International

Biden ridiculed after saying he’s been supportive of Palestinians

Published

2 years ago

July 17, 2024

A Palestinian woman cries out after an Israeli attack at a tent camp in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis on July 13 [Hatem Khaled/Reuters]

Biden ridiculed after saying he’s been supportive of Palestinians

Washington, DC – After the Israeli military bombed a school housing displaced people in central Gaza on Tuesday, a young man stood at the chaotic scene with a rocket fragment in his hand. “This is an Israeli American missile,” he said.

“We were stepping on corpses. I cannot describe the cruelty of what is happening,” the man said in a video verified by Al Jazeera after the attack in the Nuseirat area, which killed 17 civilians and injured dozens.

Such mass-casualty attacks have been a near-daily reality for Palestinians in Gaza for the past nine months. Officials and everyday people in the besieged territory have expressed outrage that the bombs decimating their lives are, in many cases, supplied by the United States as part of its alliance with Israel.

After air raids in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis killed at least 90 Palestinians last week, the Gaza Government Media Office blamed the US directly for the attack.

But US President Joe Biden has a different view of Washington’s role in the war.

“I’m the guy that did more for the Palestinian community than anybody,” he said in an interview that aired online on Monday.

“I’m the guy that opened up all the assets. I’m the guy that made sure that I got the Egyptians to open the border… I’m the guy that’s been able to pull together the Arab states to agree to help the Palestinians with food and shelter.”

He added, “I mean, I’ve been very supportive of the Palestinians.”

The US president’s assertion was met with ridicule by Palestinian rights advocates, who stressed that Biden’s unconditional support for Israel is fuelling a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

“It’s hard to decide whether these comments by Biden were arrogant, blind or deceitful. It seems that he wants to take credit both for enabling the genocide and for letting Palestinians have a little bit of medicine and water and food,” said Amer Zahr, a Palestinian American comedian and activist.

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Lexis Zeidan, a Detroit-based Palestinian American organiser, echoed that criticism.

“The only thing Biden did more for when it comes to Palestinians is increase their death toll with US-funded Israeli bombs,” she told Al Jazeera.

Armed by the US, the Israeli military has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians in Gaza and levelled large parts of the territory.

A self-proclaimed Zionist

In the same interview with journalist Speedy Morman, Biden re-asserted that he identifies as a Zionist.

“A Zionist is about whether or not Israel is a safe haven for Jews because of their history of how they’ve been persecuted,” he said.

The president then went on to ask the interviewer whether he knows what it means to be a Zionist.

Zionism is a Jewish nationalist ideology that emerged in Europe in the late 1800s, calling for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine, where only a small minority of the population was Jewish at that time.

While the ideology’s supporters present it as a form of self-determination, many Palestinian rights advocates argue that Zionism has led to the dispossession and ongoing subjugation and oppression of Palestinians.

During the interview, Biden reiterated a position he often repeats while explaining his affinity for Israel: He claimed that Jews across the world would not be safe without the country.

“If there weren’t an Israel, every Jew in the world would be at risk,” he said.

Some activists say such remarks could be seen to perpetuate the anti-Semitic trope of “dual loyalty”: the idea that Jewish people must be loyal to Israel, whatever their background.

Eva Borgwardt, national spokesperson at IfNotNow, a youth-led Jewish-American progressive group, slammed the president’s comment.

“Many of us hear this repeated statement as a threat to our safety in this country. As president of the United States, it’s Biden’s job to make the US safe for everyone, including Jewish Americans,” Borgwardt told Al Jazeera in a statement.

“If he wants to keep Jews safe, he should focus on combating the real and present danger of white nationalism, instead of sending more bombs for Israel to prolong its assault on Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and left hostages to languish in captivity.”

US support for Israel

Zahr, the Palestinian American comedian, also slammed Biden for insisting that he is a Zionist.

“After nine months, he is still defiantly and proudly calling himself a Zionist. Well, in November, he’s going to see how that word makes us vote,” Zahr told Al Jazeera.

Due to his unwavering support for Israel, Biden has struggled with key constituencies in the Democratic Party, including young people, progressives, and Arab and Muslim Americans.

His electoral woes were exasperated after a disastrous debate performance in June, where he appeared exhausted and confused at times.

While Biden and top officials in his administration often underscore their backing of Israel, the president played down that support during the interview with Morman.

Ahmad Abuznaid, the executive director of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USPCR), said Biden is claiming that he supports Palestinians because he understands that he has alienated voters in communities that support Palestinian rights.

