mintpressnews--2020-10-23--Yes, There Is a World Zionist Congress – and It’s Meeting Now

Menifee , CA ( IAK ) — I ’ m sometimes astounded at the fact that a major political movement over a century old is so little known among Americans – especially since it has had a momentous impact on the world in general and on the U.S. in particular , causing multiple wars , vast population displacement , and global instability .
In my travels around the US , I ’ ve found that most Americans know extremely little about Zionism .
I would guess that the vast majority of Americans could not define the term ( that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life ) , and that a great many may not have even heard of it .
And among those who have heard the term , many may think it refers to some antisemitic conspiracy theory .
The fact is , however , that Zionism – according to the dictionary , “ a worldwide Jewish movement that resulted in the establishment and development of the state of Israel and that now supports the state of Israel as a Jewish homeland ” – is both very real and extremely significant .
Zionism succeeded in establishing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades of sometimes open and sometimes covert efforts .
It promoted a successful , though extremely false , slogan – “ a land without a people for a people without a land ” – and succeeded in perpetrating one of the major hoaxes of the 20th century , in which victims ( indigenous Palestinians ) were designated aggressors , and aggressors ( Zionist colonists ) were portrayed as victims ( as documented by diverse authors , and perpetrated through the silencing of others ) .
And today this movement contains numerous powerful international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while remaining largely invisible to millions of citizens of the country that gives Israel massive amounts of money , shields Israel internationally , and has fought at least one war ( against Iraq ) on Israel ’ s behalf .
The dictionary definition captures only the simplest meaning of the word , but not its deep impact : how Israel was established and what supporting Israel today enables .
As numerous historians have documented , Israel was established through a war of ethnic cleansing , in the words of a major Israeli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , women , and children were violently expelled .
Hundreds of villages were destroyed and much of the indigenous population was displaced , their ancestral homes and land confiscated and the former owners made into penniless refugees .
Today , in its pursuit of the Jewish identity mentioned in the definition , Israel continues to confiscate Palestinian land , actively discriminates against the remnants of the non-Jewish population that remain in the area , and holds the four and a half million people in the remaining portion of their land ( the West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtual prisons , their ability to leave and to return to their homes controlled by Israel .
Palestinian villages are invaded daily , people terrorized and abducted , homes and crops are regularly destroyed ; for over a year there was a weekly mass demonstration during which Israeli forces shot unarmed demonstrators every week .
( To see these actions go here . )
Zionist movement in the US – a century of activism As I describe in my book , the Zionist movement in the U.S. began in the late 1800s and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that led to the establishment of Israel .
Today the pro-Israel lobby is probably the most powerful and pervasive special interest group in the U.S. Its members have diverse views and sometimes sharply disagree with one another on aspects of the issue , but all share one goal : support for Israel .
Israel partisans have become extremely influential in both political parties and have obtained numerous US policies of support for Israel .
Most recently , they are promoting bills to expend $ 19 million per day on behalf of Israel ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been introduced in the current Congress alone .
In addition , there is also considerable evidence that Israel partisans were central in pushing the US into invading Iraq , and that many are similarly active in demonizing Iran .
( See this , this , this , and this . )
Since little of the above is known by the general American public ( U.S. media rarely report any of this ) , some Americans are under the impression that even suggesting there is a “ world zionist movement ” is an antisemitic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even discussing the Israel lobby in the U.S. can be dangerous to reputations and careers .
For example , respected professors John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt were attacked as “ antisemitic ” for their scholarly work in detailing the power of the Israel lobby . )
The fact is , however , that the World Zionist Organization has been in existence since the late 1800s , and this is just one of a number of international organizations that work on behalf of Israel .
Moreover , all of these are very public – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Currently , the World Zionist Organization is holding its 38th Congress in an online format from Israel .
The Congress is convened every five years .
While US mainstream media have largely failed to even mention this organization and event , it has been big news in the Israeli and Jewish-American press , with numerous stories leading up to the event .
Below is an image from an article in the Jewish News of Northern California entitled “ Your vote in Israel : Here are the Bay Area Jews running for the World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( WZO ) was founded in 1897 .
It has an elaborate structure , including a World Zionist Congress , a Zionist General Council , a Zionist Executive , and a Zionist Supreme Court .
It also has a department devoted to “ repatriation ” – encouraging Jews to leave their birth countries and move to Israel – and lists numerous affiliates and partners around the world .
Yesterday , the WZO convened its 38th Congress , with 720 delegates and observers from over 30 countries participating in a three-day conference .
Based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s event is being held online because of the pandemic , and sessions are being synchronized with time zones in Israel , North America , Latin America , Europe , Australia , and South Africa .
The World Zionist Congress allocates about a billion dollars a year to various projects and is popularly known as the “ parliament of the Jewish people.
” The Israeli Jerusalem Post newspaper reports that during the Congress “ elections will take place for the leadership positions of the National Institutions – the World Zionist Organization , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Fund-JNF ) , and Keren Hayesod [ aka United Israel Appeal : “ the preeminent worldwide fundraising organization for Israel , which was established in London in 1920 , to serve as the fundraising arm of the Jewish People and the Zionist Movement ] .
Current issues on the world Jewish agenda will be deliberated… ” Among the issues to be deliberated will be how to “ allocate nearly $ 5 billion to Jewish organizations and programs in Israel and around the world.
” The event is being live-streamed and can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the only organization with “ Zionist ” in its title .
Among the others are : Women ’ s International Zionist Organization ( WIZO ) : founded in 1902 , it currently has 250,000 members around the world .
Mizrachi , the global Religious Zionist movement : “ Mizrachi is the global Religious Zionist movement , spreading Torat Eretz Yisrael across the world and strengthening the bond between the international Jewish community and the State of Israel.
” It was founded in 1902 , is based in Jerusalem and has branches across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement supporting Palestinian rights known as BDS .
It says the Mizrachi Global Summit was held on October 18th .
Zionist Organization of America : “ Founded in 1897 , the Zionist Organization of America ( “ ZOA ” ) is the oldest pro-Israel organization in the United States.
” It has 25,000 members and chapters throughout the U.S. Hadassah , the Women ’ s Zionist Organization of America : Over a century old , it says its vision is to “ strengthen a connection to Israel.
” It says it is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization in the United States .
It inspires a passion for and a commitment to its partnership with the land and the People of Israel.
” ( Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a lifelong member . )
American Zionist Movement : “ AZM works to promote and defend Zionism in the United States ; to deepen and expand the active relationship of the American Jewish Community to Zionism in a contemporary context ; to facilitate dialogue and collaboration among Zionist organizations through and with the AZM ; and to be the central hub for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also a number of other major international organizations that work for Israel .
Virtually all of these organizations have large staffs , elaborate structures , and multi-million dollar budgets .
Their websites provide an abundance of information about their global reach and diverse activities .
Many openly state that they work to oppose the international movement to boycott Israel , which has been organized because of Israel ’ s long documented human rights abuses .
Known as “ BDS ” ( Boycott , Divestment , and Sanctions ) , the movement “ upholds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the same rights as the rest of humanity.
” • World Jewish Congress ( WJC ) is another international congress that supports Israel .
According to its website , the WJC “ represents Jewish communities and organizations in 100 countries around the world .
It advocates on their behalf towards governments , parliaments , international organizations and other faiths.
” The WJC represents significant global wealth .
Its annual gala held in New York last year was , as I wrote in a detailed article , attended by billionaires , Russian oligarchs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Rothschilds , and assorted other glitterati .
• World Holocaust Forum is another international entity that supports Israel .
It is held in Israel and was founded and run by Russian-Israeli oligarch Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor .
Last year , at least 45 world leaders attended his fifth event .
Israel ’ s Ha ’ aretz newspaper called it “ an airlift of presidents , prime ministers and royalty from around the world.
” Kantor , a billionaire known for unscrupulous business practices , is president of the European Jewish Congress and heads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In an interview for a Zionist publication , Kantor was asked : “ Why are you so interested in Holocaust education and in creating big events to memorialize the Holocaust ?
” Kantor answered : • American Jewish Committee ( AJC ) , despite its name , is yet another international organization .
It has 30 offices around the world in Europe , Africa , Latin America , Asia-Pacifiic , and Israel .
It also has numerous regional offices throughout the US .
• Jewish Agency for Israel has been in existence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world , and encourages people to move to Israel .
It has a branch in the US where donations to it can be deducted from U.S. taxes .
It states that it works to oppose BDS .
• B ’ nai B ’ rith International has been in existence for 175 years and had a connection to Israel from the state ’ s earliest years .
Like many of the organizations , it periodically works to prevent events supporting Palestinian rights .
