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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a listening session urging senators to confirm Neil Gorsuch, Supreme Court nominee for Trump in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 9, 2017.Jim Lo ScalzoBloomberg/Getty Images

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Shetty is Amnesty International's Secretary General.

Even at a time when human rights are under relentless attack across the globe, the stories and images of human suffering that have emerged this week have been harrowing. Desperate mothers in Yemen cradle their starving children, knowing that there is nothing left to give them. The ever-present threat of attacks by militant groups and air raids compounds their suffering. In Syria , accounts of brutal torture and mass hangings in prisons have reminded us once again why there is such an urgent need for people to flee the country.

The world has long been failing the people of Yemen and Syria, but Trumps Executive Order plumbs new depths. Last night, a U.S. federal appeals court denied the government's request to put a stay on a Temporary Restraining Order, which had blocked President Trumps travel ban , meaning it is still suspended for now. Trump immediately vowed a legal challenge to the decision, and refugees who had been on the route to resettlement are still facing terrifying uncertainty. The prospect of being banned from the U.S. is still looming over people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, with the case likely to reach the Supreme Court. We must not forget for a second that the judicial battle has a real-life impact, tearing apart families, leaving people in limbo, separating traumatized children from their parents.

It is hard to overstate the chaos and misery that a reinstatement of the travel ban would cause. We are currently facing the biggest refugee crisis in decades. Ten countries, accounting for just 2.5% of the global economy, are currently hosting 56% of the worlds refugees. Bold leadership from wealthy countries could help to manage this crisis, but it has been sorely lacking.

Yesterdays ruling, while welcome, did not affect the part of Trumps Executive Order that more than halved the number of refugees to be admitted to the U.S. in the 2017 fiscal year, placing a cap at 50,000. Many refugees who have managed to leave war zones find themselves in poor countries, where they live on the margins of society in dire conditions which they hope will be temporary. Without work, separated from their families and struggling to see a future, thousands of vulnerable refugees have seen their hopes of resettlement to the U.S., which has a long history of offering shelter to people fleeing conflict, dashed.

In the short time that he has been President, Donald Trump has already trampled all over that history. The consequences will extend far beyond U.S. borders. What will be the effect on the policies of refugee hosting countries like Lebanon and Pakistan if one of the wealthiest and most influential countries in the world curtails its resettlement program so sharply? It is possible that they will balk at the prospect of hosting their large refugee populations and send them back to their countries of origin places like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, where armed conflict and deep insecurity continue to be the reality.

Earlier this week, Trump took to Twitter to say that The threat from radical Islamic terrorism is very real, just look at what is happening in Europe and the Middle-East.

Clearly, the President himself understands that people in some of the seven listed countries are themselves at grave risk from acts of terrorism. His attempt to slam the door on them can therefore only be interpreted as an act of the utmost callousness and cruelty.

Even if we leave aside for a second the gross human rights violations that would spiral from suspending the refugee resettlement program, its clear that excluding people fleeing war on the grounds of protecting the U.S. from terrorism is a pitiful failure of logic. Refugees are often the victims of acts of terror; they are not the perpetrators. That one of the most powerful men in the world cannot grasp this distinction is alarming indeed.

In pushing this travel ban, Trump is alienating some of his most important allies in the fight against terror the other people who have suffered at the hands of armed groups like the one calling itself Islamic State. The real threat to American security will come from sabotaging these allegiances and turning more and more people hostile to the U.S. But Trump chooses to not see the things we have in common with refugees or to listen to their stories. He sees only differences and borders, and it is now our common duty to stop this way of seeing from spreading.

The bar on Syrian refugees and resettlement deliberately inflict suffering on some of the most vulnerable people in the world, all under the grotesque pretense of protecting U.S. citizens. But increasingly, Americans are sending the message that this ban does not represent them, that it is antithetical to everything their country claims to stand for. Huge numbers of people have taken to the streets in protest and their brave activism should inspire us all.

