Nationwide, Palestine supporters demand their free speech rights – Day 204

contact@ifamericansknew.org April 28, 2024 biden ben gvir, freedom flotilla, international law, Olympics, palestine protests, Refaat Alareer, unrwa, water

Biden campaign refuses invitation to address US Muslim voter advocacy groups

Middle East Eye reports: US President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign team refused an invitation to address a symposium regarding the voter engagement of more than one million Muslim Americans in the country, according to a coalition of more than two dozen Muslim civic groups.

The two-day online symposium was held on 20 and 21 April, and discussed issues related to the upcoming presidential election in November, including “the pressing concerns that align with the interests and values of the American Muslim community”.

The symposium examined US support for Israel, “justice in the Middle East region and Asia”, and domestic issues – particularly concerning the Black community in the US.

It was hosted by 25 organizations, including the Muslim Civic Coalition; Cair Action; the Abandon Biden Campaign; the Uncommitted National Movement; and American Muslims for Palestine – Chicago.

In addition to Biden’s campaign, the coalition said that the campaign for former US President Donald Trump also refused the invitation.

“While I wasn’t expecting much from the Trump campaign, President Biden choosing to ignore 1.6 million Muslim voters, many of whose votes put him in the White House in 2020, reveals the disconnect between him and the American people he serves,” Luna Banuri, of the Utah Muslim Civic League, said in a statement shared with Middle East Eye.

“President Biden’s apparent disregard for Muslims, Arabs, young people, and allies of all races and faiths – whether they’re the ones his policies are killing in Gaza or the ones he’s ignoring in America – makes it critical for our communities to vote in a way that our voices are heard loud and clear.”

Instead, the symposium heard from several third-party candidates, including independent Cornel West, Jill Stein of the Green Party, Claudia de la Cruz of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Joseph Collins of the Libertarian Party.

Far-right minister Ben Gvir, whose car flipped Friday, has long record of traffic convictions, orders drivers to break law

Ha’aretz reports: Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s private driver, who drove the minister on Friday’s traffic accident, was convicted in June 2022 of speeding charges and his driving license was revoked for 50 days.

The driver, Moshe Eichenstein, who is also a member of Ben-Gvir’s security detail, was caught driving at a speed of 147 KM per hour (about 92 miles per hour) near the Meitar checkpoint on Route 60, where the speed limit is 80 KM per hour (about 50 miles per hour).

Ben-Gvir was lightly wounded in Friday’s accident that occurred, when his car, which according to sources was driven by Eichenstein, crossed a red light and hit a passing car.

The national security minister’s bodyguards have reportedly complained to their superiors in the ministry that Ben-Gvir was ordering his drivers to commit traffic offenses that endanger them and himself

Ben-Gvir has 79 traffic offense convictions. His driving license had been revoked several times. In 2024, the minister video-recorded himself twice in a moving vehicle without a seat belt. Despite the footage, police has not fined the minister.

The car of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir after an accident in Ramle, April 26, 2024. The minister was lightly injured (photo)

West Bank: Young Man Suffocates To Death After Soldiers Locked Him In Bakery

IMEMC reports: On Saturday, Palestine TV said that a young Palestinian man from Husan village, west of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, suffocated to death after the soldiers locked him in his bakery.

Palestine TV stated that the young man Hazem Nabil Ramadan Da’na, 27, from Doha town, southwest of Bethlehem, died from extreme heat and suffocation in his bakery.

It is worth mentioning that the Israeli army has been repeatedly invading the village and forcing the stores shut and has previously forced the young man to close the bakery many times before, but not while he was inside it.

A ship from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition anchors at Tuzla seaport in Istanbul, Turkey, on Friday, April 19, 2024 (photo)

FOLLOW THE FREEDOM FLOTILLA

Freedom Flotilla Coalition reports: On Thursday afternoon, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition was contacted by the Guinea Bissau International Ships Registry (GBISR), requesting an inspection of our lead ship – Akdenez. This was a highly unusual request as our ship had already passed all required inspections; nevertheless, we agreed. The inspector arrived on Thursday evening. On Friday afternoon, before the inspection was completed, the GBISR, in a blatantly political move, informed the Freedom Flotilla Coalition that it had withdrawn the Guinea Bissau flag from two of the Freedom Flotilla’s ships, one of which is our cargo ship, already loaded with over 5000 tons of life-saving aid for the Palestinians of Gaza.

Again, this is a highly unusual move from a flagging authority. Normally, national flagging authorities concern themselves only with safety and related standards on vessels bearing their flag, and are not concerned with the destination, route, cargo manifests or the nature of a specific voyage. Just like when you register your car, the authorities don’t require you to detail to them every place you are going to go with the car.

