Fox News Politics: McConnell’s ‘sprint to the finish line’
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. What’s Happening? -Biden makes unannounced visit to Walter Reed Medical Center -Hunter Biden testifies behind closed doors to Congress as part of impeachment inquiry -Trump wins Michigan’s GOP primary Longtime Republican leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced Wednesday he will step away from leadership in November. McConnell, who turned 82 last week, announced his decision in an emotional speech in the Senate shortly after noon. “One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter,” he said. McConnell’s first Senate term started in 1985, under the late President Reagan, and McConnell remained a huge fan (despite Reagan at first calling him “Mitch O’Donnell — Close enough”). But McConnell didn’t reminisce much. “There’ll be plenty of time to express my gratitude and greater detail as I sprint towards the finish line, which is now in sight,” he said. McConnell’s dramatic decision, which will set up a leadership election in the GOP conference after the November election, comes as Republicans have expressed increasing discontent with McConnell’s handling of the bipartisan border bill and national security supplemental package that included aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. McConnell has also butted heads with former President Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential front-runner, who said at a Fox News town hall recently: “I don’t know that I can work with [McConnell].” Yet after McConnell’s announcement, gratitude poured in from both McConnell’s allies and his critics. “I’m grateful for his service…. I think Mitch’s tenure has had many legacies. But no legacy is more consequential than the nomination and confirmation of hundreds of principled constitutionalists to the federal judiciary. And that is a lasting benefit to the American people for which I’m deeply grateful,” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz told reporters. McConnell said he intends to finish his current Senate term, which ends in January 2027. Sources familiar with his thinking told Fox News Digital the senator’s health was not a factor in his decision. McConnell had a concussion after a fall last year and two public episodes when he appeared to freeze while addressing reporters. NO TO JOE: Hamas officials shut down Biden’s ice-cream diplomacy, rejects cease-fire deal …Read more BIDEN’S PHYSICAL: Biden made an unannounced visit to Walter Reed for a physical exam …Read more ‘HUNTED ME’: Hunter Biden says he ‘did not involve’ his father in his business dealings, blasts impeachment inquiry …Read more ‘EXTREMIST POLICIES’: GOP senator fights back against Biden’s ‘gun-grabbing agenda’ to defend gun dealers …Read more ‘CONCERNING BEHAVIOR’: Sen. Cotton wants to know how US airman who lit himself on fire was active duty …Read more GEORGIA LAWMAKERS MOURN: House GOP lawmakers from Georgia blame Biden’s ‘disastrous’ border policies for murder of Laken Riley …Read more VICTORIOUS: Trump wins Michigan GOP Primary …Read more BATTLEGROUND VICTORY: Biden wins Michigan despite pushback from Arab-American voters …Read more SUPER REMATCH: Michigan inches Biden and Trump closer to 2020 rematch as ‘Super Tuesday’ approaches …Read more BREAKING NEWS: Dem candidate ‘unsuspending’ presidential campaign against Biden …Read more CALLING FOR HELP: Biden campaign sees Michigan voters back ‘uncommitted,’ immediately takes action …Read more PARTY TRANSFORMATION: Lara Trump officially announces campaign for RNC co-chair as Trump loyalists move in …Read more CLOSE THE GATES: NYC mayor calls for sanctuary city amendment to allow deportation of violent criminals …Read more ALL APOLOGIES: San Francisco apologizes to black citizens for ‘decades of systemic and structural discrimination’ …Read more ‘PROGRESSIVE WORLDVIEW’: Soros-backed group unleashes war on gas leaf blowers, trucks …Read more CONTROVERSIAL CARE: Court rules state can enforce law banning gender-transition treatments for minors …Read more $1.7 TRILLION ERROR:- Federal judge rules massive congressional spending bill is unconstitutional …Read more Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Johnson ‘unchanged’ on Ukraine, border crisis despite pressure at ‘intense’ White House meeting