Our response to xenophobia and racism must be solidarity and strength. History does not look kindly on those who turn their backs on the vulnerable, and we must accept our shared responsibility to stand up for our principles in this dangerous time. Dark days lie ahead for everybody who cares about human rights, and especially for refugees, but the huge civic opposition and legal challenges we are already seeing show that there is light still. Where Donald Trump tears families apart, we must seek to unite. Where he attacks, we must welcome. Where he tries to close doors, we must fight to keep them open.

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Donald Trump Is Alienating His Most Valuable Allies - TIME

Nineteen years ago a small group of nonviolent, pro-democracy protesters,Otpor, decided to play a public prank on Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic. Theprotesters took an oil barrel, taped a picture of Milosevic to it and set it up in the middle of Belgrades largest shopping district. Next to it they placed a baseball bat. They then moved away to a spot where they could anonymously watch what happened next.

As Otpor co-founder Srdja Popovicrecounted, Before long, dozens of shoppers lined the street, each waiting for a chance totake a swingat Milosevic the man so many despised, but whom most were too afraid to criticize.

After 30 minutes the police arrived, but they were at a loss for how to stop the mockery of the dictator. The culprits were nowhere to be seen and those wielding the bat were just innocent shoppers. So thepolice decided to arrest the barrel. Popovic explained that the image of the two policemen dragging the barrel to their police car went viral: Milosevic and his cronies became the laughing stock of the nation, and Otpor became a household name. A small group of students grew to 70,000. Milosevics days were numbered.

Fast-forward to the present where in the United States we have recently inaugurated the Donald Trump administration in whatisostensibly a democracy butthat increasingly feelslike an authoritarian regime. As was the case in Serbia under Milosevic, we are able to watch the role that comedy can play in unsettling a despot. InSerbia asmall group oflaughtivistssought to use humor to bring down a dictator; in America we already have a full-blown satire rebellion.

Last week comedian Melissa McCarthy impersonated Trumps press secretary Sean Spiceron SaturdayNight Live. It was one of the most potent impersonations yet of the Trump regime. The clip went viral and was seen by more than 20million viewers in less than one week.

Even better, though, the impersonation has apparently rattled the White House. Politicoreported, Trumps uncharacteristic Twitter silence over the weekend about the SaturdayNight Live sketch was seen internally as a sign of how uncomfortable it made the White House feel. Itfurther reported that Trump is especially unhappy that a woman impersonated Spicer. Wordis that Spicer may be at riskof losing his job.

That same week Jon Stewart appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for the first time since the inauguration. In amock Trump impersonation, Stewartclaimedthat in only 11 days and after 20executive orders we were all fatigued: The presidency is supposed to age the president, not the public. After revealing that one of Trumps forthcoming executive orders was to make bullshit the official language of the United States, Stewart ended on a somber note.

We have never faced this before: purposeful, vindictive chaos, but perhaps therein lies the saving grace of my, Donald J. Trumps, presidency, Stewartsaid. No one action will be adequate.All actions will be necessary, and if we do not allowDonald Trumpto exhaust our fight and somehow come through this presidency calamity-less and constitutionally partially intact, then I, Donald J. Trump, will have demonstrated the greatness of America just not the way I thought I was gonna.

Stewart is right, of course. There is no one action that will be the magic pill that puts the Trump administration behind us. But one thing is clear: Satirical mockery, political comedy and laughtivism are some of the most powerful weapons in our anti-Trump arsenal.

Trumps weak flank when it comes toridicule was already well apparent before Election Day. Alec Baldwins extraordinary impersonations ofTrump on SNL have led the thin-skinned narcissist todesperately tweet in response. Each time that Baldwin has mocked him, Trump has replied and looked even more foolish as a result.

Michael Moore keyed in early to the power of satire forbringing down Trump. During a pre-inauguration protest in front of Trump Tower, he called onpeople to remember that facts dont matter to Trump but mockery does.Moore called out to the crowd: Whats he affected by? Hes affected by comedy! He has the thinnest skin, the thinnest skin of any bully Ive ever met. In all his anti-Trump rallies, Moore has urged the crowdto form an army of comedy to go after Trump and help bring him down.

