Daily Archives: February 21, 2020

2020-02-21: News Headlines

Jonathan Cook (2020-02-21). UN List of Firms Aiding Israel's Settlements was Dead on Arrival. counterpunch.org Nazareth. After lengthy delays, the United Nations finally published a database last week of businesses that have been profiting from Israel's illegal settlement activity in the West Bank. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, announced that 112 major companies had been identified as operating in Israeli settlements in ways that violate human

Paul Street (2020-02-21). More Real-Time Reflections from Your Friendly South Loop Marxist. counterpunch.org Sunday 2/16 Monday, 2/17 Nina Simone 1968: "Ain't got no class, ain't got no culture, ain't got no faith, ain't got no water, ain't got no money, ain't got no country…ain't got no God." Stirring the Caldron So the demented fascist oligarch Donald Trump took "the Beast" on a Victory Lap around the Daytona 500

Ramzy Baroud (2020-02-21). 'The Donald Trump I know': Abbas' UN Speech and the Breakdown of Palestinian Politics. counterpunch.org A precious moment has been squandered, as Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, had the chance to right a historical wrong, by reinstating Palestinian national priorities at the United Nations Security Council on February 11, through a political discourse that is completely independent from Washington and its allies. For a long time, Abbas has been a

WSWS (2020-02-21). "One must not forget": A musical tribute in Berlin to Jewish members of the Deutsche Oper orchestra persecuted by the Nazis. wsws.org A moving concert paid tribute to four Jewish members of the Deutsche Oper orchestra who were forced into exile or murdered after Hitler came to power in 1933.

The Canary (2020-02-21). Windrush draft 'branding Home Office institutionally racist was watered down'. thecanary.co A warning not to water down a review into the Windrush scandal has been issued after it was reported that a portion branding the Home Office "institutionally racist" was stripped out. | The delayed independent review was commissioned after people with a right to live in the UK were wrongfully detained or deported to the Caribbean. | The Times reported sources saying the phrase "institutionally racist" was included in an earlier draft of the Windrush review led by Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams, but had subsequently been removed. | Labour MP David Lammy, a vocal campaigner over the scandal caused by the…

WSWS (2020-02-21). Sri Lankan school teachers join rising opposition to Rajapakse government. wsws.org In opposition to racist provocations whipped up by Sri Lanka's ruling elite, teachers from the north and east of the island participated in the Colombo protest.

yenisafak (2020-02-21). Israel reports first coronavirus case. yenisafak.com Israel on Friday confirmed its first coronavirus case, the Israel Broadcasting Authority said.The case was confirmed in "a woman who was returned with ten other citizens from the [Diamond Princess] cruise ship, off Japan's coast," the authority said.Medical examination showed that another 10 citizens who returned home with the infected woman were clear of the coronavirus. All of the returnees have been subject to medical quarantine.Eleven people returned to Israel Friday morning, after spending days on the cruise ship off the coast of Japan.The Israelis and the rest of the ship's passengers were quarantined, wher…

yenisafak (2020-02-21). Germany to tighten mosque security after racist attack. yenisafak.com Germany will step up security around mosques and migrant organizations following a racist terror attack in Hanau, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said on Friday."What happened in Hanau was clearly a racism motivated terror attack," Seehofer told a news conference in Berlin, adding that far-right extremism has become a very serious threat to democracy in Germany.He said police presence will be increased across the country ahead of major public events, and authorities will take additional security measures to protect mosques and migrant organizations due to the growing threat posed by the far-right.A 43-year-old f…

sputniknews (2020-02-21). Kosher Ride: Israeli Taxi Firm Gett Sued for 'Jewish Driver' Service — Report. sputniknews.com Campaigners are said to be claiming around $44 million in damages for what they call discrimination against Arab taxi drivers. The company insists that it picks drivers regardless of their religious beliefs.

sputniknews (2020-02-21). Netanyahu Says Trump's Peace Plan Can't Be Stopped Even if Democrat Wins White House. sputniknews.com Nearly all of President Trump's potential opponents from the Democratic Party have condemned his 'Deal of the Century' Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, which has received lavish praise from Tel Aviv but been viciously condemned by the Palestinian Authority after being rolled out in January.

sputniknews (2020-02-21). Priti Patel is the Conservative Conscience of Boris Johnson's Government. sputniknews.com James Delingpole opens up this week's programme by fully supporting Pritti Patel's new immigration policies and says that her idea of making immigrants speak English will result in "Lefties will call it racist and xenophobic!"

Rebecca Manski (2020-02-20). Beyond the permanent state of emergency. mronline.org Not long before the Twin Towers fell, the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben resurrected a concept anathema to the liberal notion of progress—the idea that unrelenting crisis is not necessarily exceptional. First introduced by Nazi political philosopher Carl Schmitt, the "state of exception" is the idea that a single person in power, a sovereign "decider," possesses […] |

Staff (2020-02-20). Bloomberg Takes Debate Stage for First Time & Struggles to Face His History of Misogyny, Racism. democracynow.org Tensions flared at the ninth Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Senator Bernie Sanders sought to defend his position as front-runner in the Democrats' nomination fight, and former Vice President Joe Biden, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Amy Klobuchar tried to attract more supporters. Senator Elizabeth Warren led a night full of attacks on the new person on stage: billionaire former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Bloomberg faced questions about his vast wealth, his defense of stop-and-frisk and his treatment of women. | We host a roundtable on the debate and Saturday's Nevada c…

