Knowing Christmas Better

Wise Men and Women,

  Cyd Ropp presents a pre-Nicene view of Christmas, and it is one of many, but one that does not serve the interests of the Roman Emperor. In the early Christian Churches, there was a stream of teaching that the intention of Jesus incarnating as a human baby, and living, then dying as a human, was to find the path of harmony of human forms and Divine Consciousness, so that other humans could follow that same path, and live as both Divine and human, as he had worked out. 

  Saint Valentine was one of the teachers of this "Gnostic" path of directly knowing and living the union of Divine and human.

The Gnostic Christmas Story​ , Alleluia! Christ brings the 3rd Order Powers to Earth

The Gnostic Christmas Story

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  ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’ Day 80: Israel kills at least 100 Palestinians in Christmas Eve attacks​   ("Love your enemies", said somebody.)

​  At least 100 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks on Khan Younis and Al-Maghazi refugee camp, as a new Euro-Med Monitor report documents brutal Israeli crimes against civilians sheltering in Palestinian schools, including executions. https://mondoweiss.net/2023/12/operation-al-aqsa-flood-day-80-israel-kills-at-least-100-palestinians-in-christmas-eve-attacks/

​  I​sraeli O​ccupation F​orces killings of Palestinian children in West Bank occur with impunity​

  Following the incident where Israeli soldiers "mistakenly" killed three unarmed Israeli captives waving white flags, the Israeli military allegedly initiated a review, claiming that the occurrence was "against our rules of engagement."
​  However, human rights organizations argue that there is minimal accountability, if any, when Israeli occupation forces are responsible for the killing of Palestinian children in brutal raids on the West Bank, as reported by CBC News.​..These organizations warn that Israeli authorities are not adhering to international protocols designed to safeguard children during what they call "military operations".
​  According to Ori Givati, the advocacy director at Breaking the Silence, an organization initiated by IOF veterans opposing "Israel's" occupation of Palestinian territories, holding an IOF member accountable following the killing of Palestinian civilians is "very rare".
​  Givati, a former combat soldier, remarked that the IOF consistently find justifications for their actions, often categorizing them as "operational errors" or claiming they were "not intentional." He added that the absence of tangible consequences for the killings or mistreatment of Palestinians has cultivated a permissive environment, enabling the use of lethal force against civilians, including children.
​  'Israel' just kills children and blames it on 'counterterrorist activity'​. https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/iof-killings-of-palestinian-children-in-west-bank-occur-with

​  Israeli air strikes kill dozens, Gaza officials say, in Christmas bloodshed
​  Israeli air strikes that began hours before midnight persisted into Christmas Day, Palestinian officials said at least 78 people were killed
Israel says five Gaza hostages found dead in tunnel. Israel’s chief military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said postmortems were pending​. https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3246183/israel-says-5-gaza-hostages-found-dead-tunnel-circumstances-being-investigated

​  WaPo investigation reveals no proof of Hamas using Al-Shifa Hospital   An analysis by The Washington Post has revealed that many of "Israel's" claims regarding Al-Shifa being used as a Hamas command and control center were false and came with no evidence.

​  IOF spokesperson Daniel Hagari had come out with what he claimed was "concrete evidence", implicating 5 hospital buildings in Hamas operations during a briefing on October 27.
​  This led the IOF to raid the hospital on November 15 and open fire indiscriminately toward its windows and sections, cutting off all communications to the hospital. Dozens of Israeli soldiers also stormed the emergency department at Al-Shifa, leading to the martyrdom and severe injury of scores of Palestinians, including babies. https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/wapo-investigation-reveals-no-proof-of-hamas-using-al-shifa

​  Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is at the top of the dossier of 40 commanders that Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) submitted to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.​   As the Palestinian death toll from Israel’s obliteration of Gaza topped 20,000 — mostly women and children — a U.S.-based advocacy group this week published a list of 40 Israeli military commanders it says are “prime suspects” for international war crimes investigation.​..
​..“These 40 IDF commanders who have been responsible for planning, ordering, and executing Israel’s indiscriminate bombardment, wanton destruction, and mass killing of civilians in Gaza should be prime suspects in any ICC investigation,” DAWN Executive Director Sarah Leah Whitson said in a statement on Tuesday. “While Israel has done its best to conceal the identities of many of its officers, they should be put on notice that they face individual criminal liability for the crimes underway in Gaza.” https://consortiumnews.com/2023/12/21/israeli-commanders-reported-to-icc/

​  Over 576,600 people in Gaza face ‘catastrophic hunger’: UN report ​  The report said that 26% of Gazans, which is about 576,600 people, have “exhausted their food supplies and coping capacities and face catastrophic hunger (IPC Phase 5) and starvation.”
​  Cindy McCain, the WFP’s executive director, said: “WFP has warned of this coming catastrophe for weeks. Tragically, without the safe, consistent access we have been calling for, the situation is desperate, and no one in Gaza is safe from starvation.” https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/over-576-600-people-in-gaza-face-catastrophic-hunger-un-report/3089345

