Working Families Party endorses Jumaane Williams for New York governor


Feb. 9 (UPI) -- The New York Working Families Party has endorsed Democrat Jumaane Williams for governor in a race against incumbent Kathy Hochul.

"We're thrilled to announce our endorsement of Jumaane Williams for governor," the left-leaning political party said Tuesday in a statement. "Jumaane has been a champion for working New Yorkers since day one. We can count on him to fight for affordable housing, healthcare for all and excellent schools."

Williams, a progressive candidate and New York City's public advocate, announced in mid-November that he was putting his name on the gubernatorial ballot that includes Hochul and Rep. Thomas Suozzi.

In his own statement published to Twitter on Tuesday, Williams said NYWFP has been by his side throughout his career of "taking on the powerful to create change."

"We've fought & won many battles before, & I'm honored to have their support as we work to bring transformational change to NY," he said.

Williams adds the endorsement to a slew of others including several New York City councilmembers, Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, Coalition for a District Alternative and Nina Turner, a former Ohio state senator and candidate for Congress.

The New York gubernatorial race is being held in the wake of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's resignation from the position in August over allegations of sexual harassment.
As lieutenant governor, Hochul became governor until the end of the term.

Williams has faced Hochul before on the campaign trail, losing to her in the race for the lieutenant governor job by a margin of 53.3% to 46.7%.

Last month, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union endorsed Hochul for governor, as did several firefighters unions.

The incumbent has raised a war chest of $21.6 million for the race, according to campaign paperwork filed last month and seen by The New York Times.

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that she would enter the race in October but ended her bid less than three months later, saying that she would instead seek re-election.

New contraceptive could trap sperm in natural gel state

By HealthDay News

Researchers discovered that blocking a protein called prostate-specific antigen 

(PSA) in semen causes it to remain in its thick gel form, trapping the majority

 of sperm.

 Photo courtesy of HealthDay News

No contraceptive is perfect, and scientists continue searching for safer, more effective methods.

Now, researchers have found a way to trap sperm in semen's natural gel state, and they believe their findings could point the way to a new type of birth control.

Normally, semen liquefies after ejaculation, which enables sperm to swim through a woman's reproductive system to fertilize an egg.

The researchers discovered that blocking a protein called prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in semen causes it to remain in its thick gel form, trapping the majority of sperm.

RELATED Study suggests IUD can affect hormones beyond uterus

This suggests it may be possible to develop a new type of non-hormonal, over-the-counter birth control for women, according to the study authors.

"Our goal is to develop this into an easily accessible female contraceptive that would be available on demand, meaning women could go buy it off the shelf," said study co-author Joy Winuthayanon, an associate professor and director of the Center for Reproductive Biology at Washington State University.

"It could be used in combination with a condom to lower the failure rate significantly," Winuthayanon said in a university news release.

RELATED Study: Female students' graduation rates improve with better birth control access

Current spermicides can lower the natural vaginal barrier against sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, but targeting the liquefaction process of semen could avoid that type of problem, the study authors said.

Still, further research is needed, they emphasized.

"It is a bit of a long process because we don't want off-target effects," Winuthayanon said. "If we are going to develop this into the contraceptive product, it may be something that women would use often, so we want something that is safe and has no unintended effects."

RELATED Hormonal IUD effective option for emergency contraception, study finds

Current non-prescription birth control methods such as condoms and spermicides have an average failure rate of 13% to 21%, according to the researchers.

Hormonal-based contraceptives such as IUDs and birth control pills have lower failure rates, but they can have side effects and are not always easily available or affordable, they noted.

These issues may help explain why recent research shows that the worldwide unintended pregnancy rate is 48%, the study authors pointed out.

The findings were published recently in the journal Biology of Reproduction.

More information

For more on birth control, see the U.S. Office on Women's Health.

Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.




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FCC nominee Gigi Sohn addresses concerns at second confirmation hearing

By Michael Korsh, Medill News Service and Doug Cunningham

Gigi Sohn, who is President Joe Biden's nominee to serve on the Federal Communications Commission testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. 

Pool Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI | License Photo

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- In her second appearance before the Senate Commerce Committee, Gigi Sohn, nominated to be a Federal Communications Commission commissioner, faced repeated Republican questioning Wednesday whether she could be impartial.

