https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRVZRIWL-Zk
Monday, May 24, 2021
‘THE HAMAS’ ARE COMING: A VIEW OF THE VIOLENCE FROM INSIDE ISRAEL
By Miko Peled, MintPress News.
May 22, 2021
https://popularresistance.org/the-hamas-are-coming-a-view-of-the-violence-from-inside-israel/
There Are Never Palestinians, Never People, Only “The Hamas.”
The Hamas thinks;” “The Hamas believes;” “The Hamas should know;” “When the Hamas understands, he will stop;” and finally, “When The Hamas is hit hard he will never dare to attack Israel again.”
**Occupied Jerusalem — After less than 48 hours in Jerusalem, it’s clear to me that the slaughter in Gaza will not end anytime soon. There is broad popular support in Israel for the endless bloodshed and Benjamin Netanyahu is as strong as ever both domestically and internationally.
According to the Israeli press, Netanyahu and his cabinet all received calls from President Joe Biden and members of his cabinet demonstrating their undying, never-ending, and unconditional support for the bloodletting of Palestinians. As hard as this is to see — particularly from Jerusalem, where I am less than an hour drive from Gaza — there should be no surprise.
When Joe Biden says he is a Zionist, he means he supports apartheid, ethnic cleansing and genocide in Palestine. It means that he will give unlimited money and weapons to Israel to execute the cruelest, bloodiest, most racist policies against the Palestinians, no questions asked.
“The Hamas”
All morning long (and it’s only 9 a.m.) the Israeli TV (all channels) displays guests of expert panelists, former IDF generals, and colonels (who knew there were so many?) who spew lies to excuse, justify, and even glorify the IDF actions in Gaza.
“We all support the IDF and its commanders,” they say as reports of more death and destruction come out of the Gaza Strip. There was some memo no doubt that told everyone on TV to say “The Hamas” whenever they talk about Palestinians in Gaza.
There are never Palestinians, never people, only “The Hamas” — and “The Hamas” is, by the way, male and singular (in Hebrew). “The Hamas thinks;” “The Hamas believes;” “The Hamas should know;” “When the Hamas understands, he will stop;” and finally, “When The Hamas is hit hard he will never dare to attack Israel again.”
Needless to say, none of the panelists are Palestinians. Instead, Israeli news programs have their “Arab Affair” experts on, their “The Hamas” experts, and their experts on the “Arab community in Israel.”
Israeli Jews know enough to analyze, explain and mostly justify Israeli violence against Palestinians everywhere, yet nowhere does one hear that the indigenous people of Palestine — the people to whom this country belongs, and who have been wronged in so many ways — are speaking up.
Regular People — Enormous Suffering
This morning I received an email from a friend in East Jerusalem. In this email, she poses a question that is perhaps impossible to answer:
Yesterday my youngest grandson who turned 15 at the beginning of this month was walking in our neighborhood towards the barbershop to have a haircut when he was stopped by 10 soldiers who beat him up before letting him go. Why? Can anybody who has any common sense answer me? There were no demonstrations, and the people in our neighborhood were going about their own business. The soldiers were in their full gear and were not in any danger.”
How can one explain the actions of armed, racist gangs who wear an official uniform, who represent the State and use their power and status and weapons to beat and intimidate people who want to live a normal life? It is not unlike trying to understand the actions of former Minneapolis police officer and now inmate Derek Chauvin, who calmly and coldly murdered George Floyd in broad daylight, in front of people holding cameras and taking videos. Can a rational, healthy mind explain any of this?
General Strike
A general strike was declared in Palestine on May 18 and the subsequent rallies and protests that took place throughout Palestine left several Palestinians dead and wounded. In advance of the strike, some Israeli employers already said that any Palestinian not showing for work that day would be fired. About one-third of the Israeli economy relies heavily on the Palestinian citizens of Israel. In Israeli hospitals, large numbers of doctors, nurses, and maintenance staff are Palestinian citizens of Israel. They have the capacity to bring the hospitals and the Israeli economy to its knees.
It was reported that the supervisor for Palestinian schools within 1948 Palestine in the Northern District already requested the names of any teachers who did not show up for work in Qalasawe and Taibe, two large Palestinian cities. According to Israeli law, the firing of an employee must be done in person and the employee may have a representative and the various unions to provide legal representation free of charge. The big question mark remains: Will Palestinian citizens of Israel be able to avail themselves of this service and this law?
I was also warned by friends that when I come to visit people anywhere in the area of the “Small Triangle” — or the cities of Qalansawe, Taibe, and Tira — to come during the day. After dark, I was warned, the roads are closed because of protests and the police arrest, beat up, and shoot indiscriminately.
