Democracy Now! Peter Beinart on Zohran Mamdani & Why Democratic Voters Are Increasingly Skeptical of Israel

We speak to Peter Beinart, editor-at-large at _Jewish Currents_, about changing popular opinion in the U.S. toward Israel and Palestine. "I'm not sure there's any political issue in the United States, perhaps other than gay marriage, over the last couple of decades where public opinion has shifted as fast," he says, citing the surprise victory of pro-Palestinian mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in New York City's Democratic primary as evidence of a shifting political landscape.

We also discuss a recent article in _The New York Times_ that criticizes Mamdani, a Ugandan-born Indian Muslim who immigrated to the U.S. as a child, for self-identifying as both Asian and Black/African American on a college application.

Beinart, whose own parents are of European Jewish background and were raised in multiracial South Africa, explains how the limitations of formal racial categories often elide the true complexity of racial, ethnic and national identity. "It's not a case that Zohran Mamdani was trying to pull some sleight of hand to try to take advantage of affirmative action. This was a very deep statement about what he believed it was to have grown up in Uganda," he says.


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BBC Reports from Iran on Ceasefire Deal with Israel | BBC News

Jun 25, 2025 | The BBC's Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet reports from Iran's capital city, Tehran during what appears to be an enduring ceasefire with Israel.

The pause follows a volatile 24 hours in the Middle East, during which the White House mediated between the two countries.

Lyse Doucet is being allowed to report in Iran on condition that none of her reports are used on the BBC's Persian service.

This law from Iranian authorities applies to all international media agencies operating in Iran.

UNRWA Spokesperson Slams New US-backed Aid System, Says It's Made of 'Primarily Mercenaries'

Jun 25, 2025 | The United Nations' human rights office has slammed Israel for the deaths of hundreds of Gazans trying to get aid through a new delivery system. A spokesman said the Israeli military had repeatedly shot and shelled people as they tried to reach the aid stations. On Tuesday, 27 people were killed at an aid site, according to medics. The UN says over 400 people have been killed near aid hubs since the Israeli and US-backed "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation" started operating. That group has denied responsibility for the deaths, and Israel has said it will review some of those incidents. But the UN says an impartial investigation is needed.

The United Nations agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, has been a lifeline to people in Gaza. But the agency saw funding cuts after Israel accused it of having ties to Hamas. UNRWA says it could deliver aid much more effectively and safely than the "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation" which operates with US and Israeli backing. We speak with Juliette Touma, communications director with UNRWA.

Donald Trump Launches F-word Rant and Rages at Iran and Israel for Breaking Hour-old Ceasefire

Jun 24, 2025 | DONALD Trump has slammed both Israel and Iran blasting they "don't know what the f*** they're doing".

Trump's stunning profanity in front of cameras comes after a ceasefire between the two Middle Eastern countries appeared to break down.

Trump Falsely Claims a 'Complete and Total Ceasefire "Forever."

Jun 24, 2025 | Donald Trump said the “12 day war” between Israel and Iran was set to end in a ceasefire, holding out the expected deal as validation for his strategic gamble of ordering U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites - and said he did not believe Israel and Iran “will ever be shooting at each other again.”

“It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE,” Trump posted on social media.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would stop its attacks if Israel would. It’s unclear what role Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s leader, played in the talks. He had said on social media earlier Monday that Iran would not surrender. Israel has not publicly confirmed that it has agreed to end hostilities.

Trump ‘Played’ by Netanyahu to Strike Iran Says Former CIA Director

Jun 23, 2025 | “Bibi Netanyahu pulls a lot of strings in the US political system.”

Trump was “led” by Netanyahu to carry out Operation Midnight Hammer in hopes it would improve his polling, says former director of the CIA John Brennan.

Jesse Dollemore: Draft Dodger Donald Trump Starts War - Breaks Law - Bombs Iran!

Jun 22, 2025 | Jesse talks about Donald Trump violating Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution in bombing Iran without the consent of Congress.

US Strikes Iran | Mehdi & Trita Parsi Discuss

Jun 22, 2025 | Mehdi Hasan and Iran expert Trita Parsi break down the US's strikes on Iran and what it means for the broader conflict between Israel and Iran.

They discuss all of the fallout from tonight, including an explosive warning from Trita: that Trump’s strikes have all but guaranteed Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon in a few years’ time.

“We are in a different, uncharted territory,” stated Trita.

“The ‘peace candidate’ has done what hawks have been dreaming of for thirty years,” says Mehdi.

“They Cooked Up Their Own Intelligence” Chris Hedges on Israel’s War on Iran | The Listening Post

Jun 22, 2025 | The war on Iran feels eerily familiar – from justifications that hold no water to the uncritical reporting in the media. Chris Hedges joins us to unpack the unsettling parallels with the 2003 Iraq War.

Iran’s Foreign Minister: I’m Going to Russia, Will Meet Putin – US Behavior Threatens Peace

Jun 22, 2025

US Bombs Iran Nuclear Sites and Tehran Warns of 'Everlasting Consequences' | BBC News

Jun 22, 2025 | The United States has bombed three major nuclear sites in Iran, bring the country directly into the Israel-Iran conflict.

President Donald Trump says the strikes "totally obliterated" Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities and told Tehran to "make peace" or face "far greater" attacks in future.

In response Iran's foreign minister warned of "everlasting consequences" to the "outrageous" strikes.

The UN's nuclear watchdog says no increase in radiation levels has been detected.

