(We) can do better

Mary Drost OAM, daughter of Henry and Alma McMahon, a woman unafraid to speak truth to power, died in her sleep in hospital on 4 January 2024.

This genetic history was posted in a Quora discussion around the concept of Palestine, whether it ever existed, and who might identify with it.  Comments showed a variety of historical and religious views and beliefs, often opposed to each other.  Torres's aDNA-based argument was factual, but ideologically challenging.  The general response on the forum was anthropologically informative because, rather than respond to the actual information, people just changed the subject, and went on with

In this video, journalist Owen Jones summarises South Africa's very detailed and horrific case against Israel for genocide against Gaza.  A ruling by the court could take years that we don't have.

The aircraft carrier battle group is a legacy system going back to World War 2 that has no application in modern warfare. America's been exposed as an empty shell. It's not so much about the Red Sea. The Strait of Hormuz has just been guaranteed by the Houthi. The whole idea of the Strait of Hormuz was the perception that America could control it, but that's been exposed as a lie. So the Iranians are empowered.

It's a relief to see Yemen use intelligence and a sense of humour to bring pressure on Israel and its backers' vicious attempts to obliterate Gaza-Palestine! Yemenis are now taking boatloads of tourists to sight-see on the Galaxy Leader, the part-Israeli-owned ship they captured on 19 November.  You can also see them dancing in a line on its deck, here.

Looking at recent world events, one might be forgiven for wondering if the Nazis secretly won WW2 and captured the United States. If we look back and forth at war-alliance dynamics then and war-alliance dynamics now, we are struck by how the elites dominating western allies were all against communism leading up to WW2. Yet, these dynastic, corporate, and state leaders, who were so against communism, finished up as allies of Russia during WW2. The conventional explanation is that everyone good united against the Nazis because they were so undeniably evil, in order to save the world.

The group ‘Unionists for Palestine’ will rally tonight outside Patrick Terminal in Port Melbourne to make clear that Israeli-owned ships and shipping companies are not welcome in Australian ports. They will protest the Israeli-owned Cali, and publicly welcome the news that ZIM’s Sparrow changed course to Port Kembla after the announcement of the planned picket.

• Australia should be focusing on diplomatic efforts to end Israel’s invasion and occupation of Gaza
• Australia’s signing of the UN resolution on ceasefire was in direct contrast to the USA’s decision and IPAN calls for a similar stance on the request regarding a war ship
• Australia must stop sending military equipment to Israel

Some fantastic practical advice here to avoid drwoning - about spotting different kinds of rips, how to survive them, and safely saving someone else's life.  I've been caught in rips and it is terrifying. I read this press release from beginning to end before publishing it. I suggest that anyone who goes swimming reads it.

The University of Melbourne is censoring graduating Palestinian and pro-Palestine students and is withholding graduation images from ceremonies taking place this week at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, Melbourne.  

Across multiple faculties and departments, graduating students are expressing solidarity for Palestine by wearing keffiyeh’s and carrying signs demanding that Uni Melb divest from arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin.  

(Update, 6:24am Wed 13 Dec: The meeting won't be starting for another 36 minutes, that is, 7am AEDT in Victoria and NSW and 8am AEST in Brisbane.Apologies, for my miscalculation.) Tomorrow at 3pm New York Time or, in Australia, at 6pm AEDT in Victoria and NSW or at 5pm AEST in Queensland, the United Nations General Assembly will commence a meeting to discuss and vote on a motion calling for a c

• The US recently blocked a Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza
• The Australian Government must call strongly for a ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and massive humanitarian aid for Gazans
• The Israeli ambassador should be expelled until such actions are taken.

Yesterday, on 8 December 2023, Miko Peled, spoke at a public meeting about Israel's murderous war against Gaza, which commenced over two months ago on 7 October and the broader context of the history of the Palestine/Israel conflict going back more than 75 years. Much of what he said from his own personal experience. The meeting was held in the public library of Bethlehem in the US state of New York.

"The horror and trauma children are facing in Gaza right now is indescribable and unconscionable - suffering and killing must stop now." (Plan International Australia, 6 December 2023)
 
Suffering and killing in Gaza must stop now

After a pause in fighting for just one week, Plan International is devastated by the resumption of violence in Gaza over the weekend and the shocking number of civilians and children being killed in a matter of days.

The bombings continue to destroy residential buildings, schools and hospitals. the blockade is tightening and the slaughter of Palestinians is escalating.

The global Palestine solidarity movement must continue to stand with Palestine, now more than ever.

We need to take march for Palestine and demand a REAL end to the bombing; a full withdrawal of Israel troops from Gaza, lift the siege, stop colonising the West Bank, release all Palestinian political prisoners now. We also call on the Australian government to cut ties with Apartheid Israel.

Geneva - Israel has expanded its total ban on humanitarian supplies entering large areas of the Gaza Strip as part of its ongoing genocide, waged since 7 October, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said on Monday in a statement emphasising Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon against civilians.

The following article has been adapted from a double-sided A4 leaflet which was handed out at a protest for Palestine, which commenced from Queen's Park in the Brisbane CBD at 2pm on Sunday 26 November. The 344K PDF file is attached here (earlier version here).

Well, it’s got to be the platypus. Everything about the platypus is utterly ridiculous. The fact that this animal even exists is is a defiant middle finger to everything we traditionally thought about how mammals work. It’s no secret that it looks weird, but I doubt many know just how weird it truly is, so let’s take a deep dive into the platypus world.

Imagine if the Nürnberg trials after the 1939-45 war had never gone ahead, because Göring, Höss, Keitel, Streicher and other Nazis could have rebutted any possible proceedings with the defence “I had to follow the Führer’s orders.” The primacy of official orders seems to dominate in the prosecution of David McBride, the army lawyer who leaked classified information to the ABC, revealing allegations of crimes committed by special forces in Afghanistan.

The included photograph shows a Palestinian boy moments before he died after he and his people were deliberately targeted by the Netanyahu regime. I captured it from Facebook after assuring Facebook that I could handle the image having read through their warning about how distressing it might be for me. (Unfortunately, I did not bookmark the post, so I cannot link to the original.)

Palestine-born and trained doctor who, at 12 yrs old, was shot in the neck by a sniper on his way home from school, speaks of then and now at a pro-Palestinian rally in Brisbane on 19 November 2023. The rally was very large and a later march took up several blocks, where numerous groups of supporters lined the footpaths. People are aghast, shocked, disturbed, at the failure by world leaders to heed the suffering and extinction of so many people in Gaza, in full view, 24/7.

Avi Yemini from Rebel News spoke at a rally to support Israel against Palestine at King George Square in Brisbane today, 19 November 2023. He described how he usually stuck to reporting, but had not been able to resist this invitation to speak because of the loyal presence of Maori supporters from Brian Tamakis Destiny Church.

With the exception of some members of the cross-bench, mostly Greens, both Australia's houses of Parliament support Israel's war against more than 2 million Palestinians (who are also mostly Israeli citizens) crowded into the Gaza strip.

"The West Bank already started to be destroyed
Jenin streets and homes and another hospital besieged
Our fate will be like Gaza, the terrorist army warned
Beirut too soon and other cities will also be damned
for our "new Middle East" with Starbucks
Grow General Electric and all war stocks
The USA has got Israel's back and gives the weapons to kill
American Taxpayers foot the bill
Will anyone signal stop?"  [More of this poem and links inside.]