Chaos and Destruction

by Errington C. Thompson, MD –

Netanyahu’s statement was unambiguous. He wasn’t planning on weakening Hamas.

I think the idea of driving Hamas out of the Palestinian people is an impossible task. It cannot be done. Therefore, I believe that Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu have decided that destroying Gaza is the goal.

I think we have ample evidence that this is precisely what Israel is doing. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are systematically destroying Gaza, block by block. A couple of months ago, they made a big announcement that they were going to invade some city. They advised the inhabitants of that city to move south. Then, the Israeli military went block by block and destroyed everything.

Just this week, a relief convoy arrived. For some reason—it hasn’t been adequately explained—the IDF opened fire on Palestinians trying to get some food, water, and aid. Currently, reports have over 100 people—human beings, men, women, and children—dead.

We don’t have an accurate count. We don’t know how many people were killed in this incident. Israel has asked journalists to keep their distance. Therefore, we only have reporting from the Gazan authority and the Israeli military.

Beyond Gaza

This is a horrible game of three-dimensional chess in what is probably the most complex region in the world. Besides the utter, heartbreaking chaos in Gaza, in southern Lebanon, tensions between Lebanon and Israel continue to rise.

In Lebanon, the terrorist group is Hezbollah. Iran also backs them.

Yemen is over a thousand miles south and east of Israel, on the other side of Saudi Arabia, where it guards the eastern entrance to the Red Sea. Yemen has been a relatively lawless country for decades. Lately, Houthi rebels have been shooting missiles at tankers in the Red Sea. The Houthi militia also seems to have some ties with Iran. To try to stop these militia attacks, the United States and other NATO countries have hit targets in Yemen. How effective this has been remains to be seen, though the Associated Press has reported a tanker filled with fertilizer was hit and sunk by the rebels.

There seem to be no good answers. The news continues to get more and more depressing. The only solution for long-term peace is a two-state solution. Now, with all the violence, all the hatred, all the animosity that has been unleashed over the last five months, the two-state solution appears to be nothing but a pipe dream. But this is our only realistic plan for lasting peace. I think that almost everybody would agree that Israel has a right to exist. I guess I would also agree that Israel has a right to defend herself. Taking this one step further, I believe we would all agree that the Palestinian people have a right to exist. They have a right to live in peace. They should be able to come and go as they please without asking permission from Israel.

I have no idea how we get to a two-state solution from here. Nor, I suspect, do you. But I do know that the criticism of President Joe Biden—for supporting our long-time ally, Israel; for not standing up for the Gaza refugees; for not magically creating a two-state solution—has been unwarranted.

As I see it, he is in a no-win situation. I don’t think that he can openly oppose Israel or Benjamin Netanyahu. At the same time, how can he support the Palestinian people and stand up against all of these acts of aggression? Right now, I think that he is left with no other solution outside of dropping humanitarian aid in large quantities to the Gazan people.

Michigan and Joe Biden

Speaking of the ongoing war in Gaza, President Joe Biden won the March 1 Michigan Democratic primary by a solid majority. This is not a surprise. The thing that made Michigan a little bit more interesting was the fact that Michigan has a relatively large Muslim population. The Muslim population in the United States is not happy with Joe Biden’s response to the conflict in Gaza. Within the Muslim community, some activists actively asked Muslims and progressives to vote Uncommitted. 13% of the population did so; still, Joe Biden won 81% of the vote.

I understand the frustration and anger that my Muslim brothers and sisters have. The question I have is, “What is the alternative?” If the alternative is Donald J. Trump, Muslims do not have a chance. Trump does not care for Muslims. He will not fight for them in any arena at any time; instead, he has already implied he will try to deport them all!

Therefore, Muslims can either stand with Joe Biden and try to influence policy, knowing that Mr. Biden is an empathetic, honest president. Or they can withhold their votes in November, allowing Michigan to fall to the Republicans. That would punish Joe Biden. That would punish the country. And that would punish the Muslims of Michigan, and throughout the United States. But it would not get Muslims any closer to having a more friendly policy toward the Gazan people.

Fani Willis

District attorney Fani Willis, in Atlanta, Georgia, has been under a relentless siege for the past several months. The defense attorneys for several of those indicted for election interference are trying to prove that Fani Willis has a conflict of interest. Willis appears to have had an affair with co-prosecuting attorney Nathan Wade. It would be an apparent conflict of interest if Ms. Willis had an affair with one of the defense attorneys, but she did not.

