Techugo: The Art and Science of Fantasy Sports App Development Finding the Right Company

Explore the expertise of Techugo in the realm of fantasy sports app development. This guide delves into the art and science of creating innovative fantasy sports apps and highlights how choosing the right Fantasy Sports App Development Company in Canada, like Techugo, can make all the difference. Discover the key factors that set top developers apart.

For more info visit:
https://www.techugo.ca/fantasy-sports-app-development

#FantasySportsAppDevelopmentCompany #AppDevelopmentCompany #Canada

A Deep Dive into the Costs of Developing a Noom-Inspired Weight Loss App

Curious about the expenses involved in creating an app like Noom? In this deep dive, we break down the costs of developing a Noom-inspired weight loss app, exploring key factors such as design, development, marketing, and maintenance. Discover what goes into budgeting for a high-quality, user-friendly app and get insights into potential expenses.

For more info visit:
https://www.techugo.ca/blog/how-much-will-it-cost-to-develop-a-weight-loss-app-like-noom/

#AppLikeNoom #AppDevelopmentCompany #Canada

Explore the Best Free Job Bidding Platforms in the USA

Looking to find your next big opportunity without spending a dime? Discover the best free job bidding platforms in the USA with our in-depth guide. We’ve compiled a list of top-rated websites that allow freelancers, contractors, and gig workers to bid on projects, connect with clients, and land high-quality jobs without any fees. From user-friendly interfaces to robust job listings, these platforms offer everything you need to advance your career. Explore our comprehensive review to find the ideal job bidding site that fits your needs and start winning projects today!


Visit Us to Know More: https://www.bidhub.com/help-wanted

Zika Virus or Roundup Herbicide The Cause of Microcephaly?
Zika Virus or Glyphosate Exposure Causing Microcephaly

Originally published on jeffreydachmd.com.

What's causing microcephaly? It might not be what the media is telling you...

Is It Zika Virus or Glyphosate Exposure ?

The news media has been reporting the Zika virus as the cause of microcephaly. The story originated in a Monsanto chemical industry press release dated Feb 17, 2016 which was then copied over the news media. The Zika virus was discovered in Uganda in 1947, and there have been no reports of microcephaly in Uganda. A US news article says, according to Associated Press journalists who visited the Zika Forest in Uganda on Feb 1, 2016, local officials have no concern about the Zika virus.(24)

New England Journal Reports

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported Zika Virus surveillance in Colombia.(80-81) Of 50 babies reported with microcephaly, only four (8 %) had laboratory evidence of congenital Zika virus infection on RT-PCR. The other 46 cases (92 %) were due to other causes.

Of 1850 pregnant women reported infected with Zika virus, no babies were born with microcephaly. The authors state: (80-81)

“maternal infection with the Zika virus during the third trimester of pregnancy is not linked to structural abnormalities in the fetus.”

Since 92% of microcephaly babies are not caused by maternal Zika virus, perhaps we should be looking for other preventable causes.

Dr Yaneer Bar-Yam reviewed this same data from the Colombia surveillance study After reviewing this data, Dr Yaneer Bar-Yam concluded in his own report entitled: “Is Zika the cause of Microcephaly?”that there is no direct link between zika virus and microcephaly, and he proposed pesticide exposure (pyriproxyfen) in the drinking water as an alternative explanation(99):

“This (data) would seem to rule out Zika as a cause of microcephaly. This gives a consistent interpretation that there is no direct link between Zika and microcephaly except for random co-occurrence.”….”An alternative cause of microcephaly in Brazil could be the pesticide pyriproxyfen, which is cross-reactive with retinoic acid, which causes microcephaly, and is being used in drinking water.”(99)

Dr Tiago Baptista Questions Zika as Sole Cause of Microcephaly

Maternal viral infection with rubella or cytomegalovirus have been known to cause fetal malformation and fetal demise. There is no doubt that viral illness during pregnancy is best avoided.(47-55) However, Dr Tiago Baptista in a 2016 BMJ article questions “whether the surge in reported cases of microcephaly is entirely due to Zika virus infection“(55) He says:

“The risk of microcephaly after maternal infection is estimated at roughly one in 100 women… This is a relatively low risk compared with other causal infections such as cytomegalovirus.”(55)

A Distraction From the Real Cause- Exposure to Glyphosate Causes Microcephaly and other Congenital Anomalies

I suggest that the Zika virus is merely a distraction away from the real cause, agrichemical exposure from Monsanto’s Round-Up Herbicide, glyphosate, (1-4)

Dr Alejandra Paganelli reported in 2010 that “Glyphosate-based herbicides produce teratogenic effects on vertebrates by impairing retinoic acid signaling.” (8)

Dr Paganelli concludes: “(congenital malformations) “produced by Glyphosate Based Herbicides are mainly a consequence of the increase of endogenous retinoid activity. ” (8)

Dr Sylvia Lopez

In 2012, Dr Silvia L. Lopez reviewed the effects of agricultural chemicals, glyphosate based herbicides, in human and animal models.(9) She says:

“It is very well known that acute or chronic increase of retinoic acid (RA) levels leads to teratogenic effects during human pregnancy and in experimental models. The characteristic features displayed by Retinoic Acid embryopathy in humans include brain abnormalities such as microcephaly, microphtalmia, and impairment of hindbrain development; abnormal external and middle ears (microtia or anotia), mandibular and midfacial underdevelopment, and cleft palate.” (9) Note: Retinoic Acid is Vitamin A Derivative.

Dr Benitez-Leite

Dr Benitez-Leite reported 52 cases of malformations in babies born of women exposed to agricultural chemicals. The congenital malformations observed include anencephaly, microcephaly, facial defects, myelomeningocele, cleft palate, ear malformations, polydactily, syndactily all consistent with the well-known and expected syndrome caused by upregulation of the Retinoic Acid pathway.(10) Left image Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide contains glyphosate.

Upregulation of Retinoic Acid Pathway

A number of reports have linked arial spraying with the mosquito larvicide pyriproxyfen to birth defects such as microcephaly in the crop sprayed towns of Northeast Brazil.(106-108) Pyriproxyfen disrupts retinoic acid (vitramin A) signalling, a known mechanism for microcephaly (106-108) In 1995, Dr Kenneth Rothman reported in NEJM that High Vitamin A Intake causes birth defects. (109)

Increasing Anencephaly in Yakima Valley in Washington State

Another mechanism is glyphosate disruption of folate metabolsm as discussed below in the Yakima Washington State case. (35-37)

Over three years from 2010 to 2013, the Washington State Department of Health reported an unusual increase in anencephalic babies born in Yakima, Benton and Franklin counties, four times higher than the national average. (33-34)

Anencephaply, microcephaly and spina bifida are all related disorders of neural tube closure associated with maternal folate deficiency. Maternal folate supplementation is preventive. Maternal folate supplementation in Yakima was not at issue, as this was similar to the national average. Barbara Peterson, in Farm Wars, makes a compelling case for glyphosate exposure as the cause, since the Yakima river running through the affected counties had been heavily treated with glyphosate for weed control during that time period.(29) Left image Yakima River Washington State.

Glyphosate Disrupts Folate Metabolism

Glyphosate disruption of folate metabolism is discussed by Stephanie Seneff in her May 2016 article on Weston Price.(35) Glyphosate acts as an antibiotic, killing friendly bacteria by blocking the Shikimate pathway. These friendly bacterial are also involved in bacterial conversion of folic acid to methyl folate, its active form. Maternal methylfolate deficiency is associated with neural tube defects in the developing embryo.(85-87)

Glyphosate Disrupts Glycine Metabolism

Stephanie Seneff’s article then discusses how glyphosate disrupts glycine decarboxylase metabolism, known to cause neural tube defects in animal studies and humans.(36-37)

Glyphosate is the amino acid glycine with an added phosphate group, so glyphosate may readily displace glycine in various biochemical reactions. Glyphosate disrupts glycine decarboxylase by displacing glycine as a substrate. In addition, glyphosate replaces glycine at insertion sites in amino acid chains during protein synthesis, producing defective enzymes (35). Glyphosate is basically the amino acid, glycine with a phosphate group added on to it.

Glyphosate is a Patented Antimicrobial, Anti-Folate Drug

Glyphosate is actually patented as an anti-microbial drug. (83,84) Glyphosate serves as an anti-folate agent working in synergy with other anti-folate drugs.(58,61) Other anti-folate drugs in common use include the urinary tract antibiotic, Bactrim (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole) the rheumatology drug, methotrexate, and the anti-seizure drug Dilantin (phentoin). Maternal exposure to anti-folate drugs such as methotrexate Bactrim and Dilantin increase risk of neural tube defects in the fetus up to six-fold. (85-87) Maternal folate supplementation has been shown to reduce incidence of fetal neural tube defects (NTD), and folic acid fortification in food supply was mandated in 1998. (85-87)(100-103)

Glyphosate Inhibits the Shikimate Pathway

Glyphosate’s known mode of action is inhibition of the shikimate pathway in plants, fungi, bacteria and parasites.(58) Glyphosate blocks the pathway which produces Folate, Ubiquinone (Co-Q10), Vitamin K, and the aromatic amino acids tryptophan, phenylalanine, and tyrosine.

Government Regulators Deemed Glyphosate Safe for Humans

Government regulators deemed glyphosate safe for us humans because we lack the shikimate pathway. They forgot to consider that we humans depend on the shikimate pathway in plants and gut bacteria for our folate (vitamin B9), to prevents neural tube defects. If your lunch salad comes from an agricultural field treated with glyphosate which blocks the plant’s ability to synthesize folate, how much folate are you getting in your meal ? If you are ingesting glyphosate in your food, blocking your gut bacteria from synthesing folate, how soon will you be rendered folate deficient? Dr Bekaert says in 2008,

“Humans cannot synthesize folates (vitamin B9) and thus have to rely on plant food supplying these essential vitamins.“(104)

Dr Craig Roberts suggests that Glyphosate may serve as anti-folate, anti-parasitic drug ,He says:(58)

” it is likely that the shikimate pathway is important for supply of folate precursors in this parasite….inhibitors of EPSP synthase (such as glyphosate) can act in synergy with conventional antifolates and may be a useful addition to the agents used against apicomplexan parasites.”(58)

A quote from a University of Chicago Press Release 1998 (61) explains that Glyphosate blocks production of folate:

“Effective new ways to inhibit parasites that cause malaria, toxoplasmosis and cryptosporidiosis” June 25, 1998.(61)

“Dr. McLeod’s team showed that glyphosate, …could block the production of folate, inhibiting parasite growth and survival. Glyphosate proved effective against malaria strains that were resistant to an anti-malarial medicine, pyrimethamine, which interrupts folate processing at a different point. To confirm the finding, they demonstrated that these folate-starved parasites could be rescued, in the test tube, by giving them folate.”(61)

Brazil Annual Pesticide Sales Surpasses the US

Left Image courtesy of Reuters. Brazil sales of herbicide (glyphosate) exceeds that of US.(81)

According to Paulo Prada in her 2015 article, Brazil has a huge appetite for pesticides and herbicides, surpassing annual sales in the US.(81)

Poalo Prado explains that in Northeast Brazil, irrigation canals were built, transforming previously arid land into fertile farm land. These open air irrigation canals are heavily contaminated with herbicides and pesticides liberally applied to the crop fields. Life is primitive for the agricultural workers who live without piped in water for their dwellings. The local workers use the open air irrigation canals for their drinking water, thus are heavily exposed to herbicide and pesticide runoff.

House Passes 1.1 Billion Zika Virus Bill. Methyl-Folate is Cheaper.

Instead of spending 1.1 Billion dollars on a “controversial” Zika Virus Bill, I have a better idea for prevention of microcephaly and neural tube defects. (90) Suppose we instead allocate 100 million dollars to give out free methyl-folate tablets to all pregnant women exposed to glyphosate here in the US, and in Brazil. That would solve the problem at a fraction of the cost, saving a Billion Dollars.(90)

53 Countries Have Mandatory Flour Fortification with Folate

Folate fortification of flour for prevention of neural tube defects (anencephaly, microcephaly, spina bifida etc.) is mandated in 53 countries. Fortification of flour with folic acid was mandated in the US in 1998, the most successful public health measure in history, with reduction of neural tube defects by 36%.(100-103) In 2009, Dr Oakley declared this success story a “modern miracle of epidemiology”.(103)

Study Blood Folate Levels in North East Brazil

Why not allocate research funds to study blood folate levels in women in Northeast Brazil at high risk for having babies with neural tube defects? This was done here in the US before and after starting folate fortification in 1998, showing reduction incidence of neural tube defects by 36%.(101) Folate deficiency (blood folate levels less than 3 ng/ml)) decreased from 21% to less than 1% of the population. (101)

In Australia, mandatory fortification of bread with folate and iodine was introduced in 2009, resulting in a 50-80 per cent reduction in neural tube defects in at-risk indigenous women and teenagers.(100-112)

Reducing Microcephaly in Brazil with Folate Fortification

Studies done in Brazil shows folate deficiency is severe, affecting 94% among the poor.(113) Folate fortification of flour in three south American countries (Brazil, Argentina, Chile) resulted in significant reduction in 52 different fetal anomalies including reduction in microcephaly and anencephaly.(114) Currently all South American countries except Venezuala have mandatory folate fortification legislation.(115) In populations using folate fortification there have been decreases in neural tube defects from 30-50%.(115)

How is Such an Error Possible ?

You might ask the obvious question, “how is such an error in thinking possible” that the government would waste a billion dollars on Zika instead of Folate Fortification? This is called CrimeStop or “Protective Stupidity“, aptly described in 1984 by George Orwell (91):

“The mind should develop a blind spot whenever a dangerous thought presented itself….Crimestop, they called it in Newspeak….the Party says the earth is flat’, ‘the party says that ice is heavier than water’—and trained himself in not seeing or not understanding the arguments that contradicted them.”

“Crimestop means the faculty of stopping short, as though by instinct, at the threshold of any dangerous thought. It includes the power of not grasping analogies, of failing to perceive logical errors, of misunderstanding the simplest arguments…”…”Crimestop, in short, means protective stupidity.”(91)

Using Fear and Smear Tactics to Distract Attention from Monsanto

This article in the Huffington Post Feb 16 is typical of the Monsanto tactics to distract attention away from Roundup glyphosate as the cause of the birth defects in agricultural workers in Brazil; A Viral Story Links The Zika Crisis To Monsanto. Don’t Believe It. by Anna Almendrala Senior Healthy Living Editor Huffington Post. Anna’s piece is pure Monsanto propaganda masquerading as journalism, don’t believe a word of it. If you trust anything Monsanto says, then I have a bridge to sell you.

Monsanto has known for decades that Glyphosate causes birth defects, see this report: Roundup and birth defects. Is the public being kept in the dark ? by Michael Antoniou Earth Open Source June 2011

Search Google Scholar for articles with key words “microcephaly pesticide“ : you will see 2160 articles pop up.

Glyphosate is “Probably Carcinogenic to Humans”

A number of studies show glyphosate exposure doubles the incidence of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.(92) As reported in Lancet Oncology by Dr Kathryn Guyton, on March, 2015, 17 experts from 11 countries met in Lyon France and classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” (89)

Zika Distraction from Glyphosate – The Elephant in the Room

Certainly, maternal viral illness with Rubella, (CMV) cytomegalovirus and Zika are all risk factors for fetal demise, and fetal malformations, and are best avoided.(93-95) However, the Zika Virus is a distraction from the real cause of the problem, massive glyphosate exposure to pregnant agricultural workers in Brazil. Glyphosate is a patented anti-folate drug, Anti-folate drugs are known to cause microcephaly and neural tube defects in animals and humans.

Professor Don Huber, GMO Food and Glyphosate

Increased incidence of birth defects in the population caused by exposure to the anti-folate agent, glyphosate is only the “tip of the iceberg”. The adverse health consequences of GMO food and glyphosate contamination of our food and water supply are much more extensive as outlined in a series of articles posted on the Stephanie Seneff home page. Here is a quote from Professor Don M. Huber:(88) from his document GMO Failed Promises Flawed Science Serious Health Safety Issue

” Future historians may well look back upon our time and write, not about how many pounds of pesticides we did or did not apply, but about how willing we are to sacrifice our children and jeopardize future generations for this massive experiment we call genetic engineering that is based on failed promises and flawed science, just to benefit the bottom line of a commercial enterprise.” Dr. Don M. Huber

Link to this article: http://wp.me/p3gFbV-3En

Jeffrey Dach MD
7450 Griffin Road Suite 190
Davie, Fl 33314
954-792-4663

Articles with related interest:

Dont Ask for HIV Test Ask For Glyphosate Test

Curing Autism with Antibiotics

Berberine Antdote for an Epidemic

References

For references, please view original publication.

Zika Virus or Roundup Herbicide The Cause of Microcephaly?
Zika Virus or Glyphosate Exposure Causing Microcephaly

Originally published on jeffreydachmd.com.

What's causing microcephaly? It might not be what the media is telling you...

Is It Zika Virus or Glyphosate Exposure ?

