Category: Israel

Horror of underground prison


Israel’s underground prison – Welcome to Hell

July 2026

Rakefet Prison is not well known among the British public and has not appeared in many news broadcasts. It is an underground prison situated not far from Tel Aviv.    It was designed to hold dangerous Israeli prisoners but was closed on humanitarian grounds. Prisoners were kept underground never seeing sunlight.

It was reopened by Ben Gvir to house Palestinians with 7 times the numbers it was designed for. The appalling conditions are described in considerable and gruesome detail in a report by the Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem.     Called ‘Welcome to Hell’ it describes the continuous beatings – sometimes leading to death – the poor food, lack of medical attention, atrocious conditions with men packed into airless underground cells in suffocating conditions. Dogs are used to intimidate them. ‘Trophy’ footage was posted by an IDF soldier which has caused outrage around the world.  It reveals a blindfolded Palestinian prisoner secured to a pole.

Children held

Deaths are not investigated and bodies are buried in numbered graves.  There are around 3,500 held elsewhere in ‘administrative detention’ including 200 children.  No charges are brought. B’Tselem explains what this means:

“In administrative detention, a person is held without trial without having committed an offense, on the grounds that he or she plans to break the law in the future. As this measure is supposed to be preventive, it has no time limit. The person is detained without legal proceedings, by order of the regional military commander, based on classified evidence that is not revealed to them. This leaves the detainees helpless – facing unknown allegations with no way to disprove them, not knowing when they will be released, and without being charged, tried or convicted”. [B’Tselem]

Considerable attention was paid to the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on October 7th with frequent media reports on the numbers held, negotiations for their release and footage of their release when they happened.

By contrast, of those held underground in Rakefet or elsewhere in detention, there has been almost no media coverage.  Indeed, few will have heard of Rakefet. Israel is behaving in the manner of some barbaric state with no human rights laws or meaningful legal system. And it doing so in almost complete media silence. It continues to receive uncritical support from the Labour government, up until now at least as we await what the new prime minister will do.  The House of Commons is packed with around 200 ‘friends of Israel’ parliamentarians who seemingly are unconcerned at the beatings, deaths, torture and the barbaric prison conditions in this prison.

Image shows a dog entering a cell.

The RAF flew hundreds of missions over Gaza as part of the UK’s support for the Israeli government.  The numbers vary but it was at least 600 according to various reports.

Most people in Britain who followed the news would have known the tally of hostages held and those released after the horrific October 7th massacre.  There was considerable coverage and many interviews of family members for example.   It received an appropriate level of media attention in view of the tragic events which took place after the horrific attack.                                

Doctor held without trial almost unrecognisable

One person held in Rakefet is Dr Hassan Abu Safiya.  He has been held in the prison since December 2024. He was seized allegedly for being a member of Hamas but since Hamas runs the health authority in Gaza this is meaningless. A lawyer visiting him says he is almost unrecognisable ‘suffering severe injuries to his head, eyes and neck while struggling to breathe in the Rakefet interrogation facility’.                                

Image of the Minister of National Security Mr Ben Gvir who allegedly shouted abuse at those held in Rakefet.

The UN Special Rapporteur criticised the BBC for presenting unproven Israeli military claims about him. This follows the journalist Peter Oborne’s criticism of the BBC’s coverage (and other media) in his book Complicit as disgraceful.

Thus we have two worlds where the horrific attack by Hamas is given massive coverage including false claims of beheading by several of our leading newspapers, whereas the torture, underground confinement without trials, and murder of Palestinians is met with near total silence by that same media. And 200 of our MPs are members and supporters of these dreadful actions including the MP for Salisbury Mr John Glen. We can only hope that the new prime minister Mr Andy Burnham will end Britain’s craven and shameful support given to this dreadful regime and the genocide it has unleashed.

ADDED 15 JULY. Rape of flotilla women in Israeli prison alleged.

Criticising Israel is not anti-Semitic.

Sources include: Ground News, Guardian, Haaretz, B’Tselem, IDF photos,

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Andy Burnham’s Apology: A Shift in Labour’s Gaza Stance?


