mintpressnews--2020-05-22--Yemen: Aden Succumbs to COVID-19 as Saudi Coalition Infighting Distracts From Relief Efforts

ADEN , YEMEN — Southern Yemen ’ s port city of Aden is quickly becoming the new epicenter of the world ’ s worst humanitarian disaster .
The streets of the city are awash in garbage and many have become mosquitoes-filled swamps , the result of historic floods that ravaged the city earlier this year .
City officials have done little to address what has become a public health crisis , and their wealthy Saudi-Colation backers have yet to invest any significant capital in cleanup or repairs .
Today , Yemenis are confined to an environment infested with overlapping disasters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combination of war and public health crises .
In addition to cholera , dengue fever , and malaria , the novel coronavirus and the chikungunya fever are spreading like wildfire in a nation caught between a crippling Saudi blockade and violent clashes on the ground .
“ Here , we bury 60 to 70 dead bodies every day , ” one 35-year-old volunteer told MintPress News as he stood inside the Radhwan cemetery in the neighborhood of Memdarah in Aden ’ s Sheikh Othman directorate .
Sources at the al-Jumhouri Public Hospital told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of patients from dengue fever , but now we are facing both chikungunya and COVID-19 and the death [ toll ] is higher than you can imagine.
” Doctors in Aden say that some of the symptoms of chikungunya , a viral disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes , are similar to those of COVID-19 , the illness caused by the coronavirus , including muscle aches , fever and difficulty breathing .
This week , at least 15,000 people have lost their lives from a combination of illnesses , including a yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as COVID-19 , cholera , dengue fever , malaria , and chikungunya fever , health officials in Aden , told MintPress .
“ We do not know the real cause of [ these ] deaths , but if even minimal medical support is provided to Yemeni families , they would have a chance to keep their loved ones alive , ” they said .
Like much of Yemen , the coronavirus outbreak in Aden is spreading like wildfire , claiming hundreds of lives as the city ’ s population has some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Xavier Joubert , the director for Save the Children in Yemen said in a statement that COVID-19 is pushing this country even further into the abyss , ” adding that , “ The surging deaths in Aden suggest that the virus is spreading far faster and further than the number of confirmed cases .
Since the first of May , the Status Department in the city has documented more than 1,500 cases of deaths due to epidemics and COVID-19 .
While Save the Children in Yemen revealed that at least 385 people have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus-like symptoms in the southern city of Aden .
Official figures put the number of confirmed COVID-19 at 193 cases nationwide , with 33 deaths .
MintPress spoke to the head of three NGOs as well as medical working on the ground in Yemen that both the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 have surged to dozens times higher than official estimates .
That official infection and mortality rates in Yemen are inaccurate is no surprise as the country ’ s infrastructure lies in ruins following years of more than five years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , only a limited number of COVID-19 victims in Yemen are able to reach hospitals , owing to poverty and fear of quarantine .
Most Yemenis are poor , making it impossible for them just to stay at home while the virus is circulating – they are forced to go out to earn or collect the basic necessities of life .
“ It is very difficult for us to know whether or not the people we are treating have coronavirus .
We do not have testing equipped to diagnose the condition , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Hospital told MintPress ; he left the hospital last week over what he said was a lack of PPE to keep him from getting infected .
As a result of a lack of medical equipment , particularly testing and personal protective equipment ( PPE ) , healthcare workers have begun to abandon Aden ’ s hospitals .
A lack of testing equipment means that many patients with COVID-19 symptoms are being turned away .
Even before the virus appeared , the Saudi-led coalition did little to support the city ’ s infrastructure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military control over the whole country ’ s southern provinces .
Aden was declared the de facto capital of Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition after the Houthis gained control of much of the country , including the capital city of Sana ’ a , in a popular uprising in 2015 .
Generally , Yemen lacks the testing capabilities , protective equipment , respirators , ventilators , and even goggles needed to control the spread of COVID-19 .
But even the simplest things which residents are supposed to rely on to slow down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frequent hand-washing and basic sanitation , are difficult when so much of the population lacks access to clean water and food .
Save the Children recently reported that the entire country of Yemen has just 700 intensive care unit beds , including 60 for children , and 500 ventilators for a population of about 30 million .
So far only 803 tests have been conducted , according to Erin Taylor , a Save the Children spokesperson .
The lives of civilians in Aden are being pushed into the abyss not only due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fallout from flash floods but because of violent clashes erupted that last week between opposing factions of the Saudi-led Coalition .
The United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) , Saudi Arabia ’ s coalition partner in Yemen , is seemingly exploiting the world ’ s preoccupation with coronavirus to fulfill its strategic objectives in the country .
On 26 April , the head of the largest UAE-backed militant southern separatists group , the Southern Transitional Council ( STC ) , Aidarous al-Zubaidi , announced from Abu Dhabi that the group would impose emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that were part of the former British colony before the unification of Yemen in 1990 .
The measure would give the STC control of Aden ’ s seaport and airport and other state institutions such as the central bank .
Saudi Arabia and the government of ousted president Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi have rejected the declaration of self-rule by southern separatists .
For his part , UN special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths said the STC ’ s declaration is concerning .
Since the declaration was made , violent clashes between Hadi ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken place in Yemen ’ s south , particularly in Abyan .
Amidst the tit-for-tat , hundreds of civilians and fighters were killed and injured .
Meanwhile , residents in Aden , Abyan , Hadhramout , and al-Mahrah complain that they have yet to see any tangible measures to curb the public health crisis by Saudi Arabia , the UAE , or any other members of the coalition waging war in Yemen who claim to act in the best interests of the locals .
Instead , they say , they only see military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Aden who spoke to MintPress say that “ After five years of bombing and supporting their local militants , the least they [ Saudi-led Coaltion ] should do is to rehabilitate health facilities.
” In fact , the country ’ s entire healthcare system , like Aden ’ s , is in ruins thanks to the heavy bombing of civilian infrastructure by coalition countries , often with bombs supplied by the United States and other Western countries .
That reality leaves Yemen in need of a sweeping effort – with extraordinary international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the other epidemics it faces .
Truly , the spread of coronavirus has caught almost every country off guard , including the United States , Saudi Arabia , and the United Arabic Emirates , the same countries responsible for the lion share of destruction wrought upon the population of Yemen during five years of bombing , and a blockade which has been supported by the United States .
Residents of Aden told MintPress that they blame the United States for the disease and damage .
Thekra Abbas Ali , a Yemen journalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that the U.S. , which had impeccably bad timing in suspending aid shipments to areas of northern Yemen , intentionally deepened the humanitarian and health crisis in the country amid COVID-19 at a time when international support is more important than ever .
All this comes at a time when at least 80 percent of the 28 million-strong population is reliant on aid to survive in what the United Nations has called the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis .
Moreover , Yemen , which has already been pushed to the brink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , could see a catastrophic food security situation due to the coronavirus pandemic , the Food and Agriculture Organisation ( FAO ) said on Monday .
Today , Yemen needs not only to stop the war and lift the blockade but also to provide desperately needed relief for the vast majority of the population , at least for those who still live in coalition-controlled territory such as Aden .
But with no hope for this to come , Yemenis feels their disasters are even more likely to be overlooked than before , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with their own public health crises .
Feature photo | Security men wearing protective masks stand on a street during a 24-hour curfew amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus in Sanaa , Yemen , May 6 .
Khaled Abdullah | Reuters Ahmed AbdulKareem is a Yemeni journalist .
He covers the war in Yemen for MintPress News as well as local Yemeni media .

