Tamir Hayman, Tel Aviv University’s executive director of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) think tank, writes that a public conversation must take place regarding Israel’s “national identity.”

He lists 10 “theoretical and deliberately exaggerated” interpretations of “new” principles for discussion, including the primacy of Jewish identity over democracy, settlement and civilians as central to security, and prioritizing an independent industrial defense capability, among others.

Although the principles are the de facto, unstated position of the government in light of Oct. 7, the paper suggests clarity on the principles will inform deci-sion-making and dictate Israel’s approach to security.

To preserve security, Israel must be in a constant “state of war” that cannot “be

replaced by a state of peace,” he writes. The intensity of the war may vary with circumstances, but “its constant presence is an asset to national security.”

“Any arrangement with Arab actors is temporary and deceptive,” writes Mr. Hayman, a retired general. Therefore, “any agreements are merely technical and temporary.”

Being self-reliant and not dependent on powers like the United States is necessary because “excessive adherence to restrictions imposed on Israel by a U.S. administration is dangerous.”

He describes the U.S. as a “declining power” that ultimately will “abandon Israel” and subject the colonial state to a “progressive American value system” incompatible with Israel’s Jewish character.

“Severing ties with the United States is therefore not only inevitable, but essential to Israel’s independence and the resilience of its Jewish national identity,” he writes.

The author suggests preemptive strikes—similar to the U.S.-Israel Feb. 28 unprovoked attack on Iran—should be a strategic norm rather than a rarity.

Establishing “forward defense” zones where Israel occupies parts of another nation—as in Southern Lebanon—provides a base to destabilize that nation and allows Israel to move conflict into “enemy territory.”

Dima Yassin mourns over the body of her mother, Dina Yassin, during the funeral of her parents, who were killed in an Israeli army strike on an apartment in Gaza City, Oct. 20.

The paper suggests that a state of Palestine exists as a Western narrative rooted in “post-colonial guilt” and the conflict should instead be viewed as a “permanent Israeli-Arab” conflict.

The ebb and flow of the Palestinian resistance against Israel constitutes the Arab attempt to fight and destroy the State of Israel, he suggests. However, any Arab inhabitant of the “Land of Israel” who chooses to remain in the Jewish state will be granted residency rights and local self-governance, the document says.

The general acknowledges the history of Israeli aggression prior to statehood in which Israelis established settlements in areas occupied by Palestinians or legally purchased land and organized voluntary paramilitary organizations, or “underground militias.”

“Defense is established by creating communities and outposts in all areas of friction with the Arab population, in Judea and Samaria [occupied West Bank area], and in security zones in Syria, Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip,” the document says.

Traditionally, the Declaration of Independence defined Israel as a Jewish state committed to the principles of liberal democracy, General Hayman writes. He calls into question the survivability or the legitimacy of Israel remaining a “civic and democratic” state versus “making religious sources” the framework for setting security priorities. Can a policy seeking to curtail the civil rights of Israel’s Arab citizens still align with Israel’s definition as a “Jewish and Democratic” state, he asks?

This all bears witness to what the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan said in his February 25, 2024, Saviours’ Day address, where he warned of Israel’s intentions.

“The first Nakba or ‘catastrophe’ on the Palestinians was done in 1948 when Israel became a state. And they exiled 700,000 Palestinians and made them like vagabonds in the Earth. But Netanyahu had in mind that he was going to use the pain of their loss to destroy the whole Palestinian community not only in Gaza but the West Bank, (and) East Jerusalem. It was a genocidal attack that he knew would preserve his place as a ‘great Jewish leader,’” Minister Farrakhan said.

“People do strange things when their hatred is so great of the people that they are killing; that their intention was to cleanse Gaza of every Palestinian that lived there and cleanse the West Bank and East Jerusalem so that Israel would not be bothered with Palestinians anymore,” he continued.

“Now some of you, my Black brothers and sisters, you are not concerned about the Middle East; you’re concerned about the refugees that are coming into the major cities that you feel may take your place. But to charge Israel with genocide and have the proof of their charge: South Africa stood up and took Israel to the International Court of Justice at The Hague,” Minister Farrakhan said.

—James G. Muhammad, Contributing Editor

The post Paper suggests Israel must be in ‘constant state of war’ appeared first on Final Call News.

The report, issued Oct. 26 by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said Israeli forces have carried out these acts despite a Gaza ceasefire agreement hammered out by the U.S. in 2025. The document is titled “Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.”

Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israeli concertgoers, Israeli officials have demonstrated “a consistent intent to establish permanent military control over Gaza and to change its demographic composition while systematically destroying Palestinian life,” the report says.

The UN report reflects a white paper issued a week earlier by an Israeli general documenting the “unofficial” operational policy toward Palestinians. (See related story on this page)

From October 7, 2023 to October 9 2025, over 72,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and over 1,000 in the West Bank. From the October 10, 2025, ceasefire to September 30, 2026, 1,431 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 300 children and 130 women, and 137 in the West Bank, the report notes.

The OHCHR has made the finding of genocide in previous reports.

The Israeli Knesset (Parliament) passed a 2024 resolution confirming the perception that a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River would pose a threat to the State of Israel and Israeli Jews.

One legislator was moved to declare in the Knesset that “ … there will never be a Palestinian state in the land of Israel, because there is no such thing as a Palestinian people.” That mentality contributes to a military culture where Palestinians are dehumanized, equated with terrorists and are legitimate targets, the report says.

Therefore, soldiers have broad discretion to use lethal force against a perceived threat, regardless of whether the target poses real danger, the report says, noting instances of killings of unarmed Palestinians.

Major General Avio Bluth said in May 2026 that Israeli soldiers were “killing like we haven’t since 1967,” the document says.

Examples of the brutality include: On June 5, 2026, a seven-month-old baby was shot in the head by Israeli soldiers while in a car with parents. Video footage shows the driver slowed down, stopped and raised his hands when approaching the soldiers. No medical assistance was offered to the family, the report says.

In another incident, four members of a family of six were shot in the head by soldiers on March 15, 2026, while in their car. Two members of the family survived but were subsequently assaulted by soldiers.

Israeli authorities have repeatedly provided “false justifications” for the use of lethal force, intending to deflect responsibility, the report says. In an example of an extrajudicial killing, Israeli soldiers beat, shot and killed two unarmed Palestinian brothers after they approached them with hands raised. Video footage of the incident refuted the Israeli claim that the men attempted to snatch the soldiers’ weapons.

The Israeli government continues to use sexual and gender-based violence, according to the report. Tactics include gang rapes of men, genital violence, forced nudity and cavity searches.

These findings contradict the report by the Trump administration’s “Board of Peace” which reported to the Security Council in May that the ceasefire has largely held, bringing “enormous relief to the civilian population.” The Board of Peace was established in January to draft a peace plan for Gaza.

The report alleges, the Palestinian (PA), a Palestinian-led governing body established to assume interim responsibilities in parts of the West Bank and Gaza, has also committed acts of sexual and gender-based violence to silence women human rights activists, violated freedom of speech and association rights, and the right to peaceful assembly.

In the illegally occupied West Bank, the PA exercises little to no authority over the three areas—A, B and C—with no governing authority over Israelis in either area. In Area A, which contains major Palestinian cities, for example, the PA exercises full civil and security control over Palestinians. The PA has no governing role in Area C.

