Supreme Court expected to punt immunity case back to lower courts

benfell


Fig. 1. Robin’s nest perched atop the light by my front door. This is the last photograph I took of the nest before at least one egg hatched. Photograph by author, April 21, 2024.

At least one of the eggs in figure 1 has hatched. Actually, I think all of them have. The robin guarding the nest changed her (?) behavior a few days ago and it was at that point I stopped taking photographs because my mother warned me I might frighten the parent into abandoning the nest.

I try to remember to give the parent a bit of warning as I reach the top of the stairs leading to my front porch and am about to come into view, which always prompts the parent to fly off, sometimes to return to a nearby spot to try to distract me from the nest. I’m of course not a predator anyway—I’m vegan—but I have seen raccoons eyeing the nest. They haven’t a prayer of being able to reach it.

Tonight, when I came home, the parent flew off without protest and I saw one of the babies poking its head up, mouth open, obviously expecting to be fed. I was awfully tempted to take a photograph, but didn’t, for fear of causing the parent to abandon the nest.

Illiberalism

Gilead

Donald Trump
Coup attempt

2024

Fig. 2. Cartoon by Ben Jennings, January 24, 2024, via the Guardian,[1] fair use.

It appears there will be a delay, perhaps a long enough delay:

[T]he high court’s ruling is likely to require lower courts to separate out [Donald] Trump’s official acts from his private ones, as alleged in the indictment, before proceedings can restart in the election obstruction case. If the D.C. trial is stalled until after the election, and Trump returns to office, he could pressure his attorney general to drop the federal charges against him.[2]

If Donald Trump returns to office, we can blame the Democrats yet again,[3] this time for nominating a war criminal to run against him.

Yes, of course, Trump needs to be held accountable. But, frankly, so do the Democrats.

Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, “Meadows, Giuliani and other Trump allies charged in Arizona 2020 election probe,” Washington Post, April 24, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/04/24/arizona-2020-election-charges-meadows-giuliani-ellis/

Ann E. Marimow, “Supreme Court seems poised to allow Trump Jan. 6 trial, but not immediately,” Washington Post, April 25, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/04/25/supreme-court-oral-arguments-trump-immunity/

Imperialism

Israel

Palestine

07_09:10:47-2
Fig. 3. The ruins of a terminal at the Gaza airport. Image by Said Khatib (Agence France-Presse) on September 9, 2018, via the Times of Israel,[4] fair use.

I’m not on a college campus any more to gauge for myself how serious the protests against the war on Gaza have become. It sounds like they’ve become pretty intense,[5] bringing to my mind the Vietnam War protests of my youth (I was much too young to attend).

Alas, it appears the authorities learned absolutely nothing from the protests that occurred during my childhood.

Abby Sewell, “Hamas official says group would lay down its arms if an independent Palestinian state is established,” Associated Press, April 25, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/hamas-khalil-alhayya-qatar-ceasefire-1967-borders-4912532b11a9cec29464eab234045438

  1. [1]Ben Jennings, “Ben Jennings on Donald Trump’s progress along the Republican nomination trail – cartoon,” Guardian, January 24, 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2024/jan/24/ben-jennings-on-donald-trumps-progress-along-the-republican-nomination-trail-cartoon↩
  2. [2]Ann E. Marimow, “Supreme Court seems poised to allow Trump Jan. 6 trial, but not immediately,” Washington Post, April 25, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/04/25/supreme-court-oral-arguments-trump-immunity/↩
  3. [3]David Benfell, “Democrats must own Donald Trump,” Not Housebroken, November 13, 2016, https://disunitedstates.org/2016/11/13/democrats-must-own-donald-trump/↩
  4. [4]Times of Israel, “20 years after its opening, destroyed Gaza airport embodies grounded peace hopes,” September 12, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-its-opening-destroyed-gaza-airport-embodies-grounded-peace-hopes/↩
  5. [5]Carla Bleiker, &lquo;Pro-Palestinian protests spread at US universities,” Deutschewelle, April 23, 2024, https://www.dw.com/en/pro-palestinian-protests-spread-at-us-universities/a-68902360↩

The best offer Israel is likely to get

benfell

Imperialism

Israel

Palestine

07_09:10:47-2
Fig. 1. The ruins of a terminal at the Gaza airport. Image by Said Khatib (Agence France-Presse) on September 9, 2018, via the Times of Israel,[1] fair use.

