Michael Hollister

Michael Hollister

  • Joined: 20. October 2025
  • Articles: 595

The Charity of Occupation

Western governments declare Israeli settlements in the West Bank incompatible with international law - while their tax systems subsidize private funding streams reaching those same settlements. A new British inquiry reveals how Gift Aid, U.S. tax exemptions, and European charity structures turn private donations into a publicly co-financed enterprise. The trail runs from London and Washington through Nijkerk and Reeuwijk - and ends at an uncomfortable blind spot: Germany.

Taxpayer Money for Settlements: What Three Governments Say – and What Their Money Does

Western governments declare Israeli settlements in the West Bank incompatible with international law - while their tax systems subsidize private funding streams reaching those same settlements. A new British inquiry reveals how Gift Aid, U.S. tax exemptions, and European charity structures turn private donations into a publicly co-financed enterprise. The trail runs from London and Washington through Nijkerk and Reeuwijk - and ends at an uncomfortable blind spot: Germany.

What Washington Is Really Doing About China’s Oil Clearing Market – and Where It Looks Away

A US congressional report portrays China as the central clearing market for sanctioned oil from Iran, Venezuela and Russia. Yet current data reveal a striking asymmetry: Washington has largely broken two of those flows while leaving the biggest one running at multibillion-dollar scale. The difference says less about the effectiveness of sanctions than about the limits of American power when confronted with China.

Half-Enforced: Why Washington Is Breaking Two of China’s Three Sanctioned Oil Flows – and Letting the Biggest One Run

A US congressional report portrays China as the central clearing market for sanctioned oil from Iran, Venezuela and Russia. Yet current data reveal a striking asymmetry: Washington has largely broken two of those flows while leaving the biggest one running at multibillion-dollar scale. The difference says less about the effectiveness of sanctions than about the limits of American power when confronted with China.

UPDATE: US AND ISRAEL ATTACK IRAN – August 30, 2026

The war over Iran is shifting fronts: Washington is targeting financial channels, Tehran is tying Lebanon and Gaza to the terms of any potential deal, while the Strait of Hormuz remains militarily passable but politically contested. At the same time, Qatar’s LNG exports are collapsing, OPEC+ is losing market power, and China is emerging as a decisive force in the oil market. The August 30 Iran Update shows why this conflict has become a struggle over banks, energy, trade routes and the future political order of the Middle East.

The Mecca Pact: Movement at the Edges – Part 2

The Mecca Pact is more than an alliance between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan. What matters just as much is who stays outside, who wants in, and who begins building counter-alliances: Egypt’s absence, Qatar’s distance, Pakistan’s Afghanistan conflict, Syria’s strategic position, and India’s response reveal how the Middle East’s security order is being reshaped.

The Mecca Pact – Who Is Moving Around It – Part 2

The Mecca Pact is more than an alliance between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan. What matters just as much is who stays outside, who wants in, and who begins building counter-alliances: Egypt’s absence, Qatar’s distance, Pakistan’s Afghanistan conflict, Syria’s strategic position, and India’s response reveal how the Middle East’s security order is being reshaped.

UPDATE: Russia-Ukraine Conflict – August 28, 2026

While the ground front continues to move only slowly, the war behind the lines is accelerating. Russia is striking Ukrainian energy, port, and logistics infrastructure, while Ukraine is targeting oil refineries and the distribution networks of Ozon and Wildberries. At the same time, Black Sea grain routes, Western Patriot stocks, and the safety margins at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant are coming under mounting pressure. This update separates confirmed developments from forecasts, official denials, and claims that remain unproven.

The Leaky Fortress

Europe keeps tightening sanctions on Russia. Yet undercover reporters found brokers offering to route Russian money through institutions licensed by Europe itself. A Lithuanian payment provider, a 19,000-euro fine, and overlapping corporate networks reveal a gap between political promises and financial oversight. How secure is a fortress when the channels around its defenses run through its own institutions?

UPDATE: US AND ISRAEL ATTACK IRAN – August 26, 2026

Washington announces a sweeping economic offensive against Iran but holds back its toughest sanctions for now. Tehran threatens action against 45 tankers while negotiating a joint shipping corridor with Oman. Pakistan mediates, the rial falls, and repression intensifies. This Iran update examines the strategy behind the half-drawn weapon - and what it will take for diplomatic signals to become workable agreements.