investigation into alleged war crimes in Palestine, but asked the Court for a further ruling over territorial jurisdiction.

WSWS (2019-12-20). Tens of thousands defy Indian government threats and demonstrate against Hindu-supremacist laws. wsws.org Mass protests involving people from across ethnic and religious lines have erupted across India against the Modi government's anti-Muslim laws.

Staff (2019-12-20). After Nearly a Century, 2020 May Usher in the Equal Rights Amendment. truthout.org The year 2020 could finally bring the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) — the constitutional amendment banning sex-based discrimination that was passed by Congress in 1972 but has been in limbo since 1982, the deadline by which 38 states were required to have ratified it. | If the amendment succeeds, it will be in large part because of Nevada State Sen. Pat Spearman, who championed the legislation that made her state the 36th to ratify the ERA in 2017, 45 years to the day after Co…

John Feffer (2019-12-20). Trump, Brexit: Where's the Backlash? zcomm.org Despite blatant corruption and ineptitude, the far right on both sides of the Atlantic continues to reap harvests from its failures…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2019-12-20). ICC to Probe Alleged War Crimes in Palestine. commondreams.org The court's chief prosecutor says "there are no substantial reasons to believe that an investigation would not serve the interests of justice." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2019-12-20). 'A Win for the Planet!': Dutch Supreme Court Issues Landmark Ruling Mandating Climate Action. commondreams.org Advocates for climate action celebrated Friday after the Supreme Court of the Netherlands upheld a landmark ruling that found the Dutch government is obligated under international human rights law to more ambitiously reduce greenhouse gas emissions that drive global heating. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

IMEMC News & Agencies (2019-12-20). Human Rights Watch: Israel Using Draconian Military Orders to Repress Palestinians. imemc.org Human Rights Watch (HRW) has shed light on Israel's decades-long violations of Palestinians' fundamental rights through restrictive military orders, urging the occupying regime to grant the oppressed nation the same rights as Israeli settlers. In a 92-page report published on Tuesday, the New York-based NGO said British Mandate-era regulations …

yenisafak (2019-12-20). Palestinian commission urges end to Gaza blockade. yenisafak.com A commission on the ongoing marches in Gaza warned Israel on Friday against its blockade of the Palestinian territory since 2006.The Commission of the Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege of Gaza was formed by Palestinian groups. "The world must support the Palestinian people's just struggle to end the unjust blockade and end the people's suffering resulting from the blockade," it said in a statement ahead of the weekly Friday marches in Gaza, near the Israeli security fence.Since the Gaza rallies began in March last year, nearly 270 protesters have been martyred and thousands more wounded by Israeli forc…

yenisafak (2019-12-20). China announces measures to support Macau's economic and financial development: regulator. yenisafak.com China banking and insurance regulator on Friday announced measures to further strengthen financial cooperation between Macau and the Mainland China.The measures include supporting Macau banks to set up institutions in the mainland and also supporting mainland insurance funds to invest in Macau, on condition of compliance and controllable risks, the regulator said in a statement.The announcement came after Chinese President Xi Jinping finished his three-day visit to the territory to celebrate its 20th anniversary of return from Portuguese rule.Xi said he hoped Macau would establish more patriotic associations to "

ACLU (2019-12-20). Four Lawyers. Four Projects. One Non-Stop Year. aclu.org It isn't news that the Trump administration has kept ACLU attorneys working at breakneck speed for the past three years. In 2019 alone, we saw historic moments and victories—from defeating the citizenship question on the 2020 census and bringing the first trans civil rights case to the Supreme Court, to blocking a wave of abortion bans and many of the administration's attempts to dismantle the asylum system. To name a few. | Here are some of our attorneys' takes on 2019 and the year ahead—what's changed for the better and for the worse, and how the outcome of the 2020 presidential election will a…

Eds. (2019-12-20). Expert Q&A: Trump's executive order on campus antisemitism. mronline.org Last week, President Donald Trump issued an executive order requiring federal agencies to use a definition of antisemitism that conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism when investigating civil rights complaints alleging antisemitism on campus. | Source

Miko Peled (2019-12-19). From the Old City to Tel Rumeida Hill: Israel's Takeover of Hebron Forges Ahead. mintpressnews.com It often seems that Israel's actions in the West Bank are spurred by little more than a desire to compensate for lost opportunities and settle old scores, and Hebron is no exception writes Miko Peled.

