mintpressnews--2020-08-04--Federal Government Releases Bipartisan Anti-China Plan for Artificial Intelligence

A bipartisan plan for artificial intelligence ( AI ) in relation to national security has just been released by U.S .
Representatives Robin Kelly ( D-IL ) and Will Hurd ( R-TX ) .
The report was put together by the D.C.-based think tank Bipartisan Policy Center ( BPC ) and the Center for Security and Emerging Technology ( CSET ) of Georgetown University , in addition to industry representatives and academics , as well as other government officials .
The proposal comes as anti-China rhetoric begins to coalesce in the policy-forming circles of the U.S. government .
“ American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to our success since World War II , and we are in a race with the government of China , ” Hurd stated .
“ It ’ s time for Congress to play its role.
” Most of the document , however , focuses on China and Russia as threats to American hegemony , with AI being just the latest excuse to assert its power over aligned nations and launch threats of economic warfare and tease military action against non-aligned countries .
Recent headlines about the possible acquisition of the Chinese video platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threats to ban the social media company from operating in the U.S. underscore the aggressive tactics now being employed by the government and American tech firms , in tandem , to assert U.S. hegemony over AI systems worldwide .
The tussle over mobile software applications is occurring as the U.S. Department of Justice brings hacking charges against Chinese nationals and the FBI lobs accusations against the Chinese consulate in San Francisco of harboring fugitives .
Meanwhile , a Congressional inquiry into the alleged disappearance of a Chinese Catholic Bishop adds to the strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cold war footing against the Asian nation .
The AI plan is based on three reports issued by the National Security Commission on AI ; established in 2018 by the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act ( P.L .
115-232 ) .
The Commission , co-chaired by former Alphabet CEO Eric Schmidt and former deputy secretary of defense Robert O .
Work , recently created an advisory committee to steer policy in regards to applications of AI .
The Commission has come under fire for holding closed-door meetings and for failing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handed down by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in June held that the Commission must abide by the Federal Advisory Committee Act ( FACA ) and must “ hold open meetings and proactively provide records and other materials to the public.
” The Commission is set to expire in one year , by October 2021 .
The bipartisan plan on AI offers five “ Key Principles ” the first of which involves the implementation of the DoD ’ s “ Ethical Principles for AI , ” a set of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combat and non-combat functions ” of AI , which are to be enforced by the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center ( JAIC ) ; an agency established in 2018 within the Pentagon .
The JAIC is currently led by acting director , Nand Mulchandani of DoD enterprise software contractor , Citrix , and former Chief of the FBI ’ s Counterterrorism and Forensic Science Research Unit , Stephen T. Homeyer .
The second “ principle ” alludes to cooperating “ selectively and pragmatically ” with China and Russia .
The third implies surveillance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perspectives , ” while the fourth calls for greater investment in R & D for artificial intelligence and promoting “ standardization ” to achieve more “ trustworthy ” AI systems .
The fifth brings it full circle back to the confrontational stance of the U.S. government by recommending “ export and investment controls ” to prevent the transfer of sensitive AI technologies to China .
The plan then offers several takeaways , such as the “ operational advantage against adversaries , ” AI-enabled command and control “ as envisioned by programs such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ( DARPA ) Mosaic Warfare and the Air Force ’ s Multi-Domain Command and Control.
” In addition , it adds two recommendations regarding the use of AI for logistical aspects of the U.S. military “ including troop rotations , ” counseling the “ implementation of enterprise AI applications ” to these ends .
Other parts of the plan revolve around autonomous vehicles and weapons systems .
The former , in particular , has important implications for the private sector as ride-sharing companies like Uber and car-makers alike push for policies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But , due to the technology ’ s requirements to “ perceive and map the environment , fuse sensor data , identify obstacles , plan navigation , and communicate with other vehicles , ” it has the potential to bleed into many other sectors of the economy and local levels of government , down to zoning laws .
In an interview earlier this month , JAIC acting director Nand Mulchandani advanced this narrative when he claimed China had “ the world ’ s most advanced [ AI ] capabilities , such as unregulated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their domestic population , trained on Chinese video gathered from their systems.
” Mulchandani , nevertheless , conceded that the “ U.S .
is capable of doing similar things , ” but offered only the U.S. Constitution as the barrier that would prevent America from building “ such universal surveillance and censorship systems.
” A less than comforting thought , to say the least .
Feature photo | Chinese students work on the Ares , a humanoid bipedal robot run on artificial intelligence and designed by them with funding from a Shanghai @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robot Conference in Beijing .
Ng Han Guan | AP

A bipartisan plan for artificial intelligence (AI) in relation to national security has just been released by U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly (D-IL) and Will Hurd (R-TX). The report was put together by the D.C.-based think tank Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) and the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) of Georgetown University, in addition to industry representatives and academics, as well as other government officials.
The proposal comes as anti-China rhetoric begins to coalesce in the policy-forming circles of the U.S. government. “American leadership and advanced technology has been critical to our success since World War II, and we are in a race with the government of China,” Hurd stated. “It’s time for Congress to play its role.” Most of the document, however, focuses on China and Russia as threats to American hegemony, with AI being just the latest excuse to assert its power over aligned nations and launch threats of economic warfare and tease military action against non-aligned countries.
Recent headlines about the possible acquisition of the Chinese video platform TikTok by Microsoft and Trump’s threats to ban the social media company from operating in the U.S. underscore the aggressive tactics now being employed by the government and American tech firms, in tandem, to assert U.S. hegemony over AI systems worldwide.
The tussle over mobile software applications is occurring as the U.S. Department of Justice brings hacking charges against Chinese nationals and the FBI lobs accusations against the Chinese consulate in San Francisco of harboring fugitives. Meanwhile, a Congressional inquiry into the alleged disappearance of a Chinese Catholic Bishop adds to the strong signals that the U.S. is moving into cold war footing against the Asian nation.
Principles and takeaways
The AI plan is based on three reports issued by the National Security Commission on AI; established in 2018 by the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 115-232).
The Commission, co-chaired by former Alphabet CEO Eric Schmidt and former deputy secretary of defense Robert O. Work, recently created an advisory committee to steer policy in regards to applications of AI.
The Commission has come under fire for holding closed-door meetings and for failing to publicly disclose their recommendations. A decision handed down by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in June held that the Commission must abide by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and must “hold open meetings and proactively provide records and other materials to the public.” The Commission is set to expire in one year, by October 2021.
The bipartisan plan on AI offers five “Key Principles” the first of which involves the implementation of the DoD’s “Ethical Principles for AI,” a set of broad rules meant to guide “both combat and non-combat functions” of AI, which are to be enforced by the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC); an agency established in 2018 within the Pentagon. The JAIC is currently led by acting director, Nand Mulchandani of DoD enterprise software contractor, Citrix, and former Chief of the FBI’s Counterterrorism and Forensic Science Research Unit, Stephen T. Homeyer.
The second “principle” alludes to cooperating “selectively and pragmatically” with China and Russia. The third implies surveillance of other countries’ AI capabilities and “perspectives,” while the fourth calls for greater investment in R&D for artificial intelligence and promoting “standardization” to achieve more “trustworthy” AI systems. The fifth brings it full circle back to the confrontational stance of the U.S. government by recommending “export and investment controls” to prevent the transfer of sensitive AI technologies to China.
The plan then offers several takeaways, such as the “operational advantage against adversaries,” AI-enabled command and control “as envisioned by programs such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Mosaic Warfare and the Air Force’s Multi-Domain Command and Control.” In addition, it adds two recommendations regarding the use of AI for logistical aspects of the U.S. military “including troop rotations,” counseling the “implementation of enterprise AI applications” to these ends.
Curbside Constitution
Other parts of the plan revolve around autonomous vehicles and weapons systems. The former, in particular, has important implications for the private sector as ride-sharing companies like Uber and car-makers alike push for policies to shape the burgeoning autonomous vehicle market. But, due to the technology’s requirements to “perceive and map the environment, fuse sensor data, identify obstacles, plan navigation, and communicate with other vehicles,” it has the potential to bleed into many other sectors of the economy and local levels of government, down to zoning laws.
In an interview earlier this month, JAIC acting director Nand Mulchandani advanced this narrative when he claimed China had “the world’s most advanced [AI] capabilities, such as unregulated facial recognition for universal surveillance and control of their domestic population, trained on Chinese video gathered from their systems.” Mulchandani, nevertheless, conceded that the “U.S. is capable of doing similar things,” but offered only the U.S. Constitution as the barrier that would prevent America from building “such universal surveillance and censorship systems.” A less than comforting thought, to say the least.
Feature photo | Chinese students work on the Ares, a humanoid bipedal robot run on artificial intelligence and designed by them with funding from a Shanghai investment company, displayed during the World Robot Conference in Beijing. Ng Han Guan | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-08-05--Do Hundreds of UN Resolutions Prove the United Nations has an Anti-Israel Bias?

