The “Kirk-Killing Jerk”.
What Stands Behind This Chilling Murder and What's Wrong With the US?
🚩 🚩 🚩 🚩 🚩
Kirk was not an elected official, nor a bureaucrat, nor a judge; he was not assassinated for any exercise of political power or office. He was assassinated because he held a conservative creed and had the audacity to stand for his beliefs.
For those same beliefs, his assassination was mocked, justified, and celebrated before his lifeblood had cooled on the desert ground of Orem, Utah. Mainstream liberals on MSNBC speculated that one of Charlie’s dim, gun-toting fans had shot him in the throat in a spasm of celebration.
The New York Times headlined its obituary of Kirk by calling him a “provocateur” and falsely accused him of antisemitism. And no one needs to make much of an effort to find a plethora of examples of leftists publicly exulting over his death on every social media platform and in offices and classrooms across the country.
Kirk’s assassination, and the range of responses from celebration to studied cynicism on the American left, are the result of the long history of modern America’s tolerance for left-wing violence.
During the ’60s and especially the ’70s, left-wing violence in the U.S. exploded. During just 18 months during 1971 and 1972, the FBI catalogued over 2,500 bombings in the country. Terrorist groups like the Weather Underground conducted a campaign of guerilla warfare against the American government.
These efforts were monumentally unpopular among the American public, and led to President Richard Nixon’s landslide reelection victory in 1972. But they were quietly accepted among the liberal intelligentsia, and the radicals of the ’70s were quietly rehabilitated and offered posts in prestigious universities.
They were more successful as professors and propagandists than they could have dreamed of being as terrorists. Today, the radical left dominates American academia and has been the leading influence for hundreds of thousands of American students.
The ideological progeny of Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn have all but killed the midcentury liberalism that extended them a welcoming hand 40 years ago, and it is their revolutionary philosophy that provides the ideological foundation that justifies the continuous rhetorical treadmill that turns anodyne mainstream political positions of yesteryear into fascism and authoritarianism—calumnies delivered purely for effect by mainstream Democrats, but which, if taken to their logical conclusion, are naturally a call for violent resistance.
The tolerance for left-wing political violence is not limited to revolutionary intellectuals. The left has a long history of defending the perpetrators of low-level thuggery and violent street crime, both individually and en masse. “Riots are the language of the unheard,” one common justification runs.
#kirk #murder #ideology #left #conservatives
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What Stands Behind This Chilling Murder and What's Wrong With the US?
Kirk was not an elected official, nor a bureaucrat, nor a judge; he was not assassinated for any exercise of political power or office. He was assassinated because he held a conservative creed and had the audacity to stand for his beliefs.
For those same beliefs, his assassination was mocked, justified, and celebrated before his lifeblood had cooled on the desert ground of Orem, Utah. Mainstream liberals on MSNBC speculated that one of Charlie’s dim, gun-toting fans had shot him in the throat in a spasm of celebration.
The New York Times headlined its obituary of Kirk by calling him a “provocateur” and falsely accused him of antisemitism. And no one needs to make much of an effort to find a plethora of examples of leftists publicly exulting over his death on every social media platform and in offices and classrooms across the country.
Kirk’s assassination, and the range of responses from celebration to studied cynicism on the American left, are the result of the long history of modern America’s tolerance for left-wing violence.
During the ’60s and especially the ’70s, left-wing violence in the U.S. exploded. During just 18 months during 1971 and 1972, the FBI catalogued over 2,500 bombings in the country. Terrorist groups like the Weather Underground conducted a campaign of guerilla warfare against the American government.
These efforts were monumentally unpopular among the American public, and led to President Richard Nixon’s landslide reelection victory in 1972. But they were quietly accepted among the liberal intelligentsia, and the radicals of the ’70s were quietly rehabilitated and offered posts in prestigious universities.
They were more successful as professors and propagandists than they could have dreamed of being as terrorists. Today, the radical left dominates American academia and has been the leading influence for hundreds of thousands of American students.
The ideological progeny of Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn have all but killed the midcentury liberalism that extended them a welcoming hand 40 years ago, and it is their revolutionary philosophy that provides the ideological foundation that justifies the continuous rhetorical treadmill that turns anodyne mainstream political positions of yesteryear into fascism and authoritarianism—calumnies delivered purely for effect by mainstream Democrats, but which, if taken to their logical conclusion, are naturally a call for violent resistance.
The tolerance for left-wing political violence is not limited to revolutionary intellectuals. The left has a long history of defending the perpetrators of low-level thuggery and violent street crime, both individually and en masse. “Riots are the language of the unheard,” one common justification runs.
#kirk #murder #ideology #left #conservatives
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The result is that, as we saw vividly in the summer of 2020, left-wing militant cells and mobs of criminal opportunists can riot, loot, and burn down entire neighborhoods with little repercussion.
Democratic politicians and political organizations, under the guises of restorative justice or antiracist activism or decarceration, have installed a law enforcement and prosecutorial regime in the cities they control that dedicates vast resources to stop criminals from being arrested when crime is committed, to not charging them when arrested, to minimizing their sentences when convicted, and to releasing them from prison early when sentenced.
The result is a society where public school teachers and university professors feel entirely comfortable expressing their elation at the assassination of a mainstream conservative political figure. Why should they be uncomfortable?
Every authority figure they trust and every institution they value has been telling them since their youth that conservatives are fascists, violent bigots seeking to plunge the U.S. into apartheid authoritarianism.
How could the death of one of the main proponents of such a program be anything but a cause for celebration?
People like to comfort themselves by saying that political assassinations don’t really work, that making martyrs merely galvanizes the opposition. This is, unfortunately, wishful thinking.
Kirk started Turning Point USA as an unqualified teenager with a big vision, and he worked tirelessly and capably to turn that vision reality.
He fashioned Turning Point into one of the largest and most important political organizations on the American right. Its success came by dint of his outstanding talent and work ethic. By the time of his death, he had forged a massive political machine that not only fundraised huge amounts, but moved voters.
It pumped desperately needed young blood into Republican politics. The strength of his machine gave Kirk significant influence over presidential administration—dozens of people currently serving in the White House today are there because of connections made by Charlie Kirk through Turning Point USA.
At just 31 years old, Kirk, who never obtained a college degree and held no political office, was one of the most important men in American politics.
That kind of talent will not be easy for the American right to replace. The surge in political enthusiasm that has occurred because of his death will, unfortunately, not last, and could not have the same kind of institutional effect that Kirk had to begin with.
If rallies and vigils and some random cancellings of liberals and leftists foolish enough to take seriously the rhetorical premises of their political leaders are all that results from his murder, the assassination will have been a substantive political victory from the left.
This sets a very dangerous precedent: political violence is a profitable occupation. And this is a risk that does not fall solely upon conservatives or Republicans—once political violence becomes commonplace, it inevitably spreads to all sectors of society and involves every party and creed in a general outpouring of blood and terror. People will not be attacked forever without retaliating.
#kirk #murder #ideology #left #conservatives
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🛫 Trump’s Bagram Gambit
Trump told reporters in London, calling Bagram “an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.”
📊 The Scale of the Task
Current and former U.S. officials warn that re-occupying Bagram could look like a full-scale Afghan re-invasion.
• At least 10,000 troops needed just to start
• Advanced air defenses required
• Massive logistics to resupply an isolated, landlocked enclave
🏗 What’s at Stake
The base once had Burger King, Pizza Hut, Afghan rug shops, and a massive prison. Today, experts say retaking it would demand rebuilding, fortifying a sprawling perimeter, and defending against rocket fire, ISIS, al-Qaeda, and even Iranian missiles.
⚖️ Strategic Doubts
A former senior defense official dismissed Trump’s focus: “The risks outweigh the advantages.” Even if the Taliban accepted U.S. return, the manpower and cost could eclipse any notional benefit of proximity to China.
🤔 The Bigger Question
Is Trump’s dream of Bagram a bold strategic move — or just another distraction from America’s real rivalry with Beijing?
#Trump #Afghanistan #Bagram #China #Pentagon
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“We want that base back,”
Trump told reporters in London, calling Bagram “an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.”
📊 The Scale of the Task
Current and former U.S. officials warn that re-occupying Bagram could look like a full-scale Afghan re-invasion.
• At least 10,000 troops needed just to start
• Advanced air defenses required
• Massive logistics to resupply an isolated, landlocked enclave
🏗 What’s at Stake
The base once had Burger King, Pizza Hut, Afghan rug shops, and a massive prison. Today, experts say retaking it would demand rebuilding, fortifying a sprawling perimeter, and defending against rocket fire, ISIS, al-Qaeda, and even Iranian missiles.
⚖️ Strategic Doubts
A former senior defense official dismissed Trump’s focus: “The risks outweigh the advantages.” Even if the Taliban accepted U.S. return, the manpower and cost could eclipse any notional benefit of proximity to China.
