Last month, FAIR reported that mainstream coverage of Gaza has plummeted ever since President Trump claimed that the war was over.
“Gaza is at least as newsworthy as it was before the ceasefire deal was signed,” wrote Julie Hollar. “The general US media decision to back off covering an ongoing genocide, apparently because Donald Trump declared the conflict over, is both cowardly and complicit.”
The media might have lost interest in the carnage, but Gaza remains a prominent topic in the wider culture thanks to extraordinary courage of Palestinians and the tireless work of activists across the globe.
At the NBA All-Star Game last weekend, the genocide emerged as a major topic. Sitting courtside on Sunday, director Spike Lee wore a keffiyeh-patterned sweater and bag emblazoned with Palestinian flag pins.
The small gesture generated a wave of hysterical backlash.
” The NBA All-Star Game should unite fans around basketball — not turn into a political billboard,” declared Todd Richman, the co-founder and former co-chair of Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI).
Pro-Trump radio host Sid Rosenberg called Lee “a little bitch” and said he felt compelled to attack the director.
“I do want to point out what a scumbag Spike Lee is,” said Rosenberg. “I would go to a Knick game now and I’m not going to encourage any violence — but somebody would probably have to stop me from running up to Spike Lee and just knocking his ass out. Yeah, I said it.
Pro-Israel activist Lizzy Savetsky delivered an Israeli flag to Lee’s apartment.
Many speculated that Lee had worn the outfit in direct response to Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, a former IDF member and the first Israeli player to be selected to the all-star team.
Lee denied the accusation in a social media post.
“Much Respect To Deni Avdija, The First Israeli-Born Player In The NBA All-Star Game,” wrote Lee. “Congratulations Also To All The Players And The NBA. There Has Been Some Conjecture About What I Wore To The Games on Saturday and Sunday.”
“The Clothes I Wore are Symbols of My Concern For The Palestinian Children and Civilians, And My Utmost Belief In Human Dignity For All Humankind. What I Wore Was Not Intended As A Gesture Of Hostility To Jewish People Or To Support Violence Against Anyone, Nor Was It Intended As A Comment On The Significance Of Deni Being An All-Star,” he continued.
In contrast to Lee’s stance, NBA superstar Lebron James praised Israel in his press conference.
“If I have fans over there – I’ve never been there – I hope you’ve been following my career,” he told a reporter. “I hope I inspire people over there to not only want to be great at sports but be better in general in life. Hopefully someday I could make it over there. Like I said, I’ve never been over there, but I heard nothing but great things.”
James has really heard nothing but great things about the country for over two years, during a genocide? Can this kind of ignorance simply be chalked up to the detached reality of celebrity?
In The Nation, Dave Zirin argues against such takes.
“James always speaks with great intentionality, and no one should think this was an off-the-cuff comment,” writes Zirin. “It was a statement of support during the second year of a genocide in Gaza alongside the accelerating annexation of the West Bank. Israel has launched a project of ethnic cleansing, and James wanted the world to know that he was unbothered by it. Not only that—he seemed to want to follow in the footsteps of his good friend Draymond Green and take a propaganda trip to do public relations for the Israeli state.”
“James knows what’s going on. Instead of fulfilling his teenage goal of being a hero to the downtrodden, he has chosen to turn his back on war crimes, permitting his fans to do the same,” he continues. “Perhaps he fears what a backlash will do to that other youthful dream of unfathomable wealth. Or maybe he just doesn’t care.”
Gaza was also front and center at Germany’s Berlin International Film Festival this week, where actors and directors have been pressed on the political responsibilities of artists.
More than 80 actors, directors, and writers have signed an open letter condemning the organization’s “institutional silence” over Gaza. Signatories include Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, Fernando Meirelles, Mike Leigh, and Adam McKay.
It comes in response to comments made by the head of the festival’s jury, director Wim Wenders, who recently told a reporter that filmmakers should “stay out of politics.”
“The tide is changing across the international film world,” reads the letter. “Many international film festivals have endorsed the cultural boycott of apartheid Israel, including the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, the world’s biggest, as well as BlackStar Film Festival in the U.S., and Film Fest Gent, Belgium’s largest. More than 5,000 film workers, including leading Hollywood and international figures, have also announced their refusal to work with complicit Israeli film companies and institutions.”
“Yet Berlinale has so far not even met the demands of its community to issue a statement that affirms the Palestinian right to life, dignity, and freedom; condemns the ongoing Israeli genocide of Palestinians; and commits to uphold the right of artists to speak without constraint in support of Palestinian human rights. This is the least it can – and should – do,” it continues.
Randy Fine
Florida Representative, Israel advocate, and infamous bigot Randy Fine is facing a new wave of backlash for his most recent Islamophobic comments.
Last week, Fine tweeted, “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.”
He doubled down on the comments later, telling Newsmax, “People should know Democrats like AOC are saying ‘we are going to get rid of your dogs.’ Americans need to keep that in mind when they go and vote in November.”
No lawmaker has actually said they are getting rid of dogs, but many have called for Fine to face consequences over his actions.
“Rep. Fine continues to spew Islamophobia and bigotry from his seat in Congress,” tweeted Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL). “It is unacceptable. His words are despicable, hateful and dangerous. He must take responsibility and resign.”
“We must call this what it is,” wrote Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). “Disgusting bigotry. Fine must be censured. It’s about morality and decency, not politics.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has also called for Fine to resign, citing his previous anti-Muslim statements.
“Between his call for the destruction of all ‘mainstream Muslims,’ his claim that Palestinian identity itself is evil, and his call for the killing of everyone in Gaza, Randy Fine is a modern Klansman and Nazi all wrapped into one, only his targets are Muslims and Palestinians,” said the group in a statement. “Leaders of Congress across the political spectrum should demand his resignation, which is long overdue.”
