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Category: israel

  • UK protests continue against genocide-apologist Tzipi Hotovely – and Ireland shows they can work

    Ireland has decided to contribute to the ongoing International Court of Justice (ICJ) case against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

    Predictably, Israel has responded with a tantrum, withdrawing from its embassy in the country and launching bogus antisemitism allegations at its people. The question now is, could Israel also withdraw its genocide-apologist ambassador to Britain too? And protesters in the UK are hoping their unfaltering efforts can help to make that happen.

    The International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) has been committing time every week to protesting against far-right ambassador Tzipi Hotovely, who has previously egged on the genocide in Gaza. And faithful to its mission, the group will be outside Hotovely’s residence in London yet again this Friday from 5.30pm to 6.30pm:

    Ireland puts Britain to shame over Israel

    As the Irish Law Society Gazette reported on 11 December:

    The Government has approved a plan for Ireland to intervene in South Africa’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) case against Israel under the Genocide Convention.

    It added that:

    Filing of the intervention will take place at the court in The Hague later this month.

    And it explained that:

    Ireland would be asking the ICJ to broaden its interpretation of what constituted the commission of genocide by a State.

    In response to this decision, Israel chose to shut its embassy in Ireland. This came months after the apartheid state recalled its ambassador temporarily following a move by Ireland, Norway, and Spain to recognise Palestinian statehood earlier in the year. As Al Jazeera wrote on 17 December:

    Even if their actions sometimes fall short, Ireland and Irish politicians have provided vocal criticism of Israel throughout its war on Gaza, reflecting a feeling polls show to be widespread across a society that finds much in Palestinian history to mirror its own.

    As diplomatic tensions rose between Ireland and Israel, one particularly crazy response was the Times of Israel publishing a blog post with the title “Why the Irish hate the Jews”. This included the claim that “Christianity is inherently antisemitic”.

    The Times of Israel seemed to rethink its decision later, apparently taking the post down.

    Keep standing up

    The IJAN previously promised to continue its protests until the UK followed the example of other countries by expelling its Israeli ambassador:

    The event has been growing in size, and the police would hate it if it grew even more. In fact, police have sought to crack down on courageous activists – Jewish and non-Jewish alike – who are opposing Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

    Haim Bresheeth, for example, is a 79-year-old Jewish peace activist and an “advanced cancer patient with a serious heart condition”. His parents survived the Holocaust. He grew up in Israel, and fighting in two wars for the country turned him into a pacifist.

    And in early November, police arrested him because he now opposes Israel’s war crimes in Gaza and its decades-long oppression of Palestinian people.

    He had spoken at a weekly IJAN protest, as SKWAWKBOX reported, making factual critiques of Israel’s “colonialism, racism and violence, including the mass murder of civilians”. Despite his arrest, though, Bresheeth is not backing down.

    Demonstrations take place weekly at Swiss Cottage (near the Israeli ambassador’s home in London), usually at 5.30pm.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Ed Sykes

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Justice for Ayşenur Eygi: Family of U.S. Citizen Killed by Israel Meets with Blinken Demanding Probe

    Seg2 ayashenoor ezgi aygi guest splits

    We speak with the husband and sister of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, the 26-year-old Turkish American activist killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank in September, who have criticized the Biden administration for failing to independently investigate her death. The recent University of Washington graduate was fatally shot in the head after taking part in a weekly protest against illegal Israeli settlements in the town of Beita, which she attended as an international observer. Witnesses say she was shot by an Israeli sniper after the demonstration had already dispersed. Members of Eygi’s family spoke with Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier this week but left the meeting with little hope the U.S. would hold Israel accountable. “Accountability starts with an investigation by the U.S. of the killing of one of its own citizens by an ally,” says Eygi’s husband Hamid Ali. “The answer to the question of why my wife is not getting justice is because Israel enjoys this level of impunity throughout its existence that no other country, no other state in the world enjoys.”


