View allAll Photos Tagged joebiden
than anything that can tear us apart :-)
Joe Biden
HSS!! Congrats and thanks Joe!!
camellia, 'Yuletide', our yard, cary, north carolina
"There is a crack in everything,
that's how the light gets in"
-L. Cohen
R.I.P. Alex Trebek
He passed away this morning after a battle with cancer.
In celebration of President-elect Biden
and Vice President-elect Harris.
It's a new day in America.
happy sliderssunday , let's be kind and
take care of each other.
♥
Turning off runway 28 at RAF Mildenhall after arriving as Air Force One with President Joe Biden onboard
'Sam 46' as spare aircraft and traffic preceeding Air Force 1 a few seconds before touching down rwy 25L in golden light conditions. [SAM46]
Kamera: Nikon FE2
Linse: Nikkor-S Auto 50mm f1.4 (1970)
Film: Kodak 5222 @ ISO 250
Kjemi: Rodinal (1:50 / 9 min. @ 20°C)
Al Jazeera: Deadly Israeli attacks target central and southern Gaza (Publ. 19 Oct. 2025)
Never ever deal with USA and Israel!
BOYCOTT ISRAEL AND USA!
DIVEST FROM ALL US AND ISRAELI COMPANIES!
SANCTION USA AND ISRAEL!
- By October 17 2025, Gaza's media office accused Israel of violating the ceasefire 47 times, killing 38 Palestinians and injuring 143 others. The Gaza-based human rights organization, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, documented at least 129 violations by Israel since the beginning of the ceasefire. [that is, since 10 Oct. 2025]
- On October 14 2025, Israeli forces killed at least seven Palestinians, six in Gaza City, including five by an aerial attack in Shuja'iyya and one by a drone strike in Khan Younis. The Israeli military said that the attacks in Shuja'iyya targeted individuals who advanced beyond the 'yellow line' after ignoring warning shots. Hamas spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, condemned the attacks, calling them a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
- On October 14 2025, Israel closed the Rafah border crossing and stated that the amount of humanitarian aid allowed into the Gaza Strip would be reduced as a consequence of Hamas's failure to return the remains of all deceased hostages. After four bodies were handed over and further returns were announced for the following day, Israel briefly reversed the restriction. When no further remains were delivered, the crossing was again closed indefinitely. Hamas had earlier stated that recovery efforts were hampered because many burial sites were still unknown amid the extensive destruction in Gaza. Under the ceasefire terms, Israel was to permit up to 600 humanitarian aid trucks to enter Gaza each day. Since then, the limit had been reduced to 300, with Israeli officials attributing the change to ongoing delays in locating and recovering hostages' remains.
- On October 17 2025, Israeli forces opened fire on a vehicle carrying 11 members of a civilian family in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City, including women and children. The event took place after the vehicle entered a restricted area, and according to the IDF, ignored multiple warning shots. The Israeli attack killed nine individuals, with two individuals missing.
- On October 19 2025, the Israeli army launched airstrikes and attacks in Rafah and Abasan al-Kabira. In addition, two Palestinians were killed by an Israeli airstrike in eastern Jabalia.
According to [Israeli] Channel 12, the attacks in Rafah was intended to protect members of the Popular Forces, an Israeli-backed militia led by Yasser Abu Shabab. An Israeli airstrike also killed six Palestinians in the central Gaza city of Zawayda. Additionally, two separate strikes killed six more people, including children, near Nuseirat in central Gaza, with 13 others injured. Further, a woman and two children were killed in a drone strike that hit a tent accommodating displaced persons near the town of Asda, located north of Khan Yunis. By the end of the day, Israeli airstrikes had killed at least 45 people.
- On October 28 2025, Israeli attacks in Gaza killed at least 104 people, at least 66 of whom were children and women.
- On October 29 2025, an Israeli attack killed two people in Beit Lahia
- On November 2 2025, a Palestinian man was killed by an Israeli drone in Shuja'iyya. Israel alleged that he had crossed the "yellow line".
- On November 10 2025, two Palestinians, including a child, were killed by an Israeli drone strike in east Khan Yunis. The IDF claimed that the Palestinians killed posed "an immediate threat" to Israeli forces.
- On November 19 2025, Israel launched several airstrikes in Gaza, targeting Zeitoun, Shuja'iyya and Khan Yunis. These attacks killed 33 people, including 17 in Khan Yunis and 16 in Gaza City, with 77 others injured.
