ICYMI

Canada braced for migrants as Trump reiterates mass deportation vow


Police say plans in place to deal with rise in border crossings as US president-elect pledges to remove 11m people

Leyland Cecco in Toronto

Fri 8 Nov 2024 
THE GUARDIAN

Canada is bracing for a surge of migrants to its southern border after Donald Trump doubled down on his pledge to conduct the largest mass deportation in American history.

On Thursday, Trump told NBC News there was “no choice” but to proceed in removing some of the estimated 11 million undocumented people in the United States.

During Trump’s first term in office, tens of thousands of Haitians fled to Canada after he ended temporary protected status for the group (it was later restored). Many passed through the Roxham Road crossing, a rural country road that served as funnel for refugees attempting to safely traverse the world’s longest land border.

That crossing was closed in 2023 after Canada and the US amended the Safe Third Country Agreement, expanding it to cover the entire land border instead of only formal crossings.

The RCMP says it has plans to deal with a fresh increase in crossings that has been “several months” in the making. A spokesperson for the federal police said officers had the “tools and insight” to deal with another increase, including a scenario in which hundreds of people cross every day.

If those crossing claim asylum, the RCMP cannot send them back to the United States. Instead, their claims are entered into a system with an estimated backlog of 250,000 cases. The average processing time for a case is 44 months, a parliamentary committee heard on Thursday.

Experts fear that with formal crossings closed to migrants, desperate families will take increasingly dangerous routes across the 5,500-mile border. In many locations, the terrain and the weather can be deadly.

In January 2022, a family of four – including a baby – died after attempting to cross from Canada to the United States. Police said the group died from the intense cold and punishing winds, where temperatures had dipped to -35C (-31F).

Last year, the bodies of eight people, including two young children and their parents, were discovered on the banks of the St Lawrence river near the Mohawk community of Akwesasne, which spans Quebec, Ontario and New York state.


Both cases involved groups heading from Canada into the US, but migrants heading north face the same challenges, which as winter approaches include sub-zero temperatures, deep snow and frostbite.

In Quebec, the province that absorbed most of the crossing, politicians warned the federal government was unprepared for a repeat of the last Trump administration.

Yves-François Blanchet, leader of the separatist Bloc Québécois party, said Ottawa was “refusing to acknowledge an obvious and very serious situation” and that more resources were needed to anticipate new routes used by human smugglers.

Quebec’s premier, François Legault, told reporters he did not believe the province had the capacity to absorb a significant number of new arrivals, adding that although border security falls under the purview of the federal government, his government would possibly send its own officers to monitor crossings.

Earlier this week, the deputy prime minister, Chrystia Freeland, said her government “absolutely recognize[d] the importance to border security and of controlling our own border, of controlling who comes into Canada and who doesn’t”.

Olympian, veteran, first Canadian Indigenous police officer honoured in Belgium

Rick Decoteau (left) is seen with his wife Melinda (middle), and Elder Debbie Eisan (right). (Derek Haggett/CTV Atlantic)


Derek Haggett
CTV News Atlantic Journalist
Follow |Contact
Published Nov. 9, 2024 


Alex Decoteau didn’t live to see his 30th birthday, but what he accomplished in his 29 years of life was simply remarkable.

An emotional ceremony on National Indigenous Veterans Day was attended by Belgian and Canadian dignitaries in Zonnebeke, Belgium, on Friday.


Decoteau was killed in the First World War during the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917.

Before he enlisted to serve Canada in the Great War, Decoteau was an Olympian and Canada’s first Indigenous police officer.

A plaque was unveiled in his honour near the location where he was shot and killed by a German sniper.

His great grand nephew, Rick Decoteau, is part of a Canadian delegation in Belgium that are honouring Canadian Indigenous Veterans.

He was very proud to represent his ancestor and speak on behalf of his family.
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“It is heartwarming,” said Decoteau. “I’ve got a pretty big extended family. The majority of them are Decoteaus and over the course of the years people didn’t know there any Decoteaus left.”

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, Alex Decoteau was born in 1887 on the Red Pheasant First Nation in Saskatchewan.

His father was Métis(opens in a new tab), while his mother was Cree(opens in a new tab).

Decouteau joined the Edmonton City Police in 1909 and patrolled the streets on his motorcycle.

He was also a long-distance runner who represented Canada at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden in the 5,000 metre event.

Today, the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) hold an annual run in his honour and a city park has been named after him.

Rick Decoteau said a lot of his great grand uncle’s running memorabilia is on display in the atrium of the EPS headquarters.

“He was involved in a lot of foot races overseas. Won a lot of medals, trophies which are on display at the Edmonton Police Service headquarters in downtown Edmonton,” said Decoteau.

\A ceremony honouring Alex Decoteau in Zonnebeke, Belgium. (Derek Haggett/CTV Atlantic)Corps Sergeant Major Christa Laforce of EPS was chosen to represent the department that helped fund Decoteau’s memorial.

“He took a leave of work to come over here and fight in World War I serving his greater community in Canada. There was nothing more honourable than being part of that history over in Belgium for Alex. He’s still a member of the Edmonton Police Service,” said Laforce. “Once a member, always a member.”