Andy Burnham apologises for Labour’s stance on Gaza

July 2026

In numerous posts we have commented on the war in Gaza and more recently in Lebanon, and noted the shameful approach by the British government under Sir Keir Starmer the departing prime minister. We commented on the arms sales which continued despite the terrible events, the diplomatic support for Israel, the hundreds of overflights of Gaza by the RAF, the continued support for Elbit Systems and prosecution of those who call out this support and call for the recognition of Palestine.

It now seems that the likely new prime minister, Andy Burnham (image: Middle East Eye), has recognised these errors and has announced that the party ‘didn’t get it right’ and ‘we need to do better’. If this is carried through into policy then it will be very welcome. What no one has picked up in the media is the timing of this announcement which came on the day that nominations closed for the leadership election. Could this be a fear of the hundreds of MPs who are members of the Friends of Israel groups?

Sir Keir Starmer alienated many of his supporters by his approach to Israel. His statement that Israel had every right to cut off water and power shocked many and attempts to back track never really healed the damage. It showed a politician desperate to shake off the ‘anti-Semitic’ criticism more or less at all costs. Many were doubly shocked because of his human rights background. It was one of the factors which led to his defenestration. Criticism of Israel is not anti-Semitic.

We have to be wary of course since many politicians make statements like this. He has to face a massive and well funded lobby in parliament, a media much of which is supportive of the Israelis and a BBC which even today (10 July) was quibbling on the Today programme whether it is a genocide or not because it hadn’t been legally decided yet.

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Disappointing debate about lobby influence


Debate about Israel’s extensive lobby activities in parliament unenlightening

June 2026

LETTER ADDED: 29th June

When we vote for someone to become our member of parliament, there is an understanding – not always spelled out in so many words – that MPs are there to represent us, their constituents, and once in parliament, to represent the interests of the country.  If they assume office of some kind, they will of course have many meetings with interested parties and discussions with other countries.  But all along is the principle that it is our nation which is being represented and the public at large being protected.

In recent years there has been a rising tide of concern about outside influence and role of think tanks and lobbyists. Basically the system is not working according to Transparency International and only 4% of lobbyists are registered making the legislation meaningless.  Collectively, they spend millions of parlaying their influence and often the question is who is funding them? Much of their funding is opaque but is believed to be American commercial interests pushing against climate change, fighting hard not to see controls on their media platforms and for us to leave the European Convention.  The egregious payment of £5m to Nigel Farage (which is being investigated) has attracted much media attention but we should not lose sight of the drip, drip of smaller sums into the pockets of our representatives. 

Israeli lobbying

Another worry has been the influence of the largest and best funded lobby organisation funded by Israel to promote its interests. They have created a series of ‘Friends of Israel’ groups in all the main parties. There are believed to be 200 such MPs across parties with the predominant membership being Conservative. Over 60 are on the Labour benches.  

Many in the public are concerned at the extent of this influence and a petition attracted 118,000 signatures leading to a debate in Westminster hall on 22 June.  They called for ‘an inquiry into pro-Israel influence on politics and democracy’. The debate can be read here.

Their influence was immediately felt in the debate.  ‘Why is Israel singled out for this kind of enquiry?’ it was asked.  Why not the Gulf states for example? 

Another line of argument was that it echoed historical tropes of hidden Jewish control and allegations of poisoning wells during the time of the Black Death for example and the infamous ‘blood libel’.  Needless to say, the anti-Semitism allegation was made by Richard Tice among others. The frightening effect of these allegations on Jewish people was also mentioned. 

“This motion is antisemitic in its very motivation and at its core. As such, we should utterly reject it”

Richard Tice (Reform).

A consistent problem has been the confusion between anti-Semitism and legitimate criticism of Israel.  It has been argued that there is a degree of overreach as far the former is concerned.  Much use has been made of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition.  As the Jewish academic Omer Bartov explains in his book Israel: What Went Wrong? (Fern Press, 2026) ‘The IHRA definition was the product of a European effort to promote Holocaust remembrance and education: it was never meant to serve as a basis for legislation and enforcement, but it has nonetheless morphed into an instrument for silencing criticism by law and duress’ (p58).

Anti Semitism definition criticised

The IHRA provides 11 examples of what might be termed ‘anti-Semitic’ but as Bartov points out, however objectionable some of such statements [in the IHRA list] may be ‘they are not, in and of themselves’ antisemitic (ibid).’  Herein lies the problem seemingly swallowed by several of the MPs making their speeches: legitimate criticism of Israel and their disproportionate destruction of Gaza and south Lebanon, and their policy of killing children, is by this definition, anti-Semitic. We argue it is not.

