Kellogg specified that he is working on the American-Ukrainian-allied track, while the US President‘s Special Representative for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is working on the Russian track.
Archiv: favored entries
Ukraine preparing for Zelensky to visit Saudi Arabia
Delegations from Saudi Arabia and Ukraine met on Feb. 16 to discuss increased investment and bilateral cooperation between the two nations, ahead of a planned visit by President Volodymyr Zelensky. (….)
The Ukrainian delegation is preparing with local officials for Zelensky‘s visit to Saudia Arabia, during which he will sign economic agreements with various countries in the region, First Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced on Feb. 16.
Thousands March to US Embassy in London With Message for Trump: ‚Hands Off Gaza‘
An 87-year-old Holocaust survivor called the U.S. president‘s plan to permanently force Palestinians out of Gaza „completely immoral and illegal, and also impractical and absurd.“
London Protest Against Trump‘s Gaza Plan Outside US Embassy | DRM News | AH1Z
On February 15, 2025, thousands gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in London to protest President Donald Trump‘s controversial proposal to move Gazans out of Gaza. Protesters marched through central London, voicing their disapproval of the plan to transform Gaza into a resort-like area, calling it unjust and unrealistic. The protestors held Palestinian flags and banners, while some condemned the plan as „ethnic cleansing.“ The protests came after Arab nations, such as Jordan and Egypt, rejected the idea, stating it would destabilize the region. The demonstration coincided with ongoing violence in Gaza, where tens of thousands have been affected by the conflict.
In video address to hostage rallies, freed captive pleads for protests to continue
In his pre-recorded address at Hostages Square, Ben Ami thanked the protesters who have come out week after week to draw attention to the plight of the hostages and ensure that they remain in the public eye.
What keeps you going is that suddenly you see a nation fighting for you,” he said. “You have no idea, no idea how much power that gives to those left behind.”
WATCH — Craig Murray: UN Peacekeepers Watch Civilians Massacred
(February 13, 2025)
On Jan. 26, at least 22 unarmed civilians in southern Lebanon were shot dead by Israel and 147 wounded in a massacre observed by heavily armed U.N. Peacekeepers who did not intervene. I asked the U.N. the very hard questions which nobody else is asking them.
The civilians were simply attempting to return to their homes in accordance with both U.N. Security Resolution 1701 and the current ceasefire agreement, and indeed UNIFIL, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, has a specific mandate under 1701 to assist displaced people to return….
The US war against the Palestinians, and the struggle to oppose it
WHAT is your view on Trump’s pronouncements on Gaza? How do these reflect on the US’s relationship with Israel and its role in the Middle East?
These declarations by Trump show a barbaric mentality; bringing to the Gaza issue a “cowboy” attitude from the American experience: removing the native people because the white man has decided it.
We need to be clear that this has not really been a war against Hamas for reasons of security but a strategic war, planned in advance, with the goal of displacing and erasing the Palestinian population.
The US War Against the Palestinians, and the Struggle to Oppose It
A leading member of the Communist Party of Israel, former member of the Knesset and currently president of Hadash (the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality), talks to the Morning Star, British Socialist newspaper. The interview was published Wednesday, February 12, 2025.
LIVE: Für einen gerechten Frieden in Palästina und Israel – Töten beenden, Waffenexporte stoppen!
Berlin-Mitte, vor dem Bundeskanzleramt , 15.02.2024
Gazans celebrate as released detainees arrive in Khan Yunis | AFP
Palestinians celebrate as buses carrying released detainees arrive at the European hospital in Gaza‘s Khan Yunis, as part of the sixth prisoner-hostage swap with Israel under a truce deal.
Des prisonniers palestiniens libérés par Israël accueillis par la foule à Ramallah | AFP Images
Des prisonniers palestiniens libérés par Israël sont hissés sur les épaules de la foule à leur arrivée à Ramallah, en Cisjordanie occupée, dans le cadre du sixième échange depuis le début de la trêve qui a failli volé en éclats.
Three Israeli hostages freed after dispute threatened Gaza ceasefire
American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, Russian-Israeli Alexandre Troufanov and Argentinian-Israeli Iair Horn were released in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, around 10 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET) in the sixth such exchange under the truce.
Hegseth rules out NATO membership for Ukraine and says Europe must be responsible for country’s security
(February 12, 2025)
Later on Wednesday afternoon, Trump said he agrees with Hegseth and does not “think it’s practical” to have Ukraine join NATO.
