EDITORS—For the past 10 months, Gaza’s Palestinians have faced what can be described as a war of extermination, with the Israeli occupation targeting all facets of Palestinian life and systematically eliminating resistance leaders both domestically and abroad.
Thus, the announcement of Yahya Sinwar’s election as Haniyeh’s successor in Gaza was both a surprise to the Israeli occupation and a cause for celebration among Palestinians and their factions.
CAITLIN JOHNSTONE—Liberals are freaking out because The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post chose not to endorse a presidential candidate this election cycle, which is silly. Newspapers shouldn’t endorse political candidates. How is this not obvious to everyone?
It’s absolutely ridiculous that news outlets endorsing political candidates is a thing at all. The first job of a real journalist is to have an adversarial relationship with those in power, regardless of who wins.
BRIAN BERLETIC—Israeli missile strikes on Iran appear to have been limited, in part to the limitations of Israel’s long-range conventional military power;
This and a previous strike conducted in April may be providing Israel with information toward a larger more devastating attack on specific facilities;
The geo-strategic shift of power in the region has limited US-Israeli military power;
Iran’s ballistic missile forces and asymmetrical military power including through organizations like Hezbollah and Ansar Allah continue to expand as US military power, including through its Israeli proxies, diminishes.
MAIN EDITORS—Both Col. Wilkerson and (former) weapons inspector Scott Ritter analyse Israel’s airstrikes on Iran, judging them a failure. This evaluation contrasts markedly with the cacophony of celebratory voices on the US and western press in general, proclaiming the mission an absolute triumph for Israeli arms over Iran, its longstanding regional foe. The NYTimes seemed to reflect the more sober evaluation of the event, noting with evident relief, that both sides seemed to be satisfied with the outcome.
GEORGE HAZIM—Yesterday’s escalatory bombing attack by Israel on Iran underscores Israel’s willingness to provoke broader regional conflicts, with the US’s tacit or direct support.
America’s complicity in Israel’s crimes is undeniable. US foreign policy has consistently aligned with Israeli interests, whether through diplomatic support or military interventions that have destabilised the region. The Iraq War, sanctions on Syria, and the military presence in Lebanon have all served to weaken Arab nations while strengthening Israel’s strategic position.
October 7 should be understood not as the starting point of violence but as a moment that exposed the layers of aggression, deceit, and oppression that have long defined the Israeli-US alliance in the Middle East.