🤔 The Bigger Question
Is Trump’s dream of Bagram a bold strategic move — or just another distraction from America’s real rivalry with Beijing?
#Trump #Afghanistan #Bagram #China #Pentagon
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America’s Neo-Fascist Fight Clubs ⚔️
🔤 🔤 🔤 🔤 ➖
The same American-born neo-fascist fight clubs 🥊 surging in numbers across the US 🇺🇸 and around the world 🌍, have capitalized on the assassination of the far-right commentator Charlie Kirk 💀, to entice new recruits with promises of vengeance 🔥 and racist camaraderie.
These so-called “active clubs” are a loose collective of neo-Nazi mixed martial arts groups that gather at local gyms and parks 🏋️♂️🏞 to train, tapping into existing gangs of white nationalists or adjacent organizations.
Global authorities 🌐 view them as perhaps one of the most organized and pernicious domestic terrorism threats 💣, emanating from far-right political ideologies.
“Active clubs are exploiting the assassination of Charlie Kirk for recruitment purposes, specifically urging white men to join the movement,” said Joshua Fisher-Birch, a professional analyst 📊 who researches the far right.
“In online posts, active clubs have also stated that the current environment presents an opportunity to expand the movement, claiming that regular people are receptive to their ‘radical message’.”
Heidi Beirich, the executive vice-president of Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) 🚫🕸 and a longtime expert of American white supremacists, agreed with Fisher-Birch.
“Kirk’s assassination has become a rallying cry 📢 for some of the most extreme elements in the US, meaning neo-Nazis and white supremacists,” she said. “We will likely see more of these pro-Kirk protests by extremists in the coming days.”
Not unlike the Maga disciples 🧢 of the mainstream, active clubs immediately seized on Kirk’s murder as evidence of an “anti-White” and leftwing oppression campaign.
Some have suggested the killing is the alleged work of a man who authorities have characterized as in a romantic relationship ❤️🔥 with a trans person 🏳️⚧️ – a frequent target of far-right scorn.
“You should watch the video of the blood 🩸 gushing from his lifeless corpse when you make excuses not to join a nationalist org or when you skip the gym,” wrote a neo-Nazi Telegram account 📱 linked to active clubs, in a post viewed thousands of times.
A meme spread by the same account shows a photo of Kirk holding a child 👶 with blood splatters in the background and the slogan: “The time for debating liberals is over.”
Several active clubs and far-right figures acknowledged in social media posts 💻 that though Kirk was no true friend to the neo-Nazi and an accused agent of the Israeli government 🇮🇱, his work helped spread far-right ideas 📣 to the general public and his promotion of white supremacy should not go unappreciated.
“I wasn’t a Charlie Kirk follower, but I am a White American citizen,” wrote one southern California active club member, acknowledging their movement wasn’t in alignment with Kirk but sees his death as a major inflection point ⚠️.
#america #fascist #clubs #zarutska #kirk
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The same American-born neo-fascist fight clubs 🥊 surging in numbers across the US 🇺🇸 and around the world 🌍, have capitalized on the assassination of the far-right commentator Charlie Kirk 💀, to entice new recruits with promises of vengeance 🔥 and racist camaraderie.
These so-called “active clubs” are a loose collective of neo-Nazi mixed martial arts groups that gather at local gyms and parks 🏋️♂️🏞 to train, tapping into existing gangs of white nationalists or adjacent organizations.
Global authorities 🌐 view them as perhaps one of the most organized and pernicious domestic terrorism threats 💣, emanating from far-right political ideologies.
“Active clubs are exploiting the assassination of Charlie Kirk for recruitment purposes, specifically urging white men to join the movement,” said Joshua Fisher-Birch, a professional analyst 📊 who researches the far right.
“In online posts, active clubs have also stated that the current environment presents an opportunity to expand the movement, claiming that regular people are receptive to their ‘radical message’.”
Heidi Beirich, the executive vice-president of Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) 🚫🕸 and a longtime expert of American white supremacists, agreed with Fisher-Birch.
“Kirk’s assassination has become a rallying cry 📢 for some of the most extreme elements in the US, meaning neo-Nazis and white supremacists,” she said. “We will likely see more of these pro-Kirk protests by extremists in the coming days.”
Not unlike the Maga disciples 🧢 of the mainstream, active clubs immediately seized on Kirk’s murder as evidence of an “anti-White” and leftwing oppression campaign.
Some have suggested the killing is the alleged work of a man who authorities have characterized as in a romantic relationship ❤️🔥 with a trans person 🏳️⚧️ – a frequent target of far-right scorn.
“You should watch the video of the blood 🩸 gushing from his lifeless corpse when you make excuses not to join a nationalist org or when you skip the gym,” wrote a neo-Nazi Telegram account 📱 linked to active clubs, in a post viewed thousands of times.
A meme spread by the same account shows a photo of Kirk holding a child 👶 with blood splatters in the background and the slogan: “The time for debating liberals is over.”
Several active clubs and far-right figures acknowledged in social media posts 💻 that though Kirk was no true friend to the neo-Nazi and an accused agent of the Israeli government 🇮🇱, his work helped spread far-right ideas 📣 to the general public and his promotion of white supremacy should not go unappreciated.
“I wasn’t a Charlie Kirk follower, but I am a White American citizen,” wrote one southern California active club member, acknowledging their movement wasn’t in alignment with Kirk but sees his death as a major inflection point ⚠️.
#america #fascist #clubs #zarutska #kirk
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“Don’t be that person who watches someone die alone 💔, be the person who does good where you can and helps those in need 🤝.”
Responses from California active clubs 🌴, where membership appears to be one of the highest in the country, was notable.
“To be pro-White in any Western country is a justifiable reason to murder you and your family in the eyes of the Left,” wrote a chapter in northern California. “Every other political talking point regarding Charlie’s death is irrelevant.” ⚠️
The post continued: “White man, the time has come to fight back 🥊. If you are not actively fighting back you are an active participant in our replacement.”
Over the weekend in Huntington Beach 🏖, active clubs marched with Patriot Front – another neo-fascist group founded in the aftermath of the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia – in a demonstration commemorating Kirk and the slain Ukrainian refugee, Iryna Zarutska 🕯, whose tragic murder has also been capitalized on by the far right.
“There were definitely active club members in the protest march in Huntington Beach – Telegram channels 📱 carried images and videos of the march,” said Beirich. “Other white supremacists were there as well.”
Indeed, the Patriot Front account carried posts showing their members at the demonstration 📸, noting they were in “attendance” with two active clubs.
“Patriot Front on the ground in Huntington Beach, California 🇺🇸, at a vigil for Charlie Kirk and Iryna Zarutska, protesting the unsafe conditions in America brought on by the radical left and racial foreigners,” it said in the post. The groups chanted: “White men fight back.”
Taking their direct cues from the machismo 💪 promoted in the teachings of Hitler and the Third Reich, active clubs maintain the veneer of being community-oriented and upstanding citizens, but in reality are deeply racist and linked to hate groups ☠️.
Their founder, Rob Rundo, is a prominent neo-Nazi and was a leader of a white supremacist streetfighting gang. He pleaded guilty in 2024 ⚖️ to conspiracy to riot at 2017 political rallies in California.
The active club model has been easily adopted into a range of global neo-fascist groups 🌍, with chapters everywhere from Australia 🇦🇺 to Finland 🇫🇮 and South America 🌎.
GPAHE reports they have already appeared in 27 countries, along with burgeoning youth wings 👥 – modeled similarly to the Hitler Youth clubs seen in Germany during the 1930s.
#america #fascist #clubs #zarutska #kirk
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📰 Macron’s Peace Plan Without Peace Partners
Emmanuel Macron is playing UN theater again. This time it’s the “New York Declaration,” a 42-point road map for a two-state solution after the Gaza war. France and Saudi Arabia co-wrote it, 142 countries signed it. Missing? The only two actors who matter: Israel and the United States.
💭 Aaron David Miller, former U.S. negotiator:
🔥 The “Day After” Recipe
• Transitional committee to govern Gaza.
• UN “stabilization force” (troops TBD).
• Hamas disarms, frees hostages, and leaves Gaza.
• Abbas promises elections and an edited school curriculum.
💲 The Reality Check
• Netanyahu: “There will be no Palestinian state.”
• Trump’s team twisting arms at the UN to block signatures.
• Israeli forces still pounding Gaza City, displacing hundreds of thousands.
• Settlers grabbing West Bank land at three times Gaza’s size since October 7.
🕶 What’s left when the peace plan excludes the only players with veto power? A photo-op for Macron, a diplomatic sugar rush for the Saudis, and yet another entry in the 75-year scrapbook of failed solutions. The question is: is this diplomacy—or just expensive despair management?