ADEN, YEMEN — Southern Yemen’s port city of Aden is quickly becoming the new epicenter of the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. The streets of the city are awash in garbage and many have become mosquitoes-filled swamps, the result of historic floods that ravaged the city earlier this year. City officials have done little to address what has become a public health crisis, and their wealthy Saudi-Colation backers have yet to invest any significant capital in cleanup or repairs.
Today, Yemenis are confined to an environment infested with overlapping disasters of biblical proportion thanks to a deadly combination of war and public health crises. In addition to cholera, dengue fever, and malaria, the novel coronavirus and the chikungunya fever are spreading like wildfire in a nation caught between a crippling Saudi blockade and violent clashes on the ground.
“Here, we bury 60 to 70 dead bodies every day,” one 35-year-old volunteer told MintPress News as he stood inside the Radhwan cemetery in the neighborhood of Memdarah in Aden’s Sheikh Othman directorate. Sources at the al-Jumhouri Public Hospital told MintPress,” we were receiving dozens of patients from dengue fever, but now we are facing both chikungunya and COVID-19 and the death [toll] is higher than you can imagine.”
Doctors in Aden say that some of the symptoms of chikungunya, a viral disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes, are similar to those of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, including muscle aches, fever and difficulty breathing.
This week, at least 15,000 people have lost their lives from a combination of illnesses, including a yet to be identified mysterious epidemic, as well as COVID-19, cholera, dengue fever, malaria, and chikungunya fever, health officials in Aden, told MintPress. “We do not know the real cause of [these] deaths, but if even minimal medical support is provided to Yemeni families, they would have a chance to keep their loved ones alive,” they said.
Like much of Yemen, the coronavirus outbreak in Aden is spreading like wildfire, claiming hundreds of lives as the city’s population has some of the lowest levels of disease immunity. Xavier Joubert, the director for Save the Children in Yemen said in a statement that COVID-19 is pushing this country even further into the abyss,” adding that, “The surging deaths in Aden suggest that the virus is spreading far faster and further than the number of confirmed cases.
Since the first of May, the Status Department in the city has documented more than 1,500 cases of deaths due to epidemics and COVID-19. While Save the Children in Yemen revealed that at least 385 people have died in the past two weeks with coronavirus-like symptoms in the southern city of Aden.
Official figures put the number of confirmed COVID-19 at 193 cases nationwide, with 33 deaths. MintPress spoke to the head of three NGOs as well as medical working on the ground in Yemen that both the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 have surged to dozens times higher than official estimates. That official infection and mortality rates in Yemen are inaccurate is no surprise as the country’s infrastructure lies in ruins following years of more than five years of Saudi-led war and blockade.
Furthermore, only a limited number of COVID-19 victims in Yemen are able to reach hospitals, owing to poverty and fear of quarantine. Most Yemenis are poor, making it impossible for them just to stay at home while the virus is circulating – they are forced to go out to earn or collect the basic necessities of life.
Healthcare workers abandon their posts
“It is very difficult for us to know whether or not the people we are treating have coronavirus. We do not have testing equipped to diagnose the condition,” a doctor who works at the al-Jumhouri Public Hospital told MintPress; he left the hospital last week over what he said was a lack of PPE to keep him from getting infected.
As a result of a lack of medical equipment, particularly testing and personal protective equipment (PPE), healthcare workers have begun to abandon Aden’s hospitals. A lack of testing equipment means that many patients with COVID-19 symptoms are being turned away. Even before the virus appeared, the Saudi-led coalition did little to support the city’s infrastructure and instead poured millions into strengthening its military control over the whole country’s southern provinces. Aden was declared the de facto capital of Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition after the Houthis gained control of much of the country, including the capital city of Sana’a, in a popular uprising in 2015.
Generally, Yemen lacks the testing capabilities, protective equipment, respirators, ventilators, and even goggles needed to control the spread of COVID-19. But even the simplest things which residents are supposed to rely on to slow down the spread of the virus, such as frequent hand-washing and basic sanitation, are difficult when so much of the population lacks access to clean water and food.
Save the Children recently reported that the entire country of Yemen has just 700 intensive care unit beds, including 60 for children, and 500 ventilators for a population of about 30 million. So far only 803 tests have been conducted, according to Erin Taylor, a Save the Children spokesperson.
COVID-19 fails to curb infighting
The lives of civilians in Aden are being pushed into the abyss not only due to the epidemic, disease, and the fallout from flash floods but because of violent clashes erupted that last week between opposing factions of the Saudi-led Coalition.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia’s coalition partner in Yemen, is seemingly exploiting the world’s preoccupation with coronavirus to fulfill its strategic objectives in the country. On 26 April, the head of the largest UAE-backed militant southern separatists group, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), Aidarous al-Zubaidi, announced from Abu Dhabi that the group would impose emergency rule in Aden and all southern governorates that were part of the former British colony before the unification of Yemen in 1990. The measure would give the STC control of Aden’s seaport and airport and other state institutions such as the central bank.
Saudi Arabia and the government of ousted president Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi have rejected the declaration of self-rule by southern separatists. For his part, UN special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths said the STC’s declaration is concerning. Since the declaration was made, violent clashes between Hadi’s forces and the STC militants have taken place in Yemen’s south, particularly in Abyan. Amidst the tit-for-tat, hundreds of civilians and fighters were killed and injured.
Meanwhile, residents in Aden, Abyan, Hadhramout, and al-Mahrah complain that they have yet to see any tangible measures to curb the public health crisis by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, or any other members of the coalition waging war in Yemen who claim to act in the best interests of the locals. Instead, they say, they only see military reinforcements on all sides.
The world’s worst humanitarian crisis
Many Yemenis in Aden who spoke to MintPress say that “After five years of bombing and supporting their local militants, the least they [Saudi-led Coaltion] should do is to rehabilitate health facilities.”
In fact, the country’s entire healthcare system, like Aden’s, is in ruins thanks to the heavy bombing of civilian infrastructure by coalition countries, often with bombs supplied by the United States and other Western countries. That reality leaves Yemen in need of a sweeping effort – with extraordinary international support – to limit disaster of coronavirus and the other epidemics it faces.
Truly, the spread of coronavirus has caught almost every country off guard, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arabic Emirates, the same countries responsible for the lion share of destruction wrought upon the population of Yemen during five years of bombing, and a blockade which has been supported by the United States.
Residents of Aden told MintPress that they blame the United States for the disease and damage. Thekra Abbas Ali, a Yemen journalist who works for Sana’a Radio said that the U.S., which had impeccably bad timing in suspending aid shipments to areas of northern Yemen, intentionally deepened the humanitarian and health crisis in the country amid COVID-19 at a time when international support is more important than ever.
All this comes at a time when at least 80 percent of the 28 million-strong population is reliant on aid to survive in what the United Nations has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Moreover, Yemen, which has already been pushed to the brink of famine by five years of war, could see a catastrophic food security situation due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said on Monday.
Today, Yemen needs not only to stop the war and lift the blockade but also to provide desperately needed relief for the vast majority of the population, at least for those who still live in coalition-controlled territory such as Aden. But with no hope for this to come, Yemenis feels their disasters are even more likely to be overlooked than before, especially when many other countries are also struggling with their own public health crises.
Feature photo | Security men wearing protective masks stand on a street during a 24-hour curfew amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus in Sanaa, Yemen, May 6. Khaled Abdullah | Reuters
Ahmed AbdulKareem is a Yemeni journalist. He covers the war in Yemen for MintPress News as well as local Yemeni media.


mintpressnews--2020-05-22--“We Thought You Were Muslim”: Police in India Apologize for Beating Hindu lawyer

In the late afternoon of March 23 , 32-year-old lawyer Deepak Bundele was on his way to a hospital in Madhya Pradesh state in central India .
A diabetic , he was there to pick up lifesaving medicine .
Before he could make it inside , he was accosted by local police .
As he began explaining to the police what he was doing outside , one officer slapped him , whereupon he was set upon by the rest , who beat him with wooden truncheons , continuing to hit him even after he fell to the ground .
Bundele @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days after the incident , and the police only stopped after they found out he was a lawyer ( and a former journalist ) , but by that time , he was bleeding from a number of orifices in his body .
Now , two months later , the police have apologized , asking him to withdraw his complaint against them .
In a phone call Bundele recorded and shared with national media , a state police representative said : “ We are truly embarrassed because of the incident .
If you want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make them apologize in person to you .
They mistook you as a Muslim and assaulted you since you had a long beard .
And the man ( who assaulted you ) is a staunch Hindu…In Hindu-Muslim riots whenever a Muslim is arrested , they always beat them up brutally.
” The police representative begged him to rescind his complaint , noting that he had “ at least 50 friends from your [ high ] caste , ” seemingly convinced this was a key bargaining chip .
“ All those people are ashamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Hindu brother without knowing his identity .
We do not have any enmity against you .
Whenever there is a Hindu-Muslim riot , police always supports the Hindus ; even Muslims know this .
But whatever happened with you was because of ignorance .
For that , I have no words , ” he added .
Bundele replied that there were no riots that day , asking directly whether he was beaten up simply because he “ looked Muslim.
” “ Yes , exactly , ” the officer replied , appearing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Incidents like this have become an increasingly common occurrence in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’ s Hindu nationalist rule .
Senior politicians from his Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) government have spread conspiracy theories that Muslims across the country are intentionally infecting Hindus as part of a “ Corona Jihad , ” leading to mob violence against the country ’ s largest religious minority .
In February , dozens of people were killed in Delhi and other states when Hindu mobs launched a campaign of anti-Muslim pogroms which was only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Modi and the BJP ’ s ideology has been described as a blend of Indian-style fascism with a strong belief in free market economics , combining Hindu chauvinism with the privatization of state resources .
Fascism tends to flourish in economically uncertain times , where the far-right begins to organize disillusioned members of a dominant religious or racial group , turning their anger away from those at the top , and redirecting it to smaller , subordinate groups .
The massively increasing inequality in India , where hundreds of millions live economically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few live in luxury , has proven to be fertile soil for the BJP , who won re-election in a landslide last spring in campaign rife with xenophobic rhetoric against Muslims .
After the end of British rule in 1947 , the Indian subcontinent was split along religious lines into Hindu-majority India and Muslim majority Pakistan and Bangladesh .
The process led to an estimated one million deaths in the communal violence that swept over the region .
Still more died on the road , desperately trying to get to the newly created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a member of Modi ’ s cabinet said India made a mistake by not committing a full genocide against its Muslim population in 1947 .
Modi himself was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( RSS ) , a far-right Hindu paramilitary with over 5 million active duty members , responsible for much of the intimidation and fear the subcontinent ’ s Muslim population feels .
While Chief Minister of Gujarat state in 2002 , he oversaw a massive wave of Islamophobic pogroms that led to over 2,000 deaths and 200,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Two of the BJP ’ s most controversial laws have been the Citizenship Amendment Act ( CAA ) and the National Registration Council ( NRC ) .
The CAA makes it easier for people from neighboring Muslim-majority countries to apply for Indian citizenship– if they are Hindu , Christian , Buddhist , Sikh or Jain .
But it explicitly rejects certain classes of people it deems as undesirable , especially Muslims .
The NRC demands all Indians provide extensive documentation of their ancestors ’ births and nationalities –something hundreds of millions will surely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ therefore , gives the government the authority to strip citizenship away from virtually anyone it wishes to , effectively rendering them stateless and without rights .
This policy has already been applied to the northeastern state of Assam , where 1.9 million people were declared illegal – most of them Muslim .
Modi ’ s government is building a network of huge detention camps to house the population , sometimes using the disenfranchised population itself to build them .
Bundele , therefore , was far from the first to feel the force of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the few victims that was Hindu himself .
The fact that the police ’ s excuse for subjecting him to a severe public beating was that they mistakenly thought he was a Muslim goes to show how far down a dangerous path India has gone .
Feature photo | Indian policemen beat an unarmed protester during a protest against India ’ s new discriminatory citizenship law in Ahmadabad , India , Dec. 19 , 2019 .
Ajit Solanki | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ books : Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

