Monday, October 14, 2024

More on Israel's assault on Lebanon, True Promise II, Hassan Nasrallah, and Alex Odeh

 

There is a technical problem, so I'm posting this with some typos, etc. and will continue in another post. If I can, I might edit and add to this post later on. durhamspark.blogspot.com/2024/09/statements-on-assassination-of-hassan.html

durhamspark.blogspot.com/2024/08/cpcm-l-and-samidoun-statements-on.html

thecommunists.org/2024/10/04/news/ismail-haniyeh-another-resistance-leader-assassinated-by-israel/

samidoun.net/2024/10/october-2024-seattle-al-aqsa-flood-month-of-action/

unac.notowar.net/2024/09/21/unac-statement-on-the-israeli-terrorist-attack-on-the-lebanese-people/






UNAC Statement on the Israeli Ierrorist Attack on the Lebanese People


UNAC Statement, September 21, 2024

The United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) expresses our deep solidarity with the people of Lebanon who were victims of the recent Israeli pager terror attacks.  We call upon the people of the world to condemn Israel’s criminal act and its continued genocidal war in Gaza and the West Bank.

The United Nations (UN) has stated that the Israeli pager and communication device attacks are war crimes.  Thousands of Lebanese people, including health care workers and children, have been blinded, injured and have lost hands and other body parts and dozens have been killed.  This attack escalates the willful carnage carried out by the Zionist entity and its US enablers in new and dangerous ways.  None of us are safe now that our cell phones can be weaponized.

If these explosions happen in a market, car or plane the results could even be more catastrophic.  Israel’s second round of explosions was timed to coincide with funerals of some who were murdered by their first round of explosions.  This shows the intent of Israel is to kill as many people as possible.  However, to the Zionist government and its US backers, human life is not important, only the perpetuation of their criminal systems is important to them.

The goal of the Israeli government attacks is to widen the war in the Middle East, and it claims to be preparing for a ground invasion of Lebanon, though it is unlikely they have the resources to mount one.    Israel is working hard to get a large enough response from one of the Axis of Resistance states, to draw the U.S. into their war.  This is the only way they can win.  However,  no amount of bombing and dirty tricks have succeeded to this point.

Despite this latest terror attack, Hezbollah has made it clear that it will continue and redouble its support for Palestine, and we must do the same.  UNAC calls on all to continue our protests and raise the issue of this new escalation of Zionist terror.

End US aid to Israel!

Victory to the Palestine Resistance!






Originally posted September 28th at:  samidoun.net/2024/09/sayyed-hassan-nasrallah-the-martyrdom-of-a-great-international-revolutionary-leader-of-our-era/ and sent out by email on the 29th.


Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah: The martyrdom of a great international revolutionary leader of our era


Dear comrades and friends of Samidoun and Palestine, 


 


We write today amid the ongoing Zionist genocide in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, and the onslaught on Lebanon, all armed, funded, supported and directed by the United States and its fellow imperialist powers, including Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and their partners. As we approach the anniversary of Al-Aqsa Flood on 7 October, as we confront the horrific crimes of the Zionist regime -- including the brazen assassination of beloved Resistance leader and icon, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, with up to 83 one-ton US bombs, ordered from New York City, in the heart of Lebanon -- this is the time to stand together with the Resistance, stretching from Palestine to Lebanon to Yemen to Iraq and throughout the region, to mobilize, to act, to organize and to escalate, for victory, liberation and return. As always, we urge all to remain vigilant, to trust the resistance, and to reject all attempts to wage psychological warfare, break our unity or undermine our movement's cohesion.


 


We are sending our statement below on the martyrdom of the great leader, the martyr, inspiration of so many around the world, symbol and strategist of resistance, tireless anti-imperialist, anti-colonial liberator, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. We also urge you to read and share the statement of the Masar Badil: The Revolutionary Path Movement mourns the exceptional, historic leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah


 


The Resistance will be victorious. And we will see all of you in the streets, for Palestine, for Lebanon, for the defeat of Zionism and imperialism, for return, liberation and victory.

A

Samidoun -- Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah image 1
Samidoun -- Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah image 1


“I assure all of you: to the enemy, to the friend, to the whole world: You cannot eliminate Hezbollah, nor will you be able to eliminate the honourable resistance movements in Palestine. You will never be able to do so, because the resistance is not a conventional army, and because the resistance is, first and foremost, the people. A people who possess faith, willpower, confidence in victory, who love martyrdom, and who reject humiliation and disgrace. This is a people that no one can defeat. You may kill its men, women, children and elderly. You may destroy their buildings and homes over their heads. But you cannot defeat them. And with us as well, I assure, the resistance will not break. And the resistance will not be defeated.” – Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah

 

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network mourns with the deepest respect and salutes with the highest honour the great Arab, Islamic and international leader, the lifelong struggler, the brilliant revolutionary strategist, the anti-imperialist, anti-colonial icon, the beloved of the oppressed, the military and political commander, the tireless and victorious mujahid on the road to al-Quds and the liberation of Palestine, His Eminence, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. 