The U.S. government is in a love affair with Israel , and nowhere is it more apparent than in the halls of the United Nations .
Former U.S .
Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley once asserted , “ Nowhere has the UN ’ s failure been more consistent and more outrageous than its bias against our close ally Israel.
” Indeed , since 1949 , that state has been the subject of many hundreds of United Nations General Assembly ( General Assembly ) resolutions – nearly every one of them critical of Israel , “ the Occupying Power.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dozen or more discussions about Israeli injustice toward Palestinians , but rarely the reverse .
Many Israel supporters agree with Haley that this indicates an anti-Israel or even anti-Semitic tendency in the UN .
The Anti-Defamation League ( ADL ) suggests that “ Arab member states of the UN have used the General Assembly ( GA ) as a forum for isolating and chastising Israel.
” The ADL speculates that “ third-world nations ” add their votes to those of hostile Arab states to pass measures against Israel .
This analysis is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the General Assembly emerge not from personal animus , but the priorities of the UN and geopolitical facts .
The UN strives to promote economic growth , maintain peace , support developing countries , and promote human rights , justice , and international law .
The items on the General Assembly agenda involve complex issues .
Most topics are automatically revisited every year until they are resolved ; occasionally , a new one is added , or one is dropped or merged with another .
Resolutions grow not from hearsay or opinion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of them UN-commissioned .
Experts and members of UN committees regularly contribute carefully researched reports .
Starting in the late 1960s , for example , the UN passed resolutions concerning South Africa , calling for an end to apartheid and encouraging all justice-loving countries to boycott , sanction , and isolate the country .
UN member states overwhelmingly supported the efforts to end apartheid – not from an anti-South-African bias , but from a passion for justice .
The topic : Policies of Apartheid of the Government of South Africa , came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the issue was resolved .
Israel , on the other hand , has not made any of the changes the international community has called for .
While it ’ s not surprising that Arab countries support Palestine in the UN , they are not numerous enough to accomplish anything on their own .
Member States from all over the world vote in favor of resolutions that censure Israel – delegates look at facts and recommendations and decide whether they are compelling .
The fact that General Assembly passes a dozen or more resolutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to a bias against Israel ( or Jews ) , but to the enormous scale and long history of the problem .
The Palestinian plight has been before the organization for decades and has grown in scope – not just because the number of Palestinians has grown , but because Israel ’ s brutality has intensified .
It is worth taking time to trace the roots of the General Assembly ’ s supposed preoccupation with Palestine and determine whether it is malicious or constructive .
At least 750,000 Palestinians fled or were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state of Israel emerged in 1948 on 78 percent of historic Palestine .
The UN passed a resolution expressing its expectation that the refugees would be allowed to return .
Israel refused to comply .
In 1949 , the UN created UNRWA , the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East , and gave it the mandate to care for those refugees and help them return home .
And because the Palestinian refugees from 1948 are still in exile , UNRWA is still at work , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social services to the refugee population of the Palestinian territories .
Every year since 1952 , UNRWA has reported to General Assembly on its work , and has been commissioned via resolution to continue its efforts – that ’ s 67 resolutions in 67 years while waiting for Israel to grant the refugees their right of return .
Every year , some Palestinians leave the refugee camps and emigrate to countries around the world , but the majority stay , either because they can ’ t afford to leave , or in hopes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refugees has grown from 750,000 to around 3 million – and the costs to UNRWA have increased exponentially .
In 1970 , the General Assembly created the Working Group on the Financing of UNRWA to address the Agency ’ s financial crisis .
Every year since , the Working Group has pursued new ways to finance UNRWA ’ s work , and produced a report on its efforts ; every year , the UN passes a resolution for the continuation of those efforts – 49 years , 49 resolutions .
About 200,000 Palestinians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in June of 1967 ( some of these had already been displaced in 1948 ) when Israel occupied what was left of Palestine .
Again , Israel refuses to let them return .
In 1983 , General Assembly began addressing this issue individually , demanding that not just the refugees from 1948 , but also those from 1967 , be allowed to return .
Because Israel has steadfastly refused to give them this right , the topic : Persons Displaced as a Result of the June 1967 and Subsequent Hostilities , has prompted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years in a row .
As soon as Israel began its occupation in 1967 , it began to build settlements – pockets of Israeli citizens living illegally on Palestinian land .
In yet another affront to justice and international law , settlement construction includes the demolition of entire Palestinian villages , the confiscation of Palestinian property , and the expulsion of Palestinians .
By 1972 , the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Population of the Occupied Territories had brought this to the attention of the General @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s settlement-building and passing resolutions condemning the practice , asking the Special Committee to follow up – 47 resolutions in 47 years .
( Until 2019 , the United States agreed with the rest of the world that these settlements are illegal . )
Because Israel has persistently ignored the UN ’ s demands , at least 600,000 Israelis now live illegally in the Palestinian territories , including in East Jerusalem .
The UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People is also fighting for Palestinian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1968 to specifically address Israel ’ s violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law that arose in the wake of the occupation .
Every year , the Committee conducts a fact-finding mission in the region , and every year , the Israeli government refuses to participate or even allow the members to enter the occupied Palestinian territories .
Through investigation , independent research , and interviews with members of relevant UN committees and reputable NGOs , the Committee puts together a report in keeping with their mandate .
Various groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
Every year since 1971 , General Assembly has passed a resolution directing the Committee to continue its valuable work .
That ’ s 48 resolutions in 48 years .
( Here is the 2019 report . )
By 1975 , the General Assembly was “ gravely concerned ” that Palestinian refugees still lacked their inalienable rights to self-determination , sovereignty , and the ability to return home .
The body stated : The General Assembly created the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People in hopes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1976 , and every year since , the Committee has worked with other organizations around the world that are advocating for a just solution .
They have reported every year , and every year General Assembly has passed a resolution – 43 in total – recognizing the work and authorizing it to continue .
The UN Social , Humanitarian , and Cultural Committee has also taken on the Palestinian issue , with an emphasis on “ the development of friendly relations among nations , based on respect for the principle of equal rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been working and reporting since 1995 ; each year , the General Assembly passes a resolution reaffirming these efforts : 24 resolutions in 24 years .
Beginning in July 1996 , General Assembly joined with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia to highlight ( among other things ) Israeli settlements ’ devastating impact on Palestinians ’ access to their own natural resources .
For years , Israel ’ s government and illegal settlers have been confiscating or destroying agricultural land and orchards , water pipelines and sewage networks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to illegal settlements .
The Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources Committee tracks and reports these actions in an effort to hold Israel accountable for its exploitation and destruction of Palestinian natural resources .
Israel has refused to take appropriate action .
The General Assembly has , therefore , continued to pass resolutions to keep the Committee on the job – 23 resolutions in 23 years .
Ever since 1947 , before the State of Israel was created on Palestinian land , Jerusalem has been a focal point of the United Nations .
Resolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shall be established as a corpus separatum under a special international regime and shall be administered by the United Nations .
In support of Israel ’ s application for UN membership , the Israeli delegate Abba Eban assured the General Assembly that the Jewish state agreed with Resolution 181 .
In the more than seventy years since , Israel never put the UN plan into motion .
Israel controlled much of the city beginning in 1948 and officially – illegally – annexed the rest in 1980 – an act which the United Nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( but which the current U.S. administration supports ) .
The topic of Jerusalem has come up in 38 General Assembly sessions and resolutions as the body has attempted again and again to pressure Israel to submit to international law and the UN ’ s own declarations – as well as Israel ’ s own promises .
The Economic and Social Council of United Nations works with various UN bodies to identify “ economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people , ” and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coordinate and deliver needed assistance .
Consequently , the topic of “ Assistance to the Palestinian People ” has spawned 40 resolutions .
As General Assembly saw , year after year , Israel ’ s impunity for egregious human rights violations , the body turned to the UN Department of Public Information ( DPI ) to ramp up the pressure .
The DPI had been established in 1946 , “ to promote global awareness and understanding of the work of the United Nations … [ to build ] support for peace , development @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General Assembly instructed DPI to build close contact with the media , organize conferences and meetings with NGOs , publish newsletters and articles , and organize trips for journalists “ in order to heighten awareness of the facts relating to the question of Palestine.
” Each year since 1996 , General Assembly has passed resolutions renewing DPI ’ s mandate – 23 years in a row .
The effort may be paying off in the one country that stands most resolutely by the side of Israel : polls are beginning to indicate that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and of U.S. government policies that favor the “ Jewish State.
” Palestine has been a prominent UN topic since 1949 and has been the subject of at least seven hundred resolutions – only a fraction of which are discussed here .
The list of committees and working groups toiling over the Palestinian issue is long .
General Assembly indeed spends a great deal of time discussing and debating this topic .
Their work attests , not to an anti-Israel or anti-Semitic culture in the United Nations , but to the tenacity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belligerence of Israel .
It also speaks volumes that the United States remains one of only a handful of allies of this rogue state .
Until this changes , there is no reason to expect that Israel ’ s behavior will improve .
Feature photo | A United Nations aid agency car lies destroyed by shrapnel from an Israeli airstrike in the Jebaliya refugee camp , northern Gaza , July 29 , 2014 .
Lefteris Pitarakis | AP Kathryn Shihadah writes for MintPress News and If Americans Knew .
She speaks regularly about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hands of Israel with complicity from the United States , especially to Christian audiences .
Kathryn has lived in the Middle East for ten years and has traveled extensively .
She blogs at PalestineHome.org

