Biden’s Israel funding request gets scrutiny, could “bankroll” the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians

al Jazeera:

Biden’s Israel funding request gets scrutiny, hits early hurdle

US rights group says president’s request to Congress for Israel aid suggests US may ‘bankroll’ displacement of Palestinians

kt notes" ... to support Israel's policy of neo-Nazi lebensraum.

A Palestinian woman walks past the rubble of a fallen building in the aftermath of the Israeli bombing of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on October 31 [Said Khatib/AFP]

Published On 1 Nov 2023


Washington, DC – A rights group in the United States has raised alarm over President Joe Biden’s request for $14bn in funding for Israel, noting that the push contains language that suggests efforts to remove Palestinians from Gaza.

Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) warned on Monday that Biden’s funding request could “bankroll” the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.

“These resources would support displaced and conflict-affected civilians, including Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the West Bank” and “address potential needs of Gazans fleeing to neighboring countries”, a White House letter about the funding request explains.

“This would include food and nonfood items, healthcare, emergency shelter support, water and sanitation assistance, and emergency protection. This would also include potential critical humanitarian infrastructure costs needed for the refugee population to provide access to basic, life-sustaining support.”

The letter, addressed to Congress and sent on October 20, goes on to say that the Israel-Hamas war “could well result in displacement across border and higher regional humanitarian needs, and funding may be used to meet evolving programming requirements outside of Gaza”.

“We are watching genocide live,” former UN official tells Al Jazeera

Concerns about Palestinian displacement were amplified after +972 Magazine reported it had received a leaked Israeli government document outlining a plan to transfer Gaza’s entire population abroad. The magazine added that a source in Israel’s Intelligence Ministry confirmed the document’s authenticity.

“The Biden administration isn’t just giving a green light for ethnic cleansing — it’s bankrolling it,” Sarah Leah Whitson, DAWN’s executive director, said in a statement.

“Gaslighting Americans into facilitating long-held Israeli plans to depopulate Gaza under the cover of ‘humanitarian aid’ is a cruel and grotesque hoax.”

Gaza is home to an estimated 2.3 million people, the majority of whom are refugees or descendants of people who were displaced from historic Palestine during the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.

The White House did not respond to Al Jazeera’s requests for comment, but the Biden administration signalled this week that it does not endorse plans to remove Palestinians from their homes.

On Sunday, Biden discussed with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi “the importance of protecting civilian lives, respect for international humanitarian law, and ensuring that Palestinians in Gaza are not displaced to Egypt or any other nation”.

A day later, White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby said the US is still working on “safe passage” abroad for Gaza residents seeking to escape the ongoing Israeli bombardment, but he acknowledged that not many “want to flee forever and go somewhere else in the world”.

“So, at some point, you’ve got to start thinking through what that’s going to look like,” Kirby said. “And I just don’t know that we’ve had any solid answers to that right now.”

Egypt has rejected moving Gaza’s population into its territory.

What happened in the Jabalia refugee camp attack?

Domestically, Biden’s funding request hit an early snag in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, despite its overwhelming support for Israel.

Republican lawmakers, under newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson, introduced a bill that separates aid for Israel from assistance for Ukraine. Biden’s proposal had combined the funds for a total request of $105bn.

Moreover, the Republican bill would offset the Israel aid by slashing funding from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the US tax agency — and a longstanding target for conservatives.

Several Democrats have voiced opposition to the Republican proposal, suggesting that the two parties would need to compromise to push forward any legislation for aid money. Democrats control the Senate and the White House, whose approval is needed to pass laws.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer rejected the Republican bill on Tuesday, accusing right-wing lawmakers of seeking to help rich people avoid paying taxes by siphoning money away from the IRS.

“It’s insulting that the hard right is openly trying to exploit the crisis in Israel to try and reward the ultra-rich,” Schumer, a staunch Israel supporter, said in a statement.

“The new Speaker knows perfectly well that if you want to help Israel, you can’t propose legislation that is full of poison pills. And this kind of unnecessarily partisan legislation sends the wrong message to our allies and adversaries around the world.”

But far-right Congresswoman Lauren Beobert welcomed the bill.

“We can’t spend unlimited money. We’re $33 trillion in debt. The money has to come somewhere and it should come from the IRS which is being weaponized against the public,” she wrote on the social media platform X.

“Now, Democrats can decide if they prefer helping our allies in Israel or targeting Americans with the IRS.”

Lauren Boebert

@laurenboebert

·

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The Israel foreign aid bill is crafted brilliantly. $14.3 billion paid for from IRS funds. We can’t spend unlimited money. We’re $33 trillion in debt. The money has to come somewhere and it should come from the IRS which is being weaponized against the public. Now, Democrats… Show more

6:22 AM · Nov 1, 2023

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Progressive lawmakers have long called for conditions to be placed on aid to Israel — to discourage abuses against Palestinians — but those voices remain a small minority in Congress.

Israel, which is accused of imposing apartheid on Palestinians by major rights groups like Amnesty International, receives approximately $3.8bn in US military assistance annually.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

I had no choice in Renong acquisition meetings with Dr M - businessperson

I had no choice in Renong acquisition meetings with Dr M - businessperson


Halim Saad contended he was not given “any option or choice” in meetings with then prime minister Dr Mahahthir Mohamad that allegedly led to the businessperson being forced to relinquish his controlling stake in Renong Bhd in 2001.