 

We extend our condolences and congratulations to the Lebanese people, the Palestinian people, Hezbollah and its leadership, members and supporters, the resistance fighters on the front lines, all of the forces of resistance in the region, the revolutionary movements of the world, and his family and loved ones on the martyrdom of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, assassinated by the Zionist regime in a murderous attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut, on Friday, 27 September 2024. At the moment of his martyrdom, as he did throughout his life, he was deeply engaged and devoted to the liberation of Palestine, loyal in all circumstances, continuing to fight and advance for Palestine and Lebanon, confronting to the end the Zionist entity, its U.S. imperialist directors and all of their agents in the region.

 

Continuous building for liberation

 

In 2000 and 2006 and continually until this moment, Sayyed Nasrallah and the revolutionary movement he dedicated his life to building and leading struck blow after blow against Zionism and imperialism, as the Lebanese Resistance, led by Hezbollah, liberated the south of Lebanon from Zionist occupation after nearly 20 years of struggle and victoriously confronted the Zionist assault once again in 2006. Sayyed Nasrallah was the architect of a historic liberation that ushered in a new era of Palestinian, Arab, Islamic and international struggle and broke the back of Zionism, exposing its pretenses of military superiority and eternal domination over the region. He was renowned always for his wisdom, honesty and precision, with a clear vision of the enemy’s capacities, exposing its lies and manipulations, and planning for a strategic victory.


[On their website there is a video here.]

 

Sayyed Nasrallah’s leadership and struggle was also directly connected to the prisoners’ movement and the liberation of the prisoners of the Zionist regime. From the liberation of Khiam prison by the victorious Lebanese resistance in 2000, liberating the torture dens of the occupiers and their collaborators and turning it into a museum of honour for those who struggled and sacrificed there, to the repeated prisoner exchanges achieved by Hezbollah, the Lebanese Resistance, including the 2004 prisoner exchange, which liberated 400 Palestinian prisoners as well as 23 Lebanese, five Syrians, three Moroccans, three Sudanese, one Libyan and one German-British prisoner jailed by the Zionist regime. These exchanges, in which Sayyed Nasrallah himself played a major role, illustrated once again that the only viable mechanism available to liberate the prisoners in occupation jails is to liberate the land and to achieve an exchange.  



Samidoun -- Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah image 2
Samidoun -- Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah image 2


Anti-imperialist vision targeted by a US/Zionist aggression

 

He always led, spoke and analyzed with the highest clarity about the forces of the enemy faced by the Lebanese and Palestinian people, recognizing and exposing the alliance between Zionism and US imperialism, saying: “America itself is the decision maker. In America, you have the major corporations; you have a trinity of the oil corporations, the weapons manufacturers and the so-called ‘Christian Zionism.’ The decision making is in the hands of this alliance. ‘Israel’ used to be a tool in the hands of the British, and now it is a tool in the hands of America.” In April of 2024, he reiterated this statement, affirming: “The claim that the Americans cannot force Israel to do something is nonsense. According to some theories, Israel controls America. No sir. It is America that controls Israel.” He did not hesitate to confront Arab and Islamic reactionary forces working as agents and allies of imperialism and Zionism, working tirelessly instead to build a revolutionary resistance alliance and deepen even further the unbreakable bonds of blood, commitment and struggle between Lebanon and Palestine. 

 

We must be clear: this assassination attack was also a genocidal assault on the Lebanese people, particularly the people of al-Dahiyeh, the popular cradle of the resistance. The Zionist regime dropped 83 one-ton U.S.-made bombs on residential buildings in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, in the aggression. However, this was not simply an attack using U.S. weaponry. It is clear that the U.S. and its fellow imperialist powers, including Germany, France, Canada, Britain, Australia, and Italy, are full partners in the ongoing genocide in Gaza and throughout occupied Palestine and in the ongoing brutal Zionist aggression against Lebanon, including the assassination of Sayyed Nasrallah. 

 

Indeed, US president, war criminal and genocidaire Joe Biden praised the assassination of Sayyed Nasrallah, calling it a “measure of justice for a…reign of terror.” Of course, it was Sayyed Nasrallah, his comrades in Hezbollah, in the Palestinian Resistance, in all of the resistance forces of the region who were responsible for bringing down the reign of terror of Zionism and imperialism in Lebanon and confronting it everywhere in the region. Biden further confirmed that the assassination, and indeed, the entire aggression on Lebanon, were meant to break the unshakeable alliance with the Palestinian people and their resistance, saying that “Nasrallah…made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a ‘northern front’ against Israel.” As Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed in his last speech, he met these demands with defiance and unshakeable commitment: “We will never abandon Palestine.”