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-02-20). Commission of Detainees' Affairs Calls for Release of Dying Prisoner. imemc.org The Israeli occupation authorities transferred Palestinian prisoner suffering from cancer, Muwaffaq Arouq, 77, from Barzilai Medical Center, back to al-Ramleh prison clinic, despite his deteriorated health condition. Commission of Detainees' Affairs said in a statement, on Wednesday, that Arouq was transferred from Barzilai Medical Center, a 617-bed hospital in Ashkelon, …

Stephen Lendman (2020-02-20). The War On Syria is Not Over: SAA Forces and Russia Confront US Sponsored "Jihadists", Turkey's Phony "Safe Zone", Israel Threatens "Escalated Aggression" globalresearch.ca On Wednesday, Turkey's Erdogan threatened escalated cross-border aggression against Syria. | He ignored his regime's illegal occupation of northern Syrian territory, support for anti-government jihadists, and his revanchist aims, wanting Syrian territory bordering Turkey annexed. | That's what his phony "safe zone" …

Stephen Lendman (2020-02-20). Netanyahu in the Dock Set for March 17. What Happens if Convicted of Bribery, Fraud? globalresearch.ca In so-called cases 1000 and 2000, he's charged with fraud and breach of trust — as well as bribery and breach of trust in Case 4000. | Evidence against him is damning, Israeli attorney general Mendelblit earlier saying: | Netanyahu "damaged the …

Tom Anderson (2020-02-20). Israeli anarchist released despite refusing to 'play by the rules of a system that is rigged against justice'. thecanary.co An Israeli

IMEMC News (2020-02-20). Soldiers Abduct Two Sibling Children In Beit Jala. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Wednesday evening, two sibling children from Beit Jala city, west of Bethlehem, south of occupied East Jerusalem in the West Bank. Media sources said the soldiers invaded Beit Jala before storming and ransacking the family home of the two children, causing excessive damage, and abducted them. …

splcenter (2020-02-20). We won a major victory for voting rights. splcenter.org

Staff (2020-02-20). Far-Right German Gunman Calling for Genocide Kills 9 People. truthdig.com HANAU, Germany — A 43-year-old German man who posted a manifesto calling for the "complete extermination" of many "races or cultures in our midst" shot and killed nine people of foreign background, most of them Turkish, in an attack on a hookah bar and other sites in a Frankfurt suburb, authorities said Thursday. | He was later found dead at his home along with his mother, and authorities said they were treating the rampage as an act of domestic terrorism. | The gunman first attacked the hookah bar and a neighboring cafe in Hanau at about 10 p.m. Wednesday, killing several people, then traveled about 2.5 ki…

Staff (2020-02-20). Headlines for February 20, 2020. democracynow.org Democratic Contenders Take Aim at Billionaire Michael Bloomberg in Nevada Debate, Protesters Interrupt Nevada Debate to Demand Immigration Discussion, Michael Bloomberg Made Transphobic Remarks in 2019, Bloomberg Campaign NDAs Could Prevent Reporting of Abuses, U.N. Warns of Unfolding Humanitarian Catastrophe in Syria's Idlib, German Far-Right Gunman Kills 10 in Frankfurt Suburb, China Expels Wall Street Journal Reporters over "Racist" Op-Ed, Trump Taps Ally Richard Grenell as Director of National Intelligence, As Roger Stone Faces Sentencing in Federal Court, Trump Hints at Pardon, Julian Assange's Lawyers: Trum…

splcenter (2020-02-20). SPLC Statement on the Far-Right Shooting in Hanau, Germany. splcenter.org

Nicky Vogt (2020-02-20). The Supreme Court Will Decide Whether Asylum Seekers Receive Their Day in Court. aclu.org In March, we will be in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to defend the right to a day in court for asylum seekers and other vulnerable noncitizens. That decision w…

Andre Vltchek (2020-02-19). Could the Latest Outburst of Ankara's Temper lead to Escalation in Syria? dissidentvoice.org So far Turkey, militarily the second mightiest NATO country, has been able to get away with virtually anything it has chosen to brew in the Middle East. The reason why is simple: to confront Turkey's bullying and expansionism militarily would be like confronting the United States or Israel; thousands of innocent people would die as …

RT (2020-02-19). CNN reporter triggered by Fox interviewing InfoWars' 'Gun Girl' quickly reminded of own network's history with racists & criminals. rt.com In a case of the pot calling the kettle black, Oliver Darcy fumed at Fox News describing Kaitlin Bennet as a "gun rights activist" after her tumultuous visit to a college campus. Twitter was quick to remind him of CNN's own sins.

