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Chicago becomes latest US city to seek ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza

Chicago becomes latest US city to seek ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza

City councillors narrowly approve nonbinding resolution that also includes call for humanitarian aid and release of captives. Chicago has become the latest city in the United States to call for a permanent ceasefire as Israel’s war on Gaza nears its four-month mark, placing more pressure on President Joe Biden before November’s election to help end the fighting. After weeks of rowdy public meetings, councillors in the US’s third largest city on Wednesday narrowly approved the nonbinding resolution 24-23. The tie-breaking vote was cast by Mayor Brandon Johnson, who also had to temporarily clear the council chambers during the heated session. The symbolic declaration includes a call for humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and the release of all captives held in the enclave. “Do I believe that the words that we speak today, how we vote today influences directly international policy? I don’t. I don’t have those illusions,” said Alderman Daniel La Spata, one of the resolution’s sponsors. “But we vote with hope. We vote with solidarity. We vote to help people feel heard in a world of silence.” The ordinance remained largely unchanged over the past few months despite urging from the council’s sole Jewish member, Alderwoman Debra Silverstein, who sought more support for Israel and criticism of Hamas. “We all want an end to the bloodshed and an end to the war. But it is vital to understand what caused the conflict, and we should pass a resolution that addresses the issue responsibly,” she said during the meeting. “We should not pass a resolution unless it makes clear that Hamas cannot and should not attack again.” Israeli attacks have devastated the Gaza Strip since Hamas fighters launched surprise attacks inside Israel on October 7 that killed about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials. Israel retaliated with a relentless air and ground offensive that has killed nearly 27,000 people, about 70 percent of them children, women and the elderly, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. The US under both Democratic and Republican presidents has been giving Israel $3.8bn in military aid annually, ranging from fighter jets to powerful bombs. But in recent months, Israel’s relentless military campaign on Gaza has exposed deep divisions in the US amid growing anger over the Biden administration’s foreign policy. The passing of the resolution means that Chicago has now followed cities such as Atlanta, Detroit and San Francisco to be calling for a ceasefire. An analysis of city data by Reuters news agency this week showed that at least 48 US cities have adopted symbolic resolutions calling for a halt to Israel’s Gaza bombardment, with six others passing resolutions advocating more broadly for peace. At least 20 have passed resolutions condemning Hamas’s October 7 attacks. Most of the ceasefire resolutions have passed in Democratic states like California, though at least 14 have passed in swing states like Michigan that could be decisive in Biden’s re-election bid, most likely against Republican former President Donald Trump. Many of the ceasefire calls are modelled after Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush’s “Ceasefire Now” resolution, which also urges the release of captives and an increase of aid into Gaza. At least nine of the ceasefire calls were in Michigan, where Arab Americans account for 5 percent of the vote and Biden’s 2020 margin of victory over Trump was less than 3 percent. An October poll showed Biden’s support among Arab Americans had plunged to 17 percent from 59 percent in 2020. “Arab Americans will not vote for Joe Biden, no matter what. That’s it. They’re done with Biden,” Sam Baydoun, a Wayne County commissioner, told Al Jazeera this week. “That’s the bottom line. Joe Biden is not going to be able to regain the trust of the Arab-American community,” he said, reflecting the frustration of many members of the Arab-American community over Biden’s unwavering support for Israel. Douglas Wilson, a Democratic strategist in the swing state of North Carolina, said the war “is something that’s going to be on voters’ minds” in the upcoming election. “It’s gonna be an issue here and in all the swing states because of the Muslim populations in these states, the Jewish populations in these states and the Black and brown population [in] these states,” Wilson told Reuters. Adblock test (Why?)

