Ben Schiff
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bschiff.bsky.social
Ben Schiff
@bschiff.bsky.social
300 followers 150 following 450 posts
Retired professor of international politics and law, Oberlin College. Wrote books on IAEA, UNRWA, Afrikaners after Apartheid (with June Goodwin), and the International Criminal Court. Garage woodworker.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Ben Schiff
chanda.blacksky.app
Bsky hasn’t heard the story about the time that I was giving a virtual colloquium to the Aspen Center for Physics in September 2020 and Lawrence Krauss, Geoff Marcy, Christian Ott all attended as a group

ACP now has a policy that would prevent this from happening, because of that incident 🔭
November 16, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
middleeasteye-rss.bsky.social
Palestinian coalition rejects US new colonialism plan for Gaza - https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/palestinian-coalition-rejects-new-colonialism-proposal-us
Palestinian coalition rejects US new colonialism plan for Gaza
Palestinian body condemns US attempt to impose foreign rule and legitimise Israel’s genocide on Gaza
www.middleeasteye.net
November 16, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
cjune.bsky.social
Sen Kaine's a bitch. Not as bitch as "Border Czar" Tom Homan. But definitely bitch, by smearing AOC.
November 16, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
aljazeera.com
Hardliners furious after US amends resolution to secure support of countries participating in Gaza stabilisation force.
Israel pushes US to close door on Palestinian statehood before UNSC vote
Hardliners furious after US amends resolution to secure support of countries participating in Gaza stabilisation force.
bit.ly
November 16, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
gregsargent.bsky.social
It is interesting to me how the media seems far less interested in Trump's Murder Memo than you'd expect. Only a few reporters seem to be even trying to get a hold of it, and very few commentators are talking about it. Contrast that with Bush's torture memo, which was a national obsession. Weird.
gregsargent.bsky.social Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 1d
Trump's illegal murders in the Caribbean just got worse. An internal DOJ memo on the bombings says the victims are waging war on the US, but per NYT, it extensively cites the WH's *own claims* to this effect as evidence!

It gets even darker than that. 1/

(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2032...
Trump Boat Bombings Take Dark, Unnerving Turn with Leaked Memo Stunner
A new Trump administration memo argues that those carrying out the boat attacks can’t be prosecuted. Why? Because the administration says so!
newrepublic.com
November 16, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
trillingual.bsky.social
I spoke to two dozen BBC journalists, from frontline reporters to senior staff, about how the BBC came to symbolise the West's failure to prevent genocide in Gaza - and how the row over its coverage fed directly into its current meltdown.
www.equator.org/articles/ins...
Inside the BBC’s Gaza Fiasco • EQUATOR
How the world’s most trusted media organisation fell apart
www.equator.org
November 14, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
brainking.bsky.social
Our tax dollars paid for this:
November 16, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
nameshiv.bsky.social
I would posit that if the international treaties against torture are what is holding your country back then your country doesn't deserve to get ahead and holding it back is a moral obligation for everyone else
sheg7.bsky.social She Guevara @sheg7.bsky.social · 18h
If you currently rely on the European Court of Human Rights for your minority group to *not* be targeted, you're in trouble...
She will also announce reforms to the application of key elements of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), including article 8, the right to a family life. She is expected to raise the need for international reform of article 3, covering torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. Both have been blamed for hindering Britain’s ability to remove illegal migrants and failed asylum seekers.
November 16, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
gregsargent.bsky.social
Let's start calling it the "Trump Murder Memo."

#TrumpMurderMemo
gregsargent.bsky.social Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 12h
It is interesting to me how the media seems far less interested in Trump's Murder Memo than you'd expect. Only a few reporters seem to be even trying to get a hold of it, and very few commentators are talking about it. Contrast that with Bush's torture memo, which was a national obsession. Weird.
gregsargent.bsky.social Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 1d
Trump's illegal murders in the Caribbean just got worse. An internal DOJ memo on the bombings says the victims are waging war on the US, but per NYT, it extensively cites the WH's *own claims* to this effect as evidence!

