Tag: Palestine

Sport and rights


Major cycle races affected by protesters. Last stage of Vuelta abandoned

September 2025

La Vuelta a Espana is the tour of Spain cycle race and a major event in the cycling season. It follows the Tour de France and the tour of Italy, the Giro d’Italia. These are keenly watched by millions of fans and the teams are sponsored by commercial enterprises and countries. The last stage of the Vuelta had to be abandoned last week because of street violence. Cycling is fairly unique since races take place on ordinary streets and members of the public can see the cyclists close to.

The problem is one of the teams is sponsored by Israel Premier Tech and its presence is causing major headaches. There are threats to next year’s Tour de France which starts in Barcelona (there is an increasing tendency for these tours to start outside the home country). Indeed, the Giro started in Israel in 2018.

There is hardly any need to explain the problems with the war in Gaza, set to intensify with the attacks on Gaza city, leading to the deaths of over 64,000 Palestinians. Although the sponsor is a commercial firm, the website makes clear the deep involvement of the Israeli government and Netanyahu himself. It is a national team.

The boss of IPT, Sylvan Adams, is hard line in his approach to Gaza and is quoted as saying ‘Israel should finish the job in Gaza’. He calls the protesters ‘terrorists’.

It is a major problem for race organisers since policing the roadside for three weeks is all but impossible. They are reluctant to ban or uninvite IPT because they are worried about being accused of being anti-Semitic. IPT is also extremely wealthy. Tour de France winner Chris Froome is on the team. The risk of disruption is high as we saw in Madrid. If the war in Gaza continues, protests are likely to grow and become more frequent.

It raises the question of sport and politics since countries like Israel are closely involved in teams as a means to promote themselves. Arab nations are spending billions engaged in the same thing. In the communist era, states like East Germany and Russia used sport to promote their ideology. The close involvement is a problem in times of war however. The involvement of IPT is only likely to intensify protests: there were two crashes in the Vuelta and two riders had to retire. The whole question of sport and politics is clearly an increasing issue especially as money is so important to success.

Latest posts:

1

Rain does not deter vigil


91st vigil attracts strong attendance despite rain

August 2025

The situation in Gaza gets ever worse with 63,000 now dead many of whom women and children. Around 330 have now died as a result of starvation and this number is set to grow. Peace looks a long way off and from the Israeli perspective, with American and Trump’s unqualified support, they are able to continue without let or hindrance. American support has even extended to banning members of the PLO from attending the UN.

The president of the PLO, Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials have had their visas revoked. The reason is because the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio blamed them for undermining peace efforts and for ‘seeking the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state’. We seem to have entered a looking glass world as far as the Americans are concerned. The Palestinians are far from being as white as snow but they are far, far weaker than Israel who have all the weapons and materiel needed for the campaign of destruction in Gaza.

On the subject of weapons, the Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition to be held in London starting shortly will not feature a stand by the Israeli government. Their arms firms will still be there however. The UK government has decided not to allow a delegation to attend. “The Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong,” a UK government spokesperson said. “As a result, we can confirm that no Israeli government delegation will be invited to attend DSEI UK 2025.“

The BBC coyly refers to the exhibition using the word ‘defence’ and there will no doubt be defence firms there. But it is much more about our arms industry, heavily promoted and subsidised by our government, and which sells arms to many of the world’s troubled countries thus aiding in the carnage. The government claims it has ‘robust controls’ but with the big rise in open licences, this is a dubious claim. The fact that they were happy to allow Israel to attend until yesterday, only days before opening, speaks volumes. We should never forget the victims in these conflicts are women, children and the vulnerable. British firms profit, millions suffer. The extent of UK support for Israel is hard to quantify. RAF flights over Gaza continue the purpose of which is unclear.

There is still no sign of the local MP Mr John Glen and he did not mention the vigils in his weekly Salisbury Journal column which focused on his work getting to know people in his constituency. He is a member of the Friends of Israel lobby group in the Commons.

    A video of the vigil, attended by around 40, is available here courtesy of Peter Gloyns.