The Canary (2020-02-19). Priti Patel defends PM after Dave brands him 'real racist' in Brit Awards rap. thecanary.co Home secretary Priti Patel has criticised rapper Dave for branding Boris Johnson a "real racist" during the Brit Awards.The Tory MP said the artist's comments shortly before winning album of the year were "utter nonsense", and she defended the prime minister as "not a racist at all".Dave added verses to the end of his song Black criticising the government for the Windrush scandal and its handling of the Grenfell disaster. | "The truth is our prime minister's a real racist," he rapped during the performance at London's O2 Arena.Patel was asked about Dave's criticism as she defended the government's immigration pla…

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-02-19). Israeli Forces Seize Two Palestinian Caravans Near Hebron. imemc.org Israeli forces, Wednesday, seized a caravan that Palestinians were using as a school classroom in the village of Susiya, in Masafer Yatta, south of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, according to a local activist. Fouad al-Amoor, told WAFA that Israeli soldiers seized the classroom/caravan under the pretext of …

Staff (2020-02-19). Israel Planning Thousands of Settlement Units North of Jerusalem. imemc.org The Israeli Ministry of Housing announced Tuesday that it plans to construct thousands of new Israeli settlement units in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Kafr Aqab, in violation of international law and all past signed peace agreements, and even violating the Trump-Kushner Plan, which had designated the neighborhood as part …

IMEMC News (2020-02-19). Soldiers Shoot A Young Man In Southern Gaza. imemc.org Israeli soldiers shot, on Wednesday afternoon, a young Palestinian man east of Khuza'a town, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Media sources said the soldiers shot the young man near the perimeter fence, inflicting moderate wounds before he was rushed to the European Hospital …

Whitney Webb (2020-02-19). Netanyahu "Optimistic" Israel Can Use Political Pressure To Shut Down ICC War Crimes Probe. mintpressnews.com Netanyahu's frenzied lobbying efforts to halt the ICC probe suggests that the probe greatly worries him, particularly as he has linked his current reelection bid to illegal acts like his planned annexation of the West Bank.

IMEMC News (2020-02-19). PPS: "Israeli Soldiers Abduct Seven Palestinians In West Bank" imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Wednesday at dawn, at least seven Palestinians, including the father of a young man who was killed by army fire in October 2018, from their homes in several parts of the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) has reported. The PPS said several army …

Alon Ben-Meir (2020-02-19). The Moral Devastation of the Continued Occupation. dissidentvoice.org I have long maintained that Israel's occupation of the West Bank defies the moral principle behind the creation of the state. Contrary to Prime Minister Netanyahu's assertion, the occupation erodes rather than buttresses Israel's national security and cannot be justified on either security or moral grounds. Trump's "deal of the century" is tantamount to perpetuating …

PCHR (2020-02-19). PCHR: Child Killed and Young Man Wounded By Palestinian Security Service in Qabatia. imemc.org On Wednesday, a Palestinian minor is reported to have succumbed to gun-shot wounds he sustained, on Tuesday, when a Palestinian security force was dispatched to a gathering for a freed prisoner. The celebrating crowd allegedly threw stones at the security force, and some armed men in the group shot rounds …

pip.hinman (2020-02-19). No to religious discrimination. greenleft.org.au

pip.hinman (2020-02-19). Uphold rainbow rights and kill the religious privilege bill. greenleft.org.au

Staff (2020-02-18). Journalist: Harvey Weinstein's Defense Team Is Waging a War Against the #MeToo Movement. democracynow.org A jury of seven men and five women meet today in New York Supreme Court to begin deliberations on whether to find disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein guilty of sexual assault. The case has drawn international attention amid the #MeToo movement. If the jurors find Weinstein guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 100 women but in this case faces five charges based on evidence relating to two main accusers. One woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, alleges she was raped by Weinstein in a New York hotel, for which he has been charged wit…

PCHR (2020-02-18). PCHR Welcomes the Publication of UN Database on Business Enterprises Operating in Israeli Settlements. imemc.org On 12 February 2020, after three years of delay and consistent pressure by Palestinian, regional and international organizations, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued a report on business enterprises involved in certain activities related to unlawful Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). This …

Jonathan Cook (2020-02-18). Profiting from Loss: How Business in Illegal Israeli Settlements Continues Unchecked. dissidentvoice.org After lengthy delays, the United Nations finally published a database last week of businesses that have been profiting from Israel's illegal annexation and settlement activity in the West Bank. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, announced that 112 major companies had been identified as operating in Israeli settlements in ways that violate …

Fight Back (2020-02-18). Courtroom erupts in response to racist decision in Gerald Reed case. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – The courtroom was packed February 14. This was my fourth Gerald Reed court hearing. Usually, there is a crowd of folks who show up to support Gerald and his mother, Armanda Shackleford, who has been fighting for her son since he was arrested, tortured and framed in 1990. Shackleford sits in the front row, wearing her Free Gerald Reed t-shirt. Together we sit for an hour, two hours, three, and hear powerful men debate the innocence of a man whose sentence was vacated a year ago. | But today was different. Two alderpersons were there, Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez and Jeanette Taylor, to show their suppor…

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-02-18). Human Rights Expert: Settlement Database, an "Important Initial Step" imemc.org Office of the High Commissioner of the United Nations published a report, on Friday, by Michael Lynk, Special Rapporteur for human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, welcomed the newly released settlement database. Lynk stated that "While the release of the database will not, by itself, bring an end to …

Staff (2020-02-17). How Bloomberg-Funded Center for American Progress Censored a Report on NYPD Surveillance of Muslims. democracynow.org Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg's self-funded campaign has flooded the airwaves with political advertisements, with the billionaire former New York City mayor having already spent more than $400 million on TV, radio and other ads — far outpacing other campaigns. But it's not just Bloomberg's unprecedented campaign spending that has raised eyebrows. As The New York Times reports, Bloomberg has also kept potential critics quiet by making major donations to progressive causes and advocacy groups around the country over the years. This may have played a part in obscuring Bloomberg's checkere…