The UK was not involved in the US strikes but was told about them in advance, the BBC understands.

Netanjahus alter Traum erfüllt sich

AMERIKA GREIFT IRAN AN
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Jahrzehntelang warb Israels Ministerpräsident für einen Militärschlag der USA gegen Irans Atomprogramm. Lange vergeblich. Jetzt sieht er sein Ziel in Reichweite: Frieden durch Stärke.

Zu Beginn des Krieges gegen Iran habe er den Israelis versprochen, dass die iranischen Atomanlagen „auf die eine oder andere Weise zerstört werden“, sagte Benjamin Netanjahu kurz nach den amerikanischen Angriffen in der Nacht zum Sonntag. „Dieses Versprechen wurde gehalten.“

Für Israels Ministerpräsidenten sind die amerikanischen Bombardierungen dreier Atomanlagen in Iran die Erfüllung eines alten Traums. Über Jahrzehnte warnte der 75 Jahre alte Politiker vor einer iranischen Atombombe und forderte, diese Möglichkeit müsse verhindert werden – notgedrungen am besten mit militärischen Mitteln, gemeinsam mit den USA. Er sprach im amerikanischen Kongress und in der Generalversammlung der Vereinten Nationen, mahnte und drohte. » | Von Christian Meier, Kairo | Sonntag, 22. Juni 2025

We’re On the Brink of a Disastrous, Illegal Conflagration in the Middle East. Trump Must Be Stopped

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: This is a war of choice, based on misinformation. If the US and UK join it, they risk a rerun of the Iraq debacle of 2003

Like the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003, Israel’s war on Iran is neither legal nor just. It is a war of choice, not of necessity – and should the US or its European allies, particularly Britain, join in, they risk being dragged into another disastrous and unlawful conflict in the Middle East.

A US military intervention would be in direct contravention of international law. Already, the US, once the architect and guardian of the international order, is now among its chief violators. Instead of pressuring Benjamin Netanyahu to end his siege and destruction of Gaza, Donald Trump has fully sided with Netanyahu and called Israel’s attacks on Iran “excellent”. He has demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender”. Trump is considering military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Doing so is explicitly prohibited under article 56 of the additional protocol to the Geneva conventions because of the danger of nuclear contamination. » | Fawas Gerges | Friday, June 10, 2025

We find ourselves in this pickle because the American electorate naïvely re-elected Donald Trump back into the White House as a know-nothing in spite of their awful experience of his first term in office. Donald Trump understands neither economics nor geopolitics. – © Mark Alexander

Iran Says 'No Surrender' after Trump Threatens War

Jun 18, 2025 | Iran’s supreme leader rejected U.S. calls for surrender in the face of more Israeli strikes Wednesday and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause “irreparable damage to them.”

Ted Cruz Uses the Bible to Justify Israel Support

June 18, 2025

Tucker Calson Outfoxes Ted Cruz

Watch here.

Trump: Don't Drag the US into Netanyahu's War with Iran | Sen. Bernie Sanders

Jun 17, 2025 | Senator Bernie Sanders is the senior senator from Vermont. He is the longest-serving independent in US congressional history and the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP).

Bernie Sanders: The best president Americans have never had! – © Mark Alexander

Christians Are Pressing Trump to Clear a Path for Israel to Annex the West Bank

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Some 80 percent of white, evangelical Christians voted for President Trump. Now, some want a policy change that could undermine a future Palestinian state.

Evangelical Christian leaders who delivered votes to President Trump are now pressing him to declare that Israel can claim ownership of the West Bank, based on a promise God made to the Jews in the Bible.

They are seeking a way to pave a path toward annexation of territory that is widely viewed internationally as intended for a future Palestinian state. Israel seized the territory as part of a war between it, Jordan, Egypt and Syria in 1967 and has occupied it since. In recent years, the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been encouraging Jewish settlers to build homes there at an increasing rate.

Prominent evangelical supporters of Mr. Trump are mounting a multipronged approach to pressure the president — making appearances in Israel, petitioning the White House, pushing their ideas at a key evangelical conference and building congressional backing.

Some of America’s leading evangelicals, including Ralph Reed, Tony Perkins and Mario Bramnick, visited Jerusalem on Tuesday to publicly back Israel’s sovereignty of the West Bank. » | Ephrat Livni | Reporting from Washington | Saturday, March 8, 2025

Benjamin Netanyahu: "I Want to Thank President Trump for His Unwavering Support for Israel."

Mar 2, 2025 | srael Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issues a statement thanking U.S. President Donald Trump for his unwavering support of Israel on March 2, 2025.

Humza Yousaf Slams Gaza 'Ethnic Cleansing' by Israel & UK Government 'Complicity' | Full Interview

Feb 12, 2025 | Former First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, joins Global News Today with Tom Burges Watson for an exclusive interview to discuss the Gaza ceasefire and the recent threats made by US President Donald Trump and supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Hamas, demanding the immediate release of the rest of the hostages by Saturday, otherwise "all hell will break out." President Trump had also wanted to turn Gaza into a "Riviera of the Middle East" and says that all Palestinians should move to neighboring countries.

Yousaf slams these ideas put forward by the US president and says its simply "ethnic cleansing," stating many countries are being cowardly in not labeling Israel's treatment of Palestinians in Gaza as such.

Yousaf also attacks Keir Starmer and the UK government for being "complicit" in Israel's "ethnic cleansing," suggesting that the language they use to describe Israel's actions is limited and the fact they continue to send weapons to Israel which are used against the Palestinians.