The Vernon Spring

[Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan]

The mayor of Berlin, who isn’t Jewish, accused this Israeli Jewish journalist of antisemitism (for citing documented facts from human rights groups) & warned the Berlinale film festival not to allow such speeches again.

Authoritarian insanity in Germany.

https://t.co/HLDtqTTlF2

[Jonathan Cook @Jonathan_K_Cook]

There's a reason why even the liberal media keep referring to demonstrations to stop genocide as 'pro-Palestinian'. Because that's seen as the same as being 'anti-Israeli'. This is not meant as a neutral term.

Our political and media class have worked overtime to conflate being 'anti-Israeli' – meaning opposed to its oppression of Palestinians – with being antisemitic. So the impression is created in the public's mind that 'pro-Palestinian' demonstrations are inherently antisemitic too.

Very few people protesting are meaningfully 'pro-Palestinian'. They are pro-human rights, they are pro-international law, they are against slaughtering and starving children, and they are against inaction in the face of a genocide.

The question here should be, why is it the media's default position to describe this opposition to mass slaughter as 'pro-Palestinian'?

And what does that well us about the media's position? Does it mean they are 'anti-Palestinian'? Or that they are 'pro-genocide'?

[Zachary Foster @_ZachFoster]

Israeli apartheid, explained in 36 seconds. Not so complicated after all.

[Esheru @Eshprojet1]

Yesterday was the 60th anniversary of the death of Malcolm X. I find myself re-reading his autobiography, which I have used a tool to help me make sense of the world. I often wondered what the world would have been like, if he was still with us.
https://t.co/OnzP9qT960

[Arnaud Bertrand @RnaudBertrand]

Powerful words by 102 years old philosopher Edgar Morin, one of France's most revered intellectual figures, as well as a Jewish WW2 resistant who fought as a lieutenant in De Gaulle's France combattante.
https://t.co/SJXMywTXb5
Here are his words on Gaza: "I am both astonished and outraged by the fact that those who represent the descendants of a people who were persecuted for centuries for religious or racial reasons... That the descendants of this people who are today the decision-makers of the State of Israel, that they could not only colonize an entire people, partly drive them out of their land and seek to expel them for good... But also, after the massacre of October 7, engaged in a real massive slaughter on the populations of Gaza and continue, incessantly, hitting civilians, women, and children.

And to see the silence of the world, the silence of the United States, protectors of Israel, the silence of the Arab states, the silence of the European states who claim to be defenders of culture, humanity, human rights.

I think we are living through a horrible tragedy because we are also powerless in the face of this thing that is unleashing. At least, I say: bear witness! The only thing that remains if we cannot resist concretely is to testify. Let's resist in our minds, let's not be fooled, let's not forget, let's have the courage to face things head-on."

[Sky News @SkyNews]

"We're talking about the largest displaced population in the world. 7.7m people have been forced out of their homes by the war."

Sky's @YousraElbagir is live from Port Sudan following a weeklong communications blackout amid the Sudan war.

https://t.co/SGqfEawyzD

📺Sky 501

[Faizal Mammar @faizal_mammar]

🚨Mahmoud, a Palestinian child who had his arms amputated due to an Israeli drone missile attack, recounts the details of his injury. Mahmoud’s life has become difficult and harsh. Despite the pain, Mahmoud is always smiling.

[Middle East Eye @MiddleEastEye]

"What kind of regime thinks it could get away with genocide in front of the world, and when indicted for genocide, wants to continue?"

Irish politician Richard Boyd Barrett addressed parliament on Tuesday, condemning Israel's actions in Rafah. He questioned Israel's actions in Gaza and highlighted the lack of consequences it faces.

[Chasing Sunsets @expat_vibes]

Swedish diplomat Folke Bernadotte who personally saved 31,000 Jews from the Nazis was shot dead by Zionist terrorists in Jerusalem at point blank range in 1948 after writing a UN report based on the devastated Palestinian villages he saw.

The go-ahead for the murder came from future prime minister of Israel, Yitzhak Yezernitsky.

[Stella Assange @Stella_Assange]

Julian has not been convicted in the bogus case brought by the US authorities he exposed. They have been detaining him in a UK high security prison for almost five years. He is not serving any sentence. There is no conviction.

How can an innocent man be kept in prison for almost five years and indefinitely into the future like this? What kind of justice system allows this?

