Category: vigil

Gaza Chaos: Controversial Israeli Arms Strategy


Netanyahu’s decision to arm gangs in Gaza is deeply cynical, shocking and counterproductive
Latest vigil

June 2025

Rumours emerged from within Israel that Shin Bet and Netanyahu were arming gangs in Gaza, who were engaged in looting aid supplies, in a deeply cynical move designed it is claimed to counter Hamas. Up till now, the Israelis have repeatedly claimed it is Hamas which is looting supplies from the UN and other agencies – for which little evidence is provided and which has been repeatedly denied by the UN – so news that it is Israel itself which is supporting and arming gangs is profoundly shocking.

The story was revealed a few days ago by former Israeli Defense minister Avigdor Lieberman and it has not been denied by the prime minister’s office. Lieberman declared the programme to be ‘madness’. In a statement the PMO said ‘Israel is working to defeat Hamas in a variety of different ways upon the recommendation of the entire defense establishment leadership’. Some may have seen the interview on Channel 4 with an Israeli spokesman, David Mercer, who showed a video of an armed man shooting at civilians. He claimed it was a Hamas terrorist firing at their own people. Although it is not certain, it may have been one of the gangs being supported by this new policy.

An editorial in Haaretz said it was an attempt to foment chaos in Gaza in the form of divide and rule. It is thought that one of the individuals involved is Yasser abu Shabab who is claimed to have links with ISIS and is engaged in various criminal activities.

The situation in Gaza is increasingly serious and this week, many died at the few places where food supplies were available. Around 54,800 are thought to have died in Gaza so far.

The policy has drawn widespread criticism including from within Israel. Actively to support lawlessness is likely to be counterproductive and will do little to end the conflict.

Sources include: CBS News, Haaretz; Middle East Eye; Guardian

Vigil

The 79th vigil took place in Salisbury on 7th June with 30 people in attendance.

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The 75th Vigil


Strong support for the vigil continues

May 2025

We held our 75th vigil on Saturday 10 May and there were 40 in attendance: the numbers are steady with new people each week. The crisis in Gaza goes from bad to worse with huge parts of the area annexed by Israel. Over 52,000 are dead. We repeated the ‘pot’ theme to echo the scenes of people desperate for food after 70 days of the blockade. We shall be back next Saturday 17th.

Nakba Event 15 May

Salisbury Concern for Israel Palestine are holding an event this week to remember Nakda, when thousands of Palestinians were driven from their homes and villages in 1948. Join Team Nakba and SCIP as we reflect on the Nakba of 1948 and subsequent events in Israel/Palestine. With Canon Jonathan Herbert, Iman Mahmoud, Miranda Pinch, Hilary Bond and the Dean of Salisbury (representing all the Abrahamic traditions).

​Takes place in All Saints Church, Watersmeet Road, Harnham’ Salisbury, SP2 8JH

7.00pm for 7.30pm. Simple refreshments available and Zaytoun Fairtrade produce on sale​.

(Picture courtesy of Peter Gloyns)

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Vigil 71


71st vigil in Salisbury

April 2025

Fewer numbers this week partly because the events in Washington dominating the news and a number of our regulars away or ill. This week we had three sets of people variously upset with our presence. It would be difficult to summarise their arguments some of which were around the boat people, which is not an issue with Gaza at present, and another claiming we were ‘wasting our time’. Strange to relate how a peaceful protest seems to generate animosity. The government has introduced legislation to limit noisy demonstrations in certain circumstances yet here was a peaceful protest – peaceful as in silent – which upset several people.

The situation is Gaza goes from bad to worse. Over 50,000 are now dead. The Israelis have widened the buffer zone around the strip and turned it into a killing zone. The ceasefire has ended. Netanyahu was welcomed in Washington. All aid has been cut off. A UN study (11 April) has shown that the last 36 Israeli air strikes killed 1,500 all of whom were women and children.

The apparent murder of Red Crescent medical staff has continued to make waves as the false story put out by the IDF has unwound with video and other evidence emerging. A shocking feature was the attempt at cover up and hastily digging a grave and burying the 15 people.