The news media has been reporting the Zika virus as the cause of microcephaly. The story originated in a Monsanto chemical industry press release dated Feb 17, 2016 which was then copied over the news media. The Zika virus was discovered in Uganda in 1947, and there have been no reports of microcephaly in Uganda. A US news article says, according to Associated Press journalists who visited the Zika Forest in Uganda on Feb 1, 2016, local officials have no concern about the Zika virus.(24)

New England Journal Reports

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported Zika Virus surveillance in Colombia.(80-81) Of 50 babies reported with microcephaly, only four (8 %) had laboratory evidence of congenital Zika virus infection on RT-PCR. The other 46 cases (92 %) were due to other causes.

Of 1850 pregnant women reported infected with Zika virus, no babies were born with microcephaly. The authors state: (80-81)

“maternal infection with the Zika virus during the third trimester of pregnancy is not linked to structural abnormalities in the fetus.”

Since 92% of microcephaly babies are not caused by maternal Zika virus, perhaps we should be looking for other preventable causes.

Dr Yaneer Bar-Yam reviewed this same data from the Colombia surveillance study After reviewing this data, Dr Yaneer Bar-Yam concluded in his own report entitled: “Is Zika the cause of Microcephaly?”that there is no direct link between zika virus and microcephaly, and he proposed pesticide exposure (pyriproxyfen) in the drinking water as an alternative explanation(99):

“This (data) would seem to rule out Zika as a cause of microcephaly. This gives a consistent interpretation that there is no direct link between Zika and microcephaly except for random co-occurrence.”….”An alternative cause of microcephaly in Brazil could be the pesticide pyriproxyfen, which is cross-reactive with retinoic acid, which causes microcephaly, and is being used in drinking water.”(99)

Dr Tiago Baptista Questions Zika as Sole Cause of Microcephaly

Maternal viral infection with rubella or cytomegalovirus have been known to cause fetal malformation and fetal demise. There is no doubt that viral illness during pregnancy is best avoided.(47-55) However, Dr Tiago Baptista in a 2016 BMJ article questions “whether the surge in reported cases of microcephaly is entirely due to Zika virus infection“(55) He says:

“The risk of microcephaly after maternal infection is estimated at roughly one in 100 women… This is a relatively low risk compared with other causal infections such as cytomegalovirus.”(55)

A Distraction From the Real Cause- Exposure to Glyphosate Causes Microcephaly and other Congenital Anomalies

I suggest that the Zika virus is merely a distraction away from the real cause, agrichemical exposure from Monsanto’s Round-Up Herbicide, glyphosate, (1-4)

Dr Alejandra Paganelli reported in 2010 that “Glyphosate-based herbicides produce teratogenic effects on vertebrates by impairing retinoic acid signaling.” (8)

Dr Paganelli concludes: “(congenital malformations) “produced by Glyphosate Based Herbicides are mainly a consequence of the increase of endogenous retinoid activity. ” (8)

Dr Sylvia Lopez

In 2012, Dr Silvia L. Lopez reviewed the effects of agricultural chemicals, glyphosate based herbicides, in human and animal models.(9) She says:

“It is very well known that acute or chronic increase of retinoic acid (RA) levels leads to teratogenic effects during human pregnancy and in experimental models. The characteristic features displayed by Retinoic Acid embryopathy in humans include brain abnormalities such as microcephaly, microphtalmia, and impairment of hindbrain development; abnormal external and middle ears (microtia or anotia), mandibular and midfacial underdevelopment, and cleft palate.” (9) Note: Retinoic Acid is Vitamin A Derivative.

Dr Benitez-Leite

Dr Benitez-Leite reported 52 cases of malformations in babies born of women exposed to agricultural chemicals. The congenital malformations observed include anencephaly, microcephaly, facial defects, myelomeningocele, cleft palate, ear malformations, polydactily, syndactily all consistent with the well-known and expected syndrome caused by upregulation of the Retinoic Acid pathway.(10) Left image Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide contains glyphosate.

Upregulation of Retinoic Acid Pathway

A number of reports have linked arial spraying with the mosquito larvicide pyriproxyfen to birth defects such as microcephaly in the crop sprayed towns of Northeast Brazil.(106-108) Pyriproxyfen disrupts retinoic acid (vitramin A) signalling, a known mechanism for microcephaly (106-108) In 1995, Dr Kenneth Rothman reported in NEJM that High Vitamin A Intake causes birth defects. (109)

Increasing Anencephaly in Yakima Valley in Washington State

Another mechanism is glyphosate disruption of folate metabolsm as discussed below in the Yakima Washington State case. (35-37)

Over three years from 2010 to 2013, the Washington State Department of Health reported an unusual increase in anencephalic babies born in Yakima, Benton and Franklin counties, four times higher than the national average. (33-34)

Anencephaply, microcephaly and spina bifida are all related disorders of neural tube closure associated with maternal folate deficiency. Maternal folate supplementation is preventive. Maternal folate supplementation in Yakima was not at issue, as this was similar to the national average. Barbara Peterson, in Farm Wars, makes a compelling case for glyphosate exposure as the cause, since the Yakima river running through the affected counties had been heavily treated with glyphosate for weed control during that time period.(29) Left image Yakima River Washington State.

Glyphosate Disrupts Folate Metabolism

Glyphosate disruption of folate metabolism is discussed by Stephanie Seneff in her May 2016 article on Weston Price.(35) Glyphosate acts as an antibiotic, killing friendly bacteria by blocking the Shikimate pathway. These friendly bacterial are also involved in bacterial conversion of folic acid to methyl folate, its active form. Maternal methylfolate deficiency is associated with neural tube defects in the developing embryo.(85-87)

Glyphosate Disrupts Glycine Metabolism

Stephanie Seneff’s article then discusses how glyphosate disrupts glycine decarboxylase metabolism, known to cause neural tube defects in animal studies and humans.(36-37)

Glyphosate is the amino acid glycine with an added phosphate group, so glyphosate may readily displace glycine in various biochemical reactions. Glyphosate disrupts glycine decarboxylase by displacing glycine as a substrate. In addition, glyphosate replaces glycine at insertion sites in amino acid chains during protein synthesis, producing defective enzymes (35). Glyphosate is basically the amino acid, glycine with a phosphate group added on to it.

Glyphosate is a Patented Antimicrobial, Anti-Folate Drug

Glyphosate is actually patented as an anti-microbial drug. (83,84) Glyphosate serves as an anti-folate agent working in synergy with other anti-folate drugs.(58,61) Other anti-folate drugs in common use include the urinary tract antibiotic, Bactrim (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole) the rheumatology drug, methotrexate, and the anti-seizure drug Dilantin (phentoin). Maternal exposure to anti-folate drugs such as methotrexate Bactrim and Dilantin increase risk of neural tube defects in the fetus up to six-fold. (85-87) Maternal folate supplementation has been shown to reduce incidence of fetal neural tube defects (NTD), and folic acid fortification in food supply was mandated in 1998. (85-87)(100-103)

Glyphosate Inhibits the Shikimate Pathway

Glyphosate’s known mode of action is inhibition of the shikimate pathway in plants, fungi, bacteria and parasites.(58) Glyphosate blocks the pathway which produces Folate, Ubiquinone (Co-Q10), Vitamin K, and the aromatic amino acids tryptophan, phenylalanine, and tyrosine.

Government Regulators Deemed Glyphosate Safe for Humans

Government regulators deemed glyphosate safe for us humans because we lack the shikimate pathway. They forgot to consider that we humans depend on the shikimate pathway in plants and gut bacteria for our folate (vitamin B9), to prevents neural tube defects. If your lunch salad comes from an agricultural field treated with glyphosate which blocks the plant’s ability to synthesize folate, how much folate are you getting in your meal ? If you are ingesting glyphosate in your food, blocking your gut bacteria from synthesing folate, how soon will you be rendered folate deficient? Dr Bekaert says in 2008,

“Humans cannot synthesize folates (vitamin B9) and thus have to rely on plant food supplying these essential vitamins.“(104)

Dr Craig Roberts suggests that Glyphosate may serve as anti-folate, anti-parasitic drug ,He says:(58)

” it is likely that the shikimate pathway is important for supply of folate precursors in this parasite….inhibitors of EPSP synthase (such as glyphosate) can act in synergy with conventional antifolates and may be a useful addition to the agents used against apicomplexan parasites.”(58)

A quote from a University of Chicago Press Release 1998 (61) explains that Glyphosate blocks production of folate:

“Effective new ways to inhibit parasites that cause malaria, toxoplasmosis and cryptosporidiosis” June 25, 1998.(61)

“Dr. McLeod’s team showed that glyphosate, …could block the production of folate, inhibiting parasite growth and survival. Glyphosate proved effective against malaria strains that were resistant to an anti-malarial medicine, pyrimethamine, which interrupts folate processing at a different point. To confirm the finding, they demonstrated that these folate-starved parasites could be rescued, in the test tube, by giving them folate.”(61)

Brazil Annual Pesticide Sales Surpasses the US

Left Image courtesy of Reuters. Brazil sales of herbicide (glyphosate) exceeds that of US.(81)

According to Paulo Prada in her 2015 article, Brazil has a huge appetite for pesticides and herbicides, surpassing annual sales in the US.(81)

Poalo Prado explains that in Northeast Brazil, irrigation canals were built, transforming previously arid land into fertile farm land. These open air irrigation canals are heavily contaminated with herbicides and pesticides liberally applied to the crop fields. Life is primitive for the agricultural workers who live without piped in water for their dwellings. The local workers use the open air irrigation canals for their drinking water, thus are heavily exposed to herbicide and pesticide runoff.

House Passes 1.1 Billion Zika Virus Bill. Methyl-Folate is Cheaper.

Instead of spending 1.1 Billion dollars on a “controversial” Zika Virus Bill, I have a better idea for prevention of microcephaly and neural tube defects. (90) Suppose we instead allocate 100 million dollars to give out free methyl-folate tablets to all pregnant women exposed to glyphosate here in the US, and in Brazil. That would solve the problem at a fraction of the cost, saving a Billion Dollars.(90)

53 Countries Have Mandatory Flour Fortification with Folate

Folate fortification of flour for prevention of neural tube defects (anencephaly, microcephaly, spina bifida etc.) is mandated in 53 countries. Fortification of flour with folic acid was mandated in the US in 1998, the most successful public health measure in history, with reduction of neural tube defects by 36%.(100-103) In 2009, Dr Oakley declared this success story a “modern miracle of epidemiology”.(103)

Study Blood Folate Levels in North East Brazil

Why not allocate research funds to study blood folate levels in women in Northeast Brazil at high risk for having babies with neural tube defects? This was done here in the US before and after starting folate fortification in 1998, showing reduction incidence of neural tube defects by 36%.(101) Folate deficiency (blood folate levels less than 3 ng/ml)) decreased from 21% to less than 1% of the population. (101)

In Australia, mandatory fortification of bread with folate and iodine was introduced in 2009, resulting in a 50-80 per cent reduction in neural tube defects in at-risk indigenous women and teenagers.(100-112)

Reducing Microcephaly in Brazil with Folate Fortification

Studies done in Brazil shows folate deficiency is severe, affecting 94% among the poor.(113) Folate fortification of flour in three south American countries (Brazil, Argentina, Chile) resulted in significant reduction in 52 different fetal anomalies including reduction in microcephaly and anencephaly.(114) Currently all South American countries except Venezuala have mandatory folate fortification legislation.(115) In populations using folate fortification there have been decreases in neural tube defects from 30-50%.(115)

How is Such an Error Possible ?

You might ask the obvious question, “how is such an error in thinking possible” that the government would waste a billion dollars on Zika instead of Folate Fortification? This is called CrimeStop or “Protective Stupidity“, aptly described in 1984 by George Orwell (91):

“The mind should develop a blind spot whenever a dangerous thought presented itself….Crimestop, they called it in Newspeak….the Party says the earth is flat’, ‘the party says that ice is heavier than water’—and trained himself in not seeing or not understanding the arguments that contradicted them.”

“Crimestop means the faculty of stopping short, as though by instinct, at the threshold of any dangerous thought. It includes the power of not grasping analogies, of failing to perceive logical errors, of misunderstanding the simplest arguments…”…”Crimestop, in short, means protective stupidity.”(91)

Using Fear and Smear Tactics to Distract Attention from Monsanto

This article in the Huffington Post Feb 16 is typical of the Monsanto tactics to distract attention away from Roundup glyphosate as the cause of the birth defects in agricultural workers in Brazil; A Viral Story Links The Zika Crisis To Monsanto. Don’t Believe It. by Anna Almendrala Senior Healthy Living Editor Huffington Post. Anna’s piece is pure Monsanto propaganda masquerading as journalism, don’t believe a word of it. If you trust anything Monsanto says, then I have a bridge to sell you.

Monsanto has known for decades that Glyphosate causes birth defects, see this report: Roundup and birth defects. Is the public being kept in the dark ? by Michael Antoniou Earth Open Source June 2011

Search Google Scholar for articles with key words “microcephaly pesticide“ : you will see 2160 articles pop up.

Glyphosate is “Probably Carcinogenic to Humans”

A number of studies show glyphosate exposure doubles the incidence of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.(92) As reported in Lancet Oncology by Dr Kathryn Guyton, on March, 2015, 17 experts from 11 countries met in Lyon France and classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” (89)

Zika Distraction from Glyphosate – The Elephant in the Room

Certainly, maternal viral illness with Rubella, (CMV) cytomegalovirus and Zika are all risk factors for fetal demise, and fetal malformations, and are best avoided.(93-95) However, the Zika Virus is a distraction from the real cause of the problem, massive glyphosate exposure to pregnant agricultural workers in Brazil. Glyphosate is a patented anti-folate drug, Anti-folate drugs are known to cause microcephaly and neural tube defects in animals and humans.

Professor Don Huber, GMO Food and Glyphosate

Increased incidence of birth defects in the population caused by exposure to the anti-folate agent, glyphosate is only the “tip of the iceberg”. The adverse health consequences of GMO food and glyphosate contamination of our food and water supply are much more extensive as outlined in a series of articles posted on the Stephanie Seneff home page. Here is a quote from Professor Don M. Huber:(88) from his document GMO Failed Promises Flawed Science Serious Health Safety Issue

” Future historians may well look back upon our time and write, not about how many pounds of pesticides we did or did not apply, but about how willing we are to sacrifice our children and jeopardize future generations for this massive experiment we call genetic engineering that is based on failed promises and flawed science, just to benefit the bottom line of a commercial enterprise.” Dr. Don M. Huber

Link to this article: http://wp.me/p3gFbV-3En

Jeffrey Dach MD
7450 Griffin Road Suite 190
Davie, Fl 33314
954-792-4663

Articles with related interest:

Dont Ask for HIV Test Ask For Glyphosate Test

Curing Autism with Antibiotics

Berberine Antdote for an Epidemic

References

For references, please view original publication.

https://greenmedinfo.com/blog/zika-virus-or-roundup-herbicide-cause-microcephaly

Investigation begins into Federal Court Judge accused of hiding Pfizer ties
A Federal Court Judge did not disclose ties to Pfizer or longstanding connections to biomedical research, while presiding over a covid-19 mRNA vaccine lawsuit.

Maryanne Demasi, PhD

After significant delays, the Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia has now confirmed an investigation has begun into the alleged misconduct of one of its own judges.

Federal Court Judge Helen Rofe is the subject of the investigation after presiding over the Fidge v. Pfizer, Moderna case.


Judge Helen Rofe, Federal Court of Australia
Julian Fidge, a General Practitioner and pharmacist alleged the mRNA covid vaccines contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and that Pfizer and Moderna failed to obtain the necessary licenses to distribute the vaccines in Australia - a criminal offence under the Gene Technology Act 2000.

But before any evidence could be heard, Judge Rofe dismissed the case in March 2024 on the basis that Dr Fidge lacked standing, i.e. he was not an “aggrieved person” for the purposes of trial and therefore had “no reasonable prospect” of success.

After the decision was handed down, it was revealed that Judge Rofe had undisclosed ties to Pfizer. When at the Bar, she had represented Pfizer on at least five occasions between 2003-2006.

Further, Judge Rofe had family ties with the Grimwade pharmaceutical fortune, which later ran the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, a biomedical research organisation that joined forces with Mermaid Bio in 2022, to develop mRNA vaccines.

Complaint to the Federal Court

Law firm PJ O’Brien & Associates, acting for Dr Fidge, filed a complaint with Federal Court Chief Justice Debra Mortimer, who is now investigating Judge Rofe.

The complaint against Justice Rofe alleges serious misconduct possibly rising to misbehaviour for failing to recuse herself from the case or disclose her significant prior relationship with Pfizer and the pharmaceutical industry.

Essentially, the complaint argues that withholding this information gives rise to the inference that Judge Rofe deliberately concealed the information, connoting dishonesty.

Share

Katie Ashby-Koppens, the instructing solicitor said, “A judge is duty bound and obliged to inform all perceivable conflicts - even if not actual - to all parties to a proceeding with sufficient time for them to ask or make application for a judge's recusal.”

“Given the nature and extent of perceivable conflicts, we say her Honour was duty bound to advise the parties at the first case management conference, or preferably have declined the file from the registrar when she was first offered it,” she added.

A person with blonde hair wearing a black jacket

Description automatically generated
Katie Ashby-Koppens, solicitor PJ O’Brien & Associates
Ashby-Koppens points to case law that suggests it is not a conflict for a judge to hear a matter of a former client if the subject matter is different, and so this should have given Judge Rofe the confidence to disclose her history. But she didn’t.