An emotional day too for Laforce who was deeply touched to be present and speak at the ceremony.

A ceremony honouring Alex Decoteau in Zonnebeke, Belgium. (Derek Haggett/CTV Atlantic)“I don’t have the words to say. It’s super heart warming to be here and the impact he’s had in the community is astonishing,” said Laforce.

Nicholas Brousseau, Canada’s ambassador to Belgium, said it’s impossible to overstate the significance of Decoteau’s decision to fight for his country.

“At a time when many Indigenous people were denied full citizenship rights, Alex Decoteau volunteered not just for Canada, but for the ideals of freedom, sacrifice and shared humanity,” said Brousseau.

After the ceremony, everyone in attendance travelled 400 metres up the road of the Flemish countryside to the military cemetery where Alex Decoteau is buried.

Rick Decoteau placed a wreath at the foot of his grave and Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre(opens in a new tab) Elder Debbie Eisan provided a blessing.

Flowers are laid on Alex Decoteau's grave. (Derek Haggett/CTV Atlantic)Earlier in the day, Decoteau shared an incredible story about his ancestor’s death about a gold pocket watch which had been given to him from King George V.

“The story goes that when Alex was killed in the war by a German sniper, the German sniper took the watch and a couple of days later Alex’s comrades shot and killed the same sniper that took the watch and got his watch back,” said Decouteau. “That is now in the Edmonton Police Service showcase in downtown Edmonton.”

Click here for more photos(opens in a new tab) from around Ypres.

This article was produced in partnership with Visit Flan

A ceremony honouring Alex Decoteau in Zonnebeke, Belgium. (Derek Haggett/CTV Atlantic)

'Silly and the epic erasure': Oliver's novel offends Indigenous Australians

According to the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation, the fantasy novel's subplots contribute to the 'trivialisation, and stereotyping of First Nations peoples and experiences'.


Reuters

Indigenous campaigners were particularly aghast that neither Oliver nor his publishers. / Photo: Reuters


A children's book written by British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has been withdrawn from sale after it was criticised for offending Indigenous Australians.


The Guardian newspaper reported Saturday that the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation blasted “Billy And The Epic Escape,” which was published earlier this year, for employing a series of tropes and stereotypes about Indigenous Australians, including their relationships with the natural and spiritual worlds.


The group criticised one of the fantasy novel's subplots, which tells the story of an Indigenous girl living in foster care, for contributing to the “erasure, trivialisation, and stereotyping of First Nations peoples and experiences."


In a statement, Oliver, 49, said he was “devastated” to have caused offence and apologised “wholeheartedly.”


“It was never my intention to misinterpret this deeply painful issue," he said. "Together with my publishers we have decided to withdraw the book from sale.”


Indigenous campaigners were particularly aghast that neither Oliver nor his publishers, Penguin Random House, had consulted with them before the novel was published.


“It is clear that our publishing standards fell short on this occasion, and we must learn from that and take decisive action,” the publisher said. "With that in mind, we have agreed with our author, Jamie Oliver, that we will withdraw the book from sale.”


Oliver, who is in Australia promoting his latest recipe book, is among a long list of celebrities who have signed children's books. This trend has been criticised by many children's authors, who say they are being crowded out of their market.


Oliver released his first children’s book, “Billy And The Giant Adventure,” last year and said in a social media post that he had “carefully chosen the font to make sure the text is as clear as possible” as dyslexic people like himself can find it hard to read.


Oliver, who rose to fame in 1999 with his book and television show “The Naked Chef,” has long campaigned on children’s food and nutrition and caused a furore in 2005 when he hit out at the nutritional of some school dinners in the UK.

British chef Jamie Oliver pulls book after Indigenous uproar

Oliver's book, "Billy and the Epic Escape", tells a fictional account of a group of friends on a summer adventure when an Indigenous girl living in foster care is abducted.



Reuters Archive

"It was never my intention to misinterpret this deeply painful issue. Together with my publishers we have decided to withdraw the book from sale," Jamie Oliver said. / Photo: Reuters Archive


British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has announced he will no longer sell his children's book, after coming under fire for what Indigenous critics called "erasure, trivialisation and stereotyping".


Oliver's book, "Billy and the Epic Escape", tells a fictional account of a group of friends on a summer adventure when an Indigenous girl living in foster care is abducted.


The story sparked outrage among Indigenous authors and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation called for the book to be withdrawn, The Guardian reported on Saturday.


The corporation told The Guardian the book was "disrespectful" and contributed to the "erasure, trivialisation, and stereotyping of First Nations peoples and experiences".


Thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders were taken from their homes and put into foster care with white families under official policies that persisted into the 1970s -- now known as the "Stolen Generations".


Oliver said he was "devastated" to have caused offence and apologised "wholeheartedly", The Guardian reported.


"It was never my intention to misinterpret this deeply painful issue. Together with my publishers we have decided to withdraw the book from sale," he said.



The Guardian said the book had incorrectly used Indigenous words.


