DV Journal

I love monster movies. My preference runs towards giant predators crashing into each other like the Jurassic Park franchise, the many iterations of King Kong, and my favorite: Godzilla. You can imagine how excited I was when Hollywood decided to bring together two of my favorite creatures in “Kong v. Godzilla” (or vice versa).

Both of the villains, the hairy ape and the scaly lizard, have their own established personalities, so it’s difficult to pick sides. I love and hate both of them equally.

But in the end, you have to choose in order to keep the drama interesting. If you don’t care whether Kong gets his head sliced off by Godzilla’s tail, or whether Godzilla ends up with that tail wrapped around his throat by Kong, you might as well watch the “Real Housewives of New Jersey.”

Unless, compared to King Kong and Godzilla, you find them too fake.

But guess what? This past weekend, I finally found one of those “Kong v. Godzilla” situations where I really couldn’t pick a team. They were both so equally obnoxious that I didn’t really care who ended up getting stomped.

I’m talking about that delicious moment when the Pride Parade came face to face with the Free Palestine crowd. The rainbow met the watermelon. And it wasn’t pretty.

Under normal circumstances, I’d have to say that I’d give a teensy-weensy advantage to the Pride celebrants. I live near the old gayborhood where prismatic colors abound and alternative lifestyles are the default position. But I can usually just go about my daily business as a straight, White cisgender minority who is most notable because I don’t color my hair from a Crayola crayon box.

This weekend, that all changed, as it usually does during Pride Month. Starting early in the day on Sunday, I started hearing drums banging and banshees screaming things that sounded vaguely like obscenities. It went on for hours, and made sitting in my condo to watch the Everlasting Word Network’s celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi nearly impossible.

To be honest, I didn’t really try and watch the Feast of Corpus Christi because I was out in Rose Tree celebrating Italian National Day. That was a delightful event, with food and music and solidarity. It was exactly the way pride in heritage should be celebrated.

Then I came home to the aforementioned drum banging, and nearly-naked women (I think they were women) and all sorts of bacchanalia. Yes, I should have remembered the things that went down in prior years, but I’m getting older and I try and block out the more nightmarish aspects of my existence.

The maraschino cherry on top of the rainbow parfait was when I tried to enter the street where my condo is located, and a phalanx of police officers blocked my way. They were there, ostensibly, to keep the peace. In my case, they were there to keep me away from my front door because, as the annoyed cop who demanded my ID kept saying, “We don’t know that you really live here.” I will not go into details about the eye-rolling, exasperated sighs, modest Italian hand gestures and pleading that went down from my side. Suffice it to say that he “did me a favor” and let me follow a pair of women with exposed buttocks down the street and into the building.

That was my experience with Godzilla.

It was only a bit later that I heard that the Pride Parade had come into contact with a bunch of Free Palestine protestors, who were trying to block their progress down Locust Street. As we all know, Free Palestine protestors support Hamas, even though they try and tell us that they do not. Their message, far from being anti-Israel, is actually antisemitic. Their attacks on Jewish students are widespread, uninformed, and seem to carry few consequences in this DEI climate.

Kong entered the picture.

From video of the incident, it looks as if the Pride folk were trying to be nice and reason with the Hamas supporters, but it didn’t go well. I had the same thought I have when I see signs like “Queers for Palestine:” Why not “Chickens for KFC?” The Pride folk really need to educate themselves on what happens on the roofs of three-story buildings in fundamentalist countries that embrace Islamic jihad.

But I digress. This clash of the titans, so to speak, reminded me of the moment when Godzilla saw Kong coming at him from the other end of an urban landscape, only this time around, I didn’t really care which creature ended up vanquished and which one lived to film another sequel.

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(For another point of view, see: Point: U.S. Must Stop Putin.)

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, we must remember that too much is at stake to walk away.

Autocrats and those with autocratic tendencies are having a global moment. While it may seem to some that a relatively small piece of the overall puzzle is at play in this conflict, the domino effect of allowing Vladimir Putin’s bullying to win in Ukraine would have a profoundly worldwide effect.

There is, of course, Ukraine itself. It is unacceptable in the 21st century to allow one nation to engage in a hostile takeover of another sovereign country. Ukrainian civilians and fighters alike are dying needlessly daily.

Allowing Putin to win only continues to embolden an already largely unchecked autocrat. Having just been sworn in for a fifth term as Russian president, Putin is tightening his grip at home. Russia’s “president for life” continues to drag the Russian people into an illiberal sinkhole. Validating his aims in Ukraine by walking away is not an option.

Eastern Europe is already on constant alert for these potential threats. The United States has long been committed to peace and security in Europe. Ceding more ground to Putin raises and expands the danger level even more, eroding trust in the United States.

