The Jewish holiday of Purim is March 2. If you celebrate, Happy Purim and be careful. Please do not attend any celebrations without security. --------------------------------------------------------------------
The US and Israel have launched an attack on Iran, targeting all of Iran's political and military leadership. The goal appears to be to create conditions for the overthrow of the Iranian regime.
Iran responded by firing missiles at Israel, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, and possibly Saudi Arabia, simultaneously. Shanaka Anslem Perera suggests Iran gave every country in the Middle East a reason to retaliate against Iran. https://x.com/shanaka86/status/2027696194642968626?s=20
In the U.S., criticism of the war is mostly coming from the fact that the President launched a war without authorization from Congress.
Norway, China, Russia, North Korea, Venezuela, and Chile are the most vocal international critics of US strikes, saying the strikes on Iran are “not in line” with international law. Where was international law when the Iranian regime slaughtered tens of thousands of protesters? Where was it when Iran rained ballistic missiles on Tel Aviv? Where was it when the innocent Ukrainians died because Iran chose to side with Russia, sell them drones and missiles, and teach them how to make Shaheds?
Zineb Riboua of the Hudson Institute suggests eliminating the threat of Iran will allow Washington to concentrate on China: Beijing depends on Iran for discounted energy, Belt and Road transit corridors, and strategic depth against American influence in the Gulf. Neutralizing Iranian capacity to destabilize the region degrades the infrastructure of Chinese power projection well beyond it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I am of the belief that journalism should inform, not execuse behavior or paint a softer picture — not selectively edit reality
Media
>"Iran says," and the media repeats. Without verification. - The Telegraph, NBC News, and Wall Street Journal all distribute Iranian regime propaganda (40 school children killed) as facts. The Telegraph and NBC attribute missiles to Israel; the WSJ doesn't specifically attribute the strike to either Israel or the US.
>Media’s Belated Truth-Telling on Gaza
>Doctors Without Borders Finally Admits Presence Of Palestinian Terrorists Inside Gaza Hospital; Media Dutifully Ignores
>Who Edits the Truth? Wikipedia, Reddit, and the Battle for Reality Key Takeaways - Wikipedia is just not a site you visit. It is an infrastructure layer that reaches you through Google and AI, which turns coordinated editing into a fight over what reality looks like online….
>Media Fall Silent on Palestinian Draft Constitution
>Three Pro-Palestinian Films Nominated for Academy Awards (Times of Israel) Three well-produced, deeply biased "historical dramas" ("All That's Left of You," "Palestine 36," "The Voice of Hind Rajab") nominated for Academy Awards ignore the origins, context and complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and cast Palestinians as noble victims at the hands of violent, inhumane Jews, rather than as aggressors. See also The Shape-Shifting >Story of Hind Rajab (Substack-16Oct2025)
>CNN Rewrites Israel's Past, Ignores Contemperaneous Sources
>Hamas propaganda via medical research study goes unchecked by ABC News
AFGHANISTAN
CANADAINTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
ICJ Shenaningans. First the Chief Prosecutor is being investigated for sexual abuse, and now Khaled Al-Shouli, a French-Palestinian lawyer who led a 2024 ICC complaint accusing Israel of war crimes in Gaza, is facing preliminary charges in France for allegedly financing Hamas through humanitarian aid channels - allegedly laundering €1.5M for Hamas.
IRAN
>Iran transferred $1.7b. to terror proxies through cryptocurrency service Binance last year
ISRAEL
>Israel reportedly warned Lebanon that the country would be hit hard if Hezbollah joins any Iranian military action targeting the Jewish state.
PAKISTAN
Some Pakistanis are demanding the closure of Qatar’s Al Jazeera offices in Pakistan, accusing the outlet of supporting terrorist propaganda. Al Jazeera called a terrorist (suicide bomber), who rammed an explosive-laden motorcycle into a Pakistani security forces' convoy, "a fighter". The Doha-headquartered channel has not been banned or suspended in the country.
PALESTINIANS/FATAH/HAMAS
>PA official praises terrorist from lynch and murder of two Israelis in Ramallah
>Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has released a sizable list of high-ranking commanders killed during the war, particularly second-in-commands of many key units. Notable IDs, including journalists, doctors, and Fadi Jihad Mohammed al-Wadiyya (ID# 802854323, age 33) , a physiotherapist working for Doctors Without Borders and the deputy head of their military.
TURKEY
USA
UN
ON CAMPUS
>First, UCLA has NOT cancelled Bari Weiss. It was Bari's/CBS security team who asked for postponement due to insufficient safety measures. Second, UCLA is still considering inviting Bari to deliver the Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture, in person, at a later date. Third, Professor Margaret Peters serving as the Associate Director of the Burkle Center for International Relations has said she plans to resign if Weiss speaks. The faculty of the political science department at UCLA are currently examining the behavior of their member, Professor Margaret Peters, and are considering withdrawing their support for her serving as the Associate Director of the Burkle Center for International Relations. I hope you find it is abhorrent as I that Weiss's team has to worry about security on campus. Is this part of a steady march toward the slow possibly inexorable removal of Jews from campus life?
Meanwhile, UCLA continues to employ "distinguished" Professors Khaled Abu El Fadi and Robin Kelly. El Fadi notoriusly blamed Israel and Jews for Hamas' atrocities on 10/7 and Kelly is part of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. Both are likely in part responsible for the security threats to Weiss.
>Princeton University, which at one time had notoriously imposed disciplinary sanctions on conservatives and Zionists that are generally reserved for alleged sexual predators, has not stopped Finkelstein from coming to campus. Princeton University’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter has canceled this year’s annual lecture by Norman Finkelstein, a stridently anti-Israel activist.