Jerusalem
Towards the end of the 1967 Israeli assault on Arab lands, the eastern part of the city of Jerusalem was occupied by Israel, including the Old City and the al-Aqsa Mosque. This assault had enormous consequences and in Israeli collective memory there is one sentence that is the most iconic of the entire war. When the Haram al-Sharif was taken by Israeli forces, the commander reported “Har Ha’bait Beyadeinu” — The Temple Mount is in our hands. The most iconic photo from that war is that of the conquering soldiers by the Western Wall.
The commander, Mordechai Gur, was not a religious man. His soldiers were not religious people and in those days one did not see the religious Zionists that one sees in Israel today. This comment was made because even secular Israelis look at the Haram al-Sharif — the al-Aqsa compound — and believe it should be used as a national symbol, a place that represents something that Israel lost and deserves to take back. And so, the desire to see al-Aqsa destroyed and a structure they call a temple built instead is not merely a religious sentiment but a neo-fascist and nationalistic one as well.
Violence, racism, neo-fascist attitudes, and a toxic mix of religion and nationality make Zionism very dangerous. From Gaza to al-Aqsa, from the Naqab in the south to the Wadi Ara in the north, we are seeing the dangerous elements of Zionism at work.
THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES IN COLOMBIA
By Gearóid Ó Loingsigh, Left Voice.
May 22, 2021
https://popularresistance.org/the-struggle-continues-in-colombia/
Colombia’s Wave Of Protests Continues Unabated.
This is a first hand account from a comrade living in Colombia.
Colombia’s wave of protests continues unabated. On May 12th, there were massive demonstrations throughout the country, indicating that the movement shows no immediate signs of waning.
Between the last national mobilisation and this one there were numerous smaller protests around Bogotá and some big ones in other cities. It is clear from these demonstrations how popular the revolt is. Walking back from the north of the city, I encountered just such a demonstration a few days ago, one of many throughout the city that day. What struck me was the number of cars, motorbikes, and commercial vehicles sounding their horns in support. A Coca Cola supply lorry even joined in.
At 6.40 PM, after sunset the Police attacked what can only be described as revellers — the protest was over and they were just enjoying themselves. Elsewhere in the city, in working class neighborhoods, such as Las Americas, people stood their ground against the repression, applying lessons learnt from Chilean front-line youth, who crafted homemade shields to protect themselves from stun grenades and other missiles launched by the police.
Since the uprisings began, state violence has not eased. The indigenous organisation CRIC (Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca) joined in the protests in Cali and were shot at by armed paramilitaries, some of whom were quite brazen about it. In Pereira, Lucas Vila, a young student, was shot dead. Videos of him from the days preceeding his murder circulated on the internet showing how he spoke with members of the community on buses and public transportation explaining the reasons for the strike. This is a common practice here. There were other videos of him dancing and even greeting cops. His good nature didn’t stop the police shooting him dead. Medical missions in Cali, which provide first aid to injured protestors, were shot at with live rounds also.
This violence follows on from the call by former president and the man pulling the strings of Duque, to militarise the situation and called on people to “defend” themselves. However, the threats of violence and use of live rounds has not deterred protestors so far. If anything the sense of injustice amongst the youth has grown. People have never had a favorable opinion of the police, but this seems like a turning point in that relationship. In 2019, in Bogotá the police tortured Javier Ordóñez to death. In the ensuing protests, a further fourteen people were shot dead and numerous police stations in Bogotá were burned to the ground, even in some middle class areas. Now, these state murders are happening around the country, with a heavy concentration in working class areas of Cali. It is clear to most that this is the new normal. Colombia has long been governed by murderous elites and the danger of them responding with the full force of the state’s official and unofficial murder squads is never far from the surface.
One of the great strengths of the current rebellion is that it is very spontaneous and organised at a local level. However, that is also one of its weaknesses, as it does not have a national or even regional unified leadership. The Comando Nacional del Paro (National Strike Command) is the public face of something it does not control. Comments by youth are quite clear — this body represents no one. It’s most useful purpose has been to set the dates for the major national demonstrations. However, this lack of real leadership saw right wing figures like Sergio Fajardo and his new turncoat allies such as Jorge Robledo and Angela Robledo (running as a liberal feminist for next year’s presidential elections) try to usurp the leadership and negotiate an end to the protests. Even more left-wing politicians such as the former mayor of Bogotá, Gustavo Petro, had initially called for the strike to end, following Duque’s withdrawal of the tax reform. But no one was buying it and he has let his proposal die the ignominious death it deserves.
Duque is desperately trying to find a solution short of stepping down. He even invited the sister of Dilan Cruz, murdered by cops in Bogotá in 2019, to take part in a dialogue. She refused. Like many, she knows what grandstanding looks like. When her brother was murdered, Claudia López, mayor of Bogotá, turned up at a vigil and tried to use their grief to her own political advantage, even though as mayor of the city, she has ultimate control of the police.