Ramzy Baroud (2019-12-19). From a Blessing to a Curse: How UN Resolution 2334 Accelerated Israel's West Bank Colonization. mintpressnews.com UN Resolution 2334, although externally supportive of Palestinian rights, turned out to be one of the most costly decisions ever made by the international institution.

Andrew Korybko (2019-12-19). The Indo-'Israeli' Trans-Arabian Corridor Will Push Russia Closer to Pakistan. globalresearch.ca India's participation in "Israel's" Trans-Arabian Corridor for connecting the Eastern Mediterranean and Afro-Asian ("Indian") Ocean will render New Delhi's North-South Transport Corridor (NSTC) with Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia economically redundant, consequently pushing Russia closer to Pakistan as Moscow seeks to …

Saree Makdisi (2019-12-19). The Push to Quash Criticism of Israel Is a Push to Quash Free Speech. thenation.com The Push to Quash Criticism of Israel Is a Push to Quash Free Speech…

Jonathan Cook (2019-12-19). How Britain Dresses Up Crimes in Israel as 'Charitable Acts'. globalresearch.ca When is a war crime not a war crime? When, according to British officials, that war crime has been given a makeover as a "charitable act". | The British state is being asked to account for its financial and moral support …

Ramzy Baroud (2019-12-19). From a Blessing to a Curse: How UN Resolution 2334 Accelerated Israel's Colonization in the West Bank. dissidentvoice.org Three years ago, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2334. With fourteen members voting in favor and one abstention, the Resolution was the equivalent of a political earthquake. Indeed, it was the first time in many years that Israel was roundly condemned by the international body for its illegal settlement policies in the Occupied …

teleSUR (2019-12-19). Israel Advances Settlement Plans Despite 2016 Resolution: UN. telesurenglish.net The United Nations Middle East special coordinator Nickolay Mladenov said Wednesday that Israel has been advancing with its plans to build more than 22,000 homes in settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since a UN resolution, dubbed resolution 2334, reasserted their illegality in December 2016. | RELATED: | US Congress Rejects $175m Funding for Middle East 'Deal of the Century' | "In the three years since the Security Council resolution 2334 was adopte…

Eric Alterman (2019-12-19). Trump's Executive Order on Anti-Semitism Isn't About Protecting Jews. thenation.com Trump's Executive Order on Anti-Semitism Isn't About Protecting Jews…

teleSUR (2019-12-19). 'There Is No Virtual Congress' Venezuela's Supreme Justice Says. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) judge Juan Jose Mendoza, who is the Constitutional Chamber president, Thursday informed that lawmakers of the National Assembly in contempt cannot cast their vote in parliamentary debates if they are not present in the country. | RELATED: | UN Accepts Credentials of Venezuela's Legitimate Government | "We declare the nullity…

WSWS (2019-12-19). Amid impeachment vote, Congress passes record military budget and funds Trump's border wall. wsws.org The right-wing basis on which the Democrats have impeached Trump is underscored by the bipartisan support for the fascistic president's political agenda demonstrated in the budget measures approved by Congress.

teleSUR, jg-MS (2019-12-19). Kuala Lumpur Summit: Five Big Problems Facing The Muslim World. telesurenglish.net Leaders from some of the world's most populous Muslim-majority countries will meet Thursday in Malaysia's capital to discuss issues such as Islamophobia and poverty. | RELATED: | Erdogan Threatens to Close 2 US Military Bases in Turkey | Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad will chair the meeting with other heads of state, including President Hassan Rouh…

RT (2019-12-19). Elite NY school rocked by claims of anti-Semitism, swastikas on campus & Holocaust survivors labeled oppressors. rt.com An elite private school in the Bronx that costs $53,000 a year is being accused of failing to properly address complaints of discrimination and anti-Semitism made by Jewish students who reportedly say they've felt unsafe there. | Swastikas have reportedly been posted on the grounds of Fieldston School and a recent speaker argued that Holocaust survivors have turned into oppressors. | "If someone was coming to Fieldston to talk about apartheid and went off on a rant about the pea-sized brains of women who belong in a kitchen, or repeated racist tropes, or ranted about any form of homophobia or racism or sexism,…