EXCLUSIVE: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R–La., is holding firm to his demand that foreign aid issues be addressed only after action is taken on the U.S. border crisis. It comes after a so-called “intense” meeting at the White House on Tuesday, where Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Johnson was pressured by others in the room – including by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. – to allow an immediate House vote on aid for Ukraine. Johnson’s office insisted in a statement to Fox News Digital Wednesday that the Louisiana Republican’s position remains “unchanged.” KYIV RESIDENTS SPEAK OUT AS UKRAINE WAR ENTERS THIRD YEAR: ‘I TRY TO BE OPTIMISTIC’ “The Speaker’s message for the White House and fellow Congressional leaders was straightforward and remains unchanged,” a Johnson spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “We must secure our border and fund our government before securing another country’s border or funding another country’s priorities.” President Biden summoned the top four congressional leaders – Johnson, Schumer, McConnell, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. – for a meeting to discuss government funding and his request for a supplemental aid package for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and humanitarian aid for Gaza. Johnson, who met with Biden one-on-one after the initial discussion, called his meetings “frank and honest.” RUSSIA’S WAR ON UKRAINE UNLIKELY TO END IN 2024; CONGRESS PLAYS PIVOTAL ROLE IN DIRECTION CONFLICT TAKES Without referencing Ukraine specifically, he said about Biden’s supplemental aid request: “I was very clear with the president and all those in the room that the House is actively pursuing and investigating all the various options on that, and we will address that in a timely manner. But again, the first priority of the country is our border and making sure it’s secure.” But the Wednesday statement to Fox News Digital makes clear that he left the meeting with the same priorities he went in with. Schumer told reporters after he left the White House: “The meeting on Ukraine was one of the most intense I have ever encountered in my many meetings in the Oval Office. The five of us, the President, the Vice President, Leader McConnell, Leader Jeffries and myself made it so clear how vital this was to the United States.” EU AGREES TO NEW $54 BILLION AID PACKAGE FOR UKRAINE OVERCOMING HUNGARY’S VETO THREAT “We said to the speaker, get it done,” Schumer said. Johnson’s office did not directly address Schumer’s account in its statement to Fox News Digital, but the speaker has repeatedly called on Biden to take executive action to close the border amid a record flow of migrants into the U.S. Biden, meanwhile, has insisted publicly that Congress must pass a legislative fix to address the issue. A $118 billion package that included $60 billion for Ukraine and a host of border security measures was rejected by congressional Republicans earlier this year, many of whom said it did not go far enough in addressing the crisis. Johnson himself said it would be “dead on arrival” if it got to the House, but that was hours before it failed in the Senate with only four Republicans supporting it. During their White House meeting Tuesday, the congressional leaders also discussed the upcoming federal spending deadlines on March 1 and March 8 as the clock ticks down to a possible partial government shutdown at the end of this week. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP All four affirmed they were committed to finding some kind of deal on government funding by Friday but gave little insight into how they planned to do so. “The speaker said unequivocally he wants to avoid a government shutdown,” Schumer said after the meeting. “We made it clear that that means not letting any of the government appropriations bills lapse, which means you need some CRs to get that done. But, we’re making good progress, and we’re hopeful we can get this done really quickly.”
Americans question why Nikki Haley remains in GOP primary: ‘She’s out of control’
Americans questioned why Nikki Haley is still in the Republican primary as GOP front-runner former President Trump continues to dominate elections, even in the former South Carolina governor’s home state. “She probably should drop out,” Pete told Fox News while on Music City’s famous Broadway street. “I understand what she’s doing, I understand why she’s doing it, but she needs to get out.” But Jodi said “she should still stay in the race.” “She’s a better candidate than Trump,” she added. WATCH MORE FOX NEWS DIGITAL ORIGINALS HERE Haley is the only remaining challenger to Trump, who is so far undefeated heading into Super Tuesday on Mar. 5, when voters in 16 states will cast their ballot this primary season. Most recently, Trump earned over 40% more votes than Haley in Michigan on Tuesday and beat her by 20% in her home state on Saturday. “I