From: The Sydney Morning Herald November 24, 2024 Coalition to throw Australia’s support behind Israel in campaign pledges
Portraying the bloody war in Gaza and Lebanon as a battle for democracy, Paterson will say Australian Jews were being held responsible for “difficult choices” Israel was forced to make in its fight against terror groups supported by Iran.
Opposition Liberal frontbencher Paterson will say that a Coalition government will strengthen the laws used by police to lay charges on incitement and displaying terror symbols if they prove too difficult to enforce.
The Coalition has sought to tie community unrest in Australia over Gaza to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s actions, portraying him as soft on antisemitism as Labor has gradually shifted support away from Israel through key United Nations votes and actions such as blocking the visa of a former Israeli minister, Ayelet Shaked, on character grounds.
The opposition has refrained from criticising Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu’s military campaign even as the United Nations, European Union and International Criminal Court condemn his actions, marking the Coalition as one of the most pro-Israel centre-right parties in the Western world.
On Friday, the Coalition released a statement saying Australia should reject the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant
From: euronews November 22, 2024 Brussels warns Orbán over Netanyahu visit: it's your duty to comply with ICC warrants
Ignoring an arrest warrant by the ICC would breach international obligations and damage Hungary's reputation, V?ra Jourová told Euronews.
The European Commission has issued a pointed warning to Viktor Orbán after the Hungarian Prime Minister announced he would invite his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, and ignore the arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Brushing off the order would breach international obligations and entail reputational damage, said V?ra Jourová, one of the Commission's vice presidents.
Hungary, like all EU member states, is a party to the Rome Statue, the 1998 treaty that established the tasks and jurisdiction of the ICC. As of today, 125 states are party to the treaty. Some notable absences include Israel, the US, Russia, China and India.
Hungary, however, is not the only EU country that has cast doubt over the arrest warrant placed on Netayanhu. Austria and the Czech Republic, two of Israel's staunchest supporters in the bloc, have also offered critical, albeit less defiant, reactions.
Germany, meanwhile, has sent mixed signals.
Annalena Baerbock, the foreign affairs minister, said the country would abide by the law "at the European level and internationally" but avoided going into "theoretical" scenarios.
Steffen Hebestreit, the chief spokesperson of the federal government, was more non-committal and told reporters: "I find it hard to imagine that we would make arrests on this basis."
From: The Sydney Morning Herald November 24, 2024 according to a keynote speech, Australian shadow home affairs spokesman James Paterson will deliver outlining the Coalition’s pledges,
Opposition Liberal frontbencher Paterson is incredulous about Australia’s decision to deny entry to Shaked, a former minister for justice who made headlines last year calling for all Gazans to be deported and the southern city of Khan Younis turned into a soccer field.
Israel’s foreign ministry on Friday night posted a statement describing the decision as “deeply offensive”.
“We will not – and I can’t believe I need to say this – ban former Israeli ministers from centrist governments from visiting Australia,” Paterson will say, according to a version of the speech provided to this masthead.
“Nor would we – and again I can’t believe this needs to be said – arrest the democratically elected head of a friendly government for the crime of defending his country. We will never abandon our ally in international forums like the United Nations.”
US allies -- Don't forget Australia... Ex-Israeli minister denied Australian visa
From: skynews.com.au November 23, 2024 Israel has expressed outrage at Australia's decision to deny a visa to its former justice minister Ayelet Shaked.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed the application had been rejected but failed to explain why.
Ms Shaked was reportedly barred under the belief she may vilify or incite discord in Australia. Ms Shaked responded to the decision on X, calling the Australian government “antisemitic”.
"The issue here is not that I didn't get a visa. The issue here is that the current Australian government has become antisemitic,” she said.
From: The Australian November 22, 2024 Shameful’: Ex-Israeli minister denied visa
Former Israeli government minister Ayelet Shaked has been denied a visa to come to Australia on character grounds in a fresh blow to the Albanese government’s ties with the Jewish state.
