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Category: israel

  • Right-wing civil war over Israel erupts


    This content originally appeared on The Grayzone and was authored by The Grayzone.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Right-wing civil war over Israel


    This content originally appeared on The Grayzone and was authored by The Grayzone.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Israeli propaganda machine targets AI and Christian groups in $100m campaign

    Israeli media have caught up and acknowledged that the occupation regime and its backers are spending a fortune trying to control what westerners think. They want to control what AI platforms like ChatGPT and Claude tell them. In particular, their targets are the Christian groups it thinks owe it their fealty — as well as the younger people it has lost through its genocide, occupation and warmongering. Israeli propaganda has been showing clear signs of bullshit — obvious even to the untrained eye, and they need this to change.

    Israeli propaganda gets digital upgrade

    Disclosures have come as US firms representing foreign governments register under the ‘Foreign Agents Registration Act’ – though Israel’s biggest and most shameless lobbying groups like AIPAC and the ADL still evade registration. Israel has signed a slew of contracts, through its Foreign Ministry, Tourism Ministry and Government Advertising Agency (LAPAM), with firms for them to promote Israel’s interests, including one run by former Trump adviser Brad Parscale. In an attempt to put the campaign at arm’s length, Israel routes payments to its agents through Havas Media Germany GmbH. Documents show that the company has received at least $100 million since 2018.

    As well as wider ad and AI campaigns, Israel is also tracking and targeting US Christians physically, through the use of:

    geofencing: drawing a virtual boundary around places of worship and sending targeted ads to cell phones that enter the boundary. According to the documents, the campaign plans to “geofence the actual boundaries of every major church in California, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado and all Christian colleges during worship times.

    As the misuse of AI platforms and surveillance spreads in Western Countries – with the UK government in particular dismantling privacy rights and public freedoms, Alex Karp – the nationalist CEO of Palantir, one of the US firms handed huge UK government data contracts – is happy to say publicly that he’s relaxed about Western Nations becoming surveillance states, as long as his country and firm are at the heart of the surveillance.

    Karp told Axios that:

    when people are worried about surveillance, of course, there are huge dangers there, but you know, you will have far fewer rights if America’s not in the lead.

    As AJ Dellinger summed it up for Gizmodo:

    Basically, we might completely destroy our economy, our culture, our sense of privacy and individuality, our sense of pride in contributing to our communities—but we’ll be damned if we let anyone else do it to us.

    An out of tune ‘Karp’

    Karp went on to claim that people’s concerns about AI-driven surveillance are because they fear it will catch them cheating on their spouses. However, he is on record telling shareholders that the job of his company is to:

    scare enemies and on occasion kill them,

    so the reality is far darker, particularly as his company chair and fellow founder Peter Thiel recently equivocated when asked whether he wants the human race to survive and admitted that:

    I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.

    Karp and Thiel are also ardent Zionists who supply products and services to the Israeli military for its use in the Gaza genocide. So when they say that ‘we’ should create and control the surveillance state, it’s a safe bet that ‘we’ also includes Israel. This of course is very, very bad news for ordinary people in Western Asia and any western country, and for any notion they have of freedom.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Skwawkbox

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Organ harvesting scandal — UK surgeon says Israel returned bodies with organs missing

    Palestinian-British surgeon Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah has confirmed that, in his expert medical opinion, bodies of Palestinian abductees returned by Israel have had organs harvested for transplant into others — presumably Israeli others.

    Palestinian organs are being harvested and transplanted into other bodies.

    Abu-Sittah notes that the organs removed are those commonly used in transplant surgery – heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, corneas – and that the removal was definitely done surgically:

    Since the start of the so-called ‘ceasefire’ in Gaza last month, almost 300bodies have been returned by the occupation military. As well as those with organs removed, many bore signs of torture and execution while bound, with the occupiers not even bothering to remove bonds or to try to disguise the evidence of torture.

    Israel has previously simply dumped bodies of its victims back into Gaza, many of whom also showed evidence of organ harvesting, torture and execution — many so badly mutilated that identification was impossible.

    By Skwawkbox

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • It’s wrong to call out Zionist ‘baby killers’ says Maccabi supporter

    On 7 November, Novara Media published a video from outside the Aston Villa – Maccabi Tel Aviv match. In one section, they interviewed a protester who was there to defend the feelings of the Israeli soldiers who’ve been tasked with perpetrating the state’s genocide. As you’ll see, his defence proved less than convincing.

    “All sorts of crimes”

    The man isn’t named, but Novara describe him a being part of a “small group of Maccabi Tel Aviv protesters”. He says to journalist Simon Childs:

    I’m hearing people say ‘Zionist baby killers… not welcome here’. Young people who fight to defend their nation are being accused of all sorts of crimes.

    The man is right to suggest that those enforcing the genocide are “being accused of all sorts of crimes”.

    At the top level, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has arrest warrants out for several high-ranking Israelis they’ve accused of committing war crimes, including PM Benjamin Netanyahu. At the troop level, the Hind Rajab Foundation is tracking IDF troops as they travel the world. This is how they describe their mission:

    Established during the ongoing Gaza genocide, our foundation honors the memory of Hind Rajab and all those who have perished or suffered under the Israeli genocidal campaign.

    Our core mission is to actively pursue legal action against those responsible for these atrocities, including perpetrators, accomplices, and inciters of violence against Palestinians. Through offensive litigation, we aim to hold these actors accountable in both international and national courts, challenging the culture of impunity that has allowed such crimes to persist.

    Oh, and before we forget, we should note the UK police banned Maccabi Tel Aviv fans because their numbers include hooligans who fought in the IDF, as Middle East Eye reported:

    Dutch police told their British counterparts that over 200 Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans who wreaked havoc in Amsterdam in November 2024 were “linked to the Israel Defense Forces [IDF]”, and that hundreds more were “experienced fighters”, “highly organised” and “intent on causing serious violence”,

    This is inevitable, of course, because Israel has national service. The fact that most Israelis serve in the military has no doubt contributed towards public opinion over there looking like this (as reported by Israeli outlet Haaretz in June this year):

    Israeli polling on expelling Arabs

    The author of that piece wrote:

    Within days I began receiving anguished inquiries about the results. Friends, colleagues, peace activists, journalists and strangers wrote in from Australia to Uruguay to down the block, asking if it could possibly be true that 82 percent of Israeli Jews support “the transfer (expulsion) of residents of the Gaza Strip to other countries?” No less than 54 percent of Jewish respondents were “very” supportive.

    Other findings were grim: A majority of 56 percent of Jews supported the “transfer (forced expulsion) of Arab citizens of Israel to other countries.” And when asked directly whether they agreed with the position that the IDF, “when conquering an enemy city, should act in a manner similar to the way the Israelites acted when they conquered Jericho under the leadership of Joshua, namely, to kill all its inhabitants?” nearly half, 47 percent, agreed.

    Israel has held Gaza under siege for decades, and many Israelis have contributed towards this through their military service. Obviously this is going to warp how they view Palestinians. We’re not highlighting this to excuse them, by the way; we’re saying the situation over there is incredibly abnormal, and we shouldn’t pretend otherwise.

    “Do you think that’s a normal thing?” says a Maccabi fan without irony

    Back to the interview, the Maccabi supporter said:

    I’m not hearing anybody putting forward anything positive as to how to resolve and come up with a solution to this problem.

    Simon Childs responded by asking:

     Do you understand the sense of feeling, when… there have been a lot of children being killed?

    The man seemed perplexed, asking:

    Do you think I wouldn’t understand?

    It’s an odd thing to ask given that everything he said in the interview suggests he doesn’t understand. Simon Child noted in response that “babies have been killed”, to which the man responded:

    Yeah, but – yeah, but do you – I mean – do you think that’s a normal way for grown adults to behave? That when there’s a war in which people are killed, obviously, you then run around hysterically screaming ‘baby killer’? Do you think that’s a normal thing?

    Oh yeah, you’ve got them there – it’s not the people who are killing the babies who are abnormal; it’s the people who noticed them doing it.

    Because Israel has been waging a war on a captive population, it’s proven particularly deadly for civilians – including children. Combined with the statements of genocidal intent made by senior Israelis, this is part of the reason why people have described the situation as a ‘genocide’ rather than a ‘war’.

    As Save the Children reported:

    At least one Palestinian child has been killed every hour on average by Israeli forces in Gaza over nearly 23 months of war, with the number of children killed now surpassing 20,000, Save the Children said.

    This is almost certainly an underestimate, as it’s been impossible to gauge the overall number of deaths because of how Israel waged its genocide.

    In many instances, it is literally babies who have suffered, though:


    In December 2023, NBC News reported that a reporter found decomposing babies in a hospital that Israel targeted. The piece also noted:

    Doctors at Al Shifa, one of Gaza’s largest hospitals, which faced intense bombardment and raids by Israeli forces last month, struggled to keep dozens of premature babies alive due to power outages. Most of them were then evacuated to Egypt by the Palestine Red Crescent Society. At the time, Palestinian health officials said eight premature babies died.

    Bombing hospitals is a war crime, by the way; we’re sorry if it’s abnormal to point that out.

    To add insult to injury, they don’t just bomb children; they also do shit like this:

    Nazi hunters

    The man seems to think that although it’s very sad when armies kill civilians, it’s abnormal to make soldiers feel bad about it. This is a hell of a thing to suggest when we’re talking about Israel – the country which literally spent decades hunting down Nazis.

    Was it wrong to hold Nazis to account for war crimes?

    We don’t think so, but increasingly Israel and its supporters seem to be very confused on the matter.

    Featured image via Novara Media

     

    By Willem Moore

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Sport across Europe is waking up to Israel’s genocide in Gaza

    The European sporting arena has recently witnessed remarkable shifts in attitudes towards Israel, with increasing calls to freeze its participation in continental football tournaments, against the backdrop of crimes committed in the Gaza Strip.