The U.S. government is in a love affair with Israel, and nowhere is it more apparent than in the halls of the United Nations. Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley once asserted, “Nowhere has the UN’s failure been more consistent and more outrageous than its bias against our close ally Israel.”
Indeed, since 1949, that state has been the subject of many hundreds of United Nations General Assembly (General Assembly) resolutions – nearly every one of them critical of Israel, “the Occupying Power.” Each year the General Assembly agenda includes a dozen or more discussions about Israeli injustice toward Palestinians, but rarely the reverse.
Many Israel supporters agree with Haley that this indicates an anti-Israel or even anti-Semitic tendency in the UN. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) suggests that “Arab member states of the UN have used the General Assembly (GA) as a forum for isolating and chastising Israel.” The ADL speculates that “third-world nations” add their votes to those of hostile Arab states to pass measures against Israel.
This analysis is both implausible and ahistorical.
The UN agenda
Subjects matter in the General Assembly emerge not from personal animus, but the priorities of the UN and geopolitical facts. The UN strives to promote economic growth, maintain peace, support developing countries, and promote human rights, justice, and international law. The items on the General Assembly agenda involve complex issues. Most topics are automatically revisited every year until they are resolved; occasionally, a new one is added, or one is dropped or merged with another.
Resolutions grow not from hearsay or opinion, but from fact-based eyewitness reports, many of them UN-commissioned. Experts and members of UN committees regularly contribute carefully researched reports. Starting in the late 1960s, for example, the UN passed resolutions concerning South Africa, calling for an end to apartheid and encouraging all justice-loving countries to boycott, sanction, and isolate the country. UN member states overwhelmingly supported the efforts to end apartheid – not from an anti-South-African bias, but from a passion for justice. The topic: Policies of Apartheid of the Government of South Africa, came up year after year until 1994 when the issue was resolved.
Israel, on the other hand, has not made any of the changes the international community has called for. While it’s not surprising that Arab countries support Palestine in the UN, they are not numerous enough to accomplish anything on their own. Member States from all over the world vote in favor of resolutions that censure Israel – delegates look at facts and recommendations and decide whether they are compelling.
The fact that General Assembly passes a dozen or more resolutions addressing the Palestinian issue each year owes not to a bias against Israel (or Jews), but to the enormous scale and long history of the problem. The Palestinian plight has been before the organization for decades and has grown in scope – not just because the number of Palestinians has grown, but because Israel’s brutality has intensified.
It is worth taking time to trace the roots of the General Assembly’s supposed preoccupation with Palestine and determine whether it is malicious or constructive.
1948 refugees and UNRWA
At least 750,000 Palestinians fled or were exiled from their homes and villages as the state of Israel emerged in 1948 on 78 percent of historic Palestine. The UN passed a resolution expressing its expectation that the refugees would be allowed to return. Israel refused to comply.
In 1949, the UN created UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, and gave it the mandate to care for those refugees and help them return home. And because the Palestinian refugees from 1948 are still in exile, UNRWA is still at work, providing health care, education, and social services to the refugee population of the Palestinian territories.
Every year since 1952, UNRWA has reported to General Assembly on its work, and has been commissioned via resolution to continue its efforts – that’s 67 resolutions in 67 years while waiting for Israel to grant the refugees their right of return. Every year, some Palestinians leave the refugee camps and emigrate to countries around the world, but the majority stay, either because they can’t afford to leave, or in hopes of returning home. The number of refugees has grown from 750,000 to around 3 million – and the costs to UNRWA have increased exponentially.
In 1970, the General Assembly created the Working Group on the Financing of UNRWA to address the Agency’s financial crisis. Every year since, the Working Group has pursued new ways to finance UNRWA’s work, and produced a report on its efforts; every year, the UN passes a resolution for the continuation of those efforts – 49 years, 49 resolutions.
1967 refugees
About 200,000 Palestinians were displaced during the so-called Six-Day War in June of 1967 (some of these had already been displaced in 1948) when Israel occupied what was left of Palestine. Again, Israel refuses to let them return.
In 1983, General Assembly began addressing this issue individually, demanding that not just the refugees from 1948, but also those from 1967, be allowed to return. Because Israel has steadfastly refused to give them this right, the topic: Persons Displaced as a Result of the June 1967 and Subsequent Hostilities, has prompted resolutions every year since 1975 – 44 years in a row.
Settlements: land theft
As soon as Israel began its occupation in 1967, it began to build settlements – pockets of Israeli citizens living illegally on Palestinian land. In yet another affront to justice and international law, settlement construction includes the demolition of entire Palestinian villages, the confiscation of Palestinian property, and the expulsion of Palestinians.
By 1972, the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Population of the Occupied Territories had brought this to the attention of the General Assembly, which began tracking Israel’s settlement-building and passing resolutions condemning the practice, asking the Special Committee to follow up – 47 resolutions in 47 years. (Until 2019, the United States agreed with the rest of the world that these settlements are illegal.)
Because Israel has persistently ignored the UN’s demands, at least 600,000 Israelis now live illegally in the Palestinian territories, including in East Jerusalem.
Human rights abuses
The UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People is also fighting for Palestinian rights. The committee was formed in 1968 to specifically address Israel’s violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law that arose in the wake of the occupation.
Every year, the Committee conducts a fact-finding mission in the region, and every year, the Israeli government refuses to participate or even allow the members to enter the occupied Palestinian territories. Through investigation, independent research, and interviews with members of relevant UN committees and reputable NGOs, the Committee puts together a report in keeping with their mandate. Various groups use these reports to carry on advocacy work.
Every year since 1971, General Assembly has passed a resolution directing the Committee to continue its valuable work. That’s 48 resolutions in 48 years. (Here is the 2019 report.)
Inalienable rights
By 1975, the General Assembly was “gravely concerned” that Palestinian refugees still lacked their inalienable rights to self-determination, sovereignty, and the ability to return home. The body stated:
the United Nations has a permanent responsibility with respect to the question of Palestine until the question is resolved in all its aspects in a satisfactory manner in accordance with international legitimacy.
The General Assembly created the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People in hopes of finding a solution.
Starting in 1976, and every year since, the Committee has worked with other organizations around the world that are advocating for a just solution. They have reported every year, and every year General Assembly has passed a resolution – 43 in total – recognizing the work and authorizing it to continue.
Self-determination
The UN Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee has also taken on the Palestinian issue, with an emphasis on “the development of friendly relations among nations, based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples.” This Committee has been working and reporting since 1995; each year, the General Assembly passes a resolution reaffirming these efforts: 24 resolutions in 24 years.
Stealing natural resources
Beginning in July 1996, General Assembly joined with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia to highlight (among other things) Israeli settlements’ devastating impact on Palestinians’ access to their own natural resources.
For years, Israel’s government and illegal settlers have been confiscating or destroying agricultural land and orchards, water pipelines and sewage networks, and diverting water resources from Palestinian towns to illegal settlements.
The Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources Committee tracks and reports these actions in an effort to hold Israel accountable for its exploitation and destruction of Palestinian natural resources.
Israel has refused to take appropriate action. The General Assembly has, therefore, continued to pass resolutions to keep the Committee on the job – 23 resolutions in 23 years.
The Holy City of Jerusalem
Ever since 1947, before the State of Israel was created on Palestinian land, Jerusalem has been a focal point of the United Nations. Resolution 181 declared,
The City of Jerusalem shall be established as a corpus separatum under a special international regime and shall be administered by the United Nations.
In support of Israel’s application for UN membership, the Israeli delegate Abba Eban assured the General Assembly that the Jewish state agreed with Resolution 181.
In the more than seventy years since, Israel never put the UN plan into motion. Israel controlled much of the city beginning in 1948 and officially – illegally – annexed the rest in 1980 – an act which the United Nations has deemed “null and void” (but which the current U.S. administration supports).
The topic of Jerusalem has come up in 38 General Assembly sessions and resolutions as the body has attempted again and again to pressure Israel to submit to international law and the UN’s own declarations – as well as Israel’s own promises.
Israel created an economic crisis
The Economic and Social Council of United Nations works with various UN bodies to identify “economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people,” and has been working for over four decades to coordinate and deliver needed assistance. Consequently, the topic of “Assistance to the Palestinian People” has spawned 40 resolutions.
United Nations as a myth-buster
As General Assembly saw, year after year, Israel’s impunity for egregious human rights violations, the body turned to the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) to ramp up the pressure. The DPI had been established in 1946, “to promote global awareness and understanding of the work of the United Nations …[to build] support for peace, development and human rights for all.
The General Assembly instructed DPI to build close contact with the media, organize conferences and meetings with NGOs, publish newsletters and articles, and organize trips for journalists “in order to heighten awareness of the facts relating to the question of Palestine.” Each year since 1996, General Assembly has passed resolutions renewing DPI’s mandate – 23 years in a row.
The effort may be paying off in the one country that stands most resolutely by the side of Israel: polls are beginning to indicate that Americans are becoming less supportive of Israel and of U.S. government policies that favor the “Jewish State.”
Numbers speak volumes
Palestine has been a prominent UN topic since 1949 and has been the subject of at least seven hundred resolutions – only a fraction of which are discussed here.
The list of committees and working groups toiling over the Palestinian issue is long. General Assembly indeed spends a great deal of time discussing and debating this topic. Their work attests, not to an anti-Israel or anti-Semitic culture in the United Nations, but to the tenacity of this global body – and the shameless belligerence of Israel.
It also speaks volumes that the United States remains one of only a handful of allies of this rogue state. Until this changes, there is no reason to expect that Israel’s behavior will improve.
Feature photo | A United Nations aid agency car lies destroyed by shrapnel from an Israeli airstrike in the Jebaliya refugee camp, northern Gaza, July 29, 2014. Lefteris Pitarakis | AP
Kathryn Shihadah writes for MintPress News and If Americans Knew. She speaks regularly about the injustice and demonization Palestinians face at the hands of Israel with complicity from the United States, especially to Christian audiences. Kathryn has lived in the Middle East for ten years and has traveled extensively. She blogs at PalestineHome.org


mintpressnews--2020-08-05--Shadowy US Firm Run by Former Diplomat Cinches Syria Oil Deal with Kurds