With Putin continuing to rattle his nuclear saber, any more encroachment upon Europe and the borders of NATO member states could put us all on the brink of a nuclear catastrophe.

Putin’s allies, sympathizers and sycophants are also threats to a peaceful world order. Allowing Russia to win in Ukraine could, and likely would, also bolster these autocrats. China, Iran and North Korea are already threats that do not need more encouragement.

We are already at an uneasy time with Iran in the Middle East, China and Taiwan, and the ever-present unpredictability in North Korea. Fueling those flames by walking away from Ukraine could be a global disaster.

Another threat we must not overlook is the one right here. An autocrat in the making, Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican candidate for president. His enablers in Congress and MAGA-aligned media continue to degrade, delay and dismiss U.S. efforts in Ukraine.

If these domestic skeptics, who are already supporting the erosion of democracy here, had their say in Ukraine, we would leave Ukraine and our allies in Europe to fend for themselves. This is not and cannot be the U.S. position.

Our national stability and prosperity depend on preserving democracy at home and abroad. Both are in great peril, and the war’s outcome in Ukraine is critical to how our future will turn out.

Will we allow anti-democratic forces to prey on apathy, political expediency and division in their efforts to gain power? Or will we stay true to our principles and our best interests by protecting democracy through continuing aid and support in Ukraine?

The answer should be simple. Too much is a stake, and the United States must stay the course in Ukraine.

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(For an alternative point of view see: Point: Do Not Give Up on Ukraine)

After months of delay, U.S. aid is again flowing to Ukraine. Yet the war’s trajectory remains uncertain. Russia is determined to win a protracted conflict, while Washington’s appetite for further aid remains in question. As the United States heads into a presidential election that could be key in determining the war’s outcome, we should take a moment to remind ourselves that a Russian victory in Ukraine would spell disaster for the West.

Vladimir Putin has been candid about his desire to dismantle NATO, undermine democracy globally, re-establish Russia as a global power and achieve a new multipolar world order. The Kremlin already sees itself as engaged in a war of sorts against the United States and its NATO allies. In Putin’s eyes, the conflict in Ukraine is critical to that broader struggle.

Make no mistake. If allowed to prevail in Ukraine, Putin will not stop there. The Russian leader will feel emboldened, believing he’s taken the best NATO had to throw at him and still triumphed. He will probably still think twice before starting a direct military conflict with a NATO member. However, the risk of such a possibility will grow, especially once Russia has reconstituted its military. Many NATO members on the alliance’s eastern flank, particularly the Baltic states, are sounding the alarm.

A direct war with NATO is not the only way the Kremlin could destabilize Europe. Last week, NATO warned that Russia is waging an “intensifying campaign” of “sabotage, acts of violence, cyber and electronic interference, disinformation campaigns, and other hybrid operations” against its members. European intelligence agencies similarly accuse Moscow of conducting or plotting violent acts of sabotage across Europe as part of a broader strategy to confront the West. Russia is already attempting to influence the European Parliament elections in June. It will undoubtedly seek to do the same in November’s U.S. elections.

Meanwhile, Russia continues to stoke tensions within Bosnia and Herzegovina and between Serbia and Kosovo, further jeopardizing an already fragile peace in the Western Balkans. Russia also seeks to subvert the pro-Western government of Moldova, where Russian forces still occupy the pro-Russian separatist enclave of Transnistria. As Moldova prepares to hold a presidential election this year, Moscow will likely use information operations, cyberattacks and proxies to destabilize the country. And Chișinău fears that if Ukraine falls, “Moldova would be next,” as the country’s foreign minister said recently.

The implications of a Russian victory in Ukraine would extend well beyond Europe. The war’s outcome will “to a great degree determine the outlines of the future world order,” noted a classified addendum to Russia’s 2023 Foreign Policy Concept.

A Russian victory would embolden authoritarian regimes that seek to overthrow the current international order. China, in particular, may feel more inclined to use military force against Taiwan. This potential conflict would wreak havoc on the global economy and could precipitate a hot war between the United States and Beijing.

So, what can the West do to stop this? The first step is to understand that aid for Ukraine is not charity but a smart investment in our own security. We must then channel that understanding into a greater sense of urgency to provide Ukraine with the weapons and training to hold its lines and eventually retake the advantage. Western governments should also stop allowing Russian nuclear extortion to deter them from providing maximum support to Ukraine.

In Ukraine, the Kremlin aims not just to subjugate Kyiv but to rewrite the global order at the expense of Western democracies. The West has the power to stop Putin. The only question is whether we’re willing to do so.