    These moves, which began with clubs and fans and then reached national federations such as the Irish Football Association, reflect a gradual moral shift within Europe that raises a fundamental question: Can sport remain silent in the face of genocide?

    From Aston Villa… signs of European awakening

    The British authorities’ decision to ban fans of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending their team’s match against Aston Villa in the Europa League competition sparked widespread reaction in both sporting and political circles.

    Despite the ban being justified on security grounds, many in Europe – including pro-Palestinian activists – saw the move as an implicit rejection of normalising sport with an entity that commits war crimes against civilians in Gaza.

    The scene was not limited to England, as the Irish Football Association announced its intention to vote on a formal proposal calling on the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to suspend the Israeli association’s membership and ban it from its competitions, based on violations related to the practices of Israeli clubs in the occupied Palestinian territories and their failure to implement anti-racism standards.

    Growing popular sentiment in Europe

    There has been a growing awareness among the European public of what is happening in Palestine, especially with the continuing massacres in the Gaza Strip and the tens of thousands of victims. This awareness has translated into clear sporting action:

    Demonstrations in front of stadiums in London, Amsterdam and other European cities chanting ‘No football for genocide’.

    Fans of major clubs — such as Celtic in Scotland and Ajax in the Netherlands — raised Palestinian flags during matches, defying warnings from local federations.

    In response, popular demands have grown for UEFA and FIFA to be held accountable for their double standards, after they rushed to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine while remaining silent on Israel’s aggression, which has been ongoing for more than a year.

    This shift in European public sentiment represents a turning point in Western public opinion, with the Palestinian cause now present in the consciousness of broad sections of young people, athletes and fans, who see sport as a space for defending justice rather than merely commercial competition.

    Increasing influence on official sports institutions

    At the institutional level, this wave has begun to pressure European national federations to reconsider their position on Israel.

    The Irish Football Association, with the support of Bohemian FC, broke the official silence and opened the door to the first vote of its kind in Europe to call for a ban on Israel.

    According to media sources, officials within some federations are discussing the possibility of adopting similar positions, based on Israel’s violation of the conditions for joining UEFA, particularly with regard to discrimination and racism.

    Even within UEFA itself, a legal debate has begun on how to apply the regulations to the case of the Israeli occupation, amid increasing pressure from human rights and media groups.

    For Palestinians, these developments are a historic precedent in official European awareness, as they shift the position from the realm of ‘humanitarian sympathy’ to that of institutional action capable of bringing about real change.

    Sport is not immune to justice

    From a Palestinian perspective, these steps represent a true translation of the principle that sport cannot be neutral in the face of injustice.

    The Israeli occupation uses sporting participation as a front to improve its image abroad, while continuing to kill civilians and besiege Gaza.

    Therefore, every European step – however symbolic – towards holding it accountable or restricting its sporting presence is a moral victory for the Palestinian people and a message that justice can begin in any field, even on the playing field.

    A moral European sporting front

    What is happening on European pitches today is not just a sporting dispute, but a moral and popular shift in attitudes towards the genocide in Palestine.

    The voices of fans and clubs such as Aston Villa and Bohemian are paving the way for Europe to correct its position, not only with statements, but with institutional action.

    While some federations hesitate to take a clear decision, there is a growing conviction that history will record who stood up for justice and who remained silent.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Alaa Shamali

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • The Maccabi Tel Aviv match exposed the not-so hidden underbelly of racist Britain

    I’m on the train, just leaving Birmingham. Thursday 6 November was the first time I’ve been accosted by someone for wearing a keffiyeh. It’s ringing in my ears now, a poignant way to round off a night spent covering the demonstration at Villa Park for the European fixture against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

    Just in case anyone hasn’t heard: Birmingham City Council placed a banning order on away fans due to a clear risk of disorder. This conclusion followed multiple examples of rampant hooliganism and took into account the diverse community in the local area.

    Lucky for us, Keir Starmer, our glorious leader, decided this was the issue on which to expend the final dregs of political capital—not restoring benefits to single mothers with too many children for the state’s liking. That wouldn’t please the donors. Instead, let’s spend the last of that stock on defending literal football hooligans in the national press and smearing the police and council in Birmingham in the process.

    It’s strange.

    How does the man who lives and breathes football so genuinely and authentically [lol] miss the fact that these exact supporters have torn up multiple cities in Europe, including recently their exertions in Amsterdam, where they attacked Muslim supporters, tore down Palestinian flags, and rampaged through the city, chanting the most abhorrent and vile abuse.

    But it’s okay – we don’t understand Arabic so those chants are okay – they won’t offend us. Yes, that was actually one of the sick comments I read online in the last few days from a prominent media personality with an extensive enough reach that real people in the real world saw it expressed.

    It genuinely shocks me how far and how fast the Overton window has shifted:

    Birmingham

    Birmingham saw an immense police presence

    The police presence in the city when I arrived is immense, a pair of coppers every couple of hundred metres:

    I don’t think I have ever seen anything like this. I had plenty of time to scope out the Asian food market, but when I stopped to ask a couple of officers for directions, I was met with a blank stare. They have been shuttled in from Shropshire for the night, and no, they don’t know anything about tonight either.

    Maybe I should speak to the police officer press team with the other auditors… goodness me sir, I am a professional… now kindly please stop talking. I am hangry, and if you have no information on where the noodles are you are useless to me.

    Heading through New Street, there are a few Villa flags already on the train at 5pm, and a steady police presence. At the far side of the stadium you can hear the loudspeaker and see the flags around the final corner. There are hundreds of people there, some stalls assembled. The police have been instrumental in organising this protest, and on the microphone one of the organisers is reminding people of this fact: please, remember that this is a static peaceful protest, there is no march, let’s work with the police.

    I was lucky to speak to Duncan, a local activist and Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) rep. It’s clear that there’s a lot of confusion about the whole situation:

    Why is Israel still playing in UEFA competitions?

    And it’s a comment that goes to the heart of the issue.

    Why is Israel still playing?

    Why, after two years, is Israel still playing in international and European competitions when Russian athletics and football have faced bans since the invasion of Ukraine?

    “What’s happening in Ukraine is a tragedy,” agrees Duncan:

    But equally in Gaza 20,000 children have been killed by Israeli forces, and they are still playing in international competitions, singing in Eurovision… its just absolutely confusing.

    It’s important to remember that this was actually about safety in the first place – this was never really about politics. These fans aren’t the only fans who have ever been subject to a banning order like this, and these are the same fans who tore through Amsterdam recently.

    Duncan said:

    Even our Prime Minister was speaking out as if they were victims when they are the ones who went round Amsterdam, smashing up Arabic shops, tearing down Palestinian flags and attacking people. They were even banned in their own country recently.

    He isn’t the only one here with these views. Professor Kamel Hawwash, a local Brummie of 35 years who stood down as head of the PSC to stand for parliament in Selly Oak at the last election, agreed with him:

    Israeli teams should not be in UEFA or FIFA. At least 6 teams are based in occupied Palestine and even their own rules say you cannot play on the land of another football association… why is Israel an exception? Why are they playing in Europe? Why are the Russian teams banned? Because they occupy Ukrainian land!

    What about the people who think that this is about religion?

    No! The Jewish community is a totally different matter, it isn’t on the British Jewish community.

    It’s so important to bear in mind when discussing this that we are in many cases talking to people who cannot go home. Kamel is from Jerusalem:

    Both of my parents were born in Jerusalem before 1948 so they couldn’t return. I used to go with my family until the Israelis banned me… there was a new law which said they can ban anyone who supports the BDS campaign…

    I ask Kamel if he can try and explain to someone who has no stake in this conflict what it feels like to be deprived the right to return home, if he is able to:

    When I was banned I was sitting on a chair and I could see my homeland out of the window, and a Russian Israeli took me onto the plane to deport me – so that is how I feel…

    It’s admirable that Kamel and others are able to regulate their trauma and bury it into productive outlets. But it’s also not difficult to understand why some people have come tonight with very different viewpoints:

    Birmingham

    The whataboutery was strong in Birmingham

    People are rightfully furious at the way that this entire issue has been turned into an implicit accusation by ministers. This was all about safety, and that’s not lost on the fans who are pouring down the road tonight.

    “We know a lot of people who have chose not to come because of safety… and the way that Starmer has not come out and said anything about Villa fans’ safety at the ground – that’s interesting,” one season ticket holder tells me:

    No one will talk about the turnover and the club. It’s just politics… you’ve got to look at it with an open mind… no one will talk about the Villa supporters… it’s not what it’s about… I’m here to see a football game… and now I’m having an interview next to some Palestinian supporters.

    It must be said though there was no rendition prior to this interview, there was no coercion. If people don’t want to be interviewed then don’t stop in front of a group of protesters, and don’t agree to an interview… it’s kind of snow-flakey bro.

    And I have to be honest, it still shocks me to hear people standing in the street talking about what is objectively a genocide in the kind of terms that were soon to follow when I broach the double standard between Russia and Israel.

    “The difference is Ukraine’s a peaceful country innit,” adds a fellow fan. “It’s not like what’s going on over there.”

    Yeah, that’s the thing, Palestine have gone and shot a bunch of innocents and Israel has then, you know, gone, in my opinion, too far in Palestine… They are both as bad as each other.

    Sometimes it’s hard to be a professional in the job:

    Opposing views

    Fortunately I bumped into some other supporters soon after who had a different story to tell:

    This is something we deliberated to boycott… football is our release but we also support what is going on here too. It’s really important to have solidarity.

    The idea that these protesters don’t care about the team is for the birds.