think she has absolutely no chance against the man,” Oscar told Fox News the day before Michigan’s primary. “I voted in the New Hampshire primary … When Trump won, I think that was a defining moment where everybody realized that he’s going to be the candidate once again.” “I really don’t know what she’s doing,” he continued. “She’s out of control.” Similarly, Scott said, “she needs to get out” of the race. “It’s just a waste of money for her to stay in,” he added. KOCH-BACKED NETWORK DROPS FUNDING FOR NIKKI HALEY CAMPAIGN AFTER SOUTH CAROLINA DEFEAT Several people said funding from big donors has kept her in the race. Since the start of the primaries, the largest Haley-aligned super PAC has received donations from Wall Street megadonors, big names like billionaire Charles Koch’s political network, Americans for Prosperity Action and even a top Democratic donor, Reid Hoffman. “She’s getting funded by the other side. That’s what they do.” George said. “If they can’t win their side, they will fund somebody else’s side just to try to get her in.” But Dan said he had “no idea why there would be any money behind her whatsoever.” “She’s got no path to victory,” he continued. Theresa said: “She’s just been encouraged by a lot of the anti-Trump people to stay in. It just hurts the party, I think.” Some said Haley was only staying in the race to swoop in as the nominee if Trump, for some reason, becomes ineligible amid his ongoing legal battles. Trump is fighting four separate lawsuits and dozens of felony charges while seeking to lock up the Republican presidential nomination. “I think she’s just staying in hopes that something happens with Trump,” Scott told Fox News. “Whether it’s legal issues or something that’s going to knock him out.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Similarly, Pete said the only reason she refuses to drop out is because “we don’t really know what’s going to happen with Trump.” “I like Trump,” he said. “Will he be there? I hope he’s there in the end, but I can’t guarantee he will be.” But Josh said Haley’s effort “seems pointless.” “It seems like an inevitable match-up between Trump and Biden again at this point,” he told Fox News, “which I don’t really think anyone wants. So it’s surprising that that continues to happen.”
Bill legally defining antisemitism passes Florida Senate
Antisemitism would be defined in Florida law under a bill the Senate unanimously passed Wednesday after its sponsor warned that an increase in acts against Jewish people will lead to extremism against other groups. Florida is among several states seeking to define antisemitism. In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp signed a similar bill last month. “Outbreaks of antisemitism can be a harbinger of deep societal trouble and reflect that extremism and violence are eminent. It is dangerous and unacceptable,” said Democratic Sen. Lori Berman, the bill’s sponsor. “When there is hateful behavior against anyone, it can quickly become a societal endemic.” AMID ALABAMA IVF BLOWBACK, FLORIDA SHELVES BILL ALLOWING WRONGFUL DEATH SUITS FOR THE UNBORN The bill language was taken from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. It defines antisemitism as “a certain perception of Jewish individuals which may be expressed as hatred toward such individuals. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish and non-Jewish individuals and their property and toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” There has been a surge in antisemitic incidents since the Israel-Hamas war began in October. Even before the war, Florida dealt with neo-Nazi protesters at highway overpasses, antisemitic flyers in neighborhoods and antisemitic projections on buildings, including the Jacksonville Jaguars football stadium. “This bill is one method to combat antisemitism,” Berman said. “Defining it and codifying it makes a clear statement that we are going to identify, confront and call out antisemitism.” She said the bill doesn’t infringe on free speech rights and doesn’t prevent people from criticizing Israel as it would any other country. But by having it in law, it will allow law enforcement to use it when prosecuting hate crimes. “What this bill will do is help educate and sensitize electeds, judges, police, teachers, media and civil society in to what constitutes antisemitism,” Berman said. The House passed the bill last month, but would need to consider minor changes by the Senate before sending the measure to the governor. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office said he will review the bill once he receives it. The annual legislative session ends March 8.
