Law, Power, and Justice

WEDNESDAY 6 MARCH 2024

I can’t believe it’s Wednesday.  It was just Monday twenty minutes ago.  All these people voting for Trump in the primaries.  It is just astounding.  We cannot, cannot allow Republicans to give what democracy we have away.  Is it perfect?  No, but we will expend time, misery, energy, money, lives just getting back to where we are now if Trump wins.  And, I have no earthly idea how long that will take.  I am filled with anxiety and will be until the election is over.  Just vote is fine to say, but the voting machine breach in Coffee County, Georgia has not been investigated adequately and that’s just one instance.  I will vote.  We will vote, but I have a deep mistrust of a voting machine system in Georgia controlled by Brian Kemp.

A Russian missile almost hit the motorcade Zelensky was riding in.  If Zelensky were killed, it would be a disaster.  We must pass legislation to fund Ukraine.  Turning our backs on Ukraine is like turning our backs on ourselves.

Well, the sun is finally out.

Israel:

• Even though Netanyahu has agreed not to restrict worship at the Temple Mount mosque in Jerusalem for Ramadan, his government specified that they would reevaluate the decision weekly. 
• Also, the Israelis continue to announce new settlements in the West Bank, sure to cause problems.
• It was reported in Haaretz (Israeli newspaper) yesterday that the Israeli Education Minister is moving to appoint right-wing Netanyahu associates who are unqualified to positions in the National Library Council.  This is so like what Trump has done and is going to do if he gets close to power again.

Israel: Haaretz

• Benny Gantz has emphasized the need for an operation in Rafah in the talks with the US.  (Note: It is my understanding that the Biden administration has been trying to discourage this.  Gantz is an opposition leader and his support for an “op” is significant.)
• A 64-year-old man was attacked with a knife by a 14-year-old Palestinian youth yesterday.  (Note: It appears from the photo that the man was standing at a bus stop.)
• “Disastrous Humanitarian Aid Policy for Gaza.”  Haaretz.  “Israeli officials were still looking at humanitarian aid for Gazans as a lifeline for Hamas…at no point…has there been a clear Israeli policy on allowing supplies into the Stirp.”
• Aid to Gaza is so controversial within Israel, government officials try to hide the fact that it is going on.  We only found out about the Israelis accompanying aid trucks delivering aid when there was a situation where almost 100 Palestinians were killed during the delivery.
• The UN was inexcusably remiss in reporting the sexual violence that went on in the Hamas attack in October.  The grotesque nature of these attacks, their focus on genitals, mutilation, gang rape, the rape of corpses, the celebrations over the dead bodies of women, filmed by the terrorists themselves, is enough to make any person question exactly what is going on with people whose religion encourages this.  It is extremely dangerous and refusing to acknowledge it will not solve anything.  The UN has finally released a report.  It makes the contemplation of the situation of the female hostages of Hamas, dark indeed. 
• Haaretz: “The UN report officially validated what Israelis have known for nearly five months, and one would hope it will help in the fight against the deniers…”