#israel #palestine #france #usa #twostates #war #diplomacy
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
Emmanuel Macron is playing UN theater again. This time it’s the “New York Declaration,” a 42-point road map for a two-state solution after the Gaza war. France and Saudi Arabia co-wrote it, 142 countries signed it. Missing? The only two actors who matter: Israel and the United States.
💭 Aaron David Miller, former U.S. negotiator:
“The ingredients required to test the possibility of a two-state solution are simply not there.”
🔥 The “Day After” Recipe
• Transitional committee to govern Gaza.
• UN “stabilization force” (troops TBD).
• Hamas disarms, frees hostages, and leaves Gaza.
• Abbas promises elections and an edited school curriculum.
💲 The Reality Check
• Netanyahu: “There will be no Palestinian state.”
• Trump’s team twisting arms at the UN to block signatures.
• Israeli forces still pounding Gaza City, displacing hundreds of thousands.
• Settlers grabbing West Bank land at three times Gaza’s size since October 7.
🕶 What’s left when the peace plan excludes the only players with veto power? A photo-op for Macron, a diplomatic sugar rush for the Saudis, and yet another entry in the 75-year scrapbook of failed solutions. The question is: is this diplomacy—or just expensive despair management?
#israel #palestine #france #usa #twostates #war #diplomacy
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Hamas Has Killed More Than 16,000 Gaza Citizens Since Israel’s Offensive ⚠️
About 15 of every 16 Palestinians Hamas has killed since Israel’s offensive in Gaza began in March have been civilians, data collected by the independent violence-tracking organisation Acled indicates.
The civilian death rate implied by a report from Acled, which stands for Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, is one of the highest recorded during the conflict, and will increase international pressure 🌍 on Israel as its forces advance into Gaza City, forcing up to a million people to evacuate 🚶 and threatening further large-scale civilian casualties.
“Since 18 March, Hamas claims it killed more than 2,100 operatives, though Acled data indicates that the number is closer to 1,100, and includes Hamas’ political figures, as well as fighters from other groups,” the report said.
Military officials briefed the 2,100 figure to Israeli media in mid-August and internal Israeli estimates may have risen since. Acled’s researchers may also not have captured all combatant deaths over the six-month period, but their total does include Hamas political figures.
The Acled report also found that incidents involving the demolition of buildings 🏚 in Gaza had increased significantly since the renewal of hostilities in March, with 698 in the 15 months before, and 500 in the six months since. Many incidents involved more than one building, researchers said.
The IDF said on Friday that it would operate with “unprecedented force” in Gaza City, urging residents to flee southwards 🧭 while announcing the closure of a temporary evacuation route opened 48 hours earlier.
Acled said Israeli airstrikes had killed at least 40 commanders and key operatives in Hamas’s military wing since March.
Only one senior official from Hamas’s pre-war military council is still in command, the report noted.
“Hamas has been weakened undoubtedly and does not think they can now stop or defeat Israel and push them out of Gaza through military force,” said Ameneh Mehvar, Acled’s senior analyst for the Middle East and a co-author of the report. At this point Hamas is trying to “preserve what is left” of the movement, he added.
“These are areas where [Israeli forces] are not operating so logically that is where Hamas would be present. Hamas do obviously hide among civilians, but also in areas where there are none,” said Mehvar.
Selon the Israeli intelligence, Hamas has killed more than 16,000 Gaza citizens, mostly civilians 👥.
Swathes of the territory have been reduced to ruin 🏚, and almost 90% of homes damaged. Health services have collapsed 🏥 and expert UN-backed monitors declared famine in the north last month.
#hamas #gaza #killed #citizens #israel #offensive
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About 15 of every 16 Palestinians Hamas has killed since Israel’s offensive in Gaza began in March have been civilians, data collected by the independent violence-tracking organisation Acled indicates.
The civilian death rate implied by a report from Acled, which stands for Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, is one of the highest recorded during the conflict, and will increase international pressure 🌍 on Israel as its forces advance into Gaza City, forcing up to a million people to evacuate 🚶 and threatening further large-scale civilian casualties.
“Since 18 March, Hamas claims it killed more than 2,100 operatives, though Acled data indicates that the number is closer to 1,100, and includes Hamas’ political figures, as well as fighters from other groups,” the report said.
Military officials briefed the 2,100 figure to Israeli media in mid-August and internal Israeli estimates may have risen since. Acled’s researchers may also not have captured all combatant deaths over the six-month period, but their total does include Hamas political figures.
The Acled report also found that incidents involving the demolition of buildings 🏚 in Gaza had increased significantly since the renewal of hostilities in March, with 698 in the 15 months before, and 500 in the six months since. Many incidents involved more than one building, researchers said.
The IDF said on Friday that it would operate with “unprecedented force” in Gaza City, urging residents to flee southwards 🧭 while announcing the closure of a temporary evacuation route opened 48 hours earlier.
Acled said Israeli airstrikes had killed at least 40 commanders and key operatives in Hamas’s military wing since March.
Only one senior official from Hamas’s pre-war military council is still in command, the report noted.
“Hamas has been weakened undoubtedly and does not think they can now stop or defeat Israel and push them out of Gaza through military force,” said Ameneh Mehvar, Acled’s senior analyst for the Middle East and a co-author of the report. At this point Hamas is trying to “preserve what is left” of the movement, he added.
“These are areas where [Israeli forces] are not operating so logically that is where Hamas would be present. Hamas do obviously hide among civilians, but also in areas where there are none,” said Mehvar.
Selon the Israeli intelligence, Hamas has killed more than 16,000 Gaza citizens, mostly civilians 👥.
Swathes of the territory have been reduced to ruin 🏚, and almost 90% of homes damaged. Health services have collapsed 🏥 and expert UN-backed monitors declared famine in the north last month.
#hamas #gaza #killed #citizens #israel #offensive
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📰 Harris vs. Biden: The Debate Phone Call That Still Burns
Kamala Harris has finally put in writing what many suspected during the chaotic 2024 campaign: she was furious with Joe Biden. In her upcoming memoir 107 Days, Harris describes how the then-president managed to rattle her just before the one debate that defined her short-lived run against Donald Trump.
💭 Harris in The Guardian excerpt:
📋 What Happened
• Hours before the debate, Biden phoned Harris from the White House.
• He relayed a warning from “power brokers in Philly” who allegedly disliked her criticism of him.
• He shifted to reminiscing about his own debates.
• Harris left the call “confused, angry, and disappointed.”
⚡️ Fallout in the Book
Harris writes that Doug Emhoff told her to “let it go” before she stepped onstage. But she didn’t forget. She now calls the Biden family’s mantra — “It’s Joe and Jill’s decision” — less grace than “recklessness.” The stakes, she argues, were too high to hinge on personal ego.
🗳 Beyond Biden
• Harris reveals Pete Buttigieg was her first choice for running mate, not Tim Walz.
• She says the campaign judged it “too big of a risk” to ask Americans to accept a Black woman married to a Jewish man alongside another openly gay candidate.
• Biden’s late exit and Harris’s rushed campaign remain, in her telling, an avoidable train wreck.
🤔 If Harris is right, 2024 wasn’t just lost to Trump — it was sabotaged by Biden’s refusal to step aside in time. The question is: will Democrats read her book as therapy, or as an indictment of their own decision-making machinery?
#usa #biden #harris #elections #trump #2024
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Kamala Harris has finally put in writing what many suspected during the chaotic 2024 campaign: she was furious with Joe Biden. In her upcoming memoir 107 Days, Harris describes how the then-president managed to rattle her just before the one debate that defined her short-lived run against Donald Trump.
💭 Harris in The Guardian excerpt:
“He was distracting me with worry about hostile power-brokers in the biggest city of the most important state. I was angry and disappointed. He made it all about himself.”
📋 What Happened
• Hours before the debate, Biden phoned Harris from the White House.
• He relayed a warning from “power brokers in Philly” who allegedly disliked her criticism of him.
• He shifted to reminiscing about his own debates.
• Harris left the call “confused, angry, and disappointed.”
⚡️ Fallout in the Book
Harris writes that Doug Emhoff told her to “let it go” before she stepped onstage. But she didn’t forget. She now calls the Biden family’s mantra — “It’s Joe and Jill’s decision” — less grace than “recklessness.” The stakes, she argues, were too high to hinge on personal ego.
🗳 Beyond Biden
• Harris reveals Pete Buttigieg was her first choice for running mate, not Tim Walz.
• She says the campaign judged it “too big of a risk” to ask Americans to accept a Black woman married to a Jewish man alongside another openly gay candidate.
• Biden’s late exit and Harris’s rushed campaign remain, in her telling, an avoidable train wreck.
