(2019-12-25). Thousands Mark Christmas in West Bank Town of Bethlehem. truthdig.com 
BETHLEHEM, West Bank — Thousands of Christian pilgrims on Tuesday flocked to the West Bank town of Bethlehem, celebrating Christmas Eve in the traditional birthplace of Jesus. | Visitors converged on the town's large Christmas tree in Manger Square, near the spot believed to mark Jesus' birthplace. Uniformed Palestinian scouts wearing yellow and gold capes paraded past assembled visitors, the sound of drums and bagpipes filling the cool, clear air. Vendors hawked snacks and holiday gifts, adding to the festive atmosphere. | Roger Hoagland, a Christian educator and missionary from Louisville, Kentucky, said…
(2019-12-25). Bethlehem is Scarred by Brutal Israeli Occupation, While the World Acquieses. counterpunch.org O little town of Bethlehem, How miserable we see thee lie! Above thy 28 ft. concrete separation wall of hatred, Palestinians cower in fear and sleepless nights. The silent stars are witness to thy dark and somber streets Where the light shineth not, And the everlasting darkness of occupation Hangs heavy on the oppressed and More
(2019-12-25). The Hypnosis of Patriotism. indybay.org Patriotism is an unnatural, unreasonable, harmful feeling for our times, which causes much of the evil from which mankind suffers.
(2019-12-25). 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…
(2019-12-25). 'Solitary confinement' in own home: Father of Pakistan's atomic bomb petitions high court for 'freedom'. rt.com 
The atomic scientist chiefly responsible for making Pakistan a nuclear power is now asking the country's Supreme Court to set him free, as he has spent almost 15 years under guard in his home, cut off from family and friends. | Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, considered the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb, was detained in 2004 after confessing to illegally giving nuclear technology to Iran, Libya, and North Korea. He was first imprisoned by the government of General Pervez Musharraf, who was himself ousted in 2008 and recently convicted in absentia of treason. | Now 83, Khan is petitioning the highest court in the lan…
(2019-12-25). Hamas calls for 'imposing' Jerusalem polls on Israel. yenisafak.com Palestinian group Hamas has called on the Palestinian Authority and rival Fatah movement to "impose" election in the occupied city of Jerusalem without Israel's approval."We don't accept to take permission from the [Israeli] occupation to hold election," Hamas leader Salah al-Bardawil told a press conference in Gaza City on Wednesday."We [must] impose the polls and turn Jerusalem into a spot of political and popular engagement," he said.The Hamas leader reiterated his group's refusal to hold Palestinian election without Jerusalem."We must agree on a national plan of action with the goal of holding election in Jer…
(2019-12-25). Israel says won't allow Iran to entrench in Iraq. yenisafak.com Israel will not allow Iran to entrench in Iraq, Israeli army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi said on Wednesday.Speaking at a conference in Herzliya, Kochavi accused Iran's Quds Force of moving weapons into Iraq on a monthly basis, according to Yedioth Aharonoth newspaper."Advanced weapons are being smuggled by the Quds Force in Iraq on a daily basis and we can't allow that," he said."Iraq is undergoing a civil war, where the Quds Force is operating on a daily basis, where the country itself has turned into an ungoverned area."Kochavi's remarks are the first implied admission by an Israeli official of carryi…
(2019-12-24). Where is the Outrage Over British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Book, '72 Virgins'? therealnews.com 
Marc Steiner and Moshe Machover discuss why the lack of outrage over Johnson's book is so concerning.
(2019-12-24). NAAPRP Relaunch Renews National Fight Against Police Repression. therealnews.com 
As we enter a new phase of racist and political repression in the US with the convergence of a myriad of political and social issues, how are we planning to fight against this? Jacqueline Luqman talks with Frank Chapman about the relaunch of the National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression.
