US envoy confident captive deal with Hamas possible ‘within weeks’
Al Mayadeen | March 9, 2025
Adam Boehler, the US envoy who engaged in direct talks with Hamas, described the meeting as “very helpful” and expressed confidence that a deal to release Israeli captives held in Gaza could be reached “within weeks”.
In an interview for CNN, Boehler acknowledged the unusual nature of the talks, considering that Hamas has been designated a “terrorist” organization by the US since 1997. However, he did not rule out future meetings with the Palestinian group.
Boehler recognized “Israel’s” concerns over the US meeting with Hamas but emphasized his intent to revive “fragile” negotiations.
“In the end, I think it was a very helpful meeting,” he said, adding, “I think something could come together within weeks… I think there is a deal where they can get all of the prisoners out, not just the Americans.”
He hinted at the possibility of further talks, stating, “You never know. You know, sometimes, you’re in the area and you drop by.”
The first phase of a ceasefire concerning the release of some Israeli captives ended earlier this month, but the Palestinian Resistance and “Israel” are now in disagreement over when to transition into the second phase, which aims for a complete end to the war on the Gaza Strip.
While “Israel” wants to extend the first phase until mid-April, Hamas has insisted on moving to the second phase, which is aimed at achieving a permanent end to the war.
During this phase, the Resistance released 25 living captives and the bodies of eight others in exchange for approximately 1,800 Palestinian detainees and prisoners held in Israeli occupation prisons.
Of the 251 individuals taken captive on October 7, 2023, 58 remain in Gaza, including 34 whom the Israeli military has confirmed as dead.
Last week, US President Donald Trump issued a “last warning” to Hamas, threatening additional destruction in Gaza if all remaining captives were not released.
Boehler acknowledged the “consternation” “Israel” felt over the US’ engagement with Hamas, saying, “We’re the United States. We’re not an agent of Israel.”
He also pledged to travel to Syria to secure the release of Austin Tice, an American journalist abducted in 2012.
Tice, a freelance journalist working for outlets such as Agence France-Presse and The Washington Post, was detained at a checkpoint in Syria.
With hopes reignited after the fall of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, Boehler vowed to locate Tice, stating, “If he’s there, I’m going to bring him home. If he’s dead, I’m going to dig up his remains with the FBI… and we’ll bring them home to his mom.”
US-Hamas talks focused on release of American-Israeli captive: Al-Nono
In the same context, senior Hamas official Taher al-Nono told Reuters on Sunday that recent meetings between Hamas leaders and US captives negotiator Adam Boehler have primarily focused on the release of an American-Israeli dual national held by the group in Gaza.
Al-Nono, political advisor to the leader of Hamas, confirmed the direct talks with the US, noting that they had occurred over the past week in the Qatari capital, Doha.
“Several meetings have already taken place in Doha, focusing on releasing one of the dual-nationality prisoners. We have dealt positively and flexibly, in a way that serves the interests of the Palestinian people,” al-Nono pointed out.
He further explained that both sides had also addressed how to implement the phased agreement aimed at ending the war on Gaza.
“We informed the American delegation that we don’t oppose the release of the prisoner within the framework of these talks,” the Palestinian official noted.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, emphasized last week that securing the release of Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old from New Jersey believed to be the last remaining American captive held by Hamas in Gaza, was a “top priority”.
Alexander, who served as a soldier in the Israeli occupation military, has been in captivity since the outbreak of the war.
On Saturday, “Israel” and Hamas indicated they were preparing for the next phase of ceasefire talks, with mediators working to extend the fragile 42-day truce that began in January.
A Hamas delegation met over the past two days with Egyptian mediators, reaffirming its commitment to negotiating the second phase of the deal. “Israel” also announced it would send negotiators to Doha on Monday for further discussions on the ceasefire.
On Sunday, “Israel’s” Energy Minister, Eli Cohen, announced that he had instructed the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) to cease electricity sales to Gaza, a move he claimed was aimed at pressuring Hamas to release captives.
However, the measure is unlikely to have an immediate impact, as “Israel” had already cut off the power supply to Gaza at the start of the war. It could, however, affect a wastewater treatment plant currently relying on the supply.
Al-Nono praised Witkoff for his significant role in securing the ceasefire agreement on January 19 that brought an end to the war on Gaza.