In November of last year , the Pentagon ’ s assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs assured reporters during a press briefing that “ the revenue from [ Syrian oil fields ] is not going to the U.S. [ It ] is going to the SDF ” , adding that the purpose of the mission was “ to defeat ISIS ” and that “ securing of the oil fields [ was ] a subordinate task to that mission ” , which was “ to deny ISIS the revenues from that oil infrastructure.
” At that time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Delaware jurisdiction named Delta Crescent Energy LLC had already been communicating with members of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) in the northeastern region of Syria for several months about developing and exporting crude oil from the Kurdish-occupied territory .
Already in April 2019 , the new oil concern had received a license from the U.S. Treasury Department ’ s Office of Foreign Assets Control ( OFAC ) to carry on with the work ; the same Treasury department that in 2018 had levied sanctions against the Syrian government ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targeting companies in Lebanon and the UAE which deliver fuel and natural gas to Syria .
The Syrian foreign ministry issued a statement on Sunday declaring the deal to be illegal and designed to steal Syrian crude .
“ This agreement is null and void and has no legal basis , ” read the statement from Damascus , which condemned “ in the strongest terms the agreement signed between al-Qasd militia ( SDF ) and an American oil company.
” The loose band of Kurdish rebels now known as the SDF was formed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Syrian city of Kobani in 2015 .
Subsequent military assistance and training by U.S. forces helped consolidate the 60,000-man army , which has been pivotal in American destabilization efforts in Syria .
Delta Crescent Energy LLC was formed in February 2019 in the tax haven jurisdiction of Delaware and lists its address as 1209 North Orange Street in Wilmington , DE ; a “ tiny brick building , ” which is also home to more than 300,000 business entities .
Among its neighbors at the cramped address are companies like Apple , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name a few .
The company ’ s officers include George W. Bush ’ s ambassador to Denmark , James P. Cain – a sports franchise owner who once called for the execution of Chelsea Manning for leaking diplomatic cables to Wikileaks ; former Delta Force commander and TigerSwan CEO , James Reese and John P. Dorrier Jr. founder of UK-based , Houston , TX-located , GulfSands Petroleum , which has carried out business in Syria before .
Reese , whose private mercenary company TigerSwan infiltrated and surveilled Dakota Access Pipeline protestors at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News in 2018 that “ the whole eastern part of Syria ” belonged to the U.S. “ That ’ s ours , ” he continued , “ We can ’ t give that up.
” The secretive oil deal was a topic of conversation during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on July 30 .
When Sen. Lindsey Graham asked Secretary of State , Mike Pompeo if he was supportive of the agreement , he testified that “ We are , ” adding that it had taken “ longer ” than anticipated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it can be very powerful.
” Graham praised the blatantly illegal arrangement , saying that it would “ improve the viability of the northern oil fields to make them more productive.
” Syrian oil fields were producing approximately 380,000 barrels a day until U.S.-backed rebels took over the oil-rich northeastern region of the country after “ ousting ” ISIS forces – themselves spawned from the EU , the U.S. , and the UK – reducing production to less than 60,000 barrels a day .
The negotiations were brokered by U.S. government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeffrey , United States Special Representative for Syria Engagement and his deputy , Joel Rayburn were charged with cementing the contract , which the Trump administration still cynically claims was done on behalf of the “ Syrian people ” and that the U.S. “ government does not own , control , or manage the oil resources in Syria .
The populations in areas liberated from ISIS make their own decisions on local governance.
” The Pentagon ’ s spokesperson , Jessica McNulty added that the DoD “ does not have an affiliation with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil fields in northeast Syria ” and in the same breath expressed how the American military was there to literally protect the interests of the oil company by “ securing [ the ] critical petroleum infrastructure in northeast Syria to deny ISIS access to critical resources and revenue.
” McNulty , however , did not mention that the Delaware-based company has plans to sell the oil to “ various customers in the region , ” including Assad , himself .

In November of last year, the Pentagon’s assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs assured reporters during a press briefing that “the revenue from [Syrian oil fields] is not going to the U.S. [It] is going to the SDF”, adding that the purpose of the mission was “to defeat ISIS” and that “securing of the oil fields [was] a subordinate task to that mission”, which was “to deny ISIS the revenues from that oil infrastructure.”
At that time, however, a recently incorporated company in the Delaware jurisdiction named Delta Crescent Energy LLC had already been communicating with members of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northeastern region of Syria for several months about developing and exporting crude oil from the Kurdish-occupied territory.
Already in April 2019, the new oil concern had received a license from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to carry on with the work; the same Treasury department that in 2018 had levied sanctions against the Syrian government’s “Petroleum Procurement Network,” targeting companies in Lebanon and the UAE which deliver fuel and natural gas to Syria.
The Syrian foreign ministry issued a statement on Sunday declaring the deal to be illegal and designed to steal Syrian crude. “This agreement is null and void and has no legal basis,” read the statement from Damascus, which condemned “in the strongest terms the agreement signed between al-Qasd militia (SDF) and an American oil company.”
The loose band of Kurdish rebels now known as the SDF was formed after U.S. airstrikes allowed them to take the Syrian city of Kobani in 2015. Subsequent military assistance and training by U.S. forces helped consolidate the 60,000-man army, which has been pivotal in American destabilization efforts in Syria.
Shell company
Delta Crescent Energy LLC was formed in February 2019 in the tax haven jurisdiction of Delaware and lists its address as 1209 North Orange Street in Wilmington, DE; a “tiny brick building,” which is also home to more than 300,000 business entities. Among its neighbors at the cramped address are companies like Apple, eBay, and Walmart, just to name a few.
The company’s officers include George W. Bush’s ambassador to Denmark, James P. Cain – a sports franchise owner who once called for the execution of Chelsea Manning for leaking diplomatic cables to Wikileaks; former Delta Force commander and TigerSwan CEO, James Reese and John P. Dorrier Jr. founder of UK-based, Houston, TX-located, GulfSands Petroleum, which has carried out business in Syria before.
Reese, whose private mercenary company TigerSwan infiltrated and surveilled Dakota Access Pipeline protestors at Standing Rock in 2016, told Fox News in 2018 that “the whole eastern part of Syria” belonged to the U.S. “That’s ours,” he continued, “We can’t give that up.”
The secretive oil deal was a topic of conversation during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on July 30. When Sen. Lindsey Graham asked Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo if he was supportive of the agreement, he testified that “We are,” adding that it had taken “longer” than anticipated, but it “was now in implementation, and it can be very powerful.”
Oil market viability
Graham praised the blatantly illegal arrangement, saying that it would “improve the viability of the northern oil fields to make them more productive.” Syrian oil fields were producing approximately 380,000 barrels a day until U.S.-backed rebels took over the oil-rich northeastern region of the country after “ousting” ISIS forces – themselves spawned from the EU, the U.S., and the UK – reducing production to less than 60,000 barrels a day.
The negotiations were brokered by U.S. government officials from the State Department. James Jeffrey, United States Special Representative for Syria Engagement and his deputy, Joel Rayburn were charged with cementing the contract, which the Trump administration still cynically claims was done on behalf of the “Syrian people” and that the U.S. “government does not own, control, or manage the oil resources in Syria. The populations in areas liberated from ISIS make their own decisions on local governance.”
The Pentagon’s spokesperson, Jessica McNulty added that the DoD “does not have an affiliation with any private companies in regard to the oil fields in northeast Syria” and in the same breath expressed how the American military was there to literally protect the interests of the oil company by “securing [the] critical petroleum infrastructure in northeast Syria to deny ISIS access to critical resources and revenue.” McNulty, however, did not mention that the Delaware-based company has plans to sell the oil to “various customers in the region,” including Assad, himself.
Feature photo | U.S. military forces patrol Syrian oil fields, Oct. 28, 2019. Baderkhan Ahmad | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-08-05--Backed by Millions from Pro-Israel Interests, Antone Melton-Meaux Takes Aim at Ilhan Omar