Some Republicans seek alliances with Latin American populists as part of Latino outreach effort
On a recent evening outside Washington, the president of Argentina had the eyes and ears of a conservative crowd that had gathered to listen to Donald Trump. In a raspy voice, Javier Milei called out, “Hola a todos,” or “Hello, everyone,” before introducing himself as a lion. “What a beautiful day to make the left tremble,” Milei joked. His eccentrics may have seemed novel to those in the crowd unfamiliar with how he has used lions as his brand to symbolize his fierce stance against socialism, but the far-right populist has become well-known among Latinos in the United States since winning the presidency last year. He was joined at the Conservative Political Action Conference by El Salvador’s millennial president, Nayib Bukele, who delighted the crowd with a speech in fluent English deriding philanthropist George Soros and “globalism.” The Republican Party is aligning with some Latin American populists as a way of injecting star power and the political landscape of immigrants’ home countries into this year’s U.S. election. Having made inroads with Cuban and Venezuelan Americans in South Florida by attacking the self-declared socialist leaders of those countries, GOP leaders are replicating that model by promoting ties between Trump and leaders who are well known by Spanish-speaking voters across the country. REPUBLICANS MADE HUGE GAINS WITH HISPANIC, ASIAN, YOUNG VOTERS IN LAST ELECTION AS DEMOCRATS FALTERED: REPORT Mercedes Schlapp, a former Trump White House aide, told Spanish-language newscasters that Democrats have been nurturing the Latino vote for a long time, but when Trump was seeking re-election in 2020, he told his strategists to “do whatever you can to get the Latino vote.” Schlapp said that pursuing the popular elected leaders to join the recent conservative gathering is part of that effort. At nearly 2.5 million people, Salvadorans outnumber Cubans in the U.S., according to the Pew Hispanic Research Center. The Argentine diaspora is much smaller. But both Bukele and Milei have grabbed the attention of immigrants from Latin America as populist counterweights to the leftist strongmen scattered across Central and South America. Jose Aliaga, a Peruvian immigrant who attended CPAC as a Republican leader of a township in Michigan, compared Bukele after his speech to Trump, who is closing in on his third GOP nomination and a rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden. “Not only does Bukele say all the right things, he has results to show,” Aliaga said. “Bukele and Trump have the same message. They want to stop crime, they want to improve the economy, offer more jobs and give everyone the opportunity to get ahead. “They both want to rule with an iron fist, but one speaks Spanish and the other speaks English,” he said. Milei campaigned with a chainsaw as his prop to campaign on drastic cuts in Argentina and has declared his admiration for Trump. Milei didn’t bring the chainsaw to CPAC, but when he saw Trump between their speeches, Milei rushed to Trump screaming “president!” and gave him a close hug before they posed for pictures. According to a video posted by one of his aides, Trump told him, “Make Argentina Great Again,” referencing Milei’s Trump-inspired campaign slogan. YOUNG LATINO VOTERS IN PENNSYLVANIA ARE ‘TRUMP FANS’ ON ECONOMY, MAY VOTE REPUBLICAN IN 2024: REPORT The day before his visit, Milei met in Buenos Aires with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other Biden administration officials. According to one of Milei’s ministers, U.S. Ambassador Marc Stanley, a Texas lawyer and Democratic donor, tried to dissuade Milei from appearing alongside Trump, saying CPAC was a “very political” event. The State Department didn’t respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires said, “We make no comments on private meetings.” Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a Cuban American who has endorsed Trump, traveled to Argentina’s Casa Rosada last week to meet Milei and asked him to autograph a mug with the slogan “No hay plata,” for “There is no money,” which Milei used in campaign to say the country will no longer subsidize public programs. Eduardo Verástegui is a conservative activist who rose to fame in the 1990s as a Mexican telenovela heartthrob and tried to run independently for Mexico’s presidency. He describes Trump as a friend and was invited in 2020 to advise him on Hispanic issues. “Having them here on an election year is unique. It can awaken the Hispanic community in the U.S.,” Verástegui said. “I think this could be a turning point.” Maca Casado, a spokeswoman for Biden’s campaign, criticized Trump’s plan to appeal to Latinos, saying his policies as president and proposals as candidates are anti-immigrant. “We are talking about a man who has consistently demonized Latinos for his political gain, who used his time in office to attack the Latino community, who has even parroted dictators and said immigrants were poisoning the blood of the country,” Casado said in a statement. “Our community knows the truth: The party of Trump doesn’t give a damn about Latinos.” Benjamin Gedan, director of the Latin America Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center, warned that these leaders are “either intentionally antagonizing the White House or making an easily avoidable diplomatic misstep.” Bukele was perhaps even more popular at CPAC, followed by dozens of supporters after his speech Thursday who were blowing horns and shouting his name. A Spanish-language journalist from Voz Media, a conservative outlet based in Texas, approached Bukele to ask questions about Biden and Trump. Bukele said the Biden administration “has not been interested in working with us.” He said the relations between the two countries under Trump were “much better,” but he stopped short of throwing his support for Trump. “I leave that to the people.” Bukele has become massively popular in El Salvador, as a result of his war on gangs that has led to 76,000 detentions, and among Salvadorans in the U.S., who can be found in large numbers in California, Texas and New York. Bukele made a point in his speech to