    “We have been Villa fans over 35 years,” they say. One of them even brings his 12-year-old daughter along for the game usually. Not tonight though – this was always a safety issue:

    People say this is racism but when you have our Prime Minister saying we are anti-Semitic for not wanting violent thugs in our stands… no we are not. My family go back to the 1500s in Aston. My grandad had no problems integrating in a multi-cultural society.

    I think it’s been made into antisemitism by our Prime Minister chirping up – it suits a narrative.

    The boys want to get back to the protest, before they go – anything you might have missed?

    Oh yeah. Up the Villa. And Free Palestine.

    Birmingham

    Meandering

    I continue my aimless meander – click click click, honestly this seems pretty chilled out for the most part. Life would be easier if the WIFI was working properly. For some reason I cannot even connect my camera to my phone to transfer the files across until I walk a certain distance from the police and into the park where it suddenly miraculously works… quell surprise.

    The steady stream of fans are filing through to the gates, I’m just messaging the ‘office’ to let them know tonight’s been overblown when suddenly; a hubbub.

    Several hundred people are jostling with the police. It’s very hard in hindsight to pretend like these people were just there for a nice time at the football – there are people on both sides who are just here to express their anger.

    At one point, as the police try and restore calm by cordoning, there are still fans coming down the road. I’m standing behind the line of police, football hooligans shouting “where’s your Gaza gone now” at the demonstration, and I realise that the police are still letting more fans come down the road behind me.

    Suddenly there’s some angry old fucker shouting “fuck Gaza” immediately behind me while an officer shouts at me for being in their way, as if there’s some grand plan.

    It’s actually been fascinating the last few months seeing the police and how they behave close up:

    Cops and the fash: obvious bedfellows

    Are there literal fascists in the police force?

    Undeniably.

    My experiences over the last few months have shown me clearly, some of them would be in the crowds shouting at hotels if they didn’t wear uniforms. But mostly it’s just incompetence.

    These people, by and large, have no idea what they are doing. They look to each other with nervous glances, desperate for validation, and honestly that’s where I think the violence comes from a lot of the time. The insecure reality of realising you’re just a little man in some big boots. Impotent.

    Eventually the police restore calm. Ish. There’s a little flare-up at half time when supporters come out, but by and large the party is over.

    A few fireworks are thrown. A young man is arrested and taken away. No one knows what the charge was, what the grounds were, or where he was taken.

    The local Birmingham PSC has started to make their way home – the protest officially ended at 8pm, but there are a lot of folks wanting to keep things going.

    “We have actual Palestinians here,” is the reply when people ask them to stop banging drums, stop chanting, and to leave. Their passion is undeniable and understandable.

    I hang around until full time to see what happens – I’m really interested in how the police plan on stopping the two groups mingling as they make their way towards the station. As the fans start to leave, one comes out, masked, hooded, and makes a beeline for something with intent.

    The police follow, so of course I do too:

    Birmingham

    Standing by

    Snap snap.

    Turns out it’s just his two mates arguing about the fact they can’t get back to their car.

    Suddenly, one of them notices me taking pictures, starts throwing abuse and threats over the shoulder of two officers, while his masked buddy rushes me and gets right in my face. I’m shocked, frankly – there’s a line of 50 coppers standing not 10 feet from me, shoulder to shoulder, watching a man being threatened in the street for doing his job, and none of them even moved.

    Are any of you going to do anything about this?

    Literal silence.

    They let the guys leave, shouting that they would see me down the road – the only way out of the cordon. It takes multiple attempts and about 20 minutes to be allowed out safely through the back of the cordon.

    It was quite profound, actually:

    I am blessed; I have never been in a position where I have had to understand my privilege like that.

    Privilege take away – kind of

    I am a very middle-class sounding white dude, but I don’t think class is where you come from. It’s what you do with it that counts.

    I’ve washed pots for £3.40 an hour, full time, no tips. I’ve scrubbed toilets and done shitty jobs – don’t get me wrong, I don’t think I’m better than anyone. I was 17 when I had a knife pulled on me the first time, 21 was the second time in Derby outside my front door. And I’ve been literally carried away by five Spanish police in Santiago with enough force that I never did get back that lovely pendant my mother made me once – I know the feeling of being literally lifted by the police.

    But on Thursday evening I realised that my skull would have hit the pavement before a single officer would have reacted to stop it from happening.

    Suddenly, I’m standing in the road, utterly naked, unclothed of all the advantages I have always taken for granted in my whole life.

    I will likely never understand what it is like to wear a target on my skin, and I am not pretending that one split second of police indifference means that I get it, whatsoever or at all. But feeling what it is like to have absolutely no privilege for those few seconds was the most transformative experience.

    Everyone knows what it feels like when the police don’t give a fuck about a stolen bike, but everyone should feel what it feels like to have the police literally not care about your safety and wellbeing just one time. It’ll change things in you.

    This job is a wild lesson. I might listen to the nice journalist with the helmet on:

    An absolute shitshow in Birmingham

    I stop to have a natter as I’m leaving. I hear that there’s something going on elsewhere, and hey, this is my job so I ask around. I’m told in no uncertain terms that it’s time to leave by some of the locals. I try and explain, I come in peace, I mean no harm:

    You’re starting to piss me off bro…

    His friend whispers in my ear that it’s really not wise to stick around.

    This time I listen. I get it.

    It’s difficult to know what I would or wouldn’t do in that situation, but it’s not hard to see why I wouldn’t trust some chippy white guy with a camera and a grin. People have every right to be fucking raging.

    It’s like some of the fans have said: either you’re on the side where the government is allowing a dangerous situation to exist that impacts your safety, or you’re being told by the same government that your disdain for FIFA, your awareness about Gaza, or your fears of hooliganism make you an antisemite.

    This whole thing’s been handled so poorly. What did the government think was going to happen? And, what’s more, it didn’t even work.

    There were dozens of Maccabi fans with flags inside the stadium in Birmingham. And many more who were more low key too. On the way back from Birmingham on the train I sit and listen to two lads speaking in Hebrew and checking trains to Manchester Airport on their phones.

    One of them pulls up his emails to check the tickets. I exchange glances with a local fan next to me. Eye-rolling emojis all round. What a shit show.

    And there’s the racism again

    So I’m back to the start of my Birmingham trip – I’m sitting in a cafe, waiting for my train, talking to a table of boomers.

    One of them gets offended by facts. She asks me why I don’t go live with my parents if I can’t afford my rent. Well, I’m 35 and my dad’s a foster carer – asylum seekers have been sleeping in my childhood bed for 15 years now. Ugh, why’s he doing that? He should be sending them back where they came from. Gaza comes up:

    We can all find common ground in the fact that it’s wrong to bomb small children.

    She literally laughs out loud to herself. This conversation is over. As I stand up to leave she says:

    I noticed your scarf… I know what that means. It’s like wearing a flag around your neck. It’s like saying this is who I support.

    I respond:

    I wear this because it means I…

    “I’ll tell you what it means…” pointing aggressively:

    No madam, I will tell you what this means. It means I support the people of Palestine in their liberation.

    I thank the staff for the world’s best coffee, apologise for the disruption, and I leave.

    The interaction reminds me of the football fans from the night before. People can seem kind of normal, rational, middle of the ground, and then they open their mouths and say the most disgusting things that they wouldn’t ever dare say about someone who looks like them.

    Birmingham encapsulated the problem

    I like these little anecdotes. Maybe they seem somewhat self-involved but yo, I’m just autistic. I relate to the subject through the lens of my experiences – I really struggle with writing these articles because I’m just a muppet with a cheap camera.

    But I’m starting to find these interactions are a good jumping-off point because they can encapsulate everything about an event in a single moment… just a mixture of ignorance and stupidity, and some pretty justifiable anger too.

    Onwards. I get to the station, I jump on the train home, to Derby, I get my laptop out… how to start this piece… Oh, I know.

    P.S. The noodles were fire.

    Featured image and additional images via the Canary

    By Barold

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Video: Israeli settlers beat and hospitalise Reuters journalists in West Bank

    Fascist Israeli settlers have attacked a group of foreign journalists filming their assaults on the Palestinians in the West Bank, injuring five, two of them so badly they were hospitalised.

    The journalists were, Ranin Sawafteh, Mohammed al-Atrash, Louay Saeed, Nasser Ishtayeh and Nael Bouaitel. Some reports say that Ms Sawafteh was shot as well as beaten:

    Among the others wounded were Palestinian farmers, medics, and international activists.

    Israel has killed hundreds in attacks in the West Bank since the start of the faux-ceasefire in Gaza, including children.

    Israeli settler attacks are growing in frequency, while total impunity ensures the next one is only a matter of time.

    Featured image via Eye On Palestine

    By Skwawkbox

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • EU Movement Strengthens Call To Boycott Israeli Pharmaceutical Company

    Israeli pharmaceutical giant Teva is facing mounting pressure from Palestine solidarity groups across Europe. One of Israel’s largest drugs manufacturers and a major global producer of generic medicines, Teva has actively supported the genocide in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 and contributed to the erosion of Palestinian healthcare long before that, Giorgia Gusciglio, Europe Coordinator for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Campaigns at the Palestinian BDS National Committee, told People’s Health Dispatch.

    The post EU Movement Strengthens Call To Boycott Israeli Pharmaceutical Company appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Maryland Workers Fight To Divest Their Pensions From Israel’s Genocide

    On a cold, sunny morning in October, Grace Smith, a 42-year-old Baltimore County middle school teacher, arrived at the annual statewide teachers union convention in Ocean City, Maryland, with two fellow educators and a folder full of zines. Their mission: talk to as many teachers as possible about Maryland’s pension investments in Israel and hand out every copy they’d brought.

    Smith estimated that they spoke to dozens of educators and distributed over 200 zines. The response, she said, was overwhelmingly positive.

    “Everyone I talked to was glad to hear about it,” she said. “They didn’t know about it — and they were pissed.”