The top Republican on the committee, Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, had asked for the hearing after Gigi Sohn's recent statement that she would recuse herself from FCC decisions on regulatory issues with which she was involved.

"It gives me no pleasure to say that my reason for being here today is to discuss outstanding questions about Ms. Sohn's fitness and ability to serve as a commissioner," Wicker said.

On Jan. 27, Sohn wrote to acting FCC general counsel P. Michele Ellison, saying she would recuse herself from retransmission consent and television copyright issues for the first three years of her term as FCC commissioner "to avoid any appearance of impropriety and in interest of ensuring that the public has full confidence that policymakers will make decisions free of bias," according to the letter obtained by Bloomberg Law.

During the hearing, Senate Republicans again questioned Sohn's ability to serve impartially, pointing to her role as president of Public Knowledge, a group that advocates for a free and open Internet and affordable access to communication tools.

"My recusal is voluntary, temporary, extremely narrow and concerns business unlikely to come before the full FCC," Sohn testifed. "But in no way does it open the door to every other industry seeking a recusal for every position I and Public Knowledge have ever advocated."

Sohn told the committee she only would only have to recuse herself from FCC decisions rarely. Using her previous experience against her "would prohibit anyone -- not just public interest advocates and academics -- who has taken any public position on telecommunications and media policy from serving on the FCC," she said.

Wicker had requested a second hearing to address potential conflicts of interest. He said he has many policy disagreements with Sohn and has "outstanding questions about Ms. Sohn's fitness and ability to serve as FCC commissioner."

Among the concerns about her fitness to serve are her service on the board of Sports Fan Coalition New York, as well the settlement agreement between Sports Fan Coalition New York and some broadcasters over copyright violation issues.

Wicker questioned the settlement that was reduced from $32 million to $700,000.

"Ms. Sohn has not been forthcoming on this settlement," Wicker said. "When I asked her about the source of the $32 million settlement, she did not acknowledge that it had been reduced to $700,000. This raises questions as to what else she is not revealing about this litigation."

Sohn testified that she has no financial liability stemming from the settlement.

"This wasn't a settlement agreement that I negotiated, Sohn said. "Why didn't I mention this number in my response to Sen. Wicker's question? For the record, the confidential settlement barred me, as well as the network plaintiffs and SFCNY from mentioning the terms of the agreement in writing."

Republicans also cited comments Sohn had made on Twitter that criticized Fox News and Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sohn said her opinions would have no bearing on her role as FCC commissioner, although she said she wished her tone had been "less sharp."

Democrats on the committee, including Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Ed Markey D-Mass., said that concerns about Sohn's impartiality represented a "double standard" from the committee's willingness to approve prior nominees with industry expertise -- such as former FCC chairman Ajit Pai, who served as an associate general counsel for Verizon Communications -- without any conflict-of-interest concerns.

Two of the four current FCC commissioners were appointed by Democrats and two by Republicans, leading to deadlock on many votes.

"Every day that [Sohn's] confirmation is delayed is a day when the FCC cannot fully discharge the important responsibilities that we have given it," said Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.

Sohn initially appeared before the committee in December, when her nomination failed to advance after significant backlash from Republicans. She had been scheduled for another confirmation hearing Feb. 2, but that was postponed after committee member Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., suffered a stroke the previous day.

Senators have until Monday to submit further questions regarding Sohn's nomination. Sohn has one week to respond after that. The committee then would vote on whether to recommend that the Senate confirm her nomination.

Chinese researchers develop 4-minute COVID-19 test
By HealthDay News

Researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, developed a rapid COVID-19 test, and test results were a perfect match with PCR tests in a recent study. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo

A new coronavirus test that provides results within 4 minutes is as accurate as a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) lab test, according to the Chinese scientists who developed it.

The results of a clinical trial of the test, which uses microelectronics to analyze genetic material from nasal swabs, were published Monday in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.

The researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai used the test to analyze samples from 33 people who had the coronavirus and 54 uninfected people. PCR tests were also conducted.

The rapid test results were a perfect match with the PCR tests, according to the peer-reviewed study. The rapid test accurately detected all 33 coronavirus cases and did not give false negatives for any of the uninfected people.

