Excluding Hamas from the ‘day after’ in Gaza would be a mistake
In the field of the social sciences, it is very common to say “history repeats itself”. However, there is nothing inevitable about how political events pan out and the choices that political actors make. In this sense, and in the current context of Israel’s war on Gaza, it is important to consider what foreign intervention in a country’s internal affairs and government can lead to. When foreign powers decide to eject a certain political player from power and impose an unelected provisional government, they create two problems. First, the population of the country is denied their voting rights and their right to voice their political opinions. A governing body that does not represent the people ignores their demands and complaints, which leads to precarious outcomes, including internal conflict. Second, the forced marginalisation of a political party could weaken and silence it, but it could also backfire. The denial of its right to political participation could push its members to reorganise, remobilise and return to the political scene with more hardline approaches or even violence. The example of Afghanistan is quite telling. In 2001, a US-led coalition invaded the country and dislodged the Taliban government from power. In the subsequent proceedings to form a government, the Taliban was excluded after being presented as an illegitimate actor. What followed was 20 years of political instability and war, which ended with the Taliban coming back to power. Today, as the international community mulls the fate of Gaza after Israel’s war on it ends, it is on its way to repeating its mistakes of the past. Of course, the history and current situation in Gaza are different from Afghanistan’s, but there is a similar desire to marginalise a legitimate political actor. Since Israel announced its war on Israel, it has repeatedly made clear that it wants to dismantle and eliminate Hamas, for which it has received backing from its ally, the US, and European countries. The Israeli military has claimed it is after Hamas’s fighters and military infrastructure, but over the past 75 days, it has become evident that it is also targeting its political structures, including ministries, institutions that provide civilian services, facilities responsible for basic utilities and so on. Worse than that, Israel has demonstrated its intentions to devastate the civilian infrastructure of the Gaza Strip and expel as many of its residents as possible. In a November 17 interview with NPR, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to say who should take over governing Gaza; he did insist that whoever it is, it “can’t be people committed to funding terrorism and inculcating terrorism”. He then went on to compare the Israeli invasion of Gaza to the Allies’ occupation of Germany and Japan after World War II. But the comparison Netanyahu drew between Germany, Japan and Gaza is inaccurate. Gaza, as well as the West Bank and East Jerusalem, has been under Israeli occupation since 1967. The Palestinians, unlike the Germans and the Japanese, do not have a state and have the status of an occupied population. As such, under international law, their acts of armed resistance are not equal or comparable to acts of aggression by an independent state with a national army. Resistance in Palestine under occupation has historically taken numerous forms and has been channelled by various political parties, both on the left and on the right. Yet, Israel has labelled all of them as “terrorist”, whether it was the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, or any other. If Hamas is dismantled, as Israel seeks to do, another resistance group would take its place. This is due to the fact that the culture of resistance is embedded in the Palestinian society on the religious, political, economic and social levels and it will require much more than the eradication of one party to change that. That is why, the plans of foreign powers to impose an unelected government on Gaza are likely to backfire. The US specifically has proposed the unification of the West Bank and Gaza under the rule of the Palestinian Authority as a step towards Palestinian statehood. Such a move would deny the right of the Palestinian people to choose who they want to be governed by. It is important to note that Hamas won the 2006 legislative elections in the occupied Palestinian territories and its government was democratically elected. Since then, it has become so embedded in the Palestinian society in general, and in Gaza specifically, that its marginalisation in any future Palestinian would create massive societal tensions. It would also create a political, social and security vacuum that would not spell any good for whoever takes over governance. How and when the war in Gaza will end and what follows next is still uncertain. But one thing is clear: If Western and regional powers repeat past mistakes of marginalising a major political actor and seek to impose their will on the Palestinian people, they would not get a different outcome than they have had in the past. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance. Adblock test (Why?)
Deadly floods in India leave hundreds stranded
NewsFeed Major flooding has hit India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu, leaving hundreds of people stranded and forcing thousands from their homes. Media reports say at least 10 people have died. Published On 20 Dec 202320 Dec 2023 Adblock test (Why?)