    This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • “Obey the Law”: Palestinians Sue State Dept., Saying Arms Sales to Israel Violate U.S. Human Rights Law

    Seg1 leahy law split w guests

    A new lawsuit accuses the State Department of failing to ever sanction Israeli military units under the Leahy Law, which was passed in 1997 to prevent the United States from funding foreign military units credibly implicated in gross human rights violations. The case was brought by five Palestinians in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and the United States and is supported by the human rights group DAWN. Former State Department official Charles Blaha, who served as director of the human rights office tasked with implementing the Leahy Law, says there is a mountain of evidence of Israel carrying out torture, extrajudicial killings, rape, enforced disappearances and other abuses. “Despite all that, the State Department has never once held any Israeli unit ineligible for assistance under the Leahy Law,” says Blaha, now a senior adviser at DAWN. We also speak with Palestinian American writer Ahmed Moor, one of the plaintiffs in the suit, who has family in Gaza and says the last year of genocide has made the lawsuit more urgent. “The conditions of basic life are not being met. Gaza is unlivable,” says Moor.


    This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Israel and Palestine: The Path to Peace

    “And hope here, I don’t think it’s passive. It is active. It’s a form of resistance against despair. And it must be paired with a political imagination, that belief that we can build the future.” 

    –Wasim Almasri, Director of Programs, The Alliance for Middle East Peace

    In this important conversation, Andrea and Terrell speak with Avi Meyerstein, Founder and President of the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP), and Wasim Almasri, Director of Programs based in the West Bank city of Ramallah. They discuss what a meaningful path to peace looks like for Israelis and Palestinians, how to achieve it, the priorities the outgoing and incoming U.S. administrations must focus on, and the pending ceasefire deal, which has seen a resurgence of promising negotiations in recent days. 

    If you’re looking for defiant hope and a light to show the way in these dark times, listen to the team at ALLMEP who have been hard at work planting powerful seeds of change. For more on their work, check at the link at the top of the show notes. 

    Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!

    Thank you to everyone who supports the show–we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! 

     

    Show Notes:

     

    The Alliance for Middle East Peace: https://www.allmep.org/

     

    Hopes for Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal rise Israeli officials, Hamas sources, and US and Arab figures say deal may be within reach – perhaps within days https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/17/israeli-negotiators-head-to-qatar-as-hopes-rise-for-gaza-hostage-deal

     


    This content originally appeared on Gaslit Nation and was authored by Andrea Chalupa.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Israel’s Genocide Day 437: Israel Intensifies Attacks On Gaza City

    The Israeli army issued displacement orders on Sunday to the people of Gaza City, ordering them to move out of several neighborhoods, as Israeli bombings intensified on the city, with Israeli strikes targeting the neighborhoods of Al-Sabra and Sheikh Radwan.

    Israel’s renewed focus on Gaza City comes as the Israeli siege on the north of Gaza continues for the 70th day, along with intensified raids and bombings on Jabalia and Beit Hanoun. Since October, Israel has been carrying out an operation dubbed ‘The General’s Plan’, aimed at strangling the areas of the Gaza Strip north of Gaza City.

    According to local sources, many Palestinians in Gaza City haven’t responded to the displacement orders, despite continuous strikes and attempts by the army to push them out of the city.

    The post Israel’s Genocide Day 437: Israel Intensifies Attacks On Gaza City appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Palestinian Families Sue US for Sending Israel Arms Despite “Gross Violations”

    A group of Palestinians in Palestine and the U.S. have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government, accusing officials of breaking domestic law by continuing to send Israel weapons despite numerous “gross violations” of human rights in the past year in Gaza and for decades beforehand. The lawsuit was filed by five Palestinians who have lost family or face threats due to the U.S.

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Aysenur Ezgi Eygi’s Family After Blinken Meeting: US Isn’t Holding Israel Accountable

    The family of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi has said that they left a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday with doubt that the U.S. will ever hold her killers accountable after the American pro-Palestinian activist was killed by Israeli forces in September. In interviews with various news outlets, Eygi’s family has said that Blinken did not offer any hope for U.S. action on her death…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Senators Urge Biden to Grant Palestinians Special Status to Avoid Deportation

    A group of senators is urging President Joe Biden to designate the occupied Palestinian territories for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in order to grant Palestinians in the U.S. the “strongest possible protection” against moves like deportation. In a letter effort led by Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont), the senators say that neither Gaza nor the occupied West Bank are safe for Palestinians to…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • US violating law to fund Israel despite alleged human rights abuses, lawsuit says

    Suit claims state department is deliberately bypassing the Leahy Law by failing to sanction Israeli units accused of widespread atrocities in Palestinian territories

    The state department is facing a new lawsuit brought by Palestinians and Palestinian Americans accusing the agency of deliberately circumventing a decades-old US human rights law to continue funding Israeli military units accused of widespread atrocities in the occupied Palestinian territories.

