Concerned Families of Westchester Newsletter
July 15, 2024
Hello All – For the third time, negotiators meeting in Egypt proclaimed that Israel's war on Gaza might be nearing its end. But once again, these hopes were dashed, as Israel launched wave after wave of deadly violence on tent camps and UN shelters, while Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that peace was OK with him as long as he could keep the war going.
Despite peace talks, the war is escalating. Yesterday Israel bombed a "safe area" in Gaza, killing 91 and injuring hundreds. And this week the Biden people approved another shipment of 500-pound bombs for Israel. According to an article in the British medical journal The Lancet, the true number of deaths in Gaza is about 186,000. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people in Israel protest the war and call for a ceasefire in order to bring the hostages home. Yet the war marches on.
Optimism about a ceasefire had come about because of an adjustment by Hamas to their response to President Biden's May31st draft proposal. President Biden's proposal included 3 stages. In the first there would be a temporary ceasefire, during which many Israeli hostages and Palestinians would be released and food and medical aid would flow into Gaza. Also during this time – six weeks or more – negotiations for a permanent ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages would end the war. In the final stage of Biden's plan, Gaza would be rebuilt.
The roadblock to ending this war stems from Israel's divided government. Some members of the government have announced they would quit if another ceasefire were agreed to. Netanyahu himself is reluctant to bring the war to an end, as his government would quickly collapse and he might be headed for prison on corruption charges, now being deliberated in court. To stay in power, Netanyahu's government is counting on continued support from the Biden administration, even if they refuse the ceasefire proposal. To change this, Biden would have to use pressure – withholding money and weapons –in the hope of changing Netanyahu's behavior. Would Biden do this? Is peace possible?
Finally, while Democrats are twisting themselves into knots around the question of whether or not Biden should resign or be replaced as the Dems presidential candidate, no Important People are talking about how Biden's support for Israel's war is driving away millions of young voters. This is addressed in some articles linked below; and this morning's New York Times carried a story about the young climate-fighters in the Sunrise Movement, who turned out thousands of activists to campaign for Biden in 2020, and now call for Biden's replacement as the presidential candidate. According to The Times, "The Sunrise Movement, expressing concern about the president's ability to win re-election, said he should "pass the torch to a new nominee." The Sunrise Movement had not endorsed Mr. Biden's re-election bid, in part because many members oppose the president's strong support for Israel in its war against Hamas. In recent weeks, doubts about Mr. Biden's electability have also emerged. … In 2020, the organization's volunteers had contacted 3.5 million young voters, urging them to vote for Mr. Biden. Since the June debate, [the Movement's spokeswoman] said, the "already low enthusiasm" for Mr. Biden among young people has continued to drop." [Read More] The same dynamic is playing out over hundreds of pro-Democratic organizations: rather than ending US support for the war on Gaza, Biden and his team are gambling that fascism can somehow be avoided by …. Work for peace.
Some essays illuminating the week that was
(Video) Long Legacy of U.S. Political Violence: RNC Begins in Milwaukee in Wake of Trump Assassination Attempt
From Democracy Now! [July 15, 2024]---- The Nation's national affairs correspondent John Nichols joins us in Milwaukee to detail the long history of political violence in the United States and says it may not prove as significant to the presidential election as many believe. "There is a tendency after a shooting like this to assume it's going to have a huge political impact — and it may. I'm not dismissing that. But what I will tell you is that there's history that suggests that the country is horrified, the country reacts with sympathy, but it doesn't necessarily say, 'Oh, well, we have to elect this wounded warrior or this wounded candidate.'" [See the Program]
Israel Must Say Yes to the Gaza Truce Deal and Stop Netanyahu's Sabotage
Editorial, Haaretz [Israel] [July 11, 2024]
---- The hostage deal being negotiated between Israel and Hamas is perhaps the last opportunity to save the lives of the hostages who are still alive. The defense establishment understands this, making it clear there is no security risk in accepting the deal. The defense minister's declarations of support are being made amid the reckless objections to the deal, voiced by the political leadership headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. …For nine months, Israelis of all ages have been in Hamas captivity. The insistence on continuing the war even at the price of giving up a deal has cost many of them their lives. Yesterday, a delegation headed by the head of the Shin Bet security service left for Cairo. This is a last chance to save those who can still be saved. Israel must say yes to the deal, and the public must stand behind the hostages' families. [Read More]
What's the Meaning of Solidarity?