’Everything is dead’: How record drought is wreaking havoc on the Amazon
Curralinho, Brazil – For communities on the Brazilian island of Marajó, the ebb and flow of the Canaticu River marks the turn of the seasons. During the rainy months, the river is several metres deep, lapping below the wooden houses that rise from its shores on stilts. Residents rely on its water for drinking, cooking and washing. But when summer hits, the river dwindles to a stream. Still, its flow is normally sufficient for locals to meet their daily needs. This year, however, a severe drought has engulfed large swaths of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest. All that remains of the Canaticu River in some areas is a dark brown trickle, laden with bacteria and almost completely dried up. “Now we cannot use it for anything. It wasn’t like this before,” said 36-year-old Elizete Lima Nascimento, who has lived in one of the riverside communities, Serafina, for the past decade. The dry conditions have sparked a crisis in towns like Serafina — one that could transform their way of life for generations to come. Inhabitants in the community of Serafina use river water for washing and even drinking [Apolline Guillerot-Malick/Al Jazeera] Hundreds of thousands of people rely on the Amazon’s rivers and streams for food, transportation and income. But the historically low water levels have forced residents to reimagine their relationship to the environment. One tributary, the Rio Negro, plunged to levels not seen in 121 years. “We are completely dependent on nature,” Maria Vanessa Tavares de Souza, a 36-year-old teacher who lives in Serafina, said during a community meeting to discuss the problems caused by the drought. “Now that climate change has unbalanced everything, it’s going to be hard for us to survive here.” Already, one of the residents’ primary food sources is threatened: fish. Some have been left stranded as the river recedes — and in the water that remains, the corpses of other fish float to the surface. Abnormally warm temperatures are suspected in the mass die-off. Residents fear the dead fish could pollute the water as they decompose. Nine heatwaves have hit Brazil since the beginning of the year, with the heat index in Rio de Janeiro soaring to almost 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) in November. Worldwide, 2023 is expected to be the hottest year on record. In Serafina’s community hall, residents gather to discuss problems posed by the drought [Apolline Guillerot-Malick/Al Jazeera] Scientists have blamed climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, for the rising temperatures and extreme weather conditions. This year’s El Niño — a climate phenomenon that warms surface waters in the equatorial Pacific region — has been particularly intense, contributing to the Amazon’s drought. But the trend towards drier weather has been a long time coming. A string of harsh summers already led many Serafina residents to dig wells in their backyards to access subterranean water, instead of relying on the river. Others have called for the installation of a drinking water distribution system, a major infrastructure project that would consist of pipes and storage facilities. They argue the wells are unreliable and cannot stand in for a long-term solution. Still, well owners like Nascimento say their homemade water systems have been pivotal to withstanding the drought. “The well is extremely important. We use its water for everything — for drinking, cooking, making açai, washing both ourselves and our clothes,” she said, as she lifted the wooden planks in her garden to reveal the six-metre-deep hole. Not every family has a well, though, so residents that do own one share their water supplies with neighbours. Paula Lima, 43, brings home more than 50 litres (13 gallons) a day from a well at her cousin’s house on the other side of the community, just to meet her family’s needs. The trips have contributed to Lima’s back problems. But she has no choice. Consuming the river’s water when its level is so low triggers vomiting and diarrhoea — if not worse. Many households in Serafina now use wells for drinking water, particularly when the river water becomes too muddy to be consumed [Apolline Guillerot-Malick/Al Jazeera] Eleniuda Costa Paiva de Souza, a 30-year-old nurse, recently had to take her two-year-old daughter to the nearest hospital — a trip that required trekking across the jungle, then travelling five more hours by boat. Her child had become ill after ingesting the river’s sludge. De Souza said she intends to leave the community shortly. “Life here is only going to get worse. In town, things will be easier,” she explained. Isolation is part of life for riverine communities: Serafina hugs a serpentine bend in the river, surrounded by rainforest as far as the eye can see. But the weak flow of the Canaticu River has made Serafina even more secluded. To stock up on supplies, locals normally use the river to travel to nearby towns. But with the water so shallow, residents are forced to manoeuvre their small wooden boats at a snail’s pace to avoid logs and exposed roots. Many worry that, if a medical emergency were to occur, it would take too long to reach the closest town. Downriver, at the mouth of the Canaticu, the municipality of Curralinho has faced its own struggles amid the severe drought. Located on the southern coast of Marajó, the town and its population of nearly 34,000 saw fires tear through thousands of hectares of nearby rainforest in November. Curralinho was not alone in contending with raging flames. In the first two weeks of October, more than 2,900 blazes erupted in the state of Amazonas, a record number. The smoke was so thick that it choked the region’s biggest city, Manaus, complicating navigation and the delivery of essential supplies. Criminal enterprises have also taken advantage of the dry conditions to clear the rainforest with fire, as part of land-grab schemes. In the countryside of Curralinho, firefighters patrol a former açai plantation destroyed by fires [Apolline Guillerot-Malick/Al Jazeera] But in Curralinho, small-scale farmers were largely responsible for the
Congress begins ‘UP Jodo Yatra’ from Saharanpur, gears up for Lok Sabha polls 2024
The Congress also aims to connect the people of the state during this yatra, which assumes significance as it comes after the grand old party’s recent electoral defeat in three states.