New poll finds as many nations hold elections, democracy’s appeal is slipping
Representative democracy remains a favorite system of governance around the globe, but its appeal is slipping on the eve of elections in much of the world, according to a survey of 24 democratic countries by the Pew Research Center released Wednesday. While a median of 77% across the 24 surveyed countries said representative democracy was a “good” system of government, higher than any other alternative, a median of 59% told pollsters they were dissatisfied with how democracy was working in their own country. In the 22 countries where data was available from 2017, the last time Pew asked about democracy, the share describing democracy as a “very good” system was down in half of them. “People do like representative democracy. But you see here in lots of different ways people are really frustrated with how it’s performing,” said Richard Wike, managing director of Pew’s Global Attitudes research. “There’s a real disconnect between people and their representatives.” ARGENTINA’S BUDGET BACK IN BLACK WITH $589M BUDGET SURPLUS IN JANUARY Across the 24 countries — all democracies — a median of 74% said they don’t believe elected officials care what people like them think. Only 10 of the 24 national leaders on the survey had favorable ratings from half or more of the public. But the alternatives were seen as even worse. Only six opposition leaders got favorable reviews, and a median of 42% of respondents said no political party in their country represents their viewpoint. People in the political center were more likely to report not feeling like a party represents their views. The poll comes as the world’s democracies prepare for a titanic year, with elections scheduled in more than 50 nations that represent half the world’s population. That includes Indian elections this spring, European Union-wide elections in June and the November presidential election in the United States. The voting comes as support for more authoritarian forms of government are on the rise. The Pew survey found that in eight of the surveyed countries, support for a “strong leader” who can make decisions without court or legislative interference increased since 2017. Those countries included Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Kenya and Argentina, where Javier Milei, a self-described “anarcho,-capitalist” whose supporters call him “the madman,” won that country’s presidential election in November, after the Pew survey work was completed earlier last year. Overall, just under one-third typically backed some sort of authoritarian system across the surveyed countries. Support for a strong leader also rose in India, which stood out as the country with the highest level of support for that form of government, with 67% of those surveyed ranking it as a good system, an increase of 12 % from when Pew asked the question in 2017. India’s popular prime minister, Narendra Modi, has been criticized for eroding that country’s democratic and secular traditions with his Hindu nationalist party. But the country’s residents also reported a high level of satisfaction with democracy in the poll, and Wike said the two factors are intertwined in India. INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI ARRIVES IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ON HIS SEVENTH TRIP TO THE NATION “These authoritarian models have more support there,” Wike said. “That gives authorities some foundation of public support they can draw on.” The poll found support for a strong leader increased the most in Mexico, where it jumped 23% since 2017. At the same time, Mexico was one of three countries where support for democracy increased — Brazil and Poland were the other two. Support for more authoritarian leadership tended to be strongest among those with lower levels of education and income, as well as those on the ideological right. Poorer countries registered higher support for autocratic systems, including military rule. Having the military in control of governing also was backed by about a third of all residents in eight of what Pew called more “middle-income” countries, such as Mexico, India, Indonesia and South Africa. Overall, though, military rule is the least popular form of government, with a median of just 15% supporting it. The U.S. is an outlier in multiple categories, including its support for more autocratic systems. It was the wealthiest country surveyed, and while its support for autocratic systems was well below majority level — only 15% back military rule and 26% back a strong leader system — they were higher than half the other countries in the poll. That comes as former President Donald Trump, the leading candidate for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, has continued to speak warmly about authoritarian leaders, such as China’s Xi Jinping, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Wike said the U.S. also stands out for its polarization over questions of whether more diverse representation would improve the country’s policies. A median of 50% across the surveyed countries believe policies would improve if more women were elected, while in the U.S. that share was only 42%. Across the surveyed countries, a median of 46% believed electing more younger adults to office would improve policies, while in the U.S. that share was 38%, the second-lowest recorded after Japan. The U.S. also registered the largest ideological gap on the question, with 7 in 10 liberals saying younger leaders would improve conditions and only 2 in 10 conservatives agreeing. While representative democracy was the most popular system, direct democracy, in which citizens themselves vote on major issues, was close behind, with a median of 70% saying it would be a good way to run their country. Pew also found an increase in support for a system run by experts rather than elected officials, with a median of 58% backing that model. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Pew surveyed 30,861 people in 24 countries between February and May 2023. The margin of error varied by country.