From Jewish Voice for Peace [July 10, 2024]
----Defenders of Israel's genocide know we're strongest when we work together. That's why they are so intent on pitting us against each other. Practicing solidarity helps us understand each other. We often say that none of us will be free until all of us are free. This is solidarity. By acting in solidarity, we learn how our struggles are intertwined. Being part of something larger cuts through our isolation. Solidarity encourages us to share resources and knowledge, which keeps our communities safer. And solidarity is essential to building the power we need to win a world where all people — from the U.S. to Palestine — live in freedom, justice, equality, and dignity. Defenders of Israel's genocide know we're strongest when we work together. That's why they are so intent on pitting us against each other. [Read More]
Should Biden Stay or Go?
(Video) Should Biden Step Aside? Wajahat Ali & Norman Solomon Debate Democratic Options for 2024 Race From Democracy Now! [July 11, 2024]
---- As calls mount for President Joe Biden to step down as the presumptive Democratic Party nominee over concerns surrounding his mental and physical capacity to lead, we host a debate between two longtime members of the Democratic Party: Wajahat Ali, who recently authored a column subtitled "Biden Is Very Old and Out of Touch, and Here's Why You Should Vote for Him," and Norman Solomon of RootsAction.org, which sponsors the Step Aside Joe campaign. At 81 years old, Biden is already the oldest person to ever serve as president of the United States. His recent public appearances, including a poor performance at his first presidential debate against presumptive Republican Party nominee Donald Trump — who, if reelected, would be the second-oldest person to ever serve as president — have renewed questions about his health and ability. Biden has thus far resisted pressure to suspend his reelection campaign, even as the U.S. liberal coalition fractures over his candidacy. Ali says that now is the time to unite over a candidate to prevent a second Trump presidency, and that without a clear alternative, only Biden can run a winnable campaign. Meanwhile, Solomon argues that Biden's performance thus far has already critically weakened his chances of winning the election. "Uniting behind a losing candidate is a bad idea," he says. [See the Program] Also of Interest – "(Video) How to Replace Biden & Beat Trump: Longtime DNC Member Jim Zogby Proposes Process to Pick New Nominee," from Democracy Now! [July 2, 2024] [Link]; and Bernie Sanders, "Joe Biden for President," New York Times [July 13, 2024] [Link]
More Thoughts on the Bowman Campaign
The Israel lobby defeated Jamaal Bowman
By Philip Weiss, Mondoweiss [June 30, 2024]
---- This week Jamaal Bowman, a progressive congressman from the Bronx and Westchester, lost his seat to the Israel lobby, and the media's tongues were tied. No one could say as much directly. Bowman, a member of the leftwing "Squad" elected in 2020, had made the political errors of calling for a ceasefire and saying Palestinians are experiencing a genocide, and so he was swept aside in a record of spending for a congressional race. There were colossal contributions to his opponent by an AIPAC-related pac, of $15 million, and by at least one other Zionist pac that spent $1.6 million to get out the Jewish vote. Mainstream voices were quick to deflect the spending…. Jews are still the supporters of Zionism, Jews are still by and large the force behind the Israel lobby. The idealistic young Jews of IfNotNow are trying to change that, honorably. So is the great anti-Zionist group, Jewish Voice for Peace. So am I. But the reality is that Jews are for Israel in the same sort of zealous degree that evangelical Christians are against abortion rights. [Read More]; also of interest is "Jamaal Bowman's Primary Loss," from Jewish Currents, [Link].
CFOW Nuts & Bolts
Please consider getting involved with Concerned Families of Westchester. Weather permitting we meet for a protest/rally each Saturday in Hastings, at 12 noon at the VFW Plaza (Warburton and Spring St.) A "Black Lives Matter/Say Their Names" vigil is held in Yonkers on Mondays from 5:30 to 6:00 pm at the intersection of Warburton Ave. and Odell. Our newsletter is archived at https://cfow.blogspot.com/; and news of interest and coming events is posted on our CFOW Facebook page. Another Facebook page focuses on the climate crisis. If you would like to join one of our Zoom meetings, each Tuesday and Thursday at noon, please send a return email for the link. If you would like to support our work by making a contribution, please make out your check to "Frank Brodhead," write "CFOW" on the memo line, and send your check to CFOW, PO Box 364, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706. Thanks!
Rewards!