Martha Grevatt (2019-12-19). After British right-wing win, workers need anti-racist unity. workers.org Elections held Dec. 12 in England, Scotland, Wales and the occupied north of Ireland were a boost to Trump protégé and Conservative party leader Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Voters elected 365 Conservative Members of Parliament to the House of Commons, giving Conservatives — the Tories — the majority needed to . . . | Continue reading After British right-wing win, workers need anti-racist unity at Workers.org

Kathy Durkin (2019-12-19). Trump's order on 'anti-Semitism' aimed at pro-Palestinian movement. workers.org Photo credit: BDS Movement President Donald Trump's executive order issued Dec.11 would deny federal funds from schools that allow "anti-Semitism" on their campuses, including some anti-Israel activities. It is intended to squelch defense of — or even discussion about — Palestinian rights, and is the result of intense reactionary efforts . . . | Continue reading Trump's order on 'anti-Semitism' aimed at pro-Palestinian movement at Workers.org

Martha Grevatt (2019-12-19). On the picket line. workers.org New Illinois labor law seeks to counter Janus decision The Dec. 2 Labor Tribune reported that a bill to uphold rights of public sector unions, which are threatened by the Supreme Court's 2018 Janus decision, was passed by the Illinois Legislature on Nov. 13. Ill. Gov. Pritzker promises to sign . . . | Continue reading On the picket line at Workers.org

ACLU (2019-12-19). 10 LGBTQ Moments that Defined 2019. aclu.org 1. Aimee Stephens goes to the Supreme Court: | In October, the Supreme Court heard its first trans civil rights case ever. The case was brought by our client Aimee Stephens, who was fired from her job at a funeral home solely for being transgender. That's sex discrimination and it violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. , | We have yet to see whether the Supreme Court will uphold the civil rights of trans people. But no matter what, history has already been made. , | "I'll never forget the feeling of coming out of the Supreme Court and seeing a crowd of trans people and allies chanting to…

Staff (2019-12-18). Protests Paralyze India After Racist Anti-Muslim Law Passed. therealnews.com Modi's government using brutal violence against students and workers to stop demonstrations. Professor Sumit Ganguly examines the legal, moral and political significance anti-Muslim laws and the growing movement to oppose Hindu nationalism.

Russell Hall (2019-12-18). The Last Earth: A People's History of Palestine. mronline.org This article is a book review of Ramzy Baroud's The Last Earth: A Palestinian Story. Published in 2018, The Last Earth documents the lives of ordinary Palestinians and their battle against Israeli occupation. In the process of telling their stories, Baroud shows that the Palestinians not as passive victims of Israeli colonialism but as active […] | Source

Staff (2019-12-18). Impeachment Day? House Votes on Charging Trump with Abuse of Power & Obstruction of Justice. democracynow.org As thousands of protesters rally to impeach President Trump in cities across the country ahead of a vote today on impeachment by the full Democrat-controlled House, we hold a roundtable discussion with Rep. Al Green of Texas, who became the first member of Congress to call for impeachment from the floor of the House of Representatives in 2017; Dahlia Lithwick, senior legal correspondent and Supreme Court reporter for Slate, host of the "Amicus" podcast; and Mark Green, co-author of "Fake President: Decoding Trump's Gaslighting, Corruption, and General Bullsh*t."

news.un (2019-12-18). Only 'concrete action' will stop fraying of Israel-Palestine peace prospects. news.un.org Obstacles to any lasting deal between Israel and Palestine continue to mount, the UN's Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told Security Council members on Wednesday, and only "concrete action" towards a two-State solution will change that dynamic.

Peoples Dispatch (2019-12-18). New Conservative government in the UK set to ban BDS movement. peoplesdispatch.org The pro-Israel move by the Boris Johnson-led government in the country is being viewed as an attempt to deny Labour-controlled local bodies' right to boycott Israeli products…

2019-12-20: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

Illegal Israeli Colonists Burn Two Palestinian Cars, Write Racist Graffiti, Near Nablus
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2019-12-20
A group of fanatic Israeli colonists, illegally squatting on private Palestinian lands burnt, on Friday at dawn, two Palestinian cars and wrote racist graffiti, in Far'ata village, west of Nablus, in the northern part of the occupied West Bank. Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian Authority official who monitors Israel's illegal colonialist …
imemc.org/article/illegal-israeli-colonists-burn-two-palestinian-cars-write-racist-graffiti-near-nablus/

