President Trump recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital

Post by **Hashi Lebwohl** » Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:39 pm

That is why the United States, in a policy ramped up significantly under Obama, automatically defines anyone killed by a drone as a "militant" until the evidence proves otherwise.

Post by **Avatar** » Thu Apr 12, 2018 5:09 am

Exactly.

"They must have been bad people, otherwise we wouldn't have killed them in the first place, right?"

--A

Post by **Skyweir** » Thu Apr 12, 2018 9:44 am

yeah .. arse covering as it is also called

Post by **Wosbald** » Thu Apr 12, 2018 12:24 pm

+JMJ+

Killed Palestinian Journalist Had Passed U.S. Screening For Grant Funds

Placards from a protest in Istanbul against the killing of Palestinian journalist Yaser Murtaja.
Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images

Days after Israeli troops fatally shot a Palestinian photojournalist covering protests on the Gaza border, Israel's defense minister alleged the photographer had served as a high-ranking member of the military wing of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas since 2011.

But State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the photojournalist had passed a U.S. government vetting process for his media company to receive a U.S. aid agency grant. The U.S. does vetting to ensure grant recipients have no ties to militant organizations or activities.

The seemingly conflicting claims by Israeli and U.S. officials about the photographer's identity are raising new questions over a killing that drew international media coverage and calls for an investigation.

[]

U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said government vetting of Murtaja began in late 2017. The officials said that last month Murtaja's Gaza media production company, Ain Media, became a beneficiary of a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro told NPR the United States relies on Israeli intelligence to vet Palestinian organizations and individuals for links to militant groups before awarding them USAID grants. Nauert said the U.S. was looking into questions about Murtaja's alleged Hamas affiliation.

Israeli officials declined to elaborate on the defense minister's claims and would not say why the journalist was shot. The Israeli military says it is investigating. Palestinian rights advocates argued the claims of Hamas affiliation were intended to retroactively justify the killing.

[]



Gaza journalist killed by Israel was detained, beaten by Hamas in 2015: IFJ

IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger accused Israeli Defense Minister Liberman of a cover-up

A Palestinian reporter killed last week by Israeli fire was detained and beaten by Hamas security forces in 2015, a global journalist body said Wednesday, after Israel accused him of being a member of the Islamist group.

[]

A case file from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) documented how Murtaja was detained and beaten by Hamas security forces in 2015 while filming.

The file, seen by AFP, said Murtaja and three other colleagues were filming the demolition of a home near the Israeli border when a man demanded to see their documents.

After they refused, a jeep belonging to the Hamas security forces arrived and "pulled the photographer Yasser Murtaja into their jeep without explaining what was going on."

It said inside the van he was beaten by Hamas police, leading to his eventual hospitalization. After an interrogation, his photographs were eventually seized.

Murtaja and the other journalists were interviewed by an IFJ researcher at the time, the file said.

IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger accused Lieberman of a cover-up.

"It is clear that having murdered a journalist the Israeli defense minister is more interested in spouting propaganda and engaging in a cover-up than in carrying out a thorough and transparent investigation and bringing Yasser's killers to justice," he said in a statement.

[]

Post by **Hashi Lebwohl** » Thu Apr 12, 2018 2:54 pm

That is a shame but he knew the risks of going to that event. We can't fault him for wanting to cover the event on the ground in a first-hand manner.

Post by **Avatar** » Fri Apr 13, 2018 5:58 am

Don't disagree with that, but the real story here is the cover-up I think.

--A

Post by **Wosbald** » Sun Apr 15, 2018 1:59 am

+JMJ+

Bolivia at U.N.: Unilateral decision on Jerusalem a violation of international law

Breaking news. (photo credit: JPOST STAFF)

The Bolivian envoy to the United Nations, Sacha Llorenty, called Trump's decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem a violation of international law in a meeting of the UN Security Council on Saturday.

Llorenty expressed Bolivia's concern over recent airstrikes in Syria by the United States, France and the United Kingdom in response to alleged chemical weapons attacks the Syrian regime carried out earlier this week against civilians. He called the strikes by the US and its allies a violation of international law, and said it was just one action on a list of such violations. These violations included Trump's "unilateral decision on Jerusalem."

Llorenty went on to say that Bolivia heard US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley's earlier words in the meeting, that the US was "locked and loaded" should the Syrian regime execute another chemical attack, with concern.

"We heard her words with a great deal of concern and a great deal of sadness... we know that [the US has] a huge arsenal of weapons and we also know that they have nothing but scorn for international law."

Post by **Skyweir** » Sun Apr 15, 2018 8:44 am

Wow

Youch

Post by **Cail** » Sun Apr 15, 2018 2:32 pm

No one gives a shit what Bolivia thinks. And the UN.....BFD.

Post by **Wosbald** » Sun Apr 15, 2018 7:37 pm

+JMJ+

Saudi king slams Trump for transferring US embassy to Jerusalem

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz at the 29th Summit of the Arab League at the Ithra center in Dhahran, Eastern Saudi Arabia, on April 15, 2018. (AFP/STR)

At opening of Arab League summit, Salman says East Jerusalem is an 'integral part' of the Palestinian territories, denounces Iran for 'blatant interference' in other countries

DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Sunday opened an Arab League summit by criticizing US President Donald Trump's decision to transfer the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

"We reiterate our rejection of the US decision on Jerusalem," the king said in a speech in Dhahran in eastern Saudi Arabia.