“We hope that he (Witkoff) will work to succeed in the negotiation of the second phase,” he concluded.
White House envoy to travel to Doha to push for new Gaza deal: Axios
Al Mayadeen | March 9, 2025
An Axios report on Sunday revealed that White House envoy Steve Witkoff is set to travel to Doha on Tuesday evening to mediate a new deal for the release of captives and a ceasefire between the Israeli occupation and Hamas movement, according to two US officials.
According to the report, this will be the first round of talks since Trump took office, and the first since the original agreement— which secured a 42-day ceasefire in exchange for releasing 33 captives— concluded a week ago.
Witkoff will join Qatari and Egyptian mediators, along with negotiators from both “Israel” and Hamas, to begin discussions on Monday. That said, the Trump administration is seeking a deal that ensures the release of all remaining captives, extends the ceasefire through Ramadan and Passover, and aims for a “long-lasting solution.”
On that note, 59 Israeli captives remain in Gaza, with 35 confirmed dead by the Israeli occupation.
Witkoff is scheduled to travel to Doha after attending a US-Ukraine meeting in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. However, according to the report, it’s uncertain whether he’ll meet with Hamas directly or only with Israeli and Qatari officials, as well as Egyptian mediators.
A senior Israeli official mentioned that Witkoff intends to bring all parties together for intense negotiations over several days in hopes of reaching a deal. Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation held talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo on Saturday regarding the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner negotiations.
Hamas has urged the parties to stick to the original deal and begin discussions on its second phase, which Israel has yet to seriously engage with.
The Resistance group also conveyed its readiness to form a committee of “national independent personalities” to govern Gaza until elections are held, a move that would relinquish its control over the area’s civilian governance.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened senior ministers and security chiefs on Saturday to strategize the next steps for the Gaza deal. His office confirmed that “Israel” accepted the mediators’ invitation and will send a delegation to Doha on Monday to advance the negotiations.
Hamas approves Gaza governance plan
On Saturday, Hamas’ negotiating team finalized its trip to Egypt, where the delegation discussed pathways for the implementation of the clauses of the ceasefire agreement with mediators.
The delegation, headed by Mohammad Darwish, head of Hamas’ Shura Council and Chairman of its Leadership Council, held talks with the head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service, Major General Hassan Rashad. The two sides discussed several crucial issues, including the ceasefire agreement and the prisoner exchange deal.
A statement released by the Hamas Media Office described the talks as “positive and responsible.”
“The Hamas delegation expressed its gratitude and appreciation for Egypt’s efforts, especially in countering displacement plans,” the Palestinian Resistance movement said, referring to United States President Donald Trump’s plot to “take over” the Gaza Strip.
Welcoming the outcomes of the most recent Arab summit, Hamas highlighted Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan and the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to statehood.
In further detail, Hamas’ negotiating team emphasized the need to uphold the terms of the multi-phase ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian Resistance and “Israel”.
The Israeli regime continues to blatantly violate the agreement, which includes the delivery of large amounts of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, as well as multiple acts of aggression against civilians.
Most importantly, the Israeli government ignored a time limit to enter negotiations for the second phase of the agreement, which would have secured the release of the remaining Israeli captives and a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
“The delegation emphasized the need to uphold all terms of the agreement, immediately commence negotiations for the second phase, reopen border crossings, and allow the unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” the statement underlined.
Yemen gives Israel four-day ultimatum to stop blocking Gaza aid
The Cradle | March 8, 2025
The leader of Yemen’s Ansarallah resistance movement, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, announced on 7 March a four-day grace period for Israel to resume ceasefire talks and lift its blockade on humanitarian aid for Gaza, threatening to resume Sanaa’s naval operations against Israeli-linked ships.
“We meet the siege with a siege,” Houthi emphasized, adding that Yemen “cannot stand by and watch the Israeli enemy’s aggressive approach in starving the Palestinian people in Gaza.”
“We do not just issue statements, but we can support the Palestinians in several areas,” the Ansarallah leader said, pointing out that “in the course of implementing the ceasefire in Gaza, it was clear that the Israeli enemy was procrastinating in fulfilling its obligations, especially those related to the humanitarian file.
The Ansarallah-led Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) ceased military operations in support of Palestine following the start of a US-sponsored ceasefire in Gaza earlier this year. Since November 2023, the YAF repeatedly targeted US, UK, and Israeli-linked commercial ships and western warships in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea.