A spokesperson for publisher Penguin Random House said it was "clear" its publishing standards "fell short", according to the report.


"We must learn from that and take decisive action," the spokesperson said.


"With that in mind, we have agreed with our author, Jamie Oliver, that we will be withdrawing the book from sale."


The book was still available for purchase online Sunday.


Oliver launched to fame when his TV show "The Naked Chef" aired in 1999, and he has since filmed several other shows and published numerous cookbooks.

'Costly genocide': How social media dissected Democrat setback in US polls

As election results trickled in, social media buzzed with sharp, polarised responses, reflecting Americans’ deeply fractured views on issues from Amish voter turnout to US-Israel relations.

EDIBE BEYZA CAGLAR

TRT/AA
\\\\\\\

AP

Millions of US citizens have called on the Biden administration to halt arms sales since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023. / Photo: AP


Widespread criticism of the Biden administration’s steadfast support for Israel echoed across social media, with many attributing Kamala Harris’s flagging poll numbers to this controversial stance.


The Biden administration’s approach to Israel’s war in Gaza and Lebanon has driven significant discontent among local voters. In a closely contested battleground state, this disenchantment could prove decisive in a tight presidential race.


“Genocide is costly after all,” remarked Omar Suleiman, a prominent leader in the Muslim American community, responding to initial tallies.


He continued in a post, “And those who responded to that agony with sheer arrogance are responsible for their own downfall. The rest of us will keep fighting evil whether it’s wrapped in red or blue.”


With the Associated Press reporting Donald Trump in the lead across 31 states and Vice President Kamala Harris holding 12, the intense showdown between Trump and Harris sparked fervent commentary.


Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and owner of X (formerly Twitter) and a vocal Trump advocate, wrote, “Game, set and match,” adding in a later post, “The prophecy has been fulfilled!”


Amish support for Trump


The Amish, often disengaged from mainstream politics, emerged as an unexpected Trump-leaning bloc in Pennsylvania, with reports suggesting 180,000 Amish voters had cast ballots for him.


This turnout, attributed by some to the community’s discontent with the Biden administration, underscored Trump’s appeal across surprising demographics.

Musk acknowledged this shift by sharing the song “Amish Paradise” with the caption, “Great song.”


Social media user enthusiasm was equally high. One commenter claimed, “President Trump won more votes out of Lancaster County than in 2020. The Amish delivered.”


Unwavering support for Israel


Criticism of the Biden administration’s unwavering support for Israel reverberated online, with many linking this stance to Harris’s lagging numbers.


Prominent campaign adviser Peter Daou condemned the administration’s policy in Gaza, posting, “This is what killing babies for a year gets you,” before later adding, “Genocide wasn’t a good election strategy.”

Others suggested that, despite slight variations, both candidates would likely maintain US backing for Israel, with one voter noting that “both candidates will end up supporting genocide in Gaza”.


Reflecting a blunt take on the election’s outcome, William Youmans, a professor at George Washington University, tweeted, “It’s the genocide, stupid.”


Divided reactions among political commentators


The election’s implications for global power dynamics sparked reactions among pundits. Ian Bremmer, a political scientist, summarised the situation tersely, writing, “Putin: winning; Iran: screwed; China: nervous.”


In contrast, TV host Jimmy Failla made light of the Democrats’ loss, quipping, “Nothing could be funnier than Democrats calling Trump racist for 10 years and losing because black men voted for him. Hilarious.”


Meanwhile, Sean Johnson, a CEO and investor who supported Harris, critiqued the Democrats’ introspection, remarking, “I voted for her. I think he’s a bad guy. But if you lose the senate, house, electoral college, and popular vote, and you think the lesson is half the country is racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, and stupid… wrong lesson. And the same thing will likely happen in 2028.”


Trump endorser Bill Mitchell dismissed Harris’s candidacy with a scathing remark: “Women don’t want the first woman president to be an idiot.” This tweet echoed widely, with many social media posts arguing women “deserve better representation.”



Riley Gaines, host of “Gaines for Girls,” credited Trump’s potential success to Musk’s acquisition of X, stating, “This election cycle would have been very different had Elon not bought X.”


Activist Medea Benjamin, an outspoken critic of both candidates, lamented, “A lot of Americans… like what Donald Trump is selling—racism, sexism, hatred of immigrants. And, along with Harris, genocide against Palestinians. Sad but true.”

SOURCE: TRTWORLD AND AGENCIES

Edibe Beyza Caglar
She is deputy producer at TRT World
@edibebeyza

Europe’s growing border barriers: an invisible threat to wildlife

As the EU builds more fences to curb migration, these structures disrupt wildlife habitats, posing significant ecological challenges.



Reuters

From lynxes and bears to reptiles, these barriers block critical migration paths and isolate animal populations, damaging Europe’s already fragile ecosystems. / Photo: Reuters


In recent years, the European Union has intensified its border security to prevent illegal migration, erecting physical barriers through some of the continent’s largest forests.


