Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Trump today at the White House at 6:30 p.m. Protests are planned as they meet.
In the just-published “‘Zero’ Progress in Ceasefire Talks, Hamas Official Says, Jeremy Scahill reports: “Sources close to the Palestinian negotiating team have told Drop Site that Hamas is prioritizing the issue of aid into Gaza because of the horrifying conditions facing the population and because of the daily killing of Palestinians who gather to collect meager rations distributed by the U.S. and Israeli scheme known as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.”
Israel killed a reported 288 Palestinians in Gaza over the last three days. Middle East Eye reports: “Secret Trump letter would let Israel resume war despite ceasefire: Report,” citing Israeli media. AntiWar.com reports: “Israel Carries Out ‘Intense’ Airstrikes in Yemen.” The Intercept reports: “The Israeli Plot to Extinguish the Journalists Documenting Genocide.”
Quds News Network reports that Israeli soldier Daniel Edri immolated himself over the weekend, saying “I smell and see burning bodies all the time.” The outlet adds: “Since the genocide began, the Israeli military reports that at least 40 active-duty soldiers, mostly reservists, have killed themselves.”
Netanyahu claimed on Feb. 7, 2024 that Israel was “within touching distance of absolute victory” in Gaza as it was readying to attack Rafah.
On May 24, 2024, the International Court of Justice ordered in a 13-2 vote in the Genocide Convention case brought by South Africa: “Israel must immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah Governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.” Israel refused to comply with the Court.
On Nov. 21, 2024, The International Criminal Court issued “warrants of arrest” for Netanyahu “for crimes against humanity and war crimes” including “starvation as a method of warfare.” The U.S. and Israel governments then attacked the ICC.
Trita Parsi notes that Netanyahu just flew with permission over the airspace of ICC signatories Greece, Italy and France in violation of their legal obligations to the ICC.
DAWN and the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs sponsored a change.org petition calling for the UN General Assembly to deploy an emergency multinational protection force to Gaza.
Netanyahu has claimed for 30 years that Iran is on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, but he and all U.S. administrations have refused to acknowledge Israel’s nuclear weapons arsenal.
In 2002, Netanyahu spoke before a Congressional committee, claiming: “There is no question whatsoever that Saddam is seeking, is working, is advancing towards the development of nuclear weapons. … Once Saddam has nuclear weapons, the terror network will have nuclear weapons. … If you take out Saddam, Saddam’s regime, I guarantee you that it will have enormous positive reverberations on the region.”
Elijah J. Magnier just wrote the pieces “Trump as Netanyahu’s Spokesman: U.S. Policy in Gaza Mirrors Israeli Ambitions” and “The Consequences Lebanon and Hezbollah May Face Following the rejection of the U.S.‑Israeli Surrender Proposal.”
See New York magazine piece “Crimes of the Century: How Israel, with the help of the U.S., broke not only Gaza but the foundations of humanitarian law.”
Available for interviews:
JENNIFER LOEWENSTEIN, [email protected]
Loewenstein is former associate director of Middle Eastern Studies and senior lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has lived in and reported extensively on the Mideast.