Sadly, Guinea-Bissau has allowed itself to become complicit in Israel’s deliberate starvation, illegal siege and genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Israel is showing the world the extent to which it will go to deny Palestinians the aid they need to stay alive, in direct contravention of International Humanitarian Law, UN Security Council resolutions, and two orders of the International Court of Justice. Israel is only allowed to get away with this because we have an international order where law does not apply equally, where people are not valued the same, and where might equals right. The US has hijacked international law and is violating its own laws to protect Israel at every turn.

Without a flag, we cannot sail. But, this is not the end. Israel cannot and will not crush our resolve to break its illegal siege and reach the people of Gaza. The people of Gaza and all of Palestine remain steadfast under the most horrific, unimaginable conditions. We take strength from their incredible, inexplicable ability to maintain their humanity, dignity and hope when the world has given them no reason to do so.

It is our responsibility to keep that hope alive. WE WILL SAIL.

NOTE: We will bring regular updates about the 2024 Freedom Flotilla until it arrives in Gaza.

NOTE: Read about the individuals who launched the flotilla movement over 16 years ago here.

CAMPUS PROTEST UPDATE

Columbia leadership rebuked by faculty panel over police crackdown on Gaza protesters

Reuters reports: Columbia University President Nemat Minouche Shafik has come under renewed pressure as a campus oversight panel sharply criticized her administration for clamping down on pro-Palestinian protests.

After a two-hour meeting, the Columbia University senate approved a resolution that Shafik’s administration had undermined academic freedom and disregarded the privacy and due process rights of students and faculty members by calling in the police and shutting down a Gaza solidarity encampment which led to the arrest of more than 100 students.

“The decision … has raised serious concerns about the administration’s respect for shared governance and transparency in the university decision-making process,” it said.

Memorable quote

A spokesperson for Office of Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel commented on allegations by Hamas that Israel was involved in any misconduct regarding a mass grave found at a battle site located on a hospital compound in Gaza:

Hamas libels know no limits. It’s sad to see how many news organizations are still so quick to copy and paste Hamas’ lies for clickbait. The IDF will continue to target Hamas while avoiding civilian casualties with precision likely to have never been seen in the history of warfare.

MORE NEWS

Al Jazeera: Are US campus protests against Israel’s war on Gaza going global?

+972 Magazine: Campus protests for Gaza are proliferating — and so is the repression

Electronic Intifada: Medicines desperately needed in Gaza

The New Arab: Hundreds protest White House correspondents’ dinner over Gaza

IMEMC News Reports

STATISTICS OCTOBER 7 – APRIL 27:

Palestinian death toll from October 7 – April 27: at least 35,154* (34,654 in Gaza* (at least 14,690 children, 9,680 women), and at least 500 in the West Bank (117 children). This does not include an estimated 7,000 more still buried under rubble (4,900 women and children). Euro-Med Monitor reports 42,510 Palestinian deaths.

At least 42 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons (27 from Gaza, 14 from West Bank)

At least 31 Palestinian children and several adults have died due to malnutrition**

About 1.7 million, or 75% of Gaza’s population are currently displaced.

About 1.1 million (out of total population of 2.3 million) are facing Catastrophic levels of food insecurity.

Palestinian injuries from October 7 – April 27: at least 81,664 (including at least 77,229 in Gaza and 5,000 in the West Bank).

It remains unknown how many Americans are among the casualties in Gaza.

Reported Israeli death toll from October 7 – April 27: ~1,407 (~1,139 on October 7, 2023, of which ~32 were Americans, and ~36 were children); 259 military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza;, 16 in the West Bank) and~8,730 injured.

Times of Israel reports: The IDF also listed 41 soldiers killed due to friendly fire in Gaza and other military-related accidents – nearly 16%.

NOTE: It is unknown at this time how many of the deaths and injuries in Israel on October 7 were caused by Israeli soldiers.

*Previously, IAK did not include 471 Gazans killed in the Al Ahli hospital blast since the source of the projectile was being disputed. However, given that much evidence points to Israel as the culprit, Israel had previously bombed the hospital and has attacked many others, Israel is prohibiting outside experts from investigating the scene, and since the UN and other agencies are including the deaths from the attack in their cumulative totals, if Americans knew is now also doing so.

**Euro-Med Monitor reports that Gaza’s elderly are dying at an alarmingly high rate. The majority die at home and are buried either close to their residences or in makeshift graves dispersed across the Strip. There are currently more than 140 such cemeteries. Additionally, according to Euromed, thousands have died from starvation, malnourishment, and inadequate medical care; these are considered indirect victims as they were not registered in hospitals.

Find previous daily casualty figures and daily news updates here.

Hover over each bar for exact numbers.
Source: IsraelPalestineTimeline.org

Monday 29 April 2024