Author: Steven Sahiounie

Liberal democracy is being destroyed from within by leaders who refuse to stand up to Israel despite public pressure By Bradley Blankenship, an American journalist, columnist and political commentator In recent days, there has been a wave of pro-Palestine protests across the world as violence in Gaza escalates in the wake of an Israeli invasion and bombing campaign that has killed thousands, including many women and children, in response to the deadly terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7. One of the key questions is, will this actually amount to any change in so-called Western democracies that are standing behind Israel’s onslaught? It…

Prime Minister Netanyahu has responded to President Erdogan’s “terror state” speech Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday rejected criticism from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying that Türkiye was the real sponsor of terrorism and had no right to lecture anyone. “He calls Israel a terrorist state, but in fact supports the state of Hamas,” Netanyahu said in a statement quoted by Israeli media. “He himself bombed Turkish villages within [his] borders — we will not accept preaching from him.” Ankara has waged war on Kurdish separatists both inside Turkey and abroad for years. Just last month, it launched a series of…

Vancouver police deployed 100 officers to safely escort Justin Trudeau away from angry activists Two people were arrested after some 250 pro-Palestine protesters surrounded a Vancouver restaurant where Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was dining on Tuesday night, police said. According to Vancouver Police Department spokesman Steve Addison, 100 officers were deployed to disperse the crowd while Trudeau was escorted out of an unnamed eatery in Chinatown. An officer was hospitalized after a protester punched her and attempted to gouge her eyes, Addison said. Police used a Taser to subdue the 27-year-old suspect, who remains in custody. A second man was…

‘Israeli officials, who have entered dark pages of history with oppression, massacres committed against Palestinian people, have no right to talk about the law,’ says foreign ministry Türkiye on Wednesday rejected “unfounded slander” from Israel’s prime minister against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying Israeli officials have “no right to talk about the law.” “Israeli officials, who have entered the dark pages of history with the oppression and massacres committed against the Palestinian people, have no right to talk about the law. “(Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu and (Foreign Minister) Eli Cohen, who are both uncomfortable with the truth being expressed,…

At least five people have been wounded in an alleged attack in Jerusalem, according to Israel’s national emergency service. Magen David Adom said paramedics were providing medical assistance to those wounded, including one person in a critical condition. Source: AlJazeera

Israeli envoy to UN describes resolution as ‘detached from reality,’ as it does not condemn Hamas The Israeli Foreign Ministry rejected a resolution on Wednesday that was passed by the UN Security Council which called for “extended humanitarian pauses and corridors” in Gaza. In a statement cited by the Haaretz newspaper, the ministry said “there is no place for extended humanitarian pauses” as long as hostages are being held by the Palestinian group Hamas. Israel’s envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan, also described the resolution as “detached from reality,” as it does not condemn Hamas over its attack launched against…

Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the observer State of Palestine to the United Nations, said the Security Council should have called a ceasefire by now. The UN Security Council voted last night in favor of a draft resolution presented by the Malta UN mission calling for humanitarian pauses and safe corridors in the Gaza Strip, with 12 voting in favor and three abstaining. “We want to save lives,” Mansour told the UNSC after the vote. “This resolution is a small step in the right direction, a small step towards a ceasefire, we want a ceasefire. We will not relent, we…

 Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a phone call from Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, on Wednesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.The two discussed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and military escalation in the region.Prince Faisal stressed the importance of an immediate ceasefire, and a halt to Israel’s attacks on Palestinian civilians and hospitals, the most recent being its storming of Al-Shifa hospital.The Saudi foreign minister also highlighted the need to secure humanitarian corridors for the entry of urgent aid in order to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians. Source: Arab News

Metin Kulunk and two lawyers call for international trial for Benjamin Netanyahu and those acting with him within framework of international criminal norms A former Turkish lawmaker together with two lawyers have sent a petition to the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office asking it to file a lawsuit against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the International Criminal Court (ICC). The prosecutor’s office on Wednesday processed the criminal complaint against Netanyahu submitted by Metin Kulunk, a former member of parliament from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), and lawyers Mucahit Birinci and Burak Bekiroglu. The prosecutor’s office forwarded the petition…

A car has crashed into a barricade near the Israeli embassy in Tokyo and a man in his 50s has been arrested, according to the Reuters news agency. One police officer was injured, according to the report, quoting Japan’s Fuji TV. In a separate report that aired on NHK, a black compact car with damage to its front headlights and panel appeared to have crashed into a barrier on a street near the embassy. The Israeli embassy in Japan and the Tokyo police have yet to comment. Source: AlJazeera