In the plaintiff’s reply to Mahathir’s statement of defence against his lawsuit, Halim maintained his version of events of being compelled by the then prime minister and two others to accede to the sale of his stake.

The other two co-defendants targeted by the civil action are former finance minister II Nor Mohamed Yakcop and the federal government.

“The plaintiff was not given any option or choice in his meetings with Mahathir and Nor Mohamed from about July 12, 2001 to July 17, 2001,” Halim claimed.

In his reply filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Oct 30, the plaintiff maintained he “did not agree to the compulsory acquisition of his vested interest and the deprivation of his rights as a controlling shareholder in Renong”.

Through their statement of defence against Halim’s lawsuit for compensation, Mahathir and the other two defendants contended that the plaintiff was never forced to relinquish his controlling stake in the troubled company.

The trio claimed, among others, that Halim himself agreed to execute the general offer over the entire shareholdings and that the plaintiff was duly compensated with RM165 million.

In the reply, Halim further maintained that the RM165 million was insufficient compensation as the RM100 million portion was for his having previously paid RM100 million to UEM Malaysia Bhd for a related Put Option.

He alleged the Put Option had then lapsed due to a purported request by the government for him and UEM to let it lapse.

Halim claimed that the RM165 million was not actually to compensate him for relinquishing shareholdings because it was instead to help him deal with losses he incurred due to the foreclosure of his various assets to multiple financiers to finance the RM100 million portion.

The plaintiff claimed this was proven by his letter dated May 13, 2003, to Khazanah Nasional Bhd.


‘Renong at the top back then’

Previously, Halim claimed in his lawsuit that Mahathir, directly and through Nor Mohamed, directed the plaintiff not to proceed with an initially intended and related general offer, due to the government allegedly wanting instead to acquire all the shares in UEM through a designated entity, Khazanah, or a party it was to nominate.

“The government had not in any way paid any compensation to the plaintiff. The payment of RM165 million was made by Khazanah as compensation to the plaintiff for the loss of capital (comprising the RM100 million paid pursuant to the Put Option and the costs related thereto) in connection with the termination of the Put Option consequent to the Khazanah general offer,” Halim claimed.

The plaintiff contended that, contrary to Mahathir and the two other defendants’ claims, Renong Group was one of the most successful bumiputera-owned groups then.

Halim rubbished the three defendants’ claim that the UEM-Renong Group of companies had caused the entire stock market to underperform in 2001.

“This is demonstrated by the fact that out of the six bumiputera-controlled or owned listed companies that were named as the top 30 companies listed on the main board of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange at the time, half were controlled and/or owned by the plaintiff.

“The plaintiff denies that there was a causal link between the performance of Renong and the price of UEM shares, on the one hand, and the performance of the then Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange in the period leading up to the compulsory acquisition.

“The UEM-Renong Group comprised three out of the top 30 companies (measured by market capitalisation) listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange in 2001 whereas in comparison, out of the top 10 largest companies, six are government-linked or controlled, and only one was under the UEM-Renong Group,” Halim alleged.

The plaintiff also rubbished the three defendants’ claim that his management of Renong had resulted in the decline of Renong Group’s market capitalisation between 1997 to 2000, pointing out that the decline of the corporate group’s market capitalisation was in line with the overall stock market decline due to the Asian Financial Crisis.

Law firm Messrs Malik Imtiaz Sarwar is acting for Halim.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers is representing Mahathir and the other two defendants.

PN’s Ratu Naga refuses to cooperate with police, says IGP

FMT:

PN’s Ratu Naga refuses to cooperate with police, says IGP


Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain says the social media content provider refused to answer 33 questions posed to her.

Social media content provider Syarul Ema Rena Abu Samah was summoned by Bukit Aman’s classified crime investigation unit.


KUALA LUMPUR: Social media content provider Syarul Ema Rena Abu Samah, also known as Ratu Naga, was at Bukit Aman today after being summoned regarding social media posts on Instagram and Tik Tok that were deemed to have defamed the prime minister’s wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Perikatan Nasional’s Syarul Ema arrived with her lawyer Zaid Malek at 12.45pm and was quizzed by Bukit Aman’s classified crime investigation unit.

Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain confirmed that Syarul Ema was in Bukit Aman today to have her statement recorded.

“(A total of) 33 questions were asked but she did not answer. Police also seized her handphone and SIM card,” he told Bernama when contacted.

Razarudin said police did not obtain any information related to the case because the suspect failed to cooperate and that the matter is being investigated under Section 249 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

On Oct 22, Bandar Tun Razak PKR lodged a police report against three social media users for allegedly uploading a post that was deemed defamatory against Wan Azizah, who is also the Bandar Tun Razak MP.

End discrimination against vernacular schools, Bagan DAP tells govt

FMT:

End discrimination against vernacular schools, Bagan DAP tells govt


The DAP division in Penang says currently, development funds received by vernacular schools are not on par with the student population.

This year, the Penang government allocated RM9 million to Chinese national-type primary, secondary, independent, and mission schools. (Bernama pic)


PETALING JAYA: A DAP division in Penang has called on education minister Fadhlina Sidek to end the unequal allocation of government funds for vernacular schools nationwide.

