2020-03-28: News Headlines

Juan Cole (2020-03-28). No Mercy even in a Pandemic. zcomm.org Israeli Occupation Authorities Demolish Makeshift Field Hospital in Palestinian Hamlet…

Declan Terence Bradley, Mariam Abdulmonem Mansouri, Frank Kee, Leandro Martin Totaro Garcia (2020-03-28). [Commentary] A systems approach to preventing and responding to COVID-19. thelancet.com A novel zoonotic coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in a pandemic of respiratory infection [1,2]. COVID-19 has provoked restrictive infection control measures, social and economic disruption, and expressions of racism [3]. Systems thinking can help policymakers understand and influence the spread of infection and its multifaceted consequences across the community since society is itself a complex adaptive system [4]. It can provide a framework to look beyond the chain of infection and better understand the multiple implications of decisions and (in)actions in face of such a complex situation involving many inte…

yenisafak (2020-03-28). COVID-19 cases in Israel near 3,500. yenisafak.com The number of COVID-19 cases in Israel has reached 3,460 after 425 more people are diagnosed with COVID-19, according to the statement by the country's health ministry.50 of the patients are in critical condition and 89 have recovered, the statement added.Until now, COVID-19 claimed the lives of 12 in the country.As part of measures, all schools have been closed in the country, all meetings in public, open or closed areas with more than 10 people have also been banned.All trading firms except supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations and banks have also been closed beginning with March 15.Tel Aviv also banned the en…

yenisafak (2020-03-28). Coronavirus cases rise in five Arab states. yenisafak.com Health authorities in five Arab countries reported fresh coronavirus cases on Saturday.In a statement, Morocco's Health Ministry said 13 coronavirus cases were recorded, taking the total infections in the country to 358.The ministry put the death toll from the disease at 23 and 11 recoveries.In Palestine, six new coronavirus infections were reported, taking the total cases to 97, according to a spokesman for the Palestinian government.In Oman, the Health Ministry said 21 new infections were registered, bringing the total coronavirus cases in the Gulf state to 152.According to the ministry, a total of 23 patients…

yenisafak (2020-03-28). COVID-19 continues to spread in Arab countries. yenisafak.com Morocco's online bulletin that announces new COVID-19 cases said the total number of the cases in the country increased to 358, with 13 new patients.According to the website, the death toll in the country is now 23.It also said 11 people were discharged from hospitals after recovering from the virus.In Palestine, government spokesman Ibrahim Melhem reported six more confirmed cases of the virus in the country, bringing the total to 97.Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti Health Ministry said the total number of confirmed cases rose to 235, with 10 new cases confirmed.It also said that the number of discharged people from hospi…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-03-27). BJP and Israel: Hindu Nationalism is Ravaging India's Democracy. counterpunch.org It was only a matter of time before the anti-Muslim sentiment in India turned violent. A country that has historically prided itself on its diversity and tolerance, and for being 'the largest democracy in the world' has, in recent years, exhibited the exact opposite qualities — chauvinism, racism, religious intolerance, and, at times, extreme violence.

Ali Salam (2020-03-27). Palestinian Shed and Water Well Destroyed by Israeli Forces in West Bank. imemc.org Israeli forces, on Thursday, demolished a farming shed and a water well in Deir Ballut town, west of Salfit city, according to a local official. Governor of Salfit, Abdallah Kmeil told Palestinian WAFA News Agency that Israeli forces escorted a bulldozer into Wadi Sarida area, where the heavy machinery tore …

Rami Almeghari (2020-03-27). VIDEO: Israeli Soldiers Spit on Palestinian-owned Property in Hebron. imemc.org Israeli soldiers, on Friday morning, in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, reportedly spat on Palestinian-owned vehicles and property in a Hebron suburb, according to a local official. In video footage, shown on social media, Israeli soldiers were seen spitting on Palestinian vehicles, which were parked in an industrial …

Rami Almeghari (2020-03-27). PA's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Seeks Protection of Palestinian Population. imemc.org The Palestinian Authority's (PA) Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Friday, called on the international community to provide protection for the Palestinian people, amidst growing concerns over the widely-spread Coronavirus worldwide, including the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel. The call came in response to a recent series of attacks, carried out …