According to data from the European Parliament, the total length of border fences at the EU’s external and internal borders within the EU/Schengen area expanded from 315 kilometres in 2014 to 2,048 kilometres by 2022.

However, these fences—often stretching through biodiverse regions like the Carpathians, the Balkans, and the Białowieża Forest in the Polish-Belarusian wall—pose significant threats to Europe’s wildlife.


Walls and fences designed to secure borders could make it difficult for almost 700 mammal species to roam freely as they do seasonally, thus impacting their ability to adapt to climate change, according to a study by the Natural Environment Research Council.


From lynxes and bears to reptiles, these barriers block critical migration paths and isolate animal populations, damaging Europe’s already fragile ecosystems.

The Białowieża Forest, which spans the border of Poland and Belarus, is one of Europe’s last remaining primaeval forests and home to species such as European bison, wolves, and lynxes.


Here, fences prevent animals from following natural migratory paths, effectively trapping them in isolated habitats on one side of the border.


The inability to cross over means animals like the endangered European bison, which roam across large areas for food, are cut off from essential resources, impacting their survival.


Additionally, this confinement reduces genetic diversity by limiting breeding options, leading to weaker populations that are more susceptible to disease and environmental changes.

Habitat degradation

The Carpathian Mountains, spanning multiple Central and Eastern European countries, host diverse wildlife, including brown bears, lynxes, and wolves.

Border fences cut through these vast forests, obstructing the movement of these apex predators that rely on large hunting grounds. Without access to adequate territory, bears and wolves are forced into smaller areas, leading to conflicts over resources and driving them closer to human populations.

The barriers and fences built to prevent human migration also pose a direct physical threat to many animals. In the Balkans, where cross-border migration of large animals is common, deer and wolves often try to navigate these barbed wire fences, leading to injuries or even death.

Smaller animals, like certain reptiles and amphibians, struggle to reach water sources and breeding grounds, putting local populations at risk. The isolation of habitats by fencing impacts everything from plant life to insects and small mammals, further undermining local biodiversity.

Beyond physical harm, the ecological impact is far-reaching.

Fences alter predator-prey relationships, as animals forced into confined areas can overgraze or overhunt certain regions, leading to habitat degradation.

‘NYTimes’ biased coverage of Amsterdam soccer violence attempts to hide Israeli racism

The New York Times buried the fact that racist Israeli soccer fans instigated attacks in Amsterdam, and instead pushed a false narrative that the violence was driven by antisemitism.

Media Analysis
By James North 

 November 10, 2024
MONDOWEISS

New York Times headquarters. (Photo: Wikipedia)

The New York Times report on the recent soccer clashes in Amsterdam was so biased that you wouldn’t be entirely surprised if you found out that Israel’s propaganda/disinformation ministry had kidnapped the paper’s reporters and put guns to their heads.

At this site, Sana Saaed has already done an impressive post surveying the widespread global media bias about the events. But, unfortunately, the New York Times is the most important source of coverage of Israel/Palestine for Americans. The Times sets the tone for the cable TV networks, and other U.S. papers have cut back or ended their foreign coverage. So a closer scrutiny of its ongoing slant is indispensable.

The Times report, which started on page 1, used the word “antisemitic” six times, beginning in the headline. The first six paragraphs uniformly described the “Israeli soccer fans” as the victims, recounting their injuries, and dwelling on the Israeli government’s chartering of “at least three flights to bring Israeli citizens home,” insinuating that innocent people had to completely flee the country for their lives.

You had to jump to paragraph 7, buried on an inside page, to learn that the Israeli fans had, in fact, been violent and provocative the night before the game: they “vandalized a taxi and burned a Palestinian flag.” On game day itself, Israeli fans shouted “an anti-Arab chant,” but the Times never bothered to tell us what they were shouting. (Reports elsewhere said that one of the chants was: “Why is school out in Gaza? There are no children left there.”)

After these brief hints that at least some of the Israelis had not behaved like peaceful sports fans, the Times got back to hammering away at the antisemitism theme. The next to last paragraph is a cunning example of the slant.

To further illustrate the alleged rise in antisemitism in Europe, the paper said:


“Earlier this year, when the Netherlands opened a National Holocaust Museum — almost 80 years after three-quarters of the Dutch Jewish population was killed in the Holocaust — an angry crowd of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside and yelled, ‘There is a holocaust in Gaza.’”

1.) The murder of Dutch Jews, although of course tragic, has nothing to do with Israel’s murder of Gazans today. And if you are going to bring up percentages, what proportion of the Gazan people are also already dead? 2.) Outside a Holocaust museum is an entirely appropriate place to protest another holocaust that is ongoing. 3.) The Times dismisses the demonstrators as “angry” and “yelling,” loaded words that the reporters left out of their vocabulary in their earlier brief mentions of the chants from the visiting Israelis.

The Times could have reported this story more fairly. By contrast, let’s look at how it was covered in the Jewish Daily Forward. A reporter there named Arno Rosenfeld apparently knows how to use the telephone and/or the internet, because he was able to quickly get through to Amsterdam’s Jewish community, an obvious move that the (three) Times reporters failed to do.

