Our Friday News Analysis | What the World Reads Now!

EDITORIAL | Are World Leaders Dumb, Stupid, Sociopaths, or Psychopaths, or All of the Above (Part 8)?

By Abraham A. van Kempen
25 July 2025

Click here for Part 1
Click here for Part 2
Click here for Part 3
Click here for Part 4
Click here for Part 5
Click here for Part 6
Click here for Part 7

I have some good news to share.

Last Monday, my retina specialist informed me that the cyst (Cystoid Macular Edema) in my left retina has noticeably decreased in size. While it’s not fully healed yet, there's hope. On August 11, 2025, the specialist will advise me on the next steps.

Next week, I will write the editorial I planned for this edition. It’s about inviting all nations – the haves and the have-nots – to sit at the table. I’m eager to share my thoughts that might help mend a broken humanity. I don’t need to tell you that now humanity is at each other's throats, which will lead us nowhere.

In January 2017, I wrote an open letter to His Holiness Pope Francis, and I hope it inspires you as much as it inspired me.

HELP BRING US TOGETHER

Open letter from Abraham A. van Kempen to His Holiness Pope Francis, The Pope

January 16, 2017

The Hague, The Netherlands

His Holiness Pope Francis
Apostolic Palace
00120 Vatican City
The Holy See

Dear Papa Roma, Your Holiness,

Much of the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians is about dispossession and displacement, a struggle to give or take or keep ancestral land. On whose side is God, the God of Abraham, the God of the Jews, the God of the Christians, and the God of Islam, the God of all humankind? The Promised Land (Hebrew: הארץהמובטחת‎, translit.: Ha'Aretz HaMuvtahat; Arabic: أرضالميعاد ‎, translit.: Ard Al-Mi'ad) is the land which, according to the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible), was promised and subsequently given by God to Abraham and his descendants (Wikipedia: Promised Land).

Can you, will you help create safe and imaginative spaces for grappling with the hard questions of our times? Can you help facilitate constructive conversations among the diverse voices of all sides, especially those with differing and perhaps even unlikely perspectives?

God knows they have tried. Yet, often fruitless, though incessant, negotiations in Oslo, Ottawa, Shepherdstown, The Wye Plantation, Annapolis, Geneva, Madrid, Nicosia, Washington, D.C., London, Bonn, and Vienna remain, optimistically stated, academic. If you were to invite those with divergent views to your table, each imposing upon you unique dietary demands, what would you serve them, figuratively speaking? Where would the conversations lead?

Clouds of darkness plagued humanity throughout the 20th Century: endless wars, conflicts, mass murder, and 'ethnic cleansing’, causing indescribable suffering among millions of victims. The 20th Century leaves us a legacy of lessons to be learned. Above all, the previous century warns us what not to do. Wars beget more wars because war feeds hatred and devalues human dignity and human rights.

To paraphrase His Holiness Pope John Paul II: “Light outshines darkness. The light is the 'art of God', which is manifested in His plan for Humanity: the plan of peace and love, of truth and justice. Humanity must change its ways to usher in God's Plan for Mankind.” (Audience in the Vatican with Pope John Paul II, 24 January 2001)

Your Holiness, Papa Roma, can you help guide us through the dark tunnels of the 21st Century, to change our ways and usher in God’s plan for Mankind, walking the path in the footsteps of Abraham toward the light?

With every good wish to Your Holiness, I am,

Sincerely Yours,

Abraham A. van Kempen

Editor
www.buildingthebridge.eu

LARRY JOHNSON: WEST DOUBLES DOWN ON FAILED WARS IN UKRAINE & MIDDLE EAST

Prof. Glenn Diesen with CIA Analyst Larry Johnson

Watch the Video Here (54 minutes, 39 seconds)

Host Prof. Glenn Diesen
Substack.com
22 July 2025

Larry Johnson, a former intelligence analyst at the CIA and a dedicated professional at the US State Department's Office of Counterterrorism, shares insights on why the West is continuing its efforts in the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, despite the challenges it faces.

What is the Side of the Story that is Not Yet Decisive? Edited by Abraham A. van Kempen

EVARIST BARTOLO: 50 YEARS OF DECEIVING RUSSIA AND THE COLLAPSE OF PAN-EUROPEAN SECURITY

Prof. Glenn Diesen with Evarist Bartolo, Malta’s former Minister for European and Foreign Affairs.