Samidoun -- Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, with Ismail Haniyeh and Saleh al-Arouri of Hamas, image 3
Samidoun -- "The martyrs, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, Saleh al-Arouri"


Lebanon and Palestine: The Unbreakable Alliance

 

Indeed, Hezbollah and the Lebanese people and their Resistance joined hands with Hamas and all of the forces of the Resistance, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and all of the resistance factions and the Palestinian people as a whole, to create a major support front in the battle of Al-Aqsa Flood. And they have consistently fought to decolonize the north of Palestine, emptying it of its settlers and soldiers, in order to defend Gaza and demand an end to the genocide. It is Hezbollah, alongside the people, armed forces, and AnsarAllah movement of Yemen, and their fellow resistance forces in the regional resistance alliance, who have taken their responsibilities to prevent genocide seriously, while the imperialist powers arm, fund and indeed direct the genocidal warplanes of the Zionist entity. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah refused to allow the alliance of the support fronts to be broken, committed deeply to the liberation of al-Quds and all of Palestine, from the river to the sea, knowing that his martyrdom was possible and even likely, as was that of his son, Hadi, in the battle to liberate Lebanon in 1997.

 

The imperialist powers, led by the United States, continue to list Hezbollah on their so-called lists of “terrorist organizations” or “terrorist entities,” despite the fact that Hezbollah is a mass movement and political party in Lebanon, the force that achieved the liberation of Lebanese land from Zionist colonization and terror. This listing is used in an attempt to isolate, sanction and besiege the resistance, as well as to legitimize the assassination and imprisonment of its leaders and members. Listing Hezbollah and the Palestinian Resistance organizations on “terror lists” and under anti-terror laws runs entirely in contradiction with international law and the rights of people to liberate themselves from colonialism and occupation. While this has failed, of course, to crush the resistance or to isolate it from its popular cradle in Lebanon and Palestine, it continues to serve as a mechanism of repression and targeting, much like the sanctions and coercive economic measures targeting nations and states that resist U.S. imperialist domination. In fact, time and time again, the great resistance leaders targeted for assassination by the Zionist regime using US weaponry and intelligence – for example, the martyrs Ibrahim Aqil, Fouad Shukr, Saleh al-Arouri, and Ismail Haniyeh – all appear as “specially designated global terrorists” or even “most wanted” by the United States.

 

They Can Never Assassinate Resistance

 

The assassination campaign is nothing new, and it has failed miserably in an attempt to destroy the resistance. The deep faith and commitment of the resistance’s leadership has prepared them for martyrdom, and Sayyed Nasrallah, alongside every fighter for Palestine and Lebanon, carried with him the deepest willingness to sacrifice and struggle despite any price extracted. He said: “We will continue to walk this path, even if we are all killed, even if we are all martyred, even if our homes are destroyed over our heads, we will not abandon the option of Islamic resistance.”

 

Sayyed Nasrallah himself was elected as the General Secretary of Hezbollah in 1992, following the Zionist assassination of Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi. The assassination of al-Musawi failed, despite the predictions of the day, to destroy Hezbollah and the Lebanese resistance; on the contrary, the resistance rose to greater strength and power, ridding the land of Lebanon of the colonial zionist forces occupying the South since 1982. 

From Ibrahim Aqil to Fouad Shukr to Abbas al-Musawi, from Ismail Haniyeh to Saleh al-Arouri to  Fathi ShiqaqiAbu Ali Mustafa, Abdel-Aziz Rantisi, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Imad Mughniyyeh, Yahya Ayyash, Abu Jihad, Kamal ‘Udwan, Mohammed al-Najjar, Basil al-Kubaisi, Kamal Nasser, Wadie Haddad, Ghassan Kanafani, Mohammed Boudia, Basil al-ArajTariq Izzedine to Samir Kuntar; the Zionist regime relies on the assassination weapon against the liberation movement. However, despite these assassinations, the forces of resistance are stronger than they have ever been and the Zionist regime continues to crumble. Assassinations have little effect on the capabilities of the Resistance, for they cannot kill the ideology of resistance as it is not embodied in individual men but in the popular consciousness of the broad masses.

 

As Tareq Izzedine said, “Whenever a leader ascends, ten will emerge to replace them. When a martyr ascends, 100 martyrs will emerge to replace them. The march continues, and it does not stop until the defeat of the occupation.” And as Saleh al-Arouri said, “We are martyred like our people, we are arrested as they are arrested, our homes are demolished and we are being chased and pursued. We fight because we must.”



Samidoun -- "The martyrs of the leadership ranks and the builders of Hezbollah" -- Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah image 4 -- the order and placement of images 3 and 4 varies between their website and email.
Samidoun -- "The martyrs of the leadership ranks and the builders of Hezbollah"


On the road to Al-Quds, on the road to victory and liberation

 

The pain of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s assassination is felt in the heart of every free human who cherishes liberation, justice and a future of dignity for all. His revolutionary honesty and clarity, brilliant strategic wisdom,  and deep commitment is cherished everywhere, from the villages, cities and refugee camps of Palestine, where spontaneous marches burst into the streets at the news of his martyrdom, to the popular cradle of south Lebanon and among the Lebanese people as a whole, to those who march for Palestine and against the genocide in the centre of Johannesburg, South Africa, to a commune in Venezuela working to build popular solidarity and confront U.S. imperialism, to even the streets and campuses of the imperial core, where mass movements confront genocide, imperialism and Zionism. He represents not only himself, but the true promise of the resistance, for victory, return and liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea, for the defeat of Zionism, imperialism and their reactionary agents and partners. Committed always to uplifting the oppressed, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah lived his life as a mujahid on the road to al-Quds, and a true international revolutionary leader of our time.

