Delivery of Weapons to Russia and Israel

Here are quotations from Chinese language sources from Singapore dealing with alleged and real weapons delivery from North Korea to Russia:

Foreign ministers from 10 countries, including the G7, condemned North Korea's transfer of arms to Russia, saying the weapons were being used to attack Ukraine.

Reuters reported that the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the European Union, issued a statement on Friday (May 31) urging North Korea to stop arms exports and end its nuclear weapons program.

[联合早报 on May 31]

..............

South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said that the friendly relations between Russia and North Korea are further sublimating, and North Korea has shipped a total of more than 7,000 containers of weapons to Russia.

According to reports from Yonhap News Agency and Agence France-Presse, Shin Won-sik said at a media briefing on Monday (March 18) that North Korea has shipped about 7,000 containers of weapons to Russia, 300 more than previously expected; due to some Sea shipping routes are now suspended and some containers are being shipped to Russia by rail.

[联合早报 on March 18]

.............

The Malaysian company Jatronics was accused of supplying key electronic components for fighter aircraft to Russia, and was sanctioned by the United States.

In response, the Malaysian government stressed that the Malaysian side will only comply with the sanctions list issued by the United Nations Security Council, and that it does not recognize the sanctions. Malaysia also claims that Russia is not on the Security Council sanctions list.

[联合早报 on June 5]

.........................

Further News from Malaysia Customs and semi-official entities:

Malaysia has been among the most vocal supporters of the Palestinian cause since the onset of the war in the blockaded enclave last October, which has so far killed nearly 36,000 people, mostly civilians, according to the latest figures from Gaza's Hamas-run health authorities.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has frequently criticised Israel's bombardments of the territory and the United States' continued diplomatic and military support of its Middle Eastern ally.

.........................

Earlier in May, the Spanish government refused to allow a cargo ship "carrying 27 tons of explosives" bound for Israel to dock at the country's port. Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported on May 31 that the cargo ship departed from the port of Chennai in India, thus raising questions from the outside world that "India is providing weapons to Israel." However, some analysts countered that India's weapons technology is relatively immature and the explosives may have come from a third party.

The cargo ship is the Marianne Danica and flies the Danish flag. [凤凰 on June 1st]

Background Info:

The Shipping Corporation of India Ltd. (SCI) and the Israeli national carrier, Zim Israel Navigation Co. Ltd., have agreed to cooperate in providing a joint container service to the Indian foreign trade.

While the details, such as ports of call, frequency, and other factors have yet to be worked out and will be announced at a later time, the arrangement envisages the development of cooperation in stages.

Zim Israel will gradually introduce vessels with the aim of upgrading the present SCI container service between India and the U.K. to eventually reach a weekly frequency. The joint service will enable the companies, through hubs in Colombo and Barcelona, to transship containers through connecting services to the Far East, the U.S., and South America.

The first stage of the service was slated to begin at the beginning of this year, and the companies have also agreed to cooperate in other transport-related areas.

[Marine Link on June 6]

...............................

ICJ Lawsuit - Palestine Applies for Influence

Palestine applies to join ICJ lawsuit
Israeli army confirms death of 4 hostages
巴勒斯坦申请加入国际法院诉讼 以军确认4名人质死亡
国际法院3日发表两份声明。其中一份声明称巴勒斯坦于5月31日正式承认，国际法院有权管辖《防止及惩治灭绝种族罪公约》第九条所涵盖的、“可能产生或已经产生的所有争端”。另一份声明称，巴勒斯坦于5月31日正式申请加入南非对以色列的诉讼。

巴勒斯坦在获得联合国观察员国地位后，于2014年成为《防止及惩治灭绝种族罪公约》的签署国。

路透社说，如果要求得到批准，巴勒斯坦将有权在此案的审判团队中增加自己选择的一名专案法官。该审判团队目前有16名法官，包括15名法院常任法官和1名以色列专案法官。

The International Court of Justice issued two statements on the 3rd. One of the statements stated that Palestine formally recognized on May 31 that the International Court of Justice has jurisdiction over "all disputes that may arise or have arisen" covered by Article 9 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Another statement said Palestine formally applied to join South Africa's lawsuit against Israel on May 31.