Staff (2020-02-17). Headlines for February 17, 2020. democracynow.org Americans Aboard Cruise Ship Repatriated as 71,000 Global Cases of Coronavirus Confirmed, 1,100+ Ex-DOJ Staff Call on Attorney General Barr to Resign, Sen. Klobuchar Can't Say Name of Mexican President, Sen. Sanders Calls Out Bloomberg on Campaign Trail, Bloomberg's Company Faced Years of Sexual Discrimination and Harassment Lawsuits, LGBT Activists of Color Call Out Pete Buttigieg for Ties to Big Money, Conservative Positions, Airstrikes Kill 31 People, Including Children, in Yemen, Intensifying Syrian Gov't Offensive Has Displaced 800,000 Civilians Since December, Airstrike Kills 8 Civilians in Afghanistan as U…

Fight Back (2020-02-15). UNF SDS stands up against Madeleine Albright and administration. fightbacknews.org Jacksonville, FL – On February 5, the University of North Florida hosted an event called "A Conversation with Madeleine Albright" where UNF President David Szymanski joined her on stage celebrating her life as a woman in politics and discussing her new book. | Albright was a former secretary of state under the Clinton administration and championed the destruction of Iraq, earning her the nickname "Iraq's Grim Reaper." Albright has attempted to wash over her imperialist and racist values with 'feminist' remarks such as stating there is "a special place in hell" for women who do not vote Hillary. | Several members…

David Swanson (2020-02-15). Shut Down Canada Until it Solves its War, Oil, and Genocide Problem. dissidentvoice.org Indigenous people in Canada are giving the world a demonstration of the power of nonviolent action. The justness of their cause — defending the land from those who would destroy it for short term profit and the elimination of a habitable climate on earth — combined with their courage and the absence on their part …

Whitney Webb (2020-02-14). NYC Taxpayers Spending Millions on Cyber Center with Controversial Ties to Israeli Intelligence. mintpressnews.com New York City taxpayers are on the hook for a multi-million dollar cyber center in the heart of Manhattan with deep ties to Israel's high-tech intelligence apparatus.

Staff (2020-02-14). Rep. Rashida Tlaib: Trump's "Racist" Plan Would Legalize the Theft of Palestinian Land. democracynow.org We continue our conversation with Congressmember Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress. She responds to President Trump's Middle East plan, under which Israel would gain sovereignty over large areas of the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem would be under total Israeli control, and all Jewish settlers in the occupied territory would be allowed to remain in their homes. Tlaib says the plan was formulated with a "racist lens" that ignores Palestinian lives and aspirations. Tlaib says she wants people "to know what the human impact is of taking people's land, taking people's…

Staff (2020-02-14). Detroit Overtaxed Residents by $600M, Causing Foreclosure Crisis. Residents Are Now Fighting Back. democracynow.org In Detroit, a showdown between progressive lawmakers and the city is taking on racist housing policies that robbed African Americans in Detroit of their homes and widened the racial wealth gap. On Thursday, the Coalition for Property Tax Justice announced a class-action lawsuit against the city of Detroit, Wayne County and the state of Michigan in response to unfair property tax foreclosures. One in four Detroit properties have been subject to property tax foreclosure, a level comparable only to tax foreclosure rates during the Great Depression. According to legal experts, many of the foreclosures were caused by…

splcenter (2020-02-14). Weekend Read: Department of Justice may force Mississippi to fix deadly prison system. splcenter.org

Staff (2020-02-13). Did Amy Klobuchar Send an Innocent Teenager to Life in Prison? Questions Mount over Her Record as DA. democracynow.org After a surprising third-place finish in the New Hampshire primary, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar is attempting to gain ground in the national polls. But Klobuchar is also facing mounting scrutiny over her record as a district attorney in Minnesota. The Minneapolis NAACP, Black Lives Matter Twin Cities and other racial justice groups recently called on Klobuchar to suspend her presidential campaign following a shocking investigation by the Associated Press. The AP report centered on the case of Myon Burrell, an African-American teenager who was sentenced to life in prison over the 2002 murder of 11-year-old Tye…

Hatewatch Staff (2020-02-12). Neo-Confederate Attorney Accused of Mishandling Clients' Money Promoted Online Trolling, Harassment. splcenter.org Harold Ray Crews, attorney and chairman of the North Carolina chapter of the neo-Confederate hate group League of the South, must attend a hearing Feb. 21 to determine whether the state bar association will suspend his law license.

2020-02-21: Social Media Postees

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

UN List of Firms Aiding Israel's Settlements was Dead on Arrival
Jonathan Cook | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-21
Nazareth. After lengthy delays, the United Nations finally published a database last week of businesses that have been profiting from Israel's illegal settlement activity in the West Bank. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, announced that 112 major companies had been identified as operating in Israeli settlements in ways that violate human…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/21/un-list-of-firms-aiding-israels-settlements-was-dead-on-arrival/

More Real-Time Reflections from Your Friendly South Loop Marxist
Paul Street | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-21
Sunday 2/16 Monday, 2/17 Nina Simone 1968: "Ain't got no class, ain't got no culture, ain't got no faith, ain't got no water, ain't got no money, ain't got no country…ain't got no God." Stirring the Caldron So the demented fascist oligarch Donald Trump took "the Beast" on a Victory Lap around the Daytona 500…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/21/more-real-time-reflections-from-your-friendly-south-loop-marxist/

