Category: Gaza

The 51st Vigil


Smaller than usual numbers due to the stormy weather

November 2024

A smaller contingent this Saturday (23rd November) for the 51st Vigil in Salisbury due almost certainly to the inclement weather with storm Bert raging. The Vigil took place during the week in which the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, the former Defense minister, Yoav Gallant and the leader of Hamas, Mohammed Deif (believed to be dead).

The reaction around the world was mixed with outrage from Israel and from the US who spoke of sanctioning the ICC itself. Other nations are guardedly in support of the actions which are based on a wide range of breaches of International Humanitarian Law. This includes the use of starvation as a weapon of war.

The sympathy that Israel received following the horrific attack on October 7th last year and the seizure of 250 hostages has all but dissipated. Around 44,000 have now died in Gaza with thousands more wounded, some seriously. The so called ‘General’s Plan’ to clear the northern part of the enclave – denied by Israel – seems to be in operation. Independent observers and journalists are denied access so obtaining reliable reports is impossible. Claims of individuals being used as ‘human shields’ cannot be independently verified and little evidence has been produced.

The ICC warrants pose a problem for countries like the UK (but not the US which is not a signatory as is Israel) which are required to stop the supply of weapons. What will happen on this point we shall see.

Among the criticisms made is that lumping the two Israeli people in with Hamas is quite wrong. The problem for the ICC is that if they issued warrants for the Israelis alone, they would be criticised for ignoring Hamas. The same argument applies in the other direction.

There seems no end in sight. The arrival of Donald Trump as the next US President is awaited and Israeli politicians who anticipate more favourable treatment by him in comparison to President Biden. There are still those who think that the current conflict started on 7th October last year – it didn’t. The conflict goes back to at least 1948 and further back than that. Years of apartheid by the Israeli government and the current violent campaign by the ‘settlers’ to clear Palestinians and other Arabs from the West Bank are all part of a prolonged conflict. It even goes back to the British Empire and the desire to protect the Suez Canal and hence the link to India.

We are pleased to attach a video of the Vigil produced by a supporter.

We shall be there next Saturday, 30 November at 5pm.

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Fiftieth Vigil


Fiftieth Vigil held on Saturday 16 November

November 2024

[Video added, 17 November]

It is likely that holding a Vigil on Saturday in Salisbury Market Place was intended to be a short run affair. Most vigils are: people come together to show their support for a cause and it’s over. But on Saturday, we held our 50th Vigil in aid of peace in Gaza. Around 40 attended a number which has remained remarkably constant. New people came as well so it isn’t the same old faces week after week.

Part of the motivation is the continuing horror in Gaza and also, now, Lebanon with reports today of aid workers killed in a bombing. Over 43,000 are now dead in Gaza with 70% women and children the BBC reports.

Some of the attendees at the 50th Vigil.

Video of the Vigil

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Peace Vigil No 48


November 2024

The 48th Vigil for peace in the Middle East took place yesterday and with the change in clocks, we were back to candles. About 40 were in attendance, the strongest turnout for some time. Also, a stronger contingent of young people. It is amazing to note the numbers – which do fluctuate – remain high.

Events in the region show no sign of a let up. Bombing continues in both Gaza and Lebanon. Commentators are reporting that the “General’s Plan” of clearing north Gaza of Palestinians seems to be happening despite denials. Such footage as emerges is shocking. With Unwra to be banned from the area and no other agency with the scale or infrastructure able to take its place, the future looks truly grim. So much now depends on the US election in a few days time. If Trump wins and becomes president in the New Year, then it seems unlikely any pressure will be put on Netanyahu to compromise. The future if Kamala Harris succeeds is less predictable as she has had to moderate her views in the light of the Jewish vote in the US.

More media outlets beginning to refer to Israeli actions as ‘genocide’. It is worth reminding ourselves what genocide is and the UN definition is:

The Genocide Convention establishes in Article I that the crime of genocide may take place in the context of an armed conflict, international or non-international, but also in the context of a peaceful situation. The latter is less common but still possible. The same article establishes the obligation of the contracting parties to prevent and to punish the crime of genocide.