We’ve had approximately two weeks’ worth of testimony to see whether Ms. Willis should be removed as the lead prosecuting attorney in this case. The accusations have been wild. Attorneys for the defense tried to find evidence that Ms. Willis started her affair with Mr. Wade before this trial started. Now, I will tell you that I am not an attorney. But I do understand ethics. Even if Ms. Willis started dating Mr. Wade when she was ten, that would not be a conflict of interest.

They also claim that she financially benefited by dating Wade, though they have yet to produce a shred of evidence to support their claims. And even if there were some misappropriation of funds, it would be up to the good people of Fulton County, Georgia, to punish her—not the judge trying Donald Trump’s accomplices, who tried to overturn the election in Georgia. I think that this is a big nothing-burger.

The defense attempted to do two things by bringing up this subject—they wanted to delay the trial as much as possible (a common Trump tactic) and embarrass DA Willis—hoping that if they embarrassed her enough, she would resign. I don’t think there is a chance in Hades that she would ever resign. The stakes are too high. If she can win this case, think about it. Despite all of these shenanigans, the sky is the limit for Fani Willis. She can run for mayor. She could probably run and win the governorship. She could run for the House of Representatives. She would be, and will be, a winner.

Alexei Navalny

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny embodied bravery, personal strength, and emotional conviction. Navalny is an example of one man fighting against the machine. He spoke out against Vladimir Putin, and energized a large swath of the Russian population.

For his efforts, he was poisoned. He managed to go abroad to Germany for treatment, and he survived. Then, instead of staying in exile, he returned to take up the fight again. The organization that he led for the freedom of Russia was declared an extremist terrorist organization and was shut down by the government. Very shortly after his arrival, the Putin dictatorship had him imprisoned. Then, in the middle of February, he died in prison at the age of 47.

Now, I was not the doctor attending him, nor did I conduct a post-mortem, but I will say without reservation that he did not simply “die.” Alexei Navalny was assassinated. Like Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino in the Philippines forty years before, he had the courage to return to his native land, where he knew he would face danger and death. But Navalny, like Aquino, was a man of incredible courage. And, like Aquino, he “died” at the hand of the dictator he opposed.

This is what happens when you have a dictatorship, and you have somebody brave enough to try to stand up against the dictator.

The Supremes

The Supreme Court has decided to hear Donald Trump’s claim of immunity. Why? I have no idea. I do know it took them two-and-a-half weeks even to reach that decision—and they won’t even hear the case for another seven weeks.

Donald Trump claimed that he cannot be criminally prosecuted for trying to overturn the 2020 election. Trump claims that everything he did was as president and, therefore, he cannot be held accountable. He is “immune to prosecution.”

This is similar to Richard Nixon’s claim that everything the president does is legal because it’s been done by the president. Of course, this was shot down back in the 1970s, so, again, I have no idea why it should take two months to hear and decide a case that has been established law for almost 50 years.

No matter how the Supreme Court rules, at the very least, this has bought Trump more time. Trump and his attorneys—whoever they may be at any given time—have one thing in common: they are masters at delay.

President Joe Biden

Now and then, politics is almost laughable. There has been a groundswell of questions and concerns about Joe Biden. He is too old. Really? Anyone who watched him deliver his State of the Union address on March 7 should rethink their concerns. And, again, I would ask what is our alternative?

Who can stand up and run for president and beat Donald Trump in the general election? Vice President Harris? Former mayor and current secretary of transportation Pete Buttigieg? Senator Elizabeth Warren? Independent Bernie Sanders? Maybe Senator Cory Booker? The answer to all of these potential candidates is no. None of these excellent politicians are ready to ramp up a campaign and beat Donald Trump in the general election in nine months. Currently, we have no sensible alternative.

Donald Trump is the biggest threat to democracy that we have faced since World War II. I don’t think that this is hyperbole. He will use the Department of Justice to go after his enemies. He will do everything possible to stay in power for as long as possible. Joe Biden is old. He is also smart. He is engaged. He is experienced. He is compassionate. He is thoughtful. He has surrounded himself with good advisors. Overall, he is in very good shape for somebody who’s 81 years old.

Between now and November, I will enthusiastically back President Biden. I will ask you to do the same. The alternative is unthinkable.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed here, as well as assertions of facts, are those of the author. They do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of The Urban News.