RELATED Antibodies from COVID-19 infection may last up to 20 months

"We implemented an electromechanical biosensor for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 into an integrated and portable prototype device, and show that it detected (virus RNA) in less than four minutes," the study authors wrote.

PCR tests are regarded as the most accurate and sensitive test for the coronavirus, but it usually takes several hours to get results. There were long waits for PCR test results during the surge of the Omicron variant because many labs couldn't keep up with demand.

Once it's fully developed, the new rapid test could provide quick results in a number of locations, including airports, health facilities and at home, the Fudan University team said.

RELATED CDC bolsters efforts to use wastewater monitoring to track COVID-19

They also believe the test might have uses beyond spotting COVID-19, including "the ultraprecise diagnosis of other diseases in a few minutes, without the need for target purification, amplification or culture, which normally requires hours or days."

More information

Find out more about at-home COVID tests at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

RELATEDAt-home COVID-19 test users do not always follow quarantine guidelines, study finds

Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Germany cracks down on far-right Telegram users

Multiple channels belonging to a prominent German coronavirus-denier have been blocked, while a man in Bavaria is under investigation for spreading antisemitic content on the platform.



The Telegram app was initially launched in 2013

Germany is punishing Telegram users who spread coronavirus conspiracy theories and antisemitic content on popular encrypted messaging service.
Conspiracy channels blocked for 'violating local laws'

Several channels belonging to radical coronavirus conspiracy theorist Attila Hildmann were blocked as of Wednesday for having "violated local laws." The notice appears on both the mobile and desktop versions of the app.

German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that Hildmann's channels were only restricted for German users.

Moreover, Josef Holnburger, a researcher at the Center for Monitoring Analysis and Strategy nonprofit, tweeted that a channel tied to Hildmann with over 63,000 users is still unrestricted. The group often promotes false information related to COVID-19 vaccines.

Last year, a channel run by Hildmann with over 100,000 users was blocked, with the conspiracy theorist decrying the move as censorship.

Hildmann, who came to prominence as a vegan chef, has previously called for violence against the German state. He has also made numerous antisemitic statements.

The 40-year-old moved from Germany to Turkey in early 2021 after a warrant was issued for his arrest. Hildmann, who holds both German and Turkish citizenship, is unlikely to be extradited to Germany and face the justice system.

Bavarian police raid home of suspected antisemitic user

Meanwhile, police in the southern German state of Bavaria on Wednesday searched the home of a man spreading antisemitic content on the platform. The authorities confiscated the hard drives of the 59-year-old, who is suspected of hate speech and Holocaust denial.

The man operated a Telegram channel that had over 800 members. In addition to hateful content, the posts in the group suggested violence against German authorities.

A police spokesperson said the man cooperated with authorities and agreed to be taken to a police station. If found guilty of Holocaust denial, the man could be punished with up to five years in prison.

The crackdown comes after German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser met with Telegram executives last week. Faeser has previously threatened the shutdown of Telegram in Germany.

Telegram contributes to 'spiral of radicalzation'

German researchers have found that extremists are using Telegram more frequently to spread hateful messages and gain new followers. A study in December by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue Germany found Telegram contributes to a "spiral of radicalization."

"Power users" such as Hildmann and far-right Austrian Identitarian Movement leader Martin Sellner are able to express themselves more freely on Telegram than more established platforms such as Facebook or Twitter and can attract a massive following, study co-author Christian Schwieter told the Funke media group.

In January 2018, the Network Enforcement Act was implemented by the German government, which forces large social media giants to remove illegal content or face a fine. Yet, researchers found alternative platforms such as Telegram are able to evade these reporting requirements.

Schwieter suggested that German authorities put more pressure on foreign companies such as Telegram, which is based in Dubai. It should also be made easier for users to report illegal content on these platforms.

Saxony, Hesse call for stricter enforcement

The eastern German state of Saxony on Wednesday called for the federal government to more efficiently prosecute criminal offenses on social networks. Saxony Media Minister Oliver Schenk said the government should ascertain whether messenger services such as Telegram fall under the auspices of the Network Enforcement Act.