The popular understanding of what constitutes genocide tends to be broader than the content of the norm under international law. Article II of the Genocide Convention contains a narrow definition of the crime of genocide, which includes two main elements:

  1. A mental element: the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such”; and
  2. A physical element, which includes the following five acts, enumerated exhaustively:
    • Killing members of the group
    • Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group
    • Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part
    • Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group
    • Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group

As we have noted before, the issue of intent is important. A number of agencies and organisations have concluded that there is sufficient intent to conclude it is genocide.

The death toll in Gaza is around 43,000. Over 100,000 have been injured. Over 1,200 have been killed in Israel.

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The Vigils continue


October 2024

Just when you think it cannot get worse, it does. The situation in Gaza, particularly in the northern enclave is dire. Bombing continues and plans to prevent food and other aid entering is underway. The Israeli government plans to ban the UN agency UNWRA. [Update: 29th October. This has been approved by the Knesset]. The Times newspaper in the UK claims that the agency is of value to Hamas and not ordinary Palestinians, a view similar to the Israeli government.

Further, there have been many allegations that UNWRA employees were engaged in the terror attack on 7 October 2023. Seven of the agency’s employees were dismissed after an investigation by the UN. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant alleges 30 of their employees were involved. He said in a Haaretz article that out of 13,000 employees, 1,468 were involved in terror organisations.

A representative of the National Unity Party spoke on BBC World at One today (28 October). They claimed that UNWRA was ‘rotten to the core’. The representative alleged that ‘most [of their staff] were Hamas activists’. Later she said that ‘70% were affiliated to Hamas’. The BBC interviewer tried gamely to interject saying that there was no evidence for these claims. It was admitted that a small number were involved as noted above. The interviewee was sure that the Knesset will vote in the measure today saying there was wide-spread support for it.

The problem as we have noted before is that there is a lack of independent verification for these various claims some of which are extremely wild. Claims that buildings are being used by terrorists are impossible to verify. Gaza is one of the most dangerous places for journalists to operate in. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 131 have died and 69 arrested. They believe 5 have been murdered by Israeli forces. The question is, if Israel is so certain that buildings are used by Hamas and people are being used by them as human shields, why not allow independent verification?

Over the weekend, Israeli forces bombed various military sites in Iran raising the tensions still further.

Meanwhile, in Salisbury the vigils continue and over 35 were in attendance on Saturday. We will gather again on Saturday 2 November when we shall be back to candles. Around 42,000 have died in Gaza according to Le Monde.

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Salisbury Market Square Vigil: 39th Gathering for Peace


Vigil continues

September 2024

The 39th Vigil was held yesterday (31st August) in the market square as usual. Over 30 attended with a scattering of people joining in as they passed. The death toll is over 40,000 and there seems little sign of a peace deal. Efforts last week seem to have come to nought. There has been a short cessation of hostilities to enable the UN to carry out polio vaccinations.

ADDITION: the brutal murder by Hamas of six of the hostages has sent shockwaves around the world and has led to tens of thousands of Israelis to protest over the government’s failure to secure a peace deal and the release of the remaining hostages.

We shall be there again next week starting at 5pm in Salisbury market place next to the Library. All are welcome.

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Thirty eighth vigil


August 2024

With the death toll in Gaza over 40,000 and no sign of a peace deal, our weekly Vigil continued today – 24th August – with just under 30 in attendance. Some passers by stop and take part which is encouraging. We had one person shout at us from afar. We shall be back on 31st at 5pm as usual.

Three of the participants. Photo: Salisbury Amnesty

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Gaza Death Toll Passes 40,000: Global Concerns and Peace Talks Update


August 2024

Still they continue and just under 40 attended the Vigil in Salisbury on Saturday 17th August. A grim milestone was reached during the week when the Health Ministry announced the death toll in Gaza has passed 40,000 and shows no sign of ending. The Israeli authorities dispute these figures but the evidence suggests they are an underestimate since many thousands are buried and unaccounted for.

Peace talks are taking place in Doha and are being spoken about optimistically by the Americans at least although Hamas are not in attendance. Today’s reports are less optimistic.

There are signs of patience running out in Western capitals and the new Foreign Secretary David Lammy is in Israel with his French counterpart to try and promote some kind of peace initiative. In a joint article in the Observer (August 18th) it is clear both governments are worried by a regional escalation.