“I don’t think it’s practical to have it. Personally, I know that our new secretary of defense is excellent. Pete made a statement today saying that he thinks it’s unlikely or impractical. I think probably that’s true. I think long before President Putin, they said there’s no way they’d allow that. This has been going on for many, many years. They’ve been saying that for a long time that Ukraine did not go into NATO, and I’m okay with that,” Trump said from the Oval Office.
US defense chief: Return to Ukraine‘s 2014 borders ‚unrealistic‘
(February 12, 2025)
Speaking in Brussels at NATO headquarters, Hegseth told his fellow defense chiefs, „We want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.”
No peace talks have been scheduled, but Hegseth said any durable conclusion to the war must include „robust security guarantees to ensure that the war will not begin again.“
Palestinian Central Council asserts unity against U.S. President’s comments on forced displacement
The Council also praised the consistent support for international law and Palestinian rights from regional and global political parties, including members of the U.S. Congress, and expressed appreciation for the United Nations Secretary-General‘s defense of international law and human rights.
The Palestinian Central Council reiterated its commitment to justice through international legal bodies, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, rejecting President Trump’s punitive measures against the ICC.
Hundreds of rabbis protest „ethnic cleansing“ plan for Gaza
On Thursday, February 13, 350 rabbis and Jewish public figures took out a full-page ad in the New York Times and used it to condemn President Trump‘s new proposal.
The ad reads: “Trump has called for the removal of all Palestinians from Gaza. Jewish people say no to ethnic cleansing!” and is followed by a list of the signatories, which include Rabbis Sharon Brous, Roly Matalon, and Alissa Wise, as well as Jewish creatives and activists such as Tony Kushner, Ilana Glazer, Naomi Klein, and Joaquin Phoenix.
Occupied East Jerusalem Bookstore Owners Released
On Wednesday morning a delegation of Hadash activists visited the Educational Bookstore together with MKs Odeh, Aida Touma-Sliman and Ofer Cassif. “The occupation government and its arms on the ground persecute every critical voice and anyone or anything that might encourage independent thought. Persecution will not triumph! The struggle against it will!” said Cassif.
“I left the wonderful bookstore of Ahmad and Mahmoud Muna, which was raided by the police earlier this week. During the raid, these two incredible men were arrested on charges of “disturbing public order” – selling books. They were held for two days, released to house arrest, and banned from their own bookstore for 20 days. I am proud of Mahmoud and Ahmad for standing firm in their right to peacefully resist the occupation through books and literature.
‘NO to ethnic cleansing’: Hundreds of US rabbis, Jewish celebs slam Trump in full-page NYT ad
The lead signatories are dozens of Jewish actors, artists and public figures, including Joaquin Phoenix and his siblings Summer and Rain, Ilana Glazer, Eric André, Morgan Spector, Tony Kushner, Jonathan Glazer, Larry Charles, Naomi Klein, Peter Beinart, Tavi Gevison and Wallace Shawn. Many on the list have previously spoken out in support of the Palestinians in public forums.
The public figures are followed by a list of hundreds of rabbis.
Joaquin Phoenix and Ilana Glazer among hundreds of Jews who ‘say no to ethnic cleansing’ in Gaza in full-page NYT ad
The ad’s website says donations from the project go to the In Our Name Campaign, an initiative founded by Jews in philanthropy who sought to raise $10 million for “organizations that support Palestinian-led efforts to build safety, dignity, and self-determination in Palestine” as well as pro-Palestinian organizing in the United States.
DIE LINKE ist ein Totalausfall – Im Gespräch mit Dr. Sahra Wagenknecht
(February 10, 2025)
Ein zentrales Thema des Gesprächs ist die geopolitische Lage Europas. Wagenknecht erklärt, warum Deutschland unabhängiger von den USA werden muss und welche Risiken die derzeitige Politik mit sich bringt. Zudem geht sie auf die mediale Berichterstattung über das BSW ein und analysiert, wie gezielte Kampagnen ihre Partei aus dem Bundestag drängen sollen.
Mainstream-Medien haben einen neuen Liebling: Die LINKE
Durch die Überbetonung des Themas Migration werden im Wahlkampf die wichtigen Themen Ukrainekrieg sowie Aufrüstung und der ihr folgende soziale Kahlschlag verdeckt. Davon profitiert die LINKE. Und so manches große Medium unterstützt die pseudolinke Partei als Gegenpart zum BSW momentan nach Kräften – Manipulationen inklusive. Ein Kommentar von Tobias Riegel.
