The Trump administration recently imposed “terrorist” grade sanctions on Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur for Palestine, despite the fact that as a UN official she has diplomatic immunity. The designation came after Albanese named several private American companies in a UN report for contributing to gross violations of human rights in Gaza and the West Bank and urging the ICC to investigate. Her report and letters so alarmed the U.S. companies that at least two sought help from the White House. In addition to Albanese, the Trump administration sanctioned eight ICC judges and three prosecutors last year. 

(The Age, SMH, 9/2/2026) God bless him – Peter Around the turn of the century, when the Israeli-Palestinian conflict still appeared hopelessly intractable but not yet ruinous to the whole world, I remember having dinner with a group of close male friends up in the hills of Byron Bay.There were eight of us around the table, two of us Jewish, when the conversation suddenly turned from good-natured to hostile. The talk had somehow veered towards Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian people and it was clear

ICE and the Palestinians   Cartoon by Carlos Latuff, 2026   by Jonathan Kuttab The outrageous behavior of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel has had an eerily familiar feeling for Pro-Palestinian activists. The use of heavily armed, masked gunmen roaming Democratic cities in unmarked cars, accosting people of color or those who speak Spanish, intimidating and threatening them without the benefit of warrants, and acting in an overall aggressive manner has been really scary for people. The escalation of force, rather than deescalation, and

Should be refused entry – Peter When Israeli President Isaac Herzog lands in Australia this weekend, he can expect the red carpet treatment, at least officially. As a guest of the Australian government, every courtesy will be extended to Israel’s head of state. There’ll be warm handshakes, photos, motorcades and a carefully curated schedule of events, attended by VIP guests who’ll be delighted to see him. After the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, senior members of Australia’s Jewish community have said his visit would bring great

More criminal acts by Israel – Peter Australia has pledged to restore the graves of its war dead in Gaza after satellite imagery revealed parts of a Commonwealth cemetery containing Anzac burials had been bulldozed during Israeli military operations over the past two years.More than 250 Australian servicemen are buried at the Gaza War Cemetery in Gaza City’s al-Tuffah district, most of them light horsemen killed during World War I. While most of the cemetery’s more than 3600 graves belong to British soldiers, satellite images

Israel gets what it wants again – more opportunity to kill – Peter When Broome nurse Rebecca Smith leaves Gaza in a few weeks, no-one will be able to come in and replace her after Israel announced it would stop Doctors Without Borders from working in the enclave. Doctors Without Borders — often referred to as MSF for its French name Médecins Sans Frontières — is one of a number of NGOs the Israeli government is banning from operating in Gaza from February 28. The banned