It is not clear whether the UK will cease or reduce arms sales to the country but CAAT reported recently (6 August) that there has been no change in the government’s position. Reports that they were rethinking appear to have been premature. The major supplier is the US which is done on a government to government basis.

There has also been a perceptible change in reporting by the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV with more robust interviews and pointed questioning. On Channel 4 for example, in an interview concerning the mounting settler violence in the West Bank where a large group of them were filmed rampaging through a Palestinian village, Matt Frei used the ‘apartheid’ word at least twice. On Radio 4 where and Israeli official was casting doubt over the death statistics in Gaza, the interviewer noted that independent journalists were not allowed in to the territory: clearly the inference was that if you will not permit independent verification, it is hard for you to complain about the statistics.

What is becoming increasingly apparent is the sympathy and shock felt around the world at the horrific attack on October 7th and the continuing plight of the 100 or so hostages held captive in Gaza is diminishing. Claims that it is Hamas terrorists being targeted and killed are also being questioned in the light of vast numbers of dead women and children.

Pic: Salisbury Amnesty

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Vigil


August 2024

COMPLETED EVENT

The Vigil takes place this evening (August 17th) in Salisbury Market Place starting at 5pm for half an hour. Over 40,000 are now dead in Gaza in what is certain to be an underestimate since many bodies lie unrecovered under the rubble. Reports yesterday of settler violence in the West Bank with cars and property set alight by marauding gangs and a Palestinian man killed. The violence has increased dramatically this year.

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A glimmer of hope …


The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra brings a glimmer of hope to a troubled region

August 2024

The news from the Middle East is uniformly grim with the death toll in Gaza rising remorselessly to over 39,000 with more deaths a day or so ago following a bombing. Violence is emerging in Lebanon which threatens to worsen following the events in Tehran. A peace deal seems as far away as ever. Salisbury people still congregate every Saturday afternoon for a peace vigil.

The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra is a rare glimmer of light in the seemingly never ending gloom of conflict. Founded 25 years ago, and based in Seville, it is an orchestra consisting of both Arab and Israeli players with three desks for Iranians. Founded by Danial Barenboim and Edward Said, it is not a political venture but:

“The Divan is not a love story, and it is not a peace story. It has very flatteringly been described as a project for peace. It isn’t. It’s not going to bring peace, whether you play well or not so well. The Divan was conceived as a project against ignorance. A project against the fact that it is absolutely essential for people to get to know the other, to understand what the other thinks and feels, without necessarily agreeing with it. I’m not trying to convert the Arab members of the Divan to the Israeli point of view, and [I’m] not trying to convince the Israelis to the Arab point of view. But I want to—and unfortunately I am alone in this now that Edward died a few years ago—create a platform where the two sides can disagree and not resort to knives.“

Barenboim emphasises the role of dialogue and a feature of recent conflict is to note that there are people on both sides, who recognise the opinions, feelings and rights of the other. The orchestra performed at the Proms last evening (11th August) in a concert consisting of Brahms’s Violin concerto performed by Anne-Sophi Mutter, followed by Schubert’s 9th Symphony ‘the Great’. Looking down on the 80 or so players, could one tell them apart, Arab from Jew? Would one want to? A band of people from two nations tearing themselves apart, sublimely playing two wonderful pieces of music offering a glimmer of hope …

West-Eastern Divan Orchestra with Daniel Barenboim accepting applause.

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Vigil continues …


Salisbury Vigil still continues and is well supported

July 2024

Ten months since the terrible attack by Hamas and the start of the assault on Gaza and people still turn out on a Saturday to demonstrate their wish for peace. Just under 40 attended today (27 July). This week saw the rapturous reception of Benjamin Netanyahu by most of the Congress and Senate and heard his speech which contained many untruths. Peace in Gaza looks as far off as ever and today were reports of more attacks with 50 dead and around 200 injured. As long as the US supports Israel it does not seem likely that a peace deal is going to happen.

The politics changed in the US this week with President Biden agreeing to stand aside from the election and Kamala Harris looking set to be the presidential candidate. She has a more robust attitude to the conflict so it will be interesting to see how that plays out.

The UK position seems to be hardening and the new government does not appear to be stuck on following the US lead and is even thinking of reviewing the sale of arms to Israel.

We will be back in the market square in Salisbury at 5 pm as usual for half and hour.

Butter market, Salisbury

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