At least 12 Palestinian protesters were killed in the Gaza Strip as about 30,000 Palestinians set up an encampment along the border with Israel. The encampment was set up to conduct a six-week protest demanding the “right of return” for Palestinians who left their homes when the state of Israel was created in 1948. Palestinians refer to that exodus as al Nabka which translates as “the catastrophe”. According to Deutsche Welle: “….about 1.3 million of Gaza’s 2 million residents are refugees or the descendants of refugees, and the protest is calling for them to be allowed to return to land that has been taken by Israel.” That demand will not be met by Israel and it is difficult to predict how this protest will unfold over time. More than likely there will be more deaths.
US-Russian relations will probably become even more strained as Russia has tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile which purportedly has a longer range and can carry more warheads than previous ICBMs. The Russians call the missile Sarmat and NATO has code-named it the “Satan-2”. Russia released a video tape of the launch which can be found on euronews to make sure that the whole world was aware of the successful launch. The Russians claim that the new missile can fly over wither the North or the South Pole, flies at a faster rate of speed, and carries warheads that can evade anti-ballistic missiles. It is impossible to verify these claims but they are certain to set off a reaction in the US military.
The Sarmat Launch
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman issued a call for greater pressure on Iran “to avoid a large military conflict in the Middle East.” He met today with the five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council. He also met with representatives of Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan, two very large investment banks, as well as with major Jewish leaders and supporters of Israel. It seems as if Saudi Arabia is organizing a strong coalition in the balance of power contest with Iran over the next 10-15 years. He currently has two strong allies in Washington, DC: Mike Pompeo as the Secretary of State and John Bolton as the National Security Adviser.
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