Israel’s war on Gaza: List of key events, day 118

Israel’s war on Gaza: List of key events, day 118

EXPLAINER Hospitals in Khan Younis remain under siege as Red Sea tensions rise. Here’s how things stand on Thursday, February 1, 2024: Latest on human impact and fighting: The Israeli army on Wednesday stormed the courtyard of al-Amal Hospital affiliated with the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip following a 10-day siege. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis also remains under siege as it faces a fuel shortage. Bombardment in Gaza continues, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum reported that several Palestinians were killed after Israel bombed a civilian car on the main road that links Khan Younis and Rafah. On Thursday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) released a statement saying US forces conducted strikes against Houthi unmanned aerial vehicles and the group’s ground control station in “self-defence”. Late on Wednesday, CENTCOM announced that the USS Carney shot down an antiship ballistic missile fired by the Houthis in the Gulf of Aden. No damages or injuries were reported. The European Union plans to launch a naval mission in the Red Sea within three weeks to help defend cargo ships against Houthi attacks, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Wednesday. About 184,000 people have registered for humanitarian assistance on the western outskirts of Khan Younis in recent days, the United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA said in its daily update. Diplomacy A civil case accusing US President Joe Biden and other senior officials of being complicit in Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza has been dismissed by a US federal court judge on jurisdiction grounds. On Wednesday, the Chicago City Council passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire. Some 70 US cities have passed resolutions on Israel’s war on Gaza, most of them calling for a ceasefire. South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said on Wednesday that Israel has ignored the interim ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last week by killing hundreds more civilians in a matter of days in Gaza. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Wednesday that the US response to the attack on Jordan’s Tower 22 that killed three American soldiers “will not be escalatory”. He added that the US does not believe it is in the interest of any country in the region, including Iran, to see the conflict escalate. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met UN humanitarian coordinator Sigrid Kaag on Wednesday. Blinken said the US government is “working closely” with Kaag to “maximise aid getting into Gaza”. Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut reported citing Israeli media that Mossad spy chief David Bernea briefed Israel’s war cabinet about the captives’ release plan. The current plan suggests a 35-day pause in fighting and the release of 35 captives. The number of Palestinian prisoners released was not discussed. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is expected in Cairo on Thursday amid talks of a truce proposal. Settler attacks in West Bank Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that armed Israeli settlers injured two Palestinian children late on Wednesday near the village of Susya, to the south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, according to local sources. Wafa also reported that armed Israeli settlers assaulted an elderly man in the Masafer Yatta region, located south of the West Bank city of Hebron, on Wednesday, according to local sources. On Wednesday, an Israeli settler ran over a herd of sheep in al-Ma’rajat area, west of Jericho, Wafa reported. Adblock test (Why?)

Thailand deports dissident Russian rockers to Israel

Thailand deports dissident Russian rockers to Israel

Human rights advocates warned against sending Bi-2 to Russia where they could be persecuted for opposing Ukraine war. Thailand has deported members of a dissident Russian-Belarusian rock band critical of Moscow’s war in Ukraine to Israel after they were detained for performing without a permit. Members of Bi-2 left “safely” for Tel Aviv on Wednesday night, they said on their Facebook page. Human rights advocates had warned the group would face severe persecution for speaking out against Russia’s war in Ukraine if they were sent back to Russia. Thai authorities had detained the members of Bi-2 for working at the resort island of Phuket without a permit. The fate of the band provoked an international outcry, leading Thai immigration officials to give the band the choice of being deported to another destination if they felt unsafe to return to Russia. Thailand’s National Security Council, chaired by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, took charge of the case on Wednesday. Several members of the self-exiled group, which had been based in Israel in the 1990s, have dual nationalities, including Israeli and Australian. Deputy Police Chief Surachate Hakparn confirmed the band had requested to be deported to Israel. Under pressure The band was detained last week after they played a gig on Phuket, a southern island popular with Russian holidaymakers. Thai officials said they were held for performing without the correct work permits and transferred to an immigration detention centre in Bangkok. VPI Event, the organisers of the band’s Thailand concerts – which also included a show in Pattaya – said all the necessary permits were obtained, but the band had been issued tourist visas in error. VPI accused the Russian consulate of having waged a campaign to cancel the concerts since December and said they had faced “unprecedented pressure” as they sought the band’s release. War criticism Bi-2, which was founded in Minsk, Belarus, is popular in Russia. Russia’s Ministry of Justice labelled lead singer Yegor Bortnick a “foreign agent” after he criticised President Vladimir Putin online last year. Alexandr Uman of the alternative rock band Bi-2 performs in Portugal, July 6, 2023 [Horacio Villalobos/Corbis via Getty Images] One of the band’s founders has openly denounced the Putin government, saying it makes him feel “only disgust” and accusing the long-serving leader of having “destroyed” Russia. Several of their concerts were cancelled in 2022 after they refused to play at a venue with banners supporting the war in Ukraine, after which they left Russia. Human rights “Even though they [are] all safe, we still want Thai authorities to respect arrest procedures strictly,” human rights lawyer Pornpen Khongkachonkiet told the AFP news agency. “It could [have] happened to me, you, and others without international attention as this case got.” Phil Robertson, the deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had recognised “the importance of upholding human rights principles” by not sending the band to “face persecution” in Russia. Very good news that all band members of the Russian-Belorussian rock band Bi-2 were able to leave #Thailand, & go safely to #Israel. Appreciate that @MFAThai recognized the importance of upholding human rights principles, & didn’t send them to face persecution & worse in #Russia. pic.twitter.com/JONpMmCRMX — Phil Robertson (@Reaproy) February 1, 2024 Robertson said that while “Thailand is vulnerable to effective manipulation by larger states pursuing transnational repression”, international pressure – and global economic concerns – had played a significant role. “Thailand realised that they didn’t need to make a lot of enemies by doing Russia’s bidding in this case.” Adblock test (Why?)