The Bagan DAP parliamentary liaison committee, in its annual general meeting, passed a resolution to urge the minister to end the discrimination against vernacular schools by the previous administration.

According to the committee, currently, development funds allocated to vernacular schools were not on par with the student population in these schools.

“Development funds for vernacular schools cannot be less than the reduced funding given by the previous Perikatan Nasional-led (PN) government.

“The funds must at least be equal to that given by the Barisan Nasional (BN) government in 2018,” the committee said in a statement.

kt comments: Is this an acknowledgement that the BN govt was fair to vernacular schools, and that MCA did a good job for vernacular education, better than guli-less DAP?

This year, the Penang government allocated RM9 million to Chinese national-type primary, secondary, independent, and mission schools, a chief minister’s office coordinator on Chinese schools revealed. There is no data on how much federal funds these schools received from Putrajaya, the same office said.

The committee also called for the government to increase development funding allocations for all schools in Penang to make up for the past neglect by the previous government due to unexplained reasons.

The committee then passed a resolution asking Fadhlina to urgently address the shortage of teachers in all Penang schools, especially for Bahasa Melayu, English, and STEM subjects.

It also announced a new lineup for the parliamentary liaison committee, naming Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng as chair, with Sg Puyu assemblyman Phee Syn Tze as secretary.

Phee Boon Chee was named treasurer, Senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran was appointed as organising secretary, while Bagan Jermal assemblyman Chee Yeeh Keen was made publicity secretary.

In September, deputy education minister Lim Hui Ying announced that all 885 partially federally-funded Chinese schools nationwide would be granted RM50,000 for maintenance purposes.

kt comments: I believe RM50,000 for school maintenance is a joke

However, if the amount applied for by the school is higher than RM50,000, then the additional funding would be decided by the ministry on a case-by-case basis, she was reported to have said, according to Oriental Daily.

Israeli airstrikes on largest refugee camp kill dozens

Israeli airstrikes on largest refugee camp kill dozens


Dozens have been killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes on Jabalia, the largest refugee camp in Gaza on Tuesday.

The local health officials estimate at least 50 civilians were killed in this attack, adding to the more than 8,000 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis killed since Oct 7.

Eyewitnesses said missiles fell on the refugee camp in the north of Gaza as civilians were queuing for bread, CNN reported.

Hamas said about 400 were dead and injured in the attack on Jabalia, which has housed refugees from wars with Israel since 1948, Reuters reported.

The Israel Defence Forces said it attacked the refugee camp to wipe out Hamas combatants located there.

Its spokesperson, Richard Hecht, told CNN the IDF was targeting Ibrahim Biari, a Hamas "senior commander", whom he said was killed.

The IDF said Biari was a ringleader of Hamas' Oct 7 attack on Israel, where more than 200 were taken hostage.

However, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem denied any senior commander there and called the claim an Israeli pretext for killing civilians, Reuters reported.

Asked by CNN why IDF dropped explosives there knowing it is an area packed with refugees, Hecht said: "This is the tragedy of war. We have been saying for days, 'move South, those who are not involved with Hamas'."

This despite the UN confirming reports that Southern Gaza has also been bombarded.

Generations of families wiped out

Among those killed in Jabalia were 19 family members of broadcaster, Al Jazeera's employee Mohamed Abu Al-Qumsan.

"This unforgivable act, during the Jabaliya massacre, claimed the lives of Mohamed's father, two sisters, eight nephews and nieces, his brother, his brother's wife, and their four children, his sister-in-law and one uncle," the broadcaster said in a statement.

"These Israeli crimes against the civilians must not go without being held accountable and face the full force of international justice.

"We urge the international community to address this grave injustice with utmost urgency for justice to be served for the families of Mohamed and countless other innocent Gazan civilians who lost their loved ones," it said.

Moral purity and nasi kandar

Moral purity and nasi kandar

Andrew Sia


COMMENT | Another food fight? No, not between Malaysia and Singapore again.

This time it’s the claim that nasi kandar with pork is “an insult” to the industry and can cause public “confusion”, according to Presma (the Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners’ Association).

The argument is that nasi kandar is keenly associated with Indian Muslims and should thus not be tainted by anything porky.

It is baffling how anybody can be “confused” by an Instagram promotion that clearly says “pork nasi kandar” where the taste is declared to be “pork-fection”.

The word pork is loud and clear. The stall, in a Chinese restaurant, also has a non-halal sign.

Perhaps the actual insult is not upon the nasi kandar industry but on the intelligence of local Muslims - that Presma thinks they will see the word pork but still get “confused” and then somehow go ahead and eat it.

Surely the association is not saying that customers lack common sense?


Pork satay

However, Presma seems to imply that anything commonly related to Muslims cannot have non-halal versions.

Luckily, nasi lemak and pork satay (sold by local Chinese) have been too well established for that to offend anybody.

That’s the way it should be. We are a multiracial country and we’ve been exchanging recipes for centuries. This is exactly how Nyonya food was created, for example, when the Chinese adapted laksa Kedah into asam laksa.

The traffic goes both ways, and Muslims have also adopted many Chinese dishes commonly linked with pork, such as dimsum, yong taufu, and pau.

As Selangor politician Teng Chang Khim pointed out, if Muslims could be so easily “confused” about nasi kandar babi, then all Muslims should stop selling chee cheong fun - which literally means pork intestines (referring to the name, not ingredients).

