Snow, Life, and Gaza

 

On Friday morning, Jan. 19, here in Washington, DC, I looked out my bedroom window to see a cold white blanket covering trees, cars, and roads, bringing most activities to a standstill. We had not had such a snowfall for at least 2 years. I was still nursing stomach pains after spending several hours 2 days before in a crowded waiting room at the nearby Kaiser Permanente medical center. No doubt, someone seeking care there had an acute stomach illness. Fortunately, by Saturday, I was up and about again, though there was no water in my house, as the water had been turned off. In our city today, it’s still snowy and cold outside.

Yahoo, DC extends cold weather emergency

The current Covid strain, from which I am now gradually recovering, has shown itself to be no respecter of vaccines, assaulting fully vaccinated people like me all over the world. Not only have members of my own family and some neighbors fallen ill, but reports of Covid illness have kept coming in from vaccinated friends in Spain, other parts of the US, and all around the world. Covid seems to be mutating rapidly to evade vaccines and some folks are dying.

Accolades have continued to arrive about my retirement now after 43-years of volunteer service with Amnesty International. I continue to be amazed and humbled.

 

Some of these correspondents even recall when, in 1984, our local Amnesty Group 211 gave a list of 26 Cuban political prisoners still being held well beyond their sentences, to then-presidential candidate Jesse Jackson. We urged him to please ask Fidel for their release on his upcoming visit to Cuba. As recounted in my Confessions book, we then all waited anxiously out at Dulles airport long into the wee hours of the morning, as my children fell asleep on airport benches. We didn’t know quite what to expect. To our great surprise and joy, all 26 prisoners emerged with Jackson and one of them, Basilio Guzmán, later married a member of our Amnesty group. He died not long ago, but his daughter, born and raised in this area, carries on his legacy. 

Later, on a trip to Cuba, I met Armando, a young man whom I managed to eventually bring to the US via Mexico for medical treatment. He had previously sent a letter to the association where I worked asking for help, a letter that I had been given to translate. I then took up his cause. He made quite a convoluted journey. Armando now lives in Florida with his family. He has just sent me this copy of a photo from my Confessions book about a Cuba visit that my daughter Stephanie and I made in 1994 by boat, the start of my very complicated efforts to get him out of Cuba. Recently, he and his Nicaraguan-born wife hosted refugees from Cuba and Nicaragua in their home, so the helping hand continues.

Son Jonathan has adopted an 8-week-old female puppy that he has named Willow. She is not fond of snow. 

Snow and frigid temperatures notwithstanding, the annual March for Life went forward as scheduled. I did not go out on Jan. 19 to see the marchers this time.

The march now urges more support for those already caring for children, as well as for all pregnant women, with less focus on the fetus. As election time approaches, Republicans are emphasizing the “right to life” while Democrats tout the “right to choose.” This is a rare issue where, as both a birth and an adoptive mother, I side more with Republicans supporting the pro-life side. A finite and often challenging life is all any human being will ever have. Everyone should have a shot at that ordinary life, despite any inconvenience their existence may pose for others. We all started out as an invisible fetus growing inside a woman’s womb. I do realize that some are lost via miscarriages and still births, which is a tragedy. Our nation and the world now actually need more babies and children to assure continued human survival.

NYTimes, China Told Women to Have Babies. Its Population Shrank Again.

What is the secret of Donald Trump’s appeal to so many American voters? Is it his evident ability to flaunt ordinary rules of decorum and ignore laws and established standards without suffering any apparent consequences? Trump is so unpredictable that other nations’ leaders might actually cut him ample slack should he ever become president again. His followers may vicariously identify with his freedom to say and do whatever he darn well pleases, even to blatantly lie, cheat, and steal with complete impunity. Do his supporters actually believe that he won the 2020 election? Maybe they really don’t even care.

NYTimes, Voters looked past Donald Trump’s legal jeopardy and embraced his vision of vengeful disruption.

To brighten my spirits during my recovery from Covid amid a snowstorm, a friend sent me this image of dancers in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I’d love to be able to enjoy that easy movement. 

Britain’s King Charles has undergone a procedure to reduce the size of his prostate, a common surgery that my late father once had. It allows a freer flow of urine and does not imply any sort of malignancy. After US Sec. of Defense General Lloyd Austin’s unsuccessful efforts to maintain secrecy about his prostate cancer, full disclosure is now the course being chosen by many prominent men. I’ve known several men with prostate cancer, some of whom have had the organ removed, and at least one who chose hormone reduction therapy instead, but eventually died of prostate cancer. So, complete removal does seem to be the safer course. Austin is in recovery now, but still not back on duty, and he prefers not to discuss his condition.