In the late afternoon of March 23, 32-year-old lawyer Deepak Bundele was on his way to a hospital in Madhya Pradesh state in central India. A diabetic, he was there to pick up lifesaving medicine. Before he could make it inside, he was accosted by local police. As he began explaining to the police what he was doing outside, one officer slapped him, whereupon he was set upon by the rest, who beat him with wooden truncheons, continuing to hit him even after he fell to the ground. Bundele says he continued to bleed for three days after the incident, and the police only stopped after they found out he was a lawyer (and a former journalist), but by that time, he was bleeding from a number of orifices in his body.
Shame on you, MP Police.
You're a bunch of communal bigots.
Deepak Bundele, a lawyer was beaten up brutally by the police.
MP Police Apologise for Beating Lawyer, 'We Thought You Were Muslim,' They Say#Islamophobia_In_India pic.twitter.com/CsDs1qMmqz — Mohammed Habeeb Ur Rehman (@Habeebinamdar) May 20, 2020
Now, two months later, the police have apologized, asking him to withdraw his complaint against them. In a phone call Bundele recorded and shared with national media, a state police representative said:
“We are truly embarrassed because of the incident. If you want, I can bring those officials and make them apologize in person to you. They mistook you as a Muslim and assaulted you since you had a long beard. And the man (who assaulted you) is a staunch Hindu…In Hindu-Muslim riots whenever a Muslim is arrested, they always beat them up brutally.”
The police representative begged him to rescind his complaint, noting that he had “at least 50 friends from your [high] caste,” seemingly convinced this was a key bargaining chip.
“All those people are ashamed that they did something like this to a Hindu brother without knowing his identity. We do not have any enmity against you. Whenever there is a Hindu-Muslim riot, police always supports the Hindus; even Muslims know this. But whatever happened with you was because of ignorance. For that, I have no words,” he added.
Bundele replied that there were no riots that day, asking directly whether he was beaten up simply because he “looked Muslim.” “Yes, exactly,” the officer replied, appearing to believe the response cleared everything up.
Incidents like this have become an increasingly common occurrence in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist rule. Senior politicians from his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government have spread conspiracy theories that Muslims across the country are intentionally infecting Hindus as part of a “Corona Jihad,” leading to mob violence against the country’s largest religious minority. In February, dozens of people were killed in Delhi and other states when Hindu mobs launched a campaign of anti-Muslim pogroms which was only dampened by India’s lockdown orders.
Fertile soil for fascism
Modi and the BJP’s ideology has been described as a blend of Indian-style fascism with a strong belief in free market economics, combining Hindu chauvinism with the privatization of state resources. Fascism tends to flourish in economically uncertain times, where the far-right begins to organize disillusioned members of a dominant religious or racial group, turning their anger away from those at the top, and redirecting it to smaller, subordinate groups. The massively increasing inequality in India, where hundreds of millions live economically and socially precarious lives while a spoiled few live in luxury, has proven to be fertile soil for the BJP, who won re-election in a landslide last spring in campaign rife with xenophobic rhetoric against Muslims.
After the end of British rule in 1947, the Indian subcontinent was split along religious lines into Hindu-majority India and Muslim majority Pakistan and Bangladesh. The process led to an estimated one million deaths in the communal violence that swept over the region. Still more died on the road, desperately trying to get to the newly created country of their religion. In February, a member of Modi’s cabinet said India made a mistake by not committing a full genocide against its Muslim population in 1947.
Modi himself was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a far-right Hindu paramilitary with over 5 million active duty members, responsible for much of the intimidation and fear the subcontinent’s Muslim population feels. While Chief Minister of Gujarat state in 2002, he oversaw a massive wave of Islamophobic pogroms that led to over 2,000 deaths and 200,000 Muslims being driven from their homes.
Two of the BJP’s most controversial laws have been the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Registration Council (NRC). The CAA makes it easier for people from neighboring Muslim-majority countries to apply for Indian citizenship– if they are Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh or Jain. But it explicitly rejects certain classes of people it deems as undesirable, especially Muslims.
The NRC demands all Indians provide extensive documentation of their ancestors’ births and nationalities –something hundreds of millions will surely be unable to do. It, therefore, gives the government the authority to strip citizenship away from virtually anyone it wishes to, effectively rendering them stateless and without rights. This policy has already been applied to the northeastern state of Assam, where 1.9 million people were declared illegal – most of them Muslim. Modi’s government is building a network of huge detention camps to house the population, sometimes using the disenfranchised population itself to build them.
Bundele, therefore, was far from the first to feel the force of Hindu fascism, although he was one of the few victims that was Hindu himself. The fact that the police’s excuse for subjecting him to a severe public beating was that they mistakenly thought he was a Muslim goes to show how far down a dangerous path India has gone.
Feature photo | Indian policemen beat an unarmed protester during a protest against India’s new discriminatory citizenship law in Ahmadabad, India, Dec. 19, 2019. Ajit Solanki | AP
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-05-22--The Power of Propaganda: Americans Think Trump’s COVID-19 Performance Better than China’s

A new poll published yesterday by the Pew Research Center found that Americans rate their government ’ s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as better than China ’ s .
This is despite the United States having 20 times the number of infections and deaths as the Asian nation , the epicenter of the outbreak .
Unlike Chinese authorities , the Trump administration had months of notice to formulate a response .
Overall , 47 percent of Americans judged the Trump administration ’ s reaction as either good or excellent , compared to 33 percent for China ’ s .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no end in sight for the United States , where the virus is still running rampant .
There were 28,179 confirmed new U.S. cases of COVID-19 yesterday , more than the worst week of the outbreak across China , a country with well over four times the population .
Despite this , Americans appear to believe this could be the end for China as a power ; 50 percent claimed that it would have less power on the world stage after the outbreak , compared to just 17 percent who said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found a great deal of public mistrust or resentment towards Beijing , with 84 percent of respondents saying that Beijing ’ s poor response has led them to question any information about the virus from the Chinese government .
Yet by December 31 , Beijing had already warned the world about a new outbreak , an alarm some countries chose to heed , but Trump dismissed as a liberal “ hoax , ” promising in February that coronavirus would be gone from the U.S. by April .
The poll also found that Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ responses .
For example , a plurality ( 49 percent ) felt that the United Kingdom had done a good or excellent job in their response ( the U.K. has the second highest fatality totals in the world ) , and respondents also rated Italy ’ s handling of the situation as better than China ’ s .
Both the U.K. and Italy have a death rate of almost double the U.S. , and nearly 200 times that of China , per capita .
China has been the subject of an intense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and corporate media alike blaming Beijing for the U.S. ’ woes .
Conservative figures , in particular , insist on calling COVID-19 the “ Chinese Wuhan Virus , ” not-so-subtly reminding those listening who is supposed to be at fault .
Only three years ago , the Pew Research Center found that Americans had a neutral view of China ( and nine years ago it was strongly favorable ) .
Today , 66 percent of Americans dislike China , with only a quarter holding a positive opinion of the country .
President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posturing towards Beijing , suggesting last week that he might “ cut off ” all trade with China .
“ Now , if you did , what would happen ?
You ’ d save $ 500 billion , ” he told Fox Business , referring to the United States ’ trade deficit with the Asian nation .
The Pentagon ’ s 2021 war budget is also specifically directed at China , arguing for a massive realignment of forces from the Middle to the Far East .
Military planners are advising on conducting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cold War against the U.S.S.R .
In 2017 , former Trump advisor Steve Bannon said the U.S. would , without a doubt , be at war in the South China Sea within ten years .
Signs are increasingly pointing in that direction .
The Pew poll also found that U.S. exceptionalism is still alive and well , with a plurality of 42 percent of Americans thinking that the country spends too much time and effort “ helping solve the world ’ s problems.
” It is far from clear whether the rest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to it as “ helping.
” Indeed , a 2014 WIN/Gallup global poll found that the United States was overwhelmingly considered the greatest threat to world peace .
Pakistan was a distant second , with only a third of the votes the U.S. got ( a result almost certainly buoyed by a large Indian sampling ) .
In December , Pew found that a majority of Mexicans view the United States as the greatest threat to their country when asked to pick from the 195 countries in the world .
Pew ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality in the United States , and underlines the power of the media and other powerful groups to rapidly shape public opinion , inculcating citizens with ideas not necessarily congruent with reality .
As of Friday , there have been 5.23 million confirmed positive COVID-19 cases and 335,631 reported deaths worldwide , including 1.61 million positive tests and 95,087 fatalities in the United States .
Feature photo | President Donald Trump speaks as he tours Ford ’ s Rawsonville Components Plant that has been converted to making personal protection and medical equipment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mich. Alex Brandon | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