The PA’s legally binding agreement to cooperate and collaborate on security measures with Israeli authorities, along with the PA’s abuses, has created distrust among Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, the report says.

U.S. observers hold out little hope for change coming from political leaders in the U.S. or Israel. Real hope lies in the current trend by civilians in the U.S. to curb military support for Israel.

A Palestinian man carries metal sheets past the ruins of buildings destroyed during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza City, Oct. 18. Photos: AP/Jehad Alshrafi

“These kinds of reports do not lead to change on their own,” said Phyllis Bennis, director of the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies. “They’re important as tools for civil society in our mobilizations, challenging Israeli genocide, Israeli ethnic cleansing.”

“Those crimes are carried out with U.S. weapons, paid for by U.S. tax dollars, protected by U.S. vetoes at the UN Security Council. So, the U.S. government is complicit in those crimes. The question is, how are we as civil society, social movements going to use these important UN reports as further evidence of what many have been saying for a very long time?” she said.

The OHCHR made nine recommendations to the State of Israel, two recommendations to the State of Palestine, five to UN Member States and one recommendation to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

Recommendations to Israel included a demand for an immediate end to the commission of genocide in Gaza, an end to “unlawful occupation” of Palestinian territory, and to provide effective remedies, including compensation, restitution and rehabilitation, for families of persons killed or injured, including victims of sexual violence, and those who suffered destruction of property.

To Palestine, it called for independent investigations of human rights violations and to provide remedies for harm suffered and to cease targeting human rights activists.

The Israeli Government did not respond to two requests for information from the OHCHR.

The post UN Report: Israel guilty of genocide, human rights abuses appeared first on Final Call News.

Even if Republicans retain a majority in both houses, it is possible that some Republicans may express more independence and vote against him since they can no longer be primaried and they recognize the war quagmire the U.S. is getting itself into, along with rising prices across the board for the average American.

Democrats, with any victory, most definitely will throw up obstacles to the Trump agenda, particularly against the war, but not necessarily in the legislative body’s support of Israel, which many observers say is the reason Mr. Trump attacked Iran.

A Pew Research poll conducted Sept. 28-Oct. 4 among 5,062 adults and reported on Oct. 8 showed 65% disapproval of the Iran war. Pollster Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin Iran War Poll Tracker reported on Oct. 30 a 57% disapproval rating.

Muhammad Sankara of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network noted the awakening of the American public to speak out more against the atrocities committed by Israel and how U.S. legislators lag behind.

“There is a potential political opening in the U.S. now that has not existed in a generation or more,” he said regarding opposition against Israeli behavior. “People are recognizing there is real injustice taking place and we don’t want the U.S. to bear the brunt of the moral, financial and ethical responsibilities. But, again, the interest of [Democrats in Congress] is to save Israel.”

None of the options to end the war are favorable for Mr. Trump. Some argue the war could have ended in June when presidents of both warring countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

Mr. Trump can still make a deal, although he violated the agreement shortly thereafter with another attack on the Islamic Republic. As a result, Iran has hardened its resolve on adherence to its demands before any peace negotiations.

Those demands include a withdrawal of the U.S. Naval blockade and Iran maintains control of the Strait of Hormuz, which was open and had free passage prior to the war. Mr. Trump would probably perceive such a negotiation as a defeat.

Another option, which Mr. Trump appears to be prepared to activate, is a short but intense bombing campaign. U.S. military presence in the Persian Gulf has increased significantly over the last month and U.S. citizens at embassies and in those countries have been advised to evacuate in light of a pending attack.

But absent ground troops along with the bombings, the president will not achieve the outcome he is looking for, according to analysts. And ground troops will result in casualties.

Such a campaign would also result in Iran unleashing an all-out attack on the vital energy and technology infrastructure as well as critical desalination plants in neighboring Gulf countries allied with a U.S. attack. Iran’s attacks would cripple the global economy for years and cause massive suffering in Gulf countries, observers note.

The attack most certainly would impact the conflict occurring in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, where Ansar Allah (Houthi) forces allied with Iran are fighting Yemeni forces that are backed by Saudi Arabia. Ansar Allah has attacked Saudi vessels in the strait and attacked Saudi oil infrastructure, further limiting oil exports to the world market.

A months-long Naval blockade by the U.S. on Iran is causing significant economic hardships, adding to the decades of suffering caused by previous sanctions. Continuing the economic pressure would prolong the conflict into what would look like a “forever war,” which the president campaigned against.

The president could couple economic pressure with limited bombings on critical areas. The question still to be answered is, will Iran unleash its “scorched earth” response to any attack by the U.S. or Israel, regardless of the scale of the attack? And will Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abide by President Trump’s wishes if he advises Israel not to engage Iran?

Mr. Netanyahu is fighting for his political life after losing his majority in the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) in recent elections and could lose his post. He is also facing criminal corruption charges, which could leave him vulnerable to imprisonment if he is no longer prime minister, according to analysts. The International Criminal Court has also issued a warrant for Mr. Netanyahu’s arrest on war crimes.

Under such pressure, he may feel forced to launch an attack. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, whose coalition came in second in the elections and who could become prime minister, told heads of the security forces to resist attempts by Mr. Netanyahu to use his post for political aims, according to the Times of Israel.

“Remember that you serve the state and the interests of Israel’s citizens alone. Stand firm against any attempt to pressure you. You have my full backing,” he said, according to the report.

The statement came against the backdrop of reports that an Israeli Defense Force chief had resisted a push by Mr. Netanyahu to strike Iran before the Oct. 27 election. Speculation has continued that Netanyahu still may order an attack on Iran, the paper reported.

U.S. military advisers must also consider the widely reported depletion of weapons stockpiles. Use of such weapons in another attack would further deplete those weapons and leave the U.S. military vulnerable if another conflict should emerge, perhaps with a more powerful military such as China or Russia.

Then again, with the midterms behind him, President Trump may continue to work his agenda regardless of opposition from either party and fight the consequences. He has proven the capacity to do that.

The post Trump and the future of the Iran war appeared first on Final Call News.

Prime Minister Netanyahu wanted to strike Iran earlier in October, but facing high gas prices and low polling numbers heading into the U.S. midterms, however, President Trump nixed that idea, according to various media reports.

For President Trump, results in the midterms will determine if his Republican Party maintains control or loses the majority in the House and/or the Senate. A loss in either will create problems for the president.

The New York Times reported Oct. 22 from anonymous sources a plan for a “short but intensive operation” against Iran after Nov. 3. There has also been a sizeable increase of U.S. military ships and troops in the Gulf region.

Mr. Trump has hinted the U.S. may use a GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, dubbed the “mother of all bombs,” against Iran in a new strike. The bomb, a powerful non-nuclear ordnance, most likely would be used to target nuclear production sites in Iran’s mountainous regions, reports suggest.

Iran, on the other hand, has vowed to strike the regions oil facilities, data centers, AI facilities and undersea cables if an attack is launched. Israel and the U.S. started the conflict on Feb. 28 in an unprovoked attack on Iran.

Closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a result of the war now moving into its ninth month, has caused critical shortages of oil, fertilizer and other commodities worldwide. Iran’s threat in defense of more U.S./Israeli attacks to further damage critical infrastructure would devastate the global economy.

Eyes on the elections Analysts are clear the Oct. 27 elections in Israel won’t make much difference in the direction of the war and will not ease the aggression and destruction of lives and property for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

The two parties competing to form a governing coalition—Netanyahu’s Likud Party, whose coalition is currently in power, and Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar Party—oppose an independent Palestinian state and will continue to occupy Gaza until Hamas disarms.

