Tag: Palestinians

Are American attitudes towards Israel changing?


Evidence that young Americans attitudes to Israel are changing

August 2026

Over the past few days (12th & 13th August) there have been a number of reports on BBC radio and TV and on Channel 4 concerning the latest violent actions by settlers in the village of Qusra on the West Bank. Palestinian families have been attacked by large groups of settlers and some have been besieged in their homes. The Israeli army is on the scene but is unable or unwilling to do more than make ineffectual efforts to curb the violence. There is footage of homes being trashed by the settlers.

In one way, this is not unusual. Settler violence against Palestinians has been a feature of the past few years with the IDF and Israel police doing nothing to stop it. But something changed with this attack. Firstly, it has received extensive coverage as noted with packages of 10 or 15 minutes devoted to the violence. More significantly, Mike Huckabee described the actions as ‘a horrific act of terror’ and those perpetrators as ‘Israeli terrorists’. Huckabee is the US Ambassador and a staunch supporter of Israel. The question is therefore: is there a change in the US attitude to Israel? Will the carte blanche support continue?

Changing American attitudes

The Pew Research Center has produced evidence which seems to record a shift in opinion. They and other commentators suggest that 60% of Americans have a less favourable view of Israel now compared with previously. Among young people especially, there are strong negative views about Netanyahu. There is a divide in the opinion with the young having negative views and older people maintaining their loyalty.

The Institute for Global Affairs suggest that more Americans are seeing Israel as a liability. Many want the flow of arms to be reduced or constrained. American help for Israel has been open ended and has amounted to around $300bn to date. Increasingly, they don’t see Israel as ‘worth a war’.

For UK people, a major factor has been the destruction and killings which have taken place in Gaza. For Americans, it has been Iran and the feeling that the US was embroiled in an expensive project at the behest of Israel. Violence on the West Bank has not gone down well. Americans are seeing the effects in the price of gas (petrol) and other commodities because of the blockade of the Straight of Hormuz. There is a view that Israel is no longer seen as a ‘pioneer democracy’ but more of an ‘oppressive state’.

It is claimed that that the powerful AIPAC organisation – one of the most powerful in the States – has a ‘stranglehold’ over Congress. They have significant contacts and are known to give support to politicians early in their careers. As in the UK, members are taken on carefully curated tours of Israel. They spent $100m to try and influence recent elections.

Problems

Despite the spending and efforts to control the debate and neutralise critics, Americans can see the results on their screens which no amount of sanitising can hide. In the Senate the numbers of Senators calling for restrictions on arms being sent to Israel is increasing.

The biggest group of supporters is from American Evangelicals who see that part of the world in Biblical terms. They see it also in terms of the second coming. They are a key part of the electorate and are very influential.

A problem however with pointing at AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) is that it casts Israel, and more particularly Jews, as ‘having control’, a sensitive issue. This simply adds to the anti-Semitic claims made by Israel about any or all people who criticise them. It has an effect on critics.

Is American opinion going to change and will that bring about a re-calibration of their support to Israel? Some observers think it is a while off yet. Although younger Americans are no longer uncritical supporters, their influence is not yet great but it is growing. That Mike Huckabee spoke out in such terms is significant, not just the words themselves but that he felt able to utter them. All in all, the Israeli government is likely to be concerned at the changing mood towards them.

We must hope that a change will happen for the sake of the thousands who suffer in Gaza and the instability in Lebanon. The ceaseless violence will not ultimately help Israel. To cede control to thugs going out and terrorising Palestinians while your army and police stand by is no way for a civilised state to behave. The settlers know they have support for their actions from the highest level of government.

Sources: Channel 4 News (and a podcast); Pew Research Center; Al Jazeera; BBC; Christian Science Monitor; Institute for Global Affairs; Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

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Reactions from an IDF soldier


Many IDF soldiers are troubled by what they see

August 2026

There is a danger when we see film of IDF soldiers who are all kitted up such that we cannot see their faces, in assuming they are unaffected by the carnage, death and destruction they witness. There is film of IDF soldiers gleefully smashing up Palestinian homes and no doubt filled with the propaganda of Arab malevolence, who are only too keen on their work. But not all are and our attention has been drawn to an article in Haaretz which describes the trauma of one Israeli soldier.

