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Michael Sappir

@m.sappir.net

1.9K followers 1.2K following 780 posts

Jewish-Israeli, against apartheid and genocide. Co-host parallelweltpalaestina.info (in German), co-founder @thediasporist.bsky.social 📍Chicago

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Michael Sappir @m.sappir.net · Aug 8

In Germany, I developed a slight obsession with political stickers – and especially the unhinged pro-Israel stickers from the German left's creepy philosemitic neocons, the "anti-Germans" (the most German Germans). For @thediasporist.bsky.social, I wrote up some of the wildest examples

Stickers Against Germany – the Diasporist

The antideutsch leftists papering cities in pro-Israel stickers

thediasporist.de

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utopia deferred @utopia-defer.red · 16h

This aged pretty well 😎

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · Feb 5

that said: I think the "it's not fascism unless they're good at it" brand of analysis probably isn't the move

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Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 20h

Get it now?

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Daniel Knowles @dlknowles.bsky.social · 3d

I visited the apartment building ICE raided on Tuesday today. Story to come, but you can walk right in. Half of the apartments have no doors on them. Children's stuff abandoned in some flats. *Citizen* residents told me they were arrested and held for hours in zipties. This is America

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Ralf Michaels @ralfmichaels.bsky.social · 21h

"In the context of Germany, the problem of appropriation becomes ethically fraught as non-Jewish Germans — the beneficiaries of Nazism and the Holocaust — can, through experiencing the exhibition, in fact imagine themselves as a Jewish victim."

BR (Benjamin Ratskoff): When Jews in the United States appropriate the exhibition’s experience of victimization for themselves, there’s a problem of collapsing the real distance between their own lives and the conditions that they live in with those who were victimized on October 7. In the context of Germany, the problem of appropriation becomes ethically fraught as non-Jewish Germans — the beneficiaries of Nazism and the Holocaust — can, through experiencing the exhibition, in fact imagine themselves as a Jewish victim. In this way, they can shed the burden of post-perpetrator responsibility and claim the moral privileges of victimhood — without actually having to experience violence or suffering, of course. And by occupying the position of Jewish victims, by “communing with Jewish suffering” (a term I borrow from Adam Sutcliffe), they can make accusations of antisemitism against others.

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Michael Sappir @m.sappir.net · 21h

“folding the Oct 7 attacks into a Holocaust narrative seems…unsurprising given the role played by Holocaust memory in Israeli national consciousness. But also…a little absurd considering what the State of Israel sought to provide Jews in contrast to the helplessness of Jewish victims in Europe.”

the Diasporist @thediasporist.bsky.social · 23h

Ben Ratskoff on Holocaust memorialization, immersive traumatization, and hyperreal antisemitism at the Nova Exhibition: thediasporist.de/schlock-and-...

Schlock and Awe – the Diasporist

Ben Ratskoff on the immersive traumatization at the Nova Exhibition

thediasporist.de

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 23h

Miles was chief of staff at DHS in Trump’s first term 👇🏽

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David Klion @davidklion.bsky.social · 23h

The notion that Bari will be "running CBS News" is slightly misleading. What the reporting suggests is that Tom Cibrowski, a guy with normal qualifications, will be doing that. Bari will be Emperor Ellison's Vader-esque enforcer, outside the chain of command, intervening at will.

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Simon Strick @unddieregel.bsky.social · 22h

Excellent read in @thediasporist.bsky.social
I always wanted to write about the fact that Slayer's Reign in Blood, and its opening track Angel of Death was released on October 7th, 1987

Before entering the exhibition, a large placard provides visitors with some minimal context but mostly a highly Manichean, melodramatic, and depoliticizing narrative: "Thousands of radiant souls came together for a celebration of unconditional love and the spreading of light. In one moment, the festive atmosphere is shattered.
The Angel of Death swoops, firing a barrage of hateful missiles that cut through the joy like an icy winter wind." The victims are dissolved into pure equivalence and the perpetrators masked behind an evil principle.