The Debate

The debate itself was disappointing for its lack of any kind of forensic analysis or the setting out of facts about the terrible events which took place on October 7th and subsequently.  Absent were any references to the bloodthirsty comments by leading Israeli politicians – not extremist firebrands – but members of the Knesset and Likud politicians.  The deputy Speaker of the Knesset Nissim Vaturi for example, suggested ‘we need to separate the children of the women and kill the adults in Gaza’ (ibid p128).  There are many such repulsive statements from politicians like Ben Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich and others. 

‘Why only Israel’ was the cry from several MPs?  We can sympathise to an extent with this question which is probably due to our short attention spans and a media which finds it hard to fund overseas reporters.  Little is heard about the fearful abuse of Uyghurs in China, or the continuing persecution being carried out by the Junta in Myanmar, and Sudan has quietly slid out of the news.  Ukraine is in and out of the news. 

Circular argument

There is a degree of circularity in the argument however. Because Israel is seen as some kind of beacon of Western values in the Middle East, the only democracy it is claimed and an example of a brave little country surrounded by Moslem states some bent on its destruction: when it is seen to violate those norms of behaviour, there is a reaction. The demolition of entire apartment blocks because they claim there is a Hamas control centre within, or a member of Hezbollah in south Lebanon (a policy even President Trump is finding hard to accept) the seizing and confinement, torture and mistreatment of medical staff and hundreds of children, the destruction – the wanton destruction – of water treatment and other infrastructure like hospitals and schools and the deliberate policy of withholding food aid and medical supplies, the seizure of all cultivable land in Gaza, even with the enfeebled reporting by British media, some of this has seeped into the consciences of the British people.  Which has led over a hundred thousand to ask has our political class been corrupted by an Israel lobbying organisation?  In short, if you want to be regarded as a beacon of Western values then you must behave like one.   

One issue which emerged, albeit briefly, was the question of Elbit Systems a firm based in Britain with 16 facilities.   It has considerable support from the British government and the firm is engaged in joint ventures with UK firms to build drones. It is these drones which inflict such damage on people in the area and our continued support for the firm, the political cover given them and the draconian treatment of protestors which has caused resentment among many.   It was noted that the firm has easy access to ministers and civil servants, ‘in and out like a cat flap’ someone said.  

An issue not debated was the funding of trips to Israel.  As Declassified has revealed these are considerable in number. Conservative Friends of Israel has funded no less than 155 trips in a decade more than any other government. What are the MPs seeing and been shown?  It is not clear.  The prisons where boys are badly treated?  Unlikely.  The ruins of hospitals, schools and the like in Gaza?  Probably not.  The villages attacked and burned by settlers on the West Bank?  Improbable.

Was the debate enlightening?  Yes and no.  About the issue in question and the undue influence on policy and support for Israel which seems unconditional and not influenced in any meaningful way by the atrocities carried on there, the answer is ‘no’.  A debate built around the never-ending anti-Semitism claims about any or all criticism of Israel the state and the IDF was never going to enlighten us or them. 

About the lack of transparency and the role played by powerful and well-funded lobby organisations of which Israel is thought to be the largest and best funded, the answer is ‘yes’.  It has enabled the government to continue its support for Israel unimpeded by much in the way of questioning or obstruction from its back benchers or the opposition significant numbers of whom are members of one or other of the Friends groups. It was David Cameron, the ex-prime minister who, after the Greensill scandal that ruined his reputation, said Lobbying was the ‘next big scandal waiting to happen’. It is continuous and is in fact a perma scandal. The debate is but another example of how our parliamentary system has been corrupted by outside influence.  The very lack of insightful debate and lack of facts was revealing in itself.  Only one MP in the debate declared his interest as a member of the Conservative Friends of Israel.

The ending

The end was interesting: Richard Tice MP again ‘Now that we have debated this appalling motion, is there a minimum timeframe before we have to debate it again?‘ To which the reply was in part ‘When reflecting on how this debate has gone, and more widely on how the Jewish community in particular has reacted to the petition, I would certainly argue that it should not come back for another debate, even if it reached that threshold. We have had an opportunity to air our views, and we have collectively called it out for what it is’ (John Lamont MP). Mr Lamont is a member of the CFI which he did not declare and does not appear on the They Work For You website under ‘Register of Interests’ [accessed 27 June 2026].