It gets even darker than that. 1/

(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2032...
November 16, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
stevenbeschloss.bsky.social
This is real. A government agency calling Americans performing their democratic right of protest “imbecilic morons.” This Trump regime is a poison and never should have gotten power. A total disgrace.
November 15, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
yasharali.bsky.social
1. Ultra-nationalist minister Itamar Ben Gvir posts this just as Israel is reportedly pushing Trump to sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia only on the condition that Saudi Arabia normalize relations with Israel.
X.com @itamarbengvir G Translated from Hebrew Show original & There is no such thing as a "Palestinian people." It is an invention that has no historical, archaeological, or factual basis. The collection of immigrants from Arab countries to the Land of Israel are not a people. And certainly they do not deserve a prize for the terror, the murder, and the atrocities they have sown everywhere, and especially from Gaza— the place where they received self-rule. The only true solution in Gaza is encouraging voluntary emigration, and certainly not a prize state for terror, which would serve as a base for continued terror. Jewish strength will not be part of any government that agrees to this. I call on the Prime Minister to clarify that the State of Israel will not allow the establishment of a Palestinian state in any form. Rate this translation: B q
November 15, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
drsepinwall.bsky.social
Yes, if you've decided you're cool with Marge cuz the enemy of your enemy is your friend, that means you're willing to overlook her trafficking in conspiracy theories about Jews & also this! ⬇️
November 15, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
rhutabhayga.bsky.social
Despise her and her antics.

But regardless of her motivations, her providing a permission structure for a Republican off-ramp is solid.
November 15, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
ajdefranco.bsky.social
Hi. ADHD + Dyslexia and Dyscalic here + husband of BCBA who has helped dozens of Non-Verbal Austistic kids live better lives.

My parents told me the same thing. My issues were my problem and the teachers that wanted to help were handicapping me.

No one should have grit their teeth like I did.
November 15, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
hishamzerriffi.bsky.social
COP30 is happening now in Brazil.

Meanwhile in Canada…
Enbridge is expanding oil pipeline capacity. So could TMX. So do we need another pipeline? | CBC News
Enbridge is pursuing several expansions to export oil through its pipeline system, which should meet the needs of the oil industry. So what does that mean for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's lobbying...
www.cbc.ca
November 15, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
rhutabhayga.bsky.social
Margery Kempe (c. 1373 – after 1438) was a medieval English Christian mystic and author of The Book of Margery Kempe, considered the first known autobiography in English.

#GirlPower
#RadicalWomen
Margery Kempe (c. 1373 – after 1438) was a medieval English Christian mystic and author of The Book of Margery Kempe, considered the first known autobiography in English. A mother of fourteen and the daughter of a prominent merchant, Kempe lived a tumultuous life marked by visions, spiritual struggles, and religious devotion. After a period of postpartum mental illness, Kempe experienced vivid mystical visions of Christ and the Virgin Mary, which inspired her to devote her life to God. She traveled widely on pilgrimages—to Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela—unusual for a woman of her time. Known for her emotional public displays of religious fervor, she often wept loudly in church and preached spiritual messages, drawing both admiration and ridicule. Unable to read or write, Kempe dictated her life story to scribes, making The Book of Margery Kempe a rare medieval account of a woman’s inner life, religious experiences, and challenges to social and gender expectations. Today, she is recognized as a pioneering voice in spiritual literature and women’s history.
November 15, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
middleeasteye-rss.bsky.social
Israeli forces close mosque in Hebron, impose curfew on Palestinians - https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israeli-forces-close-mosque-hebron-impose-curfew-palestinians
Israeli forces close mosque in Hebron, impose curfew on Palestinians
<article data-history-node-id="431520" about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israeli-forces-close-mosque-hebron-impose-curfew-palestinians" class="live-blog-update default clearfix"> <h2> <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israeli-forces-close-mosque-hebron-impose-curfew-palestinians" rel="bookmark"> <span class="field field-title">Israeli forces close mosque in Hebron, impose curfew on Palestinians</span> </a> </h2> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-field-text"><p>Israeli forces have closed the Ibrahimi mosque to Muslim worshippers and imposed a curfew on Palestinians in the Old City of Hebron to allow illegal settlers to mark a Jewish holiday, Anadolu Adency is reporting, citing local activists.</p> <p>The army imposed the curfew on Friday morning across multiple neighbourhoods in the city,&nbsp;Aref Jaber, a member of the non-governmental Hebron Defense Committee and a resident of the area, told Anadolu.</p> <p>According to Jaber, Israeli forces shut checkpoints leading to the old city, effectively preventing Palestinians from entering or leaving the area.</p> <p>This barred many residents from returning to their homes and forced them to stay overnight elsewhere in Hebron, Jaber&nbsp;said.</p> <p>He also reported that hundreds of illegal settlers entered the old city on Friday night and Sunday morning, and conducted what he described as&nbsp;“provocative” processions through the city streets under military escort.</p> <p>He added that this comes amid Israeli attempts to convert the mosque into a synagogue.&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </article>
www.middleeasteye.net
November 15, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
gabrielmalor.bsky.social
Fed. judge holds that the Trump administration engaged in coercive and retaliatory conduct in violation of the First and Tenth Amendments in its pretextual attacks on the University of California system.