There seems no end in sight. The UK government continues to give support to Israel openly and covertly. The RAF is flying almost daily over the region ostensibly to try and track hostages. About 250 flights have happened in the last 6 months. The question is, if they are carrying out this surveillance (officially called Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, ISR) are they not witnessing war crimes? Clearly, to spot a hostage would require sophisticated kit and it is reasonable to assume it would be capable of witnessing other events. Is this being logged and reported? As the Canadian researcher who is tracking these flights has said:

“They’re [RAF] in a warzone apparently rife with atrocities, and I think it’s very reasonable to ask if they’ve been witness to any war crimes, if they’ve incidentally collected intelligence that could reasonably believed to involve a war crime, and if so, what is their process to deal with that? If they don’t yet want to talk about what they’ve been doing for the past six months for truly operational security reasons, they already told us they would be operating there 6 months ago, they should be able to assure us their process is sound vis-a-vis unintentional intelligence collection involving/witnessing atrocities.”

These are serious questions for the UK government to answer.

Salisbury Concern for Israel Palestine

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Vigil 65


Vigils continue despite the ceasefire

March 2025

The vigil in Salisbury Market Place continue although with the least in attendance we have seen for months. Perhaps other crises are on people’s minds and the ceasefire seemed to be holding – for now at least. The death toll in Gaza now stands at over 48,300 but thousands lie unrecorded under the rubble.

Today, Israel announced the cessation of aid going into Gaza which was part of the agreement. So an end does not seem to be in sight. The role of the Americans is a crucial factor and as we have seen with Ukraine, President Trump’s liking of strong men seems to be the name of the game.

A video prepared by Peter Gloyns can be seen here. We shall be back on 8th March at 5pm.

REMINDER!

To all members and supporters, the tree ceremony takes place at 11:00 on Tuesday 4th in Victoria Park (by the main entrance at the south end of the park). It will only be short and if you can spare the time that would be wonderful. The tree is a recognition of the 50 years of the local Amnesty group.

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Vigil Attendance in Salisbury: Marking a Significant Moment


Sixty first vigil took place yesterday

February 2025

The 61st vigil took place in Salisbury on Saturday 1st February and around 25 attended. With ceasefire still holding and hostages being released, it was hoped that the previous week’s was going to be the last at least for a while. But as we said in a previous post, the seemingly unqualified support for Israel coming from the US, the possible appointment of Mike Huckabee as ambassador and Israel’s decision to cancel the arrangements with Unwra are all bad omens for the future. Unwra are the largest agency by far operating in Gaza and no other agency has the scope or facilities to step into their shoes. There has been a mass return to the north following the ceasefire with thousands returning to rubble where once their homes were. The latest death toll in the territory stands at 46,707 with around 18,000 children having been killed. These figures are underestimates.

  • Vigil
    Pictures from the vigils

We are grateful to Peter Gloyns for the pictures.

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Angry response to vigil article


January 2025

There has been an angry series of responses to the article published in the Salisbury Journal

Our last post was to draw attention to a piece in this week’s Salisbury Journal (30 January) reporting on the vigils which have taken place in Salisbury for over a year now. They are silent, last half an hour and the main theme is peace in Gaza. It is worth noting that the death toll is around 46,000 but the Lancet suggests it is higher because many bodies lie undiscovered in the rubble.

The article has prompted a large number of almost exclusively critical ‘below the line’ comments some of which have attracted 70, 80 or more ‘likes’ [accessed 31.01.25, 21:38]. Two drew attention to the fact it was published on Holocaust Memorial Day and said that whoever on the Journal decided to publish it ‘should be fired’, that it was ‘not appropriate’ and they ‘should hang their heads in shame’. This is to misunderstand the themes behind the day which the Holocaust Memorial Trust points out is about empathising with people today and helping to build a better future. Of course it is about the terrible events during the war and the millions of Jews and others murdered by the Nazis. But is also reminding us that violence on the scale we have seen in Gaza and its indiscriminate nature is also a cause of great concern. [UPDATE: 2 February. The adverse comments attracted over 700 ‘likes’]

Another called it ‘unbelievably crass’ to pass on unfiltered pro-Hamas views. It is difficult to see where a description of a peaceful vigil can be described as ‘pro-Hamas’. It was also described as a ‘demonstration’. It was not. One wrote: ‘on Holocaust Memorial Day 2025, Isabella Holliday [the journalist who’s by-line was at the top of the article] has failed in her professional duty as a journalist, to write an accurate unbiased article on the Israel/Hamas conflict’. It was not such a piece.