    Recent posts:

    1

    Gesture politics and Palestine


    Local MP takes aim at ‘gesture politics’ concerning Palestine and Gaza

    August 2025

    In a previous post we analysed the Commons statements by our three local MPs, Mr John Glen, Mr Danny Kruger and Sir Desmond Swayne. We concluded that the latter was the only one who spoke up about the war in Gaza. Mr Glen is a member of the Conservative Friends of Israel so any comments or speeches critical of Israel were unlikely. Mr Kruger appeared to have accepted the claims from Israel that Hamas fighters were embedded in the various buildings they are bombing.

    In a piece in this week’s Salisbury Journal, Sir Desmond Swayne (Conservative, New Forest West) writes about Palestine under a piece entitled Britain’s gesture politics are a disgrace (28 August). He refers to the government’s intention, along with France, to recognise a Palestine state. He acknowledged this was ‘gesture’ politics but accepts that sometimes such gestures are called for.

    ‘For years the objective of [British government policy] has been the implementation of a Palestine state base on the occupied West Bank. Throughout this time however, Israel’s actions have been designed to thwart any such prospect’ he writes. He mentions the growing policy of apartheid in the country.

    The recent announcement by the Israeli government to build a further illegal settlement which will cut the West Bank in two thus making the prospect of a functioning Palestine state almost impossible. ‘The intention is clear’ he notes quoting Bezalel Smotrich, the Finance Minister, who said “they’ll keep talking about a Palestinian dream, and we’ll keep on building a Jewish reality … a reality that buries the idea of a Palestinian state, because there’s nothing to recognise.”

    David Lammy ‘at a complete loss’

    How are we to respond? he asks to the man-made famine in Gaza, as well as the continuing devastation of civilian life. Every time ministers come to the Commons to face the anger of what is being done in Palestine they reiterate that they are ‘very cross about it’. Ministers point to the modest actions they have taken but when MPs point out that these actions have had no impact, the Secretary of State, David Lammy refers to ‘further actions’ that they will consider. Sir Desmond reports that when he asked the SoS ‘what further actions?’ he was directed to the Oxford English Dictionary to look up the meanings of the two words. Very drole.

    Sir Desmond concludes that David Lammy is no doubt appalled by what is happening but is ‘at a complete loss’. We are in thrall to the Trump administration and we know that they will not allow any effective sanctions against Israel. It is refreshing to hear a politician spell out the plain fact that Britain is largely powerless. To quote Sir Desmond “it is time to call a spade a bloody shovel”.

    “So we stand and watch as Gaza burns and the West Bank is swallowed. We will be judged accordingly”. (Sir Desmond Swayne, Salisbury Journal).

    Report on arms sales to Israel.

    Previous posts:

    Thought of becoming a subscriber? Costs nothing.

    0

    ‘What did you do in the war Daddy*?’


    Analysis of the voting record of the three Members of Parliament in the Salisbury area

    August 2025

    Salisbury has three MPs whose constituents live in the Salisbury area and it is timely to ask how they have performed in Parliament concerning the conflict in Gaza. We compare this with the invasion of Ukraine by Russia which is broadly taking place at the same time.

    Although there is no job description for an MP, a key role is to represent their constituents in parliament and to the government of the day. Their constituents will have a plurality of views so straightforward representation is almost certainly impossible. A further problem is to ask who are they representing? This refers to the many lobby groups and organisations who spend millions on their activities trying to persuade MPs to their views and ideas. A key one relevant to this post is the role of the Conservative Friends of Israel thought to be the largest lobby group in parliament and with around a third of a million pounds, very well funded. The MP for Salisbury, appears to be a member of this group.

    Methodology

    We looked at the website They Work for You and used the following search terms [Gaza] [Israel] [Palestine] and for comparison [Ukraine]. All were accessed on 25 August 2025. We also did a search using Startpage (a search engine) using the same terms. We also referred to the website MP War Crimes. This site has analysed a wide range of sources and has concluded that all three MPs are ‘anti-Palestine’.

    Results

    John Glen (Salisbury).

    Only three interventions none of them concerned about the violence. One asking about the refusal of Israeli authorities to allow MPs to enter the area. A question with a focus on Christians in the area and access to Christian holy sites such as the Mount of Olives and Bethlehem. Recently, he complained about an alleged statement by a Irish Republican at Glastonbury saying ‘the only good Tory is a dead Tory’ and ‘Up Hamas!’ and ‘Up Hezbollah!’.