[ITV News @itvnews]

Entwined in death: Two brothers shot dead in Gaza while evacuating with white flag
https://t.co/N17qNQpV2F

[Mohamad Safa @mhdksafa]

If there’s one day I needed your help, it’s today: As many countries are defunding UNRWA. I want you to share this post so it reaches everyone around the world who can help donate to fund UNRWA. The Palestinians can't survive without the aid.
Donate here https://t.co/6MeR6em7ba

[Quds News Network @QudsNen]

"I feel bad for the American people because the coverage here is quite biased"

After winning first place at the JP Mordan Squash Tournament of Champions, squash champion Ali Farag speaks about media misinformation in the West and the failure of political leaders to deal with the Palestinian suffering.

[Arnaud Bertrand @RnaudBertrand]

Whatever your position is, just take a moment to reflect on just how dark this is.

Just hours after the ICJ concluded that Israel was plausibly committing genocide and ordered it to dramatically step up humanitarian efforts, 7 Western countries sanctioned... not Israel but the Palestinians and the UN (!!!).

They cut funding for UNRWA, which is THE UN agency tasked with humanitarian assistance to Palestinians (and therefore their main lifeline).

Even if you were the world's worst cynic, you'd still have a hard time expecting such sheer level of cruelty and depravation. This is absolutely unfathomable.

They did so with the cheapest possible excuse, effectively using Israel's narrative that "UNWRA is Hamas" and allegations by Israel that some UNWRA staff were involved in the 7th Oct attack but 1) Israel has been making these accusations for months (so the timing of cutting funding right after the ICJ ruling is obviously not a coincidence) and 2) UNWRA has announced it's terminated the contracts of the staff members accused (12 people out of its 30,000 strong workforce) and launched an investigation, so it obviously doesn't condone this. Even if the allegations were to be proven correct, how can an organization of 30,000 staff be held collectively accountable for the individual actions of 0.04% of its workforce? Especially in the current context when its work is a life or death matter for millions of people.

To add to the cynicism here, UNWRA staff are actually a major victim of the war with at least 152 UNRWA staffers killed by Israel in Gaza to date. In a normal world, it is Israel that should be punished for killing so many members of a humanitarian organization. But nope, it's the humanitarian organization that's getting punished, alongside with the very vulnerable population it's committed to helping.

[Chris Doyle @Doylech]

Told @bbcnews that the decision to suspend funding to @unrwa was disgraceful. It is collectively punishing Palestinian refugees in Gaza and across the region, including the most vulnerable who are being bombed and starved to death in Gaza. Serious allegations were made against 12 UNRWA staff. They were dismissed. An investigation is proceeding. What more is the UN supposed to do? And yet at the same time, Israel, who the ICJ has just ruled could be carrying out genocide against those same Palestinians, has faced zero consequences for its actions. The double standards are acute.

[Diane Abbott @HackneyAbbott]

How much horror does the world have to see before @Keir_Starmer calls for a ceasefire? #GazaGenocide

[Greta Thunberg @GretaThunberg]

Week 284. Today we are many protesting in The Hague outside the International Court of Justice as it will deliver its order on the request for the indication of provisional measures, submitted by South Africa. Israel - as well as those who support Israel’s brutal attacks and occupation - must be held accountable for their actions. We cannot remain silent during a genocide. #StandWithGaza #FreePalestine #CeasefireNow

[Double Down News @DoubleDownNews]

Facebook suppresses Double Down News for covering Gaza Genocide.

We have been demonetised and completely suppressed of any views on Facebook.

We were getting millions of views on our videos. This has now been reduced to nothing.

We have been on Facebook for 7 years, have 662,000 followers, and have never had any problem whatsoever. Until, we starting covering the Gaza genocide. Facebook are now threatening to remove our account.

Not so long-ago Facebook told the world that it has a responsibility to not fuel wars and conflict and yet, when it comes to Gaza, it’s using its immense unchecked power to actively cover for a genocide by suppressing vital journalism critical of genocide and war crimes.

One day, when the history books are written, there will be a chapter dedicated to how big tech enabled a genocide. But by then, it will be too late

[Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt @FranceskAlbs]

There are no words.

[William Dalrymple @DalrympleWill]

The most heartbreaking photograph... The bare feet, the entwined bodies of two small kids... Take a moment to consider what the IDF sniper has done... This is a massacre of innocent civilians that your blank cheque to the most right wing, pro-Settlement anti-Two State government in Israeli history is funding @Keir_Starmer @RishiSunak @POTUS @grantshapps @DavidLammy