Rosenfeld did report that many Amsterdam Jews were in fact fearful after the violence. But he also informed Forward readers that there was another side to the story:

But some Dutch Jews noted that roving bands of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans had spent Tuesday and Wednesday nights marauding through the city center chanting racist anti-Arab slogans, climbing a facade to rip a Palestinian flag off the second story of an apartment building and assaulting a Moroccan taxi driver.

Jelle Zijlstra, who is Jewish and works as a community organizer in Amsterdam, made a post that went viral on Instagram stating that ‘multiple truths can exist at the same time.’ It highlighted both the assaults on Israelis and footage of the fans shouting ‘F— Palestine’ the night before.

There was definitely antisemitism involved in some of the events that took place, Zjilstra said in an interview. ‘Were Jews attacked in the streets? Yes, but those Jews were also violent hooligans.’”

Arno Rosenfeld showed that reporting on the Amsterdam events with balance and fairness was not impossible. Maybe the New York Times should offer him a job?

No, there were no ‘antisemitic pogroms’ in Amsterdam. Here’s what really happened.

Media claims of ‘antisemitic pogroms’ against Israeli fans in Amsterdam are the latest in a pattern of false narratives fueling anti-Muslim violence and justifying the genocide in Gaza.

By Sana Saeed 

 November 9, 2024 
MONDOWEISS

A crowd of Israelis tear down a Palestinian flag hanging on a building in the city of Amsterdam. Hundreds of Israelis and fans of the notoriously racist Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team had traveled to the city for a match in the city. Following a string of attacks and vandalism carried out by Israelis, the Maccabi fans were targeted in what the media dubbed an ‘antisemitic pogrom’. (Screenshot, X)


“Olé, olé!

Olé, olé, olé!

Let the IDF win and fuck the Arabs!

Olé, olé!

Olé, olé, olé!

Why is school out in Gaza? There are no children left there!”

On the night of November 7th, there was an anti-Jewish pogrom in Amsterdam as young Dutch Moroccans on scooters descended onto the streets to assault Israeli Jewish football fans.

At least, that’s the story being told in Western newsrooms and by American and European leaders as the Israeli extermination of Gaza – especially the north – continues unencumbered.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “horrific antisemitic incident.”

President Joe Biden released a statement on X saying “the Antisemitic attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam are despicable and echo dark moments in history when Jews were persecuted.” He ended by reiterating “We must relentlessly fight Antisemitism, wherever it emerges.”

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof promised that “the perpetrators will be tracked down and prosecuted.”

EU commissioner Ursula Von Der Leyen gave the reminder that “antisemitism has absolutely no place in Europe.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated “the news out of Amsterdam last night is horrifying. This is a dark moment for our world — and one we have seen before.”

The Anti-Defamation League called it a “modern day pogrom”, its CEO Jonathan Greenblatt drawing comparisons to Kristallnacht, saying that “Jews on the streets of Amsterdam were hunted, chased, attacked and forced to hide from an antisemitic mob whose goal was to harm as many Jews as possible.”

Headlines across U.S. news coverage, especially, signaled similar alarm: “Violent Attacks in Amsterdam Tied to Antisemitism”, “‘Scooter Youths,’ Not Soccer Fans, Hunt Jews in Amsterdam”, “Israeli soccer fans suffer ‘anti-Semitic attacks’ in violent Amsterdam incident: Officials”, “Amsterdam bans protests after ‘antisemitic squads’ attack Israeli soccer fans”, “Israeli Soccer Fans Targeted in ‘Antisemitic’ Attacks In Amsterdam”.

But that’s not what happened.

On November 5th, hundreds of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans – reportedly accompanied by Mossad agents – had flown into the city for a game against Ajax FC. It was reported, in the preceding days, that pro-Palestinian groups were planning a large protest outside the stadium against the presence of the Israeli football team. In the two days before the game, there were many reported incidents of violence and intimidation from the Israeli fans – including anti-Arab chants, attacking taxi drivers, ripping down Palestinian flags and attacking homes with any Palestinian imagery.

Emerging video evidence and testimonies from Amsterdam residents (here, here and here for instance) indicate that the initial violence came from Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, who also disrupted a moment of silence for the Valencia flood victims.

But despite that footage and Amsterdammer testimonies, coverage – across international media, especially in the United States – has failed to contextualize the counter-attacks against the anti-Arab Israeli mob.

Where there have been mentions of the actions of the Maccabi fans, the critical context of anti-Arab violence and chants is simply an additional detail versus the foundation of the counter-violence. The context of the violence and racism against Arabs is also downplayed, with less severe language being used to describe it.

Note this excerpt from a Reuters report on the Amsterdam incident:


Videos on social media showed riot police in action, with some attackers shouting anti-Israeli slurs. Footage also showed Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters chanting anti-Arab slogans before Thursday evening’s match.

Wishing death to Arabs at the hands of the IDF and mocking dead Palestinian children, we are told, is a slogan. Forcing Israelis to say “Free Palestine!” is a slur. Through the use of these two words, the weight of violence and of blame is immediately shifted to those victimized.