 

The Zionist and imperialist forces seek to declare an illusory “victory” or “achievement” over the Resistance through the assassination of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and the mass targeting of the Lebanese and Palestinian people. However, despite their genocidal campaigns of aerial bombing, they have been utterly unable to uproot or destroy the Resistance and its deep commitment among the people. Al-Aqsa Flood has exposed before the world the true nature of Zionism and imperialism and has made it clear that a liberated Palestine and indeed, a liberated Arab nation and a liberated region are fully possible and achievable. Despite their genocidal attempts to erase the revolution and the resistance in a sea of blood, they will never kill the resistance nor the Palestinian, Arab, Islamic and international revolution against Zionism and imperialism. 

 

We hold the deepest confidence that the unified Resistance will ensure that the occupation is held accountable for its genocidal aggression and its cowardly assassinations. For those of us in the imperial core, this is a moment to escalate our struggle, to organize more actively, to take direct action, to fill the streets, and to make it impossible for imperialist business as usual to continue. 

 

As the martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in his last speech, “The end of this battle will be a historic victory.” Our collective movement must, with full confidence and commitment, do everything in our power to ensure the correctness and inevitability of this statement.  

 

This great crime will only inspire even more resistance and struggle along the path set out and exemplified by Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the great leader and the great martyr, until the defeat of the Zionist regime and its imperialist partners and sponsors, until victory:  the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea, and the liberation of the Arab people and the region from Zionism, imperialism and their agents and collaborators. 


Samidoun -- Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah image 5
Samidoun -- Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah image 5





A

This statement from Masar Badil/Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement was originally posted September 28th at:  masarbadil.org/en/2024/09/5259/



The Revolutionary Path Movement mourns the exceptional, historic leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah



Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah image from the Masar Badil/Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement Facebook page.
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah image from the Masar Badil/Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement Facebook page.


The Revolutionary Path Movement mourns the exceptional, historic leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah

Our peoples and the free people of the world will continue on the path of Jerusalem until return and the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea.

The  Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement and all its cadres and organizations offer their warmest and most sincere condolences and congratulations to the Lebanese people and the brothers and sisters in the leadership of Hezbollah on the martyrdom of the Arab, Islamic and international leader, the exceptional teacher and great historical mujahid, the son of Palestine and Lebanon, His Eminence, the Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who ascended as a martyr to the highest heavens and eternity after a treacherous Zionist raid that targeted him with U.S. weapons in the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut. The movement also extends to the party’s mujahideen, the revolutionaries holding on to their weapons and their compass, and the family of the martyred leader, its most sincere pledge to continue the struggle and revolution until the return and liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea.

His Eminence the Martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in his behavior, life, and positions, as well as in his struggle and martyrdom, emphasized the values ​​of loyalty to Palestine and its people. He died as a martyr, a leader, and a teacher. Our peoples and future generations will never forget his brilliantly distinguished life and his support for our people in Palestine and all the oppressed peoples in our region and the world. He continued to emphasize, through position, decision, and action, his conviction in the inevitability of the victory of the peoples of our nation against the forces of injustice and aggression, foremost among them U.S. imperialism, the Zionist entity, and their agents in the region.

We in the Revolutionary Path Movement are fully confident that Hezbollah, whose foundations were built and founded by Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, his martyred and wounded comrades, and its solid revolutionary popular incubator, will continue on its jihadist path and follow the Sayyed’s approach. This historic station and the Battle of the Flood of Al-Aqsa will constitute a distinctive historical landmark in the path of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon as it confidently marches on the path of Jerusalem and victory.

We will remain loyal to the approach of the martyred leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Glory and immortality to his pure soul

Death to the enemies and the racist Zionist entity

Victory to the resistance


A





Israel Begins Ground Invasion of Lebanon 



Washington, D.C. | www.adc.org | September 30, 2024 – Moments ago, Israel started its anticipated ground invasion of Lebanon, formally opening a new front in its war of aggression against the entire region. It is perfectly clear what Israel’s goal is – the forcible expansion of Israeli territory to include Lebanon. This adds to Israel’s current occupations in Palestine and the Golan Heights in Syria. 


Israel’s unlawful, genocidal actions endanger the lives of all in the region. There is no doubt that at this very moment Israel is the most dangerous threat to regional stability. What we are seeing in Lebanon is the intended result of a US foreign policy doctrine that is predicated on destabilization and colonization. 


