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New York Times
23-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
A Genocide Scholar on the Case Against Israel
Omer Bartov grew up in Israel and served in the Israel Defense Forces. He went on to study the Holocaust and genocide as a historian. In this conversation, he tells the Opinion editor Daniel J. Wakin why he believes Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and what that means for the future of the Middle East and the next generation of Jews in Israel and the United States. Below is a transcript of an episode of 'The Opinions.' We recommend listening to it in its original form for the full effect. You can do so using the player above or on the NYT Audio app, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. The transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity. Daniel J. Wakin: I'm Dan Wakin, an international editor for New York Times Opinion. The historian Omer Bartov grew up in Israel in a Zionist home. He spent his career researching and writing about the Holocaust and genocide, and last week he published an essay in Times Opinion, describing Israel's actions in Gaza as just that: a genocide. We received a huge response to the piece — both positive and negative — because this issue is deeply fraught for many. So I wanted to talk to Bartov about what moved him to write this essay now, and to ask him to respond to some of the criticism we've received. And because Bartov is a historian, I wanted to know what using this word means for how we talk about the past and for the way we think about and study the Holocaust. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Guardian
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
In Australia's tightly choreographed return to parliament, unexpected moments ring out
In a day of highly-choreographed tradition and ceremony, even a quiet unexpected moment lands with a thud. Like the black rod brandished by the usher in the Senate, banging against the door of the House of Representatives to summon MPs to the other chamber for the opening of parliament, two unscripted moments rang out against the otherwise soft solemnity of the opening of the 48th parliament. One, a sombre protest against Israel's bombing campaign on Gaza: a white sign held up as the governor general, Sam Mostyn, held centre court in the Senate, hours after the Labor government joined a major global joint statement condemning Israel for denying humanitarian aid to Palestinians. The second: far less consequential in the end. 'I nominate senator David Pocock,' Pauline Hanson told the upper house, unexpectedly putting forward her unlikely candidate for the Senate presidency. Pocock, the independent Canberran who made a name for himself in the last parliament as a thoughtful and often progressive voice, appeared the most surprised of anyone in the chamber. Deciding to respectfully decline the nomination, clearing the way for Labor's Sue Lines to be re-elected as president, Pocock said he was 'surprised as I think people in New South Wales were in game three of Origin'. The former rugby union star and Wallabies captain knew he was making a sensitive gag, after NSW's upset in the rugby league decider a few weeks ago, and he set off groans from Blues fans in the chamber. It wasn't immediately clear, to Pocock's team or to observers, where Hanson's nomination had come from, beyond it being a minor trolling exercise. Pocock later told the ABC he would 'have to talk to Pauline and see what the thinking was'. In comments to Guardian Australia, Hanson explained her logic. 'I think he'd make a better President than Sue Lines, and I'd like him to stop enabling Labor's habit of guillotining Senate debates,' she said. Hanson may have been emboldened to throw a wrench in the works of an otherwise basically pre-ordained voting process, thanks to her One Nation ranks doubling overnight. Two new senators, Warwick Stacey and Tyron Whitten, have joined her on the crossbench, swelling Hanson's ranks to four. It's her largest contingent since One Nation's short-lived glory days of 2016, when Rod Culleton and Brian Burston were elected then quit, and Malcolm Roberts (since re-elected) was forced out in the dual citizenship crisis, to be replaced briefly by Fraser Anning. How long Hanson keeps her representation at four is already a Parliament House parlour game of predictions. But her doubled numbers weren't the only major changes on the floor. The first speeches of the parliament came from Ali France and Sarah Whitty, the Labor giant-killers who dispatched Peter Dutton and Adam Bandt. France, who had her leg amputated after a car accident and whose son died of leukaemia last year, had the honour of the first address. 'People often ask 'How are you standing?'. I say, 'On one leg,' she said, to laughs from her colleagues. The pomp and ceremony of the opening day requires a regular tramping back and forth between the House of Representatives and the Senate, including relatively rare joint sittings of all members inside the Senate. It's one of the only times we see everyone in the one chamber, and it set up a pretty stark illustration of Labor's huge majority. To accommodate an extra 150 people on the Senate floor, dozens of extra chairs were put along the walls. But even then, and with many Labor MPs squeezing onto the normal Senate benches alongside their colleagues, the government members spilled over to the opposite side of the chamber, while there were many empty chairs behind the Liberal side. In the House, Labor members spill over onto benches normally occupied by crossbenchers; the crossbench now pushed up onto benches usually kept warm by the now-depleted opposition. Mostyn, representative of the British crown in the federal system, is usually all-but absent from the politics of the day. On Tuesday she presided over the key moments: greeting the re-elected House speaker Milton Dick and Senate president Lines, welcoming the members and senators to parliament with a warm speech, and, in a quirk of procedure that arguably still grates, delivering a speech written by the government about the prime minister's priorities for the coming term. Mostyn, a popular and affable GG, urged senators and members to look after themselves, each other, and their communities – to exercise what she called 'the muscle of care'. 'Debate the very tough issues of our time without anger, judgement or hate, but always with respect,' she told the parliamentarians. 'In its most powerful form, care is tough. It's accountable and measurable, but always essential to our nation's future and cohesion.' While the move was later derided by some in the government, it was care that prompted Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi – a Palestinian keffiyeh draped around her shoulders – to silently hold up a sign during Mostyn's speech. 'Gaza is starving, words won't feed them. Sanction Israel,' it read. While props are not allowed on the parliament floor, Faruqi was not pulled up, and her silent protest continued. As Mostyn's speech concluded, the parliamentarians filing out, the senator quietly put her request to Anthony Albanese as he walked past. 'Prime minister, Gaza is starving. Will you sanction Israel?' He appeared to give no response. Having sanctioned Israeli ministers, and signing Australia on to support multiple global statements condemning the Netanyahu government's actions – often to great criticism from the right-wing press and conservative politicians – Labor has pushed back on criticism from its left flank that it hasn't done enough. Still, on a day where the tightly-planned schedule barely wavered, the unexpected moments rang out like the cannons of the 19-gun salute on the Parliament's forecourt.
