Daily Archives: December 21, 2019

2019-12-21: News Headlines

John Catalinotto (2019-12-21). Trump impeached: What next? — a WW commentary. workers.org Dec. 20 — The U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach the president on two counts late on the evening of Dec. 18. All Republicans and one Democratic House member voted against impeachment. As of today, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has not yet released the orders of impeachment . . . | Continue reading Trump impeached: What next? — a WW commentary at Workers.org

Joe Piette (2019-12-21). Protest in Philadelphia against corporate sexual abuse, racism. workers.org Philadelphia Rylinda Rhodes was loud and clear, speaking here at a Dec. 18 rally outside Comcast world corporate headquarters: "I am a survivor of workplace sexual harassment at Comcast. . . . You do not have the right to touch me. I have a right to be protected in my . . . | Continue reading Protest in Philadelphia against corporate sexual abuse, racism at Workers.org

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-21). ICC To Investigate Israeli Government War Crimes & UN Again Contradicts US Claims Of Iran "Proof" 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 (12/20/19). 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 …

Paul Street (2019-12-21). Is This Goodbye to the American Republic? truthdig.com As the U.S. teeters on the brink of fascism, more of the same ineffectual pushback and insincere leadership isn't going to save the country.

V. Arun Kumar (2019-12-21). India's freedom struggle 2.0, this time it's against fascists. peoplesdispatch.org On December 19, as part of an all India strike against discriminatory citizenship law (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), thousands protested in New Delhi's Red Fort and Mandi House. Peoples movements and left parties have called these measures as fascist. The Delhi police imposed prohibitory orders and suspended internet in various parts of Delhi on Thursday. Hundreds of protesters, both at Red Fort and Mandi House were detained by the police. Despite the police crackdown, people continued their resistance against CAA and NRC. | Protest marches were also organised across India, and according to report…

UUSF Sunday Forum (2019-12-21). No Way To Treat A Child: Mistreatment and Persecution of Palestinian Children. indybay.org Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco | 1187 Franklin St. @ Geary | San Francisco…

WSWS (2019-12-21). The fight against communal reaction in India is the fight for socialism. wsws.org India has been convulsed by a growing wave of mass protests in opposition to the Modi government's Hindu supremacist citizenship law.

Brenda Norrell (2019-12-21). 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.

RT (2019-12-21). US State Department 'firmly opposes' ICC probe into Israeli war crimes allegations, insisting court lacks jurisdiction. rt.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has voiced "firm" opposition to a bid in the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate alleged war crimes committed by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories. | After nearly four years of preliminary investigation, the ICC's top prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said on Friday that the war crimes probe would be expanded into a full-scale inquiry, looking into whether Israel has carried out atrocities in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as Gaza. In a statement

Chris Hartmann (2019-12-21). Bolivia's Plurinational Healthcare Revolution Will Not Be Defeated. zcomm.org Under the Morales administration, Indigenous healthcare beliefs and practices stepped out from long shadows cast by colonialism and racism. Those achievements are now under threat…

Benjamin Barber (2019-12-21). The escalating fight over racist monuments in Southern communities. zcomm.org The Southern Poverty Law Center currently estimates that more than 1,700 "publicly sponsored symbols" of the Confederacy remain in place nationwide, including statues, flags, official observances, and place names…

yenisafak (2019-12-21). Turkey-Israel relations following Libya deal: ANALYSIS. yenisafak.com Turkey was at the center of some head-spinning developments in the Eastern Mediterranean in the last few days.In fact, the world and especially the riparian states are closely following these "events," which could also be named "belated decisions from Turkey."One of these states is Israel, which has been for a long time looking for ways to transport to Europe the natural gas that will be gathered from the hydrocarbon fields in the Eastern Mediterranean.After a long period of political distance, Turkey and Israel signed a normalization deal in June 2016 to cooperate on a pipeline project, to transfer natural gas f…

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

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

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

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…

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). 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 …

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:…

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 …

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 …

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."

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 …

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, …

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 & 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 …

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 …

splcenter (2019-12-20). Investigation: Washington State Rep. Matt Shea Poses Threat of 'Political Violence' Against U.S. splcenter.org Washington state Rep. Matt Shea has been vocal about his support for antigovernment and anti-public lands activists in the West, and a new report alleges those activities pose a threat of "political violence" against the U.S. government.

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.

teleSUR (2019-12-20). Iraq: Shia Leader Calls for Early Elections Amid Protests. telesurenglish.net Iraq's top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called for early elections to ease the tensions of anti-government demonstrations, according to News Agency Xinhua. | RELATED: | Palestine: ICC to Investigate War Crimes in Occupied Territory | "We have noticed that the approval of the election law has been hindered, and the dispute over some of its main articles has been aggravated, and here we stress once again the need to expedite its approval," al-Sistani said. | Furthermore…

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…

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 …

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.

Peoples Dispatch (2019-12-19). Israel violates ceasefire, strikes alleged Hamas targets in Gaza. peoplesdispatch.org Israel has yet again conducted airstrikes on the blockaded Gaza strip, despite agreeing to a ceasefire brokered recently by Egypt and the UN. A day prior to the provocation, an Israeli fighter aircraft had killed a Palestinian…

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.