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Dem-appointed Colorado justice says Trump ballot ban undermines ‘bedrock’ of America in fiery dissent
The Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to ban former President Trump from the state’s primary ballot undermines a “bedrock principle” of American democracy, one of the court’s Democrat-appointed justices wrote in a fiery dissent. Justices Carlos Samour, Maria Berkenkotter and Chief Justice Brian D. Boatright all dissented, but Samour was particularly critical of the 4-3 ruling. Samour and Boatright were each appointed by Democratic former Gov. John Hickenlooper, while Berkenkotter was appointed by current Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat. “The decision to bar former President Donald J. Trump — by all accounts the current leading Republican presidential candidate (and reportedly the current leading overall presidential candidate) — from Colorado’s presidential primary ballot flies in the face of the due process doctrine,” Samour wrote. “Even if we are convinced that a candidate committed horrible acts in the past — dare I say, engaged in insurrection — there must be procedural due process before we can declare that individual disqualified from holding public office,” he wrote. POLL SHOWS BIDEN HITTING RECORD LOW APPROVALS, FALLING BEHIND AGAINST TRUMP IN 2024 MATCHUP Samour went on to argue that allowing states to decide individually whether to allow Trump’s candidacy “risked chaos in the country.” The justice conjured visions of state governments divided on the legitimacy of a victorious presidential candidate. “This can’t possibly be the outcome the framers intended,” Samour argued. DEMOCRATS DROP ‘BIDENOMICS’ AS SOME VOTERS COMPLAIN IT’S ‘TONE-DEAF’: REPORT Trump’s campaign has already vowed to “swiftly” appeal the court’s decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, where observers largely believe it will be overturned. Multiple other state supreme courts have dismissed similar efforts to remove Trump from the ballot, including in blue states like Minnesota. “The Colorado Supreme Court issued a completely flawed decision tonight and we will swiftly file an appeal to the United States Supreme Court and a concurrent request for a stay of this deeply undemocratic decision. We have full confidence that the U.S. Supreme Court will quickly rule in our favor and finally put an end to these unAmerican lawsuits,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Nevertheless, the majority in Colorado’s decision argued they did not “reach these conclusions lightly.” “We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us. We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach,” they wrote. “President Trump did not merely incite the insurrection,” the majority opinion continued. “Even when the siege on the Capitol was fully underway, he continued to support it by repeatedly demanding that Vice President Pence refuse to perform his constitutional duty and by calling Senators to persuade them to stop the counting of electoral votes.”