It’s the best offer Israel is likely to get:

A top Hamas political official told The Associated Press the Islamic militant group is willing to agree to a truce of five years or more with Israel and that it would lay down its weapons and convert into a political party if an independent Palestinian state is established along pre-1967 borders.

The comments by Khalil al-Hayya in an interview Wednesday came amid a stalemate in months of talks for a cease-fire in Gaza. The suggestion that Hamas would disarm appeared to be a significant concession by the militant group officially committed to Israel’s destruction.[2]

The trouble will be that it’s a big step in a negotiation that still needs confidence-building steps.

Abby Sewell, “Hamas official says group would lay down its arms if an independent Palestinian state is established,” Associated Press, April 25, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/hamas-khalil-alhayya-qatar-ceasefire-1967-borders-4912532b11a9cec29464eab234045438

  1. [1]Times of Israel, “20 years after its opening, destroyed Gaza airport embodies grounded peace hopes,” September 12, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-its-opening-destroyed-gaza-airport-embodies-grounded-peace-hopes/↩
  2. [2]Abby Sewell, “Hamas official says group would lay down its arms if an independent Palestinian state is established,” Associated Press, April 25, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/hamas-khalil-alhayya-qatar-ceasefire-1967-borders-4912532b11a9cec29464eab234045438↩

The pro-Palestine movement appears to be growing

benfell

Imperialism

Israel

Palestine

07_09:10:47-2
Fig. 1. The ruins of a terminal at the Gaza airport. Image by Said Khatib (Agence France-Presse) on September 9, 2018, via the Times of Israel,[1] fair use.

Leigh Ann Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor, “Bipartisan House coalition advances Ukraine aid,” Washington Post, April 19, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/19/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-mike-johnson/

Jared Malsin and Nancy A. Youssef, “Biden Weighs More Than $1 Billion in New Arms for Israel,” Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2024, https://apple.news/AYrD2jUG7Td29aUfmEPUWSw

Danielle Paquette et al., “House approves Ukraine, Israel aid bills,” Washington Post, April 20, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/20/house-vote-ukraine-israel-aid-johnson/

Barak Ravid, “U.S. expected to sanction IDF unit for human rights violations in West Bank,” Axios, April 20, 2024, https://www.axios.com/2024/04/20/us-israel-sanctions-idf-west-bank

Times of Israel, “Israel aghast as US said poised to sanction IDF unit with history of abuses,” April 21, 2024, https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-aghast-as-us-said-poised-to-sanction-notorious-idf-unit-netanyahu-a-moral-low/

Emanuel Fabian, “‘I will always carry the pain’: IDF intel chief Aharon Haliva resigns over Oct. 7 failure,” Times of Israel, April 22, 2024, https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-intel-chief-aharon-haliva-announces-resignation-over-october-7-failures/

Claire Parker, “Report says Israel has not provided evidence of widespread militancy among UNRWA staff,” Washington Post, April 22, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/22/unrwa-israel-hamas-report-palestinians/

Carla Bleiker, &lquo;Pro-Palestinian protests spread at US universities,” Deutschewelle, April 23, 2024, https://www.dw.com/en/pro-palestinian-protests-spread-at-us-universities/a-68902360

Illiberalism

Gilead

Donald Trump
Coup attempt

2024

Fig. 1. Cartoon by Ben Jennings, January 24, 2024, via the Guardian,[2] fair use.

Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, “Meadows, Giuliani and other Trump allies charged in Arizona 2020 election probe,” Washington Post, April 24, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/04/24/arizona-2020-election-charges-meadows-giuliani-ellis/

Neoliberalism

Work


Fig. 1. The spectre of Death, in the form of a large skeleton, rises with the smoke and flames of the burning Asch Building during the Triangle fire, as people jump and fall to their death. Artist unknown, from International Ladies Garment Workers Union Photographs (1885-1985) at The Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

I think my question is how this rule banning noncompete agreements[3] survives a U.S. Supreme Court bent on at least rolling back, if not dismantling entirely, the “administrative state.”