Some of the most committed pro-Israel and anti-Palestinian groups are flooding the Democratic primaries in an attempt to unseat Rep. Ilhan Omar .
On the surface , there are five candidates Democrats vying to be the congressional representative for Minnesota ’ s 5th district .
But , in reality , it is a two-horse race , with two candidates raising millions , mostly from out of state , in this unusually hotly contested primary .
One ’ s presence is perfectly understandable ; in two short years , Ilhan Omar has risen to be a highly visible ( and controversial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she is more known to the American public than prominent Democrats like New York Mayor Bill de Blasio , Hillary Clinton ’ s running mate Tim Kaine and presidential candidate Andrew Yang .
The other is more surprising : Antone Melton-Meaux , a lawyer by trade and a political neophyte has been the unlikely recipient of millions of campaign dollars .
If you live in Minneapolis and turn on the television or radio , you will very likely hear a well-produced ad extolling Melton-Meaux or criticizing Omar .
The challenger has raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to unseat the Somali-born politician , a huge sum for a congressional primary .
And while Omar has now closed the funding gap , their monies come from very different sources .
The majority of Omar ’ s funds come from small donations , with under two percent from political action committees ( PACs ) .
In contrast , Melton-Meaux has received huge sums from pro-Israel groups and from wealthy individuals eager to see Omar unseated .
The number one zip code for donations to his campaign is in Beverly Hills , CA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor party , his average donation on Democratic fundraising website ActBlue is $ 650 ( Omar ’ s is $ 18 ) .
Much of his money comes from pro-Israel PACs .
America PAC , for instance , has given around $ 382,000 .
Strongly conservative group NORPAC raised over $ 100,000 for Melton-Meaux in fundraisers in May and June , with AIPAC generating three times that amount for him .
“ Together , we have the privilege of accomplishing a dual objective .
Supporting a deserving candidate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genuine desire to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship and bring honor to his country and party while at the same time replacing Ilhan Omar , a highly divisive member of Congress who has proven to be unfairly and repeatedly critical of Israel , ” explained NORPAC .
Omar has been a vocal critic of Israel and a supporter of the Boycott , Divestment and Sanctions movement against it .
One of the only Muslims in Congress , she has also criticized the $ 3.8 billion in yearly aid the U.S. gives Israel , arguing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stop the illegal settlements and ensure full rights for Palestinians .
“ We must end [ the occupation of Palestine ] , ” she said .
Last year the Netanyahu government denied her entry into Israel or Palestine , where she was to meet with members of the Knesset and the United Nations .
Pro-Israel critics have constantly described her criticism of the state as anti-semitic .
Some in Minnesota have worried about the implications of such an influx of money to the race .
“ [ We ] need to ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from and why are they doing it and what do they expect for it , ” said Keith Ellison , Omar ’ s predecessor as Congressional Representative for the 5th district .
Melton-Meaux himself has been rather vague with his campaign , running primarily on a message of unity and of being an alternative to Omar .
There are zero policies mentioned in the “ why I am running ” section of his website , promising only to end hyper-partisanship in Washington and work with others — presumably Republicans — to get things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has serious disagreements with Omar .
He opposes Medicare-For-All , calling only for better “ access ” to “ affordable ” healthcare , and has been critical of the Black Lives Matter movement .
While Omar supported Minneapolis ’ decision to dismantle their police force and start from scratch , Melton-Meaux has condemned the idea , presenting police as peacekeepers .
“ We ’ ve seen what happens when the police aren ’ t present and there ’ s been a lot more violence since then in Minneapolis , separate and apart from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For all his talk of ending divisiveness , Melton-Meaux has certainly had a divisive career as a partner in Jackson Lewis , a law firm that specializes in union-busting .
As the Huffington Post noted , in at least three cases , he represented large corporations that were fighting lawsuits from workers who claimed they were discriminated against or had their wages stolen by their employers .
“ It ’ s troubling to see somebody who ’ s running as a Democrat have that sort of record , ” said Chris Shields @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In many respects , the Minnesota primary resembles the Democratic presidential nomination , with a fierce but silent struggle between more radical grassroots figures and well-sponsored “ moderate ” opponents .
Residents of the 5th district will have the opportunity to choose between the candidates on August 11 and decide whether the Minnesotan Pete Buttigieg will get further than just the primaries .
Feature photo | Fifth Congressional District candidate , Democrat Antone Melton-Meaux , answers questions during an interview in his Minneapolis office , July 22 , 2020 .
Jim Mone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

Some of the most committed pro-Israel and anti-Palestinian groups are flooding the Democratic primaries in an attempt to unseat Rep. Ilhan Omar.
On the surface, there are five candidates Democrats vying to be the congressional representative for Minnesota’s 5th district. But, in reality, it is a two-horse race, with two candidates raising millions, mostly from out of state, in this unusually hotly contested primary. One’s presence is perfectly understandable; in two short years, Ilhan Omar has risen to be a highly visible (and controversial) progressive champion. According to polls, she is more known to the American public than prominent Democrats like New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, Hillary Clinton’s running mate Tim Kaine and presidential candidate Andrew Yang.
The other is more surprising: Antone Melton-Meaux, a lawyer by trade and a political neophyte has been the unlikely recipient of millions of campaign dollars. If you live in Minneapolis and turn on the television or radio, you will very likely hear a well-produced ad extolling Melton-Meaux or criticizing Omar. The challenger has raised over $4 million in his quest to unseat the Somali-born politician, a huge sum for a congressional primary. And while Omar has now closed the funding gap, their monies come from very different sources. The majority of Omar’s funds come from small donations, with under two percent from political action committees (PACs). In contrast, Melton-Meaux has received huge sums from pro-Israel groups and from wealthy individuals eager to see Omar unseated. The number one zip code for donations to his campaign is in Beverly Hills, CA. And according to Ken Martin, chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor party, his average donation on Democratic fundraising website ActBlue is $650 (Omar’s is $18).
Much of his money comes from pro-Israel PACs. America PAC, for instance, has given around $382,000. Strongly conservative group NORPAC raised over $100,000 for Melton-Meaux in fundraisers in May and June, with AIPAC generating three times that amount for him. “Together, we have the privilege of accomplishing a dual objective. Supporting a deserving candidate, Antone Melton-Meaux, who has communicated a genuine desire to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship and bring honor to his country and party while at the same time replacing Ilhan Omar, a highly divisive member of Congress who has proven to be unfairly and repeatedly critical of Israel,” explained NORPAC.
Omar has been a vocal critic of Israel and a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against it. One of the only Muslims in Congress, she has also criticized the $3.8 billion in yearly aid the U.S. gives Israel, arguing that Washington should be leveraging the aid to stop the illegal settlements and ensure full rights for Palestinians. “We must end [the occupation of Palestine],” she said. Last year the Netanyahu government denied her entry into Israel or Palestine, where she was to meet with members of the Knesset and the United Nations. Pro-Israel critics have constantly described her criticism of the state as anti-semitic.
Some in Minnesota have worried about the implications of such an influx of money to the race. “[We] need to ask where is this mountain of money coming from and why are they doing it and what do they expect for it,” said Keith Ellison, Omar’s predecessor as Congressional Representative for the 5th district.
Melton-Meaux himself has been rather vague with his campaign, running primarily on a message of unity and of being an alternative to Omar. There are zero policies mentioned in the “why I am running” section of his website, promising only to end hyper-partisanship in Washington and work with others — presumably Republicans — to get things done.
On key issues, he has serious disagreements with Omar. He opposes Medicare-For-All, calling only for better “access” to “affordable” healthcare, and has been critical of the Black Lives Matter movement. While Omar supported Minneapolis’ decision to dismantle their police force and start from scratch, Melton-Meaux has condemned the idea, presenting police as peacekeepers. “We’ve seen what happens when the police aren’t present and there’s been a lot more violence since then in Minneapolis, separate and apart from the civil unrest,” he said.
The Minneapolis Police Department has proven themselves beyond reform. It’s time to disband them and reimagine public safety in Minneapolis. Thank you to @MplsWard3 for your leadership on this! https://t.co/AQfHM5M6eR — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 5, 2020
For all his talk of ending divisiveness, Melton-Meaux has certainly had a divisive career as a partner in Jackson Lewis, a law firm that specializes in union-busting. As the Huffington Post noted, in at least three cases, he represented large corporations that were fighting lawsuits from workers who claimed they were discriminated against or had their wages stolen by their employers. “It’s troubling to see somebody who’s running as a Democrat have that sort of record,” said Chris Shields, a spokesperson for the Minnesota AFL-CIO.
In many respects, the Minnesota primary resembles the Democratic presidential nomination, with a fierce but silent struggle between more radical grassroots figures and well-sponsored “moderate” opponents. Residents of the 5th district will have the opportunity to choose between the candidates on August 11 and decide whether the Minnesotan Pete Buttigieg will get further than just the primaries.
Feature photo | Fifth Congressional District candidate, Democrat Antone Melton-Meaux, answers questions during an interview in his Minneapolis office, July 22, 2020. Jim Mone | 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--2020-08-05--Beirut Blast a Deadly Blow to Lebanon’s Already Shattered Economy