'The Donald Trump I know': Abbas' UN Speech and the Breakdown of Palestinian Politics
Ramzy Baroud | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-21
A precious moment has been squandered, as Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, had the chance to right a historical wrong, by reinstating Palestinian national priorities at the United Nations Security Council on February 11, through a political discourse that is completely independent from Washington and its allies. For a long time, Abbas has been a…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/21/the-donald-trump-i-know-abbas-un-speech-and-the-breakdown-of-palestinian-politics/

"One must not forget": A musical tribute in Berlin to Jewish members of the Deutsche Oper orchestra persecuted by the Nazis
wsws.org | 2020-02-21
A moving concert paid tribute to four Jewish members of the Deutsche Oper orchestra who were forced into exile or murdered after Hitler came to power in 1933.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/21/berl…

Sri Lankan school teachers join rising opposition to Rajapakse government
wsws.org | 2020-02-21
In opposition to racist provocations whipped up by Sri Lanka's ruling elite, teachers from the north and east of the island participated in the Colombo protest.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/21/sled…

Windrush draft 'branding Home Office institutionally racist was watered down'
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-02-21
A warning not to water down a review into the Windrush scandal has been issued after it was reported that a portion branding the Home Office "institutionally racist" was stripped out. | The delayed independent review was commissioned after people with a right to live in the UK were wrongfully detained or deported to the Caribbean. | The Times reported sources saying the phrase "institutionally racist" was included in an earlier draft of the Windrush review led by Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams, but had subsequently been removed. | Labour MP David Lammy, a vocal campaigner over the scandal caused by the…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/02/21/windrush-draft-branding-home-office-institutionally-racist-was-watered-down/

The Devil's Comb Over
John Steppling | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-21
It is this author's analysis that the effect of the Donald Trump presidency has been, somewhat paradoxically, to put wind in the sails of a kind of patriotic liberalism, reaffirming confidence in the forms and functions of US governance. Since Trump's election, the calling words have been "not my president," "not my country," "this isn't …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/the-devils-comb-over/

Israel reports first coronavirus case
yenisafak.com | 2020-02-21
Israel on Friday confirmed its first coronavirus case, the Israel Broadcasting Authority said.The case was confirmed in "a woman who was returned with ten other citizens from the [Diamond Princess] cruise ship, off Japan's coast," the authority said.Medical examination showed that another 10 citizens who returned home with the infected woman were clear of the coronavirus. All of the returnees have been subject to medical quarantine.Eleven people returned to Israel Friday morning, after spending days on the cruise ship off the coast of Japan.The Israelis and the rest of the ship's passengers were quarantined, wher…
yenisafak.com/en/world/israel-reports-first-coronavirus-case-3512517

Germany to tighten mosque security after racist attack
yenisafak.com | 2020-02-21
Germany will step up security around mosques and migrant organizations following a racist terror attack in Hanau, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said on Friday."What happened in Hanau was clearly a racism motivated terror attack," Seehofer told a news conference in Berlin, adding that far-right extremism has become a very serious threat to democracy in Germany.He said police presence will be increased across the country ahead of major public events, and authorities will take additional security measures to protect mosques and migrant organizations due to the growing threat posed by the far-right.A 43-year-old f…
yenisafak.com/en/world/germany-to-tighten-mosque-security-after-racist-attack-3512518

Netanyahu Says Trump's Peace Plan Can't Be Stopped Even if Democrat Wins White House
sputniknews.com | 2020-02-21
Nearly all of President Trump's potential opponents from the Democratic Party have condemned his 'Deal of the Century' Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, which has received lavish praise from Tel Aviv but been viciously condemned by the Palestinian Authority after being rolled out in January.
sputniknews.com/world/202002211078371456-netanyahu-says-trumps-peace-plan-cant-be-stopped-even-if-democrat-wins-white-house/

Priti Patel is the Conservative Conscience of Boris Johnson's Government
sputniknews.com | 2020-02-21
James Delingpole opens up this week's programme by fully supporting Pritti Patel's new immigration policies and says that her idea of making immigrants speak English will result in "Lefties will call it racist and xenophobic!"
sputniknews.com/radio-shooting-from-the-lip/202002211078371653-priti-patel-is-the-conservative-conscience-of-boris-johnsons-government/

The War On Syria is Not Over: SAA Forces and Russia Confront US Sponsored "Jihadists", Turkey's Phony "Safe Zone", Israel Threatens "Escalated Aggression"
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-20
On Wednesday, Turkey's Erdogan threatened escalated cross-border aggression against Syria. | He ignored his regime's illegal occupation of northern Syrian territory, support for anti-government jihadists, and his revanchist aims, wanting Syrian territory bordering Turkey annexed. | That's what his phony "safe zone" …
globalresearch.ca/russia-west-turkey-israel-syria/5704198

Commission of Detainees' Affairs Calls for Release of Dying Prisoner
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2020-02-20
The Israeli occupation authorities transferred Palestinian prisoner suffering from cancer, Muwaffaq Arouq, 77, from Barzilai Medical Center, back to al-Ramleh prison clinic, despite his deteriorated health condition. Commission of Detainees' Affairs said in a statement, on Wednesday, that Arouq was transferred from Barzilai Medical Center, a 617-bed hospital in Ashkelon, …
imemc.org/article/commission-of-detainees-affairs-calls-for-release-of-dying-prisoner/