Ali Salam (2020-03-27). Palestinian Building Equipment, Tents Seized by Israeli Forces in Jordan Valley. imemc.org Israeli forces demolished a residential structure and seized tents, on Thursday, in the Jordan Valley village of Ibziq, north of the occupied West Bank city of Tubas, according to a local official. Abdul Majeed Khdeirat, head of Ibziq village council, told Palestinian WAFA News Agency that Israeli soldiers stormed the …

Ali Salam (2020-03-27). Three Palestinian Homes Demolished by Israeli Forces near Jericho. imemc.org Israeli forces, on Thursday, demolished three Palestinian-owned homes in the village of al-Diyouk, west of the occupied West Bank city of Jericho, under the pretext they were built without permits, local sources said. The sources told Palestinian WAFA News Agency that Israeli soldiers and police accompanied bulldozers as they invaded …

Miko Peled (2020-03-27). From Electoral Politics to Coronavirus Response: In Israel, Apartheid Mentality Reigns. mintpressnews.com Israel's longstanding political crisis didn't end due to some altruistic desire to pull together in a time of crisis, it ended because Israelis were faced with a choice, work with Arabs or throw it all away, writes Miko Peled.

BIICFHRIOT (2020-03-27). B'Tselem: "During the Coronavirus crisis, Israel confiscates tents designated for clinic in the Northern West Bank" imemc.org The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights In The Occupied Territories (B'Tselem): Communities Facing Expulsion: On Thursday, 26 March 2020, at around 7:…

Staff (2020-03-27). Incarcerated Anti-Fascists Report Targeted Beatings by Guards. truthout.org The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is targeting Eric King, an unapologetically vocal anti-fascist, yogi and poet who has been incarcerated since

Neve Gordon (2020-03-27). The Gaza Strip Has Been Under Siege for Years. Covid-19 Could Be Catastrophic. commondreams.org The fact that most Palestinians are living literally from hand to mouth suggests that the coronavirus's impact in Gaza will be exponentially harsher than in many other countries. (Photo: JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Vijay Prashad (2020-03-27). We won't go back to normal, because normal was the problem. mronline.org It is hard to remember that just a few weeks ago, the planet was in motion. There were protests in Delhi (India) and Quito (Ecuador), eruptions against the old order that ranged from anger at the economic policies of austerity and neoliberalism to frustration with the cultural policies of misogyny and racism. Ingeniously, in Santiago …

Rami Almeghari (2020-03-26). Israel Releases Post Packages for Palestinian Territories. imemc.org Israeli authorities released on Thursday a large shipment of postal packages sent to the occupied Palestinian territories, from abroad. A statement, released by the Palestinian Authority's (PA) Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology, said that the released shipment includes posts, delivered directly by three new countries to the Palestinian Authority's …

Ali Salam (2020-03-26). Olive Trees, Grapevines Damaged by Israeli Settlers near Bethlehem. imemc.org Israeli settlers, on Wednesday, damaged 50 olive trees and grapevines in al-Khader town, south of Bethlehem city, in the southern occupied West Bank, according to a local source. Hisham Mohammad Sbeih, the landowner, told Palestinian WAFA News Agency that upon entering his grove, near the Gush Etzion colonial settlement bloc, …

Ali Salam (2020-03-26). Settlers Invade Al-Aqsa under Police Protection. imemc.org Several illegal Israeli settlers, on Wednesday morning, invaded the sacred al-Aqsa Mosque, under police guard, despite the closure due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to Days of Palestine. Local sources said that dozens of extremist settlers, escorted by police officers, forced their way into al-Aqsa Mosque and performed Talmudic rituals …

teleSUR (2020-03-26). Shock in Israel as Benny Gantz Is Elected Speaker of Parliament. telesurenglish.net Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief rival, Benny Gantz, was elected Thursday speaker of the Knesset (parliament) in a surprise move that suggests a unity government paving the way for Netanyahu to remain in power. | RELATED: | The shift plunged Gantz's Blue and White Party into disarray just a year after its creation as a coalition of centrist opponents to the 70-year-old right-winger who is Israel's lon…

Moss Robeson (2020-03-26). How a network of Ukrainian ultra-nationalists penetrated Canada's Conservative Party to lobby for military conflict. thegrayzone.com Once an underground network of fascist ideologues shunned by the Ukrainian Canadian community for "criminal ideas," Canada's ultra-nationalist Bandera lobby…

Elie Mystal (2020-03-26). The Supreme Court Just Made It Easier to Get Away With Discrimination. thenation.com The Supreme Court Just Made It Easier to Get Away With Discrimination…

