Opinion

Consistent with its patented contempt of the international rule of law, Israel continues business as usual. Though it is accused of carrying out genocide in Gaza and the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, there is no sign indicating that Israel will slow down its genocidal and suicidal mission.

In a belligerent attempt to sabotage any diplomatic efforts that could’ve made ceasefire and hostage exchange possible, Israel assassinated Ismail Haniyeh—Hamas’ political leader and chief diplomatic negotiator—in Tehran where he was attending the inauguration of Iran’s newly elected president. This not only affirmed Israel’s disinterest in peace negotiation and hostage exchange, but it also affirmed its appetite for a direct war with Iran and Lebanon since it assassinated Fuad Shukr—Hezbollah’s second ranking commander—in Lebanon only a day earlier.

In 1982, I was with Israel’s army when it invaded southern Lebanon. We moved from menacing village to village ready for an attack by Hezbollah fighters.

Israel’s objective was to seize the southern portion of Lebanon, notably the Litani River, the region’s major source of potable water. The historic Port of Tyre - old when Rome was young - was another key target. It had been largely seized by Maronite fascist militias allied and supplied by Israel.

Israel claimed it was battling “terrorism”. In fact, Israel’s ultimate objective was - as always - more land for the Jewish state. When Israel was created in 1948, there was much speculation about whether the new Jewish state would go on to annex all of southern Lebanon.

That did not happen after the US put its foot down. Those were the days before Israel dominated US Mideast policy and gave the US president his marching orders.

Today, the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, on which I’ve been at sea, lies off the Mideast, ready to attack Iran.

Dear Mayor Johnson:

We are passionately asking that you not do during the upcoming Chicago Democratic Convention what then-Mayor Richard J. Daley did in 1968: plant the seeds of chaos and pave the way for a Republican President.

It’s widely expected there will be many thousands of marchers at this year’s DNC, protesting the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. It is essential the city do everything in its power to accommodate them and help keep the marches peaceful… as it did NOT do in 1968.  

During the ’68 protests, we were among the thousands there to march peacefully against the war in Vietnam. While standing at the corner of Michigan and Balbo, we were clubbed by police. To our immediate north, fellow demonstrators were pushed through a large plate glass window and into a restaurant. Infamously, angry police then poured inside and beat them and many astonished patrons who were trying to eat dinner.

It was a horrendous scene that was totally avoidable. It helped put Richard Nixon in the White House and prolong the Vietnam War for seven awful years.  

I slept barely three hours last night so I worked, took a vigorous walk,
and contemplated life. I force myself to watch the horrors of the genocide
and destruction around us...my nightmares seem small compared to reality. I
touch base with friends in the Gaza strip where they are herded like cattle
from one place to another to be bombed to reduce their population and
finish off the Palestinian question, a final solution to make the land
devoid of its indigenous people. All with support of western governments
under the boot of Zionism. In my walk I also reflected on how difficult it
is to build our oasis of hope (see palestinenature.org) in the middle of
this mayhem and stressed for resources (funding and people). I also
reflected on people (those active, those colluding, those humane....). I
also worked on my latest book of reflections on activism and decided to

The idea that the war on Gaza is essentially waged and sustained by and for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has, for long, dominated political analyses on the subject.

 The notion is often kept alive by public opinion inside Israel. 

The corporate media report on elections — especially the biggie coming up — as though they were sporting events. If you win, hurray! You get the gold cup or whatever. The election process is a matter of shrewd strategy combined with, uh, likability.

Thus, as per the New York Times: “Tim Walz is going to bring big Midwestern dad energy to the presidential campaign.”