Israeli anarchist released despite refusing to 'play by the rules of a system that is rigged against justice'
Tom Anderson | thecanary.co | 2020-02-20
An Israeli anarchist has been released from prison today. Jonathan Pollak was imprisoned after a right-wing group filed a proceeding against him. He was released after the Israeli Attorney General's office ruled against the claim by right-win…
thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2020/02/20/israeli-anarchist-released-despite-refusing-to-play-by-the-rules-of-a-system-that-is-rigged-against-justice/

One of Boris Johnson's key donors is under fire for being 'complicit in potential war crimes'
Tom Anderson | thecanary.co | 2020-02-20
British company JCB has been named on a UN list of businesses involved in Israel's illegal settlements. Comasco, JCB's exclusive distributor in Israel, has also been named on the list. | JCB is a major donor to Boris J…
thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2020/02/20/one-of-boris-johnsons-key-donors-is-under-fire-for-being-complicit-in-potential-war-crimes/

Soldiers Abduct Two Sibling Children In Beit Jala
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2020-02-20
Israeli soldiers abducted, on Wednesday evening, two sibling children from Beit Jala city, west of Bethlehem, south of occupied East Jerusalem in the West Bank. Media sources said the soldiers invaded Beit Jala before storming and ransacking the family home of the two children, causing excessive damage, and abducted them. …
imemc.org/article/soldiers-abduct-two-sibling-children-in-beit-jala/

Netanyahu in the Dock Set for March 17. What Happens if Convicted of Bribery, Fraud?
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-20
In so-called cases 1000 and 2000, he's charged with fraud and breach of trust

Bloomberg Takes Debate Stage for First Time & Struggles to Face His History of Misogyny, Racism
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-20
Tensions flared at the ninth Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Senator Bernie Sanders sought to defend his position as front-runner in the Democrats' nomination fight, and former Vice President Joe Biden, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Amy Klobuchar tried to attract more supporters. Senator Elizabeth Warren led a night full of attacks on the new person on stage: billionaire former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Bloomberg faced questions about his vast wealth, his defense of stop-and-frisk and his treatment of women. | We host a roundtable on the debate and Saturday's Nevada c…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/20/nevada_de…

We won a major victory for voting rights
splcenter.org | 2020-02-20
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/20/we-won-major-victory-voting-rights

Beyond the permanent state of emergency
Rebecca Manski | mronline.org | 2020-02-20
Not long before the Twin Towers fell, the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben resurrected a concept anathema to the liberal notion of progress–the idea that unrelenting crisis is not necessarily exceptional. First introduced by Nazi political philosopher Carl Schmitt, the "state of exception" is the idea that a single person in power, a sovereign "decider," possesses […] | Source…
mronline.org/2020/02/20/beyond-the-permanent-state-of-emergency/

Far-Right German Gunman Calling for Genocide Kills 9 People
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-02-20
HANAU, Germany

SPLC Statement on the Far-Right Shooting in Hanau, Germany
splcenter.org | 2020-02-20
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/20/splc-statement-far-right-shooting-hanau-germany

The Supreme Court Will Decide Whether Asylum Seekers Receive Their Day in Court
Nicky Vogt | aclu.org | 2020-02-20
In March, we will be in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to defend the right to a day in court for asylum seekers and other vulnerable noncitizens. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) vs. Vijayakumar Thuraissigiam considers whether immigrants are entitled to seek judicial review of their expedited removal orders in federal court. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with our argument that the Constitution guarantees that individuals deprived of their liberty have their day in federal court. | That decision w…
aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/the-supreme-court-will-decide-whether-asylum-seekers-receive-their-day-in-court

PPS: "Israeli Soldiers Abduct Seven Palestinians In West Bank"
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2020-02-19
Israeli soldiers abducted, on Wednesday at dawn, at least seven Palestinians, including the father of a young man who was killed by army fire in October 2018, from their homes in several parts of the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) has reported. The PPS said several army …
imemc.org/article/pps-israeli-soldiers-abduct-seven-palestinians-in-west-bank/

Netanyahu "Optimistic" Israel Can Use Political Pressure To Shut Down ICC War Crimes Probe
Whitney Webb | mintpressnews.com | 2020-02-19
Netanyahu's frenzied lobbying efforts to halt the ICC probe suggests that the probe greatly worries him, particularly as he has linked his current reelection bid to illegal acts like his planned annexation of the West Bank.
mintpressnews.com/netanyahu-optimistic-israel-can-use-political-pressure-shut-icc-war-crimes-probe/265021/

Could the Latest Outburst of Ankara's Temper lead to Escalation in Syria?
Andre Vltchek | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-19
So far Turkey, militarily the second mightiest NATO country, has been able to get away with virtually anything it has chosen to brew in the Middle East. The reason why is simple: to confront Turkey's bullying and expansionism militarily would be like confronting the United States or Israel; thousands of innocent people would die as …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/could-the-latest-outburst-of-ankaras-temper-lead-to-escalation-in-syria/

Israel Planning Thousands of Settlement Units North of Jerusalem
Staff | imemc.org | 2020-02-19
The Israeli Ministry of Housing announced Tuesday that it plans to construct thousands of new Israeli settlement units in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Kafr Aqab, in violation of international law and all past signed peace agreements, and even violating the Trump-Kushner Plan, which had designated the neighborhood as part …
imemc.org/article/israel-planning-thousands-of-settlement-units-north-of-jerusalem/

