The Struggle Video News

80 Years After the Holocaust Comes to Hungary

Our presentation for Monday, May 13

MECC Executive Director Stanley Heller has been keenly aware of Zionist leaders' disinterest in the fight against antisemitism because of their obsession with creating a Jewish-superiority state in Palestine He wrote a book on the subject "Zionist Betrayal of Jews". This May is 80 years after the start of daily large deportations from Hungary. They were organized by the infamous Adolf Eichmann. The response by Zionist leaders in Hungary and British Occupied Palestine was awful. But there were heroes, Jews and non-Jews, who saved thousands. Learn about it Monday May 13 at 7 p.m.

We're aiming for a dozen readers of a script. Conversation will follow.

To view and join the discussion Monday at 7 p.m. Eastern click here to register.

Noon Rally in Danbury, Sat. March 30

Free parking in high-rise garage just up the block.

Horror upon horror. We must speak out!

Listen to Democracy Now's first guest on Thurs. 3-28. She talked about medical workers being targeted by the Israeli military. She mentioned that medical workers who were forced to flee hospitals in their scrubs were told by other Palestinians to throw those away and put on any old clothes they could find so they would be taken by the Israelis. She talked about a young girl with 96% of her body burned.

Read this piece in The Intercept about the experiences of a Toronto surgeon.

And before you fall all over yourself about the magnificent U.S. "abstention" read this 3/25 article from Haaretz

U.S. Finds Israel in Compliance With Biden's Demands on International Law, Humanitarian Aid

" The U.S. has deemed Israel in compliance with U.S. President Joe Biden's national security memorandum stipulating that recipients of U.S. weapons must be in compliance with international law, nor may they block the provision of humanitarian assistance.

Israel was obliged to provide written assurances by Sunday, via a 'credible high level official who has the ability and authority to make decisions and commitments about the issues at the heart of the assurances,' State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. "

This is the true face of the Administration

Immediate Ceasefire Resolution Passed by CT's Biggest City

"Calling for an Immediate De-escalation and Permanent Ceasefire in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank"

WHEREAS, All life is precious and any indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians, regardless of their faith or ethnicity, is a violation of international humanitarian law, and,

WHEREAS, with continued violence in Israel and Palestine, the situation has escalated in the recent months. Most recently, between October 7 and today armed violence has claimed the lives of innocent civilians in Palestine and Israel. Thousands of innocent lives have been lost in Israel and Palestine. The community in Bridgeport across all faith groups and backgrounds supports an end to the continued violence and hope for a solution where Palestinians and Israelis can live side by side with a two-state solution in enduring peace, safety, justice, and dignity. Every human being deserves a dignified, peaceful life regardless of religion, race, or color; and,

WHEREAS, Hundreds of thousands of lives are at imminent risk if a permanent ceasefire is not achieved and humanitarian aid is not delivered without delay; and,

WHEREAS, All members of the Bridgeport City Council have the right to speak up in times of injustice.

WHEREAS, The Federal Government holds immense power to save Palestinians and Israeli lives:

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the City Council of Bridgeport calls upon our U.S. Congressional delegation, both in the Senate and House of Representatives, to join us in:

1. Urging the Biden administration to immediately call for and facilitate immediate de-escalation and a permanent ceasefire to urgently end the current violence in Gaza, Israel, and the West Bank: and,

2. Call upon the Biden administration to promptly send and facilitate the entry of adequate and sufficient humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the West Bank; and,

3. Call upon the Biden administration to facilitate the immediate release of innocent Israeli hostages as well as the immediate release of Palestinian prisoners who are unlawfully held in Israeli jails: and,

4. Urge the Biden administration to facilitate the government in Israel and Palestine to come to a political two state solution that promotes enduring justice and peace.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That upon passage of this Resolution, a copy be provided to the Bridgeport delegation to the Connecticut state legislature; the United States Congressional delegations from Connecticut; Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont; and President of the United States Joseph Biden.

Passed overwhelmingly by the Bridgeport, CT City Council on 1-3-2024

Click here for more ways to support.

Presenting our "Courage Award"

Hear Dan Selvin, the editor of Alaa's book "You Have Not Yet Been Defeated" at the ceremony on Thurs., April 13 at 3 p.m. in room #101 of Henry Barnard Hall at Central Connecticut State University, New Britian, CT. Admission is Free.

Henry Barnard (HB) is the building next to the main administration building (on one side) and the Art Dept (on the other side). It is across Stanley Street. It houses the Education departments. Adjacent to the Art department is the Welte Garage.

People coming from outside CCSU can park at the Welte Garage or in the Student Center area (a bit farther). If you park at the Welte Garage barrier, press the button on the microphone to contact the Campus Police. The police will open the barrier as you explain you are attending the award event ceremony at Barnard Hall. This is a link to the campus map and see picture below.

For your GPS use 1683 Stanley St, New Britain, CT

So where is the "Command Center"? - Get the IDF Out of the Hospitals

November 27 Update. See Stanley Heller's audio analysis about this on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/p/C0Ka5X2Oth0/ Also listen to Jeremy Scahill on Democracy Now on 11/28 who makes some of the same points.