PI granted.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Defendants do not deny any of this. Instead, their principal argument is that the UC might not agree to the proposed conditions for restoring funding, so Plaintiffs’ present case is too speculative to be heard. But Plaintiffs’ harm is already very real. With every day that passes, UCLA continues to be denied the chance to win new grants, ratchetting up Defendants’ pressure campaign. And numerous UC faculty and staff have submitted declarations describing how Defendants’ actions have already chilled speech throughout the UC system. They describe how they have stopped teaching or researching topics they are afraid are too “left” or “woke,” in order to avoid triggering further funding cancellations by Defendants. They also give examples of projects the UC has stopped due to fear of the same reprisals. These are classic, predictable First Amendment harms, and exactly what Defendants publicly said that they intended. The undisputed record demonstrates that Defendants have engaged in coercive and Case 3:25-cv-07864-RFL Document 90 Filed 11/14/25 Page 2 of 76 3 retaliatory conduct in violation of the First Amendment and Tenth Amendment. It also shows that they have flouted the requirements of Title VI and IX and cancelled funding in an arbitrary and capricious manner while ignoring required procedural safeguards. None of the jurisdictional
November 15, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
audieklotz.bsky.social
⬇️ And perhaps he’s looking for friendlier judges … don’t mess with Chicago!
November 14, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
gtconway.bsky.social
This is a better answer than I gave on The Source to @kaitlancollins.bsky.social last night.
November 14, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
mestizoqueso.bsky.social
A friend of mine at A&M this morning said that it’s already begun: from history profs asking if they can still teach about slavery to public health asking if they can teach about prevalence of diabetes in different demographics to polisci asking if they can teach about gerrymandering.
mbkplus.bsky.social Mike Boylan-Kolchin @mbkplus.bsky.social · 2d
I thought the earlier news from A&M was bad, but this is incredibly bleak. It’s close to the point of not having a functional university.
brookenewman.bsky.social Brooke Newman @brookenewman.bsky.social · 2d
Message to all faculty: your expertise is no longer trusted or valued at this so-called “university.”
November 14, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
moreperfectunion.bsky.social
New Mexico is the first state in the country to implement universal free childcare, and the program will save families an estimated $12,800 a year.
November 14, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
swin24.bsky.social
Scoop, for @zeteo.com with @premthakker.bsky.social

The draft documents for Trump’s new National Security Strategy are currently classified, and the admin is behind schedule in getting some sort of finalized version to Congress

Here are details of what’s in it, and…

zeteo.com/p/trump-nati...
Trump’s Unpublished National Security Strategy Is Stephen Miller’s Far-Right Wet Dream
The president’s new national-security draft document rants against migration and cultural “erasure” – and endorses far-right political parties abroad, sources tell Zeteo.
zeteo.com
November 14, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
pgoyette.bsky.social
Not sure when they will admit this but Bovino and his thugs are the real border wall. They have closed the border by demonstrating such cruelty (and advertising it so completely) that nobody wants to immigrate to the US anymore.
peoplesfabric.com The People's Fabric @peoplesfabric.com · 3d
Bovino seems like he’s getting closer to admitting their entire premise is a lie, it has nothing to do with the law, and his mission is really about ethnic cleaning and terror.
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 3d
Bovino: "Whether they were criminals or individuals that were taking jobs from Americans -- you name it, that's what they were doing. And I'll tell you what's gonna happen. We're gonna go even harder on the streets. If he releases those 650, we're gonna apprehend 1,650 on the streets of Chicago."
November 13, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Reposted by Ben Schiff
gwensnyder.bsky.social
Now the Christian Zionists at Heritage are furious (they can't afford for Nazis to wipe out the Jews, they need the Jews to spark the apocalypse).

The rest of the conservative establishment is freaked out realizing that a lot of DC staffers are Fuentes fans-- literal Nazis, in other words.
November 13, 2025 at 10:56 PM