Muhammad Sankari of the U.S. Palestine Community Network refers to the contest as “rearranging the deck of chairs on the Titanic.”

“Whoever wins will absolutely continue the genocide against people in Gaza, continue the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, and continue attempts to drive Palestinians out,” he said, adding the only change may be the name of the political party.

Mr. Netanyahu supports the settler expansion in the West Bank and the building of homes for settlers in an area known as E1 that would sever East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank and make a two-state solution unachievable.

Mr. Eisenkot generally favors settlements but says they should comply with Israeli law. He would dismantle settlements built without authorization and he has pledged to prevent violence by settlers against Palestinians.

Both refuse to form a governing coalition with the small parties that include Israeli citizens of Palestinian descent. Neither Netanyahu’s nor Eisenkot’s coalition is expected to win the 61 seats needed for a governing coalition. If negotiations to win a majority prove fruitless, another election would be held.

Israel has had five national votes since 2019. The Oct. 27 vote will be the first in 38 years, however, to be held at the natural end of a full Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) term.

Mr. Netanyahu got a late Oct. 18 endorsement from President Trump. On the next day, Vice President JD Vance declined to endorse him even as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth held an unannounced meeting with Netanyahu in Israel that analysts speculate was to discuss post-election war actions.

Issues in the campaigns Among major issues in the Israeli election: Did Mr. Netanyahu know in advance of the planned Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack? The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, in February of 2024, revealed the prime minister knew of the pending attack but allowed the Israeli citizens to be “martyred” to give him an excuse attack.

(Visit watch.noi.org to view, “What Does Allah The Great Mahdi and The Great Messiah Have To Say About The War In The Middle East?” delivered by Minister Farrakhan at Saviours’ Day 2024.)

Haaretz, the Israel-based publication revealed in a September 2026 article, “Revealed: Netanyahu Received an Explicit Warning Days Before Oct. 7.

He Didn’t Brief Israel’s Security Chiefs,” that United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan called Mr. Netanyahu 10 days before October 7, 2023, that Hamas was planning to attack. The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times also reported that other “regional allies” had warned Mr. Netanyahu in advance.

Prior to the Hamas attack which has resulted in a genocide of the Palestinians with nearly 75,000 deaths of mostly women and children in Gaza, Mr. Netanyahu was on the hot seat in his own country.

His ongoing fraud and corruption case in Israeli courts, which started in 2020, continues to hamper his campaign along with memories of large public protests the prime minister faced prior to the Gaza war for his attempts to curb the powers of Israel’s Supreme Court. The high cost of living is also an issue.

Likewise, some observers hold out little hope that significant pressure for change will be placed on Israel if U.S. Democrats win one or both houses of Congress.

Mohyeddin Abdulaziz, co-founder of the Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance, said the “Zionist alliance” has oversized control of political parties in the country and handcuff politicians with financial contributions. “We must have a new generation of leaders, which the American people say they want, they want change in U.S. policies toward Israel,” he said.

Morgan State University professor Wilmer Leon said Black leadership in the Democratic Party must be more vocal against the genocide occurring in Gaza and settler violence in the West Bank.

He referenced words from leaders like Zehut Party member Moshe Feiglin who has described the killing of Palestinian infants in Gaza as a “moral” response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, according to The Jerusalem Post.

“When someone in the government says their moral obligation is to kill Palestinian babies, you can’t negotiate that. You’re dealing with inhumanity. That’s the true definition of genocide,” said Professor Leon. “Where do Black elected officials that are on the AIPAC payroll stand on that issue?” he asked.

The post U.S.-Israel threaten attack on Iran after elections appeared first on Final Call News.

Then any photo from the 1995 Million Man March will reflect the beauty and peace of that day when nearly two million Black men convened on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., under the theme of “Atonement, Reconciliation and Responsibility” and received instructions from the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan to first atone with God.

Our challenge today is to revisit his instructions and the pledges we made and work to make the change. What were those directives, what was our pledge? Under the theme “Atonement, Reconciliation and Responsibility,” Minister Farrakhan put the burden on us to come out of our condition rather than calling on others to solve our problems.

Atonement means making amends and correcting wrongs. Reconciliation means restoring relationships damaged by those wrongs. Responsibility means becoming accountable for the work required to sustain that restoration. If applied, these principles allow us to move from acknowledgment to repair to continued action.

He invited leaders of major Black institutions, nationalists, integrationists, women and youth to say a word to the masses. Minister Farrakhan shared the platform to let our community and the world know that the message was not exclusive to the Nation of Islam, but inclusive of the breadth of Black thought. He delivered a clear message.

Minister Farrakhan called for a cessation of violence, respect for family and our women, building a Black economy and personal development. He called for every man to join a faith-based group and an organization that is doing work to improve the community, register to vote and build independent Black political power, increase the Black adoption rate, and eliminate crime, among other objectives.

He created the Eight Steps of Atonement that, if followed, would help resolve every area of conflict without confrontation or violence. (See page 32) Men stood on that mall—some for 10 hours or more in one place—and took the pledge to strive to love my brother as I love myself;

Never to use the “B word” to describe any female; never engage in the abuse of children for sexual gratification; to build businesses, houses, hospitals, factories and enter into international trade, and more.

How have we done?

Every day we lament violence in our neighborhood, much of it involving Black young men. Television news shows young mothers or grandmothers shedding tears over senseless loss of life, either at the hands of our own community or at the hands of ruthless law enforcement. It is evidence that we have not yet collectively heeded Minister Farrakhan’s call.

We rarely examine the forces and agendas that help keep our communities in this condition. We might ask but never answer why calls for Black liberation are repeatedly resisted by the oppressor. Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Kwame Ture and others spoke in uncompromising terms about liberation; their messages sought not to attack others, but to unite Black people.

Minister Farrakhan has said the idea for a Million Man March was not his—it was inspired by Allah (God) when he spoke it during a speech. Once he realized what he said, he went to work to make it a reality. He launched a year-long tour—“Let Us Make Man!”— speaking to men only.

The unseen hand of the enemy immediately went to work, inviting others through media narratives to join the condemnation: Why only men? Why can’t women attend?

Thankfully, most of our community saw through the subterfuge. Many women brought their husband and sons to these meetings while they stood outside cheering them on.

Organized efforts toward Black unity have repeatedly faced opposition from government agencies, media institutions and outside organizations. The enemy’s propaganda led some of our leaders and organizations to publicly work against Mr. Garvey’s call.

The Black Panthers did miraculous work in the community. Some of their programs were even reproduced by the U.S. Government. Yet, the F.B.I. moved to neutralize them. They infiltrated Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s movement. The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s self-help platform was called “hate teaching.”

Opposition to the Million Man March was, at that time, a culmination of efforts by leaders in White America to derail Minister Farrakhan’s attempts to unite Black people.

Throughout our history in the U.S., when Black America takes two steps forward, eventually we’re forced to take a step backwards. Reconstruction bred Jim Crow. Forty acres and a mule was never realized. Progress experienced under one political party, Republican or Democrat, results in regression under the next administration.

From “Emancipation” in 1863 to 2026, vital statistics of the Black community show that despite progress, we have serious disparities in health, wealth, life expectancy, infant mortality, unemployment, and the list goes on.