The tragedy of all this is that these ‘friends’ are not in the final analysis, doing Israel any favours. Peace and stability will only come to the region and to Israel if it can live and work with its neighbours. Simply arming and supporting a thuggish regime bent on war, destruction and killing is not in its best interests. Unless it completely destroys the entire population of Gaza – total genocide that is – there will be a residue of bitter resentment of a people treated so harshly and so cruelly that revenge inevitably will be a prime motive. Those parliamentarians are thus twice guilty: allowing themselves to beguiled into an uncritical support of a brutal regime and secondly, not in fact acting as they should as honest critics to the Israeli government to counsel a non lethal approach to every problem.

[letter in the Guardian, 29th June]

Israel’s actions are fuelling antisemitism around the world | Israel | The Guardian

We are shortly to have a new prime minister and one hopes that he or she will address the issue of corruption and undue influence head on.  Trust in our politicians will only be reclaimed if the issue of lobbying and its pernicious effects are forcefully tackled.  Meanwhile, Israel if free to continue its violent actions safe in the knowledge that the UK parliament has been successfully tamed. John Glen, the Conservative member of parliament for Salisbury, is a member of the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI). Full list of all MPs believed to be members of Friends of Israel.

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Targeted policy to kill children


UN enquiry finds Israel conducts a policy of deliberately killing children

June 2026

MATERIAL ADDED, 29th June

A UN report published this month, has concluded that Israel has a policy of deliberately targeting children for attack in Gaza and now the West Bank. The scale of their actions is deeply shocking. The report, The Independent International Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory is extremely detailed and meticulous with copious notes and is the result of considerable research. It can be accessed here. The numbers quoted refer to paragraphs in the report. Many attempts were made to the Israeli government for information and/or access which were never responded to (3). A BBC report can be read here.

WARNING: much of the report is deeply shocking and upsetting.

Between the October 7th massacre and October last year, a total of 20,175 children have been killed and a further 44,143 injured. At least 5,000 of those were under 5 years old and a further 1,000 were under 1, that is babies (26). It is thought that 5,160 lie buried in the rubble. It may be recalled 36 children were killed by Hamas on October 7th following which there was a considerable outcry. Stories were fabricated about ‘babies being beheaded’ which are now realised to be fake. There has been no outcry about these Palestinian deaths.

The use of wide area munitions has had a disproportionate effect on children who are 7 times more likely to die following a bombing due to their young age (31).

Children shot

There are many casualties around the yellow line. It should be explained that this consists of yellow blocks dotted along the ‘line’ which are regularly moved as Israeli forces encroach on Gaza. They now control around 70% of the land. [Correction, 29th June: Israel controls over half of Gaza according to several sources, not 70% as we said here. It is their intention to increase it to 70%. We apologise for the error]. Children wandering into this area are shot and killed, over 100 this way. Some have been collecting firewood. Claims that the children are a threat in some way are unsupported and in any event are shot from a distance (38).

“Children brought into the emergency department were seeing around them the chaos of mass casualty, with people screaming, limbs blown off, blood… these children were sitting in a corner, staring blankly, not talking and observing all that, without any adults helping them to process or offer any sense of security. Mental health of children has been completely jeopardized.” – A doctor who visited Gaza on [a] medical mission.

WARNING

The report notes that as of April 2025, a total of 846 children had amputations without anaesthetic sometimes with makeshift equipment (44). Many do not survive subsequent infestations by maggots because of the dreadful conditions.

“I was not able to finish any operation because, every time child patients were taken back to the operating room, their injuries would be covered in maggots and sepsis under the dressings – these child patients had no immune system due to malnutrition. Children just did not recover.” – A doctor who visited Gaza on multiple medical missions.

Quadcopters

It should be explained that these machines are extremely efficient and are better at identifying victims that human snipers. They are made by Elbit Systems in England a firm the UK government are desperately keen to support. Those protesting about the firm are arrested and tried for terrorist offences. We cannot claim that drones made in England are used in the following episode.