HAARETZ, August 06 2026


After helping direct artillery fire that claimed civilian lives in Gaza, former Israeli combat medic Yael is struggling with debilitating trauma and remorse. Her long wait for treatment highlights the military’s failure to care for soldiers scarred by war….
Yael, who asked not to use her real name, is 22 years old. She enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces in August 2022. She says she was highly motivated. She wanted to contribute, to do meaningful combat service.

The army listened and granted her wish.. “I left the army and saw the number of children killed, and I was shocked. I started searching obsessively for information online. I looked for the neighborhoods we attacked, the villages,” she recounts. “I saw that many innocent people were killed in these places, I saw pictures of dead children. In the army, they told us we only kill terrorists, but that’s a lie. Artillery fire is imprecise; the army considers a hit within a 50-meter radius to be a good hit.”..
“I have nightmares. I see inside my head dead children, crying mothers. I imagine how the bodies are removed. The guilt doesn’t leave me. How can it? I killed an innocent child, I was the one who fed the targets, it’s on me.”.. She was discharged from the IDF a year and a half ago…..


Since October 7, Haaretz has spoken with more than 300 people suffering from mental injuries caused by the war. Some of them reported suffering from PTSD due to exposure to intense combat experiences. Others described extreme guilt due to the deaths of their comrades in combat or of civilians on October 7. Recently, the barrier of shame has broken. More and more soldiers talk about moral injuries they suffer, often related to exposure to or participation in war crimes prevalent in the Gaza Strip.


The army prevented me from getting treatment,” she says. Only after her mother contacted the battalion commander did he meet with her for a conversation. “I told him I was harming myself and that I had suicidal thoughts,” she says. “I wasn’t exaggerating. I didn’t want to live this suffering anymore, this reality where 18-year-old children are killed, and I hear their last moments. I don’t agree with it. I don’t support it.” The mental health officer ordered her removed from combat duty. About two months later, in December 2024, the IDF discharged her….


When she returned home, the symptoms struck with intensity. She felt she was withering. “I became a shadow of a person. I didn’t see the beauty in life. I saw everything in gray,” she recalls. “Every day I had to cope with such severe panic attacks that I’d scratch myself, hit myself. I was depressed. ..
She felt not only pain in her heart but also anger towards her battery commander (“he’s a scumbag”), and, in fact, towards the entire system. “The state ruined my life, and after it ruined my life, it didn’t bother to give me the treatment I needed. It forced me to prove I was injured, to fight for recognition.” Today, she is in ongoing treatment, taking psychiatric medications, trying to alleviate the pain.


She finds a ray of light in the change in her values, in her moral compass. “Before the army, I was an extreme right-winger, one who would say ‘Death to Arabs.’ That was the myth in school that influenced me,” she explains. “But after the war, I understood that there’s a difference between Hamas terrorists and Palestinian civilians who want peace, who want life. I saw the conditions in which Gazans live. I realized there must be a change, that we must strive for equality, for peace. This is the only way to save the children, to save us all.”

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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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UN report on torture in Israel is horrific


The UN report into how Palestinians are treated is deeply troubling

November 2025

The UN has published its sixth periodic report on Israel (along with other countries) and contains a great deal of extremely troubling material. The scale of abuse and torture is huge and the methods truly barbaric. It seems to reveal a state which thinks it can act with impunity against Palestinians no doubt reflecting on the uncritical support of the US and only feeble commentary from countries such as the UK. Below are some of the extracts (paragraph numbers at the end of each extract).

  • Israel it notes does not accept jurisdiction for those held under its jurisdiction but outside its territory (8)
  • The UN urges Israel to incorporate the use of torture as a specific crime into its domestic law (11)
  • Palestinians do not receive fundamental legal safeguards. [This is a reflection of the apartheid system operating in the country] (12)
  • All detainees should be informed of their rights, the charges made against them and a right to a lawyer. They also have a right to medical attention. (13)
  • Expresses concern about mass arrests and the use of administrative detention. (14)
  • In the same vein it is concerned about mass arrests of women, children, pregnant women, older persons on the basis of ‘real or perceived group characteristics.’ Palestinians often held incommunicado.
  • Palestinians held in very poor conditions, without sanitation, with no ventilation, running water or natural light. They are denied access to medical care. (18)
  • There are reports of prisoners being blindfolded at all times, shackled to a bed, fed through straws and forced to wear incontinence garments due to their immobilisation. Women are denied feminine hygiene products, are separated from their babies and not allowed to breast feed them. (18)
  • Children are arrested, blindfolded and subject to torture and ill-treatment. Many children are held without charge and in solitary confinement. (22)
  • The government was unable to provide information about the numbers of deaths in custody. It is believed to be at least 75 since October 7th, 2023. Haaretz in its report on this topic says 98 have died in custody but we do not know the time period. It appears to be an abnormally high number of Palestinians who have died. The bodies show signs of torture and extreme malnutrition. Independent autopsies have not been carried out. (24)
  • The International Red Cross has not been allowed to inspect prisons. (26)