A new poll published yesterday by the Pew Research Center found that Americans rate their government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as better than China’s. This is despite the United States having 20 times the number of infections and deaths as the Asian nation, the epicenter of the outbreak. Unlike Chinese authorities, the Trump administration had months of notice to formulate a response. Overall, 47 percent of Americans judged the Trump administration’s reaction as either good or excellent, compared to 33 percent for China’s.
While China is reopening safely, there is no end in sight for the United States, where the virus is still running rampant. There were 28,179 confirmed new U.S. cases of COVID-19 yesterday, more than the worst week of the outbreak across China, a country with well over four times the population. Despite this, Americans appear to believe this could be the end for China as a power; 50 percent claimed that it would have less power on the world stage after the outbreak, compared to just 17 percent who said they would have more.
The poll also found a great deal of public mistrust or resentment towards Beijing, with 84 percent of respondents saying that Beijing’s poor response has led them to question any information about the virus from the Chinese government. Yet by December 31, Beijing had already warned the world about a new outbreak, an alarm some countries chose to heed, but Trump dismissed as a liberal “hoax,” promising in February that coronavirus would be gone from the U.S. by April.
The poll also found that Americans hold some questionable views about other countries’ responses. For example, a plurality (49 percent) felt that the United Kingdom had done a good or excellent job in their response (the U.K. has the second highest fatality totals in the world), and respondents also rated Italy’s handling of the situation as better than China’s. Both the U.K. and Italy have a death rate of almost double the U.S., and nearly 200 times that of China, per capita.
China has been the subject of an intense propaganda campaign of late, with politicians and corporate media alike blaming Beijing for the U.S.’ woes. Conservative figures, in particular, insist on calling COVID-19 the “Chinese Wuhan Virus,” not-so-subtly reminding those listening who is supposed to be at fault. Only three years ago, the Pew Research Center found that Americans had a neutral view of China (and nine years ago it was strongly favorable). Today, 66 percent of Americans dislike China, with only a quarter holding a positive opinion of the country.
President Trump has also escalated Obama’s aggressive posturing towards Beijing, suggesting last week that he might “cut off” all trade with China. “Now, if you did, what would happen? You’d save $500 billion,” he told Fox Business, referring to the United States’ trade deficit with the Asian nation. The Pentagon’s 2021 war budget is also specifically directed at China, arguing for a massive realignment of forces from the Middle to the Far East. Military planners are advising on conducting a huge psychological war, similar to the Cold War against the U.S.S.R. In 2017, former Trump advisor Steve Bannon said the U.S. would, without a doubt, be at war in the South China Sea within ten years. Signs are increasingly pointing in that direction.
The Pew poll also found that U.S. exceptionalism is still alive and well, with a plurality of 42 percent of Americans thinking that the country spends too much time and effort “helping solve the world’s problems.” It is far from clear whether the rest of the world sees what the U.S. does to it as “helping.” Indeed, a 2014 WIN/Gallup global poll found that the United States was overwhelmingly considered the greatest threat to world peace. Pakistan was a distant second, with only a third of the votes the U.S. got (a result almost certainly buoyed by a large Indian sampling). In December, Pew found that a majority of Mexicans view the United States as the greatest threat to their country when asked to pick from the 195 countries in the world.
Pew’s research highlights the gulf between perception and reality in the United States, and underlines the power of the media and other powerful groups to rapidly shape public opinion, inculcating citizens with ideas not necessarily congruent with reality.
As of Friday, there have been 5.23 million confirmed positive COVID-19 cases and 335,631 reported deaths worldwide, including 1.61 million positive tests and 95,087 fatalities in the United States.
Feature photo | President Donald Trump speaks as he tours Ford’s Rawsonville Components Plant that has been converted to making personal protection and medical equipment, May 21, 2020, in Ypsilanti, Mich. Alex Brandon | AP
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-05-22--The Palestinian Legacy of East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah Neighborhood Cannot Be Erased

As part of a comprehensive campaign of ethnic cleansing in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah , the Israeli government has been evicting Palestinians from their homes and giving handing them over to Jews .
These evictions sparked protests which are documented in a film produced by Just Vision , titled “ Home Front : Portraits From Sheik Jarrah.
” The film , like the many news reports covering Sheikh Jarrah , focuses on the battle between the residents of the neighborhood , the violent settlers who are moving into their homes , and the Israeli legal system which by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yet little is said about the historical significance that Sheikh Jarrah holds as a neighborhood of Jerusalem .
The old Sheikh Jarrah Mosque sits on the right side of Nablus Road , just past the American Colony Hotel .
The mosque is attributed to Hussam al-Din al-Jarrahi who came to Palestine with Salahaddin in the thirteenth century and served as his personal physician .
Al-Jarrah remained in Jerusalem and when he died and was buried on the south side of Nablus Road .
A zawiya , or prayer room , was built over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was built on top of the zawiya .
It was during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century that Sheikh Jarrah evolved from a small village to one of Jerusalem ’ s most prestigious neighborhoods .
Over the years many affluent Palestinian Jerusalemite families built beautiful homes in the neighborhood .
These spacious homes were distinctly Palestinian , distinctly Jerusalemite .
Some remained residences to this day while others became hotels or museums .
Some of the houses are rented to diplomatic missions to Jerusalem , independent of the missions to the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Orient House is perhaps the most impressive home built in the neighborhood and one of the finest in the city .
It was built in 1897 by Ismail Musa Al-Husseini .
Al-Husseini held many important positions throughout the Ottoman Empire and after the British conquest of Palestine , he served as mayor of Jerusalem .
For many years he led the Arab national movement and fervently opposed the British policy of creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine .
One of his sons , Abdel Qader Al-Husseini , led the Palestinian resistance against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jerusalem in April of 1948 .
Due to the stature of the Husseini family and the incredible architecture and size of the house , the Orient House long served as a center for Palestinian political and cultural activity in Jerusalem .
Faisel Husseini , the son of Abdel Qader , operated in Jerusalem throughout the 1980s and 90s and turned the Orient House into a powerhouse of political activity .
During this time the house was subjected to closures by the Israeli authorities , and in the summer of 2001 , it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed down and all its operations were brought to a halt .
At the end of 2019 , Israel ’ s Minister of Internal Security Gilad Erdan extended the closure of the Orient House .
Erdan justified the move by saying , “ The Palestinian Authority has recently been trying to strengthen its presence in East Jerusalem in sophisticated ways .
I will continue to strengthen Israeli sovereignty throughout Jerusalem , and prevent any Palestinian attempt to create a foothold in the eastern part of the city.
” On April 9 , 1948 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dir Yassin on the outskirts of Jerusalem and for two days they massacred its residents and chased away anyone who survived the assault .
They placed the children who survived on trucks and paraded them through the Jewish neighborhoods of the city before leaving them alone and without care in East Jerusalem .
The name Deir Yassin will forever be associated with Zionist brutality .
Hind Al-Husseini was a Palestinian educator involved in social issues , particularly regarding women and children in Palestine .
She witnessed the Zionist military trucks dumping the children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately took in the traumatized orphans and cared for them .
This act of generosity and kindness was just the beginning .
She wanted to make sure the orphans had food , shelter , and the best education possible .
To that end she established what became one of the landmarks of the city of Jerusalem and of the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah , Dar Al-Tifl Al-Arabi , a school and boarding house for orphans .
Hind later established the Dar Al-Tifl Al-Arabi foundation and raised money to fund and expand the school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and throughout the early 1950s , orphans from other cities and villages who suffered the Zionist onslaught were in need of the school ’ s services .
They came from places like Yaffa , Ramle , Lifta , and all parts of Jerusalem .
They came from Arrabe in the north , from Qalqilya , Betunya , and even from Hebron and as far south as Gaza .
After 1967 , the school began accepting only girls , with the exception of pre-school and kindergarten children , as well as boarding students under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dar Al-Tifl had 300 orphans .
However , following Israel ’ s closure in the Gaza Strip and the travel restrictions placed on residents of the West Bank , the numbers dropped significantly .
Today , the school has about 2000 students from preschool to twelfth grade , including boarding students .
Dar Al-Tifl has also expanded and includes a museum and a cultural center .
A social worker , educator , coordinator of the Arab Women ’ s Union in the 1940s and Palestinian National Council member , Hind dedicated her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women until her dying day .
She fiercely promoted women ’ s right to higher education and in 1982 she founded the Hind Al-Husseini College for Women , also located in Sheikh Jarrah .
The college , which is a branch of Al Quds University , sits on a hill overlooking Sheikh Jarrah .
The homes of several of the professors and students who live in the neighborhood are now under threat of eviction .
Israel plans to evict Palestinians and destroy the neighborhood in order to build Jewish-only residential units .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the people disappear so to will the historical monuments and heritage , and as history has shown , Israel will not stop with Sheikh Jarrah .
Feature photo | Israeli bulldozers demolish the Arab-owned Sheperd Hotel in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheik Jarrah to make way for new Jewish settlements .
Bernat Armangue | AP Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem .
He is the author of “ The General ’ s Son .
Journey of an Israeli in Palestine , ” and “ Injustice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foundation Five .
”

