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A primer on Palestinian groups

Posted: May 14, 2024 by chrisharper in Uncategorized
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By Christopher Harper

Many pro-Palestinian demonstrators know little about the history of the Middle East. Here is a basic primer on the conflict between Israel and Palestinians:

Q. What was the Balfour Declaration and its importance in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians?

A. The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British government in 1917 during the First World War. It announced its support for establishing a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine, then an Ottoman region. The declaration was in a letter from the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community in Great Britain and Ireland.

Q.  What is the Palestinian definition of the “occupied territories”?

A. The Occupied Territories, which include the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, are subject to the jurisdiction of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, with the division of responsibilities overlapping in much of the territory

Q. What are the main points of United Nations Resolutions 242 and 338?

A. United Nations Security Council Resolutions were passed (respectively) in the aftermaths of the 1967 and 1973 Arab-Israeli wars.

Resolution 242 (reaffirmed in 338) was designed to provide the framework for peace negotiations based on a “land-for-peace” formula and has become the foundation of all subsequent negotiations and peace treaties in the region.

The resolutions called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces “from territories of recent conflict,” an Arab “termination of all claims or states of belligerency,” and a recognition of the State of Israel and its “right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force.” The resolution also called for “achieving a just settlement of the refugee problem.”

Q. What does the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” mean?

A. Hamas supports the elimination of Israel.

Q. What is the relationship between Hamas and Iran?

A. Iran provides financial and military support for Hamas.

Q. What is the role of religion in Hamas?

A. Hamas considers itself a movement based on Islam, which is the dominant religion among the Palestinians.

Q. Why did Hamas oppose the role of the Palestinian Authority?

A. Hamas viewed the Palestinian Authority leaders as those who spent most of their lives outside of Israel, while Hamas leaders had fought from inside the country. In late 2017, the Palestinian Authority tried to pressure Hamas into reconciliation by cutting payments for fuel, electricity, and government salaries. However, a preliminary deal between the PA and Hamas failed over disputes about public finance and Hamas’ refusal to demilitarize. In March 2018, an assassination attempt on Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, which the PA blamed on Hamas, doomed prospects for compromise.

Q. Why have Jordan and Egypt refused to allow a Palestinian state within their borders?

A. Both countries consider such a state to be a security threat.

Media’s opening attacks on Trump allies

Posted: May 7, 2024 by chrisharper in Uncategorized
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By Christopher Harper

The media hit squads have launched their opening salvos against two key Trump supporters, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and U.S. Senate candidate David McCormick.

“As the chances that former President Donald Trump will pick South Dakota GOP Gov. Kristi Noem as his running mate are growing, so too is scrutiny over everything from her policy positions to her new teeth,” The Wall Street Journal wrote recently. “Her stance on abortion. Her opposition to TikTok. And most puzzling to many, her decision earlier this month to post a lengthy video on Instagram praising a cosmetic dentistry practice in Texas for fixing her teeth.”

In a recent speech, Noem expressed her exasperation about media stories.  “I mean they’re just attacking me like crazy right now,” Noem said, according to an audio recording obtained by POLITICO. “But listen, that’s a good thing. It’s a good thing because it makes you stronger, and it teaches you really what you’re up against, and it makes you recognize how much they lie, how much they will twist, how much they will manipulate. And you just have to be strong and be happy warriors.”

In a similar assault on a major Trump supporter, The New York Times attacked McCormick, the Republican nominee for Senate in Pennsylvania, a must-win state in the 2024 presidential election.

“David McCormick’s origin story goes something like this: He grew up in rural Pennsylvania, southwest of Scranton. He baled hay, trimmed Christmas trees and otherwise worked on the family’s farm. And from those humble beginnings, he rose to achieve the American dream,” The Times stated. “But interviews in Mr. McCormick’s hometown, as well as a review of public records, news coverage from his childhood and his own words, suggest that he has given a misleading impression about key aspects of his background.”

The McCormick campaign issued a lengthy rebuttal of DaTimes story: “The New York Times has published a story filled with frivolous lies about my childhood. If it weren’t so demeaning to my parents’ lifelong teaching careers and the town. I’m so proud to have been raised in, it might be funny. The simple fact is The New York Times is lying….I knew getting into this race could mean things would get nasty, but it’s sad to see we’ve fallen so far that one of our nation’s oldest papers of record is pushing the Democrats’ baked narrative.”  For more, see https://secure.winred.com/mccormick-pa/nyt-response-email-acs

Noem and McCormick won’t be the last Trump supporters to face increased attention. Unfortunately, It’s a long time until November with plenty of journalistic time and space to fill.