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 …

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 …

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…

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…

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…

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

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,…

2019-12-21: Social Media Postees

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

ICC To Investigate Israeli Government War Crimes & UN Again Contradicts US Claims Of Iran "Proof"
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2019-12-21
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 (12/20/19). 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/icc-to-investigate-israeli-government-war-crimes-un-again-contradicts-us-claims-of-iran-proof/

Protest in Philadelphia against corporate sexual abuse, racism
Joe Piette | workers.org | 2019-12-21
Philadelphia Rylinda Rhodes was loud and clear, speaking here at a Dec. 18 rally outside Comcast world corporate headquarters: "I am a survivor of workplace sexual harassment at Comcast. . . . You do not have the right to touch me. I have a right to be protected in my . . . | Continue reading Protest in Philadelphia against corporate sexual abuse, racism at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/12/45033/

Is This Goodbye to the American Republic?
Paul Street | truthdig.com | 2019-12-21
As the U.S. teeters on the brink of fascism, more of the same ineffectual pushback and insincere leadership isn't going to save the country.
truthdig.com/articles/is-this-goodbye-to-the-american-republic/

India's freedom struggle 2.0, this time it's against fascists
V. Arun Kumar | peoplesdispatch.org | 2019-12-21
On December 19, as part of an all India strike against discriminatory citizenship law (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), thousands protested in New Delhi's Red Fort and Mandi House. Peoples movements and left parties have called these measures as fascist. The Delhi police imposed prohibitory orders and suspended internet in various parts of Delhi on Thursday. Hundreds of protesters, both at Red Fort and Mandi House were detained by the police. Despite the police crackdown, people continued their resistance against CAA and NRC. | Protest marches were also organised across India, and according to report…
peoplesdispatch.org/2019/12/21/indias-freedom-struggle-2-0-this-time-its-against-fascists/

No Way To Treat A Child: Mistreatment and Persecution of Palestinian Children
UUSF Sunday Forum | indybay.org | 2019-12-21
Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco | 1187 Franklin St. @ Geary | San Francisco…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/20/18829047.php

The fight against communal reaction in India is the fight for socialism
wsws.org | 2019-12-21
India has been convulsed by a growing wave of mass protests in opposition to the Modi government's Hindu supremacist citizenship law.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/21/pers…

Buffy Sainte Marie Truthtelling Indigenous Genocide
Brenda Norrell | indybay.org | 2019-12-21
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

US State Department 'firmly opposes' ICC probe into Israeli war crimes allegations, insisting court lacks jurisdiction
rt.com | 2019-12-21
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has voiced "firm" opposition to a bid in the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate alleged war crimes committed by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories. | After nearly four years of preliminary investigation, the ICC's top prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said on Friday that the war crimes probe would be expanded into a full-scale inquiry, looking into whether Israel has carried out atrocities in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as Gaza. In a statement…
rt.com/news/476540-pompeo-icc-war-crimes-israel/

Bolivia's Plurinational Healthcare Revolution Will Not Be Defeated
Chris Hartmann | zcomm.org | 2019-12-21
Under the Morales administration, Indigenous healthcare beliefs and practices stepped out from long shadows cast by colonialism and racism. Those achievements are now under threat…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/bolivias-plurinational-healthcare-revolution-will-not-be-defeated/

The escalating fight over racist monuments in Southern communities
Benjamin Barber | zcomm.org | 2019-12-21
The Southern Poverty Law Center currently estimates that more than 1,700 "publicly sponsored symbols" of the Confederacy remain in place nationwide, including statues, flags, official observances, and place names…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-escalating-fight-over-racist-monuments-in-southern-communities/

Turkey-Israel relations following Libya deal: ANALYSIS
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-21
Turkey was at the center of some head-spinning developments in the Eastern Mediterranean in the last few days.In fact, the world and especially the riparian states are closely following these "events," which could also be named "belated decisions from Turkey."One of these states is Israel, which has been for a long time looking for ways to transport to Europe the natural gas that will be gathered from the hydrocarbon fields in the Eastern Mediterranean.After a long period of political distance, Turkey and Israel signed a normalization deal in June 2016 to cooperate on a pipeline project, to transfer natural gas f…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-israel-relations-following-libya-deal-analysis-3507950

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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

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/

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/

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

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

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/

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/

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/

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/

Investigation: Washington State Rep. Matt Shea Poses Threat of 'Political Violence' Against U.S
splcenter.org | 2019-12-20
Washington state Rep. Matt Shea has been vocal about his support for antigovernment and anti-public lands activists in the West, and a new report alleges those activities pose a threat of "political violence" against the U.S. government.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/12/20/investigation-washington-state-rep-matt-shea-poses-threat-political-violence-against-us

Iraq: Shia Leader Calls for Early Elections Amid Protests
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-20
Iraq's top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called for early elections to ease the tensions of anti-government demonstrations, according to News Agency Xinhua. | RELATED: | Palestine: ICC to Investigate War Crimes in Occupied Territory | "We have noticed that the approval of the election law has been hindered, and the dispute over some of its main articles has been aggravated, and here we stress once again the need to expedite its approval," al-Sistani said. | …
telesurenglish.net/news/iraq-shia-leader-calls-for-early-elections-amid-protests-20191220-0011.html

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/

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/

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 violates ceasefire, strikes alleged Hamas targets in Gaza
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2019-12-19
Israel has yet again conducted airstrikes on the blockaded Gaza strip, despite agreeing to a ceasefire brokered recently by Egypt and the UN. A day prior to the provocation, an Israeli fighter aircraft had killed a Palestinian…
peoplesdispatch.org/2019/12/19/israel-violates-ceasefire-strikes-alleged-hamas-targets-in-gaza/

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

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

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/

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