    The lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday, marks the first time that victims of alleged human rights abuses are challenging the state department’s failure to ever sanction an Israeli security unit under the Leahy Law, a 1990s-era law that prohibits US military assistance to forces credibly implicated in gross human rights violations.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • The corporate media IGNORES dozens of MPs debating an arms ban on Israel

    MPs have just debated two massively important issues. But the mainstream media is nowhere. So here are a few key interventions from the event – one specifically from John McDonnell over an arms ban on Israel and Palestine Action that everyone needs to watch.

    Recognise Palestine. Arms ban on Israel.

    Politicians went to Westminster Hall on Monday 16 December to discuss the recognition of Palestine and the need for an immediate arms embargo on Israel. Both actions would play a massive role in resolving the ongoing horrors resulting from Israel’s decades-long occupation and ethnic cleansing of Palestinian territories. This came over 14 months into the genocide in Gaza which Israeli forces have been carrying out thanks to the impunity and support they’ve received from Western allies including the UK.

    “On behalf of the Petitions Committee”, Liberal Democrat MP Roz Savage introduced the debate consideration of “e-petitions 653509 and 652949 relating to Israel and Palestine”. The first one MPs discussed called “for the immediate recognition of Palestine as a state”, and had “received 283,669 signatures”. The second demanded “the revocation of arms export licences to Israel”, and had “received 107,316 signatures”.

    McDonnell: Stop persecuting people who act amid government failure

    Speaking about the need to suspend arms licences to Israel immediately, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell highlighted the persecution of Palestine Action campaigners who’ve been bravely taking direct action in recent years to create a hostile environment in Britain for companies profiting from the Israeli military’s brutal occupation of Palestine.

    Criticising the government’s “use of counter-terrorism powers against direct action groups”, he said:

    The last Government even came forward with proposals and discussions about proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. I hope this Government are not going anywhere near that.

    He added:

    But why are the people in prison at the moment on remand? Why can they not be tagged before their trial comes up next November? A number of them, most probably, will be proven innocent, but they will have served nearly two years in prison – for what? For trying to do what we are failing to do: prevent this Government from supplying arms to a regime that kills children.

    Corbyn: We need to be talking about RAF Akrotiri

    Former opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, argued that:

    It is a shame that such a debate is being held in Westminster Hall – when a debate is of this significance, it should be in the main Chamber, to indicate how seriously we take the subject.

    He then quoted a briefing from Amnesty International, which recently called Israel’s actions genocide after long consideration, saying:

    the argument that Britain is using about the continuing supply of weapons and arms equipment to Israel is utterly fallacious

    Most importantly, however, he highlighted Britain’s ongoing participation in Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza, stressing that a number of MPs have rightly:

    pointed out that a mysteriously large number of flights have been taking off from the Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri, going to Israel and coming back two hours later. It seems to me that they could well be delivering weapons to Israel.

    The British state has been keeping the business of RAF Akrotiri under wraps as much as possible. But during the genocide, the unique colonial relic (part of the “largest Royal Air Force base outside the United Kingdom”) has supported covert US flights to occupied Palestine, sent dozens of British warplanes to both Israel and Lebanon, and facilitated British spy flights and the passing of intelligence from officers on the ground to Israel.

    Declassified co-founder Matt Kennard, who has been following these controversial operations closely, has insisted that they are the actions of “a country which is participating” in Israel’s genocide – “a direct participant”:

    Adam: Are we providing a base for the delivery of weapons to Israel?

    Shockat Adam, the health worker who successfully ousted corporate shill Jonathan Ashworth in the 2024 election, has presented a “bill to make provision in connection with the recognition of the State of Palestine”, which is currently making its way through parliament. And he also highlighted the important question of RAF Akrotiri’s role in Israel’s genocide, saying:

    We as a nation have a moral, political and legal duty to uphold international law and the rules of engagement in times of conflict. Under the genocide convention, we have a duty not only to prevent and punish genocide, but to avoid actions that might assist or enable a genocide.