My commencement address

Posted: April 30, 2024 by chrisharper in Uncategorized
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By Christopher Harper

If I were giving a commencement address this year, it would go something like the following:

Graduates:

I want to congratulate you on becoming the least-educated class in recent history.

During the past four years, you have made excuses during COVID for missing class, turning in late assignments, and failing to meet the requirements of many courses. 

You have learned to make excuses or blame someone else for your mistakes.

Since COVID has ended, you have honed your skills for making excuses. 

Then, you decided to protest for much of your senior year.

Fifty-two percent of you will be underemployed a year after graduation, meaning you are working in jobs that don’t require the degrees you earned, according to a recent report by the Burning Glass Institute, which analyzes the job market. Five years out from school, the report said about 88 percent of you who are underemployed will be “severely” underemployed.

Peter McCoy of The Wall Street Journal wrote recently: “Here is a brutal fact for the college class of 2024: There aren’t enough college-level jobs out there for all of you. Some of you will snag them. Others will have to settle for jobs that don’t require a college education. And history shows that many of those who start out in a job that doesn’t require a college education are still toiling in that kind of job a decade later.”

Also, you have amassed an enormous debt to pay for your degree, and it may take decades to pay the money back. 

Nevertheless, the federal government recently decided people don’t have to repay their loans. That’s one of the few upsides you have that others didn’t.

As you head out into the real world, I recommend improving education for your families from the beginning of school through college and beyond. 

Otherwise, my sobering message will be given time and time again. 

The Pennsylvania primary

Posted: April 23, 2024 by chrisharper in Uncategorized

By Christopher Harper

Although today’s primary here in Pennsylvania won’t play a pivotal role in determining the presidential candidates for next November, the state may set the tone for challenges in the Congress and state legislature.

Rollcall.com focused on races to watch, including several that will be competitive in November.

–The U.S. Senate race in November will have Bob Casey, a longtime Democrat heavyweight in the state, versus Dave McCormick, a Republican who tried and failed to get a 2022 nomination. Casey is seeking a fourth term in the U.S. Senate, and almost every pundit agrees that the November election will be his most challenging test yet.

McCormick served in the George W. Bush administration’s national security apparatus and the Treasury Department. McCormick lost a 2022 Republican primary to TV host Mehmet Oz, who lost to Democrat John Fetterman. 

— Three Republicans are vying to challenge Democratic Rep. Susan Wild, a top GOP target, in this district north of Philadelphia. Army National Guard veteran Kevin Dellicker, who lost a 2022 primary, is running again, as are state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie and Maria Montero, a political newcomer.

— Six Democrats are running to challenge Rep. Scott Perry, a former Freedom Caucus chairman. Mike O’Brien, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, and former broadcast journalist Janelle Stelson lead the money race among the primary candidates. Shamaine Daniels, who lost to Perry two years ago, is running again. The other Democrats are Carlisle School Board member Rick Coplen, Blake Lynch, a former radio executive, and businessman John Broadhurst.

— GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, faces a primary challenge from anti-abortion activist Mark Houck.

Fitzpatrick has cut a reputation as a moderate Republican representing a district that President Joe Biden would have won by 5 points in 2020, according to Inside Elections. Since he was first elected in 2016, he’s dispatched primary challengers with roughly two-thirds of the vote. 

Houck, who argues Fitzpatrick isn’t conservative enough, was indicted in 2022 and later acquitted on charges of assaulting a reproductive health care clinic escort. He later sued the Department of Justice over his arrest. 

The primary winner will face Ashley Ehasz, who is unopposed in the Democratic primary. Ehasz lost to Fitzpatrick by 10 percentage points in 2022. 

— Freshman Rep. Summer Lee faces a primary challenge from Bhavini Patel. The race has drawn attention for highlighting the Democratic Party’s divisions over Israel. Patel has criticized Lee for her position on the war in Gaza and a lack of support for Israel.

Lee has campaigned to bring federal dollars back to the district and has focused on issues like climate change. Since joining the House, she’s aligned herself with the so-called “Squad” of progressive lawmakers. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has campaigned for Lee. 

–The Pennsylvania General Assembly is divided between the parties, each holding one part of the state legislature. In many cases, incumbents face no opposition in the primaries. 

Republicans control the State Senate by a 28-22 margin, while the Democrats hold the State House of Representatives by a 102-100 margin. 

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