Spiegel: Trump Drives Wedge Between Germany and France

Europe, of course, can only get anywhere if it agrees on a joint position. And that is proving difficult for Berlin. The Germans would like to rescue the Iran deal, but they don't really want to fight to do so. Paris, on the other hand, is prepared for confrontation. "Berlin is focusing more on appeasement whereas Paris fears that each concession will just encourage Trump to act even more brazenly," says one high-ranking EU official. [...]

The French president has recognized the opportunity that opposition to the U.S. sanctions presents. It provides him with a perfect chance to prove to the French people why they really need Europe. He believes that only Europe can stand up to the deal-breaking Americans.  [...]

Former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who coordinated resistance to Georg W. Bush's invasion of Iraq between Paris, Berlin and Moscow, is even calling for the creation of a G-4 comprised of France, Germany, Russia and China in order to stand up to Trump. France still views itself as a global power and, as such, isn't afraid of patching together alliances that suit the moment.

That's still a bridge too far for Germany. For a person as committed to trans-Atlantic relations as Altmaier, the idea of an alliance with Russia and China against the United States is a nightmare scenario. This is further complicated by the fact that the alliance wouldn't just be against the U.S., but also Israel. Sources within the Chancellery openly admit that there is an Israeli component when it comes to the German government's approach with Iran. Whenever you speak about Iran, they say, you also have to have an eye to Israel.  [...]

It's not just Macron who is heaping pressure on Chancellor Merkel. There are also members of her own cabinet and party who are critical of how lightly the chancellor is treading on the subject. On Tuesday, Maas expressed agreement in Brussels with his French counterpart, who is pushing together with top EU diplomat Federica Mogherini for measures to be taken. Maas said in Brussels that Europeans aren't powerless and that, even if it won't be easy, there are surely "possibilities and instruments" for acting.

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Haaretz: Partners in Occupation: Trump Provides the anti-Palestinian Incitement, Israel the Bullets

What began as the ethnic cleansing of at least 418 Palestinian villages and cities today takes a different shape. The inauguration of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem while a massacre was taking place in Gaza only 40 kilometers away aptly demonstrates the complete U.S. and Israeli denial of the Palestinian history of dispossession.

What became known as the "Great March of Return," an initiative to demonstrate for the internationally recognized rights of the Palestinian people, was savagely attacked by Israeli forces, under clear instructions from their political and military leadership. [...]

That is why, in the preamble to the massacres committed against unarmed Palestinians in Gaza during the embassy inauguration, people like the U.S. Ambassador David Friedman and envoy Jason Greenblatt became nothing less than spokespeople for the Israeli occupation. 

The complicity between the Israel and the U.S. became strikingly clear when, while at least 40 Palestinians had been slaughtered in Gaza during the previous hours, the only reference to the Palestinian people during the embassy inauguration came from President Trump’s advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner: he blamed the victims for the massacre, in what has become a recurrent talking point used by pro-occupation officials and activists.

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openDemocracy: Why misunderstanding identity politics undermines the goals of a just society

I view the various components of my identity as aspects of my experience. They are not separated from each other. The complexity of my identity is unique because it allows me to interact and connect with almost everyone through resilient empathy, compassion, and conscious understanding, while dealing with a whole stack of biases against me.

Before I unpacked myself several years ago, I primarily adopted my most oppressed component, being deaf, because of communication barriers due to audism in my family, in my learning environments, in various communities including Black communities and communities of color and other spaces. [...]

I have come to appreciate Audre Lorde’s statement that, “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master's house.” But throughout my studies, I believed this statement was false; that colonized education could be used to dismantle the systems of oppression. I eventually discovered that the decolonization of one’s mind is not only rooted in the access to knowledge, but in the willingness to dismantle rooted and programmed belief systems. I utilized Western epistemology to inform myself about myself. It is now apparent to me that as a Pasifika Indigenous scholar and cultural practitioner, I must learn and teach to walk in both worlds to ensure that my voice and the voices of all future generations are not oppressed. [...]

In our culture, privilege is often unexamined. Deconstructing privilege is one of the first steps to decolonizing the self from the narrative of the privileged group. In order to acknowledge privilege, one first needs to understand its roots. Second comes the question [of] whether those privileges help to preserve or dismantle the system of oppression.

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Politico: Italy’s coalition agreement explained

The document does not say who will become prime minister. The top job is expected to go to the 5Stars, the largest of the two parties, but negotiations between the two leaders will continue over the weekend. Di Maio is still seen as the leading candidate for the job, even though Salvini has said that won’t happen. [...]

But the agreement takes clear aim at the European Union, calling for a reevaluation of the EU budget and a review of “European economic governance” — namely the EU rules imposing fiscal constraints on national governments. These, the parties say, are based more on the “predominance of the market” than on people’s economic and social needs. [...]

The “universal citizens’ income” promised by the 5Stars is included, but in a watered-down form. The measure as described in the document resembles a form of unemployment insurance that would last for a maximum of two years while its recipient looks for a job. A promised roll back of a hike in retirement ages called for by both parties has also made the cut. Meanwhile, a planned “flat tax” of 15 percent strongly pushed by the League has become a dual rate of 15 and 20 percent with tax deductions for families based on their incomes.

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Politico: 5 takeaways from EU’s big Balkan get-together

But French President Emmanuel Macron struck a skeptical note, insisting the EU should first focus on reforming itself before embarking on any more enlargement adventures. And a boycott by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy over the presence of Kosovo, which Madrid and four other EU capitals do not recognize, was a reminder of other divisions over the region.  [...]

Some leaders went further than the official text. Angela Merkel, who has emerged as a champion of the western Balkans, talked about “a clear membership perspective” and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz spoke about progress on the countries’ “path into the European Union.” But Macron preferred to talk about “anchoring” the western Balkans to Europe.[...]

Asked what she thought of the 2025 goal, Merkel was blunt. “I don’t think anything of this target date,” she told a news conference. “Membership must be based on factual progress. It’s not about a time horizon, it’s about what’s been achieved — on rule of law, on fighting corruption and other conditions such as border disputes.”

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The Economist: Ireland: divided by abortion