    With that in mind, I want to raise an important and pressing issue with the Minister: the US Air Force’s use of British sovereign airspace in Cyprus.

    According to Declassified UK, at least 13 US planes used by the special forces, nearly all of them unmarked, have gone from Britain’s sprawling air base in Cyprus to Israel since Labour took office on 5 July and 10 October. Most flights stayed in Israel for about two hours before returning to Cyprus.

    Are we providing a base for the delivery of weapons to Israel? That would make us complicit in any war crimes and/or genocide that is happening there.

    Mohamed: A Palestinian state is a prerequisite to peace

    Like the other independent MPs above, Iqbal Mohamed also emphasised the importance of the issues on the table. He lamented that:

    Our Government, the US and other allies to Israel have granted it immunity from war crimes, ethnic cleansing and genocide for decades.

    He added:

    The recognition of a Palestinian state is therefore a prerequisite to peace

    And he stressed:

    We know from our experience of the peace process in Northern Ireland that it is too simple to reduce political violence to irrational hatred or religious bigotry. Where we have a political conflict, we have political reasons to create a pathway to solutions. The Government can help create that pathway by stopping their supply of spare parts for F-35 fighter jets and all other weapons and by joining the vast majority of UN members in formally recognising a Palestinian state.

    Where’s the mainstream media on the arms ban debate?

    On the same day, a number of MPs stood outside parliament to support the campaign to stop arming Israel:

    But no national mainstream media outlets seemed to cover the debate on the important questions above.

    Only some smaller outlets mentioned it. And this is part of the ongoing problem of our media manufacturing public consent for war crimes, whether our government is supporting them or participating in them. So if we want the all war crimes to stop, it’s essential to support independent media.

    Featured image via screengrab

    By Ed Sykes

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Do YOU know if your Christmas pudding comes from an illegal Israeli settlement? Probably not.

    The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has written to the Department for Energy, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) calling for stronger government policy on ensuring that UK supermarkets don’t sell products from illegal Israeli settlements. It comes just as supermarkets enter their busiest period of the year – not least around Christmas pudding, which could contain a law-breaking ingredient.

    The development comes after ICJP wrote to eight national supermarket chains, notifying Directors and Executives of their individually criminal liability for enabling criminal offences under domestic law.

    Is your Christmas pudding breaking the law?

    The initial notices were issued on the 30 October 2024 to Asda, Aldi, Lidl GB, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose & Partners, asking for clarity on what products they sell from illegal settlements and what steps they are taking to end the sale of these products.

    Now, ICJP has written to DEFRA Secretary of State Steve Reed MP asking for the department to table legislation and implement clear, robust and enforceable guidelines prohibiting the import and sale of products from illegal Israeli settlements in the UK.

    The urgency of such guidelines are even more evident following the International Court of Justice’s July 2024 Advisory Opinion, which found that the continued occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to be unlawful.

    The Opinion also obligates States such as the UK to refrain from entering into trade dealings with Israel. Specifically, this is any concerning the occupied Palestinian territory which may entrench Israel’s unlawful presence.

    Supermarkets making a killing

    Over the 2023 festive period, a record £13.7 billion was spent at British supermarkets. So, the average household spent £447 over the four-week lead up to Christmas.

    Supermarkets are preparing for yet another windfall following the festive season. However, they cannot be allowed to brush over the fact that some of these profits come from the sale of goods produced in illegal settlements. All this is at the expense of Palestinians’ human rights.

    Some of the key companies that export illegal Israeli settlement goods to the UK include:

    • Mehadrin.
    • Miriam.
    • Shoham.
    • Galilee.
    • Hadiklaim.
    • Achdut-Achva.

    Moreover, these suppliers export many illegal goods including: #

    • Dates (often found in Christmas puddings).
    • Mangos.
    • Avocados.
    • Tahini.
    • Halva.
    • Bakery products.

    ICJP Legal Officer Mira Naseer said:

    Supermarkets are set to make record profits in the coming weeks and want the public to focus on polished Christmas adverts rather than the origins of the products they are selling. Illegal Israeli settlement goods have no place on the shelves of British supermarkets and the British public has the right to transparency about the origins of their groceries.

