This week

 United Nations violates its own charter

An incisive article in J-Wire highlights the UN's inconsistent treatment of Israel over the decades. Most notably in its most recent vote calling for an end to the occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. This is in 'flagrant' violation of Article 80 of the United Nations Charter which committed to Israel the land on the West Bank of the Jordan river, ie Israel and Judea and Samaria.

It seems UN commitments are rather fluid, you can commit one day and de-commit on another.

Read the full article here United Nations acts illegally in violation of its own charter

Massive turnout against Anti-semitism

Over 30,000 people attended the rally yesterday fighting antisemitism, which ended in Parliament Square.

You guys are absolute angels. Thank you. ❤️pic.twitter.com/68R1mmezKC

— Vivid.🇮🇱 (@VividProwess) December 9, 2024

Collapse of  Syria provides new opportunities for the West 

The rapid collapse of the Assad regime has changed the strategic balance with a weakened Russia and Iran. This is a great opportunity to remove the threats posed by Iran and its puppets. 

Here is an interesting discussion of the strategic factors. 

OTG WE 8 Dec 24

• In a week that has already seen political upheaval in South Korea with an on-again, off-again Marshall law declaration, we now have the end of the Syrian Assad regime. It has come lightning fast with rebels taking the country in less than a few weeks. The balance of power has shifted rather suddenly. Why? Assad's rule was founded on three supports, Hezbollah, Russia and Iran. Israel has substantially weakened Hezbollah and certainly distracted Iran. At the same time, Ukraine's successful resistance has weakened Russia. The rebel forces in Syria saw this weakness as an opportunity and struck, quickly and successfully. What will the future bring? It is difficult to be optimistic given the many factions that make up the 'Rebel' forces are Islamist. So no doubt this will have consequences, but the weakening of Iran and Russia is a welcome consequence. 

• While many countries continue to advocate repeated COVID mRNA boosters for all their population the calls to ban the vaccines continue unabated, supported by many studies showing a high rate of Adverse Events, much greater than those for non-mRNA vaccines. In a recent article by Trial Site News titled "Hungarian Physician-Scientist Argues COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines ‘Prophylactic Immuno-Gene Therapies’ & Unsafe". The article notes 

Utilizing data from the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and global vaccination datasets, the analysis reports a 26-fold increase in AEs with mRNA vaccines compared to flu vaccines. Notably, severe AEs such as myocarditis and thrombosis show incidence rate increases of 1,152-fold and 455-fold, respectively, relative to flu vaccines. 

• We have seen this in many countries, a Pro-Palestinian demonstration is held in a public location with presenters and the crowd screaming genocidal anti-Semitic and anti-Israel chants. A small police presence watches but does not interfere with the demonstrators. Then when an individual or group voice their opposition to this hateful group, perhaps by even displaying an Israeli flag, the police ask the individual to leave as they are deemed to be 'disturbing the peace'. How is this acceptable? Don't the streets belong to all of us? I can understand the Police trying to avoid having to keep the two groups from doing violence against each other, and it seems easier to move a couple instead of facing a potential melee. But that is simply avoiding doing their job and relinquishing their role in keeping the streets safe for every citizen.  The folks at Rebel News faced this problem when one of their number was arrested for "disturbing the peace'. He learnt his lesson, At the next such demonstration, he turned up with 100 of his close friends. That certainly proved his point. Given the numbers, no one was arrested this time. But really, the police should always do their job to protect the rights of all citizens. Rebel News published their experience, but while it is rather long it is worth a view.

• While Western media is preoccupied with the anti-Israeli demonstrations in many a capital city, giving the impression that these demonstrators are representative of the Arab world, the truth is far different. A recent article at Gatestone provides a totally difference picture. Read Arabs No Longer Buying the Lies of Hamas, Hezbollah 

• One of the claims against Israel in the ICC's recent fiasco issuing illegal warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, is the claim of intentional famine caused by Israel. The fact that there has not been famine in Gaza is only one of the many problems with the ICC's case. Indeed Honest Reporting has exposed key errors in the reporting by Reuters on this non-famine. Read this one Reuters Accidentally Exposes the Sham Behind Gaza Famine Claims 

• In another unexpected outcome of Trump's election, comedy has returned to nighttime television. Ok, it won't last but, here is a really humorous take on Biden's pardon of his son, by Jon Stewart. Must see. 

• In the "what can possibly go wrong" category we have European scientists experimenting with blocking out the sun to ameliorate global warming. Mmm... read here European satellites launched to create artificial solar eclipses in a tech demo

• In its most recent vote in the UN, Australia's Labor government has once again abandoned its long-standing ally Israel. The most recent betrayal is covered by J-Wire in the article Australia ‘abandons’ ally after Middle East UN vote

• A lot can happen in just a few hours. I woke up this morning to the news that after the South Korean PM declared martial law late last night, all hell broke loose. Despite the army making a half-hearted attempt at closing down all media, closing parliament and trying to put it into place, the people rose with purpose. The opposition leader and the parliamentarians forced their way past pointed guns to convene and unanimously voted it down. Soon enough the PM called it off. Within a few short hours, the people thwarted an attempted coup. Who save the country? Certainly, the flow of information was the main weapon. Social media, phone cameras, and rapid transfer of information are the heroes. This was a demonstration of the best use of our advanced communication technology, its widespread use and people willing to stand up for their rights.

