TOKYO: Waleed Siam, the Representative of Palestine in Japan, sought sympathy for the people of Gaza in a press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday and accused the West of hypocrisy and using a “narrow lens” to view the situation in the Middle East.
“I stand before you to address the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” he said in his opening remarks.
“Regrettably, some see history through a narrow lens, focusing solely on the recent violence. We must recognize that the Palestinian people have endured one deadly year after another, a matter of grave concern that has persisted far too long, bringing untold suffering to both Palestinian and Israeli populations.”
“I’d like to begin by clarifying that we, the Palestinian people, unequivocally reject any dehumanizing rhetoric, such as that propagated by the ultra-right-wing Israeli government, which has labeled us as animals.”
Siam said the victims of the conflict are not to blame. “We should hold the international community accountable, especially those nations that have supported Israel’s military occupation and perpetuated injustices.”
He added that there was a certain indifference by some nations in holding Israel accountable for their actions, accusing Israel of prioritizing “occupation and colonization over peace, brazenly violating international law for decades.”
He also wanted to focus on the terrible humanitarian conditions that some Palestinians have to live in.
“Palestinians in Gaza are enduring dire living conditions,” he said. “No water, no electricity, no medical supplies, these are closeby to those found in concentration camps. It is heart-wrenching to witness the support for illegal settlements and the encouragement of the illegal settlers to continue their racist attacks on Palestinian citizens on Palestinian land.”
Siam said the settlers are given arms to attack Palestinians, while other attacks target religious holy sites such as the Alaina Mosque.
“Retaliation cannot be the answer,” he said. “We currently witness the execution of civilians under the pretext of legitimate self-defense. According to international law, the occupier cannot claim self-defense. UN resolutions affirm the right of occupied peoples to resist in any form they choose.”
Palestine ambassador in Japan accuses West of hypocrisy
https://arab.news/j58dx
Palestine ambassador in Japan accuses West of hypocrisy
- “I stand before you to address the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Waleed Siam said
- He said the victims of the conflict are not to blame
FBI foils Daesh-inspired New Year’s Eve attack plot
- Christian Sturdivant,18, charged with attempting to provide material support to foreign terrorist organization
- Investigators say he shared plans for the attack with an undercover FBI employee
CHARLOTTE, United States: The FBI said Friday it disrupted a New Year’s Eve attack plot targeting a grocery store and fast-food restaurant in North Carolina, arresting an 18-year-old man who authorities say pledged loyalty to the Daesh group.
Christian Sturdivant was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization after investigators say he shared plans for the attack with an undercover FBI employee posing as a supportive confidant.
Sturdivant was arrested Wednesday and remained in custody after a federal court appearance Friday. An attorney representing him Friday did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Another hearing was scheduled for Jan. 7.
The alleged attack would have taken place one year after 14 people were killed in New Orleans by a US citizen and Army veteran who had proclaimed his support for Daesh on social media.
The FBI has foiled several alleged attacks through sting operations in which agents posed as terror supporters, supplying advice and equipment. Critics say the strategy can amount to entrapment of mentally vulnerable people who wouldn’t have the wherewithal to act alone.
Searches of Sturdivant’s home and phone uncovered what investigators described as a manifesto detailing plans for an attack with knives and a hammer, FBI Special Agent in Charge James Barnacle said at a news conference Friday.
“He was willing to sacrifice himself,” Barnacle said.
US Attorney for western North Carolina Russ Ferguson said the planned attack in Mint Hill, a bedroom community near Charlotte, targeted “places that we go every day and don’t think that we may be harmed.”
Worried he might attempt violence before New Year’s Eve, the FBI placed Sturdivant under constant surveillance for days, including on Christmas, Ferguson said. Agents were prepared to arrest him earlier if he left his home with weapons, he said. “At no point was the public in harm’s way.”
The fact that Sturdivant encountered two undercover officers while allegedly planning the attack should reassure the public, Ferguson said. He declined to identify the grocery store and restaurant cited in the complaint, citing the ongoing investigation.
If convicted, Sturdivant faces up to 20 years in prison, according to court documents.
An FBI affidavit says the investigation began last month after authorities linked Sturdivant to a social media account that posted content supportive of Daesh, including imagery that appeared to promote violence. The account’s display name referenced Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the former leader of the extremist group.
Some experts argue that Daesh is powerful today partly as a brand, inspiring both militant groups and individuals in attacks that the group itself may have no real role in.
The affidavit says Sturdivant had been on the FBI’s radar in January 2022, when he was a minor, after officials learned that he had been in contact with a person in Europe the FBI says was an Daesh member, and had received instructions to dress in black, knock on people’s doors and commit attacks with a hammer.
At that time, Sturdivant did actually set out for a neighbor’s house armed with a hammer and a knife but was restrained by his grandfather, the affidavit says.
The FBI in Los Angeles last month announced the disruption of a separate New Year’s Eve plot, arresting members of an extremist anti-capitalist and anti-government group who federal officials said planned to bomb multiple sites in southern California.
Other Daesh-inspired attacks over the past decade include a 2015 shooting rampage by a husband-and-wife team who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California, and a 2016 massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, by a gunman who fatally shot 49 people.