    On Ukraine by contrast he made over 30 interventions going back to June 2018.

    Danny Kruger (East Wiltshire which comes down to the boundary of the City)

    One. On the 29 October 2024 he asked a lengthy question making a collection of doubtful statements concerning Unwra and Hamas. This included the allegation that Hamas was ‘hiding their soldiers in hospitals’ and that they were ‘deeply integrated into Unwra’. Israel has never provided evidence of the former and on the latter, UN investigation showed that 7 operatives out of its thousands of staff might have been involved in the October massacre. This is the only one we could find and the intervention showed strong evidence of Kruger accepting Israeli claims without caveats.

    On Ukraine he has made nine interventions.

    Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) south of the City

    The only one who seems to have asked any questions and ten which we could find with a strong emphasis on West Bank violence. Like Mr Glen, there is a focus on Anglicans some of whom were taken by IDF soldiers from an Anglican hospital and whose whereabouts are unknown. He made a number of interventions about the West Bank prior to October 7th and it seems to be a continuing interest of his on this subject. Only a small number about Gaza however.

    On Ukraine, he made a similar number of interventions – ten – going back to 29 June 2016.

    Conclusions

    The only local MP who exhibits some kind of balance is Sir Desmond Swayne who has asked a series of questions and made speeches on a range of issues both about Gaza, the West Bank and Ukraine. The same cannot be said for either John Glen or Danny Kruger. Indeed, historians in years to come, going through Hansard reading their speeches and questions, would wonder if Gaza or violence on the West Bank had ever occurred. Like reading a Jane Austen novel where you are unaware Britain was at war. Both seem to have a focus on the plight of Christians which is a proper concern and one that is often forgotten in Western media. But wider concerns about other faiths does not seem to be on their radar. As we have reported elsewhere on this site, people in and around Salisbury have now mounted 90 vigils in Salisbury, not one of which Mr Glen has ever attended or referred to in his weekly column in the local paper. He has been voluble on Ukraine but almost silent on Gaza.

    We conclude that neither MP is representing, on this evidence, the views of a large number of their Constituents. It is possible that Mr Glen’s membership of Conservative Friends of Israel maybe a contributing factor. None are in government at present. It is important from a human rights perspective because there is mounting evidence of genocide and the use of starvation is a war crime. The known death toll is 62,000.

    *Title of a 1966 film comedy

    Recent posts:

    1

    Numbers swell at vigil


    Higher numbers still at 90th vigil in Salisbury

    August 2025

    Around 55 attended this week’s vigil exceeding last weeks total. More stood and took notice and many photos were taken by passers by. The ‘Honk for Gaza’ sign attracted 32 honks. Several new faces attended which is encouraging. An excellent video of the vigil is available here courtesy of Peter Gloyns. A feature of the vigils is the range of posters and signs that people bring.

    Israel is now preparing to launch an offensive to capture Gaza City. Bombing has started already causing many casualties: the total known is now 62,000. Many thousands more lie under the rubble unaccounted for. Over a 1,000 have been shot by IDF soldiers and US mercenaries at the limited food distribution sites fun by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation GHF. What is upsetting many are the scenes of starving children, especially infants below the age of 5, for whom proper food is vital. Interviews with Israeli officials are met with denial. They claim there is no famine and that there is plenty of food available. According to Haaretz, the majority of Israelis are not aware of the famine in Gaza.

    The UN declared a famine in part of Gaza this week: it is unable to do so for other areas as it cannot get sufficient data. António Guterres. the UN Secretary General said it was a ‘man made disaster, a moral indictment – and a failure of humanity itself’. Image: UN

    Images: Salisbury Amnesty

    Previous posts:

    Walking Madonna is in the Cathedral Close in Salisbury.