• You would have heard about World Central Kitchen (WCK) when they made news earlier this year when an Israeli air strike killed workers delivering food in Gaza. It was particularly well covered in Australia as one of the workers killed was an Australian volunteer. There were some strong claims against Israel charges of indiscriminate, criminal targeting, etc. Israel di investigate and a number of the soldiers responsible were disciplined. Once again WCK is in the news, again for the death of workers at the hands of Israeli rockets. But this time, after an initial outcry, the world press is stumm. Why? Well, it seems the WCK vehicle was targeted by Israel since one of the employees of WCK was in fact a terrorist who had taken part in the Oct 7 massacre of innocent Israelis. The media should have reported this event with the same intensity as they covered the earlier incident. But I guess I am dreaming. this incident does not fall in the media's hot spot... In any case read the story here Inside the Media’s Duality as Israel Targets Gaza Aid Worker Who Participated in October 7 Attacks

• Joe eventually did what we all expected, and pardoned his son, but not only his gun and tax crimes, but ANY crimes that have occurred up to not 10 but 11 years ago. Mmm, is that a bit telling?!!

• If you were in doubt that Trump would be "meek and gentle with these (Hamas) butchers", your doubts would have been dispelled by his single-minded, forceful demand that Hamas release the hostages before his inauguration on January 20th. What a contrast to Biden's "don't". As one commentator said today "Thank goodness America now has a sentient president". He is much more than just sentient he is showing the strong leadership required in our troubled world.

• In another insightful video Konstantin Kisin proposes "The Real Reason the Mainstream Media is Dying"

• A bit of wry humour sent to me by a friend. Sorry, no source reference. 

• The staggering costs of Australian Labor's rapid decarbonization strategy were laid bare in Gerard Holland's presentation at the recent ARC conference. A must see!

• In an overdue move there is fightback against having players with Y chromosomes, ie men (men or transgender women) competing against all X chromosmes. In this case Boise State Women’s Volleyball Team Forfeits Match Over Transgender Player. Good on the players taking a determined stand!

• Alan Dershowitz is leading by example . He has convened a high power group of reputable past and present litigators to defend Israel against the ICC's unwarranted, illegal charges and the issuance of arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant. Read some background here 'The ICC is 100% political': Alan Dershowitz leads legal dream team defending Israel

• The ICC warrants are atill receiving widespread attention. Here is another from the Gatestone Institute , Charging Netanyahu with War Crimes Shows the ICC Is Illegitimate and Not Fit for Purpose

• And now for something completely different. This is a short video about an amazing rescue with happy ending. Invest 6 minutes, it will be uplifting. It is indeed a whale of a story, titled 60-Ton Whale BEGGED For Help! What This Diver Did Next Will Send Chills Down Your Spine.. 

OTG WE 1 Dec 24

 

• Repercussion to forced mRNA COVID vaccination are continuing. In this case Malaysians File Lawsuit Against Prime Minister, WHO, Pfizer Over COVID-19 Vaccination

• Following the announcement of DOGE headed up by Elon and Musk many an observer has started highlighting the unjustified and bizarre spending by the US government. Even the Readers' Digest is getting in on finding wasted money. Here is their list of 11 such items, and they are really, really bizarre and clearly wasteful... Read this one 11 Bizarre Things the U.S. Government Actually Spent Money On

• What happens when the UN envoy on Genocide concludes that in its war against Hamas Israel is not guilty of genocide? You may have guessed it, she is fired! You may not have seen it in the popular press, and given it is against the anti-Israel zeitgeit it will not be widely reported. Yet here it is published by The Wall Street Journal. Must read The U.N’s Anti-Israel ‘Genocide’ Purge Alice Nderitu said Israel’s campaign in Gaza doesn’t meet the definition of genocide. She was fired.

• Another good one from Konstantin Kisin. This one is on political labels. In Fine, Call Me "Right-Wing" , Kisin explores the use of labels to intimidate and slur commentators. After all he points out the lable 'Right Wing' invariably applies to half the population so how can it be a sensible slur. Want more watch the video.

• COVID vaccination repercussions are continuing. Trial Site News has been one of the most consistent in reporting on these. The most recent story is British Bombshell: COVID-19 Vaccination Only Marginally Reduced Mortality in First Vaccine Wave; Later On, Boosters Did Not Reduce Mortality Rate By now we are not surprised, but I guess this will continue for a while.
• Following the unprecedented action by the ICC issuing arrest warrants for Bibi Netanyahu the PM of Israel and its ex-Defence Minister Gallant, there has been widespread outcry by democratic states. Here are some worth a look.

