The Cost of the East Jerusalem Attack for Palestinians — and Its Echo Worldwide

Two Palestinian militants apparently thought that the Palestinians’ position in the Holy Land would improve if they started shooting on a road heavily used by Jews. So they put their plan into action, managing to kill at least six people and wound several others. And of course, they themselves supposedly got to enjoy the company of 72 virgins—assuming, that is, that there’s any truth to their beliefs.

Next, we are left to see what follows from this attack. Will the everyday life of ordinary Palestinians in the West Bank improve, or perhaps turn quite the opposite way?

Even more interesting, however, will be to observe how European media report on the future living conditions of the people in the West Bank—conditions that Israel’s army will undoubtedly alter in one way or another. And more interesting still will be to see how UN Secretary-General António Guterres comments on what has happened now, and again later when we can see the consequences.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Abu Obaida’s Death Brings Palestine One Step Closer to Peace
Will Gaza Get a Ceasefire, or Will Hamas Hold On to Its Terrorist Capabilities?
United Nations, corruption and terrorism

Swedish School Shooting with Automatic Weapon Highlights Nation in Crisis

I am writing this text just as a shooting has taken place today at an adult education center in Örebro, Sweden, where people have been shot dead. The shooter had access to an automatic weapon, so this does not appear to be an ordinary school shooting but a more serious incident.

According to social media reports, Swedish language lessons for immigrants are provided at the shooting site. However, based on a widely circulated photograph, the shooter does not appear to be of immigrant background but ethnically Swedish. It remains to be seen whether the photo is authentic.

The case will certainly become clearer in time, but even at this stage, it can be said that something strange has happened in Sweden in recent years, turning what was once the world's safest society into something entirely different. This was also hinted at by the country's Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, who stated less than a week ago that "we are clearly unable to control this wave of violence right now."

It remains to be seen whether the Swedish government will regain control of the country and by what means it will attempt to do so. At this point, the only certainty is that Kristersson's task will not be an easy one.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
The Swedish Immigration Catastrophe – A Cautionary Tale
Police Ban Public Fight Between Neo-Nazis and Street Gangs in Finland
Immigration Policy Should Be Based on Evidence

The Swedish Immigration Catastrophe – A Cautionary Tale

Sweden has long been plagued by crime and violence perpetrated by immigrant-background gangs. However, since the turn of the year, this phenomenon has intensified even further, with more than 30 bomb attacks carried out since New Year's, most—if not all—of which are linked to disputes between criminal gangs.

As a result of all this, the country's Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson (Moderates), has stated that "yet another wave of violence is underway, that is clear. Bombings are happening practically every day; on the other hand, fatal shootings have decreased. But before this is resolved, the entire 2020s will pass by."

He also admitted that "we are clearly unable to control this wave of violence right now." And the problems are only exacerbated by the fact that the uncle of a Kurdish-background gangster has been murdered, which is likely to escalate the violence even further in the coming weeks and months.

All of this should be carefully noted in other Western countries that practice so-called humanitarian immigration. The intention may, of course, be excellent, but as Sweden’s example shows, the danger is that sooner or later, it could lead to a complete disaster.

One indication of this is the violent suppression of freedom of speech. One of its literal embodiments was the murder, carried out last night by gunfire, of Salwan Momika, an Iraqi-born man known for burning Qurans in protest against the rise of Islam in Sweden.

* * *

Finland has closely followed Sweden’s struggle against immigrant-background crime and has taken lessons from it. As a sign of this, the Finnish government has proposed changes to the criminal code to impose harsher penalties for crimes committed by street gangs and for acts of humiliation violence.

Additionally, the use of a child below the age of criminal responsibility to commit a crime would be explicitly criminalized and punished more severely. This proposal has been driven by the fact that in Sweden, gangs lure preteen into carrying out violent acts they deem necessary, as these minors are not legally accountable due to the age threshold.

One can only hope that these proposals will pass in Parliament. If they do, implementing Swedish gang tactics in Finland will become more difficult—or may not happen at all.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
A Murder in a Well-Known Finnish Immigrant Neighborhood
Nordic Police Announce: Spread of Gang Violence Cannot Be Stopped
Managing Societal Change with a Growing Muslim Population

The Downing of the Azerbaijani Plane Is a War Crime That Must Be Condemned

The Russians shot down an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane, killing dozens of passengers. Their military fired at the aircraft in such a way that the missile exploded next to the plane, causing shrapnel damage that forced the plane to make an emergency landing. The plane was also denied permission to land at a Russian airport, despite requesting clearance.

All of this clearly constitutes a violation of international law by Russia, for which it and its leadership must be held accountable. This holds true even if there had previously been activity by military drones in the area.

There are two main reasons for this. The first is that the shooter must always ensure the military nature of the target being fired upon. Additionally—and this is the second reason—Russia is conducting an illegal war against Ukraine, making it ultimately responsible for all the consequences of that war.