Abu Jawad’s heart breaks daily as he buries the people killed by Israel
Deir el-Balah, Gaza – Before October 7, Saadi Hassan Sulieman Baraka, nicknamed Abu Jawad, had a routine. He would pray the dawn prayer, have dukkah and zaatar with olive oil for breakfast, and then head east of Deir el-Balah to tend to his palm and olive trees. No more. The 64-year-old is an Islamic undertaker, a job he has done for decades before Israel’s war on Gaza broke out. Now, the Palestinian father of 10 and grandfather of 116 is working long hours, burying more people a day than he would ever have thought possible. Tranquility lost Abu Jawad is one of the first residents of Deir el-Balah refugee camp in central Gaza, where he lives in a small house with his wife and 104-year-old mother. Graves are built in the ground, then covered up level with a marker on top if the identity of the person or people buried in them is known [Abubaker Abed/Al Jazeera] He is a simple, vibrant, generous man known as “Deir el-Balah’s Heartbeat”, and he feels the disruption of his tranquil life very deeply, mentally and physically. “I’ve lost 30kg (66lb), I’m not able to sleep at night, or eat, after my burials. The images I see are … pure horror. They won’t leave my mind.” “I’ve buried about 10 times more people during this war than I did across my entire 27 years as an undertaker. The least was 30 people and the most was 800. Since October 7, I’ve buried more than 17,000 people. “Every day, the cemetery is full of people crying over their beloved’s graves or by their bodies as they wait to be buried,” Abu Jawad said. “Now, my life is this,” Abu Jawad says. “I work at the cemetery from 6am to 6pm, sometimes longer. I prepare shrouds, build graves, lead funeral prayers, mourn, and bury. [embedded content] “There are four displaced men from Khan Younis who help me. What we do is voluntary, we’ve been offered money, food, and aid, but we don’t want anything except our reward from God and mercy for the martyrs we bury daily. “The fact that almost all of our funerals are mass is utterly heartbreaking; most of them included families wiped out. We prepare big family graves in the expectation of a massacre. We only have two cemeteries in Deir el-Balah; one is now completely full, and the other is running out of space.” ‘We are the dead’ On the day when a short ceasefire began in November, Abu Jawad remembers having to bury 800 people, mostly children. “We collected them in pieces, their bodies so riddled with holes it was like Israeli snipers used them for target practice. Others were crushed like … like a boiled potato and many had huge facial burns. Abu Jawad and his fellow volunteers working at the cemetery [Abubaker Abed/Al Jazeera] “We couldn’t really tell one person’s body from the other, but we did our best. We made one big deep grave, probably 10 metres (30 feet) deep, and buried them together. “Normally we can write the name of the deceased on their shroud, and their loved ones can come pray for them. But those 800 had no loved ones to visit them,” Abu Jawad chokes up at the painful memory. He goes on to describe how he has to almost deliberately shut off his emotions so he can complete his daily tasks of providing comfort for families as he buries their loved ones. “For me, those killed are still alive and we are the dead because we’re dying slowly. There’s no means of life here; no water, no food, no electricity, no peace, nothing at all. Is this a life? Abu Jawad and his team try to make a quick mass grave after a massacre in Deir el-Balah resulted in tens of deaths [Abubaker Abed/Al Jazeera] “Nearly every day, I see someone who doesn’t leave their beloved’s grave. I leave and come back just to see them still sobbing for their deep loss.” For a family to bring their dead to the cemetery is not an easy task. There have been numerous reports of people burying their dead in their yards because they could not venture out into the street with the body. “It takes days, a week, weeks, for a family to bring in their loved ones to the cemetery. Sometimes it’s because there were no tools to get bodies out of the rubble of a destroyed home, sometimes it’s because they can’t find shrouds or anything else to wrap the bodies in. “I’ve buried 67 of my family; the hardest was my cousins, who I was very close to. Their bodies were destroyed, they were in pieces. I didn’t recognise any of them. “Despite the scale of loss and horror I see every day, I can’t stop and never will. “Stop this genocide! We want a peaceful life. I want to leave and go home safely every day, not battling starvation and war at the same time.” [embedded content] Adblock test (Why?)
