Daily Discussion - May 2, 2024

Saudi Arabia Cracks Down: Israel Critics Arrested

Saudi Arabia has stepped up the arrest of citizens for social-media posts related to the Israel-Hamas war as the kingdom signals a readiness to agree to diplomatic relations with the Jewish state — if it commits to Palestinian statehood.

Detaining people for online comments — even those more than 10 years old — and restrictions on free speech and political expression are the norm in Saudi Arabia. Yet the recent spate of arrests are motivated by security concerns specifically linked to the deadly Oct. 7 invasion of Israel by Hamas and its aftermath, according to Riyadh-based…  Read more diplomats and human rights groups.

The Cruel Spectacle of British Asylum Policy

The Safety of Rwanda Act allow the British government to finally, after two years, enact its policy to permanently deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Some of the most vulnerable people in Britain will be rounded up, detained and then — in theory — flown some 4,000 miles to Rwanda’s capital, Kigali.

Nearly 30,000 people made small-boat journeys to Britain last year alone, and deaths have become more common. Five people, including a child, died making the crossing last week, hours after the bill passed.

The deal was condemned by human rights groups and the United Nations’ ref…  Read moreugee agency, which urged both countries to rethink the plans, and then it was delayed by legal challenges.

116 Russian Soldiers Killed In Missile Strike

More than 100 Russian soldiers were reportedly killed when a volley of Atacms missiles hit a training base in eastern Ukraine in one of the highest single losses of Russian lives in months.

Drone footage shared on social media appeared to show at least four of the short-range ballistic missiles, armed with cluster warheads, smash the gathering of Russian troops in as little as 95 seconds.

Ukraine has been begging the US for months to supply high-precision, long-range Atacms missiles, before they were secretly shipped to Kyiv last month.

Western analysts said the attack occurred on a Russian trai…  Read morening centre in between the towns of Kuban and Mozhnyakivka, about 50 miles behind the front lines in the Donbas region of Luhansk.

China Has 350 Warships. The US Has 290. That's a Problem.

Today, China’s fleet of at least 350 warships outnumbers America’s of 290. Given the global demands on the US fleet and the fact that any combat in the South China Sea would take place in the shadow of the Chinese mainland — in effect, a massive and unsinkable aircraft carrier — the US must pursue a coalition strategy to balance the numbers.

A glance at the map reveals the candidate list. Already aligned with the US are three of its collective defense treaty allies: Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. Here there is good news: After decades of animosity, Japan and…  Read more South Korea — the world’s third- and 13th-largest economies — are beginning to work together militarily. And Japan has pledged to double its military spending from 1% of GDP to 2% in 2027, which would give it the third-largest defense budget in the world after the US and China.

Colombia cuts off all diplomatic ties with Israel

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Wednesday he will break diplomatic relations with Israel over its actions in Gaza.

Petro has already heavily criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and requested to join South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice.

“Here in front of you, the government of change, of the president of the republic announces that tomorrow we will break diplomatic relations with the state of Israel ... for having a government, for having a president who is genocidal,” Petro told cheering crowds in Bog…  Read moreota who marched to mark International Worker’s Day and back Petro’s social and economic reforms.

US and Saudis Near Defense Pact Meant to Reshape Middle East

Plan would offer incentives for Israel to end war with Hamas.

Accord would pave the way for Saudis to get advanced weapons.

The US and Saudi Arabia are nearing a historic pact that would offer the kingdom security guarantees and lay out a possible pathway to diplomatic ties with Israel if its government brings the war in the Gaza Strip to an end, people familiar with the matter said.

Such an agreement would potentially reshape the Middle East. Beyond bolstering Israel and Saudi Arabia’s security, it would strengthen the US’s position in the region at the expense of Iran and even Chin…  Read morea.

Biden Calls Ally Japan ‘Xenophobic’

Joe Biden included ally Japan along with rivals China and Russia in a list of countries he called “xenophobic” in a speech at a campaign fundraising event in Washington.

Biden reiterated remarks he made last month linking China’s economic woes to its unwillingness to accept immigration. This time he added Russia, but also longstanding ally Japan, whose Prime Minister Fumio Kishida he welcomed for a summit and state dinner in Washington three weeks ago.

“You know, one of the reasons our economy is growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigran…  Read morets,” Biden told Asian American and Pacific Islander donors Wednesday. “The reason - think about it - why is China stalling so bad economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why is Russia, why is anyone? Because they’re xenophobic, they don’t want immigrants.”

Released Palestinians allege abuse in Israeli jails

Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails say that guards carried out abuse and collective punishment in the weeks after the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October.

They have described being hit with sticks, having muzzled dogs set on them, and their clothes, food and blankets taken away.

One female prisoner has said she was threatened with rape, and that guards twice tear-gassed inmates inside the cells.

The BBC spoke to six people in total, all of whom said they were beaten before leaving jail.

The Palestinian Prisoners Society says some guards are alleged to have urinated on handcuffed prisoners. And that six prisoners have died in Israeli custody in the past seven weeks.

Chuck Schumer Invites Netanyahu To Address Congress

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is poised to join Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver an address to Congress, despite tensions between the Israeli leader and many Democrats over the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Johnson told The Hill this week that he sent Schumer a draft invitation around a month ago, but the Senate leader has been sitting on it since.

Netanyahu’s visit — if it does materialize — is sure to spark outrage among liberals, who have strongly criticized the prime minister’s handling…  Read more of the Israel-Hamas war and the growing number of civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip.

Bernie Sanders Defends College Protesters Accused Of Being Pro-Hamas

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said that many of the pro-Palestine demonstrating on college campuses are doing so “for the right reasons.”

The Vermont lawmaker joined CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour where the pair discussed President Joe Biden’s recent condemnation of the pro-Palestine protests over the use of pro-Hamas chants and anti-Semitic rhetoric.

Sanders said the president was correct in calling out hate and violence at pro-Gaza protests, but said it is important to draw a distinction for those protesting against the Israeli government.

AMANPOUR: Do you believe President Bide…  Read moren got it just right? Or what would you say in his first comments about these protests?