Given there are 16 other judges who sit on the Federal Court Melbourne Registry, Ashby-Koppens said Judge Rofe’s decision should be voided and heard by a different judge with no actual or perceived conflicts of interest.

Parliament to investigate

A copy of the complaint has also been sent to the Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament to investigate Justice Rofe’s conduct, as is their prerogative under Section 72(2) of the Constitution.

“If Judge Rofe did previously have dealings with Pfizer she should have disclosed those dealings,” said Queensland Senator Gerard Rennick. “If she didn’t disclose them, then we need to ask why she didn’t disclose those dealings or it will undermine faith in the Judiciary.”

Ashby-Koppens added, “If the allegations of misbehaviour are proven, the Parliament may remove Justice Rofe from the bench.”

The last time there was a Parliamentary investigation into potential misbehaviour of a judge was in May 1986, in the case of Justice Lionel Murphy QC, back when Bob Hawke was the Australian Prime Minister.


Justice Lionel Murphy QC, passed away Oct 1986
Justice Murphy was accused of attempting to bribe police officers, encouraging the intimidation or harming of several ­people and improperly using his ­influence to help Sydney organised crime boss Abe Saffron win lucrative business contracts.

The Commission of Inquiry was cut short when Justice Murphy announced he was dying of cancer – he passed away in October 1986.

Judicial independence

Judicial independence and impartiality are core principles that apply to judges, juries and other officials in the justice system. It is incumbent on judges, for example, to disclose any actual or apprehended bias that may exist in a case they preside over.

‘Apprehended’ bias is if there are factors that could have influenced a judge’s decision, or if “a fair-minded lay observer with knowledge of the material objective facts” might believe the judge is not impartial when ruling on a matter – this is the alleged bias being levelled against Judge Rofe.

However, there have been longstanding concerns that the rules and framework around judicial bias are not clear.

In August 2022, the Australian Law Reform Commission published a report following its inquiry into judicial impartiality and bias.

One of the recommendations was to establish a Federal judicial commission because existing mechanisms for raising allegations of actual and apprehended bias were “not sufficient to maintain public confidence in the administration of justice.”


The Law Council of Australia also supports the creation of a Federal judicial commission to improve procedures for responding to complaints about judicial bias and foster confidence in the independence of the judiciary.

Australian President of the Law Council, Greg McIntyre SC, said, “Key to impartiality is the need for clarity and transparency on procedures relating to bias, to assure court users that such issues can be dealt with in a fair and effective manner.”


Greg McIntyre SC, President, Law Council of Australia
McIntyre would not comment on real or hypothetical scenarios relating to the appropriateness of a judge recusing himself or herself from a matter, or in this case, Judge Rofe.

However, he did say, “Judges of federal courts would be expected to be informed of, understand and follow all the laws and rules to which they are subject to” and that the public needs clear guidance on “the steps to take if they still believe bias exists.”

When asked if there was an expiry date on the disclosure of conflicts, McIntyre said guidance relating to potential bias does not have to be “explicit or rigid” in terms of the duration of time after which a conflict of interest needs to be disclosed.

Judge Rofe was approached for comment but no response was received prior to publishing.

*Sept 5 UPDATE: Judge Rofe’s response from the Federal Court -- The Court makes no comment on the matter.


Give a gift subscription

https://blog.maryannedemasi.com/p/investigation-begins-into-federal

There Are No Licensed COVID Vaccines for Kids Under 12 — But CDC Wants Babies to Get 3 Pfizer Shots by Age 9 Months
According to the latest CDC guidance, 9-month-old babies must receive multiple doses of an unlicensed mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to be considered “up to date” with their COVID-19 vaccination.

baby and covid vaccine with "3rd dose" on bottle
COVID

by Ray L. Flores II, Esq.Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D.
September 3, 2024

baby and covid vaccine with "3rd dose" on bottle
Nine-month-old babies must receive multiple doses of an unlicensed mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to be considered “up to date” with their COVID-19 vaccination, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC’s updated guidance, issued Aug. 30, states that children — as young as 6 months old — should get either two doses of the 2024-2025 Moderna vaccine or three doses of the 2024-2025 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

If getting the new Pfizer shot, the baby is supposed to receive the first dose at 6 months, the second dose three weeks later and the third dose at least eight weeks after the second dose — meaning, that by 9 months old, babies are supposed to have received three Pfizer shots.

If getting the latest Moderna shot, the CDC recommends babies get the first dose at age 6 months and the second dose a month later.

The latest Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 shots for children under 12 are unlicensed in the U.S. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted only emergency use authorization (EUA) for the vaccines.

Children’s Health Defense (CHD) CEO Mary Holland told The Defender, “The earlier COVID shots have been proven unsafe and ineffective. Now we’re asked to believe that newer versions are miraculously safe and effective?”

“This is an insult to people’s intelligence,” she said, “I pray that parents will have the good sense to say no to these dangerous and unnecessary shots for babies.”

As of July 28, 37,814 deaths following COVID-19 vaccination had been reported to VAERS, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, run by the FDA and CDC.

Of those, 187 reports were for children and teens under 18. Nearly 13,000 reports listed the age as “unknown.”

VAERS analyst and expert Albert Benavides recently told The Defender he believes VAERS is “throttling” and underreporting deaths of all ages following COVID-19 vaccination.

Meanwhile, the CDC continues to tell the public that COVID-19 vaccines are “safe and effective.”


Coming to a​​theater near youSeptember 2024

Get Tickets


CDC ‘absolutely misleading’ public on safety of EUA vaccines

Holland said the CDC is “absolutely misleading” the public by asserting that COVID-19 EUA vaccines are safe and effective because EUA vaccines are not held to the same safety or efficacy standards as licensed vaccines.

“By law,” she explained, “EUA products ‘may be effective,’ and they have not undergone the safety testing required to permit licensing.”

“This is one more horrific example of the CDC putting profits before people and acting as an unethical arm of Big Pharma’s marketing operation,” Holland added.

CHD Chief Scientific Officer Brian Hooker agreed. “It is criminal that these untested vaccines are being recommended to infants and children, especially given the fraudulent tactics to market them to an unsuspecting public,” Hooker told The Defender.

Gavel and money vaccines
Did DOJ Lawyers Commit Fraud in the Omnibus Autism Proceeding?

Learn More

There’s no licensed COVID vaccine for kids under 12

There are still no licensed COVID-19 vaccines available for children under 12, Hooker said — so all COVID-19 vaccines given to young kids are EUA products.

The FDA’s website on EUA for medical products states that EUA vaccines only have to meet the standard of “may be effective” as long as if, “based on the totality of the scientific evidence, it is reasonable to believe that the product may be effective for the specified use.”

“The ‘may be effective’ standard for EUAs provides for a lower level of evidence than the ‘effectiveness’ standard that FDA uses for product approvals,” the website states.

Before a vaccine can be fully licensed, the vaccine maker typically is required to conduct numerous clinical trials to demonstrate that the product is safe. However, the safety requirements for EUA are more flexible.

According to the FDA:

“The amount and type(s) of safety information that FDA recommends be submitted as part of a request for an EUA will differ depending upon a number of factors, including whether the product is approved for another indication and, in the case of an unapproved product, the product’s stage of development.”

Despite this, the first statement on the CDC’s “6 Things to Know about COVID-19 Vaccination for Children” says, “COVID-19 vaccination for children is safe.”

Risks outweigh benefits for kids

Hooker said the CDC’s actions are especially problematic as, historically, the meaning of “safe” has been interpreted by regulatory authorities as meaning that the benefits of a drug outweigh its risks.

“With the risk to children of dying from a COVID-19 infection being statistically zero, it is unclear if there is any benefit,” he said.

Meanwhile, the CDC still claims that “while adverse reactions are rare, the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known risks of COVID-19 and possible severe complications.”

This article was funded by critical thinkers like you.

The Defender is 100% reader-supported. No corporate sponsors. No paywalls. Our writers and editors rely on you to fund stories like this that mainstream media won’t write.

Please Donate Today

Pfizer fact sheet more forthcoming about risks

For licensed vaccines, the CDC typically provides an official vaccine information statement (VIS) that describes the vaccine’s risks and potential benefits.

According to the CDC website, “Federal law requires that healthcare staff provide a VIS to a patient, parent, or legal representative before each dose of certain vaccines.”

However, for EUA COVID-19 vaccines, the CDC directs people to “fact sheets” — produced by the vaccine manufacturer, not the CDC, and authorized by the FDA — which detail the product’s risks and benefits.

There is no federal law requiring healthcare providers to share these fact sheets with patients, or parents of minors, before a COVID-19 vaccination.

“Pfizer’s own ‘fact sheet’ for its latest COVID-19 vaccine appears to give a more accurate picture [of the vaccine’s risks] than the CDC’s own websites,” Hooker said. “Shouldn’t the CDC be more a watchdog than Pfizer?”

For example, Pfizer’s fact sheet states, “A product authorized for emergency use has not undergone the same type of review by FDA as an FDA-approved product.”

The Pfizer fact sheet also acknowledges that its vaccine “may not protect everyone” and that reported side effects associated with the Pfizer vaccines include myocarditis and pericarditis.

Hooker pointed out that research has shown that vaccine-induced myocarditis, inflammation of the heart, and pericarditis, inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart, can be fatal.

He urged parents to “read between the lines” when assessing the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccination recommendation for babies and children.

“Most of all,” he added, “use common sense to decide if the CDC’s and the FDA’s logic is sound.”


The CDC recommends THREE Pfizer Covid shots for babies by age 9 months. These shots are unsafe and ineffective, especially over the long term. And babies are at near-zero risk from Covid. So whose benefit is the CDC serving here?

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/babies-three-pfizer-covid-vaccine-doses-cdc/

VAIDS Rising: First Patient Diagnosed With Monkey Pox, COVID & HIV
And Dr. Mengele 2.0 aka Dr. Fauci tests positive for COVID yet again.

2nd Smartest Guy in the World
While a recent news report deliberately omits the true cause of a horrifying condition involving monkey pox, COVID and HIV, it is safe to assume that the Modified mRNA slow kill bioweapon “vaccines” are now inducing simultaneous multiple VAIDS symptoms; to wit:

When the immune systems of the genetically modified humans are severely compromised and permanently inflamed as a result of being reduced to walking spike protein factories as a function of the “Safe and Effective” injections, the expression of various VAIDS symptoms is to be expected; with sexually transmitted diseases like Monkey Pox becoming that much easier to contract, as well as myocarditis, prion-based diseases, turbo cancers, etc. & etc.

In other news, the most prolific serial killer in the history of mankind has now come down with a third case of COVID despite being “vaccinated” and boosted six times:

Dr. Mengele 2.0 aka Dr. Fauci is heading straight for a turbo cancer diagnosis given his VAIDS condition, with his multiple COVID diagnoses being an expression of ‘long COVID,’ which is nothing more than a disingenuous way of diagnosing long DEATHVAX™.

It would be wise for both the Mpox/COVID/HIV sufferer and Dr. Fauci alike to avoid all future “Trust the Science” injections like the bioterror plague that they are, and consider the following treatment approach that actually works:

New & Improved Synergistic Joe Tippens Protocol

Tocotrienol and Tocopherol forms (all 8) of Vitamin E (400-800mg per day, 7 days a week). A product called Gamma E by Life Extension or Perfect E are both great.

Bio-Available Curcumin (600mg per day, 2 pills per day 7 days a week). A product called Theracurmin HP by Integrative Therapeutics is bioavailable.

Vitamin D (62.5 mcg [2500 IU] seven days a week).

CBD oil (1-2 droppers full [equal to 167 to 334 mg per day] under the tongue, 7 days a week) CBD-X: The most potent full spectrum organic CBD oil, with 5,000 milligrams of activated cannabinoids and hemp compounds CBD, CBN & CBG per serving.

Fenbendazole (300mg, 6 days a week) or in the case of severe turbo cancers up to 1 gram

Ivermectin (24mg, 7 days a week) or in the case of severe turbo cancers up to 1mg/kg/day

VIR-X immune support (2 capsules per day)

They want you dead.

Do NOT comply.






Upgrade to paid

Shop 2SG merch

Use code 2SGPET for 10% off PetMectin

Use code 2SGPET for 10% off PetDazole

Use code 2SGPET for 10% off CBD-X

Use code 2SGPET for 10% off FishCycline

https://www.2ndsmartestguyintheworld.com/p/vaids-rising-first-patient-diagnosed

Stuck Between a Rock and the ER
Dealing with kidney stone emergencies requires a different approach than that which resolves the chronic underlying causes

Dr. Syed Haider

We usually advocate for careful, measured medical solutions. We rail against the tendency to try to “hack” biology, because biology can’t be hacked without hacking it to bits.

And yet, sometimes you just have to cut the Gordian knot, because there’s a difference between emergency care and chronic care.

In emergencies you’re willing to do things that you might never do outside of them because in every situation you have to weigh the risks and benefits. When you have time on your side you can take it easy and do things the right way, without little or no risk at all. When you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place like the ER you often have to make concessions because the ER can mean even risker treatments and procedures that are often quite expensive as well.

Kidney stones can be excruciatingly painful to pass, and sometimes they won’t pass at all if they’re too large. No matter how much painkiller you receive it may not do much at all when the spasmodic pains hit. And using the strongest opiate painkillers like morphine can worsen spasms of the ureter so patients are usually started on high dose ibuprofen, perhaps alpha blockers like tamsulosin to reduce spasms, and plenty of fluids to help flush the kidney stone out.

Kidney Stones (Nephrolithiasis) - Symptoms and Causes
If that doesn’t work then some types and sizes of stones can be broken up by a shockwave (lithotripsy) procedure, others require retrieval via a freaky endoscopic procedure call ureteroscopy, and still others may require a full on open surgery. 1 in 1000 to 1 in 2000 ureterscopy procedures will result in severe complications like avulsion of the ureter, requiring extensive surgical repair. Of course any major surgical procedure can involve complications, but for most people the biggest complication will be to their pocketbooks. With insurance you’re looking at $1000s in copays and without insurance 10s of $1000s. Finally and perhaps worst of all is the amount of time it takes to finally get relief from the stone. It could be many hours in the ER just waiting for the procedure to be arranged.

In this and other similar situations it’s always good to have a plan B, or even a plan A that you can institute yourself.

We’ve seen incredible results from two simple approaches to acute kidney stones. The first can be done by nearly anyone at any time and you just need a bunch of lemons and water. The second is more specialized and is the herb Chanca Piedra, which might be good to keep on hand if stones are a recurrent problem.

Lemons are well known to help prevent the two mosts common types of kidney stones - calcium oxalate and uric acid, they’ve been mentioned by the Harvard Health website and many dialed-in urologists will let you know about lemon juice for prevention. Lemon juice has citric acid, which becomes citrate when excreted in the urine. This reduces acidity of the urine which can dissolve uric acid stones. The citrate also binds calcium ions to prevent calcium oxalate formation.

It is not usually considered likely for citrate from lemonade or any other source to be able to shrink a calcium oxalate stone once it forms, but it seems like it should be possible. And we have to understand that even shaving off a tiny bit of an impacted stone can mean the difference between surgery and spontaneously passing it.

Now at the surface of a calcium oxalate stone in the urine there would always be some flux of calcium ions either joining the stone or leaving it. The tendency towards one or the other would be influenced by how many calcium ions are dissolved in the urine. With the addition of citrate which binds and removes calcium ions from the urine, more calcium would be released from the calcium oxalate stone, thereby leading to progressive shrinkage of the stone. Perhaps a biochemist can chime in with a predicted rate of dissolution, but lets see what we can come up with.

The likelihood of a stone passing naturally depends on its size (diameter):

1 mm: 87% chance of passing

2–4 mm: 76% chance of passing

5–7 mm: 60% chance of passing

7–9 mm: 48% chance of passing

Larger than 9 mm: 25% chance of passing

Kidney stones Memes and Images - Imgur
Based on the weight of calcium oxalate and assuming a spherical stone shape, the following are the typical weights of various diameter stones:

Small Stones (1-5 mm):

Volume range: 0.5 mm³ to 65.45 mm³

Weight range: Approximately 1 mg to 137 mg.

Medium Stones (5-10 mm):

Volume range: 65.45 mm³ to 523.6 mm³

Weight range: Approximately 137 mg to 1100 mg.

Large Stones (10-15 mm):

Volume range: 523.6 mm³ to 1767 mm³

Weight range: Approximately 1100 mg to 3710 mg.

So if we can somehow manage to dissolve gram ranges of calcium oxalate we would have a very good chance of partially or completely dissolving any stone stuck in the ureter.

Thanks for reading Dr. Syed Haider! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Share

1. Amount of Citrate in Lemon Juice

Citrate Content: Lemon juice is a rich source of citrate. On average, one lemon (about 48 grams of lemon juice) contains approximately 1.44 grams of citrate.

Daily Intake: If someone were to drink the juice of 16 lemons in day (8 glasses of 500ml with 2 lemons in each), this would provide approximately 23 grams of citrate.

2. Citrate Absorption and Excretion

Absorption and Metabolism: After ingestion, citrate is absorbed in the intestines, and a portion is metabolized in the body, while the remainder is excreted in the urine. The efficiency of absorption and excretion can vary, but it’s generally estimated that about 20-40% of ingested citrate is excreted unchanged in the urine.

