Daily Archives: January 5, 2021

2021-01-05: News Headlines

Staff (2021-01-05). "Medical Apartheid": Israeli Vaccine Drive Excludes Millions of Palestinians in Occupied Territories. democracynow.org Israel has administered COVID-19 vaccines faster than any country in the world, with more than 14% of Israelis receiving vaccines so far. Despite the fast rollout, human rights groups are expressing alarm over Israel's decision not to vaccinate Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, where about 1,500 people have died during the pandemic. Israel has defended its actions citing the Oslo Peace Accords, which put Palestinian authorities in charge of healthcare in the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinian officials are facing a number of hurdles in launching their own vaccine campaign, including a shortage of mone…

Philip Giraldi (2021-01-05). A New Year's Wish: Let's Remove Israel from American politics. globalresearch.ca There has been one good thing about the COVID-19 virus — for the first time many among the general public are beginning to ask why a rich country like Israel should be getting billions of dollars from the United States …

Staff (2021-01-05). "This Is Voter Suppression": 198,000 Georgia Residents Were Illegally Purged from Voter Rolls. democracynow.org As voters in Georgia cast their ballots in two key runoff races that will determine control of the U.S. Senate, voting rights activists fear many eligible voters will be turned away at the polls. Georgia has been called "ground zero" for Republican voter suppression efforts in the U.S., and in September the ACLU of Georgia revealed 198,000 voters had been wrongly purged from the voting rolls. We air a report into voting in Georgia by investigative journalist Greg Palast, narrated by the actress Debra Messing, and speak with voting rights activist LaTosha Brown, co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund. "I think…

Norman Solomon (2021-01-05). In 2021, the best way to fight Neofascist Republicans is to fight Neoliberal Democrats. nationofchange.org What's imperative for progressives is not to "speak truth to power" but to speak truth about power — and to drastically change an economic system that provides humongous wealth to a very few and worsening misery to the countless many.

Norman Solomon (2021-01-05). In 2021, to Fight Neofascist Republicans, Fight Neoliberal Democrats. indybay.org Stop the economic wrecking crews…

Seiji Yamada (2021-01-05). The Racism That Undergirds Global Public Health. counterpunch.org With his thin volume (143 pages of text, with 46 pages of notes) Epidemic Illusions: On the Coloniality of Global Public Health, Eugene Richardson takes to task the discipline of epidemiology, and with it, global public health. Utilizing the West Africa Ebola epidemic of 2013-2016 as his canvas, Richardson paints a picture that highlights the racism

Qassam Muaddi (2021-01-05). Jerusalem's Orthodox church accused of selling off land for 'settlement belt'. middleeasteye.net Jerusalem's Orthodox church accused of selling off land for 'settlement belt' | If sold, the land would connect Bethlehem-area Gilo settlement to Jerusalem, a leading Palestinian Christian grassroots group warns | Tue, 01/05/2021 – 15: 56 | Jerusalem's Patriarch Theophilos III leads Christmas midnight mass for the Greek Orthodox in Bethlehem on 7 January 2018 (AFP/File photo) | The Orthodox patriar…

Sam Bahour (2021-01-05). An Israeli Settler I Want to Live Beside. counterpunch.org Imagine, God forbid, that you and a friend are being rushed into a hospital emergency room by a life-support ambulance team. One of you is still living; the other died at the scene. The horrific event that brought you both to this point was perpetrated in broad daylight, creating a public and angry outcry. The

Online News Editor (2021-01-05). Pakistan's top court orders reconstruction of Hindu temple razed by Islamists. laprensalatina.com Islamabad, Jan 5 (efe-epa).- The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday ordered the reconstruction of a temple of the marginalized Hindu minority that had been destroyed by an Islamist mob last week, after which more than a hundred people have been arrested and 92 police officers suspended over the incident. "The Chief Justice (Gulzar Ahmed) …

Carla Stea (2021-01-05). Full Spectrum Dominance: UN General Assembly Voting Reveals the Truth. globalresearch.ca The final most important UN General Assembly resolutions were just voted on in December, and, the voting is incredibly significant. The United States (and Israel or Ukraine) opposed almost every constructive resolution just adopted. It is truly shameful, and although …

Mike Kuhlenbeck (2021-01-05). Why the Biden Administration Must Abolish the Death Penalty. progressive.org Trump's increase in federal executions exposes the racism, classism, inability to deter crime, and high cost of capital punishment.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-05). Israelis, Saudis plotting for creating crisis in region. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 05 (MNA) — Deputy Commander of IRGC Quds Force said that Zionist regime and Saudi Arabia are plotting to create crisis in the region in order to take revenge on Iran.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-05). Iran pursuing active resistance strategy stronger than before. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 05 (MNA) — Referring to the failure of Trump's maximum pressure policy, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) said that Iran is pursuing a strategy of active resistance stronger than before.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-05). Tehran ahead of Tel Aviv in missile production: Ex-Zionist PM. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 05 (MNA) — Acknowledging Iran's capabilities, Former Zionist regime Prime Minister Ehud Barak said that Iran is ahead of Israel in producing missiles and enriching uranium.