Watch the Video Here (53 minutes, 46 seconds)

Host Prof. Glenn Diesen
Substack.com
10 July 2025

Evarist Bartolo, Malta's former Minister for European and Foreign Affairs, shares his insights on the Helsinki Accords, which have reflected five decades of deception and contributed to the downfall of the pan-European security framework. Nevertheless, with the rise of a multipolar world, there’s an opportunity to breathe new life into a genuine Helsinki process, creating a more inclusive and secure European system for everyone.

RUSSIAGATE ONLY TIP OF THE ICEBERG IN WESTERN DEMONIZATION OF RUSSIA – EXPERT

Oliver Boyd Barrett states that Western powers have deliberately fueled anti-Russia sentiment since the late 1990s as NATO pushed eastward.

HomeWorld News
20 Jul, 2025 13:48

Professor Oliver Boyd-Barrett told RT that US National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard’s disclosures about the Obama administration’s role in the Russiagate scandal are "shocking," yet they only scratch the surface of a broader Western anti-Russia effort.

On Friday, Gabbard released declassified documents showing Obama-led officials falsely accusing Trump of Russian collusion in 2016. The documents reveal Obama ordered officials to discard assessments that found no Russian involvement and replace them with fabricated claims, fueling the 'Russiagate' probe.

Boyd-Barrett, a Bowling Green State University professor and author of a Russiagate study, described the US intelligence head's bold, shocking statement of truth as extraordinary, especially as Gabbard called for the prosecution of those involved in what she called a 'coup' attempt on Saturday.

READ MORE: Trump endorses Gabbard’s ‘Russiagate’ coup claims

Boyd-Barrett stressed that understanding Russiagate requires seeing it as part of a long-standing Western effort to demonize Russia.

“It’s part of a deeper agenda – we’re talking Russia narrative… the broader anti-Russian campaign that was artificially stoked in the late 90s as NATO moved east, disregarding Russia and US voices,” he said. He warned against reducing Russiagate to a personal political ploy, noting that blaming Obama or Clinton’s election anxiety is “too simple an explanation.”

Moscow repeatedly denies interfering in the US elections.

PRESIDENT VÁCLAV KLAUS: EUROPE IN DECLINE

Prof. Glenn Diesen with President Václav Klaus of the Czech Republic (2003-13).

Watch the Video Here (44 minutes, 42 seconds)

Host Prof. Glenn Diesen
Substack.com
10 July 2025

Václav Klaus is a Czech economist and politician who served as Prime Minister (1993–97) and President (2003–13) of the Czech Republic.

President Klaus discusses the numerous crises that are contributing to the decline of Europe.

Václav Klaus - In Defence of Normalcy: https://www.institutvk.cz/publikace/1/publikace-ivk-c-80-vaclav-klaus-in-defence-of-normalcy.html

NATO COMPLICATES CHINA-EU SUMMIT PREPARATIONS

Prof. Glenn Diesen on China Global Television Network (CGTN)

Watch the Video Here (29 minutes, 10 seconds)

Prof. Glenn Diesen
Substack.com
12 July 2025

China Global Television Network (CGTN) is one of the three main branches of the state-run China Media Group and serves as the international division of China Central Television (CCTV). Based in Beijing, CGTN offers news broadcasts in several languages. The Chinese Communist Party manages it.

SEAN FOO: PANIC AND COLLAPSE AS THE WEST'S ECONOMIC WAR ON CHINA AND RUSSIA BACKFIRES

Prof. Glenn Diesen with Sean Foo

Watch the Video Here (47 minutes, 12 seconds)

Prof. Glenn Diesen
Substack.com
24 July 2025

Sean Foo is a knowledgeable financial analyst and expert on China. He explains how the ongoing economic tensions with China and Russia are negatively affecting Western economies. While industrial nations prioritize their physical economy, China, Russia, and other BRICS countries are directly engaging in economic activities, bypassing traditional Western financial channels.

SCOTT RITTER: U.S. WILL REMOVE ZELENSKY AND EUROPE BECOMES IRRELEVANT

Prof. Glenn Diesen with Scott Ritter

Watch the Video Here (36 minutes, 53 seconds)

Prof. Glenn Diesen
Substack.com
22 July 2025

Scott Ritter, a former Major, Intelligence Officer, and UN Weapons Inspector, claims NATO is quickly heading toward defeat in Ukraine and is out of options. He suggests the US may be planning to replace Zelensky, while Europe has committed all its resources—military, economic, societal, and geopolitical—to this war.