What’s in the Newly Unearthed FBI Files Tied to President Kennedy’s Assassination?
(February 11, 2025)
Now we discover that its vetting and releasing of documents under the 1992 Assassination Records Collection Act has been of a piece with the moment in 1963 when Dallas FBI agent James Hosty flushed a threatening note from Lee Harvey Oswald down the john. (…)
We’ve been fooled by what we thought was the sound of ice cracking on all of this too often to make me sanguine about anything coming of it. But the situation, at least to my mind, pits the FBI against the CIA, which traditionally has dragged its feet on releasing what it knows about Oswald—which is considerable. Joannides, for example, was a CIA psyop officer. If the FBI releases its files on him, the folks at Langley are going to have their mellows harshed considerably. About damn time.
FBI discovers over 2,000 secret records on Kennedy assassination
(February 11, 2025)
The existence of the new JFK documents was disclosed to the White House on Friday, and a further review of those records could reveal more information as to what happened in one of the most scrutinized tragedies in American history. The release of the new documents could also change the federal procedures for vetting and releasing information related to government events.
FBI says it has discovered new files on JFK assassination
(February 11, 2025)
The FBI has discovered about 2,400 new records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy from a new records search following an executive order from President Donald Trump.
Senate confirms Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services
WASHINGTON – The Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the Health and Human Services secretary on Thursday, giving the longtime vaccine critic who has vowed to take on „big pharma“ and ultra-processed food the power to oversee the nation’s food and healthcare systems.
Senate confirms RFK Jr. as HHS secretary in 52-48 vote
Kennedy, 71, is a longtime environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist whose family has mythic status in Democratic politics. The nephew of President John F. Kennedy and the son of Robert F. Kennedy launched his own White House bid in 2023. And although he initially sought the Democratic nomination, Kennedy changed his bid to independent, before dropping out to endorse President Trump in Augus
Tiefe Bestürzung über Anschlag auf ver.di-Demo in München – ver.di-Vorsitzender Werneke: „Unsere Gedanken sind bei den Opfern und ihren Angehörigen“
„Wir sind zutiefst bestürzt und schockiert über den schwerwiegenden Vorfall während eines friedlichen Demonstrationszuges von ver.di-Kolleginnen und Kollegen. Unsere Gedanken sind bei den unschuldigen Opfern und Verletzten sowie ihren Angehörigen. Noch ist nicht klar, ob es auch Todesopfer gibt. Wir danken allen Helferinnen und Helfern für ihren Einsatz. Dies ist ein schwerer Moment für alle Kolleginnen und Kollegen. Wir Gewerkschaften stehen für ein solidarisches Miteinander, gerade auch in so einer dunklen Stunde.“
Re: Urgent Request for Access to and Information Regarding Immigrants Transferred from the United States and Detained at Guantánamo Bay
(February 7, 2025)
Dear Secretary Noem, Secretary Hegseth, and Secretary Rubio:
We write on behalf of the undersigned immigrants‘ rights and civil rights organizations to request immediate access to the noncitizens transferred from immigration detention facilities in the United States and currently detained at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
Since February 4, 2025, the government has transferred nearly two dozen noncitizens to Guantánamo, without providing any information about their circumstances or the government’s legal authority for these unprecedented actions. The government has also announced that it is planning to send tens of thousands of additional immigration detainees to Guantánamo in the near future.
The Constitution, and federal and international law prohibit the government from using Guantánamo as a legal black hole. We therefore request that the government provide our organizations access to the noncitizens detained at Guantánamo so that those individuals will have access to legal counsel, and so advocates and the public can understand the conditions
under which the government is detaining them. We also request basic information that the public has a right to know regarding the noncitizens being sent to Guantánamo and the government’s plans for them.
(…)
Sincerely,
American Civil Liberties Union
Americans for Immigrant Justice
Amica Center
American Gateways
Center for Constitutional Rights
Haitian Bridge Alliance
Human Rights First
International Refugee Assistance Project
Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the SF Bay Area
National Immigrant Justice Center
National Immigration Law Center
Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
Texas Civil Rights Project
Amtsenthebungsverfahren gegen Yoon geht in Endphase
Demnach gilt es als sehr wahrscheinlich, dass die mündliche Verhandlung nächste Woche beendet wird. Das Urteil würde dann möglicherweise Anfang März verkündet.