Abed Ayoub, ADC National Executive Director says, “The Biden-Harris Administration has fully committed to the destruction of Arab lives, intentionally refusing to take any action that would stop Israel from expanding the genocide outside of Palestine, and into neighboring sovereign nations. As we have been saying, it is becoming abundantly clear that what is happening isn’t a failure of U.S. foreign policy, rather it is the intended outcome of U.S. foreign policy.” 


All of Israel’s war crimes and aggressions are being done with the express consent, approval, and coordination from the United States. When Jake Sullivan, an unelected White House staffer, can personally intervene and successfully prevent any mention of the massive Lebanese death toll in President Biden’s statements, it sends a clear message of how little this Administration values Arab life.





ADC and Dearborn State Rep. Alabas Farhat Urge Action from the White House and Biden-Harris Officials for 80,000 American Citizens Stranded in Lebanon



For Immediate Release

October 3, 2024  

ADC Contact: Valentina Pereda, vpereda[at adc org]


 


Washington, D.C. – Today, in a series of high-level meetings in Washington, DC, Abed Ayoub, Executive Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Michigan State Representative Alabas Farhat, and Chris Habiby, Government Affairs Director of ADC, met with senior government officials at a West Wing meeting to discuss the urgent plight of 80,000 American citizens currently stranded in Lebanon. Discussions were also had with the Embassy of Lebanon, and with Congressional members. The group highlighted the critical need for immediate U.S. Government intervention to initiate evacuation operations, and stressed the problems created by a lack of clear communication from the US Government. The ADC proposed leveraging Turkey and Greece's air resources to facilitate evacuation efforts and avoid the disastrous consequences of further delaying these operations.


"American citizens in Lebanon are facing dire circumstances, and the need for an immediate evacuation plan cannot be overstated," said Abed Ayoub. "The lives of American citizens are in danger, and our government must act swiftly and decisively, as it has done in the past."


Three American citizens from Dearborn, Michigan, have already been killed by Israeli bombs, and many more remain at risk as the violence escalates. Today's meetings highlighted the lessons learned from the 2006 Lebanon War, where a delayed evacuation response resulted in the loss of lives. The current situation mirrors that crisis, and the urgent need for dedicated, coordinated evacuation efforts, including by chartering flights and ferrying people to Cyprus, was strongly emphasized.


“Every moment that passes by without evacuation flights further endangers the lives of Americans. The United States has an obligation to protect its citizens and must do everything possible to bring them home,” said State Representative Farhat. “Families in my district are already grieving the loss of loved ones killed by Israeli bombs. This administration must act now.”


With only one month before the 2024 Presidential Election, Michigan remains one of the most critical battleground states. The Arab American vote holds significant power, and growing dissatisfaction with U.S. foreign policy—particularly regarding Israel's ongoing wars of aggression in Palestine and Lebanon—is already being felt. Community leaders are calling for swift action to protect American citizens, prevent further escalation of a regional war nobody wants, and offer Lebanese citizens the same protections the U.S. has extended to other conflict zones like Ukraine and Afghanistan.


In addition to the evacuation request, today's meetings also stressed the need to grant TPS to Lebanese citizens in the United States and establish a humanitarian parole program for those in Lebanon. Israeli’s ongoing violence, which has already killed at least 1,700 and displaced over a million people, endangers the lives of everyone in Lebanon. Designating TPS and establishing a humanitarian parole program, similar to those established for Afghanistan and Ukraine, would reflect the U.S. commitment to offering refuge to civilians caught in conflict.


"The Biden administration must take immediate steps to protect American citizens and assist the innocent civilians fleeing violence in Lebanon," said Ayoub. "Failure to act now risks both lives and the integrity of the U.S. response to this crisis."


About the ADC



The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is the largest Arab American grassroots organization in the U.S., founded in 1980 by former Senator James Abourezk.  ADC’s mission is to defend and promote the human rights, civil rights, and liberties of at least 3.7 million Arab Americans residing in the United States. Through its work, the ADC fights discrimination in the U.S., enhances public understanding of Arab history and culture, and partners with marginalized communities globally to advance social justice.






Breaking: ADC Demands TPS, Humanitarian Protections for Lebanon


For Immediate Release

Contact: media[at adc org]


 


Washington, D.C. | www.adc.org |  October 1, 2024 —Today, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) officially requested DHS Secretary Mayorkas, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken designate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Lebanese citizens currently in the US, and to establish a humanitarian parole program for Lebanese citizens. These programs will offer important protections to Lebanese citizens who are seeking safety from Israel's expanding regional war. 


 


Over the past week Israel has expanded its nearly 12 month genocide and war of aggression in Palestine to Lebanon. The advancement of this war poses a significant danger to Lebanese life, and is a serious threat to those forced to return there. Non-stop bombardment by Israel on the capital of Beirut has resulted in the death of over 1,000 individuals, injuring thousands, and displacing over 1 million residents of Lebanon. 


 


Israel has also destroyed the country’s infrastructure, and has severely limited access to humanitarian aid and basic necessities. The start of a ground invasion by Israel across the Lebanese border has made it eminently clear that Lebanese civilians are unable to return home without significant threat to their safety and well-being. 