• Maccabi World Union , headquartered in Israel , spans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has 450 clubs , and 450,000 members .
Its website says it ’ s “ a Zionist organization that utilizes sports as a means to bring Jewish people of all ages closer to Judaism and Israel.
” It has a multitude of programs focused on Israel and works to “ fight BDS.
” • Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 and played a major role in transferring Palestinian land to Israel .
It is holding its national conference right now ( video here ) .
Like many of these entities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has acquired tax deductible status .
• World Union of Progressive Judaism , headquartered in Israel , serves 1,200 congregations with 1.8 million members in more than 50 countries .
It passed a resolution saying that the organization and its congregations “ will act against public and political measures meant to question the legitimacy of the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state , including against the BDS Movement.
” • World Union of Jewish Students partners with the WZO and represents Jewish students in 55 countries , with 225 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an annual World Union Jewish Student Congress in Israel .
One of its commitments is to oppose BDS .
This list could go on and on and on… What does this all mean and not mean ?
The reality is that there are a great many well-funded , well-organized , often quite powerful organizations working internationally in support of Israel and , as part of this , against Palestinian rights .
While I haven ’ t attempted here to delve into the organizations ’ budgets and the wealth of their benefactors , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represents many billions of dollars .
Yet U.S. media rarely tell Americans about this powerful , extremely significant network of international organizations that promote Israel and work to block efforts on behalf of Palestinian human rights .
At the same time , it is important to remember that these organizations , despite some of their names , do not represent all Jews .
While Zionists tried from the earliest days of their movement to conflate Zionism with Judaism – and fooled many people into believing the two were synonymous – for decades most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many Jews in Palestine itself opposed it , and today there are many Jewish Americans and others around the world who are critical of Israeli actions .
In addition , some – perhaps many – of the members in the organizations listed above may be deeply uninformed about what the Zionist movement did in the past and is currently enabling against Palestinians .
They ’ re constantly told about rockets from Gaza , but don ’ t learn about the massive Israeli violence that preceded these largely home made projectiles and the Israeli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact ( for the facts go here ) .
They hear about Arab armies declaring war on the newly declared state of Israel , but they don ’ t learn that Zionist forces had already committed numerous grisly massacres , had pushed out massive numbers of Palestinians , and were working to dispossess an entire population .
While there have been numerous reports through the years documenting Israeli human rights violations and Israel ’ s systemic discrimination , the members of these groups either do not know of these findings , or are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antisemites.
” The fact is that these organizations , with their large budgets and often very slick programs , specifically work to inculcate their membership with myths about Israel and falsehoods about the current reality .
( Sadly , as mentioned above , they are often assisted in this by U.S. media that largely give us Israel-centric reporting and spin , while often omitting essential facts . )
It is time that more Americans learn the facts about the Zionist movement .
It is time for all Americans – of all faiths , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together to oppose a chauvinistic , deeply damaging international movement that has caused untold tragedy and harm .
The devastation this movement has caused hasn ’ t been limited to Palestine .
It has spilled over into the entire Middle East and North Africa , stretched into Europe , and damaged the U.S .
It has caused wars , global destabilization and potential catastrophe .
It is not antisemitic to speak out about world Zionism .
It is obligatory .
Feature photo | The first Zionist Congress , held in Basel , Switzerland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of If Americans Knew , president of the Council for the National Interest , and author of Against Our Better Judgment : The Hidden History of How the U.S. Was Used to Create Israel .

Menifee, CA (IAK) — I’m sometimes astounded at the fact that a major political movement over a century old is so little known among Americans – especially since it has had a momentous impact on the world in general and on the U.S. in particular, causing multiple wars, vast population displacement, and global instability.
In my travels around the US, I’ve found that most Americans know extremely little about Zionism. I would guess that the vast majority of Americans could not define the term (that was certainly my situation for most of my life), and that a great many may not have even heard of it.
And among those who have heard the term, many may think it refers to some antisemitic conspiracy theory.
The fact is, however, that Zionism – according to the dictionary, “a worldwide Jewish movement that resulted in the establishment and development of the state of Israel and that now supports the state of Israel as a Jewish homeland” – is both very real and extremely significant.
Zionism succeeded in establishing the state of Israel in 1948 after decades of sometimes open and sometimes covert efforts. It promoted a successful, though extremely false, slogan – “a land without a people for a people without a land” – and succeeded in perpetrating one of the major hoaxes of the 20th century, in which victims (indigenous Palestinians) were designated aggressors, and aggressors (Zionist colonists) were portrayed as victims (as documented by diverse authors, and perpetrated through the silencing of others).
And today this movement contains numerous powerful international entities (see the list below), while remaining largely invisible to millions of citizens of the country that gives Israel massive amounts of money, shields Israel internationally, and has fought at least one war (against Iraq) on Israel’s behalf.
The dictionary definition captures only the simplest meaning of the word, but not its deep impact: how Israel was established and what supporting Israel today enables.
As numerous historians have documented, Israel was established through a war of ethnic cleansing, in the words of a major Israeli historian, in which approximately 750,000 men, women, and children were violently expelled. Hundreds of villages were destroyed and much of the indigenous population was displaced, their ancestral homes and land confiscated and the former owners made into penniless refugees.
Today, in its pursuit of the Jewish identity mentioned in the definition, Israel continues to confiscate Palestinian land, actively discriminates against the remnants of the non-Jewish population that remain in the area, and holds the four and a half million people in the remaining portion of their land (the West Bank and Gaza), in two virtual prisons, their ability to leave and to return to their homes controlled by Israel.
Palestinian villages are invaded daily, people terrorized and abducted, homes and crops are regularly destroyed; for over a year there was a weekly mass demonstration during which Israeli forces shot unarmed demonstrators every week. (To see these actions go here.)
Zionist movement in the US – a century of activism
As I describe in my book, the Zionist movement in the U.S. began in the late 1800s and played a significant role in the events that led to the establishment of Israel.
Today the pro-Israel lobby is probably the most powerful and pervasive special interest group in the U.S. Its members have diverse views and sometimes sharply disagree with one another on aspects of the issue, but all share one goal: support for Israel.
Israel partisans have become extremely influential in both political parties and have obtained numerous US policies of support for Israel. Most recently, they are promoting bills to expend $19 million per day on behalf of Israel; altogether, 90 bills for Israel have been introduced in the current Congress alone. In addition, there is also considerable evidence that Israel partisans were central in pushing the US into invading Iraq, and that many are similarly active in demonizing Iran. (See this, this, this, and this.)
Conspiracy theory?
Since little of the above is known by the general American public (U.S. media rarely report any of this), some Americans are under the impression that even suggesting there is a “world zionist movement” is an antisemitic conspiracy theory. (In fact, even discussing the Israel lobby in the U.S. can be dangerous to reputations and careers. For example, respected professors John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt were attacked as “antisemitic” for their scholarly work in detailing the power of the Israel lobby.)
The fact is, however, that the World Zionist Organization has been in existence since the late 1800s, and this is just one of a number of international organizations that work on behalf of Israel.
Moreover, all of these are very public – if one knows where to look. Currently, the World Zionist Organization is holding its 38th Congress in an online format from Israel. The Congress is convened every five years.
World Zionist Organization
While US mainstream media have largely failed to even mention this organization and event, it has been big news in the Israeli and Jewish-American press, with numerous stories leading up to the event. Below is an image from an article in the Jewish News of Northern California entitled “Your vote in Israel: Here are the Bay Area Jews running for the World Zionist Congress.”
The World Zionist Organization (WZO) was founded in 1897. It has an elaborate structure, including a World Zionist Congress, a Zionist General Council, a Zionist Executive, and a Zionist Supreme Court. It also has a department devoted to “repatriation” – encouraging Jews to leave their birth countries and move to Israel – and lists numerous affiliates and partners around the world.
Yesterday, the WZO convened its 38th Congress, with 720 delegates and observers from over 30 countries participating in a three-day conference. Based in Israel as usual, this year’s event is being held online because of the pandemic, and sessions are being synchronized with time zones in Israel, North America, Latin America, Europe, Australia, and South Africa. The World Zionist Congress allocates about a billion dollars a year to various projects and is popularly known as the “parliament of the Jewish people.”
The Israeli Jerusalem Post newspaper reports that during the Congress “elections will take place for the leadership positions of the National Institutions – the World Zionist Organization, Keren Kayemeth Le’Israel (Jewish National Fund-JNF), and Keren Hayesod [aka United Israel Appeal: “the preeminent worldwide fundraising organization for Israel, which was established in London in 1920, to serve as the fundraising arm of the Jewish People and the Zionist Movement]. Current issues on the world Jewish agenda will be deliberated…”
Among the issues to be deliberated will be how to “allocate nearly $5 billion to Jewish organizations and programs in Israel and around the world.”