Other wild comments include the assertion that ‘Hamas is responsible for all the civilian deaths in Gaza and that most of the casualties are Hamas terrorists’. Since around 15,000 of the deaths are children this is a bold claim and demonstrably untrue. The hostility of the comments might come as a surprise since the vigil is just that: between 30 or 40 people typically, who come together each week to express their concern for the violence that is taking place. There is no visible or overt support for Hamas. It might be worth remembering that it was Benjamin Netanyahu who did support Hamas according to the Times of Israel and others.

Last week was meant to be the last, and we welcomed the cease fire and the release of some of the hostages with more to come out. But the increase in violence on the West Bank, the ending of aid provided by Unwra, and the possible appointment of Mike Huckabee as the US ambassador, led to the decision to continue.

Hamas has not been destroyed. Gaza has been reduced to rubble. At least 46,000 Palestinians have died and many thousands injured. Channel 4 News featured some distressing images of injured children unable to get proper medical help (31 January). Almost nothing has been achieved and certainly not the long term security of Israel. It is disappointing to see so many hostile comments and the large numbers of people who appear to like them i.e. approve of them.

The next vigil will take place tomorrow, 1st February as usual.

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Salisbury Journal piece


Journal acknowledges Vigils held in Salisbury

January 2025

The Salisbury Journal published a short piece describing the Vigils we have been holding each week in this week’s edition (30 January 2025). It said:

“A silent vigil took place outside the library to express a hope for the of violence in the Middle East. On Saturday the 60th silent vigil took place outside Salisbury Library with around 50 people attending. The weekly vigils are an expression of hope for an end to violence and a peaceful future in the Middle East and in the most recent [event] people carried flowers and candles and displayed heartfelt messages.

The messages emphasised the message for a permanent ceasefire. A spokesperson from vigil said “we call on the UK government to take immediate action to ensure accountability and justice for Palestinians. All arms sales to Israel muse be suspended. This is a moment of truth for the UK. To continue shielding Israel from accountability is to abandon the principles of justice and human rights that the UK claims to uphold.”

These vigils are supported by local groups of Amnesty International, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Christian Aid, Quakers, Sarum Concern for Israel Palestine and many others.”

The vigils will continue and the next is this Saturday 1st February at 5pm as usual for half an hour. All welcome.

Also in the Journal, the local MP Mr Glen, spoke of his presence at the Holocaust memorial which took place in the city. He has not acknowledged in his weekly columns any of the 60 vigils so far held.

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Médicins sans Frontières report


Another detailed report into the disaster that is Gaza. Video of Vigil

December 2024

As if we need another report into the dreadful destruction that is Gaza. Médicins sans Frontières is an organisation that provides medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. Their teams comprise tens of thousands of health professionals, logistic and administrative staff, most of whom are hired locally. Their actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality. [Update: 23 December]. The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights has also published a report stating their belief that Israel is engaged in genocide in Gaza].

They have published a detailed report into the humanitarian disaster that is Gaza. As with previous reports by HRW, Amnesty and the UN, it consists of many pages of details concerning the destruction taking place there. The evidence is overwhelming. Whatever Israel suffered in the appalling attack on October 7th 2023, the wholesale demolition of huge chunks of the territory go beyond a reasonable response to the attack. As far as we are aware, there has been no Israeli government response to the report.

Systematic denial of humanitarian assistance

Part of their report says that MSF has witnessed 14 months of repeated attacks on civilians, the dismantling of essential civilian infrastructure including healthcare facilities, and a systematic denial of humanitarian assistance, seemingly underpinning Israel’s campaign to unravel the very fabric of society in Gaza. Over the first 12 months of hostilities, MSF staff themselves have endured 41 attacks and violent incidents, including airstrikes, shelling and violent incursions in health facilities, direct fire on its shelters and convoys and arbitrary detention by Israeli forces.

Eight MSF colleagues and many of their family members have been killed, many more have been injured. Medical personnel and patients alike have been forced to urgently evacuate health facilities on 17 separate occasions, often literally running for their lives. MSF has only been able to restart activities in three facilities.

MSF describes Israel’s actions in Gaza as “clear signs of ethnic cleansing.” 22 December

Throughout the offensive, Israeli forces have blocked essential items such as food, water and medical supplies from entering the Strip. They have either denied, delayed or instrumentalised humanitarian assistance, allowing insignificant quantities of aid into Gaza with a complete disregard for the actual needs and the level of suffering of the population. Gaza’s last remaining oncological hospital had to shut down as it ran out of fuel on 1 November 2023. MSF teams had to carry out surgery without sufficient anaesthesia. The consequences of these impediments are made even more harmful due to the uniqueness of a war being waged on a besieged area from which nobody can escape.