Palestine became a signatory to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in 2014 after gaining observer state status at the United Nations.

Reuters agency said: If the request is approved, Palestine will have the right to add an ad hoc judge of its own choice to the panel that currently consists of 16 judges, including 15 permanent judges of the court and one Israeli ad hoc judge.

[中国新闻网 on June 4]

Chinese Robot landed on the Backside of the Moon

Update on June 4

China Youth News client Beijing, June 2: Reporter Chuang Qiu Chenhui from the National Space Agency informed that on June 2 at 6:23 pm Chang'e 6 lander and ascender assembly with support of the Qian Bridge 2 relay successfully landed in the pre-selected landing area of the Antarctic-Eitken Basin on the backside of the moon.

Since its launch on May 3rd, the Chang'e 6 spacecraft has undergone various operations such as Earth-moon transfer, recent moon braking, orbiting the moon, and landing descent. The Chang'e 6 probe consists of an orbiter, a return vehicle, a lander, and an ascender. May 30 lander-lift combination and orbiter-return combination achieved separation in orbit and, now, successfully landed on the far side of the moon.

Chang'e 嫦娥 = Mythical goddess of the Moon who is said to have stolen the potion of immortality from her husband, then fled to the moon where she was transformed into a toad.

Chang'e 6 taking samples from the moon's surface

Trump Convicted of Criminal Charges - Historic Verdict -

BREAKING NEWS on 1st June further down !

A Manhattan jury on Thursday found the 77-year-old presumptive Republican presidential nominee guilty on criminal charges related to a hush-money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels.

"This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt," Trump told reporters in the Manhattan courtroom hallway after a jury found him guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

[Business Insider on May 30]

.......................................................................
Trump's sentence is due on July 11, 2024.
.......................................................................

On Thursday, May 30, shortly after 5 p.m., Mr. Bragg, [the district attorney of New York], won one of the most consequential trials in American history: Mr. Trump was found guilty on all counts. Jurors determined that he [i.e. Trump] had coordinated an unlawful conspiracy to win the White House in 2016 and had falsified [business] records to cover up his scheme.

“I did my job, and we did our job,” Mr. Bragg said at a news conference on Thursday after the verdict, when asked about the criticism he received about his handling of the investigation and then the case. “There are many voices out there, but the only voice that matters is the voice of the jury, and the jury has spoken.”

[New York Times on May 31]

通过特朗普这个案子，稍具逻辑常识的人都能判断出，哪有什么阴谋论，有的就是教科书式的“法治”。
...........................
特朗普的律师可能会试图将他的判决日期推迟——甚至可能在11月5日总统大选之后。但Merchan法官不太可能在没有充分理由的情况下批准这样的延迟，纽约市辩护律师Michael Bachner说。
...............................
昆尼皮亚克大学周三（5月29日）公布的一项民意调查显示，57%的美国人认为，如果特朗普面临刑事指控，他将被取消竞选总统的资格。55%的人表示，曼哈顿地方检察官正在调查的指控对总统竞选人而言是“极其严重的”。

Through the Trump case, anyone with a little common sense of logic can tell that there are no conspiracy theories but textbook "rule of law."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trump’s lawyers may try to postpone his sentencing date — possibly even after the November 5 presidential election. But Judge Merchan is unlikely to approve such a delay without sufficient reason, said New York City defense attorney Michael Bachner.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
A Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday (May 29) showed that 57% of Americans believe that Trump will be disqualified from running for president if he faces criminal charges. Fifty-five percent said the allegations being investigated by the Manhattan District Attorney were "extremely serious" for a presidential candidate.