• Natasha Hausdorff on the ICC arrest warrants.
  

• PM Netanyahu: "The antisemitic decision of the ICC in The Hague is a modern Dreyfus trial"
  

• ‘Morally bankrupt’: ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant slammed
  

OTG WE 23 Nov 24

 Here are some articles of interest for this week;

• Details of Israel's recent retaliatory attack on Iran have been trickling out. In this video we have amore in depth analysis of what was attacked and destroyed and why. It seems the attack was more severe than has been admitted by Iran, and represents a significant set-back to Iran's nuclear ambitions. The video is titled How the destruction of Taleghan 2 facility by Israel has dealt a big blow to Iran’s nuke program ?

• "More than 10% of UNRWA principals and senior educators in Gaza are members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad, according to Israeli NGO IMPACT-se. Read more here "New report exposes UNRWA educators’ deep links to terror"

• The IDF has released a video of Gazans calling out Hamas for their atrocities. You won't hear this in the MSM which seems to be dominated by anti Israel viewpoints. Yet here are some of the civilans of Gaza calling out the terrorists for what they have done and continue to do to their own people. See the video here FULL REPORT - 'Hamas Hurt Us, Killed us': Unfiltered Gazans Speak Out

• Several reports are circulating today,17 Nov,  claiming Israel's recent strike on Iran destroyed an active nuclear research facility in Parchin, Iran. See Scoop: Israel destroyed active nuclear weapons research facility in Iran, officials say

This is after multiple statements from the US that Israel would not/did not attack Iran's nuclear facilities. Why the discrepancy? Perhaps US was trying to provide Iran with plausible deniability to minimise further attcks by Iran on Israel. So why is it ok for this news to come out now? Election of Trump, perhaps. In any case here is one of the many YouTube references. 

 

• The Gatestone Institute has a tongue in cheek article titled "America Failed Kamala"

Trump tidal wave is rolling over world

November 5 has come and gone, and suddenly the world has changed. It has been a stunning victory for Trump and it seems the world. Perhaps you think this is overstating it, and I would usually try to avoid, or at least temper such hyperbole. But it seems singularly appropriate in this case.

Consider this, Trump will only be sworn in on 20th Jan next year, 2 months from now, but his election has already had some serious, beneficial, unforeseen consequences.

Over just the last 7 days;

- Qatar has evicted Hamas leadership from the enclave

- Hamas themselves have offered to have discussions 

- Putin has opened the door to negotiations with Trump on Ukraine

- Iran has postponed its threatened retaliation to Israel's recent retaliation

- Lawfare cases against Trump have been stayed or dropped

- Trump has announced a new team of ultra MAGA supporters, including Border Tsar, Chief of Staff, Head of Defense , Head of CIA, Ambassador to Israel, US representative to UN, Secretary of State, etc., etc.

- Trump has announced the creation of a Department of Government Efficiency headed by Elon and Vivek. The objective being to reduce government spending. I am looking forward to see what can be achieved here

- and many a world leader has been congratulating him, and raising their individual issues, trying to curry favor. The Korean head of state has even taken up golf, or is it just more practice, anticipating that he needs to hone his skills for some future Trump matches.

Most significantly, he has launched a series of videos on X outlining his objectives and how he intends to achieve his election promises. Here are a few are ;-

Trumps policy on Free Speech

🚨THIS COULD BE HUGE FOR BUSINESS OWNERS:
President Trump's Free Speech Policy Initiative aims to counteract the widespread censorship efforts in the U.S., through 5 KEY components👇 pic.twitter.com/U45Vwg0IGm

— Issac Hopkins (@IssacHopkins) November 9, 2024

Trumps policy on Law and Order

Guard and Federal Assets to every Major City to Restore Law and Order — Allowing Citizens to SUE Local Officials for Damages Caused by their Policies, And Passing a Concealed Carry Reciprocity Legislation Allowing Gun Owners to Carry Beyond… pic.twitter.com/GNlGiab3LO

— USA (@TERESA_CROUCH85) November 10, 2024

Trump's Education policy 

Trump's Plan:
°Empower parents to remove underperforming school staff
°Restore prayer in schools
°Prepare students for real-world careers
°Abolish the Department of Education 🔥 pic.twitter.com/g7pgzo42VA

— Yvette Hebert (@AAliatra0) November 11, 2024

Trump has certainly taken off at breakneck speed. Hard to fault his drive and energy.

Of course his many adversaries, both Democrat and Rhino, while a bit stunned by both his landslide victory and his rapid leadership stance, are going to get their act together , so the apparent smooth start will no doubt falter. Some have already come out declaring their intentions to fight MAGA at every turn. 

Trump's intention to drain the swamp, ridding the vast public service of partisan bureaucrats will be the greatest challenge. I am looking forward to this battle.

Even if he achieves just a small proportion of his plan he will have changed the world.

Good Luck Donald!