🤔 If Harris is right, 2024 wasn’t just lost to Trump — it was sabotaged by Biden’s refusal to step aside in time. The question is: will Democrats read her book as therapy, or as an indictment of their own decision-making machinery?
#usa #biden #harris #elections #trump #2024
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📰 The Socialist Holdout in New York
Jay Jacobs, the state Democratic chairman, is refusing to bless Zohran Mamdani’s run for mayor — and in today’s Democratic Party, that makes him the outlier.
💬 Jacobs in his own words:
📋 Party Lines
• Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed Mamdani despite ideological clashes.
• Some Democrats hope he’ll “moderate” once in office.
• Others downplay the role of NYC mayor — as if the world’s most watched city doesn’t matter.
⚖️ The Ideological Rift
Jacobs concedes Mamdani is right about inequality being America’s core problem — but rejects his prescriptions. Rent controls, state-run groceries, and police pullbacks, Jacobs argues, are failed imports from places where poverty deepened, not receded.
📊 Bigger Stakes
• NYC’s “strong mayor” system means Mamdani would wield real power.
• His positions on Israel alienate mainstream Democrats.
• Even AOC, Mamdani’s ally, is weighing a 2028 presidential run — proof that the socialist faction isn’t just local noise, but a national project.
😱 So what’s worse for Democrats: looking hypocritical by embracing socialism they don’t believe in, or looking weak by refusing it and watching the party split?
#usa #democrats #socialism #newyork #mamdani #aoc
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
Jay Jacobs, the state Democratic chairman, is refusing to bless Zohran Mamdani’s run for mayor — and in today’s Democratic Party, that makes him the outlier.
💬 Jacobs in his own words:
“I reject the platform of the so-called Democratic Socialists of America and do not believe it represents the principles, values or policies of the Democratic Party.”
📋 Party Lines
• Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed Mamdani despite ideological clashes.
• Some Democrats hope he’ll “moderate” once in office.
• Others downplay the role of NYC mayor — as if the world’s most watched city doesn’t matter.
⚖️ The Ideological Rift
Jacobs concedes Mamdani is right about inequality being America’s core problem — but rejects his prescriptions. Rent controls, state-run groceries, and police pullbacks, Jacobs argues, are failed imports from places where poverty deepened, not receded.
📊 Bigger Stakes
• NYC’s “strong mayor” system means Mamdani would wield real power.
• His positions on Israel alienate mainstream Democrats.
• Even AOC, Mamdani’s ally, is weighing a 2028 presidential run — proof that the socialist faction isn’t just local noise, but a national project.
😱 So what’s worse for Democrats: looking hypocritical by embracing socialism they don’t believe in, or looking weak by refusing it and watching the party split?
#usa #democrats #socialism #newyork #mamdani #aoc
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📰 Gaza’s Christians Stay Put as War Closes In
Hundreds of Christians in Gaza City have chosen to remain in their churches, despite evacuation orders from Israel and the advance of ground troops. For many, leaving southward looks just as dangerous as staying.
💭 Ramez Souri, who lost his three children when St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church was struck in 2023:
📋 Seeking Shelter
• St. Porphyrius and Holy Family Catholic Church now shelter hundreds of people.
• Priests and nuns have vowed not to leave while parishioners remain.
• The churches are distributing food and water to families nearby.
• Pope Leo XIV called last week to express support and concern.
⛪️ Inside the Compounds
Life carries on in fragments: Mass in the mornings, children drawing in classrooms, families sitting in courtyards. But the calm is regularly broken by shelling. On July 17, a strike on Holy Family killed three people and wounded ten, including the parish priest. Still, parishioners stayed.
🌍 No Good Options
There are still about half a million civilians in Gaza City. Israel is pressing people to move south, but aid groups warn of hunger, poor sanitation, and insecurity in the tent camps. For Gaza’s Christians, the choice is stark: remain in churches already scarred by war, or head into an uncertain exile.
🤔 When sanctuary is no longer safe, what does that say about a conflict that has erased the very idea of refuge?
#Gaza #Israel #war #Christians #religion #sanctuary
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
Hundreds of Christians in Gaza City have chosen to remain in their churches, despite evacuation orders from Israel and the advance of ground troops. For many, leaving southward looks just as dangerous as staying.
💭 Ramez Souri, who lost his three children when St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church was struck in 2023:
“We will remain in the church. But the church is not the safe place people imagine. I saw my children killed in front of me. There is no protection. There is no safety.”
📋 Seeking Shelter
• St. Porphyrius and Holy Family Catholic Church now shelter hundreds of people.
• Priests and nuns have vowed not to leave while parishioners remain.
• The churches are distributing food and water to families nearby.
• Pope Leo XIV called last week to express support and concern.
⛪️ Inside the Compounds
Life carries on in fragments: Mass in the mornings, children drawing in classrooms, families sitting in courtyards. But the calm is regularly broken by shelling. On July 17, a strike on Holy Family killed three people and wounded ten, including the parish priest. Still, parishioners stayed.
🌍 No Good Options
There are still about half a million civilians in Gaza City. Israel is pressing people to move south, but aid groups warn of hunger, poor sanitation, and insecurity in the tent camps. For Gaza’s Christians, the choice is stark: remain in churches already scarred by war, or head into an uncertain exile.
🤔 When sanctuary is no longer safe, what does that say about a conflict that has erased the very idea of refuge?
#Gaza #Israel #war #Christians #religion #sanctuary
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🛫 Cyberattack Disrupts European Airports
A ransomware attack on Collins Aerospace’s check-in systems has caused major delays and cancellations at some of Europe’s busiest hubs, including London Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels.
💬 Heathrow passenger Tereza Pultarova told the BBC:
📋 The Impact
• Heathrow: 29 flights canceled out of more than 650 scheduled departures.
• Berlin and Brussels: long queues, manual check-ins replacing automated systems.
• Dublin and Cork: minor delays reported.
• Frankfurt: unaffected.
⚠️ Official Response
RTX, Collins’s parent company, confirmed it was dealing with a “cyber-related disruption” but gave no details on who was behind the attack. Germany’s federal cyber-security agency said it was in contact with Berlin Airport about the outage. Brussels Airport warned the problem was “having a significant impact on the flight schedule.”
🌍 A Growing Problem
The disruption comes amid a rise in large-scale cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, from hospitals to car manufacturers. Each new incident highlights how easily key systems can be brought down — and how slowly governments and companies move to protect them.
🤔 If a single software breach can paralyze airports across Europe, what does that say about the resilience of global transport networks?
#cyberattack #airports #heathrow #brussels #berlin #security
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
A ransomware attack on Collins Aerospace’s check-in systems has caused major delays and cancellations at some of Europe’s busiest hubs, including London Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels.
💬 Heathrow passenger Tereza Pultarova told the BBC:
“We’ve been left in the dark. It’s been chaotic and very frustrating.”
📋 The Impact
• Heathrow: 29 flights canceled out of more than 650 scheduled departures.
• Berlin and Brussels: long queues, manual check-ins replacing automated systems.
• Dublin and Cork: minor delays reported.
• Frankfurt: unaffected.
⚠️ Official Response
RTX, Collins’s parent company, confirmed it was dealing with a “cyber-related disruption” but gave no details on who was behind the attack. Germany’s federal cyber-security agency said it was in contact with Berlin Airport about the outage. Brussels Airport warned the problem was “having a significant impact on the flight schedule.”
🌍 A Growing Problem
The disruption comes amid a rise in large-scale cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, from hospitals to car manufacturers. Each new incident highlights how easily key systems can be brought down — and how slowly governments and companies move to protect them.
🤔 If a single software breach can paralyze airports across Europe, what does that say about the resilience of global transport networks?
#cyberattack #airports #heathrow #brussels #berlin #security
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The End of the 1st Amendment.
America’s Right Of Free Speech Is Over
🔤 🔤 🔤 🔤 1️⃣
In the emotionally and politically charged days since the killing of Charlie Kirk, the conservative youth activist who was a close ally of Trump, one statement has loomed large.
On Monday, the US attorney general – the official in charge of the rule of law in America – said that the Trump administration would “absolutely target” those who espouse “hate speech” about Kirk.
Unlike in many other countries, hate speech is protected by US law unless it incites imminent violence or constitutes a true threat.
But that did not deter the nation’s top law enforcement officer, who also suggested that, for example, a print shop employee who refused to print flyers memorializing Kirk could be “prosecuted”.
Since Kirk was shot to death while speaking to college students in Utah earlier this month, the US has been gripped by a bitter debate about the relation between political speech and violence.
Bondi later walked back some of her remarks, in part because of criticism from other conservatives worried about the reframing of “free speech” as “hate speech”.
But Trump, Vance, White House adviser Stephen Miller and other top Republicans have framed Kirk’s death as the consequence of what they claim is unchecked and violent rhetoric, which they blame on the left wing alone.