As part of a comprehensive campaign of ethnic cleansing in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, the Israeli government has been evicting Palestinians from their homes and handing them over to Jews. These evictions sparked protests which are documented in a film produced by Just Vision, titled “Home Front: Portraits From Sheik Jarrah.”
The film, like the many news reports covering Sheikh Jarrah, focuses on the battle between the residents of the neighborhood, the violent settlers who are moving into their homes, and the Israeli legal system which by and large favors Jews over Arabs. Yet little is said about the historical significance that Sheikh Jarrah holds as a neighborhood of Jerusalem.
Sheikh Jarrah Mosque
The old Sheikh Jarrah Mosque sits on the right side of Nablus Road, just past the American Colony Hotel. The mosque is attributed to Hussam al-Din al-Jarrahi who came to Palestine with Salahaddin in the thirteenth century and served as his personal physician.
Al-Jarrah remained in Jerusalem when he died and was buried on the south side of Nablus Road. A zawiya, or prayer room, was built over his tomb and in 1895 a mosque was built on top of the zawiya. It was during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century that Sheikh Jarrah evolved from a small village to one of Jerusalem’s most prestigious neighborhoods.
The Orient House
Over the years many affluent Palestinian Jerusalemite families built beautiful homes in the neighborhood. These spacious homes were distinctly Palestinian, distinctly Jerusalemite. Some remained residences to this day while others became hotels or museums. Some of the houses are rented to diplomatic missions to Jerusalem, independent of the missions to the state of Israel that are in Tel-Aviv.
The Orient House is perhaps the most impressive home built in the neighborhood and one of the finest in the city. It was built in 1897 by Ismail Musa Al-Husseini. Al-Husseini held many important positions throughout the Ottoman Empire and after the British conquest of Palestine, he served as mayor of Jerusalem. For many years he led the Arab national movement and fervently opposed the British policy of creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine. One of his sons, Abdel Qader Al-Husseini, led the Palestinian resistance against the Zionists and was killed just outside Jerusalem in April of 1948.
Due to the stature of the Husseini family and the incredible architecture and size of the house, the Orient House long served as a center for Palestinian political and cultural activity in Jerusalem.
Faisel Husseini, the son of Abdel Qader, operated in Jerusalem throughout the 1980s and 90s and turned the Orient House into a powerhouse of political activity. During this time the house was subjected to closures by the Israeli authorities, and in the summer of 2001, it was raided by the Israeli security forces, closed down and all its operations were brought to a halt.
At the end of 2019, Israel’s Minister of Internal Security Gilad Erdan extended the closure of the Orient House. Erdan justified the move by saying, “The Palestinian Authority has recently been trying to strengthen its presence in East Jerusalem in sophisticated ways. I will continue to strengthen Israeli sovereignty throughout Jerusalem, and prevent any Palestinian attempt to create a foothold in the eastern part of the city.”
Dar Al-Tifl Al-Arabi
On April 9, 1948 Zionist militias raided the Palestinian village of Dir Yassin on the outskirts of Jerusalem and for two days they massacred its residents and chased away anyone who survived the assault. They placed the children who survived on trucks and paraded them through the Jewish neighborhoods of the city before leaving them alone and without care in East Jerusalem. The name Deir Yassin will forever be associated with Zionist brutality.
Hind Al-Husseini was a Palestinian educator involved in social issues, particularly regarding women and children in Palestine. She witnessed the Zionist military trucks dumping the children of Deir Yassin in East Jerusalem and immediately took in the traumatized orphans and cared for them. This act of generosity and kindness was just the beginning. She wanted to make sure the orphans had food, shelter, and the best education possible. To that end she established what became one of the landmarks of the city of Jerusalem and of the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, Dar Al-Tifl Al-Arabi, a school and boarding house for orphans.
Hind later established the Dar Al-Tifl Al-Arabi foundation and raised money to fund and expand the school. This was crucial because in 1949 and throughout the early 1950s, orphans from other cities and villages who suffered the Zionist onslaught were in need of the school’s services. They came from places like Yaffa, Ramle, Lifta, and all parts of Jerusalem. They came from Arrabe in the north, from Qalqilya, Betunya, and even from Hebron and as far south as Gaza. After 1967, the school began accepting only girls, with the exception of pre-school and kindergarten children, as well as boarding students under the age of six.
By 1995, Dar Al-Tifl had 300 orphans. However, following Israel’s closure in the Gaza Strip and the travel restrictions placed on residents of the West Bank, the numbers dropped significantly. Today, the school has about 2000 students from preschool to twelfth grade, including boarding students. Dar Al-Tifl has also expanded and includes a museum and a cultural center.
Hind Al-Husseini College for Women
A social worker, educator, coordinator of the Arab Women’s Union in the 1940s and Palestinian National Council member, Hind dedicated her life to orphans and to education of women until her dying day. She fiercely promoted women’s right to higher education and in 1982 she founded the Hind Al-Husseini College for Women, also located in Sheikh Jarrah. The college, which is a branch of Al Quds University, sits on a hill overlooking Sheikh Jarrah. The homes of several of the professors and students who live in the neighborhood are now under threat of eviction.
Israel plans to evict Palestinians and destroy the neighborhood in order to build Jewish-only residential units. If it succeeds, one can expect that as the people disappear so to will the historical monuments and heritage, and as history has shown, Israel will not stop with Sheikh Jarrah.
Feature photo | Israeli bulldozers demolish the Arab-owned Sheperd Hotel in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheik Jarrah to make way for new Jewish settlements. Bernat Armangue | AP
Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem. He is the author of “The General’s Son. Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and “Injustice, the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”


mintpressnews--2020-05-26--The Ben Uliel Case: Has Israel Won the Battle Against Jewish Terror?

