Michelle Rainer

‼️Update: On Tuesday evening, the Court in Pardubice ruled to remand two suspects in custody for allegedly setting fire to the LPP company’s warehouse on Friday. One of the detainees is Youssef Moursi, born in Egypt and a U.S. citizen. He is a student in Czechia, writes articles for the far-left group Druhá Směna, and is also active with Shella Radio, nur.prague, and tadamun_kollektive, which operate out of the Ankali club in Prague. They face 20 years to life in prison for a terrorist offense.

A bogus argument in Western media is that Hezbollah started in 1982 as a reaction to that year's Israeli invasion of Lebanon. That's not true. Hezbollah emerged as the Islamic Revolution's extension in Lebanon, aiming to create an Islamic republic there. The slogan we chanted as kids was "No Eastern Beirut, no Western Beirut, an Islamic republic." Also, Hezbollah's first dozen attacks (save for one) all targeted Iraqi or American interests across Lebanon (Iraqi Embassy, US Embassy, Marine barracks) and in the region (US Embassy in Kuwait and the Kuwaiti Emir). Attacking Iran's enemies in Kuwait is hardly a reaction to anything Israeli. Save for one or two attacks, Hezbollah launched its organized campaign against Israel in Lebanon in 1989, mainly because the Iraq-Iran War had ended a year earlier. With the Lebanese civil war concluding in 1991, Hezbollah needed its war with Israel to justify its continued armament as a militia. Anyone expect all the American experts on NYT and NPR to know this? Or at least make some effort to research it? If they did, the blame wouldn't fall on the "White Man, colonialist, Israel." US media has abandoned its investigative role and adopted an indoctrinating one.

Hezbollah tries to split Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam from the Lebanese Forces, the biggest Christian bloc in parliament. Hezbollah zeroes in on Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Raggi, blames him for expelling the Iranian ambassador, and calls on Aoun and Salam to fire him. Hezbollah knows that in any state, such a move is always cleared by the president and prime minister. Yet the pro-Iran tries to divide the opposing bloc. The Hezbollah statement: Hezbollah condemns and categorically rejects the decision issued by the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is devoid of any legal justification and orders the withdrawal of approval for the appointment of the Iranian ambassador designated to Lebanon, Mohammad Reza Shibani, declaring him “persona non grata” and demanding that he leave Lebanese territory. This is a reckless and condemnable step that does not serve Lebanon’s supreme national interests, its sovereignty, or its national unity. On the contrary, it constitutes a coup against them, clear submission to external pressures and dictates, and a flagrant infringement on the prerogatives of the President of the Republic. The flimsy pretexts relied upon by this arbitrary decision—accusing the ambassador of interfering in Lebanon’s internal affairs—are nothing but further confirmation that it is a purely vindictive political decision, lacking even the minimum level of wisdom and national responsibility. This suspicious measure, which comes at a highly dangerous time when Lebanon needs the solidarity of all its sons from every political, partisan, cultural, and social component, as well as a unified official position to strengthen the elements of resilience in order to impose a cessation of aggression by the Israeli enemy and force it to withdraw from the occupied territories, sees the Foreign Minister instead choosing to align himself in a position where his words and actions serve only the Zionist enemy. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, driven by a narrow-minded and spiteful partisan mentality, he is working to weaken the Lebanese state and strip it of the cohesion it needs in this delicate and sensitive phase, pushing for further concessions in service to the enemy with the aim of paving the way for placing all of Lebanon under American-Israeli tutelage. What makes this decision even more dangerous and blatant is that it is issued by the very same minister who maintains absolute silence in the face of blatant American interventions in Lebanon and the statements by its officials and envoys that have insulted Lebanon and incited against it and against one of its fundamental components—yet he flexes his muscles against a friendly state that has never stinted on support and backing for Lebanon, that stood by its people in the darkest circumstances, and that contributed to strengthening its ability to protect its land and people without ever interfering in its internal affairs or undermining its sovereignty, while maintaining good and solid relations with Lebanon. Hezbollah considers this decision a grave national and strategic sin that does not serve national unity; rather, it opens the doors to internal division, deepens the national rift, and drags the country into a highly dangerous path of dependency, weakness, and vulnerability. Hezbollah calls on the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister to demand that the Foreign Minister—who has now lost his national eligibility by placing partisan interests above the interests of Lebanon, its security, and its stability—immediately retract this decision because of its serious repercussions. The minister and his party must act with wisdom and deliberation, recognize the dangers surrounding Lebanon, and understand that protecting Lebanon’s sovereignty is not achieved through submission to foreign dictates, nor by antagonizing a fundamental component of the nation or countries that have supported Lebanon and stood by its side, but through national solidarity and by confronting the only true enemy of this country: the Zionist enemy.

SCOOP: A cross-party delegation of Russian State Duma deputies is heading to Washington tomorrow for talks with Trump officials, two sources tell me Led by Vyacheslav Nikonov, the group is set to meet several officials, including at the State Dept 1/2

The answer is move left on Israel and right on literally everything else. A few years ago I would have told you that progressives wouldn’t go for that, but the speed at which they’ve subordinated every single issue to Israel Palestine makes me think they might.

At this point, I think it's plausible that Democrats lose in 2028 because the establishment and the base are at odds with each other over what has become the key progressive litmus test: the question of America's special relationship to Israel. I really hope that's not the case, but it will be the case if the establishment doesn't start being responsive to rank-and-file Democrats on one of the defining questions of the current era.

Canada and France have both urged Israel to pull back from its planned invasion and occupation of south Lebanon. Canada said it ‘strongly condemns’ Israel’s plans and warned Lebanese territorial integrity ‘must not be violated’. France said it would have ‘major humanitarian consequences and would exacerbate the country’s already dire situation’ 🧵

U.S. peace plan delivered to Iran: details revealed Washington is demanding that Tehran abandon its nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions. The U.S. has sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war via Pakistan. It calls for dismantling nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, halting uranium enrichment, and handing over existing stockpiles. The plan also includes limits on missile range and guarantees of free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. In return, Washington promises to lift sanctions and support the development of a civilian nuclear plant in Bushehr under international oversight. Iran has already put forward a counter-demand — compensation for war damage. Media note that the proposal largely repeats previous demands. Tehran says it is wary of U.S. troop deployments in the Middle East and does not want to be “deceived again,” as past strikes occurred during negotiations. At the same time, the White House has not ruled out a ground operation. No final decision has been made.

🐻 A British volunteer living in Lviv has gone viral after posting a video from a local restaurant “When we say restaurants in Ukraine are dog-friendly, we mean it — all dogs, even those that might be confused for bears…” wrote Richard Woodruff.

Thread: The Soviet Union & Palestinian radicalism 🧵 The PLO, founded in 1964, was shaped by the KGB to destabilize Israel, a U.S. ally. Soviet funds and arms fueled PLO’s Marxist anti-Zionist agenda, aiming to weaken the West in the Cold War (1/?)

‼️Update: On Tuesday evening, the Court in Pardubice ruled to remand two suspects in custody for allegedly setting fire to the LPP company’s warehouse on Friday. One of the detainees is Youssef Moursi, born in Egypt and a U.S. citizen. He is a student in Czechia, writes articles for the far-left group Druhá Směna, and is also active with Shella Radio, nur.prague, and tadamun_kollektive, which operate out of the Ankali club in Prague. They face 20 years to life in prison for a terrorist offense.