分类： politics

The United Kingdom has prohibited Dr. Shadee Elmasry, a prominent American Muslim scholar, from entering the country following an official review of his social media commentary regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood revoked Elmasry’s travel authorization shortly before his scheduled speaking tour across multiple British cities.

The decision emerged after pro-Israel activists circulated Elmasry’s social media posts from October 2023, including one stating that Gazans had “finally punched back after 50 years” following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel. In other posts, Elmasry contextualized the conflict by referencing historical Zionist militias and suggested that resistance movements might occasionally “go to excesses” without diminishing their moral standing.

A government source close to Mahmood stated: “There is no place in the UK for foreign nationals who spread hate or push extremist ideas. Those seeking to divide our communities will not be allowed to enter.”

Elmasry, who serves as education director at the New Brunswick Islamic Center in New Jersey, responded that his message has “always been about compassion and connection.” He expressed affection for England and indicated expectations that the decision would be overturned.

The banning process gained momentum after Conservative MP Nick Timothy publicly urged the Home Secretary to exercise her exclusion powers, characterizing Elmasry’s views as “incitement and violent extremism” rather than rational debate. This followed an anonymous social media campaign alleging Elmasry supported extremist positions.

In a recent livestream, Elmasry clarified that describing Gazans as “punched back” didn’t constitute endorsement of Hamas, noting he cannot support organizations he doesn’t fully know. He referenced United Nations provisions regarding resistance to illegal occupation while distancing himself from specific militant groups.

Hamas remains designated as a terrorist organization in the United Kingdom, adding legal context to the government’s decision to exclude individuals perceived as supporting or justifying its actions.

In a striking critique from within Zionist intellectual circles, distinguished American political theorist Michael Walzer has denounced Israel’s military operations in Gaza as a “criminal effort” aimed at territorial conquest and population displacement. The author of the seminal work “Just and Unjust Wars,” whose writings form part of the curriculum at the US Military Academy at West Point, delivered his assessment in an extensive interview with Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Walzer characterized Israel’s response to the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack as a “joint production” for which Israeli society bears collective responsibility. He identified what he described as a “crazed rhetorical response” among Israeli leadership following the initial trauma, with prominent figures advocating for revenge and indiscriminate violence against Palestinian civilians.

The political philosopher highlighted multiple moral failures in Israel’s conduct of the war, including the dissemination of social media videos featuring soldiers boasting about alleged war crimes. He identified the siege imposed on Gaza as the most serious ethical violation, noting its devastating impact on medical and nutritional conditions for civilians.

Current statistics reveal the human cost: over 71,271 Palestinian fatalities and 171,233 wounded since hostilities intensified. Israel has reportedly violated ceasefire agreements nearly 1,000 times since their implementation in early October.

The crisis has been exacerbated by Israel’s recent ban on 37 aid organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, which warned that hundreds of thousands would lose access to essential care if the restrictions take effect.

Walzer further condemned the treatment of Palestinian detainees, citing credible reports of systematic abuse, and described settler violence in the West Bank as having reached “pogrom” levels with security forces complicit through inaction. United Nations data records over 260 settler attacks in October alone—the highest monthly tally since monitoring began in 2006—resulting in the forced displacement of more than 3,200 Palestinians.

According to human rights organizations, Israeli forces have detained over 21,000 Palestinians from the West Bank in just over two years, with approximately 9,250 remaining imprisoned. Reports document widespread torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence, with 32 detainees dying in custody in 2025 alone, bringing the total prisoner deaths since October 2023 to over 100.

The U.S. Department of Justice has disclosed that its review of documents connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein involves an unprecedented volume of over two million files, significantly exceeding initial estimates. This revelation comes more than two weeks after the December 19 deadline established by the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

In a formal communication to a federal judge on Monday, Justice Department officials detailed the extensive scope of the ongoing document review process. The department acknowledged that approximately 12,285 documents totaling more than 125,000 pages have been released to date—representing less than one percent of the total documents currently under examination.

The complexity of the task intensified on December 24 when investigators identified an additional one million files that were not included in the initial assessment. These documents require meticulous processing and deduplication, even when appearing to be duplicates, according to the Justice Department’s communication.

Attorney General Pam Bondi and other senior officials signed the letter emphasizing that “substantial work remains to be done” in this massive undertaking. The department has mobilized more than 400 attorneys who will dedicate “the next few weeks” exclusively to the document review process. Additionally, over 100 specially trained FBI personnel with expertise in handling sensitive victim information will provide crucial support.

The delayed release has sparked significant political controversy, with Democrats criticizing President Donald Trump’s administration for failing to meet the statutory deadline. The administration has defended its cautious approach, citing the imperative to protect identifying information of victims throughout the document review process.

Justice Department officials emphasized that each document requires manual examination to redact victim-identifying information, contributing to the extensive timeline for full public disclosure.

In a striking display of diplomatic camaraderie, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung captured a historic selfie with Chinese President Xi Jinping using a smartphone gifted by the Chinese leader—the same device that previously sparked espionage-related banter between the two leaders. The photograph, featuring both leaders and their wives, was posted on social media platform X during President Lee’s official visit to Beijing on Monday.

The Xiaomi handset became a subject of international attention last November when President Xi humorously suggested Lee should ‘check if there is a backdoor’ regarding the device’s security during their meeting at the APEC summit in South Korea. This rare display of humor from the typically reserved Chinese leader added an unusual dimension to diplomatic exchanges between the two nations.

The selfie post generated substantial online engagement, being shared over 3,400 times within hours of publication. One social media user quipped, ‘Sir, Do you know Nicolas Maduro used the same phone?’—a reference to recent geopolitical events involving Venezuela.

President Lee’s Beijing visit occurred against the backdrop of increasing global complexity, with President Xi emphasizing the importance of making ‘the right strategic choices’ during their 90-minute summit. The South Korean leader, who assumed office in June following his predecessor’s impeachment, has actively pursued improved relations with China after years of diplomatic stagnation.

Following his meeting with Xi, President Lee engaged with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, praising the warming bilateral relations as ‘the irreversible trend of the times.’ The South Korean delegation subsequently traveled to Shanghai, China’s economic powerhouse, continuing their diplomatic and economic discussions.

In a significant diplomatic engagement, Zhao Leji, Chairman of China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee, held substantive talks with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in Beijing on Tuesday. The high-level meeting built upon Monday’s presidential discussions, marking a concerted effort to advance Sino-ROK relations through legislative channels.

Zhao emphasized the distinctive cooperative nature that has characterized bilateral ties throughout the three decades since diplomatic normalization. He articulated China’s commitment to implementing the strategic consensus reached by both nations’ leaders, particularly focusing on reinforcing neighborly friendship, expanding mutually beneficial cooperation, and strengthening public support foundations for long-term partnership stability.

The Chinese legislative leader specifically highlighted the NPC’s willingness to sustain high-level exchange momentum with South Korea’s National Assembly. This parliamentary cooperation aims to enhance communication across multiple tiers and diverse fields while establishing legal safeguards for bilateral collaborative initiatives.

President Lee reciprocated these sentiments, expressing South Korea’s readiness to deepen economic and cultural cooperation with China. He advocated for intensified exchanges between legislative bodies and political parties, coupled with enhanced people-to-people interactions to further bolster bilateral relationship development.

The meeting represents a strategic parliamentary complement to executive-level diplomacy, demonstrating both nations’ multi-branch governmental approach to fostering stable, long-term strategic cooperation amid evolving regional dynamics.