PCHR (2020-03-26). PCHR Calls upon Palestinian Government to Find Mechanisms to Protect and Support the Poor and Low-Income Families in light of the State of Emergency in the Gaza Strip. imemc.org The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) follows up on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip in light of the state of emergency announced to limit the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). PCHR warns of catastrophic deterioration in the living conditions of the Gaza Strip population if the state of …

Cassie Miller (2020-03-26). White Supremacists See Coronavirus as an Opportunity. splcenter.org Far-right extremists believe the intense uncertainty surrounding the outbreak of COVID-19 will aid their ability to recruit new members into their movement.

teleSUR (2020-03-26). Bolivia: TSE Gives Possible Date for Presidential Elections. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's Supreme Electoral Tribunal announced a possible date for the next presidential elections. The elections were supposed to be held on May 3, but were postponed due to the threat of Covid-19. | RELATED: | On its official Twitter profile, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal published a statement announcing the date of the elections between Sunday, June 7 and Sunday, September 6, 2020. | According to t…

Fight Back (2020-03-25). MN shows solidarity with Palestine during COVID-19 pandemic. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – The MN Anti-War Committee (AWC) wanted to be a part of Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network's global week of action for Palestinian Land Day but they couldn't do it as a protest the way they had originally planned. Instead on March 24 the MN AWC reorganized their protest as a call-in day, and then did a five-person social distancing bannering protest. | In 1976, Land Day marked a turning point as the first mass mobilization by Palestinians within Israel against colonialism and land theft. Israeli police shot and killed six Palestinian citizens of Israel for protesting the Israeli go…

splcenter (2020-03-25). Once a High-Profile Neo-Nazi, Azzmador Has Pulled a Disappearing Act. splcenter.org At "Unite the Right" in Charlottesville, Virginia, Azzmador appeared to be everywhere.

news.un (2020-03-25). Moving forward requires confronting slavery's 'racist legacy': UN chief. news.un.org In his message for the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, observed on Wednesday, the UN Secretary-General called for the dismantling of racist structures and institutions so that the world can move forward.

splcenter (2020-03-25). SPLC and allies seek federal court injunction in system-wide suit to protect people detained by ICE from contracting COVID-19. splcenter.org The SPLC and its allies asked a federal court today to issue a preliminary injunction requiring that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) take immediate steps to protect people in its custody, particularly those who have medical conditions making them more susceptible to serious illness and death from COVID-19.

Ramzy Baroud (2020-03-24). The Not-So-Shocking Report on Israeli Weapons Exports. dissidentvoice.org The Middle East region, battered by wars and adjoining humanitarian crises that have left millions of people stateless, hungry and diseased, is in urgent need for peace, security and reconstruction. Thanks to the US, Russian, French, Israeli and other weapons manufacturers, however, it is now the dumping ground for military hardware, an ominous sign for …

Miko Peled (2020-03-24). King David's Ancient Road: How Israeli Archaeologists Are Aiding the Theft of Silwan. mintpressnews.com Claiming "science" as their reason and in total disregard for the wellbeing of the population, tunnels are dug under Palestinian homes in Silwan, destroying foundations and forcing residents to flee.

Kathryn Casteel and Will Tucker (2020-03-24). Arbitrary & excessive: Marijuana trafficking sentences in Alabama. splcenter.org Alabama resident Lee Carroll Brooker garnered national attention in 2016 when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the marijuana trafficking case that put Brooker, in his 70s at the time, in prison for life.

Hatewatch Staff (2020-03-23). Hate Group Leaders, Antigovernment Extremists Push Anti-China Coronavirus Rhetoric. splcenter.org A litany of conservative groups and figures, including members of hate and antigovernment extremist groups, have signed a March 17 letter to President Trump asking him to investigate China for its alleged role in spreading the novel coronavirus and hiding its origins.

splcenter (2020-03-20). COVID-19 Updates: SPLC continues fight against injustice. splcenter.org We are only beginning to feel the impacts of the coronavirus, but we know that the communities we serve — including low-income people, immigrants and people of color — are already among the most affected.