Are airlines returning to Israel, despite the war on Gaza?
Almost as soon as Israel’s war on Gaza broke out on October 7, many airlines suspended or cancelled their flights to Israel. Last week, Yossi Fattal, director general of Israel’s Chamber of Inbound Tourism Organisers, complained that Israel had become isolated – “like North Korea” – as dozens of airlines remained reluctant to fly there. The war has significantly affected Israeli tourism and flights. Yet, things are beginning to change. The entrance hall at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel, on December 25, 2023 [Alexi J Rosenfeld/Getty Images] Which airlines have resumed flights to Israel? United Airlines announced on Wednesday last week that it will begin flights to Israel again from March, becoming the first United States carrier to resume flights after suspensions at the start of the war. United plans initial flights to Tel Aviv from New York and New Jersey in the US on March 2 and 4, with a goal of having daily non-stop service restored from March 6. The carrier said in a news release that it had undertaken a detailed safety analysis before making this decision. British Airways, which used to operate two flights between the United Kingdom and Israel daily, will resume operations on April 1, operating one flight daily for four days a week. German airline Lufthansa, Switzerland’s flag carrier Swiss and Austrian flag carrier Austrian Airlines resumed flights to Tel Aviv on January 8. Meanwhile, Spanish airline Air Europa resumed flights to Tel Aviv on February 19. The Greek and French flag carriers, Aegean and Air France, both restarted flights to Tel Aviv in January. Italy’s ITA Airways will resume flights between Tel Aviv and Rome from March 1, starting with three return trips weekly. Brussels Airlines, the Belgian carrier, also announced on Wednesday last week that it will resume flights from March 24, with three flights per week from Brussels to Tel Aviv. The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) also announced that the US-based Delta Air Lines will resume flights to Israel in May. Delta has not officially confirmed this yet, but the last update from the carrier said that flights will be suspended between New York and Israel until April 30. Still, that’s only a fraction of the flights Israel used to attract before the war. An El Al aircraft rests on the tarmac at Ben Gurion International Airport in December 2021. El Al was one of only seven carriers operating into Israel in December last year [Maya Alleruzzo/AP] Which airlines do not plan to resume flights to Israel any time soon? American Airlines has halted flights until October 28. Emirates, Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines have also suspended flights to Israel until further notice. TAP Air Portugal has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv indefinitely, while Finland’s flag carrier, Finnair, announced it had cancelled its flights to Tel Aviv until October 29. Icelandair has cancelled flights to Tel Aviv, without any further update on its website. Bulgaria Air cancelled all flights to and from Tel Aviv, also without providing details about a timeline to restart operations. How has the war affected air travel in Israel? The number of international travellers arriving in Israel by air rose from 19.2 million in 2022 to 21.1 million in 2023, the IAA reported on January 21. In November 2023, however, the number of aircraft arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport was 68 percent lower than the same month the year before. Fattal said that while 250 airlines had been operating in and out of Israel before October 7, the number dipped to just seven last December. It has since crawled back up to 45. In the three-month period from October 7, 900,000 tourists had been expected to visit Israel. However, the Israeli daily Calcalist reported that only 190,000 people had actually visited. Prior to October 7, more than 300,000 people visited Israel every month. In November 2023, that figure reportedly dropped to 39,000. The number of travellers using Ben Gurion airport in November 2023 was 78 percent lower than in November 2022. The tourism industry in Israel accounted for 2.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, before falling to 1.1 percent in 2021. Both foreign and domestic tourism in Israel have flatlined since the start of the war. Which airlines have continued to fly to Israel throughout the war? In December, when only seven carriers were flying to Israel, around 80 percent of passengers were carried by Israel’s national carrier, El Al, followed by smaller Israeli carrier Israir at 10 percent and FlyDubai at 3.2 percent. With almost all airlines suspending and cancelling flights after October 7, El Al saw a 32.5 percent rise in passenger numbers to 5.5 million for 2023 at Ben Gurion airport, which has continued to operate throughout the war. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel’s war on Gaza: List of key events, day 145
