News Review: 26/07/2023

Zionist Pass Divisive Law

Thousands of reservists have signed declarations vowing not to continue reporting for duty if the judicial overhaul legislation was passed. On Monday 26 the Zionist Knesset (parliament) adopted the highly controversial law to limit the Supreme Court's powers. The so-called "reasonableness" bill was approved by 64 votes to 0, after the opposition boycotted the final vote. But the battle is not over and will likely go on for months as numerous cases to petition the Supreme Court to annul the new law will not take place. The judicial reforms saw condemnation form the US from government officials and from the Zionist diaspora. They worry that nationalist and ultra-Orthodox religious parties allied to Netanyahu will be able to shape policy with unchecked power. The decision brings to a head months of turmoil, with ‘Israel's’ president warning political leaders that the country was "in a state of national emergency". The controversial reforms polarised Israel, triggering one of the most serious domestic crises in the country's history. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets every week since the start of the year in protest at what they say is an attack on democracy. Former heads of Israel's security services, chief justices, and prominent legal and business figures have all been vocal against the government's reforms, which they see as a power grab by Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition partners.

Ukraine Drone Strikes

The White House said it did not support Ukraine launching attacks inside Russia after two drones from Ukraine damaged buildings in Moscow on Monday, 26 July. "As a general matter we do not support attacks inside of Russia," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters in a press briefing. One drone struck close to Russia's defense headquarters in a symbolic blow that underscored the reach of such drones, and a senior Ukrainian official said there would be more attacks. These attacks come on the back of the Drone strike, on the seat of Russia’s political system, the Kremlin back in May. Russia has struggled to deal with Ukrainian drone strikes as Ukraine continues to launch them deep into Russian territory.

OIC Suspends Sweden

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has suspended the status of Sweden’s special envoy over a string of Quran burnings in Stockholm that sparked anger and mass protests in a number of Muslim countries. The organization comprised of 57 Muslim-majority nations said the suspension was due to the “granting by the Swedish authorities of licenses that enabled the repeated abuse of the sanctity of the Holy Quran and Islamic symbols.” Demonstrators in Iraq stormed the Swedish Embassy and the Iraqi government cut off diplomatic relations with Sweden. A public burning of the Quran in Denmark on Friday 21, July sparked more protests in Iraq, some of them violent. Protesters clashed with police as they attempted to storm the Green Zone in Baghdad where the Danish embassy is located, and in Basra, demonstrators torched facilities belonging to a demining project of the Danish Refugee Council. Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the burning of the Quran. “Burning of holy texts and other religious symbols is a shameful act that disrespects the religion of others,” it said. “It is a provocative act that hurts many people and creates division between different religions and cultures.” It added, however, that “freedom of expression and freedom of assembly must be respected.” The OIC, consists of the world’s largest oil producer and gas producer. It consists of nations who bailed out the west amid economic crisis in 2008. Despite all this power, they only mustered a suspension of Sweden membership when the Book of Allah (swt) is attacked.