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Showing posts from April, 2025

The Double Standard: A Jewish Dilemma in the Face of Injustice

In a revealing New Yorker interview , Holocaust historian and Biden appointee Deborah Lipstadt appeared to defend Trump’s crackdowns on pro-Palestinian student activists. Critics were quick to notice the irony—and danger—of using the fight against antisemitism to justify the suppression of political dissent. As New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg wrote in response: "It seems to me that there’s another sort of derangement at play here , rooted in the way Israel’s defenders conflate all but the mildest criticism of Israel with antisemitism." This post explores how political actors , and even respected Jewish intellectuals , are using antisemitism as a shield —not for Jewish safety, but for political gain —and why the silence of the Jewish majority in the face of injustice is a moral crisis. Judaism’s Ethical Tradition—and Its Silence Today From childhood, Jews around the world are raised with powerful moral lessons: never forget the Holocaust, speak out agai...

Starving Gaza: How Silence Is Enabling a Genocide in Real Time

  Gaza: Starving a Nation in Broad Daylight — and the World Must Act Now Seven weeks. Zero aid. Two million lives on the brink. Gaza is not just suffering — it is being starved. Deliberately. In full view of the world, an entire population is being pushed into famine, death, and despair. No humanitarian aid or commercial supplies have entered Gaza for over seven agonizing weeks. This is now the longest closure the Gaza Strip has ever faced — a man-made catastrophe unfolding before our eyes. The evidence is clear and horrifying: All 25 WFP-supported bakeries in Gaza have been forced to shut down. No wheat. No fuel. No bread. WFP food parcels — intended to last two weeks — have been completely exhausted. Safe drinking water has run dry , leaving families to scavenge scraps to burn just to cook a basic meal. Food prices have exploded by up to 1,400%. Hospitals are collapsing without medicine, electricity, or clean water . And yet, just beyond Gaza’s sealed borders, h...

When Ivy Turns to Irony: Yale’s Dark Hour in Gaza’s Darkest Days

Starvation and Standing Ovations: A Tale of Two Realities Welcome to 2025, where famine in Gaza isn't just a distant nightmare — it's a scheduled reality . Leading global institutions — United Nations , WFP , OCHA , FAO , and the IPC system — have formally warned that Gaza is spiraling from Category 4 ("Emergency") into the abyss of Category 5 ("Catastrophe/Famine") . Category 5 means the following — in case we still need a glossary for moral collapse: Children are dying from hunger . Severe malnutrition is normal now — like bad weather or high gas prices. Basic survival is a gamble. International humanitarian standards — those shining principles — are being shredded in broad daylight. In northern Gaza , it gets even better: Half the population is facing catastrophic food insecurity . Aid trucks are blocked , bombed , destroyed . Bakeries , wells , fields — all turned into memories . Infants and children are dying — not metaphorical...

The Souls We Shatter: Testimonies from the Other Side of the Israeli Uniform. An infantry Man And A Pilot

  They wore the uniform. They followed the orders. Then they broke the silence . Adding the Voice of Conscience: Testimonies from the Inside When we talk about the cost of occupation, we often focus only on the physical destruction : homes reduced to rubble, towns locked under curfew, lives shattered by raids and bombings. But there is another cost, less visible yet no less devastating: the slow corrosion of the soul, the silent breaking of the very people tasked with carrying out these missions. On the website Breaking the Silence , founded by Israeli combat veterans , a soldier recounts the turmoil that still haunts him. He served in the West Bank , proud to wear the uniform, proud to fight for his country — or so he thought. "Did I behave properly?" he still asks himself. " Was it right to fire that shot? To bark at that old man in the street? Was it really about security — or was it about power?" Slowly, he came to realize that the occupation was l...

“Never Again” for Everyone: Holocaust Survivors Speak Out Against Gaza War.

Introduction As we mark Yom HaShoah , a sacred day to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust , a powerful countermovement is gaining ground. Survivors and their descendants are speaking out— not just in remembrance, but in resistance. Their message: “Never again” must mean never again for anyone. A Day of Memory Meets a Moment of Crisis This year’s commemoration coincides with the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen . But in London and beyond, some Jewish voices are breaking with traditional ceremonies to raise urgent alarms about Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza , which has claimed over 51,000 Palestinian lives since October 2023. “I can’t think of a better commemoration for the six million,” — Mark Etkind, son of a Holocaust survivor The Danger of Political Co-option At last year’s Yom HaShoah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, “Never again is now,” linking the Holocaust to Hamas’s deadly attacks . Survivors lik...

The Doxxing-to-Deportation Pipeline: The Case of Tufts Student Rümeysa Öztürk.

                       Rumeysa Ozturk   On March 25, 2025, Rümeysa Öztürk , a Turkish national and Ph.D. student at Tufts University, was abducted by plainclothes ICE agents on the streets of Somerville, Massachusetts . Caught on a neighbor’s surveillance video, her arrest sparked outrage and debate over what legal experts and human rights advocates are calling a “ doxxing-to-deportation pipeline .” Here's a breakdown of what happened and why her case matters. Who is Rümeysa Öztürk? A doctoral candidate in Tufts University's Department of Child Study and Human Development . A research assistant with the Children’s Television Project at Tufts . A former Fulbright scholar with no criminal record or history of misconduct. Arrest & Detention On March 25 , masked ICE agents in plainclothes snatched Rümeysa off the street in broad daylight , without warning. She was taken to a privately run ICE jail in Lo...