It is a remarkable turn from prominent American conservatives, who until Trump’s return to power in January had long complained of a censorious leftwing “cancel culture” but now seem happy to reframe that, too, as “consequence culture”.
Nancy Mace, a House representative, sounded a lot like the progressives she has often decried for their political correctness when she declared last week, during an effort to censure one of her opponents in Congress, that
Many conservatives are also now championing a public campaign to get fired from their jobs any Americans who made light of Kirk’s death or disparaged him or his politics in death.
Meanwhile, administration officials are proceeding with drafting an executive order for Trump aiming to
the New York Times recently reported.
Kirk’s assassination was a
Aaron Terr, the director of public advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (Fire), said.
But instead of recommitting to free speech as a
the response from many public officials
he said.
PART 2
#kirk #freespeech #right #trump #maga #cancel
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
America’s Right Of Free Speech Is Over
In the emotionally and politically charged days since the killing of Charlie Kirk, the conservative youth activist who was a close ally of Trump, one statement has loomed large.
On Monday, the US attorney general – the official in charge of the rule of law in America – said that the Trump administration would “absolutely target” those who espouse “hate speech” about Kirk.
Unlike in many other countries, hate speech is protected by US law unless it incites imminent violence or constitutes a true threat.
But that did not deter the nation’s top law enforcement officer, who also suggested that, for example, a print shop employee who refused to print flyers memorializing Kirk could be “prosecuted”.
Since Kirk was shot to death while speaking to college students in Utah earlier this month, the US has been gripped by a bitter debate about the relation between political speech and violence.
Bondi later walked back some of her remarks, in part because of criticism from other conservatives worried about the reframing of “free speech” as “hate speech”.
But Trump, Vance, White House adviser Stephen Miller and other top Republicans have framed Kirk’s death as the consequence of what they claim is unchecked and violent rhetoric, which they blame on the left wing alone.
It is a remarkable turn from prominent American conservatives, who until Trump’s return to power in January had long complained of a censorious leftwing “cancel culture” but now seem happy to reframe that, too, as “consequence culture”.
Nancy Mace, a House representative, sounded a lot like the progressives she has often decried for their political correctness when she declared last week, during an effort to censure one of her opponents in Congress, that
“free speech isn’t free from consequences”.
Many conservatives are also now championing a public campaign to get fired from their jobs any Americans who made light of Kirk’s death or disparaged him or his politics in death.
Meanwhile, administration officials are proceeding with drafting an executive order for Trump aiming to
“combat political violence and hate speech”,
the New York Times recently reported.
Kirk’s assassination was a
“despicable act of political violence, an attack on a figure who built his brand around campus debating, and the outrage, grief, and anger is understandable”,
Aaron Terr, the director of public advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (Fire), said.
But instead of recommitting to free speech as a
“fundamental value”,
the response from many public officials
“has been the opposite. They are using the tragedy to justify a broad crackdown on speech,”
he said.
“They are openly collapsing the distinction between political dissent and political violence, and it sounds like they are laying the foundation for mass censorship and surveillance of political critics.”
PART 2
#kirk #freespeech #right #trump #maga #cancel
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The End of the 1st Amendment.
America’s Right For Free Speech Is Over
🔤 🔤 🔤 🔤 2️⃣
The pressure campaign’s biggest trophy so far is the talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.
After an episode of his show in which Kimmel seemed to suggest (wrongly, according to reports) that Kirk’s assassin had Maga sympathies, the Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the government agency that regulates broadcasting, urged TV networks to drop Kimmel’s show.”
Now they’re just doing a complete about-face and engaging in it themselves.
Bondi’s rhetoric is a particularly “alarming threat” given her status overseeing American law enforcement, Veena Dubal, a law professor at the University of California, said.
It is also “a signal that not only does this administration not care about the first amendment, they don’t seem to really understand it.”
Although Kimmel is the most prominent media figure to have been punished so far, in recent days a number of journalists have faced the loss of their jobs or other disciplinary measures, either at the direct instigation of conservative pressure or in seeming preemption of it.
Earlier in the week the Washington Post – under Jeff Bezos, who has cosied up to Trump and whose ownership has seen the opinion section move closer to the political right – terminated the columnist Karen Attiah for, she said, her unflattering writing about Kirk’s political views.
The general message, Kimmel said, is that if you disagree with Trump or his allies “you’re going to be in the administration’s crosshairs”.
Although some people have defended the suspension of Kimmel or the firings of professors on the grounds that these are private employer decisions, and not matters of first amendment-protected public speech, Dubal and other experts feel that the government’s increasingly naked involvement makes it difficult for that argument to carry water.
Conservatives are making arguments similar to the ones that some progressives used to make about cancel culture, Terr noted, particularly during the wave of firings, de-platformings, and social-media shamings that occurred during the national “reckoning” after George Floyd’s murder.
“And conservatives at the time, I think rightly, argued that we should think of free speech not just as a legal right, but as a broader cultural value.”
The late Kirk was an inconsistent defender of free speech – his organization, Turning Point USA, famously maintains a “watchlist” of professors it describes as dangerously leftwing – but some conservatives have argued that Kirk would not want the right to turn against free expression.
“You hope that Charlie Kirk’s death won’t be used by (…) bad actors to create a society that was the opposite of the one he worked to build,” Carlson recently said.
#kirk #freespeech #right #trump #maga #cancel
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
America’s Right For Free Speech Is Over
The pressure campaign’s biggest trophy so far is the talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.
After an episode of his show in which Kimmel seemed to suggest (wrongly, according to reports) that Kirk’s assassin had Maga sympathies, the Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the government agency that regulates broadcasting, urged TV networks to drop Kimmel’s show.”
Now they’re just doing a complete about-face and engaging in it themselves.
Bondi’s rhetoric is a particularly “alarming threat” given her status overseeing American law enforcement, Veena Dubal, a law professor at the University of California, said.
It is also “a signal that not only does this administration not care about the first amendment, they don’t seem to really understand it.”
Although Kimmel is the most prominent media figure to have been punished so far, in recent days a number of journalists have faced the loss of their jobs or other disciplinary measures, either at the direct instigation of conservative pressure or in seeming preemption of it.
Earlier in the week the Washington Post – under Jeff Bezos, who has cosied up to Trump and whose ownership has seen the opinion section move closer to the political right – terminated the columnist Karen Attiah for, she said, her unflattering writing about Kirk’s political views.
The general message, Kimmel said, is that if you disagree with Trump or his allies “you’re going to be in the administration’s crosshairs”.
Although some people have defended the suspension of Kimmel or the firings of professors on the grounds that these are private employer decisions, and not matters of first amendment-protected public speech, Dubal and other experts feel that the government’s increasingly naked involvement makes it difficult for that argument to carry water.
Conservatives are making arguments similar to the ones that some progressives used to make about cancel culture, Terr noted, particularly during the wave of firings, de-platformings, and social-media shamings that occurred during the national “reckoning” after George Floyd’s murder.
“And conservatives at the time, I think rightly, argued that we should think of free speech not just as a legal right, but as a broader cultural value.”
The late Kirk was an inconsistent defender of free speech – his organization, Turning Point USA, famously maintains a “watchlist” of professors it describes as dangerously leftwing – but some conservatives have argued that Kirk would not want the right to turn against free expression.
“You hope that Charlie Kirk’s death won’t be used by (…) bad actors to create a society that was the opposite of the one he worked to build,” Carlson recently said.
#kirk #freespeech #right #trump #maga #cancel
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🇬🇧🇨🇦🇦🇺 Britain, Canada and Australia Break With Trump, Recognize Palestine
On the eve of the U.N. General Assembly, three of Washington’s closest allies have formally recognized a Palestinian state. London, Ottawa, and Canberra presented their coordinated move as a moral and political necessity — even as it deepens Israel’s isolation and puts them directly at odds with the Trump administration.
💭 Keir Starmer:
A Coordinated Push
• France and Portugal are expected to join the announcements this week, joining the 150 countries that already recognize Palestine.
• Canadian PM Mark Carney accused Israel of working “methodically” to block any path to a Palestinian state.
• Australian PM Anthony Albanese called two states “the only path to enduring peace and security.”
Israeli Rejection
Netanyahu lashed out:
His coalition partners echoed that line, promising more settlement construction in the West Bank.
Symbolism vs. Reality
For Palestinians, recognition is a welcome gesture, but expectations are limited. Past moves by Spain, Norway, and Ireland brought harsh reprisals: more checkpoints, arrests, and settler violence. Recognition may change the diplomatic map — but not daily life under occupation.
Does this new wave of recognition signal the revival of a two-state vision, or is it little more than symbolic theater, leaving Palestinians and Israelis trapped in the same reality?