The potential power of satireis not limited to simply getting under Trumps skin. As I wrote with co-author Remy Maisel in Is Satire Saving Our Nation?, satire always emerges in moments of crisis and Americans have a long, robust history of using satire to productive political ends in our nation.

While satire is not likely to persuade Trump supporters to change their view of him, it is worth remembering thatTina Feys impersonation of Sarah Palin is credited with destroying her election run. So satire can affect public opinion and change history.

Where satire is its most powerful is in the ways it helps rally resistance and create a community of those who are in on the joke. As authoritarian regimes seek to divide and demoralize society, shared jokes breathe life and force to collective resistance. This, for instance, was what Colbert and Stewart did whenin 2010 they helda pre-midterm election rallyon the National Mall.

Satire, through its dependence on irony, where the satirist says one thing and means another, is a key weapon in the fight against stupidity, faulty logic and BS.When Stewart signed off as hostof The Daily Show, he reminded viewers that his comedy had tried to expose bullshit mountain.

In fact, much of the excellent anti-Trump satire available involvespreciselyusing irony, sarcasm and snark to expose thelies, alt-facts and hubristic smokescreens that Trump and his minions throw at us daily.A mainstay of political satire, from John Olivers expos of Trumps true last name,Drumpf,to Samantha Bees recurringsegment People Are Saying, is to champion logic and critical thinking.

Satire can form a central part of collective resistance. It was a key part of thepussyhat projectthat helped addfun irony to the activism of the Womens March. Lizz Winstead, one of the original creators of The Daily Show, is a co-founder ofLady Parts Justice, which uses comedy to help fight for womens reproductive rights. The organizations goal is to blow this shit up in a smart and funny way . . . . to get folks to sit up, take action and reverse this erosion of rights.

Similarly, the satirical activism of groups like theYes Menhas helped public protests gain attention and advance political causes. These groups offer models for public stunts, campaignsand marchesthat blend the fun of pranks with the punch of protest.

Because satire is fun, it can play a major role in helping combat aculture of fear. The Trump team doesnt only try to frighten its supporters; it also consistently threatens any opposition. Against that sort of bullying, satirists likeLee Camp,Bill MaherandJimmy Doreoffer viewers fearless opposition. One key feature of their political comedy is that they refuse to submit to prevailing narratives, which means that they go after Trump but dont give liberals a pass either.

Maher has always refused to succumb to aparty line and was even fired after 9/11 for saying things others dared not to.BothCampandDoreconsistently attack the capitalist oligarchy. Their comedy helps model the sort of righteous anger that true political resistance needs.

Satire also can play a major role in creating community and developing a common critical vocabulary that can be used to speak truth to power. SNLhas been at the forefront of this sort of comedy in the Trump era, repeatedly offering viewers skits that have gone viral.

In addition to Baldwin and McCarthy making guest appearances, members ofthe regular castof SNL (especially Kate McKinnon and Beck Bennett) haveoffered fun, entertaining, yet hard-hitting skits.Saturdays show is set to have Alec Baldwin as host and is sure to ruffle Trumps feathers while helping millions across the nation and the world laugh at his expense. Despite Trumps whining that the show sucks,its rating have popped more than20percentsince last year and are at theirhighest level in 20years.

In a similar vein, bothSeth MeyersandTrevor Noahhave sharpened their satirical teeth going after Trump and hiskakistocracy. Working their dimply smiles and boyish charm, both comedians have used their charisma to pack a different kind of satire punch.

In another example, Comedy Central has recently launched a new online satirical show, the Mideast Minute hosted byPardis Parker, which pokes fun at U.S. propaganda news. And we cant forget the good work in the fake news ofThe Onionand accomplished by The New YorkersAndy Borowitz.