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Around 100 people rallied for Israel outside the courthouse in Doylestown Sunday, many waving Israeli and American flags.

Ellen Cox, with the Doylestown Republican Club, was one of the organizers and spoke to the crowd.

“There are thousands of children in Israel who lost their mothers and countless mothers who’re waiting for their children to come home,” said Cox, acknowledging that it was Mother’s Day. “This nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and we will not be silenced.” Both Jews and Christians are “under attack,” she said.  Just under the surface, there is “horrific antisemitism.”

“The latest trend is in college campuses all over the United States,” she said. “Jewish kids are afraid to attend classes.” Those who are protesting for Palestinians “are cowards who are hitting soft targets of colleges and graduations. They’re so brave. I think we should send them to fight in Gaza. Guess what? No green pup tents. No organic and vegan food and no Wi-fi. They are cowards.”

“It’s now here in CBSD [Central Bucks School District],” she said. “We condemn it. It is not OK.” Jewish people “are our friends, our coworkers.”

“We need to stand with them or we—you—will be next. We don’t want our Jewish family and friends and neighbors to feel scared and alone,” said Cox.

She read from a 1790 letter George Washington sent to the Jewish congregation in Newport, R.I., telling its members they were welcome in the newly-founded nation.

“May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants,” Washington wrote. “While everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree.”

Rabbi Mendel Prus, director of Chabad of Doylestown, thanked the group for coming to support Israel. Israel contributes technology “to make the world a better place,” he said. “And a more peaceful place.” It’s contributed military advances to the U.S. and intelligence to “make the world a safer place.”

He then spoke of the Biblical history of the Jews in Israel from the time of Abraham.

Richard Tems said, “I am a Jew. I am an American. I am an Army veteran. I am the son of Holocaust survivors. We will not bend. We will not surrender. We will not comply.”

He noted that all the Jews left Gaza nearly two decades ago and billions [of dollars] poured in to help the inhabitants make “an idyllic homeland.” The residents voted in Hamas to lead them and Hamas spent the money on miles of underground tunnels and “thousands of rockets to fire into Israel” and mansions in Qatar for Hamas leaders.

On Oct. 7, Hamas invaded Israel and attacked farming communes and a music festival near the border. They raped, tortured, mutilated and incinerated  thousands defenseless men, women, children and small infants.”

Tems said, “[President] Biden, on the day he delivered a speech to remember the Holocaust, cut off military supplies to Israel. He told Israel he forbade them to secure the final Hamas stronghold in Rafah.”

Cox introduced Steve Mekanik, who is running for state representaive in District 29.

“It’s not about me today. It’s about Israel. We’re here for the support of Israel,” Mekanik told DVJournal.

Huntingdon Valley resident Monique Hofkin attended the rally because she is concerned about antisemitism at colleges and also in schools.  She noted the U.S. Department of Education is investigating Central Bucks for antisemitism. And there was also a teacher at Baldi Middle School in northeast Philadelphia, who crossed Israel off a list of countries and substituted Palestine.  There’s “systemic antisemitism [in the schools] and we aren’t going to allow it to continue,” she said.

Mara Witsen was wearing a sweatshirt with the images of the hostages Hamas is holding.  The five American hostages are Keith Sieel, Omer Neutra, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Dan Alexander, and Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

Jack Potok of Warrington noted that while the pro-Israel group carried both American and Israeli flags, “where on campus have you seen an American flag, except being burned on the ground? They’re not just anti-Israel, they’re anti-West.”

The Israeli army is the only army in the world that tells civilians to leave before it attacks, warning civilians with flyers, phone calls, and knock-knock (warnings) on their roofs,” he said.

Philadelphia resident Malcolm Ratson added that historically, armies kill 30 civilians to one soldier. The IDF has a 1 to 1 ratio in Gaza. “That’s how stringent the Israelis are,” he said.

A small group of pro-Palestinian counter-protesters came as the pro-Israel rally was winding down, and stood in a traffic island across from the pro-Israel rally and began chanting slogans: “Free, free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

People at the pro-Israel rally began singing “Am Israel Chai,” dancing and  chanting “Free Palestine from Hamas,” and “Islamist terror will not be a threat to our democracy.”

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In the early morning on Friday, police in riot gear showed up on the University of Pennsylvania campus, gave pro-Palestinian protesters two minutes to leave their tent encampment, then began making arrests.

University officials had asked protesters to leave for days as pressure from students, alums, professors, and others in the Penn community grew. Last week, more than 3,000 people signed a petition asking Penn officials to remove the protesters.

On Thursday, Gov. Josh Shapiro, who had served as state attorney general before running for governor, spoke out strongly against the protest.