Israeli media and Zionist apologists everywhere are busy whitewashing Israel ’ s globally-tattered image using the rare indictment of an Israeli terrorist , Amiram Ben Uliel , who was recently convicted for murdering the Palestinian Dawabsheh family , including an 18-month-old toddler in the town of Duma , south of Nablus .
The conviction of Ben Uliel by an Israeli three-judge court on May 18 , is expectedly celebrated by some as proof that the Israeli judicial system is fair and transparent , and that Israel does not need to be investigated by outside parties .
The timing of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ben Uliel of three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder was particularly important , as it followed a decision by the International Criminal Court ( ICC ) Prosecutor , Fatou Bensouda , to move forward with its investigation of war crimes committed in Occupied Palestine .
Considering how Israel ’ s extremists , especially those living illegally in the Occupied West Bank , are governed through a separate , and far more lenient system than the military regime that governs Palestinians , the seemingly-clear indictment of the Israeli terrorist deserves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were quick to celebrate the verdict by the court , to the extent that Israel ’ s own internal intelligence agency , the Shin Bet , known for its notorious torture methods of Palestinian prisoners , described the decision as “ an important milestone in the battle against Jewish terror ” .
Others labored to separate Ben Uliel ’ s grizzly attack from the rest of Israeli society , implying that the man was a lone wolf and not the direct outcome of Israel ’ s unhinged racism and violent discourse directed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Ben Uliel , the Israeli court was keen on accentuating the point that the Israeli terrorist acted alone and that he was not a member of a terrorist organization .
Based on that logic , the court argued that the judges “ could not rule out that the attack was motivated by a desire for revenge or racism without Ben-Uliel actually being a member of an organized group.
” The verdict was a best-case scenario for Israel ’ s image under the circumstances , as it deliberately absolved the massive terrorist network @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Israeli army that protects those very extremists on a daily basis , while whitewashing Israel ’ s deservingly bad reputation as a violent society with an unjust judicial system .
But Ben Uliel is , by no measure , a lone wolf .
When the Israeli terrorist , along with other masked assailants , broke into the house of Sa ’ ad and Reham Dawabsheh at 4 am on July 31 , 2015 , he was clearly on a mission to elevate his name within the ardently racist , extremist society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cleansing of Palestinians a sort of a divine mission .
Ben Uliel achieved his objectives completely .
Not only did he kill Sa ’ ad and Reham , but their 18-month-old son , Ali , as well .
The only surviving member of the family was 4-year-old Ahmed , who was severely burnt .
The murder of the Palestinian family , little Ali in particular , quickly became the source of joy and celebration among Jewish extremists .
In December 2015 , six months after the murder of the Dawabsheh family , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media showed a crowd of Israelis celebrating the death of Ali .
The video showed a “ room of jumping , dancing men wearing white skullcaps , many with the long sidelocks of Orthodox Jews .
Some of them are brandishing guns and knives , ” The New York Times reported .
“ Two ( of the celebrating Israelis ) appear to be stabbing pieces of paper they hold in their hands , which the television station identified as pictures of an 18-month-old child , Ali Dawabsheh.
” Despite Israeli police claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hate fest , there is little evidence to suggest that anyone was held accountable for the unmitigated celebration of violence against an innocent family and a toddler .
In fact , Israeli State prosecutors later claimed that they had lost the original video of the dancing extremists .
The celebration of Israeli terrorism carried on unabated for years , to the extent that on June 19 , 2018 , Israeli extremists chanted openly , taunting Ali ’ s grandfather as he was leaving an Israeli court , with such obscene slogans , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s dead , ” “ Ali ’ s on the grill ” .
The heinous murder of Ali and his family , and the subsequent trial were added to an array of other events that starkly challenged Israel ’ s carefully concocted image of being a liberal democracy .
On March 24 , 2016 , Elor Azaria killed a Palestinian man , Fattah al-Sharif , in cold blood .
Al-Sharif was left bleeding on the ground while unconscious after , per Israeli army claim , trying to stab an Israeli soldier .
Azaria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , soon to be freed in a massive celebration , like a conquering hero .
Israel ’ s top government officials , including Israeli Prime Minister , Benjamin Netanyahu , supported the cold-blooded murderer throughout the trial .
It will not come as a complete surprise if Azaria claims a top position in the Israeli government at some point in the future .
The celebration of murderers and terrorists like Ben Uliel and Azaria , is not a new phenomenon in Israeli society .
Baruch Goldstein , the Israeli terrorist who killed scores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Al-Ibrahimi Mosque in Al-Khalil ( Hebron ) in 1994 , is now perceived as a modern martyr , a saint of biblical proportions .
In such cases , when the nature of the crime is so overwhelmingly violent , the extent of which forces itself on global news media , Israel is left with only one option – to use the indictment of ‘ Jewish terrorism ’ as an opportunity to reinvent itself , its ‘ democratic ’ system , its ‘ transparent ’ judicial proceedings , and so on .
Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labor to describe the collective ‘ shock ’ and ‘ outrage ’ felt by ‘ law-abiding ’ , ‘ peace-loving ’ Israelis .
The murder of the Dawabsheh family , although one of numerous acts of violence perpetrated by Jewish extremists and the Israeli military against innocent Palestinians , is the perfect case in point .
Indeed , a quick look at the numbers and reports produced by the United Nations indicates that the Jewish settlers ’ murder of the Palestinian family was not the exception but the norm .
In a report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Humanitarian Affairs ( OCHA ) in June 2018 , UN investigators spoke of an exponential rise of Israeli settler violence against Palestinians .
“ Between January and April 2018 , OCHA documented 84 incidents attributed to Israeli settlers resulting in Palestinian casualties ( 27 incidents ) or in damage to Palestinian property ( 57 incidents ) , ” the report read .
That trend continued , at times markedly increasing , with very little accountability .
The Israeli rights group , Yesh Din , has been following up on the small percentage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Israeli military and police .
The group concluded that , “ of 185 investigations opened between 2014 and 2017 that reached a final stage , only 21 , or 11.4 % , led to the prosecution of offenders , while the other 164 files were closed without indictment.
” The reason for this is simple : the hundreds of thousands of Jewish extremists who have been transferred to permanently settle in the occupied territories , an act that starkly violates international law , do not operate outside the colonial paradigm designed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , they too , are ‘ soldiers ’ , not only because they are armed and coordinate their movement with the Israeli army , but because their ever-expanding settlements lie at the heart of the Israeli occupation and its continued project of ethnic cleansing .
Therefore , Jewish settler violence , like that committed by Ben Uliel , should not be analyzed separately from the violence meted out by the Israeli army but seen within the larger context of the violent Zionist ideology that governs Israeli society as a whole .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the end of the military occupation in the West Bank , East Jerusalem , and Gaza , and with the demise of the racist Zionist ideology that spews hatred , embraces racism and rationalizes murder .
Feature photo | Israeli right-wing terrorist Amiram Ben-Uliel arrives at a district court for a verdict , May 18 , 2020 .
Ben-Uliel was convicted of murder in a 2015 arson attack that killed a Palestinian toddler and his parents .
Avshalom Sassoni | AP Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five books .
His latest is “ These Chains Will Be Broken : Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons ” ( Clarity Press , Atlanta ) .
Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs ( CIGA ) , Istanbul Zaim University ( IZU ) .
His website is www.ramzybaroud.net

Israeli media and Zionist apologists everywhere are busy whitewashing Israel’s globally-tattered image using the rare indictment of an Israeli terrorist, Amiram Ben Uliel, who was recently convicted for murdering the Palestinian Dawabsheh family, including an 18-month-old toddler in the town of Duma, south of Nablus.
The conviction of Ben Uliel by an Israeli three-judge court on May 18, is expectedly celebrated by some as proof that the Israeli judicial system is fair and transparent, and that Israel does not need to be investigated by outside parties.
The timing of the Israeli court’s decision to convict Ben Uliel of three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder was particularly important, as it followed a decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, to move forward with its investigation of war crimes committed in Occupied Palestine.
Considering how Israel’s extremists, especially those living illegally in the Occupied West Bank, are governed through a separate, and far more lenient system than the military regime that governs Palestinians, the seemingly-clear indictment of the Israeli terrorist deserves further scrutiny.
Israel’s apologists were quick to celebrate the verdict by the court, to the extent that Israel’s own internal intelligence agency, the Shin Bet, known for its notorious torture methods of Palestinian prisoners, described the decision as “an important milestone in the battle against Jewish terror”.
Others labored to separate Ben Uliel’s grizzly attack from the rest of Israeli society, implying that the man was a lone wolf and not the direct outcome of Israel’s unhinged racism and violent discourse directed at innocent Palestinians.
Despite the clear indictment of Ben Uliel, the Israeli court was keen on accentuating the point that the Israeli terrorist acted alone and that he was not a member of a terrorist organization. Based on that logic, the court argued that the judges “could not rule out that the attack was motivated by a desire for revenge or racism without Ben-Uliel actually being a member of an organized group.”
The verdict was a best-case scenario for Israel’s image under the circumstances, as it deliberately absolved the massive terrorist network that spawned the likes of Ben Uliel and the Israeli army that protects those very extremists on a daily basis, while whitewashing Israel’s deservingly bad reputation as a violent society with an unjust judicial system.
But Ben Uliel is, by no measure, a lone wolf.
When the Israeli terrorist, along with other masked assailants, broke into the house of Sa’ad and Reham Dawabsheh at 4 am on July 31, 2015, he was clearly on a mission to elevate his name within the ardently racist, extremist society which has made the murder and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians a sort of a divine mission.
Ben Uliel achieved his objectives completely. Not only did he kill Sa’ad and Reham, but their 18-month-old son, Ali, as well. The only surviving member of the family was 4-year-old Ahmed, who was severely burnt.
The murder of the Palestinian family, little Ali in particular, quickly became the source of joy and celebration among Jewish extremists. In December 2015, six months after the murder of the Dawabsheh family, a 25-second video clip that went viral on social media showed a crowd of Israelis celebrating the death of Ali.
The video showed a “room of jumping, dancing men wearing white skullcaps, many with the long sidelocks of Orthodox Jews. Some of them are brandishing guns and knives,” The New York Times reported.
“Two (of the celebrating Israelis) appear to be stabbing pieces of paper they hold in their hands, which the television station identified as pictures of an 18-month-old child, Ali Dawabsheh.”
Despite Israeli police claims that they were ‘investigating’ the hate fest, there is little evidence to suggest that anyone was held accountable for the unmitigated celebration of violence against an innocent family and a toddler. In fact, Israeli State prosecutors later claimed that they had lost the original video of the dancing extremists.
The celebration of Israeli terrorism carried on unabated for years, to the extent that on June 19, 2018, Israeli extremists chanted openly, taunting Ali’s grandfather as he was leaving an Israeli court, with such obscene slogans, as “Where is Ali? Ali’s dead,” “Ali’s on the grill”.
The heinous murder of Ali and his family, and the subsequent trial were added to an array of other events that starkly challenged Israel’s carefully concocted image of being a liberal democracy.
On March 24, 2016, Elor Azaria killed a Palestinian man, Fattah al-Sharif, in cold blood. Al-Sharif was left bleeding on the ground while unconscious after, per Israeli army claim, trying to stab an Israeli soldier.
Azaria received a light sentence of eighteen months, soon to be freed in a massive celebration, like a conquering hero. Israel’s top government officials, including Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, supported the cold-blooded murderer throughout the trial. It will not come as a complete surprise if Azaria claims a top position in the Israeli government at some point in the future.
The celebration of murderers and terrorists like Ben Uliel and Azaria, is not a new phenomenon in Israeli society. Baruch Goldstein, the Israeli terrorist who killed scores of Palestinian worshippers while kneeling for prayer at Al-Ibrahimi Mosque in Al-Khalil (Hebron) in 1994, is now perceived as a modern martyr, a saint of biblical proportions.
In such cases, when the nature of the crime is so overwhelmingly violent, the extent of which forces itself on global news media, Israel is left with only one option – to use the indictment of ‘Jewish terrorism’ as an opportunity to reinvent itself, its ‘democratic’ system, its ‘transparent’ judicial proceedings, and so on. Meanwhile, Israeli media and its affiliates worldwide labor to describe the collective ‘shock’ and ‘outrage’ felt by ‘law-abiding’, ‘peace-loving’ Israelis.
The murder of the Dawabsheh family, although one of numerous acts of violence perpetrated by Jewish extremists and the Israeli military against innocent Palestinians, is the perfect case in point.
Indeed, a quick look at the numbers and reports produced by the United Nations indicates that the Jewish settlers’ murder of the Palestinian family was not the exception but the norm.
In a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in June 2018, UN investigators spoke of an exponential rise of Israeli settler violence against Palestinians.
“Between January and April 2018, OCHA documented 84 incidents attributed to Israeli settlers resulting in Palestinian casualties (27 incidents) or in damage to Palestinian property (57 incidents),” the report read. That trend continued, at times markedly increasing, with very little accountability.
The Israeli rights group, Yesh Din, has been following up on the small percentage of settler violence cases that were opened by the Israeli military and police. The group concluded that, “of 185 investigations opened between 2014 and 2017 that reached a final stage, only 21, or 11.4%, led to the prosecution of offenders, while the other 164 files were closed without indictment.”
The reason for this is simple: the hundreds of thousands of Jewish extremists who have been transferred to permanently settle in the occupied territories, an act that starkly violates international law, do not operate outside the colonial paradigm designed by the Israeli government. In some way, they too, are ‘soldiers’, not only because they are armed and coordinate their movement with the Israeli army, but because their ever-expanding settlements lie at the heart of the Israeli occupation and its continued project of ethnic cleansing.
Therefore, Jewish settler violence, like that committed by Ben Uliel, should not be analyzed separately from the violence meted out by the Israeli army but seen within the larger context of the violent Zionist ideology that governs Israeli society as a whole. It follows that settler violence can only end with the end of the military occupation in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, and with the demise of the racist Zionist ideology that spews hatred, embraces racism and rationalizes murder.
Feature photo | Israeli right-wing terrorist Amiram Ben-Uliel arrives at a district court for a verdict, May 18, 2020. Ben-Uliel was convicted of murder in a 2015 arson attack that killed a Palestinian toddler and his parents. Avshalom Sassoni | AP
Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of five books. His latest is “These Chains Will Be Broken: Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons” (Clarity Press, Atlanta). Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA), Istanbul Zaim University (IZU). His website is www.ramzybaroud.net