Lebanon ’ s Prime Minister Hassan Diab today called for a day of national mourning after a massive explosion ripped through the capital Beirut yesterday , killing at least 100 people and injuring at least 4,000 others .
The extent of the damage is immense ; the city ’ s governor Marwan Abboud estimated that up to 300,000 have immediately been made homeless and that the blast has caused $ 5 billion worth of damage .
Last night Diab addressed the nation : “ What happened today will not pass without accountability , ” he said , “ those responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” While some , including President Trump , have suggested foul play , the most likely explanation was a fire and explosion at the city ’ s port , where some 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate was being stored .
A cheap fertilizer , when kept in large quantities , it can generate enough heat on its own to spark a fire or explode on its own accord .
The intense heat of the Lebanese summer no doubt contributed to the danger .
Diab claimed that the explosive material had been improperly stored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Port officials have been put under house arrest pending an investigation .
Survivors immediately began sharing images of the destruction on social media .
The blast destroyed the crowded city center , with buildings as far as two kilometers away from the epicenter collapsing .
Hospitals were inundated , with arrivals being treated by overwhelmed staff in blood-covered hallways .
Medical centers are appealing for blood donors to come forward to meet the unusual demand .
Cars across the city were upended by the blast that was heard as far away as Cyprus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ E.U .
and Turkey have announced they will travel to the Middle Eastern nation to help .
“ It hit the economic center , all major hotels , every single building in the city .
Nothing was left untouched .
I went around Beirut today after the blast .
The damage is shocking .
Every single residential building , every shop , every hotel , every restaurant , almost nothing left untouched , ” wrote Lebanese-American journalist Rania Khalek .
Meanwhile , Ghada Alsharif of the Daily Star , the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her outlet ’ s offices .
The windows were all completely smashed , the floors covered in glass and dirt , and the ceiling appeared to be buckling .
The explosion may prove to be a fatal blow to the already floundering economy .
The country is in the midst of a devastating economic meltdown as the Lebanese lira collapsed .
While official rates peg the lira at 1,500 to the U.S. dollar , black market rates put the price at around 9,000 per dollar .
The country had kept the currency stable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offering extraordinarily high interest rates for wealthy savers .
But after they realized there was nothing backing it up , the results were bank runs and galloping inflation .
Food prices , along with shortages and hunger , have increased over the past weeks , with bread both difficult to find and expensive to buy .
The total destruction of the port ’ s silos , where tens of thousands of tons of wheat was stored , has left Lebanon with less than a month ’ s reserves of grain , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the port was responsible for receiving and storing around 80 percent of Lebanon ’ s imports ( including most of its food ) , with other port cities like Tyre and Tripoli unable to shoulder the increased load .
Added to the food crisis and fallout from the explosion is the increasing bite of U.S. sanctions , mostly targeted at Syria , but also hitting its Lebanese neighbor .
Due in part to sanctions , Lebanon has been unable to buy electricity from its Eastern neighbor , leading to near-constant power outages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration also sanctioned a Lebanese bank for its supposed cooperation with Hezbollah , an act that further drained the economy .
Beirut ’ s hospitals , already battling a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases , are also unable to cope with the sudden influx of patients .
Two-thirds of confirmed coronavirus cases have occurred in the past month .
With the country ’ s economy in freefall and hundreds of thousands of newly homeless people , it appears unlikely that the situation will improve in the short term .
“ There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destruction in Beirut .
I ’ ve seen the damage from war in Syria and Iraq .
But that happened gradually , one neighborhood or street at a time .
This was an entire city destroyed in a few minutes .
The suffering and misery is unfathomable , ” Khalek added .
Feature photo | A drone picture shows the scene of an explosion at the seaport of Beirut , Lebanon , Aug. 5 , 2020 .
Hussein Malla | 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 .

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab today called for a day of national mourning after a massive explosion ripped through the capital Beirut yesterday, killing at least 100 people and injuring at least 4,000 others. The extent of the damage is immense; the city’s governor Marwan Abboud estimated that up to 300,000 have immediately been made homeless and that the blast has caused $5 billion worth of damage. Last night Diab addressed the nation: “What happened today will not pass without accountability,” he said, “those responsible for this catastrophe will pay the price.”
What the hell is this? Extensive explosions with an unmatched impact, you can see.
May Allah protect people of #Beirut pic.twitter.com/Hk0Axdifxo — Shahbaz Ali (@Shahbaz35403) August 5, 2020
While some, including President Trump, have suggested foul play, the most likely explanation was a fire and explosion at the city’s port, where some 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate was being stored. A cheap fertilizer, when kept in large quantities, it can generate enough heat on its own to spark a fire or explode on its own accord. The intense heat of the Lebanese summer no doubt contributed to the danger. Diab claimed that the explosive material had been improperly stored at the port “for years.” Port officials have been put under house arrest pending an investigation.
Survivors immediately began sharing images of the destruction on social media. The blast destroyed the crowded city center, with buildings as far as two kilometers away from the epicenter collapsing. Hospitals were inundated, with arrivals being treated by overwhelmed staff in blood-covered hallways. Medical centers are appealing for blood donors to come forward to meet the unusual demand. Cars across the city were upended by the blast that was heard as far away as Cyprus. Aid teams from Russia, the E.U. and Turkey have announced they will travel to the Middle Eastern nation to help.
“It hit the economic center, all major hotels, every single building in the city. Nothing was left untouched. I went around Beirut today after the blast. The damage is shocking. Every single residential building, every shop, every hotel, every restaurant, almost nothing left untouched,” wrote Lebanese-American journalist Rania Khalek. Meanwhile, Ghada Alsharif of the Daily Star, the country’s largest English-language newspaper, shared images of her outlet’s offices. The windows were all completely smashed, the floors covered in glass and dirt, and the ceiling appeared to be buckling.
BREAKING: Massive explosion in Beirut. Footage from the daily star office now in Lebanon pic.twitter.com/2uBsKP5wCH — Ghada Alsharif (@GhadaaSharif) August 4, 2020
The explosion may prove to be a fatal blow to the already floundering economy. The country is in the midst of a devastating economic meltdown as the Lebanese lira collapsed. While official rates peg the lira at 1,500 to the U.S. dollar, black market rates put the price at around 9,000 per dollar. The country had kept the currency stable with large reserves which they kept by offering extraordinarily high interest rates for wealthy savers. But after they realized there was nothing backing it up, the results were bank runs and galloping inflation.
Food prices, along with shortages and hunger, have increased over the past weeks, with bread both difficult to find and expensive to buy. The total destruction of the port’s silos, where tens of thousands of tons of wheat was stored, has left Lebanon with less than a month’s reserves of grain, according to Economic Minister Raoul Nehme. Worse still, the port was responsible for receiving and storing around 80 percent of Lebanon’s imports (including most of its food), with other port cities like Tyre and Tripoli unable to shoulder the increased load.
Added to the food crisis and fallout from the explosion is the increasing bite of U.S. sanctions, mostly targeted at Syria, but also hitting its Lebanese neighbor. Due in part to sanctions, Lebanon has been unable to buy electricity from its Eastern neighbor, leading to near-constant power outages this summer. Last year, the Trump administration also sanctioned a Lebanese bank for its supposed cooperation with Hezbollah, an act that further drained the economy.
Beirut!!!!!! Yah Allah 🙁 . Prayers for Beirut! pic.twitter.com/gfEvFakuiW — Salman Iqbal ARY (@Salman_ARY) August 5, 2020
Beirut’s hospitals, already battling a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases, are also unable to cope with the sudden influx of patients. Two-thirds of confirmed coronavirus cases have occurred in the past month. With the country’s economy in freefall and hundreds of thousands of newly homeless people, it appears unlikely that the situation will improve in the short term.
“There are no words to describe the scope of destruction in Beirut. I’ve seen the damage from war in Syria and Iraq. But that happened gradually, one neighborhood or street at a time. This was an entire city destroyed in a few minutes. The suffering and misery is unfathomable,” Khalek added.
Feature photo | A drone picture shows the scene of an explosion at the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon, Aug. 5, 2020. Hussein Malla | 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--2020-08-05--Apartheid or One State: Has Jordan Broken a Political Taboo?