- On November 22 2025, the Israeli military launched airstrikes in Gaza, killing at least 24 people: eleven in Rimal, three at a house near Al-Awda Hospital, seven (including a child) at a house in Nuseirat, and three at a house in Deir al-Balah; another 54 were injured by the attacks.
- On November 24 2025, four people were killed by Israeli forces, including a man killed by a drone attack in Bani Suheila and a child killed in northern Gaza City after ordnances left by the IDF exploded.
- On November 29 2025, Israeli airstrikes were carried out in Rafah and Khan Yunis. Israeli fighter jets carried out strikes east of the city of Rafah. Two Palestinian children were killed while collecting firewood by an Israeli drone strike on the town of Bani Suhayla, east of Khan Yunis, near Al-Farabi School. The area targeted in the attack lies beyond the so-called Yellow Line, the demarcation line for the redeployment of Israeli forces.
- On December 3 2025, an Israeli strike targeted a shelter camp in Al-Mawasi, killing five Palestinians, including two children and injuring several others. Israel claimed that it struck a Hamas target in response to an alleged clash between Palestinian militants and IDF forces.
- On December 5 2025, the Israeli military, using helicopter gunships, launched an assault on the eastern and northeastern regions of Khan Yunis, in violation of the ceasefire.
- On December 7 2025, a three-year-old girl was killed by the Israeli military while playing in her family's tent in Al-Mawasi. The IDF later issued a statement that it was "not aware of a strike" but would "conduct an additional review".
- On December 13 2025, an Israeli attack west of Gaza City killed five people and injured at least 25 others including civilians.
- On December 18 2025, Israeli forces fired a mortar shell into a residential area in Gaza City during an operation on the Yellow Line, injuring at least 10 people. The US Trump administration sanctioned two more ICC judges for probing alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
- On December 19 2025, five Palestinians, including a baby, were killed by Israeli soldiers over the Yellow Line in Tuffah, Gaza City. Israeli forces claimed that they identified "a number of suspicious individuals … in command structures west of the Yellow Line". The IDF also stated that is "under review" and "regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals."
- On December 20 2025, a 29-day-old infant boy died due to hypothermia in Gaza.
- On December 30 2025, the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs announced that it will ban 37 humanitarian organizations from operating in Gaza within 36 hours for failing to provide personal staff data required for new security screenings.
- Source - Wikipedia: Gaza peace plan (retrieved 19 Oct. 2025)
Kamera: Nikon FE2
Linse: Nikkor-O Auto 35mm f2 (1970)
Film: Kodak 5222 @ ISO 250
Kjemi: Rodinal (1:50 / 9 min. @ 20°C)
Anathema: Serenades (1993) [Full Album] (Vinyl)
'Air Force One' about to land on rwy 25L and carrying President Joe BIDEN to attend NATO summit held in Brussels, Belgium. Perfect summer light for this arrival. [AF1]
As we all know the Democrats only had to Bide(n) their time before Donald was trumped by their man Joe!
Actually this was a very amusing birthday card sent to me by my son...
Kamera: Nikon FE2
Linse: Nikkor-O Auto 35mm f2 (1970)
Film: Kodak 5222 @ ISO 250
Kjemi: Rodinal (1:50 / 9 min. @ 20°C)
John Lennon: Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (1971)
A SONG FOR ALL YOU BASTARDS
***
HRF Files Criminal Complaint in Italy Against IDF Soldier Israel Yitzhki for War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Genocide
Brussels / Rome – 15 December 2025:
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has filed a criminal complaint before the Italian judicial authorities against Israeli soldier Israel Yitzhki, a member of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), for his alleged involvement in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide committed during Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
The complaint was submitted to the Procura della Repubblica on the basis of universal jurisdiction, following confirmation that Yitzhki is currently present on Italian territory. Under international and Italian law, Italy is legally obliged to investigate and prosecute individuals suspected of grave international crimes when they are found on its soil.
Why Italy Has a Duty to Act
Italy is a State Party to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and the UN Convention Against Torture. These instruments impose a clear obligation on States to search for, investigate, and prosecute individuals suspected of grave breaches of international humanitarian law, regardless of nationality or where the crimes were committed.
The complaint explicitly invokes:
* Article 146 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which establishes mandatory universal jurisdiction over grave breaches;
* Article 5(2) of the Convention Against Torture, requiring prosecution when a suspect is present and not extradited;
* The principle of aut dedere aut judicare — extradite or prosecute.
