• THE FLAG
  • Posts
  • 🇺🇸 Gaza Worsening

🇺🇸 Gaza Worsening

Plus, thrifting for treasure.

December 20, 2023

The Flag

Good morning, and happy Wednesday. A former ‘wild child’ began a search for the foster mom who changed her life. The internet found her.

Plus, a woman was surveying the shelves of a Virginia thrift store when a vase caught her eye. She bought it $4. I just sold at an auction for a whole lot more!

Also, check out this investment report as we head into 2024. This link is a one-click sign-up to make it easy to grab your copy today.

Right: New Low: Only 6% Approve of GOP Leader McConnell, Tristan Justice, The Federalist

Right: How NewsGuard, GDI Help Elevate Left-Wing News, Mollie Hemingway, FOX News

Left: Is This a Turning Point for Universities? Benjamin Hart, New York Magazine

QUICK CLICKS

Trump Removed, Power Outages, Iceland Volcano

US: Trump kicked off Colorado ballot in 14th Amendment case (The Hill)

US: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill letting police arrest migrants who cross the border illegally (NBC News)

US: Hundreds of thousands are without power in Northeast as temperatures are set to plummet today (CNN)

US: Judge blocks removal of Confederate memorial from Arlington Cemetery, for now (CBS News)

US: Former Georgia election workers sue Rudy Giuliani again, asking judge to permanently stop him from lying about them (CNN)

World: Iceland volcano: Pollution warning for capital after eruption (BBC)

World: Indian government accused of attack on democracy as 141 MPs suspended (The Guardian)

POWERED BY WEALTH CREATION INVESTING

Dear Investor: Some financial analysts foresee a harrowing recession in 2024, injecting fear and urgency into the investment landscape. 

Before you consider selling off everything, consider this vital information... 

Act quickly to secure your future! As a response to the imminent crisis, we're offering a Limited Special Bonus. Upon requesting your report today, you'll receive one bonus as a token of our commitment to your financial security. (One bonus per investor, act now!) 

Get the "The #1 Recession Stock for 2024" report and an exclusive Investors-Only Bonus for FREE! 

(**By clicking the link you are subscribing to Wealthiest Investor News’s Newsletter and may receive up to 2 additional free bonus subscriptions. Unsubscribing is easy. Full disclosures found here.)

MIDDLE EAST

Gaza Worsening

On Tuesday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog signaled readiness on the part of the country to enter another foreign-mediated Gaza truce to recover hostages held by Hamas and enable more aid to reach the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Reporting from the Right: Gazans flock to aid trucks as US, Israel discuss future of Hamas war (Fox News)

Reporting from the Left: Humanitarian crisis worsens in Gaza as Israel-Hamas war rages (CNN)

From The Flag: As Israel has further escalated its response in Gaza, many human rights organizations and government bodies are calling attention to the increasingly dire humanitarian conditions in the region. Here’s what both sides are saying about the present state of the situation and what could come next.

RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Mixed Perspectives

  • “As casualties rise in Gaza, and Hamas continues to use human shields, what should international law actually require of Israel?”

  • As Israel carries out its incursion in Gaza, serious questions need to be asked and answered about what happens when all of this is done.

  • “The Biden administration is pressing Israel to move to the next stage of its war in Gaza in the near future due to concerns about the rising Palestinian death toll.”

How Should ‘Rules Of War’ Be Applied To The Israel-Hamas Conflict? John Yoo and Jeremy Rabkin, The Federalist: “The Biden administration has begun to waver in its support for Israel’s war against Hamas. President Biden warned this week that Israel was losing global support because of its ‘indiscriminate bombing.’ … Israel, however, would strike a victory for the West and its values by ignoring these vague demands to follow international law. Jerusalem would strike a victory for the Western democracies not just in defeating Hamas on the battlefield and driving it out of Gaza. It would also achieve success in rejecting the cynical legal and political campaign of terrorist groups, their nation-state backers, and the ‘useful idiots’ who sympathize with them. These groups, aided and abetted by a broad network of non-governmental organizations, seek to turn the West’s moral and legal principles against itself to make effective self-defense impossible.