The calls for dialogue and an end to the protests and the attempts to portray the temporary withdrawal of the tax measure as a definitive victory have only led to more demands. These include the full and complete end of the tax reform, the health reform, and the pension reform. As one placard held aloft in the protests said “It is not just the tax reform. It is everything.” There is a long history of Colombian governments “negotiating” deals and then when the protests have died down, not implementing them. Just in the last few decades they have done hundreds of such agreements with regional movements that were never or only partially implemented.
Duque is on the ropes and the people know it. Colombia’s elite and the reformist left are fearful of the outcome. In Colombia, there is no history of mass movements forcing presidents to resign. It is not something the average Colombian thought they could do, unlike in other Latin American countries that have some experience of this. The last thing the elite want is people to feel that this can be done, as it would set a precedent for the future. One of the most oppressive regimes in Latin America has always been able to forcefully deal with revolt through violence and buy off the leadership. They don’t want people to see an alternative to that tired old formula.
Those reading this might wonder what can be done from afar. There are a number of things including a blockade of Colombian coal and coffee beans. Workers in Europe and the U.S., where most of these exports are shipped, should refuse to unload them.
RENTERS IN BERLIN HAVE A RADICAL PLAN TO SEIZE APARTMENTS FROM LANDLORDS
By Thomas Colson, Business Insider.
May 22, 2021
https://popularresistance.org/renters-in-berlin-have-a-radical-plan-to-seize-apartments-from-landlords/
Like many cities around the world, rents in the German capital of Berlin have soared in recent years, doubling in the last decade alone.
But unlike many other cities, the people of Berlin are actually doing something about it.
First residents persuaded the local authorities to bring in a rent cap that instructed landlords to freeze rents at 2019 levels.
However, that was overturned by Germany’s federal court in April, which ruled the measures unconstitutional.
Now local campaigners are planning something even more radical: a bid to nationalize thousands of privately owned apartments in the city.
Specifically, campaigners want the government to take apartments from real estate firms that own more than 3,000 apartments, place them into public ownership, and rent them out at more affordable rates.
The estimated market value of the real estate in question is up to €36 billion ($44 billion), CityMonitor reported, but the group has suggested compensation of as little as €8 billion ($10 billion), arguing that the prices are based on speculation and overpriced rental yields rather than real value.
“The housing market in Berlin seems like paradise if you’ve lived in London or Paris,” Jonas Becker, a 30-year-old academic who lives in the German capital, told Insider.
“The housing market in Paris is absurd because you can’t find any affordable housing. But that’s an evolution we see in Berlin as well. The rising rents don’t correspond anymore to wages, and that’s something we want to address.”
Becker is a spokesman for a group of housing activists called “Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen & Co,” referring to the city’s biggest real estate group.
The group says the compensation would be provided to landlords gradually using the rents, rather than costing the taxpayer.
Berliners Are Rising Up For Fairer Rents
The idea is certainly very radical, but it is gathering plenty of support from Berliners.
A petition started in February for a referendum on the plan has already collected 130,000 signatures, meaning there is a very real possibility that Berlin authorities will be forced to hold a referendum on the subject in September.
In a city where around 85% of residents live in rented accommodation, and where more than 200,000 publicly owned apartments have been sold off since 1990 to private equity firms and hedge funds, the issue has taken on acute significance.
“For my generation, it’s nearly impossible to own a building or an apartment — something that has been very possible for our parents,” said Becker. “We will probably rent our whole lives.”
He said that many Berlin residents, especially younger ones, were radicalized by the German federal court’s decision to overturn the rent cap last year, which prompted thousands of people to march through the streets, banging pots and pans in protest. Many landlords are now charging their tenants more than they were before the rent cap, in order to make up for lost income.
The group wants to collect 240,000 signatures by the end of June, which would be enough to force a referendum on the subject. There is also a strong chance that the referendum could pass, forcing lawmakers to consider the plan: A poll carried out in April indicated that 47% of Berlin residents supported the proposal, with 43% opposed and 9% undecided.
However, even if the referendum is successful it will be a struggle to actually get the plan into legislation. Die Linke, the left-wing party with 69 seats of 709 in Germany’s parliament, is the only one to have offered the proposals formal support, Deutsche Welle reported. Germany’s dominant conservative parties have been quick to condemn the proposals.
Nonetheless, Becker said that even talk of a referendum has pushed radical solutions for Berlin’s rental problems into mainstream dialogue. “Many people now consider us a real opponent they have to deal with, not as left-wing radicals who want a revolution. That’s not what we want to do,” he said.
Nina Turner’s Opponent Practically BEGS Super PACs For Help
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvL_31fFZLI
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