He called the encampment “unstable” and “untenable.”

“It is past time for the university to act to address this, to disband the encampment,” said Shapiro. “And to restore order and safety on campus. Universities need to work with their own police departments or within the framework of their local police departments in order to make sure students are safe on campus.”

Shapiro’s remarks apparently gave Penn officials the impetus they needed after more than two weeks to move in and break up the encampment.

The protestors demanded information on the university’s investments and that it divest from any companies doing business with Israel.

For about two weeks, Bala Cynwyd resident Beth Samberg and friends have been going to the encampment at 4 a.m. with air horns to wake up the protesters.  There is an encampment at her son’s university, but it is too far away for her to try to intervene, so she’s been going to Penn.

Samberg, who is “proudly Jewish,” said her son, 19, feels threatened by the pro-Palestinian protesters. “We brought him home a week early because of the encampment,” she said. “The [university] administration would not guarantee the safety of the Jewish kids.”

“I am not there to engage or escalate,” said Samberg about her early morning visits to the former Penn encampment. “I am only there to irritate.”

Now that the encampment is cleared, Samberg fears the protesters will return to Penn since she doesn’t have any confidence that progressive Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner will charge them. But if they do, she will continue to wake them up at 4 a.m.

“And at the encampment itself, there were more non-Penn affiliated individuals than Penn students, she added.

A spokesperson for Krasner said his office is not involved.

“They were given Civil Violation Notices (CVNs) by Philly police and released,” said Krasner spokesman Dustin Slaughter.

Penn’s interim president, J. Larry Jameson, issued this statement, which says in part, “This decision is viewpoint neutral and affirmed by our policies. There are times when our abiding commitment to open expression requires balancing free speech with our responsibility to safety, security, and continuing the operations of the University. This is one of those times and why we have acted. Open expression and peaceful protest are welcome on our campus, but vandalism, trespassing, disruption, and threatening language and actions are not.”

The Jewish Federation of Philadelphia issued a statement saying it “commends the University of Pennsylvania for taking decisive action to disband the pro-Palestinian encampment on University of Pennsylvania’s campus this morning. While free speech and critical thinking are essential tenets both on and off college campuses, it had become increasingly clear over the past two weeks that the encampment fostered an atmosphere of intimidation and harassment, particularly towards Jews on campus.

“At a time when antisemitism is at an all-time high, institutions of higher education have a responsibility to ensure that the safety and well-being of Jewish students and faculty is protected. We thank Governor Shapiro, Mayor Parker, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the University of Pennsylvania Police Department for their help in resolving this issue so campus safety and inclusion can be prioritized.”

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) told Fox News anti-Israel activists should protest Hamas instead.

“It’s actually working against peace in Gaza, and Hamas is convinced that they’ve won the PR war and they keep seeing all these kinds of protests across the nation on these campuses. And it’s not helpful, but it’s actually — it works against peace, I think,” Fetterman said.

Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) did not immediately respond when asked to comment.

Casey’s Republican opponent Dave McCormick, who told DVJournal that he opposed the university encampments, posted to social media Friday, “Good. The encampment should have been disbanded weeks ago.”

The Philadelphia Antidefamation League posted to X, “Now is the time for policy breakers to be held accountable. As we’ve said, we support and defend free speech; but free speech is not a free license to violate time, place and manner restrictions, harass peers, interfere with the education rights of other students on campus.”

Manuel Bonder, a spokesman for Shapiro, told DVJournal, “As Gov. Shapiro has made clear multiple times, all Pennsylvanians have a right to peacefully protest and make their voices heard. The governor has also made clear that universities have a legal responsibility to keep their students safe and free from discrimination.

“Unfortunately, the situation at Penn reached an untenable point – and as the university stated publicly, the encampment was in violation of university policy, campus was being disrupted, and threatening, discriminatory speech and behavior were increasing. After Penn’s weeks-long efforts to engage protestors were met with further escalation, today, the University of Pennsylvania’s leadership made the right decision to dismantle the encampment.

“We thank the City of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Police Department, and University of Pennsylvania Police Department for their professional work to resolve the situation quickly and peacefully,” Bonder added.

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Dozens of anti-Israel protesters were arrested in Philadelphia on Monday, part of a global protest movement designed to shut down economic chokepoints in support of the Palestinian cause.

“[Twenty-six] protesters in slow-moving vehicles entered I-95 north near Penns Landing and I-95 South near Allegheny Avenue,” reported the Pennsylvania State Police. “The protest groups slowly proceeded towards Center City, snarling traffic in both directions.”

Police removed all protesters from their vehicles, citing them for disorderly conduct. More than 20 vehicles were towed. Most of the suspects are from the Delaware Valley, but state police said individuals from State College and Pittsburgh took part, as did some people from Pittsford, N.Y.

Another 41 protesters were arrested after they blocked the intersection of Market and Schuylkill near the IRS building in downtown Philadelphia. Helicopter footage showed the demonstrators sat down in crosswalks after walking on the road with signs, banners, and Palestinian flags. Some of the signs said that U.S. tax dollars were “funding genocide,” while another called Israel “the Temporary entity” and “the entity from dust.”

Philadelphia police said the protesters were charged with obstructing the highway.

The global protests were spearheaded by the group A15 Action, which proposed a “multi-city economic blockade” to show solidarity with Palestine.

A15 Action’s main message was to “open up new fronts against the Zionist war machine…[to] end the Zionist project now,” according to a video the group posted on social media.

The plan was to “disrupt global logistical hubs” across the world by targeting infrastructure, including shipping terminals, highways, and bridges. A15 hoped to damage the economy and slow the flow of capital that helps fund military aid to Israel.

“Not another penny, not another dollar, we won’t pay for Pentagon slaughter!” protesters in Philadelphia shouted.

The Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay warned its members last week that a possible “blockade” by anti-Israel activists could shut down their businesses on Monday. But a Port of Philadelphia spokesperson told DVJournal none of the demonstrations reached its facility.

While the A15 protesters said their primary targets were corporations that they claim help fund the Israeli economy, most of the actions impacted ordinary people.

Some demonstrators stood outside the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan, while others blocked the Brooklyn Bridge during rush hour. The Golden Gate Bridge was blocked during San Francisco’s morning rush hour, and Interstate 880 was closed for hours in Oakland. In Chicago, 40 protesters blocked entry into an O’Hare Airport terminal before police arrested them.

In Vietnam, protesters targeted products on grocery store shelves, covering some with stickers reading “This Product Supports Genocide” accompanied by an image of the Israel flag covered in blood.

The protests happened two days after Israel was attacked by Iran in one of the largest direct attacks on the Jewish state.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia condemned the demonstrations as antisemitic.

“This protest is yet another example of the danger and fear that the Jewish people continue to endure on a global scale and on our local doorsteps,” a spokesperson told DVJournal.

Chanting, waving signs and Palestinian flags, about 30 people protested U.S. military support for Israel at the Lockheed Martin plant in King of Prussia late Friday afternoon.

Numerous Upper Merion police officers guarded the gates of the defense contractor. Pro-Palestinian groups have been protesting at defense contractors since the war began after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The U.S. division of the Israeli company Elbit Systems has been a frequent target, including vandalism and property damage.

One protester, Asher Garza of Ambler, leader of the group “Montco for Liberation,” said its members agree with Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Montgomery), who announced she supports a bilateral ceasefire after a recent trip to Israel.

“The vast majority of Americans, on a bipartisan basis, are demanding a ceasefire,” said Garza. “And part of that is reflected in our Congresswoman Madeleine Dean’s call for a ceasefire to be initiated, which we have been lobbying for.”

Carmen Guerrero

Dean’s position is at odds with the views of her fellow Pennsylvania Democrat, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman.

“At any point, Hamas could have ended this burgeoning tragedy to surrender and release every hostage,” Fetterman posted on social media Sunday.

“Now, they’re unwilling to provide a list of any surviving hostages. Hamas is anathema to peace in Gaza. Hamas instigated and owns this humanitarian catastrophe.”

Garza also mentioned a voting campaign in Michigan where 100,000 Democratic primary voters, including members of the state’s Arab-American community, voted “uncommitted” instead of for  President Joe Biden.

“It was clearly a referendum on Biden’s policies and lack of meaningful action to stop the slaughter,” said Garza.

However, a new Harvard Harris poll reported 82 percent of Americans support Israel in its war against Hamas.

Also on Friday, Biden said a ceasefire may be possible by the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on March 10.

Philadelphia resident Timour Kamran said he attended the protest as part of a vigil for U.S. Airman Aaron Bushnell, who lit himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., on February 25. Several other people told DVJournal they came to the protest because of Bushnell.

Kamran wanted to “honor (Bushnell’s) sacrifice for the cause of freeing Palestine.”

“We’re outside the Lockheed Martin campus because we believe the oppression of Palestine is part of a global system of empire. Companies like Lockheed Martin profit at the expense of people’s lives.”

The company provided this statement: “Lockheed Martin’s core values are to do what’s right, respect others, and perform with excellence. These values provide clear, unambiguous, and uncompromising standards for how we treat each other with understanding and compassion. We respect the right to peaceful protest and we are honored to partner with the U.S. military and our international partners to deliver strategic deterrence and security solutions.”