The reality is that the satire rebellion is using a range of tactics and the examples are too numerous to list which is exactly the kind of strategy the anti-Trump resistance needs.

Serbian satirical protestor Popovicexplainedthat while humor has often been a part of protest, it is playing a bigger role in 21st-century struggle and thats because it works: Humor breaks fear and builds confidence. . . .The best acts of laughtivism force their targets into lose-lose scenarios, undermining the credibility of a regime no matter how they respond. These acts move beyond mere pranks; they help corrode the very mortar that keeps most dictators in place: Fear.

Thats why we need to follow the lesson of Serbia under Milosevic. History teaches us that for satire to really be powerful, we all have to be in on the joke.

The satire resistance cannot be limited to professionals. It depends on all of us.

At the New York protest in January, Mooreremindedpeople that they, too, can play a role in the satire rebellion: Everybody here has a sense of humor. Use it! Use it! Participate in the ridicule and the satire for the emperor who has no clothes.

And thats one of the strongest signs that satire is a key part of the anti-Trump campaign. Every day an average citizen is mocking Trump and his team. There is even a Twitter parody account forTrumps bathrobe.

On Twitter, on Facebook, via Instagram and on the White House lawn, the assaults are constant. Satire has literally become the political idiom of resistance.

So whether you share clips from Baldwins appearance on SNL tonight or create your own meme, you are making a difference. Each joke shows Trump that he is the butt of itandlets uscontrol the story and create a broader community.

Our laughter isnt just making us stronger; its reminding us that fighting for our nation can be fun.

Excerpt from:
Hitting Trump where it hurts: The satire troops take up comedy arms against Donald Trump - Salon

President Donald Trump said that he is still deciding whether to move the Embassy of the United States in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, suggesting he is open to abandoning a controversial campaign promise.

Im thinking about it. Im learning the issue and well see what happens, Trump told the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, Haaretz reported. Its not an easy decision. Its been discussed for so many years. No one wants to make this decision, and Im thinking about it seriously.

As a candidate, Trump repeatedly promised to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital and move the U.S. embassy, including in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in September.

Since his inauguration, however, Trump has been more equivocal on the matter.

Referring to the embassy move in an interview with Fox News Sean Hannity last month, Trump said, I dont want to talk about it yet. Its too early.

There is ample precedent for American presidents reneging on campaign promises to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush both vowed to make the move, but decided in office that it would undermine peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

The international community largely views the Palestinian areas of East Jerusalem as occupied territory. Few countries recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital.

Although Israel maintains that Jerusalem is its capital, Palestinians living under Israeli occupation have long sought to make Jerusalem their capital as well, making it a key sticking point in Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has warned Trump that moving the embassy would be disastrous. And Jordans King Abdullah told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that even Israeli intelligence officials are concerned about the implications of the decision, BuzzFeed News reported.

In the interview with Israel Hayom, Trump also indicated that he is critical of Israeli expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

I want Israel to act reasonably in the peace process and that it will finally happen after so many years. And maybe there will even be a possibility of a bigger peace than just Israel and the Palestinians. I want both sides to act reasonably, and we have a good chance at that, Trump said.

There is limited remaining territory. Every time you take land for a settlement, less territory remains, he added. Im not someone who believes that advancing settlements is good for peace. But we are examining a number of options.

Handout/Reuters

Trumps comments are the strongest suggestion to date that he will adhere to the decades-long U.S.policy of pushing for a two-state solution that involves land concessions by Israel.Last week, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement thatthe construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving peace.

On Monday, however, the Israeli parliament passed a law retroactively legalizing major settlement blocs built on private Palestinian land. The enactment suggests that many right-wing Israeli politicians feel emboldened by Trumps election.

Some of those same lawmakers expressed alarm at Trumps Israel Hayom interview on Friday. Bezalel Smotrich, a member of parliament from the right-wing Jewish Home party, which is in the governing coalition, called the interview very disturbing.

