EDITOR—Various correspondents debunk the “Amsterdam pogrom” story pushed by major Western media, including the BBC, the New York Times, SkyNews, CNN, and others.
TNA—The New Arab also spoke to Michael, a 77-year-old former US veteran from Seattle, USA. He said his decision to participate in the flotilla was a way to atone for his involvement with the US army in Vietnam.
“This is a dangerous journey to undertake, and I do ask myself, why am I here? My wife asks me why I am here. I was drafted into the Vietnam War in 1965, I was just out of high school. At the time I understood what conscientious objection was, but I did not have the courage to fight against the US military and say, no!
“But now, I am older, and as I watch what is happening to the people of Gaza, I am appalled. It is not only the children, although that is what hits me the most. But now, it is the time to object to what my country, the US is doing. This is what conscientious objection is about. I am putting my body, my money, my time, my everything on the line to say, ‘I object to what my country is doing, we should not be doing this’. I want to stand up for those people in the US who agree with what I am doing and represent my country on this journey,” said Michael. Michael said he draws courage from the people of Gaza.
RAZ SEGAL—Israel’s campaign to displace Gazans—and potentially expel them altogether into Egypt—is yet another chapter in the Nakba, in which an estimated 750,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes during the 1948 war that led to the creation of the State of Israel. But the assault on Gaza can also be understood in other terms: as a textbook case of genocide unfolding in front of our eyes. I say this as a scholar of genocide, who has spent many years writing about Israeli mass violence against Palestinians. I have written about settler colonialism and Jewish supremacy in Israel, the distortion of the Holocaust to boost the Israeli arms industry, the weaponization of antisemitism accusations to justify Israeli violence against Palestinians, and the racist regime of Israeli apartheid.
GARLAND NIXON—Garland and Dr Monteiro discuss the enormous political and structural changes taking place in the world as the US empire, representing the aristocratic/racist/exploitative colonialist order, now mired in irrevocable decline and chaos, slowly gives way to a new world order rooted multilateral sovereignty and genuine democracy. These are exciting times for humanity, says Dr Monteiro. There are indeed troubles and dangers ahead, but if the US ruling class can somehow finally accept (or be forced to) a new egalitarian multinational system, many things will rapidly begin to improve for most of humanity. The Global Majority—the “non-white” portions of the world—will now be in command.
CONSORTIUM NEWS—The Freedom Flotilla opposes Israel’s authority over aid and will refuse any inspection of our cargo. For safety and effective aid distribution, the flotilla will deploy numerous international humanitarian observers from diverse backgrounds and countries.
Despite air drops of food and temporary docks, Israel continues to block thousands of aid trucks from entering Gaza through land crossings. The International Court of Justice’s rulings on Jan. 26 and March 28 emphasize Israel’s obligation to ensure the safety and security of Palestinians in Gaza, including facilitating humanitarian assistance without obstruction.