Peter Beuth, the interior minister of the western German state of Hesse, had earlier made a similar request to the federal government.

German news agency epd contributed to this report.

Edited by: Sean Sinico

THIS IS A PROBLEM IN SAUDI ARABIA, BAHRAIN, QATAR, UAE, ETC.
Pakistan: Cousin marriages create high risk of genetic disorders

Scientists say inbreeding is causing an unusually high number of genetic mutations to spread in Pakistan, leading to disabilities in children of consanguineous marriages. Still, this social custom persists.


Experts say that caste system leads to many inter-family marriages

Ghafoor Hussain Shah is a 56-year-old teacher and father of eight children in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. According to tribal customs in Pakistan, Shah said he is expected to arrange the children's marriages within his extended family.

However, Shah knows about the potential risks of genetic disease prevalent in children from inter-family marriages. He married his maternal cousin in 1987, and three of their children suffer from disorders.

Shah told DW his son's brain did not develop to a normal size. One of his daughters has a speech disorder and another has hearing problems.

"My biggest regret is that they could not get education," he said. "I am always worried about them … who will look after them after my wife and I are gone?" he added.

Despite the risks of genetic disorders, Shah said there is enormous social pressure to adhere to customs calling for cousins to marry. Anyone who refuses to offer their children for marriage within the family risks being ostracized.

Shah said he had to marry off his one son and two daughters to close relatives. His family's medical history includes cases of blood disorders, learning disabilities, blindness and deafness. Doctors have said inbreeding could be to blame.
Pakistan's 'genetic mutation' problem

According to a 2017 report on genetic mutations in Pakistan, the "heterogenous composition" of Pakistan's population, including high levels of "consanguinity" has led to a prevalence of genetic disorders.

The report introduces a Pakistan "genetic mutation" database, which identifies and tracks different types of mutations and the disorders they lead to. According to the database, more than 1,000 mutations have been reported in 130 different kinds of genetic disorders found in Pakistan.

Huma Arshad Cheema, a pediatrician specializing in genetic disorders, told DW that Pakistan has a huge burden of generic disorders due to inbreeding.

She said specific disorders can be pinpointed to particular castes and tribes where inter-marriage is common.

One of the most common genetic disorders seen right now in Pakistan is the inherited blood disorder, Thalassemia, which keeps red blood cells from absorbing oxygen.

Genetic testing and pre-natal screenings for hereditary disorders are not widely available in Pakistan, Cheema said, adding that many health facilities also lack the capacity to treat genetic disorders.
Why do cousin marriages continue?

Karachi-based health expert Seraj ud Daulah said that the practice of cousin marriages in Pakistan can be traced to Islamic religious doctrines.

"I asked clerics to help create awareness about genetic diseases, asking them to explain to people how cousin marriages are contributing to the rise in genetic diseases," Daulah told DW.

However, he said the clerics he spoke with flatly refused, claiming that such marriages are in accordance with Islamic Sharia law and the traditions of the Prophet Mohammad.

Shah said many families in Pakistan go through with consanguineous marriages because they believe it is called for by their Islamic religion. Even if the government were to make such marriages illegal, it would be met with fierce resistance, he added.

Tribal and caste systems are deeply rooted in remote areas of Pakistan. Cheema said that the caste system, particularly among the Arain people living in Punjab province, is especially rigid and leads to many inter-family marriages. She said several genetic disorders are commonly found in this community.

In Pakistan's western province of Balochistan, the southern region of Sindh, and in the northwestern provinces, tribal systems dictate family life.

Ghulam Hussain Baloch, a resident of Balochistan, told DW that marrying outside of your tribe is considered a major social taboo. The situation in Sindh is not much different, where marriage outside one's clan or tribe could lead to murders and tribal clashes.
Health officials respond

In March 2020, the government in Punjab formed a task force aimed at preventing genetic diseases. The children's hospital in Lahore is now offering free genetic screening services in cooperation with Germany's CENTOGENE diagnostics company and other international organizations.

Cheema said pre-natal screening will help parents decide whether to terminate the pregnancy in cases where lethal disorders are detected. Early detection can also aid treatment of a child born with a hereditary disorder.