Trump's Judaism Order Has Nothing to Do With Fighting Anti-Semitism
Sarah Gertler | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-20
The Trump administration says it's anti-Semitic to criticize Israel. That's the gist of a recent executive order that would treat campus calls to boycott Israel over its treatment of Palestinians as anti-Semitic discrimination on the basis of "national origin." Days after the order, the synagogue I most often attend here in Washington, D.C. became another…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/20/trumps-judaism-order-has-nothing-to-do-with-fighting-anti-semitism/

PCHR Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (12 — 18 December 2019)
PCHR | imemc.org | 2019-12-20
Summary This week, PCHR documented 149 violations of the international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and settlers in the occupied Palestinian territory. As part of the Israeli violations of the right to life and bodily integrity: In terms of excessive use …
imemc.org/article/pchr-weekly-report-on-israeli-human-rights-violations-in-the-occupied-palestinian-territory-12-18-december-2019/

Illegal Israeli Colonists Attack Shepherd, Unleash Their Dogs Toward Him Near Bethlehem
Saed Bannoura | imemc.org | 2019-12-20
Many fanatic Israeli colonists, illegally squatting on Palestinian lands, attacked a Shepherd from Kisan village, east of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and unleashed their dogs at him, causing various injuries. Ahmad Ghazal, the deputy mayor of Kisan Village Council, said the colonists came from the illegal Ibei Hanahal …
imemc.org/article/illegal-israeli-colonists-attack-shepherd-unleash-their-dogs-toward-him-near-bethlehem/

Charlotte Kates: The Palestinian Economy Under Israeli Occupation
IMEMC News & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-20
Press TV interviewed Charlotte Kates, international coordinator of Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, about Israel's occupation of Palestine and control of the Palestinian economy. "Israel consistently uses Palestinians as a captive, colonial market, to buy its goods, to work in its factories, and denies Palestinians the right to economic independence …
imemc.org/article/charlotte-kates-the-palestinian-economy-under-israeli-occupation/

Church of Scotland Calls on Israel to Make Holy Sites Accessible to Gazans during Holidays
IMEMC News & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-20
The Church of Scotland, today, called on Israel to affirm the right of Palestinian Christians in the blockaded Gaza Strip to visit their holy sites and families, during the Christmas holiday. "At this time of year, when Christians from across the world will be looking to, and visiting, Bethlehem and …
imemc.org/article/church-of-scotland-calls-on-israel-to-make-holy-sites-accessible-to-gazans-during-holidays/

Trump's Executive Order Targets Federal Funding to Universities in Suppression of Speech on Palestinian Rights
IMEMC News & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-20
(photo: A classroom in Gaza destroyed in Israel's 2014 attacks. Credit:…
imemc.org/article/trumps-executive-order-targets-federal-funding-to-universities-in-suppression-of-speech-on-palestinian-rights/

BDS movement defiant after Tories announce anti-boycott measures and threaten international solidarity
Tom Anderson | thecanary.co | 2019-12-20
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigners have responded defiantly to Tory plans to pass an anti-BDS law. | The law is a threat to any international solidarity campaign which seeks to boycott companies or products because of the state policies of another country. As such, it presents a threat to international solidarity efforts as a whole. | Boycotting Israeli apartheid: | BDS is an international movement calling for a boycott of Israeli goods. It also calls for grassroots groups to initiate boycott campaigns against companies complicit in Israel…
thecanary.co/opinion/2019/12/20/bds-movement-defiant-after-tories-announce-anti-boycott-measures-and-threaten-international-solidarity/

Israeli Air Force Fires Several Missiles Into Gaza
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2019-12-20
The Israeli air force fired, on Friday at dawn, several missiles into a few areas in the besieged Gaza Strip, causing damage. The army claimed it was retaliating to one shell reportedly fired from the coastal region. Media sources in Gaza said the army fired at least two missiles into …
imemc.org/article/israeli-air-force-fires-several-missiles-into-gaza/

UN Envoy: Israel Has Pushed Forward Plans to Build 22,000 New Housing Units in Settlements
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-20
The United Nations Middle East envoy reported, on Wednesday, that Israel had pushed forward plans to construct over 22,000 housing units in settlements, in the occupied West Bank, since a UN resolution reaffirmed their illegality three years ago. Nickolay Mladenov, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, …
imemc.org/article/un-envoy-israel-has-pushed-forward-plans-to-build-22000-new-housing-units-in-settlements/

