Tag: Palestine

Three months in East Jerusalem


A talk by Nick Papadopulos describing his time in this city

September 2024

CORRECTED: 14TH September

Nick (pictured below) is the Dean of Salisbury Cathedral and has spent three months in this troubled city earlier in the year. He gave a talk last evening (September 11th) in St Thomas’s Church in the centre of Salisbury. Over 200 attended.

The conflict in the region raises great passions which are not to be seen in the same way with the Ukrainian conflict for example. Russia’s bombing of civilian targets and key infrastructure is seen straightforwardly as a war crime. The destruction of huge chunks of Gaza is not seen in such black and white terms. The increasing settler (and the word ‘settler’ came up in the talk, see below) violence receives only modest attention by news media or politicians. Indeed, Papadopulos commented on the reluctance of politicians in the UK to say or do much seeing the conflict as ‘toxic’ he said. The recent decision by the UK government for a modest reduction in arms sales suggested an effort to assuage those who argue for a total ban and a reluctance to upset the Israeli government. It looks as though they have achieved neither, one of the perils of fence sitting.

‘You can’t be neutral’

He gave a brief history of key events in the recent past starting with 1948, the declaration of the state of Israel and the displacement of three quarters of a million Palestinians which they refer to as the Nakba. He briefly discussed the 6 day war which saw the new state annex large areas of land in the region. These have been given up but they obtained control of Jerusalem, the West Bank, Golan Heights and maintained control of Gaza. Sanai reverted to Egypt. In answer to a question on this he emphasised that it was true that Israel no longer occupied Gaza but they did control it. It became the largest open air prison in the world with no access by sea or air and surrounded by checkpoints.

He described witnessing some of the arbitrary restrictions imposed by Israel on citizens in Jerusalem. One concerned a wish by Moslems to enter parts of the city to pray at the Al-Aqsa mosque. Restrictions were suddenly imposed which included only allowing men over 55 to enter and women over 45 likewise. New ID cards and a permit required giving them no time to acquire them. The result was that almost no one got in.

It was not just Moslems but similar restrictions applied to Christians who wish to celebrate Palm Sunday. 20,000 permits were applied for but only 2,000 issued too late for them to be of use. These events are confirmed by Machsom Watch a locally based women’s group which monitors checkpoints in the country. Freedom of worship is protected by article 37 of the Geneva Convention. We do not know the Israeli response to these events but they happen sufficiently often to appear to be an act of policy rather than a response to a particular threat. Checkpoints are surrounded by heavily armed soldiers with a ‘Skunk Water‘ van in attendance. These are used to drench crowds with an evil smelling fluid. The effect of these actions he said is to ‘weaken Jerusalem’s religious diversity’.

West Bank

A few items have appeared in TV news recently by BBC, ITV and Channel 4 showing the settler violence in the west bank. He described one such where Israelis arrived in the early hours and completely destroyed the Palestinian village. He also described the destruction of solar panels, important where there is no electricity. Pouring raw sewage onto land where children play was also mentioned. The various examples he gave concerned collective punishment which is contrary to article 33 of the Convention. He provided several examples of homes and facilities destroyed.

There was a question about the word ‘settler’ which by itself is a fairly neutral word and implies something small scale. In reality the settlements are almost cities and represent a permanent development. It was important to note he said that the ‘settlers’ were now part of the government.

Another question concerned the Holocaust. He reminded us that no Arab was involved in that atrocity, it was Europeans. He did not think that comparison of the Holocaust with what is going on today was helpful he said.

This was an extremely interesting illustrated talk from someone who has spent time in the region and witnessed first hand some of the oppression Moslems, Christians and Armenians experience on a regular basis. It was a pity he did not mention the ‘Apartheid‘ word which was relevant to his presentation. There seems no end to the violence at the time or writing and it does not appear the various cease fire initiatives have come to anything.

For those unable to get to this presentation, there will be a chance to hear it again on 13th November [not 3rd as we earlier posted] at the Quaker centre on Wilton Road, Salisbury.

There was a Vigil as usual this Saturday 14th September in the market place starting at 5pm for half an hour which attracted 30 people. Last week’s Vigil attracted around 35 people.

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Salisbury Market Square Vigil: 39th Gathering for Peace


Vigil continues

September 2024

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

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

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

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Tinderbox: a film


Film about the Israeli/Palestine conflict to be shown next month

September 2024

The film Tinderbox is to be shown at the United Reform Church in Fisherton Street, Salisbury on Monday 7th October starting at 7pm. Entry is free. It is a Christian Aid Film.

The conflict rages in Gaza and settler violence has increased in the West Bank. Over 40,000 are now dead in Gaza and prospects for peace being discussed only a week or so ago seem moribund. There has been a pause in hostilities to enable UN agencies to administer polio vaccine following an outbreak of this highly contagious disease.