[腾讯 on May 31]

Biden announces proposal to end the Israel-Hamas war,
reacts to Trump conviction [Face the Nation on 1st June]
Biden speech on May 31, 2024
"Thank goodness, it's Friday"

Israel - Egypt - LebanonRising Tensions after Indiscriminate Rafah Bombing

Last Update on May 29: Mexico: Pro-Palestine protestors clash with police injuring 6 setting fire to Israel's embassy. Algeria recently put forward UN resolution draft in support of the Gaza people suffering from Israeli attacks.

حمدان: محرقة الخيام برفح فشل إستراتيجي للاحتلال وصمت العالم شراكة في الجريمة
Hamdan (*): The incineration of tents in Rafah is a strategic failure for
the occupation, and the world’s silence is an accomplice in the crime

كما شدد على أن الاحتلال الصهيوني لن يستعيد أسراه لدى المقاومة إلاَّ وفق شروط المقاومة التي قُدّمت للوسطاء في مصر وقطر، عبر صفقة حقيقية وجادة، وكلّما تأخّر (نتن ياهو) وداعموه عن هذا الاستحقاق، فقد المزيد من أسراه حياته على يد جيشهم وبالقصف الصهيوني وبالصواريخ الأمريكية

ولفت حمدان إلى أنّ استمرار التهرّب والمماطلة واستمرار القصف والعدوان، يعني أنَّ أسراهم قد لا يعودون إلاّ جثثاً، وربَّما لا يعودون

[Hamdan] also stressed that the Zionist occupation will not return its prisoners held by the resistance except according to the conditions of the resistance that were presented to the mediators in Egypt and Qatar, through a real and serious deal, and the longer “Stinky Yahoo” and his supporters delay this entitlement, the more of its prisoners will lose their lives at the hands of their [own] army, Zionist bombing, and American missiles.

Hamdan pointed out that the continuation of evasion and procrastination [Ausflüchte und Zögern], and the continuation of bombing and aggression, means that their prisoners may return as nothing more than corpses, or they may not return at all.

(*) The leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas,
Osama Hamdan, on his press conference on Monday evening.
[Beirut Time on May 27 evening]

Netanyahu calls deadly strike on Rafah a 'tragic mishap'

All informations included in the above video can be confirmed
by Arabic sources like Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiya Net and Youm7.

International Court of Justice :Ruling on Immediate Halt of Rafah Operation

Hamas News on Day 232 of the War on Gaza (May 25): فريقأ تقتلون و تأسرون فريقأ You kill a group, and you capture a group The military spokesman for the Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, announced that the Qassam fighters were able to capture Israeli soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip. Abu Obeida revealed in a speech obtained by Al Jazeera that al-Qassam fighters succeeded in luring an Israeli force to a tunnel in the Jabalia refugee camp north of Gaza, killing and wounding its entire members and [making] prisoners.

The International Court of Justice ruled Friday [May 24] that Israel must “immediately halt” its military operation in Rafah, citing “exceptionally grave” developments there, in a rebuke largely welcomed by world leaders. U.N. chief António Guterres “trusts” that Israel will comply with the ruling, his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said Friday. Although Guterres “has no crystal ball,” Dujarric noted that U.N. member states have a duty under the body’s charter and the World Court’s statutes to abide by the decision.

Orders from the ICJ are legally binding but can be difficult to enforce. Israeli officials said the accusations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza are “false, outrageous and disgusting,” and they indicated they would ignore the decision. [Washington Post on May 25]

According to the U.N. humanitarian agency, more than 800,000 inhabitants have fled the southern city of Rafah in the past few weeks since the beginning of Israel`s operation in southern Gaza.

Video by Turkish public broadcaster TRT:
"Until Gaza is erased": Israeli hip-hop artists are using genocidal language to glorify Israel's continued offensive in Palestine's Gaza — one that has killed almost 36,000 people since October last year.

Video taken inside Gaza. Footage by Al-Jazeera three days ago. The satellite signal of Al-Jazeera has been definitely cut on behalf of the Israeli government, declaring the global TV broadcaster an instrument of 'propaganda'.

In the above video, Israeli prime minister Netanyahu is
referring to the war on Gaza as a fight against Amalek.

