Is the writing on the wall for Egypt, literally?

A poignant graffiti message of solidarity with Gaza has been spotted in Egypt's capital, Cairo. The statement in Arabic reads, 'Sorry, oh Palestine, we are occupied like Gaza.' It seems to allude to the North African country's inability to defend the Gaza Strip—with whom it shares a 14-km (8.5-mile) border—from an Israeli military onslaught that has k*lled over 41,000 Palestinians, primarily women and children.

Much to the dismay of ordinary Egyptians, Egypt signed a treaty with Israel in 1979 that established diplomatic relations and a détente (easing of hostilities). Since then, Egypt has received $1.3 million in US military aid almost every year, leaving it indifferent while Israel bombs and holds Gaza siege.

However, the Egyptian people relate to Palestinians as kin, opposed their government's 1979 turn, and hold massive demonstrations in solidarity with the Palestinians.

Continued... Israel seized control of the Gaza Strip side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt in May as part of an offensive against the southern city of Rafah and in defiance of international pressure. Shortly after, Israel's military confirmed it had taken control of the Philadelphi Corridor, a buffer zone between the Gaza-Egypt border. Now, Israel controls Gaza's entire border with Israel, the West Bank and Egypt.

As things heat up in the region, with Lebanon and Israel nearly at an all-out war, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently visited Cairo to hold talks on a ceasefire in Gaza that Egypt, Qatar and the US are mediating.

Egypt has also said it doesn't want to host large numbers of Palestinians, as they may continue their resistance against the Israeli occupying force on Egyptian soil, which would jeopardise relations with Tel Aviv. Further, it would rile Egyptians, as accommodating Palestinians would be considered a capitulation to Israel. Further, if Palestinians cross into Egypt, they are not likely to be able to return to their land as Israel has indicated plans to develop the Gaza Strip as an Israeli annexation.

As this graffiti shows, ordinary Egyptians in the street see the larger picture and have concluded that as long as their country pockets US money, they won't be able to help the suffering Palestinians across the border.

What do you think of the situation? Let us know in the comments.

Sources
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/egypt-israel-gaza/

https://www.newarab.com/analysis/why-egypt-has-been-missing-action-during-gaza-war

https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-jordan-egypt-israel-refugee-502c06d004767d4b64848d878b66bd3d

https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/reviewing-egypts-gains-its-peace-treaty-israel

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/7/israel-takes-control-of-rafah-crossing-gazas-lifeline-whats-going-on

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-rafah-crossing-gaza-pier-end-historic-leverage

https://www.voanews.com/a/blinken-visits-egypt-for-talks-on-securing-gaza-cease-fire-/7788680.html

https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/08/19/egypts-rulers-have-a-new-friend-in-dc-the-israel-lobby/

https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/north-africa/egypt-israelpalestine/b91-egypts-gaza-dilemmas

SUDAN MILITARY LAUNCHES KHARTOUM OFFENSIVE

Early on 26 September, the Sudanese military launched a major offensive to regain control of the capital of Khartoum, which it had lost to the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces during the 17-month civil war backed by foreign players.

The army, through artillery shelling and airstrikes, targeted several areas in the capital, reclaiming strategic bridges that connect Khartoum to the cities of Omdurman and Bahri. This offensive occurred just hours before General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the Sudanese military, addressed the United Nations General Assembly's 79th session.

Video credit: t.me/sudaaan/24302

Continued... During his speech, Al-Burhan accused the RSF and its international supporters of fueling the devastation in Sudan. In May, the Sudanese ambassador to the UN said the United Arab Emirates backs the RSF. Al-Burhan framed the conflict as the RSF's power grab, which had morphed into a total war against both the Sudanese state and its people. The RSF has been implicated in human rights violations, including ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The war has caused a humanitarian crisis of enormous proportions, with half of Sudan's 50 million people facing acute hunger and 12 million displaced. The death toll, estimated between 20,000 and as high as 150,000, according to the US envoy, remains uncertain because infrastructure destruction has prevented accurate reporting.