The Million Man March created an opportunity for Black men to demonstrate a drastic change in personal conduct, family responsibility, community safety, economic development and political engagement.

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has been a faithful warner to America and the world and a true lover of Black people. He has sacrificed 71 years of his life to the Teachings of his teacher, the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Eternal Leader of the Nation of Islam. He has survived, by Allah’s (God’s) grace, attempts to take his life.

He gave us instructions on October 16, 1995. As Black men, we now must rededicate ourselves to those demands and make our communities safe and decent places to live.

It’s not too late to make that change. And better yet, our women and children will celebrate it.

The post Duty of the Messenger: Deliver the Message! The Million Man March legacy must be upheld appeared first on Final Call News.

The elections will determine if President Trump’s Republican Party will maintain control over both houses of Congress, or if Democrats will grab one or both, either of which will present serious obstacles to the Trump agenda.

A Sept. 21 Reuters/Ipsos poll showed President Trump’s national approval rating at 32%, the lowest of his political career, and a 13-point drop to 73% among Republicans.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also faces an election to determine if he will hold his seat as prime minister. Mr. Netanyahu—widely reported to have enticed Mr. Trump to join him in an unprovoked attack on Iran on Feb. 28—has been an absent party in the war since around late April after the initial attack, leaving the American military to pursue the war alone.

Mr. Netanyahu is currently the defendant in a corruption case involving bribery, fraud and breach of trust. If he loses his seat, much of his immediate attention will be drawn to defending himself and avoiding possible jail time. He has denied any wrongdoing.

The International Criminal Court has also charged him as a war criminal.

Dear U.S. citizens

Gen. Hossein Mohebbi of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, in what was called a “letter to the American people,” addressed the upcoming U.S. elections directly. Iran has previously written letters to the American public, hoping to deliver a clear message on their positions.

Gen. Mohebbi told The Associated Press and Reuters the American people should take to the streets and protest the Trump administration’s war-mongering policies.

He said the U.S. uses Iran’s nuclear program as an excuse to “plunder” Iran’s wealth and turn the country back into a colony. The letter says Iran’s nuclear program is to advance technologies for its citizenry, not for a nuclear weapon, the main argument Mr. Trump uses for the war.

Iran and the U.S. defended their positions in the war as presidents of both spoke before the 81st General Assembly of the United Nations gathered Sept. 22-26 in New York.

Regarding the November election, President Trump said, “They’re (Iran) waiting to see how I do in the midterm election. What they don’t realize is I’m not running. … The Republican Party is running and I’ll be helping them.”

“I give absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran. It doesn’t even enter my mind,” he said, in a speech critics say initially sounded like a “state of the union,” reflecting national accomplishments of the administration. The Associated Press fact check also noted Mr. Trump made “myriad false and misleading claims.”

Mr. Trump invited the world leaders to join him in enforcing an economic “D-Day” his administration announced in August to increase economic pressure on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s currency, the rial, reportedly has continued to fall to historic lows as the U.S. continues a naval blockade targeting Iranian oil exports while imposing additional sanctions aimed at restricting Tehran’s access to money and military supplies.

The U.S. president touted his Gaza peace plan and ceasefire negotiated between Hamas and Israeli forces (IDF), even though the IDF continues to fire missiles into Gaza, killing civilians. His Board of Peace recently announced a $2.45 billion plan to rebuild Gaza.

In response to U.S. attacks, Iran has inflicted severe damage to vital U.S. military bases and equipment throughout the Middle East.

Might makes right?

Mr. Trump has boasted of using military might to invade Venezuela, kidnap its president and first lady, and take control of that nation’s oil reserves. “Last month, we signed the largest oil deal in history, covering 65 billion barrels of oil, which will benefit both Venezuela and the United States,” he said.

He described the U.S. military as a force that will assert American power “where necessary in our region and around the world to create a safer future for us all,” a statement critics say should make nations nervous.

The UN was created after World War II as a forum for countries to discuss issues and avoid conflict, explained Dr. Wilmer Leon, a Morgan State University political science professor.

“We have a sitting American president coming to the UN talking about military force and using veiled threats of using nuclear weapons to annihilate a member state,” he said. “That demonstrates he doesn’t understand his audience or that he really has no interest in diplomacy.”

Regarding the upcoming elections, Dr. Leon said President Trump would be ill-advised to resume the fighting. “It would mean American body bags arriving at Dover Air Force Base before the election. That’s a very bad idea.”

The day after President Trump addressed the UN Assembly, President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran said he adjusted his prepared speech because “yesterday, the United States president described us as terrorists. We have been the victims of terrorism.”

He said their Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated by the U.S. and Israel “without any legal framework or reason.” Innocent children “whom, in truth committed no crimes, no sins” were killed at a school and at a sports facility by American bombs. (See related story on page 14)

“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists. Our innocent people have been the targets of cowardly attacks and aggressions imposed upon our country,” he argued.

In Gaza, some 70,000 civilians have been killed “then they label us as terrorist. Are we the sources of instability? We only seek to live independently.”

“For the last two centuries Iran has not attacked any country or territory, but we have always defended ourselves,” President Pezeshkian said.

Iran recently offered a shorter version of a plan—the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both presidents in June—that called for a seven-day cessation of hostilities and planned phased reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Mr. Trump rejected the new plan outright, but Iran said it was reviewing the U.S. counterproposal at Final Call press time.

Iran’s latest proposal includes lifting the U.S. naval blockade and sanctions relief.

Meanwhile, Iran has rejected attempts to associate it with two incidents labeled “terror attacks.” Five “masked” men were arrested near England’s Royal Air Force Base, which is used by the U.S. to launch attacks on Iran. They were released on bail Sept. 28 without charge. Tehran has also rejected any association with an attempt to crash a passenger jet filled with Israeli citizens.

The copilot in a Sept. 31 FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Israel reportedly stabbed the pilot in an alleged attempt to take control of the plane and crash it. The plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia and at Final Call presstime, the identity of the copilot or motive was not known.

Some critics and podcasters have labeled the events as “false flag” operations to justify an attack on Tehran.

The post Are Trump, Iran playing a November waiting game? Both sides view U.S. elections as critical to course of war appeared first on Final Call News.

That statement by UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres on the organization’s website touting its 81st General Assembly meeting in New York was an issue raised by world leaders Sept. 22-26 as genocide in Palestine took a prominent position in statements delivered by presidents and heads of state.

Is the UN still relevant in an era of war and the genocide of the Palestinian people?

The president of France condemned the genocide being carried out by Israel on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank while also questioning the credibility and effectiveness of the world body.

“One year ago, several dozen states in the United Nations recognized Palestine,” a passionate Emmanuel Macron told heads of state Sept. 22. “You recognized it on paper. … But what is our credibility worth if we remain inactive on Gaza?”

Mr. Macron pointed out Israel’s daily violations of international law. He referenced the violence by Israeli settlers with the military’s support on Palestinians in the West Bank and the continued bombing of civilians in Gaza.

“What we need is respect for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, their legitimate right to exist,” he said, describing the situation in Palestine as “shameful.”

Denouncing the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, an action that Israel claims justifies its genocidal response, UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres said Israel’s “scale of killing and destruction” is unlike anything he has seen in his years as secretary-general.

He said Israel has ignored and violated legally binding provisions by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In past statements, he has cited Israel’s killing more humanitarian and aid workers in Gaza, claiming the deaths mark the highest loss of life in a single crisis in UN history.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports 560-595 humanitarian and aid workers have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza and the West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023.