    If supermarkets cannot be trusted to implement their human rights obligations, DEFRA must step in with clear, robust and enforceable guidelines to ensure that supermarkets do not sell products from illegal settlements.

    Featured image via Envato Elements

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Ajamu Baraka On The US-Backed Coup In Syria And Anti-Anti-Imperialism

    On December 8, the United States and Israel, with support from Turkey, succeeded in overthrowing the Syrian government using Islamic jihadist militants as proxies. Some people in the United States are claiming this as a victory for the Syrian people even though the proxies are Al Qaeda terrorists. Clearing the FOG speaks with Ajamu Baraka about the coup, the history of resistance in Syria and in the region, and what this means for the Syrian people. Baraka discusses Israel’s immediate expansion of its occupation in Syria and its quest for a ‘Greater Israel.’ He also discusses a tendency for some Left forces in the United States to side with US imperialism and why it is important to have ideological clarity about what is happening.

    The post Ajamu Baraka On The US-Backed Coup In Syria And Anti-Anti-Imperialism appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • In Syria Dirty War, ‘Our Side’ Has Won

    In his first remarks on the ouster of Syrian president Basher al-Assad, President Biden made the case that he deserves a share of the credit.

    Assad’s “main allies” — Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia — “are far weaker today than they were when I took office,” Biden said. Therefore, their inability to save Assad from the Turkish-backed insurgents’ sweeping advance was “a direct result of the blows that Ukraine, Israel have delivered upon their own self-defense, with unflagging support of the United States.” Beyond the blows inflicted by US client states, Biden also noted that he had maintained crushing US sanctions; kept US troops in Syria’s northeast; “ordered the use of military force against Iranian networks” in Syria; and supported Israel’s “freedom of action” to carry out even more military strikes against similar targets.

    The post In Syria Dirty War, ‘Our Side’ Has Won appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Longtime Professor Resigns Over University Support For Gaza Genocide

    Above photo: Tower Hall at San Jose State University. Wikimedia. ‘Do You Value Life, SJSU?’ “I can no longer ethically or morally consent to use my labor in any way that supports an institution that is explicitly manufacturing consent for the unrestrained, illegal, ‘apocalyptic’ ongoing series of ‘calculated’ genocides to destroy Palestine” Editor’s Note: Professor […]

    The post Longtime Professor Resigns Over University Support For Gaza Genocide appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Israel To Deploy Remotely Operated Machine Guns Against Palestinians

    The Israeli army is preparing to deploy automated, remotely monitored machine guns to protect illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, Israeli Army Radio reported on 15 December.

    The automated weapons, developed by Rafael Combat Systems, will be installed on watch towers around dozens of settlements and near their entrances. They will be controlled remotely from command centers “to prevent armed attacks and infiltration operations.”

    The same system was installed on the Gaza border in 2008 and operated by spotters in bases. However, it failed to prevent fighters from the Islamic Resistance movement, Hamas, from approaching and breaching the barrier fence to attack settlements and Israeli military bases on 7 October 2023.

    The post Israel To Deploy Remotely Operated Machine Guns Against Palestinians appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Israel Is Closing Embassy in Ireland Over Country’s Opposition to Gaza Genocide

    Israel has announced that it is closing its embassy in Ireland, just days after Ireland announced that it is joining South Africa’s genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and as the death toll in Gaza reaches another grim milestone. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that Ireland has “extreme anti-Israel policies” — referring to Ireland’s criticism of…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Israel Kills Palestinian Grandfather Known for Video Mourning His Grandchild

    Israeli forces have killed iconic Palestinian grandfather Khaled Nabhan, who went viral in the first months of Israel’s genocide for a video mourning his grandchild, in an attack in central Gaza on Monday. Nabhan, known to Palestinians as Abu Diaa, was killed in an Israeli attack on Nuseirat refugee camp, in which at least four others were killed. He was reportedly killed by an Israeli tank…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Israeli forces kill at least 4 Gaza journalists in the past week

    Beirut, December 16, 2024 – The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly denounces the killings of four Palestinian journalists in Gaza during the past week and calls for the international community to hold Israel accountable for its attacks against the media.