    Image: Peter Gloyns

    1

    Gaza: it gets worse and worse


    Very well attended vigil with new faces

    August 2025

    Having written about our vigils in many of our posts, it is becoming hard to find fresh words for the continuing horror of what is happening in Gaza. Israel’s actions have gone way beyond what is to be expected from a nation that likes to think of itself as a beacon of civilisation in a turbulent region. Their actions have been well documented and the nightly vision on our screens of death, destruction and now starvation is becoming unbearable. The flagrant murder of journalists is added to the list of crimes. Israel refuses to allow western journalists in for obvious reasons of course: you do not want foreign eyes and lenses on the killing and maiming of children and the elderly.

    “No such thing as Palestinians because there’s no such thing as the Palestinian people” Bezalel Smotrich, Paris 2021

    And it shows no sign of ending. The IDF has been ordered to extend the war and to conquer Gaza City for which plans are being prepared. One can only imagine the death toll. 61,000 will seem a distant memory once it gets underway.

    Destruction of medical facilities

    A key aspect of the attacks has been to destroy the medical facilities. Medical staff are having to perform serious operations without medical supplies because of the blockade. A consultant surgeon who has returned from Gaza in the Nasser hospital is quoted in this fortnight’s Private Eye (No: 1655):

    ‘What I have witnessed appear to me to be multiple war crimes, including the systematic destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system. Not only have hospitals been bombed, but soldiers from the IDF have gone into hospitals, killed healthcare personnel and and destroyed the infrastructure. Each individual dialysis machine has been destroyed, along with laboratories, scanners, water tanks, gas supplies and sewage systems rendering the hospitals entirely disabled. More than 1,500 healthcare workers have been killed, and more than 500 abducted and detained illegally in Israeli prisons with daily torture and many dying under torture – many of them friends of mine.’ He goes on to describe the nature of injuries and how they cluster in different parts of the bodies of victims on different days. The tired story of hospitals being command centres is not supported by any evidence. […]

    What is noticeable in his and other’s testimony is the seizing of medical staff who are detained, tortured and not allowed legal representation. They have not been charged or brought before a court. Their whereabouts are unknown. Considerable notice is given to the Israel hostages (rightly so) almost nothing is ever said about the Palestinian hostages because that effectively is what they are. It is just one part of the misinformation put out by the Israelis and seemingly swallowed whole by the western media.

    Vigil number 89

    The 89th vigil took place in Salisbury as usual on Saturday 16th August, and we had over 50 attend. What was encouraging was the presence of new people some of whom had brought their own signs. The vigils show no sign of abating and with each day of terrible news and appalling footage smuggled out of Gaza sometimes by journalists who risk death by the IDF. No sign still of the local MP Mr John Glen nor any mention of his constituents taking part in these vigils in his weekly column in the Salisbury Journal. Mr Glen is a member of the Conservative Friends of Israel organisation.

    Elsewhere in Private Eye is news of Israeli exports of fruit and vegetables to the UK which have increased from £29.1m in the last 3 months of last year to £51.3m in the first 3 months of 2025. So while people in Gaza starve, we can enjoy Israeli produce on our shelves.

    Pictures courtesy Peter Gloyns

    0

    Strong attendance at latest vigil


    UK may join France and Canada and recognise Palestine

    August 2025

    About 45 attended today’s 87th vigil (2 August) and with a good level of recognition by passers by. Gaza fills the news still and the US Envoy Steve Witkoff went to Gaza this week in the presence of Israeli officials only. Here is a video of the last minute of the vigil where we bang pans as a recognition of the starvation deliberately being carried out in the territory*.

    The MP for Salisbury, Mr John Glen has never attended nor referred to these vigils in his weekly column in the Salisbury Journal. He is a member of the Conservative Friends of Israel a powerful Commons lobbying group. This web site may also be of interest. This is a list of Labour’s Friends of Israel group.

    Things are slowly beginning to change in the region with Israel becoming more isolated. The UK may recognise Palestine as a state in September. The daily footage of emaciated children has it seems, had a powerful effect on public opinion and protestations by Israeli spokes people that Hamas is stealing the aid; there is plenty of aid but the UN will not distribute it, and the denial that the IDF have shot about 1,300 who have been attempting to get supplies is believed by fewer and fewer people. As we have noted before, the refusal to allow independent journalists into the area does raise the question ‘what are they trying to hide?’

    Around 60,000 have now died and many more lie undiscovered in the rubble. Starvation and famine is now affecting tens of thousands of people.