Disputed Trump-backed Michigan GOP chairman invested thousands in company disposing aborted fetal remains

Disputed Trump-backed Michigan GOP chairman invested thousands in company disposing aborted fetal remains

FIRST ON FOX: The newly elected chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, whose election is currently being disputed, invested thousands in a company targeted by pro-life activists for taking part in the disposal of fetal remains from abortion clinics, a financial disclosure obtained by Fox News Digital shows. According to the 2017 disclosure filed with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, former Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., invested as much as $50,000 in Stericycle, Inc., one of the nation’s leading medical waste disposal companies that serviced abortion clinics like Planned Parenthood. Despite a policy that it does not accept fetuses from clinics as medical waste, Stericycle reportedly disposed of such tissue from clinics across North America for years, making it the subject of a number of protests by local pro-life groups, including in 2019 by the group Grand Rapids Right to Life. HISPANIC COMMUNITY LEADER RAISES BIG BUCKS IN QUEST TO FLIP DEM-CONTROLLED BORDER CONGRESSIONAL SEAT The group had previously reportedly cut ties with hundreds of abortion centers, reiterating its policy against hauling aborted fetal waste, but continued servicing Planned Parenthood facilities while requiring them to certify no such remains were included in the refuge it transports. Despite that, the continued ties with abortion centers has driven further protests against the company over the years. In 2012, then-Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney also faced criticism for being part of an investment group, Bain Capital, that reportedly invested millions in Stericycle. When reached for comment, Hoekstra referenced his record as a staunchly pro-life member of the House. “I am opposed to abortion and believe I was scored at 100% pro-life voting record for most if not all of my eighteen years in Congress,” he told Fox News Digital. FORMER GREEN BERET SHREDS ‘CRIMINALLY INCOMPETENT’ BIDEN, STRESSES NEED FOR MORE VETERANS IN CONGRESS “My brokerage account managed by an outside investment adviser does not hold any Servicycle stock,” he added, but did not respond to questions concerning whether he agreed with the company’s past transportation of fetal remains. Hoekstra served nearly two decades in Congress before being appointed as U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands by former President Donald Trump, where he served from 2018-2021. He was elected as the new chair of the Michigan Republican Party on Jan. 20 by a faction of state party committee members that voted to oust chairwoman Kristina Karamo earlier this month. The contention came about over a split in ideological differences within the organization, but has yet to be resolved since Karamo has refused to accept the vote and argues she is still in charge of the party. VENTURE CAPITALIST, CONSERVATIVE FIREBRAND RAISES EYE-POPPING AMOUNT IN BID FOR ARIZONA HOUSE SEAT Lawyers with the Republican National Committee, however, maintain that she was “properly removed.” Trump waded into the dispute over the weekend, expressing his support for Hoekstra in a post on Truth Social. “I look forward to working with Ambassador Pete Hoekstra as Chairman of The Republican Party of Michigan. He is a winner who was a GREAT Congressman from Michigan and, likewise, did a fantastic job as Ambassador to the Netherlands. Pete will make The Republican Party of Michigan GREAT AGAIN, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be its Chairman — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” he wrote.

House Republican cracks down on foreign cash funneled into US nonprofits

House Republican cracks down on foreign cash funneled into US nonprofits

FIRST ON FOX: A new House Republican-led bill aims to crack down on the flow of foreign money to U.S.-based think tanks and charities. Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital that he’s introducing the “Think Tank and Nonprofit Foreign Influence Disclosure Act” to increase awareness of where those groups get their cash from and whether foreign governments could be using them to promote views hostile to U.S. interests. “We must pull back the curtain on foreign entities that seek to shape U.S. policy and public opinion through covert funding,” Gooden said. NEW GROUP LAUNCHES TO COMBAT CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY INFLUENCE ACROSS US “This legislation is a necessary measure to shed light on the unreported financing behind the research organizations and nonprofits shaping our foreign policy.” Under his legislation, donations and other contributions to nonprofits made by other governments or political parties have to be publicly disclosed if the value exceeds $50,000. CHINESE HACKERS OUTNUMBER FBI CYBER PERSONNEL ‘BY AT LEAST 50 TO 1,’ WRAY TESTIFIES  “Foreign governments and foreign political parties attempt to influence the government and political system of the United States through donations to nonprofit charitable organizations, especially think tanks and cultural organizations,” reads the bill text, obtained by Fox News Digital. “While institutions of higher learning are required to disclose foreign gifts to the Department of Education pursuant to the Higher Education Act, no such requirement exists for think tanks.” NEW GROUP LAUNCHES TO COMBAT CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY INFLUENCE ACROSS US: ‘POSES A MAJOR THREAT’ Under the Trump administration, the State Department urged think tanks that it engaged with to prominently disclose their sources of funding. “We welcome diverse views when doing so. We are mindful, however, that some foreign governments, such as those of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Russian Federation, seek to exert influence over U.S. foreign policy through lobbyists, external experts, and think tanks,” then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in October 2020. Fox News Digital reached out to the Biden administration to find out whether the policy is still active under the Biden administration but has not heard back.