“Violence, displacement and settlement expansion by Israel in the Occupied West Bank are bulldozing the path to peace and raising the specter of ethnic cleansing. We cannot allow the two-State solution to disappear before our eyes,” he said.

Turkiye President Recep Tayyib Erdogan called Gaza “the world’s largest graveyard for children” and a place where the highest rate for child amputees exists. He said despite an internationally recognized ceasefire in Gaza and Hamas’s agreement to move to the second phase of the peace plan established by the U.S., “the Israeli Government is unwilling to halt the occupation.”

In its 81-year existence, “the UN has become unable to fulfill this mission,” he said.

Qatar, the Gulf nation instrumental in helping to negotiate past disputes and currently involved in helping to resolve the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, said the “arrogance and hubris” of Israel has affected the security of the Gulf region.

“Future generations will be astonished by the enormous gap between the scale of the catastrophe and the level of the international response to stop it. The law must apply equally to all,” said Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar.

Speaking for the UK and Northern Ireland, Prime Minister Andy Burnham condemned Hamas for its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed 1,200 concert goers and 251 hostages, but said that does not justify Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians. To date, over 73,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

He said a construction project planned by Israel would divide the West Bank to the point of making a two-state solution beyond reach.

Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama questioned the “might makes right” attitude of some superpower nations and using veto power as a “license for impunity.” The Palestinian genocide highlights the UN’s crisis of credibility, he said.

“We must stop using diplomatic euphemisms to veil the human carnage taking place in Gaza. How many more innocent lives must be lost before the world acts with decisive moral authority?

The blood of five-year-old Hind Rajab, and the more than 20,000 children killed in this brutal conflict, cries out to the conscience of the world,” he said, referencing the Palestinian child whose car—along with the ambulance and Red Crescent paramedics sent to rescue her—was bombed Jan. 29, 2024.

By Israeli forces as she was on a cell phone call with the Red Crescent. She had initially survived Israeli gunfire that claimed the lives of family members in the vehicle.

Even as criticisms were being launched, Israeli forces were bulldozing olive trees in Palestinian West Bank communities as harvest season approaches and killed seven Palestinians across the region, according to news reports.

In a Sept. 23 incident, an Israeli drone attack on a vehicle near the city of Khan Younis killed two people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu identified one victim as a senior Hamas finance official, reports said.

Meanwhile, President Trump’s so-called Board of Peace proposed a $2.4 billion plan to begin reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.

Denied an entry visa by the Trump administration, Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, which has “observer status” to the UN, delivered a statement via a pre-recorded video. He declared the denial of entry is a violation of the obligation of the U.S. as the host country and that Palestine had accepted President Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza.

“What is the international community waiting for in order to protect the Palestinian people, ensure their continued presence on their land and … implement the two-state solution on the basis of international legitimacy?” he asked.

He said the destruction of buildings and infrastructure in Gaza is to cause Palestinians to voluntarily leave their land. To the Palestinian people, he said: “You have painted the greatest picture of pride and dignity by holding steadfastly onto your land, your unity, and your legitimate rights. We will not accept displacement, and we will not allow anyone to decide our future on our behalf. We decide for ourselves.”

A flood of delegates rose to exit the assembly when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approached the podium to deliver his message, trying to justify the atrocities of his government.

He leveled unsubstantiated claims against New York Mayor Mamdani for creating an atmosphere of fear for Jews in New York.

Mr. Netanyahu highlighted “the hypocrisy” of Britain and France for calling Israel a colonial state, saying those countries invented the term. He claimed Israel was “a nation of laws.”

“They assure us that Israel is a country governed by laws,” countered Jordan’s King Abdullah bin Al Hussein. “Yet, what is happening on the ground says otherwise.”

He described Israeli soldiers watching or protecting as settlers attack Palestinians and the targeting of international journalists and medical professionals. He criticized the world body for its short attention span that determines which conflicts receive sustained diplomacy and which fade from the agenda.

“For decades, I have stood before this Assembly and warned of the dangers of leaving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict unresolved. But the international community chose to manage the conflict, not confront it,” he said. “If international law can be ignored for decades, then what exactly is that law worth?”

The post World leaders question UN’s relevance in era of war and genocide appeared first on Final Call News.

Seven Republicans joined the Democrats to pass the mostly symbolic measure that can be vetoed if it reaches the president’s desk.

The House passed the measure on Sept. 15. President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched the unprovoked attack on Feb. 28.

The vote and allegations came as a front in the war opened wider as Iran-backed Ansar Allah (Houthi) forces advanced in its fight to control the Bab Al Mandeb Strait, the second critical waterway in the Gulf region through which Saudi Arabia ships crude oil.

Prior to the war, the Strait of Hormuz, now controlled by Iran, accounted for about 20% of the world’s crude oil shipments, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, while Bab al Mandeb accounted 5%-9%.

In a perhaps surprising and unexpected move, a reported request from Saudi Prince Mohammed Bin Salman for U.S. military assistance to halt advancing Ansar Allah forces was rebuffed by President Trump, deciding instead to provide the Kingdom with military intelligence.

“There is no sense in Washington that the U.S. owes the Saudis anything,” said Phyllis Bennis, director of the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), emphasizing the “transactional” nature of Trump administration’s relationships.

“The Trump administration has said that explicitly about NATO countries, that we have no obligation to support them. This is just one more example that the Saudis are not special in that way.”

She said Persian Gulf countries that rely on U.S. military protection may seek other means of security while not necessarily moving completely away from the U.S. “Some may look for other options, some may try to normalize their relationship with Iran,” she said. “They’re seeing they can’t count on the U.S. for what they thought were promises of what they’d get for hosting a military base in their country.”

The War Powers vote might have been influenced by a Sept. 15 government watchdog report that quantified significant war-related hardware and facility losses previously known but not widely reported.

Compounding the administration’s problems are Sept. 18 reports by The Washington Post that four more service members died than what appears in the Pentagon’s public database, known as the Defense Casualty Analysis System, and UN allegations that the U.S. committed war crimes for the bombings of a school and sports facility at the beginning of the war.

Watchdogs confirm damage

An Inspector General’s report that included information from watchdog groups for the Defense and State departments and the U.S. Agency for International Development revealed Iranian missiles damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and other structures on U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan.

Iranian attacks compromised dozens of U.S. airplanes and drones, including MQ-9 Reaper drones and KC-135 refueling planes. Reaper drones cost $30 million each, the report noted.

At the same time, according to the report, the State Department negotiated sales of more than $44 billion in emergency and non-emergency military products to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations.  Sales included military helicopters, munitions and munitions support as well as advanced precision weapons systems, the report said.

The War Powers vote took place as nervous Republican legislators return home to campaign for November midterm elections. They know they will face voters who mostly oppose the war and are tired of rising gas and food prices.

The BBC reported that a barrel of oil cost $72.48 at the start of the war. A barrel was priced at $103.47 on Sept. 18, according to oilprice.com.

Iowa’s two Republican representatives, both military veterans, voted in favor of the War Powers resolution. Both opposed it in previous votes.

“I will not vote to keep our soldiers in an open-ended war, with Iowans paying too much at the pump. The Iranian regime and its nuclear ambitions have been defanged. The President needs to present a plan to Congress and the American people for how these ends so we can focus on bringing our soldiers home and lowering prices,” said Rep. Marionnette Miller-Meeks.