Urinary Citrate Increase: If we assume a 30% excretion rate, consuming 5.76 grams of citrate would result in approximately 7 grams of citrate entering the urine.

3. Citrate Binding to Calcium

Calcium Binding: Citrate binds to calcium in the urine, forming soluble calcium-citrate complexes. The effectiveness of this binding depends on the concentration of calcium and citrate in the urine.

Binding Capacity: Each mole of citrate can theoretically bind one mole of calcium (even though citrate is trivalent, often only one binding site is involved in a stable complex in biological conditions). The binding of calcium by citrate is pH-dependent, with better binding at higher urinary pH (above 6.5), and citrate itself tends to raise the pH of urine. If we estimate that 7 grams of citrate could bind to a proportional amount of calcium (assuming typical urinary conditions), it could potentially bind up to around 1500 mg of calcium (since citrate and calcium have different molar weights).

4. Impact on Calcium Oxalate Stones

Impact on Stone Size: This should significantly reduce the stone size because 1500 mg of calcium represents about 5400 mg of calcium oxalate (the oxalate contributes its own weight when combined to calcium in the stone) and 5400mg is more than the weight of even most very large ureteral stones.

Homemade Lemonade
It seems from the above that drinking plenty of lemon juice could have an outsized impact on any stone stuck in the ureter or anywhere else, and even on much larger stones stuck in the kidneys. Perhaps unsurprisingly many people have reported anecdotally that drinking lots of lemon juice when they develop any type of kidney stone has helped dissolve it.

In light of the calculations and reports it’s possible that lemon juice shrinks stones via the above laid out acetate in the urine mechanism (assuming there are no mistaken assumptions, like how fast the stone releases calcium at its surface), or that there is some other active principle in lemon juice that shrinks stones or stimulates relaxation of the ureters to allow them to pass, or that there is a placebo effect, or that people tend to be able to stomach more lemonade than they can plain water, and it’s just the relatively increased urine output that helps the situation.

In any event if I had a stone I would drink as much lemonade as I could to see if I could get rid of it, despite every publicly searchable source swearing it wouldn’t help because I tend to believe other people’s experience over biased researchers and scientists. If I weren’t quite so confident I might drink the lemonade on the way to the ER, and while waiting for a urologist to show up - if it worked, great, if not, no harm, no foul.

Chanca Piedra, Spanish for the “Stone Breaker”

The other kidney stone remedy has more research to back it up than lemon juice does, though you’ll usually have to go out of your way to find it instead of just visiting your local grocery store. Chanca Piedra is an Amazonian herb that is well known in local lore to both help prevent and treat kidney stones. Similar to lemon juice it increases citrate secretion into the urine which will bind calcium. It increases the secretion of magnesium, which also inhibits calcium oxalate formation. It also has known diuretic (increased urine flow), antispasmodic, antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects that may all contribute to fast and pain-free stone passage.

Gallstones

Now, no treatment of acute painful stones that land you in the ER would be complete without touching on gallstones. There’s sure to be a way to treat these, but unfortunately we’re not as certain of a one size fits all remedy for this (let us know what you’ve got). I would caution against removing the gallbladder though, as it’s a crucial organ for proper digestion and for maintaining proper hormonal balance since bile is directly involved in fat digestion, including cholesterol, which is the precursor of all hormones. It’s also required for the digestion and absorption of the important fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Of course bile will continue to be produced even without a gallbladder, but its synchronized, well-timed release during the process of digestion will be impaired.

Gallbladder Disease in Children - HealthyChildren.org
Removing the gallbladder can also contribute to estrogen excess, since extra estrogen is partly dumped into the gut via the bile and when not normally depleted may contribute to many common modern diseases such as:

Obesity

Heart Disease

Diabetes

Strokes

Cancer

Thyroid Dysfunction

Endometriosis

Uterine Fibroids

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

Osteoporosis

Many people have already had their gallbladders removed, but they do keep producing bile and the situation can still be balanced out by optimizing lifestyle factors and oftentimes a psuedo-gallbladder will even reform due to dilation of the remaining bile ducts, which allows larger boluses of bile to be injected into the gut when called for, similar to what would happen with a normal gallbladder.

Coffee Enemas and Gallstones


Various enemas have been used since ancient times by every ancient medical system. Coffee enemas were first documented in the early 20th century. They were reportedly used by soldiers in WWI for pain control. They were popluarized by Max Gerson in the 1930s as an alternative therapy for liver and gallbladder flushing and support and in the alternative treatment of cancer. The best type for this purpose is organic, green, unroasted, heavy metal and mold free coffee.

This is how coffee enemas may help with gallstones:

Absorption:

Whither Caffeine? The difference between a coffee enema and simply drinking the coffee lies in where the coffee and caffeine ends up. When you drink coffee the caffeine is primarily absorbed by the stomach and small intestine, and enters the systemic circulation traveling throughout the body before going to the liver to be metabolized out of the bloodstream. However with an enema the coffee and caffeine are primarily absorbed into the portal vein which feed straight into the liver. Here the effects of coffee will be concentrated, and coffee will also be metabolised and removed from the blood, rather than traveling on to the rest of the body. Research confirms that blood levels of caffeine are 2.5X lower after a coffee enema, compared to drinking the same quantity of coffee, and this is important because caffeines effect on the brain and rest of the body is not usually conducive to healing from chronic illness.

Stimulation of Bile Flow:

Bile Production & Flow: Caffeinated coffee specifically has been shown to stimulate the production of bile by the liver and promote its flow through the bile ducts by stimulating the contraction of the gallbladder. Enhanced bile flow can theoretically help prevent the formation of gallstones by keeping bile less concentrated and reducing the likelihood of cholesterol crystallization. It should also help break up or flush out stones already present since stagnation of bile is a risk factor for stone formation.

Bile Duct Dilation: It’s possible coffee enemas cause dilation of the bile ducts, which could facilitate the passage of small stones or sludge, though this effect is not well-documented.

Lemon Juice and Gallstones

Not the first thing we think of for gallstones, but since we used it for kidney stones, lets check it out here as well. Traditionally it has been used and is usually taken with olive oil for gallstones.

Bile Production and Flow:

Lemon juice is high in citric acid, which stimulates bile production. Bile is essential for the digestion and emulsification of fats, and an increase in bile flow might help prevent the formation of gallstones and help break them down, particularly cholesterol stones. The antioxidant vitamin C in lemon juice could help support liver function including bile production.

Chanca Piedra and Gallstones

Again since we mentioned it for kidney stones it’s worth looking at here as well.

Hepatoprotective and Choleretic Effects:

Chanca Piedra has been traditionally used for various liver and gallbladder conditions. Some studies have indicated that it has hepatoprotective (liver-protecting) properties and may increase bile secretion (choleretic effect) which could help dissolve and flush out stones.

Potential Stone Dissolution:

Like its use in kidney stones, Chanca Piedra is believed by some to have poorly characterized litholytic (stone-dissolving) properties. While most of the evidence for this comes from studies on kidney stones, there is some traditional use and anecdotal evidence suggesting it might also be helpful for gallstones.

Thanks for reading Dr. Syed Haider! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Share

Other Herbs for Gallstones

There are many herbal remedies for gallbladder issues, but they’re beyond the scope of this article and should be recommended by a practitioner who analyzes the patient’s specific situation.

Bile Acids for Gallstones

Not considered an acute remedy, but more long term, is the supplementation of bile acids that are found in normal bile, but may be “deficient” in someone with gallstones. Ursodeoxycholic acid is often used. It helps remove cholesterol from the bile and dissolves cholesterol gallstones over time. There is a pharmaceutical version and you can also get animal sourced bile acid supplements. Should only be considered as an adjunct to real deep resolution.

Bonus: Third “Rock”

There’s one acute condition you’re unlikely to get treated in the ER and that’s a severe toothache, because dentists don’t usually visit ERs. This can be as painful as any other pathology and even strong painkillers have a hard time blunting it. The ER is likely to give you an antibiotic and a painkiller and then refer you to a dentist. If you’re lucky they’ll inject a temporary nerve block that will probably wear off in a few hours. All this for a price that may be in the thousands of dollars and can involve a lot of time in excruciating pain waiting to be seen.


The single most effective and fastest treatment for any toothache, including an abscessed tooth is to bite on a fresh clove of garlic with the painful tooth. Pain is typically gone within a couple minutes. Though the garlic juice released can cause some brief burning in your mouth it’s well worth it. Garlic combines a nerve block and antibiotic in one. I have personally witnessed the effects which can last for 12-24 hours. It can be repeated as needed and can completely resolve not only the pain but even the underlying infection itself, reversing swelling, warmth, tenderness and temperature sensitivity within a day or two.

The primary side effect aside from the mucosal burning from the juice is nuclear breath and distorted taste.

Something that is much less smelly than garlic may work as well and that’s black cloves. You can try biting on 1-5 cloves with the affected tooth and often achieve the same effect, but if not you can always graduate to the garlic.


Some people hate the dentist so much they go on to live with cloves in their mouth, allowing them to continue ignoring the underlying problem of dental disease caused by dietary and other lifestyle indiscretions. This is of course a recipe for eventual disaster.

Like all the short term solutions, it’s not meant to be used as a long term bandaid. Anecdotally it is possible to actually heal teeth and avoid dentistry, but it does take dedication and significant lifestyle change. As with any disease process the approach is essentially to remove toxins and chronic pathogens which many people like have growin in the roots of multiple teeth - eg press your gums looking for any tender spots. Along with removing the harm we have to support the teeth with the right lifestyle choices and diet. Then we just have to wait long enough for these changes to take effect.

Acute Care vs Chronic

Some people figure out how to mitigate their acute kidney or gallstone issues, and then they turn that into their chronic care plan. There are many cases of patients who once they figure out that lemon juice will prevent further attacks simply drink lemonade daily and think no more of it.

The problem of course is that this doesn’t address the root cause of the problem.

It’s like having a leak in from the second floor bathroom and just painting over it, or when it gets worse just repairing the area that was leaked and making it waterproof.

Sooner or later the water will just go somewhere else and spring another leak.


The same happens in your body. The first symptom is just an early warning sign. It’s like the canary in the coal mine. When that canary died, the miners hightailed it out of there before they dropped dead too. The toxic gas dropped the little bird at much lower concentrations than it did the big miners, but once the gas started leaking they knew it would just keep building up until it got them too.

The same in your kidney or liver/gallbladder. There is some mixture of causes: toxins/pathogens and nutrient/nourishment deficiencies that is harming your organ. Left unaddressed it will keep harming your organ even if you neutralize its ability to create stones.

You’ve kept yourself comfortable by shutting up your early warning system. It’s like theres an enemy attacking and you were annoyed by the air raid sirens so you just shut them off and ignored the developing situation.

So what do you do instead?

Knowing the cause means knowing the solution.

In traditional medical thought the kidneys were linked to fear and willpower. Kidney disease or dysfunction was associated with deep-seated fears, insecurities, and a lack of resolve and resilience.

The gallbladder was seen as the organ responsible for decision-making, courage, and the capacity to act, so gallbladder issues were often linked to indecisiveness, trouble standing up for oneself, or suppressed anger/feelings.

The body often gives you a sign by compensating for lack of one thing by overdoing another. There is a common psychological thread linking the emotional aspects of both organs related to willpower and decisiveness. In both cases there may be a kind of pathological softness, in other words an inability to be firm. And this excessive softness may eventually be balanced by the hardness manifested in the stones that may form in one or the other organ.

Thanks for reading Dr. Syed Haider! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Share

Two Peas in a Pod

Kidney diseases usually happen in those who have prolonged internal or external conflicts with spouses, partners or other people close to them.

The kidneys are a paired organ, and its been said by the ancients they represent two people gazing at each other intently, or one person looking deeply at their own reflection in a mirror. This symbolism underscores the traditional view of the kidneys' connection to one's partner and oneself. It suggests that one can either view their partner as an extension of themselves or as a separate entity. When individuals begin to see their partner as an outsider rather than a reflection of themselves, it disrupts their unity and causes significant stress, leading to disconnection. Ideally, a husband and wife should function as a single entity, in perfect harmony, like one soul inhabiting two bodies. This reflects the traditional ideal of marriage.

Another layer to this is seeing other people and the rest of the creation as one’s own reflection also. This is a spiritual perspective that engenders radical responsibility for everything that happens in life, including what is done to one by other people.

The idea is that the Divine Will is the only Actor in the Universe and from the perspective of each individual, everything that happens is due to Divine Providence. The purpose of existence is to better know oneself and perfect oneself to better know the Divine and draw closer to that Reality. In order for that to happen the Universe and everything in it must reflect each individuals failings, so everything that happens and everything anyone does to one is meant to illuminate ones own imperfections so they can be worked upon.

From this perspective individuals don’t blame others, but only blame themselves for whatever happens to them. It is an empowering perspective, rather than one of victimhood.

So the kidneys actually represent more than just a person’s relationship with their closest partner or companion, but actually reflect their relationship with themselves. This relationship with onesself is simply most evident in the relationship with those closest to one, but it extends to the entire universe. So even a lack of harmony with nature, particularly the light encoded circadian rhythms, can also have a significant negative impact on kidney health.

It should therefore come as no surprise that in Classical Chinese medical thought, the kidneys are considered the seat of wisdom, because it takes great insight to see one's partner and others and the entire universe all as a reflections of oneself - or in other words a Divine Act meant to illuminate your self to you. Considering the slings and arrows of fortune as “the other” entails a rejection ones own true nature, which is what is being reflected back at one. Deeply accepting oneself means accepting ones own responsibility for everything in life and improving it.

In our experience, patients with kidney issues, invariably, upon a thorough exploration of their lives, reveal some form of conscious or subconscious conflict with others. While these conflicts may not always be immediately visible, they can manifest in various subtle ways. A skilled physician needs to listen attentively to every detail of the patient's description of their condition and life experiences to identify these underlying conflicts. If patients faile to recognize and address these conflicts, and if they don’t accept guidance to resolve them, we can only offer temporary patchwork solutions rather than truly restoring kidney vitality and providing deep healing.

There may be exceptions where kidney damage results from toxic protein shakes, bodybuilding supplements, excessive intake of processed meats, or poor sleep habits (conneccted to circadian rhythms). However, even in these cases, outright kidney damage typically occurs only if the kidneys' underlying vitality has already been undermined by internal relationship conflicts, and those should always be assumed to be present, since who doesn’t have them to some degree or other?

Trickle Down vs Bottom Up

It may seem fantastical to some, but this higher level is where the weakness in organs usually originates. After organs have been weakened chronically by the energetic deficiency that manifests from an underlying psychological issue, the problem will manifest physically as typical nutrient deficiencies and toxin/pathogen build up in that organ.

It is possible to mitigate these problems from higher up, at the level of the psyche, or lower down at the level of the physical body, but for a real deep resolution you often have to work on both, because they are both interconnected and interdependent. They are just manifestations of a single whole.

Unfortunately it’s not possible to describe a generic physical or emotional protocol for every case of kidney or gallbladder disease, but the general approach will be the same because it’s founded in the basic principles of human health and disease: we are one interconnected whole, our body responds to our thoughts and emotions. Chronic harmful thoughts and emotions create chronic bodily dysfunction which manifests as deficiencies and toxicities.

It may appear to some people that their dysfunction was obviously due to a purely physical insult, like a parasite, other microbe, or a vaccine or other injury, or chronic stress or other toxicity. However these same causes affect innumerable other people who don’t end up with kidney or gallbladder issues like stones. Who gets what in response to common toxins in the environment depends on which organs are constitutionally weak. Constitutional weakness can have a genetic element as well, which predisposes someone to certain psychological issues. But this can still be fixed. Genes aren’t your destiny, their just the first draft script you've been given to edit as you see fit.

Graduating to the level of taking radical responsiblity for yourself will allow any disease to be healed. This is the most satisfying path because it’s a journey of spiritual progress which gets at the reason for your entire existence, which is to better know the Divine, by better knowing your own failings and correcting them bit by bit. The more you grow the closer you become and the more subtle your failings become that you continue to uncover. Everything that happens is just a reflection of you, taken by the Divine and cast back at you to get you to wake up and change.

https://blog.mygotodoc.com/p/stuck-between-a-rock-and-the-er

Multi-Mineral SHILAJIT BENEFITS you NEED to know!!!

𝙎𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙟𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙫𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙙, a powerful compound with antioxidant properties. It gives a boost to your energy factories called mitochondria, helping them work their magic. By enhancing energy production, shilajit can leave you feeling invigorated and full of vitality!

𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒋𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒈𝒖𝒓𝒖: It helps your body soak up and use all the good stuff, like vitamins and minerals. When your body can put those nutrients to good use, your energy levels can skyrocket, and fatigue can take a hike.

𝙎𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙟𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙙𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙣, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 - 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙢𝙥: It helps your body deal with stress like a pro, which is super important because chronic stress can totally drain your energy. By lending a hand to your stress response, shilajit can give fatigue the boot and leave you feeling energized.

𝙎𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙟𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙭𝙮𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙞𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. It helps get that good stuff flowing through your body, bringing more oxygen to your cells. And when your cells get the oxygen they need, energy production kicks into high gear, and fatigue doesn't stand a chance.