"We have screened 30,000 families in Pakistan with suspected genetic disorders," an official from Punjab's health department told DW on condition of anonymity.

Health expert Daulah, however, said that more needs to be done to change people's mindsets on the danger of having children with close family members.

"In religious matters, people have blind faith and they do not want to listen to any logic," he said.

"Perhaps if the government asked all clerics to spread awareness about the rising number of genetic disorders, and its connection with cousin marriage, then perhaps more Pakistanis would pay heed," he added.

Edited by: Wesley Rahn

Climate change may cause A/C use to overwhelm electric grid, experts say
By HealthDay News


Experts warn that as climate change brings longer and hotter summers, the U.S. electric grid could be pushed past its capacity within a decade. Photo by Sumekler/Pixabay

Global warming will lead to longer, hotter summers. But cranking up the air conditioning may not be a viable solution, a new study warns.

The investigators found climate change could drive Americans' demand for A/C to exceed the nation's electricity-producing capacity within a decade.

That could lead to prolonged blackouts during summer heat waves, putting many lives at risk, the researchers recently reported in the journal Earth's Future.

"It's a pretty clear warning to all of us that we can't keep doing what we are doing or our energy system will break down in the next few decades, simply because of the summertime air conditioning," Susanne Benz, a geographer and climate scientist at Dalhousie University in Canada, said in a news release from American Geophysical Union. She was not involved in the new study.

The researchers said the global climate is expected to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius -- 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit -- of warming by the early 2030s, which could push summer air conditioning demand in the United States to rise between 8% and 13%.

As a result, average U.S. households could face up to eight days without air conditioning during the summer, but those in some Midwestern states could have 12 days without A/C.

The projections suggest what could happen if nothing is done to expand electricity production, increase efficiency and take steps to fight climate change, according to the study authors.

The study focused solely on the impacts of climate change, and did not take into account possible population increases, changes in wealth, behavior or other factors that affect air conditioning demand, the researchers noted.

"We tried to isolate just the impact of climate change. If nothing changes, if we, as a society, refuse to adapt, if we don't match the efficiency demands, what would that mean?" said lead study author Renee Obringer, an environmental engineer at Penn State University.

"We've seen this in California already -- state power suppliers had to institute blackouts because they couldn't provide the needed electricity," Obringer said.

That resulted in 599 heat-related deaths, according to official state data, but the actual number may have been closer to 3,900.

Those most likely to be affected by a loss of air conditioning due to power outages include low income, non-white and older people, Obringer noted.

Benz said, "When they say there's going to be two weeks where you don't have cooling on average -- in reality, some people will have cooling. Disadvantaged people will have less cooling."

More information

For more on extreme heat, go to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

WASTING MORE TAXPAYER $$$ ON KXL

Canada's Alberta province files trade challenge over scrapped Keystone XL pipeline

By Nia Williams

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - The Canadian province of Alberta on Wednesday formally initiated a trade challenge to recover its investment in the Keystone XL oil pipeline, which was scrapped in 2021 after the United States cancelled a key permit.

Alberta, Canada's largest oil-producing province, had invested C$1.3 billion in the project and is seeking compensation from the United States through a legacy North American Free Trade Agreement claim, under the new Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.

Keystone XL would have carried 830,000 barrels per day of oil from Alberta to the U.S. Midwest, but was held up for a more than a decade by environmental opposition and regulatory hurdles, before U.S. President Joe Biden finally scuttled the project by revoking a presidential permit last year.

The pipeline's developer TC Energy also filed a legacy NAFTA claim seeking more than $15 billion in damages last year.

"After examining all available options, we have determined a legacy claim is the best avenue to recover the government's investment in the Keystone XL project," Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage said in a statement.

"We remain disappointed about the events and circumstances that led to the cancellation of this project."

(Reporting by Nia Williams; Editing by Sandra Maler)

UN rapporteur ‘appalled’ by convictions for Honduran environmentalists who opposed open-pit mine

Nina Lakhani - Yesterday 


Six Honduran environmentalists have been found guilty of crimes against a mining company, in a case widely condemned by legal and human rights experts.

The activists, from the small community of Guapinol, have been held in pre-trial detention for two and a half years after opposing an iron oxide mine which has polluted rivers relied upon by thousands of people.