Odds & Ends
🗳️ How Jesse Jackson helped bring Arab-Americans into the political process
🇺🇸 Palestinian resistance and the trap of Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’
🇮🇱 Brooklyn Navy Yard evicts drone maker amid pressure campaign
🏫 Organizers fight back as Missouri moves to crack down on Israel-related speech in schools
📊 Responsible Statecraft: Trump hasn’t bombed Iran yet. He must be reading these polls.
🐘 Zeteo: Randy Too Racist for Republicans?
🏛️ Counterpunch: What a Federal Court Taught Us and What Universities Must Learn About Anti-Zionism vs. Antisemitism
Common Dreams: Francesca Albanese Defenders Decry Bid to Remove UN Expert Over Misrepresented Israel Remarks
🇺🇳 Washington Post: AIPAC accused of covert campaigning as Democratic support falters
🇲🇽 Al Jazeera: Sheinbaum says Mexico declines Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ invite
🗽 Jewish Currents: New York City’s Synagogue Protest Bill is the First Jewish Showdown of the Mamdani Era
🇵🇸 Drop Site News: Hamas Says It Will Not Unilaterally Disarm as Trump and Netanyahu Threaten a Return to Full-Scale War
💰 The Intercept: AIPAC Is Flooding Illinois With Cash. Pro-Palestine Groups Are Backing Kat Abughazaleh
Go Spike Lee!
Great that Fair has reported on the decline of coverage about Gaza, West Bank. Although, we came to expect the main stream to not report for decades. Ayman only one on MSNBC. Even Amanpour and Company missing in action. Huge difference between Christianne and Bianna who is always setting it up for Israel to be looked upon as victims. Bianna always setting Iran as the bad guys. Always
PBS still reporting about. Not MSNBC (except Ayman and his coverage is much reduced), not ABC, CBS, Cspan’s Washington Journal, nothing on any other of the CSpan channels. Of course never FOX. Rachel Maddow has never touched the issue. Loves her millions!
No one no one I watch of listen to covering that Israel has nuclear weapons has refused to sign the NPT for decades. Last President to challenge Israel was JFK. No one reports about Iran signing onto the NPT long ago. Has a legal right to enrich uranium up to a certain level for peaceful purposes. Complete silence…always
Yesterday The Lancet published a new study of the mortality in Gaza ( emphasis mine ):
We estimated 75 200 violent deaths (95% CI 63 600–86 800) between Oct 7, 2023, and Jan 5, 2025, representing approximately 3·4% of the Gaza Strip’s pre-conflict population. Women, children (ie, younger than 18 years), and older people (ie, older than 64 years) comprised 56·2% (95% CI 50·4–61·9) of violent deaths, totalling 42 200 deaths (95% CI 33 100–51 300). We also estimated 16 300 non-violent deaths (12 300–20 200), of which 8540 (4540–12 500) represent excess deaths above pre-conflict projections. The MoH figure for this period (49 090 violent deaths) was 34·7% below our central estimate….This first independent population survey of mortality in the Gaza Strip shows that violent deaths have substantially exceeded official figures whereas the demographic composition of casualties aligns with MoH reporting….Our findings contradict claims that the MoH has inflated the death toll from the war in the Gaza Strip.4 Instead, the MoH appears to provide conservative, reliable figures while working under extraordinary constraints….
Violent and non-violent death tolls for the Gaza conflict: new primary evidence from a population-representative field survey – The Lancet Global Health
So that’s an estimated 75,000 violent deaths as of January of last year. I think we can safely assume that the real death toll has now exceeded 100,000, and it’s safe to assume that 50,000 of those were the deaths of women, under 18-year olds and older people.
Here’s an addition to Odds & Ends: Tom Friedman seems to be having trouble keeping reality at bay. He still hews to the idea that what we’re seeing in Israel is the Good Israel being temporarily eclipsed by the Bad Israel, but it’s getting harder and harder for him to ignore what’s happening:
Netanyahu Plays Trump and American Jews for Fools — Again…. Israel’s far-right government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is spitting in America’s face and telling us it’s raining….While keeping Trump focused on the Iranian missile and nuclear threat……Bibi is fundamentally threatening broader U.S. interests in the Middle East, not to mention the security of Jews all over the world. In what way? I cannot put it any more succinctly than Ehud Olmert, the former Israeli prime minister, did….“A violent and criminal effort is underway to ethnically cleanse territories in the West Bank,” he wrote in an essay in Haaretz this month. “Gangs of armed settlers persecute, harm, wound and even kill Palestinians living there. The rampages include burning olive groves, houses and cars; breaking into homes; and physically assaulting people.” He continued: “The rioters, the Jewish terrorists, storm Palestinians with hate and violence with one objective: to force them to flee from their homes….Israel’s accelerating attempts toward annexation of the West Bank and to permanently remain in Gaza — and deny Palestinians political rights in both areas — are as morally reckless and demographically insane as would be the U.S. annexing Mexico….
Opinion | Netanyahu Plays Trump and American Jews for Fools — Again – The New York Times
This might be irrelevant, but Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics organized an event that was to take place in a Beverly Hills mansion last Saturday evening (February 14th). The Beverly Hills police arrived and shut down the event at the last minute, claiming there was a permit violation. Jaylen Brown said that he was never told of a permit requirement. The mansion owner has held four other similar events on his property in the recent past without any such permit edict.
Jaylen Brown is an NBA star who has peaceful voiced his support for the rights of the Palestinians throughout the 28-month Gaza War. The AIPAC CEO, Elliot Brandt, owns a house in Beverly Hills. Did AIPAC decided to intercede and block this Jaylen Brown event because he has the audacity to support equal rights for the Palestinian people?