Referencing two Iowans killed in a drone attack in Kuwait, Rep. Zach Nunn said, “Congress owes them, their families, and every American in uniform clear objectives and constitutional oversight. With the negotiating window closed, sustained combat operations now require congressional authorization. … We can defend Americans, pressure Iran, and pursue peace while ensuring Congress fulfills its constitutional responsibility.”

Other Republicans voting for the resolution were Thomas Massie (Ky.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Warren Davisson (Ohio), Tom Barrett (Mich.), and Nancy Mace (S.C.).

The Senate has narrowly voted to oppose a resolution on two previous occasions and has not voted since July 30.

No U.S. strategy in Iran war

With the Strait of Hormuz controlled by Iran, the U.S. and other nations were concerned that Iran-allied Ansar Allah would seize control of the Bab Al Mandeb strait at the southern end of the Red Sea.

Prince bin Salman made two calls to President Trump Sept. 10, one asking for military strikes on Ansar Allah forces, according to news reports. Ansar Allah succeeded in securing Bab al Mandeb coastal territory and the island of Perim (also known as Mayyum) giving them control of the waterway.

Ansar Allah forces, however, signaled to the international community that shipping through the strait remains safe for ships, except those from Saudi Arabia.

The conflict between Ansar Allah and Saudi Arabia began in 2014 when Ansar Allah captured the capital city Sana’a from the transitional government of Abdurabbuh Mansur Hadi.

In 2015, Mr. Hadi fled to Saudi Arabia from which Operation Decisive Storm—a Saudi-led coalition of forces to reinstate Mr. Hadi—was launched. Today, the civil war continues with Ansar Allah controlling one third of Yemen. President Rashad Al-Amini leads the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized Yemen government.

The lack of U.S. strategic planning has been a major criticism of Mr. Trump’s “unnecessary war,” according to Morgan State University political science professor Wilmer Leon.

“If the Trump administration had a plan, then how to deal with the Saudi situation would have been part of the plan. Because there was no plan, there was no process to deal with peripheral issues,” he told The Final Call.

He recounted the U.S.’ role in creating what’s happening between the Saudis and Ansar Allah.  The (Barack) Obama administration encouraged the Saudis to fight Yemen, he said, adding the Biden administration later labeled Ansar Allah as a terrorist group during a time when the Saudis and Ansar Allah were negotiating a peace treaty.

‘They blew the hell out of Bahrain’

Evidence of the lack of planning has been seen in depleted weapons stockpiles, lengthy troop deployments, maintenance issues on ships, depletion of emergency fuel stockpiles, and low morale among military personnel, among other issues.

The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier recently was ordered to return to port after more than 10 months at sea resulting in unsustainable conditions on the ship and among shipmates.

Two U.S. officials who spoke to The Intercept news told of early miscalculations in the U.S. strategy: one, that Iran would buckle under the size of the U.S. Navy presence; two, the U.S.’ mission was seriously crippled at the outset when Iranian missiles destroyed the U.S. Navy logistics hub in Bahrain.

“They blew the hell out of Bahrain,” Navy Secretary Hung Cao would later admit in an interview with The Epoch Times, the damage of which was documented in the Inspector General’s report.

Dr. Leon said the USS Gerald Ford is an example of the lack of strategy and planning by the U.S. Iran knows it can’t defeat the Navy ships, so they just cut off  the fleets’ supply chain, he said.

“Iran says, ‘It’s gonna need water. They’re gonna need food. They’re going to need to be resupplied,’” Dr. Leon said.

“So, they strike the base that supplies the ship. They don’t have to attack the ship. The ship will eventually leave because it can’t support itself and that takes us back to the adage: You have the watches, but we have the time.”

The post U.S. grows weary of Iran war appeared first on Final Call News.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio—Jocelyn Rhau sits at a table near the entrance of the Rose Goute Creole restaurant. A Haitian flag and an American flag are situated on either side of the front door behind him, seemingly representing his heritage and his aspirations.

Wearing a yellow T-shirt with the word “Boston” in capital letters across his chest and the sleeves cut off at the shoulders, he looks across a table that is as empty as the restaurant itself. Except for a small delegation of journalists in the city to talk to people like him.

The main thing accompanying him is an unfamiliar silence—no clanging kitchen utensils, no conversations among neighborhood residents, and no Haitian music over the speakers.

The restaurant is a popular establishment that, on any given day before July 27, was bustling with crowds from surrounding communities eating and enjoying Haitian music.

That was before President Donald Trump eliminated the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, a federal program that allows migrants to live and even work in the U.S. if it is too dangerous for them to return to their country.

Today in Springfield, most Haitians live in fear, community leaders told The Final Call.

Haitians in the U.S. were granted TPS protection following a devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. That protection was extended, and other refugees were allowed in through the years because of disease, hurricanes, the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, and extensive violence before and since.

President Trump went after the status in 2017 during his first term, arguing the earthquake’s structural damage had been resolved. The courts, addressing lawsuits filed against the administration, issued injunctions challenging termination of the program.

Feb. 3, 2026, was the expiration date for the latest extensions. After clearing the remaining legal hurdles, the Trump administration terminated TPS for Haitians on July 27.

Interviews conducted by The Final Call in Springfield described widespread fear since the termination took effect. Because many residents speak Haitian Creole, reporters traveled with an interpreter, who approached prospective interviewees and explained the purpose of the reporting. Many declined to speak.

At a law office serving the Haitian community, located in a nearly empty three-story office building, most doors were locked. Signs warned that ICE was not allowed or that entry was restricted to authorized personnel. ICE is U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

When reporters knocked on the frosted glass window of the door, the silhouette of a person approached. Too hesitant to open the door, the person slid a piece of paper with a number to an authorized person to contact at the law office.

When a reporter approached two hotel workers returning from an outside break and announced he was in town to do a story on the problems Haitians are facing, the workers blurted, “We know nothing about that,” before going into a side hotel door.

In the restaurant, Mr. Rhau explained the fear. “After they said TPS was ending, ICE began arresting people. They were arresting people everywhere. I am only 39 years old, and the stress is making my hair fall out. Even though I am not working now, I could be working.”

In response, Haitian residents set up early warning systems using WhatsApp and other social media platforms to message residents about the presence of ICE agents. Most recently, two Haitian pastors were apprehended. One, Gilbert Joubert Adrien, was in his vehicle with four passengers on Aug. 20 when ICE agents blocked his car and took him into custody, according to local activists.

Less than two weeks later, 20-year-old Wright State University student Pierre Damas Bel died after being struck by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 70. Authorities were investigating the Aug. 31 death as a possible suicide.

His family and community members said he had been distressed and humiliated after ICE required him to wear an ankle monitor (See related story on page 3). Monitoring devices in various forms are given to the undocumented so they can be tracked and eventually deported. The exact number of people detained and deported to Haiti is unclear.

James Fleurijean and Hubert Calixte are Haitian activists familiar with the daily struggles the people endure. Mr. Calixte is a U.S. resident born in Haiti. He serves his people as an interpreter and sometimes a mediator.

When a resident receives a letter from ICE to come to their office for a tracking device, Mr. Calixte sometimes transports them. The tracking device comes in the form of an ankle monitor, an app placed on a cell phone or a digital watch.