mintpressnews--2020-05-27--EU Foreign Policy Chief Calls for Rapprochement with Russia and End of “American-led System”

A significant change in the global balance of power may be in the offing if we are to believe declarations made by EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell while addressing a group of German ambassadors on Monday in Brussels .
Borell reportedly “ created a diplomatic headache ” when he called for the end of the “ American-led system ” and made the case for ushering in an “ Asian century ” centered around stabilizing European relations with Russia .
Borell ruffled more feathers earlier in the week when he publicly opposed “ any Israeli initiative toward the annexation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but stopped short of articulating any concrete steps the EU might take to curb Israeli abuses in the region , stating that the EU would limit itself to “ diplomatic action in order to avoid any unilateral action ” by Israel in Gaza , despite support by several European nations for punitive actions against the apartheid state .
Nevertheless , Borell ’ s most recent comments before the German ambassadors are noteworthy for the simple fact that Germany is set to take over the presidency of the EU , as well as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the EU ’ s chief diplomat ’ s words particular resonance and may point to a new phase in the broader Atlanticist geopolitical playbook .
Borell , a Spanish politician who took over the EU ’ s top diplomat spot in December of 2019 , has straddled the fine line Europe has taken between siding with American insistence on maligning the Asian superpower with claims of trying to block an investigation into the origins of the Coronavirus earlier this month and calling China a “ partner country ” in a recent article he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the European Union ’ s role in advancing Atlanticist designs in Asia hinges on its ability to play mediator in the tense relationship between the other world superpower – the United States , together with its proxy state , Israel – and China .
To this end , Borell calls for the EU to “ maintain the necessary collective discipline ” against the threat of Chinese economic hegemony in their natural sphere of influence , which includes nations like India , Japan , Indonesia , and Russia .
For this reason , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ambassadors revolved around mending relationships with Putin ’ s Russia and strengthening ties “ with the rest of democratic Asia , ” suggesting that the EU should put their full support behind the Russian port of Vladivostok and Trans-Siberian transportation routes in order to skirt China ’ s One Belt One Road Initiative and thus weaken its position throughout Asia .
Germany ’ s close commercial ties to Russia have been a recurring bone of contention against the American-led intransigence against Putin in recent years , and as the Teuton nation prepares to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bloc government and the UN it looks as though the Atlanticist playbook is being tweaked as they discover that the strategies applied so far are only bringing its enemies closer together .
As the geopolitical chess match continues to unfold amidst this pandemic-induced global economic reset , the real purpose of Israel as the linchpin of the entire Atlanticist project might soon be revealed to the world .
Should the EU ’ s rapprochement with Russia bear the desired fruit and the Kremlin indeed begins to forge closer ties with Europe instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shift away from the U.S.-Israeli axis , at least momentarily .
But , it will also set the stage for what Borell – perhaps only intuitively – expressed as the “ pressure to choose sides.
” The EU is Israel ’ s biggest trading partner and Borell himself underlined that it was important for Europe to have “ the best relationship with Israel ” as a new coalition government between Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz finally begins to take shape in the Middle Eastern state .
Borell ’ s rhetoric about supporting Palestinian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bone thrown to the more conscientious EU members so that the aforementioned “ collective discipline ” might be achieved and Russia may be successfully lured into the fold and halt any further nurturing of Sino-Russian relations .
The American position on Israel is unambiguous and , in addition to the scandalous and continued subsidizing of the Israeli state , completely backs its most ambitious annexation plans in Gaza and beyond in complete contradiction to the position several European countries are currently taking .
Once the economic corridors have been ironed out and Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atlanticists ’ Silk Road into all of Asia – not to mention Russia ’ s own “ huge investment potential , ” in “ natural resources , fisheries , and tourism , ” a more isolated China could become fatally vulnerable to a manufactured war sparked by Israel and Washington , which the EU – at that point – might have no choice but to support .
Feature photo | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo walks with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Josep Borrell on Feb. 7 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Department in Washington .
Kevin Wolf | AP

A significant change in the global balance of power may be in the offing if we are to believe declarations made by EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell while addressing a group of German ambassadors on Monday in Brussels. Borell reportedly “created a diplomatic headache” when he called for the end of the “American-led system” and made the case for ushering in an “Asian century” centered around stabilizing European relations with Russia.
Borell ruffled more feathers earlier in the week when he publicly opposed “any Israeli initiative toward the annexation of parts of the West Bank,” but stopped short of articulating any concrete steps the EU might take to curb Israeli abuses in the region, stating that the EU would limit itself to “diplomatic action in order to avoid any unilateral action” by Israel in Gaza, despite support by several European nations for punitive actions against the apartheid state.
Nevertheless, Borell’s most recent comments before the German ambassadors are noteworthy for the simple fact that Germany is set to take over the presidency of the EU, as well as the UN Security Council in July, giving the EU’s chief diplomat’s words particular resonance and may point to a new phase in the broader Atlanticist geopolitical playbook.
Playing both sides
Borell, a Spanish politician who took over the EU’s top diplomat spot in December of 2019, has straddled the fine line Europe has taken between siding with American insistence on maligning the Asian superpower with claims of trying to block an investigation into the origins of the Coronavirus earlier this month and calling China a “partner country” in a recent article he penned in several European newspapers.
Ultimately, the European Union’s role in advancing Atlanticist designs in Asia hinges on its ability to play mediator in the tense relationship between the other world superpower – the United States, together with its proxy state, Israel – and China. To this end, Borell calls for the EU to “maintain the necessary collective discipline” against the threat of Chinese economic hegemony in their natural sphere of influence, which includes nations like India, Japan, Indonesia, and Russia.
For this reason, Borell’s message to the German ambassadors revolved around mending relationships with Putin’s Russia and strengthening ties “with the rest of democratic Asia,” suggesting that the EU should put their full support behind the Russian port of Vladivostok and Trans-Siberian transportation routes in order to skirt China’s One Belt One Road Initiative and thus weaken its position throughout Asia.
Germany’s close commercial ties to Russia have been a recurring bone of contention against the American-led intransigence against Putin in recent years, and as the Teuton nation prepares to assume a leading role in the 27-nation bloc government and the UN it looks as though the Atlanticist playbook is being tweaked as they discover that the strategies applied so far are only bringing its enemies closer together.
Filling the powder keg
As the geopolitical chess match continues to unfold amidst this pandemic-induced global economic reset, the real purpose of Israel as the linchpin of the entire Atlanticist project might soon be revealed to the world.
Should the EU’s rapprochement with Russia bear the desired fruit and the Kremlin indeed begins to forge closer ties with Europe instead of China, the balance of power will shift away from the U.S.-Israeli axis, at least momentarily. But, it will also set the stage for what Borell – perhaps only intuitively – expressed as the “pressure to choose sides.”
The EU is Israel’s biggest trading partner and Borell himself underlined that it was important for Europe to have “the best relationship with Israel” as a new coalition government between Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz finally begins to take shape in the Middle Eastern state. Borell’s rhetoric about supporting Palestinian sovereignty might be nothing more than a bone thrown to the more conscientious EU members so that the aforementioned “collective discipline” might be achieved and Russia may be successfully lured into the fold and halt any further nurturing of Sino-Russian relations.
The American position on Israel is unambiguous and, in addition to the scandalous and continued subsidizing of the Israeli state, completely backs its most ambitious annexation plans in Gaza and beyond in complete contradiction to the position several European countries are currently taking.
Once the economic corridors have been ironed out and Russia comes on board to serve as the Atlanticists’ Silk Road into all of Asia – not to mention Russia’s own “huge investment potential,” in “natural resources, fisheries, and tourism,” a more isolated China could become fatally vulnerable to a manufactured war sparked by Israel and Washington, which the EU – at that point – might have no choice but to support.
Feature photo | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo walks with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Josep Borrell on Feb. 7, 2020, to meet with media at the State Department in Washington. Kevin Wolf | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-05-27--“Germ-Ridden Masses” – How America’s Wealthy Elite Describe the Rest of Us