The huge open-pit mine, which is owned by one of the country’s most powerful couples, sits inside a protected national park in Tocoa, a municipality in the country’s northern Colón department. It was sanctioned without community consultation in a process mired by irregularities, according to international experts.

On Wednesday, in a two-to-one divided decision, the court ruled that José Márquez, Kelvin Romero Martínez, José Abelino Cedillo, Porfirio Sorto Cedillo, Orbín Nahúm Hernández, and Ewer Alexander Cedillo Cruz were guilty of criminal damage and illegal detention of the company’s security chief. Two men, Arnold Alemán and Jeremías Martínez, were absolved of the same charges.

Amnesty International, which considers the Guapinol environmentalists to be prisoners of conscience, described the verdict as “outrageous”.

Related: How Honduras became one of the most dangerous countries to defend natural resources

“The defenders are victims of arbitrary detention and unfounded criminal prosecution, stemming solely from their legitimate work defending the right to water and a healthy environment in Honduras,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International.

“It’s extremely serious that, despite the lack of diligence in the investigations by the public prosecutor’s office, six of the Guapinol prisoners of conscience are facing prison sentences.”

Mary Lawlor, the UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders, said she was “appalled”, especially given Honduras last month took its seat the UN human rights council.

“Honduras has yet again stained its record by not adhering to agreed international obligations. The conviction of the six Guapinol defenders should be quashed,” she said.

The defence intends to seek an amnesty for the convicted men, through a controversial law just passed by the new president.

Defence lawyer Edy Tabora said: “All eight men are innocent. The prosecutors failed to provide any evidence of a crime, never mind their participation in any activity that could be considered a crime. This is a political verdict that demonstrates the power of economic elites in this country.”

Honduras became one of the most dangerous countries in the world to defend natural resources and land rights after the 2009 coup ushered in an autocratic pro-business government, which remained in power until last month.

Related: How Honduras became one of the most dangerous countries to defend natural resources

Since then, hundreds of defenders have been killed, harassed and jailed on trumped-up criminal charges.

The highest-profile victim was the indigenous defender Berta Cáceres, who was assassinated in March 2016 after suffering years of threats and harassment linked to her opposition to an internationally funded dam.

The Guapinol case dates back to 2011, when the Botaderos mountain was declared a national park by Congress, mandating protection of water sources which serve more than 42,000 people, including the Guapinol river.

Yet the following year, Congress reduced the park’s no-development zone to accommodate the mine, owned by Lenir Pérez, a businessman previously accused of human rights violations, and Ana Facussé, daughter of the late palm oil magnate Miguel Facussé, a major political powerbroker who before his death in 2015 was accused of land grabs, violent repression and links with drug traffickers.

Over the next few years, mining permits were issued and road construction began – even as communities filed legal complaints, held protests and pleaded with officials to protect the rivers. The tap water in Guapinol turned chocolate brown and thick with muddy sediment; children began suffering from diarrhoea, while some adults reported skin complaints.

On 7 September 2018, one young protester was shot and seriously injured when scores of armed security guards working for the mine attempted to evict the protest camp. The incident was never investigated, but judicial authorities issued arrest warrants for some of the protesters.

Wednesday’s ruling comes after a trial beset by delays and irregularities, in which international observers including the US National Lawyers Guild criticised the flimsy evidence presented by the prosecution, as well as judicial bias in favor of the mining company.

The company Inversiones Los Pinares did not immediately respond for comment on the verdict.

Gabriela Soto, whose father is among the six men convicted, said that the community would continue to defend the rivers. “We are going to continue stronger, and resist harder in this struggle.”

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for 23 February. The men face prisoner terms of eight to 14 years.

Israel's rejection of Amnesty's report does not change the reality of apartheid - opinion

By GERSHON BASKIN - Yesterday 
The Jerusalem Post
(photo credit: PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT OFFICE/REUTERS)


The Amnesty International report describing Israel as a modern form of apartheid has generated an intense debate regarding the use of the word apartheid and much less debate on the substance of the report. The undeniable truth is that in the area under Israel’s direct control there are clear differences in the rights between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs, be they citizens of Israel or residents of the Palestinian Authority areas. The entire geographic area of Israel and the West Bank is controlled by Israel, and it has total freedom of movement and access to all of the areas.