Amalek (Biblical Hebrew: עֲמָלֵק‎, romanized: ʿĂmālēq; Arabic: عماليق, romanized: ʿAmālīq) is described in the Hebrew Bible as the enemy nation of the Israelites. The name "Amalek" can refer to the descendants of Amalek, the grandson of Esau, or anyone who lived in their territories in Canaan. Islamic tradition considers Amalek to be an Arabian tribe in pre-Islamic Mecca and Medina or North African descendants of Ham, the son of Noah. - Anyway Amalek is considered the current enemy of Israel whose name can change from generation to generation: Once Amalek referred to biblical tribes, then to the Romans. Much later it became the German Nazi 'Reich', and now it is the Palestinians in Gaza and the Westbank.

Gaza at the Zénith in Paris: When French
Rap Vibrated to the Rhythms of Solidarity

"In a most striking display of solidarity, Zenith hall in Paris
was transformed into a sanctuary of support for Palestine.
On May 22, under the spotlight and cheers, a constellation
of rappers shone not only by their talent, but also by their
civic and humanitarian commitment."
[France - Maghreb 2 on May 25]

Le Concert de Solidarité avec la Palestine
au Zénith de Paris, le 22ième May 2024 :

International Court of Justice :Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas Leaders ?!

=> Breaking News added on Helicopter Crash
=> that caused the Death of Iranian President
=> Last Update on May 22

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his minister of defense Yoav Gallant are being charged with war crimes in Gaza, together with three Hamas leaders: Yahya al-Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammad Diab Ibrahim al-Masri are accused for the events of October 7, 2023. Haniyeh is the political leader of Hamas, al-Sinwar its leader in Gaza and al-Masri its military leader and general commander of the Qassam Brigades.

Karim Khan, head of the International Criminal Court, must request the arrest warrants from a committee of three judges in The Hague. It takes an average of about two months for them to review the evidence and decide whether to proceed with the request or not.

Norway, Spain and Ireland said Wednesday that they were taking the necessary steps to bring into effect their recognition of a Palestinian state and expected other countries to follow in the coming weeks. The move runs counter to Washington’s long-held position that a future state comprising the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem should come about through a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. [Wallstreet Journal on May 21]

Wang Wenbin, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mainland China, hosted a regular press conference on May 22. AFP asked: Spain and Ireland have just announced that they will recognize the state of Palestine. What is China’s response to this? Wang Wenbin said that China has always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights, supported the "two-state solution", and was one of the first countries to recognize the state of Palestine. [China Times 中时 on May 22 local time]


Egyptian Media Comment: The Nakba Day of Israel (May 18)


......................................................

Death of Iran's President
and his Foreign Minister

The Iranian Tasnim Agency reported that the Iranian President died, accompanied by Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the Friday Imam of Tabriz, Ayatollah Al Hashem, the Governor of East Azerbaijan, Malek Rahmati, the head of the President’s Protection Unit, and a member of the Revolutionary Guard, after the helicopter carrying them fell in East Azerbaijan.

Raisi and his accompanying delegation visited East Azerbaijan, and together with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev inaugurated the Qiz Qalasi Dam, which is a joint project between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The helicopter was involved in an accident on its way back to the city of Tabriz in order to inaugurate the project to improve the quality of the Tabriz refinery, and it crashed in the Dezmar forests located between the villages of Uzi and Pir Daoud in the Warzagan region in East Azerbaijan Province, northwest of Iran.
[إلاف on May 21]

Turkey: Major helicopter signalling system either unavailable or disabled

After announcing the crash of the Iranian president's helicopter and his death along with his foreign minister and other officials, Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uroglu revealed on Monday that the signal system of the helicopter that crashed carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister on Sunday was not activated or that the plane did not have such a system.

"But we think the signal system was probably not activated or that the helicopter didn't have that signalling system, because the signals didn't (show up this time)."

According to the international standard in civil and military aviation, there is a positioning device installed inside the aircraft, or what is known as "Locator beacons", designed to send continuous signals for a period of up to 30 to 35 days.