As the filing makes clear, States cannot lawfully become safe havens for suspected perpetrators of international crimes.
The Context: Gaza as a Crime Scene
The complaint situates Yitzhki’s actions within the broader context of Israel’s campaign in Gaza, which UN bodies have repeatedly characterized as involving systematic violations of international law.
* Over 70,000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 20,000 children;
* More than 170,000 people have been injured;
* 92% of homes, 88% of schools, 81% of roads, and 80% of commercial infrastructure have been destroyed or damaged;
* Hundreds of civilians have died from starvation and malnutrition, caused by the deliberate obstruction of food and humanitarian aid.
UN agencies, the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Court have all confirmed the seriousness of these crimes. Arrest warrants have already been issued by the ICC against Israeli leaders Benjamin Netanyahu (b. 1949) and Yoav Gallant (b. 1958) for crimes against humanity.
Alleged Crimes by Israel Yitzhki
According to HRF’s investigative findings, Israel Yitzhki served in the 432nd Battalion of the Givati Brigade and participated in operations involving:
* Extensive destruction of civilian property without military necessity;
* Attacks on undefended towns, residential buildings, and civilian objects;
* Arson and controlled demolitions of homes and shelters;
* Occupation and destruction of schools used as civilian refuges;
* Unlawful detention and humiliating treatment of Palestinian civilians, including the publication of images showing detainees blindfolded, handcuffed, and kneeling.
The complaint argues that these acts constitute war crimes under Article 8 of the Rome Statute, including:
* destruction of property not justified by military necessity;
* attacks against civilian objects;
* illegal detention of protected persons;
* outrages upon personal dignity and degrading treatment;
* and, potentially, torture and inhuman treatment.
Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide
Beyond individual war crimes, the filing asserts that Yitzhki’s actions may also qualify as crimes against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute, including extermination, unlawful imprisonment, torture, and other inhumane acts committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack against a civilian population.
Crucially, the complaint also addresses genocide. It argues that the systematic destruction of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure — homes, schools, water systems, healthcare facilities — amounts to:
* causing serious bodily and mental harm; and
* deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of the Palestinian population, in whole or in part.
These conclusions align with findings issued in September 2025 by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which determined that Israeli authorities are committing genocide in Gaza.
Request for Urgent Precautionary Measures
Given the gravity of the allegations and the risk that Yitzhki may leave Italy, HRF has requested that the Italian authorities consider urgent precautionary measures, including:
* seizure of passports and travel documents;
* preservation of digital evidence.
The filing also formally requests notification of any prosecutorial decisions, including extensions of investigations or potential dismissal, in accordance with Italian criminal procedure.
Abou Jahjah: No Safe Haven in Europe
This filing is part of HRF’s broader strategy to ensure that no European country becomes a refuge for perpetrators of atrocities committed in Gaza.
"International law is meaningless if it stops at borders", HRF General Director Dyab Abou Jahjah (b. 1971) stated.
"When those suspected of war crimes and genocide enter Europe, States must choose between impunity and justice. There is no third option", he added.
The Hind Rajab Foundation will continue to pursue accountability across jurisdictions until those responsible for crimes in Gaza — perpetrators, accomplices, and inciters alike — are brought before competent courts.
Source: Hind Rajab Foundation - HRF Files Criminal Complaint in Italy Against IDF Soldier Israel Yitzhki for War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Genocide (Publ. 15 Dec. 2025)
***
HRF Seeks Arrest of Israeli Soldier in Spain Over the Destruction of Beit Hanoun
Barcelona / Brussels – 3 December 2025:
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has filed a criminal complaint in Spain against Israeli soldier Benayau Nahum for his alleged responsibility in genocide and serious war crimes committed during Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip, particularly in the northern town of Beit Hanoun.
The complaint was submitted after confirming that the suspect was present on Spanish territory, triggering Spain’s obligations under international law to investigate and prosecute grave international crimes. HRF has formally requested the urgent arrest of the suspect to prevent his departure and to ensure accountability.
The Accused and His Military Unit
Benayau Nahum served as a soldier in the 97th Netzah Yehuda Battalion of the 900th Kfir Brigade. This unit has a long record of serious human rights violations, including:
* The killing of unarmed civilians,
* Abuse and torture of detainees,
* And the systematic destruction of Palestinian property.
The battalion has previously been implicated in internationally condemned cases and has repeatedly operated in occupied Palestinian territory with near-total impunity.
