Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Stop The Presses. End the LIES.
Fire Nicholas Kristof!

"The Israeli government rejects suggestions that it sexually abuses Palestinians, just as Hamas denied raping Israeli women."

Who is Nichola Kristof: I'm an Opinion columnist for The New York Times, writing about foreign and domestic issues. What I Cover I often report from around the world.
nytimes kristof from www.nytimes.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Kristof

https://www.nytimes.com › nicholas-kristof


"The Israeli government rejects suggestions that it sexually abuses Palestinians, just as Hamas denied raping Israeli women. Israel welcomed a United Nations report documenting sexual assaults against Israeli women by Palestinians but rejected the report’s call to investigate Israeli assaults against Palestinians. Netanyahu has
denouncedbaseless accusations of sexual violence” made against Israel."
[https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/21/opinion/kristof-palestinian-sexual-assault.html?searchResultPosition=3]

**

“Rampant sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners is a thing; it’s been normalized,” said Sari Bashi, an Israeli American human rights lawyer who is the executive director of the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel. “I don’t see evidence that it has been ordered. But there’s persistent evidence that the authorities know it’s happening and are not stopping it.”
[https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/opinion/israel-palestinians-sexual-violence.html]

Claims of Canine rape

Other Palestinian prisoners and human rights monitors have also cited reports of police dogs being coached to rape prisoners. The journalist said that when he was released, an Israeli official warned him: “If you want to stay alive when you return, do not speak to the media.”
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silence_That_Meets_the_Rape_of_Palestinians]

See also: Sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians during the Gaza war § Use of dogs

Kristof reported that a journalist detained by Israel in Gaza in 2024 said that, while stripped naked, handcuffed, and blindfolded, he had been raped by a dog "with encouragement from a handler in Hebrew".[1] Kristof wrote that there had been other reports from Palestinian prisoners and human rights groups that police dogs have been trained to rape prisoners.[1]

Some may wonder whether Palestinians fabricated accusations of sexual assaults to defame Israel. To me that seems far-fetched because none of those I interviewed sought me out or knew who else I was speaking to and they were reluctant to speak. Yet there is some evidence that Israel’s sexual abuse has become so frequent that norms are changing and Palestinian victims are becoming a bit more willing to speak out.

Think of it this way: The horrific abuse inflicted on Israeli women on Oct. 7 now happens to Palestinians day after day. It persists because of silence, indifference and the failure of American and Israeli officials alike to answer Netanyahu’s query: Where the hell are you?

Four videos in playlist- excerpts of the crowd chanting and the speakers:

Shai Davidai, David Christopher Kaufman, Scott Piro, Pastor William Devlin,  Ramon Maislen

 "They carry signs that say, “Resist the antizionist hate movement,” and, “Antizionism gets Jews killed.”

The protesters are demanding the retraction of a widely-criticized New York Times column that alleged systematic sexual abuse of Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

The demands also include disclosing the column’s editorial timeline, retraining staff on anti-Zionism, and the dismissal of the column’s author, Nicholas Kristof.

“Fire Kristof,” the protesters chant. [Times of Israel]

Flickr slide shows: Part 1- Outside NY Times. Interfaith New Yorkers United In Truth. Silenced No More. END JEW HATRED

NY Times END THE LIES.

Part 2- This sequence includes an irate antizionist who was angry that the police made him move away from the protestors, as he was rude and loud.


END JEW HATRED - NY Times Protest

UPDATE on 6/15/26 of  Nicholas Kristof :

New York Times probes Nicholas Kristof columns after report he failed to disclose campaign donor connections

"Kristof returned to the Times in 2022 after his Oregon gubernatorial bid was deemed ineligible

Kristof has pushed various Gates Foundation’s initiatives, covered Gates’ prediction that gene editing could cure AIDS and even mentioned Gates referring to a book as a "must read." None of those pieces included a disclaimer that Gates donated to his campaign and Kristof’s "What Trafficked Girls Think of Jeffrey Epstein and His Pals" made no mention of Gates.

The Times and Gates did not immediately respond when asked for comment. 