The event is being live-streamed and can be viewed here.
Additional Zionist organizations:
The WZO is far from the only organization with “Zionist” in its title. Among the others are:
Women’s International Zionist Organization (WIZO): founded in 1902, it currently has 250,000 members around the world.
Mizrachi, the global Religious Zionist movement: “Mizrachi is the global Religious Zionist movement, spreading Torat Eretz Yisrael across the world and strengthening the bond between the international Jewish community and the State of Israel.” It was founded in 1902, is based in Jerusalem and has branches across the globe. It opposes the international movement supporting Palestinian rights known as BDS. It says the Mizrachi Global Summit was held on October 18th.
Zionist Organization of America: “Founded in 1897, the Zionist Organization of America (“ZOA”) is the oldest pro-Israel organization in the United States.” It has 25,000 members and chapters throughout the U.S.
Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America: Over a century old, it says its vision is to “strengthen a connection to Israel.” It says it is “the largest women’s Zionist membership organization in the United States. It inspires a passion for and a commitment to its partnership with the land and the People of Israel.” (Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a lifelong member.)
American Zionist Movement: “AZM works to promote and defend Zionism in the United States; to deepen and expand the active relationship of the American Jewish Community to Zionism in a contemporary context; to facilitate dialogue and collaboration among Zionist organizations through and with the AZM; and to be the central hub for Zionist resources in America.”
(An interesting bit of history is that “Zion” was one of the names Zionist leaders considered in 1948 for the new state, before they finally settled on the name “Israel.”)
Still more Zionist organizations
There are also a number of other major international organizations that work for Israel. Virtually all of these organizations have large staffs, elaborate structures, and multi-million dollar budgets.
Their websites provide an abundance of information about their global reach and diverse activities. Many openly state that they work to oppose the international movement to boycott Israel, which has been organized because of Israel’s long documented human rights abuses. Known as “BDS” (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions), the movement “upholds the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity.”
Below is a partial list:
• World Jewish Congress (WJC) is another international congress that supports Israel. According to its website, the WJC “represents Jewish communities and organizations in 100 countries around the world. It advocates on their behalf towards governments, parliaments, international organizations and other faiths.”
The WJC represents significant global wealth. Its annual gala held in New York last year was, as I wrote in a detailed article, attended by billionaires, Russian oligarchs, Ukrainian ambassadors, international financiers, the Rothschilds, and assorted other glitterati.
• World Holocaust Forum is another international entity that supports Israel. It is held in Israel and was founded and run by Russian-Israeli oligarch Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor. Last year, at least 45 world leaders attended his fifth event. Israel’s Ha’aretz newspaper called it “an airlift of presidents, prime ministers and royalty from around the world.” Kantor, a billionaire known for unscrupulous business practices, is president of the European Jewish Congress and heads up a network of pro-Israel international entities.
In an interview for a Zionist publication, Kantor was asked: “Why are you so interested in Holocaust education and in creating big events to memorialize the Holocaust?” Kantor answered:
The Holocaust was an essential tool used to bring about the establishment of the State of Israel. In 2006, it is the most effective tool we have to fight against anti-Semitism and to protect Israel.”
• American Jewish Committee (AJC), despite its name, is yet another international organization. It has 30 offices around the world in Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asia-Pacifiic, and Israel. It also has numerous regional offices throughout the US.
• Jewish Agency for Israel has been in existence for 90 years, has branches around the world, and encourages people to move to Israel. It has a branch in the US where donations to it can be deducted from U.S. taxes. It states that it works to oppose BDS.
• B’nai B’rith International has been in existence for 175 years and had a connection to Israel from the state’s earliest years. Like many of the organizations, it periodically works to prevent events supporting Palestinian rights.
• Maccabi World Union, headquartered in Israel, spans five continents, is in 80 countries, has 450 clubs, and 450,000 members. Its website says it’s “a Zionist organization that utilizes sports as a means to bring Jewish people of all ages closer to Judaism and Israel.” It has a multitude of programs focused on Israel and works to “fight BDS.”
• Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 and played a major role in transferring Palestinian land to Israel. It is holding its national conference right now (video here). Like many of these entities, it has a presence in the U.S. and has acquired tax deductible status.
• World Union of Progressive Judaism, headquartered in Israel, serves 1,200 congregations with 1.8 million members in more than 50 countries. It passed a resolution saying that the organization and its congregations “will act against public and political measures meant to question the legitimacy of the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, including against the BDS Movement.”
• World Union of Jewish Students partners with the WZO and represents Jewish students in 55 countries, with 225 branches around the world. It holds an annual World Union Jewish Student Congress in Israel. One of its commitments is to oppose BDS.
This list could go on and on and on…
What does this all mean and not mean?
The reality is that there are a great many well-funded, well-organized, often quite powerful organizations working internationally in support of Israel and, as part of this, against Palestinian rights.
While I haven’t attempted here to delve into the organizations’ budgets and the wealth of their benefactors, there is no doubt that the combined total represents many billions of dollars. Yet U.S. media rarely tell Americans about this powerful, extremely significant network of international organizations that promote Israel and work to block efforts on behalf of Palestinian human rights.
At the same time, it is important to remember that these organizations, despite some of their names, do not represent all Jews.
While Zionists tried from the earliest days of their movement to conflate Zionism with Judaism – and fooled many people into believing the two were synonymous – for decades most Jewish Americans did not support Zionism, many Jews in Palestine itself opposed it, and today there are many Jewish Americans and others around the world who are critical of Israeli actions.
In addition, some – perhaps many – of the members in the organizations listed above may be deeply uninformed about what the Zionist movement did in the past and is currently enabling against Palestinians.
They’re constantly told about rockets from Gaza, but don’t learn about the massive Israeli violence that preceded these largely home made projectiles and the Israeli weaponry that vastly exceeds their extremely small impact (for the facts go here).
They hear about Arab armies declaring war on the newly declared state of Israel, but they don’t learn that Zionist forces had already committed numerous grisly massacres, had pushed out massive numbers of Palestinians, and were working to dispossess an entire population.
While there have been numerous reports through the years documenting Israeli human rights violations and Israel’s systemic discrimination, the members of these groups either do not know of these findings, or are told they are the work of “antisemites.”
The fact is that these organizations, with their large budgets and often very slick programs, specifically work to inculcate their membership with myths about Israel and falsehoods about the current reality. (Sadly, as mentioned above, they are often assisted in this by U.S. media that largely give us Israel-centric reporting and spin, while often omitting essential facts.)
It is time that more Americans learn the facts about the Zionist movement.
It is time for all Americans – of all faiths, races, and ethnicities – to join together to oppose a chauvinistic, deeply damaging international movement that has caused untold tragedy and harm. The devastation this movement has caused hasn’t been limited to Palestine. It has spilled over into the entire Middle East and North Africa, stretched into Europe, and damaged the U.S. It has caused wars, global destabilization and potential catastrophe.
It is not antisemitic to speak out about world Zionism. It is obligatory.
Feature photo | The first Zionist Congress, held in Basel, Switzerland in 1897.
Alison Weir is executive director of If Americans Knew, president of the Council for the National Interest, and author of Against Our Better Judgment: The Hidden History of How the U.S. Was Used to Create Israel.


mintpressnews--2020-10-26--New COVID-19 Security Measures Will Make Health a Prerequisite for Travel

Imagine standing at a TSA security checkpoint on your way home for the holidays .
You ’ re getting ready to go through the awkward travel procedures instituted almost immediately after 9/11 when the Transportation and Security Administration ( TSA ) was created and air travel in the United States morphed into a search and seizure operation with the implied possibility of your detention and interrogation .
The initial outrage such expressions of implicit state violence caused early on eventually gave way to begrudging acceptance .
But now , a new layer of “ security , ” that could restrict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being rolled out at several ports of entry in partnership with health technology industry leaders , academic institutions , and government health entities in more than three dozen countries .
A new digital certificate called CommonPass , designed to serve as a clearance mechanism for passengers based on a health diagnosis underwent its first transatlantic test on October 21 under the watchful eye of the Centers for Disease Control ( CDC ) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ) at Heathrow Airport in London .
There , a group of select @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newark , New Jersey after being screened and tested for COVID-19 at the point of departure in a largely ceremonial exercise that included initiative co-founders , Paul Meyer and Bradley Perkins .
The app ’ s first trial run took place with much less media fanfare last month on a Cathay Pacific Airways flight from Hong Kong to Singapore and marked the beginning of the CommonPass pilot project launched by The Commons Project non-profit organization in-tandem with the World Economic Forum .