Get your Shilajit now
http://bit.ly/GLC-SHILAJIT

Multi-Mineral SHILAJIT BENEFITS you NEED to know!!!

𝙎𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙟𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙫𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙙, a powerful compound with antioxidant properties. It gives a boost to your energy factories called mitochondria, helping them work their magic. By enhancing energy production, shilajit can leave you feeling invigorated and full of vitality!

𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒋𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒈𝒖𝒓𝒖: It helps your body soak up and use all the good stuff, like vitamins and minerals. When your body can put those nutrients to good use, your energy levels can skyrocket, and fatigue can take a hike.

𝙎𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙟𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙙𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙣, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 - 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙢𝙥: It helps your body deal with stress like a pro, which is super important because chronic stress can totally drain your energy. By lending a hand to your stress response, shilajit can give fatigue the boot and leave you feeling energized.

𝙎𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙟𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙭𝙮𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙞𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. It helps get that good stuff flowing through your body, bringing more oxygen to your cells. And when your cells get the oxygen they need, energy production kicks into high gear, and fatigue doesn't stand a chance.

Get your Shilajit now
http://bit.ly/GLC-SHILAJIT

Israeli-inflicted Palestinian injuries in Gaza, West Bank surpass 100,000 – Day 332
[email protected] September 4, 2024 arms sales to israel, columbia university, david cameron, David Friedman, Gaza, hamas, Merrick Garland, palestine erased, Palestinian journalists, West Bank
Israeli forces organize a raid with bulldozers on Jenin in the West Bank on September 01, 2024. [ Issam Rimawi – Anadolu Agency] (photo)
Compilation of news reports – IAK staff

‘3,000 operatives’: Hamas regains capabilities in northern Gaza – report

Jerusalem Post reports:

Hamas has managed to regain some of its capabilities in the northern Gaza Strip, according to a Monday Channel 12 report, citing a security source.

The report specified that Hamas had enlisted some 3,000 new operatives into its ranks in that area of Gaza.

Additionally, the resistance group reportedly provided them with weapons, ammunition, and payment.

According to the Channel 12 report, while some Israeli forces remain in northern Gaza, the absence of large troop deployments has allowed Hamas to operate more freely in that area.

At the beginning of the war with Gaza, Israeli forces invaded northern Gaza, reportedly destroying much of the Hamas infrastructure there.

In mid-July, the IDF ended a re-invasion of northern Gaza to concentrate on the central Gaza Strip.



Israel to classify West Bank as ‘combat zone’ amid dramatic escalation

Israel Hayom reports:

Recent events have triggered a major policy shift in Israel’s approach to the West Bank, Israel Hayom has learned. Previously designated as a “secondary arena” requiring stable maintenance, the Israeli military now operates under a new paradigm, viewing the West Bank as the second most critical front, immediately after Gaza.

A series of operations across the West Bank are imminent. “The Jenin operation is just the beginning,” security officials emphasize.

Security officials recommend launching extensive operations. One security source described it as “not just mowing the lawn, but uprooting the problem at its source.”

NOTE: In reality, International law supports the efforts of resistance groups against an occupying power, even to the point of armed resistance. Hamas has clearly and openly stated that its enemy is not the Jewish people, but the racist ideology of Zionism – the ideology under which Israel dispossessed 750,000 Palestinian people, exiled them to Gaza and other locations, and continues to oppress and ethnically cleanse their population.

Israeli forces carry the dead body of a Palestinian after an operation in Hebron, West Bank on September 1, 2024. [Mamoun Wazwaz – Anadolu Agency]
Israeli forces carry the dead body of a Palestinian after an operation in Hebron, West Bank on September 1, 2024. [Mamoun Wazwaz – Anadolu Agency] (photo)
Some West Bank updates: Israel continues killing spree

various media outlets report:

The Israeli aggression, since dawn last Wednesday, on the West Bank until now, has killed at least 32 Palestinians: 19 in Jenin, 6 in Tulkarem, 4 in Tubas, and 3 in Hebron, bringing the number of slain Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, to at least 685.

The total number of injuries in the West Bank and Gaza combined has surpassed 100,000 (94,398 in Gaza, 5,700 in the West Bank) – even as healthcare facilities in both areas remain under siege.

JENIN AREA: Israeli forces today directly targeted four journalists in the town of Kafr Dan, west of Jenin, as they covered the Israeli aggression in the town.

The occupation forces fired live bullets directly at the vehicle of the two photojournalists while they were trying to reach the location of the other journalists in the village of Kafr Dan.

“We narrowly escaped death,” one of the victims explained. “If we hadn’t sped up a bit in our car, they would have killed us. It was a direct assassination attempt.”

On Tuesday afternoon, Israeli soldiers shot a Palestinian teenage girl and prevented medics from reaching her until she succumbed to her wounds in Kafr Dan town, west of Jenin, in the northern part of the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said its medics moved the slain child, Lujain Osama Abdul-Rauf Mosleh, 16, to a hospital in Jenin.

TULKARM: A Palestinian minor was killed Tuesday dawn by Israeli occupation forces during the ongoing raid on Tulkarm camp.

Medical and local sources said that Mohammad Kanaan was killed after being shot in the head by the occupation forces’ snipers while he was with his father in one of the camp’s neighborhoods, while his father was shot in the abdomen by the occupation forces.

On Tuesday evening, two Palestinians were killed after the army surrounded a home and fired at it, in the Thannaba Suburb in Tulkarem.

Media sources said that the attack killed two young men inside the home before the soldiers took their corpses to an unknown destination. (More on Tulkarm here.)

HEBRON: After closing the Ibrahimi Mosque to Muslim Palestinian worshippers, the Israeli army allowed thousands of illegal settlers to hold a concert and perform their rituals at the site in the West Bank city of Hebron.

Mosque director Moataz Abu Sneineh said that the Israeli settlers held a concert in the mosque’s courtyards “in a blatant violation of the places of worship and the privacy of Muslims.”

Some of Tuesday's victims of Israeli attacks in the West Bank
Some of Tuesday’s victims of Israeli attacks in the West Bank (photos)
Unprecedented number of Palestinian journalists arrested by Israel since October 7th

The Committee To Protect Journalists reports:

Since the start of the Israel-Gaza war, an unprecedented number of journalists and media workers have been arrested — often without charge — in what they and their attorneys say is retaliation for their journalism and commentary.

As of September 4, CPJ has documented a total of 54 arrests of journalists in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza and in the city of Jerusalem, claimed by both Israel and the Palestinians as a capital, since the war began on October 7, 2023. Israel arrested 51; Palestinian authorities arrested three.

Nineteen of these journalists, including the three held by Palestinian authorities, have since been released, while 35 remain under arrest.

At least 14 of the journalists arrested by Israel are being held under administrative detention, a policy under which a military commander may detain an individual without charge, typically for six months, on the grounds of preventing them from committing a future offense. Detention can be extended an unlimited number of times.

(Editor’s note: These numbers are being updated regularly as more information becomes available. The tally includes all arrests documented by CPJ. As is our global practice, journalists who request anonymity out of concern for their safety are not named in the list below.)

“Since October 7, Israel has been arresting Palestinian journalists in record numbers and using administrative detention to keep them behind bars, thus depriving the region not only of much needed information, but also of Palestinian voices on the conflict,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna in New York. “If Israel wants to live up to its self-styled reputation of being the only democracy in the Middle East, it needs to release detained Palestinian journalists and stop using military courts to hold them without evidence.”

CPJ ALSO REPORTS: Since the Israel-Gaza war began on October 7, journalists and media across the region have faced a hostile environment that has made reporting on the war exceptionally challenging.

In addition to documenting the growing tally of journalists killed and injured, CPJ’s research has found multiple kinds of incidents of journalists being targeted while carrying out their work in Israel and the two Palestinian territories, Gaza and the West Bank.

These include 54 arrests, as well as numerous assaults, threats and harassment, cyberattacks, and censorship.

(Find details and examples here. Find an up-to-date list of journalists killed here.)

RECOMMENDED READING: CNN staff say network’s pro-Israel slant amounts to ‘journalistic malpractice’

Int’l Criminal Court likely to decide whether to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant ‘over coming days’

Ha’aretz reports:

Justice Ministry officials expect the International Criminal Court (ICC) to decide in the coming days on whether to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, but are cautiously optimistic that the court will decide against the warrants.

The officials said the government’s refusal to set up a state commission of inquiry to investigate the events of the war, as recommended by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, along with the fact that Israel has been lagging in its own investigations of alleged war crimes – something that would preempt ICC action under the principle of complementarity – strengthen the likelihood that the court will accept Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan’s request for the warrants.

The officials said they expect the court to issue its decision within days, or at most a few weeks.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 13, 2023.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 13, 2023. (photo)
US Justice Department files criminal charges against Hamas

Al Jazeera reports:

The US announced criminal charges against Hamas’s top leadership, including the group’s chief Yahya Sinwar, accusing them of leading efforts to kill civilians and destroy the state of Israel.

“As outlined in our complaint, those defendants — armed with weapons, political support, and funding from the Government of Iran, and support from Hezbollah — have led Hamas’s efforts to destroy the State of Israel and murder civilians in support of that aim,” US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

Other Hamas leaders charged include Marwan Issa, the deputy leader of Hamas’s armed wing in Gaza, Khaled Meshaal, a deputy of slain former Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh and a former leader of the group, Mohammed al-Masri and Ali Baraka.

NOTE: Garland’s nomination was endorsed by pro-Israel groups such as the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, which advocates for Israel.

HA’ARETZ ADDS: U.S. National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby acknowledged Tuesday that the events of the weekend will dictate U.S. actions moving forward.

“I’d be lying to you if I said the work going on in the days ahead are not going to be shaped or colored by our outrage about what Hamas did,” he said.

RECOMMENDED READING: US charges Hamas leaders over October 7, Gaza mediation role under question

Netanyahu once again erases Palestine during address

Middle East Monitor reports:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used a map of Israel that erases the occupied West Bank, marking it as Israeli territory, in an address to the media yesterday.

The Israeli premier appeared standing in front of a wall-sized digital map that obliterated the West Bank. Palestinians decried the move as an explicit annexation of the occupied territory by Tel Aviv.

Speaking about the importance of the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt, Netanyahu used a map which showed the entirety of the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem as being annexed to Israel and only had the Gaza Strip outlined.

“Netanyahu’s map reveals the truth of the colonial and racist agendas of the extremist right-wing government,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“Netanyahu continues and repeatedly uses a map that includes the West Bank as part of the occupation state, in clear and explicit recognition of this racist colonial crime, and disregard of international legitimacy and its resolutions, international will for peace and the signed agreements,” the ministry said.

NOTE: Israel’s supporters criticize the pro-Palestine slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free,” because they claim it calls for the erasure of Israel. In reality, the phrase is, in the words of Palestinian American congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, “an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence.” Netanyahu’s map says, in essence, “From the river to the sea, Palestine shall not exist.”

RECOMMENDED READING: No more “shrinking map of Palestine” – it’s gone

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu used a map of Israel that erases the occupied West Bank to address the media [Screenshot/Anadolu]
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu used a map of Israel that erases the occupied West Bank to address the media [Screenshot/Anadolu] (photo)
Trump advisor pushes to divert Palestine aid funds for Israeli annexation of West Bank

The Cradle reports:

Former US ambassador to Israel and advisor to Donald Trump, David Friedman, proposed in his new book that Congress should redirect $1 billion allocated for Palestinian aid to support Israeli plans for an annexation of the occupied West Bank.

“Israel will need financial assistance to assert and maintain its sovereignty over Judea and Samaria,” Friedman wrote in his new book, using the biblical term used by Israel to refer to the West Bank.

Friedman writes in his book, titled One Jewish State: The Last and Best Hope for Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, that the US could divert $1 billion in current aid to the Palestinians – which includes funds for Palestinian Authority (PA) security services – to fund the Israeli annexation plan.

Friedman also compares Palestinians living under Israeli occupation to Puerto Ricans, who live on an island considered US territory.

“Palestinians, like Puerto Ricans, will not vote in national elections. Palestinians will be free to enact their own governing documents as long as they do not conflict with those of Israel,” he wrote.

Friedman argues the US should support Israel’s annexation “based first and foremost on biblical prophecies and values”, saying that such a policy “hearkens back to basic Judeo-Christian values of kindness, human dignity, humility and prosperity”.

Friedman said he has not yet shared his idea for funding the annexation with Trump. “I hope to share it with him at the appropriate time.”

NOTE: “Biblical prophecies” do not speak anywhere of a modern Jewish state. Pro-Israel (and in many cases, antisemitic) interpretations of Biblical prophecies have twisted the words of the sacred text to imply that a modern Jewish state is a precursor to the endtimes and the return of Christ.

RECOMMENDED READING: Friedman drove the radical overhaul of US policy on Israel-Palestine and Trump Is Desperate for Miriam Adelson’s Cash. Her Condition: West Bank Annexation

President Donald J. Trump, joined by White House senior staff members, delivers a statement announcing the agreement of full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, in the Oval Office of the White House (David Friedman, L).
President Donald J. Trump, joined by White House senior staff members, delivers a statement announcing the agreement of full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, in the Oval Office of the White House (David Friedman, L). (photo)
U.S. Still Talking Up a Hostage Deal, but Privately Despair About Netanyahu

Ha’aretz reports:

The Biden administration continues to insist publicly that it is committed to negotiations on a hostage and cease-fire deal in Gaza Strip, but senior officials in the government are expressing despair and frustration about the state of the talks, especially after Israel’s security cabinet approved a resolution last week opposing withdrawal from the Philadelphi route in the context of an agreement.

The aim of the administration’s public messages, according to one of the officials, was to allow the talks to continue, in the hope that a breakthrough might occur nonetheless. “It has no real connection to reality,” he said.

President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House national security spokesman John Kirby repeat every few days that progress has been made in the talks, the gaps between Israel and Hamas can be bridged and an agreement is within reach, if both sides agree to compromise.

Behind the scenes, however, the administration is well aware that the talks have reached an impasse due to Netanyahu’s insistence on the issue of the Philadelphi route, and it seems that both the prime minister and Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas and the organization’s top official in Gaza, are refusing to take the necessary steps to reach a deal at this time. “We want this agreement more than they do,” the American official said.

HA’ARETZ ALSO REPORTS: A source inside the Netanyahu coalition who is closely involved in and a part of the government said, “Benjamin Netanyahu decided some weeks ago that he does not want a deal, and when it became possible, he got nervous and did all he could to torpedo it. He figured out that [he could use] the Philadelphi corridor” to stall the process.

“The media fell for this spin and is consumed all day long with the question of yes or no to the Philadelphi, when the real question is really the fate of the hostages versus the fate of the coalition,” the source added.

“Not one minister, including those who know that Netanyahu is sabotaging a deal, will do anything,” the source says. “They are bound to one another, their political survival depends on the government’s survival, and therefore this situation will continue. Netanyahu will pursue an endless war because that’s what is good for him.”

Netanyahu, centre, chairs a cabinet meeting at the Kirya, which houses the Israeli Ministry of Defense, in Tel Aviv
Netanyahu, center, chairs a cabinet meeting at the Kirya, which houses the Israeli Ministry of Defense, in Tel Aviv (photo)
David Cameron sat on advice that there was breach of law in Gaza, officials say

The Guardian reports:

As far back as February, UK’s former foreign secretary David Cameron sat on advice that arms export licenses to Israel should be banned.

The recommendation was based on clear evidence that Israel was violating international humanitarian law in Gaza, for which the UK risked being complicit, a former Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) adviser said.

The source, who contributed to the drafting of the advice, was speaking after the Labour government banned 30 of about 350 arms export licenses due to a clear risk cited in a government memorandum published on Monday that they might be used in serious breaches of international humanitarian law.

“The tragedy has to be considered: how many lives might have been saved if the arms export licenses had been stopped [in February and not in September, and what the potential ripple effect might have been on how other countries would have reacted in ceasing trade.”

NOTE: While the Biden administration has claimed often to be “working day and night” on a ceasefire, in reality, it has been working relentlessly to keep Israel armed – including through secret arms sales – to enable its genocidal war on the Palestinian people. American arms shipments to Israel since October 7th have surpassed 50,000 tons.

Most Americans are opposed to arms transfers to Israel.

RECOMMENDED READING: An arms embargo on Israel is not a radical idea — it’s the law

Then-Foreign Secretary David Cameron meets Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State for a bilateral meeting and press conference at the US State Department in Washington D.C., December 2023
Then-Foreign Secretary David Cameron meets Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State for a bilateral meeting and press conference at the US State Department in Washington D.C., December 2023 (photo)
Which countries have banned or restricted arms sales to Israel?


Britain is the latest country to shift its position on arms sales to Israel, which has been dependent on international weaponry for an 11-month assault on Gaza that has killed more than 40,000 people.

Here is how different countries have responded to Israel’s war:

Banned or restricted arms sales

Britain
Italy
Spain
Canada
Belgium
The Netherlands
No ban on arms sales

The US
Germany
Denmark
(For details on each country listed, go here.)



There Is No Argument For Supporting Israel That’s Both Logical And Moral

by Caitlyn Johnstone:

It’s wild when you realize that nobody can actually articulate a reason why Israel should be supported that is both logically coherent and morally defensible.