    *Video courtesy of Peter Gloyns. We should explain that the three individuals on the left of the banner sitting on the bench were not part of the vigil and were not counted as attendees.

    Previous posts:

    Listen to our first podcast!

    0

    Gaza just gets worse and worse


    Gaza situation worsens with no real end in sight. Labour party prevaricates over Palestine

    July 2025

    UPDATED 28 JULY

    It seems unbelievable that in the 21st century, we should be witnessing the ever deteriorating situation in Gaza. Currently, famine is adding to the misery of destruction. Around 59,000 have died by some estimates but the ultimate death toll will be much higher as thousands lie undiscovered in the ruins. Images on our screens each evening of starving people, infants with emaciated arms and legs and scenes of mayhem at the food points now being managed by Israeli and American agencies are beginning to strike home. Over 1,000 have been killed at these food stations and images of people clamouring for a ladle of some kind of lentil stew are shocking.

    Our own government continues to vacillate over whether to recognise Palestine. One is inclined to say to them, ‘leave it much longer and there won’t be much left to recognise’. Israel continues to blame Hamas for what is happening and it cannot be denied they have a role in it. They also blame the UN for the failure to distribute the aid which is there much of which is rotting. No independent journalists are allowed into the area so verification is hard to achieve. In view of the history of the UN, both here and elsewhere in the world, in distributing aid in difficult situations, it stretches the imagination that they are wilfully withholding supplies. That the IDF is making life as difficult as possible and imposing multiple restrictions seems more likely to be true.

    It also fits with the narrative of several of the Israeli cabinet who have made extreme comments about the future of Palestinians. The violent settler activity in the West Bank, where journalists can get access sometimes also suggests, a deliberate policy. We see settlers attacking Palestinian villages and homes with the army looking on.

    Foreign Secretary Lammy a member

    We discovered this week, courtesy of Declassified UK, that around 130 Conservative MPs, including the MP for Salisbury John Glen, are members of ‘Conservative Friends of Israel‘ along with 40 Labour members. Together they have received over a third of a million pounds of funding and with other front groups the total is over £0.5m. It is the largest lobbying group in the Commons. Included in the list are several members of the Cabinet including David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary who is also alleged to have received over £30,000 from Jewish interests. Sir Keir Starmer has received £50,000 from Trevor Chinn described as a ‘Jewish Grandee’ who promotes Israeli causes in the UK. He was awarded the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour for services to the state of Israel.

    So while arrests take place of people alleged to be supporting Palestine Action, a significant number of MPs enjoy funding from Israeli lobbying organisations. Another £0.3m million is given to MPs by Individuals supportive of Israel. Hmm.

    Vigil

    Number 86 took place yesterday (27th) and around 50 attended, the largest for some while. We were delighted to welcome some from Southampton. No sign of the local MP nor any mention of the vigils in his weekly column in the local paper.

    Some of our 50 or so supporter on the traffic island.

    This YouTube by a Jewish man talking about dehumanising people is a powerful watch.

    0

    ‘Don’t say you didn’t know’


    83rd vigil in Salisbury for peace in Gaza

    July 2025

    And so they continue, 83 now and counting. We had no notion when we started these vigils that we would still be holding them well over a year later. It is evidence of the strength of feeling that over 30 people (40 yesterday, 5th July) turn out each Saturday for half an hour of silent protest. A YouTube video prepared by Peter Gloyns can be accessed here.

    The arguments are now well worn and well rehearsed. Every day, men women and children die in Gaza or have serious and life changing wounds as a result of a relentless bombardment by Israeli jets or drones. A few days ago it was a 500 lb bomb dropped on the al-Baqa café killing many and leaving a pile of mutilated body parts strewn around. Over 56,500 have now died but the actual death toll is far higher as many thousands lie under the rubble undiscovered.

    The culpability of the West – including the UK – in this carnage will leave a stain on the nation for years to come. We continue to supply weapons to the Israelis; we allow Elbit Systems to continue to manufacture the drones which hover over the territory and are used to kill; we covertly use RAF planes to overfly Gaza allegedly to help locate hostages but whose real purpose is something of a mystery and we clamp down on protests: only yesterday, the government banned Palestine Action.

