News and Analysis 12/19/24

Although the vigilante revenge killings are isolated incidents, they could undermine a peaceful transition:

• Syria’s New Leaders Struggle to Contain Revenge Killings After Assad (Washington Post)

Israeli war crimes continue:

• Extermination and Acts of Genocide: Israel Deliberately Depriving Palestinians in Gaza of Water (Human Rights Watch)
• Six Palestinians Killed in West Bank Raids, Including 80-year-old Woman (New Arab)
• LIVE: Israeli Attacks on Gaza Shelters Kill 15 People (Aljazeera)
• Israeli Settlers, Jerusalem Municipality Exploiting War to Evict Palestinians from East Jerusalem, Residents Say (Haaretz)
• Gaza Death Trap: MSF Report Exposes Israel’s Campaign of Total Destruction (Medecins Sans Frontieres)

“The plaintiffs say the State Department circumvented a law that bars the U.S. from providing military assistance to foreign forces if there is credible evidence of gross violations of human rights”:

• Palestinians Sue State Department over U.S. Military Assistance to Israel (NBC News)

Students fight back against the Zionist war on free speech:

• SUNY New Paltz, Police Sued over Mass Pro-Palestinian Encampment Arrests (Times-Union)

“He spent nearly four years under house arrest … [and] since then, there have been several Fridays when Mirwaiz has not been allowed to deliver his sermon, with officials taking a call usually at the last moment”:

• Every Friday in Kashmir, a Question Mark: Will Mirwaiz Be Allowed to Give His Sermon? (Indian Express)

“[T]he buffer zone that Israel has established to divide north and south Gaza … [is] a complete hell-scape, pockmarked and rubble strewn as far as the eye could see” — Sean Carroll on his recent trip to Gaza:

• Reflections from My Recent Visit to Gaza (ANERA)

“The five Democrats voted ‘no’ and five Progressives voted ‘yes’” preventing the citizens from voting on the measure:

• Ballot Measure Seeking ‘Apartheid-free Community’ Blocked by Burlington City Council (Burlington Free Press)

“J&K Peoples Conference and CPI(M) expressed concern on the removal of the chapter on the local saint who is believed to have used peaceful means and methods to propagate ‘Rishi’ version of Islam in Kashmir among Hindus”:

• J&K Govt. to Form Panel After Chapter on Muslim Saint Dropped from Syllabus (The Hindu)

“The US and other Western Powers have threatened to attack Iraq if Iran-backed militias are not disarmed”:

• Iraq to Disarm Militias – Houthis Will Remain Iran’s Last Proxy | Analysis (i24 News)

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