Taylor Telford, “The FTC banned noncompetes. What that means for workers and companies,” Washington Post, April 24, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/04/24/non-compete-ban-workers-ftc-employers/

  1. [1]Times of Israel, “20 years after its opening, destroyed Gaza airport embodies grounded peace hopes,” September 12, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-its-opening-destroyed-gaza-airport-embodies-grounded-peace-hopes/↩
  2. [2]Ben Jennings, “Ben Jennings on Donald Trump’s progress along the Republican nomination trail – cartoon,” Guardian, January 24, 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2024/jan/24/ben-jennings-on-donald-trumps-progress-along-the-republican-nomination-trail-cartoon↩
  3. [3]Taylor Telford, “The FTC banned noncompetes. What that means for workers and companies,” Washington Post, April 24, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/04/24/non-compete-ban-workers-ftc-employers/↩

Don’t hold your breath but it looks like Joe Biden may, after all, sanction one notorious unit of the Israel Defense Forces

benfell

Imperialism

Israel

Palestine

07_09:10:47-2
Fig. 1. The ruins of a terminal at the Gaza airport. Image by Said Khatib (Agence France-Presse) on September 9, 2018, via the Times of Israel,[1] fair use.

The reported US plan [to sanction a unit of the Israel Defense Forces notorious for human rights abuses] drew a scathing response from Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The IDF must not be sanctioned!” he wrote on X. “I’ve been working in recent weeks against the sanctioning of Israeli citizens, including in my conversations with the American administration.[2]

Oh, yeah, and Israel lies, lies, lies, and then lies again. In this case about the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA),[3] but surely we must assume more generally.

Leigh Ann Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor, “Bipartisan House coalition advances Ukraine aid,” Washington Post, April 19, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/19/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-mike-johnson/

Jared Malsin and Nancy A. Youssef, “Biden Weighs More Than $1 Billion in New Arms for Israel,” Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2024, https://apple.news/AYrD2jUG7Td29aUfmEPUWSw

Danielle Paquette et al., “House approves Ukraine, Israel aid bills,” Washington Post, April 20, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/20/house-vote-ukraine-israel-aid-johnson/

Barak Ravid, “U.S. expected to sanction IDF unit for human rights violations in West Bank,” Axios, April 20, 2024, https://www.axios.com/2024/04/20/us-israel-sanctions-idf-west-bank

Times of Israel, “Israel aghast as US said poised to sanction IDF unit with history of abuses,” April 21, 2024, https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-aghast-as-us-said-poised-to-sanction-notorious-idf-unit-netanyahu-a-moral-low/

Emanuel Fabian, “‘I will always carry the pain’: IDF intel chief Aharon Haliva resigns over Oct. 7 failure,” Times of Israel, April 22, 2024, https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-intel-chief-aharon-haliva-announces-resignation-over-october-7-failures/

Claire Parker, “Report says Israel has not provided evidence of widespread militancy among UNRWA staff,” Washington Post, April 22, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/22/unrwa-israel-hamas-report-palestinians/

Illiberalism

Gilead

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 2023-2024


Fig. 2. Photograph credited to Office of Congressman Kevin McCarthy, date inconsistent with title but given as November 9, 2022, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

I suppose I’ll be hearing howls of “minority rule” from the Republicans now.

Leigh Ann Caldwell and Theodoric Meyer with Tobi Raji, “The House has a bipartisan governing coalition,” Washington Post, April 22, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/22/house-has-bipartisan-governing-coalition/

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh


Fig. 3. The confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, with the “Golden Triangle” and downtown Pittsburgh. Photograph by author, October 15, 2023.

