[pjw] REPORT BACK: international law?: Friday rally #219 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

Hello again IAG supporters

We were back up at a healthy 11 people at the Friday Rally for Peace and 
Justice last night, though only ten went on the march. A little drizzle 
didn't stop our enthusiasm for getting the word out to make a better 
world. We had a lot of positive feedback, and one person who went by 
mumbling something about the 1960s I think, not sure what their point was.

I started the announcements with an apology for neglecting to mention that 
last week marked the anniversary of the Nakba, the day that began the 
forced removal of tens of thousand of Palestinians from the land that is 
now Israel. A well meaning effort to protect the Jewish people after the 
Holocaust which unfortunately led to transmitting that trauma onto another 
set of people... which continues to this day. A special rally and march 
was held last Saturday to mark the occasion.

I was also able to announce that on Tuesday, June 25 at 5 PM the IAG will 
be hosting Iraqi-American peace activist Noor Ghazi on a livestream event 
to talk about the US invasion, what led up to it and what came after. More 
details in a few days.

Here are the headlines from this week's news:

--The International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its operations 
in Rafah. Well, sort of. First, the ICJ has no way to enforce its ruling, 
and second, they said to stop unless Israel can follow the law. Which 
Israel claims it's doing, so, business as usual for them.

  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-halt-rafah-offensive-international-court-of-justice-ruling-rcna153867

---Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court wants to arrest the leaders 
of Israel and Hamas for war crimes. Instead of noting that they're laying 
equal blame, Secretary of War-- er, State Antony Blinken wants to punish 
the Court for the decision. Is there any justice or law on the planet?

  https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/21/politics/blinken-congress-penalize-international-criminal-court/index.html

---An Israeli Drone killed a teacher and wounded young people in Lebanon. 
At least 420 people have been killed by Israel in Lebanon since October. 
When will someone stop the killing?

  https://www.newarab.com/news/israeli-drone-strike-injures-schoolchildren-south-lebanon

---Oh, and an Israeli airstrike in Syria killed six people too. See above 
question.

  https://www.jns.org/iaf-strikes-near-homs-syria/

--On the other major proxy war front, Blinken also wants to let Ukraine 
use US weapons to strike targets in Russia. That was a definite "no-go" 
when the war started because it would trigger WW III. But we're already 
soaking in that war so why not I guess.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/05/23/blinken-pushing-to-let-ukraine-hit-russian-territory-with-us-weapons/

--In an ongoing direct US war-front, Yemen downed an American drone this 
week. This article shows that April had the fewest US airstrikes on Yemen 
since January, noting the intensity went down in mid-March. Which 
coincidentally was when the War Powers act should have required President 
Biden to get Congressional approval for engaging in hostilities. Hmm.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/05/19/houthis-say-they-downed-4th-us-mq-9-reaper-drone/

--Julian Assange has won the right to appeal his extradition to the US. 
A British court agreed that America did not adequately establish that 
he can defend his release of classified (and embarrassing) information 
by citing the First Amendment.

  https://apnews.com/article/wikileaks-assange-us-extradition-london-court-ruling-28ebf4301cdd25efd5b087ab67d46c25

--The Iranian President died in a helicopter crash which so far the 
Iranians are saying was due to bad weather and not an assassination. 
However it's noted that maybe their equipment isn't up to snuff because of 
US sanctions. America rejects the notion they bear responsibility.

  https://www.rudaw.net/english/world/200520241

--Iraq has said they want the United Nations special mission there out by 
the end of 2025, to show that they can function on their own. Perhaps this 
will be connected to getting US troops the hell out of there, which should 
have happened 21 years ago (or, really, never should've gone in...)

  https://www.newarab.com/analysis/why-iraq-wants-uns-political-mission-wind-down

In local news, the Portland Police Association's efforts to pretend that 
their ballot initiative gutting the oversight board voted on in 2020 was 
about improving police services (yeah right) were dealt a blow. The City's 
version of their ballot language said the measure would "change" the 
community board's authority (to investigate and hold officers 
accountable), but a judge ruled that they have to say that it would 
"reduce" that authority. (Which is still kind of putting it mildly.) The 
PPA hasn't said whether they will push forward now that they have to tell 
the truth.

  https://www.wweek.com/news/city/2024/05/24/judge-writes-new-ballot-language-for-police-unions-november-measure/

Along the march route, I talked about three settlements in the West Bank 
that Israel abandoned in 2005. They for some reason have picked the middle 
of their war on Gaza, which has also led to hundreds of deaths of 
Palestinians in the West Bank, to allow settlers to return.

  https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-allows-return-three-evacuated-west-bank-settlements-2024-05-22/

And as we got back near the Square, I noted that a House committee has 
approved an $884 Billion military budget for the 2025 fiscal year (that 
doesn't start till October). They met the 1% cap on increases, but since 
that's over $8 billion it's still a lot of housing, health care and 
education being thwarted to make more bombs.

  https://www.militarytimes.com/congress/2024/05/23/house-advances-884-billion-defense-bill-with-enlisted-troop-pay-raise/

This week the Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial Sign went out, again,
across from the Apple store. Maybe its internal chip was made by a 
competitor and they just can't have such electronics in their vicinity.

Any time you are feeling up to it please join us on a Friday at 5 PM at SW 
Yamhill and Broadway. We're still encouraging masking up and distancing, 
what with the FLiRT version of COVID now on the rise. What a strange name 
for a killer virus.

  https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/3-things-to-know-about-flirt-new-coronavirus-strains

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