Daily Discussion - May 2, 2024

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…  Читати далі 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…  Читати даліn got it just right? Or what would you say in his first comments about these protests?

Russia Troops Enter U.S. Airbase In Niger

Russian military personnel have entered an air base in Niger that is hosting U.S. troops, a senior U.S. defense official told Reuters, a move that follows a decision by Niger's junta to expel U.S. forces from the country.

The military officers ruling the West African nation have told the U.S. to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country, which until a coup last year had been a key partner for Washington's fight against insurgents who have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more.

A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said…  Читати далі Russian forces were not mingling with U.S. troops but were using a separate hanger at Airbase 101, which is next to Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger's capital.

U.S. Running Out Of Bombs As Israel And Ukraine Wars Escalate

The U.S. has transferred tens of thousands of its bombs and shells to Israel since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.

But it hasn’t given Israel everything it wants. That’s because the U.S. military lacks the capacity to provide some of the weapons Israel requested, according to Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In addition to Israel, the Biden administration has sent an enormous quantity of materiel to Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion. Meanwhile, the U.S. is gearing up to rush an influx of arms to Taiwan in hopes of deterring a possible Chinese attack on the…  Читати далі island, which Beijing considers a rogue province.

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…  Читати даліota who marched to mark International Worker’s Day and back Petro’s social and economic reforms.

Russia now accepts headscarves and hijabs in passport photos.

Moscow has relaxed regulations covering applications by foreign nationals applying for citizenship, and will allow headscarves and hijabs in passport photographs, the Russian Interior Ministry said last Wednesday.

The new law will come into force on May 5, ten days after its publication.

“In cases where the religious beliefs of the applicant do not allow them to appear in front of strangers without a head covering, photographs are to be provided in head coverings that do not hide the oval of the face,” the document states.

Pictures with scarves that fully or partially obscure the chi…  Читати даліn of the applicant will not be accepted, according to the report.

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…  Читати далі 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…  Читати даліugee agency, which urged both countries to rethink the plans, and then it was delayed by legal challenges.

Trump praises New York police raid on Columbia university protesters

Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Wednesday it "was a beautiful thing to watch" New York police officers raiding a Columbia University building occupied by pro-Palestinian students, and called on officials to crack down on campus protests across the United States.

"New York was under siege last night," Trump told supporters at a campaign rally in Wisconsin, praising the police officers for arresting about 300 protesters at Columbia and City College of New York who he referred to as "raging lunatics and Hamas sympathizers."

Trump comments…  Читати далі addressed the spread of student protests against the war in Gaza across the U.S. in recent days, seeking to capitalize on concern over campus unrest.