Either of these reasons alone constitutes a clear war crime for which the perpetrator must be brought to an international tribunal in The Hague for assessment and sentencing. And this task must not fail if this tribunal is to have any legitimacy in the future. This remains true even if it is unlikely that the perpetrators of this particular war crime will ever serve the sentences imposed on them.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Can Peace Emerge from Horrific War Crimes?
From Finland to Olaf Scholz: The Imperative of Supporting Ukraine's Independence instead of its Finlandization
Moldova's Election Challenged – Western Support Needed

The Game is Getting Tougher

Mass immigration to the European Union has taken on a new dimension at the border between Greece and Turkey. The Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle reported that a Greek border guard was hit by a bullet fired from the Turkish side. The shooter is suspected to be a smuggler profiting from people from developing countries.

It is absolutely clear that shooting at border guards cannot be tolerated at any level, whether done by a smuggler or those being smuggled. Nor is it in line with any human rights agreements.

It remains to be seen how the EU will react to this incident. Will it be ignored, as are other crimes (example) committed by immigrants in Union territories, or will the mass migration from developing countries finally be treated as a serious threat to the whole of European culture?

Russians, on the other hand, have realized that fighting in Ukraine is not without risks to the home front. According to a Meduza news story, those returning from the war have committed various crimes. This is especially true for those who have previously engaged in criminal activity and joined the army as volunteers to escape prison.

According to the report, the Kremlin even believes that returning soldiers from Ukraine pose the greatest political and social risk factor during Vladimir Putin's reign. Of course, it would be great if this ultimately led to the fall of the aforementioned dictator and Russia's withdrawal from Ukraine.

However, I doubt that the Russians are capable of rising against Putin's regime. After all, they have become accustomed over hundreds of years to their leaders not caring about the well-being of the people, but only about enhancing their own reputation and wealth.

Despite everything, the news mentioned above indicates that the situation is intensifying regarding both immigration from developing countries to Europe and Russia's so-called special operation. It remains to be seen what impact this will have on the future of our continent.

This issue is also of great significance for Finland, as it is, like Ukraine, a neighbor of Russia, and Vladimir Putin has conducted hybrid operations against it using people from developing countries as weapons. In the best-case scenario, Russians will be frightened by the consequences of their war on the home front and will end all hybrid operations on Finland's borders.

On the other hand, it is also possible that instead of using reason, Russians might apply the criminal activities seen at the Greek-Turkish border, endangering the safety of Finnish border guards. This too must be anticipated in the training of border guards.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Defending National Security: Finland's Response to Hybrid Warfare
Russian Tax Overhaul: Citizens to Bear the Burden of War Losses
Mass immigration is the greatest concern for EU youth

Finland Will Thrive with Any US President, Trump Survived the Assassination Attempt

The President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, was interviewed on the Fox channel, which aligns with the US Republicans. However, he did not comment on the relative merits of the presidential candidates but stated that regardless of who leads the United States, Finland will get along with him.

Stubb also noted with satisfaction that an increasing number of NATO member countries have invested the agreed two percent of their GDP in defense. He gave credit for this to the former US president who brought up the issue at the time.

Instead of addressing specific issues, he mentioned that the political discourse in the US has become toxic, and he does not want the free world to emulate it. This can also be interpreted as a comment on Finland's domestic political debate, which also has become unnecessarily polarized in recent years.

He also suggested that the US and Finland could deepen their defense cooperation, for example, in the field of icebreakers, as 80 percent of the world's icebreakers are designed and 60 percent are manufactured in Finland. However, it remains to be seen whether the Pentagon will take up this offer.

Overall, I was quite skeptical of Alexander Stubb's ability to serve as president after he was elected. Therefore, I am very pleased to see that, in my view, he has performed his duties very well thus far, as also evidenced by the interview seen on Fox.

One can only hope that this continues in the future. And that the US also gets a political leader in the upcoming elections who exceeds the expectations of the voters.

* * *

At the same time, the presidential race in the United States is intensifying. The latest development was an assassination attempt on a candidate, resulting in the death of one likely Donald Trump voter, as well as the shooter. Additionally, at least two people were seriously injured.

However, it is likely that Trump's support among voters has rather increased than decreased as a result of the assassination attempt, given that Trump himself sustained a minor injury. This is partly because, during the heated campaign, some Democrats have carelessly expressed wishes for violence against Trump - a fact his supporters are not shy to highlight.

The incident is also serious in terms of freedom of speech. The central question is whether last night's shooting would have occurred without the Democrats' violent rhetoric. Or were those statements ultimately irrelevant, with the shooter's motive emerging from "ordinary" political discourse, which is, in any case, extremely polarized in the United States.

We will never get a definitive answer to these questions, as the shooter is not here to tell. And this will not change, no matter how much the background of the incident is analyzed by any group of political commentators.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Ukraine can and will stop Putin
Finns want a border law
Biden's dementia and Trump's speeches may improve European security