The old San Francisco taxi driver in me was absolutely proof positive certain he smelled corruption in Pittsburgh:[4]

In an interview last week, [City Council Solicitor Dan] Friedson said he “can’t think of a single reason” why a March 27 [city council] meeting on deer management, for example, should have been held away from the public eye. Similarly, he raised concerns about the lack of openness for a recent off-limits gathering concerning the city budget, a hot-button issue lately as the city’s controller has warned of looming fiscal turmoil for Pittsburgh.

“There’s nothing in the Sunshine Act that says you can take the public out of the budget (discussions),” he said. “That’s a problem.”[5]

It starts at the very top. They say they like to hash things out in private before making them public. They say there’s nothing untoward happening. They admit that many of these meetings should be public.[6] And that’s what they always say. Every single fucking time.

See if this report leads to a change in behavior. If it doesn’t, you can know—take it to the bank—that something very untoward is happening.

Julia Felton, “Pittsburgh City Council’s private meetings raise questions about Sunshine Law compliance,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 22, 2024, https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-city-councils-private-meetings-raise-questions-about-sunshine-law-compliance/

  1. [1]Times of Israel, “20 years after its opening, destroyed Gaza airport embodies grounded peace hopes,” September 12, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-its-opening-destroyed-gaza-airport-embodies-grounded-peace-hopes/↩
  2. [2]Times of Israel, “Israel aghast as US said poised to sanction IDF unit with history of abuses,” April 21, 2024, https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-aghast-as-us-said-poised-to-sanction-notorious-idf-unit-netanyahu-a-moral-low/↩
  3. [3]Claire Parker, “Report says Israel has not provided evidence of widespread militancy among UNRWA staff,” Washington Post, April 22, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/22/unrwa-israel-hamas-report-palestinians/↩
  4. [4]David Benfell, “It is what it is,” Not Housebroken, March 4, 2023, https://disunitedstates.org/2021/12/31/it-is-what-it-is/↩
  5. [5]Julia Felton, “Pittsburgh City Council’s private meetings raise questions about Sunshine Law compliance,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 22, 2024, https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-city-councils-private-meetings-raise-questions-about-sunshine-law-compliance/↩
  6. [6]Julia Felton, “Pittsburgh City Council’s private meetings raise questions about Sunshine Law compliance,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 22, 2024, https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-city-councils-private-meetings-raise-questions-about-sunshine-law-compliance/↩

House of Representatives finally passes aid for Ukraine (and Israel and Taiwan); the Speaker’s head may roll next

benfell

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh

Christopher Columbus statue


Fig. 1. Christopher Columbus statue in Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park. Photograph by Darrell Sapp, apparently June 12, 2020, via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,[1] fair use.

Michael DiVittorio, “Commonwealth Court sends Christopher Columbus statue removal debate back to Allegheny County Court,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 19, 2024, https://triblive.com/local/commonwealth-court-sends-christopher-columbus-statue-removal-debate-back-to-allegheny-county-courts/

Imperialism

Israel

Palestine

07_09:10:47-2
Fig. 2. The ruins of a terminal at the Gaza airport. Image by Said Khatib (Agence France-Presse) on September 9, 2018, via the Times of Israel,[2] fair use.

Leigh Ann Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor, “Bipartisan House coalition advances Ukraine aid,” Washington Post, April 19, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/19/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-mike-johnson/

Jared Malsin and Nancy A. Youssef, “Biden Weighs More Than $1 Billion in New Arms for Israel,” Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2024, https://apple.news/AYrD2jUG7Td29aUfmEPUWSw

Danielle Paquette et al., “House approves Ukraine, Israel aid bills,” Washington Post, April 20, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/20/house-vote-ukraine-israel-aid-johnson/

Russia

Ukraine


Fig. 3. “Destroyed Russian military vehicles located on the main street Khreshchatyk are seen as part of the celebration of the Independence Day of Ukraine in Kyiv, August 24.” Photograph by Gleb Garanich for Reuters, August 24, 2022,[3] fair use.