Many of the world ’ s super wealthy are trying to wait out the COVID-19 pandemic on their luxury yachts .
But how to get to them without interacting with the public and catching the virus themselves ?
Such are the difficult quandaries only billionaires have to deal with .
Fortunately , financial news outlet Bloomberg has solved the big question of the current era .
A new company , it excitedly informs its readers , offers chartered private jets from your location to the Mediterranean island of Malta , without the need to “ risk exposure to the germ-ridden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who has recently penned articles such as “ How to arbitrage your U.S. taxes for difficult economic times ” and “ Where to invest $ 1 million right now , ” notes that aviation company VistaJet allows its clients to reserve its freshly sanitized jet to take them to Malta .
“ Lest anyone be worried that the island nation itself is germ-ridden , ” she writes , the World Health Organization has praised it for its capable fight against the coronavirus .
One big problem , however , is where your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ if your yacht is moored in Antibes [ France ] or Porto Cervo [ Italy ] , you ’ re out of luck , ” taking for granted that anyone reading does own one , also suggesting that now would be the perfect time to shop for a Maltese passport , as the island , an E.U .
member state , levies no income or capital gains taxes on that earned abroad , and there is no estate tax on the island .
All you need is $ 1.3 million in cash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tone , especially twice describing the general public , even of Malta , one of the richest states in the world , as “ germ ridden masses , ” highlights the increasing gap between the world ’ s super wealthy and the rest of us , and the contempt and disgust the haves feel for the have-nots .
In April , Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was met with a storm of criticism after posing in front of her enormous refrigerator costing tens of thousands of dollars , revealing her penchant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per tub .
For many , the centi-millionaire and wife of one of California ’ s richest men telling others how to survive lockdown while residing in a mansion was a Marie Antoinette-like moment of pure ignorance .
Since the lockdown began , America ’ s billionaires have seen their wealth balloon by $ 434 billion according to the Institute for Policy Studies , even as the economy crashes and nearly 40 million Americans have been made unemployed .
Among the biggest winners from the worldwide suffering has been Michael Bloomberg himself , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The former Mayor of New York has added $ 12.3 billion to his net worth in the last two months , increasing his fortune by over 25 percent .
Bloomberg spent around $ 1 billion on his recent failed presidential run , amassing only 43 delegates before pulling out .
Regardless , his big money media campaign flop pales in comparison to the fortune he has reaped thanks to the Trump administration ’ s CARES Act , perhaps the largest wealth transfer in human history , in which 82 percent of the tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earn over $ 1 million per year .
The winners from the CARES Act – America ’ s billionaires – have also chosen New Zealand as a convenient destination to avoid a pandemic .
A new company is doing a roaring trade designing and installing nuclear bunkers in remote areas of the Pacific nation ’ s South Island .
They are designed so that even locals are unaware they are there .
Prices begin at $ 2 million for the simplest designs but can rise to over $ 11 million , depending on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , journalists at establishment publications come from and represent the one percent that they claim to be holding to account .
A study published in the Journal of Expertise found that editors and writers for The New York Times , Wall Street Journal and The New Republic were actually slightly more likely than billionaires to have attended an elitist institution like Harvard University or the Columbia School of Journalism , where attendance costs well over $ 100,000 per year .
As the study concluded : “ Elite journalists resemble senators , billionaires and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ educational attainment.
” This elitism begins to seep into writing , hence the inability to understand political movements like those around Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders , or the temptation to casually demonize human beings as “ germ-ridden masses ” in news reporting .
As of Wednesday , there have been over 5.7 million confirmed COVID-19 cases , with 354,762 reported deaths .
Feature photo | Former Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg pauses as he speaks to supporters about the suspension of his campaign , and his endorsement of former Vice President Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , March 4 , 2020 .
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

Many of the world’s super wealthy are trying to wait out the COVID-19 pandemic on their luxury yachts. But how to get to them without interacting with the public and catching the virus themselves? Such are the difficult quandaries only billionaires have to deal with. Fortunately, financial news outlet Bloomberg has solved the big question of the current era. A new company, it excitedly informs its readers, offers chartered private jets from your location to the Mediterranean island of Malta, without the need to “risk exposure to the germ-ridden masses.” New York-based reporter Suzanne Woolley, who has recently penned articles such as “How to arbitrage your U.S. taxes for difficult economic times” and “Where to invest $1 million right now,” notes that aviation company VistaJet allows its clients to reserve its freshly sanitized jet to take them to Malta. “Lest anyone be worried that the island nation itself is germ-ridden,” she writes, the World Health Organization has praised it for its capable fight against the coronavirus.
One big problem, however, is where your yacht is. The article explains that “if your yacht is moored in Antibes [France] or Porto Cervo [Italy], you’re out of luck,” taking for granted that anyone reading does own one, also suggesting that now would be the perfect time to shop for a Maltese passport, as the island, an E.U. member state, levies no income or capital gains taxes on that earned abroad, and there is no estate tax on the island. All you need is $1.3 million in cash or property.
The article’s tone, especially twice describing the general public, even of Malta, one of the richest states in the world, as “germ ridden masses,” highlights the increasing gap between the world’s super wealthy and the rest of us, and the contempt and disgust the haves feel for the have-nots. In April, Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was met with a storm of criticism after posing in front of her enormous refrigerator costing tens of thousands of dollars, revealing her penchant for deluxe ice cream at $12 per tub. For many, the centi-millionaire and wife of one of California’s richest men telling others how to survive lockdown while residing in a mansion was a Marie Antoinette-like moment of pure ignorance.
Since the lockdown began, America’s billionaires have seen their wealth balloon by $434 billion according to the Institute for Policy Studies, even as the economy crashes and nearly 40 million Americans have been made unemployed. Among the biggest winners from the worldwide suffering has been Michael Bloomberg himself, owner of the eponymous news network. The former Mayor of New York has added $12.3 billion to his net worth in the last two months, increasing his fortune by over 25 percent. Bloomberg spent around $1 billion on his recent failed presidential run, amassing only 43 delegates before pulling out. Regardless, his big money media campaign flop pales in comparison to the fortune he has reaped thanks to the Trump administration’s CARES Act, perhaps the largest wealth transfer in human history, in which 82 percent of the tax savings will be enjoyed by those who earn over $1 million per year.
The winners from the CARES Act – America’s billionaires – have also chosen New Zealand as a convenient destination to avoid a pandemic. A new company is doing a roaring trade designing and installing nuclear bunkers in remote areas of the Pacific nation’s South Island. They are designed so that even locals are unaware they are there. Prices begin at $2 million for the simplest designs but can rise to over $11 million, depending on the level of luxury desired.
Increasingly, journalists at establishment publications come from and represent the one percent that they claim to be holding to account. A study published in the Journal of Expertise found that editors and writers for The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and The New Republic were actually slightly more likely than billionaires to have attended an elitist institution like Harvard University or the Columbia School of Journalism, where attendance costs well over $100,000 per year. As the study concluded: “Elite journalists resemble senators, billionaires and World Economic Forum attendees in terms of educational attainment.” This elitism begins to seep into writing, hence the inability to understand political movements like those around Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders, or the temptation to casually demonize human beings as “germ-ridden masses” in news reporting.
As of Wednesday, there have been over 5.7 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 354,762 reported deaths.
Feature photo | Former Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg pauses as he speaks to supporters about the suspension of his campaign, and his endorsement of former Vice President Joe Biden for president, in New York, March 4, 2020. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez | AP
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.