A drone was able to identify a mother suckling a 10 day old baby and was able to kill the baby with a bullet through the head using a quadcopter (59). They are operated by a ‘Multi-Dimensional Unit – Unit 888 (71). An Israeli TV documentary had the following exchange:

‘Breaking Ranks: Inside Israel’s War’, one Israeli soldier described, “the drones, in my opinion, are what most dehumanises the other side. You see everything on a screen. You drop the bomb. It feels like a game. You can sit in some basement of a house, safe, with your helmet off, scratching your balls, half-dressed, and kill Palestinians.”

An article in Haaretz describes the killing as a kind of competition among IDF soldiers to include children.

Children as fair game – “every child born there is already a terrorist”

The report makes clear that its research shows children are not killed or wounded as a result of incidental or accidental actions but as a deliberate policy. The Inquiry noted political speeches such as:

“The Commission found that Palestinian children in Gaza have been explicitly depicted as “terrorists” by Israeli officials in their speeches, statements and rhetoric in the Israeli Knesset, media and social media. On 9 October 2023, a member of Knesset and deputy speaker of the Knesset, Nissim Vaturi, posted on social media: “Erase Gaza. Nothing else will satisfy us. It is not acceptable that we maintain a terrorist authority next to Israel. Do not leave a child there expel all the remaining ones at the end, so that they will not have a resurrection.” (76). On 30 January 2025, he again said: “Gaza is full of terrorists and every child born there is already a terrorist, from the moment of his birth.”

Child prisoners

Since the October massacre, 1,655 children have been detained and held in ‘Administrative Detention’ although some held in military detention or interrogation centres. The treatment of these children is appalling. They are stripped and blindfolded, often forced to kneel on gravel, they are subjected to beatings, use of rifle butts, restricted food and water, prevented from access to a toilet and told to drink their own urine. Dogs are used to intimidate and they are kept in cells with 24 hour lighting. Some have been raped or subject to other sexual assaults. There is at least one report of death by sarcopenia (a muscle wasting condition usually associated with ageing). In plain terms a boy starved to death (107f).

Conclusions

The Commission found that much of the harm suffered by Palestinian children was not incidental but intended to destroy the existence of the Palestinians in Gaza as a group. Since children embody the biological and social continuity of the group, the Commission has reasonable grounds to conclude that these acts form part of a deliberate strategy to destroy the future of the Palestinians in Gaza by targeting their children (352).

This is just one of the conclusions in the report which lists the many forms of violence against Palestinian children including wilful killing, torture and other inhuman acts, sexual and gender based violence against children, attacks on educational facilities and facilities caring for children.

UK support

The Israeli mission in Geneva said Israel rejected the commission’s “libellous sham”. Israel has fought hard against allegations of genocide, while receiving critical diplomatic support from its allies, including the US and the UK. Much was made of Sir Keir Starmer’s background as a human rights lawyer but his government has never deviated from its support for Israel with arms, intelligence and diplomatic cover. He stepped down as prime minister on 22nd June. Many may be shocked at the deliberate policy of killing children described in immense detail in this report.

The Salisbury MP Mr John Glen is a ‘proud member’ of the Conservative Friends of Israel. The MP for East Wiltshire, Danny Kruger, who switched to Reform last year, stated in an interview that all deaths in Gaza are the responsibility of Hamas. We ask how can any MP carry on supporting Israel while it is engaged in a programme of killing children as a matter of policy? Both are provided with columns in the local paper, the Salisbury Journal in which these views are never mentioned. We could find no reference to the report in the Israel supporting Daily Telegraph [accessed 25 June].

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL added after the original piece was posted:

On 29th June, B’Tselem, the Israeli based human rights group posted this video. It contains shocking images:

Unshielded Childhood: Palestinian children and teenagers killed by Israel in the West Bank in 2025 | B’Tselem

Guardian piece published on 29th June.

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Need for vigil continues


The Salisbury vigil is needed more than ever as UK continues its support for Israel

June 2026

Imagine. If during the ‘Troubles,’ that is the campaign by the IRA in Northern Ireland and on the UK mainland, UK forces had issued a 24 hour warning to the towns and villages in the Irish Republic within 10 miles of the border, ordering them to evacuate their homes, and had then bombed them flattening a large number of buildings killing those living inside, followed by bulldozers and other equipment crossing the border to demolish entire villages. Had uprooted orchards and destroyed other agricultural assets included acres of glasshouses, and had used white phosphorous bombs to contaminate the land for a generation. Imagine the government claimed it had the right to do this because it knew or suspected that the villages were shielding IRA operatives and that the IRA were using women and children as ‘human shields’. Imagine it also bombed and destroyed medical facilities, water treatment plants and other infrastructure. Army units then seized medical and other staff, subjecting them to months of serious ill-treatment and torture denying them access to lawyers or even saying where they were held, many of whom would die in custody. Imagine if the UK had behaved that way.