It’s hardly the first time Kristof has caused headaches for the Times. Last month, Kristof penned the infamous opinion piece that sparked outrage with allegations of serial sexual abuse by Israelis against Palestinian detainees.

Kristof said a Gaza journalist claimed he was "mounted" by a dog before adding, "Other Palestinian prisoners and human rights monitors have also cited reports of police dogs being coached to rape prisoners."

[https://www.foxnews.com/media/new-york-times-probes-nicholas-kristof-columns-after-report-he-failed-disclose-campaign-donor-connections]

"Protesters stood inside NYPD barricades ... holding signs that read "Shame on The New York Times for publishing anti-Zionist libels" and "The New York Times: All the blood libel that's fit to print."

The Times defended the piece, saying it was "backed by independent studies," and rejected the notion that the article would be retracted."

 

-30-

 

 Re to hyphen or NOT to hyphen.

COWorker or co-worker OR COOP aka, co-op. There is a movement afoot to erase the hyphen. COW orker still offends me. (Big Time) So,  I am adding this addendum discussing the erasure of the hyphen.

Conceptual Clarity

 
Advocates for the unhyphenated "antizionism" argue that the spelling change strips the term of its camouflaged academic legitimacy, exposing it as a distinct form of prejudice.

The "Antisemitism" Precedent: The push to drop the hyphen mirrors the widespread style change for "antisemitism". The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and major media outlets (like the AP and The New York Times) dropped the hyphen in antisemitism to stop legitimizing pseudo-scientific "Semite" race theories. [1, 2]

Dropping the hyphen in "antizionism" is a stylistic shift scholars and watchdogs use to denote a stand-alone ideology. While "anti-Zionism" (with a hyphen) implies legitimate political debate, "antizionism" (no hyphen) represents a modern, totalizing hostility against Jewish self-determination that often crosses into antisemitism. [1, 2, 3]

Talk amongst yourselves.....

Monday, June 8, 2026

STOP TRUMP’S WAR ON IRAN ......Will it ever End

 

Since the start of the Iran War on February 28, 2026, Iran’s “Ghost Fleet” continues active operations—loading cargo, transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and sailing east toward Chinathough the U.S. blockade may now be restricting exports.

UANI (United Against a Nuclear Iran) tracking shows ongoing illicit maritime activity. An ongoing U.S. blockade initiated on April 13 targets vessels entering and exiting Iranian ports and those carrying sanctioned or contraband oil but does not apply to all Iran-linked ships. U.S. forces focus primarily on large VLCC tankers rather than smaller carriers.

[https://www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com/tanker-tracker?tab=2]

June 1, 2026

UANI Applauds U.S. Enforcement
Actions
on Iran’s Ghost Fleet

(New York, NY) – United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) applauds President Trump and his administration for the latest sanctions designations action targeting entities and vessels involved in the illicit transport of Iranian oil and petrochemicals.

Seven of the eight vessels designated by the U.S. Treasury Department had previously been listed on UANI’s Ghost Armada for evasion of American sanctions.

These vessels include FLORA (IMO 9133070), HAUNCAYO (IMO 9180164), ILL GAP (IMO 9294305), MAYMEI (IMO 9133082), RCELEBRA (IMO 9286073), THEA (IMO 9298284), and YONGAN OCEAN (IMO 9288758).

View UANI’s complete Ghost Armada list here.

One of the most frequently deployed tactics in evading oil sanctions isflag hopping.” This involves the repeated switching of a ship’s “flag”which permits legitimate global travel and docking rights – to different national registries. Often accompanied by the formation of new shell and front companies, ownership and name changes, and even alterations to ships’ physical markings, flag-hopping is a blight on legitimate maritime commerce.

[https://www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com/blog/stop-hop-ii-ghost-armada-grows]

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Iran's sunken ships will make "prime fishing spots ... " 

"There is no Iranian navy," Rubio said  .. in a clip posted on X by the State Department. "It lies at the bottom of the ocean, and will soon, within a number of years, be prime fishing spots because they'll turn into reefs."