    “At least 95 journalists and media workers have been killed worldwide in 2024,” CPJ’s CEO Jodie Ginsberg said in New York. “Israel is responsible for two thirds of those deaths and yet continues to act with total impunity when it comes to the killing of journalists and its attacks on the media. The international community has failed in its obligations to hold Israel accountable for its actions.”

    • On December 15, Ahmed Al-Louh, a 39-year-old Palestinian journalist who freelanced with multiple outlets including Qatar-funded Al Jazeera, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Nuseirat camp in Gaza city, on December 15, 2024, according to Al Jazeera and multiple news reports. Al Jazeera reported that Al-Louh was wearing a “Press” vest and helmet, considered the attack to be targeted. Al-Louh is the seventh Al Jazeera-affiliated journalist killed by Israel since the war began. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson for Arabic Media, Avichay Adraee, acknowledged the targeting of Al-Louh and accused him of being an Islamic Jihad militant in a post on X, but provided no proof for the allegation.
    • On December 14, Mohammed Balousha, a 38-year-old Palestinian journalist and the reporter for the Emirati-owned, Dubai-based Al Mashhad Media was killed in a direct Israeli drone strike when he was returning from a medical checkup at the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood clinic in northern Gaza City, according to the outlet and multiple news reports. Al Mashhad TV said it considered the attack deliberate.
    • On December 14, Mohammed Al Qrinawi, a Palestinian journalist and the editor at the local Snd news agency, was killed along with his wife and their three children, in an Israeli airstrike on Al Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, according to his outlet and multiple news reports.
    • On December 11, Iman Al Shanti, a 36 year-old Palestinian journalist who was a host and producer for Al Aqsa Radio and a reporter for Al Jazeera’s AJ+ platform during the war, was killed with her family in an Israeli airstrike on the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in northern Gaza, according to multiple news reports.

    At least 141 journalists have been killed in the Israel-Gaza war since October 7, 2023, CPJ has documented; 133 of them were Palestinians in Gaza. Journalists in northern Gaza are facing catastrophic conditions, saying ethnic cleansing is happening in a news void in northern Gaza.

    CPJ emailed the IDF North America Media Desk of the IDF asking whether the IDF knew there were civilians in the areas that it bombed, and if journalists were targeted for their work.  The IDF responded that it needed more time to investigate CPJ’s query but did not specify how much time would be required.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Palestinian Journalist: We Have Run Out of Body Bags to Bury the Dead in Gaza

    Rescue workers, children, and journalists are among the civilians killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza on Sunday, as the death toll continues to mount in a military campaign Amnesty International earlier this month said has all the markings of an active and ongoing genocide. “Due to the rising Israeli bombings and killings in northern Gaza, we have run out of body bags to bury the dead…

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    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Israel Approves Plan to Expand Illegal Settlements in Occupied Golan Heights

    Israel is continuing to bomb Syria a week after longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Israeli forces have launched over 800 strikes on Syria over the past week. Meanwhile, the Israeli government has approved a plan to expand illegal settlements in the occupied Golan Heights. “Israel is setting new precedents in the Middle East,”…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • “Lawless”: Marwan Bishara on Israel Bombing Syria 800 Times & Expanding Occupation of Golan Heights


    This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • “Lawless”: Marwan Bishara on Israel Bombing Syria 800 Times & Expanding Occupation of Golan Heights

    Seg1 bishara syria israeli strikes

    Israel is continuing to bomb Syria a week after longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Israeli forces have launched over 800 strikes on Syria over the past week. Meanwhile, the Israeli government has approved a plan to expand illegal settlements in the occupied Golan Heights. “Israel is setting new precedents in the Middle East,” says Al Jazeera senior political analyst Marwan Bishara. “It’s acting so lawlessly against Syria, as a rogue state basically.” Bishara also discusses Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and the Syria strategy of other actors in the region, including neighboring U.S. allies that had previously attempted to normalize relations with Assad and extremist groups that have formed partially in response to U.S. aggression.


    This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

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  • Gig for Gaza musicians refuse to be complicit in media silence

    Since Israel began its genocide in Gaza, there has been an uncomfortable chasm between the outcry from the public and the silence from performers. Not all have stayed silent, however, and on Saturday 14 December, several artists came together to make their voices heard in a ‘Gig for Gaza’:

    Gig for Gaza

    Paul Weller organised the event, which he presented as a “night of powerful performances at the O2 Academy Brixton to raise funds and support for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza”.