 


ADC National Executive Director Abed Ayoub said, “The facts make it clear that Israel’s expanding regional war of aggression has compounded the political, economic, and humanitarian crises in Lebanon, making Lebanese citizens’ safe return home untenable and requiring a legal and safe pathway for those in Lebanon to find refuge. We call on the Biden-Harris Administration to do the right thing and provide these protections immediately.” 


 


The ADC Legal Department is providing assistance to nationals of Lebanon in the U.S. who are seeking guidance with their immigration matters. For questions pertaining to this request, or other immigration issues, please contact the ADC Legal Department to legal [at adc org].


 


To support the work of our Legal Department, consider making a donation today.


 


About TPS and Humanitarian Parole


 


TPS is a temporary protection that allows people from a designated country to remain in the United States while conditions in their home country make safe return impossible. The Secretary of Homeland Security can designate a country for TPS if a country is experiencing ongoing armed conflict. Humanitarian parole is a temporary protection that enables individuals from a designated country to travel to and stay in the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons. Parole into the United States can be the difference between life and death.


 


About ADC


 


The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is the largest Arab American grassroots organization in the U.S., founded in 1980 by former Senator James Abourezk.  ADC’s mission is to defend and promote the human rights, civil rights, and liberties of at least 3.7 million Arab Americans residing in the United States. Through its work, the ADC fights discrimination in the U.S., enhances public understanding of Arab history and culture, and partners with marginalized communities globally to advance social justice.







A


unac.notowar.net/2024/10/03/irans-retaliatory-strikes-on-israel-were-legal-and-in-self-defense/


Iran's Retaliatory Strikes on Israel Were Legal and in Self-Defense

UNAC Statement, October 3, 2024


Iran executed a legal and legitimate response to provocations by Israel following illegal terrorist attacks by the Zionist regime that targeted Iranian nationals and interests, infringing upon Iran’s sovereignty. In accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, Iran launched over 200 ballistic missiles at military targets in Israel on Tuesday. These strikes directly retaliated against Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, which massacred hundreds of Lebanese civilians and targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Abbas Nilforoushan.


Iran’s retaliatory strikes focused solely on Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) military targets, including the Nevatim, Hatzerim, and Tel Nof air bases, as well as the Mossad headquarters in Occupied Jaffa (Tel Aviv). Iran reports that 90% of its missiles hit their targets, though Israeli military censorship prevents independent verification. However, footage of ground explosions and craters suggests that the missiles penetrated Israel’s “Iron Dome” defense system, challenging its perceived invulnerability.


Iran’s strategic response contrasts sharply with Israel’s attacks, which often targets civilians and civilian infrastructure—unlawful actions defended politically by the US and EU, who help Israel evade accountability. Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, emphasized that their missile strikes were acts of self-defense, meticulously aimed at Israeli military assets directly involved in regional aggressions.


The Axis of Resistance remains resolute in defending its sovereignty and showing solidarity with Palestine. As Israel faces defeat in Gaza, it seeks to escalate toward a broader conflict that would provide the rationale for direct U.S. involvement. Israel relies on financial and military support from the US for its existence. This was further proved by the US’s recent decision to send $9 billion in additional funds to the Zionist regime during the same week FEMA announced a $9 billion deficit in emergency funds amidst natural disasters in the U.S.


Al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson Abu Obeida hailed the Iranian strikes as a blow to the occupier, asserting that the region’s resistance forces are united “in the skies over Palestine.” The unity in offensive operations by Yemen, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, and Iran poses an existential threat to Israel, and both the US and Zionist entity are lashing out against civilians in desperation.


Iran’s response was legal, justified, and successful despite U.S. media propaganda. It adhered to international law and achieved its objectives by demonstrating its missile capabilities and establishing a deterrent. This stands in stark contrast to Israel’s genocide and merciless bombing campaign, which has killed over 200,000 Palestinians, Lebanese, Syrians, and Iranians over the last year alone. Iran’s calculated response focused on military infrastructure rather than civilian areas, underscoring its strategic and measured approach to countering Israeli aggression.


End all US economic, military and political aid Israel NOW!

Not one penny for US-backed Zionist GENOCIDE!

Stop the Israeli/US attacks on Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran!

Solidarity with Palestine:

Provide immediate vital foods, medicine and humanitarian aid to allow Palestine to live!

Free Palestine!






October 4th:


We Do Not Consent to War



Dear [  ] --

In just the past few days the situation in the Middle East has gotten even worse. Israel has invaded Lebanon in a massive escalation of its genocidal war on Gaza, and Iran has launched a barrage of missiles at Tel Aviv in response to Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Palestine, and Iran itself.

If he wanted to, President Biden could stop this war with one phone call to the Israeli prime minister like Ronald Reagan did in 1982, because Israel’s war machine is completely dependent on US taxpayer-supplied weapons, money, military and diplomatic support. But instead, the Biden-Harris administration is complicit in Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to expand this horrific war.