The world would have erupted. The international outcry would have been enormous. The US would have made life extremely difficult for the UK and imposed financial sanctions sufficient for the country to face collapse as it did with the Suez escapade. UN resolutions would pile in. The UK would have become an international pariah. UK news media – even the BBC – would have fulminated against the atrocity being committed. Parliament would have been in uproar. It is indeed unimaginable.

Slide show

“You don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody, because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses, and they’re not all Hezbollah”. President Trump at the G7 meeting

Despite the bombings both here and in Northern Ireland and the thousands killed, peace was eventually achieved in the Good Friday Agreement and although not perfect, a degree of normality has been achieved in the Principality. We cannot of course make exact comparisons so different are the circumstances – although both conflicts have their roots in British imperialism and colonial conquest – but looking at the scale of destruction with nearly 76.000 dead in Gaza and over 4,000 dead in Lebanon, who can see an end to this? Unlike what would have happened in Ireland, the US continues to arm and finance Israel. UN resolutions are ignored. The UK happily supplies arms, support and intelligence to Israel including two warships off the coast. Many of our news media have turned a blind eye or given highly sanitised versions of the atrocities. The only problem for Israel is that it has lost the moral high ground and the sympathy it received after the October 7th massacre has evaporated.

Government’s responses are feeble and a ‘gimmick’

The government has failed to take resolute action. It claims to have stopped arms sales while continuing to issue licences to arms firms. A recent example of their limp responses is Yvette Cooper’s recent statement in the House of Commons that the government had referred the ‘Great Israeli Real Estate Event‘ to the Advertising Standards Agency, Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty International UK’s Crisis Response Manager, said:

“Referring an event that enables war crimes and crimes against humanity to the Advertising Standards Agency is a ridiculous gimmick that fails to understand the devastation Israeli settlements cause for Palestinians.

“Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. The UK government has said so itself. The International Court of Justice has called on all states, including the UK, not to provide support or assistance that would help sustain Israel’s continued illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The UK’s failure to prevent this event from going ahead directly undermines its own position, the rights of Palestinians, and international law.

“Yvette Cooper was warned this event was coming and did nothing to stop it. That is not leadership – that is burying your head in the sand and hoping the problem goes away whilst illegal occupation, annexation, and apartheid continue at pace.

“If the government is serious about its opposition to settlements, it can start with a full ban on trade with Israeli settlements, ensure UK authorities properly investigate the organisers of the Great Israeli Real Estate Event, and ensure an event that enables war crimes and crimes against humanity is never allowed to take part on British soil again.”

The Jewish News denies that West Bank land is being marketed. They say the allegations are “motivated by anti-Israeli and terrorist supporters”.

NO sign of the Salisbury MP Mr John Glen at this or any of the previous 131 vigils. He is a ‘proud member’ of the Conservative Friends of Israel group which is thought to be the best funded of all the parliamentary lobby organisations and which has been able to subdue criticism of their country’s activities in parlaiment.

Our vigils will continue the next is on Saturday 27th at 5pm in the Cheese Market (by the Library).

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Serious issues raised by Palestine Action decision


Decision by Court of Appeal raises serious issues about our rights

June 2026

The dreadful decision by the Appeal Court last week raises issues way beyond the matter of Palestine Action and whether or not they are terrorists. On 15 June they upheld the decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. As Liberty has argued “This judgement risks paving the way for current and future governments to use counterterror powers against non-terrorist groups as we have seen in other countries, to silence activists, minorities and opponents.”

Amnesty say that prosecutors want to make an example of them and set a precedent for how direct action protestors could be treated in future. The decision will have a chilling effect on protest and will undoubtedly leave many people nervous of making their views known or attending vigils or marches.