This week's Rewards for stalwart readers come from the Chilean group Inti Illimani. Fifty-one years ago – on the first 9/11 – the Chilean military overthrew the democratically elected Popular Unity government of Salvador Allende. (Henry Kissinger had a leading role in this.) Inti Illimani's song "Venceremos" became the theme song of the resistance to fascism. Enjoy some of their music here and learn more about them here.
Best wishes,
Frank Brodhead
For CFOW
The CFOW Weekly Reader
Featured Essays
Remembering Jane McAlevey (1964–2024)]
By Ethan Earle, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation [July 2024]
---- Jane McAlevey died on 7 July 2024 at the age of 59 following a battle with multiple myeloma. Senior Policy Fellow at the University of California at Berkeley, Strikes Correspondent for The Nation magazine, long-time political actor, commentator, and educator, campaign strategist, and union organizer — Jane leaves us with a rich lifetime of work to study, understand, and, most importantly, implement in our own organizing in the struggles to come. Numerous tributes to her remarkable record — four books published in the past decade, alongside a life's work of training organizers based on well-documented campaign victories — will surely be published in the coming months. I will not attempt to do justice to the fullness of Jane's amazing life but rather focus on how I knew her best: as a big-hearted humanist and beacon to the international workers' movement. [Read More]. Also of interest is "'She Usually Won.' Remembering Jane McAlevey, 1964–2024," by Katie Miles, The Nation [July 8, 2024] [Link]
(Video) "On the Record with Hamas": Jeremy Scahill Speaks with Hamas about Oct. 7, Ceasefire Talks & Israel
From Democracy Now! [July 9, 2024]
---- With the war on Gaza now in its 10th month, we speak with journalist Jeremy Scahill about the state of negotiations for a possible ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. Scahill recently spoke to senior Hamas officials about the ongoing ceasefire negotiations and the group's broader goals. Scahill's new article, "On the Record with Hamas," examines the militant group's motivations to launch the October 7 attacks in Israel, as well as its stance on the negotiations, based on interviews with a number of senior Hamas officials and other sources. "October 7 didn't happen in a vacuum," says Scahill. "The primary motivation, Hamas members told me, was to try to shatter the status quo on Gaza. They felt that the situation was becoming untenable." [See the Program] For more, read "On the Record with Hamas," by Jeremy Scahill, Drop Site [July 9k 2024] [Link].
The Democrats Are Slow-Walking Into Fascism
By Van Gosse [July 11, 2024]
----President Biden is not experiencing a "condition," as suggested by Nancy Pelosi on July 2 ("I think it's a legitimate question to say, is this an episode, or is this a condition?") and George Stephanopoulos in the July 5 interview ("Was this a bad episode or the sign of a more serious condition?"). To the tens of millions who watched the debate, including me, he appeared to be suffering from significant cognitive impairment. His staff shield him from virtually all unscripted encounters, and as investigations by The New York Times and The Washington Post document, his condition has grown markedly worse in recent months. … If correct, the electoral implications are truly dire: a "landslide" for Trump, as Senator Michael Bennet has warned. … On November 5, millions of Democrats will stay home, knowing there is no chance of victory. Millions of others will either switch to Trump (the "suburban women" key to Democratic victories in 2018, 2020, and 2022) or throw their protest votes to minor candidates (younger voters and others deeply alienated by Biden's support for mass murder in Gaza). We face not only a Trump victory but something far worse: a Republican sweep of Congress, even possibly a popular vote majority for the Republican candidate—something that party has only gained once (in 2004) since 1988. [Read More] Also of interest – "Trusting the "Five Eyes" Only: The Anglo-Saxonization of American Foreign Policy," by Michael Klare, Tom Dispatch [July 5, 2024] [Link]; and "War and Famine: America's War on Terror and the Wasting of our Democracy," by Andrea Mazzarino, Tom Dispatch [July 8, 2024] [Link].