Staff (2021-01-05). Proud Boys Leader Arrested for Burning BLM Banner at Black Church. truthout.org As thousands are expected to descend on Washington, D.C., to join far right protests over the election results Wednesday, the leader of the Proud Boys hate group, Enrique Tarrio, was arrested on property destruction charges for burning a Black Lives Matter banner off a historically Black church during similar protests last month. Many churches have requested extra protection, and the Metropolitan AME Church is suing the Proud Boys. "Sadly, our nation has a very dark and sordid history of targeting historic…

David Rovics (2021-01-04). An Open Letter to Patriot Prayer and the Proud Boys (CC: ANTIFA). counterpunch.org Have you ever found yourself surrounded by masked rioters being chased by flag-waving patriots and thought, I've seen this movie before? I woke up this morning dreaming that I was speaking at one of your rallies. I thought then, well, if I probably won't be getting an invitation to speak at one of them, what

G. Dunkel (2021-01-04). Black Lives Matter y la ley de seguridad global de Francia. workers.org A veces es difícil darse cuenta del impacto mundial del movimiento Black Lives Matter. La indiferencia del idioma, la cultura y los medios de comunicación pueden entorpecer. Algunos países simplemente no tienen el tipo de eventos (protestas, marchas, mítines) por una variedad de razones, donde aparecería la influencia de BLM. . . . |

Ahmed Abdulkareem (2021-01-04). "An Israeli Blitzkrieg" Signs Point to Imminent Israeli Military Action in Yemen. mintpressnews.com ADEN, YEMEN — Saudi Arabia has rung in the new year in a familiar way, with an airstrike targeting a large gathering of civilians at a wedding ceremony in Yemen. On new year's night, at least five civilians were killed when Saudi-backed militants launched artillery rounds at a wedding ceremony in the populated al-Hawk area in the strategic port city of Hodeida. | Developments taking place across the Middle East are driving the reality home in Yemen that 2021 is unlikely to bring about an end to Saudi Arabia's nearly six-year-long war on their country. Signs of escalation are beginning to surface gradually i…

RT (2021-01-04). 'Those with faith in Christ shouldn't fear death from Covid-19:' Russian Orthodox bishop shares 'optimistic' message for 2021. rt.com With the coronavirus pandemic still looming large as we enter the new year, one Orthodox bishop has sought to put it all into perspective with a cheery message of hope for his followers, and for people across the world. | The head of the Ekaterinburg diocese, in Russia's Ural region, Metropolitan Evgeny, told local news site E1 that "the most frequently mentioned words in 2020 were 'disease,' 'virus,' and 'pandemic.' They have been said probably just as often as, in 1941, 'Germans,' 'fascists,' and 'war' were." | According to him, at that time, former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and the Orthodox Church teamed…

Alan Macleod (2021-01-04). Media Praise of Israel's COVID Vaccination Drive a Form of "Medical Apartheid" mintpressnews.com Completely missing from media accounts of the Israeli vaccine drive was mention of the millions of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation, none of whom have received the vaccine.

MEE staff (2021-01-04). Palestinian says he 'miraculously survived' attack in Jerusalem by Israeli mob. middleeasteye.net Palestinian says he 'miraculously survived' attack in Jerusalem by Israeli mob | Two brothers from East Jerusalem were mobbed in an attack caught on camera, as Israeli police says they are 'losing control' after death of teen settler | Mon, 01/04/2021 – 13: 01 | A Palestinian protester argues with an Israeli settler during a demonstration against the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank town of S…

WSWS (2021-01-04). German cultural institutions oppose government's anti—BDS resolution aimed at quashing criticism of Israel. wsws.org On December 9, 30 German cultural institutions issued a statement opposing a resolution passed by the Bundestag seeking to silence the BDS movement.