What will it take for the idea of a two-state solution , which was hardly practical to begin with , to be completely abandoned ?
Every realistic assessment of the situation on the ground indicates , with palpable clarity , that there can never be a viable Palestinian state in parts of the West Bank and Gaza .
Politically , the idea is also untenable .
Those who are still marketing the ‘ two-state solution ’ , less enthusiastically now as compared with the euphoria of twenty years ago , are paralyzed in the face of the Israeli-American onslaught on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tangible reality .
The Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas is still busy compiling more symbolic recognition of a state that , at best , exists in the dusty files of the United Nations .
Arabs and Europeans , too , still speak of a two-state , rhetoric that is never followed with practical steps that may enforce international law and hold Israel accountable to it .
The fate of Palestine seems to be entirely dependent on the aggressive and violent actions of Israel alone – not only through the policies of Israeli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all previous Israeli governments .
This trajectory of aggression and violence is likely to continue for as long as Israel is held hostage to the ideology of Zionism which remains committed to territorial , colonial expansion and the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous population .
These two factors – colonialism and ethnic cleansing – can never coexist with the principles of justice and peace .
For Zionism to remain relevant , Israel and Palestine must remain in the throes of a protracted , interminable war .
Therefore , it was encouraging to read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Omar Razzaz , in an interview with the British Guardian newspaper on July 21 .
“ You close the door to the two-state solution , I could very well look at this positively , if we ’ re clearly opening the door to a one-state democratic solution , ” Razzaz said .
Razzaz was referring specifically in the context of Netanyahu ’ s decision to annex nearly a third of the West Bank and the Jordan Valley .
The senior Jordanian official referred to Israel ’ s annexation policies as the “ ushering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state.
” An apartheid state was , practically , ushered in a long time ago .
Israel ’ s so-called Nation-State Law of 2018 merely confirmed an existing reality .
The Law left no doubt regarding Israel ’ s exclusionist ‘ Jewish identity ’ , formulated at the expense of the Palestinian people , their historic rights in Palestine , and the internationally-enshrined Right of Return for Palestinian refugees .
On July 29 , the Israeli Knesset ( parliament ) callously rejected a draft amendment to make the unmistakably racist Nation-State Law slightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the inclusion of a clause that guarantees equality for all of Israel ’ s citizens , regardless of race , religion , or ethnicity .
In its current form , Israel represents the very essence of apartheid .
Razzaz knows this , as do many politicians and leaders throughout the Middle East , in Europe , and across the world .
Unlike his counterparts elsewhere , however , the Jordanian Prime Minister had the courage to imagine a future in Palestine and Israel that is not inundated by empty clichés of ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to begin with .
Razzaz ’ s positive and upbeat tone of words is notable .
“ I challenge anybody from Israel to say yes , let ’ s end the two-state solution , it ’ s not viable , ” he said .
“ But let ’ s work together on a one-state democratic solution .
That , I think , we will look at very favorably .
But closing one and wishful thinking about the other is just self-deception.
” Other Arab officials , prior to Razzaz , alluded to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negative context .
Palestinian Authority officials , in particular , have waved this card before , often threatening Israel that , if illegal settlement expansion was not frozen , for example , Palestinians would have no alternative but to demand one state .
What Razzaz is saying is quite different , if not radical , as Jordan , which signed a peace agreement with Israel in 1994 , has remained the most visible Arab advocate for the two-state solution for many years .
Razzaz ’ s words bring that ‘ self-deception ’ to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessity will compel Jordan , and others , to continue to pay lip service to a political ‘ solution ’ that will , unlikely , ever materialize .
Israelis and Palestinians are now conjoined in such a way that physical separation between Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews is impossible .
Additionally , speaking of a two-state solution while Israel is cementing a one apartheid state reality is a waste of precious time that should be used to foster equality , accountability , and just peace .
Ordinary Palestinians , too are beginning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
According to a February poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research , 61 percent of all Palestinians no longer believe that ‘ a two-state solution ’ is viable .
The same poll suggests that 37 percent support the idea of a single state solution .
Judging by previous poll numbers , it seems that , before long , the majority of Palestinians will embrace the latter as the most rational and achievable objective .
It will take time because the establishment of an independent Palestinian state has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership for nearly three decades .
However , even prior to the 1960s , the Palestinian national movement adopted a political strategy that was predicated on the establishment of one democratic state for Christians , Muslims , and Jews .
Alas , political expediency impelled late Palestinian leader , Yasser Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization ( PLO ) to shift tactics , settling for a Palestinian state that would , in theory , be incrementally established in disconnected parts of the occupied territories – Gaza , Jericho , Area A , B @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latter idea , which was most unfair to Palestinians , was still rejected by Israel , and Netanyahu ’ s latest annexation scheme is proving to be the final nail of the two-state coffin .
Since the two-state solution is no longer workable , Palestine and Israel are now left with one of two options : a protracted , racist , and violent apartheid or coexistence in a modern , democratic , and secular state , for all of its people .
The democratic and sustainable choice should be obvious , even to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slogans during a protest against Trump ’ s so-called Deal of the Century in the center of Amman , Jordan , Jan. 31 , 2020 .
Raad Adayleh | 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University ( IZU ) .
His website is www.ramzybaroud.net

What will it take for the idea of a two-state solution, which was hardly practical to begin with, to be completely abandoned?
Every realistic assessment of the situation on the ground indicates, with palpable clarity, that there can never be a viable Palestinian state in parts of the West Bank and Gaza.
Politically, the idea is also untenable. Those who are still marketing the ‘two-state solution’, less enthusiastically now as compared with the euphoria of twenty years ago, are paralyzed in the face of the Israeli-American onslaught on any attempt at making ‘Palestine’ a tangible reality.
The Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas is still busy compiling more symbolic recognition of a state that, at best, exists in the dusty files of the United Nations. Arabs and Europeans, too, still speak of a two-state, rhetoric that is never followed with practical steps that may enforce international law and hold Israel accountable to it.
The fate of Palestine seems to be entirely dependent on the aggressive and violent actions of Israel alone – not only through the policies of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, but all previous Israeli governments.
This trajectory of aggression and violence is likely to continue for as long as Israel is held hostage to the ideology of Zionism which remains committed to territorial, colonial expansion and the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous population.
These two factors – colonialism and ethnic cleansing – can never coexist with the principles of justice and peace. For Zionism to remain relevant, Israel and Palestine must remain in the throes of a protracted, interminable war.
Therefore, it was encouraging to read comments made by Jordanian Prime Minister, Omar Razzaz, in an interview with the British Guardian newspaper on July 21.
“You close the door to the two-state solution, I could very well look at this positively, if we’re clearly opening the door to a one-state democratic solution,” Razzaz said.
Razzaz was referring specifically in the context of Netanyahu’s decision to annex nearly a third of the West Bank and the Jordan Valley. The senior Jordanian official referred to Israel’s annexation policies as the “ushering in (of) a new apartheid state.”
An apartheid state was, practically, ushered in a long time ago. Israel’s so-called Nation-State Law of 2018 merely confirmed an existing reality.
The Law left no doubt regarding Israel’s exclusionist ‘Jewish identity’, formulated at the expense of the Palestinian people, their historic rights in Palestine, and the internationally-enshrined Right of Return for Palestinian refugees.
On July 29, the Israeli Knesset (parliament) callously rejected a draft amendment to make the unmistakably racist Nation-State Law slightly less racist. The amendment had called for the inclusion of a clause that guarantees equality for all of Israel’s citizens, regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity.
In its current form, Israel represents the very essence of apartheid.
Razzaz knows this, as do many politicians and leaders throughout the Middle East, in Europe, and across the world. Unlike his counterparts elsewhere, however, the Jordanian Prime Minister had the courage to imagine a future in Palestine and Israel that is not inundated by empty clichés of ‘solutions’ that were never fair, to begin with.
Razzaz’s positive and upbeat tone of words is notable.
“I challenge anybody from Israel to say yes, let’s end the two-state solution, it’s not viable,” he said. “But let’s work together on a one-state democratic solution. That, I think, we will look at very favorably. But closing one and wishful thinking about the other is just self-deception.”
Other Arab officials, prior to Razzaz, alluded to the one-state possibility, but largely in a negative context. Palestinian Authority officials, in particular, have waved this card before, often threatening Israel that, if illegal settlement expansion was not frozen, for example, Palestinians would have no alternative but to demand one state.
What Razzaz is saying is quite different, if not radical, as Jordan, which signed a peace agreement with Israel in 1994, has remained the most visible Arab advocate for the two-state solution for many years. Razzaz’s words bring that ‘self-deception’ to an end.
Of course, political necessity will compel Jordan, and others, to continue to pay lip service to a political ‘solution’ that will, unlikely, ever materialize. Israelis and Palestinians are now conjoined in such a way that physical separation between Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews is impossible. Additionally, speaking of a two-state solution while Israel is cementing a one apartheid state reality is a waste of precious time that should be used to foster equality, accountability, and just peace.
Ordinary Palestinians, too are beginning to realize the futility of the two-state paradigm. According to a February poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, 61 percent of all Palestinians no longer believe that ‘a two-state solution’ is viable. The same poll suggests that 37 percent support the idea of a single state solution. Judging by previous poll numbers, it seems that, before long, the majority of Palestinians will embrace the latter as the most rational and achievable objective.
It will take time because the establishment of an independent Palestinian state has been the only rallying cry by the Palestinian leadership for nearly three decades.
However, even prior to the 1960s, the Palestinian national movement adopted a political strategy that was predicated on the establishment of one democratic state for Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Alas, political expediency impelled late Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to shift tactics, settling for a Palestinian state that would, in theory, be incrementally established in disconnected parts of the occupied territories – Gaza, Jericho, Area A, B, and so on.
Even the latter idea, which was most unfair to Palestinians, was still rejected by Israel, and Netanyahu’s latest annexation scheme is proving to be the final nail of the two-state coffin.
Since the two-state solution is no longer workable, Palestine and Israel are now left with one of two options: a protracted, racist, and violent apartheid or coexistence in a modern, democratic, and secular state, for all of its people.
The democratic and sustainable choice should be obvious, even to politicians.
Feature photo | Jordanians yell slogans during a protest against Trump’s so-called Deal of the Century in the center of Amman, Jordan, Jan. 31, 2020. Raad Adayleh | 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--2020-08-06--Apocalyptic Scenes from the Site of the Deadly Beirut Blast

A massive explosion rocked Beirut on Tuesday , flattening much of the city ’ s port , damaging buildings across @ @ @ @ @ giant mushroom cloud into the sky .
More than 100 people are feared dead and @ @ @ @ @ buried in the rubble , officials said .
It was not clear what caused the @ @ @ @ @ the force of a 3.5 magnitude earthquake , according to Germany ’ s geosciences center @ @ @ @ @ and felt as far away as Cyprus more than 200 kilometers ( 180 miles ) @ @ @ @ @ ’ s interior minister said it appeared that a large cache of ammonium nitrate in @ @ @ @ @ The sudden devastation overwhelmed a country already struggling with both the coronavirus pandemic and a @ @ @ @ @ .
The Associated Press captured the following images of the unfolding tragedy :