The Emergency locator beacon is a portable battery-powered wireless beacon that sends continuous signals to locate aircraft, ships and people in extreme emergencies for immediate intervention and rescue. The purpose of all emergency positioning signals is to help rescuers find survivors during the so-called "golden day" – the first 24 hours after a collision or crash, during which the majority of survivors can usually be rescued.
[العربية on May 20]

Nakba Day يوم النكبةEgypt going to take Diplomatic Steps against Israel

Update added on May 18

[Lebanon 24 on May 16]

Title: On the 76th anniversary of An-Nakba -
Witness in his 80ies clings to the right of return
The elderly Palestinian Muhammad Khader, who lived through the Nakba of 1948 [ i.e. the catastrophe of displacement ], told Anadolu: We left our homes under pressure from Zionist gangs. We went to the city of Ramla, then to Ramallah, later to Al-Am’ari camp. On the way (during the displacement) I saw something unmentionable, and among that is a (Palestinian) woman who was slaughtered from vein to vein. What the Palestinians of the West Bank are subjected to today in terms of “killing and abuse” at the hands of the settlers is similar to what happened in 1948. We live a new Nakba every day, but no matter how long it takes, we must return home ...

[Anadolu, Turkey on May 15, Day of An-Nakba]
Please note: My blog only reflects the views expressed by leading global media regarded as reliable when it comes to their treatment of daily news. The editor cannot be held responsible for single comments put in the showcase by such media and which is part of their daily business of information. W.W./Ulysses

IDF found the bodies of three Jewish festival goers abducted by Hamas on 7 October 2023.
The bodies are reported to be "in a good condition". [CBS on May 17]

..........................

The Wall Street Journal said that Egypt is considering reducing the level of its diplomatic relations with Israel, and has decided to support the genocide lawsuit against it in the International Court of Justice.

The newspaper added in a report: “During the 45 years since the historic peace agreement, Israel and Egypt have become necessary partners, with close, albeit not warm, relations that are important for their national security. But the Israeli attack against Rafah threatens to undermine all of this.”

The newspaper said that Egypt, which represents the center of Arab military, political and cultural power, is now considering reducing the level of its diplomatic relations with “Israel,” according to what Egyptian officials say.

Cairo said in recent days that it would listen to South Africa's lawsuit to the International Court of Justice, which accuses "Israel" of genocide in Gaza . Egypt also refused to open its borders after the Israeli army took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing.

The newspaper quoted Muhammad Anwar Sadat, whose uncle, President Anwar Sadat, negotiated the "Camp David" Treaty in 1979, as saying that the current conflict is the worst that bilateral relations have witnessed.

Sadat, a former member of the Egyptian parliament, said: “There is a lack of trust” and “there is in fact now a kind of suspicion between the two parties.”

The newspaper says that the current crisis began after the Israeli army gave Egypt a few hours’ notice before it launched a campaign against the Rafah crossing last week , according to an Egyptian official.

The surprise message that reached Egyptian intelligence came after months of cautious negotiations between military, security and Israeli officials regarding the attack in which Benjamin Netanyahu's government threatened against Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians had taken refuge

[عربي 21, London May 14, quoting the Wallstreet Journal]

...........................

Latest Update: May 12

The Pillars
of
Palestine

The Palestinians At Home
Photo Book © 2024 / 1974

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For the best performance you better use a
Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browser.

CNN Report on Abuse of Palestinian Prisoners

An investigative news report by US broadcaster CNN uncovered the horrors
of a shadowy detention facility where Palestinian prisoners are blindfolded,
handcuffed and forced to wear dirty diapers. [CNN on May 10]

Israeli Attack on Rafah

Independent [US] Senator Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, said Israel shouldn't receive "another nickel" in U.S. military aid despite the findings of a recent State Department report.