Im Amtsenthebungsverfahren gegen Präsidentin Park Geun-hye im Jahr 2017 wurde das Urteil elf Tage nach Abschluss der Verhandlungen gesprochen. Im Verfahren gegen Präsident Roh Moo-hyun 2004 nach 14 Tagen.
Gaza: Trump forces King Abdullah II of Jordan into diplomatic contortions
There was something painful about watching Jordanian King Abdullah II at the White House on Tuesday, February 11, his eyes nervously twitching as he tried not to upset his host, Donald Trump. Journalists asked him, several times over: Was his country, Jordan, ready to receive a part of the Gazan population on its soil, as the American president wants to remove them from Palestinian territory?
The king refused to answer. In his impeccable English, he cautiously took refuge behind Egypt‘s broader international stature.
From the American Bar Association: The ABA supports the rule of law
(February 10, 2025)
In the last 21 days, more than a dozen lawsuits have been filed alleging that the administration’s actions violate the rule of law and are contrary to the Constitution or laws of the United States. The list grows longer every day.
These actions have forced affected parties to seek relief in the courts, which stand as a bulwark against these violations. We support our courts who are treating these cases with the urgency they require. Americans know there is a right way and a wrong way to proceed. What is being done is not the right way to pursue the change that is sought in our system of government.
These actions do not make America stronger. They make us weaker.
Gaza: Return to war must be avoided at all costs, insists UN chief
“We must avoid at all costs the resumption of hostilities in Gaza that would lead to an immense tragedy,” said the UN chief, in a statement relayed to journalists by UN Geneva spokesperson Rolando Gomez.
“I appeal to Hamas to proceed with the planned liberation of hostages next Saturday. Both sides must fully abide by their commitments in the ceasefire agreement and resume serious negotiations in Doha for the second phase.”
The development comes amid reports that Hamas suspended the scheduled release of hostages from Gaza on Saturday, on the grounds that Palestinians continue to be killed in the war-torn enclave and that too little aid is entering the Strip.
Richard Medhurst
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Journalist Richard Medhurst Raided and Detained
February 7, 2025)
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Richard Thomas Medhurst (1992) is an independent journalist, political commentator, and analyst from the United Kingdom with a focus on international affairs, US politics, and the Middle East.
Medhurst is known for his coverage of the Julian Assange extradition case in London, as one of the only journalists to report on the trial of the WikiLeaks founder from inside the court.
United Nations Censures UK Over Abuse of Terrorism Act Against Journalists and Activists
(February 6, 2025)
Four UN Special Rapporteurs have written jointly to the UK government demanding explanation of its inappropriate persecution of journalists and political activists under the Terrorism Act. They state that those persecuted:
appear to have no credible connection to “terrorist” or “hostile” activity
The cases taken up by the United Nations are those of Johanna Ross (Ganyukova), John Laughland, Kit Klarenberg, Craig Murray (yes, me), Richard Barnard and Richard Medhurst.
‘Netanyahu, You Need a Revolt’: An Interview with Tamar Gozansky
Recently Haaretz’s weekend edition published a long interview, seven pages in the Hebrew version, with the veteran Communist Party of Israel leading member Tamar Gozansky, a former Hadash MK. She entered the Knesset in July 1990 as a replacement for veteran Hadash MK Tawfik Toubi and retained her seat in the 1992 elections, after which she chaired the Knesset’s joint committee on early childhood. She was reelected in 1996 and again chaired the joint committee on early childhood. Following a third re-election in 1999 she became chairwoman of the committee on the rights of the child and the special committee for school dropout rates.
Stop the Wall: About Us
We strongly believe that the wall can be torn down, and with it, the racist ambitions of Israeli apartheid. We know that our struggle will not be won tomorrow, and we are not in a hurry. Our road ahead is long, and so we must build a strong foundation of resistance by staying honest and true to our principles. Generation after generation, we have to provide the youth with the lessons, guidance and trust they need and deserve so that they can continue to lead our struggle until one day we will be free and able to return to our homes.
The Palestinian struggle is, at its core, a basic human instinct and drive for self-determination. We share this yearning for freedom, justice and liberation with people across the world and the unity of our diverse struggles will eventually give us the power to overcome
Families of captives Matan Zangauker, Nimrod Cohen sue for full text of hostage deal
(February 9, 2025)
The families of hostages Matan Zangauker and Nimrod Cohen on Sunday petitioned the High Court demanding it order the government to publish the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal agreed with Hamas in its entirety.