When Science Stalls, Lives Hang in the Balance: The Human Cost of Halting Harvard’s Research.

In the quiet corners of Harvard’s laboratories, researchers have been waging battles against some of humanity’s most formidable foes: ALS, tuberculosis, and the perils of space radiation . These aren't just academic pursuits —they're lifelines for millions . But recent political maneuvers threaten to sever these lifelines, putting countless lives at risk. 1. ALS: Racing Against an Unforgiving Clock Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a relentless disease that strips individuals of their ability to move, speak, and eventually breathe. As of 2022, approximately 33,000 people in the U.S. live with ALS, a number projected to rise by over 10% by 2030 . Harvard's cutting-edge research aimed to develop early diagnostic tools, offering hope for timely interventions . Halting this research doesn't just pause progress —it prolongs suffering and delays the possibility of relief for thousands. 2. Tuberculosis: The Silent Global Killer Tuberculosis (TB) has reclaimed its ...

Smotrich’s Statement on Hostages: Political Honesty or Cold Betrayal?

Bezalel Smotrich.      In a moment that sent shockwaves through Israeli society , Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich openly declared that bringing home the remaining hostages in Gaza is not the government’s top priority . Speaking on Galey Israel Radio , he claimed, “ We have to say the truth … If you want to destroy Hamas so that there can’t be another October 7, you need to understand that there can’t be a situation where Hamas remains in Gaza .” While Smotrich insists the hostages' return is " very important ," his phrasing—and the apparent shift in government priorities— drew immediate fire. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum responded with fury , accusing the government of giving up on its citizens. “ Shame ,” they wrote. “ History will remember how you closed your heart .” Family members of hostages took to social media. Einav Zangauker , whose son Matan remains captive , denounced Smotrich’s “ messianic and psychopathic delusions.” Lishay Miran-Lavi, wife of...

Netanyahu vs. Shin Bet: A Crisis at the Heart of Israeli Democracy

In a jaw-dropping affidavit filed with Israel’s Supreme Court, Ronen Bar , head of the Shin Bet —Israel’s domestic security agency— accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of pressuring him to spy on anti-government protesters and demanding personal loyalty over adherence to the law . The sworn statement has sent shockwaves through Israeli politics, offering a rare and scathing view from inside the nation’s top security institution. Bar's affidavit, submitted in response to Netanyahu’s recent attempt to fire him, paints a troubling picture : not only did the prime minister seek illegal surveillance on dissenting citizens , but he also expected Bar to side with him over Supreme Court rulings in case of a constitutional crisis . The Shin Bet chief stated that he was compelled to speak out due to fears for the agency’s future independence and professionalism.                 Ronen Bar   The tensions reportedly intensified after Bar op...

Humanity at a Crossroads: Will We Remain Silent as Gaza Burns?

Humanity at a Crossroads: Will We Remain Silent as Gaza Burns? We, as humanity, now stand at a critical crossroads. Will we remain silent—clinging to neutrality—while Gaza is engulfed in flames? As American-made weapons unleash unspeakable devastation on displaced families living in makeshift tents, we are witnessing a level of cruelty and destruction that has no precedent in modern memory. This is not a hidden atrocity—it is a livestreamed genocide , unfolding in real time before the world's eyes. We are faced with a moral choice: Remain passive , or rise with conscience. Now is the time to raise our voices , to resist the genocide of our time, to refuse complicity through silence. The weight of injustice grows heavier with every moment we stay quiet. Your voice matters. It carries power—real, transformative power. It can rattle the tables of the global elite, it can shift narratives, and it can awaken others from indifference. History will judge us. And when it does, le...

Gaza’s “Safe Zones”: Burned Alive in Their Sleep. Mondoweiss

  On the morning of April 17, 2025 , horror returned to Khan Younis . At the European Hospital, Umm Ibrahim Abu Shaar, 49 , sat beside the charred bodies of her family , killed in an Israeli airstrike that struck a tent encampment in the Mawasi area— labeled a “ safe zone” by the Israeli military . The airstrike ignited a massive fire that engulfed several tents , turning them into ash within moments .   The fire was so intense that many victims were burned alive. Among the 15 bodies recovered were eight children. Witnesses described them as blackened, melted , and unrecognizable . A mother and her three children were found reduced to skeletons , their features erased by the blaze. “ We heard the explosion and saw flames erupt instantly ,” said Yousef Abu al-Rus , a survivor who gave testimony to Mondoweiss . “We tried to get close, but the fire was too strong. We saw women and children burning right before our eyes—and our children saw it too.” According to Abu al-...

Emptying Gaza: Norman Finkelstein and Chris Hedges on Genocide, Silence, and the Collapse of Moral Institutions

  Published on: April 21, 2025 Introduction In a recent interview on The Chris Hedges Report , renowned scholar Norman Finkelstein offers a searing analysis of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Far from being a war on Hamas, Finkelstein argues, Israel’s assault is a calculated strategy to depopulate Gaza permanently. The interview dives into the mechanics of this violence, the global silence that enables it, and the disturbing complicity of institutions—from media to academia. Gaza: The Blueprint for Genocide Finkelstein lays out a three-pronged strategy that has guided Israel’s actions in Gaza: Genocide – Mass killing executed with bureaucratic efficiency. Ethnic Cleansing – Limited success due to regional resistance to refugee displacement . Fait Accompli – Destroying Gaza’s infrastructure to make life unlivable. He emphasizes that no 21st-century atrocity compares to Gaza: over 1,900 children were killed in just one month — eclipsing even the worst periods of t...