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A bombshell Politico article titled “US officials quietly backed Israel’s push against Hezbollah” has revealed that top Biden administration officials encouraged Israel to invade Lebanon - completely contradicting the Democrats’ claim that Kamala Harris is “working tirelessly for a ceasefire”. Now the Middle East - and the world - are sitting on a powder keg as fears grow of an ever-expanding war that could even go nuclear.

We do not consent to be dragged into World War III by Netanyahu to support his genocidal land grab in Palestine, Lebanon, and beyond. By allowing Netanyahu to essentially dictate US foreign policy, Biden and Harris have abdicated the responsibility of their office.

As President, the first thing I’ll do is make the phone call to stop this madness at once and fix the crisis at its source - by ceasing all weapons and support to Israel until it ends its genocide in Gaza and agrees to negotiate a settlement for Palestine and the region consistent with international law and the rulings of the International Court of Justice.

We are the only campaign with a path to the White House that is putting opposition to empire, war and genocide front and center - and we are building a movement that won’t stop until we end these endless wars and achieve lasting peace with justice for all. Recent polling from the Council on American Islamic Relations shows that our campaign is actually leading both Harris and Trump among Muslim voters in key states. And the more we can get our message out, the more our numbers will grow.

Will you connect with our campaign and consider pitching in now to help us reach millions of voters with our anti-genocide, pro-worker, climate action message in the critical final weeks before Election Day?


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We're grateful for the strong support of Muslim voters who share with us the determination to end genocide in Gaza, and the injustice faced by our Muslim friends and others around the world. Our message is clear: we urge all people of conscience to resist the propaganda telling you to hold your nose and vote for genocide. If you vote for genocide, you are actively consenting to it and enabling it. Don’t let them talk you out of your humanity. Stopping genocide is the moral imperative of our time.

As Frederick Douglass said, power concedes nothing without a demand. Your vote is that demand. Voting for the “lesser evil” twists your opposition to genocide into consent for genocide. We say forget the “lesser evil” and fight for the greater good like our lives depend on it - because they do.

Every vote against genocide is a shot across the bow of the empire, announcing that its days are numbered and that the opposition is getting organized.

The political elites want you to think you are small and powerless, and that resistance is futile. This is a propaganda campaign to disarm you. In fact, a large majority of Americans want an immediate ceasefire and diplomatic solution to the genocide on Gaza.

On top of that, one in three eligible voters didn’t vote in 2020, with those voters being mostly young, low-income, and people of color - the very voters our anti-genocide, pro-worker, climate action agenda speaks to by calling for an end to genocide now, a weapons embargo to Israel, a $25 minimum wage, health care as a human right through Medicare for All, free public higher education, national rent control, reparations, a real Green New Deal, and an end to mass incarceration and police violence. We can pay for these programs by cutting the massively bloated military budget and making the rich pay their fair share of taxes.

We can have an America that works for all of us. It begins by ending the genocide and moving from a militarized foreign policy to a new foreign policy based on international law, human rights and diplomacy - and moving the trillions squandered on endless war to the urgent needs of the American people here at home.

Our message is resonating with voters across the country, but we have just weeks left to reach millions of people who are hungry for a better choice. Please donate whatever you can today to help us get our message out and build the movement to put an end to war for good!


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Thank you for everything you do for people, planet, and peace.


In solidarity and gratitude,

Jill Stein

Green Party of the United States
https://www.gp.org/






Related to this? -- russbaker.substack.com/p/the-sliver-of-the-electorate-that-994

Now is the Time to End the Bloodshed, Not Push Political Agendas



Washington, D.C. | www.adc.org | October 6, 2024 - Last night we witnessed the most brutal and unrelenting bombardment of Lebanon by Israeli forces. We also witnessed more massacres in Palestine as the genocide continues. At a time when Arabs are being slaughtered, homes destroyed, and entire communities uprooted in Palestine and Lebanon, it is not only callous but deeply immoral for anyone to use the ongoing war and genocide as an opportunity to advance personal or political agendas in Lebanon, and across the region.


 


These are unprecedented times, and ADC will not stand silently. We unequivocally condemn those who falsely claim to represent us. While these individuals and groups claim to speak on behalf of the community, they do so knowing that their support in the community is negligible, even if it ever existed. The current Biden Administration, as well as the VP Kamala Harris and President Donald Trump campaigns must know that the policies these groups push are not representative of our community and go against the best interest of America and the American people.


 


We unequivocally condemn those from our community who continue to exploit the blood of Arab people for their political agenda. This includes individuals and organizations from our community that are lock-step with the democratic and republican parties, putting party over community, politics over justice, and overlooking a genocide for access.


 


Let us be clear about one more thing - any group or individual from within our community that advocates the U.S. Government and Israel to bomb any Arab nation undermines what is best for the U.S. and betrays our shared principles as Arab Americans. The Arab American community strongly opposes using our own tax dollars to terrorize, destroy and kill our family members and loved ones who are in our ancestral homes.