Aaron Maté (2020-03-20). Expert: US sanctions on Iran, Venezuela during pandemic could be genocidal. thegrayzone.com Intensified US sanctions on Iran, Venezuela during the COVID-19 pandemic could amount to genocide, a former UN expert warns. Iran…

Andrea Flores (2020-03-20). How the ACLU Organized to end Racial Profiling on Greyhound Buses. aclu.org Two years ago, the ACLU set a clear goal: push Greyhound to refuse Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers access to their buses to conduct warrantless searches. As part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, CBP officers were targeting bus passengers around the country, boarding their buses to racially profile, harass, and too often, detain people who they suspected of being undocumented. Of course, you can't tell someone's immigration status by how they look or sound — this practice is unconstitutional and blatantly racist. By pushing aggressively with the help of our membership and…

splcenter (2020-03-20). SPLC responds to Trump's Racist and Xenophobic Attacks on Asians. splcenter.org President Trump continued to use racist and xenophobic language today during a news conference about the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. by calling it the "Chinese virus."

Michael Edison Hayden and Hannah Gais (2020-03-20). As White House Contemplates Coronavirus Asylum Ban, Hate Groups Urge Trump to Seize the Moment. splcenter.org The Trump administration took steps to block asylum seekers from entering the U.S.-Mexico border amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This nativist policy course has been pushed by anti-immigrant pundits and hate groups from the time the crisis started to unfold.

splcenter (2020-03-20). Grassroots effort sponsored by SPLC protects voting rights for hundreds across South Florida. splcenter.org Clutching a clipboard full of voter registration forms under his arm, Marq Mitchell knocked on the front door of a small, beige, stucco house in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

splcenter (2020-03-20). The Fight to Vote: Overcoming voter suppression in the South. splcenter.org Voter suppression is alive and well across the South.

splcenter (2020-03-20). Fight To Vote: Florida man's voting rights restored by Amendment 4. splcenter.org Abdul Yaw Akachi was talking to his neighbors one sunny day in Florida when a voting rights advocate walked up to him.

Staff (2020-03-19). Trump Continues Calling the Coronavirus "Chinese" Despite Reports of Anti-Asian Hate Crimes. democracynow.org "I would like to begin by announcing some important developments in our war against the Chinese virus. I will be invoking the Defense Production Act just in case we need it." That was the opening line of President Trump's news conference Wednesday afternoon. Later in the news conference, Trump was questioned by ABC News reporter Cecilia Vega on continuously referring to the coronavirus as the "Chinese virus." A member of the administration also reportedly referred to the coronavirus as the "kung-flu." Meanwhile, racist incidents and threats of hate crimes against Asian Americans have emerged across the United Sta…

Hatewatch Staff (2020-03-19). California Anti-Immigrant Activist Robin Hvidston Seeking State Assembly Seat. splcenter.org Robin Hvidston, a longtime anti-immigrant activist, is running as a Republican for a California Assembly seat in District 41.

splcenter (2020-03-19). West Virginia Tourist Hub Rejects VDARE's 'Negative' Message‚Äã. splcenter.org A vacation hub known for its placid spas and lush hiking trails, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia has hardly been defined by Trump-era political strife in recent years.

splcenter (2020-03-18). 2019 Year in Hate and Extremism Report Release. splcenter.org

splcenter (2020-03-17). SPLC's Three Strikes Project helps nonviolent offenders move from prison to parole. splcenter.org Drugs were a way of life in the economically struggling "Brickyard" neighborhood of Clarksdale, Mississippi, where Nicky Patterson grew up.

splcenter (2020-03-14). SPLC offices, Civil Rights Memorial Center close. splcenter.org Our work continues with fervor and is needed more now than ever.

splcenter (2020-03-13). Weekend Read: 2020 Census safe and easy, helps communities. splcenter.org This month kicks off a major — and vital — process that is fundamental to the success of our Democracy.

Hatewatch Staff (2020-03-13). Anti-LGBTQ Hate Group Presents "Make the Family Great Again" Petition to U.S. State Department Commission. splcenter.org Anti-LGBTQ hate group Ruth Institute presented a "Make the Family Great Again" petition to the State Department at its Commission on Unalienable Rights meeting Feb. 21.

Irena Stepanikova, Sanjeev Acharya, Safa Abdalla, Elizabeth Baker, Jana Klanova, Gary L. Darmstadt (2020-03-04). [Research Paper] Gender discrimination and depressive symptoms among child-bearing women: ELSPAC-CZ cohort study. thelancet.com The findings provide the first evidence that perceived gender discrimination is associated with depressive symptoms among child-bearing women. Social intervention programs aimed at reducing gender discrimination can potentially contribute to better mental health of women.