Allow me to correct a few things.
First, "Israel" is not some vulnerable state that emerged organically in the region. It is a settler colonial project established under British patronage and sustained for decades by unprecedented Western political, military, and financial support, enabling nearly eight decades of occupation, displacement, war and ethnic cleansing, which evetually resulted in a Gaza genocide.
Second, if we're talking about a "tiny country that has spent decades facing enemies committed to its destruction," that description fits Lebanon far better than the Israeli entity. Lebanon has endured repeated invasions, occupations, massacres, bombardments, assassinations, and territorial violations at the hands of a heavily armed military power. The evidence is not hypothetical; it is documented in photographs, videos, UN reports, and historical records.
And here is the question that supporters of "Israel" never seem willing to answer:
If "Israel" has the right to treat the protection of its citizens as its highest obligation, why does the Resistance in Jabal Amel not have the same right to protect the people of South Lebanon, especially when the Lebanese state historically lacked the means to defend them from repeated invasions and occupation?
Look at the map.
Who invaded whom?
Who crossed internationally recognized borders?
Who bombed villages, cities, schools, hospitals, and civilian infrastructure?
Who advanced tens of kilometers into whose territory?
And for what purpose?
The irony is that we are constantly asked to understand Israel's "security concerns" while being told to ignore Lebanon's lived experience of invasion, occupation, and destruction.
A population defending its land from a foreign military incursion is not the anomaly in this story. The anomaly is expecting them not to resist.
In cinemas in very limited shows, courtesy a distributor who refused to give up
‘Please don’t leave me,’ Hind Rajab pleaded. Why her voice needs to be heard https://t.co/XICjD3GN1s via @TheReel_in
>मुंबई के कारोबारी अनिल विश्वकर्मा ने 3 KG चांदी का हार और 1 KG की चरण पादुका राम मंदिर अयोध्या को दान दी। चंपत राय के चेले टिन्नू यादव ने कहा कि पहले चांदी की शुद्धता जांचेंगे, फिर इसे प्रभु को पहनाएंगे, फिर फोटो खींचकर आपको फोटो और इसकी रसीद देंगे। आज तक अनिल को कुछ नहीं मिला।
>इंडिया बुलियन एंड ज्वेलर्स एसोसिएशन ने जुलाई 2020 में 1 KG चांदी की ईंटें दी थीं। अनुरोध किया था कि जब PM भूमि पूजन करें, तब इन ईंटों को नींव में रखा जाए। अब इन ईंटों का ही पता नहीं है।
The United States, the U.K., and much of Europe are helping Israel slowly exterminate Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians. Palestine’s envoy to the U.N. explains how Israel is deliberately blocking the most basic humanitarian aid needed for survival, more than eight months into a so-called ceasefire.
NEW: Israel is, once again, bombing southern Lebanon, with reports that eight people have been killed, including four members of the same family - a husband, wife, and their two children.
The idea of a ceasefire seems ever more detached from reality
Found an imaginary problem, said only they could fix it, didn’t listen to experts, hired buddies who grifted millions, failed miserably, bragged how great it went.
The entire Trump presidency in a nutshell.
This is Damascus, the capital of my country.
Israel bombed it less than a year ago, despite the fact that not a single shot had been fired at Israel from Syria for over 60 years.
This had nothing to do with Iran, Hezbollah, or Hamas. It was part of Israel’s efforts to interfere in the country’s internal affairs and keep it divided and weak.
So when Israelis claim that Israel does not attack those who do not attack it, Damascus proves otherwise.
Bengal shows how India has become a managed democracy like Russia.
Political control is based on 1) a public sphere inundated with communal & pro-regime theatre 2) an engineered political space through the Merger & Acquisition of opp parties.
I write
https://t.co/xZVURgY8PO
🇺🇳 A UN hearing erupted into a public shouting match after Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, demanded the resignation of senior UN official Pramila Patten over a report that blacklisted Israel for conflict-related sexual violence.
When another UN official, Vanessa Frazier, objected and said the findings were based on “verified evidence,” Danon interrupted her, saying: “You will be quiet now.”
The clash comes after almost 1,000 days of Israel blocking independent Red Cross visits to ~10,000 Palestinian detainees and amid mounting scrutiny from UN investigators and human rights groups over systematic sexual violence and torture, among other abuses, carried out by Israeli security forces against Palestinian detainees and children.
Watch the clip ⬇️
A Persian Cat & A ‘Pakistani’!
Many were asking me about the actual issue behind the viral video where a man called a child - Pakistani, in Hyderabad, Telangana.
Sheik Naseema is living in a flat in Janapriya Lakefront apartment for the last one year as a tenant.
Both her sons are employed in Delhi.
Prachi Lokhandwala, a friend of her children was apparently thrown out of her apartment about ten days ago due to a disagreement with her owner. The girl had no where to go.
So Prachi reached out to her friends. And one of them told her that she can live with their mother Naseema.
But the problem is Prachi has a Persian cat. Naseema, despite her allergies, agreed to give them both shelter. The cat was being kept in the balcony.
Naseema’s neighbours objected to the cat and raised complaint with the society. When the members came knocking at her door, Naseema promised to get the balcony cleaned up and also assured that Prachi is finalising an apartment and will move out soon along with her cat.
But the society vice-president clearly drunk on power and fed with WhatsApp, couldn’t just let the issue slide.
He started calling Naseema’s family “bomb phatne vaale, Pakistanis”! He also certified that they are not from India and should leave the country.
Just then Nadeem Ahmed, the little boy in the video, stood up. “My grandfather is a Subedar in Indian Army. I am a proud Indian”, he retorted with angst.
Nadeem Ahmed is also a friend of Naseema’s children. He couldn’t bear the sight of his aunt being so viciously attacked.
The video went viral drawing attention to this behavior in Hyderabad. An FIR was filed on the society uncles, including the now famous “go to Pakistan” uncle.
Absolute admiration of the little boy Nadeem Ahmed and love to Naseema ji for giving shelter to Prachi without thinking about religion or her allergic reaction to her pet cat. ❤️❤️❤️
May you both stay amazing, always.
Thank you @amjedmbt ji for reaching out to the family.
I hope the society uncles are shown their place.
PS: There is a clear Supreme Court verdict against ban of pets in housing societies. Pets have every right as the human residents in apartments.
Very generous of a Court that sits forever on habeas corpus petitions, allows State to forever jail activists for dissent, allows executive to choke democratic will by misusing ED, bans free speech, bullies comics and RTI activists, runs opaque Collegium & roster. Can go on & on
In his piece As Long as There Is Football for @Equatormag, @MohMhawesh takes readers through the history of football in Palestine, and the significant cultural role it plays in daily Palestinian life.
I’m back in the Occupied West Bank, reporting live from the ground. Follow along here, on substack (link in bio), and IG (same handle). Lot of shit going down.
The goal of the government, police, courts and media has been to keep the public fixated on the faux-illegality of Palestine Action's opposition to genocide, not the British security state’s all-too-real criminal collusion in that genocide.
My latest: https://t.co/xVCrhbdLxG