Leigh Ann Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor, “Bipartisan House coalition advances Ukraine aid,” Washington Post, April 19, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/19/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-mike-johnson/

Danielle Paquette et al., “House approves Ukraine, Israel aid bills,” Washington Post, April 20, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/20/house-vote-ukraine-israel-aid-johnson/

China

Taiwan

Leigh Ann Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor, “Bipartisan House coalition advances Ukraine aid,” Washington Post, April 19, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/19/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-mike-johnson/

Danielle Paquette et al., “House approves Ukraine, Israel aid bills,” Washington Post, April 20, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/20/house-vote-ukraine-israel-aid-johnson/

Illiberalism

Gilead

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 2023-2024


Fig. 4. Photograph credited to Office of Congressman Kevin McCarthy, date inconsistent with title but given as November 9, 2022, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

Leigh Ann Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor, “Bipartisan House coalition advances Ukraine aid,” Washington Post, April 19, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/19/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-mike-johnson/

Danielle Paquette et al., “House approves Ukraine, Israel aid bills,” Washington Post, April 20, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/20/house-vote-ukraine-israel-aid-johnson/

  1. [1]Jade Campos, “Columbus statue in Schenley Park vandalized,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 12, 2020, https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2020/06/12/christopher-columbus-statue-vandalized-pittsburgh-phipps-schenley-park/stories/202006120120↩
  2. [2]Times of Israel, “20 years after its opening, destroyed Gaza airport embodies grounded peace hopes,” September 12, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-its-opening-destroyed-gaza-airport-embodies-grounded-peace-hopes/↩
  3. [3]Reuters, “Ukraine puts destroyed Russian tanks on display in Kyiv,” August 25, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/ukraine-puts-destroyed-russian-tanks-on-idUSRTSALV9Q↩

Tit for tat

benfell

Neoliberalism

Banking

Commercial real estate


Fig. 1. The confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, with the “Golden Triangle” and downtown Pittsburgh. Photograph by author, October 15, 2023.

Telis Demos, “Banks Believe They Are Well-Prepared for Commercial Real Estate Fallout,” Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2024, https://apple.news/Auxy455EZT2yG3JIzeZCrfQ

Imperialism

Israel


Fig. 2. John Bolton and Binyamin Netanyahu at a press conference. Office of U.S. National Security Advisor, August 20, 2018, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

I just don’t know what to make of all this tit-for-tat crap. Psychologically, it strikes me as schoolyard bullshit, but of course, weapons are being deployed, lives and property are at risk. I’m wondering if this is really about people who never really graduated high school.

Peter Beaumont and Julian Borger, “Israel has mounted airstrikes on Iran, US confirms, as Tehran plays down attack,” Guardian, April 19, 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/19/israel-iran-airtstrikes-ifsahan-tabriz-drones-explosions

Dov Lieber et al., “Israel Strikes Iran in Narrow Attack Amid Escalation Fears,” Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2024, https://apple.news/Af7SpZCIPSruOkyuqlBp8gw

Palestine

07_09:10:47-2
Fig. 3. The ruins of a terminal at the Gaza airport. Image by Said Khatib (Agence France-Presse) on September 9, 2018, via the Times of Israel,[1] fair use.

We will continue to fund genocide:

A second bill would provide about $17 billion in offensive and defensive weapons for Israel, as well as just over $9 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza and elsewhere.[2]

Leigh Ann Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor, “Bipartisan House coalition advances Ukraine aid,” Washington Post, April 19, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/19/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-mike-johnson/

Jared Malsin and Nancy A. Youssef, “Biden Weighs More Than $1 Billion in New Arms for Israel,” Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2024, https://apple.news/AYrD2jUG7Td29aUfmEPUWSw

China

Taiwan

The third bill would provide $8.1 billion for the Indo-Pacific region to deter China, and a fourth bill is full of Republican priorities, including banning TikTok and seizing Russian assets.[3]

Leigh Ann Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor, “Bipartisan House coalition advances Ukraine aid,” Washington Post, April 19, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/19/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-mike-johnson/

Russia

Ukraine


Fig. 4. “Destroyed Russian military vehicles located on the main street Khreshchatyk are seen as part of the celebration of the Independence Day of Ukraine in Kyiv, August 24.” Photograph by Gleb Garanich for Reuters, August 24, 2022,[4] fair use.