Travel industry insiders claim that CommonPass will allow international travel to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widely available by applying standard methods for certification of lab results and vaccination records of travelers through the CommonPass Framework , based on criteria set by the governments of each port of entry .
J.D .
O ’ Hara , CEO of one of the world ’ s largest travel services companies and one of the participants at Wednesday ’ s CommonPass trial run , hailed the app ’ s ability to “ verify health information in a secure , verified manner , ” while Roger Dow of the U.S. Travel Association released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ way forward ” for the global economy in the wake of the pandemic .
As the multi-sector , global response to the coronavirus tightens the noose around civil liberties , CommonPass stands out as one of the most appalling and dangerous attacks on basic human rights in the name of public health and is rife with a potential for abuse so great , that it behooves us to find out more about the people and interests behind it .
In medieval times , the ‘ commons ’ denoted the de facto and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to plow , sow and harvest or raise sheep and cattle .
The rise of the land-owning classes in post-Magna Carta Europe , and England in particular , slowly eviscerated this form of communal privilege through the enclosure system , which redistributed the commons to the proto-capitalist class in partnership with the monarchies and create the system of oppressive labor exploitation known as feudalism .
Starting in 1604 , the Enclosure Acts of England created legal property rights for land that had belonged to the farmers and shepherds , forming the basis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scene is being repeated as the Internet , an information ‘ commons ’ is being carved out by Big Tech and led by organizations like The Commons Project , which avails itself of a name that connotes the total opposite of its purpose .
Co-founders Paul Meyer and Bradley Perkins are the non-profit ’ s CEO and Chief Medical Officer , respectively .
Perkins began his career over thirty years ago at the Center for Disease Control and , for nearly a decade , worked at the RAND corporation ’ s health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meyer , for his part , is a Yale law school graduate , who was writing President Clinton ’ s speeches years before receiving his graduation diploma from the storied institution .
Both have extensive career histories in the fields of health and technology , though in very different areas and with strange bedfellows along the way .
In 2009 , Perkins became the Chief Technology Officer for a publicly-traded cross-national operator of hospitals and clinics called Vanguard Health Systems .
Vanguard had been established with funding from Morgan Stanley and controlled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintaining control all though the company ’ s IPO in 2011 .
Two years later , Vanguard was acquired by Tenet Healthcare , creating the third-largest investor-owned hospital company in the United States with a total of 65 hospitals nationwide and over 500 healthcare facilities .
Besides being one of the biggest healthcare companies in the United States , Tenet is also one of the most notoriously corrupt .
The same year it bought Vanguard , it was slapped with a major whistleblower complaint that disclosed the company ’ s fraudulent practices .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ million settlement .
A more recent case involving a conspiracy between Oklahoma orthopedic surgeons at one of its facilities was settled for $ 66 million in 2019 .
But , Tenet ’ s problems go back even further to the early 2000s when fraud and performing unneeded surgeries led to a multitude of lawsuits and even a Senate investigation .
The Vanguard deal marked the end of Perkins ’ tenure there , who chose to take a $ 1.9 million package instead of joining the newly merged conglomerate like its CEO and much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move on to create a company of his own called Sapiens Data Science ; a health tech platform that provides access to “ credible scientifically validated data algorithms ” and looks to create a “ new revolutionary health ecosystem.
” Meyer ’ s background is more complicated , and his arrival on the healthcare scene runs through different channels linked to American intelligence cover operations dating back to NATO ’ s war in Kosovo and the former Yugoslavia during the early Clinton years .
It is his involvement with an infamous human-trafficking outfit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IRC , that should be cause for concern given his role in The Commons Project and flagship CommonPass app .
Before he was named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum or Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute , and even before becoming a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and receiving MIT ’ s 2003 Humanitarian of the Year award , Paul Meyer found himself in war-torn Kosovo installing a new Internet infrastructure system to replace the one destroyed in the war , only days after NATO bombs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barely out of law school and having spent two years writing President Clinton ’ s speeches as the conflict in the former Yugoslavia was transpiring , Meyer was tapped by the IRC to lead a UN and private relief effort called the Internet Projekti Kosova ( IPKO ) or Kosovo Internet Project , with tech-savvy local Akan Ismaili to handle the complex technical issues and Teresa Crawford from the Advocacy Project to “ uplink ” satellites in the region with the stated purpose of reuniting displaced Albanian families .
The system was set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ British KFOR Civil-Military Cooperation CIMIC and British Royal Engineers were also brought onto the project , among others .
Eventually , the IRC gave the project to a non-profit organization “ dedicated to providing wide access to the Internet in Kosovo.
” IPKO is today the largest telecom , internet , and cable TV company in Kosovo .
Meyer remains involved through the IPKO Foundation , which he co-founded to provide “ free technology education ” to Kosovar students .
By the 1950s , the IRC was known to be an “ integral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covert network led by Tony Blair protégé and former British Foreign Minister , David Miliband since 2013 .
In 2018 , the IRC was embroiled in a child-sex trafficking scandal dubbed the “ sex-for-food scandal ” covered extensively by Whitney Webb in a recent article .
The organization ’ s cover-up of dozens of sex abuse , bribery and fraud allegations resulted in the U.K. government withdrawing its funding from the organizations .
However , no IRC employees were prosecuted over the 37 incidents detailed in the report .
Currently , the IRC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a biometric ID system for refugees of the ongoing conflict in Myanmar , a project funded by the Rockefeller Foundation-backed ID2020 Alliance , which also funds The Commons Project .
IRC ’ s Mae La initiative , however , receives most of its funding through the notorious CIA-cutout USAID and intends to create a “ blockchain-based digital identification ” system using iris recognition technology to give refugees access to IRC ’ s services in Thailand .
Long term goals include rolling health , work and financial data together into a single ID system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , healthcare and mobility .
We want your DNA The difference between IRC ’ s Mae La project and The Commons Project is a question of class .
Class status , to be specific .
But , it is essentially the same idea and covers the same interests of the groups and individuals who form part of the Commons Project ’ s board of trustees ; many of whom have been part of the digital tracking and healthcare technology space for years .
People like Linda Dillman , who ran Wal-Mart ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the retail giant ’ s CIO or the former Chief Technology Officer for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , Bryan Sivak , who is now a Managing Director at Managing Director at Kaiser Permanente , one of the largest healthcare insurance plan providers in the nation .
Other trustee affiliations stand out , as well , such as Will Fitzpatrick , General Counsel to the Omidyar Network and George W. Bush ’ s Assistant Secretary of Defense , Health Affairs , Dr. William Winkenwerder , Jr. At the core of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a DNA-based population screening agenda , which people like Perkins and Meyer are forcefully pushing forward .
Perkins worked as the CMO at a company called Human Longevity , Inc. , which “ combines state-of-the-art DNA sequencing and expert analysis with machine learning , to help change medicine to a more data-driven science.
” Meyer developed a precursor to CommonPass in 2016 , when he merged his mobile health services company , Voxiva , which implemented the “ first nationwide digital disease surveillance systems in Peru and Rwanda ” in partnership with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( NIH ) , with Sense Health to form a health messaging service called Wellpass Meyer described as “ an integrated platform… [ that ] helps overcome the challenges of deploying fragmented engagement and population health solutions.
” The reliability of the DNA-based , algorithmically-deduced health diagnoses used for the CommonPass trial run must also be called into question given the history of the company furnishing the technology .
Prenetics , Ltd is the Hong Kong-based , Alibaba-funded company that also performed the COVID-19 testing for the UK ’ s Premier League ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar health status app called Covi-Pass , covered by this author in June .
Prenetics ’ COVID tests rely on DNA-based technology it acquired in 2018 , when it purchased DNAFit ; a company founded by South African businessman Avrom “ Avi ” Lasarow , who came on board after the merger as Prenetics ’ Chief Executive Officer for Europe , Middle East and Africa .
Lasarow , who also heads the Premier League ’ s coronavirus testing program , just settled a civil case against him in the U.S. last May for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deceptive health claims ” .
“ Lifestyle genetics pioneer ” Lasarow has a long track record of settling out of court over such issues , including a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in 2015 , which accused Lasarow Healthcare Technologies Ltd. , aka L Health Ltd. , and two other defendants of making false or unsubstantiated claims regarding a “ melanoma detection ” app .
As part of that settlement , Lasarow was “ prohibited from making any misleading or unsubstantiated claims about the health benefits or efficacy of any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly working on establishing a partnership with VSTE Enterprises , the same company that developed the V-Code technology that underpins Covi-Pass , since May .
Nevertheless , such red flags pale in comparison to the individuals and organizations that are behind CommonPass , itself , who have plans for a much vaster digital enclosure based on DNA population screening technologies through initiatives like the The Commons Project , which aims to fundamentally transform medicine and impose new limits on our freedom of movement as the CommonPass rollout is slated to quickly expand to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Americas , Europe and the Middle East .