*** [ [Personal note: I can confirm this based on what I personally saw during my 2007-2011 UN-affiliated service in the Occupied West Bank. The worst criminal Israeli IDF "military" units by far are certainly the Kfir Brigade and the Nahal of the Nahal brigade.
These two units in particular - their history and all their members ought to be intensively investigated all the way back to 1967 and beyond. Consisting of predominantly jewish fundamentalists, religious zealots, zionists, criminals, kahanists, no-goods and madmen they certainly would be akin to any former member of the Nazi Waffen-SS in my eyes.
You have to be quite oblivious to history if you cannot see the similarities between Nazi Germany and these Israeli paramilitary / military groups represented by the Kfir, the Gadna and the Nahal. Israel is through and through a jewish supremacist militaristic fascist society.] ] ***
Its presence in Gaza formed part of Israel’s large-scale ground operations in the north of the Strip.
Destruction of Beit Hanoun
Between late 2024 and early 2025, Beit Hanoun was subjected to near-total destruction as part of a broader military strategy aimed at emptying northern Gaza of its population. Entire neighborhoods were set on fire, leveled by heavy machinery, and erased from the map.
The evidence in HRF’s possession places Benayau Nahum directly on the ground during these operations. It shows his participation in systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure, including homes and public buildings, at a time when Beit Hanoun was already largely depopulated and defenseless.
The scale of destruction in northern Gaza during this period rendered vast areas uninhabitable and made return impossible for most of the displaced population.
Legal Qualification of the Crimes
The complaint accuses Benayau Nahum of:
* Genocide, for contributing to conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of part of the Palestinian population;
* War crimes, including:
- Extensive destruction of civilian property not justified by military necessity;
- Attacks against civilian buildings and undefended towns;
- Participation in the forcible displacement of a protected civilian population.
Under international humanitarian law, civilian objects are strictly protected. The large-scale, methodical destruction documented in Beit Hanoun cannot be justified by any lawful military objective.
Spain’s Obligation to Act
Spain is bound by international law, including the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute, to either prosecute or extradite individuals suspected of committing genocide and war crimes when they are found on its territory.
Given the presence of the suspect in Spain and the lack of genuine proceedings elsewhere, HRF has requested:
* The opening of a criminal investigation;
* The immediate detention of the suspect;
* And the adoption of urgent measures to prevent his escape.
Breaking the Wall of Impunity
This complaint is part of HRF’s broader effort to dismantle the system of impunity protecting perpetrators of crimes against the Palestinian people. It sends a clear message that:
Participation in genocide and war crimes carries personal criminal responsibility, wherever the perpetrator may attempt to hide.
HRF continues to pursue similar cases across multiple jurisdictions and will not relent until justice is served.
Source: Hind Rajab Foundation - HRF Seeks Arrest of Israeli Soldier in Spain Over the Destruction of Beit Hanoun (Publ. 5 Dec. 2025)
***
Why Bar Associations Must Act: The Dutch Debate on Complicity and the Responsibility of Lawyers in International Crimes
3 November 2025:
On 2 December, the Dutch Bar Association (NOvA) [Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten] will hold an extraordinary assembly to address a question that is rapidly becoming unavoidable across the global legal profession:
What is the responsibility of lawyers when their work intersects with a state committing international crimes?
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) welcomes the participation of its co-founder, Haroon Raza, a criminal defence attorney with more than twenty years of experience, in this meeting. Mr. Raza's contribution focuses on a reality many in the profession have long avoided confronting — that legal advice, corporate structuring, and financial facilitation can play a direct role in sustaining Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The Professional Environment: A Legal System Intertwined with Global Capital
The Netherlands stands at the centre of a dense network of financial and corporate structures. Tens of billions of euros connected to Israeli entities — including companies tied to the military, surveillance, technological development, and settlement expansion [ *** Personal note: For instance American Airbnb and Dutch Booking.com - just to mention a few! *** ] — flow through Dutch holding companies, investment funds, and advisory firms.
Lawyers are involved at every step: drafting corporate agreements, approving investments, advising on compliance, structuring acquisitions, and legitimising transactions.
When these structures are linked to a state perpetrating mass killing, starvation, forced displacement, and systematic destruction of civilian life, the role of the legal profession must be examined with honesty rather than ritualised neutrality.
