Flouting International Law, Netanyahu Says West Bank Settlements Will Remain 'Forever'

"Israel finally admits it will never remove illegal settlements from occupied West Bank."

by Jake Johnson, staff writer

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/08/29/flouting-international-law-netanyahu-says-west-bank-settlements-will-remain-forever

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared in a speech on

Monday that Israel's settlements in the occupied West Bank will remain "forever," remarks many critics characterized as an explicit statement of a longstanding commitment to maintaining and expanding settlements that have been deemed illegal under international law.

"There will be no more uprooting of settlements in the land of Israel," Netanyahu said. "We will deepen our roots, build, strengthen, and settle."

"Israel finally admits it will never remove illegal settlements from occupied West Bank," wrote AlterNet reporter Ben Norton in response to Netanyahu's remarks, which were made during an event "commemorating the 50th anniversary of Israel's occupation of the West Bank."

Others argued that, given Netanyahu's public remarks and actions, any hope that a two-state solution is a viable option is badly misplaced.

"The 'two-state solution' is a blatant and obvious farce that has no purpose other than to allow liberals to justify their support for Israel," concluded The Intercept's Glenn Greenwald, pointing to Netanyahu's speech.

Many reacted to Netanyahu's comments similarly on social media:

Follow

noah kulwin

✔ @nkulw

eventually journalists will have to start using the word apartheid, or they will be abetting endless occupation http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.809444 …

2:05 PM - Aug 28, 2017

Follow

Asaf Ronel

✔ @AsafRonel

The 2-state solution is dead. Time to fight for equal rights for everyone between the Jordan river & the sea http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.809444 …

2:07 PM - Aug 28, 2017

Follow

Jonathan Cohn @JonathanCohn

What a partner for peace that Bibi is. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.809444 …

8:40 PM - Aug 28, 2017

Netanyahu's remarks come as Israel has in the past two weeks destroyed or seriously damaged at least three schools for Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank.

"Just when they were due to return to the classroom, Palestinian children are discovering that their schools are being destroyed," said Hanibal Abiy Worku, a director of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), an independent humanitarian organization. "What threat do these schools pose to the Israeli authorities? What are they planning to achieve by denying thousands of children their fundamental right to education?"

Sami Mruwwah, the Palestinian director of education, vowed to have the schools rebuilt and to "resist against the occupation."

"What happened against the school and its students violates human rights and childhood in particular," Mruwwah concluded. "It is inconceivable for this world to remain silent in the face of the crimes of occupiers against education in Palestine.

As Historic Flooding Grips Texas, Groups Demand Nuclear Plant Be Shut Down

"This storm and flood is absolutely without precedent even before adding the possibility of a nuclear accident that could further imperil millions of people who are already battling for their lives."

by Jon Queally, staff writer

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/08/29/historic-flooding-grips-texas-groups-demand-nuclear-plant-be-shut-down

As record-breaking rainfall and unprecedented flooding continue to batter the greater Houston area and along the Gulf coast on Tuesday, energy watchdogs groups are warning of "a credible threat of a severe accident" at two nuclear reactors still operating at full capacity in nearby Bay City, Texas.

Three groups—Beyond Nuclear, South Texas Association for Responsible Energy, and the SEED Coalition—are calling for the immediate shutdown of the South Texas Project (STP) which sits behind an embankment they say could be overwhelmed by the raging flood waters and torrential rains caused by Hurricane Harvey.

Both the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the STP operator have previously recognized a credible threat of a severe accident initiated by a breach of the embankment wall that surrounds the 7,000-acre reactor cooling water reservoir," said Paul Gunter, director of the Beyond Nuclear's Reactor Oversight Project, in a statement by the coalition on Tuesday. 

The groups warn that as Harvey—which on Tuesday was declared the most intense rain event  in U.S. history—continues to dump water on the area, a breach of the embankment wall surrounding the twin reactors would create "an external flood potentially impacting the electrical supply from the switchyard to the reactor safety systems." In turn, the water has the potential to "cause high-energy electrical fires and other cascading events initiating a severe accident leading to core damage." Even worse, they added, "any significant loss of cooling water inventory in the Main Cooling Reservoir would reduce cooling capacity to the still operating reactors that could result in a meltdown."

With the nearby Colorado River already cresting at extremely high levels and flowing at 70 times the normal rate, Karen Hadden, director of SEED Coalition, warned that the continue rainfall might create flooding that could reach the reactors. "There is plenty of reserve capacity on our electric grid," she said, "so we don't have to run the reactors in order to keep the lights on. With anticipated flooding of the Colorado River, the nuclear reactors should be shut down now to ensure safety."

Last week, the STP operators said that safety for their workers and local residents was their top concern, but that they would keep the plant operating despite the approaching storm.

Susan Dancer, president of the South Texas Association for Responsible Energy, said that as residents in Bay City—herself included—were being forced to leave their homes under manadatory evacaution orders, it makes no sense to keep the nuclear plant online.

"Our 911 system is down, no emergency services are available, and yet the nuclear reactors are still running. Where is the concern for employees and their families? Where is the concern for public safety? This is an outrageous and irresponsible decision," declared Dancer. "This storm and flood is absolutely without precedent even before adding the possibility of a nuclear accident that could further imperil millions of people who are already battling for their lives."

As Harvey hovers over the coastal region, heavy rains are expected to persist for days even as the storm system creeps toward to Louisiana in the east.

But no matter how remote the possibility, said Gunter, "it's simply prudent that the operator put this reactor into its safest condition, cold shutdown."

Hurricane Harvey: Scientist Explains Climate Change's Role

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpPJ1DeZlJA&feature=em-subs_digest

Trump: ‘All options are on the table’ after N. Korea missile launch over Japan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI6EWOyu8FI&feature=em-subs_digest

Within two weeks Bernie Sanders will introduce Medicare For All

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YDBkJgM-lU&feature=em-subs_digest

Why Arpaio's Pardon Could Trigger Constitutional Crisis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prS_IqNe8DU

Lawyer Who Filed DNC Lawsuit Clarifies Judge's Dismissal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miDve_Ml1cI