    The post Maryland Workers Fight To Divest Their Pensions From Israel’s Genocide appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Legal Groups Sue Administration Over Use Of Israeli Spyware

    Civil rights attorneys are suing the Trump administration to force the release of records detailing whether federal immigration agencies are using sophisticated Israeli spyware to track, monitor, and target immigrants and activists across the country.

    The lawsuit, filed on Oct. 30 in federal court by Just Futures Law and the Center for Constitutional Rights, demands that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) comply with Freedom of Information Act requests related to their contracts with tech companies Cellebrite and Paragon Solutions. Both companies have been linked to government surveillance of journalists, human rights defenders, and protesters around the world. 

    The post Legal Groups Sue Administration Over Use Of Israeli Spyware appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Amid Destroyed Health System, Gaza Sees Severe Outbreak of Autoimmune Disorder

    The residents of Gaza City are not only corralled by Israel’s siege and bombing, but also by infections from overflowing sewage, the pathogens seeping from contaminated water puddles, the immunity-threatening diseases emerging from overcrowded displacement camps, and the toxic residues of unexploded ordnance. As a result of Israel’s campaign of genocide, Gaza’s fragile health care system is…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Ireland’s FA passes vote to ban Israel from competing in UEFA tournaments

    On Saturday 8 November, Ireland’s Football Association approved a decision calling on the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to suspend Israel’s participation in European football competitions.

    Ireland says ban Israel from UEFA

    The resolution states that the Israeli association has violated two fundamental provisions of UEFA’s statutes. The first relates to the organisation of clubs in the occupied Palestinian territories without the consent of the Palestinian association, which is a direct violation of European football laws.

    The second clause relates to the Israeli association’s failure to implement an effective anti-racism policy, which is a prerequisite for membership of any association within the UEFA system.

    The resolution also called for clear and transparent criteria for suspending or excluding member associations that violate fundamental laws, thereby ensuring the protection of sporting values and fairness within the European Football Association.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Alaa Shamali

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Miss Universe: Miss Israel’s glare at Miss Palestine says it all

    Miss universe

    The presence of Palestine’s first-ever Miss Universe contestant, Nadeen Ayoub, didn’t go down well with the Israeli participant, if pictures from the event in Thailand are anything to go by.

    Ayoub, who became “Miss Palestine” in 2022 and is based in Ramallah and Dubai, made her first official appearance this week in the “Universe Ceremony”, a preliminary to her entry into the 21 November competition. She said she was there to “carry the voice” of the oppressed people of Palestine in the midst of Israel’s genocide — particularly women and children:

    As Palestine endures heartbreak, especially in Gaza, I carry the voice of a people who refuse to be silenced. I represent every Palestinian woman and child whose strength the world needs to see.

    Wearing this sash is an honour, and a responsibility. It carries the weight of generations, the dreams of our daughters, and the strength of a homeland still standing with grace.

    Her advocacy work includes her Dubai-based Olive Green Academy, which trains women in environmental activism and digital media.

    Miss Universe

    Israeli contestant Melanie Shiraz has been derided for her ‘hostile look’ toward Ayoub, as the Palestinian woman waved to the audience — unsurprisingly, since she attacked Ayoub last month in a video on Shiraz’s Instagram for ‘distorting’ the Israeli image:

    Shiraz claimed she wasn’t condemning ‘any contestant’, but her video shows and names Ayoub. In a statement accompanying it, she said that “the stories of my people are [being] distorted”:

    As an Israeli, and as a representative of Israel, I feel a responsibility to uphold truth, dignity, humanity, and peace. This is not a condemnation of any contestant or organization — it is a commitment to values that must guide us all. When the stories of my people are distorted, I cannot remain silent. I speak to honor victims, preserve dignity, and remind the world that humanity must always rise above politics.

    “The rope of lies is short” – Arabic proverb

    In her video, Shiraz showed two red-headed children whom she said had been murdered ‘by Hamas’. But Shiraz chose a bad example to hang her hat on. The pair were Ariel and Kfir Bibas and it’s true that they were Israeli – presumably Ayoub mistook them for some of the more than half a million Palestinian kids murdered during Israel’s genocide so far – but their family says that, like almost all the Israeli captives killed in Gaza, they were killed by Israeli bombs; when Israeli PM Netanyahu tried to attach himself to their funeral, the furious family refused him and every Israeli government figure permission to attend. Footage from the 7 October raid showed a Palestinian commander telling his men to make sure the children and their mother were protected:

    Like the Bibas children, most of the Israelis who died on 7 October were killed by Israel – a fact admitted early by the IDF and later even by Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defence minister at the time, who admitted earlier this month that Israel had repeatedly issued ‘Hannibal’ orders on 7 October to kill large numbers of Israeli captives along with Palestinian fighters – a fact known since the earliest days of the genocide and one that has been freely discussed by Israeli media for months but continues to be ignored by UK media and the Starmer government.

    Whatever your opinion of pageants like the Miss Universe contest, the presence of Nadeen Ayoub and the obvious anger it is causing the Israel lobby is to be welcomed.

    Featured image via Instagram screenshot

    By Skwawkbox

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Rights Groups Sue Trump Admin Over Use of Israeli Spyware to Target Immigrants

    Civil rights attorneys are suing the Trump administration to force the release of records detailing whether federal immigration agencies are using sophisticated Israeli spyware to track, monitor, and target immigrants and activists across the country. The lawsuit, filed on Oct. 30 in federal court by Just Futures Law and the Center for Constitutional Rights, demands that Immigration and…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Maccabi Tel Aviv ban: Police prove Starmer’s smear was pure politics

    This week, Birmingham police blew apart the government’s narrative that the Maccabi Tel Aviv travel ban was driven by antisemitism. As it turned out — and as we reported at the time — Maccabi Tel Aviv fans have a history of hooliganism, and it’s very normal to block such fans from travelling.

    Now, the Birmingham MP at the centre of the original controversy has called out the PM for his gross mishandling of the situation:


    Unbelievable

    Birmingham MP Ayoub Khan spoke about the ban in October, noting the “latent safety risks”:

    Because he looked out for his constituents, Khan faced attacks from politicians, journalists, and Tommy Robinson:

    Maccabi Tel Aviv are well known for their international hooliganism, and the Western media is known for clumsy cover ups:

    On 6 November, Sky News reported that:

    Police have revealed to Sky News they advised banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from Aston Villa due to “significant levels of hooliganism” in the fan base jeopardising safety around the match – rather than threats to visiting Israelis.

    Chief superintendent Tom Joyce said:

    We are simply trying to make decisions based on community safety, driven by the intelligence that was available to us and our assessment of the risk that was coming from admitting travelling fans.

    I’m aware there’s a lot of commentary around the threat to the [Maccabi] fans being the reason for the decision. To be clear, that was not the primary driver. That was a consideration.

    We have intelligence and information that says that there is a section of Maccabi fans, not all Maccabi fans, but a section who engage in quite significant levels of hooliganism.

    What is probably quite unique in these circumstances is whereas often hooligans will clash with other hooligans and it will be contained within the football fan base.

    We’ve had examples where a section of Maccabi fans were targeting people not involved in football matches, and certainly we had an incident in Amsterdam last year which has informed some of our decision-making.

    So it is exclusively a decision we made on the basis of the behaviour of a sub-section of Maccabi fans, but all the reaction that could occur obviously formed part of that as well.

    Tel Aviv First

    As Sky News stated, the move to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans was “angrily opposed” by Keir Starmer. This is what he said at the time:


    Did Starmer not think to ask the police why they banned the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans?

    Or did he decide to tarnish their reputation because he thought it would be politically beneficial in the moment?

    Starmer wasn’t the only one speaking out either, with Lisa Nandy making a statement in parliament:

    Now, people are calling for Nandy to resign:


    This country

    Don’t get us wrong, we’re often critical of the police. The fact that the police make bad decisions, however, does not mean that every decision they make is bad.

    Banning travelling fans because their supporters contain a division of notorious ultras wasn’t just a good decision — it was a normal one. The fact that the PM and his underlings chose to attack the police for this informed choice shows the UK is an increasingly un-normal place.

    Featured image via Number 10

    By Willem Moore

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Gaza flooding — Israel now is weaponising winter

    The Gaza government’s emergency operations unit has issued an urgent appeal to the United Nations, its agencies, and international humanitarian organisations. It’s calling for immediate action to protect thousands of displaced families facing the threat of flooding as winter approaches.

    Displaced families face imminent threat of flooding and need to be relocated

    Dr. Samah Hammad, head of the operations unit, described the situation as “extremely dire.” She said families living in coastal and low-lying areas face an immediate threat from flooding, rainwater, and storm surges. Hammad urged the relocation of families to safe shelters and called for urgent delivery of aid.

    The ongoing genocide has destroyed infrastructure across Gaza — including drainage systems and roads. Gaza Municipality reports that most wastewater plants, pumping stations, and sewage networks are in ruins. This extensive destruction has led to a build-up of contaminated water, environmental toxicity, and serious public-health risks.

    Collapsed water and sanitation systems make neighbourhoods more prone to flooding and prevent communities from coping with heavy rains. Living conditions are worsening fast — many displaced people have no protection from the cold and no heating at all.

    Items needed for winter survival are prevented from entering Gaza by the Israeli occupation

    Gaza’s humanitarian crisis has deepened under years of blockade and repeated Israeli assaults. Even before October 2023, 80% the population relied on aid to survive. Israel continues to ban construction materials, blocking any real reconstruction effort. Now the siege is stopping tents, building materials, and winter supplies from entering — even as storms approach.

    Hammad said international organisations already have shelter supplies ready, but Israel has refused to grant border access. Aid entry remains severely restricted — in clear breach of the ceasefire agreement promising 600 trucks per day.