Sanaa’s efforts to stop the US-Israeli genocide in Gaza prompted an illegal war initiated by Washington and London, resulting in hundreds of airstrikes in the Arab world’s poorest nation.
Despite the western onslaught, the YAF were undeterred in their military campaign and forced several US aircraft carriers and European warships out of the Red Sea. The country has also downed 15 US MQ-9 Reaper drones and recently fired its air defenses on a US F-16 jet.
A year ago, the former US Special Envoy for Yemen, Timothy Lenderking, admitted that “there is no military solution” for Yemen.
“I don’t think people really understand just kind of how deadly serious it is what we’re doing and how under threat the ships continue to be,” Commander Eric Blomberg with the USS Laboon told US media last year.
Houthi’s warning comes almost a week after Israel reimposed a total blockade on humanitarian aid shipments for Gaza after obstructing the ceasefire agreement from moving forward by demanding an extension of the first phase.
Hamas has rejected any extension of phase one and is demanding strict adherence to the agreement and international pressure on Israel.
“The resumption of war on Gaza will be met with the entire [Israeli] enemy entity coming under fire … If the war returns to Gaza, we will intervene with support through various military means,” Houthi warned on Sunday.
Trump cuts $400 million to Columbia Uni. over pro-Palestine protests
Al Mayadeen | March 8, 2025
US Federal Authorities announced on Friday a cut in grants and contracts with Columbia University in New York, citing pro-Palestine protests, which the Trump administration labels as “anti-semitic”.
The US Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, Education, and the General Services Administration— all part of the Trump Administration’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism— announced the cuts in a statement, citing Columbia’s ongoing failure to stop pro-Palestine protests.
The statement adds that the cuts are the “first round of action” against the Ivy League university, emphasizing that more cancellations are anticipated as Columbia has more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments.
The agencies stated that they would issue stop-work orders for the grants and contracts, which will immediately freeze Columbia’s access to the funding without divulging details about the specific programs that will be affected.
Columbia under fire for alleged ‘anti-semitism’
Columbia University has been the battleground for threats and measures targeting pro-Palestine students who organized and shared in protests against “Israel’s” genocide in Gaza, which “Israel” supporters have labelled as anti-semitic.
The US House Committee on Education and the Workforce demanded in February that Columbia University submit disciplinary records by the end of this month for students involved in anti-“Israel” protests between April and January 2024, criticizing the Ivy League institution’s handling of the matter.
The House panel sent a six-page letter to Columbia University’s leadership on February 13, stating that the institution had failed to fulfill its promise to students, faculty, and Congress to address “anti-Semitism,” asserting that “Columbia’s ongoing failure to confront the widespread anti-Semitism on campus is unacceptable, especially given the university receives billions in federal funding.”
The university’s newly established Office of Institutional Equity launched multiple investigations to track down students who voiced their opposition to “Israel”, according to the Associated Press.
Columbia sent notices to dozens of students for activities ranging from sharing pro-Palestinian social media posts to taking part in protests that the school considers “unauthorized,” while the creation of the “disciplinary office” sparked concerns among students, faculty members, and free speech advocates who said Columbia caved in to Trump’s pressure.
Iran rejects ‘absurd’ UK claim of posing national security threat
Press TV – March 6, 2025
Iran has refuted British officials’ accusations that Tehran poses a national security threat to the UK, saying they blame the Islamic Republic for something they “excel in and master”.
Britain said on Tuesday that it would require the Iranian state to register everything it does to exert political influence in the UK, subjecting Tehran to an elevated tier of scrutiny in light of what it said was increasingly aggressive activity.
“It is absurd to blame Iran for something you excel in and master: illegal interference in other nations’ internal affairs!” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei responded in a post on X Thursday.
Baghaei touched on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s remarks in November that he did not believe Israel was committing genocide in Gaza and Britain’s role in the 1953 coup against Iran’s democratically-elected government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.
“UK government seems to be doubling down on its irrational hostile mentality regarding Iranians only to deflect from their own culpability, both as ‘genocide denier’ and as supporter of anti-Iran terrorism (tracing back to 1953 coup against Iran’s democratically-elected govnt for which UK’s guilt never disappears).