Expert Q&A: Trump's executive order on campus antisemitism
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-12-20
Last week, President Donald Trump issued an executive order requiring federal agencies to use a definition of antisemitism that conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism when investigating civil rights complaints alleging antisemitism on campus. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/12/20/expert-qa-trumps-executive-order-on-campus-antisemitism/

Report: UN Body Criticizes Israel's Racial Segregation Policies
IMEMC News & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-20
A United Nations human rights committee has called on Israel to "ensure equal treatment for all persons on the territories under its effective control and subject to its jurisdiction" — inside Israel, in the Occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem, and in the blockaded Gaza Strip, according to a press …
imemc.org/article/report-un-body-criticizes-israels-racial-segregation-policies/

Leaked Information on Trump's No-Peace/Deal of the Century
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-20
Information on what may be in Trump's no-peace/peace plan was leaked before — its accuracy unknown unless and until a plan is released. | It hardly matters. It was dead before arrival. Trump's one-sided support for Israel is more extreme than …
globalresearch.ca/leaked-information-trump-no-peace-deal-century/5698306

Fiery Disagreements Erupt at Sixth Democratic Debate
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-20
At the sixth Democratic primary debate, a smaller field displayed greater distinctions and fiery disagreements. The PBS/Politico debate at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, opened with questions echoing GOP talking points, such as claims about the alleged economic harm of wealth taxes (which Warren rebuffed well) but eventually ventured into real substance with challenging questions about Guantánamo Bay, Israel and Pal…
truthout.org/articles/fiery-disagreements-erupt-at-sixth-democratic-debate/

International Criminal Court to Launch Full Investigation Into Israeli War Crimes
Middle East Eye | theantimedia.com | 2019-12-20
"In brief, I am satisfied that war crimes have been or are being committed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip."

International Criminal Court to Launch Full Investigation Into Israeli War Crimes

Israel Bombs Gaza, 2020 NDAA's Israel Focus, Iran Excuse Now In Afghanistan & West Bank Take Over
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2019-12-20
Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/19/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/daily-wrap-up/israel-bombs-gaza-2020-ndaas-israel-focus-iran-excuse-now-in-afghanistan-west-bank-take-over/

The Forgotten Past Will Always be Repeated
Robert Fantina | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-20
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." So said George Santayana. It is difficult today to look at many, many situations in the world and not see some of the worst events in history being repeated, especially as they relate to racism and genocide. Has the world forgotten Nazi atrocities against Jews, Gypsies, intellectuals and…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/20/the-forgotten-past-will-always-be-repeated/

More Fascist Nonsense from a Disgraced President
Paul Street | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-20
In the demented mind of the disgraced fascist oligarch Donald "Perfect Call" Trump, "the Radical Left Democrats have been trying to impeach me from Day 1." This is nonsense on at least three levels. First, the reigning forces in the dismal, demobilizing, neoliberal and dollar-drenched Democratic Party are anything but radical or Left. They are…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/20/more-fascist-nonsense-from-a-disgraced-president/

Buffy Sainte Marie Truthtelling Indigenous Genocide
Brenda Norrell | indybay.org | 2019-12-20
Buffy Sainte Marie described the genocide, slavery, murder and rape of Indigenous Peoples, that the kings and queens, military, churches and banks are responsible for, speaking with AIM West's Tony Gonzales, during the 50th Anniversary of the Occupation of Alcatraz.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/20/18829040.php

Top Criminal Court to conduct official probe into alleged war crimes in Palestine
news.un.org | 2019-12-20
Following a "thorough, independent and objective assessment", the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Friday that she plans to open a formal investigation into alleged war crimes in Palestine, but asked the Court for a further ruling over territorial jurisdiction.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1054121

Four Lawyers. Four Projects. One Non-Stop Year
aclu.org | 2019-12-20
It isn't news that the Trump administration has kept ACLU attorneys working at breakneck speed for the past three years. In 2019 alone, we saw historic moments and victories–from defeating the citizenship question on the 2020 census and bringing the first trans civil rights case to the Supreme Court, to blocking a wave of abortion bans and many of the administration's attempts to dismantle the asylum system. To name a few. | Here are some of our attorneys' takes on 2019 and the year ahead–what's changed for the better and for the worse, and how the outcome of the 2020 presidential election will a…
aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/four-lawyers-four-projects-one-non-stop-year