The film was written and directed by Gillian Mosely who is Jewish and consists of a range of interviews with representatives of both sides of the conflict. It has received mixed reviews, the Times calling it ‘trite’ and the Jewish Chronicle said it was ‘thought provoking but out of its depth’ however the story itself concludes that ‘it does a great job in laying out some of the important moments in Israel’s history …’ Both the JC review and the Guardian found it strange that she did not interview friends or her own family although an educated guess might provide good reasons why not.

A detailed review published in the Conversation is worth reading giving an historical context to this conflict.

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


August 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pic: Salisbury Amnesty

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Vigil


August 2024

COMPLETED EVENT

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

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A glimmer of hope …


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

August 2024

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

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

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

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

West-Eastern Divan Orchestra with Daniel Barenboim accepting applause.

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Vigils continue


August 2024

The 36th Vigil took place again this Saturday, 10 August 2024 with just over 30 in attendance. When these Vigils started we did not imagine they would still be going and would attract continued support. This time we were joined by some passers by.

In that connection it is perhaps interesting to comment on the reaction of people walking past. Around 90 or so people took notice of what we were doing and registered (probably) that we were in support of peace in the region and a few took photos. This was around a quarter of those passing by. Many simply did not notice, hurrying home after work or rushing to catch a bus. Some quickly looked away for reasons we cannot know.

The conflict continues and the death toll stands at over 39,000. There seems to be no credible attempts at present to secure a ceasefire.

The next is on Saturday 17th at 5pm as usual.

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Vigil continues …


Salisbury Vigil still continues and is well supported

July 2024

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

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

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

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

Butter market, Salisbury

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Change in position over Israel


Labour government withdraws its objection to an International Arrest Warrant for Netanyahu

July 2024

UPDATE: 6 August. There seem to be suggestions that the government has suspended licenses for arms to Israel. The position is not totally clear but firms are getting messages about a ‘suspension’.

The newly elected Labour government has withdrawn the objection to the International Court of Justice issuing arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant it has just been announced. Following the Hamas atrocity on October 7th last year, Israel has waged a series of attacks on Gaza destroying huge parts of the enclave, destroying all but two of the hospitals and leaving over 38,000 dead. Other estimates suggest the death toll is around 186,000 dead if bodies in buildings are included. This suggests the new government will take a tougher line over Israel’s actions than the previous administration. Israel maintains it is going after Hamas targets but the death toll includes large numbers of children suggesting attacks are not sufficiently targeted. The Conservative government argued that the ICJ did not have jurisdiction over Israel.

There are also suggestions – unconfirmed at present – that the new government may be taking a hard look at weapons sales and perhaps limiting the amount or range that can be sold.

A decision by the ICJ to issue a warrant has not been taken yet.

Mr Netanyahu was in Washington this week and received a standing ovation from Congress. In his speech Mr Netanyahu referred several times to the ICJ and suggested some of the claims made by them and others were false. These included the suggestion that Israel was deliberately starving the people of Gaza claiming that it is ‘utter complete nonsense’ and an ‘complete fabrication.’ Unfortunately, according to agencies on the ground it is not. Only a fraction of the aid is allowed to enter and Israel imposes a constant stream of restrictions preventing significant quantities of aid to enter the territory. Since May, only just over 2,000 trucks have been allowed in. His other claims about sufficient warnings given before civilian areas bombed for example have also been refuted by those on the ground.

Nevertheless, Netanyahu continues to enjoy political support in Washington and his reception in the Congress was rapturous. Outside Congress however, there were loud protests.

It is clear that the activities of the IDF in Gaza and the resulting death toll, is causing serious problems in Western capitals. The indiscriminate bombings are in breach of international law. The shock and sympathy which greeted the appalling attack on October 7th is rapidly disappearing as continuous images of bombed hospitals and civilians fleeing the latest bombing attack are aired.

There will be a demonstration in Bournemouth this Sunday 28th July starting at 12:30 in Bournemouth Gardens.

There will be a peace Vigil again today (Saturday) in Salisbury Market place at 5pm for half an hour.

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Vigil


Encouraging vigil this Saturday with several joining us

July 2024

We had to move to the steps of the Library today because of the bad weather. We swelled to around 40 as several people joined us which was encouraging. We had no aggression or individuals shouting this week but by contrast, a number of people giving us the thumbs up and a lot taking photos.

This week saw the International Criminal Court deciding that Israel’s settlement policies and exploitation of resources in the occupied territories were in breach of international law. They say Israel should pay reparations. Israel does not recognise the ICC. There are now over 100 settlements and around 200,000 Israelis living in them.

There are now thought to be 38,700 dead although as we have noted in a previous post, the total dead is thought to be around 186,000 according to the Lancet.

Other news includes the decision by the new Labour government to resume aid to UNWRA to the tune of £32m. UNWRA are the only agency able to offer aid at scale and many countries stopped funding their operations following accusations that some of their staff were active in the October 7th atrocity. It is understood however that the Israeli authorities have not been able to substantiate their claims or provide evidence.

There will be another Vigil next Saturday, 27th at 5pm

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