Israel HaYom is a free daily newspaper bankrolled by American billionaire and Republican donor Sheldon Adelson. It is so well known for its pro-Netanyahu slant that it has earned the nicknameBibi-ton, a Hebrew portmanteau meaning Bibi-paper. (Netanyahu is commonly known as Bibi, a diminutive for Benjamin.)

There is evidence that Trumps interview had Adelsons official blessing. Trump dined with Adelson on Thursday evening at the White House.

On the campaign trail, Trump pleased Adelson and other right-wing supporters of Israel with his strong rhetoric praising the Middle Eastern nation and promises to undo Obama administration policies that were tougher on the Israeli government. Trump notably indicated that the U.S. would be more protective of Israel at the United Nations after former President Barack Obama effectively allowed theU.N .Security Council to pass a resolution in December condemning Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.

Trump has nominated as U.S. Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, a supporter of Israeli settlements in the West Bank who has compared those who are part of the liberal Israel advocacy group J Street to Jewish concentration camp guards, implying members of the organization are equivalent to Nazi collaborators. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee plans to hold a confirmation hearing for Friedman as early as next week, Haaretz reported.

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Donald Trump Suggests He May Not Move US Embassy To Jerusalem - Huffington Post

President Trump has a habit of engaging in some pretty intense handshakes. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

We know President Trump is concerned with appearances especially when he's on television, or in front of news photographers or large crowds.

We also know that President Trump is concerned with hands how large they are, how strong they are just look at them!

Trump is also a well-known germaphobe. He initially shunned shaking hands with supporters on the campaign trail. As president, protocol compels him to shake a lot of hands, though.

And recently, he's taken part in a few handshakes that we'll just call "intense" for now most recently, a bizarre moment with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday.

Whether it's just habit, or a way of asserting his power, Trump has a habit of pulling forcefully on the hand he's shaking. We've spotted it now in handshakes with Vice President Mike Pence (on election night) and with Judge Neil Gorsuch (on the night Trump nominated Gorsuch to the Supreme Court).

This afternoon, he did it again, with Abe.

Trump even took time out to compliment Abe's "strong hands" or maybe he was just referencing his own.

But Trump doesn't always tug on the hands of those he's greeting. When Kanye West visited Trump Tower in December, the two dapped like old friends.

While it's admittedly a small thing, little glimpses into Trump's thinking can give us an idea of how he handles these situations. But let's be honest we already knew Trump likes to be in control.

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Donald Trump and the art of the super-awkward handshake - Washington Post

President Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka walk to Marine One at the White House on Feb. 1. Nicholas Kamm / AFP - Getty Images

Recent examples included Argentina

"Over and over again, you see this pattern of populist leaders, often democratically elected, who use the power of office to enrich themselves, their families and their cronies," Stephenson said.

In that context, Stephenson said the White House's recent behavior was "extraordinarily and depressingly familiar."

Trump and his family's vast holdings and his refusal to fully sever ties with his business have long prompted warnings from legal experts that his administration will be plagued by conflicts of interest.

Those fears reached new heights this week as Trump and his aides repeatedly attacked Nordstrom over its decision to remove Ivanka Trump's clothing brand from its stores. Ivanka Trump's husband, Jared Kushner, is also an adviser to the president.

The president said Nordstrom treated his daughter "unfairly" on Twitter on Wednesday, while Press Secretary Sean Spicer accused the company of a "direct attack on his policies," even as the department store chain insisted that the move was

The White House response drew heavy criticism from ethics watchdogs, who complained that the president appeared to be intimidating a private business to pad a family member's profits.

"This is the behavior of a Mafia don defending his turf, not the president of the United States," Norm Eisen, chairman of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told MSNBC. Eisen was the top ethics counsel under President Barack Obama.

A tipping point came Thursday morning, when Conway gave what she said was a "free commercial" for Ivanka Trump's clothing line during a Fox interview from the White House briefing room, urging people to buy her products.