Tens of thousands defy Indian government threats and demonstrate against Hindu-supremacist laws
wsws.org | 2019-12-20
Mass protests involving people from across ethnic and religious lines have erupted across India against the Modi government's anti-Muslim laws.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/20/indi…

After Nearly a Century, 2020 May Usher in the Equal Rights Amendment
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-20
The year 2020 could finally bring the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) — the constitutional amendment banning sex-based discrimination that was passed by Congress in 1972 but has been in limbo since 1982, the deadline by which 38 states were required to have ratified it. | If the amendment succeeds, it will be in large part because of Nevada State Sen. Pat Spearman, who championed the legislation that made her state the 36th to ratify the ERA in 2017, 45 years to the day after Co…
truthout.org/articles/after-nearly-a-century-2020-may-usher-in-the-equal-rights-amendment/

Trump, Brexit: Where's the Backlash?
John Feffer | zcomm.org | 2019-12-20
Despite blatant corruption and ineptitude, the far right on both sides of the Atlantic continues to reap harvests from its failures…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/trump-brexit-wheres-the-backlash/

ICC to Probe Alleged War Crimes in Palestine
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-12-20
The court's chief prosecutor says "there are no substantial reasons to believe that an investigation would not serve the interests of justice." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/news/2019/12/20/icc-probe-alleged-war-crimes-palestine?cd-origin=rss

'A Win for the Planet!': Dutch Supreme Court Issues Landmark Ruling Mandating Climate Action
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-12-20
Advocates for climate action celebrated Friday after the Supreme Court of the Netherlands upheld a landmark ruling that found the Dutch government is obligated under international human rights law to more ambitiously reduce greenhouse gas emissions that drive global heating. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/news/2019/12/20/win-planet-dutch-supreme-court-issues-landmark-ruling-mandating-climate-action?cd-origin=rss

Human Rights Watch: Israel Using Draconian Military Orders to Repress Palestinians
IMEMC News & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-20
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has shed light on Israel's decades-long violations of Palestinians' fundamental rights through restrictive military orders, urging the occupying regime to grant the oppressed nation the same rights as Israeli settlers. In a 92-page report published on Tuesday, the New York-based NGO said British Mandate-era regulations …
imemc.org/article/human-rights-watch-israel-using-draconian-military-orders-to-repress-palestinians/

Palestinian commission urges end to Gaza blockade
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-20
A commission on the ongoing marches in Gaza warned Israel on Friday against its blockade of the Palestinian territory since 2006.The Commission of the Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege of Gaza was formed by Palestinian groups. "The world must support the Palestinian people's just struggle to end the unjust blockade and end the people's suffering resulting from the blockade," it said in a statement ahead of the weekly Friday marches in Gaza, near the Israeli security fence.Since the Gaza rallies began in March last year, nearly 270 protesters have been martyred and thousands more wounded by Israeli forc…
yenisafak.com/en/world/palestinian-commission-urges-end-to-gaza-blockade-3507929

China announces measures to support Macau's economic and financial development: regulator
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-20
China banking and insurance regulator on Friday announced measures to further strengthen financial cooperation between Macau and the Mainland China.The measures include supporting Macau banks to set up institutions in the mainland and also supporting mainland insurance funds to invest in Macau, on condition of compliance and controllable risks, the regulator said in a statement.The announcement came after Chinese President Xi Jinping finished his three-day visit to the territory to celebrate its 20th anniversary of return from Portuguese rule.Xi said he hoped Macau would establish more patriotic associations to "
yenisafak.com/en/world/china-announces-measures-to-support-macaus-economic-and-financial-development-regulator-3507922

Trump's order on 'anti-Semitism' aimed at pro-Palestinian movement
Kathy Durkin | workers.org | 2019-12-19
Photo credit: BDS Movement President Donald Trump's executive order issued Dec.11 would deny federal funds from schools that allow "anti-Semitism" on their campuses, including some anti-Israel activities. It is intended to squelch defense of — or even discussion about — Palestinian rights, and is the result of intense reactionary efforts . . . | Continue reading Trump's order on 'anti-Semitism' aimed at pro-Palestinian movement at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/12/44972/

From a Blessing to a Curse: How UN Resolution 2334 Accelerated Israel's West Bank Colonization
Ramzy Baroud | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-19
UN Resolution 2334, although externally supportive of Palestinian rights, turned out to be one of the most costly decisions ever made by the international institution.
mintpressnews.com/un-resolution-2334-israel-settlements-international-law/263603/