“However, this is no longer the 19th century; any government that makes unfounded accusations and takes hostile actions against the Iranian nation shall be held accountable,” he said.
Addressing parliament on Wednesday, UK security minister Dan Jarvis announced that he would put Iran’s state, its security services and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps into the enhanced tier of an upcoming registration scheme designed to protect against covert foreign influence.
Like in many countries, the political ruthlessness of Victorian expansionism has left Britain with an unhappy legacy of distrust in Iran.
Iranians generally blame Britain for the “Great Famine and Genocide” of 1917–1919 in Iran where approximately 2 million people and by some accounts 8-10 million out of a population of 18–20 million died of starvation and disease.
The famine took place after Iran, despite declaring neutrality during World War I, was occupied by British and Russian forces.
Trump’s threats encourage Israeli breach of Gaza ceasefire: Hamas
Al Mayadeen | March 6, 2025
US President Donald Trump’s threats complicate the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and encourage the Israeli occupation to continue violating its requirements, Hazem Qassem, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas, stated on Thursday.
Trump told Hamas that he would authorize fresh Israeli strikes on Gaza unless the group released the remaining Israeli captives.
Trump’s ultimatum came during direct discussions in Doha between his envoy for captive matters, Adam Boehler, and Hamas leaders in an attempt to achieve a fresh Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.
“‘Shalom Hamas’ means Hello and Goodbye – You can choose. Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you,” Trump wrote on his social media platform.
Trump advised Hamas officials in Gaza to evacuate the area “while they still have a chance” and warned that “not a single Hamas member will be safe” if the captives are not released. “This is your last warning!” he warned.
In response, Qassem, in a statement to Anadolu Agency, said, “There is a deal that was signed, and the United States was a participating mediator, and it includes the release of all captives in three separate phases.”
“These threats complicate matters regarding the ceasefire agreement and encourage the occupation to avoid implementing its terms,” he warned.
The spokesperson stressed that Hamas fully complied with the requirements during the first phase, while “Israel” consistently evaded adhering to its commitments.
He called on the US administration to pressure “Israel” into commencing the second-phase negotiations, as per the ceasefire agreement.
The first phase of the truce ended at the weekend after six weeks that included exchanges of Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli occupation prisons.
While “Israel” has said it wants to extend the first phase until mid-April, Hamas has insisted on a transition to the second phase, which should lead to a lasting ceasefire.
“Israel” has ramped up its rhetoric and halted the flow of goods and supplies into Gaza, in violation of the agreement.
‘Israel’ voiced position to US on direct talks with Hamas: Netanyahu
Al Mayadeen | March 5, 2025
The Israeli occupation has informed the United States of its opinion on holding direct negotiations with Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Wednesday without providing any further details on what said “opinion” was.
“Israel has expressed to the United States its position regarding direct talks with Hamas,” Netanyahu’s office said.
The United States has been holding separate talks with Hamas to secure the release of two American captives still held in Gaza, Reuters reported, citing sources.
Ceasefire talks fail to advance to second phase
On Saturday, a senior Palestinian Resistance official told Al Mayadeen that negotiations in Cairo have failed to pave the way for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, blaming the Israeli regime for obstructing progress.
According to the official, the Israeli occupation is deliberately stalling to prolong the first phase of the agreement while gradually securing the release of its captives.
He accused the Israeli regime of violating the deal by delaying entry into second-phase negotiations and reaffirmed that the resistance would not release any captives without a comprehensive agreement.
“The Israeli side is attempting to use blackmail tactics, but we reject any deal that is not part of a full-package agreement,” the official stated.
The official also noted that mediators have been unsuccessful in persuading the Israeli regime to engage in the next phase of talks. He added that Israeli political leaders are pressuring negotiators to extend the first phase on the condition that Hamas releases additional captives.
German ministry dismisses lawyer for supporting Gaza, rejecting genocide
MEMO | March 4, 2025
https://twitter.com/Melaniebelizi/status/1895904365225058324
Hamas: We will not be part of post-war Gaza on condition of national consensus
Palestinian Information Center – March 4, 2025
GAZA – The Hamas Movement said it will not be part of any administrative arrangements in the post-war Gaza Strip on condition of a national consensus.
“It is not necessary for Hamas to be part of the administrative arrangements in Gaza. It is not interested in that, and does not want to be in these arrangements at all,” Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Anadolu agency.
