Oklahoma Choctaws unveil sculpture honoring historical connection to Ireland.
DOJ unveils charges for Hamas leaders.
Massive anti-Netanyahu protests in Israel after discovery of hostage bodies.
NATIONAL NEWS
Oklahoma Choctaws unveil sculpture honoring historical connection to Ireland
In 1847, Choctaw natives in Oklahoma collected of donation of $170 and sent it to County Cork in Ireland to alleviate the suffering and starvation of the Irish potato famine. That $170 donation would be worth in the tens of thousands of dollars in today’s money. The Oklahoma Choctaws were moved to make this donation over a decade after their people suffered through the Trail of Tears, in which the US government forcibly removed Choctaws and other Native groups from their ancestral lands east of the Mississippi River.
Since then, the Irish and the Choctaw peoples have maintained transatlantic bonds of Charity and solidarity. For example, in 2018, the Irish government established a scholarship to enable Choctaw students to study in Ireland. Then, in 2020, the Irish people donated $2 million in aid to Native Americans affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2015, County Cork unveiled a 20 ft-tall stainless steel sculpture by local artist Alex Pentek which honors the 1847 donation. The “Kindred Spirits” sculpture takes the form of eagle feathers which are used in Choctaw ceremonies. The feathers are arranged in the shape of a bowl, representing a bowl of food.
Kindred Spirits now has a companion piece in Tuskahoma, OK, on the grounds of the Choctaw capitol. The 8 ft-tall “Eternal Heart” sculpture by Choctaw artist Samuel Stitt takes the form of an Irish triad intertwined with a heart. Ireland’s Minister of State Thomas Byrne attended the unveiling of Eternal Heart, saying it would be a “permanent symbol of the enduring and meaningful friendship between our two nations”. Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton said that the Choctaw people are “extremely proud to call the people of Ireland are friends and kindred spirits”.
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DOJ unveils charges for Hamas leader Yahyah Sinwar
The Department of Justice today unveiled terrorism charges against Hamas military wing commander Yahyah Sinwar, who was also recently selected to lead Hamas’ political bureau after Israel’s assassination of his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran in July. Five other high-ranking members of Hamas are also named in the in the charges.
The indictment was actually handed down in February but was made public today following the discovery of the bodies of six Israeli hostages in Gaza. President Biden vowed that Hamas would “pay a heavy price” for its crimes, while also saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to secure a ceasefire. Perhaps coincidentally, reports also circulated today indicating that the International Criminal Court in the Hague will soon announce its decision on whether to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. ICC prosecutor Karim Khan announced his intention to seek warrants against Netanyahu, Gallant, Sinwar, the now-deceased Haniyeh, and possibly Hamas commander Muhammed Deif back in May.
DOJ has not announced any charges against any Israeli officials, despite a State Department finding earlier this year that it was “reasonable to assess” that Israel has used US-supplied weapons in Gaza in a manner that is “inconsistent with international law“. However, the report claimed there was insufficient evidence of this to stop sending US weapons to Israel.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Massive anti-Neyanyahu protests in Israel after discovery of hostage bodies
This week, tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Tel Aviv demanding that Israeli prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately agree to a ceasefire proposal with Hamas in Gaza. The size and intensity of the protests, and the brutal crackdown by Israeli police, are reminiscent of the huge protests against Netanyahu’s government last summer, when his government was attempting to pass controversial judicial reforms.
The protests were sparked by the discovery this weekend of the bodies of six Israeli hostages in Gaza. Among the deceased was Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American kidnapped on October 7th whose parents spoke at the Democratic National Convention last month. An IDF spokesman claimed that the militants guarding the hostages had “brutally murdered” them before they could be rescued. Statements from Hamas on the circumstances surrounding the hostages’ deaths are conflicting. There’s also a possibility that at least some of the hostages may have died weeks before in Israeli bombing.
While the circumstances surrounding the deaths of these hostages remain unclear, many Israelis, and most of the media, have concluded that the blood of these hostages is on Netanyahu’s hands due to his obstinance in the ceasefire negotiations.
Some Israeli commentators, possibly with undeserved optimism, have said that if the protests continue to intensify, it could bring down Netanyahu’s government. However, some of the pressure dissipated after Israel’s largest union canceled an announced general strike in support of the protests.
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