Foreign Digest: Russia, Cuba and the Gaza Strip

Russia: The United States, Canada and most European States denounced the Russian presidential elections as illegitimate because they failed to meet the standard for being free and fair. A Russian human rights organization, whose leader is imprisoned, like many critics, described it as the most fraudulent in Russian history. Ukraine and the Ukrainian council of churches condemned particularly the forced votes in the areas of eastern Ukraine annexed by Russia. Cuba: Despite an intolerance by the Communist regime of Cuba for the freedom of expression, there have been more protests by Cubans as the socialist Cuban economy faces severe supply shortfalls. The dictatorship has been arresting more dissidents. Gaza Strip: I ignored protestors demonstrating in support of a ceasefire to prevent the overthrow by Israel of Hamas, the Iranian-backed terrorist organization that rules the self-governing territory of the Gaza Strip, as I passed by them to conduct my official business at Reading’s City Hall. If they or the professional media had asked my opinion, I would have said that I stand with those Gazans who oppose Hamas and the other terrorist organizations based there that are sponsored by the Islamic Republic of Iran, the worst state sponsor of terrorism in the world. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Brigade launched attacks targeting Israeli civilians in October 2023 that killed over a thousand people, including Americans and other Westerners, injured thousands more, and took hundreds hostage. They and Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist organization, have been firing missiles indiscriminately at Israel since then. Hamas and the other terrorists based themselves in civilian areas deliberately to use them as human shields or to blame the Israelis for civilian casualties as Israel conducts operations to destroy Hamas. The United States and its allies support Israeli self-defense against Hamas and the other terrorists.