GUEST EDITORIAL | ZELENSKY’S END GOAL IS IN SIGHT, AND SO IS HIS END.

The Ukrainian leader's goal is authoritarianism; once achieved, he won’t relinquish it.

Vladimir Zelensky. © Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

HomeWorld News
23 July 2025

By Tarik Cyril Amar, a historian from Germany working at Koç University, Istanbul, on Russia, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe, the history of World War II, the cultural Cold War, and the politics of memory

@tarikcyrilamartarikcyrilamar.substack.comtarikcyrilamar.com

Annotated by Abraham A. van Kempen

When the US chooses clients, vassals, and proxies, it needs individuals willing to prioritize their compatriots' interests, even at the cost of their own lives. Vladimir Zelensky is such a man, and while others in EU-NATO Europe also fit this, he is an extreme case.

Nearly a decade ago, Ukraine's comedian and media entrepreneur, often crude rather than witty, rose from being a protégé of a corrupt oligarch to the presidency. Zelensky has since used the war, provoked by the West and escalated in February 2022, to become an expensive, sometimes obstreperous American puppet and to dodge elections.

Signs suggest his indispensability may be coming to an end. Seymour Hersh reports that Zelensky is unpopular in President Trump’s White House. This aligns with Trump’s recent anti-Russia stance, which doesn't favor Ukraine or Zelensky. The Financial Times notes Western allies believe Trump views Putin as his primary partner and Zelensky as an obstacle to peace.

According to Washington officials who spoke to Hersh, the US leadership is prepared to remove Zelensky urgently, with some considering a "feet first" removal if he resists, aiming to make room for a deal with Russia.

Read more
US congresswoman labels Zelensky ‘dictator’

Hersh relies on anonymous sources. The Trump administration might leak threats to pressure Zelensky, but that doesn’t mean the danger isn’t real. Historically, the US has used and discarded foreign leaders as a means to an end.

Another possibility is that Zelensky may be replaced to prolong the war and drain Russian resources. The US might install a leader in Kyiv, such as General Valery Zaluzhny, to better control Europeans and Ukrainians, depending on Washington's orders.

Western media are increasingly highlighting issues with Zelensky. The Financial Times notes that critics call it an 'authoritarian slide,' a harsher view than before. The Spectator claims that Ukraine has lost faith in Zelensky. The Economist detects outrage, portraying him as a mix of a Bond villain and Saddam Hussein. Deutsche Welle reports human rights violations, including the forced mobilization of Ukrainians.

Full disclosure: Since I am fluent in Ukrainian and Russian, Ukraine’s two main languages, and have written extensively about Zelensky’s misrule, my first reaction to these recent revelations is: “What took so long?” My initial articles, dating back to 2021, highlighted Zelensky’s clear authoritarian traits and actions, and I have consistently noted his declining popularity. It was simply a matter of paying closer attention to Ukrainian polling data.

Read more
Trump questions Kiev’s use of US aid (VIDEO)

I understand that the mainstream’s delay stems from bias caused by Western information warfare and media conformism, which is only slightly weakened or redirected by the geopolitics of the decisive shift. The growing public criticism of Zelensky indicates that he has lost favor with Western American leadership.

Zelensky’s recent actions suggest, as Hersh suspects, that he recognizes a danger not from Russia but from his "friends" in the West. In the past two weeks, he has reshuffled his government and launched a campaign against institutions and individuals fighting corruption, as well as those perceived as being open to US influence.

Indeed, it was only after Zelensky intensified his attacks on the opposition that the Financial Times finally awoke from its long slumber to recognize the authoritarian tendencies of Ukraine's leader. Since then, the situation has deteriorated: the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), responsible for domestic intelligence and repression, has raided key anti-corruption groups and made arrests. At the same time, Zelensky’s dominant majority in parliament swiftly passed a law to render these institutions useless by placing them under the president’s control, which he promptly signed into law. Currently, Ukraine is experiencing widespread protests as people oppose Zelensky’s attempt to combine greed with unchecked petty despotism.

For Strana.ua, a rare Ukrainian news site resisting Zelensky’s regime’s efforts, the SBU raids on anti-corruption agencies were a decisive move to strengthen Zelensky’s rule. And he wasn’t even done.

Read more
Kremlin comments on Zelensky’s crackdown on anti-corruption agencies

It is convenient to lift Ukraine’s last weak restraints on graft, as Western aid will likely be misused more, which could help maintain wealth in exile.