Westerners grow up being indoctrinated with the understanding that this tiny country in the middle east is super duper important and needs to be supported and defended at all cost, but if you examine the reasons given for why this is so as an adult, you find that none of them really hold water.

“Israel is the only place where Jews can be safe!”
“The Jews deserve a homeland!”
“Israel is the only liberal democracy in the middle east.”
“I support Israel’s existence but I oppose the mistreatment of Palestinians.”
“Israel is essential for protecting our interests in the region.”
(Read Caitlyn Johnstone’s rebuttal to each of these statements here.)

Palestinians remove whatever belongings they can salvage from the area as the devastation left by the Israeli army’s withdrawal comes to light in eastern Deir al-Balah, Gaza on August 29, 2024. [Ali Jadallah – Anadolu Agency]
Palestinians remove whatever belongings they can salvage from the area as the devastation left by the Israeli army’s withdrawal comes to light in eastern Deir al-Balah, Gaza on August 29, 2024. [Ali Jadallah – Anadolu Agency] (photo)
Columbia U students will not be silenced on Palestine

Palestine Chronicle reports:

The students at Columbia University in New York City inaugurated their first day of the fall semester on Tuesday by staging pro-Palestine demonstrations.

This resulted in the arrest of two students by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) outside of Barnard gates, as reported by the Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine.

The group live-streamed on the social media platform X parts of the protests, stating that the NYPD officers were “extremely aggressive with students, shoving protestors against the barricades”.

The student group stressed that as long as their university remains complicit in the ongoing genocide in Gaza “there is no business as usual during a genocide.”

“We refuse to live in a world where the mass murder of Palestinians is normal, acceptable, and profitable. Columbia University is complicit in genocide. Their investments in weapons manufacturers & defense contractors, companies such as Lockheed Martin, are fueling the genocide,” the students said on X.

The students also posted photos and footage of the statue of Alma Mater, on the steps of Columbia’s library, soaked in red as a sign of their university’s financial support for Israel and repression of pro-Palestine voices amid genocide, per the group.

The statue of Alma Mater, on the steps of Columbia’s library, was soaked in red as the protests resumed. (Photo: via NationalSJP TW Page)
The statue of Alma Mater, on the steps of Columbia’s library, was soaked in red as the protests resumed. (Photo: via NationalSJP TW Page) (photo)
MORE NEWS:

IMEMC Daily Reports.

The Guardian: Australia’s security chief says person who likes tweet supporting 7 October attacks on Israel could fail visa security test

The Cradle: Amnesty blasts UK ‘gesture politics’ after suspension of less than 10 percent of arms export licenses to Israel

Caitlyn’s Newsletter: The West Truly Doesn’t See Palestinians As Human

Al Jazeera: Paralympics: Palestine’s Aldeeb sees himself as the voice of his people

+972 Magazine: ‘This is also America’s war’: Why the U.S. isn’t stopping Israel’s Gaza onslaught




STATISTICS OCTOBER 7 – SEPTEMBER 3:

Palestinian death toll from October 7, 2023 – September 3, 2024: at least 41,546* (40,861 in Gaza* – 11,445 women (30%), 16,251 children as of July 22. [The Ministry’s figures have been contested by the Israeli authorities, although they have been accepted as accurate by Israeli intelligence services, the UN, and WHO. These data are supported by independent analyses, comparing changes in the number of deaths of UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff with those reported by the Ministry, which found claims of data fabrication implausible.]

This is expected to be a significant undercount since thousands of those killed have yet to be identified – and at least 685 in the West Bank (~147 children). This does not include an estimated 10,000 more still buried under rubble (4,900 women and children). Euro-Med Monitor reports 49,032 Palestinian deaths.

Lancet: “Applying a conservative estimate of four indirect deaths per one direct death9 to the 37,396 deaths reported, it is not implausible to estimate that up to 186 000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza.

Ralph Nader earlier estimated 200,000 Palestinians may have been killed in Gaza.

At least 45 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons (27 from Gaza, 23 from West Bank).
At least 41 Palestinians have died due to malnutrition**.
About 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million population are currently displaced.
Almost 500,000 Gazans are currently experiencing catastrophic levels of food insecurity.
Palestinian injuries from October 7 – September 3: at least 100,098 (including at least 94,398 in Gaza and 5,700 in the West Bank, including 830 children). [It remains unknown how man Americans are among the casualties in Gaza.]

Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – September 3, 2024: ~1,452 (~1,139 on October 7, 2023, of which ~32 were Americans, and ~36 were children); 288*** military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza; 25 military and civilians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel) and~10,000 injured.

NOTE: It is unknown at this time how many of the deaths and injuries of Israelis on October 7 were caused by Israeli soldiers.

*Previously, IAK did not include 471 Gazans killed in the Al Ahli hospital blast since the source of the projectile was being disputed. However, given that much evidence points to Israel as the culprit, Israel had previously bombed the hospital and has attacked many others, Israel is prohibiting outside experts from investigating the scene, and since the UN and other agencies are including the deaths from the attack in their cumulative totals, if Americans knew is now also doing so.

**Euro-Med Monitor reports that Gaza’s elderly are dying at an alarmingly high rate. The majority die at home and are buried either close to their residences or in makeshift graves dispersed across the Strip. There are currently more than 140 such cemeteries. Additionally, according to Euromed, thousands have died from starvation, malnourishment, and inadequate medical care; these are considered indirect victims as they were not registered in hospitals.

***Approximately ten of the deaths listed above were Israeli soldiers killed by Hezbollah in fighting at the Israel-Lebanon border. The figure does not include the reportedly 53 Israeli soldiers – nearly 16% of the total Israeli military deaths – killed due to friendly fire in Gaza and other military-related accidents.

† For most of the conflict, women and children accounted for about 70% of deaths in Gaza, with children making up a little over 40% of those killed, according to official statistics.

Find previous daily casualty figures and daily news updates here.

Hover over each bar for exact numbers.
Source: IsraelPalestineTimeline.org

Human rights reports on Israel-Palestine (regularly updated)
Alison Weir trending on social media – what the buzz is about
Israeli media’s coverage of the rape of Palestinian detainees shows support for sexual violence in service of genocide
Inside Israel’s torture, rape, and dehumanization centers
I’m a pediatrician. The scars I saw on Gaza’s children will take generations to heal.
What Harris’s Jewish outreach director said at a private DNC afterparty
‘Strong record of supporting the U.S.-Israel relationship’: a look at Tim Walz’s votes on Palestine as a member of Congress
Nearly Two-Thirds of All Campaign Funds for Cori Bush Challenger Came From AIPAC
Israeli army probe covered up “friendly fire” killings on October 7
Are US officials’ investments of public funds in Israeli bonds ethical? How much is too much?
Honoring the memory of a Gazan Olympic hero: Majed Abu Maraheel
An American was just shot in the West Bank. The American press can’t be bothered.
Understanding what motivates ultra-orthodox Jewish attacks on West Bank Palestinians
Palestinians’ harrowing stories of rape by Israeli soldiers (including female soldiers)
A Palestinian journalist visited Ismail Haniyeh’s home in Gaza to report on his death. Israel assassinated him too.
I reported a piece for the New York Times on antisemitism. I found a major error, but the Times didn’t care.
How Israel plans to whitewash its war crimes in Gaza
Why the West Bank is on the verge of economic collapse
Netanyahu’s plan to involve US in regional war on its behalf
Western media continue to withhold the truth about Israel and Gaza – 4 stories
“Well What SHOULD Israel Have Done After October 7?”
Welcome to Hell
More dead children. More BBC ‘news’ channelling Israeli propaganda as its own
U.S. media downplays and ignores ICJ ruling declaring Israeli occupation illegal
Israeli soldiers tell story of savage cruelty in Gaza – one given blessing by the West
Searching for Gaza’s missing children

https://israelpalestinenews.org/israeli-inflicted-palestinian-injuries-gaza-west-bank-surpass-100000-day-332/

Alison Weir trending on social media – what the buzz is about
[email protected] August 31, 2024 Alison Weir, Boykin, council for the national interest, Religious Freedom Coalition, William J. Murray
Alison Weir at National Press Club, May 2011 (screengrab)
If Americans Knew founder Alison Weir experienced harassment and assault in 2011 for telling the truth about Palestine and Israel. The ideology behind the attack is alive and well today.

A video has gone viral of an angry Israel partisan knocking Alison Weir’s phone out of her hand in 2011. Below is a longer video (three minutes) of what went on before that moment: Israel partisans were yelling outlandish, Islamophobic claims not based on fact. (The participants were not aware they were being filmed.)

Alison was attempting to give important facts to a prominent general, who was listening attentively to what she was sharing – this seemed to be what drew the ire of the other people in the room.

Below the video, find Alison’s account of the incident, written at the time, including who she was talking to and who hit her phone.

Further down is more factual information about Christians and Muslims in Palestine.

Alison Weir experienced this harassment and assault in 2011 – but the ideology behind it is alive and well today.



“Israel Is Not Alone” member knocks phone out of my hand – Press TV films incident

(from Alison Weir’s blog, May 2011)

We had just completed a CNI press briefing at the National Press Club, when the next group scheduled to use the room, “Israel Is Not Alone,” began to enter. One of their members saw our signs and began a discussion with a member of the CNI group. The conversation was heated but within appropriate bounds. Another “Israel Is Not Alone” member, however, then approached the CNI man in a somewhat threatening posture and loudly began to berate him.

At that point Lt. Col Karen Kwiatkowski, who had spoken on our panel, thought she recognized the man and he was asked his name. At first he only gave his first name, Jerry, but eventually also gave his last name: Boykin.

Lt. Gen Boykin (three stars) is known for making offensive statements about Islam and supporting Israel.

For some reason, I actually thought I might be able to convince him to rethink his positions. I told him I had been born at West Point and tried to tell him about Palestine. I was holding a booklet from our press conference, and asked him fervently to read it. He didn’t say anything.

As I was trying to describe the facts, another man came up and began haranguing me. He was almost shaking with fury. He yelled that Muslims tear the fingernails off Christians and similar things. I tried to answer him, but he shouted over everything I tried to say. I got my phone out and tried to video what he was yelling at me. I then tried to resume my conversation with Boykin and tell him about my first trip to Palestine, but the man continued shouting at me, drowning out my words, so I again tried to video what he was yelling at me. He suddenly violently hit my hand and phone, knocking the phone across the room.

I was stunned. A bit shaken, I asked someone to get security, which they did. Some of the “Israel Is Not Alone” group, probably realizing that their member had just crossed a serious line and was guilty of battery, brought me the pieces of my phone (fortunately, and surprisingly, it still works). The man (I haven’t yet learned his name) proffered an unconvincing apology.

Some people have suggested that I file charges. It turns out that a Press TV crew apparently filmed the whole incident and led off with part of it on their broadcast about our conference. You can see the video and news report here.

I’m undecided about filing charges. I know that if the situation were reversed, they would do so.

I don’t know what’s behind this angry, disturbed man. Was he angry because he was spreading such venomous lies? Or is it that the people behind “Israel Is Not Alone” are exploiting a vulnerable man and intentionally creating or fueling his rage?

Text of Press TV report:

Tempers flared at the prestigious National Press Club in Washington, DC .

A pro Israeli advocate knocked a camera out of the hands of Alison Weir, President of the Council for the National Interest Foundation. The group just finished their press conference on what they call unjustifiable US Aid to Israel.

The two sides met when the Press Club scheduled a pro Israeli news conference to follow held in the same room. The altercation illustrates heightened tensions on differing views regarding America’s relationship with Israel.

The Council for the National Interest Foundation wants Americans to know how much of their tax dollars are going to Israel.

CNIF alleges Israel receives so much aid and special treatment because the US Congress is controlled by AIPAC, America’s pro Israel lobby. Executive director Phillip Giraldi says Israel spends a lot of money on U.S. elections.

The Council for the National Interest Foundation says many members of Congress fear, if they don’t always side with Israel, that they will face retaliation in their own re-election campaigns.

Giraldi is a former CIA counter terrorism expert. He questions why America gives aid to Israel when Israel conducts more espionage for profit against the US than any other US friendly country.

Retired Lt. Colonel Karen Kwiatkowski worked at the Pentagon and says Israel receives preferential treatment.

Kwiatkowski believes America is beginning to take more interest in US foreign policy in the Middle East in large part due to tough economic times. More and more Americans want to know where their hard earned tax dollars are going and why.

Update on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 11:55AM by Alison Weir

I’ve just learned that the furious man was William J. Murray, chair of the “Religious Freedom Coalition.”

Update on Friday, January 31, 2014 at 05:50PM by Alison Weir

I later learned the name of my assailant: William J. Murray.

Murray is the head of something called The Religious Freedom Coalition, a fervently anti-Muslim organization. He is also, apparently, the son of infamous atheist proponent Madeline Murray O’Hare.

I consulted an attorney about the incident, and he advised me to file a police report since Murray’s actions seemed to constitute “assault and battery.”

I filed a police report and then waited and waited. Finally, the detective in charge of determining whether or not to prosecute Murray decided not to do so. The detective’s name is in another notebook somewhere. As I recall, it was Rosenbaum or something similar.

What is the truth about Palestinian Christians?

IN BRIEF: The loudest of Alison’s detractors in the video (and the one who assaulted her), William J. Murray, insisted that Muslims in Palestine have been persecuting Christians “since Israel ceded [Bethlehem] to Muslims.” He added that the drop in the Christian population of Bethlehem was proof of Muslim oppression.

For starters, Israel did not “cede” Bethlehem to Muslims. Bethlehem is in the occupied Palestinian West Bank. It is governed by the Palestinian Authority – a Palestinian regime, not Muslim.

In 1922, Christians made up about 85 percent of the population of Bethlehem (see Andrea Pacini’s Socio-Political and Community Dynamics of Arab Christians in Jordan, Israel, and the Autonomous Palestinian Territories. Clarendon Press, 1998).

In 1945, Bethlehem’s population was 8,820 (6,430, or 73 percent Christians; 2,370 or 27% Muslims),

By 1967, the Christian population had dropped slightly (6,231 vs. 6,430 in 1945), while the Muslim population had more than tripled (8,169 vs. 2,370 in 1945). The dramatic increase in the Muslim population was due mostly to Israel’s ethnic cleansing, both in 1948 and in 1967, during which a large Muslim population was forced into exile, thousands of whom ended up in refugee camps in Bethlehem.

The Christian population has continued to dwindle, due not to persecution by Muslims, but to the intolerable life under Israeli occupation. Christians were more easily able to emigrate, as they on the whole were more liquid, while Muslims were more often tied to the land as farmers. Muslims have also been emigrating, in smaller numbers; those who stay tend to have larger families than Christians.

Christians and Muslims – and Jews – have lived together in relative harmony throughout history. It was only with the beginning of Jewish colonialist pursuits that the trouble began. Indigenous Palestinians welcomed Jewish refugees, but did not approve of their aspiration to take over the land and create a Jewish state.

Further reading about Christians in Palestine:

VIDEO: Armenian Christians under siege by Israel
Prominent Israeli Settler Says Spitting on Christians ‘Ancient Jewish Custom’
Christians come under attack as Israeli leaders get more extreme
Sacred Christian site Emmaus destroyed by Israel
Israel severely restricts Orthodox Easter celebration in Jerusalem
Does Israel Permit Freedom of Worship? Are Palestinian Christians Doomed?
Hundreds of Israelis disrupt prayers in oldest Christian monastery In Palestine
Israel is not as Christian-friendly as you think

https://israelpalestinenews.org/alison-weir-trending-social-media-buzz/

Israeli-inflicted Palestinian injuries in Gaza, West Bank surpass 100,000 – Day 332
[email protected] September 4, 2024 arms sales to israel, columbia university, david cameron, David Friedman, Gaza, hamas, Merrick Garland, palestine erased, Palestinian journalists, West Bank
Israeli forces organize a raid with bulldozers on Jenin in the West Bank on September 01, 2024. [ Issam Rimawi – Anadolu Agency] (photo)
Compilation of news reports – IAK staff

‘3,000 operatives’: Hamas regains capabilities in northern Gaza – report

Jerusalem Post reports:

Hamas has managed to regain some of its capabilities in the northern Gaza Strip, according to a Monday Channel 12 report, citing a security source.

The report specified that Hamas had enlisted some 3,000 new operatives into its ranks in that area of Gaza.

Additionally, the resistance group reportedly provided them with weapons, ammunition, and payment.

According to the Channel 12 report, while some Israeli forces remain in northern Gaza, the absence of large troop deployments has allowed Hamas to operate more freely in that area.

At the beginning of the war with Gaza, Israeli forces invaded northern Gaza, reportedly destroying much of the Hamas infrastructure there.

In mid-July, the IDF ended a re-invasion of northern Gaza to concentrate on the central Gaza Strip.




Israel to classify West Bank as ‘combat zone’ amid dramatic escalation

Israel Hayom reports:

Recent events have triggered a major policy shift in Israel’s approach to the West Bank, Israel Hayom has learned. Previously designated as a “secondary arena” requiring stable maintenance, the Israeli military now operates under a new paradigm, viewing the West Bank as the second most critical front, immediately after Gaza.

A series of operations across the West Bank are imminent. “The Jenin operation is just the beginning,” security officials emphasize.