Israel Advances Settlement Plans Despite 2016 Resolution: UN
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-19
The United Nations Middle East special coordinator Nickolay Mladenov said Wednesday that Israel has been advancing with its plans to build more than 22,000 homes in settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since a UN resolution, dubbed resolution 2334, reasserted their illegality in December 2016. | RELATED: | US Congress Rejects $175m Funding for Middle East 'Deal of the Century' | "In the three years since the Security Council resolution 2334 was adopte…
telesurenglish.net/news/Israel-Advances-Settlement-Plans-Despite-2016-Resolution-UN-20191219-0014.html

From the Old City to Tel Rumeida Hill: Israel's Takeover of Hebron Forges Ahead
Miko Peled | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-19
It often seems that Israel's actions in the West Bank are spurred by little more than a desire to compensate for lost opportunities and settle old scores, and Hebron is no exception writes Miko Peled.
mintpressnews.com/old-city-tel-rumeida-israel-settlers-takeover-hebron/263624/

The Indo-'Israeli' Trans-Arabian Corridor Will Push Russia Closer to Pakistan
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-19
India's participation in "Israel's" Trans-Arabian Corridor for connecting the Eastern Mediterranean and Afro-Asian ("Indian") Ocean will render New Delhi's North-South Transport Corridor (NSTC) with Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia economically redundant, consequently pushing Russia closer to Pakistan as Moscow seeks to …
globalresearch.ca/indo-israeli-trans-arabian-corridor-push-russia-closer-pakistan/5698250

The Push to Quash Criticism of Israel Is a Push to Quash Free Speech
Saree Makdisi | thenation.com | 2019-12-19
The Push to Quash Criticism of Israel Is a Push to Quash Free Speech…
thenation.com/article/executive-order-free-speech/

From a Blessing to a Curse: How UN Resolution 2334 Accelerated Israel's Colonization in the West Bank
Ramzy Baroud | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-19
Three years ago, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2334. With fourteen members voting in favor and one abstention, the Resolution was the equivalent of a political earthquake. Indeed, it was the first time in many years that Israel was roundly condemned by the international body for its illegal settlement policies in the Occupied …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/from-a-blessing-to-a-curse-how-un-resolution-2334-accelerated-israels-colonization-in-the-west-bank/

How Britain Dresses Up Crimes in Israel as 'Charitable Acts'
Jonathan Cook | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-19
When is a war crime not a war crime? When, according to British officials, that war crime has been given a makeover as a "charitable act". | The British state is being asked to account for its financial and moral support …
globalresearch.ca/how-britain-dresses-up-crimes-israel-charitable-acts/5698233

After British right-wing win, workers need anti-racist unity
Martha Grevatt | workers.org | 2019-12-19
Elections held Dec. 12 in England, Scotland, Wales and the occupied north of Ireland were a boost to Trump protégé and Conservative party leader Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Voters elected 365 Conservative Members of Parliament to the House of Commons, giving Conservatives — the Tories — the majority needed to . . . | Continue reading After British right-wing win, workers need anti-racist unity at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/12/44966/

Trump's Executive Order on Anti-Semitism Isn't About Protecting Jews
Eric Alterman | thenation.com | 2019-12-19
Trump's Executive Order on Anti-Semitism Isn't About Protecting Jews…
thenation.com/article/executive-order-anti-semitism/

'There Is No Virtual Congress' Venezuela's Supreme Justice Says
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-19
Venezuela's Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) judge Juan Jose Mendoza, who is the Constitutional Chamber president, Thursday informed that lawmakers of the National Assembly in contempt cannot cast their vote in parliamentary debates if they are not present in the country. | RELATED: | UN Accepts Credentials of Venezuela's Legitimate Government | "We declare the nullity…
telesurenglish.net/news/There-Is-No-Virtual-Congress-Venezuelas-Supreme-Justice-Says-20191219-0007.html

On the picket line
Martha Grevatt | workers.org | 2019-12-19
New Illinois labor law seeks to counter Janus decision The Dec. 2 Labor Tribune reported that a bill to uphold rights of public sector unions, which are threatened by the Supreme Court's 2018 Janus decision, was passed by the Illinois Legislature on Nov. 13. Ill. Gov. Pritzker promises to sign . . . | Continue reading On the picket line at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/12/44984/