Israel and Hamas played down chances of a breakthrough in ceasefire talks soon, a day after US President Joe Biden said it was imminent. Here’s how things stand on Tuesday, February 28, 2024: Fighting and humanitarian crisis Gaza’s Ministry of Health said 96 people were killed and 172 wounded over the past 24 hours, in its most recent daily update. The Palestine Red Crescent Society also released footage of its ambulance teams searching for survivors under the rubble at the scene of an Israeli air attack in the city of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. Meanwhile, a two-year-old Palestinian child called Khaled died after eating bread made from animal feed in the northern Gaza Strip. The UN Population Fund said Al-Helal Al-Emairati Maternity Hospital in Gaza’s southernmost town of Rafah reported that newborns were dying because mothers were unable to get prenatal or postnatal care. Now the prospect of an invasion of Rafah has prompted global alarm over the fate of nearly 1.4 million civilians trapped there. [I’m afraid we’ve been oscillating between 1.4 and 1.5 million] Regional tensions and diplomacy On Tuesday, Israel and Hamas played down chances of an imminent breakthrough in talks for a ceasefire in Gaza, after US President Joe Biden said Israel had agreed to pause its offensive during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan if a deal is reached to release some captives. Negotiators from the US, Egypt and Qatar have been working to broker a ceasefire that would see Hamas free some of the captives it holds in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. And as the war continues, with UN truck deliveries of aid hampered by the lack of safe corridors, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and France airdropped food, medical supplies and other aid into Gaza on Tuesday. At a beach in southern Gaza, boxes of supplies dropped from military aircraft drifted down on parachutes as thousands of Palestinians ran along the sand to retrieve them. Separately, in the US, President Joe Biden renewed his call for legislators to approve a foreign aid bill that includes $14bn for Israel as well as assistance for Ukraine and Taiwan. Violence in the occupied West Bank In the West Bank, the Israeli military stormed the city of Jenin and the Jenin refugee camp, the Wafa news agency reported. Wafa said that Israeli forces, supported by military vehicles and bulldozers, have destroyed infrastructure including roads in both the city and the camp. Adblock test (Why?)
Progressive House Dems made secret ‘human rights’ trip to Cuba amid worsening border crisis at home
Two of the most progressive Democrats in the House of Representatives led a small delegation on an undisclosed trip to Cuba last week to discuss “human rights,” despite the worsening border crisis affecting everyday Americans here at home, according to a new report late Tuesday. Far-left “Squad” member Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Chair Pramilia Jayapal, D-Wash., led the group of a dozen people, including a staffer from the office of Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., to Havana, where they, according to a spokesperson for the CPC, “met with people from across Cuban civil society and government officials to discuss human rights and the U.S.-Cuba bilateral relationship.” The trip was not disclosed by anyone involved and was not reported by Cuban state media despite the ongoing embargo against the communist island nation by the U.S., the Miami Herald reported. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES, ACTIVISTS PRAISE ‘SACRIFICE’ OF US AIRMAN WHO BURNED HIMSELF ALIVE TO PROTEST ISRAEL Both Jayapal and Omar have been critical of the embargo, support normalizing relations between the U.S. and Cuba, and each voted against a 2021 resolution supporting protests against the Cuban government and calling for the release of detained citizens. Efforts by the left-wing House members to cozy up to the authoritarian communist nation come as the U.S. continues to face a daunting flood of illegal immigrants overwhelming officials and communities at the southern border, as well as in cities across the country. An illegal immigrant was charged this week for the murder of a 22-year-old Georgia college student, whose body was found on the University of Georgia’s campus after she went missing while out for a run in broad daylight. JD VANCE MAKES CHOICE IN CRITICAL SENATE RACE AS GOP CONTROL HANGS IN THE BALANCE The trip was met with sharp criticism from other members of Congress, including Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., who wrote in a post on X that it was “no surprise” Omar and Jayapal went to Cuba “to get a refresher course on communism to bring back to DC.” “All members of the media should refer to the Progressive Caucus by their more accurate name – the Congressional Communist Sympathizing Caucus,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., wrote in her own X post. “It’s outrageous that Members of Congress would visit a country that jails, abuses, and murders their citizens and supports Iran, Russia and Communist China against our interests. Perhaps their time would be better spent listening to the Cubans crossing our southern border & risking their lives on makeshift rafts to find out why they’re fleeing Communism,” she added. Fox News Digital has reached out to the offices of Omar, Jayapal and Lee for comment.