"East Jerusalem is an integral part of the Palestinian territories," he added.

[...]

Salman also announced on a $150 million donation for the maintenance of Islamic heritage in East Jerusalem.

"Saudi Arabia announces $150 million grant to support the administration of Jerusalem's Islamic property," the king told the Arab League meeting.

Two weeks ago, Salman reaffirmed his nation's support for the Palestinians in a conversation with Trump, Saudi state media said, a day after his son and heir apparent said Israel has a "right" to a homeland.

Saudi Arabia and Israel have no formal diplomatic relations, but behind the scenes their ties appear to have improved in recent years in the face of what they see as a common Iranian threat.

[...]

Post by **Kizza** » Sun Apr 15, 2018 11:50 pm

Cail wrote:No one gives a shit what Bolivia thinks. And the UN.....BFD.

Sounds like something Senator Palpatine would say.
Just sayin'!!

Post by **Cail** » Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:42 am

Kizza wrote:
Cail wrote:No one gives a shit what Bolivia thinks. And the UN.....BFD.
Sounds like something Senator Palpatine would say.
Just sayin'!!

Bolivia isn't a player on the world stage. And the UN had Libya in charge of its human rights council. Neither are relevant.

Post by **Kizza** » Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:58 am

Cail wrote:
Kizza wrote:
Cail wrote:No one gives a shit what Bolivia thinks. And the UN.....BFD.
Sounds like something Senator Palpatine would say.
Just sayin'!!
Bolivia isn't a player on the world stage. And the UN had Libya in charge of its human rights council. Neither are relevant.

The UN needs to be relevant. It has been whiteanted by the major players.
We need an adjudicator and auditor of international law.
The UN should be the Starship Enterprise, not the US.

Post by **Avatar** » Mon Apr 16, 2018 6:24 am

Agreed. Problem is that while everybody hastens to blame the UN, nobody is willing to give it the teeth it needs in order to be even vaguely effective.

At the very least, as a start, eliminate the veto.

--A

Post by **Cail** » Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:19 pm

No country is going to hand over its sovereignty to a third party. The UN will never be relevant because of this. Best to disband it, or make it clear in the charter that it's for advisory purposes only.

Post by **Hashi Lebwohl** » Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:48 pm

If Saudi Arabia is such a friend to, and supporter of, the Palestinian people then it should open its borders and accept any/all refugees who are Palestinian. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that to happen, by the way.

In recent years, the UN has turned into "the anti-Israel and anti-United States forum". If the decision were up to me I would cut all funding the United States gives to the United Nations then sit back to see how they handle the situation. Why should I give money to someone (or a group) who hates me?

Post by **Kizza** » Tue Apr 17, 2018 12:57 am

Cail wrote:No country is going to hand over its sovereignty to a third party. The UN will never be relevant because of this. Best to disband it, or make it clear in the charter that it's for advisory purposes only.

The UN is not taking sovereignty from anyone.
Maybe look at as being democracy on one hand, and autocracy on the other. There is hegemony, and there is accountable peace and plenty of other alternatives. If people have a say, then the outcome will be better.
The commercial hurdles the UN creates through its charter has seen the major powers need to diminish the voice of the UN.
As an aside, I like "Doctors without borders", a very classy approach.

Hashi Lebwohl wrote:......... Why should I give money to someone (or a group) who hates me?

I can relate to that. Because I do not like it when my mother in law puts her hand out. She gets me on the humanity point though, as she is a widow and has a history with our family.
Like and not like that is when you blow some nation to kingdom come, do you leave it or do you pay to help rebuild it?
The money paid to the UN speaks to humanity. You can stop paying them and stop listening. But remember that the bully in the room may turn one day to realise that they`re outnumbered and with no sympathy forthcoming.

The UN charter at present aims up at extreme poverty and hunger, universal primary education, gender equality, child mortality, maternal health, HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, environmental sustainability, and a global partnership for development. Why wouldnt you support that?

Post by **Avatar** » Tue Apr 17, 2018 6:09 am

Agreed.

--A

Post by **Skyweir** » Tue Apr 17, 2018 1:14 pm

Avatar wrote:Agreed. Problem is that while everybody hastens to blame the UN, nobody is willing to give it the teeth it needs in order to be even vaguely effective.

At the very least, as a start, eliminate the veto.

--A

^^^^^^^^^
This

Totally agree with you Kizza

And Av that is exactly where to start.

Post by **Cail** » Tue Apr 17, 2018 1:20 pm

Skyweir wrote:
Avatar wrote:Agreed. Problem is that while everybody hastens to blame the UN, nobody is willing to give it the teeth it needs in order to be even vaguely effective.

At the very least, as a start, eliminate the veto.

--A
^^^^^^^^^
This

Totally agree with you Kizza

And Av that is exactly where to start.

And this is exactly what I was saying. No country is going to hand over its sovereignty to the UN.

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Kevin's Watch

President Trump recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital