By Miriam Raftery

February 9, 2024 (Oceanside) - A dozen constituents of Congressmember Mike Levin (CA-49) staged a sit-in at his Oceanside office this morning, demanding that he call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. military funding to Israel. The action comes three days after Levin voted for an additional $17.6 billion in military funding to Israel in a measure that ultimately failed to pass the house. 

By Mel Gurtov

November 17, 2023 (San Diego) -- Appeals for a cease fire in Israel’s war with Hamas are growing louder. Along with many governments and international and nongovernmental organizations, the UN General Assembly, by a 120-14 vote (with 45 abstentions), has called for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities.” 

So far that call has only yielded an Israeli decision on a daily four-hour humanitarian pause for north Gaza. I have seen very little detailed discussion of how a lengthy cease-fire might be achieved. So here are my thoughts on the complications of implementing a cease-fire as well as the opportunities it might create.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left:  Amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, front, and the landing ship USS Carter Hall, by U.S.Navy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Riley Gasdia

October 17, 2023  (Washington D.C.) – President Joe Biden is traveling to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu tomorrow, after which he will head to Jordan for a meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, USA Today reports.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has said that while Biden fully supports Israel’s “right and indeed the duty to defend its people,” the President will also work with Israel to develop a plan “that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza—and them alone,”  Voice of America reports. He voiced concerns that Hamas, the terrorist organization that governs Palestine and launched the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, could intercept supplies of food, water, fuel and medicines.

Israel reports that the Hamas attacks killed at least 1,400 people in Israel and injured more than 4,121.  Hamas has also taken an estimated 200 to 250 hostages.  The dead and captured include American citizens as well as Israelis.  Palestinian officials estimate that Israel bombings in Gaza, which Israel says targeted  Hamas militants, have killed 2,778 people and injured 9,938. 

The United Nations warns of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. 

Officials in Europe, Canada, and the U.S. have attempted to "backtrack" on the widespread unconditional support that's been expressed in the last week for Israel's assault on Gaza.

By Julia Conley, Common Dreams

Reprinted under a Creative Commons license from Common Dreams

Photo, left: Bombing in Gaza,  Al Araby cc by SA 3.0

October 16, 2023 (Israel) - The United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories expressed concern on Sunday that the international body has so far not publicly advocated for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, as rhetoric from the United States and other influential countries has offered tacit approval of an Israeli air campaign in the blockaded enclave where at least 2,670 Palestinians, including more than 700 children, have now been killed.

By Miriam Raftery

California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, and the California Senate Republican Caucus have both issued statements supporting Israel in the wake of the deadly Hamas attacks and Israel’s declaration of war on Hamas. The statements voice a rare example of unity in standing behind America’s ally.

“California stands with Israel. What we are witnessing is nothing short of horrific. Women, children — innocent people — being targeted with brutal acts of terrorism by Hamas. All on the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War,” Governor Newsom posted on X (formerly Twitter) on October 8.

He continued, “There is simply no justification for this. I stand with Israel and its people in denouncing this horrific act of terrorism. We must demand an end to this violence — now.”

Two days later, the California Senate Republican Caucus issued this statement strongly denouncing the attack as "barbaric."

By Miriam Raftery

July 25, 2021 (El Cajon) – A rally and march in El Cajon is being planned today at 2 p.m. by pro-Palestinian groups, in reaction to a “We are Israel” rally slated for 3 p.m. at a separate location that Palestinian leaders locally describe as "Zionist" and "anti-Palestinian."

Organizers of the “We are Israel” rally at 3 p.m. on Prescott Promenade at 201 East Main St. have stated that their event is in response to the record number of violent attacks on Jewish people and synagogues in the U.S. and in San Diego County, not policies in the Mideaast.

Organized by Shield of David, that rally is slated to include former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as keynote speaker and El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells as one of several other speakers, as ECM reported.  Pompeo, as Secretary of State under President Donald Trump, broke with decades of U..S. foreign policy tradition by declaring that Israeli settlements in the West Bank did not violate international law. But Pompeo also helped broker a peace deal between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain.

By Donald H.  Harrison, San Diego Jewish World, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and congressional candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar

October 29, 2020 (San Diego) - Congressional candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar, reacting to an unfavorable story carried about him by the Breitbart news organization, reiterated on Wednesday his support for a peaceful two-state solution for the Israelis and Palestinians, and his opposition to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Photo, courtesy U.S. State Department: British Foreign Secretary Hammond Condemns Attack on Jerusalem synagogue before meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in London

By Miriam Raftery

November 18, 2014 (Jerusalem) – Two Palestinians armed with guns and butcher knives opened an attack inside the Kehilat Bnei Torah Synagogue  synagogue in Jerusalem early this morning, killing four rabbis and a police officer.  Three of the rabbis were American-Israeli citizens.

The Jewish Federation of San Diego issued a press release stating, “We are shocked and appalled by the horrific attack on innocent worshipers that took place in Jerusalem earlier today. As a community, we send our condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the injured. …The recent wave of terror attacks and acts of violence in Israel is outrageous and completely unacceptable, but today’s attack on innocent people praying in a synagogue is incomprehensible. We call on the entire global community to join us in condemning this attack in the strongest possible terms, immediately and unconditionally.”

February 7, 2013 (San Diego’s East County)--ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

NATIONAL

• Latest job numbers signal economic recovery (CBS)
• John Kerry sworn in as Secretary of State (Boston.com)
• The biggest public land grab (Canyon Country Zephyr)
• Are Mini-Reactors The Future Of Nuclear Power? (NPR)

WORLD

• Defiant Iran plans to speed up nuclear fuel work (Reuters)
• Iran says US offer of direct talks a 'step forward, but...' (Christian Science Monitor)
• Israel on airstrikes in Syria: When we say something, we mean it (Christian Science Monitor)
• Turkish leftist group claims U.S. embassy bombing: website (Reuters)
• Iran launches monkey into space, showing missile progress (Reuters)
• Explosion at Mexican oil giant Pemex offices kills 14 (Reuters)
• Solomon Islands hit by five-foot tsunami, leaving six dead (+video) (Christian Science Monitor)

SCIENCE AND HEALTH

• Birds May Use 'Sound Maps' To Navigate Huge Distances (NPR)
• With Elbows, Cortisone Shots May Hurt More Than Help (NPR)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

November 20, 2012 --  (San Diego’s East County) – ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflecting all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Home prices rise in 81% of U.S. cities as markets recover (Bloomberg)
• How the U.S. mortgage settlement can help military members (U-T San Diego)
• BP settles with U.S. for $4.5 billion in Gulf spill (Sacramento Bee)
• 2 BP workers indicted on manslaughter counts (Sacramento Bee)
• Obama insists on tax hike in “fiscal cliff” deal (Reuters)
• Secession petitions now filed in all 50 states (Yahoo News)
• Rick Perry does not support secession (CNN)
• Federal Wildlife Services makes a killing in animal-control business(Sacramento Bee)
• Obama vows action on climate change for future generations (RawStory)
• Toxic flame retardant detected in popular soda (Rodale Press, publisher of Prevention Magazine)
• Judge approves FTC's $22.5M fine of Google  (Politico)
• Jindahl: End ‘dumbed down conservatism’ (Politico)
• Petraeus case shows ease of government email snooping (Reuters)

WORLD

Israel-Palestine conflict:

• Obama: Israel has ‘every right’ to defend itself from Gaza missile attacks (U.S. News)
• Israeli official:Truce to begin in hours; IDF drops warning leaflets in Gaza (Haaretz)
• After rockets hit Tel Aviv area, IDF renews aerial assault on Gaza   (Haaretz)
• US Senate expresses firm support of Israel (YNet news)
• Turkish PM in Cairo vows support for Gaza (U-T San Diego)
• Gunmen kill six alleged collaborators in Gaza  (Reuters)
• IAF strikes 4 terrorists hiding in media building (Jerusalem Post)
• Lebanese army dismantles rockets aimed at Israel (UT-San Diego)
• Israel assassinates Hamas military chief in Gaza (Sacramento Bee)

Other world news:

• Scandal in Ireland as woman dies in Galway ‘after being denied an abortion’ (The Guardian)    
• Egyptian jihadist urges demolition of Sphinx, pyramids  (Jerusalem Post)
• Iran ready to double nuclear work in bunker: IAEA (Reuters)

HEALTH

• Cells reverse paralysis in dogs (BBC)
• Vegetative patient: “I’m not in pain” – breakthrough research (BBC News)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

August 23, 2012 --  (San Diego’s East County) – ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflecting all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:   

• Hurricane threat for GOP convention in Tampa? (CBS)
• USDA eyes whether tainted beef entered the food supply (Sacramento Bee)
• U.S. health officials brace for spike in West  Nile cases (USA Today)
• Accused Colorado gunman saw three mental health experts (Reuters)
• How Paul Ryan and Todd Akin partnered to redefine rape (Think Progress)
• Todd Akin, Senate candidate: `Legitimate  rape’ rarely causes pregnancy (Washington Post)
• Bill calls for more distributed generation to guard against infrastructure failures in grid emergencies (Power Magazine)
• Renewable energy projects on public lands: Obama not living up to his promises (Native News)
• Indian leaders share concerns about sacred sites (Missoulan)
• CDC calls for Hepatitis C testing for all boomers (NPR)

• Ecuador grants asylum to Assange, angering Britain (Reuters)
• Iran: Israel’s existence “insult to all humanity” (AP)
• Arab spring runs amok: Muslim brotherhood starts crucifixions in Egypt (WND) 

By Mitchell Dubick

August 24, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- There is suffering among the people in Gaza. How that suffering compares to the misery of other groups around the world, who is causing this suffering, and what should be done to alleviate it are all subjects of much debate. However, it is the duty of caring and responsible people on all sides to address these issues.