 


Rather than focusing on the urgent need to save lives, fringe voices are using this moment of suffering to push their own ambitions. We view this as an unethical affront to the people of Lebanon and Palestine who are enduring unspeakable horrors under relentless attack from Israel not just over the past year, but for the last 76 years.


 


This is the time for the Arab American community to unite. Now is not the time for political maneuvering. It is the time to demand an immediate halt to the genocide and bloodshed by Israel. Now is the time for an arms embargo, an immediate ceasefire, an end to the occupation, and sanctions on the rogue state of Israel. 


 


Political agendas can wait. Human lives cannot.

A





Impeding Massacres By Israel Must Be Stopped



For Immediate Release

ADC Contact: media[at adc org]


 


Washington, DC | www.adc.org | October 9, 2024 – The Israeli regime is outdoing themselves in the genocide of Palestinians. Over the past few days hospitals across Gaza have been forced to evacuate. Patients inside the hospitals, including babies in intensive care incubators, face death as they are forced to move across an obliterated landscape that is not safe from the occupation forces' bombs and sniper fire. Israel's demolition of some of the last remaining health centers in Gaza has further crippled access to essential medical care. 


At this moment the Jabalia Refugee Camp is being surrounded and attacked relentlessly, with a blackout on information from the inside. This blackout of information follows recent targeted assassinations of journalists by Israel in order to prevent the world from seeing images of the massacres that are about to be committed. In an inhumane act of cruelty, Israel destroyed and burned the only bakery serving Palestinians in the Jabalia Refugee Camp - part of their systemic plan to starve the population of Gaza.


 


Call on Congress to Demand an End to the Genocide and an Arms Embargo



In the North of Gaza, over the past four days approximately 400,000 Palestinians have been forcibly and violently displaced from their homes, and many of them massacred. The Israeli regime has declared their intention to annex much of Gaza under the guise of creating a “military zone” which is what they have done for decades to steal Palestinian land all over Palestine and resettle it. This is happening openly and with total impunity.


For the last year, the Biden-Harris Administration has been more than aware of the massive scale of the genocide being perpetrated against the Palestinian people, and has failed to do anything to stop it. This failure of leadership does not alleviate the Administration of its responsibility to bring an end to the genocide immediately, and it does have the power to do so. All signs are pointing towards an escalation of the massacres Israel will inflict upon Palestinians over the next few days. There is a great sense of urgency and the Administration and lawmakers must act immediately. 


Take a moment now and send a message to your elected official demanding an immediate end to the genocide, and an arms embargo. Your activism is working, we are seeing members of Congress take a principled position after hearing from you. We need to keep pushing, click the link below and take action now.



About the ADC



The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is the largest Arab American grassroots organization in the U.S., founded in 1980 by former Senator James Abourezk.  ADC’s mission is to defend and promote the human rights, civil rights, and liberties of at least 3.7 million Arab Americans residing in the United States. Through its work, the ADC fights discrimination in the U.S., enhances public understanding of Arab history and culture, and partners with marginalized communities globally to advance social justice.

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Remembering Alex Odeh


October 11, 2024


 


Dear [  ],



Today is a somber day for ADC and the Arab American community, marking 39 years since the tragic assassination of Alex Odeh. Throughout his life, Alex embodied the highest ideals of justice, peace, and compassion. Alex was the ADC West Coast Director, but he was more than a community leader; he was a husband, father, brother, son, a fierce advocate for Arab Americans, a tireless champion for Palestinian rights, and a dedicated peacemaker. His death was not only a loss to his family and friends but to all those who believe in equality, dignity, and the fundamental rights of all people.



We cannot forget the context of the bombing that took Alex’s life in 1985. This was not an isolated hate crime– it was part of a series of attacks that targeted ADC offices across the country, including in Boston and Washington, D.C. The bombings were a part of an Israeli organized effort to use violence to silence Arab, Palestinian voices in the U.S. The group responsible for the attack is the Jewish Defense League (JDL), which adheres to the teachings of the radical Rabbi Meir Kahane.



We find ourselves at a critical juncture where Alex’s life resonates more powerfully than ever. As we remember Alex, we also reflect on the painful realities our communities continue to face. In Gaza, a genocide has led to the death of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians with over a million more displaced. In Lebanon, Israel is continuing its genocidal march with a war of destruction and despair. Here in the U.S., our community is targeted and facing an unprecedented rise of hate and bigotry, much of it driven by the same groups and ideology that are responsible for the killing of Alex.



It is unconscionable that the killers of Alex Odeh have not been brought to justice, despite enough evidence implicating them. Today we renew our commitment to seek justice for Alex and his family. We will continue to demand accountability for his murder and hold those responsible to account. The painful questions surrounding his assassination have lingered for far too long, and ADC remains steadfast in its pursuit of truth and justice, not only for Alex but for all who have suffered at the hands of hatred and violence.



In honoring Alex's memory, we reaffirm our dedication to building a world where the values he stood for are not just ideals but realities. We will tirelessly work to dismantle the structures of hate, to protect our communities, and to advance the cause of peace and justice for which Alex gave his life.



A


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