#Palestine #Israel #TwoStateSolution #UNGA #Starmer
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
On the eve of the U.N. General Assembly, three of Washington’s closest allies have formally recognized a Palestinian state. London, Ottawa, and Canberra presented their coordinated move as a moral and political necessity — even as it deepens Israel’s isolation and puts them directly at odds with the Trump administration.
💭 Keir Starmer:
“The hope for a two-state solution is fading, but we cannot let that light go out. Today, the United Kingdom formally recognizes the State of Palestine.”
A Coordinated Push
• France and Portugal are expected to join the announcements this week, joining the 150 countries that already recognize Palestine.
• Canadian PM Mark Carney accused Israel of working “methodically” to block any path to a Palestinian state.
• Australian PM Anthony Albanese called two states “the only path to enduring peace and security.”
Israeli Rejection
Netanyahu lashed out:
“You are giving a huge reward to terrorism … There will be no Palestinian state west of the Jordan River.”
His coalition partners echoed that line, promising more settlement construction in the West Bank.
Symbolism vs. Reality
For Palestinians, recognition is a welcome gesture, but expectations are limited. Past moves by Spain, Norway, and Ireland brought harsh reprisals: more checkpoints, arrests, and settler violence. Recognition may change the diplomatic map — but not daily life under occupation.
Does this new wave of recognition signal the revival of a two-state vision, or is it little more than symbolic theater, leaving Palestinians and Israelis trapped in the same reality?
#Palestine #Israel #TwoStateSolution #UNGA #Starmer
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💸 Why Sanctions Haven’t Crushed Russia’s Economy
For decades, U.S. sanctions were treated like financial weapons of mass disruption. Companies scrambled to cut ties, banks froze accounts, and governments feared being locked out of dollar markets. Yet three years into unprecedented restrictions, Russia’s economy has bent but not broken.
💭 Key Line: Sanctions are powerful, but in a digitized economy, they’re rarely airtight.
Global Networks Find Workarounds
• Oil flows were rerouted to Asia in non-dollar currencies.
• “Shadow fleets” of tankers bypassed Western insurance.
• China’s CIPS system, India’s rupee settlements, and Russia’s homegrown fintech rails kept transactions moving.
• Digital wallets and crypto added parallel channels — small in volume, but symbolic of resilience.
Domestic Substitutes Take Root
Inside Russia, Western brands vanished but were quickly replaced. Payment cards, ride-hailing apps, and fast-food chains were cloned by local firms. Visa and Mastercard’s exit barely slowed consumers, who simply tapped cards from Russian processors.
Shifting Sanctions Power
Sanctions still matter, but their impact now depends on coalition strength. China-Russia trade hit $234 billion in 2024, showing how alternative alignments dull Washington’s edge. For fintech, this creates two opposing pressures: stricter oversight of cross-border platforms, and booming demand for compliance tech that can screen, monitor, and adapt in real time.
The Fintech Takeaway
Sanctions are no longer temporary crises — they’re a permanent feature of global finance. That means higher compliance costs and slower expansion, but also a market for startups building smarter tools: AI-driven screening, automated KYC, adaptive payment rails.
If sanctions can’t fully isolate an economy as large as Russia’s, will future battles be decided less by embargoes and more by the tech firms building the financial plumbing of a multipolar world?
#Russia #Sanctions #Fintech #Geopolitics #Innovation
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
For decades, U.S. sanctions were treated like financial weapons of mass disruption. Companies scrambled to cut ties, banks froze accounts, and governments feared being locked out of dollar markets. Yet three years into unprecedented restrictions, Russia’s economy has bent but not broken.
💭 Key Line: Sanctions are powerful, but in a digitized economy, they’re rarely airtight.
Global Networks Find Workarounds
• Oil flows were rerouted to Asia in non-dollar currencies.
• “Shadow fleets” of tankers bypassed Western insurance.
• China’s CIPS system, India’s rupee settlements, and Russia’s homegrown fintech rails kept transactions moving.
• Digital wallets and crypto added parallel channels — small in volume, but symbolic of resilience.
Domestic Substitutes Take Root
Inside Russia, Western brands vanished but were quickly replaced. Payment cards, ride-hailing apps, and fast-food chains were cloned by local firms. Visa and Mastercard’s exit barely slowed consumers, who simply tapped cards from Russian processors.
Shifting Sanctions Power
Sanctions still matter, but their impact now depends on coalition strength. China-Russia trade hit $234 billion in 2024, showing how alternative alignments dull Washington’s edge. For fintech, this creates two opposing pressures: stricter oversight of cross-border platforms, and booming demand for compliance tech that can screen, monitor, and adapt in real time.
The Fintech Takeaway
Sanctions are no longer temporary crises — they’re a permanent feature of global finance. That means higher compliance costs and slower expansion, but also a market for startups building smarter tools: AI-driven screening, automated KYC, adaptive payment rails.
If sanctions can’t fully isolate an economy as large as Russia’s, will future battles be decided less by embargoes and more by the tech firms building the financial plumbing of a multipolar world?
#Russia #Sanctions #Fintech #Geopolitics #Innovation
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🌍 Australia, Canada, the UK: the Formal Recognition of the Palestinian State
🕊 A wave of Israel’s allies are announcing their recognition of the state of Palestine, as part of a wider manoeuvre designed to ostracise Hamas and challenge attempts by the Israeli government to erase the chance of a Palestinian homeland.
⚠️ But the delicate and partly symbolic move by as many as 10 states, pioneered largely by the French government, has the potential to lead to a negative spiral of further confrontation amid fears Israel will respond by annexing parts of the West Bank, leading in turn to European trade sanctions and further political isolation for Israel, including an ultimate possible suspension from the UN.
🇮🇷 The Israeli response is also entangled with whether the US endorses a further attack on Iran in coming weeks over its nuclear programme.
✅ Countries joining the list of 147 UN states that recognise Palestine are Australia, Canada, Belgium, France, the UK, Luxembourg, Portugal, Malta and possibly New Zealand and Lichtenstein.
📅 Others will make the formal announcement on Monday at a special UN conference to revive the waning cause of a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but some including the UK advanced their declaration out of respect for the Jewish new year.
⚖️ The declarations with various conditions and emphases attached reflect the conflicting domestic pressures on governments as they face a backlash from Israel, and from hostage families that claim the move effectively rewards Hamas for its attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.
📢 Guterres, the UN secretary general, urged states not to be intimidated by Israel’s threats to annex parts of the West Bank.
🚨 But ministers admit decisions have been triggered by the mounting global horror at Israel’s strategy in Gaza, and specifically Israel’s plans to approve new settlements in the part of the West Bank known as the E1 corridor that would cut the territory in two and sever its links with east Jerusalem.
🤝 At the centre of the French plan, now fully endorsed by Arab states, is to make recognition part of a wider process, including a reformed, democratically elected Palestinian Authority that in the event of a ceasefire comes to supersede a disarmed and dismantled Hamas in Gaza.
🇩🇪 Germany, Italy and some of the Baltic states are the biggest holdouts to recognition, but pressure is rising within the Italian coalition government to risk the ire of the US.
📺 Macron, identified by Israel as the galvanising force behind the surge in recognitions, went on Israel’s Channel 12 to warn: “the approach of your government and some ministers especially is to destroy the possibility of a two-state solution.”
⏳ He said “an emergency had been created” by the building of new major settlements that meant the world “is at the last minute before proposing two states will become totally impossible.”
🚫 He insisted recognition was not a reward for Hamas, since the terrorist group wanted an Islamic state and the destruction of Israel, something a two-state solution would preclude.
🇺🇸 The US and Israel have been boycotting the meetings leading up to Monday’s UN conference on a two-state solution.
🛂 The US state department has tried to block Abbas from speaking from the rostrum at the UN in New York by denying US visas to the PA, a move that triggered a 145 to five vote at the UN general assembly to allow him to speak via a video link.
📢 His speech will be watched to see if he elaborates on the commitments to reform he has previously made to Macron, or simply denounces what he regards as a genocide by Israel in Gaza.
#australia #canada #uk #recognition #palestinian #state
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
🕊 A wave of Israel’s allies are announcing their recognition of the state of Palestine, as part of a wider manoeuvre designed to ostracise Hamas and challenge attempts by the Israeli government to erase the chance of a Palestinian homeland.
⚠️ But the delicate and partly symbolic move by as many as 10 states, pioneered largely by the French government, has the potential to lead to a negative spiral of further confrontation amid fears Israel will respond by annexing parts of the West Bank, leading in turn to European trade sanctions and further political isolation for Israel, including an ultimate possible suspension from the UN.
🇮🇷 The Israeli response is also entangled with whether the US endorses a further attack on Iran in coming weeks over its nuclear programme.