Soldiers Shoot A Young Man In Southern Gaza
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2020-02-19
Israeli soldiers shot, on Wednesday afternoon, a young Palestinian man east of Khuza'a town, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Media sources said the soldiers shot the young man near the perimeter fence, inflicting moderate wounds before he was rushed to the European Hospital …
imemc.org/article/112332/

The Moral Devastation of the Continued Occupation
Alon Ben-Meir | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-19
I have long maintained that Israel's occupation of the West Bank defies the moral principle behind the creation of the state. Contrary to Prime Minister Netanyahu's assertion, the occupation erodes rather than buttresses Israel's national security and cannot be justified on either security or moral grounds. Trump's "deal of the century" is tantamount to perpetuating …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/the-moral-devastation-of-the-continued-occupation/

Israeli Forces Seize Two Palestinian Caravans Near Hebron
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2020-02-19
Israeli forces, Wednesday, seized a caravan that Palestinians were using as a school classroom in the village of Susiya, in Masafer Yatta, south of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, according to a local activist. Fouad al-Amoor, told WAFA that Israeli soldiers seized the classroom/caravan under the pretext of …
imemc.org/article/israeli-forces-seize-two-palestinian-caravans-near-hebron/

CNN reporter triggered by Fox interviewing InfoWars' 'Gun Girl' quickly reminded of own network's history with racists & criminals
rt.com | 2020-02-19
In a case of the pot calling the kettle black, Oliver Darcy fumed at Fox News describing Kaitlin Bennet as a "gun rights activist" after her tumultuous visit to a college campus. Twitter was quick to remind him of CNN's own sins. | …
rt.com/usa/481244-cnn-fox-kaitlin-bennett-ohio/

Priti Patel defends PM after Dave brands him 'real racist' in Brit Awards rap
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-02-19
Home secretary Priti Patel has criticised rapper Dave for branding Boris Johnson a "real racist" during the Brit Awards.The Tory MP said the artist's comments shortly before winning album of the year were "utter nonsense", and she defended the prime minister as "not a racist at all".Dave added verses to the end of his song Black criticising the government for the Windrush scandal and its handling of the Grenfell disaster. | "The truth is our prime minister's a real racist," he rapped during the performance at London's O2 Arena.Patel was asked about Dave's criticism as she defended the government's immigration pla…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/02/19/priti-patel-defends-pm-after-dave-brands-him-real-racist-in-brit-awards-rap/

PCHR: Child Killed and Young Man Wounded By Palestinian Security Service in Qabatia
PCHR | imemc.org | 2020-02-19
On Wednesday, a Palestinian minor is reported to have succumbed to gun-shot wounds he sustained, on Tuesday, when a Palestinian security force was dispatched to a gathering for a freed prisoner. The celebrating crowd allegedly threw stones at the security force, and some armed men in the group shot rounds …
imemc.org/article/pchr-child-killed-and-young-man-wounded-by-palestinian-security-service-in-qabatia/

No to religious discrimination
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-19
LGBTI rights Chris JenkinsIssue 1254 Australia anti-discrimination law LGBTI communityFebruary 19, 2020As people were fleeing their burning homes and volunteer firefighters were crowdfundi…
greenleft.org.au/content/no-religious-discrimination

Uphold rainbow rights and kill the religious privilege bill
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-19
LGBTI rights Paul GregoireIssue 1254 Australia homophobia Anti-Discrimination lawsFebruary 19, 2020Mardi Gras season is upon us, a good time to reflect on the government that is about to table…
greenleft.org.au/content/uphold-rainbow-rights-and-kill-religious-privilege-bill

Profiting from Loss: How Business in Illegal Israeli Settlements Continues Unchecked
Jonathan Cook | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-18
After lengthy delays, the United Nations finally published a database last week of businesses that have been profiting from Israel's illegal annexation and settlement activity in the West Bank. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, announced that 112 major companies had been identified as operating in Israeli settlements in ways that violate …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/profiting-from-loss-how-business-in-illegal-israeli-settlements-continues-unchecked/

PCHR Welcomes the Publication of UN Database on Business Enterprises Operating in Israeli Settlements
PCHR | imemc.org | 2020-02-18
On 12 February 2020, after three years of delay and consistent pressure by Palestinian, regional and international organizations, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued a report on business enterprises involved in certain activities related to unlawful Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). This …
imemc.org/article/pchr-welcomes-the-publication-of-un-database-on-business-enterprises-operating-in-israeli-settlements/

Courtroom erupts in response to racist decision in Gerald Reed case
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-02-18
Chicago, IL – The courtroom was packed February 14. This was my fourth Gerald Reed court hearing. Usually, there is a crowd of folks who show up to support Gerald and his mother, Armanda Shackleford, who has been fighting for her son since he was arrested, tortured and framed in 1990. Shackleford sits in the front row, wearing her Free Gerald Reed t-shirt. Together we sit for an hour, two hours, three, and hear powerful men debate the innocence of a man whose sentence was vacated a year ago. | But today was different. Two alderpersons were there, Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez and Jeanette Taylor, to show their suppor…
fightbacknews.org/2020/2/18/courtroom-erupts-response-racist-decision-gerald-reed-case