Sources
Military offensive
https://www.barrons.com/news/air-strikes-in-khartoum-as-sudan-army-attacks-paramilitary-positions-eyewitnesses-efdfaebe

NYT article
https://archive.ph/yBelh#selection-865.30-865.106

Burhan blames RSF and foreign backers
https://youtu.be/2Vteg7Je_tU?list=PLwoDFQJEq_0YukP-06eOEinhpM2GeG3hY

UAE involvement
https://archive.ph/nVx1A

RSF accused of war crimes, ethnic cleansing
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sudan-civil-war-hrw-rsf-genocide-geneina-threat-ethnic-cleansing-fasher/

Stats on hunger
https://www.wfp.org/news/sudan-facing-unprecedented-hunger-catastrophe-say-un-agency-chiefs

Stats on displaced
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01939-1/fulltext

Stats on casualties
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240926-air-strikes-in-khartoum-as-sudan-army-attacks-paramilitary-positions

Sudanese ambassador
https://media.un.org/unifeed/en/asset/d321/d3211785

NASSER: U.S. SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL IS THE PROBLEM

54 years ago today, Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser's passed on to the ancestral realm.

A pan-Africanist and pan-Arabist, Nasser had ambitions of returning all of Palestine to the Palestinians. But he was dealt a blow by Israel's pre-emptive 1967 attack, as a result of which Egypt lost Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula. Tel Aviv also took the West Bank from Jordan and the Golan Heights from Syria.

In this 1967 interview, he dished out some African advice that would serve US foreign policymakers well today - if they only listened to it. He argues that, as a simple matter of fairness, a superpower like the US shouldn’t take sides, but should equally listen to Arab voices and concerns.

Credit: HistoryofOccupation

Continued... Nasser's view that US support for Israel is the problem is even more relevant today than it was in 1967. President Joe Biden has come out strongly in support of Israel, whose armed forces have killed over 41,000 Palestinians since October 7, according to the Palestinian Health Authority - with the figure as high as 186,000, according to medical journal The Lancet.

Moreover, the US supplies Tel Aviv with $3.8 billion worth of arms annually, giving it seemingly unconditional support on the diplomatic front.

Sources:

Nasser opposition to occupaton of Palestine
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2008/6/20/arab-unity-nassers-revolution

1967 war
https://www.palestineportal.org/learn-teach/israelpalestine-the-basics/maps/maps-1967-to-present/

Gaza death stats
https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-war-palestinians-statistics-40000-7ebec13101f6d08fe10cedbf5e172dde

Lancet report
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/8/gaza-toll-could-exceed-186000-lancet-study-says

US financial support for Israel
https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/09/politics/us-releases-billions-israel-weapons-military-equipment/index.html

US diplomatic support for Israel
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/20/world/middleeast/us-vetoes-ceasefire-resolution.html

BUJU BANTON: 'IDGAF ABOUT POLITICAL PARTIES'

It seems African people's problems are similar the world over.

In this clip from a recent 'Drink Champs' episode, legendary reggae artist Buju Banton proposed government leaders are, in a nutshell, CEOs, answering first and foremost to their 'board members,' which could be his way of saying corporate interests. Banton isn't too far off as we witness Africa's continued economic subjugation. Institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank have more say in how our governments run than we do. That's why these governments approve austerity measures, market liberalisation and privatisation despite being wildly unpopular.

In the face of this uneven relationship, Banton (@bujubanton on X) lamented the complacency of many Caribbean leaders and the masses. 'I think they put something in our water over the years.'

Video credit: @revolttv

Continued... He also cited a similar struggle in Kenya, where mass protests erupted in June against an IMF-backed finance bill. Sustained pressure on and off the streets, including the mainly youthful protesters exposing government corruption, forced the president to send the bill back to Parliament for withdrawal, lending credence to Banton's insistence that the people should hold leaders' feet to the fire when they don't serve the people.

Have a watch, and let us know what you think.

Sources:
IMF is the boss, not the people
https://nation.africa/kenya/business/imf-told-state-to-ignore-anti-tax-protests-4672248

BLACK CELEBS MUST HIRE BLACK PEOPLE - NFL'S JIM BROWN

In a powerful statement, NFL legend Jim Brown (@jimbrown) critiqued the role of modern Black celebrities, calling them a ‘1984 Uncle Tom.'

He calls out how many Black professional athletes secure lucrative contracts while being represented by white professionals, neglecting to uplift Black lawyers, accountants and managers. Brown suggested doing so would help build sustainable development within Black communities.