Arab News
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Superman fans claim film is critical of Israel
DUBAI: James Gunn's new 'Superman' film is drawing attention online for what many viewers interpret as a pointed political message. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ A scene showing a heavily armed military force attacking civilians across a border, where children's lives are at risk, has sparked comparisons to the Israel-Gaza war. yall were not kidding about how anti-israel and pro palestine that superman movie was, and they were not slick with it AT ALL — cassandra²⁰ SHAWN 28.08 (@shawnsalbatross) July 10, 2025 While neither Gunn nor the cast have stated the film references Israel or Palestine, early audiences have drawn their own conclusions, suggesting the conflict serves as an allegorical backdrop. One user wrote on X: 'Y'all were not kidding about how anti-Israel and pro-Palestine that superman movie was, and they were not slick with it AT ALL,' while another said: 'Superman was so openly anti-Israel and god it was so good.' Another user said: 'Not going to lie I really like the anti-Israel sentiment from superman and now I know James Gunn is always standing on business.' ngl i really like the anti israel sentiment from superman and now ik james gunn is always standing on business — n (@cupidmiilktea) July 12, 2025 Though the film never names specific nations, Gunn has said in interviews that it tackles themes of 'politics' and 'morality,' and positions Superman as an immigrant, comments that have also sparked backlash from some US conservatives. The film is a reboot of the DC franchise and marks the beginning of Gunn's new DC Universe. It stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. The cast also includes Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor and Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl. The movie was released in Saudi Arabia on July 10.
The National
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation 'here to stay', its chairman claims
Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza The head of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has defended his organisation from fierce criticism of its food delivery system and said its mission would continue even after Hamas and Israel eventually reach a ceasefire deal. The US-backed GHF began giving out meals in May after Israel had prevented all aid, food and water from entering the Gaza Strip for nearly three months, leading to severe food shortages and famine warnings for the Palestinian territory's 2.3 million residents. But scenes of chaos immediately unfolded at or near GHF distribution sites. More than 500 people have been killed while waiting to receive rations, the UN Human Rights Office said last week. The GHF has denied that fatal shootings have occurred in the immediate vicinity of its aid points, and foundation chairman Johnnie Moore denied claims that contractors had hurt Palestinians. 'Any reports of GHF personnel harming anyone are false, 100 per cent false," he said in an interview with The National. "We haven't had a single violent incident within the GHF distribution sites, or in immediate proximity to the sites, except for one, and that is when Hamas threw two grenades at our American workers. 'We go to extraordinary means to make sure that our mission is to help people live … it's just like these lies that we're harming people … it's a lie.' Hamas and Israel are close to agreeing on a ceasefire, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, perhaps by the end of this week. One remaining sticking point is how aid will be distributed. Mr Moore said the GHF would continue its operations after the ceasefire comes into effect. 'We believe GHF is here to stay,' he said. 'We just need to get as much food as possible, as quickly as possible, into the Gaza Strip, and we want to get as close to the people as we possibly can … hopefully we get a ceasefire, and we have a plan to do more.' Palestinians are held behind gates before entering a food distribution site operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in May. AP He said there were 'plenty' of verified incidents where Hamas members threatened or harmed people so it would be blamed on the GHF. Last week, AP quoted two American contractors alarmed by what they described as reckless and dangerous conduct by their colleagues. One contractor recalled seeing bullets fired indiscriminately, into the air, into the ground, and at times in the direction of Palestinians. The US State Department, which is providing $30 million in direct funding to the GHF, says the foundation's efforts are vital to ensuring food gets into Gaza without being looted by Hamas. Mr Moore said the GHF has delivered more than 70 million meals to about one million people in Gaza. He acknowledged concerns about those yet to receive assistance. 'We're very concerned about them. Every single day, we are pushing to try to get closer to them,' he said. Mr Moore said the foundation had anticipated having more distribution sites running by now but had been hampered by resistance from the UN. We 'didn't expect the boycott of the United Nations", he said. The UN has declined to take part in the GHF's operations, accusing the group of militarising aid delivery and putting Palestinians at dire risk. 'Some people are getting food, people are also getting killed trying to get that food. That's not a way we would run our humanitarian operation,' UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. 