This gangster-economic aspect of Zelensky’s power grab has not escaped his Western allies: the OECD warned that stifling anti-corruption agencies will harm Western investment in Ukraine and its arms industry. Similarly, the International Renaissance Foundation, backed by Soros and active in Ukraine for over three decades, called for repealing the new law.

These Western complaints mean the same: We know you're robbing us, but accept it because you serve our geopolitics. If you try to take more, we may reconsider our decision.

Zelensky’s reshuffle and attacks on anti-corruption agencies reflect a double strategy: signaling submission to the US through personnel moves while consolidating power at home to resist American influence. It’s like saying: “I am your man. But if you try to replace me, I’ll fight.”

Read more
‘Playing with fire’: Western media reacts to Zelensky’s crackdown on anti-corruption bureau.

The irony is that Zelensky, after eradicating Ukraine's last remnants of pluralism, will become the most authoritarian Ukrainian leader, supported by hundreds of billions of dollars from the West, despite once being hailed as a "value-based" darling of the West.

Ukrainian and Western politicians and media often display surprise or shock. Still, they frequently overlook the fact that Zelensky's authoritarian tendencies have been his default stance since his rise to power as Ukraine’s president, long before the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict escalated.

How do we know? It's obvious. By 2021, many Ukrainians had seen it. Zelensky’s critics, not Russians, accused him and his party ‘Servant of the People’ of creating a ‘mono-vlada,’ an authoritarian machine controlling the state and public sphere.

Read more
Mass protests against Zelensky’s crackdown on anti-graft bodies: What we know so far

By 2021, Zelensky had engaged in lawfare against Ukraine’s opposition and rivals, such as Petro Poroshenko, implemented media censorship, targeted dissenting outlets like Strana.ua, abused emergency powers through unaccountable institutions, particularly the National Security Council, and fostered a dictatorial personality cult supported by the West.

Since then, things have worsened. Zelensky solidified control over Ukraine, prolonging a costly, avoidable war driven by Western efforts to weaken Russia. A failing Western plan has drained Ukraine; Russia is winning and gaining more independence from the West.

The war may end soon or continue. We hope it ends quickly for Ukraine. Zelensky, if decent, would face justice post-war, but he's not. Rumors suggest that Washington's involvement may lead to a messy end for him. If protests grow, Zelensky might face a 'color revolution.”

How ironic.

A FUTURE GAZA WITHOUT GAZANS

Israel’s religious right reveals its fantasy plan for the zone after ethnic cleansing.

During a rally of thousands demanding a hostage deal and ceasefire last August in Tel Aviv, a protester holds up a placard with Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir strangling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a yellow ribbon that says: ‘Senior political figures.’ / Photo by Matan Golan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images.

By Seymour Hersh
Substack.com
24 July 2025

Annotated by Abraham A. Van Kempen

On Tuesday, a plan for Gaza's future, seen by the religious right, was presented to Israeli lawmakers, rabbis, families of lost IDF soldiers, and Gaza security officials. Titled “The Riviera in Gaza—From Vision to Reality,” the plan envisions a future in Gaza without Palestinians. The meeting took place on the second floor of Negev Hall in the Knesset, Jerusalem.

At least two journalists from online news outlets covering Israel's religious right attended and reported on a meeting headlined by controversial settlement advocates, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and West Bank settler Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has a history of violent anti-Arab activities and convictions.

Smotrich said Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, Israel's new military chief of staff, told him recently that the northern Gaza border should be annexed “for security purposes." Zamir, once Netanyahu's aide, is seen by many on the religious right as an opportunist, though increasingly welcomed.

I don’t follow Israeli media, but a decorated ex-IDF officer said he was shocked to learn the religious far right discussed Gaza's future in detail with reporters in the Knesset. A reporter summarized this for Bahadrei Hadarim, an ultra-Orthodox news site, in Hebrew.

The plan proposed a historic shift to restore Gaza's sovereignty and develop it into a thriving area with housing, agriculture, a port, airports, industries, universities, healthcare facilities, and coastal tourist complexes.

The plans propose destroying Gaza after the ongoing war with Israel, framing it as a 'political restart.’ It involves dividing the Strip into civilian governorates, such as Rafah, Khan Younis, and the Gaza Coast, with new infrastructure and regional centers to transform southern Gaza.

The plan includes constructing 850,000 housing units, an international airport, subways, metro lines, solar roads, autonomous drones, and a new seaport that will link Gaza to India and Europe, making it a global trade hub.

