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Dua Lipa Says Criticizing Israel Is ‘For the Greater Good’ After Accusing Jewish State of ‘Genocide’
Dua Lipa poses in the press room during the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards at The Ford Center at The Star on May 16, 2024 in Frisco, Texas. Photo: ImageSpace/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Pop singer Dua Lipa addressed the backlash she has received for condemning Israel’s ongoing war targeting Hamas terrorists controlling the Gaza Strip, shortly after she described the Jewish state’s military operations as “Israeli genocide.”
The “Illusion” singer, 28, said in an interview for the latest issue of Radio Times magazine that she believes making political statements, such as being critical of Israel’s military actions, is “for the greater good.”
“When I speak about things that are political, I double-, triple-check myself to be, ‘OK, this is about something that is way bigger than me, and it’s necessary — and that’s the only reason I’m posting it.’ That is my only solace in doing that,” the Grammy winner told the publication. “It’s always going to be met with a backlash and other people’s opinions, so it’s a big decision. I balance it out, because ultimately I feel it’s for the greater good, so I’m willing to [take that hit].”
Lipa has been a longtime critic of Israel and an advocate for Palestinians. She has made false accusations about Israel repeatedly over the years and condemned the Israeli military campaign that began after the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel. She also joined numerous celebrities in signing an open letter to US President Joe Biden calling for an immediate ceasefire, and urging for “an end to the bombing of Gaza and the safe release of hostages.”
In late May, the singer accused Israel of committing “genocide” in a post on her Instagram Story that was viewed by her 88 million followers. She reposted a graphic from the group Artists4Ceasefire along with “#AllEyesonRafah,” which draws attention to Israel’s military actions in the Palestinian city, located in the southern Gaza Strip. Lipa wrote in the caption of the Instagram post, “Burning children alive can never be justified. The whole world is mobilizing to stop the Israeli genocide. Please show your solidarity with Gaza.”
Lipa was born in London to Albanian parents from Kosovo who fled the civil war in former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. Her family moved back to an independent Kosovo when Lipa was 11, but at the age of 15 she returned to London to pursue a career in the music industry.
The “Dance The Night” singer told Radio Times that speaking up about political issues is “a natural inclination” for her because of her roots. “Given my background and heritage, and that my very existence is somewhat political — it’s not something that is out of the ordinary for me to be feeling close to,” she said.
The post Dua Lipa Says Criticizing Israel Is ‘For the Greater Good’ After Accusing Jewish State of ‘Genocide’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Treasure Trove: How a Polish-Jewish artist told Canadians about the horrors of Nazi Germany and produced beautiful illustrations
Arthur Szyk (1894-1951) was a Polish-Jewish artist whose work reflected the historic times he lived: the two world wars, the rise of totalitarianism in Europe and the birth of the State of Israel. In 1940, with the support of the British government and the Polish government-in-exile, he visited Canada to popularize the struggle against Nazism. […]
The post Treasure Trove: How a Polish-Jewish artist told Canadians about the horrors of Nazi Germany and produced beautiful illustrations appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.
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Biden hits Fundraising Trail in Show of Strength after Dismal Debate Performance
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S., June 28, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
President Joe Biden embarks on a series of fundraising events across two states on Saturday as he works to stamp out a crisis of confidence in his re-election campaign following a feeble debate performance that dismayed his fellow Democrats.
Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will visit the upscale New York beach enclave known as the Hamptons for a campaign fundraiser hosted by hedge-fund billionaire Barry Rosentein. Later in the day, he will travel to New Jersey for a fundraiser hosted by wealthy New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat.
Fellow hedge-fund founder Eric Mindich and his Tony Award-winning producer wife Stacey, celebrity couple Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, and actor Michael J. Fox are all listed as members of the host committee at the New York event, according to an invitation seen by Reuters.
Biden told a rally in North Carolina on Friday he intended to defeat Republican rival Donald Trump in the November presidential election, giving no sign he would heed calls from Democrats who want him to drop out of the race.
Biden‘s verbal stumbles and occasionally meandering responses during Thursday night’s debate heightened voter concerns that the 81-year-old might not be fit to serve another four-year term.
The Biden campaign on Saturday boasted it had raised more than $27 million between debate day through Friday evening, but questions remain about whether the debate performance will hurt fundraising, at least in the short term.
The post Biden hits Fundraising Trail in Show of Strength after Dismal Debate Performance first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Arab League Rescinds the Classification of Hezbollah as a Terrorist Group
Mourners carry a coffin during the funeral of Wissam Tawil, a commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan forces who according to Lebanese security sources was killed during an Israeli strike on south Lebanon, in Khirbet Selm, Lebanon, Jan. 9, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Aziz Taher
i24 News – The Arab League no longer defines Hezbollah as a proscribed terrorist group, an official said on Saturday.
Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based Shiite militia and a proxy of the Islamic regime in Iran, boasts the world’s largest rocket arsenal of any non-state actor. It is animated by the antisemitic ideology of jihad and is committed to the destruction of Israel.
“In earlier Arab League decisions, Hezbollah was designated as a terrorist organization, and this designation was reflected in the resolutions,” Hossam Zaki, the assistant secretary-general of the Arab League, was quoted in Arab media as saying.
“The League’s member states concurred that the labeling of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization should no longer be employed,” Zaki said, adding that the regional body “does not maintain terrorist lists and does not actively seek to designate entities in such a manner.”
Hezbollah has unleashed numerous rockets, mortars and drones on northern Israel in the past eight months starting on October 8, a day after the Jewish state suffered the worst antisemitic massacre since the Holocaust at the hands of the Palestinian jihadists of Hamas.
The post Arab League Rescinds the Classification of Hezbollah as a Terrorist Group first appeared on Algemeiner.com.