According to a UN IPC report, by February 7, half of the population will be in the "emergency" phase, which includes severe acute malnutrition and excess mortality. https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/all-of-gaza-faces--crisis-or-worse--hunger-level--un

​  French Foreign Affairs Ministry official killed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza
​  Ahmed Abu Shamla, an employee of the Gaza consular office for over 20 years, died on Saturday. Part of his family had been evacuated from Gaza, but he had chosen to stay with his adult children. https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/12/18/french-foreign-affairs-ministry-official-killed-by-israeli-bombardment-in-gaza_6354377_4.html#

​  In shadow of Gaza, Christmas is canceled in Israel this year
Arab Israeli municipalities — including in Nazareth, Jerusalem and Haifa — canceled all grand Christmas celebrations. https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/12/shadow-gaza-christmas-canceled-israel-year#ixzz8MvEAyFwU

​  ‘I did not ask Netanyahu for ceasefire’: Biden​ , Despite continued calls for Tel Aviv to 'protect' Palestinian civilians, the US has continued to ship large quantities of weapons and munitions to fuel the carpet bombing of Gaza https://new.thecradle.co/articles/i-did-not-ask-netanyahu-for-ceasefire-biden

​  An Israeli commander has pledged that the "entire" Gaza Strip will be razed to the ground.
​  Yair Ben David, a commander in the 2908th Battalion, said in a video posted on social media, that they had “entered Beit Hanoun and did there as Shimon and Levi did in Nablus,” referring to the biblical story in which all the male inhabitants of the city were massacred.
​  “The entire Gaza should resemble Beit Hanoun,” he added, referring to the ruined city in northern Gaza.
“Gaza must look like Beit Hanoun today.”
​  David said that the destruction was “only the beginning” and would instil “fear among the nations around us, in the cities of Lebanon, in the cities of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), and among all those sitting around us who think it's possible to harm the dignity of the people of Israel.” https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/war-gaza-israeli-commander-vows-flatten-entire-gaza-strip

​  War on Gaza: After Palestinians, Zionism's next victim is the Jewish faith​ , Amanda Gelender Israel's use of religious symbols in its genocide of Palestinians is an affront to Judaism and has robbed Jews of a faith practice divorced from nationalist barbarism. Israel has stolen and appropriated Jewish symbols we hold dear, politicising them as markers for state-sponsored genocide. Palestinians continue to suffer for western empire's spoils, under the guise of safeguarding the Jewish people. https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/war-on-gaza-after-palestinians-zionism-next-victim-jewish-faith

​  US pressuring Switzerland to ignore Israeli war crimes

​  The Biden administration is preparing measures to push Switzerland to reject a request for a conference on violations of the Geneva Conventions from Palestine and friends.

​  While "Israel" continues to massacre civilians unpunished, US State Department officials are discreetly attempting to impede efforts to increase global pressure on the occupation.
​  State Department documents obtained by HuffPost indicate how US diplomats are finalizing a démarche to Switzerland that Washington hopes will cancel the preparations for an event to discuss Israeli violations of the Geneva Conventions in Palestine.
​  Formal rulings that "Israel" breached the treaties in its US-backed war in Gaza would be a severe worldwide condemnation of both parties and would support the accusations of human rights groups that have amassed evidence that stands as proof of such violations. https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-pressuring-switzerland-to-ignore-israeli-war-crimes

7 Ukrainian mercenaries fighting in ranks of Zionist occupation killed in Gaza https://en.ypagency.net/314080

​  Sanaa to respond to states that open airspace against Yemen: Al-Houthi ​  Yemen's Supreme Political Council member, Mohammad Ali al-Houthi, says the maritime routes through the Red Sea are safe for any vessel except those belonging to "Israel" or heading for its ports. https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/sanaa-to-respond-to-states-that-open-airspace-against-yemen

​  Houthis Say US Warship 'Firing Hysterically' Nearly Hit Tanker in Red Sea​  [carrying Russian oil to India]   Earlier, US Central Command alleged that a Houthi drone nearly hit a Gabonese oil tanker with 25 Indian crew members onboard traveling through the Red Sea from the Russian Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga, and said that a US warship was deployed to respond to the ship’s distress call.   A Houthi spokesman has sought to set the record straight regarding the US’s claim that the Yemeni militia had targeted a Gabonese oil tanker. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231224/houthis-say-us-warship-firing-hysterically-nearly-hit-tanker-in-red-sea-1115789509.html

Houthi Red Sea Blockade Could 'Starve' Western War Machine of Oil​   Yes, the US SPR is badly drained, but this will hit Europe much harder. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231222/houthi-red-sea-blockade-could-starve-western-war-machine-of-oil-1115751663.html

​  Pentagon's Operation Prosperity Guardian "Falls Apart" As Spain, Italy, France Reject Request

​  Australia is the latest country to reject a request from the United States to send warships to the Red Sea under the command of the Pentagon's Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect commercial vessels along the critical maritime trade route from Iran-backed Houthi.    Defense Minister Richard Marles told Sky News that Australia's military would not send a "ship or a plane" to the Red Sea but would triple the number of troops for the US-led maritime force. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/pentagons-operation-prosperity-guardian-falls-apart-spain-italy-france-reject-request