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the judgement was the statement made by the judges:

“It is not, as it claims, a direct action civil disobedience protest group like the suffragettes operating transparently in the open. It is a covert organisation that operates using secret cells to avoid the detection and prosecution of those using violence to destroy the property of third parties. Palestine Action’s activities have caused injury as well as property damage.“

It is hard to countenance that a group of supposedly learned judges should make a statement which is factually incorrect, historically naïve and verging on the bizarre. The suffragettes committed a large number of violent acts including damage to property, bombings and arson. They carried out these activities – about 300 all told – over many years. The number and extent of their actions far exceed those of Palestine Action. That judges of a senior court should be so misinformed is a worry.

Belfast and Southampton

Last week saw violence in Belfast and Southampton. Part of this was a series of organised attacks on houses containing refugees or immigrants. They were burnt out of their homes in acts of deliberate violence. The police came under sustained and violent attack. Despite the scale and nastiness of the attacks, there has been no question of using the terrorism word. The actions clearly fell into the definition of terrorism. Those who incited the violence are interviewed on media programmes.

In a previous post we commented on the attitude of successive governments towards the Gulf states and the double think involved. On the one hand talking in grand terms about a new world order, democracy and human rights, and on the other supplying arms and succour to a collection of brutal states which do the precise opposite. Where there is no democracy, women are second class citizens and certainly there are no human rights. Where our Royal family and others happily mingle with tyrants.

It is a looking glass world. Thousands have been arrested, many elderly, for protesting about the violence, destruction and genocide in Gaza and now in Lebanon. At least 73,000 have died in Gaza and thousands more wounded. Israel will not allow in heavy lifting equipment to help clear the rubble and retrieve bodies buried in it.

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An Israeli and a Palestinian debate


Debate between the two at the Festival of Humanism over the weekend

June 2026

So popular was this debate that many couldn’t get in so it was repeated the following day in a bigger hall. The two speakers were Yaniv Aknin who is a British-Israeli software engineer currently working in London. He was born and raised in Israel but left in 2013. Jasr Kawkby is a British-Palestinian paediatrician currently working in East London. He was raised as a Muslim in Palestine.

It would be usual in a write-up of this kind to discuss what A said then to discuss B, making clear thereby who said what. We will not do this in this instance and just discuss what was said by both. These are some of the points made:

  • It was pure chance where you were born and whether you were Moslem, Christian or Jew.
  • Language was important. To call what happened a ‘war of independence’ was quite wrong. It was a colonial war. To live in a land where the ‘natives’ were expelled and prevented from returning was morally wrong.
  • Armed resistance has made life more difficult for those it seeks to support. It has alienated foreign support.
  • Suffering has been inflicted on those with no responsibility for the plight of Jews [in history].
  • Israel must stop its barbaric actions [for example] denying food aid in Gaza and must respect the rights of Palestinian prisoners in Jewish gaols.
  • [In answer to a question] the conflict was about land: religion was very much a secondary factor. It was however a complicating factor.
  • Zionism was a wrong ideology.
  • Most destruction of human life was by Israeli forces [meaning the IDF from other comments he made].
  • Pressure should be applied to Israel until it complies with human rights. We must recognise the oppression of Palestinians.
  • The lack of unconditional support from the West seen as a betrayal or anti-Semitism.
  • Religion was a catalyst for violence: how can we spread non-religious ideas? [This was a Humanist conference].
  • We should not be selling arms to Israel.

You might believe some of the answers are obviously from one ‘side’ or the other. You may well be wrong. There were in fact some surprises. This is to illustrate that there are those from the region – whether Jew or Moslem – who see both sides and recognise some of the wrongs that are committed. Because so much air time is given to extremists, we can be led to believe that they are representative of the population as a whole. It demonstrates that perhaps there is some chance in the future for some kind of reconciliation. The interference by outside forces – discussed in our last post in relation to the Gulf – is a factor in the perpetuation of violence.

Images: Yaniv (top); Jasr (lower)

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Vigil number 130


Vigil No. 130 held in the wet. High level of support

June 2026

It was a damp and windy evening so we retreated to the steps of the Library for our vigil this week attended by around 25. Notable this time was the high level of support from passers by one even presenting us with a box of chocolates. Others gave us the thumbs up, took a photo on their phone or smiled in recognition of our efforts. It has been some weeks now since we have experienced a negative reaction.