Just as Bush ’ s Aviation and Transportation Security Act opened the doors for certain technology and security sectors to flourish in the wake of 9/11 , this novel health-focused expansion of the national security state has bypassed all levers of democratic power to allow for the entrenchment of a far larger and more dangerous group of entities , within the health , technology and life sciences industries together with an increasingly more powerful clique of federal health agencies and officials , like Robert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full spectrum surveillance society .
Taking your shoes off at the airport and exposing your body to radiation has become routine now at every airport in the nation and most ‘ temporary ’ laws passed through emergency legislation remain on the books nearly two decades later .
Precedent demands that we assume the same will occur with the majority of the new restrictions on our freedom of movement and quality of life currently being implemented throughout the country and the world .
Rolling back these draconian measures is not in any of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the U.S. Travel Association , Roger Dow , who confidently asserted after Wednesday ’ s successful CommonPass trail run , that the app will let us “ navigate out of the crippling economic fallout of COVID-related travel restrictions and quarantine requirements , ” adding that it will “ pay further dividends for more seamless and convenient travel even once the pandemic has subsided.
” Feature photo | The CommonPass generated QR code is shown .
Original image sourced from the Common Project

Imagine standing at a TSA security checkpoint on your way home for the holidays. You’re getting ready to go through the awkward travel procedures instituted almost immediately after 9/11 when the Transportation and Security Administration (TSA) was created and air travel in the United States morphed into a search and seizure operation with the implied possibility of your detention and interrogation.
The initial outrage such expressions of implicit state violence caused early on eventually gave way to begrudging acceptance. But now, a new layer of “security,” that could restrict freedom of movement even further, is being rolled out at several ports of entry in partnership with health technology industry leaders, academic institutions, and government health entities in more than three dozen countries.
A new digital certificate called CommonPass, designed to serve as a clearance mechanism for passengers based on a health diagnosis underwent its first transatlantic test on October 21 under the watchful eye of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at Heathrow Airport in London. There, a group of select participants embarked on United flight 15 to Newark, New Jersey after being screened and tested for COVID-19 at the point of departure in a largely ceremonial exercise that included initiative co-founders, Paul Meyer and Bradley Perkins.
The app’s first trial run took place with much less media fanfare last month on a Cathay Pacific Airways flight from Hong Kong to Singapore and marked the beginning of the CommonPass pilot project launched by The Commons Project non-profit organization in-tandem with the World Economic Forum.
Travel industry insiders claim that CommonPass will allow international travel to resume before a COVID-19 vaccine is made widely available by applying standard methods for certification of lab results and vaccination records of travelers through the CommonPass Framework, based on criteria set by the governments of each port of entry.
J.D. O’Hara, CEO of one of the world’s largest travel services companies and one of the participants at Wednesday’s CommonPass trial run, hailed the app’s ability to “verify health
information in a secure, verified manner,” while Roger Dow of the U.S. Travel Association released a statement praising it for paving a “way forward” for the global economy in the wake of the pandemic.
As the multi-sector, global response to the coronavirus tightens the noose around civil liberties, CommonPass stands out as one of the most appalling and dangerous attacks on basic human rights in the name of public health and is rife with a potential for abuse so great, that it behooves us to find out more about the people and interests behind it.
Feudal revivalists
In medieval times, the ‘commons’ denoted the de facto and collective ownership of land, which peasants used to plow, sow and harvest or raise sheep and cattle. The rise of the land-owning classes in post-Magna Carta Europe, and England in particular, slowly eviscerated this form of communal privilege through the enclosure system, which redistributed the commons to the proto-capitalist class in partnership with the monarchies and create the system of oppressive labor exploitation known as feudalism.
Starting in 1604, the Enclosure Acts of England created legal property rights for land that had belonged to the farmers and shepherds, forming the basis of modern-day capitalism. Today, that scene is being repeated as the Internet, an information ‘commons’ is being carved out by Big Tech and led by organizations like The Commons Project, which avails itself of a name that connotes the total opposite of its purpose.
Co-founders Paul Meyer and Bradley Perkins are the non-profit’s CEO and Chief Medical Officer, respectively. Perkins began his career over thirty years ago at the Center for Disease Control and, for nearly a decade, worked at the RAND corporation’s health care policy division, RAND Health Advisory Board. Meyer, for his part, is a Yale law school graduate, who was writing President Clinton’s speeches years before receiving his graduation diploma from the storied institution. Both have extensive career histories in the fields of health and technology, though in very different areas and with strange bedfellows along the way.
In 2009, Perkins became the Chief Technology Officer for a publicly-traded cross-national operator of hospitals and clinics called Vanguard Health Systems. Vanguard had been established with funding from Morgan Stanley and controlled by the Blackstone Group since 2004, maintaining control all though the company’s IPO in 2011. Two years later, Vanguard was acquired by Tenet Healthcare, creating the third-largest investor-owned hospital company in the United States with a total of 65 hospitals nationwide and over 500 healthcare facilities.
Besides being one of the biggest healthcare companies in the United States, Tenet is also one of the most notoriously corrupt. The same year it bought Vanguard, it was slapped with a major whistleblower complaint that disclosed the company’s fraudulent practices. That lawsuit resulted in a $514 million settlement. A more recent case involving a conspiracy between Oklahoma orthopedic surgeons at one of its facilities was settled for $66 million in 2019. But, Tenet’s problems go back even further to the early 2000s when fraud and performing unneeded surgeries led to a multitude of lawsuits and even a Senate investigation.
The Vanguard deal marked the end of Perkins’ tenure there, who chose to take a $1.9 million package instead of joining the newly merged conglomerate like its CEO and much of its staff did. He would move on to create a company of his own called Sapiens Data Science; a health tech platform that provides access to “credible scientifically validated data algorithms” and looks to create a “new revolutionary health ecosystem.”
Meyer’s background is more complicated, and his arrival on the healthcare scene runs through different channels linked to American intelligence cover operations dating back to NATO’s war in Kosovo and the former Yugoslavia during the early Clinton years. It is his involvement with an infamous human-trafficking outfit known as the International Rescue Committee or IRC, that should be cause for concern given his role in The Commons Project and flagship CommonPass app.
The Meyer of Kosovo
Before he was named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum or Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute, and even before becoming a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and receiving MIT’s 2003 Humanitarian of the Year award, Paul Meyer found himself in war-torn Kosovo installing a new Internet infrastructure system to replace the one destroyed in the war, only days after NATO bombs had stopped shelling the Serbian people.
Barely out of law school and having spent two years writing President Clinton’s speeches as the conflict in the former Yugoslavia was transpiring, Meyer was tapped by the IRC to lead a UN and private relief effort called the Internet Projekti Kosova (IPKO) or Kosovo Internet Project, with tech-savvy local Akan Ismaili to handle the complex technical issues and Teresa Crawford from the Advocacy Project to “uplink” satellites in the region with the stated purpose of reuniting displaced Albanian families. The system was set up atop a building used by the British KFOR Civil-Military Cooperation CIMIC and British Royal Engineers were also brought onto the project, among others.
Eventually, the IRC gave the project to a non-profit organization “dedicated to providing wide access to the Internet in Kosovo.” IPKO is today the largest telecom, internet, and cable TV company in Kosovo. Meyer remains involved through the IPKO Foundation, which he co-founded to provide “free technology education” to Kosovar students.
By the 1950s, the IRC was known to be an “integral link” in the CIA’s covert network led by Tony Blair protégé and former British Foreign Minister, David Miliband since 2013. In 2018, the IRC was embroiled in a child-sex trafficking scandal dubbed the “sex-for-food scandal” covered extensively by Whitney Webb in a recent article. The organization’s cover-up of dozens of sex abuse, bribery and fraud allegations resulted in the U.K. government withdrawing its funding from the organizations. However, no IRC employees were prosecuted over the 37 incidents detailed in the report.
Currently, the IRC is very involved in the implementation of a biometric ID system for refugees of the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, a project funded by the Rockefeller Foundation-backed ID2020 Alliance, which also funds The Commons Project. IRC’s Mae La initiative, however, receives most of its funding through the notorious CIA-cutout USAID and intends to create a “blockchain-based digital identification” system using iris recognition technology to give refugees access to IRC’s services in Thailand. Long term goals include rolling health, work and financial data together into a single ID system, that will determine access to food, healthcare and mobility.
We want your DNA
The difference between IRC’s Mae La project and The Commons Project is a question of class. Class status, to be specific. But, it is essentially the same idea and covers the same interests of the groups and individuals who form part of the Commons Project’s board of trustees; many of whom have been part of the digital tracking and healthcare technology space for years.