​  Iran Denies Involvement in Red Sea Attacks, Says Houthis Have Their 'Own Tools' ​  Amid a flurry of drone and missile strikes by Yemeni armed forces loyal to the Ansar Allah movement (dubbed the Houthis in the West) on cargo ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, the Pentagon claimed on Saturday that an unmanned aircraft vehicle allegedly fired from Iran had struck a tanker off India's coast. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231224/iran-denies-involvement-in-red-sea-attacks-says-houthis-have-their-own-tools-1115782168.html

​  Iranian forces take delivery of new ‘smart’ missiles , Tehran’s navy has unveiled a new long-range weapon that can switch targets after being launched

​  The Iranian navy has upgraded its firepower with the addition of domestically produced missiles that have a range of more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and can be redirected to other targets after being launched. https://www.rt.com/news/589620-iran-unveils-new-missiles/

(NATO member) Estonia Ready to Extradite Draft-Age Ukrainian Men - Interior Minister​   To near-certain death. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231223/estonia-ready-to-extradite-draft-age-ukrainian-men---interior-minister-1115763822.html

​  Filipino American nurse wins $41 million retaliation lawsuit against Kaiser​ 

 Maria Gatchalian filed a lawsuit against Kaiser, claiming retaliation for raising concerns about patient safety

​  The court’s rule: On Monday, the Los Angeles Superior Court panel ruled in favor of Gatchalian and awarded her $11.49 million in compensatory damages, including $9 million for emotional distress and $30 million in punitive damages.
​  What happened: After three decades of service as a registered and charge nurse for the Woodland Hills Kaiser Permanente Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Los Angeles, Gatchalian was terminated in 2019 over a minor policy violation.
​  Gatchalian filed a lawsuit in April 2021, asserting that her termination was in retaliation for raising concerns about the quality of care and patient safety, primarily due to alleged understaffing at Kaiser. https://nextshark.com/filipino-american-nurse-retaliation-lawsuit-kaiser

​  A Worrisome Drop In The Number Of Young Nurses​   (They are too frustrated​ and overworked, unable to provide good patient care.)

​  New data here, covering the entirety of 2021, show the total supply of RNs decreased by more than 100,000 in one year—a far greater drop than ever observed over the past four decades.
​  Analyzing these losses by age, the decrease stemmed not as much from RNs older than age 50 but rather primarily from younger RNs. https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/worrisome-drop-number-young-nurses

​  Bobby Kennedy's assassination was the impetus for the creation of Secret Service protection for presidential candidates.  This is a clear political message.   Exclusive: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. denied Secret Service protection for 3rd time https://www.deseret.com/2023/12/22/24012984/exclusive-robert-f-kennedy-jr-denied-secret-service-protection-for-third-time

​  Biden Rains on Trump's Immunity as Trial Faces Delay

​  Last week, Biden's campaign circulated a memo characterizing Trump as a significant threat to US democracy, citing his behavior leading up to the January 6 events and his alleged threats against political opponents.
​  While Biden confirmed on Wednesday that Trump "certainly supported an insurrection" on January 6, he stopped short of endorsing a Colorado Supreme Court ruling that could bar the former president from appearing on the state's ballot. When asked, Biden said, "That's up to the court." https://sputnikglobe.com/20231224/legal-tempest-biden-rains-on-trumps-immunity-as-trial-faces-delay-1115783647.html

  ​I dares ya to do it, Joe  :-D

​  A White House proposal to seize frozen Russian funds and use them to help Ukraine is not only illegal, but also incredibly dangerous, as it could shatter the entire global financial system, according to Konstantin Kosachev, the vice speaker of Russia’s upper house of parliament. The senator’s comments come after the New York Times reported on Friday that the Biden administration had intensified talks with US allies to requisition over $300 billion in Russian foreign exchange reserves frozen after the start of the Ukraine conflict. Writing on Telegram on Friday, Kosachev called the initiative “crazy,” and said it did not have a single leg to stand on in legal terms. https://swentr.site/russia/589570-bidens-crazy-russia-assets-seizure/

CIA Loses Bid to Throw Out Lawsuit for Violating Rights of Julian Assange’s Visitors at Ecuadorean Embassy

Case Sets Stage for Exposing CIA Clandestine Surveillance of Attorneys and Journalists https://www.laprogressive.com/law-and-the-justice-system/cia-slammed-for-violating-rights

​  Tucker Carlson has finally released the interview with Julian Assange that took place on November 2, 2023.

​  Within the prologue, and after interviewing Julian Assange, Tucker Carlson references the extremely important DNC email issue and states unequivocally, “democrats claim the emails had been hacked by the Russian government. But they hadn’t been, that was a lie.  The emails had been leaked from within the DNC itself, almost certainly by a disgruntled employee.”​ [​"Bernie Bro." Seth Rich, RIP] https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2023/12/22/51-days-later-tucker-carlson-releases-interview-with-julian-assange/

​Ghost of Christmas (pictured squinting in midday Christmas garden)