Mr. Calixte is a familiar face and can sometimes negotiate for a resident to receive a less noticeable form of tracking. If he had been with Pierre, he said he may have been able to convince ICE to place him with a watch or an app on his phone.

Mr. Fleurijean is a board member of the Haitian Community Help & Support Center. His agency shoulders the weight of being what he describes as the only Haitian organization in the city that distributes vital household supplies and food.

As volunteers stuffed boxes with items like laundry detergent, diapers, and tissue, Mr. Fleurijean explained that most of the boxes are delivered. Very few people venture out of their homes to come to the center, he said.

Other agencies do similar work, but Mr. Fleurijean explained, “All the responsibilities have been on our back. We are the ones they come to when they have some immigration issue, when they need an attorney, an interpreter; they come to us.

“If they have a rent issue, they come to us, food, everything, even water,” he said.

As The Final Call spoke with Mr. Fleurijean, he got a call from the son of one of the detained pastors, asking for help with an issue he was facing to help his detained father.

Haitians came for work, and helped Springfield recover

The growth of Springfield’s Haitian population accelerated as workers responded to job opportunities in the area and then shared their experiences with relatives and friends. Local leaders and residents said manufacturing, warehouse and service-sector employers needed workers, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, the town of 58,000 has an estimated 12,000-15,000 Haitian residents in Springfield and Clark County, according to local government estimates. As they began to thrive, they opened small businesses in mostly abandoned strip malls. By many accounts, Haitians helped to revive the city.

“There were lots of jobs. The factories, the warehouses were giving bonuses,” Mr. Fleurijean at the Community Center explained to The Final Call. “They would put out ads asking people to come to work. When I came to Springfield, it was just a ghost town.”

The population growth also strained schools, health care and housing. Cultural differences created some tensions between Haitian newcomers and some longtime residents, including members of Springfield’s existing Black community.

Margery Koveleski is a U.S. citizen born in New York to Haitian parents. She works from a small room in the back of a lightly stocked Haitian bodega. Passion for Haitian people burns in her belly as she thumps her chest, describing herself in the spirit of Harriet Tubman. She’s been in Springfield 24 years.

When Haitians began to arrive, she assisted them as an interpreter, helped them to establish bank accounts, and as they progressed, she helped new arrivals avoid being exploited, particularly in housing, something that also attracted pastor Michal Young.

Rev. Young is pastor of Zion Hill Baptist Church and president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Fellowship (IMF), a diverse coalition formed after the COVID-19 pandemic. Both mention that there have been tensions between the communities, but over the years a sense of unity has emerged.

“As clergy and as leaders, we were concerned that they would not be exploited,” said Rev. Young, who has lived in the Springfield area for over 30 years. “We could not believe how much the rent and leases had increased. We found out it was due to the influx of Haitians, fundamental supply and demand.”

He said the IMF organized rallies and marches following the 2024 false and inflammatory statement by then presidential candidate Donald Trump that Haitians in Springfield were eating neighborhood pets.

“I was so appalled by the way they treated Haitians,” Ms. Koveleski said. “They would have to sleep on the floor or a cardboard box. They came with families and renters sometimes didn’t accept children. They came to work, but they wanted to eventually go back home,” she said.

The absence of Haitians’ participation in the economy is and will have a serious impact, those interviewed told The Final Call. “Everybody will be affected, not only the Haitian stores,” Ms. Koveleski said. “But this needs to happen to show prejudice there’s a high price to that. It’s easy to be intimidated by fear.”

Locked down

How long can the Haitian community hold out under these conditions? Interviewees said they are concerned that residents aren’t going to doctor or dentist appointments and some children are being kept home from school.

Most who have work visas cannot work anymore due to the cancellation of TPS. Those who do have jobs sometimes don’t go out of fear. So, income is very limited, they said.

“No one knows how long this is gonna take to be finished,” Mr. Fleurijean said. “We are hoping things gonna come to an end as soon as possible, but we don’t know. The only thing we tell people is to be careful whenever they are going out because people cannot stay at home like 24-7.

“Sometimes they need some stuff. So, us as an organization, we do the maximum that we can, but we can’t feed all these people for too long. And I don’t really think we reach all of them because there are so many Haitians living in Springfield, even if some of them have already left.”

Ms. Koveleski once depended on donations from those who could pay for her services, but now mostly works with attorneys, who she said are taking on fewer asylum cases.

The Trump administration is encouraging Haitians to self-deport and the Department of Homeland Security is offering an incentive of free airfare and a stipend of around $2,600. But self-deporting has its problems. While the government encourages Haitians to self-deport, it posts a Level 4 “do not travel” advisory to U.S. citizens, the highest level.

Churches, a foundation of the community, have also been hard hit. Pastor Michelet Delcine sits in an empty church that once was filled every Sunday with more than 100 parishioners. Now there may be 10. He calls his congregants regularly and they contribute what they can financially to keep the church doors open, he said.

The church, Bon (Good) Samaritan Baptist Church, sits on a busy street. As The Final Call delegation entered the front door, which sits about 40 feet from the thoroughfare, a person in a passing car shouted an obscenity at the well-known safe haven for Haitians. Wearing a black suit, navy-blue T-shirt and navy-blue socks, the pastor takes a “keep hope alive” attitude.

“It is a beautiful country, and the people are good people,” he said of the U.S. “There are bad people in every society. Every administration is different. But this one is not different—it is worse, in my view.

“I do not believe it is governing according to the law. Reagan used to be bad, but he listened. George Bush’s father used to be bad, but he listened. This one does not listen.”

He said people here with legal work permits should have been left alone. At first, the Trump message was that immigration enforcement would focus on going after criminals, he said.

“That is not what people are seeing. It is unbelievable, but true,” he lamented. “When I say keep hope alive, that means this will not last. It will not last. It is passing by. Good times are coming,” he said with a smile.

There will be additional coverage in upcoming editions of The Final Call.

2

[Editor’s note: Under the guidance and instructions of our Publisher, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, The Final Call recently sent a delegation to Springfield, Ohio, to investigate and speak with community residents on the impact of the elimination of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. The delegation included: Former Editor-in-Chief and current Contributing Editor James G. Muhammad, Staff Writer Anisah Muhammad, Contributing Photographer Haroon Rajaee and N.O.I. Representative to Haiti,

Joseph Makhandal Champagne. The Final Call will continue to report on this important issue.]

The Final Call

The post Locked down and afraid! Springfield’s Haitian community after TPS termination and stepped-up immigration enforcement appeared first on Final Call News.

— “Fall of America,” Chapter 50, titled “Lull Before The Storm,” by the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad

On February 28, 2026, President Donald J. Trump, at the insistence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, launched an unprovoked attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran, an attack both leaders expected to last several weeks, but one that now is in its seventh month.

The attack was anticipated to resolve two main goals—first, is Israel’s desire to neutralize Iran’s military power, the main threat to Israel’s regional prowess.

The second goal, according to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, National Representative of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, was started years ago. In part 14 of his 2013 lecture series, “The Time and What Must Be Done,” Minister Farrakhan stated, “ Four-star U.S. army general Wesley Clark said that 10 years before 9/11, Paul Wolfowitz.

The neocon architect of Bush’s war on Iraq, told General Clark of plans to ‘clean out The Middle East,’ and take over those Muslim nations. Just 10 days after 9/11, Clark was shown a Pentagon memo that describes how they planned to ‘take out seven countries in five years,’ starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Iran.”

On September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center in New York and Pentagon in Washington D.C. were attacked.

