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Netanyahu: “US must stop pro-Palestinian protests”

The situation in Gaza

Published 29 April 2024
– By Editorial Staff
Benjamin Netanyahu argues that the protesters should not be protected by US free speech laws.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that “anti-Semitic gangs” have taken over leading US universities – and demands that US authorities step in and “stop” the students who are critical of Israel.

– They call for the annihilation of Israel, they attack Jewish students, they attack Jewish faculty, Netanyahu claimed in a speech, comparing the protesting youths to the persecution of Jews during World War II.

– This is reminiscent of what happened in German universities in the 1930s. It’s unconscionable. It has to be stopped. It has to be condemned unequivocally, he demands, adding that the students want not only “Death to Israel” but also “Death to the United States”.

The neoconservative politician complains that there is “an antisemitic surge” in the US and claims that Israel’s invasion of Gaza and expulsion of its population is only to “protect itself from genocidal terrorists hiding among the civilian population”.

– We have to stop antisemitism because antisemitism is the canary in the coal mine. It always precedes larger conflagrations that engulf the entire world.

Demands raise eyebrows

However, not everyone is impressed with Netanyahu’s demand that US authorities “stop” pro-Palestinian protests on American campuses – with many pointing to the constitutionally protected and far-reaching freedom of expression in the US.

The students – who have camped out and blocked entrances to several universities – are demanding that their schools cancel all contracts with Israel and stop doing business with companies that enable or facilitate the ongoing war in Gaza.

“First we get robbed to fund your war and now the leader of a foreign nation demands government officials crack down on the speech of college kids. This is infuriating beyond belief”, commented libertarian pundit Clint Russell on X.

Others point out that it is Israel that has now killed tens of thousands of civilians, and that similar protests are taking place in Israel – and that opponents of Israel’s bloody war have long demonstrated outside Netanyahu’s home and office.

In the past, similar actions have been used, with varying degrees of success, to sway public opinion in the wake of the wars in Vietnam and Iraq.

In several cases, protests have led to clashes with police, and large numbers of students have been arrested. Protesters have accused police and prison guards of abusing and brutalizing peaceful activists, while police and more pro-Israeli actors say some protesters have engaged in rock-throwing and other violence.

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Trump wants to make Gaza an American “freedom zone”

The situation in Gaza

Published yesterday 17:42
– By Editorial Staff
Many Palestinians are very hostile to the idea of Israel's main ally taking control of their homes.

Donald Trump has once again proposed that the US take control of the Gaza Strip and turn the entire area into a “freedom zone”.

However, what this would mean in practice for the population is highly unclear, and Palestinian activists emphasize that they have no interest in coming under US sovereignty.

During a visit to Doha, Qatar, Donald Trump reiterated his vision of the US “taking over” the Gaza Strip and creating a so-called freedom zone.

The statement comes in the middle of a regional tour and follows earlier heavily criticized proposals to transform Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East by moving the Palestinian population to neighboring countries and replacing them with “people from all over the world”.

– We are working very hard on Gaza and Gaza has been a territory of death and destruction, the president proclaimed, continuing:

– I’d be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone.

Israel’s most important ally

He did not clarify exactly what a “freedom zone” means, nor has Trump previously provided details on how a relocation or reconstruction of Gaza would be carried out.

Qatar and Egypt, which are mediating in the war between Israel and Hamas, have seen peace negotiations stall in recent months, as large-scale displacement of Palestinians is rejected not only by the Palestinians themselves, but also by many Arab states.

Trump’s proposal raises questions about whether the people of Gaza have any interest in breaking Israeli occupation under American control. Since the outbreak of the war, over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed and most of the infrastructure destroyed, according to the UN. Many more have been injured or are missing under the rubble, and more and more voices are describing the situation as ongoing genocide.

Many Palestinian activists and outside observers point out that the US supports and has enabled Israel’s invasion, bombings, and war crimes, and that from a Palestinian perspective, it is hardly desirable for Israel’s closest ally, the US, to take control of the area.

Others emphasize that the Palestinian people want and have the right to independence and self-determination and to rule over their own territory without having to submit to either Israel or the US.

Journalist asked critical questions about Israel – banned from Eurovision

The situation in Gaza

Published yesterday 16:19
– By Editorial Staff
Journalist Szymon Stellmaszyk, banned from Eurovision 2025.

Polish journalist Szymon Stellmaszyk has been denied accreditation for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Basel. He believes this is due to a critical question he asked Israeli artist Eden Golan last year – something the EBU denies.

Szymon Stellmaszyk has covered the Eurovision Song Contest for 20 years and runs both the Facebook page “Let’s talk about ESC” and the industry website “Radio Newsletter”. This year, for the first time, he has been denied accreditation to cover the contest in Basel.

The background, according to Stellmaszyk himself, is a critical question he asked Israel’s contestant, Eden Golan, during Eurovision in Malmö last year. He asked whether Golan, given the political situation and the war in Gaza, thought her presence could pose a security risk to other participants and the audience.