    According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, between 10 October and 31 October 2025 only 3,203 aid trucks entered Gaza — an average of just 145 a day. That’s nowhere near enough to meet urgent needs.

    Humanitarian aid needs to be immediate and unrestricted

    The Ministry of Public Works and Housing has identified almost 300 temporary shelter sites equipped with basic water and sanitation facilities near displaced communities. But these safe zones can only function if international and local authorities coordinate — and if Israel stops blocking access.

    Humanitarian groups like the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) are mobilising to help but need unrestricted entry to do their work.

    Hammad urged the international community to demand the immediate, unhindered delivery of tents, shelter materials, and prefabricated housing units. Without this, hundreds of thousands of people face another winter without safety or dignity.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Charlie Jaay

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Gaza medicine crisis: Israel turns hospitals into battlegrounds

    In a city where the echoes of bombardment mingle with the groans of the wounded, the health system in Gaza is collapsing under the weight of the siege and denial of medical supplies. The scene is no longer limited to the wounded waiting for a bed, but also includes doctors searching for a single dose of painkillers in nearly empty warehouses.

    The Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Dr. Munir al-Barsh, painted a grim picture of the situation, telling journalists that the amount of medicine that has entered since the ceasefire on October 10th does not exceed 10% of the Strip’s needs.

    “Medicine has become part of the battlefield, not a means of healing,” said Al-Barsh, referring to what he described as a “deliberate medical siege.”

    Gaza medicine — An open-ended crisis

    Since the ceasefire was declared, only 60 truckloads of medical supplies have been allowed in, a meagre number compared to the needs of two million people living amidst destruction and disease.

    According to the Ministry of Health, the shortage of medicines has reached 65%, while the shortage of medical supplies has reached 70%, unprecedented levels even during the most brutal phases of the war. As Al-Barsh puts it:

    Some essential medicines are completely out of stock. We are treating the wounded with what remains of expired packages or alternative medications that are insufficient

    Medicine in the Market: Between Scarcity and Greed

    In the few markets that are still operating, pharmacies have become like museums of rare medicines, where medication is sometimes available, but at exorbitant prices.

    Al-Barsh confirmed that some medicines reach the private sector in “very small” quantities, which explains the sharp rise in prices, especially for painkillers and antibiotics.

    Targeting the Pharmaceutical Infrastructure

    The occupation did not stop at blocking the entry of trucks. It also destroyed what remained of the health facilities. According to the Ministry of Health, approximately 860 private pharmacies were destroyed during the two years of the war, in what Al-Barsh described as “a direct attack on people’s right to treatment and life.”

    When the hospital is destroyed and the pharmacy closes, all that remains is the tent and waiting… waiting for death or a miracle

    Medical Care Amidst the Rubble

    In hospital corridors, doctors work with whatever supplies and bandages are left. Operating rooms are sometimes lit by emergency lights, and the wounded are given insufficient anaesthesia.

    A nurse at Al-Shifa Hospital told the Canary,

    Sometimes we perform surgeries without anaesthesia. Pain has become part of the treatment.

    Thus, in Gaza, wounds have become a daily reality, and medicine a wish suspended at a military checkpoint.

    Open the crossings

    Al-Barsh concluded his remarks with an urgent appeal to international organizations and humanitarian agencies to take immediate action, emphasising that the continued siege “means the slow death of thousands of patients and the wounded.”

    The occupation is not only bombing, but also preventing treatment. The medical blockade is a crime committed in broad daylight, and the world watches.

    Gaza medicine — a Political Issue

    The health crisis in Gaza is no longer a matter of relief, but a political issue used by Israel for control and subjugation. Every delayed shipment of medicine and every denied permit means more suffering in hospital wards and more postponed funerals.

    Despite all this, doctors continue to work, patients persevere, and the people of Gaza cling to life with their last lifeline.

    Featured image via UNRWA

    By Alaa Shamali

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • ‘Genocidal kleptomaniac’ is the hero Belfast deserves and needs right now

    Out with the old “would you rather be invisible or able to fly,” in with the new “would you rather be able to shoplift half an M&S, flash your boobs at the Orange Order, or troll a Magistrates Court judge by making up random medical conditions in the middle of your trial?” Amazingly, one woman combines all these superpowers, alongside a dash of anti-Zionism and the Jedi mind trick of pulling it all off with just a couple of fines.

    Clodagh Byrne was accused of liberating £722 worth of clothes and cosmetics from Marks & Spencer’s in one visit. On reflection, using the most scientific measure of inflation – the Freddo index – that’s probably just a couple of pairs of knickers and a T-shirt. Nonetheless, Judge Rosie Watters of Lisburn Magistrates Court was unimpressed with Byrne’s meritorious attempt to strike a blow against Zionism by raiding the complicit retailer, which has been known to stock Israeli fruit & veg. “Unbelievable” was the District Judge’s verdict when reflecting on Byrne’s view that:

    she would change the world by stealing £722 from M&S because they’re part of a regime funding the war in Gaza and because they are complicit, she doesn’t consider what she’s done to be wrong

    Heroine batters Zionism and clothes the poor

    More like unbelievable that you don’t appreciate what an absolute legend this woman is, Judge Watters. If everyone went into their nearest Marks & Sparks and made off with the best part of a grand in gear to protest Zionist genocide, Starmer would be outside Downing Street within a week doing the dabke and declaring one state for all. The philistine wielding the gavel was also unable to appreciate the performance art going on in court when Byrne declared she suffered from “genocidal kleptomania”. Some esteemed psychologists whom I just made up say the serious condition (also made up) is an illness — I say it’s a cure.

    After all, in an act of redistribution Robin Hood would be proud of, the Tyrone woman donated much of her loot to a charity shop the next day. Zack Polanski, Zohran Mamdani — step aside, this is the direct action socialism we need.

    Nonetheless, Watters was unimpressed and:

    imposed a five-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, in addition to a £722 compensation order.

    Earlier in the proceedings, the judge had missed the opportunity to benefit from Byrne’s wisdom, telling her “I think it would be best if you just stay quiet” when Byrne argued the legality of her sale of hallucinogenic drugs. Given that her narcotic regimen has seemingly enabled her to transcend the powers of mere mortals, the Lisburn arbiter really looked a gift horse in the mouth here.

    Tits out, Brits out? Rampage at Orange parade lifts the tone

    Our friendly neighbourhood genocidal kleptomaniac’s previous heroism includes raising the tone at an Orange parade by exposing her breast during one on 12 July 2024. A shocked onlooker may or may not have been quoted saying:

    I was disgusted – the horrifying scenes of naked flesh blocked my view of the ashes left over from torching effigies of refugees the night before. Thankfully the horror passed, and the good family fun of singing about being bathed in Fenian blood could begin once again.

    Byrne, a former social worker, continued to wield her superpowers to socially beneficial effect. On what she later told police was “the best day of her life”, she entered Campbell College in fully exposed form and said:

    British dickheads…British fucking wankers…I’m in your fucking classroom. Play your fucking big bass drum. Give us back our Six Counties.

    Our heroine had reasonably argued that male and female toplessness should not be treated differently, and that “nudity is her natural state”. This example of truth, justice and the Tyrone way also went unappreciated by District Judge Anne Marshall, who imposed a fine of £300 along with a £15 offender levy for “charges of improper use of a public communications network and trespass”, and indecency.

    The only indecent thing is the fact that this woman hasn’t yet been installed as First Minister at Stormont. As has been shown here, she’s got plans to end Zionism, redistribute wealth, expose the failing judiciary, bring about gender equality, modern July 12th and enhance the educational experience in colleges. The Genocidal Kleptomaniacs Party is ready to steal your vote – elect Clodagh Byrne.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Robert Freeman

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Free Mustafa Ayyash: a Palestinian journalist and political prisoner in European jails

    33-year-old Palestinian journalist Mustafa Ayyash, founder of Gaza Now, was arrested at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands on 19 September at Austria’s request.

    He is now detained in a Dutch prison — without trial — accused of no violent crime. Ayyash is fighting extradition to Austria.

    Mustafa Ayyash’s Gaza Now — accused by Israel of “Hamas ties” for telling the truth

    Gaza Now, founded in 2009, is one of Gaza’s most-watched media outlets. It provides 24-hour coverage and reaches millions worldwide. The platform exposes Israeli war crimes and human rights abuses — making it an obvious target for the occupation.

    A source close to Ayyash, who requested anonymity, shared new details with the Canary about his case.

    In November 2023, Israel bombed his family home in Al-Nuseirat refugee camp. The six-storey house was flattened by three missiles — without warning.

    The bombing completely flattened the house and resulted in the deaths of all Ayyash’s family members who were inside at the time- his mother, father, three brothers, three sisters, and seven nephews and nieces. 40 people in total.

    Israeli regime threatens and kills Palestinian journalists on a daily basis.

    According to the Canary’s source, Mustapha Ayyash had received direct threats from Israeli occupation forces. Targeting journalists is routine practice for Israel, which kills them — and their families — to silence Gaza’s truth-tellers. It is very likely that Israel deliberately target Ayyash’s house.

    Israel initially believed it had killed him. Even the UN reported his “death.” Fearing for his life, Ayyash fled and was granted asylum in Austria.

    UK and US sanctions made Ayyash fear for his life

    In March 2024, the UK and US sanctioned Ayyash, claiming he funds Gaza Now which, in turn, ‘promotes Hamas and the Islamic Jihad’.

    They accused his fundraising for civilians in Gaza of “benefitting Hamas.” Ayyash denies all charges and calls them deliberate misinformation.

    A source told The Canary these sanctions froze his assets, restricted travel, and made him “constantly fearful he’d be killed.”

    Ayyash’s lawyer, Frederieke Dölle, said:

    “There is a pattern, unfortunately, where Palestinian journalists face fake allegations of Hamas links. It’s something to be very worried about, and it’s important they are protected.”

