Jessica L Walton

Defense by day. Writer by night. ✏️ Exploring conflict, national security, and the humans caught in between. Where story craft meets statecraft. 👊

[Sarah Adams @sarahadams]

"You and I ought not to die before we have explained ourselves to each other."

Adams never cared about being popular. He was blunt, relentless, and willing to stand alone if he believed he was right. Those qualities made him one of America's fiercest patriots, but they also fueled one of the nastiest political rivalries in our history during the election of 1800 against Jefferson. The attacks were deeply personal, the country was deeply divided like today, and neither side pulled any punches.

Yet with time, Adams recognized something bigger than politics that’s an important lesson for all. He understood that while he and Jefferson disagreed on the future of the republic, they had both sacrificed to create it.

In the end, he chose to honor Jefferson's service to America over their political differences, a reminder that love of country should outlast even our fiercest rivalries.

[Hen Mazzig @HenMazzig]

5,000 doctors from 46 countries signed a petition to the World Medical Association to act against discrimination and medical boycotts.

Their call comes after the British magazine The Lancet published a call to exclude Israel from the World Medical Association.

The petition, which was signed by doctors from Canada, Brazil, Germany, Spain, France, and Italy, and more, states that "medical organizations should remain spaces for scientific and universal cooperation, and not serve as a tool for political exclusion."

The doctors added that the Lancet "completely ignores any role Hamas has in destroying the healthcare system in Gaza."

Several hostages testified to the fact that Hamas held them in hospitals. Hostage Noa Marciano was murdered by a Hamas doctor at Al-Shifa Hospital. He injected air into her veins. Her family was sent a video of the horrific act of violence.

Excluding Israeli doctors, whose research saves countless lives, from global medical institutions will do nothing to help Palestinians.

It will only increase the hatred Jews, including Jewish doctors, are facing.

[Jessica L Walton @JessWaltonDC]

@Navier_Tokes @JillFilipovic “Normal social contact”? Who made you the cultural authority on what’s normal? I’m interested to hear how women are being degraded by not having a male stranger touch them.

[Jessica L Walton @JessWaltonDC]

So that’s it? That’s your entire proof for an entire religion being “sexist”? Are you aware that Jewish women also refrain from physical touch with unrelated men? Are you aware that these modesty standards also exist in other cultures? Have you considered any of the benefits of this practice?

Just some questions to consider before throwing an entire people under the bus.

[Jessica L Walton @JessWaltonDC]

@Navier_Tokes @JillFilipovic Based on what evidence?

[Jessica L Walton @JessWaltonDC]

While the world's attention has been on Iran, Israel may have quietly scored one of its biggest strategic victories in Lebanon.

For decades, Hezbollah has claimed to defend Lebanon while holding it hostage to Iran's regional ambitions. This new agreement seeks to shift legitimacy back to the Lebanese state, not Hezbollah. If it holds, that's a major blow to Tehran's influence.

https://t.co/jgwVAUQqrk

[Jessica L Walton @JessWaltonDC]

@LucidPelican @afalkhatib @HillelNeuer Not at all. Israel is a sovereign country that has the right to defend its citizens from Gaza following the Oct 7 massacres. I’m pointing out the hypocrisy of the so-called pro-Palestine activists that remain silent when Palestinian leadership attacks its own people.

[Jessica L Walton @JessWaltonDC]

Funny how so many self-proclaimed "pro-Palestinian" activists blame Israel for everything happening in Gaza, but rarely blame Hamas.

Today, Gazans are reportedly organizing one of the largest anti-Hamas protests since the ceasefire, despite the enormous personal risk. Organizers say they expect Hamas to violently suppress demonstrations, and activists involved in the movement have already been denounced as "traitors" and collaborators simply for demanding dignity, an end to repression, and a chance to rebuild their lives.

If your solidarity only extends to Palestinians when they fit your political narrative—but disappears the moment they criticize Hamas—then your cause isn't really about the Palestinian people. It's about protecting a narrative.

https://t.co/PEJ0c5OFUG

[Jessica L Walton @JessWaltonDC]

According to Forbes, 48% of recent graduates said they feel unprepared even to apply for entry-level jobs in their field.

I’m currently helping my neighbor’s college-aged nephew with his job search. I also helped interns in my last company with job hunting skills. And I just want to say that I’m SHOCKED by how little American universities are doing to prepare students for the practical realities of entering the workforce.

Seriously, what is the point of investing in a college education if not to find a decent job afterwards?

My top 10 pieces of advice for college students and new grads:

1. Be proactive
2. Ask experienced people for advice
3. Build an online portfolio
4. Optimize your LinkedIn
5. Network online & in person
6. Follow your industry's news
7. Sell your value, not your wants
8. Learn from every mistake
9. Over-prepare for interviews
10. If you're shy, act confident anyway

[Jessica L Walton @JessWaltonDC]

@sarahadams At this rate, good ol' Greta is going to need a frequent-flyer card for terrorist PR tours.

[Jessica L Walton @JessWaltonDC]

@TimTebow @titaniajordan @barktechco My kids go to a private school where no smartphones or connected tablets are allowed until high school. I wish more schools implemented this policy. Parents and schools should be working together to protect our younger generation from these dangers.

[Jessica L Walton @JessWaltonDC]

A lot of people out there want to write a book, but few ever finish. Not because they lack imagination or skill, but because they can’t tolerate how psycho-messy the process feels.

We've all seen the movie montage where the artist gets inspired, types furiously, and suddenly produces a masterpiece. Or the social media post that shows a perfect finished product with no trace of the messy, awkward process behind it.

We see the results, not the rewrites. We’ve been sold the myth that genius doesn’t sweat.

🌟 Spoiler: it does. A lot. 🌟

Author Leigh Bardugo talks about the ability to tolerate the discomfort as possibly one of the most underrated skills as a writer (or any artist). Check out her TEDTalk.

https://t.co/tjrEeK6REe

[Jessica L Walton @JessWaltonDC]

For all the discussion about diplomacy, Iran's officials seem eager to remind everyone that they still know exactly where the pressure points are:

Lebanon. Hormuz. Repeat.

One affects Israel's security. The other affects global energy markets.

It's the geopolitical equivalent of saying, "Sure, we can talk, but let's not forget who can still make this expensive."

https://t.co/9q0tnMXlDL

[Jessica L Walton @JessWaltonDC]

@More_Plato @ZacGoldsmith A kibbutz is an agricultural village. They have security to protect civilians from terrorist attacks. The woman testifying is a civilian. R*pe committed during an armed conflict is unequivocally a war crime. Pretty basic stuff here.

[Jessica L Walton @JessWaltonDC]

@SimonWPatterson @ZacGoldsmith And thank you very much for proving the point of my original comment. 👏👏

[Jessica L Walton @JessWaltonDC]

@SimonWPatterson @ZacGoldsmith There is no publicly released forensic determination establishing exactly who was responsible for Hind Rajab's death. Regardless, how does this single death justify killing/r*ping hundreds of Israeli civilians on Oct. 7? #logicfail

[Jessica L Walton @JessWaltonDC]

@sarahadams @GoatInitiative Discarded passports are literally identity records. Collecting, analyzing, and cross-referencing them seems like the most basic of common sense from a national security standpoint. Credit to @GoatInitiative for pushing until someone finally listened!