Free Gerald Reed Now!
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-02-18
Fight Back! News Service is circulating the following statement from the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, the Chicago Torture Justice Center, and Mamas Activating Movements for Abolition and Solidarity. | Judge Thomas J. Hennelly has attempted to illegally reverse the order of another judge, Thomas V. Gainer, who vacated the conviction of Gerald Reed and ordered a new trial. Gainer vacated Reed's conviction after overwhelming evidence that his "confession" to a double murder in 1990 was the fruit of horrible torture by police working under Commander Jon Burge, torture so extreme that it b…
fightbacknews.org/2020/2/17/free-gerald-reed-now

Human Rights Expert: Settlement Database, an "Important Initial Step"
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2020-02-18
Office of the High Commissioner of the United Nations published a report, on Friday, by Michael Lynk, Special Rapporteur for human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, welcomed the newly released settlement database. Lynk stated that "While the release of the database will not, by itself, bring an end to …
imemc.org/article/human-rights-expert-settlement-database-important-initial-step/

Journalist: Harvey Weinstein's Defense Team Is Waging a War Against the #MeToo Movement
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-18
A jury of seven men and five women meet today in New York Supreme Court to begin deliberations on whether to find disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein guilty of sexual assault. The case has drawn international attention amid the #MeToo movement. If the jurors find Weinstein guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 100 women but in this case faces five charges based on evidence relating to two main accusers. One woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, alleges she was raped by Weinstein in a New York hotel, for which he has been charged wit…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/18/irin_carm…

Shut Down Canada Until it Solves its War, Oil, and Genocide Problem
David Swanson | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-15
Indigenous people in Canada are giving the world a demonstration of the power of nonviolent action. The justness of their cause

UNF SDS stands up against Madeleine Albright and administration
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-02-15
Jacksonville, FL – On February 5, the University of North Florida hosted an event called "A Conversation with Madeleine Albright" where UNF President David Szymanski joined her on stage celebrating her life as a woman in politics and discussing her new book. | Albright was a former secretary of state under the Clinton administration and championed the destruction of Iraq, earning her the nickname "Iraq's Grim Reaper." Albright has attempted to wash over her imperialist and racist values with 'feminist' remarks such as stating there is "a special place in hell" for women who do not vote Hillary. | Several members…
fightbacknews.org/2020/2/15/unf-sds-stands-against-madeleine-albright-and-administration

Rep. Rashida Tlaib: Trump's "Racist" Plan Would Legalize the Theft of Palestinian Land
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-14
We continue our conversation with Congressmember Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress. She responds to President Trump's Middle East plan, under which Israel would gain sovereignty over large areas of the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem would be under total Israeli control, and all Jewish settlers in the occupied territory would be allowed to remain in their homes. Tlaib says the plan was formulated with a "racist lens" that ignores Palestinian lives and aspirations. Tlaib says she wants people "to know what the human impact is of taking people's land, taking people's…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/14/rashida_t…

NYC Taxpayers Spending Millions on Cyber Center with Controversial Ties to Israeli Intelligence
Whitney Webb | mintpressnews.com | 2020-02-14
New York City taxpayers are on the hook for a multi-million dollar cyber center in the heart of Manhattan with deep ties to Israel's high-tech intelligence apparatus.
mintpressnews.com/cybernyc-taxpayers-millions-cyber-center-israel-ties-intelligence/264984/

Detroit Overtaxed Residents by $600M, Causing Foreclosure Crisis. Residents Are Now Fighting Back
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-14
In Detroit, a showdown between progressive lawmakers and the city is taking on racist housing policies that robbed African Americans in Detroit of their homes and widened the racial wealth gap. On Thursday, the Coalition for Property Tax Justice announced a class-action lawsuit against the city of Detroit, Wayne County and the state of Michigan in response to unfair property tax foreclosures. One in four Detroit properties have been subject to property tax foreclosure, a level comparable only to tax foreclosure rates during the Great Depression. According to legal experts, many of the foreclosures were caused by…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/14/detroit_c…

Weekend Read: Department of Justice may force Mississippi to fix deadly prison system
splcenter.org | 2020-02-14
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/14/weekend-read-department-justice-may-force-mississippi-fix-deadly-prison-system

Did Amy Klobuchar Send an Innocent Teenager to Life in Prison? Questions Mount over Her Record as DA
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-13
After a surprising third-place finish in the New Hampshire primary, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar is attempting to gain ground in the national polls. But Klobuchar is also facing mounting scrutiny over her record as a district attorney in Minnesota. The Minneapolis NAACP, Black Lives Matter Twin Cities and other racial justice groups recently called on Klobuchar to suspend her presidential campaign following a shocking investigation by the Associated Press. The AP report centered on the case of Myon Burrell, an African-American teenager who was sentenced to life in prison over the 2002 murder of 11-year-old Tye…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/13/amy_klobu…

Neo-Confederate Attorney Accused of Mishandling Clients' Money Promoted Online Trolling, Harassment
Hatewatch Staff | splcenter.org | 2020-02-12
Harold Ray Crews, attorney and chairman of the North Carolina chapter of the neo-Confederate hate group League of the South, must attend a hearing Feb. 21 to determine whether the state bar association will suspend his law license.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/02/12/neo-confederate-attorney-accused-mishandling-clients-money-promoted-online-trolling

Desperate asylum seekers 'starving for justice' in immigrant prison hunger strikes across Louisiana
splcenter.org | 2020-02-11
Guards shackled Sai Mahad to a chair, placed a mask over his mouth and snaked a long tube through one of his nostrils.
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/12/desperate-asylum-seekers-starving-justice-immigrant-prison-hunger-strikes-across-louisiana