    Soon after the sanctions, Austrian police raided Mustapha Ayyash’s home. They seized devices, deleted Gaza Now’s WhatsApp (300,000 followers) and Facebook pages (8 million).

    Ayyash was not charged or arrested.

    Austrian police caused permanent injury to Ayyash’s eight months pregnant wife. After the raid on his home, Mustafa and his family left Austria, because they did not feel safe any more in the country.

    Dölle said police treated Ayyash and his eight-months-pregnant wife “very harshly.” His wife later partially lost her sight due to the violent search.

    Ayyash travelled to the Netherlands to file a complaint at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over Austria’s conduct against him and his family. But as he passed through Schiphol Airport, he was arrested. Austria had submitted a European Arrest Warrant.

    Mustapha Ayyash’s lawyer: Arrest warrant “very vague”

    Dölle explained that Ayyash’s extradition hearing on 11 November is “a special case.”

    “He’s accused of asking for donations for Gaza that allegedly reached Hamas — but there’s no detail: no when, how, or where. Even with a European arrest warrant, you must be specific.”

    She warned many journalists are branded Hamas supporters “without any evidence” — and suspects Israeli involvement behind the request.

    Ayyash may be made to go to Austria- which must be within 10 days of the judgement. But Dutch judges could also deny his extradition, or say they need more time and more information from the Austrian authorities.

    If extradited, Ayyash could be sent to Austria within 10 days of the ruling. Dutch judges could also delay or deny the request, demanding more details from Austria.

    Although Dölle  hopes the Dutch authorities do not comply, and the Dutch judge denies the extradition request, she knows this will be extremely difficult, because Austria is a European Union country.

    There’s no Israeli extradition request yet. But Austria is bound by the European Convention on Human Rights — meaning it shouldn’t transfer him to Israel. Still, Dölle warns the risk cannot be ruled out.

    If this happens, Ayyash’s life would be in extreme danger, as the Israeli regime specifically targets journalists. 

    Since October 2023, Israel has killed more journalists in Gaza than were killed in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Yugoslavia, and Afghanistan combined.

    His physical and mental health very fragile

    Dölle told the Canary that Ayyash is severely traumatised. He lost his family to an airstrike — and now sits in a cell for a crime he didn’t commit. Mustapha is extremely frightened, and doesn’t know when he will be released. He has self-harmed and attempted suicide.

    Mustapha is denied family visits, even from his brother in the Netherlands.

    A source told The Canary he’s been beaten and tortured, and “suffered greatly.” Ayyash ended a 15-day hunger strike, but his physical and mental health continues to deteriorate. He doesn’t have access to regular medical checkups and even his lawyer visits are sparse and restricted.

    Our government’s collusion with a regime that kills journalists and commits crimes against humanity must stop now

    Ayyash’s case shatters the myth that Western democracies care about press freedom or human rights.

    Israel — whose leaders are wanted by the International Criminal Court — continues to evade accountability, silence dissent, and imprison and kill journalists with impunity. Its track record shows a clear disregard for the rule of law and truth.

    By enabling Israel’s persecution, our governments betray the values they preach.

    We must demand an end to this collusion that suppresses critical journalism and stops justice. Ayyash’s ordeal is not only a personal tragedy but shows us how truth is under attack. Defending him means protecting the freedom to expose the truth and hold the powerful and corrupt accountable, even when they want their crimes to remain hidden.

    We must demand an end to this collusion that punishes truth-telling. That suppresses critical journalism and stops justice. Mustafa Ayyash’s ordeal is a warning — when journalists are criminalised, democracy dies with them. Defending him means defending the right to expose power, even when the powerful want their crimes buried.

    So what are these so called Western democratic nations doing, that speak of freedoms of press and speech, colluding with a pariah state committing war crimes and crimes against humanity? Ones whose leaders are wanted by the International Criminal Court?

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Charlie Jaay

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Israel immigration plan exposes panic over mass exodus

    The new Israel immigration plan is to bribe new immigrants — only Jewish, of course, for the apartheid state — to come and live there. It’s also offering the same bribe to those who left the country during the past two years of its genocide in Gaza and its attacks on its regional neighbours.

    Israel immigration plan reeks of despair

    Both sets of people will be charged 0% tax for their first two years in the colony, under a budget measure highlighted by a Zionist journalist. Israel is desperately trying to reverse negative net migration since the colonial regime began its genocide in Gaza. This has been peppered with Israeli attacks on Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and Qatar – and saw Israelis fleeing in terror from heavy retaliation from the first two nations, who have formed the backbone of resistance to Israel’s genocide and land theft.

    Iran, in particular, exposed huge vulnerabilities in Israel’s air defences, hitting key military and intelligence targets more or less at will. Iranian missiles destroyed huge portions of Tel Aviv as well as Israeli port facilities and key military and intelligence sites, according to media investigations despite the government’s attempts to hide the extent of the damage, while Yemen’s blockade of Israeli and Israel-bound shipping bankrupted the colony’s third-largest port.

    Mass exodus

    The realisation of the coloniser’s citizens that Israel’s violence put them in danger led to a mass exodus as those who were able fled and others were forced to leave their stolen homes in border areas – and now the Netanyahu regime is trying to tempt them back by offering them, essentially, free cash and exposing the fundamental antisemitism of the Zionist mindset.

    Analysts also believe that Israel is preparing ‘false flag’ attacks in the US and Europe, in an attempt to kill two birds with one stone – demonising the anti-genocide movement and terrifying Jews in both areas into believing that there is no alternative but to flee to the ‘safety’ of Israel. This is far more than conspiracy theory – Israel has a long history of such false-flag attacks and its bombing of Jewish targets in Egypt, in the infamous ‘Lavon affair’ in the 1950s, to frighten Egyptian Jews into emigrating to Israel, and has been a matter of record for decades.

    And the Zionist journalist’s announcement of the zero tax offer lines up with this fear-mongering, quoting a London-based Zionist commentator claiming that Jews need to flee the UK – and then throwing in a smear against New York City’s new mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who has been risibly and Islamophobically defamed by the US Israel lobby in its (woefully unsuccessful) attempts to prevent his election:

    At Shabbat lunch today, all the families were talking about when and where to go. Every family I know speaks about this now as an inevitability. They look at the flight of French Jews and see that as a map for how this will unfold — and already is. One question people kept returning to is what will be the specific event that makes them say enough. Where is the line? The answers they gave were ominous ones.

    Unfortunately, the disturbing sentiment expressed by Rindsberg is not limited to British Jewry (looking at you, @ZohranKMamdani) – and Israel’s government, it seems, has taken note.

    The Israel lobby in various countries has also mounted false flag ‘hate crimes’ against their own synagogues and other buildings, most notably this year’s planned ‘bomb attack’ that was exposed to have been organised by a criminal gang, funded by pro-Israel interests.

    By Skwawkbox

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Cancel Paramount: film giant blacklisting pro-Palestine voices after Zionist takeover

    Actors and filmmakers who have spoken out against Israel’s genocide in Gaza and in solidarity with Palestinians against oppression and occupation are being blacklisted by media giant Paramount since its takeover by Zionist billionaire David Ellison, according to reports in Israeli media.

    The McCarthyite move signals what is likely to become a systematic campaign to suppress pro-Palestine voices in the industry under the guise of combating supposed ‘antisemitism’, which the Israel lobby assiduously — and antisemitically — conflates with opposition to Israel’s genocide, occupation and apartheid.

    Of Paramount importance

    The $7.7 billion merger with Ellison’s Skydance Media – he is the son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, one of the biggest donors to Israeli occupation forces and pro-Israel causes – has also seen the appointment of “notorious racist” and “genocide denier” Bari Weiss, a vocal defender of Israel’s ‘war’ (that is, slaughter of Palestinians) in Gaza, as editor-in-chief of Paramount-owned CBS News.

    Weiss, who has said she is “happy to be called a Zionist fanatic,” is known for her anti-diversity views. Add to this attacks on the campus anti-genocide protest movement.

    “If I get killed by Israeli bombs or my family is harmed, I blame Bari Weiss and her likes” — Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer after Weiss claimed he had joked about dead Israeli babies; Alareer was murdered, along with family members, by Israeli forces in a targeted bombing during the genocide.

    Weiss was called out this week by a Code Pink anti-genocide protester as she addressed a right-wing gathering:

    Weiss’s far-right politics and lack of experience or qualification have been highlighted even by milquetoast UK ‘mainstream’ media. In a video take-down on his show last month, US-based UK commentator John Oliver said of Weiss that:

    she’s never run a TV network, has no experience directing television coverage, and as one 60 Minutes producer pointed out, is not even a reporter. That is true. She didn’t come up through the news side of a newspaper, but through the opinion pages, which are a very different thing.

    But she’s ‘fanatically’ pro-Israel and that’s apparently all that matters.

    Paramount’s decision to blacklist actors who stand against mass murder and to side with genocide shouldn’t be taken lightly. It should be treated like any organisation that supports the genocide or blacklists people for doing the right thing.

    If you have a Paramount subscription, cancel it — and if you see a film produced by it, stay away. Meet blacklist with boycott and give Paramount the Starbucks and McDonald’s treatment.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Skwawkbox

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Amidst the rubble and inside makeshift tents, Gazans ‘teach life’

    Small tents dot the outskirts of Gaza, a city no longer recognisable, disfigured by two years of genocidal violence by Israel. Arranged in rows and clusters, they stand definantly, mirroring the unbreakable resolve of Gazans. It’s all that the remains of life. Statistics shared by Al Jazeera Arabic from the Government Media office in Gaza, suggest that the overall cost of urban destruction exceeds USD 60 billion, almost half of it sustained by homes that vanished from Gaza’s skyline. Still, life, much to Israel’s dismay, continues.