There will be trade zones in the stock exchange, cryptocurrency, and fintech, along with conference centers and high-tech complexes. The south of the Strip will feature advanced agriculture, research parks, water purification, and energy storage. An artificial island constructed from war debris will be built off Gaza's coast for trade and tourism purposes.

The plan will unfold over fifteen years, with Israel and international partners. Short-term efforts focus on clearing rubble in Gaza and initiating infrastructure development. Over the next four years, transportation, neighborhoods, and central complexes will be constructed. Long-term projects include trade zones, an artificial island, and the establishment of new settlements.

According to the report, Smotrich said, “We have support from the U.S. president to turn Gaza into a prosperous coastal city with settlement and employment. This is how peace is made.”

The report notes many speeches at the event, with no discussion on how to help surviving Gazans, many suffering from malnutrition, illness, and injuries from Israeli bombs and guns.

The fantasy talk at the Knesset renewed concern among Israelis I know about the rationality of the religious right in Israel, a key part of Netanyahu’s coalition. He continues to bomb Gaza, Iran, and Syria, supported by US aid and a religious right indifferent to Gazans' suffering, many of whom face imminent starvation. The conference showed a lack of concern for Gaza's plight, reflecting indifference to an ancient culture shared by many supporters of Smotrich and Ben-Gvir.

Online reports about the religious right’s vision of a bright Gaza reminded my Israeli contacts, a secular Jew, of the failed 1939 Nazi plan to deport Jews. The Nisko Plan aimed to remove Jews from Western Europe and use them in German defense plants near Lublin, an area the Nazis suspected of Jewish power and genetic potential. Near the Ukrainian border, the site was known as “swampy.” The suffering in overcrowded camps caused adverse reports and fears that the Nazis would face bad publicity.

There were also many, many more Jews being deported from Poland than initially anticipated. Inevitably, as the Nazi offensive spread, the problem of overcrowding at Lublin and similar work camps became unmanageable. The solution the Nazis enacted was the Holocaust and the mass murder of Jews.

Some Israelis view the casual discussion at the Knesset about expelling hundreds of thousands of Gazans and creating a new city-state as "a monstrosity” that recalls the darkest moments of World War II.

FROM TEHRAN | SEYED M. MARANDI – ISRAEL ATTACKS SYRIA PRELUDE TO BALKANIZATION

Prof. Glenn Diesen with Prof. Seyed M. Marandi in Tehran

Watch the Video Here (52 minutes, 50 seconds)

Host Prof. Glenn Diesen
Substack.com
18 July 2025

Seyed Mohammad Marandi is a professor at Tehran University and a former advisor to Iran's Nuclear Negotiation Team.

Prof. Marandi discusses Israel's efforts to Balkanise Syria.

BUILDING THE BRIDGE! | A WAY TO GET TO KNOW THE OTHER AND ONE ANOTHER

Making a Difference – The Means, Methods, and Mechanism for Many to Move Mountains

Photo Credit: Abraham A. van Kempen, our home away from home on the Dead Sea

By Abraham A. van Kempen
Senior Editor
Updated 19 January 2024

Those who commit to 'healing our broken humanity' build intercultural bridges to learn to know and understand one another and others. Readers who thumb through the Building the Bridge (BTB) pages are not mindless sheep following other mindless sheep. They THINK. They want to be at the forefront of making a difference. They're in search of the bigger picture to expand their horizons. They don't need BTB or anyone else to confirm their biases.

Making a Difference – The Means, Methods, and Mechanism for Many to Move Mountains

Accurate knowledge fosters understanding, dispels prejudice, and sparks a desire to learn more about the subject. Words have an extraordinary power to bring people together, divide them, forge bonds of friendship, or provoke hostility. Modern technology offers unprecedented possibilities for good, fostering harmony and reconciliation. Yet, its misuse can cause untold harm, leading to misunderstandings, prejudices, and conflicts.

Continue reading

A Free Trial for Life – SUBSCRIBE NOW!

• It's quick and straightforward.

• We won’t ask for your credit card number.

• Just enter your e-mail address to receive your complimentary free-for-life subscription to our newsletter.

• Please include your First and Last Name.

• We won’t share or sell your e-mail address.

_________________________

Related Articles Recently Posted on www.buildingthebridgefoundation.com:

OUR FRIDAY NEWS ANALYSIS

OUR WEDNESDAY NEWS ANALYSIS

OUR MONDAY EDITION

________________________

The views expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those of the Building the Bridge Foundation