    Weller has spoken out before, with the Independent quoting him in May:

    “Am I against genocides and ethnic cleansing? Yes I am, funnily enough.”

    He continued: “I can’t understand why more people aren’t up in arms about what’s going on. We should be ashamed of ourselves, I think.

    “One minute you’re supplying bullets and bombs and guns, and then you’re sending over food. How does that work?”

    Weller isn’t the only act on the lineup who has spoken out; here’s what Paloma Faith said earlier this year:

    In amongst all of our lives this atrocity continues and I find it unbearable to think this genocide continues while we stand by and continue with our privilege. I look at my own children I see all the child victims. My heart bleeds. There are no words which can justify the cheapening of these children’s lives. My heart is heavy. Until we have no words left to speak CEASEFIRE NOW

    Here’s what Primal Scream said in 2023:

    5000 dead in Gaza. Almost half of them are children. Mostly men, women and children who are NOT Hamas fighters. Murdered by indiscriminate Israeli bombs. Collective punishment is a war crime. 10-15 hospitals in Gaza unoperational due to constant Israeli bombing. IDF are targeting schools , hospitals and shelters. Electricity is running out and there is limited energy to power ventilators for newly born babies with complications, people on kidney dialysis machines and the wounded too. This is ethnic cleansing , a war crime , a genocide and our government is complicit in the atrocity.

    Here’s Kneecap projecting their thoughts on to the city of Dublin:

    There’s also Lowkey, of course, who’s been talking to the Canary about Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians for years:

    Lowkey has been tireless in his coverage, both on social media and on The Watchdog podcast.

    ‘We cannot let genocide be a legitimate thing’

    We’re glad to report that beyond the strong message, Weller produced a well-received gig. Here’s how Mojo summed it up:

    Potentially fragmented and disjointed, tonight instead felt really quite special; and you could see that Weller, leaving the stage with his arm triumphantly raised, sensed that too.

    Gig-goers shared their highlights on social media:

    ‘Silence is complicity’

    A message that Gig for Gaza put across is one that other performers seem to have forgotten: silence is complicity:

    As much as we respect these artists for taking a principled stance, the number of performers willing to stand up should be enough to fill Glastonbury and then some.

    If the past is any indicator, we’re sure many of those who are silent now will speak up once the dust has settled and history has judged Israel for its atrocities.

    Featured image via Big Sharpie (YouTube – YouTube – YouTube – YouTube – YouTube)

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • German position on Israel-Gaza debate ‘putting artists off’ film festival

    Berlinale head, Tricia Tuttle, says some artists fear criticism of Israeli actions will be condemned as antisemitism

    A polarised debate about Gaza in Germany is leading some artists to shun one of the world’s top film festivals, its new director has said.

    Tricia Tuttle, the head of the Berlin international film festival, said a perception that Germany had been overzealous in its policing of speech about the Middle East conflict, and controversy over this year’s awards ceremony, were having an impact as she planned her first edition.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • Lowkey joins protesters outside a prison in support of the Palestine Action ‘Filton18’

    Musician, historian, and activist Lowkey joined crowds of people outside a prison to show solidarity with Palestine Action activists being detained on trumped-up charges inside. They’re there because, once again, Palestine Action significantly disrupted the operations of a weapons manufacturer – directly impacting Israel’s supply of weapons that it’s currently using to commit genocide in Gaza.

    Lowkey joins Palestine Action

    On Saturday 14 December, over a hundred people attended a demonstration and at HMP Bronzefield:

    Lowkey

    It saw rappers Lowkey, Workrate, and others bring a DIY performance in solidarity with the people of Palestine, and in solidarity with the 11 Palestine Action political prisoners currently being detained in HMP Bronzefield.

    Lowkey, an ardent campaigner for a free Palestine, has regularly turned out in solidarity with those unjustly detained for actions against genocide.

    He stated during the performance:

    Those people behind those walls are all of us.

    Palestine Action

    Other speakers included family members of Filton political prisoners, and Dr Asim Qureshi, a Director at CAGE International, who stated that:

    Solidarity is not a word, it is a practice and an action – we have to cut off every single supply line that keeps the settler Zionist colonial state in its place… the only organisation doing that on a daily basis is Palestine Action.