“Any arrangements for Gaza’s future after the [Israeli] aggression must be based on national consensus, and we will facilitate this. Hamas will not allow any external force to interfere,” he added.
Qassem said these arrangements must lead to “launching a serious and genuine reconstruction process to save our people in Gaza from the catastrophe they have endured” due to Israel’s war.
The comments come as Arab leaders prepare to meet in Cairo to formulate a unified Arab stance on the Palestinian issue and present a counterproposal to US plans for the displacement of Gaza’s population
Egypt unveils Gaza reconstruction plan ahead of emergency Arab summit
Al Mayadeen | March 4, 2025
On Tuesday, Egypt’s Al-Qahera Al-Ikhbariya channel published Egypt’s plan for rebuilding Gaza, which will be presented to Arab leaders at the emergency summit hosted in Cairo on Tuesday.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty previously stated that the plan was designed to ensure the Palestinian people’s dignity and rights, and would be presented on March 4.
According to Abdelatty, Egypt’s alternative reconstruction plan will not be solely Egyptian or Arab but will include international support and funding to ensure its effective implementation.
“We will hold intensive talks with major donor countries once the plan is adopted at the upcoming Arab Summit,” he stated during a press conference with European Union Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica.
Into Egypt’s plan
The plan, which is based on preserving the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people, includes the formation of a Gaza Administration Committee to oversee the governance of the territory during a six-month transitional period. This committee will be independent, composed of non-partisan technocrats, and will operate under the Palestinian government.
According to the plan, the committee will be established throughout the current phase and pave the way for the full return of the administration, which would manage the next phase under Palestinian decision-making.
The plan also states that Egypt and Jordan will train Palestinian police forces in preparation for their deployment in Gaza. It calls for mobilizing political and financial support to back Egyptian-Jordanian efforts in training Palestinian security personnel.
Additionally, the plan suggests that the UN Security Council consider an international presence in the Palestinian territories, including the West Bank and Gaza, and issue a resolution to deploy international peacekeeping forces as part of a comprehensive framework for establishing a Palestinian state.
On stabilizing the ceasefire
The reconstruction statement also condemned the killing and targeting of civilians, as well as the high levels of violence and humanitarian suffering caused by “Israel’s” war on Gaza, claiming that the two-state solution is the most viable resolution under international law and consensus, emphasizing that Gaza is an inseparable part of Palestinian territory.
Egypt stressed the importance of safeguarding Palestinian rights and ensuring their continued presence on their land without displacement, calling on the international community to unite on a humanitarian basis above all else to address the catastrophic consequences of the war.
Any attempt to strip the Palestinian people of their hope for statehood or seize their land would only further fuel the struggle and instability, it also warned.
Additionally, the plan also underscored the need to maintain the ceasefire in Gaza, ensure the sustainability of the current truce, and secure the release of prisoners and detainees. It noted that successful reconstruction requires transitional governance arrangements and security measures that uphold the prospects of a two-state solution.
Furthermore, it urged the international community to support Egypt, Qatar, and the United States in stabilizing the ceasefire agreement, warning that a collapse of the truce would severely hinder humanitarian efforts and the reconstruction process.
The plan emphasized the importance of a gradual approach that ensures the Palestinian people’s right to remain on their land while also safeguarding their legitimate aspirations for an independent state with territorial continuity between Gaza and the West Bank. It called for handling Gaza’s situation through a political and legal framework that aligns with international legitimacy and UN Security Council resolutions.
The plan also stressed the need to begin planning for the early recovery phase in a way that guarantees Palestinian ownership of the process. It underscored the importance of continued efforts by the Palestinian Authority to take further steps in strengthening and developing Palestinian institutions and governance structures.
Israel’s Lobby Launches Preemptive War on Thomas Massie
By James Rushmore | The Libertarian Institute | March 4, 2025
Two weeks ago, Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell announced that he would not seek re-election in 2026. McConnell’s announcement prompted Congressman Thomas Massie to share a poll asking his Twitter followers if he should run for McConnell’s open Senate seat, seek the governorship in 2027, or remain in the House.
Naturally, Massie’s followers were very enthusiastic about the former idea. But the prospect of a Senator Thomas Massie already has the Israel lobby on high alert.