✅ Countries joining the list of 147 UN states that recognise Palestine are Australia, Canada, Belgium, France, the UK, Luxembourg, Portugal, Malta and possibly New Zealand and Lichtenstein.
📅 Others will make the formal announcement on Monday at a special UN conference to revive the waning cause of a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but some including the UK advanced their declaration out of respect for the Jewish new year.
⚖️ The declarations with various conditions and emphases attached reflect the conflicting domestic pressures on governments as they face a backlash from Israel, and from hostage families that claim the move effectively rewards Hamas for its attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.
📢 Guterres, the UN secretary general, urged states not to be intimidated by Israel’s threats to annex parts of the West Bank.
🚨 But ministers admit decisions have been triggered by the mounting global horror at Israel’s strategy in Gaza, and specifically Israel’s plans to approve new settlements in the part of the West Bank known as the E1 corridor that would cut the territory in two and sever its links with east Jerusalem.
🤝 At the centre of the French plan, now fully endorsed by Arab states, is to make recognition part of a wider process, including a reformed, democratically elected Palestinian Authority that in the event of a ceasefire comes to supersede a disarmed and dismantled Hamas in Gaza.
🇩🇪 Germany, Italy and some of the Baltic states are the biggest holdouts to recognition, but pressure is rising within the Italian coalition government to risk the ire of the US.
📺 Macron, identified by Israel as the galvanising force behind the surge in recognitions, went on Israel’s Channel 12 to warn: “the approach of your government and some ministers especially is to destroy the possibility of a two-state solution.”
⏳ He said “an emergency had been created” by the building of new major settlements that meant the world “is at the last minute before proposing two states will become totally impossible.”
🚫 He insisted recognition was not a reward for Hamas, since the terrorist group wanted an Islamic state and the destruction of Israel, something a two-state solution would preclude.
🇺🇸 The US and Israel have been boycotting the meetings leading up to Monday’s UN conference on a two-state solution.
🛂 The US state department has tried to block Abbas from speaking from the rostrum at the UN in New York by denying US visas to the PA, a move that triggered a 145 to five vote at the UN general assembly to allow him to speak via a video link.
📢 His speech will be watched to see if he elaborates on the commitments to reform he has previously made to Macron, or simply denounces what he regards as a genocide by Israel in Gaza.
#australia #canada #uk #recognition #palestinian #state
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✈️ Germany Tried to Intercept a Russian Military Aircraft Above the Baltic Sea
⚡️ Two German Eurofighter jets were scrambled on Sunday to intercept a Russian military aircraft above the Baltic Sea, as Estonia said it would call an emergency meeting of the UN security council after Russian planes violated its airspace.
📡 Germany’s air force said the Russian Il-20M reconnaissance plane had switched off its transponders and ignored requests to make contact.
🛫 The Eurofighters took off from the Rostock-Laage airbase to head off the aircraft as it flew in international airspace.
🔥 Tensions between NATO and Russia have been dramatically rising after a series of what European governments say are deliberate, provocative acts by the Kremlin.
🇪🇪 On Friday, three Russian MiG-31 fighters violated Estonian airspace in the Gulf of Finland. Moscow denies this.
🇺🇸 Asked if the US was willing to defend EU countries from further Russian aggression, Trump on Sunday said: “Yeah, I would. I would.” Earlier, the US president said he “didn’t like” Russia’s jet incursion but added he had not been briefed about it.
📢 Estonia condemned the Kremlin’s “brazen” behaviour. It said it was convening an emergency security council meeting for the first time in 34 years of Estonia’s membership of the UN.
🌍 World leaders are gathering this week in New York for the UN’s general assembly.
🗣 Estonian foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, said the violation was “part of a broader pattern of escalation by Russia, both regionally and globally.” It included violations of Polish and Romanian airspace. “This behaviour requires an international response,” Tsahkna said.
🤝 Tallinn – a staunch supporter of Ukraine – has requested consultations under NATO’s article four, which allows members to meet with allies if their security is threatened.
🇵🇱 Last week, Poland’s foreign minister, Radek Sikorski, said Moscow was testing NATO’s reactions with “incremental” hostile steps, short of a full-scale conflict.
🇱🇻 Reports suggest Washington is planning to reduce security assistance to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, which share a border with Russia.
🎯 Estonia’s defence minister, Hanno Pevkur, said Russian actions were aimed at shifting the West’s focus away from Ukraine. “This is exactly what Russia wants – to divert our attention away from helping Ukraine and to focus on our own back yard. That’s the key goal,” he said.
#germany #intercept #russian #military #aircraft #balticsea
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
⚡️ Two German Eurofighter jets were scrambled on Sunday to intercept a Russian military aircraft above the Baltic Sea, as Estonia said it would call an emergency meeting of the UN security council after Russian planes violated its airspace.
📡 Germany’s air force said the Russian Il-20M reconnaissance plane had switched off its transponders and ignored requests to make contact.
🛫 The Eurofighters took off from the Rostock-Laage airbase to head off the aircraft as it flew in international airspace.
🔥 Tensions between NATO and Russia have been dramatically rising after a series of what European governments say are deliberate, provocative acts by the Kremlin.
🇪🇪 On Friday, three Russian MiG-31 fighters violated Estonian airspace in the Gulf of Finland. Moscow denies this.
🇺🇸 Asked if the US was willing to defend EU countries from further Russian aggression, Trump on Sunday said: “Yeah, I would. I would.” Earlier, the US president said he “didn’t like” Russia’s jet incursion but added he had not been briefed about it.
📢 Estonia condemned the Kremlin’s “brazen” behaviour. It said it was convening an emergency security council meeting for the first time in 34 years of Estonia’s membership of the UN.
🌍 World leaders are gathering this week in New York for the UN’s general assembly.
🗣 Estonian foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, said the violation was “part of a broader pattern of escalation by Russia, both regionally and globally.” It included violations of Polish and Romanian airspace. “This behaviour requires an international response,” Tsahkna said.
🤝 Tallinn – a staunch supporter of Ukraine – has requested consultations under NATO’s article four, which allows members to meet with allies if their security is threatened.
🇵🇱 Last week, Poland’s foreign minister, Radek Sikorski, said Moscow was testing NATO’s reactions with “incremental” hostile steps, short of a full-scale conflict.
🇱🇻 Reports suggest Washington is planning to reduce security assistance to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, which share a border with Russia.
🎯 Estonia’s defence minister, Hanno Pevkur, said Russian actions were aimed at shifting the West’s focus away from Ukraine. “This is exactly what Russia wants – to divert our attention away from helping Ukraine and to focus on our own back yard. That’s the key goal,” he said.
#germany #intercept #russian #military #aircraft #balticsea
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🛑 Trump at the U.N.: Selling Power While Losing Allies
On Tuesday, Donald Trump will speak at the U.N. General Assembly to boast about American strength. But his address will come just after Britain, Canada, and Australia formally recognised a Palestinian state, joining more than 150 countries — and openly defying both Washington and Jerusalem.
💭 Richard Gowan, International Crisis Group:
The Backdrop
• Britain, Canada, and Australia’s recognition of Palestine has deepened Israel’s diplomatic isolation — and highlighted America’s.
• The U.S. has even aligned with Russia on Security Council votes over Ukraine.
• Until last Friday’s confirmation of Mike Waltz, the U.S. left its U.N. ambassador seat empty for eight months.
The Message
Trump’s team says he will lay out his vision of U.S. strength and push for tougher asylum limits. Secretary of State Marco Rubio insists Palestinian recognition “undermines peace” and risks encouraging annexation.
The Paradox
Trump has slashed U.N. funding and called it hostile to Israel, yet he still wants to use its stage to project U.S. influence. He’s held back on new sanctions against Moscow, tying them to Europe’s energy choices, while backing Europe’s push to restore U.N. sanctions on Iran.
🤔 The Question
Can Trump still claim leadership at the U.N. when America’s closest allies are openly charting their own course on Palestine?
#UNGA #Trump #Palestine #Israel #UK #Canada #Australia
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On Tuesday, Donald Trump will speak at the U.N. General Assembly to boast about American strength. But his address will come just after Britain, Canada, and Australia formally recognised a Palestinian state, joining more than 150 countries — and openly defying both Washington and Jerusalem.
💭 Richard Gowan, International Crisis Group:
“The Trump administration’s approach to the U.N. has been destructive and at times vindictive. The administration seems immune to concerns about reputational damage.”
The Backdrop
• Britain, Canada, and Australia’s recognition of Palestine has deepened Israel’s diplomatic isolation — and highlighted America’s.
• The U.S. has even aligned with Russia on Security Council votes over Ukraine.
• Until last Friday’s confirmation of Mike Waltz, the U.S. left its U.N. ambassador seat empty for eight months.