One bill provides $60 billion for Ukraine. Most of the money goes to U.S. weapons manufacturers to build back depleted U.S. weapons supplies, and about 20 percent of that goes directly to the country in the form of a loan. The president can cancel Ukraine’s debt, however, after Nov. 15.[5]

It’s awfully strange to me that Mike Johnson set the date that Joe Biden can cancel Ukraine’s debt to November 15.[6] It’s after election day but before inauguration. If I were Johnson, I’d have set if for after the inauguration, so that Donald Trump could make the decision.

Leigh Ann Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor, “Bipartisan House coalition advances Ukraine aid,” Washington Post, April 19, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/19/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-mike-johnson/

Illiberalism

Gilead

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 2023-2024


Fig. 5. Photograph credited to Office of Congressman Kevin McCarthy, date inconsistent with title but given as November 9, 2022, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

It is still unclear if or when such a vote [on a motion to vacate] would be triggered, but the effort [initiated by Marjorie Taylor Greene] picked up a critical third ally Friday. Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.), who was huddling with Greene on the floor, formally backed the motion after the House passed the foreign aid rule. With Republicans’ two-seat House margin, Gosar’s signature means the speaker could be ousted unless Democrats decide to rescue Johnson.[7]

Leigh Ann Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor, “Bipartisan House coalition advances Ukraine aid,” Washington Post, April 19, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/19/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-mike-johnson/

  1. [1]Times of Israel, “20 years after its opening, destroyed Gaza airport embodies grounded peace hopes,” September 12, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-its-opening-destroyed-gaza-airport-embodies-grounded-peace-hopes/↩
  2. [2]Leigh Ann Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor, “Bipartisan House coalition advances Ukraine aid,” Washington Post, April 19, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/19/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-mike-johnson/↩
  3. [3]Leigh Ann Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor, “Bipartisan House coalition advances Ukraine aid,” Washington Post, April 19, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/19/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-mike-johnson/↩
  4. [4]Reuters, “Ukraine puts destroyed Russian tanks on display in Kyiv,” August 25, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/ukraine-puts-destroyed-russian-tanks-on-idUSRTSALV9Q↩
  5. [5]Leigh Ann Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor, “Bipartisan House coalition advances Ukraine aid,” Washington Post, April 19, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/19/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-mike-johnson/↩
  6. [6]Leigh Ann Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor, “Bipartisan House coalition advances Ukraine aid,” Washington Post, April 19, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/19/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-mike-johnson/↩
  7. [7]Leigh Ann Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor, “Bipartisan House coalition advances Ukraine aid,” Washington Post, April 19, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/19/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-mike-johnson/↩

The attempt to excuse Joe Biden

benfell

Imperialism

Israel

Palestine

07_09:10:47-2
Fig. 1. The ruins of a terminal at the Gaza airport. Image by Said Khatib (Agence France-Presse) on September 9, 2018, via the Times of Israel,[1] fair use.

A special State Department panel recommended months ago [prior to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023] that Secretary of State Antony Blinken disqualify multiple Israeli military and police units from receiving U.S. aid after reviewing allegations that they committed serious human rights abuses [mostly in the West Bank]. . . .

Multiple State Department officials who have worked on Israeli relations said that Blinken’s inaction has undermined [Joe] Biden’s public criticism, sending a message to the Israelis that the administration was not willing to take serious steps. . . .

“If we had been applying Leahy effectively in Israel like we do in other countries, maybe you wouldn’t have the [Israel Defense Forces] filming TikToks of their war crimes now because we have contributed to a culture of impunity,” said Josh Paul, a former director in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs and a member of the vetting forum. Paul resigned in protest shortly after Israel began its bombing campaign of Gaza in October.[2]

The language here paints Joe Biden as somewhat innocent. His continued support of Israel’s genocide in all but rhetoric, we are told, is Anthony Blinken’s fault.[3] I’m not buying it.

First, Biden is in charge. He is responsible for what his administration does or does not do. He doesn’t get a pass because his secretary of state is misbehaving.