Republican Jewish Coalition CEO Matt Brooks told Jewish Insider, “If Tom Massie chooses to enter the race for US Senate in Kentucky, the RJC campaign budget to ensure he is defeated will be unlimited.” Back in May 2023, Massie accused the RJC of taking “[the] neocon position that US taxpayers should fund the war in Ukraine.” The RJC responded by attacking Massie for, among other things, opposing U.S. funding for the Iron Dome and voting against a resolution condemning the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Meanwhile, Rabbi Shlomo Litvin of the Kentucky Jewish Council accused Massie of “[going] out of his way to troll Jews,” and Melanie Maron Pell of the American Jewish Committee suggested that Massie demonstrates “outright hostility with the Jewish community.”
It should come as no surprise that the Israel lobby is doing everything in its power to torpedo any talk of a Thomas Massie Senate campaign. Massie is the only member of Congress who consistently opposes the ongoing wars in both Gaza and Ukraine. Shortly after the October 7 terrorist attack, Massie was the sole Republican congressman to vote against House Resolution 771, which “[reaffirmed] the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security,” “[urged] full enforcement of United States sanctions against Iran,” and declared that the U.S. “stands ready to assist Israel with emergency resupply and other security, diplomatic, and intelligence support.”
In November 2023, he voted against House Resolution 6126, which provided Israel with $14.5 billion in military aid. In April 2024, he opposed House Resolutions 8034 and 8035, which allocated $95 billion in foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and other Indo-Pacific allies. (Donald Trump declined to oppose that package, all but assuring its passage.) In January 2025, Massie voted present on the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, which would impose sanctions against any person who aids the International Criminal Court in its efforts to “investigate, arrest, detail, or prosecute” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
Massie is keenly aware of the enormous power that the Israel lobby wields on Capitol Hill, and unlike other congressional Republicans, he is willing to publicly acknowledge the extent of its influence. During an interview with Tucker Carlson in June 2024, he noted that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee assigns handlers to every House Republican, dispatching them to influence how lawmakers vote. The previous month, the United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with AIPAC, spent at least $300,000 on TV ads tying Massie to Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah. Their efforts were in vain, as Massie won his primary with three-quarters of the vote.
Whether or not Massie can win a Senate primary remains to be seen. The only Republican candidate to have formally entered the race at this point is former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a McConnell protégé who lost the 2023 gubernatorial election. Cameron is already trying to distance himself from McConnell; he recently criticized the former leader of the Senate Republican Conference for opposing the confirmations of Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and he even signaled his opposition to further aid to Ukraine. But in November 2023, shortly after losing his bid for governor, Cameron joined twenty-five other Republicans attorneys general in signing a letter urging Joe Biden and congressional leaders to provide “military resources, intelligence, and humanitarian assistance to Israel as she defends herself against those seeking her destruction.”
Congressman Andy Barr may also launch a bid for McConnell’s Senate seat. Barr believes that “enemies of Israel are enemies of the United States.” Just last month, he declared that he “[stands] fully with Israel in its mission to wipe every last Hamas terrorist off the face of the earth.” Given that AIPAC was the top contributor to his campaign committee in 2024, Barr’s commitment to the Israeli cause is perfectly understandable.
If he runs, Massie would be sure to receive an endorsement from Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who has unfortunately proven incredibly disappointing on the Gaza front. In November, Paul voted against three resolutions intended to block $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel. In January, he backed the ICC sanctions bill.
But a Donald Trump endorsement will no doubt prove to be the most important variable in shaping the outcome of the race. While Massie’s decision to endorse Ron DeSantis during the 2024 Republican presidential primaries may have hurt his standing with Trump, it is worth remembering that Trump offered former critic and one-time Evan McMullin supporter J.D. Vance his endorsement during the 2022 Ohio Senate primary. And the rest is history.
In December 2023, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Massie of anti-Semitism after he shared a meme correctly noting that Congress is more interested in Zionism than American patriotism. Expect more attacks like those, this time from pro-Israel Republicans, should the seven-term congressman enter the race to succeed McConnell. Despite those challenges, there is no doubt that a Thomas Massie Senate campaign has the potential to steer U.S. foreign policy in a less insane direction.
Russia ready to facilitate US-Iran negotiations – Kremlin
RT | March 4, 2025
Russia is ready to broker talks between the US and Iran, including on Tehran’s nuclear program and its regional proxy network, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Bloomberg on Tuesday.