People like Linda Dillman, who ran Wal-Mart’s implementation of RFID employee tracking technology as the retail giant’s CIO or the former Chief Technology Officer for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bryan Sivak, who is now a Managing Director at Managing Director at Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest healthcare insurance plan providers in the nation. Other trustee affiliations stand out, as well, such as Will Fitzpatrick, General Counsel to the Omidyar Network and George W. Bush’s Assistant Secretary of Defense, Health Affairs, Dr. William Winkenwerder, Jr.
At the core of these efforts is the desire to create a DNA-based population screening agenda, which people like Perkins and Meyer are forcefully pushing forward. Perkins worked as the CMO at a company called Human Longevity, Inc., which “combines state-of-the-art DNA sequencing and expert analysis with machine learning, to help change medicine to a more data-driven science.”
Meyer developed a precursor to CommonPass in 2016, when he merged his mobile health services company, Voxiva, which implemented the “first nationwide digital disease surveillance systems in Peru and Rwanda” in partnership with the CDC, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with Sense Health to form a health messaging service called Wellpass Meyer described as “an integrated platform… [that] helps overcome the challenges of deploying fragmented engagement and population health solutions.”
Dubious technology
The reliability of the DNA-based, algorithmically-deduced health diagnoses used for the CommonPass trial run must also be called into question given the history of the company furnishing the technology. Prenetics, Ltd is the Hong Kong-based, Alibaba-funded company that also performed the COVID-19 testing for the UK’s Premier League’s Project Restart, which used a similar health status app called Covi-Pass, covered by this author in June.
Prenetics’ COVID tests rely on DNA-based technology it acquired in 2018, when it purchased DNAFit; a company founded by South African businessman Avrom “Avi” Lasarow, who came on board after the merger as Prenetics’ Chief Executive Officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Lasarow, who also heads the Premier League’s coronavirus testing program, just settled a civil case against him in the U.S. last May for nearly $60,000 surrounding allegations of “deceptive health claims”.
“Lifestyle genetics pioneer” Lasarow has a long track record of settling out of court over such issues, including a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in 2015, which accused Lasarow Healthcare Technologies Ltd., aka L Health Ltd., and two other defendants of making false or unsubstantiated claims regarding a “melanoma detection” app. As part of that settlement, Lasarow was “prohibited from making any misleading or unsubstantiated claims about the health benefits or efficacy of any product or service.”
Prenetics has been reportedly working on establishing a partnership with VSTE Enterprises, the same company that developed the V-Code technology that underpins Covi-Pass, since May. Nevertheless, such red flags pale in comparison to the individuals and organizations that are behind CommonPass, itself, who have plans for a much vaster digital enclosure based on DNA population screening technologies through initiatives like the The Commons Project, which aims to fundamentally transform medicine and impose new limits on our freedom of movement as the CommonPass rollout is slated to quickly expand to other routes across Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East.
A common thread
Just as Bush’s Aviation and Transportation Security Act opened the doors for certain technology and security sectors to flourish in the wake of 9/11, this novel health-focused expansion of the national security state has bypassed all levers of democratic power to allow for the entrenchment of a far larger and more dangerous group of entities, within the health, technology and life sciences industries together with an increasingly more powerful clique of federal health agencies and officials, like Robert Kadlec, who are pushing for a full spectrum surveillance society.
Taking your shoes off at the airport and exposing your body to radiation has become routine now at every airport in the nation and most ‘temporary’ laws passed through emergency legislation remain on the books nearly two decades later. Precedent demands that we assume the same will occur with the majority of the new restrictions on our freedom of movement and quality of life currently being implemented throughout the country and the world.
Rolling back these draconian measures is not in any of their plans, as promised by the president of the U.S. Travel Association, Roger Dow, who confidently asserted after Wednesday’s successful CommonPass trail run, that the app will let us “navigate out of the crippling economic fallout of COVID-related travel restrictions and quarantine requirements,” adding that it will “pay further dividends for more seamless and convenient travel even once the pandemic has subsided.”
Feature photo | The CommonPass generated QR code is shown. Original image sourced from the Common Project
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-10-26--Obama-Era Officials Call for More Government Control of Your Facebook Feed

Writing in the Washington Post , senior Obama-era official Samantha Power has called on social media giant Facebook to do more to crush what she calls conspiracy theories and disinformation circulating on its platform .
Describing it as being “ overrun with foreign disinformation , ” Power demanded Mark Zuckerberg “ take far more drastic steps ” to “ detox ” the company ’ s algorithm .
The former United States ambassador to the United Nations compared the viral vitriol circulating on Zuckerberg ’ s platform to the weaponized disinformation campaigns in the former Yugoslavia , implying that it could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States .
52 percent of Americans get news on Facebook , making it an enormously powerful and influential news service , not just a social media or messaging app .
For years , it has at least partially outsourced its news feed algorithm cultivation to the Atlantic Council , a NATO cutout organization funded by the U.S. government and headed and controlled by former CIA chiefs .
Thus , the government already has significant control over the content on America ’ s most important media platform .
Zuckerberg also recently admitted that in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deliberately throttle traffic to left-wing alternative news sites , even those as mainstream as Mother Jones .
MintPress News was similarly negatively affected .
One reason to be skeptical of greater censorship of Facebook to fight fake news is that the Atlantic Council itself is perhaps the chief driver of one of the modern era ’ s most prominent conspiracy theories : that of RussiaGate .
The extent of Moscow ’ s involvement in domestic affairs can be debated , but the Atlantic Council has produced report after report making outlandish , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-establishment political party in Europe , from Labour and UKIP in the UK , Podemos in Spain , Syriza and Golden Dawn in Greece , and the Five Star Movement in Italy are all secretly the “ Kremlin ’ s Trojan Horses ” — under the personal thumb of Vladimir Putin .
As part of Obama ’ s National Security Council , Power herself strongly pushed for war in Libya , which was sold to Americans on the claim that Colonel Gaddafi was giving his troops Viagra to encourage mass rapes .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim .
Even after the destruction caused , turning the country into a failed state with active slave markets , Power praised her government ’ s response for “ [ helping ] orchestrate the fastest and broadest international response to an impending human rights crisis in history , ” brushing off criticism of the country ’ s current state by claiming that she , “ could hardly expect to have a crystal ball when it came to accurately predicting outcomes in places where the culture was not our own.
” She also supported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now proven incorrect .
Thus , misinformation merchants are themselves calling for restrictions on conspiracy theories online .
While Facebook is undoubtedly flooded with conspiracy theories and other types of fake news , the term is a loaded one that means very different things to different people .
While readers might associate “ conspiracy theories ” with ideas about the Moon landing , aliens or various political assassinations , the establishment often uses it in an altogether different context .
An example of this comes from an article on conspiracies from The Guardian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kingdom ’ s major newspapers .
The outlet claimed that the statement that , “ even though we live in what ’ s called a democracy , a few people will always run things in this country anyway ” was a conspiracy theory , comparing it to the neo-Nazi white genocide myth .
Thus , to many at the top of society , basic scrutiny of the rich and powerful on the grounds of their class is akin to lurid fantasies about an attempt to destroy the white race .
Power ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama official , has , since at least 2009 , argued that the U.S. government should be conducting “ cognitive infiltration and persuasion ” of anti-establishment groups he calls conspiracy networks , suggesting that “ government agents ( and their allies ) might enter chat rooms , online social networks , or even real-space groups and attempt to undermine percolating conspiracy theories by raising doubts about their factual premises , causal logic or implications for political action.
” Sunstein stressed that this must be aimed only at demonstrably false theories , and done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supply…independent experts with information and perhaps prod them into action from behind the scenes , too close a connection will prove self-defeating if it is exposed , ” he cautioned .
Whether Sunstein got his wish or not is unclear , but two years after he published the article , it came to light that the U.S. military was using an extensive network of fake online accounts and personalities to spread propaganda conducive to their interests .
The military did not deny it , but instead insisted that their entire operation was aimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else could be deemed unconstitutional .
While attempting to combat the spread of misinformation is a laudable goal , those calling most loudly for it are often those most responsible for pushing some of the most dangerous lies themselves .
Furthermore , the effect has been to limit public debate and discourage legitimate criticism of those in power .
Fake news and conspiracy theories continue to run rampant on the Internet , but legitimate criticism to power is harder to find every day .
Feature photo | President Barack Obama and Facebook founder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Stanford , Calif , June 24 , 2016 .
Jeff Chiu | 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 .

Writing in the Washington Post, senior Obama-era official Samantha Power has called on social media giant Facebook to do more to crush what she calls conspiracy theories and disinformation circulating on its platform.