If Trump ballot decision stands, Colorado GOP says it will move from primary to caucus system
The Colorado Republican Party is planning to withdraw from the state’s primary election and move to a caucus system if the ruling against former President Donald Trump stands. A state GOP spokesperson made the remark on social media following a video posted by GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, in which he pledged to withdraw if the Colorado Supreme Court’s Tuesday disqualification of Trump is sustained. “I pledge to withdraw from the Colorado GOP primary ballot until Trump is also allowed to be on the ballot, and I demand that Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, and Nikki Haley do the same immediately — or else they are tacitly endorsing this illegal maneuver which will have disastrous consequences for our country,” Ramaswamy said in the video. The Colorado Republican Party replied to the candidate’s video, assuring him, “You won’t have to because we will withdraw from the Primary as a Party and convert to a pure caucus system if this is allowed to stand.” CRITICS SLAM COLORADO SUPREME COURT FOR REMOVING TRUMP FROM STATE’S 2024 BALLOT: ‘A MOCKERY’ Republicans and other allies of the former president are slamming the Colorado Supreme Court for removing him from the state’s 2024 ballot. The divided court declared that Trump was ineligible for the White House under the U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause and removed him from the state’s presidential primary ballot, setting up a likely showdown in the nation’s highest court to decide whether the front-runner for the GOP nomination can remain in the race. COLORADO SUPREME COURT DISQUALIFIES TRUMP FROM 2024 BALLOT The decision from a court whose justices were all appointed by Democratic governors marks the first time in history that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment has been used to disqualify a presidential candidate. The court stayed its decision until Jan. 4, or until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the case. Colorado officials said the issue must be settled by Jan. 5, the deadline for the state to print its presidential primary ballots. “We do not reach these conclusions lightly,” wrote the court’s majority. “We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us. We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach.” Fox News’ Bradford Betz, Bill Mears, Adam Sabes and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Schumer and McConnell vow to take ‘swift action’ on supplemental package early next year
Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., promised to “take swift action” on the national supplemental security bill early next year, which will unlock billions of dollars of aid to Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel and the southern border. “Challenging issues remain, but we are committed to addressing needs at the southern border and to helping allies and partners confront serious threats in Israel, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific,” the statement read. “The Senate will not let these national security challenges go unanswered.” Lawmakers in the upper chamber have been negotiating with White House officials since last week on a border security policy that would be included in the supplemental package. Republicans first demanded stronger border security provisions in the package last month, but Democrats were unwavering in their quest to exclude any immigration policy changes from making headway in the bill until negotiations began heating up last week. SEN. CARDIN BREAKS SILENCE AFTER STAFFER ALLEGEDLY FIRED OVER SEX TAPE FILMED IN HEARING ROOM The clock has now run out for any deal to be reached this year, even as Schumer canceled part of the Senate’s holiday recess to continue negotiations this week. “As negotiators work through remaining issues, it is our hope that their efforts will allow the Senate to take swift action on the national security supplemental early in the new year,” the joint statement read. The leaders said that negotiators — Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Sen. Krysten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. — and Biden administration officials will “continue to work in good faith” on a framework for border security legislation. Lawmakers have cited in the last few days that “progress” was being made but would not reveal specifics. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection sources on Tuesday, there were more than 12,600 migrants encountered at the southern border in the preceding 24 hours, the highest figure recorded in a single day. MANY SENATORS HAVE ALREADY LEFT TOWN AMID BORDER NEGOTIATIONS AS ILLEGAL CROSSINGS HIT RECORD Talks have been ongoing with senators and Biden administration officials as Republicans have refused to pass some $60 billion in additional aid to Ukraine unless it is tied to strict border security measures, such as immediate screenings for asylum processing, more detention beds and quicker expulsions for illegal entrants. The total amount of supplemental aid the White House first requested in October amounts to roughly $106 billion and includes $14 billion to assist Israel. President Biden has been urging Congress to take action on the package, and Ukraine President Volodymr Zelenskyy made a final plea last week to both chambers in private meetings. The White House has sent more than $100 billion to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. Last week, Biden announced the administration would send $200 million in additional military aid to the Eastern European nation. LAWMAKERS UNLIKELY TO ADVANCE BORDER SECURITY, UKRAINE FUNDING LEGISLATION BEFORE CHRISTMAS On the floor Tuesday night, Schumer announced Wednesday’s Senate session at noon would be for “housekeeping business” and that there would be no more votes until January. Senators proceeded to reauthorize temporary funding for the Federal Aviation Administration until March 8 and confirmed by a voice vote the remaining 11 military nominees, who were previously delayed by Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s monthslong blockade over the Pentagon’s abortion policy. Congress will return the week of Jan. 8 and will also have to pass some appropriations bills to keep some government agencies afloat by Jan. 19. Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
‘No more tarikh-pe-tarikh:’ Home Minister Amit Shah ensures speedy justice with new criminal laws
The proposed three laws will help deliver speedier justice to the people and ensure there is no “tarikh pe tarikh”, Home Minister Amit Shah asserted in Lok Sabha.