The Message
Trump’s team says he will lay out his vision of U.S. strength and push for tougher asylum limits. Secretary of State Marco Rubio insists Palestinian recognition “undermines peace” and risks encouraging annexation.
The Paradox
Trump has slashed U.N. funding and called it hostile to Israel, yet he still wants to use its stage to project U.S. influence. He’s held back on new sanctions against Moscow, tying them to Europe’s energy choices, while backing Europe’s push to restore U.N. sanctions on Iran.
🤔 The Question
Can Trump still claim leadership at the U.N. when America’s closest allies are openly charting their own course on Palestine?
#UNGA #Trump #Palestine #Israel #UK #Canada #Australia
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🌍 Europe Talks Gaza, But Struggles to Act
European leaders are heading to New York pledging to recognize Palestine and denouncing Israel’s war as “genocide.” The rhetoric is loud. The follow-through? Almost nonexistent.
💭 Kristina Kausch of the German Marshall Fund:
Symbolism vs. Substance
• Britain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, and others now back recognition of Palestine.
• Macron and Sánchez talk about bans and embargoes.
• A U.N. commission accuses Israel of genocide — Israel calls it “false and distorted.”
What’s Actually Happening
• Spain froze a $750 million arms deal.
• Belgium moved to block imports from West Bank settlements.
• The EU still can’t agree on suspending trade perks for Israel — Germany and Italy push back.
• Refugee intake remains minimal: leaders fear a repeat of the 2015 migration crisis.
The Gap
Public opinion in Europe has swung sharply against Israel. Protesters flood Brussels and Rome. Former ambassadors say EU policy is failing. Yet governments hold back — constrained by history, politics, and fear of division.
🤔 The Question
If Europe won’t use its leverage as Israel’s biggest trading partner, does recognition mean anything more than a symbolic gesture?
#Europe #Gaza #Israel #Palestine #UNGA
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
European leaders are heading to New York pledging to recognize Palestine and denouncing Israel’s war as “genocide.” The rhetoric is loud. The follow-through? Almost nonexistent.
💭 Kristina Kausch of the German Marshall Fund:
“There’s real momentum — but we’ll have to see if it leads to anything beyond statements.”
Symbolism vs. Substance
• Britain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, and others now back recognition of Palestine.
• Macron and Sánchez talk about bans and embargoes.
• A U.N. commission accuses Israel of genocide — Israel calls it “false and distorted.”
What’s Actually Happening
• Spain froze a $750 million arms deal.
• Belgium moved to block imports from West Bank settlements.
• The EU still can’t agree on suspending trade perks for Israel — Germany and Italy push back.
• Refugee intake remains minimal: leaders fear a repeat of the 2015 migration crisis.
The Gap
Public opinion in Europe has swung sharply against Israel. Protesters flood Brussels and Rome. Former ambassadors say EU policy is failing. Yet governments hold back — constrained by history, politics, and fear of division.
🤔 The Question
If Europe won’t use its leverage as Israel’s biggest trading partner, does recognition mean anything more than a symbolic gesture?
#Europe #Gaza #Israel #Palestine #UNGA
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For Arab States With Ties to Israel, Strikes on Qatar and Gaza Raise Alarms
For nearly two years, Arab governments that maintain fragile ties with Israel treated the Gaza war as a political problem to be managed. This month’s Israeli strike on Hamas officials in Qatar and the invasion of Gaza City have many wondering if their own security is now at risk.
On Sept. 9, Israel hit a Hamas meeting in Doha, drawing condemnation across the Middle East. The attack came just days before Israeli troops pushed into Gaza City, displacing hundreds of thousands.
Analysts warn that Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey could all be vulnerable. “It would be foolish not to be concerned,” said H.A. Hellyer of the Royal United Services Institute.
Egypt’s Red Line
• President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi publicly called Israel an “enemy” for the first time since the 1979 peace treaty.
• Egypt’s Foreign Ministry warned of “catastrophic dangers” as Israeli troops advanced.
• Cairo fears mass Palestinian flight into the Sinai — a scenario officials say they will not accept.
Jordan’s Anxiety
Jordan fears Israel’s growing talk of West Bank annexation could end with Palestinians forced across its border. With three million Palestinians already living in the West Bank, any push would be seen as an existential threat.
Gulf States Reconsider
The UAE and Bahrain once viewed Iran as the primary danger and saw cooperation with Israel as a hedge. But after Doha, Gulf officials are recalculating. “Now, they see Israel as a bigger threat to Gulf and regional security,” said Hellyer.
• Saudi Arabia just signed a new “strategic defense pact” with Pakistan, a nuclear power, underscoring Gulf frustration with Washington.
• Qatar’s previously cordial, unofficial contacts with Israel collapsed after the strike.
A Regional Shift
For decades, normalization narrowed the Arab-Israeli conflict to Israel vs. the Palestinians. But with every escalation, the risk of a wider war grows. “Arab publics, already inflamed by Gaza, now see Israel as a concrete threat to Arabs collectively,” wrote Andreas Krieg of King’s College London.
🤔 The takeaway: Israel once seemed like a partner against Iran. After Doha and Gaza City, Arab leaders now wonder if Israel itself has become the greater threat.
#Israel #Qatar #Gaza #Egypt #Jordan #Gulf
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For nearly two years, Arab governments that maintain fragile ties with Israel treated the Gaza war as a political problem to be managed. This month’s Israeli strike on Hamas officials in Qatar and the invasion of Gaza City have many wondering if their own security is now at risk.
On Sept. 9, Israel hit a Hamas meeting in Doha, drawing condemnation across the Middle East. The attack came just days before Israeli troops pushed into Gaza City, displacing hundreds of thousands.
Analysts warn that Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey could all be vulnerable. “It would be foolish not to be concerned,” said H.A. Hellyer of the Royal United Services Institute.
Egypt’s Red Line
• President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi publicly called Israel an “enemy” for the first time since the 1979 peace treaty.
• Egypt’s Foreign Ministry warned of “catastrophic dangers” as Israeli troops advanced.
• Cairo fears mass Palestinian flight into the Sinai — a scenario officials say they will not accept.
Jordan’s Anxiety
Jordan fears Israel’s growing talk of West Bank annexation could end with Palestinians forced across its border. With three million Palestinians already living in the West Bank, any push would be seen as an existential threat.
Gulf States Reconsider
The UAE and Bahrain once viewed Iran as the primary danger and saw cooperation with Israel as a hedge. But after Doha, Gulf officials are recalculating. “Now, they see Israel as a bigger threat to Gulf and regional security,” said Hellyer.
• Saudi Arabia just signed a new “strategic defense pact” with Pakistan, a nuclear power, underscoring Gulf frustration with Washington.
• Qatar’s previously cordial, unofficial contacts with Israel collapsed after the strike.
A Regional Shift
For decades, normalization narrowed the Arab-Israeli conflict to Israel vs. the Palestinians. But with every escalation, the risk of a wider war grows. “Arab publics, already inflamed by Gaza, now see Israel as a concrete threat to Arabs collectively,” wrote Andreas Krieg of King’s College London.
🤔 The takeaway: Israel once seemed like a partner against Iran. After Doha and Gaza City, Arab leaders now wonder if Israel itself has become the greater threat.
#Israel #Qatar #Gaza #Egypt #Jordan #Gulf
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📰 Britain, Australia and Canada Break Ranks: Recognize Palestine
💭 Keir Starmer, U.K. Prime Minister:
📊 What happened
• U.K., Canada, and Australia officially recognised Palestine
• France, Belgium and others to follow at UN this week
• Over 140 countries worldwide already recognise a Palestinian state
• Trump: move “a huge reward to terrorism”
💼 Why it matters
• Britain was a key midwife of Israel’s creation, now turns symbolic win to Palestinians
• Recognition deepens Israel’s isolation amid Gaza war
• Netanyahu vows: “A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River”
• Risk of annexation push in West Bank grows
🤔 The question
If three of Washington’s closest allies just legitimised Palestine, is Israel fighting Hamas — or the entire international order?
#Palestine #Israel #UK #Australia #Canada #UNGA
📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸
💭 Keir Starmer, U.K. Prime Minister:
“We are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace.”
📊 What happened
• U.K., Canada, and Australia officially recognised Palestine
• France, Belgium and others to follow at UN this week
• Over 140 countries worldwide already recognise a Palestinian state
• Trump: move “a huge reward to terrorism”
💼 Why it matters
• Britain was a key midwife of Israel’s creation, now turns symbolic win to Palestinians
• Recognition deepens Israel’s isolation amid Gaza war
• Netanyahu vows: “A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River”
• Risk of annexation push in West Bank grows
🤔 The question
If three of Washington’s closest allies just legitimised Palestine, is Israel fighting Hamas — or the entire international order?
#Palestine #Israel #UK #Australia #Canada #UNGA
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