The War on Gaza
Israeli Generals, Low on Munitions, Want a Truce in Gaza
By Ronen Bergman, et al., New York [July 2, 2024]
---- Israel's top generals want to begin a cease-fire in Gaza even if it keeps Hamas in power for the time being, widening a rift between the military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has opposed a truce that would allow Hamas to survive the war. The generals think that a truce would be the best way of freeing the roughly 120 Israelis still held, both dead and alive, in Gaza, according to interviews with six current and former security officials. Underequipped for further fighting after Israel's longest war in decades, the generals also think their forces need time to recuperate in case a land war breaks out against Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia that has been locked in a low-level fight with Israel since October, multiple officials said. A truce with Hamas could also make it easier to reach a deal with Hezbollah, according to the officials, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters. Hezbollah has said it will continue to strike northern Israel until Israel stops fighting in the Gaza Strip. [Read More]
(Video) Former Israeli Peace Negotiator Daniel Levy: Netanyahu Is "Trying to Do Everything to Prevent a Deal" From Democracy Now! [July 11th 2024]
---- Former Israeli peace negotiator Daniel Levy discusses ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, the ruling party in the Gaza Strip, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's continued hostility to compromise and the Biden administration's ineffectual mediation. Contrary to its claims of brokering peace, the U.S. "will continue to send the weapons" Israel uses to devastate Gaza, unremittingly fueling an increasingly unpopular war, says Levy, who is now president of the U.S./Middle East Project. [See the Program]
Biden now falsely Claims Netanyahu has "accepted" Detailed Peace Plan, as Israeli Atrocities Continue
By Juan Cole, Informed Comment [July 13, 2024]
---- No, the Israelis have not accepted the peace proposal Biden put forward in late May, even though Biden characterized it as an Israeli proposal. As I explained in mid-June, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reported in the Israeli press as completely rejecting what Biden laid out. Netanyahu said, "There was no deal because we will not give up on completing the war objectives. The main disagreement with Hamas revolves around the commitment to end the fighting without completing the objectives." Even as Netanyahu openly threw a spanner in the works, Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken kept saying that it was Hamas that had rejected the Biden proposal — even though Hamas kept saying it accepted it. … When questions arose about Biden's fitness for office, it seemed to me that his Gaza policy was the most worrisome sign that something is not right. Biden had slapped down Netanyahu back in the old days, but won't do it anymore, and doesn't seem to realize that he even can do so any more. In his answer to Asma Khalid he depicted himself as a helpless giant, giving out wise advice that his client states for some reason willfully ignored, and portraying himself as unable to stop the most destructive military campaign in the 21st century. The Lilliputians tying down Lemuel Gulliver flashed through my mind. It just doesn't sound to me as though he is any longer in control, and it seems clear that whoever actually is in control is malign and disserving the interests of the United States of America. [Read More]
The War at Home
How Biden Has Gotten in the Way of Fighting Starvation in Gaza
By Nicholas Kristof, New York Times [July 3, 2024]
--- After Israel alleged involvement in terrorism by staff members of the United Nations agency at the center of efforts to avert starvation in Gaza, Biden swiftly suspended funding for the agency. Congress then extended the funding freeze. Yet it now appears that Biden blew it, for the factual basis behind accusations against the agency has proved elusive. It pains me that in a misguided effort to impose accountability, the United States instead appears to have layered additional misery on hungry people. [Read More]
Do-it-Yourself Divestment: Bringing Anti-Gaza War Activism Home
By Scott Plous, Common Dreams [July 8, 2024]
---- American college and university endowments total an estimated $839 billion—an astronomical amount that would have far-reaching political effects if it were divested—but the divestment campaigns on college campuses miss a source of funds 45 times larger: $38.4 trillion in U.S. retirement accounts held by individual employees. [Read More]
The West Bank
'The Land Theft Continues': Israel Announces Biggest West Bank Seizure in Over 30 Years
By Brett Wilkins, Common Dreams [July 3, 2024]
---- Human rights defenders on Wednesday condemned the far-right Israeli government's announcement of the largest seizure of Palestinian land—many critics bluntly called it "land theft"—in the illegally occupied West Bank in over 30 years. On June 25, Israeli occupation authorities unilaterally declared 12,700 dunams, or 4.9 square miles, of land in the Jordan Valley "state lands." Israel's Custodian of the State's Property in the Civil Administration published the declaration on Wednesday.. …Israel's goal, according to Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, is to "establish facts on the ground" in service of annexing the Palestinian lands and establishing or expanding overwhelmingly Jewish colonies there. The push comes as more and more countries—nearly 150, according to Palestinian officials—officially recognize the state of Palestine and as Israeli forces continue an assault on Gaza that has been widely condemned as genocidal. [Read More] Also of interest is "Visualizing how Israel keeps stealing Palestinian land," Aljazeera [Link].