THE NEXT EXTRACT IS DEEPLY TROUBLING AND CARRIES A WARNING

The UN were troubled by reports about ‘organised and widespread use of torture and ill-treatment’ of detainees. The methods used included severe beatings, dog attacks, electrocution, waterboarding, use of prolonged stress positions, sexual violence, threats against detainees and their families, insults to their personal dignity, made to act like animals and being urinated on, use of restraints such that amputations were needed, performance of surgery without anaesthetic, sexual abuse of both men and women, rape, attempted rape, beating of genitals, electrocution of genitals and anus [..] (28)

Five Israeli human rights organisation have contributed evidence. Israel sought to argue that there are adequate controls but the committee was unpersuaded. Israel has 1 year to respond. If true, then the report describes a system out of control and casts a large shadow over the nation. These do not appear to be isolated incidents but a systematic and organised abuse of Palestinian people being held often without charge in Israeli prisons. The appalling treatment of women and the torture of children is especially troubling.

Full UN report

UN report NovDownload
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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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Questionable logic by David Lammy


David Lammy suggests insufficient numbers killed in Gaza to merit calling it genocide

January 2025

As part of a statement to the House of Commons on 28 October 2024, in an answer to a question about claims by some Labour MPs about the alleged policy of genocide, annihilation and extermination of Palestinians in Gaza, the Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “These are legal terms, and they must be determined by international courts. I agree with [Nick Timothy MP] that those terms were largely used when millions of people lost their lives in crises such as Rwanda and the Holocaust of the second world war. The way that people are now using those terms undermines their seriousness [Citation: HC Deb, 28 October 2024, C556].

Genocide is not about numbers killed

Lammy is completely wrong about this. Genocide is not defined by numbers killed. Article II of the Genocide Convention makes clear it is about killing members of a group (a); causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group (b) and deliberately inflicting on to a group conditions calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part (c). Numbers killed is not mentioned. Is Lammy suggesting that if yet more are killed, some kind of threshold will be reached at which point they will deem it genocide?

The minister will be well aware of the many reports concerning actions in Gaza. Organisations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, B’Tselem, Médicins sans Frontières, the UN and various agencies of the UN, have all produced copious details about what is happening there.

David Lammy also states that the current situation began on October 7th 2023 with the Hamas raid into Israel killing over 2,000 Israelis and taking over 200 hostages. There is no dispute about the horror of this attack and that Hamas committed a war crime. But the history of this conflict did not begin on October 7th but in 1948.

The debate is about the Israeli response and the killing of large numbers of civilians, women and children and whether this level of killing is proportionate to the threat they face. The death toll is now around 46,000. Despite this evidence ‘the government is unable to conclude whether Israel’s bombing campaign and military operations in general violate International Humanitarian Law‘.

There have been many calls for the UK to end arms sales to Israel. The government has suspended 30 licences but parts for the F-35 continued to be made. It is this aircraft which is used to bomb Gaza. It has allowed many ‘open licences’ which does not identify weaponry and according to CAAT ‘leaves holes you can fly and F-35 through’ (CAAT News, Issue 271).

The government is frightened of upsetting the Americans by stopping F-35 parts being made in the UK. With Donald Trump to become the president in a few days, cancelling the contract is politically impossible for them. It also shows the power of the arms industry to call the shots as far as government policy is concerned. In the same debate Lammy claims that ‘we have one of the most robust export licensing regimes in the world’. Despite this, evidence shows that large amounts of military equipment is finding its way to Israel. His statement to the House is a nonsense.

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UK government denies Apartheid operates in Israel


New British/Israeli agreement opposes use of the word ‘Apartheid’ to describe Israeli actions against the Palestinians

March 2023

On Tuesday, the UK government signed an agreement with the Israeli government part of which agreed to oppose the use of the word ‘Apartheid’ to describe Israeli’s actions in the occupied areas. Three substantial reports have been published describing the system in operation: one by Human Rights Watch, one by Amnesty and one by B’Tselem in Israel itself. We provided links to each in a previous post. Each is a closely argued and evidenced document and to our knowledge, has not received a detailed rebuttal from the Israeli government. Haaretz and other news organisations described Israel’s reaction to the Amnesty report as ‘hysterical’. The Israeli government described Amnesty as ‘anti-Semitic’.