The report calls for an end of unconditional support by Western nations, for border crossings to be opened and aid supplies to resume and for Unwra to be allowed to operate. It also calls for an end to arms supplies.

Vigil

We reported yesterday on the 55th Vigil held in Salisbury. As we said, it was well attended with over 40 people there. There is a moving video of the event with a reference to the MSF report. With thanks to Peter Gloyns for permission to post the video and for producing it in quick time.

Pic: Peter Gloyns

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Well attended Vigil


Over 40 attended the Vigil

December 2044

Over 40 attended the 55th Vigil this evening (21 December) in the days before Christmas. Over 45,000 are now dead in Gaza with thousands more unaccounted for. There are peace talks underway but how successful they will be remains to be seen. Without a Palestinian state being established and international pressure – including an arms embargo – on Israel to put a stop to the violence, a lasting peace looks unlikely.

This week, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published its report Extermination and Acts of Genocide claiming that Israel is deliberately depriving Palestinians in Gaza of water. This was stated quite openly by the then Defense Minister Yoav Gallant when he talked of a ‘complete seige’ including depriving the territory of water. The report is detailed and the Israeli government was invited to respond. It says:

[…] Israeli authorities and military forces have matched these statements with actions. Israeli authorities and forces cut off the water supply piped into Gaza from Israel and later restricted the supply, cut off the electricity supply from Israel to Gaza that was needed to operate water pumps, desalination plants, and sanitation infrastructure within Gaza, and blocked and restricted the fuel needed to run generators in the absence of electricity. They have also blocked United Nations agencies and humanitarian aid organizations from delivering critical water-related materials and other humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, damaged, and in some cases, deliberately destroyed water and sanitation infrastructure, including where Israeli forces were in control of the area, and prevented repairs by blocking imports of nearly all water-related material. Some Israeli strikes have killed water utility workers as they were trying to make repairs, while others have destroyed the main water-utility warehouse in Gaza which housed spare parts, equipment, and supplies critical to water production.

This report is another in the sequence which shines a light on Israel’s action in Gaza and accuses them of genocide. It includes a report by Amnesty.

Readers may recall a quite disgraceful remark by Sir Keir Starmer in an LBC interview in October last year where he supported Israel’s right to cut off water supplies. He was questioned about the use of collective punishment which is against International Humanitarian law but did not respond. Spokesmen for the Labour Party tried subsequently to defuse the comments by saying that Sir Keir only meant Israel had a right to defend itself. The fact remains he made the remarks and did not withdraw them. It is clear now from the HRW report that Israel is using water as a weapon against the population.

After the Vigil, there was a short session Voices from Bethlehem where we sang a carol. Marina Barham is the cofounder and General Director of al Harah Theater in Bethlehem. They are not having Christmas celebrations for a second year as ‘our children in Gaza, Jenin, Tulkarm, Salfit and other places are under rubble’. Since the terrible attack of October 7th, last year, killing around 1,200 Israelis and taking 254 hostages, over 45,000 have died in Gaza. 20,000 have been children and 15,000 were women. Over 2 million have been displaced, some many times. She emphasised that the violence did not start on October 7th but has been going on for 76 years. More and more land is being confiscated on the West Bank.

We shall return on Saturday 28th.

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54th Vigil


Powerful video of this Vigil

December 2024

The 54th Vigil was held in Salisbury on Saturday 14th with good attendance. There is a powerful video produced by Peter Gloyns with images from Gaza. The death toll continues to rise and is now in the region of 45,000 with no sign of a let up.

Last week saw the fall of Assad in Syria who has fled to Moscow. The speed of HTS’s swoop on Damascus and the fall of the much hated regime has surprised the world. We hope of course that the Syrian people will have a future with a normal government that will be tolerant of minorities and will not rule by fear. Assad, supported by Russia, was spectacularly brutal. He used chemical weapons on his people and also dropped deadly barrel bombs on many towns and cities, particularly Aleppo. His regime tortured thousands many of whom were murdered in large numbers.

It is sad to note that no sooner had the regime fallen than Israeli forces used the hiatus to seize land in Syria. The UN has asked them to leave Syrian territory. They have entered the buffer zone. Now should be a time for the nation to come together and start the lengthy process of rebuilding the state. Peace and human rights should be the norm now. They have been plagued by outside interference from Turkey, Iran and the US with Russia a willing helper to enable them to establish a port in the Mediterranean.

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