Motion 3: An Attempt to Define Professional Boundaries
At the centre of the upcoming assembly is Motion 3, a proposal seeking to address precisely this challenge. The motion calls for the establishment of an independent committee within the Dutch Bar Association to evaluate the responsibilities of lawyers involved in high-risk transactions — particularly those connected to situations where there is a serious risk of contributing to war crimes, crimes against humanity, apartheid, or genocide.
Its purpose is straightforward:
* to articulate clear due-diligence requirements in high-risk contexts,
* to identify warning signs of potential complicity,
* to define professional standards of conduct, and
* to provide guidance on when lawyers must decline or withdraw from engagements.
Motion 3 is not a political statement. It is an attempt to bring the profession’s established principles — independence, integrity, and the duty to avoid unlawful conduct — into alignment with the realities of modern global practice. Comparable standards already exist for sanctions regimes, anti-money-laundering responsibilities, and other areas where legal services intersect with international harm.
The question is why similar principles have not yet been applied to Israel’s actions in Gaza, despite the scale and severity of the crimes.
A Profession Confronted With Its Own Infrastructure
Large law firms and corporate practices in major financial centres — London, New York, Paris, Frankfurt, Singapore, Dubai, Toronto — routinely advise clients with direct or indirect links to Israeli institutions, military industries, and settlement enterprises.
[ *** Personal note: A huge amount of these settlements are funded directly from the USA and needs to be examined most thoroughly - Example: The US 501(c) tax-exempted Hebron Fund ! Like WTF!? ]
In many cases, risk assessments are superficial or absent. The assumption that “legal advice is neutral” has become a shield against accountability.
This assumption is no longer tenable.
Speaking ahead of the assembly, Mr. Raza addressed the profession with unusual clarity:
"When a legal opinion, a contract, or a corporate structure helps sustain a system committing genocide, the lawyer involved cannot hide behind claims of neutrality. Our profession must recognise that routine legal work can become a vehicle for atrocity. Motion 3 is about safeguarding the integrity of the law — and ensuring we do not enable Israel’s crimes in Gaza."
His statement reflects a broader shift: lawyers are beginning to acknowledge that their professional activities can contribute materially to the functioning of systems responsible for mass violence.
The Broader Context: Accountability Beyond the Battlefield
The Hind Rajab Foundation’s work has repeatedly demonstrated that atrocity crimes do not occur in isolation. They are supported by corporate supply chains, financial networks, investment portfolios, digital infrastructure, and legal advice. Israel’s genocide in Gaza is no exception.
Legal professionals occupy a crucial position within these systems. Without their services, many transactions linked to military procurement, settlement construction, surveillance systems, or economic extraction simply cannot proceed.
The question for bar associations worldwide is not whether their members have political opinions. The question is whether their work strengthens — knowingly or unknowingly — the machinery of genocide.
A Necessary Evolution in Professional Self-Regulation
Motion 3 offers a model of what serious professional self-governance can look like. Bar associations across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia should consider similar mechanisms:
* independent oversight bodies,
* mandatory due-diligence frameworks,
* explicit standards on complicity,
* and training on international criminal liability for legal advisors.
Such measures are not symbolic. They reflect the reality that the legal profession is now deeply embedded in the structures that make international crimes possible.
The Moment Ahead
Israel’s actions in Gaza — mass killing, destruction of civilian infrastructure, systematic starvation, and the targeted annihilation of families — constitute genocide. In this context, the legal profession’s responsibilities cannot remain undefined.
The debate within the Dutch Bar Association is a signal to bar associations everywhere:
The age of pretending that legal work exists outside the world’s worst crimes is over.
The credibility of the profession depends on its willingness to recognise this moment — and to act accordingly.
Source: Hind Rajab Foundation - Why Bar Associations Must Act: The Dutch Debate on Complicity and the Responsibility of Lawyers in International Crimes (Publ. 24 Nov. 2025)
***
What a fantastic day I had yesterday at RAF Mildenhall! I've been following all the updates from the aviation geeks in the last week to find out where the Air Force One would be landing. It looked like it's going to be Mildenhall so I drove there yesterday lunch time. Really glad I had a chance to photograph this awesome plane! This is the arrival of the plane before it touched down. After that I moved to the other side of the runway to see its departure.
'Air Force One' about to land on rwy 25L and carrying President Joe BIDEN to attend NATO summit held in Brussels, Belgium. Perfect summer light for this arrival. [AF1]
My mother's creed is the American creed: No one is better than you. You are everyone's equal, and everyone is equal to you.
~Sen. Joe Biden, August 27, 2008
A dead language is resurrected.