Second, Biden’s feelings for Israel are well known. He may not like Binyamin Netanyahu much[4] but he has been adamant that the U.S. will support Israel’s self-defense. And he interprets that “self-defense” to include the genocidal war on Gaza. He does for Israel what he won’t do for Ukraine.[5]

Leigh Ann Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor, “Johnson gambles on plan separating Israel aid from Ukraine funds,” Washington Post, April 15, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/15/mike-johnson-israel-ukraine-aid-house-republicans/

Eugene Daniels, “White House opposes standalone Israel funding bill,” Politico, April 15, 2024, https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/15/biden-iran-attack-israel-00152282

Julia Ioffe, “Bibi Stings,” Puck News, April 15, 2024, https://puck.news/will-bibi-netanyahu-escalate-with-iran/

Jeremy Scahill and Ryan Grim, “Leaked NYT Gaza Memo Tells Journalists to Avoid Words ‘Genocide,’ ‘Ethnic Cleansing,’ and ‘Occupied Territory,’” Intercept, April 15, 2024, https://theintercept.com/2024/04/15/nyt-israel-gaza-genocide-palestine-coverage/

Ishaan Tharoor, “Iran’s escalation with Israel shifts focus away from Gaza,” Washington Post, April 16, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com//world/2024/04/16/iran-escalation-israel-gaza-attention-focus/

Jason Burke, “Revealed: Israel has sped up settlement-building in East Jerusalem since Gaza war began,” Guardian, April 17, 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/17/revealed-israel-has-sped-up-settlement-building-in-east-jerusalem-since-gaza-war-began

Brett Murphy, “Blinken Is Sitting on Staff Recommendations to Sanction Israeli Military Units Linked to Killings or Rapes,” ProPublica, April 17, 2024, https://www.propublica.org/article/israel-gaza-blinken-leahy-sanctions-human-rights-violations

Jennifer Scholtes and Connor O’Brien, “Johnson releases text on foreign aid plan as it hangs by thread,” Politico, April 17, 2024, https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/04/17/congress/johnson-outlines-foreign-aid-plan-00152767