Fifty-five years after the Six-Day War (1967), we live in a binational reality that discriminates between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs. After 1967, there was hope that territories conquered in the war would be exchanged for peace. That did not happen and instead of peace based on partition we have Israeli control with a binational reality that embodies a new form of apartheid – meaning two peoples under one controlling authority, which grants superior status to those who are part of the controlling authority.

Israel has never denied that it is the nation-state of the Jewish people and it is not the state of all of its citizens. It even passed a law to send the message to the Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel: This country will never be yours! This is a very bizarre way for a so-called democracy to define itself. Almost two million Israeli Palestinian citizens of Israel are not defined by their own state as full citizens and the state in which they were born and live tells them that this is not their state. The three and half million Palestinians living in the West Bank do not enjoy full citizenship of any country recognized by Israel.

The 350,000 Palestinians in east Jerusalem living under Israel’s direct unilaterally determined sovereignty are not citizens of Israel and in fact have no citizenship at all. Unlike the Palestinians in the West Bank, the Palestinians in east Jerusalem, nearly 40% of Jerusalemites don’t even have a passport that represents them and their nationality. They live under a completely different reality than the one I live in within the same city. The difference is that I am a Jewish Israeli and they are Palestinian Arabs. One state with two realities.

For decades, the two-states solution advocates have warned that the failure to partition the land of Israel into two states, as prescribed by the UN Resolution of November 29, 1947, into a Jewish state and an Arab (Palestinian) state, would lead to a one-state reality. We have been in that one state reality for decades, but with the failure of Israel to continue to adhere to a two-state solution and to advance it, what has emerged is a clear form of discrimination, which for lack of a better term is called apartheid. It is not racially based, as the official definition of apartheid is, and it is not based on full separation, as South African apartheid was, but it is clearly a situation of two peoples, two ethnicities, living in the same territory with two separate legal systems, two separate economies, with one side in power and control and the other at the mercy of the will of a great military force.


© Provided by The Jerusalem Post

The logo of Amnesty International is seen next to director of Mujeres En Linea Luisa Kislinger, during a news conference to announce the results of an investigation into humans rights abuses committed in Venezuela during protests against President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela February 20, 2022 (credit: REUTERS/CARLOS JASSO)

There is not a single area of life in which Jewish Israelis do not have significantly more privileges than Palestinian Arabs, regardless if they live in Israel, east Jerusalem or the West Bank. Under the Jewish State of Israel, Arabs are not equal to the Jewish citizens of Israel, regardless if they are living in Israel, east Jerusalem or the West Bank. The sharpest degree of inequality is in the West Bank where Jews live under Israeli law, despite the territory not being under the sovereignty of Israel, and where the Palestinians are subject to Israeli military rule and law.

Since Benjamin Netanyahu took over ruling Israel in 2009, he successfully removed the two-state solution from the table, and to a great extent removed the Palestinian issue from the agenda of Israel and the international community. It should be noted that Palestinian internal divisions and the increasing lack of legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority on the Palestinian street contribute a great deal to the demise of the importance of Palestine to the regional and international agenda as well. That being said, the issue is still with us and no solution, no negotiations and no progress is our reality.

The warnings of the advocates of two states are now more real than ever. The Bennett-Lapid government has committed itself not to negotiate with the Palestinians. The Palestinians have little power to bring the international community to entice or to force the parties to the table. The Biden Administration is not interested in catching the bull by the horns and leading a new US peace process. Few people in the region have the appetite for a peace process.

The Amnesty International report could be the launching pad to international action against Israel in the way that similar reports had the impact to generate global boycotts against South African apartheid. The detailed, researched report will be adopted by many actors around the world and Israelis attempts to deflect it with claims of antisemitism will not change the reality on the ground between the river and the sea. The Amnesty International report is a mirror of reality and even if the Israeli government rejects it, the reality remains with us and that is not changing.

The writer is a political and social entrepreneur who has dedicated his life to Israel, and to peace between Israel and her neighbors. He is now directing The Holy Land Bond.