Some Malays are making good money selling halal mooncakes nowadays. Yet this food is linked to legends of the Jade Rabbit and the Goddess of the Moon.

Should those Malays stop their business for fear of causing “confusion”?


Root beer, hot dogs

This is not just a theoretical issue. In 2016, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) ruled that the name “hot dog” cannot be used in a halal-certified outlet.

Before that, in 2009, the words “root beer” were deemed unacceptable. This was reported worldwide and one wonders if it damaged Malaysia's reputation to be “moderate”.

Nobody in their right mind would think that hot dogs actually have dog meat. The local Mat Burger stalls had been selling hot dogs for decades before it was deemed “inappropriate”.

And Malays have been drinking root beer (which we know has no alcohol) at fast food chain A&W since the 1970s. I doubt their faith was jeopardised.


Roti John

If names are so “allergic”, then Roti John (bread with meat and eggs) should also be banned or renamed. After all, maybe someone will claim that it's “insulting” that a food commonly sold by Malays is named after one of the disciples of Jesus. So, should it be called Roti Johan instead?

In 2006, the Malaysian Islamic Consumer Association (PPIM) raised the issue of a tiny cross on a crown logo on a Wall's ice cream biscuit. It then warned the company to respect the rights of Muslim consumers.

In 2016, it claimed that “no pork” or “pork-free” signs at eateries were intended to mislead Muslims into thinking that they were halal.

The Pahang Islamic Religious Department even ordered food outlets in that state not to use such signs to avoid, yes, “confusing” the public.

What about Malay riders delivering non-halal food? Sure, it’s all wrapped in plastic and supposedly placed in different compartments of the motorbike box. But consider that the authorities insist that larger hotels should have separate lifts for non-halal food.

If this is the mindset, should Malays be banned from selling satay at Chinese kopitiams? Why? Well, how can they work in such non-halal places? Isn’t there a danger that some “unclean” vapours may be inhaled?


Halal laundry

The point is that this pursuit of moral purity can go really far. How about a “halal laundry” which refuses to serve non-Muslim customers? As happened at Muar in 2017?

However, the Johor sultan called this “extreme” and of a “narrow mindset”. He pointed out that ringgit notes may have also come in contact with pork or liquor sellers.

“Will the government then have to produce Muslim-friendly money?” asked His Majesty.


More important issues

In the pork nasi kandar case, Penang mufti Wan Salim Mohd Noor says he sees nothing wrong with it as long as there is a clear notice for Muslims about the ingredients.

I do enjoy eating my nasi kandar. But prices can give a mini heart attack once a bit of sotong or prawns are put in. I do wonder why Malay nasi campur is much cheaper, even with seafood?

Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli has criticised the attitude of certain restaurants for not lowering their prices despite the falling cost of raw ingredients. Was he referring to nasi kandar outlets?

I’ve also come across my share of not-so-clean restaurants. If you ask me, inflated prices and poor hygiene are more insulting to nasi kandar than someone selling a porky version of it to non-Muslims.

These are issues that Presma can improve on rather than creating an unnecessary controversy.



ANDREW SIA is a veteran journalist who likes teh tarik khau kurang manis. You are welcome to give him ideas to brew at tehtarik@gmail.com

KJ, Shahril must work on compromise with Umno, says analyst

FMT:

KJ, Shahril must work on compromise with Umno, says analyst


Azmi Hassan says the party should heed Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim’s call and readmit Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Hamdan.



In January, Khairy Jamaluddin was sacked by Umno for breaching party discipline at GE15, while Shahril Hamdan was suspended for six years.


PETALING JAYA: The Umno leadership and former leaders Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Hamdan must work towards a compromise following a call by Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim for “qualified people” to be in government, an analyst said.

Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said Umno and the two former leaders should heed the Johor crown prince’s “call”, especially since his father, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar is slated to be the next King.

He said a similar call by the current Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, saw a unity government formed after the last general election (GE15) resulted in a hung parliament.

Khairy was sacked by Umno in January after being accused of breaching party discipline, while Shahril was suspended for six years.

Azmi acknowledged that the party is still led by those who took the decision to sack and suspend the duo.

“For me, a compromise is needed to protect their dignity and that of the Umno leaders,” he told FMT.

On Sunday, Tunku Ismail expressed hope that Khairy, a former Umno Youth chief, and Shahril, the party’s former information chief, would return to Umno as the country’s future depends on “young and capable” politicians.

“I want to see qualified people in the government or running this country. Politicians should not be judged only based on seniority, but also merit,” he said as a guest on the Keluar Sekejap podcast hosted by Khairy and Shahril.

Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)’s Mazlan Ali believes Tunku Ismail wants both Khairy and Shahril to play a role in Anwar Ibrahim’s government.

“Everyone knows that Khairy and Shahril are progressive leaders and the future of Umno. They could help the prime minister by becoming part of the party again.”

He noted that Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has previously stated that the party’s doors are not closed to sacked or suspended members.

Malaysia receives 3 notices from US over stance on Hamas, MidEast war

FMT:

Malaysia receives 3 notices from US over stance on Hamas, MidEast war


Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says two notices, sent to Wisma Putra on Oct 13 and Oct 30, requested Malaysia change its position of refusing to recognise Hamas as a terrorist group.

