Well attended vigil
Things seem to be changing with some tentative hopes for the future. The Israeli elections denied Netanyahu a majority and negotiations are underway to form some kind of coalition. The Arab parties did well and may have some kind of decisive influence on the result.
In America, President Trump and the Republicans received what some are calling a rout and both Congress and the Senate now have Democratic majorities. This will put some curbs on the President’s ability to act but he is still free to pursue foreign adventures.
Perhaps the biggest surprise in the week was the Announcement that the US is ending its aid to Israel at the end of this year. President Trump said ‘they don’t need it’ as they were now a ‘successful country’. He said this had been discussed and agreed with Netanyahu at his recent visit to the White House. This aid amounts to $3.3bn annually and has enabled the state to become a regional defence superpower. The argument now is that they have developed significant defence capabilities so are no longer in need of the aid. In a decade they have received $38bn.
Vigil
Around 30 turned out for the vigil (pictured). Another key event which took place last week was the Supreme Court appeal concerning Palestine Action. They were declared to be a terrorist organisation by Yvette Cooper when she was Home Secretary partly because they were lumped in with some unpleasant organisations, Maniacs Murder Cult and the Russian Imperial Movement. There are reports that many Labour MPs are expressing misgivings about the decision and how they were obliged, and whipped, to support it. There is no question that the violence members committed at the Elbit Systems factory was deplorable and the attack on the police officer indefensible. But the question is: does this make them a terrorist organisation? Amnesty, Liberty and others think not. The Court is deliberating its decision now.
Previous posts:
Leave a Reply