    As ever, the community in Gaza is showing the world that even with the smallest thread can bind society together. Each tent holds a unique story. A mother prepares food over a low flame, boiling water, a grandmother dusts off a photograph that survived the rubble, and a small child builds a house from broken stones.

    Resistance: in Gaza we teach life

    The tent might be the separating line between survival and annihilation. However, inside, small communities form, multiply, and thrive, rejoicing their second chance at life. As one father told the Canary:

    The tent doesn’t protect us from the rain, but it reminds us we are still here, and as long as we are here, life is not over.

    In Gaza, surviving each day is a form of resistance. Every step is a declaration of defiance, and every meal cooked with makeshift utensils is no small feat in the face of genocide. Homes may have disappeared but one thing Israel cannot take away is the indomitable spirit of Palestinians and their ability to organise.

    They have transformed multipurpose tents into makeshift schools and medical centres and carved out spaces for learning, worship, and leisurely activities.

    Behind the canvas walls of one of these makeshift schools, a teacher tells the Canary that:

    you cannot erase our right to education as our homes were, we refuse he signals at a salvaged blackboard, bearing the scars of war, propped against the tent wall.

    When a tent becomes a school, resistance becomes a lesson in survival and, not least — a dignified expression of Palestinian resistance.

    Historical deja vu

    The multiplication of tents in Gaza is reminiscent of the aftermath of the 1948 Nakba, the mass displacement of Palestinians expelled and ethnically cleansed by Israeli settlers and militia. The landscape is reminiscent of the 1950s, as if Palestinian history is trapped in a painful cycle that has come full circle. Even in the face of continued violence from genocidal Israeli forces, Palestinian resolve remains unbroken.

    From the mass expulsion of Palestinians from their indigenous lands in the late forties, to the new encampments in Gaza, these stories run parallel, separated by decades but bound by similar hardships and determination.

    The tents erected today remind Palestinians of the hardships thousands before them endured both during the Nakba, and later the 1967 Naksa. They are a testament to Palestinian survival in the face of genocidal erasure, and serve as an ode to the past.

    It keeps the memory or the past alive and fuels resilience for future generations to come.

    Life endures

    “Tents guard what remains of life in Gaza” is a phrase widely echoed among residents. It is a statement of will — the ability to survive the cruel aftermath of genocide.

    When people share their last loaf of bread or open their tents to neighbours who lost everything, life is stripped back to its basic elements. The basic values of solidarity, compassion and humanity get people through the day in spite of the material and human loss Palestinians have endured — past and present.

    The tents are not an end, but a new beginning. All we lost was material, but what remains is meaning.

    Between the rubble and the sky, a fragile yet resilient life is starting to take shape. Even when the wind topples a tent, its inhabitants return to rebuild it. When the rain soaks through, the children smile, with water signifying the coming harvest. In Gaza, even a storm is interpreted as a good omen. Beneath these cruel realities, life endures.

    Life is not measured by the passage of time but the ability to emerge from the ashes and rebuild anew. Though it appears fragile, the tent stands stronger, more defiant than reinforced concrete structure, sustained by the unshakable will of Palestinians.

    Gazans today do not await pity from international onlookers or pundits. They teach a unique lesson that even under occupation or under siege, life is a act of quiet heroism.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Alaa Shamali

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Gaza Group Asks for Help Recovering Over 10,000 Palestinians Buried Under Rubble

    A civil society group in Gaza on Thursday appealed for international assistance to help recover the bodies of more than 10,000 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces who remain buried beneath the rubble of the flattened strip. Referring to Gaza as “the world’s largest mass grave,” Aladdin Al-Aklouk, a spokesperson for the National Committee for Missing Persons in the Genocide Against Gaza…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Washington Confirms Boycott Of UN Human Rights Review

    The US confirmed on 7 November that it will not participate in the upcoming review of its human rights performance before the UN Human Rights Council.

    The US mission in Geneva confirmed this week that the US’s seat will remain empty during the Universal Periodic Review of its rights record, which is scheduled to take place on Friday afternoon.

    All 193 UN member states are required to undergo the standard review of their rights record every four to five years. Each country then receives recommendations from other member states on compliance.

    The US will become only the second country to boycott the UN review.

    The post Washington Confirms Boycott Of UN Human Rights Review appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • ‘Hate crime’ recorded as Aston Villa beat genocidal ex-IDF players

    Last night, Aston Villa FC beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 2-0 – the latter are a team in which the majority of players have served in Israel’s genocidal army.

    There is no doubt Zionists will now label it a ‘hate crime’. Because when Zionists lose, everyone else is antisemitic.

    A team of terrorists

    Out of 37 players listed for Macabi Tel Aviv this season, 29 are Israeli. Serving in the IDF is mandatory for Israeli citizens, which means that 29 of Maccabi’s players have actively committed genocide.

    They can object and face a prison sentence of weeks or months, multiple times – and some do. But I would argue that it is every Israeli citizen’s moral obligation to object. Prison for a few months and a clean conscience, or murdering Palestinian babies? There is no choice.

    So, of course, the pro-Palestine, anti-genocide, anti-Zionist people of the UK objected to terrorists being allowed to play football on UK soil. They quite rightly gathered before the game to protest.

    Links to the IDF

    As the Canary previously reported, West Midlands police banned Maccabi fans from attending the away fixture. This was due to their history of hooliganism. West Midlands police classified the fixture as “high risk” and cited “violent clashes and hate crime offences” during the November 2024 Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv, in Amsterdam.

    Of course, when this was announced, the majority of the UK’s media and political class cried ‘antisemitism’. Keir Starmer even tried to overturn the ban alongside an organised campaign from the UK’s Israeli lobby.

    As the Canary previously reported:

    Starmer and his front-benchers tried to insist that WMP imposed the ban because it couldn’t guarantee the safety of ‘Jewish’ fans – a lie that was quickly and embarrassingly exposed – while Israel lobbyists claimed to be members of an invented ‘Jewish Villans’ supporters club.

    However, the reality was that:

    Middle East Eye has revealed this evening that police in the Netherlands told WMP that more than two hundred ‘fans’ were not just a racist mob that had run riot in Amsterdam last November, attacking Muslims and other locals, but were “linked to the Israel Defence Forces” (IDF) – with “hundreds more” also “highly organised” “experienced fighters” who were determined to cause “serious violence” in Birmingham.⁠

    And in usual British policing fashion, the pigs kettled anti-genocide protesters whilst they let far-right Zionists roam free.

    The Canary’s Barold was on the ground, and said:

    It was shambolic policing wise. No one seemed to know what was going on. The police were really guarded about sharing any information, but to the point where I didn’t even know there was a counter demo and most people didn’t.

    It started off really peacefully, and then suddenly there were just all of these footy hooligans rushing the lines shouting “where’s your gaza now” and stuff like that.

    He added:

    I nearly got assaulted and the police literally let it happen. They did nothing and then let the people walk away and then tried to make me leave in the same direction. They didn’t give a shit.

    Barold said that sources inside the stadium told him that between 60 and 100 Maccabi fans, including about 20 “serious ultras“, gained entry to the stadium as home supporters. On the train home, several Israelis were standing, programmes in hand, speaking Hebrew and looking at their phones to check their flight tickets home from Manchester.

    And some Villa fans were annoyed at the anti-fascists protests happening at the same time as the home game. Barold explained that Villa fans joined in with abusing protesters:

    Some of them were literally just shouting abuse about Gaza at people who were wearing Palestine flags.

    The two are not mutually exclusive. You can be a football hooligan, and you can be a racist.

    Double standards

    International communities have been calling on UEFA and FIFA to ban the Israeli national team, and teams within Israel – such as Maccabi Tel Aviv – from competing in international competitions.

    As the Canary previously reported, back in September:

    Nearly 50 prominent athletes of various nationalities and backgrounds, including France’s Paul Pogba and Morocco’s Hakim Ziyech, have signed an official petition calling on FIFA and UEFA to ban all Israel clubs and national teams from international competitions, citing what they described as:

    war crimes and systematic violations against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

    In 2022, after Russia waged war on Ukraine, both UEFA and FIFA banned Russian clubs and national teams from participating in all competitions. However, neither did the same for Israel. This was even after Israel destroyed all of Palestine’s professional football stadiums. Locals even turned smaller facilities into refugee camps, field hospitals and even mass graves.

    But still, two years after Israel invaded Gaza, UEFA are still allowing them to compete. In October of this year, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that the football organisation ‘does not have the power to solve geopolitical problems’. Yet apparently they did previously have that power when they suspended Russia.

    Of course, after all the uproar and supposed ‘antisemitism’ over the police banning Maccabi fans, we can only presume that the Zionists will label the loss as a ‘hate crime’. Because if there’s something Zionists love as much as brutally ethnically cleansing Palestinians from their land, it’s playing the perpetual victim.

    Feature image via Barold/The Canary

    By HG

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Plans for new US military base in Syria exposes ‘Israel First’ agenda

    Preparations are underway for the establishment of a new US air base in Damascus, Syria, anonymised security sources told Reuters. A demilitarised zone in southern Syria will house the outpost. This includes logistical planning, namely reconnaissance and flight path testing.

    The bid, previously unheard of, signals an unyielding push by Washington to normalise Israeli-Syrian relations. Of course, genocidal Israel are desperate to make inroads with any possible diplomatic connections which will retrospectively whitewash their war crimes. The development comes at a critical juncture for Syria’s new government.

    Their survival will ultimately rest on political endorsement from the US, and, not least, Israel.

    US airbase: securing peace through strength

    As close allies the US and Israel can arguably be seen to share the same objectives in terms of geopolitical power. Iran’s opposition to both the US and Isreal has presented a significant challenge for American influence in the region. As such, Syria holds a precarious position in this grapple for power. The broader and no-longer-secret objective of Israel is stifling opposition from Arab states to Israel’s military belligerence and interventionism.