Trump calls on ‘entire Republican Party to UNITE’ around Bernie Moreno in race for Sen. Sherrod Brown’s seat
Former President Trump, the current GOP front-runner ahead of the 2024 election, on Tuesday endorsed Bernie Moreno for U.S. Senate in Ohio amid a crowded Republican field vying to unseat Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown. “It’s time for the entire Republican Party to UNITE around Bernie’s campaign for Senate, so that we can have a BIG victory in what will be the most important Election in American History,” Trump wrote on TRUTH Social Tuesday afternoon. “Bernie is the Father of wonderful Emily, the wife of outstanding young Ohio Congressman, Max Miller. Bernie is Strong on the Border, Crime, Cutting Taxes, Election Integrity, the Military / Vets, and will always protect our under siege 2nd Amendment. Bernie Moreno will be an outstanding United States Senator, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement—He will never let you down!” In a second post, Trump went on to say, “Bernie Moreno, a highly respected businessman from the GREAT State of Ohio, is exactly the type of MAGA fighter that we need in the United States Senate. Bernie will always stand up to the Fascist ‘nut jobs’ and the spineless RINOS in order to fight the corrupt Deep State that is destroying our Country.” “Remember, we need a successful political outsider like Bernie to defeat Liberal career politician, Sherrod Brown, who has so poorly represented Ohio, and pretends that he’s all for the Policies of your Favorite President, Donald J. Trump, but then gets to the Senate and votes 100% for the horrendous Policies of Crooked Joe Biden, the worst President in the History of our Country,” Trump wrote. OHIO’S BERNIE MORENO ANNOUNCES SECOND STRAIGHT GOP SENATE RUN IN BID TO FLIP BLUE STATE RED “Don’t be fooled by Sherrod Brown. He is a Radical Left Liberal who will always let you down. He does not stand for Ohio Values, and never will. Bernie Moreno, on the other hand, will ALWAYS put America First,” Trump said. Trump’s endorsement could give Moreno an advantage over other Republican primary candidates including Frank LaRose, who serves as Ohio’s secretary of state, and state Sen. Matt Dolan. The winner of next year’s GOP primary will challenge Brown, who’s the only Democrat to win statewide in Ohio in the past decade. Brown will be heavily targeted by Republicans in a state that was once a premiere general election battleground but has shifted red over the past six years. TRUMP ALLY SEN JD VANCE ENDORSES IN OHIO’S 2024 GOP SENATE PRIMARY, BACKING BERNIE MORENO A successful Cleveland-based businessman and luxury auto dealership giant, Moreno launched his second straight bid for U.S. Senate in Ohio in April, touting himself as an outsider and a conservative. Moreno, an immigrant who arrived in the U.S. legally from Colombia with his family as a five-year-old boy, made border security a top issue during his 2022 Senate campaign and visited the U.S.-Mexico border. He shelled out millions of his own money to run TV commercials to try and boost his first Senate bid, but he suspended his campaign in February last year after requesting and holding a private meeting with Trump. The crowded and combustible 2022 GOP Senate nomination in Ohio was eventually won by former hedge fund executive and best-selling author JD Vance, who landed Trump’s endorsement just before last May’s primary. Vance went on to defeat longtime Democrat Rep. Tim Ryan in last November’s general election to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Rob Portman. Dolan — whose family owns Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians — also shelled out millions of dollars of his own money to run ads for his 2022 Senate bid. He surged near the end of the primary race, coming in third, behind Vance and just behind former state Treasurer Josh Mandel. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.