"Any objective observer knows Israel has broken international law, it has broken American law, and in my view, Israel should not be receiving another nickel in U.S. military aid," Sanders said in an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press." "Look the facts are quite clear. Hamas is a terrible disgusting terrorist organization that began this war. Though what Israel has done over the last seven months has not just gone to war against Hamas, it has gone to war against the entire Palestinian people. And results have been absolutely catastrophic."

[Fox News on May 12]

[The Hill, US political news from Washington DC on May 8]

.............................

Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said Monday that her country will support a resolution to recognize Palestine as a full member of the UN.

"The vote will take place this week, on May 10. It is important that the European Union does not miss this historic moment," Lahbib said as she met with her Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki.

She also said that Belgium wants to co-sponsor and support the resolution.

[Yeni Safak, Turkey, on May 7]

More than 100 students set up camps on the Free University of Berlin campus on Tuesday to protest Israel's war on Gaza.

The group erected tents outside the university building and unfurled banners expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Wearing keffiyehs and waving Palestinian flags, the students shouted slogans such as “Free, free Palestine!”, "Israel is a terrorist state", "Shame on you Germany”.

The university administration said in a statement that the attempt of the students to occupy the campus was “unacceptable” and it has called in the police to evict the protesters.

Since protests started last month at a number of US universities in support of Palestine, the protests have spread worldwide, including in universities across Europe.

[Yeni Safak, Turkey, on May 7]


..................................

Website request from Australia: Israel - German Submarine Delivery (2012)

My trip to Israel started in West-Berlin where I
lived in a part of the American Sector that was
already populated by Turkish families in 1974.

Israel raising International Concern - Attack on Damascus- Hamas Rejects Agreement - Turkey cuts Economic Links

LAST UPDATE on May 4: Gazans Thank US Campus Protesters for Support
- Nations Bracing for Palestinian Stateship => => => Included Further Down !

According to the Times of Israel on May 2, local time, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu once again stated in a speech at a public event that the Israeli army would launch military operations in Rafah, southern Gaza. Israeli officials said Hamas was expected to formally reject the latest hostage exchange deal.

Separately, a security source said Israeli aircraft struck a site on the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus late Thursday.

Pictures widely circulated on social media showed thick smoke billowing over the struck building. Syrian state media later stated that eight soldiers were injured in the attack.

The Syrian military issued a statement in the early morning of May 3, saying that a location near the Syrian capital Damascus was hit by an Israeli air strike on the evening of the 2nd, injuring eight soldiers. The statement said that at around 22:05 local time on the 2nd, Israel launched an air strike on a location around Damascus from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights, injuring eight soldiers and damaging some facilities.

The well-known financial blog Zerohedge pointed out that Israel’s new attack may be another targeted assassination operation targeting Iranian generals or Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers. Of course, it is also intended to show that Israel is still not frightened by Iran’s April 13 attack. live. It is worth noting that Iran's attack was in retaliation for a previous Israeli attack on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus.

According to unconfirmed social media reports: Israeli strikes in Syria targeted the Syrian national security building in the "Najha" area of ​​rural Damascus.

There was speculation that this was Israel's response to Syria's rocket launch into the Golan Heights earlier this week.

Zerohedge said the new attack also showed that Iran-Israel tensions that nearly led to a major regional war last month were not over.

Both sides made concessions after tit-for-tat "limited" strikes on each other's territory. Israel had reportedly planned a larger attack, but Washington reportedly pressured Netanyahu's government to back down amid concerns that the entire area would be set ablaze.

After the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, the Israeli military repeatedly carried out air strikes on targets in Syria on the pretext of attacking Iranian military facilities. Both the Syrian and Iranian governments deny that Iran has troops stationed in Syria.

Although the geopolitical situation still provides support to gold prices, investors on this trading day also need to pay attention to the U.S. non-farm payrolls report to be released at 20:30.

Economists agree that the U.S. non-farm payrolls report for April, released on Friday, is expected to add more than 200,000 jobs for the fourth consecutive month, indicating that the U.S. labor market remains tight.

The market generally expects 243,000 new jobs to be created in April, a slowdown from 303,000 new jobs in March, and the unemployment rate is expected to remain unchanged at 3.8%.