Who will rebuild Gaza? Sean Rayment, The Spectator: “When the last shot is fired in the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the fog of war eventually lifts, the challenge of who will rebuild Gaza will need to be addressed. While such a thought may be difficult for some Israelis to stomach, especially those who lost loved ones in the October 7th Hamas atrocity, the ‘what happens next?’ question demands both an answer and a plan. … President Benjamin Netanyahu’s government also plans to totally defeat Hamas but, crucially, it has yet to decide what will become of Gaza and its population. Many of Mr Netanyahu’s supporters would probably like to see Gaza remain as a smoking ruin, serving as a reminder to those of what happens if you attack Israel. But the impact of Israel’s unrelenting air bombardment and ground assault may have already delivered that message. … Even before an extensive and lengthy rebuilding programme can begin, thousands of unexploded bombs, rockets and artillery shells will have to be carefully removed by a small army of bomb disposal experts. All of this costs money so who will pay and what will the cost be? The early estimates suggest that the rebuilding of Gaza could take years and may cost as much as $50 billion.

One more opinion piece from the Right: US stresses decreased war intensity to Israel as it continues push for Palestinian Authority to lead Gaza, Mike Brest, Washington Examiner

LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Israel (and US) Losing International Support

  • “America’s partners and allies are increasingly frustrated that the United States isn’t using enough leverage to protect Palestinian lives.”

  • Israel’s extreme response and the enablement of those actions by the US are making the two nations increasingly isolated.

  • Some polls indicate that Hamas is gaining support among Palestinians, indicating that Israel’s actions are further radicalizing Palestinians.

Biden’s support of Israel could come at a cost to U.S. foreign policy, Karen DeYoung, The Washington Post: “When President Biden cautioned Israel this week that it was losing international support due to the war in Gaza, he could just as well have been warning that his own administration also has a lot to lose. … Now, there is acknowledgment within Biden’s administration that his unwavering support for Israel’s right to destroy Hamas…could impose a price on the president’s standing at home and abroad. … It is not just friendly foreign partners who are urging the Biden administration to do more. Some White House, State Department and U.S. aid officials have now gone public with their objections to Biden’s unwavering support for Israel, arguing that the Gaza conflict could have larger ramifications for U.S. leadership. … In its efforts to woo the Global South away from Moscow and China, Washington has called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a colonial war of aggression. Yet for many, Israel’s war on Gaza looks virtually the same.

The growing global support for a Gaza ceasefire, explained, Li Zhou, Vox: “The international community is increasingly turning against Israel’s ongoing military onslaught in Gaza, in large part due to a growing civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis. That’s putting new pressure on Israel’s government and its closest ally, the US, which is supplying and backing the Israeli offensive. ... At this point, any push for either country to alter its policies is more likely to come from domestic pressures than it is from global ones, foreign policy experts say. … In the US, Biden is dealing with pressure from his own party — which is divided on the issue of military support for Israel — and the growing backing of a ceasefire domestically: According to a December Data for Progress poll, 61 percent of likely US voters support a ceasefire in Gaza. … With an upcoming election in 2024, those forces are likely weighing on how Biden and the administration approach this issue, though they’ve not yet significantly altered the US’s position.

One more opinion piece from the Left: Is Israel’s War in Gaza Strengthening Hamas? Fred Kaplan, Slate

FLAG THIS

Americans Disapprove of Biden. Palestinians Reject West.

President Biden’s response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza is broadly unpopular, according to a recent survey. The New York Times/Siena poll shows that just 33% of respondents approve of Biden’s Israel policy, compared to 57% disapproval (The Hill)

Another wartime opinion poll among Palestinians shows a rise in support for Hamas, with 57% of respondents from Gaza and 82% in the West Bank believing Hamas was correct in launching the October 7th attack. The survey also indicated an overwhelming rejection of Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas, with nearly 90% saying he must resign (AP).

POWERED BY WEALTH CREATION INVESTING

Dear Investor: Some financial analysts foresee a harrowing recession in 2024, injecting fear and urgency into the investment landscape. 

Before you consider selling off everything, consider this vital information... 

Act quickly to secure your future! As a response to the imminent crisis, we're offering a Limited Special Bonus. Upon requesting your report today, you'll receive one bonus as a token of our commitment to your financial security. (One bonus per investor, act now!) 

Get the "The #1 Recession Stock for 2024" report and an exclusive Investors-Only Bonus for FREE! 

(**By clicking the link you are subscribing to Wealthiest Investor News’s Newsletter and may receive up to 2 additional free bonus subscriptions. Unsubscribing is easy. Full disclosures found here.)

WATERCOOLER

Elvis Drafted, Mind Wandering, Great Wall Trek

Presley during his military service at a US base in Germany.

On This Day in 1957: While spending the Christmas holidays at Graceland, his newly purchased Tennessee mansion, rock-and-roll star Elvis Presley receives his draft notice for the United States Army.

Harper’s Bazaar: How Mercury Retrograde Went Viral

Today I learned it would take 18 months to walk the Great Wall of China.

Reply

or to participate.