    The US official discourse implies a US air base will expedite a Trump-brokered security pact between Syria and Israel, which, according to pundits, is reachable by the end of 2025. Of course, peace through force will be anything but long lasting in light of Israel’s nauseating catalogue of war crimes perpetrated in Gaza and the lessons of the region’s not-so-historical past; namely the Anglo-US war on Iraq. 

    The base will reinforce Trump’s commitment to an ‘Israel first’ policy, and does seemingly less to fulfil his ‘make Syria great‘ pledge. In February 2025, Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa ruled that any future US troop deployment will require government approval. Their foremost priority, for now, remains economic recovery and the cessation of sanctions, a pledge Trump has honoured. 

    The strategic prize of southern Syria

    In terms of geography, the Syrian Golan Heights, located in southern Syria, is the strategic prize that will allow Israel to intercept attacks targeting it northern territories.

    Before al-Sharaa seized power, the south was awash with Russian forces and Iran-backed militia. In August, Russian outlet, Kommersant, citing anonymised sources, reported that al-Sharaa’s administration favoured the presence of Russian forces as a bulwark against Israeli advances. Russian troops, as of yet, have been given precedence. 

    The Syrian administration’s strategy for now is concerned with economic growth and integration into the global market, twin objectives which require US endorsement. Trump and al-Sharaa are scheduled to meet at the White House on Monday — the first visit of its kind since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad regime last year — and enhanced security cooperation will undoubtedly top the agenda.

    Israel’s Mediterranean ambitions

    As the US visibly embeds itself in Syria, Israel, as Robert Freedman reported for the Canary, is unabashedly extending its economic and military reach in Cyprus – notably backed by Britain. Alongside, Greece, Cyprus is part of an energy alliance whose success would lay the groundwork for future normalisation between Israel and Turkey. Nevertheless, Cyprus has been critical to Israel’s encroachment into the eastern Mediterranean. Speaking on this, Freedman wrote: 

    The genocide economy is set to get a big boost, with British-based energy firm Energean preparing to construct a pipeline that would see gas pumped to Cyprus from an offshore rig in stolen maritime territory in Palestine.

    Israel’s attempts to normalise relations along the east Mediterranean are an alarming breach beyond its efforts with Arab states. The timing for Israel is critical as it sets out to capitalise on political turmoil in the region, a weakened Hezbollah, Hamas, and a defeated government in Iran with no appetite for sabre-rattling with Israel following  their ‘12 day war’ with Israel and October 7. The codependency between Israel and US, as the Canary’s Ed Sykes reports, is built on:

    the separation of Arab territories … to ensure that a chunk of the region’s precious natural resources remained in friendly hands, and those that didn’t could become the target of covert or overt hostility. 

    Strike while the iron is hot

    As the threat of war looms, particularly after Israel’s continued aerial strikes on Lebanon, the amplification of the Zionist military presence in Syria sets the tone for the future direction of US foreign policy in the Middle East.

    The push for normalisation with Israel is evidently part of a broader regional trend.  Historically normalisation was limited to countries that form the Gulf Coordination Council (GCC). Now, however, the strategy has extended to post-conflict states caught between a rock and a hard place.

    Stiff resistance remains. This is best demonstrated by the legislation passed by the Iraqi parliament in mid-2022, criminalising the normalisation of ties with Israel.

    Although the war against the Islamic State provided legal cover for the presence of US soldiers in northeastern Syria since 2014. The latest advance, though still underway, disguises war posturing as peacekeeping.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Nazli Tarzi

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • YouTube Palestinian censorship: Gaza’s digital evidence of Israeli war crimes erased

    In a striking revelation, The Intercept has uncovered that YouTube deleted the channels of three leading Palestinian human rights organisations last October: Al-Haq Foundation, Al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR). Hundreds of field and documentary videos documenting alleged Israeli crimes in Gaza and the West Bank disappeared overnight.

    Sudden Deletion and Accusations of Political Censorship

    The three organisations said their channels were removed without notice, erasing more than 700 videos showing killings of civilians, home demolitions, and torture testimonies. YouTube, owned by Google, claimed the deletions were due to US sanctions imposed on the organisations last September. The company said it must “comply with US sanctions and trade laws,” as hosting sanctioned entities counts as a “commercial service.” Human rights groups say this is a legal pretext to justify political censorship.

    A Direct Impact on Palestinian Memory

    Human rights advocates warn that deleting this material silences Palestinian voices and destroys crucial legal evidence. The loss may harm international court cases, including those before the International Criminal Court. Researchers fear that the absence of an archive will disrupt documentation and accountability efforts.

    Basel Sourani, legal adviser at the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, said:

    By doing this, YouTube is silencing victims and protecting perpetrators from accountability.

    Al-Haq Foundation called it “a worrying setback for freedom of expression and human rights.”

    Political Pressure and Double Standards

    The Intercept’s investigation revealed that the deletions coincided with the Trump administration’s second round of sanctions against the International Criminal Court. These targeted anyone cooperating in probes of Israeli officials. Observers say US tech companies, including YouTube, face political pressure to restrict Palestinian content under the guise of sanctions compliance.

    Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), said:

    It’s hard to believe that sharing Palestinian human rights material could violate sanctions. YouTube is showing astonishing weakness in the face of political dictates.

    This is not the first time. The platform has repeatedly been accused of double standards—deleting Palestinian content while leaving pro-Israel propaganda untouched. Previous reports by Wired and Access Now confirmed this pattern during the last Gaza war.

    Removing the channels also erased essential metadata such as upload dates, view counts, and comments—details vital for legal evidence. Digital documentation experts say this loss breaks the “chain of evidence” needed for material to be admissible in court. They warn that the lack of safeguards for human rights content poses a serious threat to collective memory. One administrative decision can wipe away years of documentation.

    Seeking Alternatives Outside US Control

    Following the deletions, Palestinian organisations began searching for alternative platforms outside US control to store their archives. Digital archivists now plan to work with international bodies to build secure, independent systems that protect human rights footage from deletion or manipulation.

    Freedom-of-expression groups warn that if this continues, global memory will be whitewashed and the Palestinian story erased from public view.

    The Intercept’s investigation highlights the growing overlap between political power, economic sanctions, and digital censorship. As human rights organisations try to document war crimes, tech giants are erasing their evidence. This sets a precedent that endangers every human rights group working in conflict zones. Palestinian visual memory—footage, testimonies, and fragments of lives—is now threatened by opaque decisions made in Silicon Valley. Without safeguards, evidence of crimes may vanish from the internet long before it ever reaches the courts.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Alaa Shamali

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Gaza organ theft: even in death, Palestinians are not free from occupation

    In Gaza, the pain does not end with death. Even the dead are not spared the brutality of occupation.

    There, where the story should end with condolences, new chapters of oppression begin: bodies held captive, mutilated remains, and mothers waiting for farewells that never come.

    With the implementation of the prisoner-exchange deal between Palestine and the occupation, heart-wrenching scenes unfolded.

    Gaza organ theft

    On Wednesday, the tenth batch of martyrs’ bodies held by the occupation arrived at Nasser Medical Complex in southern Gaza.This batch included 15 bodies. But those shrouds carried more than human remains — they held silent evidence of an unspeakable violation.

    A doctor at Nasser Medical Complex said:

    The bodies arrived stuffed with cotton, with gaps suggesting organs were removed. What we saw is indescribable.

    It’s a violation of the sanctity of the dead and human dignity.

    Recognisable bodies and accusations of organ theft

    Palestinian and international human rights organisations — including the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor — have confirmed serious suspicions of organ theft from martyrs’ bodies held by Israel.

    Local medical reports have shown surgical incisions in the head, chest, and abdomen, suggesting removal of organs such as corneas, kidneys, and hearts.

    Despite repeated demands for independent examinations, Israel continues to refuse them, concealing the truth and deepening suspicion of this crime.

    ‘Numbered graves’ — where identity is buried

    For decades, Israel has held more than 450 bodies in “numbered graves,” plus about 150 more in its morgues.

    These bodies lie in unmarked graves, each identified only by a metal plate.

    This practice flagrantly violates the Fourth Geneva Convention, which guarantees families the right to a dignified burial.

    Human rights activists call this policy a form of collective punishment. They say Israel uses the bodies as political tools and bargaining chips. The occupation claims these acts are a “deterrent.” International organisations instead classify them as war crimes under Article 8 of the Rome Statute.

    Lost dignity — and a crime that never dies

    In Gaza, the struggle is no longer just for survival on the ground. It is now also a fight for dignity, even after death. The occupation, which kills in war, continues its aggression in silence. The body remains captive, the truth buried, and the family denied a final farewell.

    Despite UN condemnations, international silence still hangs like a shroud over this ongoing crime. Thousands of Palestinian families remain trapped between hope and despair.

    What is happening is not only a violation of the dead — it is an assassination of human dignity. As if the occupation is saying to Palestinians: we will not leave you in life, and we will not let you rest in death.

    Featured image via EuoromedMonitor

    By Alaa Shamali

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • [Nader Hashemi] Gaza, Israel & the United States

    Official U.S. policy in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is one of being the great enabler for Israel. A new study from the Cost of War Project at Brown University finds that the Biden and Trump regimes in the last two years have given Israel $21.7 billion in military aid. In addition, Washington extends crucial diplomatic and political support to Israel. Omar Shakir of Human Rights Watch says, “When you talk about double standards in international law and human rights, the United States is at the top of the list.” There’s one set of rules for the master and his allies, in this case, Israel, and another for everyone else. The Israeli genocidal assault on Gaza has turned it into a slaughterhouse. The likelihood of a viable Palestinian state seems distant.


    This content originally appeared on AlternativeRadio and was authored by info@alternativeradio.org.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.