While we don't know if Brown was speaking of Pan-Africanism or about surviving within the US capitalist system, his words remind us of the responsibility that comes with fame and wealth, and the importance of using influence to uplift our people.

Sources:
https://people.com/celebrity/black-celebrities-who-give-back/

https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/other-sources/article/?id=15198162&noscript=Black-Celebs-Who-Give-Back-To-Community-And-Powerful-Causes

https://www.adweek.com/creativity/new-narrative-brands-black-community/.

https://amp.theguardian.com/music/2016/nov/10/rap-black-lives-matter-lil-wayne-vic-mensa-beyonce-asap-rocky

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43970903.amp

U.S. DENIES PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD

Do you remember when African Stream reposted a video earlier this year of Dr. Ruha Benjamin (@ruha9) telling a class of US university graduates that Black faces in high places are not going to save us?

'Just look at the Black woman's hand, ambassador at the UN, voting against a ceasefire in Gaza.' Benjamin was talking about US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield. And, boy, did the ambassador prove Benjamin right once again.

At a recent event held by the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, Thomas-Greenfield said Palestine does not qualify for statehood at the United Nations. Her job as US ambassador is to uphold and defend US imperial interests worldwide, which includes protecting its ally, Israel, as it continues its 76-year occupation of Palestine. As Benjamin made clear, the Blackness and womanness of a US civil servant do nothing to change the reality of her role.

Video credit: @cfr_org

Continued... As for the Palestinian state, it is recognised by more than 75 per cent of UN member states, with the majority being African, Asian and Latin American countries. In 2024, Spain, Ireland, and Norway became the first European countries to recognise Palestine's statehood. In June of this year, experts at the United Nations insisted that every UN member should formally recognise Palestine.

Might the United States of America end up as the last country on earth, besides Israel, to recognise the Palestinian state? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_12_E3LAeg

https://x.com/FGaitho237/status/1779594163001938061/video/1

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/un-experts-urge-all-states-recognise-state-palestine

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240528-145-countries-now-recognise-a-palestinian-state

AKALA: DON'T BLAME RELIGION FOR INDIVIDUAL CRIMES

International media is quick to condemn an entire religion for the crimes of an individual, especially when the perpetrator is a Black, Brown or Muslim. That's according to Akala, a British rapper and activist, in a 2016 episode of UK-based Not For the Radio.

He argues Europeans' crimes are whitewashed, citing the example of Norwegian Anders Breivik, who shot and k*lled 77 people at a Norwegian summer youth camp in 2011. Akala (@akalamusic) said the media did not describe Breivik as a white nationalist Christian t*rrorist, but as a 'lone wolf.'

Video credit: @notfortheradio

Continued... Yet, when Seifeddine Rezgui k*lled 38 mostly European tourists at a Tunisian resort in 2015, Tunisian authorities cracked down on mosques for supposedly radicalising the youth, blaming Islamists for breeding terrorists in the North African country. However, the core issue for Tunisian youth is economic and political disenfranchisement due to decades of mismanagement. A sad reality that sparked the Arab Spring uprisings was when 26-year-old Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi set himself ablaze in 2010 to protest government corruption.

Do you agree with Akala's assessment? Let us know.

Sources:
https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/coup-in-tunisia-is-democracy-lost/

https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/06/29/418490363/after-slaughter-of-tourists-tunisia-cracks-down-on-islamists

https://www.smh.com.au/world/tunisia-terror-attack-the-radical-mosques-that-bred-gunman-seifeddine-rezgui-20150629-gi073c.html

https://www.dw.com/en/tunisia-to-close-80-mosques-following-terror-attack/a-18544478

https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/what-makes-lone-wolfe-terrorists-245316

https://mena.fes.de/blog/e/the-tunisian-youth-in-a-whirlwind-of-uncertainty.html

https://www.arab-reform.net/publication/tunisia-youth-take-a-stand-for-against-the-presidents-decisions-and-watch-in-limbo/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305008679_'Lone_Wolf_Terrorism'_The_Case_of_Anders_Breivik

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/mar/08/one-of-us-review-compelling-anders-breivik

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68310127

https://www.crisisgroup.org/global/exploiting-disorder-al-qaeda-and-islamic-state

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/06/tunisia-sousse-isis-democracy/397169/