“And so he attempted to make himself an ally of the movement when, in fact, what he’s doing is supporting the genocide of our people,” Abuznaid told Al Jazeera. “At this moment, he’s arming it. He’s defending it. He’s supporting it. And that’s how Palestinian Americans perceive President Biden and these comments. The comments are offensive. They’re disrespectful.”

Biden had boasted earlier this month that he is more popular in Israel than he is in the US. But when addressing the Arab vote with Morman, the US president falsely claimed that the US is only sending defensive weapons to Israel.

“I denied them offensive weapons that they were using, 2,000-pound (907kg) bombs and the rest,” he said.

While the US did stop a single shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel this year, Biden administration officials have stressed that the transfer of other weapons has continued steadily on a regular basis.

In April, Biden signed off on $14bn in additional US military aid to Israel. And the Pentagon confirmed this week that 500-pound (226kg) bombs that were part of the suspended shipment have been separated and released to the US ally.

“Biden could stop this genocide today by turning off the tap of unlimited funds and weapons to Israel. But instead, he allows Netanyahu to do as he pleases, repeatedly calls himself a Zionist, and does what the emperor does — supports Israel unequivocally because Israel secures US interests in the Arab world,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, chair of the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN).

“If Biden is our saviour, then who out there is our enemy?”

Biden ridiculed after saying he’s been supportive of Palestinians

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

International

UK Court Hands Life Sentence to Nigerian Teen for Knife Attack Killing

Published

18 hours ago

February 20, 2026

Trends Admin

UK Court Hands Life Sentence to Nigerian Teen for Knife Attack Killing

A Nigerian teenager residing in the UK, Jackson Uwagboe, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 21-year-old Robert Robinson, following a brutal knife attack in Lewisham, London. The sentencing was delivered at the Old Bailey on Wednesday.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that 19-year-old Uwagboe of Hamilton Street, Lewisham, was found guilty of murder on Tuesday, 10 February 2026, in a case stemming from a dispute over a stolen bicycle. The court ruled that Uwagboe must serve a minimum of 21 years before he can be considered for parole.

Uwagboe’s co-defendant, Eromosele Omoluogbe, 24, was earlier convicted of perverting the course of justice after assisting Uwagboe in attempting to flee to Nigeria via Heathrow Airport.

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Prior to this sentencing, two other men, Ryan Wedderburn, 18, and Kirk Harris, had already been convicted and handed life sentences in May 2025 for their roles in the same murder.

Detective Inspector Neil Tovey, who led the investigation, described the incident as a “brutal and sustained attack”. He said, “Robert was subjected to a brutal and sustained attack by a group of men armed with knives. He was unarmed, already wounded, and on the ground when Uwagboe attacked him. Today’s verdict brings justice for Robert Robinson and his family.”

The case has drawn attention to youth violence, knife crime, and gang-related activity in London, as well as the challenges faced by law enforcement in preventing violent disputes over seemingly minor disputes such as bicycle theft.

The sentencing underscores the UK judicial system’s approach to serious violent crimes, ensuring that perpetrators face long-term incarceration while providing a clear minimum term before parole consideration.

UK Court Hands Life Sentence to Nigerian Teen for Knife Attack Killing

International

UK-Based Nigerian Gets 13-Year Jail Term for Forcing Girlfriend to Abort Pregnancy

Published

20 hours ago

February 20, 2026

Trends Admin

Adeleke Adelani

UK-Based Nigerian Gets 13-Year Jail Term for Forcing Girlfriend to Abort Pregnancy

A UK-based Nigerian man, Adeleke Adelani, has been sentenced to more than 13 years’ imprisonment for unlawfully aborting the pregnancy of his former partner after coercing her to take abortion medication on Valentine’s Day.

The offence occurred in 2020 when Adelani, then 28 years old, deceptively invited the woman — whose identity is legally protected — to his residence in Letterkenny under the guise of discussing the future of her pregnancy. Evidence before the court showed that the victim was nine weeks pregnant at the time of the incident.

Prosecutors told the court that upon her arrival, Adelani threatened the woman with violence and forced her to ingest five tablets of misoprostol, a drug used for medical abortions, thereby causing the unlawful termination of the pregnancy. The court heard that the defendant had researched the medication in advance and acted deliberately. The victim later contacted authorities, leading to Adelani’s arrest by Irish police.