(2019-12-24). Settler Pepper-Sprays Palestinian Mother and Daughter. imemc.org A Palestinian mother and her daughter were injured, on Monday evening, after being attacked by an Israeli settler in Tel Rumeida neighborhood in Hebron city, in the southern occupied West Bank, the Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported. Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) confirmed that its staff provided the …
(2019-12-24). Israel Issues Few Christmas Travel Permits for Gaza Christians. telesurenglish.net Members of Gaza's Christian community and Palestinian officials said Tuesday that fewer than half of Christians, who are waiting for Israeli permits to visit holy cities such as Bethlehem and Jerusalem at Christmas, have so far received their permits. | RELATED: | Israeli Minister Calls for Elimination of Palestinian Authority | Palestinian border officials said that 316 permits had been issued, while church leaders had requested 800. | On Sunday, Israel's Coordinator of Gov…
(2019-12-24). Israel Detains 31 Palestinians Including University Professor and Two Minors. imemc.org Israeli forces detained 31 Palestinians, including a university professor, in multiple incursions across the West Bank, the Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported. Palestine Prisoners' Society (PPS) confirmed in a press release that Israeli forces detained Ahmad Qatamesh, 68, Monday night, after invading his house in Ramallah city. Qatamesh, …
(2019-12-24). Israeli Bulldozers Level Palestinian Land Near Nablus. imemc.org Israeli bulldozers, on Tuesday morning, razed a large tract of Palestinian land, which belongs to the Nablus-district villagers of Jalud, in order to expand the nearby illegal Israeli colonial settlements, the Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported. Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors Israeli settlement activities in the northern West Bank, …
(2019-12-24). Banksy's Nativity Scene Decries Plight of Palestinians. telesurenglish.net British street artist Banksy has brought a somber Christmas spirit to a hotel he founded in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, with a nativity scene evoking the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. | RELATED: | Israeli Minister Calls for Elimination of Palestinian Authority | Dubbed "Scar of Bethlehem", the display (pictured here) features a miniature Jesus, Mary and Joseph under a rendition of Israel's concrete West Bank barrier punctured by bullet holes, the largest of which resemble…
(2019-12-24). Israeli Military Seizes Equipment, Declares Area North of Hebron 'Closed Military Zone'. imemc.org Israeli forces seized a truck and a bulldozer owned by Palestinian residents in the town of Beit Ummar to the north of Hebron, the southern occupied West Bank, the Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported. Mohammed Awad, a media activist, said that Israeli forces confiscated a truck and a …
(2019-12-24). Residential Structures Destroyed by Soldiers Near Hebron. imemc.org Israeli forces, on Tuesday, demolished two Palestinian residential structures in the southern West Bank district of Hebron, the Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported. Coordinator of the Anti-Wall and Settlement Committees, Rateb Jabour, said that Israeli forces escorted a bulldozer into Maghayer al-'Abeed area near Masafer Yatta, where the …
(2019-12-24). Anti-war leader blasts Klobuchar for backing U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN — Amy Klobuchar, a 'centrist' who is trying to become the Democratic Party standard-bearer in the upcoming elections for president, states that she will not reverse Trump's decision to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. There has long been a consensus among most Republican and Democratic politicians to support the Zionist occupation of Palestine. | Meredith Aby-Keirstead, a leader of the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee responded, "It doesn't surprise any of us in the anti-war movement that Klobuchar doesn't want to reverse Trump's decision to move the U.S. embassy fr…
(2019-12-24). Trump Demonstrates Again Why Zionism Is Anti-Semitism. imemc.org by Asa Winstanley You have to hand it to Donald Trump, he knows which side his bread is buttered. Spewing out disgusting remarks that some of the commentariat deemed only "controversial" at worst, Trump attended the Israeli-American Council's (AIC) national summit earlier this month. A major pro-Israel lobby group, the IAC, is bankrolled by anti-Palestinian …
(2019-12-24). Video: Israel Strikes Damascus as Syrian Army Crushes ISIS-Al Qaeda Terrorists in Idlib. globalresearch.ca Early on December 23, the Syrian Air Defense intercepted several missiles launched by Israeli warplanes from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and the Lebanese area of Mount Hermon. | SANA claimed that the Israeli missiles reportedly fell in the area of Aqraba …
(2019-12-24). On the Road to Gaza: The Freedom Flotilla Will Sail Again. dissidentvoice.org What is Gaza to us but an Israeli missile, a rudimentary rocket, a demolished home, an injured child being whisked away by his peers under a hail of bullets? On a daily basis, Gaza is conveyed to us as a bloody image or a dramatic video, none of which can truly capture the everyday reality …
(2019-12-24). ICC to Investigate Israeli War Crimes? globalresearch.ca Israel isn't a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Clearly its ruling authorities will reject whatever conclusions it draws, if any, short of exoneration. | Since established by the Rome Statute in 2002, the court never held the US, other …
(2019-12-24). Israel AGAIN Attacks Syria Over Christmas, Khashoggi Trial Theater & MSM N Korea Xmas Fear-Mongering. 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 (12/24/19). 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 …
(2019-12-24). Netanyahu Freezes Plans to Annex Jordan Valley. imemc.org Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave instructions to freeze the plans to annex the Jordan Valley to Israeli sovereignty, Ynet revealed Tuesday. The Israeli paper explained, according to Al Ray, that Netanyahu made his decision following that of the International Prosecutor to conduct an investigation into war crimes, carried out …
(2019-12-24). Thousands Gather in Bethlehem for Christmas Celebrations. imemc.org Thousands of Palestinians and tourists gathered on Tuesday, at Manger Square, in Bethlehem, marking the start of Christmas eve. Local faithful and pilgrims gathered at the square, outside the Church of the Nativity, where a 15-meter Christmas tree had been erected, and along the narrow cobble-stoned route, known as Star …
(2019-12-24). Palestinian FM: "Denial of the Palestinian Right to This Land is Anti-Semitism Itself" imemc.org The Palestinian Foreign Ministry, on Tuesday, accused U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of "anti-Semitism," the Turkish Anadolu Agency reported.