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Tyler King @tyleraking.com · 1d

I mean what do we even say at this point? This is the abolition of the free press and first amendment for the “privilege” of reporting on the people’s government currently carrying out extrajudicial executions of random civilians at sea.

A PFAC may be denied, revoked, or not renewed if a person is reasonably determined to pose a security or safety risk to DoW personnel or property, in accordance with the standards and procedures outlined in Appendix A. Such an initial determination may result in an immediate suspension of your Pentagon access while the procedures preceding a final determination are pending.
This in-brief and its Appendices address DoW policy and the potential bases for such a determination and do not prohibit you as a PFAC holder from engaging in constitutionally protected journalistic activities, such as investigating, reporting, or publishing stories.

Such determination may be based on factors including, but not limited to, the unauthorized access, attempted unauthorized access, or unauthorized disclosure of CNSI or CUI, convictions for national defense offenses, threats, or unsafe activities (as listed in Appendix A). Such a determination is based on a reasonable assessment informed by the unique facts and circumstances of each case--such as whether the conduct is willful or repeated, versus isolated and unintentional—and incorporates due process (e.g., written notice of the basis, a 30-day appeal period, an opportunity for personal appearance, and a final, reviewable determination).
For clarity, the receipt of unsolicited CNSI or CUI and its subsequent publication is generally protected by the First Amendment and would not, on its own, normally trigger denial, revocation, or non-renewal of a PFAC. However, if you solicit the disclosure of such information or otherwise encourage DoW personnel to violate laws and policies concerning the disclosure of such information, such conduct may weigh in the consideration of whether you pose a security or safety risk.

There is a critical distinction between lawfully requesting information from the government and actively soliciting or encouraging government employees to break the law. The First Amendment does not permit journalists to solicit government employees to violate the law by providing confidential government information. The press's rights are not absolute and do not override the government's compelling interest in maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive intormation. Soliciting or encouraging government employees to break the law talls outside the scope of protected newsgathering activities.
Solicitation may include direct communications with specific DoW personnel or general appeals, such as public advertisements or calls for tips encouraging DoW employees to share non-public DoW information. For example, an advertisement or social media post by an individual journalist or media outlet that directly targets DoW personnel to disclose
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non-public information without proper authorization would constitute a solicitation that could lead to revocation.
Additionally, publication that recklessly endangers American lives could factor into an assessment of whether continued unescorted access to the Pentagon poses a security risk.

(a) The use of cameras or other visual recording devices on the Pentagon Reservation is prohibited, unless the use of such items are approved by the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, the Installation Commander, or the Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs.
(b) It shall be unlawful to make any photograph, sketch, picture, drawing, map or graphical representation of the Pentagon Reservation without first obtaining permission of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency or the Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs.
Note that this prohibition applies to the use of apps on mobile devices that utilize the front-facing camera lens, such as "FaceTime" or the taking of "selfies."
News media visiting the National Pentagon 9/11 Memorial in their personal capacity, not as a member of the press, may take photos using their personal devices. Filming or photography in the Memorial for a news media interview or to obtain b-roll requires an exception, as described below under Filming/Photography Exception Requests.

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 1d

Everything Trump is doing now is a preamble for his regime's real goal: to invoke the Insurrection Act.

I don’t want to unduly alarm you, but you need to be aware of this imminent danger. It’s unfolding very rapidly. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/trumps-plan

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Joel S. @joelhs.bsky.social · 2d

I was told not to teach a class on the intellectual histories of Zionism and Anti-Zionism next year - not because they doubted I could teach it fairly, but because it would attract too many politicians scrutinizing the syllabus.

A society where that is a valid fear is no longer fully democratic.

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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 1d

It feels crazy even saying out loud everything that they're doing but this is all really happening.

Alt text: Screenshot of an article from The Cut titled “What happened at the South Shore apartment raid, exactly?” The article reports that on September 30, about 300 federal immigration agents stormed a five-story residential apartment in South Shore during an overnight raid. Witnesses said agents rappelled from helicopters, kicked down doors, used flash-bang grenades, and detained adults and children with zip ties. Thirty-seven people were arrested, including four U.S. citizen children. A resident, Pertissue Fisher, said she was handcuffed, had guns pointed at her, and held for hours despite being an American citizen. Photos from the scene showed broken doors, scattered toys, shoes, and food.