The comments appeared to violate federal ethics rules preventing federal employees from using their offices to endorse products or services. CREW and Public Citizen, another nonpartisan group, fired off letters to the Office of Government Ethics and the White House counsel demanding an investigation.

Conway's appearance also drew a rebuke from the Republican chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Jason Chaffetz of Utah, who has so far rebuffed Democratic calls for investigations of Trump.

"That was wrong, wrong, wrong," Chaffetz told NBC News. "It is wholly unacceptable no ifs, ands or buts about it."

In a joint letter with Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland), the ranking Democrat on the committee, who frequently clashes with Republicans over investigations, Chaffetz asked the Office of Government Ethics to investigate Conway's behavior and recommend possible disciplinary action.

"I kept telling [Chaffetz] that there would come a time," Cummings told NBC News. "He kept saying things like 'we wait until we get to the bridge.' I told him, 'We are at the bridge.' Today he told me, he said, 'We are on the bridge together.' You just can't get a worse case than this. He had no choice, really."

Chaffetz faced particular pressure because he was one of the key politicians involved in investigating Hillary Clinton, whom Republicans frequently accused of ethical missteps based on what they claimed were potential conflicts.

The Republican National Committee, for example,

Notably, "Clinton Cash" author Peter Schweizer who previously teamed up with Trump's chief strategist, Steve Bannon, to investigate Clinton also condemned the White House's behavior.

"They've crossed a very, very important bright line, and it's not good," Schweizer told

Asked about Conway's comments, Spicer told reporters Thursday that she had been "counseled," but she did not elaborate on whether she faced any possible consequences. White House aides later told NBC News that they were still fully confident in Conway.

Spicer's own remarks on Wednesday drew at least as much alarm as Conway's did, if not more, for implying that businesses decisions that detract from Trump family profits would be viewed as a personal affront.

Spicer framed Trump's comments on Nordstrom as those of an angry parent who had a right to "stand up for his family" rather than the reaction of a government official. That version of events offers little to console critics, however, given that Trump's own multibillion-dollar business empire is being run by his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, in his absence.

The participation of White House aides in Trump's private feud also raised the question of whether a future business that pulls out of a deal or a foreign official who issues an unfavorable ruling against a Trump property might expect retaliation not only from the president's words but from government officials.

In addition to the comments by Conway and Spicer, the official White House account retweeted Trump's initial remarks on Nordstrom.

"The implication is if you cross one of his children, the power of the presidency will be used to retaliate against you," Kathleen Clark, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis who specializes in government ethics, said of Spicer's remarks.

Trump has already drawn criticism for appearing to do the opposite: promoting a business that he views as favorable to him personally. During the transition, he tweeted "Buy L.L Bean"

As Trump has noted, he himself is exempt from most government rules regarding conflicts of interest, which apply to Cabinet officials and other appointees, like Conway. Until his election, however, it was assumed that presidents would take even greater care to avoid private entanglements, because they're directly accountable to voters and have an interest in avoiding any hint of corruption.

That assumption is

Trump has said he will avoid discussing business with his sons, but it will be difficult to avoid news stories on the company. And there is nothing preventing private actors from buying a Trump property, making a favorable investment in a Trump business venture or buying a pricey membership at a Trump resort to try and win him over.

Watchdog groups have accused Trump of violating the "emoluments clause" of the Constitution which bars presidents from receiving benefits from foreign governments by maintaining a stake in hotels and other businesses that can do business with actors abroad.

Trump's attorney has maintained that their interpretation is mistaken as long as the businesses receive only market value for their services. CREW is engaged in a lawsuit over the issue, although it faces long odds.

Tara Malloy, deputy executive director of the Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit election law organization, said the overall atmosphere created by Trump's actions was more troubling than any individual incident. She promised more issues in the future unless changes were made.

"They reveal what seems to be a complete indifference to all ethical standards applicable to Trump and the administration," she said.

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Donald Trump's Feud With Nordstrom Sparks Warnings From Ethics Experts - NBCNews.com