    The solidarity demonstration was called in response to the repressive raid, arrest and interrogation tactics deployed by the British state against those resisting complicity in genocide.

    Disrupting Israel’s supply chain

    In August, activists disrupted Israeli weapons production at the Filton, Bristol research hub of Elbit Systems Israel’s largest arms firm.

    This brand new £35m research and development hub of Israel’s biggest weapons firm opened in June 2023, and was attended by the UK-Israeli Ambassador Hotevely, and Elbit’s CEO Bezhalel Machlis – who has frequently boasted of the company’s central role in Israel’s military, during the ongoing Gaza genocide.

    An initial seven people were detained under police abuse of ‘Counter Terror’ powers. More police raids and arrests followed in the months since, most recently in November. A total of 18 people now arrested, detained, and held under ‘Counter Terror’ powers – despite being charged with criminal charges – before a trial in November 2025.

    Many had their homes and property damaged and some of their families and loved ones were also subjected to police violence, while conditions for those inside prison include arbitrary and repressive restrictions.

    There are currently 21 Palestine Action political prisoners, all supposedly linked to actions taken against Elbit Systems, it’s suppliers and subsidiaries. 19 have been detained without trial, and 11 are held in Bronzefield.

    You can support Palestine Action here.

    Featured image and additional images via Martin Pope

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Trump Transition Team Considering Strikes On Iran

    Strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities are being seriously considered within the Donald Trump transition team, according to the Wall Street Journal. While there is no proof Tehran is trying to make a nuclear weapon, Washington and Tel Aviv are threatening to attack Iran’s nuclear energy infrastructure.

    “The military-strike option against nuclear facilities is now under more serious review by some members of his transition team,” the WSJ explained. “Iran’s weakened regional position and recent revelations of Tehran’s burgeoning nuclear work have turbocharged sensitive internal discussions, transition officials said.”

    The post Trump Transition Team Considering Strikes On Iran appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Iran’s Khamenei Blames US And Israel For Syrian Crisis

    The US and Israel bear joint responsibility for the current situation in Syria, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said during a public event in Tehran on Wednesday, December 11. This was the first time Khamenei addressed the topic following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government and the establishment of a Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-backed administration in Syria.

    While acknowledging Turkey’s role in supporting HTS, a designated terrorist organization that seized power after President Assad left the country on Sunday, Khamenei said that “the main conspirator, the main planner and the command centre lie in America and the Zionist regime,” IRNA reported.

    The post Iran’s Khamenei Blames US And Israel For Syrian Crisis appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • University Of Rochester Students Face Seven Years In Jail

    Last month four students at the University of Rochester were charged with second-degree criminal mischief for their connection to “Wanted” posters that were put up around campus.

    The posters accused a small number of faculty members of enabling genocide and supporting the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza. Not all the faculty members identified are Jewish, but the university immediately sent out emails tagging the action as antisemitic. Pro-Israel campus groups condemned the posters, including the school’s Hillel chapter which claimed they “disproportionately singled out Jewish faculty and staff and used language that spreads harmful, antisemitic ideas about Jewish people.”

    The post University Of Rochester Students Face Seven Years In Jail appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Organizers Disrupt Zionist Fundraiser With Noise Demonstration

    New Orleans, LA – On the night of December 11, organizers and activists marched towards the Audubon Tea Room at the beginning of “FedFest 2024,” a fundraiser hosted by the Jewish Federation, an organization dedicated to supporting the apartheid state of Israel.

    The protest commemorated Human Rights Day (December 10). Among the groups organizing the noise demonstration were Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP).

    The event began at 7 p.m., with protesters arriving soon after and staying for roughly two hours.

    The post Organizers Disrupt Zionist Fundraiser With Noise Demonstration appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Sara Haddad on why MPs should do the reading on Palestine – podcast

    This summer Australian politicians are being encouraged to read more widely on the history of Palestine.

    Five books were sent to all 227 federal MPs and senators as part of a campaign backed and funded by dozens of Australia’s most prominent authors.

    And in the bundle is one work of fiction – a novella by a Sydney-based author.

    Nour Haydar speaks with author of The Sunbird Sara Haddad about the summer reading for MPs initiative, Palestine, and writing as activism

    Read more:

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.