November 16, 2023. For years the Israeli military has claimed that Hamas has its headquarters under the biggest hospital on the Gaza Strip. They even made a YouTube with an animation showing exactly where rooms were underground and how the “command center” could be entered via the hospital.

Dr. Mads Gilbert, a Norwegian doctor (hero) who has been in that hospital through many of the wars spoke on video and said the had had free access all over the hospital and never saw anything military and that he would have quit is work if he saw that Palestinians had a military base there. But the corporate media ignored him. See what he said on The Struggle Video News #1030.

Well, the Israeli army has been in Al-Shifa for over two days now and has completely reworked the story. Now it’s about weapons they found in a room housing MRI equipment. What about the “command center”? Was that in the MRI room? What happened to the underground complex? That’s no longer mentioned. And the New York Times and Washington Post go along with it, no mentioning that this huge lie has been exposed.

Yesterday the IDF released a video “Watch as LTC Jonathan Conricus exposes the countless Hamas weapons IDF troops have uncovered in the Shifa Hospital. The “countless” weapons turned out to be a dozen or so automatic rifles and some grenades. Oh, there was also a laptop, no doubt the hi-tech component of the “command center”.

It’s time to launch a campaign to get the IDF out of the hospitals and to demand that they be given total access to water, electricity, food, fuel.

Obituary for Norton Mezvinsky

Remembrance offered by Professor Sadu Nanjundiah.

I deeply regret to inform you of the death of Prof. Norton Mezvinsky in New York City on Sep. 15, 2022. He was ailing over the last few months.

Prof. Mezvinsky taught courses on Judaism, American History and Middle East History, and was the doyen of Middle East Studies in the History Department. He established a nationwide reputation for the program through his indefatigable personal commitment to helping students, faculty, staff and the larger community understand the many dimensions of the conflicts in the Middle East between various states, especially between Israel and Palestine. He was a passionate adherent to human rights for people globally and for a fair and just settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He established the Middle East Lecture Series at CCSU and invited various experts and diplomats who expounded on conflicts in the Middle East, especially the occupation of Palestine by Israel. These included Prof. Noam Chomsky from MIT, Prof. Israel Shahak of the Hebrew U of Jerusalem, Prof. Rashid Khalidi from Columbia U, Trita Parsi from National Iranian-American Committee, Dr. Norman Finkelstein author of several books on the Holocaust, Prof. Sara Roy from the Center of Middle East Studies at Harvard U, Prof. Ghada Karmi and Prof. Ilan Pappe from the University of Exeter (U.K), Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro from New York, Prof. Raymond Baker from Trinity College and many more scholars of the history of the region.

After his retirement from CCSU, Prof. Mezvinsky presided over the International Council for Middle East Studies (ICMES) in Washington, D.C and served as its President till his passing. Its aim was to provide a resource to the public and lawmakers on the background to the conflicts that had continued to bedevil the Middle East after de-colonization and that affected the lives of millions in the region. ICMES sponsored several talks and conferences in D.C., Europe and North Africa on various topics related to political, economic, religious and cultural issues related to the Arab world and Israel.

Norton Mezvinsky was a prolific writer and speaker on Zionism, Judaism and the seemingly interminable conflict between Israel and Palestine. He gave many talks on these subjects at CCSU, nationwide and abroad almost every year and even after he retired from the University. He wrote several op-eds and letters to the editor in the local and national press to clarify and correct misperceptions, misunderstandings and mistakes in reporting and analyzing the several wars between Israel and its Arab neighbors, most recently on the decades long bombing and blockade by Israel of Gaza and the expansive, exclusive Jewish settlement building in the Israeli occupied West Bank of Palestine.

Prof. Mezvinsky's scholarly work, pamphlets and contributions included his seminal book with Israel Shahak on "Jewish Fundamentalism in Israel" (translated into four languages examining the history and consequences of Jewish fundamentalism in Israel), "The Character of the State of Israel" (with Constance Hilliard), "Does Israel Have a Future: The Case for a post-Zionist State", "Issues Created by Jewish Nationalism", ""Anti-Zionism (Analytical Reflections)", "The Meir Kahane phenomenon", "Human Rights Violations During the Palestinian Uprising, 1988-1989, The Israeli League for Human and Civil Rights".

Norton Mezvinsky completed his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin in 1960, working on a sociological study on American Jewish Self-Segregation. He also did post-doctoral studies at Harvard University. At the time of his passing he was Distinguished University Professor, Emeritus at CCSU, having been honored with the Connecticut State University Professorship some years before his retirement.

A few reactions to his passing from his colleagues are below.

"He was a great intellect, a modest man, and a giant of the Central faculty."
"[I]n many ways, [he] was the embodiment of academic freedom and the good, and necessary conversation that comes from it (if not always comfortably).”
" [He] was a giant advocate for truth and peace in the Middle East and beyond. We will miss him greatly"

Sadu Nanjundiah

Professor of Physics & Engineering Physics