The Independent November 23, 2024 Donald Trump ally warns Keir Starmer the US will ‘crush’ the UK economy if it helps arrest Benjamin Netanyahu
A staunch ally of Donald Trump has warned Sir Keir Starmer that the UK will face severe economic consequences if it helps to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu.
US allies Senator Lindsey Graham hit out at US allies warning they should not comply with the warrant for the Israeli leader issued by the ICC
Senator Lindsey Graham said the US should “crush” the economies of all those who comply with the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In response, Mr Graham tweeted: “Any nation or organization that aids or abets this outrage should expect to meet firm resistance from the United States, and I look forward to working with President Trump, his team, and my colleagues in Congress to come up with a powerful response.”
The South Carolina senator later told Fox News: “If you are going to help the ICC as a nation and force the arrest warrant against Bibi and Gallant…I will put sanctions on you as a nation.
“You’re gonna have to pick the rogue ICC versus America.
I’m working with [another US senator] Tom Cotton to have legislation passed as soon as we can to sanction any country that aids and abets the arrest of any politician in Israel.
What they’re doing in Israel is trying to prevent a second Holocaust. So, to any ally, Canada, Britain, Germany, France, if you try to help the ICC, we’re gonna sanction you.”
Asked what the penalty should be, he added: “We should crush your economy because we’re next… Why can’t they go after Trump or any other American president?”
ICC move has provoked fury among Republicans in the US.
Another very 'quiet' capo of the LaRocca Family was Lou Volpe, who made money - but very little headlines - in the later years...
I guess Lou learned valuable lessons of when he and his brothers first operated back in the 1920s-30s, an era where the Volpes saw much blood and death, both to others, and among themselves.
To be fair, all the Pittsburgh capos were notoriously quiet, the family in general kept a very low profile and made a lot of money. It wasn’t until the Porter trial and the Rincon casino story that they really made national headlines. Even when Mannarino was part owner in a Cuban casino and LaRocca had his ties across the country from NY to Detroit to Chicago to California, they didn’t get noticed much.
the decision 'Ndrangheta, France rejects Edgardo Greco's release request For the fourth time, the Court of Appeal of Lyon has ruled negatively against the former fugitive sentenced to life imprisonment in Italy Published: 2024-11-23 – 20:57
LYON A new request for the release of Edgardo Greco , an alleged member of the Calabrian mafia arrested in France after 17 years on the run, has been rejected by the Lyon Court of Appeal . His lawyer announced. Edgardo Greco, 65, accused of belonging to the 'Ndrangheta, was sentenced to life in prison in Italy in 2006 for a double murder, but escaped before his incarceration. He was finally arrested on February 2, 2023 in Saint-Etienne (Loire), where he worked in a pizzeria. After a series of twists and turns, French courts gave the green light to his repatriation to Italy earlier this year, but a Prime Ministerial decree has yet to be issued. In the meantime, his lawyer is organising a series of appeals in an attempt to secure his release.
The reasons for the decision "Judicial supervision of Edgardo Greco, who has been detained for almost two years for nothing, would be more than sufficient (...) At his age and given his state of health, can he not benefit from the right to be forgotten?" David Metaxas told AFP. The Lyon Court of Appeal has just denied him this for the fourth time. "A measure of judicial supervision or house arrest under electronic surveillance would be completely insufficient to prevent the risk of being a fugitive mentioned, since Edgardo Greco opposes his extradition and has evaded his criminal responsibilities by living under a false identity for several decades," the decision explains. Edgardo Greco, considered "dangerous by Interpol", was arrested thanks to information sharing with the Italian Carabinieri as part of the I-Can project (Interpol cooperation against the 'Ndrangheta).
most people think it is a breakup song but "I Will Always Love You" is a song written and originally recorded in 1973 by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. Written as a farewell to her business partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, expressing Parton's decision to pursue a solo career