As the country prepares to observe the 25th anniversary of that tragic day, the advice, warning and guidance given by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan regarding that attack—and the trajectory it has set this country on—should be revisited and reconsidered.

Following the 9/11 attack that killed more than 2,500 people, the country shifted into a mood for retaliation. The alleged attackers were identified, nations and organizations involved implicated, and revenge topped the public discourse.

The nation launched a “war on terror.” The Department of Homeland Security was created, the Patriot Act was passed, all resulting in attacks on civil liberties of American citizens and creating fear among certain communities and ethnicities.

Out of the rubble continued a plan to “target” seven Islamic nations within five years for destruction or destabilization, a plan revealed by General Wesley Clark in 2003 in his book “Winning Modern Wars: Iraq, Terrorism, and the American Empire.”

Those nations included Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Iran. Though it has been more than five years, all of those nations have successfully been neutralized—except Iran.

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has consistently warned every president that their desires to start wars against Islamic nations will lead to an even bigger war—Armageddon. That war, he has said, will involve all nations and end America’s power.

The question to consider today: Is Minister Farrakhan correct in his warning? If so, is the war in Iran opening the door to that great battle?

As recently as July 25 of this year, Minister Farrakhan warned President Donald Trump: “An aggressor is a loser. Because God is never with those who are aggressors, oppressors, tyrants, bullies, who love to make people afraid.  … Yes, you’ve got an armada. Yes, you’ve got ships. Yes, you’ve got armies. Yes, you’ve got ballistic missiles.

“Yes … but you don’t have God. And if you don’t have God, you don’t have the forces of nature! And God is unleashing the forces of nature now! Don’t try Him. Don’t try Him, please. If you want to live, put the gun down, put the bomb down.”

A warning is a blessing

Minister Farrakhan’s warning contained aspects of the warning he gave to then-President George W. Bush in two letters to the former president after the 9/11 attacks—that he might “run into something he did not expect” in the Middle East.

“You may threaten Iran. Iran has something to fight back. My Teacher (the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad) told me that this war was going to start with conventional weapons and it will end with nuclear weapons. I say this as warning before the war gets hot. Stop and think,” the Minister said to President Trump.

In warnings to Mr. Bush that fit circumstances today, Minister Farrakhan said, “Mr. President, I plead with you that this war that you intend could trigger that war that all the scientists of religion and of war have desired to escape.

The war that would end all wars, the War of Armageddon. The scriptures teach that, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, this is a sign of the end of this present system of things.”

Similarities of the political and social environment prior to 9/11 reflect those environments today. The World Trade Center attacks occurred during a time of intense division among the American public.

A Pew Research Center/Council of Foreign Relations survey at the time found that weapons of mass destruction and terrorism were among top concerns of the leadership and the public. But the so-called “spread of radical Islam” was viewed by political and influential leaders as a greater threat to U.S. interests than the emergence of China as a world power.

President Bush’s approval rating prior to 9/11 was around 50% and dropping, according to a Zogby poll at that time. The 9/11 attacks unified the nation and sent the president’s approval rating soaring.

One by one, the targeted nations succumbed to U.S. intervention or outright attacks by the U.S. military. Iraq fell to a U.S. invasion in 2003 under the false pretext that Saddam Hussein harbored weapons of mass destruction.

Economic sanctions and U.S.-provoked civil wars created chaos and instability in Syria and the Sudan. U.S. interference and support for aggressions by neighboring countries into Somalia has sparked persistent civil unrest.

Libya’s leader Muammar Gadhafi was killed by a U.S.-inspired uprising by rebel forces in 2011. Sanctions and Israeli attacks on Hezbollah are aimed at neutralizing Lebanon.

Reckless attacks today by Israel on Lebanon, Gaza and neighboring nations and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s open call for a “Greater Israel” is increasing the appetite for war and security, even as many Gulf nations are losing confidence in the U.S. military’s ability to protect them. Israel reportedly is setting its eye on Türkiye as the next target for conflict.

Ukraine, already at war with Russia, struck an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea; Iran vowed revenge. Saudi Arabia is exchanging fire with Ansar Allah (Houthi) forces in Yemen; a seaport in Egypt has been struck.

A vision-like experience

President Trump’s recent announcement to increase the stranglehold on Iran’s economy and threats of economic sanctions to any country that trades with Iran has created wariness among nations, including China, Iran’s largest trade partner.

“China has already stated many times that it firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions. China will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its own rights and interests,” a spokesperson for Beijing told reporters, according to The Guardian newspaper.

President Trump can benefit from the advice Minister Farrakhan gave in his second letter to President Bush: “If the President of the United States seems to show no respect for world opinion or for the thoughts of the members of the Security Council of the United Nations, then, your actions will turn the nations of the world against you and against America,” he offered in an October 2002 letter.

Ultimately, the warnings delivered by Minister Farrakhan to U.S. presidents is rooted in a vision-like experience he had on Sept. 17, 1985, where he was told by the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad on the Wheel (so-called UFOs) of a so-called meeting then President Ronald Reagan had with his Joint Chiefs of Staff to plan a war against an Islamic nation.

Minister Farrakhan publicly revealed his experience and said he came to believe the war was on Libya’s Muammar Gadhafi. He went to Libya to warn Brother Gadhafi, prior to a U.S. attack on the leader’s home.

But Minister Farrakhan said he also came to realize the war is on two fronts—Islamic nations in the Middle East and the Nation of Islam in the West, with a particular focus on Black youth.

He has said that everything he has done since that vision-like experience has been to warn Black America of the government’s plan, as well as to warn America of the consequences of her plan and get America to atone and, perhaps, extend her time as a power in the world. That was the main call of the 1995 Million Man March and the establishment of the observance of October 16 as a Day of Atonement.

Farrakhan’s consistent warnings

The Holy Qur’an, the Islamic book of scripture, says the duty of a messenger is to deliver the message. Minister Farrakhan’s words have shown him to be a friend and faithful warner to America and the nations:

“Whenever a nation becomes great and powerful by God’s Permission, as America has; whenever a nation becomes the undisputed ruler of the world, as America has, by Allah’s Permission; when a nation becomes the only remaining superpower, having the power to destroy other nations and people by the tens of thousands and millions.

As Allah has permitted America the power to do, and that nation then has a spiritual lapse and begins to sink into moral decline, the Qur’an teaches that Allah (God) raises a messenger, but he raises that messenger from among the poor and the abject to guide and to warn the great and the powerful.” Minister Farrakhan said during a press conference at Mosque Maryam on Sept. 16, 2001.

“I am trying to help America face the error of her ways and see the enmity she is sparking across the globe alongside a growing loss of friendship. This is not good for America, nor the world and only marches us steadily to acrimony, conflict and the final war of Armageddon spoken of in the Bible.

America can no longer act unilaterally in the world and be successful. Success can only come from righting old wrongs and purposing just and progressive policies,” he said in a 2018 statement from Tehran regarding his trip to the Muslim nation.

“I must lift up my voice and cry out, not just as one crying in the wilderness, but as one out of love who wants to see this nation avoid the pitfalls that have destroyed the great nations of the past,” he said in the first of two letters of counsel and concern to then President George W. Bush, who was contemplating a U.S. response to the Trade Centers attack. Is America listening today?

The post Minister Farrakhan: A consistent warner to U.S. presidents bent on making war appeared first on Final Call News.