TV News LIES

Almost everyone, at this point, has heard of AIPAC, it seems. The Israel-first lobby has made itself notorious through its hardline stance – and has become an increasingly toxic name in American politics, particularly on the Democratic side of the aisle. But that’s where AIPAC’s lesser-known counterpart, Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI), hopes to fill the gap being created as Democrats forswear AIPAC funding.

Founded in 2019 in the wake of Donald Trump’s election and dismantling of the US-Iran deal negotiated by the Obama administration – both of which many Democrats saw as having been supported by AIPAC – DMFI sends a softer message: It supports a two-state solution for Israel-Palestine. And it is sometimes critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But make no mistake – it is here to shore up the flagging (one might say, evaporating) support for Israel among Democrats, through lobbying and, via its sister organization DMFI PAC, with political spending that totals over $25 million since its founding.

As DMFI PAC’s webpage explains, the organization “works to elect pro-Israel Democrats up and down the ballot and defeat those few anti-Israel Democratic candidates” – a description it rounds off by explaining that “being pro-Israel isn’t only good policy, it’s also good politics.” That’s a catchphrase that will surely be familiar to long-time AIPAC watchers. And if there was any remaining doubt, it’s worth noting that not only are some of DMFI PAC’s biggest contributors are also top contributors to AIPAC, but also that DMFI and AIPAC often back the same candidates.

AIPAC lists on its website a series of supposed benefits the US receives as a result of its relationship with Israel – a series of myths that we responded to with the actual facts here.

More...

The United States reportedly delivered around 6,500 tons of weapons and military equipment to Israel within 24 hours, in a large-scale logistics operation involving sea and air transport.

The Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday, April 30, citing Israel’s Defense Ministry, that the shipment included thousands of air and ground munitions, military trucks, and other equipment.

Two cargo ships docked at the Port of Ashdod and the Port of Haifa, while additional supplies were transported by cargo aircraft.

The operation was coordinated between Israel’s Defense Ministry and Washington, with equipment distributed to Israeli military bases across the country.

According to the ministry, Israel has received more than 115,600 tons of military equipment through over 400 airlifts and multiple sea deliveries since the start of its ongoing conflict with Iran.

More...

Israel is preparing to spend nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars on its propaganda arm as it seeks to counter a worsening global image shaped by the genocide in Gaza and regional wars, according to its national budget passed in March.

First reported by The Jerusalem Post, a total of $730m has been allocated to the national public diplomacy directorate, known by its Hebrew name Hasbara, which oversees Israeli propaganda.

The figure marks a sharp increase from the $150m set aside the previous year, which had already surged to roughly 20 times pre-2023 levels.

The scale of the spending points to an intensified effort to improve Israel’s international standing as negative perceptions grow, including in allied countries such as the United States.

More...

Ukraine said its air defenses repelled most of a Russian drone wave targeting the south overnight, as Moscow struck energy infrastructure in Mykolaiv, port facilities in Izmail in Odesa region, and a district of Kharkiv, according to regional officials.

The attacks underscored Russia’s continued pressure on Ukraine’s energy, logistics and urban infrastructure, even as Ukrainian forces reported intercepting most of the UAVs aimed at Izmail.

A Russian UAV struck Kharkiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district, injuring one person, according to Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration.

“An enemy UAV hit has been recorded in Kharkiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district,” Syniehubov wrote on Telegram.

More...

A video of an attack on a French Catholic nun and archeological researcher in Jerusalem has caused widespread revulsion and been denounced as a “shameful act” by Israel’s foreign ministry.

In the video, a man runs up behind the nun as she walks down a street and pushes her over with force, so that the victim comes close to hitting her head on a block of stone. After walking away a few paces, the attacker, who appears to be Jewish, returns to kick the nun as she lies on the ground and only stops when a passerby intervenes.

The nun’s face was grazed but she was not reported to be seriously injured. The Israeli police said they had arrested a 36-year-old man, and that the force would “continue to act with a heavy hand and zero tolerance in order to preserve and maintain the proper and safe fabric of life for all ethnicities and religions in the city of Jerusalem”.

More...

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teenager in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron late on Wednesday.

Ibrahim al-Khayyat, 16, was shot in the abdomen by troops during a raid in the al-Hawooz area, according to medics.

Local media said Israeli forces stormed the area with a large number of military vehicles, closed the main road and forced shop owners to shut their businesses.

The raid was accompanied by live gunfire and tear gas fired at residents, resulting in two people being wounded, including al-Khayyat.

The wounded were taken to the Red Crescent hospital in the city, where al-Khayyat was pronounced dead.

More...