Then there’s this Channel 4 news report, which shows a bit of a masterful narrative manipulation. It begins with images of people draped in Palestinian flags, marching in the streets of Amsterdam, with the voiceover talking about the ‘shocking’ violence, and how “men on scooters hunted down Israelis to beat them”. We immediately see footage of random Israelis being beaten in the streets and then a jump to the Dutch PM condemning these actions. When presented this way, it is shocking – your initial introduction to this story is that Israeli Jewish football fans were ‘hunted’ and assaulted in the streets by pro-Palestinian hooligans.

A little over a minute into the three-minute report, we move onto what is the critical context: 36 hours of violence and racist slurs and chants by the Maccabi fans. The report spends about 40 seconds going over it, only to return to framing the incident as antisemitic. It concludes with a brief acknowledgement that Maccabi fans have a history of anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian racism but its final note is about the historical memory of Jews with regards to being ‘hunted and chased’ in the streets.

Nevermind the present experience of Arabs, of Muslims being exterminated in their homes, hospitals, schools and tents by a Jewish military.

It’s also worth mentioning here that during the course of writing this piece, Sky News posted and deleted a video report on the racist Israeli mob’s instigation and violence — only to repost the report, with its content and copy edited to center the “antisemitism” framing. In other words, a real-time manufacturing of a story to fit a specific narrative, despite all the evidence available. Few things have captured the intentional complicity of the news media, in the genocide of Palestinians, as transparently and poignantly as this.


The coverage of events in Amsterdam reveals a troubling, but transparent and tired pattern: it serves as a rhetorical tool to justify violence against Arabs and Muslims, whether in Gaza or within the streets of Europe.

The coverage of events in Amsterdam reveals a troubling, but transparent and tired pattern: it serves as a rhetorical tool to justify violence against Arabs and Muslims, whether in Gaza or within the streets of Europe. Each narrative, whether centered around October 7th or November 7th, invariably positions Jewish suffering and historical trauma at its core, thus reinforcing the notion of a Jewish right to violence. Any contextualization that portrays Israelis or Jewish Zionist as aggressors threatens to disrupt this carefully curated monopoly on suffering.

In the case of Amsterdam, the media framing and sensational headlines reinforce an image of the Israeli mob as victims, besieged by an enraged Arab mob that “hunts Jews” in the streets. The timing—occurring just before the anniversary of Kristallnacht—adds a haunting resonance that has allowed the narrative of Jewish persecution to be put at the center of coverage and condemnation.

This framing, both directly and indirectly, echoes Israeli and Zionist propaganda reliant on manufactured antisemitism and long-standing racist tropes about Arabs and Muslim; it perpetuates a narrative of eternal victimhood that is wielded to justify the ongoing extermination of 2.2 million Palestinians. And thus our media gives permission for violence – American, European and Israeli – toward Arabs and Muslims. It gives permission for the U.S.-backed Israeli eradication of Palestinians because, we are told again and again, that Jews are not safe anywhere.

This framing, both directly and indirectly, echoes Israeli and Zionist propaganda reliant on manufactured antisemitism and long-standing racist tropes about Arabs and Muslim; it perpetuates a narrative of eternal victimhood that is wielded to justify the ongoing extermination of 2.2 million Palestinians.

This has lent itself to fabricated stories – about beheaded babies, babies in ovens, mass rapes of Israeli women, command centers under hospitals, UNRWA involvement in October 7th, journalists as “terrorists”, unfettered antisemitism on college campuses and pogroms against Jews in Amsterdam – defining American, Canadian and European coverage of the genocide of Palestinians. The claims and experiences of Israelis, of pro-Israel Jews are presented as sacrosanct, to question them is antisemitic; it is to deny and support the sort of dehumanization and violence that led to the Jewish Holocaust.

The claims and experiences of Palestinians, of Arabs and Muslims, might be tragic but we must always consider Jewish suffering and trauma first and foremost – that is what must always be protected, always at the helm of our outrage.

The coverage of the anti-racist counter-attacks in Amsterdam exemplified that: on the same day Western leaders flocked to condemn a non-existent pogrom against Jews, the UN Office on Human Rights released a report indicating that 70% of those killed in Gaza are women and children – mainly children, between the ages of 5 and 9. And the lack of condemnation, of outrage – even acknowledgement – of that from Western leaders and newsrooms, who are culpable in that 70%, is why there is condemnation of a pogrom that never happened.

SEE

Dozens detained after protesters defy ban in Amsterdam

Israeli fans attack pro-Palestine supporters in Amsterdam

UK Labour MP Zarah Sultana urges halt to all Israel arms sales, including F-35 jet parts

Zarah Sultana has issued a letter addressed to British foreign ministry David Lammy, calling for the government to enact a complete arms embargo on Israel

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The New Arab Staff
08 November, 2024


Zarah Sultana questioned the UK government's decision to exempt F-35 parts from the restrictions on Israel arms licenses [Getty]


UK Labour MP Zarah Sultana issued an open letter on Thursday urging Foreign Secretary David Lammy to implement a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, including a halt to the supply of F-35 fighter jet components.

Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed over 43,000 Palestinians killed since October 2023, has led to increased calls for governments to stop arming Israel.

Sultana has been a leading critic within her party, calling for tougher measures amid public backlash against Labour for its perceived pro-Israel stance since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict.

In her letter to Lammy, Sultana highlighted reports of the direct British transportation of F-35 fighter jet components to Israel, believed to be used in aircraft deployed for bombings in Gaza.

"This raises significant concerns, as the UK is not only licensing the export of offensive F-35 fighter jet components to Israel but also facilitating their transport through British military sites and airports," she noted.

Sultana also questioned the UK’s decision to suspend 30 arms export licences to Israel, while exempting F-35 parts.

The MP for Coventry South pointed out that the British government has yet to respond to a previous letter issued by several MPs in September, calling for clarification on the matter.

"I reiterate my request for a full explanation to Parliament on how the government’s exemptions of this offensive weaponry are consistent with the UK's international obligations," Sultana stated, referencing the ICJ's July ruling that countries are obliged to prevent trade or investment that supports the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

Human rights groups also have raised concerns over Israel’s violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza using Western-supplied weapons, noting that the UK provides 15 percent of the components for the F-35, one of the most advanced strike aircraft.

Eighteen UK-based charities, including Medical Aid for Palestinians, Oxfam GB, and Save the Children UK, signed a collective statement calling for an end to all arms transfers to Israel, highlighting the exemption of F-35 components.

Alongside Sultana, the Independent Alliance group of MPs, which includes former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, issued a statement condemning the arms sales.

"This announcement must be the first step in ending all arms transfers to Israel, including parts for F-35 fighter jets, used by the Israeli military in Gaza," the group’s previous statement read.

The British government has so far rejected calls for a full arms embargo on Israel.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined such measures in response to an earlier query from Sultana on the 7 October anniversary.

"No... Banning all sales would mean none for defensive purposes," Starmer responded in the House of Commons.


Since 7 October 2023, other countries including Italy, Japan, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, and Belgium have announced full or partial restrictions on weapons sales to Israel.

Netanyahu appoints backer of illegal Israeli settlements as envoy to US

Yechiel Leiter is a resident of an illegal Israeli settlement and frequently campaigns for the expansion of settlements around the occupied West Bank.

The New Arab Staff
10 November, 2024

The newly appointed envoy was born in the US but is a resident of an illegal Israeli settlement near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank [Getty]


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed Yechiel Leiter, a staunch supporter of illegal Israeli settlements and Israel’s war on Gaza, as the new ambassador to the US.

The appointment came just after former President Donald Trump was announced as being elected for a second term in the White House, with his inauguration in January.

The newly appointed envoy was born in the US but is a resident of an illegal Israeli settlement near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, where he moved four decades ago and pushes for the expansion of such settlements.

Netanyahu announced his position in a statement adding that he is a "highly talented diplomat, eloquent speaker, who has a deep understanding of American culture and politics".

Both Netanyahu and Leiter have worked together previously, serving as chief of staff when Netanyahu was finance minister. Leiter was also an aide to the late Prime Minister Ariel Sharon during the time when he was a member of Knesset.


Leiter will assume his new role on 20 January, replacing the current ambassador, Michael Herzog.

His new appointment was praised by Israel Ganz, the head of the Yesha Council, a body for Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Previously, Leiter has campaigned for further annexation of the West Bank, supporting illegal settlements in many cities, particularly in Hebron. He also founded the US based charity One Israel Fund, an organisation which provides security equipment and financial assistance for settlements.

According to Haaretz, Leiter previously served as a member of the Jewish Defence League, an organisation founded by a far-right rabbi. The group was designated as a terrorist organisation by the US, which was later lifted in 2022 due to the group being inactive.

Leiter, who’s son died in fighting in north Gaza last year, has applauded Trump’s Abraham accords, stating that normalisation between Arab states and Israel has split the Muslim world over the Palestinian cause.

At his son’s funeral, Leiter called on Joe Biden to halt pressure on Israel to cease the war on Gaza and called the offensive on the Strip a "war of light against darkness, truth against lies, of civility against murderous Barbarism".

The appointment comes as Israel Gaza has killed at least 43,552 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023 and wounded over 102,765 others in the same time frame. Israel has also killed at least 3,136 in Lebanon since October 2023.

Israeli settlers attack Palestinian homes, olive farmers in occupied West Bank

Israeli settlers and soldiers carried out attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, including against their homes and olive farms.

The New Arab Staff
10 November, 2024


Israeli forces often escort settlers attacking Palestinian civilians in the West Bank [Getty]


Israeli settlers attacked the homes of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank town of Yasuf, a local official told Palestinian news agency Wafa on Sunday.

Village council head Wa'el Abu Madi said dozens of settlers smashed windows and doors of the homes with stones.

In the al-Qanub area of Hebron governorate, settlers attacked Palestinian farmers and stole their olives.