A massive explosion rocked Beirut on Tuesday, flattening much of the city’s port, damaging buildings across the capital and sending a giant mushroom cloud into the sky. More than 100 people are feared dead and thousands injured, with bodies buried in the rubble, officials said.
It was not clear what caused the blast, which struck with the force of a 3.5 magnitude earthquake, according to Germany’s geosciences center GFZ, and was heard and felt as far away as Cyprus more than 200 kilometers (180 miles) across the Mediterranean. Lebanon’s interior minister said it appeared that a large cache of ammonium nitrate in the port had detonated.
The sudden devastation overwhelmed a country already struggling with both the coronavirus pandemic and a severe economic and financial crisis.
The Associated Press captured the following images of the unfolding tragedy:


mintpressnews--2020-08-06--Study: Billionaires That Donated to Gates-Buffet Giving Pledge Now Richer Than Ever

A study released by the Institute for Policy Studies ( IPS ) through its Program on Inequality and the Common Good , titled “ Gilded Giving 2020 : How Wealth Inequality Distorts Philanthropy and Imperils Democracy ” examines the reality behind the ostensible charitableness of the billionaire donor class and the disturbing trend of charitable organizations and foundations relying more and more on fewer and fewer wealthy donors ; funds which “ end up in family foundations and donor-advised funds that could legally exist in perpetuity , ” while donations from lower and middle-income sources are disappearing .
In particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pledge initiative started in 2010 by a few dozen U.S. billionaires and led by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet .
The professed goal of the initiative was to have the wealthiest people in the world pledge to give at least half of their fortunes away to charitable causes before their death .
The study found that contrary to the stated purpose of the philanthropic commitment of the organization , a full 75 percent of participants have actually increased their net worth in the ten years since they made their charitable vow .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share of “ high-end ” donations never ends up in organizations that do any kind of altruistic work .
Rather , they go to tax-privileged private foundations designed to serve as tax shelters for the very wealthy , which then only disburse a small percentage of their assets to charitable non-profits ; a particularly galling fact considering how much more wealthy the one-percenters have gotten over the course of the pandemic in contrast to the 54 million Americans who ’ ve filed for unemployment in that same span of time .
Among its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving intermediaries like donor-advised funds ( DAFs ) like Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund ( the largest in the country ) , and private foundations have grown dramatically over the last few years , with assets ballooning 118 percent between 2005 and 2019 .
The number of private foundations has multiplied as well by a whopping 68 percent over the same period .
In addition , IPS found that there has been a “ marked increase in mega-gifting , ” or donations of $ 50 million or more .
The trend highlights one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , characterized in the paper as “ Top-Heavy Philanthropy , ” which “ poses significant implications for the practice of fundraising , the role of the independent nonprofit sector , and the health of our larger democratic civil society.
” These risks associated with top-heavy philanthropy are clearly illustrated in their case study of the Gates/Buffet Giving Pledge , exposing it as a vehicle for the “ concentration of taxpayer-subsidized private charitable power.
” In other words , the majority of donations given to the organization end up “ sequestered ” in private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their heirs will retain control over the very assets they ostensibly donated to the greater good .
Remarkably , the study found that a vast majority of the foundation ’ s 62 billionaire pledgers substantially increased their wealth in the span of the ten years since their initial donations .
Only 11 saw their fortunes dwindle due to “ aggressive charitable giving ” or market conditions .
Nine of the mega-wealthy donors saw their collective riches swell by an average of 200 percent .
Among the charmed list , Mark Zuckerberg saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent .
The significance for U.S. taxpayers of these and other factors analyzed are revealed by a hypothetical calculation made by researchers regarding the tax-subsidy , which DAF-parked donations represent for the average American .
According to July survey by Forbes magazine , U.S. billionaires currently hold $ 971.9 billion in assets ; if the top 100 gave away half their wealth to foundations like these , the U.S. Treasury would lose roughly $ 360 billion in tax revenue .
While researchers admit that it is difficult to determine the “ exact amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the reality is that the wealthiest among us are using these foundations to reduce their “ taxable estates ” by millions and even billions of dollars , while the resources that actually make it to organizations doing charitable work dwindles .
Such a state of affairs combined with the economic recession unfolding as a result of the pandemic and tax-breaks for the rich poses serious challenges to charities , in general .
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ( TCJA ) passed in 2018 drastically reduced income tax rates for top earners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which reduced incentives for charitable giving .
Meanwhile , non-profit charitable organizations whose mission does not fall into the sectors related to the pandemic , itself , are suffering financially resulting in program cutbacks for 64 percent of these , according to an April survey by Charity Navigator and Reuters .
In February 2020 , the Chronicle of Philanthropy published a list of the top 50 philanthropists in the United States .
42 percent of those contributions , which totaled $ 15.8 billion , went to DAFs .
Most of these were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and nearly 30 percent went to colleges and universities , leaving actual charitable causes very low in the philanthropic totem pole .
Feature photo | American investor Warren Buffett , left , and Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates , right , talk during their visit to a Dairy Queen in Beijing , China , Sept. 30 , 2010 .
Alexander F. Yuan | AP

A study released by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) through its Program on Inequality and the Common Good, titled “Gilded Giving 2020: How Wealth Inequality Distorts Philanthropy and Imperils Democracy” examines the reality behind the ostensible charitableness of the billionaire donor class and the disturbing trend of charitable organizations and foundations relying more and more on fewer and fewer wealthy donors; funds which “end up in family foundations and donor-advised funds that could legally exist in perpetuity,” while donations from lower and middle-income sources are disappearing.
In particular, the paper looks at The Giving Pledge initiative started in 2010 by a few dozen U.S. billionaires and led by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. The professed goal of the initiative was to have the wealthiest people in the world pledge to give at least half of their fortunes away to charitable causes before their death. The study found that contrary to the stated purpose of the philanthropic commitment of the organization, a full 75 percent of participants have actually increased their net worth in the ten years since they made their charitable vow.
More concerning is the finding that a growing share of “high-end” donations never ends up in organizations that do any kind of altruistic work. Rather, they go to tax-privileged private foundations designed to serve as tax shelters for the very wealthy, which then only disburse a small percentage of their assets to charitable non-profits; a particularly galling fact considering how much more wealthy the one-percenters have gotten over the course of the pandemic in contrast to the 54 million Americans who’ve filed for unemployment in that same span of time.
Top-heavy risk
Among its key findings, the study notes that giving intermediaries like donor-advised funds (DAFs) like Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund (the largest in the country), and private foundations have grown dramatically over the last few years, with assets ballooning 118 percent between 2005 and 2019. The number of private foundations has multiplied as well by a whopping 68 percent over the same period.
In addition, IPS found that there has been a “marked increase in mega-gifting,” or donations of $50 million or more. The trend highlights one of the main risks identified by the study, characterized in the paper as “Top-Heavy Philanthropy,” which “poses significant implications for the practice of fundraising, the role of the independent nonprofit sector, and the health of our larger democratic civil society.”
These risks associated with top-heavy philanthropy are clearly illustrated in their case study of the Gates/Buffet Giving Pledge, exposing it as a vehicle for the “concentration of taxpayer-subsidized private charitable power.” In other words, the majority of donations given to the organization end up “sequestered” in private foundations and DAFs, guaranteeing that donors and their heirs will retain control over the very assets they ostensibly donated to the greater good.
Remarkably, the study found that a vast majority of the foundation’s 62 billionaire pledgers substantially increased their wealth in the span of the ten years since their initial donations. Only 11 saw their fortunes dwindle due to “aggressive charitable giving” or market conditions. Nine of the mega-wealthy donors saw their collective riches swell by an average of 200 percent. Among the charmed list, Mark Zuckerberg saw the largest surge by an outlandish 1,783 percent.
Hardly charity
The significance for U.S. taxpayers of these and other factors analyzed are revealed by a hypothetical calculation made by researchers regarding the tax-subsidy, which DAF-parked donations represent for the average American. According to July survey by Forbes magazine, U.S. billionaires currently hold $971.9 billion in assets; if the top 100 gave away half their wealth to foundations like these, the U.S. Treasury would lose roughly $360 billion in tax revenue.
While researchers admit that it is difficult to determine the “exact amount of taxpayer subsidies for these donations,” the reality is that the wealthiest among us are using these foundations to reduce their “taxable estates” by millions and even billions of dollars, while the resources that actually make it to organizations doing charitable work dwindles. Such a state of affairs combined with the economic recession unfolding as a result of the pandemic and tax-breaks for the rich poses serious challenges to charities, in general.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) passed in 2018 drastically reduced income tax rates for top earners and doubled the standard deduction, both of which reduced incentives for charitable giving. Meanwhile, non-profit charitable organizations whose mission does not fall into the sectors related to the pandemic, itself, are suffering financially resulting in program cutbacks for 64 percent of these, according to an April survey by Charity Navigator and Reuters.
In February 2020, the Chronicle of Philanthropy published a list of the top 50 philanthropists in the United States. 42 percent of those contributions, which totaled $15.8 billion, went to DAFs. Most of these were to the donors’ own private funds and nearly 30 percent went to colleges and universities, leaving actual charitable causes very low in the philanthropic totem pole.
Feature photo | American investor Warren Buffett, left, and Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates, right, talk during their visit to a Dairy Queen in Beijing, China, Sept. 30, 2010. Alexander F. Yuan | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.