Security officials recommend launching extensive operations. One security source described it as “not just mowing the lawn, but uprooting the problem at its source.”

NOTE: In reality, International law supports the efforts of resistance groups against an occupying power, even to the point of armed resistance. Hamas has clearly and openly stated that its enemy is not the Jewish people, but the racist ideology of Zionism – the ideology under which Israel dispossessed 750,000 Palestinian people, exiled them to Gaza and other locations, and continues to oppress and ethnically cleanse their population.

Israeli forces carry the dead body of a Palestinian after an operation in Hebron, West Bank on September 1, 2024. [Mamoun Wazwaz – Anadolu Agency]
Israeli forces carry the dead body of a Palestinian after an operation in Hebron, West Bank on September 1, 2024. [Mamoun Wazwaz – Anadolu Agency] (photo)
Some West Bank updates: Israel continues killing spree

various media outlets report:

The Israeli aggression, since dawn last Wednesday, on the West Bank until now, has killed at least 32 Palestinians: 19 in Jenin, 6 in Tulkarem, 4 in Tubas, and 3 in Hebron, bringing the number of slain Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, to at least 685.

The total number of injuries in the West Bank and Gaza combined has surpassed 100,000 (94,398 in Gaza, 5,700 in the West Bank) – even as healthcare facilities in both areas remain under siege.

JENIN AREA: Israeli forces today directly targeted four journalists in the town of Kafr Dan, west of Jenin, as they covered the Israeli aggression in the town.

The occupation forces fired live bullets directly at the vehicle of the two photojournalists while they were trying to reach the location of the other journalists in the village of Kafr Dan.

“We narrowly escaped death,” one of the victims explained. “If we hadn’t sped up a bit in our car, they would have killed us. It was a direct assassination attempt.”

On Tuesday afternoon, Israeli soldiers shot a Palestinian teenage girl and prevented medics from reaching her until she succumbed to her wounds in Kafr Dan town, west of Jenin, in the northern part of the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said its medics moved the slain child, Lujain Osama Abdul-Rauf Mosleh, 16, to a hospital in Jenin.

TULKARM: A Palestinian minor was killed Tuesday dawn by Israeli occupation forces during the ongoing raid on Tulkarm camp.

Medical and local sources said that Mohammad Kanaan was killed after being shot in the head by the occupation forces’ snipers while he was with his father in one of the camp’s neighborhoods, while his father was shot in the abdomen by the occupation forces.

On Tuesday evening, two Palestinians were killed after the army surrounded a home and fired at it, in the Thannaba Suburb in Tulkarem.

Media sources said that the attack killed two young men inside the home before the soldiers took their corpses to an unknown destination. (More on Tulkarm here.)

HEBRON: After closing the Ibrahimi Mosque to Muslim Palestinian worshippers, the Israeli army allowed thousands of illegal settlers to hold a concert and perform their rituals at the site in the West Bank city of Hebron.

Mosque director Moataz Abu Sneineh said that the Israeli settlers held a concert in the mosque’s courtyards “in a blatant violation of the places of worship and the privacy of Muslims.”

Some of Tuesday's victims of Israeli attacks in the West Bank
Some of Tuesday’s victims of Israeli attacks in the West Bank (photos)
Unprecedented number of Palestinian journalists arrested by Israel since October 7th

The Committee To Protect Journalists reports:

Since the start of the Israel-Gaza war, an unprecedented number of journalists and media workers have been arrested — often without charge — in what they and their attorneys say is retaliation for their journalism and commentary.

As of September 4, CPJ has documented a total of 54 arrests of journalists in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza and in the city of Jerusalem, claimed by both Israel and the Palestinians as a capital, since the war began on October 7, 2023. Israel arrested 51; Palestinian authorities arrested three.

Nineteen of these journalists, including the three held by Palestinian authorities, have since been released, while 35 remain under arrest.

At least 14 of the journalists arrested by Israel are being held under administrative detention, a policy under which a military commander may detain an individual without charge, typically for six months, on the grounds of preventing them from committing a future offense. Detention can be extended an unlimited number of times.

(Editor’s note: These numbers are being updated regularly as more information becomes available. The tally includes all arrests documented by CPJ. As is our global practice, journalists who request anonymity out of concern for their safety are not named in the list below.)

“Since October 7, Israel has been arresting Palestinian journalists in record numbers and using administrative detention to keep them behind bars, thus depriving the region not only of much needed information, but also of Palestinian voices on the conflict,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna in New York. “If Israel wants to live up to its self-styled reputation of being the only democracy in the Middle East, it needs to release detained Palestinian journalists and stop using military courts to hold them without evidence.”

CPJ ALSO REPORTS: Since the Israel-Gaza war began on October 7, journalists and media across the region have faced a hostile environment that has made reporting on the war exceptionally challenging.

In addition to documenting the growing tally of journalists killed and injured, CPJ’s research has found multiple kinds of incidents of journalists being targeted while carrying out their work in Israel and the two Palestinian territories, Gaza and the West Bank.

These include 54 arrests, as well as numerous assaults, threats and harassment, cyberattacks, and censorship.

(Find details and examples here. Find an up-to-date list of journalists killed here.)

RECOMMENDED READING: CNN staff say network’s pro-Israel slant amounts to ‘journalistic malpractice’

Int’l Criminal Court likely to decide whether to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant ‘over coming days’

Ha’aretz reports:

Justice Ministry officials expect the International Criminal Court (ICC) to decide in the coming days on whether to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, but are cautiously optimistic that the court will decide against the warrants.

The officials said the government’s refusal to set up a state commission of inquiry to investigate the events of the war, as recommended by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, along with the fact that Israel has been lagging in its own investigations of alleged war crimes – something that would preempt ICC action under the principle of complementarity – strengthen the likelihood that the court will accept Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan’s request for the warrants.

The officials said they expect the court to issue its decision within days, or at most a few weeks.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 13, 2023.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 13, 2023. (photo)
US Justice Department files criminal charges against Hamas

Al Jazeera reports:

The US announced criminal charges against Hamas’s top leadership, including the group’s chief Yahya Sinwar, accusing them of leading efforts to kill civilians and destroy the state of Israel.

“As outlined in our complaint, those defendants — armed with weapons, political support, and funding from the Government of Iran, and support from Hezbollah — have led Hamas’s efforts to destroy the State of Israel and murder civilians in support of that aim,” US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

Other Hamas leaders charged include Marwan Issa, the deputy leader of Hamas’s armed wing in Gaza, Khaled Meshaal, a deputy of slain former Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh and a former leader of the group, Mohammed al-Masri and Ali Baraka.

NOTE: Garland’s nomination was endorsed by pro-Israel groups such as the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, which advocates for Israel.

HA’ARETZ ADDS: U.S. National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby acknowledged Tuesday that the events of the weekend will dictate U.S. actions moving forward.

“I’d be lying to you if I said the work going on in the days ahead are not going to be shaped or colored by our outrage about what Hamas did,” he said.

RECOMMENDED READING: US charges Hamas leaders over October 7, Gaza mediation role under question

Netanyahu once again erases Palestine during address

Middle East Monitor reports:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used a map of Israel that erases the occupied West Bank, marking it as Israeli territory, in an address to the media yesterday.

The Israeli premier appeared standing in front of a wall-sized digital map that obliterated the West Bank. Palestinians decried the move as an explicit annexation of the occupied territory by Tel Aviv.

Speaking about the importance of the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt, Netanyahu used a map which showed the entirety of the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem as being annexed to Israel and only had the Gaza Strip outlined.

“Netanyahu’s map reveals the truth of the colonial and racist agendas of the extremist right-wing government,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“Netanyahu continues and repeatedly uses a map that includes the West Bank as part of the occupation state, in clear and explicit recognition of this racist colonial crime, and disregard of international legitimacy and its resolutions, international will for peace and the signed agreements,” the ministry said.

NOTE: Israel’s supporters criticize the pro-Palestine slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free,” because they claim it calls for the erasure of Israel. In reality, the phrase is, in the words of Palestinian American congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, “an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence.” Netanyahu’s map says, in essence, “From the river to the sea, Palestine shall not exist.”

RECOMMENDED READING: No more “shrinking map of Palestine” – it’s gone

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu used a map of Israel that erases the occupied West Bank to address the media [Screenshot/Anadolu]
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu used a map of Israel that erases the occupied West Bank to address the media [Screenshot/Anadolu] (photo)
Trump advisor pushes to divert Palestine aid funds for Israeli annexation of West Bank

The Cradle reports:

Former US ambassador to Israel and advisor to Donald Trump, David Friedman, proposed in his new book that Congress should redirect $1 billion allocated for Palestinian aid to support Israeli plans for an annexation of the occupied West Bank.

“Israel will need financial assistance to assert and maintain its sovereignty over Judea and Samaria,” Friedman wrote in his new book, using the biblical term used by Israel to refer to the West Bank.

Friedman writes in his book, titled One Jewish State: The Last and Best Hope for Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, that the US could divert $1 billion in current aid to the Palestinians – which includes funds for Palestinian Authority (PA) security services – to fund the Israeli annexation plan.

Friedman also compares Palestinians living under Israeli occupation to Puerto Ricans, who live on an island considered US territory.

“Palestinians, like Puerto Ricans, will not vote in national elections. Palestinians will be free to enact their own governing documents as long as they do not conflict with those of Israel,” he wrote.

Friedman argues the US should support Israel’s annexation “based first and foremost on biblical prophecies and values”, saying that such a policy “hearkens back to basic Judeo-Christian values of kindness, human dignity, humility and prosperity”.

Friedman said he has not yet shared his idea for funding the annexation with Trump. “I hope to share it with him at the appropriate time.”

NOTE: “Biblical prophecies” do not speak anywhere of a modern Jewish state. Pro-Israel (and in many cases, antisemitic) interpretations of Biblical prophecies have twisted the words of the sacred text to imply that a modern Jewish state is a precursor to the endtimes and the return of Christ.

RECOMMENDED READING: Friedman drove the radical overhaul of US policy on Israel-Palestine and Trump Is Desperate for Miriam Adelson’s Cash. Her Condition: West Bank Annexation

President Donald J. Trump, joined by White House senior staff members, delivers a statement announcing the agreement of full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, in the Oval Office of the White House (David Friedman, L).
President Donald J. Trump, joined by White House senior staff members, delivers a statement announcing the agreement of full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, in the Oval Office of the White House (David Friedman, L). (photo)
U.S. Still Talking Up a Hostage Deal, but Privately Despair About Netanyahu

Ha’aretz reports:

The Biden administration continues to insist publicly that it is committed to negotiations on a hostage and cease-fire deal in Gaza Strip, but senior officials in the government are expressing despair and frustration about the state of the talks, especially after Israel’s security cabinet approved a resolution last week opposing withdrawal from the Philadelphi route in the context of an agreement.

The aim of the administration’s public messages, according to one of the officials, was to allow the talks to continue, in the hope that a breakthrough might occur nonetheless. “It has no real connection to reality,” he said.

President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House national security spokesman John Kirby repeat every few days that progress has been made in the talks, the gaps between Israel and Hamas can be bridged and an agreement is within reach, if both sides agree to compromise.

Behind the scenes, however, the administration is well aware that the talks have reached an impasse due to Netanyahu’s insistence on the issue of the Philadelphi route, and it seems that both the prime minister and Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas and the organization’s top official in Gaza, are refusing to take the necessary steps to reach a deal at this time. “We want this agreement more than they do,” the American official said.

HA’ARETZ ALSO REPORTS: A source inside the Netanyahu coalition who is closely involved in and a part of the government said, “Benjamin Netanyahu decided some weeks ago that he does not want a deal, and when it became possible, he got nervous and did all he could to torpedo it. He figured out that [he could use] the Philadelphi corridor” to stall the process.

“The media fell for this spin and is consumed all day long with the question of yes or no to the Philadelphi, when the real question is really the fate of the hostages versus the fate of the coalition,” the source added.

“Not one minister, including those who know that Netanyahu is sabotaging a deal, will do anything,” the source says. “They are bound to one another, their political survival depends on the government’s survival, and therefore this situation will continue. Netanyahu will pursue an endless war because that’s what is good for him.”

Netanyahu, centre, chairs a cabinet meeting at the Kirya, which houses the Israeli Ministry of Defense, in Tel Aviv
Netanyahu, center, chairs a cabinet meeting at the Kirya, which houses the Israeli Ministry of Defense, in Tel Aviv (photo)
David Cameron sat on advice that there was breach of law in Gaza, officials say

The Guardian reports:

As far back as February, UK’s former foreign secretary David Cameron sat on advice that arms export licenses to Israel should be banned.

The recommendation was based on clear evidence that Israel was violating international humanitarian law in Gaza, for which the UK risked being complicit, a former Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) adviser said.

The source, who contributed to the drafting of the advice, was speaking after the Labour government banned 30 of about 350 arms export licenses due to a clear risk cited in a government memorandum published on Monday that they might be used in serious breaches of international humanitarian law.

“The tragedy has to be considered: how many lives might have been saved if the arms export licenses had been stopped [in February and not in September, and what the potential ripple effect might have been on how other countries would have reacted in ceasing trade.”

NOTE: While the Biden administration has claimed often to be “working day and night” on a ceasefire, in reality, it has been working relentlessly to keep Israel armed – including through secret arms sales – to enable its genocidal war on the Palestinian people. American arms shipments to Israel since October 7th have surpassed 50,000 tons.

Most Americans are opposed to arms transfers to Israel.

RECOMMENDED READING: An arms embargo on Israel is not a radical idea — it’s the law

Then-Foreign Secretary David Cameron meets Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State for a bilateral meeting and press conference at the US State Department in Washington D.C., December 2023
Then-Foreign Secretary David Cameron meets Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State for a bilateral meeting and press conference at the US State Department in Washington D.C., December 2023 (photo)
Which countries have banned or restricted arms sales to Israel?


Britain is the latest country to shift its position on arms sales to Israel, which has been dependent on international weaponry for an 11-month assault on Gaza that has killed more than 40,000 people.

Here is how different countries have responded to Israel’s war:

Banned or restricted arms sales

Britain
Italy
Spain
Canada
Belgium
The Netherlands
No ban on arms sales

The US
Germany
Denmark
(For details on each country listed, go here.)




There Is No Argument For Supporting Israel That’s Both Logical And Moral

by Caitlyn Johnstone:

It’s wild when you realize that nobody can actually articulate a reason why Israel should be supported that is both logically coherent and morally defensible.

Westerners grow up being indoctrinated with the understanding that this tiny country in the middle east is super duper important and needs to be supported and defended at all cost, but if you examine the reasons given for why this is so as an adult, you find that none of them really hold water.

“Israel is the only place where Jews can be safe!”
“The Jews deserve a homeland!”
“Israel is the only liberal democracy in the middle east.”
“I support Israel’s existence but I oppose the mistreatment of Palestinians.”
“Israel is essential for protecting our interests in the region.”
(Read Caitlyn Johnstone’s rebuttal to each of these statements here.)

Palestinians remove whatever belongings they can salvage from the area as the devastation left by the Israeli army’s withdrawal comes to light in eastern Deir al-Balah, Gaza on August 29, 2024. [Ali Jadallah – Anadolu Agency]
Palestinians remove whatever belongings they can salvage from the area as the devastation left by the Israeli army’s withdrawal comes to light in eastern Deir al-Balah, Gaza on August 29, 2024. [Ali Jadallah – Anadolu Agency] (photo)
Columbia U students will not be silenced on Palestine

Palestine Chronicle reports:

The students at Columbia University in New York City inaugurated their first day of the fall semester on Tuesday by staging pro-Palestine demonstrations.

This resulted in the arrest of two students by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) outside of Barnard gates, as reported by the Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine.

The group live-streamed on the social media platform X parts of the protests, stating that the NYPD officers were “extremely aggressive with students, shoving protestors against the barricades”.

The student group stressed that as long as their university remains complicit in the ongoing genocide in Gaza “there is no business as usual during a genocide.”

“We refuse to live in a world where the mass murder of Palestinians is normal, acceptable, and profitable. Columbia University is complicit in genocide. Their investments in weapons manufacturers & defense contractors, companies such as Lockheed Martin, are fueling the genocide,” the students said on X.

The students also posted photos and footage of the statue of Alma Mater, on the steps of Columbia’s library, soaked in red as a sign of their university’s financial support for Israel and repression of pro-Palestine voices amid genocide, per the group.

The statue of Alma Mater, on the steps of Columbia’s library, was soaked in red as the protests resumed. (Photo: via NationalSJP TW Page)
The statue of Alma Mater, on the steps of Columbia’s library, was soaked in red as the protests resumed. (Photo: via NationalSJP TW Page) (photo)
MORE NEWS:

IMEMC Daily Reports.

The Guardian: Australia’s security chief says person who likes tweet supporting 7 October attacks on Israel could fail visa security test

The Cradle: Amnesty blasts UK ‘gesture politics’ after suspension of less than 10 percent of arms export licenses to Israel

Caitlyn’s Newsletter: The West Truly Doesn’t See Palestinians As Human

Al Jazeera: Paralympics: Palestine’s Aldeeb sees himself as the voice of his people

+972 Magazine: ‘This is also America’s war’: Why the U.S. isn’t stopping Israel’s Gaza onslaught

STATISTICS OCTOBER 7 – SEPTEMBER 3:

Palestinian death toll from October 7, 2023 – September 3, 2024: at least 41,546* (40,861 in Gaza* – 11,445 women (30%), 16,251 children as of July 22. [The Ministry’s figures have been contested by the Israeli authorities, although they have been accepted as accurate by Israeli intelligence services, the UN, and WHO. These data are supported by independent analyses, comparing changes in the number of deaths of UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff with those reported by the Ministry, which found claims of data fabrication implausible.]