Anwar Ibrahim previously said he received ‘threats’ from Western powers over his criticism of the Israeli government following the war in Gaza. (Bernama pic)


KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim revealed that Malaysia has received three “demarches”, or diplomatic notices, from the US embassy on Malaysia’s position on the Israel-Palestine conflict and Hamas.

He said two notices, sent to Wisma Putra on Oct 13 and Oct 30, requested Malaysia change its position of refusing to recognise Hamas as a terrorist group.

The other notice, received on Oct 18, involved Malaysia’s ambassador to Washington being called by the US state department to explain Putrajaya’s firm stand on the Palestine-Israel conflict.


“I also spoke at a recent event last week, and I emphasised that Malaysia remains steadfast in our independent stance, our humanitarian considerations, and our view of the (Israeli) invasion as unlawful from both a legal and international perspective,” he told the Dewan Rakyat during the prime minister’s question time today.

A “demarche” is frequently used in international relations and diplomatic affairs, in which a government may issue a notice to convey its official position or request to another government.

During the Palestinian solidarity rally at Axiata Arena last Wednesday, Anwar claimed that he was threatened by Western powers for his criticism of the Israeli government following the war in Gaza.

Anwar said he will continue supporting the Palestinians despite the threats.

He noted that many countries had not considered Israel’s assault on Gaza since 1948 an invasion, despite having condemned Russia for invading Ukraine.

“When Israel occupied the Palestinian territories for decades, it was considered legitimate and unchallenged by countries, including the US,” he said.

Anwar also said Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan had contacted him to inform him of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s intention to organise a conference of the heads of Islamic countries.

He said the conference would involve countries that have taken stern stances against Israel’s invasion, including Brazil, Russia and China.

“I have instructed the foreign minister to contact Turkey and Saudi Arabia. There may be a justification for an emergency meeting involving countries like Brazil, Russia and China, which have taken a firm stance against Israeli violence,” he said.

Bolivia cuts diplomatic ties with Israel over Gaza conflict

Bolivia cuts diplomatic ties with Israel over Gaza conflict



The government of leftist Luis Arce is the first in Latin America to cut ties with Israel since the divisive conflict erupted with the Hamas attacks on October 7, which Israeli authorities say killed more than 1,400 people. — AFP pic

Wednesday, 01 Nov 2023 7:58 AM MYT


LA PAZ (Bolivia), Nov 1 — Bolivia said yesterday it was severing diplomatic ties with Israel as a rebuke for its bloody offensive in the Gaza Strip after a deadly Hamas attack last month.

The government “has decided to cut diplomatic relations with the State of Israel, in repudiation and condemnation of the aggressive and disproportionate Israeli military offensive being carried out in the Gaza Strip,” deputy foreign minister Freddy Mamani told a press conference.

Minister in the Presidency Maria Nela Prada also announced the country was sending humanitarian aid to Gaza.

“We demand an end to the attacks” in the Gaza Strip “which have so far caused thousands of civilian deaths and the forced displacement of Palestinians,” she said at the same press conference.


The government of leftist Luis Arce is the first in Latin America to cut ties with Israel since the divisive conflict erupted with the Hamas attacks on October 7, which Israeli authorities say killed more than 1,400 people.


Bolivia only announced it was restoring ties with Israel in 2019, a decade after they were cut over previous attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Several leaders in the region have spoken out against the offensive, which the Hamas-controlled health ministry says has now killed more than 8,500 Palestinians — two-thirds of them women and children.

The decision by Bolivia comes after Colombia called for Israel’s ambassador to leave the country before rowing back the comments in a diplomatic spat over the offensive.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council, has urged a ceasefire.

He said the “terrorist attack” by Palestinian militants against Israel did not justify killing “millions of innocents” in Gaza.

“Just because Hamas committed a terrorist attack against Israel doesn’t mean Israel has to kill millions of innocents,” he said in a live address on social media. — AFP

US regime change activist named Web Summit CEO after founder forced out for condemning Israeli ‘war crimes’

GRAYZONE UK



Wikimedia Foundation CEO Katherine Maher (right) at a "Disinformation Forum" sponsored by the US government regime-change entity NDI and the NATO- and Gulf monarchy-backed Atlantic Council


US regime change activist named Web Summit CEO after founder forced out for condemning Israeli ‘war crimes’

WYATT REED·

OCTOBER 31, 2023


The CEO of one of the world’s leading tech conferences was forced to resign after criticizing Israel’s assault on Gaza. He was quickly replaced by one of the industry’s most prominent US government-affiliated regime change specialists.

Europe’s biggest tech conference, Web Summit, has appointed a veteran US regime-change operative named Katherine Maher as its new CEO, just days after founder Paddy Cosgrave stepped down from the position following an industry-wide backlash to his suggestion that Israel forces have carried out “war crimes” in their ongoing assault of Gaza.

Cosgrave’s future at Web Summit had been in doubt since October 13, when he sparked pro-Israel outrage after tweeting that “war crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies.” Industrial and tech behemoths including Siemens, Intel, Amazon, Meta and Google subsequently declared that they wouldn’t be attending this year’s conference, which is slated to take place in Lisbon, Portugal from November 13 to 16.

In a statement published October 30, Web Summit’s new CEO, Katherine Maher, said that in recent weeks, the company’s “purpose was overshadowed by the personal comments of the event’s founder and former CEO, Paddy Cosgrave.” But she insisted that “today Web Summit is entering its next phase.”