[https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-us-trump-netanyahu-israel-lebanon-hezbollah/]

Iran Violates Ceasefire By
Firing Straight At Americans

... as U.S. forces intercept threats and move to reopen global shipping lanes under “Project Freedom.”

[https://www.dailywire.com/news/iran-targets-u-s-warships-in-first-major-escalation-since-ceasefire].

Today in the Middle East: Iran fired a barrage of missiles and drones at Kuwait, killing a civilian and injuring dozens of others at the country’s only international airport.

Iran also launched missiles and drones at Bahrain, another U.S. ally in the Gulf region, saying it was targeting the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet. The attacks further inflamed tensions as negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz have dragged on without a resolution. [NYTimes]

The Best Deal With Iran Is No Deal At All

''It’s rare I cite National Review on the pages of Geller Report, but even a broken clock is right twice a day. Dan McLaughlin is pessimistic about Trump’s ability to get a good deal from Iran’s regime, and suggests a better alternative in his view: no deal at all.''

[https://gellerreport.com/2026/06/the-best-deal-with-iran-is-no-deal-at-all.html/]

''Fanatics don't become rational because they've been pummeled militarily or because they are punished economically.

Neither the bombing they've endured, nor any blockade the U.S. can mount, can end their quest for a nuclear weapon with which to dominate the world and end the current world order. There is only one way to end the threat they pose to western civilization: end them! You can't bargain with them, frighten them or bankrupt them.

The only thing that will work is total decapitation of the regime leadership down to the last man at the national, provincial and local level.''- (lost link)

Inside Rasht's bloody crackdown:
witnesses detail secret removals of bodies

*Rasht is the largest city on Iran's Caspian Sea coast*

Security forces opened fire on protesters, blocked medical aid and secretly removed bodies as they crushed demonstrations in Rasht, northern Iran, during January’s nationwide uprising, eyewitness accounts and documents sent to Iran International show.

Witnesses described security forces shooting at protesters, blocking aid to the wounded, demanding money from families before returning bodies, and pressuring relatives to hold secret burials and avoid public ceremonies.

The new accounts add to an Iran International public documentation campaign that has gathered testimony saying protesters in Rasht were driven into narrow market passages, trapped as fire spread and fired upon by security forces during January’s unrest.

[https://www.iranintl.com/en/202606061140]

Arab states can no longer pretend
Tehran’s threat is manageable

For decades, a dangerous illusion governed the Persian Gulf. Arab capitals knew the Islamic Republic was hostile. Yet, they believed the threat could be managed.

They treated Tehran’s subversion as a chronic illness, not a fatal one. The Arab states of the Persian Gulf opted for quiet diplomacy. Tehran opted for proxies and intimidation. This tense balance was always a house of cards. That house has collapsed.

[https://www.iranintl.com/en/202606066241?source=share-link]

 Can Trump crack Iran's negotiating playbook?
The Strait of Hormuz represents
another test of Iran's leverage.

For decades, the Islamic Republic has used the threat of disruption in the waterway as one of its most powerful strategic tools. But according to Homayoun Falakshahi, who leads Kpler's crude oil analysis team, that leverage may already be eroding.

Falakshahi said oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen dramatically since the war and the US blockade on Iranian ports. Before the conflict, roughly 30 oil tankers transited the waterway daily. Today, the average is closer to one or two.

More importantly, he argues that the crisis is accelerating efforts by Gulf states to reduce their dependence on the strait altogether. Abu Dhabi is already expanding export capacity through Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, while other producers are exploring alternative routes.

"Five years from now, that leverage that the Islamic Republic currently has probably will not exist anymore," .... "Iran may be overestimating the long-term value of its position. ... They always overplay their hand,"....

For now, Iran is testing the limits: in Lebanon, in the Persian Gulf, at sea and at the negotiating table.

Trump may have disrupted Tehran's playbook. But whether he has cracked it will depend on whether pressure produces a durable agreement—or simply another pause in a decades-long confrontation.

[https://www.iranintl.com/en/202606055215?source=share-link]

the National Iranian American Council
https://niacouncil.org/