adly 🍉

What is going on in Gaza is heartbreaking and must be addressed but it is not a genocide.

On his 50th birthday, the wife of Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, presented him with a cake depicting a gallows.

The NYT did extensive intvu w/ Tucker Carlson-& questions were legit & professional. In it, Tucker accused me of advocating for killing of children & civilians. Asked to respond, I sent the following. (In fairness, NYT couldn't use all), but here it is: “Poor Tucker needs help.  He’s clearly circling the drain by saying something so outrageous.  No sane person “advocates” for the murder of children or civilians.  Even the allegation is sick and evil. Tucker  apparently limits his compassion to the unfortunate souls who have died in Gaza as a result of the stubbornness of Hamas to release hostages and who murdered their own citizens and intentionally put them in front of military assets where they would be most likely to become victims of the war.  One never hears Tucker lament the massacre and mutilation of 1200 women, babies, and elderly people butchered by Hamas on October 7 or the torture, rape and starvation of the 251 hostages taken and held by Hamas.  I am heartbroken by the slaughter of innocent civilians wherever they are and whoever they are.  Tucker’s irrational hatred of Jews in general and Israel in particular blinds him to the horrific savagery inflicted upon the victims of October 7, including the rape of women in front of their children, the beheading of babies in the presence of their mothers, or setting fire to elderly people who sat in wheelchairs and were burned alive, all of which were captured on video taken by Hamas terrorists who were so proud of their despicable acts that they wore Go-Pro cameras to record it as if they were taking movies of a dance recital.  Tucker’s contempt of President Trump is just another instance in which the Tucker Carlson I once knew has become someone unrecognizable.  I pray he finds himself and God.  He has become a very angry and bitter man and it’s truly tragic to watch.”

Hasan Piker says the designated terrorist organization Hamas is 1,000 times better than Israel. His statement outraged many — who now just want to write him off. That's a mistake. He has a massive audience and is emerging as one of the major voices of his generation. Those of us who disagree owe him — and his audience — a real argument. Here's mine … And my position doesn’t come from ignorance about oppression. For a big chunk of my life, I was a grassroots activist — because of the pain of my own people. During those years, I was lucky enough to learn from elders who had been in the Black Panther Party, in SNCC, in the ANC. These were people who had to choose whether to pick up the gun — and how to use it if they did. They taught me this: even in armed struggle, there are principles. No women. No children. No rapes. No kidnapping. Mandela held that line. Amílcar Cabral held that line. You don't become what you're fighting. Hamas fails that test. They are not fighting for MORE freedom for Palestinians. They're fighting for less. They want theocracy, not democracy. And their means? They don’t use principled armed struggle (hitting military targets). They use terrorism (targeting civilians). The vast majority of Americans — including those who sympathize with the Palestinian cause — reject terror tactics. Reasonable people would agree on three principles: secure homelands for both peoples; no hatred for Jews or Muslims; and protection for all civilians. Hamas’ approach undermines all three. That's the conversation Piker's audience deserves. Not name-calling.