The Wider War
We Should Pay Attention to the Ongoing Combat on the Red Sea
By Juan Cole, The Nation [July 5, 2024]
---- In mid-June, the Associated Press announced that the US Navy had been engaged in the most intense naval combat since the end of World War II, which surely would come as a surprise to most Americans. This time, the fighting isn't taking place in the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans but in the Red Sea and the adversary is Yemen's—yes, Yemen's!—Shiite party-militia, the Helpers of God (Ansar Allah), often known, thanks to their leading clan, as the Houthis. They are supporting the Palestinians of Gaza against the Israeli campaign of total war on that small enclave, while, in recent months, they have faced repeated air strikes from American planes and have responded by, among other things, attacking an American aircraft carrier and other ships off their coast. Their weapons of choice are rockets, drones, small boats rigged with explosives, and— a first!—anti-ship ballistic missiles with which they have targeted Red Sea shipping. The Houthis see the US Navy as part of the Israeli war effort. [Read More]
The War in Ukraine
US Announces New Weapons Package for Ukraine After Biden-Zelensky Meeting
By Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com. [July 11, 2024]
---- On Thursday, the US announced a new weapons package for Ukraine after President Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the NATO summit in Washington. The Pentagon said the new arms package was worth $225 million, but it includes one Patriot missile battery, which typically costs around $1 billion with all of its related equipment. … The Pentagon also released a fact sheet that said the US has provided Ukraine with more than $53.7 billion in military equipment alone since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022. The announcement of the weapons package and new Patriot battery came after the US and several NATO allies announced a plan to provide dozens of new air defense systems in the coming months. The alliance also committed to giving Ukraine $43 billion in military aid in 2025 [Read More]. Also of interest is "Israel to Ukraine to Bulgaria: Which countries receive US military aid?" by Dwayne Oxford, Aljazeera [July 11m 2024] [Link].
The Climate Crisis
The Political Economy of Saving the Planet: An interview with Noam Chomsky and Robert Pollin
From Boston Review [September 16, 2020]
---- What needs to be done to advance a successful political mobilization on behalf of a global Green New Deal—a program that includes emissions reductions, expands renewable energy sources, addresses the needs of vulnerable workers, and promotes sustainable and egalitarian economic growth? … This conversation was adapted from Chomsky and Pollin's new book, Climate Crisis and the Global Green New Deal: The Political Economy of Saving the Planet. [Read More]
Supreme Court
Judicial Reckoning: Ocasio-Cortez Takes on Thomas and Alito
By Thom Hartman [July 12, 2024]
---- AOC's resolution shines a light on the misconduct of Thomas and Alito. It's a bold step towards cleansing the Supreme Court of corruption…Article III of the Constitution, which defines the roles and powers of the court system, says: "The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour…" Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is taking the Framers at their word; this week she introduced articles of impeachment against both Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. While the Republicans on this Court have engaged in a decades-long steady torrent of corruption, Congress has so far overlooked its obligation to, as Article III, Section 2 says, "regulate" the Supreme Court. Her impeachment resolution calls out the two most egregious examples, Thomas and Alito, for failing to disclose gifts from billionaires with issues before the Court. [Read More]. Also of interest is "The Supreme Court's Contempt for Facts Is a Betrayal of Justice," editorial, Scientific American [July 10, 2024] [Link].
It's Impossible to Overstate the Damage Done by the Supreme Court in This Term
By Elie Mystal, The Nation [July 8, 2024]
---- The just completed Supreme Court term will initiate a seismic shift in the distribution of power in the American republic. The effects of the court's rulings in this term will have a bigger impact on the rule of law and our political future than anything the court has done since 1857's Dred Scott decision. I simply cannot overstate the significance of what has just happened. In one single month, the Supreme Court: legalized bribery of public officials, declared the president of the United States absolutely immune from criminal prosecution for "official" acts, and made the power to issue regulations subject to the court's unelected approval….The conservative justices fear nothing: not the people, not the Congress, and certainly not the Democrats. They are drunk on their own power because nobody will cut off their supply. The Supreme Court rules the country in unchecked, unaccountable fashion, yet most people cannot name the justices and wouldn't recognize them if one of the justices was holding a gun to their head. Now, they're going to take the summer off to let the politicians act like they're important and the voters feel like they're making a difference. But they'll be back this time next year, and they will continue to do all the things Republicans want that nobody elected them to do. [Read More] Also of interest "The US Supreme Court just completed Trump's January 6 coup attempt," by Rebecca Solnit, The Guardian [UK] [July 3, 2024] [Link]: "The Supreme Court's Power Grab," by David Cole, New York Review of Books [July 2024] [Link]; "The President Can Now Assassinate You, Officially," by Elie Mystal, The Nation [July 1, 2024] [Link].