The agreement says that it will also seek to confront anti-Israel bias in international relations including in the UN. The Palestinian Ambassador said it represented ‘an abdication of the UK’s responsibilities under international law and the UK’s unique responsibility to the Palestinian issue’.

President Netanyahu is on a visit to the UK this week and was met by a demonstration of Jewish people when he visited 10, Downing Street for a meeting with the prime minister. Banners and cries of ‘Dictator on the run’ greeted his arrival. There have been months of demonstrations in Israel itself over proposals to prevent Netanyahu being deprived of office if he is found guilty of corruption and other crimes (which he denies). The agreement’s description as a ‘freedom loving and thriving democracy’ seems extraordinary in view of these events.

The evidence of Israel’s mistreatment of its Arab population has been well documented. Many Israel politicians and writers have warned of the steady slide towards apartheid as has the Israeli group Yesh Din who gave a legal opinion that ‘the crime against humanity of apartheid is being committed on the West Bank’.

Israeli politicians have become increasingly worried that the unquestioning support the country received from the US is beginning to waver. More and more Americans are beginning to doubt Israeli actions and protestations of a desire for peace. The unquestioning and uncritical support by the UK government by contrast will be very welcome therefore. In addition to the Conservatives, Sir Keir Starmer is quoted as saying that ‘Israel is not an apartheid state’. Labour has experienced severe problems concerning alleged anti-Semitism and the party is keen to ‘root out’ the problem to use Starmer’s words. Neither party seems able to look at the evidence and they deny the facts, if for different reasons.

This is yet one more action by the UK government which seems to demonstrate an almost wilful neglect of human rights norms both within the UK and overseas. Its desire to get rid of the Human Rights Act as well as other legislation limiting the ability to protest or seek judicial review represent an increasingly authoritarian view. An official was quoted as saying that moral considerations now come a poor second to business and diplomacy.

Sources: International Centre for Justice for Palestine; Haaretz (English); Human Rights Watch; Amnesty International; Middle East Eye; Daily Mail; Guardian; Jewish Chronical.

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Amnesty report on apartheid in Israel


Amnesty joins Human Rights Watch and B’Tselem in declaring Israel an apartheid state

Israel works hard to present itself as a modern, pluralist state and enjoys close links with its diaspora particularly in the USA. It enjoys favourable coverage in the UK with the majority of media who are either silent about these issues or are quick to condemn criticism of the state.

We have previously reported on two other reports by respected organisations which came to the same conclusions: one by Human Rights Watch and the other from within Israel by B’Tselem. Both reports go into great detail with many examples of how the apartheid system works in Israel.

The introduction to the Amnesty report says:

There is no possible justification for a system built around the institutionalized and prolonged racist oppression of millions of people. Apartheid has no place in our world, and states which choose to make allowances for Israel will find themselves on the wrong side of history. Governments who continue to supply Israel with arms and shield it from accountability at the UN are supporting a system of apartheid, undermining the international legal order, and exacerbating the suffering of the Palestinian people. The international community must face up to the reality of Israel’s apartheid, and pursue the many avenues to justice which remain shamefully unexplored.

From the Amnesty Report

The response by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs was ‘[the report was a] collection of lies, biased claims, and recycled reports from other anti-Israel organisations’.

The report (pdf) details the bases of the apartheid claim:

  • massive seizures of land and Palestinian property
  • unlawful killing
  • restrictions on the right [of Palestinian’s] to political representation
  • drastic movement restrictions
  • denial of nationality and citizenship to Palestinians.

Palestinians are treated as an inferior racial group and systematically deprived of their rights.

It is interesting to note the difference between how the treatment of Palestinians in Israel contrasts with things like the Berlin wall. There were regular features of the wall with film of people attempting to scale it and footage of border guards shooting at those seeking to escape East Germany. Film of the Israeli wall by contrast are rare. During the apartheid regime in South Africa, there was considerable coverage of civil disturbances and many companies decided to cease trading there. There is precious little sign of that in the UK media’s coverage of Israel. Indeed, in the Telegraph – a right wing newspaper in the UK – the coverage led, not on the report itself and a summary of some of the conclusions, but with the Israeli government’s response: Israel labels Amnesty International ‘anti-Semitic’ over ‘apartheid’ report leaving minimal coverage of what Amnesty said to a few short sentences at the end of the piece. They also featured a 6 minute video interview with the President of the Zionist Federation of Australia with no balancing footage [accessed 2 February]. Labelling any criticism of Israel as ‘anti-Semitic’ is an automatic response and is unjustified with any of the three reports mentioned.