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Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 1d

The Sora AI disinfo nightmare is here

For more like this:
tiktok.com/@drewharwell
instagram.com/bydrewharwell

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Dave Karpf @davekarpf.bsky.social · 1d

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Nathan Kalman-Lamb @nkalamb.bsky.social · 4d

MSF staff are universally understood to be engaged in an essentially sacred form of work. For a state to nonetheless continuously murder them is a testament to a truly unthinkable degree of depravity.

msf.org/msf-denounce...

This morning, an attack carried out by Israeli forces killed Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff member, Omar Hayek, and seriously injured four others. The attack took place on a street where our teams were waiting to take a bus to the MSF field hospital in Deir al Balah, Gaza.

All staff were wearing MSF vests, clearly identifying them as medical humanitarian workers.
We express deep sorrow and outrage over the killing, which occurs less than two weeks after another MSF colleague, Hussein Alnajjar, was killed by the Israeli forces, in Deir Al Balah.

Our thoughts are with Omar’s family and colleagues at this tragic time. Omar, 42 years old, is the fourteenth MSF colleague to be killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023.

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Yossi Bartal @yossibartal.bsky.social · 2d

Following our report at @thediasporist.bsky.social dozens of activists in Wilmington, North Carolina, are demonstrating right now against the ship carrying military goods to Israel which is currently in the city's port.

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The Ditch @wereontheditch.bsky.social · 2d

The people of Wilmington, North Carolina protest a Nazi regime-linked company being among the suppliers of 563 tonnes of bomb shells and ammunition to Israel from the US – as reported by The Ditch Thursday

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Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 3d

Pretty incredible own goal by liberal institutions and many Democratic electeds to crush the exact type of protests in 2024 that would’ve been the most effective way to slow or stop ICE incursions into American cities in 2025

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unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 3d

ISP gets in formation and a number of them march away from the intersection, toward the parking lot neighboring the ICE facility (it belongs to a business, not ICE's lot).

The crowd starts a rendition of The Imperial March.

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The TRiiBE @thetriibe.com · 3d

All eyes on Broadview, Illinois tonight.

Broadview is a suburb about 12 miles west of Chicago.

Our friends are reporting on the scene ⬇️

unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 3d

Heard an officer say "let's do it" and then, in the dark, they tackle Rabbi Ben to the ground. He's being loaded into a CCSO wagon now. Broadview police also here screaming at people.

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Michael Sappir @m.sappir.net · 3d

A bunch of German arms for Israel's genocide are about to dock in Wilmington, North Carolina.

the Diasporist @thediasporist.bsky.social · 3d

@yossibartal.bsky.social on the cargo ship carrying 162 tons of military goods produced by a German metals conglomerate on its way to Israel: thediasporist.de/162-tons-of-...

162 Tons of Ammunition – the Diasporist

A German metals conglomerate profits from another war of destruction

thediasporist.de

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Michael Sappir @m.sappir.net · 3d

A bunch of German arms for Israel's genocide are about to dock in Wilmington, North Carolina.

the Diasporist @thediasporist.bsky.social · 3d

@yossibartal.bsky.social on the cargo ship carrying 162 tons of military goods produced by a German metals conglomerate on its way to Israel: thediasporist.de/162-tons-of-...

162 Tons of Ammunition – the Diasporist

A German metals conglomerate profits from another war of destruction

thediasporist.de

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the Diasporist @thediasporist.bsky.social · 3d

@yossibartal.bsky.social on the cargo ship carrying 162 tons of military goods produced by a German metals conglomerate on its way to Israel: thediasporist.de/162-tons-of-...

162 Tons of Ammunition – the Diasporist

A German metals conglomerate profits from another war of destruction

thediasporist.de

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Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 4d

I am just so fucking proud of her.

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