This is expected to be a significant undercount since thousands of those killed have yet to be identified – and at least 685 in the West Bank (~147 children). This does not include an estimated 10,000 more still buried under rubble (4,900 women and children). Euro-Med Monitor reports 49,032 Palestinian deaths.

Lancet: “Applying a conservative estimate of four indirect deaths per one direct death9 to the 37,396 deaths reported, it is not implausible to estimate that up to 186 000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza.

Ralph Nader earlier estimated 200,000 Palestinians may have been killed in Gaza.

At least 45 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons (27 from Gaza, 23 from West Bank).
At least 41 Palestinians have died due to malnutrition**.
About 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million population are currently displaced.
Almost 500,000 Gazans are currently experiencing catastrophic levels of food insecurity.
Palestinian injuries from October 7 – September 3: at least 100,098 (including at least 94,398 in Gaza and 5,700 in the West Bank, including 830 children). [It remains unknown how man Americans are among the casualties in Gaza.]

Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – September 3, 2024: ~1,452 (~1,139 on October 7, 2023, of which ~32 were Americans, and ~36 were children); 288*** military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza; 25 military and civilians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel) and~10,000 injured.

NOTE: It is unknown at this time how many of the deaths and injuries of Israelis on October 7 were caused by Israeli soldiers.

*Previously, IAK did not include 471 Gazans killed in the Al Ahli hospital blast since the source of the projectile was being disputed. However, given that much evidence points to Israel as the culprit, Israel had previously bombed the hospital and has attacked many others, Israel is prohibiting outside experts from investigating the scene, and since the UN and other agencies are including the deaths from the attack in their cumulative totals, if Americans knew is now also doing so.

**Euro-Med Monitor reports that Gaza’s elderly are dying at an alarmingly high rate. The majority die at home and are buried either close to their residences or in makeshift graves dispersed across the Strip. There are currently more than 140 such cemeteries. Additionally, according to Euromed, thousands have died from starvation, malnourishment, and inadequate medical care; these are considered indirect victims as they were not registered in hospitals.

***Approximately ten of the deaths listed above were Israeli soldiers killed by Hezbollah in fighting at the Israel-Lebanon border. The figure does not include the reportedly 53 Israeli soldiers – nearly 16% of the total Israeli military deaths – killed due to friendly fire in Gaza and other military-related accidents.

† For most of the conflict, women and children accounted for about 70% of deaths in Gaza, with children making up a little over 40% of those killed, according to official statistics.

Find previous daily casualty figures and daily news updates here.

Hover over each bar for exact numbers.
Source: IsraelPalestineTimeline.org

Human rights reports on Israel-Palestine (regularly updated)
Alison Weir trending on social media – what the buzz is about
Israeli media’s coverage of the rape of Palestinian detainees shows support for sexual violence in service of genocide
Inside Israel’s torture, rape, and dehumanization centers
I’m a pediatrician. The scars I saw on Gaza’s children will take generations to heal.
What Harris’s Jewish outreach director said at a private DNC afterparty
‘Strong record of supporting the U.S.-Israel relationship’: a look at Tim Walz’s votes on Palestine as a member of Congress
Nearly Two-Thirds of All Campaign Funds for Cori Bush Challenger Came From AIPAC
Israeli army probe covered up “friendly fire” killings on October 7
Are US officials’ investments of public funds in Israeli bonds ethical? How much is too much?
Honoring the memory of a Gazan Olympic hero: Majed Abu Maraheel
An American was just shot in the West Bank. The American press can’t be bothered.
Understanding what motivates ultra-orthodox Jewish attacks on West Bank Palestinians
Palestinians’ harrowing stories of rape by Israeli soldiers (including female soldiers)
A Palestinian journalist visited Ismail Haniyeh’s home in Gaza to report on his death. Israel assassinated him too.
I reported a piece for the New York Times on antisemitism. I found a major error, but the Times didn’t care.
How Israel plans to whitewash its war crimes in Gaza
Why the West Bank is on the verge of economic collapse
Netanyahu’s plan to involve US in regional war on its behalf
Western media continue to withhold the truth about Israel and Gaza – 4 stories
“Well What SHOULD Israel Have Done After October 7?”
Welcome to Hell
More dead children. More BBC ‘news’ channelling Israeli propaganda as its own
U.S. media downplays and ignores ICJ ruling declaring Israeli occupation illegal
Israeli soldiers tell story of savage cruelty in Gaza – one given blessing by the West
Searching for Gaza’s missing children

https://israelpalestinenews.org/israeli-inflicted-palestinian-injuries-gaza-west-bank-surpass-100000-day-332/

Kamala vs. Trump: Who is More Zionist? - VT Foreign Policy
September 3, 2024
VT Condemns the ETHNIC CLEANSING OF PALESTINIANS by USA/Israel

$ 280 BILLION US TAXPAYER DOLLARS INVESTED since 1948 in US/Israeli Ethnic Cleansing and Occupation Operation; $ 150B direct "aid" and $ 130B in "Offense" contracts
Source: Embassy of Israel, Washington, D.C. and US Department of State.

I am in personal distress. I am an ethnically cleansed Arab-American and the country of my citizenship is funding the ethnic cleansing of our family in Palestine. Many of my cousins and American friends feel the stress each day and, frankly, feel helpless.

We are looking for answers; for heroes to help us and our families. But all we get is a few tin words from Kamala and a middle finger from the vulgar Trump.

In our distress, many Arab Americans are beyond offended by the Biden Administration’s actions against Palestinians. In Gaza, they are openly murdering civilians including children and no one is stopping the Americans and Israeli’s.



In Michigan, which has the most Arab-American voters, the two parties are concerned they will lose those votes and so they are trying to pretend they care about Palestinians; at least for the next 2 months. But we all know that is bullshit. So who should Arab-Americans or any Americans vote for that care for helpless millions of people stuck in the Israeli controlled Gaza concentration camps funded by the US Government?

The short answer is …

It does NOT matter! They both equally suck! So stop pretending one is better than the other because there is NO difference! Period!

The USA is pro-Israel and has been its greatest ally since 1945. Period! End of Story! So if any of you are expecting the USA, the chief funding source for the Euro-Western Outpost in the Middle East commonly known as Israel, to be sympathetic towards Palestinians and the indigenous peoples of the area, well, I refer you to “Chief Always Getting Bullshitted” who now lives on a reservation, whatever the fuck that means.



In fact, from 1778 to 1871, the United States government entered into more than 500 treaties with the Native American tribes; all of these treaties have since been violated in some way or outright broken by the U.S. government, with Native Americans and First Nations peoples still fighting for their treaty rights. This is how the USA and Israel do their business. And if you were unaware of this reality, then that’s on you.

Okay, so now you know… stop depending on the USA to save Palestine! And vote your conscience despite the USA policy towards Israel because it matters not! The USA is the problem, not the solution! Wake Up McFly! Anybody Home! Think McMfly Think!

Never mind the Back To The Future references, if you still think one of these political animals will save Palestine, then let’s take a deeper look at Kamala vs. Trump.


Then US President Donald Trump getting his balls buttered as he awards Israeli Billionaire Zionist Miriam Adelson with the US Medal of Freedom during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, November 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Comparing the foreign policy positions of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump regarding Israel reveals distinct approaches that reflect their broader political ideologies and party affiliations.

Both figures have prioritized the U.S.-Israel relationship but have different perspectives on how to maintain and enhance this alliance.

Below is a comparison of their views and policies on key issues related to Israel:

U.S.-Israel Relationship

Donald Trump: During his presidency, Trump adopted a staunchly pro-Israel stance, which was seen as a significant departure from the more balanced approach of his predecessors. Trump’s policies were characterized by a strong personal rapport with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a commitment to solidifying the U.S.-Israel strategic partnership. This included moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. These actions were celebrated by many in Israel and by pro-Israel groups in the United States but drew criticism from some international actors and U.S. political figures who argued they could undermine peace efforts with the Palestinians.

Kamala Harris: Vice President Harris, aligned with the broader Democratic stance, emphasizes a strong commitment to Israel’s security while also giving the typical same ole bullshit lip service pretending to advocate for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Harris has voiced her support for Israel’s right to defend itself and has reiterated the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship. However, unlike Trump, her position emphasizes diplomacy and engagement with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to achieve a peaceful resolution. Harris supports keeping the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem but has been more cautious about unilateral actions that could exacerbate tensions in the region.


Bibi letting Kamala know where she stands in the scheme of global power!
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Donald Trump: Trump’s approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was one-sided, favoring Israeli positions. Period! The only thing Trump hides is his head up Bibi’s ass. His administration’s “Peace to Prosperity” plan, unveiled in early 2020, proposed a two-state solution but was criticized for heavily favoring Israeli security needs and territorial claims. The plan included provisions for Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank, which many Palestinians and international observers viewed as detrimental to the prospects of a viable Palestinian state. Trump’s administration also cut aid to the Palestinians and closed the Palestine Liberation Organization’s office in Washington, D.C.

Kamala Harris: Harris says she supports a two-state solution and has expressed concern about actions that could undermine this goal, such as settlement expansion in the West Bank. But everyone in the world knows that’s bullshit. It is the same ole words since 1945. Means nothing because the actions are the actions. Harris and the Biden administration say they advocate for renewed diplomatic engagement and have restored aid to the Palestinians that was cut under Trump. Harris emphasizes the need for direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians and has called for both sides to avoid unilateral measures that would make peace more difficult to achieve. Her approach tends to be more balanced, aiming to consider both Israeli security concerns and Palestinian aspirations. But in the end, it’s all 100% Israel and everyone knows it.

Normalization of Relations with Arab States

Donald Trump: A significant foreign policy achievement for Trump was the facilitation of normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco, known collectively as the Abraham Accords. These agreements marked a shift in Middle Eastern dynamics, promoting economic cooperation and reducing isolation for Israel in the region. Trump’s administration positioned these accords as a pathway to broader peace in the Middle East by changing the regional order and shifting focus away from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Kamala Harris: Harris has expressed support for the Abraham Accords and views them as a positive development for regional stability and economic cooperation. The Biden administration has continued to endorse these normalization efforts and looks to build on them. However, Harris also underscores that while normalization between Israel and Arab states is important, it should not come at the expense of addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She believes that a comprehensive peace in the Middle East must include a viable solution for both Israelis and Palestinians.

Iran and Regional Security

Donald Trump: Trump took a hardline stance against Iran, withdrawing from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, which he criticized as flawed and insufficient. His administration imposed stringent sanctions on Iran, aiming to pressure Tehran into renegotiating a more stringent agreement that also addressed ballistic missile development and regional influence. Trump’s policies aligned closely with Israeli security concerns regarding Iran’s influence and nuclear capabilities.

Kamala Harris: Harris, as part of the Biden administration, supports re-engaging with Iran to limit its nuclear program while addressing broader regional security concerns. This includes a potential return to the JCPOA, provided Iran returns to compliance with its nuclear commitments. Harris’s approach is more focused on diplomacy and multilateral efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions and stabilize the region. While Harris shares concerns about Iran’s behavior in the Middle East, her strategy emphasizes a coordinated international response rather than unilateral sanctions.


A man reacts as Palestinians search for casualties a day after Israeli strikes on houses in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. American politicians don’t care, period! They are funders of murder and death! Period!
Human Rights and Democracy Promotion

Donald Trump: Human rights and democracy promotion in relation to Israel and the Palestinian territories were not primary focal points of Trump’s Middle East policy. His administration often overlooked concerns about human rights violations or democratic backsliding in favor of strategic and security interests. Trump’s administration was criticized for not addressing issues like Israeli settlement expansion or Palestinian rights adequately, focusing instead on bolstering strategic alliances.

Kamala Harris: Harris places more emphasis on human rights and democracy as integral components of U.S. foreign policy. She supports continued military aid to Israel but with a focus on ensuring that such aid is consistent with human rights standards. Harris has called for accountability on all sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has advocated for measures that support peace, security, and human rights. She believes that promoting democratic values is key to achieving long-term peace and stability in the region.

Conclusion

The foreign policy positions of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump regarding Israel reflect their broader ideological differences and priorities. Trump’s approach was characterized by strong, unilateral support for Israeli government policies, emphasizing security and regional realignment.

In contrast, Harris advocates for a more balanced approach that maintains strong support for Israel while emphasizing diplomacy, human rights, and a commitment to a two-state solution. Both approaches aim to strengthen U.S.-Israel relations but differ significantly in their strategies for achieving peace and stability in the Middle East. And both are 100% pro-Israel. They simply do NOT care how many Palestinians get murdered by their bombs. It means nothing to American Politicians. Period!

So Mister Arab-American looking for a hero to save Palestinian peoples, look somewhere else cause Kamala and Trump won’t save anyone! This is a big power business and you’re nobody to them!


The US has been the chief funder of colonialism in Palestine since 1945
References

Here are some references that can be used to substantiate the comparisons between the foreign policy positions of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump regarding Israel:

1. U.S.-Israel Relationship

Trump’s pro-Israel stance and key policy actions:
“Trump recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and orders U.S. embassy to move,” The Washington Post, December 6, 2017.
“Trump officially recognizes Golan Heights as Israeli territory,” BBC News, March 25, 2019.
Kamala Harris’s views and actions related to Israel:
“Kamala Harris: U.S. will never let Iran acquire nuclear weapon,” The Times of Israel, March 1, 2021.
“Kamala Harris affirms US support for Israel, commitment to two-state solution in call with Netanyahu,” The Hill, November 30, 2020.
2. Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Trump’s approach to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process:
“Trump’s Israel-Palestine ‘peace plan’ grants Israel most of what it wants, including settlements and Jerusalem,” Vox, January 28, 2020.
“Trump cuts $200 million in aid to Palestinians,” Reuters, August 24, 2018.
Harris’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
“Kamala Harris reiterates support for two-state solution in call with Netanyahu,” Haaretz, November 30, 2020.
“Biden administration to restore US aid to Palestinians, including for UNRWA,” The Guardian, April 7, 2021.
3. Normalization of Relations with Arab States

Trump and the Abraham Accords:
“What are the Abraham Accords? The significance of UAE, Bahrain, Israel deals,” Al Jazeera, September 15, 2020.
“Morocco joins the Abraham Accords, becoming the fourth country to normalize relations with Israel,” The New York Times, December 10, 2020.
Kamala Harris and her support for normalization agreements:
“Kamala Harris supports Israel normalization deals, two-state solution,” Jerusalem Post, August 12, 2020.
“Biden and Harris to continue pushing Arab-Israel normalization efforts,” Middle East Eye, October 29, 2020.
4. Iran and Regional Security

Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal:
“Trump abandons Iran nuclear deal he long scorned,” The New York Times, May 8, 2018.
“U.S. reimposes all Iran sanctions lifted under Obama nuclear deal,” Reuters, November 5, 2018.
Harris’s support for diplomatic engagement with Iran:
“Kamala Harris on Iran: ‘The Biden-Harris administration will seek to re-enter the JCPOA’,” The National Interest, August 2020.
“Harris supports Biden’s commitment to diplomacy with Iran,” The Times of Israel, March 1, 2021.
5. Human Rights and Democracy Promotion

Human rights and Trump’s foreign policy:
“Trump’s foreign policy record: The good, the bad, and the ugly,” Brookings Institution, January 19, 2021.
“Trump’s record on human rights,” Human Rights Watch, January 2020.
Harris’s focus on human rights and democracy:
“Kamala Harris: US will stand up for human rights and democratic principles,” The Times of Israel, March 1, 2021.
“Harris tells AIPAC Biden administration will keep aid to Israel with no strings attached,” Haaretz, March 2, 2020.
Johnny Punish
Johnny Punish founded VT in 2004. After 20 years at the helm, he “retired” from the daily operations in late 2023 passing the ball over to the new owner of VT, Chief Justin Time. He now writes for VT as “Writer Emeritus”. He is also a global citizen eco-activist, visionary, musician, artist, entertainer, businessman, investor, life coach, podcast host, and syndicated columnist.

Punish is an ethnically cleansed Palestinian-American whose maternal family was evicted from their home in Haifa, Palestine in 1948. He is also the founder and owner of Global Thinkers, a freedom media for free minds.

Resources: Facebook – YouTube – Apple Music – SoundCloud – Spotify – X (Twitter)

Read Johnny’s Full Bio at JohnnyPunish.com >>>

www.johnnypunish.com

ATTENTION READERS

We See The World From All Sides and Want YOU To Be Fully Informed
In fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion.

About VT - Policies & Disclosures - Comment Policy
Due to the nature of uncensored content posted by VT's fully independent international writers, VT cannot guarantee absolute validity. All content is owned by the author exclusively. Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners, or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. All images are the full responsibility of the article author and NOT VT.

https://www.vtforeignpolicy.com/2024/09/kamala-vs-trump-who-is-more-zionist/