Dr Agnès Callamard the secretary general of Amnesty said in response: “Amnesty International stands very strongly against antisemitism, against any form of racism, we have repeatedly denounced antisemitic acts and antisemitism by various leaders around the world.” Source: Times of Israel.

The report makes a large number of recommendations. With three detailed reports now published it is hard for Israel to ignore and deny the accusation of apartheid.

We have come across this video of a young girl who has made several videos and this one is worth watching. Janna Jihad video – Amnesty

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Israel and vaccinations


UPDATE: 30 JANUARY 2021

Press release from Amnesty International on this subject.

UPDATE: 19 January 2021

In the BBC’s World at One on Radio 4 today, programme went someway to rectify the complete failure to mention Palestinians in their earlier broadcasts.  They had a lengthy clip and an interview with Tom Bateman in which this matter was discussed.  Whether this was in response to complaints about their previous bias we cannot know.  Amnesty was mentioned in the clip.  

Serious bias in BBC report on progress with vaccination in Israel

Last week, on the BBC’s radio 4 programme PM which is broadcast between 5pm and 6pm each day, the presenter, Evan Davies interviewed a journalist from the Jerusalem Post about the rapid progress being made in Israel with vaccinating its citizens.  Around 12% had already had their first vaccination and Evan Davies was clearly impressed.

What neither he, nor the journalist, mentioned it was only Jewish citizens who were being vaccinated, not Palestinians in the occupied territories or in Gaza.  Perhaps this news item was put together in haste and slotted into the programme as it was a rare good news story in the current gloom.

However, a detailed report has been produced six days ago by B’Tselem, based in Israel, which analysed in considerable detail the second class status of Palestinians (not just with vaccinations) and their report, called This is Apartheid, concludes that Israel is effectively an Apartheid state.  The BBC cannot claim ignorance.

BBC fails to mention that no Palestinians are being vaccinated in Israel

It is therefore very surprising and extremely troubling that on the BBC’s World at One programme today (18 January 2021), Sarah Montague hosted a 4 and a quarter minute clip – including an interview with the BBC’s Jerusalem correspondent, Tom Bateman – again lauding the rapid progress made with Israel’s vaccination programme which has now reached 20%.  The interview was again a fulsome piece about what is happening in Israel but shockingly, neither of them mentioned that no Palestinians are being vaccinated.

Human Rights Watch points out that Israel, as the occupying power, is obliged under the 4th Geneva Convention to ensure that adequate medical supplies are available including for contagious diseases and epidemics.

The reasons for Israel’s actions are complex and they claim they have insufficient vaccines to give and that they have not received any request from the Palestinian authorities.  Given the pace of the vaccination programme, the former seems a weak argument.  Whatever the reasons, there seems no credible reason why the BBC, which is supposed to provide balanced reporting and impartiality, should twice broadcast pieces and interviews and completely fail to mention the lack of vaccination of Palestinians.

See our earlier blog on the B’Tselem.

The Israeli Government has strongly denied the Apartheid claim.

Sources: BBC; Independent, HRW

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Airbnb and Israeli settlements


Airbnb continues to list properties illegal settlements

Last year Airbnb shamefully reversed its decision to remove listings in Israeli settlements from their online platform, exposing the hollowness of their claims to be a company that values human rights.  They continue to promote these listings, despite knowing that these settlements are illegal under international law, and a war crime.

Settlements are at the root of a wide range of human rights violations against Palestinian communities. Airbnb are acting in direct contradiction with international law and their own corporate standards.

Earlier this year, the United Nations released a report on companies with specific links to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank which included Airbnb.  Naming the businesses which profit in the context of this illegal situation sends a clear message that Israel’s settlement enterprise must never be normalized.

Now Airbnb has started the process of becoming a publicly listed company on the US stock exchange and hopes to raise billions of dollars to grow and expand its tourism operations around the world.

Amnesty International has extensively documented the ways in which digital tourism companies like Airbnb contribute to human rights violations against Palestinians and we continue to call for Airbnb and others to stop all activity in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

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