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At the time of the sentencing, Adelani was already serving a separate seven-year prison sentence for an unrelated offence. He had initially been due to stand trial last year but pleaded guilty before jury selection began, accepting responsibility for the charges brought against him.

During the sentencing hearing at the Letterkenny Circuit Court, the victim delivered a powerful impact statement, explaining that although she had chosen to forgive Adelani, the consequences of his actions would remain with her for life.

“I have forgiven the defendant,” she told the court. “That forgiveness does not mean what he did was acceptable. It means I refuse to let what he did continue to control my heart and my life. When he wrongfully imprisoned me and caused the termination of my nine-week pregnancy, he took far more than my freedom. He took my child. He took my sense of safety. He took a future that I had already begun to plan and love.”

In a letter read aloud in court, Adelani apologised to the victim, accepted full responsibility for his actions, and expressed remorse for the pain and trauma he caused.

Delivering judgment, John Aylmer described the crime as deliberate, premeditated, and deeply traumatic, stressing that it involved coercion, abuse, and a serious violation of trust. The judge sentenced Adelani to 11 years in prison, with the final two years suspended, for causing the unlawful termination of a pregnancy, and an additional five years, with the last 12 months suspended, for assault causing harm.

The sentences are to run concurrently, adding to Adelani’s existing term and resulting in an overall prison sentence exceeding 13 years. The case has reignited debate in Ireland and internationally about reproductive coercion, domestic abuse, and violence against women, with legal observers describing it as one of the most serious cases of its kind in recent years.

UK-Based Nigerian Gets 13-Year Jail Term for Forcing Girlfriend to Abort Pregnancy

International

Epstein, Ex-Israeli PM Named in Alleged Profiteering From Boko Haram Crisis

Published

1 day ago

February 20, 2026

Trends Admin

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak

Epstein, Ex-Israeli PM Named in Alleged Profiteering From Boko Haram Crisis

A new investigative report by Drop Site News has alleged that the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein and former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak leveraged Nigeria’s long-running Boko Haram insurgency to pursue commercial, security, and strategic interests in the country.

According to the investigation, emails released by the United States Department of Justice in 2018 show Epstein acting as a behind-the-scenes facilitator in discussions involving Jide Zeitlin, then chairman of Nigeria’s Sovereign Investment Authority, and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, former chairman of DP World. The exchanges allegedly focused on attempts to secure control of key shipping terminals in Lagos and Badagry, following unsuccessful negotiations with successive Nigerian administrations dating back to 2005.

The report claims DP World was unwilling to invest in a proposed industrial zone in Nigeria without full or majority control of the adjoining port infrastructure, a demand that reportedly stalled the deal for years. Epstein, who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial, is alleged to have helped revive talks by brokering introductions and strategic conversations.

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Drop Site News further reported that bin Sulayem resigned on February 13 after renewed scrutiny of his past links to Epstein resurfaced publicly, intensifying attention on the historical port negotiations and the role of foreign intermediaries in Nigeria’s maritime sector.

Beyond logistics and port infrastructure, investigators highlighted what they described as near-daily correspondence between Epstein and Barak after the former Israeli leader left public office. Barak, who served as Israel’s defence minister until 2013, allegedly sought to deepen Israeli-Nigerian security cooperation, using Nigeria’s counter-insurgency battle as an entry point for Israeli-linked security, energy, and technology investments.

The report said Barak later relied on security networks in Nigeria to promote Israeli defence and surveillance firms. In 2015, Barak and a partner invested $15 million in FST Biometrics, founded by former Israeli intelligence chief Aharon Ze’evi Farkash. The firm’s Basel biometric system, originally deployed at Israel-Gaza crossings, was subsequently marketed in Nigeria as a counter-terrorism solution.

According to the investigation, the biometric technology was introduced at Babcock University as protection against Boko Haram threats, while also being pitched to African governments for broader identity management and population-control applications.

The report further cited a 2020 World Bank-supported initiative involving Israel’s National Cyber Directorate and Toka Group, a cyber-intelligence company co-founded by Barak. The partnership was presented as contributing to Nigeria’s national cybersecurity framework, but Drop Site News argued it also deepened Israeli corporate access to sensitive security architecture.

In its conclusion, the investigation alleged that a network of security interventions, port negotiations, and technology investments enabled Epstein and Barak to profit from instability associated with the Boko Haram conflict, while simultaneously advancing Israeli commercial and strategic interests in Nigeria. The outlet stressed that these claims are based on document reviews and correspondence, framing them as allegations rather than established legal findings.