[Chinese financial network FX678 on May 3, 2024]

BEIRUT (Tribune News Service) — People across Gaza on Wednesday sent messages of appreciation to demonstrators on U.S. campuses, thanking them for their protests against the Gaza war.

Children, parents and medical staff assembled in the courtyard before Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital in central Gaza, with many of them unfurling banners carrying university insignias with “Thank you for supporting our cause.” Others brandished signs with the words “Your voices pierce the wall of silence and reach the victims in Gaza!,” “The killing of children in Gaza must stop” and “Palestine is everywhere.”

In recent days, as protests and encampments have bloomed in dozens of campuses across the U.S., people in Gaza have taken note of the outpouring of solidarity, both in America and abroad. They in turn have responded — on social media, in rallies, in videos, by words scribbled on tents — with messages of support of their own.

Many view the protests as a positive omen in a time of unrelenting bleakness in Gaza. At another event also in Deir al Balah, others hoped for similar protests to spread in European and Arab countries.

[US Military Newspaper Stars and Stripes quoting a Los Angeles Times article on May 2]

Israel is pushing back as the United Nations as well as several countries in Europe and beyond are expected to recognize a Palestinian state in the coming weeks.

After months of debate among U.N. member states, individual countries and parliaments over whether to recognize an independent Palestinian state, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said this week that five European states could do so by the end of May. In addition, the U.N. General Assembly is expected to vote on Palestinian membership on May 10, following a U.S. veto in the Security Council last month.

Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan told the General Assembly on Wednesday that “by advancing a Palestinian state, you are telling the Hamas murderers and rapists that terror pays off. It makes me want to vomit.”

“You know the Palestinian Authority doesn’t meet the criteria for statehood,” Erdan added. “You prefer a rogue state and to hell with the Jewish state. This is a clear message to the Palestinians that they never, ever, ever have to sit at the negotiating table, let alone make any compromises.”

The majority of U.N. states already recognize a Palestinian state. When the question of promoting “Palestine” from observer status to full U.N. membership was brought to the Security Council in April, 12 members voted in favor, with Britain and Switzerland abstaining, while the U.S. vetoed the resolution. The resolution, which is nonbinding, is set to go to a General Assembly vote next week; only the Security Council can admit new member states to the U.N.

[Jewish Insider on May 3]

How did the Jews come to America ? There is a fictive answer to this question given by Paul Auster, America's famous contemporary author. It is based on the family legend of Archibald Isaac Ferguson, the boy whose life takes four simultaneous and independent fictional paths in Paul Auster's outstanding novel '4321': According to family legend, Ferguson's grandfather departed on foot from his native city of Minsk with one hundred rubles sewn into the lining of his jacket, traveled west to Hamburg through Warsaw and Berlin, and then booked passage on a ship called the 'Empress of China', which crossed the Atlantic in rough winter storms and sailed into New York harbor on the first day of the twentieth century. While waiting to be interviewed by an immigration official at Ellis Island, he struck up a conversation with a fellow Russian Jew. The man said to him: Forget the name Reznikoff. It won't do you any good here. You need an American name for your new life in America, something with a good American ring to it. Since English was still an alien tongue to Isaac Reznikoff in 1900, he asked his older, more experienced compatriot for a suggestion. Tell them you are Rockefeller, the man said. You can't go wrong with that. An hour passed, then another hour, and by the time the 19-year-old Reznikoff sat down to be questioned by the immigration official, he had forgotten the name the man had told him to give. Your name ? the official asked. Slapping his head in frustration, the weary immigrant blurted out in Yiddish, Ikh hob fargessen (I have forgotten) ! And so it was that Isaac Reznikoff began his new life in America as Ichabod Ferguson. Editor's note: Ichabod (Hebrew: אִיכָבוֹד ʾĪḵāḇōḏ) is a biblical name meaning "without glory", or "where is the glory?". That name makes part of Paul Auster's preferred joke in '4321'. And it should be known that Auster has a Jewish background himself.