Describing it as being “overrun with foreign disinformation,” Power demanded Mark Zuckerberg “take far more drastic steps” to “detox” the company’s algorithm. The former United States ambassador to the United Nations compared the viral vitriol circulating on Zuckerberg’s platform to the weaponized disinformation campaigns in the former Yugoslavia, implying that it could help spark a conflict in the United States.
52 percent of Americans get news on Facebook, making it an enormously powerful and influential news service, not just a social media or messaging app. For years, it has at least partially outsourced its news feed algorithm cultivation to the Atlantic Council, a NATO cutout organization funded by the U.S. government and headed and controlled by former CIA chiefs. Thus, the government already has significant control over the content on America’s most important media platform.
Zuckerberg also recently admitted that in 2017 he changed Facebook’s algorithm to deliberately throttle traffic to left-wing alternative news sites, even those as mainstream as Mother Jones. MintPress News was similarly negatively affected.
One reason to be skeptical of greater censorship of Facebook to fight fake news is that the Atlantic Council itself is perhaps the chief driver of one of the modern era’s most prominent conspiracy theories: that of RussiaGate.
The extent of Moscow’s involvement in domestic affairs can be debated, but the Atlantic Council has produced report after report making outlandish, unverified assertions, including that virtually every non-establishment political party in Europe, from Labour and UKIP in the UK, Podemos in Spain, Syriza and Golden Dawn in Greece, and the Five Star Movement in Italy are all secretly the “Kremlin’s Trojan Horses” — under the personal thumb of Vladimir Putin.
As part of Obama’s National Security Council, Power herself strongly pushed for war in Libya, which was sold to Americans on the claim that Colonel Gaddafi was giving his troops Viagra to encourage mass rapes. No evidence was presented for such a remarkable claim. Even after the destruction caused, turning the country into a failed state with active slave markets, Power praised her government’s response for “[helping] orchestrate the fastest and broadest international response to an impending human rights crisis in history,” brushing off criticism of the country’s current state by claiming that she, “could hardly expect to have a crystal ball when it came to accurately predicting outcomes in places where the culture was not our own.” She also supported the U.S. bombing of Syria on grounds now proven incorrect. Thus, misinformation merchants are themselves calling for restrictions on conspiracy theories online.
While Facebook is undoubtedly flooded with conspiracy theories and other types of fake news, the term is a loaded one that means very different things to different people. While readers might associate “conspiracy theories” with ideas about the Moon landing, aliens or various political assassinations, the establishment often uses it in an altogether different context. An example of this comes from an article on conspiracies from The Guardian, the most liberal of the United Kingdom’s major newspapers. The outlet claimed that the statement that, “even though we live in what’s called a democracy, a few people will always run things in this country anyway” was a conspiracy theory, comparing it to the neo-Nazi white genocide myth. Thus, to many at the top of society, basic scrutiny of the rich and powerful on the grounds of their class is akin to lurid fantasies about an attempt to destroy the white race.
Power’s husband Cass Sunstein, another influential high-ranking Obama official, has, since at least 2009, argued that the U.S. government should be conducting “cognitive infiltration and persuasion” of anti-establishment groups he calls conspiracy networks, suggesting that “government agents (and their allies) might enter chat rooms, online social networks, or even real-space groups and attempt to undermine percolating conspiracy theories by raising doubts about their factual premises, causal logic or implications for political action.” Sunstein stressed that this must be aimed only at demonstrably false theories, and done in secret: “Although government can supply…independent experts with information and perhaps prod them into action from behind the scenes, too close a connection will prove self-defeating if it is exposed,” he cautioned.
Cass Sunstein has called for US govt to groom seemingly independent agents to conduct "cognitive infiltration" against vaguely defined "conspiracy" networks: "govt can supply these independent experts with information and perhaps prod them into action from behind the scenes…" pic.twitter.com/mgl5un4kYz — Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) October 25, 2020
Source: "Conspiracy Theories," by Cass Sunstein & Adrian Vermeule, 2010. It seems obvious the US government is implementing many of Sunstein's creepiest recommendations & applying them with a broad brush to media that threatens its critical imperatives. https://t.co/AYhpfV0t7e. — Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) October 25, 2020
Whether Sunstein got his wish or not is unclear, but two years after he published the article, it came to light that the U.S. military was using an extensive network of fake online accounts and personalities to spread propaganda conducive to their interests. The military did not deny it, but instead insisted that their entire operation was aimed purely at foreign audiences, as anything else could be deemed unconstitutional.
While attempting to combat the spread of misinformation is a laudable goal, those calling most loudly for it are often those most responsible for pushing some of the most dangerous lies themselves. Furthermore, the effect has been to limit public debate and discourage legitimate criticism of those in power. Fake news and conspiracy theories continue to run rampant on the Internet, but legitimate criticism to power is harder to find every day.
Feature photo | President Barack Obama and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg wave after speaking at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Stanford, Calif, June 24, 2016. Jeff Chiu | 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--2020-10-26--This is Why Israel’s Mass Protest Movement Will Never Lead to Change

Since November of 2019 , Israelis have been protesting to demand the resignation of indicted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu .
Since the spring of 2020 , these protests have escalated to the point where thousands of Israelis take to the streets every week to demand his resignation .
However , Netanyahu , who has been in power for over a decade , will not budge .
A system where a politician can remain in power even after losing an election can hardly be called democratic .
In Israel , however , this has happened several times in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections numerous times and through underhanded backroom horse-trading , was able to create coalitions that kept him in power .
During the last election , he created an upset that was probably the most impressive of them all .
It was clear that the opposition block headed by former IDF chief General Benny Gantz had a solid majority .
Yet even then , Netanyahu was able to get Gantz to capitulate at the last minute and allow him to lead the government with Ganz working for him as defense minister .
Since those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retired IDF general Gantz , who , by the way , promised voters he would never serve in a government led by Netanyahu , Israelis have taken to the streets .
Netanyahu ’ s indictment , paired with the huge impact of the coronavirus and the Israeli government ’ s inability to control the spread of the disease , has brought about civil unrest the likes of which Israel has never seen .
However , even though thousands are taking to the streets week after week , there has been little reporting on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no impact on Netanyahu , who is protected by coalition agreements and a political reality that promises to keep him in the PM ’ s seat .
The popular movement ’ s focal point has been a protest encampment across from the prime minister ’ s Jerusalem residence on Balfour Street .
Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that protesters have taken to the streets throughout the country .
In one case , about 200 anti-Netanyahu protesters marched for eight days from the city of Kiryat Tivon in the north to the protest camp , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for violating public health along the way.
” The government has tried to use emergency regulations to limit the protests , and the Israeli police have been using heavy-handed tactics against them to no avail .
There are reports of arrests , tear gas , and even stun grenades being used against the protesters , who nevertheless violate the regulations and continue to march without permits .
Anti-Netanyahu demonstrators holding posters emblazoned with the slogans , “ Crime Minister , ” “ Bibi Go !
” and “ We are the Hope ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as pro-Netanyahu groups , far smaller , but louder and more prone to violence , stand on the other .
Pro-Netanyahu groups are often heard shouting “ traitors ” and “ You are not Jewish ” to their counterparts on the other side of the street .
Hatred of Ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities , not to be confused with orthodox Zionist groups who practice an entirely different brand of Judaism , is commonplace among Israelis .
Not unlike their counterparts in the U.S. , they are more vulnerable to the coronavirus and have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many cases , they have been accused of not following safety guidelines .
Ultra-Orthodox Jews , by and large , reject the State of Israel and understandably distrust state institutions .
Israel has been persecuting them from its very foundation , and the enmity between the government and Ultra-Orthodox communities has a long and violent history .
Enter COVID-19 .
The Ultra-Orthodox community rejects the internet , television , and any other form of communication that is not from within the community .
Many still refuse to speak Hebrew and use only Yiddish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their life , be it during study , prayer , family gatherings , or large community gatherings like weddings or other festivities .
The state , which for decades has been interfering with their chosen way of life in an attempt to secularize them and turn them into Zionist soldiers , now sends riot police into their homes , synagogues , and community gatherings , once again trying to deny them the right to gather , worship and celebrate .
No effort has been made to reach out and provide them with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clashes between the two sides are quite simply horrifying .
Protests have been erupting from within these communities and police are using all forms of brutality , including brutal beatings , tear gas , and water cannons to quell them .
Protesters have even been run over by police vehicles .
As expected , the Israeli government ’ s success in reducing the virus ’ s spread within this community has been dismal .
As hard as it may be to believe , and even though Israel has held three elections in less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk of new elections .
The Israeli daily Maariv reports that Netanyahu is now blocking efforts to pass a budget , leaving government agencies with no idea what their budgets will be for 2021 .