'We will not work with people who do not meet those standards. Right now, if the GHF or any other group wants to work in a way that meets those standards, we will co-operate with any of them fully.' Mr Moore defended the GHF's approach, saying the group uses 'incredibly experienced American veterans who are retired, who at this phase of their life just want to feed people". He added that the UN has 'for a long time been OK with their preferred partners using guns in order to get a majority of the aid to people". He said that the main difference is who provides the security, not the principle of armed protection. The GHF co-ordinates closely with the Israeli military. While it has acknowledged reports of violence, it says these occurred outside its areas of operations. Global outrage has mounted over the deaths of Palestinians forced to make long and perilous journeys to reach any of the four GHF aid sites, which are inside Israeli-controlled military zones. The UN and other aid groups have called the GHF's operations a 'death trap.' Mr Moore said the plan was never to replace the international community, rather to work with aid groups to help them get aid in securely. Unfortunately, he said, like everything in the Israeli-Palestinian discussion, 'this became politicised immediately'. Humanitarian organisations have criticised the foundation's aid distribution work for lacking independence from Israel, noting that Israeli soldiers stationed near the sites have repeatedly fired at Palestinians. Asked why international media organisations were not allowed in to monitor and verify conditions, Mr Moore said it had always been the plan to let embedded observers see their operations in Gaza. 'The challenge with that at this phase of our operation in the Gaza Strip is that we are very, very lean,' adding it would require 'the diversion of significant resources'. Palestinians rush to collect aid from the US-backed GHF, in Khan Younis, the southern Gaza Strip, on May 29. Reuters Updated: July 10, 2025, 10:55 AM`
BreakingNews.ie
14-06-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Taoiseach calls on global powers to de-escalate conflict in the Middle East
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has called on global powers to work together in a bid to de escalate the conflict in the Middle East. Speaking in Cork on Saturday, Mr Martin expressed concern about violence between Israel and Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. He said that there was an urgent need for a return to a rules based international order. Advertisement 'It is deeply concerning that we have so much conflict in the Middle East. "It is dangerous in terms of its impact on civilian populations in the first instance. We see the horrors of Gaza - Syria is coming out of the embers of a horrible civil war. "A new Government is installed there endeavouring to find and create some stability - we have instability and war in Lebanon, a new Government there trying to create stability and sustainable life for people in Lebanon." We have the appalling settlements in the West Bank." Advertisement "Iran should have engaged a long time ago on its nuclear programme and to dismantling it." "But there has to be a return to a rules-based international order. At the moment it is receding before our very eyes. It is being eroded. Mr Martin said that the influence of the United Nations had been eroded and undermined. 'That is a matter of deep concern to us." Advertisement "We want to see a peaceful resolution to the conflict - we believe in dialogue and we believe in diplomacy. So we would say - to the world powers in particular - to use their influence and stop the hostilities to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages. "And to get a huge surge in humanitarian aid into Gaza." "Also to bring about a cessation (of violence) and to de-escalate between Iran and Israel." He also called on Iran to de escalate the crisis in the Middle East by continuing to engage internationally in relation to its nuclear programme. "It is important that (Iran) they would continue to engage but the context now may make that very difficult." Advertisement "They should have engaged, in my view, far more proactively in the past." "The International Atomic Energy Agency called it out during the week - but equally they said the bombing of nuclear installations is hugely concerning. There is the risk of widespread potential death and destruction." "The only sustainable way of ensuring peace is through dialogue and diplomacy, ultimately." Meanwhile, the Taoiseach said he was pleased to see the release of People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy and other Irish citizens from custody in Egypt. Advertisement Deputy Murphy had travelled to the country with a number of other Irish people to participate in a Gaza peace march. Mr Murphy said he was among a group of 65 people, including Irish British and French citizens, who were detained yesterday by authorities in Egypt. Mr Martin said that the situation is 'very fraught out there.' Ireland TD Paul Murphy among Irish people released from de... Read More 'Tensions are very high in Egypt and very high in Jordan. We believe people have an entitlement to peaceful protest and to engage in that. "How realistic it was to try to go through Rafah is another question? Let's all be honest and realistic about that - it was never going to happen." "I have been to Rafah myself - but when I was there as a Government minister there was a complex and a compound. That is all destroyed subsequently by the Israeli invasion." "People are entitled to peaceful protest and I am glad they have been released and we want their safe return - peaceful, legitimate protest is something that should always be facilitated by Governments."