Farmer Mohammed Abdul Hamid Shalaldeh was quoted by Wafa as saying that armed settlers forced him and other farmers to leave their olive fields and proceeded to steal their produce.

Shalaldeh added that Israeli forces had demolished tin houses and tents belonging to the families in a bid to expel them from the area.

Israeli settlers have carried out several attacks on Palestinians harvesting olives in recent weeks, since the beginning of the olive harvesting season in October.

Earlier this month, the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission reported that Israelis had carried out 360 attacks over the past month, mainly around Nablus.

The attacks include the uprooting of 1,401 trees, blocking Palestinian farmers from accessing their lands and theft of olive crops.

Settlers have also stolen harvesting equipment and vehicles of Palestinians.

Israeli settlers and soldiers have stepped up attacks on Palestinians since the beginning of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023.

Israel forces and settlers have killed at least 760 Palestinians in the occupied territory since October 2023, and a further 6,300 have been wounded.

Over 11,600 Palestinians have been detained in that period, including journalists, children and former prisoners, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society.

Neglect, starvation add to misery of Palestinian detainees in Israel’s Negev Prison


November 10, 2024 

Middle East Monitor 

Far-right groups protest against the military prosecutor’s office as Israeli military court heard the case of 9 soldiers detained on charges of sexually torturing a Palestinian prisoner in the Sde Teiman detention center where Palestinians detained from Gaza are held, in Kfar Yona, Israel on July 30, 2024. 

[Mostafa Alkharouf – Anadolu Agency]

Israeli policies of medical neglect and starvation are worsening the plight of Palestinian detainees in the Negev Prison in southern Israel, a Palestinian commission said on Sunday, Anadolu Agency reports.

In a statement, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs cited testimonies of Palestinian detainees about their bad conditions in the detention camp.

It cited the case of Mohammed Suleiman Ghanem, a 29-year-old Palestinian from Anabta town near Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, who was detained since Aug. 31, 2023.

Ghanem suffers from a neurological disorder and experiences frequent episodes of dizziness and fainting, lasting up to 30 minutes, according to his lawyer.

“Ghanem suffers from severe pain in his left knee as a result of beating and torture inside the prison, leading to significant weight loss of around 45 kilograms,” the statement said.

The commission also reported the case of Mahmoud Abdul Aziz Sweiti, 50, who suffers from scabies at the prison without receiving any medical treatment. The Palestinian man has been jailed since 2007.

“Sweiti does not receive any kind of treatment from the prison clinic, nor have any winter clothes or blankets,” it added.

According to the commission, another detainee, Rafat Salem, 35, also suffers from blood sensitivity issues and back disc problems without receiving any medical attention.

It also cited Raed Abdul Rahim Sous, a 24-year-old detainee who suffers from severe joint pain in his back, which has rendered him unable to walk on his left leg.

The commission highlighted that these testimonies reflect a broader pattern of “medical neglect and starvation” that has intensified since Oct. 7, 2023.

Currently, around 11,600 Palestinians are detained in Israeli prisons, excluding detainees from Gaza held in military camps, according to Palestinian figures.

Israel has continued a devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire. The onslaught has killed over 43,600 victims and rendered the enclave almost uninhabitable.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the blockaded enclave.

US freezes delivery of bulldozers to Israel over Gaza home demolitions: Report


November 10, 2024

Middle East Monitor 

Israeli forces organize a raid with bulldozers on Jenin in the West Bank on September 01, 2024. [ Issam Rimawi – Anadolu Agency]


The US has frozen the delivery of 130 bulldozers to Israel amid home demolitions in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli media said on Sunday, Anadolu Agency reports.

According to Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, the Israeli Defense Ministry signed a major contract to purchase around 130 D9 bulldozers from US machinery maker Caterpillar.

The newspaper, citing Israeli security sources, said the US recently froze the deal due to the use of these bulldozers to demolish homes in Gaza, which has sparked widespread criticism in the US.

The sources claimed that Israel had already paid for the bulldozers and was awaiting export approval from the US State Department.

The Israeli daily said that the freeze came at a time when Israel was in desperate need of the bulldozers, especially after the equipment had undergone maintenance.

According to the report, the Israeli army has also been engaged in ground operations in southern Lebanon for over a month, requiring additional D9 bulldozers for use in the region.

READ: US unlikely to halt arms sales to Israel due to AIPAC lobbying: Expert

The Israeli newspaper said the freeze of the bulldozer shipment has delayed the completion of Israel’s plans to create a buffer zone between Gaza and the Negev in southern Israel, which would include flattening hundreds of Palestinian buildings and agricultural areas along the Gaza border.

According to the daily, Washington has also frozen the delivery of hundreds of heavy bombs to the Israeli army, which had purchased approximately 1,300 bombs from Boeing. These bombs weigh nearly a ton each. The US cited concerns that they could be used to harm civilians in Gaza.

While half of the heavy bomb shipment was eventually delivered, the other half remains stuck in US storage facilities, it added.

Israel has continued a devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023 despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire. The onslaught has killed over 43,600 victims and rendered the enclave almost uninhabitable.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the blockaded enclave.