    The nation’s broadcaster, the BBC, has come in for serious criticism – some of which is justified – for failing properly to inform its viewers and listeners of the true state of affairs. It has failed to mention the role of the RAF for example. It’s decision to pull the film Gaza: Doctors under Attack has come in for particular criticism. Fortunately, it was aired by Channel 4 and exposed in considerable detail the pattern of deliberate destruction of medical facilities in Gaza: first the bombing; then the physical destruction and finally the arrest, detention and torture of the medics. Israel and the IDF was given every opportunity to rebut claims made in the film. There seemed to be no rational reason why the BBC could not have shown it.

    A feature of the BBC row is the role of one of its directors, Robbie Gibb, who is closely involved with the Jewish Chronicle and is said to be directly involved in editorial decisions including pulling the earlier Gaza film. Insiders claim the feebleness of the BBC news is largely due to his influence. Under the guise of impartiality, the result in fact is highly partial reporting.

    0

    Proscribing Palestine Action


    Government’s intention to proscribe Palestine Action regrettable

    June 2025

    UPDATE: July 3rd. Parliament voted to ban Palestine Action yesterday. They were included in a motion with Maniacs Murder Cult and Russian Imperialist Movement, two extreme organisations. Parliament voted 385 to 26 in favour.

    Yvette Cooper is a woman. She has the vote. She is also a Member of Parliament and presently the Home Secretary. That she is able to vote and become an MP is in large part because beginning in the middle of the nineteenth century, a number of campaigners fought for female suffrage. They began peacefully, writing pamphlets and holding marches and some became suffragists. It availed them

    nothing. Then, at the turn of the century in 1903, frustrated by years of inaction, their campaigning became more violent involving throwing bricks, disrupting public meetings, ruining golf courses, planting bombs and going on hunger strikes. They were termed ‘suffragettes’ a word coined by the Daily Mail as a term of disparagement. After the Great War, they achieved their goal, at least partly and today women have the vote. And a woman like Yvette Cooper can become an MP.

    Palestine Action entered the news this week because of their action in Brize Norton. They did not disrupt the actions of the RAF as admitted by the Department of Defence. They did not throw a bomb and no one was injured. They did seriously embarrass the RAF however by showing how feeble their security was. Yet Evette Couper has decided that it is to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation. Great has been the chorus of condemnation. A local MP, Dr. Andrew Murrison said ‘they were a national security threat‘ in a

    quote in the Jewish Chronicle. Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader said ‘this is not lawful protest but politically motivated criminality‘. Lord Walney (pictured), a former adviser on political violence and extremism, went into overdrive saying it was a ‘grotesque breach of national security … we should not let these criminal activists act like the Ayatollah apparatchiks by attacking the country from within … employees at the workplace they target have been systematically terrorised by Palestine Action for too long.’

    At root is the issue of Palestine and Gaza. With 56,000 now dead in Gaza with more deaths daily adding to the total, there are many who object to the continued support being provided by the UK government to Israel. This includes arms supplies, diplomatic cover and – the issue behind the raid on Brize Norton – the activities of the RAF in overflying Gaza. Details of which are scant and which a government minister has claimed it is ‘solely in pursuit of hostage rescue.’ Another issue which has emerged is that the Israeli Embassy has been pressing the government to take action against Palestine Action. Heavily redacted internal government documents released under freedom of information laws have revealed meetings between the government and Israeli embassy officials, apparently to discuss Palestine Action. Ministers have also met representatives from the Israeli arms firm Elbit Systems.

    The RAF flights are controversial and there are suggestions that they and the UK government are complicit in Israel’s actions in Gaza. In particular it is alleged the information is used to assist them in torturing Palestinians.

    A familiar cry from politicians and some media commentators is that they are happy with peaceful protests but taking action by spraying RAF planes is not acceptable.

    The Home Secretary’s response and proposal to proscribe the organisation is seen by many to be extreme. Peaceful protests are almost always ignored. Perhaps Ms Cooper should remember that she owes her exalted status to the violent actions of women a century or so ago. Left to the peaceful protests of the suffragists, she could now be an unknown and certainly not an MP.

    1

    Blog at WordPress.com.

    Up ↑