The question attracted attention and was criticized by some, but Stellmaszyk emphasizes that it was not intended to be offensive or “anti-Semitic”. In an email to Stellmaszyk, which the Swedish state broadcaster SVT has seen, the EBU justifies its decision by saying that the platforms Stellmaszyk uses do not have sufficient reach.

“Restriction”

Szymon Stellmaszyk himself is convinced that the EBU is making excuses and that it is in fact about the question he asked last year.

– This is some kind of revenge and, in practice, a restriction of freedom of expression, he says.

It should also be noted that this year’s EBU media handbook contains a new rule stating that published content must be “respectful” towards Eurovision and the EBU. Eurovision boss Martin Green says the wording is unfortunate and promises that it will be reworded for next year.

At the same time, he does not want to comment on individual cases, but points out that there are a limited number of places for journalists.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will be held in Basel, Switzerland.

Smotrich: “We will finally occupy the Gaza Strip”

The situation in Gaza

Published 6 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Bezalel Smotrich has long advocated for the permanent Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip and the re-establishment of Israeli settlements in the area.

Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Monday that the country intends to occupy the entire Gaza Strip. At the same time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the planned expansion of the offensive against the area.

We will stop being afraid of the word ‘occupation’, declared Smothrich.

On Monday, Israel’s security cabinet unanimously approved a plan to expand the military operation in Gaza, which, according to government officials, means a de facto occupation of the entire Gaza Strip. Tens of thousands of reservists have been called up for the operation.

We are finally going to occupy the Gaza Strip. We will stop being afraid of the word ‘occupation’, said the Finance Minister and Religious Zionist Party leader during a conference organized by B’Sheva newspaper.

Prime Minister Netanyahu described the operation as “intensive” and stressed that Israel will not withdraw from areas taken under its control.

– Once the new offensive is launched, Israel will not withdraw from conquered territories. The intention is the opposite of that, said Netanyahu in a video clip on X.

Opposition: It’s about saving Netanyahu

Netanyahu added that Gaza’s civilian population will be moved south “for its own protection” as part of the plan.

The decision has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition and relatives of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. Many accuse the government of prioritizing territorial gains over human lives.

– The cabinet decided last night to expand the military operation inside the Gaza Strip – not to maintain Israel’s security, but to save Netanyahu and the extremist government, opposition leader Yair Golan wrote on X.

May constitute genocide

Plans to forcibly displace civilians in Gaza raise questions of international law. According to the UN Genocide Convention, the forcible transfer of a protected group with the intent to destroy it in whole or in part may constitute genocide.

Also under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), such displacement can count as a crime against humanity.

Palestinian documentary filmmaker killed in airstrike – film to be shown in Cannes

The situation in Gaza

Published 24 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Fatima Hassouna also lost 10 family members in the Israeli attack - including a pregnant sister, according to local sources.

Palestinian photojournalist and documentary filmmaker Fatima Hassouna was killed last week in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, just days after her film was selected for the Cannes Film Festival. The incident has attracted international attention and highlights the dangers for media workers in conflict zones.

Hassouna, 25, was killed on April 16 in an airstrike on her home in the Al-Touffah neighborhood of Gaza City, reports The Independent.

The Cannes Film Festival announced just 24 hours before the attack that the documentary Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, which features Hassouna, had been selected for screening in ACID – a parallel section of the film festival that highlights independent filmmakers.

The film, directed by Iranian-Swedish Sepideh Farsi, is based on months of video conversations between the two women, in which Hassouna talks about everyday life during the war. The ACID section describes the film as an intimate portrayal of life in Gaza and a testimony from a civilian voice in the midst of the conflict.

According to local sources, ten family members also died during the attack, including a pregnant sister, while Hassouna’s parents were severely injured but survived. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza confirmed the deaths the day after the attack.

IDF: Attack targeted Hamas member

The Israel Defense Forces has stated that the attack was directed against a suspected Hamas member, but critics question the claim and say that the attack hit civilians with no connection to military targets. Director Sepideh Farsi has commented on the IDF’s claim, calling the information “nonsense”.

Fatima Hassouna worked as a freelance photographer, documenting the impact of war on the civilian population. She posted pictures and stories of everyday life on social media, including children playing among ruins and families losing their homes.

– If I die, I want a loud death. I don’t want to be just breaking news, or a number in a group, I want a death that the world will hear, an impact that will remain through time, and a timeless image that cannot be buried by time or place, she wrote in a post on Instagram in August 2024.

After her death, the statement was widely circulated and provoked strong reactions.

Hundreds of journalists killed in the war

UNESCO and several press freedom organizations have condemned the attack, and have long warned of the increasing risk to journalists in Gaza. According to data from Reporters Without Borders, more than 200 journalists have been killed in the region since October 2023.

The film Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk has already attracted international interest. ACID announced that it also plans to show Hassouna’s photographs at the festival in May as a tribute to her work.

Fatima Hassouna’s fate has come to symbolize the high price paid by many civilians and media workers in conflict-affected areas.

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