If Maher’s recent corporate experience is any indication, that “next phase” will be decidedly less adversarial in its relationship with Western governments and tech juggernauts. A telegenic 40-year-old internet activist, Maher has occupied positions at the Council on Foreign Relations, the Atlantic Council, and the National Democratic Institute, a US intelligence cutout.

As The Grayzone reported, she eventually rose to CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation and helped preside over the transformation of Wikipedia — once branded a “people’s encyclopedia” — into an information weapon wielded by the national security establishment.

In 2017, Maher participated in a special event hosted by the US State Department and entitled “Wikipedia in a Post-Fact World.”

New WebSummit CEO Katherine Maher seated next to former CIA director Michael Hayden during a Nobel Prize panel discussion


She currently serves on the US State Department’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board, and is the chair of the board of directors at the Signal Foundation, the US government-funded outfit behind the encrypted messaging app Signal. Millions of dollars of the initial funding used to create the application were delivered via the Open Technology Fund, an offshoot of CIA-founded propaganda mill Radio Free Asia. According to her LinkedIn profile, Maher served on the board of Open Technology Fund until 2019 as well.

Maher is also a Young Global Leader at the Davos-based World Economic Forum, and a security fellow at the Truman National Security Project, which grooms Democratic Party political upstarts as pro-war hawks. The Truman project currently features Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and former CIA Director Leon Edward Panetta as Emeritus Members.

A prominent Tunisian activist named Slim Amamou, who briefly served as Secretary of State for Sport and Youth in the transitional Tunisian government, wrote at the time that “Katherine Maher is probably a CIA agent,” citing her numerous visits to Tunisia “under multiple affiliations” since 2011.

When Maher complained, “seriously, Slim? You’ve welcomed me in your home,” Amamou shot back: “you gave me the impression that you were not who you claimed to be back then.”

A look at Maher’s Twitter history reveals that she also spent time in Libya in the immediate aftermath of NATO’s disastrous regime change war. While the US government imported planeloads full of regime change activists like Maher to conduct “democracy training” and other frivolous activities, ISIS and Al Qaeda were busy taking over entire regions of the country.

The stage for Maher’s rise to CEO of WebSummit was set a year before the controversy of Cosgrave’s comments on Israel.

Back in November 2022, the conference scrapped planned addresses by the Grayzone’s Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate following direct pressure from Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and his wife, Olena Zelenska, who threatened to pull the plug on her own keynote address and publicly drag the conference if the offending speakers were not immediately disinvited.

Organizers quickly folded, but it seems the perceived slight was never forgotten. One of Maher’s first acts after assuming leadership over Web Summit was to ‘like’ a LinkedIn post by a company called Ukrainian Tech Ecosystem announcing that a “Ukrainian delegation” is now preparing “to visit Web Summit after its CEO announces resignation.”

TMJ: What message are you sending with toy guns?

TMJ: What message are you sending with toy guns?


Though certain quarters have defended the use of toy firearms in schools, Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim questioned the message it would send to children.

Responding to a question during his recent appearance in the “Keluar Sekejap” podcast, Tunku Ismail said he was notified of such incidents.

“... I got images and reports of certain schools where the teachers themselves encouraged young kids to carry weapons.

“Even though these are toys, not real weapons, but what message are you trying to pass here?” he asked.

Tunku Ismail (above) said he had also contacted Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek and the Johor executive councillor who oversees education to “monitor every single school”.

However, PAS MP Ahmad Fadli Shaari disagreed with those who were concerned with the use of toys guns.

An unidentified man carrying a toy gun in a school


Defending the teachers and students, he said the use of fake weapons helped raise awareness about the struggle of Palestinians.

Fadhli had targeted Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming, who is from DAP, over his post on X (previously known as Twitter).

He rejected the notion that the use of toy guns was tantamount to promoting violence or extremist ideology.

Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin


Previously, Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin also took a thinly-veiled swipe at DAP when he remarked that the “rocket” could abe perceived as a threat of violence as well.

“If you consider scarves used to cover the faces of fighters opposed to occupation and cruelty as violent, then the rocket symbol can also be considered as violent.

“Who do you want to launch the rocket at? Who do you want to destroy?” he added, without mentioning DAP, whose logo is a red rocket.

On its official page, DAP said the “rocket symbolises the party’s aspiration for a modern, dynamic and progressive society and its four boosters in red and blue represent the support and drive given to the party’s objectives by all races in Malaysia.”

Meanwhile, Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Salleh suggested that the 12 elected representatives from PKR, who called for a review of the “Palestine Solidarity Week” in schools, be sent on a humanitarian mission to Palestine.

He said this would allow them to better comprehend the situation on the ground.

Charles Santiago


Earlier today, former lawmaker Charles Santiago questioned if teachers would be able to distinguish between the Zionist regime and Jewish people, fearing that anti-Semitism could be sown instead.

The Education Ministry, in its list of “dos and don’ts” for the “Palestine Solidarity Week”, has barred the use of toy weapons.

Remove ceiling price for eggs, says Mydin boss

FMT:

Remove ceiling price for eggs, says Mydin boss


Ameer Ali Mydin says a rise in egg prices will actually return them to their actual market value.