Until recently, life in Ecuador seemed to be largely under control, though there had been prison riots earlier and a presidential candidate had even been assassinated. Now the country is fully in the grip of the cocaine trade, much of it bound for Europe. The gangs there seem to have completely taken over.

BBC, Nigeria's defence minister has hit out at those paying ransoms to kidnappers, saying crowdfunding makes it worse. Mohammed Badaru Abubakar's comments come as a deadline to pay a ransom for the release of five sisters expired.

A friend in Nigeria said this about the killing of at least one kidnapped sister:

A very unfortunate incident in Nigeria, it appears there is not much the security agencies can do to end the insurgency in the country.

UPI, Netanyahu rules out Palestinian state as being 'incompatible' with Israeli security

Netanyahu has hinted that he personally prevented a Palestinian state from ever coming into being.

The Hill, Jewish Democrats denounce Netanyahu’s opposition to Palestinian state

NBC News, Frustrations between Biden and Israeli PM Netanyahu mount

Ignoring Netanyahu, Antony Blinken has renewed calls for a path to a Palestinian state; Gaza war deaths now top 25,000.

CBC News, Trudeau pushes back after Netanyahu again rejects two-state solution

Wash. Post, Despite U.S. pressure on Israel, casualty count in Gaza remains high

 Yahoo, Has the United States finally had enough of Benjamin Netanyahu?

Israeli officials have vowed that Hamas will be totally “eradicated.” That eradication effort is killing not only Hamas militants but Palestinians of all ages and possible persuasions, including infants and young mothers. Israel has been blocking food aid into Gaza. Israel and Netanyahu may need something more than political pressure to stop their furious and vengeful onslaught. Some US tough love involving a withdrawal of actual funds might make a stronger impression. Many American Jews would support that. But so far, Joe Biden has avoided any sort of overt criticism of, or making any real impact on, Israel’s unbridled war actions. Is that because he wholeheartedly supports Israel, right or wrong, or because he really believes most American voters are staunchly on Israel’s side? Mr. Biden needs to know that many of us no longer support Israel and, yes, we will hold Biden accountable and will not vote for him again unless he changes course.

Meanwhile, Ukraine seems all but forgotten.

 

CNN, Israel’s far-right wants to move Palestinians out of Gaza. Its ideas are gaining attention

Some in Israel want all Palestinians completely gone from Gaza to allow Israelis to move into the territory.

Aljazeera, Israeli minister reiterates calls for Palestinians to leave Gaza Israel’s far-right finance minister says Israelis who would replace the Palestinians would ‘make the desert bloom’.

NYTimes, At World Court, Israel Will Confront Accusations of Genocide

References to the holocaust of the last century no longer are sufficient to justify current Israeli actions in the eyes of the rest of the world. Rather, Israel has now actually found itself accused of creating a brand new holocaust in Gaza. The world’s opinion tables have turned.

Wash. Post, Senate votes down Sanders’ push to examine Israel’s human rights practices in Gaza

What is the possible justification for avoiding a closer look? Fear of showing Israel in a bad light? A thorough examination could well reduce Israeli atrocities and save Palestinian lives. Israeli forces are now killing people of all ages in the West Bank as well as in Gaza.

NYTimes, DANIEL LEVY, Opinion

Washington Needs to Correct Its Course on Israel

Reuters, Blinken says Arab countries not keen to rebuild Gaza if it will be 'leveled' again Arab countries are not keen to get involved in the rebuilding of Gaza if the Palestinian enclave will be "leveled" again in a few years [hence] the importance of Palestinian statehood for any regional settlement, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday.

The Hill, Blinken says pathway to Palestinian state necessary for Israel’s security 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated his belief that finding a pathway for Palestine to become its own state is “necessary” for Israel to obtain “genuine security,” while giving remarks in Davos, Switzerland.

Blinken as been talking nonstop about Palestinian “statehood” to normalize the idea. The Israeli leadership is directly countering his remarks, with Netanyahu saying Israel will never allow the establishment of a Palestinian state. Isn’t it high time to pull the plug on financial support for Israel? What is President Biden waiting for?