  1. [1]Times of Israel, “20 years after its opening, destroyed Gaza airport embodies grounded peace hopes,” September 12, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-its-opening-destroyed-gaza-airport-embodies-grounded-peace-hopes/↩
  2. [2]Brett Murphy, “Blinken Is Sitting on Staff Recommendations to Sanction Israeli Military Units Linked to Killings or Rapes,” ProPublica, April 17, 2024, https://www.propublica.org/article/israel-gaza-blinken-leahy-sanctions-human-rights-violations↩
  3. [3]Brett Murphy, “Blinken Is Sitting on Staff Recommendations to Sanction Israeli Military Units Linked to Killings or Rapes,” ProPublica, April 17, 2024, https://www.propublica.org/article/israel-gaza-blinken-leahy-sanctions-human-rights-violations↩
  4. [4]Kelsey Ables and Andrew Jeong, “Over 100,000 Michigan primary votes were ‘uncommitted.’ What does that mean?” Washington Post, February 28, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2024/02/28/uncommitted-votes-meaning-michigan/; Yasmeen Abutaleb, “Biden says Israel’s military conduct in Gaza has been ‘over the top,’” Washington Post, February 8, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/02/08/biden-israel-gaza-speech-netanyahu/; Yasmeen Abutaleb and Matt Viser, “Biden rebukes Israel over aid workers, but his Gaza policy is unchanged,” Washington Post, April 3, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/03/biden-world-central-kitchen-tough-statement-israel-policy/; Yasmeen Abutaleb and Matt Viser, “Biden warns Netanyahu the situation in Gaza is ‘unacceptable,’” Washington Post, April 4, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/04/biden-warns-netanyahu-situation-gaza-is-unacceptable/; Lazar Berman, “Israel cannot use Oct. 7 as ‘license to dehumanize others,’ Blinken warns in Tel Aviv,” Times of Israel, February 8, 2024, https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-cannot-use-oct-7-as-a-license-to-dehumanize-others-fumes-blinken-in-tel-aviv/; Aaron Blake, “Four takeaways from the Michigan primary,” Washington Post, February 28, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/02/27/4-takeaways-michigan-primary/; Charles M. Blow, “Arab American Fury Toward Biden,” Washington Post, February 28, 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/28/opinion/voters-michigan-biden-gaza.html; Eric Bradner, “Biden and Trump will easily win Michigan primaries, CNN projects,” CNN, February 28, 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/27/politics/biden-trump-michigan-primaries/index.html; John Cassidy, “Michigan’s “Uncommitted” Democrats Send a Message to Biden,” New Yorker, February 28, 2024, https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/michigans-uncommitted-democrats-send-a-message-to-biden; Karen DeYoung, “Six months into Gaza war, Biden confronts the limits of U.S. leverage,” Washington Post, April 6, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/04/06/gaza-israel-biden-war/; Karen DeYoung, Yasmeen Abutaleb, and Toluse Olorunnipa, “Biden-Netanyahu rift grows, as Israel cancels delegation visit,” Washington Post, March 26, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/03/25/biden-netanyahu-un-delegation-rift/; Tony Diver, “Michigan primary results: Joe Biden wins but young and Arab Democrats rebel over Israel,” Telegraph, February 28, 2024, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2024/02/28/michigan-primary-results-polls-vote-republicans-trump-haley/; Caleb Ecarma, “Why Michigan’s Protest Vote Could Change Joe Biden’s Calculus: ‘There Will Be Political Consequences,’” Vanity Fair, February 28, 2024, https://www.vanityfair.com/news/michigan-vote-change-joe-biden-calculus; Lauren Fedor and James Politi, “Joe Biden faces dissent over Gaza as he wins Michigan Democratic primary,” Financial Times, February 28, 2024, https://www.ft.com/content/4dbd9253-5147-4bbd-9e09-276e48e3f799; Jonathan Freedland, “In defying Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu is exposing the limits of US power,” Guardian, March 22, 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/22/joe-biden-benjamin-netanyahu-israel-gaza-donald-trump; Michael R. Gordon and Nancy A. Youssef, “Biden Ties Support for Israel to Civilian Protection in Gaza, ” Wall Street Journal, April 4, 2024, https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/biden-netanyahu-set-to-talk-as-gaza-aid-worker-deaths-add-to-pressure-on-israel-9dee3793; Guardian, “Netanyahu making a ‘mistake’ on Gaza, says Biden, as he urges Israel to push for ceasefire,” April 9, 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/10/benjamin-netanyahu-joe-biden-gaza-mistake-ceasefire-israel-war-palestine; Ron Kampeas, “‘Uncommitted’ campaign protesting Biden’s Israel support nets 100,000+ votes in Michigan primary,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, February 28, 2024, https://www.jta.org/2024/02/27/politics/campaign-protesting-bidens-support-for-israel-celebrates-as-tens-of-thousands-vote-uncommitted-in-michigan-primary; Ron Kampeas, “‘Uncommitted’ campaign opposing Biden’s support for Israel makes a mark in 5 more states,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, March 6, 2024, https://www.jta.org/2024/03/06/politics/uncommitted-campaign-opposing-bidens-support-for-israel-makes-a-mark-in-5-more-states; Shia Kapos and Adam Cancryn, “Arab, Muslim and Palestinian leaders refuse to meet with White House aides in Chicago,” Politico, March 14, 2024, https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/14/arab-muslim-and-palestinian-leaders-refuse-to-meet-with-white-house-aides-in-chicago-00147109; M. J. Lee, “Inside President Biden’s pointed phone call with Benjamin Netanyahu,” CNN, April 7, 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/06/politics/biden-netanyahu-israel-gaza-war-phone-call-details/index.html; Rachel Leingang, “How the uncommitted movement rocked Biden over Gaza,” Guardian, March 17, 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/17/us-uncommitted-voters-biden-gaza; Jacob Magid, “Biden urges Israel ‘to just call for’ 6-8 week ceasefire, slams PM’s handling of Gaza war,” Times of Israel, April 10, 2024, April 2024
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