Mydin hypermarket managing director Ameer Ali Mydin said the government’s decision to maintain price controls will not address the ‘persistent’ shortage of eggs.


PETALING JAYA: Removing the ceiling price of eggs will allow for more effective production methods to be normalised, leading to a steadier market supply, says Mydin hypermarket managing director Ameer Ali Mydin.

He said the government’s decision to maintain price controls did not address the “persistent” shortage of eggs since the Covid-19 pandemic, which had led to many consumers, including those from the B40 group, being forced to buy the pricier Omega eggs.

“We are sure that the price of eggs will go up by at least 10 sen per egg (without the price control), which will lead to a RM3 increase per tray.

Ameer Ali Mydin.


“Before the price control, this was actually the standard price for eggs,” Ameer told FMT.

On Oct 30, agriculture and food security minister Mohamad Sabu announced the government’s decision to remove the ceiling price for chicken. However, he said controls over the price of eggs will be maintained until further notice.

Previously, when announcing the 2024 budget, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the government had decided to lift controls over the prices of both chicken and eggs to let market forces determine them.

However, Mohamad said the decision to maintain the price control and subsidy for eggs was made taking into account the extra cost consumers would have to bear otherwise.

Following the decision, Ameer announced that Mydin would be dropping its price of chicken to RM7.99 per kg, a one-ringgit decrease, on Nov 1.

“This will give the right signal to the government that the private sector is not opportunistic but will still follow the market prices,” Ameer said.

Economist Ida Yasin agreed with Ameer, saying the price of eggs should be floated in line with the government’s goal of reducing fiscal spending.

“The government would have to fork out more money to provide subsidies for eggs, so to me, the price of eggs should be floated according to market forces,” the Putra Business School senior lecturer said.

However, the Federation of Livestock Farmers’ Associations of Malaysia (FLFAM) supports the government’s decision.

“FLFAM will continue to support the government’s moves to provide Malaysians with an ample supply of broiler chickens and eggs at affordable prices,” the association said in a statement.

EU’s Borrell condemns West Bank attacks by Israeli settlers

EU’s Borrell condemns West Bank attacks by Israeli settlers



EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell expressed great concern over attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, which he firmly condemned. — Reuters pic

Wednesday, 01 Nov 2023 7:24 AM MYT


BRUSSELS, Nov 1 — The European Union’s (EU) top diplomat Josep Borrell yesterday renewed calls for a pause in the Israel-Hamas conflict and condemned attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

After a series of calls with senior Arab officials, Borrell’s office said he had “expressed great concern over attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, which he firmly condemned”.


Brussels has previously called for civilians on both sides of the conflict to be protected, for Hamas to release hostages without preconditions and for “humanitarian pauses” to allow aid into Gaza.

But — after calls with the Saudi, Jordanian and Egyptian foreign ministers and the secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Hissein Brahim Taha — Borrell extended his concern to related events in the West Bank.


Israel has launched raids and air strikes on Gaza since October 7, when Hamas militants crossed from Gaza and attacked Israeli communities and military posts, killing around 1,400 people and taking 240 hostages.


Since then, Israel has responded with an unrelenting bombardment of Gaza, which the Hamas-run health ministry says has killed more than 8,500 people, nearly half of them children.

It has also stepped up operations in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

At least 122 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since October 7, according to the Ramallah-based health ministry.

On Tuesday, the Israeli army demolished the West Bank home of exiled Hamas number two Saleh al-Aruri.

The Israeli military said forces entered the village of Arura, near Ramallah, and shot at people who were “hurling” rocks towards them during the demolition.

EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano said the situation in the West Bank “could get out of control” and warned of “the risk of dangerous escalation of the conflict”.

“Israel has the duty to protect civilians in the West Bank from extremist settler violence, to hold perpetrators accountable and ensure that the IDF intervenes. It is a legal obligation that must be fulfilled,” he added in a statement.

As the violence raged, intensive diplomatic efforts to secure the release of more than 230 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, among them Israelis, foreigners and dual-nationals, appeared to be making some headway, with the Al-Qassam Brigades saying it would free some of the foreigners “in the next few days”. — AFP

Norway believes Israel may have not fully respected international law

Norway believes Israel may have not fully respected international law



Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told Reuters in an interview that while Oslo supports Israel’s right to self-defence, humanitarian law must be adhered to. — Reuters pic

Tuesday, 31 Oct 2023 8:40 PM MYT


ABU DHABI, Oct 31 — Norway believes Israel may have broken international law in its bombardment of Gaza that has levelled neighbourhoods and killed thousands of Palestinians, its foreign minister said today.

Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told Reuters in an interview that while Oslo supports Israel’s right to self-defence, humanitarian law must be adhered to.


This meant distinguishing between combatants and civilians and ensuring military attacks are proportionate to avoid excessive harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure, he said.

“We believe that there have been cases where this proportionality and this distinction have not been fully respected,” he said, speaking in the United Arab Emirates.


Israel’s embassy in Abu Dhabi had no immediate comment, but the country says its forces do not target civilians.


In Oslo, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said it was crucial to get relief to civilians in Gaza as soon as possible.

“It is paramount now to have a humanitarian pause to get the support, to get the humanitarian relief to two million people who now are in an extremely dire situation,” he told reporters.