Amid impeachment vote, Congress passes record military budget and funds Trump's border wall
wsws.org | 2019-12-19
The right-wing basis on which the Democrats have impeached Trump is underscored by the bipartisan support for the fascistic president's political agenda demonstrated in the budget measures approved by Congress.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/19/budg…

Kuala Lumpur Summit: Five Big Problems Facing The Muslim World
teleSUR, jg-MS | telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-19
Leaders from some of the world's most populous Muslim-majority countries will meet Thursday in Malaysia's capital to discuss issues such as Islamophobia and poverty. | RELATED: | Erdogan Threatens to Close 2 US Military Bases in Turkey | Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad will chair the meeting with other heads of state, including President Hassan Rouh…
telesurenglish.net/news/kuala-lumpur-summit-five-big-problems-facing-the-muslim-world-20191218-0021.html

Elite NY school rocked by claims of anti-Semitism, swastikas on campus & Holocaust survivors labeled oppressors
rt.com | 2019-12-19
An elite private school in the Bronx that costs $53,000 a year is being accused of failing to properly address complaints of discrimination and anti-Semitism made by Jewish students who reportedly say they've felt unsafe there. | Swastikas have reportedly been posted on the grounds of Fieldston School and a recent speaker argued that Holocaust survivors have turned into oppressors. | "If someone was coming to Fieldston to talk about apartheid and went off on a rant about the pea-sized brains of women who belong in a kitchen, or repeated racist tropes, or ranted about any form of homophobia or racism or sexism,…
rt.com/usa/476432-anti-semitism-concerns-fieldston-ny/

10 LGBTQ Moments that Defined 2019
aclu.org | 2019-12-19
1. Aimee Stephens goes to the Supreme Court: | In October, the Supreme Court heard its first trans civil rights case ever. The case was brought by our client Aimee Stephens, who was fired from her job at a funeral home solely for being transgender. That's sex discrimination and it violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. , | We have yet to see whether the Supreme Court will uphold the civil rights of trans people. But no matter what, history has already been made. , | "I'll never forget the feeling of coming out of the Supreme Court and seeing a crowd of trans people and allies chanting to…
aclu.org/news/lgbt-rights/10-lgbtq-moments-that-defined-2019

The Last Earth: A People's History of Palestine
Russell Hall | mronline.org | 2019-12-18
This article is a book review of Ramzy Baroud's The Last Earth: A Palestinian Story. Published in 2018, The Last Earth documents the lives of ordinary Palestinians and their battle against Israeli occupation. In the process of telling their stories, Baroud shows that the Palestinians not as passive victims of Israeli colonialism but as active […] | Source…
mronline.org/2019/12/17/the-last-earth-a-peoples-history-of-palestine/

Only 'concrete action' will stop fraying of Israel-Palestine peace prospects
news.un.org | 2019-12-18
Obstacles to any lasting deal between Israel and Palestine continue to mount, the UN's Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told Security Council members on Wednesday, and only "concrete action" towards a two-State solution will change that dynamic.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1053841

The US-NATO-Israel Sponsored Al Qaeda Insurgency in Syria. Who Was Behind the 2011 "Protest Movement"?
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-18
It was not a protest movement, it was an armed insurgency integrated by US-Israeli & allied supported "jihadist" death squads. From Day One, the Islamist "freedom fighters" were supported, trained & equipped by NATO & Turkey's High Command.
globalresearch.ca/syria-who-is-behind-the-protest-movement-fabricating-a-pretext-for-a-us-nato-humanitarian-intervention/24591

New Conservative government in the UK set to ban BDS movement
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2019-12-18
The pro-Israel move by the Boris Johnson-led government in the country is being viewed as an attempt to deny Labour-controlled local bodies' right to boycott Israeli products…
peoplesdispatch.org/2019/12/18/new-conservative-government-in-the-uk-set-to-ban-bds-movement/

Protests Paralyze India After Racist Anti-Muslim Law Passed
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-12-18
Modi's government using brutal violence against students and workers to stop demonstrations. Professor Sumit Ganguly examines the legal, moral and political significance anti-Muslim laws and the growing movement to oppose Hindu nationalism.
therealnews.com/stories/protests-paralyze-india-racist-anti-muslim-law-passed