David, who declined to give his last name because of ongoing death threats from pro-Palestine protesters, came from Lancaster to counter-protest.

“It really comes down to the defeat of Hamas,” said David, who held a large Israeli flag on a tall pole. “I don’t hear anyone calling for the release of hostages. I just hear ‘ceasefire’ and a lot of antisemitism.”

Chants included, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which David said is antisemitic and means, “They want Israel and the Jewish people wiped off the map.”

David

“It’s tragic what’s happening,” he said. “There are innocent civilians being killed every day. I think the numbers are inflated. We’re relying on UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) and Hamas agencies to report those supposed facts. I’m going to trust Israel.”

“I hope Hamas will stop using innocent civilians as human shields,” David added.

Using a megaphone, Garza called on Lockheed Martin employees to resign.

“Break free of your comfortable bondage,” Garza said. “It’s not a hefty price to pay. I call all of good conscience to walk out. Seek just and righteous employment.” Mentioning F-16 fighter jets, he exhorted Lockheed employees, who were not likely to hear his entreaties, to not “create the machines of death.”

Then he led the chant, “Not another nickel, not another dime. No more money for Lockheed crimes.”

“Free, free, free Palestine,” the crowd chanted. And “resistance is justified if the people are occupied.”

King of Prussia resident Christina Nassir also came for the Bushnell vigil.

She said she is half-Iraqi and half-Irish. She attends a Lebanese Christian church and is concerned that Israel may bomb Lebanon next.

Carmen Guerrero, also of King of Prussia, put together a shrine for Bushnell on a blanket surrounded by flowers and candles. She said she was a member of the Mayan tribe and a native American who supports the Palestinians.

A woman who came to the protest with her toddler in a stroller, said she felt compelled to leave her King of Prussia home to support the Palestinians.

“No more money for Israel’s war,” she chanted with the others.

Members of other left-wing and pro-Palestinian groups, including Philly Palestine Coalition, Lancaster Palestine Coalition, the Philadelphia Chapter of American Muslims for Palestine, CAIR Philadelphia, BuxMont DSA, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, NEPA for Palestine, and the Abandon Biden Campaign also participated.

The protest was one of several those groups have held in the Delaware Valley since the war began. There’s also been an upsurge of antisemitism at schools and universities.

Garza said a ceasefire is the only way the Israeli hostages will be released. Although, the Israeli Defense Forces have rescued some in raids on Hamas’ terror tunnels.

“Ceasefire is the only reasonable way to preserve life on both sides, if you will,” Garza said.

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On September 23, 14 days before the Hamas terror attacks on Israel, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, announced more funding for the United Nations Human Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). The funding goes to Gaza and the West Bank. 

“I am proud to announce the United States is providing more than $73 million in additional funding to support UNRWA’s core and emergency services,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

After Hamas terrorists slaughtered more than 1,000 innocent Israelis, including 14 Israeli-Americans, on Oct. 7, the Israeli Defense Forces entered Gaza to save 200 hostages. Hamas held the hostages in underground tunnels. During the hostage recovery mission, IDF and Israeli intelligence found evidence that UNRWA personnel assisted Hamas in the Oct. 7 attacks.

In late January, Thomas-Greenfield announced the suspension of U.S. funds to UNRWA. She called for “fundamental change” in UNRWA. Change might include assurances by U.N. officials that UNRWA would discontinue using U.S. funds to massacre Israeli and American civilians.

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, withheld U.S. funding from UNRWA until Palestinians began peace negotiations with Israel. The negotiations did not happen. In his 2020 presidential campaign, Joe Biden promised to restore funding for UNRWA.

Based on UNRWA’s website, Biden has given more than $1 billion to the agency. Al Jazeera reported that the United States gave more than $400 million in 2023. Hamas used the money to buy military weapons, build secret tunnels, and plot with UNRWA officials to attack Israel, murder Israelis and Americans, undermine peace and security in the region, and interfere with U.S. foreign policy.

Biden and his administration say they were unaware of the UNRWA-Hamas terror connection. Now they know. Now America and the world know.

While the IDF seeks Israeli and American hostages in Gaza, it could find more evidence about UNRWA’s support for Hamas and, possibly, other terrorist groups. It is worthwhile that the IDF continue its mission in Gaza. It might find Hamas/UNRWA plans for future terror attacks. The IDF’s mission could help prevent more terror attacks and save innocent lives.