Members of Netanyahu ’ s own coalition are rightfully nervous and demanding a budget for 2020-2021 be released .
Netanyahu , on the other hand , is in no rush .
He is stalling for as long as he can and prefers not to commit to a budget but instead to appropriate funds to his cronies based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good for Netanyahu , and there are speculations that he wants to hold new elections soon and blame it on his partners in the coalition government .
The lack of ability to function by Israeli government institutions was already apparent before COVID-19 .
Now , government agencies are functioning even less , with health care and education in a state of collapse .
Add to that the lack of financial stability , or even a financial plan , and , according to Maariv , Netanyahu has a good case to call for new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Netanyahu knows he can rely on , it is the support of the “ Right Block.
” This “ Block ” is made of West Bank settlers , “ National Religious ” parties , and other neofascists .
They have a right-wing agenda and can rely on Netanyahu to respond to their every whim and wish .
The Block openly calls for pushing Palestinians out of Palestine , destroying the Holy Sanctuary , and building a temple to replace the Al-Aqsa Mosque .
It is an agenda that Netanyahu is happy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cabinet ministers , Rafi Peretz , Minister of Jerusalem Affairs , is part of the movement to build the “ Third Temple.
” Perhaps it is needless to mention , but none of the Right Block ’ s supporters participate in the anti-Netanyahu protests .
In fact , there is at least one group that consistently shows up to disrupt the demonstrations and engage in violence .
This group , called “ La Familia , ” originated as fans of the Beitar-Jerusalem soccer team .
Beitar has a reputation for cultivating violent right-wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are Netanyahu supporters .
It all leads to nothing While mass movements may , from time to time , lead to real change , it is unlikely that will be the case in Israel .
As in the United States where anti-Trump and anti-fascist protests lead to little immediate political change , the Israeli political system has created a protected zone in which Netanyahu ’ s place is secure .
Furthermore , demands ( if one can call them that ) made by anti-Netanyahu groups for him to resign are weak and have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agenda set forth by neofascist Zionists and the religious-Zionist settlers , the so-called Israeli “ center-left ” has no clear agenda , no real principles , and no ability to bring about change .
They are weak politically and lack the ability to outsmart the man who has shown time and time again that he is the greatest horse trader in the business , Benjamin Netanyahu .
Feature photo | Israeli protesters chant slogans during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu In Jerusalem , Oct. 14 , 2020 .
Sebastian Scheiner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
”

Since November of 2019, Israelis have been protesting to demand the resignation of indicted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Since the spring of 2020, these protests have escalated to the point where thousands of Israelis take to the streets every week to demand his resignation. However, Netanyahu, who has been in power for over a decade, will not budge.
Democracy?
A system where a politician can remain in power even after losing an election can hardly be called democratic. In Israel, however, this has happened several times in the past decade. Prime Minister Netanyahu lost the elections numerous times and through underhanded backroom horse-trading, was able to create coalitions that kept him in power.
During the last election, he created an upset that was probably the most impressive of them all. It was clear that the opposition block headed by former IDF chief General Benny Gantz had a solid majority. Yet even then, Netanyahu was able to get Gantz to capitulate at the last minute and allow him to lead the government with Ganz working for him as defense minister.
Since those fateful elections and the humiliating capitulation of retired IDF general Gantz, who, by the way, promised voters he would never serve in a government led by Netanyahu, Israelis have taken to the streets. Netanyahu’s indictment, paired with the huge impact of the coronavirus and the Israeli government’s inability to control the spread of the disease, has brought about civil unrest the likes of which Israel has never seen.
However, even though thousands are taking to the streets week after week, there has been little reporting on the protests in the United States and no impact on Netanyahu, who is protected by coalition agreements and a political reality that promises to keep him in the PM’s seat.
Protests throughout the country
The popular movement’s focal point has been a protest encampment across from the prime minister’s Jerusalem residence on Balfour Street. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that protesters have taken to the streets throughout the country. In one case, about 200 anti-Netanyahu protesters marched for eight days from the city of Kiryat Tivon in the north to the protest camp, “receiving upwards of 100 police tickets for violating public health along the way.”
The government has tried to use emergency regulations to limit the protests, and the Israeli police have been using heavy-handed tactics against them to no avail. There are reports of arrests, tear gas, and even stun grenades being used against the protesters, who nevertheless violate the regulations and continue to march without permits.
Anti-Netanyahu demonstrators holding posters emblazoned with the slogans, “Crime Minister,” “Bibi Go!” and “We are the Hope” stand on one side of the street as pro-Netanyahu groups, far smaller, but louder and more prone to violence, stand on the other. Pro-Netanyahu groups are often heard shouting “traitors” and “You are not Jewish” to their counterparts on the other side of the street.
Violence directed at the Ultra-Orthodox
Hatred of Ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities, not to be confused with orthodox Zionist groups who practice an entirely different brand of Judaism, is commonplace among Israelis. Not unlike their counterparts in the U.S., they are more vulnerable to the coronavirus and have been hit hard by the disease. In many cases, they have been accused of not following safety guidelines.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews, by and large, reject the State of Israel and understandably distrust state institutions. Israel has been persecuting them from its very foundation, and the enmity between the government and Ultra-Orthodox communities has a long and violent history.
Enter COVID-19. The Ultra-Orthodox community rejects the internet, television, and any other form of communication that is not from within the community. Many still refuse to speak Hebrew and use only Yiddish. Socializing is a crucial part of their life, be it during study, prayer, family gatherings, or large community gatherings like weddings or other festivities.
The state, which for decades has been interfering with their chosen way of life in an attempt to secularize them and turn them into Zionist soldiers, now sends riot police into their homes, synagogues, and community gatherings, once again trying to deny them the right to gather, worship and celebrate. No effort has been made to reach out and provide them with the information they need to remain safe and clashes between the two sides are quite simply horrifying.
Protests have been erupting from within these communities and police are using all forms of brutality, including brutal beatings, tear gas, and water cannons to quell them. Protesters have even been run over by police vehicles. As expected, the Israeli government’s success in reducing the virus’s spread within this community has been dismal.
No budget
As hard as it may be to believe, and even though Israel has held three elections in less than two years, there is already talk of new elections.
The Israeli daily Maariv reports that Netanyahu is now blocking efforts to pass a budget, leaving government agencies with no idea what their budgets will be for 2021. Members of Netanyahu’s own coalition are rightfully nervous and demanding a budget for 2020-2021 be released. Netanyahu, on the other hand, is in no rush. He is stalling for as long as he can and prefers not to commit to a budget but instead to appropriate funds to his cronies based on their support. Furthermore, chaos is good for Netanyahu, and there are speculations that he wants to hold new elections soon and blame it on his partners in the coalition government.
The lack of ability to function by Israeli government institutions was already apparent before COVID-19. Now, government agencies are functioning even less, with health care and education in a state of collapse. Add to that the lack of financial stability, or even a financial plan, and, according to Maariv, Netanyahu has a good case to call for new elections.
If there is one thing that Netanyahu knows he can rely on, it is the support of the “Right Block.” This “Block” is made of West Bank settlers, “National Religious” parties, and other neofascists. They have a right-wing agenda and can rely on Netanyahu to respond to their every whim and wish. The Block openly calls for pushing Palestinians out of Palestine, destroying the Holy Sanctuary, and building a temple to replace the Al-Aqsa Mosque. It is an agenda that Netanyahu is happy to pursue. Indeed, one of his cabinet ministers, Rafi Peretz, Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, is part of the movement to build the “Third Temple.”
Perhaps it is needless to mention, but none of the Right Block’s supporters participate in the anti-Netanyahu protests. In fact, there is at least one group that consistently shows up to disrupt the demonstrations and engage in violence. This group, called “La Familia,” originated as fans of the Beitar-Jerusalem soccer team. Beitar has a reputation for cultivating violent right-wing gangs, and quite naturally, they are Netanyahu supporters.
It all leads to nothing
While mass movements may, from time to time, lead to real change, it is unlikely that will be the case in Israel. As in the United States where anti-Trump and anti-fascist protests lead to little immediate political change, the Israeli political system has created a protected zone in which Netanyahu’s place is secure.
Furthermore, demands (if one can call them that) made by anti-Netanyahu groups for him to resign are weak and have little political backing. Unlike the clear agenda set forth by neofascist Zionists and the religious-Zionist settlers, the so-called Israeli “center-left” has no clear agenda, no real principles, and no ability to bring about change. They are weak politically and lack the ability to outsmart the man who has shown time and time again that he is the greatest horse trader in the business, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Feature photo | Israeli protesters chant slogans during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu In Jerusalem, Oct. 14, 2020. Sebastian Scheiner | 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.”