The agreement has been published only in part.
CCIA Responds to Reports of UK Demand for Worldwide Apple iCloud Access
The following can be attributed to CCIA President & CEO Matt Schruers:
“As the recent Salt Typhoon breach makes clear, end-to-end encryption may be the only safeguard standing between Americans’ sensitive personal and business data and foreign adversaries.
“Reports that Apple has been secretly ordered by the UK Government to weaken its encryption, including in the United States, are a troubling development, if accurate. Decisions about Americans’ privacy and security should be made in America, in an open and transparent fashion, not through secret orders from abroad requiring keys be left under doormats.”
Apple’s ‘Dangerous’ iPhone Update Is Much Worse Than You Think
So, why is this worse than you think. In my view — and no one can officially comment, so “views” will be all we can share — any such government action would not stop with Apple. Not to over-simplify matters, but a bad actor would simply run Google’s helpful switch to Android software. If the U.K is going after Apple, it’s also going after Google and Meta and others. Why would they not? But Soviet-style, none of these other parties can comment or answer questions or confirm or deny.
Three Israeli captives released in exchange for 183 Palestinians
The freed Israelis – Eli Sharabi, 52, Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56 – were the latest to be released under the first stage of the ceasefire agreement.
They were handed over to members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) after being photographed on a stage in front of large crowds in central Gaza‘s Deir al-Balah.
(…)
Meanwhile, video footage showed a bus carrying Palestinian detainees from Israel‘s Ofer Prison arriving in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, on Saturday afternoon.
Österreich und 78 weitere Staaten kritisieren US-Sanktionen gegen Strafgerichtshof
Initiiert worden war die Erklärung von Slowenien, Luxemburg, Mexiko, Sierra Leone und Vanuatu. Zu den Unterzeichnern gehören neben Deutschland und Frankreich auch Großbritannien, Südafrika, die Palästinenser, Kanada, Chile und Panama. Auch Österreich ist darunter, wie das Außenministerium mitteilte.
ICC receives backing from 78 nations following US sanctions over Israel investigation
Seventy-eight nations have issued a joint statement reaffirming their support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the Trump administration imposed sanctions against the court and its officials.
The US government imposed the sanctions after the ICC issued an arrest warrant last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza. The US and Israel are not members of the court and do not recognise its authority.
ICC condemns the issuance of US Executive Order seeking to impose sanctions on the Court
The ICC condemns the issuance by the US of an Executive Order seeking to impose sanctions on its officials and harm its independent and impartial judicial work. The Court stands firmly by its personnel and pledges to continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world, in all Situations before it. We call on our 125 States Parties, civil society and all nations of the world to stand united for justice and fundamental human rights.
USA: Sanctions against International Criminal Court betray international justice system
“At an historic moment when we are witnessing a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and the global rule of law coming under threat from multiple fronts, institutions like the Court are needed more than ever to advance human rights protections, prevent future atrocities and secure justice for victims. (…)
“Governments around the world and regional organizations must do everything in their power to mitigate and block the effect of President Trump’s sanctions. Through collective and concerted actions, ICC member states can protect the Court and its staff. Urgent action is needed, like never before.”
Palestine rally to march to US embassy amid Donald Trump‘s Gaza ethnic cleansing plan
Campaigners are set to march to the US Embassy in London to demand freedom for Palestine amid Donald Trump‘s comments on a Gaza ethnic cleansing plan.
The demonstration, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), is set to be held on Saturday, February 15.
ADC Announces Its 24/7 Legal Hotline
(January 24, 2025)
With the signing of a new Executive Order that threatens to replicate the discriminatory 2017 “Muslim Ban,” and the swift advancement of IHRA bills at both federal and state levels, the ADC Legal Hotline comes at a pivotal time for Arab and Muslim communities.
For nearly 45 years, ADC has stood at the forefront of defending Arab Americans—particularly during moments of heightened profiling, speech suppression, and persecution. From the post-9/11 era to the original Muslim Ban in 2017, ADC’s legal team has repeatedly exposed and challenged policies designed to silence and intimidate our communities. Today’s increased momentum behind xenophobic Executive Orders and IHRA legislation further underscores the urgent need for robust legal support and community solidarity.
Emergency Fund to Protect Palestinian and Arab Students on College Campuses
ADC has answered the call of several students for legal support against repression and discrimination by their universities, and more support is needed.