More than 8,000 people have been killed in the Israeli bombardments, according to Palestinian health officials. Israel started its offensive after Hamas attacks on southern Israel on Oct.7 which authorities there say killed 1,400 people.

Israeli officials have said it will not let up its assault on Gaza until it destroys Hamas, the Iran-backed Islamist militant group that rules the enclave.

Norway served as a facilitator in the 1992-1993 talks between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) that led to the Oslo Accords in 1993. Since then, it has remained involved as chair of the donor group which coordinates international assistance to the Palestinian territories.

International calls for a temporary pause in the fighting to allow more humanitarian aid to reach the Palestinians in Gaza has been rejected by Israel.

“What we’re seeing in Gaza is a terribly dramatic humanitarian situation,” Barth Eide said.

He described conditions there as “terrible” with people largely cut off from water, electricity, and medical supplies after weeks of heavy bombardment by Israel.

He said that satellite images that showed entire areas bombed, homes of thousands of people destroyed and medical facilities attacked as being “clearly problematic” from an international humanitarian law perspective.

“This is not only important from a legal perspective, it’s also important because there will come a time where we have to look for political solutions,” Barth Eide said.

“We need to get back to the key issue of what to do about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

The two-state solution envisaged in the Oslo Accords was the only solution, he said.

Norway has also has condemned the attacks by Hamas.

Some 200 Norwegian citizens are estimated to be stuck in Gaza and unable to leave due to the blockade. — Reuters

As war rages between Israel and Hamas, Palestinian children are dying in staggering numbers as world leaders watch on

As war rages between Israel and Hamas, Palestinian children are dying in staggering numbers as world leaders watch on

By global affairs editor John Lyons

Children are being killed and injured at alarming rates in Gaza. (AFP: Mohammed Abed)


Is the killing of almost 1,000 children a week self-defence?

That's a question that leaders around the world are going to need to contemplate in coming days as the war between Israel and Hamas continues — or indeed escalates.

It's a confronting question. It's one that may pit Israel and its strong supporters against others. It's a question that Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese may be asked at some point.

Organisations such as Save the Children and UNICEF are examining the figures provided by the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health and are saying the civilian death rate is staggering.

These agencies believe that the number of Palestinian children who have been killed since the war started three weeks ago is close to 3,000, although they say it could be much higher as hundreds of children are missing, possibly buried under rubble.

Imagine if 1,000 American children were being killed a week. The world's response would be completely different.

The reason this question is looming is because the current war between Israel and Hamas is presenting the world with something it has rarely seen, if ever: a large number of civilians in Gaza being killed every day while many leaders — including Anthony Albanese — refrain from calling for a ceasefire.

Usually, leaders instinctively call for a ceasefire. The end of the violence of war is always a good thing. Usually. Or at least restraint on both sides.

Images that stay with you

In Israel, where I'm writing this from, there's an overwhelmingly common answer when I ask Israelis whether the killing of 1,000 children a week is self-defence: the deaths of civilians, particularly children, they say, are regrettable. But what can we do? Hamas hides itself among civilian populations, they argue, and unfortunately, many civilians will die as a consequence. Hamas is responsible. And they killed our children in their October 7 slaughter, and now have 30 children and babies kept hostage in some dark tunnels in Gaza.





For Palestinians, there is also an overwhelmingly common answer: the killing of these 3,000 children in the first three weeks of this war is a war crime. This is collective punishment of the 2.3 million people in Gaza, they argue, for the actions of Hamas on October 7. The Israeli army and its political masters are responsible. Why is an army that stresses that it tries so hard to avoid killing civilians killing so many?

It's worth remembering what triggered this latest war — the atrocities committed by Hamas when it invaded Israel on October 7.

Often, when Israelis realise you are a foreign journalist, they pull out their phones to show you pictures they've been sent of many of the victims of those atrocities. They are truly awful. The images of that spree of savagery will live with Israelis.

Just as the memories of those 3,000 children will live in the collective memories of Palestinians.

But herein lies the crunch for leaders around the world.

Israel has two aims with its military assault on Gaza, on top of rescuing hostages: the first is revenge for October 7, the second is to destroy Hamas. Never again should Hamas be strong enough to be able to inflict this sort of terrorism on Israelis.



For Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak, Emmanuel Macron and Anthony Albanese, this presents a dilemma. All four have declared "Israel's right to defend itself". But as the bodies of babies and children continue to be lowered into the ground, these leaders will come under increasing pressure to call for a halt to Israel's assault.

In this war between Israel and Hamas, we are in unprecedented territory. I can't remember a war where the civilian death toll has become so heavy, so quickly, and yet none of the four leaders above are giving any real support to a ceasefire.

For these leaders, to utter that word at the moment would be directly challenging Israel's stated aim: to take as long as necessary to move methodically into Gaza City and destroy Hamas's network of tunnels, military infrastructure and leadership.

Which brings me to the next stage of this war. Short of any pressure for a ceasefire, Israel is currently beginning a ground invasion. They're not calling it a ground invasion — "ground incursions" sounds much less dramatic.

Perhaps sensitive to growing world opinion against the mass killing of civilians, the Israeli army has now engaged in three "ground incursions". The world's media can't run the headline "Ground invasion begins". After all, Mr Macron of France has strongly opposed a major ground invasion, saying it would be "an error".

What we're currently seeing is the ground invasion you have when you're not having a ground invasion.