The role of UNRWA in the Oct. 7 terror attacks has caused some to question the U.S. role in the United Nations. Thomas-Greenfield is right that “fundamental change” is needed at UNRWA and the United Nations. U.N. personnel should be subject to thorough background investigations to determine if they have a connection with international terror groups. Congress should insist that Thomas-Greenfield take responsibility for the actions of all U.S. personnel found to be involved with terrorist organizations. Diplomats should not have immunity from prosecution for their involvement with terrorist groups.

It is a positive first step for Biden to cease U.S. funding for UNRWA. Some at the United Nations call this “immoral” due to the immense hardship on the Palestinians. It would be immoral for the Palestinians to continue suffering under the control of Hamas. It would be immoral for the United States to continue funding Hamas.

Biden should suspend all U.S. funding to UNRWA until Hamas releases all hostages, surrenders to the IDF, and Palestinians begin peace negotiations with Israel.

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Russian leader Vladimir Putin, despite his public swaggering, has privately signaled support for a settlement in his war with Ukraine that would freeze current battle lines, according to former Russian officials close to the Kremlin and U.S. and international officials who have received Putin’s offers.

After a failed recent counteroffensive and less certain continued U.S. and European assistance, Ukraine should accept negotiations that could require it to give up territory but nevertheless credibly claim victory in the war against Russia.

Understandably, after Putin’s unnecessary and brutal invasion of Ukraine, which has purposefully killed many Ukrainian civilians, President Volodymyr Zelensky and other Ukrainian leaders are still pledging to fight until they regain all their lost territory. Yet, Ukraine’s uncompromising position, which demands that the Russian military withdraw from all Ukrainian land and pay for damages, is untenable.

Even if the war ended today, and existing battle lines became future national boundaries, the magnitude of Ukraine’s victory should not be forgotten. Recent news reports have focused on the failed counteroffensive and the vicissitudes of Western aid. Still, Ukraine, a country much smaller in population and much weaker in military power than invading Russia, not only repulsed the initial Russian attack but has succeeded in clawing back territory in previous counteroffensives in Kherson and the northeast region of Ukraine, after which Putin licked his wounds and made a prior entreaty for a ceasefire in the fall of 2022.

The Ukrainian military has fought tenaciously, and the civilian population has valiantly endured many intentional Russian attacks and depredations that should be deemed war crimes. In short, Ukraine has nothing to be ashamed of.

Instead, Ukraine can be satisfied that it has inflicted severe pain on Putin and Russia — for example, catastrophic casualties, erosion of military capability through destroyed equipment, economic pain and the destabilization of Putin’s rule, as indicated by an aborted coup against his government.

Despite the calm exterior of a former KGB operative, Putin is likely livid at the horrific performance of his generals and vastly overrated military. And in the negotiations, perhaps Ukraine could regain more of its territory.

In the future, Putin, in his created kleptocracy, cannot be sure that, once again, any “much improved” military will be just another shell for corruption and, therefore, incompetence on the battlefield. Even if current battle lines become frozen, Putin, despite his show of arrogance and despite the fears of other Eastern European countries, will likely be deterred by this black eye from using his badly decimated army to invade any NATO country or engage in other substantial mischief anytime soon.

Ukraine is not the first smaller country to best the big Russian bear in a conflict. In 1939, Russia invaded Finland. Like the Ukrainians, the Finns fought hard and effectively to preserve their country from Russia’s larger army. Although Finland had to give up some territory, it prevented Russia from erasing Finland from the map. Today, the world perceives that Finland won the Winter War against Russia. Bearing this out, Finland became a prosperous, non-communist country living in the shadow of an imperially oriented great power.

Ukraine should keep the Finnish example in mind when assessing the costs and benefits of continuing to fight this bitter war. A pragmatic conclusion should question the sensibility of continuing the bloody fight and suffering many more casualties in an unlikely, and even quixotic, effort to regain from a dug-in Russia the Russian-speaking areas of eastern Ukraine, which may well prefer to be in Russia.

A measure to help both countries save face and sell a negotiated settlement to their own publics would be to conduct legitimate, internationally monitored referenda in Crimea and east and southeast Ukraine (unlike Putin’s early sham referenda in those areas) to allow the people there to genuinely determine the country they want to call home.

For Ukraine, the future of continued war looks dismal; the future, if peace is restored, looks much brighter. Ukraine made inroads in being able to start the application process for becoming a member of the European Union — its ticket to future prosperity and becoming part of the West. As it did with Finland after 1940, the world will regard the outcome of this war as an unlikely but courageous victory for Ukraine in preserving its sovereignty against a hostile great power aggressor.

Ending the war rapidly, despite some loss of territory, is the ticket to getting its economy rapidly on the road to prosperity.