It would be good to report progress with a ceasefire or some kind of improvement in the political climate. Of this there

is no sign. The situation in Gaza remains dire. The death toll (there are various estimates) is at over 73,107; of which 12,500 are women and there have been 173,000 injuries, some serious. A harrowing interview was aired on Channel 4 last week of a boy who was paralysed by shrapnel from the waist down from a tank shell. He is no longer able to play football with his friends. Harrowing footage was also aired on the BBC of an infant shot dead by Israeli soldiers in Hebron.

Wes Streeting, one of the possible contenders to become the new prime minister, has been forceful about the failure of the Labour party to call out what is happening in the region. He has been particularly critical of Sir Keir Starmer’s infamous interview on LBC in which he said Israel had the right to cut off water and power to Gaza. Attempts to deny this at the time were unconvincing.

The attacks on Lebanon are following a similar pattern with the demolition of villages and the destruction of entire blocks of flats in Tyre and elsewhere. The Times of Israel reports that over 3,000 have died in the current conflict. There is supposed to be a ‘ceasefire’. Hezbollah continue to fire rockets into Israel.

A difference with this conflict however is that there is coverage from outside media which contrasts with Gaza where they are banned. There is first hand footage and interviews with residents not possible in Gaza. This might make a difference as it enables images to be shown of the devastation which was not possible in Gaza.

A resolution to the conflict between Iran, the US and Israel is not yet in view.

Picture taken at start of the vigil – more came during the vigil.

Once again we note the continued absence of the local MP Mr John Glen from the vigils together with any mention of them in his weekly Salisbury Journal column. He along with – shamefully – a large number of MPs from all of the main parties, is a member of one of the Friends of Israel groups, believed to be the largest and best funded of all the Parliamentary lobby organisations.

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Vigil following a horrific week


Global outcry following appalling treatment of flotilla activists

May 2026

The world was shocked this week by the appalling scenes and the treatment of activists seized by Israeli forces on the high seas. A BBC video shows some of what went on. Around 430 activists were seized in the operation and were shown with their hands tied behind their backs and made to put their foreheads to the ground while the Israeli Security minister shouted abuse at them. It has caused international consternation particularly as Ben-Gvir is a close confidant of Netanyahu the prime minister who has said the behaviour was ‘not in line with Israel’s values and norms’. Various countries have summoned Israeli ambassadors.

Haaretz reports that 15 detainees were sexually assaulted. A German Foreign Ministry spokesman has demanded a full explanation. An Israeli prison service spokesman called the claims ‘false and entirely without factual basis’. The video testimonies of those who arrived back home seem to point to widespread abuse and violence against them.

Vigil

The 129th vigil in Salisbury took place this week in bright sunshine with around 30 in attendance. A number of passers-by took photos and indicated support either verbally or by gesture.

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78th anniversary of the Nakba


Terrible events of 1948 which continue to have an effect today

May 2026

The Nakba took place in 1948/49 and resulted in vast number of Palestinians and Arabs being displaced from their homes or murdered by soldiers of the newly created Israeli state. Numbers vary but 750,000 is the approximate figure. Those who survived lived in camps in Jordan, Gaza and Lebanon. Survivors within the new borders of Israel were subject to manifold restrictions which are recognised as apartheid. The catastrophe has left lasting pain and hatreds which means the prospects for peace and reconciliation are remote. Palestinians living in the West Bank are subject to increasing levels of violence and destruction of their property.

There is a march in London tomorrow which no doubt elements of our media and some politicians will demonise calling it a ‘hate march’ or other accusations. Reporting will focus on any violence and very little on the causes. The Jewish Chronicle, quoting Labour Friends of Israel MPs, is calling for a ban.

Reporting

On the question of reporting and the bias of large parts of our media, our attention has been drawn to a piece Prince Harry wrote condemning anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim hatred in the New Statesman. Within days, nearly all the media removed the anti-Muslim element. It is an astonishing read and involves supposedly trusted outlets including the BBC; the Guardian, Sky News, CNN and others. The reasoning or the motives are not clear. It is recommended that you read the evidence provided in this link. Many find claims of media bias hard to accept and this is a clear cut example of altering the news to suit an agenda.

Some background is here concerning the Nakba. A report by Amnesty International on the right of Palestinians to return. Middle East News provide further stories.

We shall be holding our vigil – with others – tomorrow, Saturday 16th as usual. In the market place, Salisbury starting at 5pm for half an hour.

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