(2019-12-24). Where Is the Outrage Over Boris Johnson? truthdig.com Marc Steiner: Welcome to The Real News. I'm Marc Steiner. Great to have you with us. So imagine you heard someone say or write about Jews as people who control the media, being shady business people, greedy, who exploited immigrant labor, and hurdled around the red-light district looking for "a bit of black." Who also, let me quote from this, "Some kind of fiddling of the figures in an election by oligarchs of Jewish origin." | Sounds a little antisemitic, or maybe a lot of antisemitic. And imagine hearing that same person talk about mixed race people as half-caste, coffee- colored, without "Too many Negroid feat…
(2019-12-24). Berliners march against far-right violence. peoplesdispatch.org Hundreds of people marched in Neukà∂lln, south Berlin, protesting the neo-Nazi hate crimes that have been on the rise in the locality and the failure of the police to prevent them…
(2019-12-24). Terrence Malick's A Hidden Life: An Austrian farmer's lonely defiance of the Nazis. wsws.org An important subject is treated with the generally mystical-religious outlook for which Terrence Malick has become known.
(2019-12-24). India's divisive citizenship law sparks global protests. peoplesdispatch.org Recently, the far-right Indian government passed a controversial citizenship law, Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Progressive sections in India have called this law as divisive and fascist. More than 20 people have been killed in past in police violence in past one week, as protests against CAA intensifies across India. Protests against CAA and police brutality were also held in many countries across the world. We take a look at these global protests in solidarity with the struggle in India against attempts by the government to "divide the country on the basis of religion".
(2019-12-23). Impeachment Derangement: Or How I Learned to Stop Hating and Love Trump. dissidentvoice.org I'm not an Evangelical Christian, lover of Israel, or someone who wants to ban Muslims from entering America. Would never put a kid in a cage or a dog in a box. I'm not a wounded warrior, won't allow guns or flag waving in my house, don't voluntarily stand for the Anthem. Don't ride a …
(2019-12-23). Headlines for December 23, 2019. democracynow.org White House Halted Ukraine Aid 91 Minutes After Trump & Zelensky Phone Call, U.S. Considering Plan to Deport Mexican Asylum Seekers to Guatemala, WaPo: White House Pushes to Use Migrant Children to Ensnare Parents, Saudi Arabia Sentences 5 People to Death for Khashoggi's Murder, ICC Takes Step to Investigating Israel for War Crimes, India: Protests Continue as Modi Defends "Anti-Muslim" Citizenship Law, Iraq: Thousands Demand Appointment of Independent Prime Minister, Reuters: Up to 1,500 Dead in Iran's Bloody Crackdown Against Nov. Protests, Pentagon: U.S. Soldier Killed in Afghanistan, French Unions Continue St…
(2019-12-23). Israel's political impasse ahead of third election in a year. wsws.org Netanyahu and his right-wing and ultra-orthodox partners need to secure 61 seats in the Knesset to form a right-wing government that could give him immunity from prosecution.
(2019-12-23). Much work needed to 'target unacceptable levels' of racism in Ecuador: UN experts. news.un.org Ecuador must implement and enforce laws and policies to protect the rights of Afro-Ecuadorians, the UN Working Group on People of African Descent said on Monday, calling for an end to the "discrimination, exclusion and extreme poverty they suffer."
(2019-12-23). Exonerate the Innocent; Incarcerate the Guilty. counterpunch.org The U.S. "justice" system, first and foremost, protects police and prosecutors. The Supreme Court has held that while cops have only limited immunity from lawsuits, prosecutors enjoy what's known as absolute immunity for their conduct under most circumstances. Only in the most extreme cases of abuse — including killings and with bodycam videos as evidence — do police get arrested and prosecuted. Still less are prosecutors prosecuted for questionable, if not illegal, practices. More
(2019-12-23). Venezuela Urges Brazil to Arrest Attackers of Military Base. telesurenglish.net Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro urged Monday for the government of Brazil to not support "terrorist actions" against the South American country and required its authorities to arrest those involved in Sunday's attack to a military border outpost. | RELATED: | 'There Is No Virtual Congress' Venezuela's Supreme Justice Says | "I ask the Brazilian gover…
(2019-12-23). Indian state intensifies repression of mass protests against anti-Muslim citizenship law. wsws.org At least 25 people have been killed during the protests, which have touched all parts of the country, against the Hindu supremacist BJP government.
(2019-12-22). Quad-Cities community members condemn hate after anti-immigrant event. liberationnews.org 
Outraged protesters displayed signs condemning racism and the capitalist system which allows bigotry to flourish.
(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
(2019-12-21). PFLP marks founding in huge Gaza march. fightbacknews.org The 52nd anniversary of the founding of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) was observed with a December 7 march by tens of thousands of members and supporters in Gaza City. The PFLP is playing a leading role in the struggle to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Over the past week Israeli authorities have arrested 50 Palestinians in the West Bank and accused them of being members of the PFLP.
(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 …
(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…
(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 …
(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."
(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.
(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.
(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…
(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
(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.
(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.
(2019-12-19). Weekend Read: Top 10 Ways You Helped Us Make a Difference in 2019. splcenter.org Our work in 2019 year was challenging — and highly successful — in many ways.