[pjw] REPORT BACK: American thugs: Friday rally #205 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

IAG supporters

At last night's Friday Rally for Peace and Justice, four of us stood on 
the corner but only three went on the march. It was a bit windy and 
apparently nearly 10 degrees colder than normal for this time of year... 
We had a smattering of honking horns and thank yous (including one person 
who came to the wagon and took a flyer before they had to return to work). 
We engaged in a lengthy conversation with a man who said he had lived in 
Israel for 14 years. Some clear barriers to having it be a true exchange 
of ideas: He said Israel belongs to the Jewish people because it says so 
in the Bible, he said all Palestinians are the worst terrorists in the 
world and should move "somewhere else," and had no idea what the Nakba 
was. But our dialogue remained mostly calm and civil.

What were this week's headlines? Read on.

--Israel raided a hospital in Gaza and killed 11 civilians in Lebanon... 
on the same day.

  https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/war-gaza-israeli-forces-storm-nasser-hospital-khan-younis

---After trying to keep Israel from creating new permanent refugee camps, 
Egypt has now built an enclosure that can house up to 100,000 Gazans 
fleeing Rafah.

  https://archive.is/yswSj
  https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/egypt-builds-walled-enclosure-on-border-as-israeli-offensive-looms-e5c12043

---The US-backed Israeli Defense Forces have admitted that Hamas will 
exist after the war ends. SO WHY DO YOU KEEP KILLING PEOPLE THEN?

  https://www.timesofisrael.com/report-idf-intel-assesses-that-hamas-will-survive-as-terror-group-post-war/

---A Dutch court has blocked spare F-35 fighter jet parts from going to 
Israel since they will be used for genocide. However, the US has a 
stockpile (perhaps from the planes that don't work?).

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/02/12/dutch-court-orders-government-to-halt-delivery-of-f-35-parts-to-israel/

--In Russia, opposition figure Alexei Navalny died after collapsing in a 
prison in the Arctic Circle. But why wait for more information, when you 
can be a knee-jerk, name-calling, hostilities-provoking person like 
President Biden who has already blamed President Putin and his "thugs."

  https://news.yahoo.com/biden-speak-noon-navalnys-death-170858228.html

--Meanwhile, the US and UK bombed Yemen again on Wednesday.

  https://www.saba.ye/en/news3304982.htm

---And America also bombed Somalia this week, the third incident this 
year.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/02/15/us-launches-airstrike-in-somalia-says-two-al-shabaab-killed/

--As for Syria, the House voted 389-32 against normalizing relations AND 
prohibiting engaging with any country that does. Among the 32 no votes was 
just one Oregon representative: Earl Blumenauer.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/02/15/house-passes-bill-to-work-against-countries-normalizing-with-syria/

--The US seized an Iranian plane that was sold to Venezuela, claiming it 
violated sanctions, another sign that the thawing relations are going cold 
again. The plane actually landed in Argentina in July 2022.

  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/13/us-takes-over-boeing-747-iran-had-sold-to-venezuela

--Iraq and the US are continuing talks on withdrawal of American (and 
"coalition") troops.

  https://apnews.com/article/iraq-us-troops-iran-drawdown-6bc6fa21bc69b1b0de220907b4e9f382

--Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is facing an extradition hearing next 
week in England. Amnesty International has called for his charges to be 
dropped.

  https://www.commondreams.org/news/julian-assange-extradition

---And the Australian Prime Minister and Parliament also called for his 
release.

  https://www.reuters.com/world/australia-pm-backs-parliament-motion-calling-julian-assanges-release-2024-02-14/

In local news, Portland Copwatch released its annual letter to the 
Attorney General this week, pointing out that there were 33 deadly force 
incidents by law enforcement in Oregon in 2023, which killed 18 people. 
This is down 27% from 2022 when there were 42 incidents (though deaths are 
down just 22%).

  https://www.portlandcopwatch.org/OR_shootings_letter0224.pdf

Along the march route, I noted that of some 9000 Palestinian prisoners in 
Israel, over 7000 were arrested in the West Bank just since October 7.

  https://thecradle.co/articles/palestinian-arrests-in-west-bank-exceeds-7000-since-7-october

And as we got back toward the Square, I reported that the $95 billion 
package the Senate voted for with "aid" for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan 
includes a clause saying none of the funds can be put toward the UN Relief 
and Works Agency (UNRWA). Yet they claim they're sending aid to 
Palestinians.

  https://www.newarab.com/news/us-sneaks-unrwa-defunding-israel-ukraine-arms-aid-bill

This week, the Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial Sign conked out at least 
half a block before we even got to the Pioneer Place Mall. Maybe they 
upped their jamming signal.

We hope you will join us on Friday March 22 for the special event to 
remember 21 years since the US invasion of Iraq.

  https://pjw.info/iraq21yl.html

But also if you're up to it, we're there every Friday at 5 PM at SW 
Yamhill and Broadway. Our numbers have been thin these last few weeks due 
to weather, MAX line construction, health issues and more, so consider 
joining us even if it's just one time!

thanks
--dan handelman
peace and justice works iraq affinity group