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2021-01-04). Proud Boys Sued by Historic Black Church After Leader Admits to Burning Black Lives Matter Sign During DC Rally. commondreams.org Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine said the December 12 "hate crime" was meant to "terrorize Black people." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Ashlie D. Stevens (2021-01-04). "Jeopardy!" champ Ken Jennings stumbles into more controversy after defending "Bean Dad" on Twitter. salon.com Jennings' podcast co-host John Roderick went viral for a parenting story; then his anti-Semitic tweets resurfaced…

commondreams (2021-01-04). Lawsuit Filed to Hold Proud Boys Accountable for Racist Attack on Historic Black Church in D.C. commondreams.org ______________________________…

RT (2021-01-03). Israel's millionth vaccinee injected in front of Netanyahu turns out to be ex-con who served 14 years for manslaughter. rt.com In a PR stunt gone wrong, the millionth recipient of the Covid-19 vaccine in Israel, who got his jab in front of PM Benjamin Netanyahu, was revealed to be a former criminal who did time for stabbing a man to death.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-03). Martyrdom anniv. of Gen. Soleimani, al-Muhandis held in Syria. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 03 (MNA) — Participated by some Iranian, Syrian, and Palestinian officials, the first anniversary of the martyrdom of General Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis was held in the holy shrine of Hazrat Zainab (S.A), Damascus.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-03). Zionist minister reacts to Zarif's tweet on Israeli plots. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 04 (MNA) — The Israeli regime's so-called Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz has reacted to recent remarks by the Iranian foreign minister about Tel Aviv's plots in Iraq.

Jonathan Cook (2021-01-03). The Antisemitism Industry: how antisemitism is being politicized and weaponized in Europe to defend Israel. zcomm.org The same European leaders who a few years ago marched in Paris shouting "Je suis Charlie" — upholding the inalienable free speech rights of white Europeans to offend Muslims by insulting and ridiculing their Prophet — are now queuing up to outlaw free speech when it is directed against Israel…

MEE staff (2021-01-02). Palestinian news platform QNN banned by TikTok. middleeasteye.net Palestinian news platform QNN banned by TikTok | Quds News Network slammed the move by the social media giant as politically motivated | Sat, 01/02/2021 – 10: 55 | Popular social media app Tik Tok removed Quds News Network without warning (AFP) | A popular Palestinian news platform said that it was removed from popular social media app TikTok without any notice, in a move it claimed to be connected to news con…

Michael Knipper, Kayvan Bozorgmehr, Johanna Offe, Miriam Orcutt (2021-01-02). [Correspondence] Germany's new global health strategy: leaving migrants behind. thelancet.com After 3 years of consultation involving various ministries, academia, youth, civil society, private sector organisations, and an international advisory board, the German Federal Government issued its new global health strategy on Oct 7, 2020.1 In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, growing nationalism, and declining support for WHO by some of its member states, Germany emphasises multilateralism and a global health in all policies approach. This statement is strong and timely, underpinned by unequivocal commitments to health as a human right and universal health coverage free of all forms of discrimination.

Yumna Patel (2021-01-02). The Covid-19 Vaccine: Another Ugly Face of Israeli Apartheid. commondreams.org Close to 400,000 Israelis have already been vaccinated against the coronavirus, and tens of thousands of others are on track to do the same in the coming weeks. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

teleSUR, CE (2021-01-02). Taekwondo or Ballot Box: President Maduro Ready to Battle Opposition. telesurenglish.net The President of Venezuela is opting for prudence as the transition of power prepares to take place in the United States and as lobbying by extremists aims to continue the policies of hate and genocide towards Venezuela, namely the cruel economic sanctions (unilateral coercive measures) affecting all of the Venezuelan people in many areas of daily life. | RELATED: | President Nicolas Maduro joined Spanish journalist and professor, Ignacio Ramonet for…

Abhijan Choudhury (2021-01-02). Palestine's children bear the brunt of Israeli occupation. peoplesdispatch.org Last month's murder of 15-year-old Ali Ayman Abu Aliya in the village of Al-Mughayyir was yet another instance of the brutality shown by Israeli occupation forces towards the children of Palestine…

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-02). Zionists plotting attack against Americans: Zarif to Trump. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 02 (MNA) — In a tweet on Sat. Iranian FM Zarif warned the outgoing US President that Israeli agent-provocateurs are plotting attacks against Americans.

Holy Names University in Oakland (2021-01-02). Thursday 1/14: The Cost of Racism for Everyone: Conversation w/ Racial Justice Advocate, Heather McGhee. indybay.org Online event (FREE)…

Michael Bueckert (2021-01-02). Yes, the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism is intended to censor political expression. zcomm.org 11 examples showing how the IHRA definition poses a threat to free speech and aims to silence Palestinian solidarity…