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On Tuesday, a $17.6 billion bill to help fund Israeli security failed in the U.S. House. Israel has been at war since the savage Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7 took the lives of some 1,200 people. Terrorists kidnapped another 240 people, including Americans, and are holding them hostage in Gaza.

Delaware Valley’s three congressional Democrats, Reps. Chrissy Houlahan, Madeleine Dean, and Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Philadelphia/Delaware/Montgomery) voted against the bill. Local Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick voted for it.

The GOP-proposed legislation was a “clean” bill, not attached to any other issues like border security or aid to Ukraine.

In a Feb. 3 letter, House Speaker Michael Johnson (R-La.) said, “Given the Senate’s failure to move appropriate legislation in a timely fashion and the perilous circumstances currently facing Israel, the House will continue to lead. Next week, we will take up and pass a clean, standalone Israel supplemental package. During debate the House and the original House bill was with its offsets. The Senate will no longer have excuses, however misguided, against swift passage of this critical support for our ally.”

Although the vote was 250 to 180, two-thirds approval was needed for passage.

The Senate had formulated a bill that would have included $60 million for Ukraine and $20 million for the U.S. border, although not for items Republicans believe are needed, such as a border wall. Both Pennsylvania Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman joined the majority of their fellow Democrats and backed the $118 billion package, but it failed a procedural vote (49-50)  on Wednesday.

President Biden had said he would have vetoed the House bill but would have signed the Senate bill had they reached his desk.

Delaware Valley Democrats who helped kill the aid to Israel bill went to great lengths to explain their votes.

“I have always supported Israel’s right to defend itself and will continue to vote accordingly,” said Houlahan. “But I cannot support a politically motivated piece of legislation that falls short on a host of related national security issues, including the needs of Ukraine, Taiwan, innocent Palestinians, and our southern border.”

Houlahan added, “Of course, this vote was not easy. I know Israel needs further support as they seek to root out Hamas’ entrenched control in Gaza. That’s why I’m hopeful that cooler, more bipartisan heads will prevail, and I will soon be able to vote on a supplemental package that supports our ally, Israel, as well as Ukraine, Taiwan, and the many community groups and law enforcement agencies along our southern border.”

Dean explained her no vote: “On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal attack on Israeli civilians that killed more than 1,400 men, women, and children. In the wake of that horrifying attack, I have been unwavering in my belief that Israel has a right to exist, every hostage must be returned, and Hamas must be dislodged — without destroying innocent life.

“I have also repeatedly expressed my deep concern — for the men, women, and children in harm’s way, through no fault of their own, without adequate food, water, shelter, or medical supplies. This legislation contains no humanitarian aid for Gazans or Israelis.

“These grave circumstances demand serious action — but this bill, hastily introduced by House Republican leadership, is, unfortunately, not that. Instead of considering a bipartisan package addressing our border and immigration systems — in addition to our commitments to long-term peace in the Middle East — House Republicans are once again using Israel as a political cudgel,” Dean said.

Scanlon called the GOP bill “a cynical political maneuver.”

“Since the horrific Oct. 7 attack, I have stood with President Biden and House Democrats to strongly support Israel and secure the return of the hostages. Our commitment to Israel’s security and existence has not wavered, and we remain ready to support serious, bipartisan efforts that honor the special relationship between the United States and Israel. H.R. 7217 is neither serious nor bipartisan, having been crafted solely to sow political division and to block the bipartisan security supplemental negotiated by the Senate and the White House.

“America’s national security interests, and those of our close allies, should not be subject to partisan political games. H.R. 7217 is designed to politicize support for Israel while denying military aid to Ukraine and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and Gaza. It would undermine the longstanding, bipartisan support for Israel in Congress while harming both America’s and Israel’s national security. Congress must act now to support Israel, surge humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, support Ukraine against Russian aggression, tackle the challenges at the southern border, and strengthen our democratic allies in the Indo-Pacific,” Scanlon said.

Residents took to Facebook to react to this vote.

“These three need to be turned out and replaced by real American First candidates,” wrote Denise Myers.

And Vince Gambone said, “As usual, they’re following orders given by the DNC. Can’t remember any of them ever thinking for themselves.”

On the other hand, Rich Heiland said, “I am fine with her vote. The Republicans have sabotaged aid to Israel, Ukraine, and the border because of their obedience to Trump. Why should Chrissy play along with their politics? We should fund all those areas, as well as assist Palestinian victims in Gaza. We also should fund the border. But, as long as Trump is calling the shots, we won’t. As for the homeless in the U.S., Republicans won’t help them, either.”

And Teri Selleck Majewski added, “I think we need to worry about our homeless first before sending anything to other countries. Are any of them sending anything to us besides their citizens sneaking in?”

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