News and Analysis 7/26/23

Opposition member Ofer Kassif says there is “penetration of the occupation system culture” from the Palestinian territories into Israel itself demonstrated the current government is “fascist” …

• Israeli Parliament Passes Divisive Law Weakening Supreme Court (Aljazeera)

… but however bad the impact on Jews, the Palestinians believe the new law will hit them hardest:

• ‘We Will Pay the Price’: Palestinians React to Israel’s Judicial Overhaul Crisis (New Arab)

USCIRF concerns include France’s “restrictions on religious attire, … fining religious leaders exorbitant sums …, [and] threatening to close their places of worship”:

• Silencing Muslim voices: France’s Authoritarian Security State (EU Observer)

“If there is a hell on earth, it is the lives of children in Gaza” said the man who compiled the list …

• Shame on the UN for Once Again Omitting Israel from List of Child-killing States (New Arab)

… while “occupation forces denied all PRCS ambulances from accessing Nur Shams camp to deal with injuries” and delayed an ambulance crew trying to reach a pregnant woman:

• The Palestine Red Crescent Society Warns of the Serious Attacks Committed Against Its Medical Teams Today in Nablus and Tulkarem (Relief Web)

“[G]ender identities are well recognized in Islamic jurisprudence. The mukhannath?n (effeminate men) of Medina inhabited the social space during the time of the Prophet”:

• Muslims Protesting Against LGBTQ+ Pride Are Ignoring Islam’s Tradition of Inclusion (The Conversation)

Does Maryland’s Lieutenant Governor have close ties to BJP/Hindutva? To even ask the question may cost you your job, get you “barred from local political events,” or worse:

• ‘Bullied, Tailed Home and Run Out of the State’: The Dramatic Path to Power in Maryland (Independent)

The decision to ban beauty salons sparked a rare public protest in Kabul…. Security forces dispersed the gathering, using fire hoses, tasers and firing guns into the air”:

• Taliban Bans Beauty Salons for Offering Services Forbidden in Islam amid Concerns About Impact on Female Entrepreneurs (Mint)

“There is no Quranic injunction against women’s traveling alone”:

• Women Can Now Undertake Islamic Pilgrimages Without a Male Guardian in Saudi Arabia, but that Doesn’t Mean They’re Traveling Alone – Communities Are an Important Part of the Religious Experience (The Conversation)

“58% of American Jewish voters support restrictions on US military aid to prevent Israel using it to expand West Bank settlements … and one-quarter said that ‘Israel is an apartheid state’”:

• ‘We Are Winning’: Are US Jews Who Oppose Israeli Settlements Finally Getting Somewhere? (The Guardian)

“Internet restrictions often happen in times of political unrest … — which is when people need to be connected to one another the most”:

• Iran Leads World in Internet Restrictions for 2023, Followed by India, Pakistan (Al-Monitor)

ImadadDean