Amnesty’s ‘Genocide’ Game, the Obama CIA’s Ineffective Syria Strategy, and More Commentary

Conservative: Amnesty’s ‘Genocide’ Narrative

Amnesty International has “released a report accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza” — but, points out Commentary’s Seth Mandel, “something interesting occurred on the way to the forum.”

The organization’s Israeli branch, “the segment that operates within the country . . . rejected the report.” Why? “The report is absurd. It wasn’t long before individuals identified the section where Amnesty claimed that to find Israel guilty of genocide, it had to fundamentally redefine genocide.”

“Thus, Amnesty International diverges from established international law. That’s acceptable, but they should be transparent about it: Amnesty is not accusing Israel of ‘genocide’; rather, it is accusing Israel of a different offense that Amnesty has labeled ‘genocide’ simply to use that term.”

Libertarian: The Obama CIA’s Ineffective Syria Strategy

“Between 2013 and 2017, the CIA invested over $1 billion to bolster ‘moderate rebels’ against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and anti-American extremists in the opposition,” yet “Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the former leader of Al Qaeda in Syria” is now “achieving in a week what the CIA attempted and failed to accomplish for years” after he “orchestrated a surprise assault on the Syrian government,” reports Reason’s Matthew Petti.

“The downfall of Assad’s regime” serves as “a testament to the futility of U.S. intervention. The U.S. devoted years to compensating Syrians for killing their fellow citizens without managing to influence the outcome, ultimately leaving empty-handed.”

Now, Jolani’s notorious Levant Liberation Committee is calling the shots.

“All the American funds expended and the Syrian lives lost ultimately resulted in very little.”

Labor Beat: Biden, the Union’s Advocate

“Due to the undemocratic influence of government unions, the new administration will find it difficult to provide more effective services for citizens,” lament the editors of the Washington Examiner.

The Biden administration recently finalized a new labor agreement that permits 42,000 Social Security Administration employees to work remotely “when President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated” — seeking “to hinder Trump’s efficiency agenda in government.”

Preventing government employees from “engaging in collective bargaining agreements with government entities” is deemed the only way “to enhance efficiency in the federal government.”

Foreign Desk: Holding Macron Accountable for France’s Crisis

France is experiencing “its gravest political, constitutional, and economic crisis in decades,” alerts Spiked’s Fraser Myers — and President Emmanuel Macron is at fault, as it was his “selected prime minister,” Michel Barnier, who was recently ousted through a no-confidence vote.

“According to the French constitution, legislative elections cannot occur until the summer of 2025, leaving Macron with a hung parliament that refuses to endorse his austerity policies or approve a new budget,” rendering France “effectively ungovernable for the near future.”

Many “attribute the blame to the ‘populists’ from both the left and right for terminating Barnier’s struggling government.”

However, the centrists in France deserve criticism as well: “While it may be exaggerated to claim that the French economy is on the brink of collapse, we are far from the vibrant, competitive ‘start-up nation’ that Macron vowed to establish upon taking office.”

From the Right: Time to Stop the Pardon Extravaganza

Following President Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter, Democrats are contemplating whether he “should distribute similar preemptive clemency like holiday gifts,” quips The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board.

If Biden agrees, it will represent “another breach of democratic norms and an escalation in the lawfare cycle.” “Preemptive pardons for outgoing officials would set a concerning precedent” and could be regarded as “a violation of constitutional principles.”

They pose the risk of “fostering a culture of impunity,” whereby future administrations might anticipate similar treatment for their officials.

To alleviate tensions, Biden could consider pardoning Donald Trump for the two federal cases against him.

Notably, Trump stated during his debate with Biden that his only retribution will be success.

If he “capitalized on that message, it would benefit the nation.”

— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board