Trump expressed interest in talking to Iran about those issues, both in his phone call to Putin in February and via representatives at the high-level US-Russian meeting in Riyadh just days later, the news agency wrote, citing anonymous officials.
“Russia believes that the United States and Iran should resolve all problems through negotiations,” Peskov told Bloomberg when asked about such contact.
Moscow “is ready to do everything in its power to achieve this,” he added.
US President Donald Trump returned to his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran last month, just weeks after Moscow and Tehran signed a landmark strategic partnership agreement. Trump’s executive order said that Washington would ramp up sanctions on Iran, aiming to disrupt its nuclear program, conventional missile deployment, and network of regional proxy groups.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has said the country is building up its defenses, citing regular threats from US ally Israel.
“The Israeli regime’s FM and other officials keep threatening Iran with military action while the West continues to blame Iran for its defense capability. This is outrageous & irrational,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said last week. Given that Israel is “addicted to aggression and lawless behavior,” it is “responsible and essential to maximize our defense capabilities,” he stressed.
The day before, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar warned that a “military option” should be on the table to stop the potential weaponization of Tehran’s nuclear program.
Israel and the West have long seen Iran’s uranium enrichment activities as a secret attempt to develop nuclear weapons – allegations that Tehran has repeatedly denied.
While Trump has touted harsher sanctions, he has also signaled that he is interested in signing a “verified nuclear peace agreement” with Tehran.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has stressed that talks with the US are unlikely to bear fruit, citing the prior nuclear deal Trump unilaterally left during his first presidency.
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Book Review
Conspiracy Denial
Lies are Unbekoming | January 27, 2026
In honour of Michael Parenti (1933–2026), who passed away on 24 January 2026 at the age of 92. He spent his life naming what power prefers to leave unnamed.
In 1837, Abraham Lincoln remarked: “These capitalists generally act harmoniously, and in concert, to fleece the people.”
Today, he would be dismissed as a conspiracy theorist.
That dismissal—reflexive, automatic, requiring no engagement with evidence—is not a mark of sophistication. It is a tell. The question worth asking is not whether conspiracies exist (they are a matter of public record and a recognised concept in law) but why acknowledging their existence provokes such reliable hostility. What work does the label “conspiracy theorist” actually do?
The late political scientist Michael Parenti spent decades answering that question. His conclusion was blunt: “’Conspiracy’ refers to something more than just illegal acts. It serves as a dismissive label applied to any acknowledgment of ruling-class power, both its legal and illegal operations.” The term functions not as a descriptor but as a weapon—a thought-terminating cliché that protects the powerful from scrutiny by pathologising those who scrutinise them.
Conspiracy denial, in Parenti’s analysis, is not skepticism. It is the opposite of skepticism. It is credulity toward power dressed up as critical thinking. As he wrote in Dirty Truths: “Just because some people have fantasies of conspiracies does not mean all conspiracies are imaginary.” … continue
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- Israel pays for UK advertisements attacking Doctors Without Borders
- Israel accused of extracting billions from Gazan people to pay for their own genocide
- ‘Deliberate Assassination’: 3 Journalists Among 11 Killed by Israeli Forces in Gaza
- No Tricks Zone
- New Study Affirms Rising CO2’s Greening Impact Across India – A Region With No Net Warming In 75 Years
- Germany’s Natural Gas Crisis Escalates … One Storage Site Near Empty …Government Silent
- Polar Colding…Antarctica Saw Its Coldest October In 44 Years!
- New Study: Sea Levels Rose 20 Times The Modern Rate During The Roman Warm Period
- As German Gas Storage Dips Dangerously Low…Shortage Hardly Avoidable
- New Study: Brazil’s Relative Sea Level Was 2+ Meters Higher And SSTs 3-4°C Warmer 6000 Years Ago
- Philosopher Schopenhauer: Climate Science Certainty Stems From Stupidity, Ignorance
- New Study: Species Extinction Rates Declining Since 1980 – ‘Climate Change Is Not An Important Threat’
- Denmark Places Climate Protection Above Animal Welfare, Poisoning And Culling Cows
- New Study: Greenland Was 3-7°C Warmer And Far Less Glaciated Than Today 6000-8000 Years Ago
Aletho News 