Tag: Salisbury

Good attendance at latest vigil


Nearly 40 showing continued concern

July 2026

Vigil number 138 held this Saturday with just under 40 who came to support. It is amazing that people continue to come and although there are the diehards, new faces come each time. Recognition by passers-by was strong as many at 10 a minute at one stage and over 100 overall. We meet every Saturday in the market square by the Library at 5 pm. All are welcome.

The situation remains grim with 1,123 killed in Gaza since the October ‘cease fire’: cease fire seeming to mean slightly less killing than before. We have already noted the new prime minister, Andy Burnham’s apology for the shameful response by Sir Keir Starmer at the beginning of the conflict which did so much damage to the party and to his reputation. Aseel Baidoun, Deputy Director of Advocacy and Communications at Medical Aid for Palestinians, said:

“Prime Minister Burnham enters Downing Street with an opportunity to chart a new course on the UK’s response to Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territory. His acknowledgement that the last administration ‘got it wrong’ on Gaza is a welcome first step. It must now be followed by urgent action to uphold international law and protect Palestinian lives.

“[…] The new Government must match its words with action by suspending arms transfers to Israel, ending trade with illegal settlements, suspending the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement, and taking meaningful steps to ensure accountability for violations of international law.”

We noted in a recent post that the government is actively supporting arms sales with money, insurance and organisation at events such as Farnborough. The government has closed down its monitoring unit in the Foreign Office so will be even less aware of events on the ground.

Israel protest

One piece of good news is that Al Jazeera report that there have been demonstrations in Tel Aviv against settler violence which continues at pace. The UN’s OCHA reports that Fatalities linked to settler attacks in 2026 have already surpassed the total recorded during all of 2025, with 18 Palestinians killed as of 20 July compared with 17 throughout 2025.

About 90 Palestinians were displaced by demolitions and settler attacks during the reporting period, most following a large-scale demolition carried out by Israeli authorities in a Bedouin community in Qalqiliya governorate. Demolitions and settler attacks continued to affect Palestinian homes, water systems, schools and livelihood assets, further undermining access to essential services and community resilience.

We await to see if the new prime minister and new Foreign Secretary who replaces the largely ineffective Yvette Cooper, will bring changes to British policy concerning the region and our approach to the Israeli regime. No sign of the local MP, Mr John Glen who is a proud member of the Conservative Friends of Israel along with around 200 other MPs.

Sources include: UN, Lemkin Institute, Guardian, Al Jazeera, OCHA.

Photo courtesy of Peter Gloyns

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BBC ‘bias’ in Gaza conflict


Report reveals in detail how the BBC has misreported the conflict

July 2026

The BBC is widely trusted. It promotes itself as an independent media organisation dedicated to giving fair balanced news and comments about what is happening in the world. A report by the Centre for Media Monitoring analysed the BBC’s output on the Gaza conflict and found it to be anything but balanced. Indeed it concluded that the ‘BBC is systematically biased against Palestinians in Gaza war coverage‘. They echo conclusions by Peter Oborne in his book Complicit [OR Books, 2025] who was extremely critical of their reporting of the conflict.

Not that these conclusions are new. Tom Mills in his book The BBC: Myth of a Public Service [Verso, 2016] concluded that it has ‘always sided with the elite‘. Despite the constant accusations by right-wing media interests for its left-wing bias, in fact he argues ‘its journalism has overwhelmingly reflected the ideas and interests of elite groups‘.

Gaza coverage

CfMM analysed thousands of BBC pieces as part of its research and came up with 4 main conclusions:

  • Palestinian deaths are treated as less newsworthy. Despite there being 34 times more deaths among Palestinians, the BBC gave Israel deaths 33 times more coverage.
  • BBC used emotive terms 4 times more for Israeli victims, applied ‘massacre’ 18 times more to Israeli casualties, and used ‘murder’ 220 times for Israelis in contrast to once for Palestinians. We have noted that the word ‘hostage’ was applied (correctly) for those seized by Hamas after the October 7th massacre, but the word ‘prisoner’ is used for those seized by Israel and held without trial and tortured. Prisoner implies some kind of due process has taken place which it hasn’t.
  • BBC presenters shut down genocide claims in over 100 documented instances whilst making zero mention of Israeli leaders’ genocidal statements, including Netanyahu’s biblical Amalek reference. The moment an interviewee mentions the G word, a BBC person will immediately interrupt and say that there has been no conclusion to the claims despite the massive evidence to the contrary and blatant statements by Israeli politicians to that effect.
  • The BBC interviewed significantly fewer Palestinians than Israelis (1,085 v 2,350) on TV and radio, while BBC presenters shared the Israeli perspective 11 times more frequently than the Palestinian perspective (2,340 v 217). The interviews themselves are often weak and unchallenging.

The full report is available here.

Reasons

We can only speculate on the reasons for the bias. One is the myth of BBC independence. This much touted merit is not always true. The Board is appointed by Government ministers and the organisation is under constant funding threats. The Charter is up for renewal soon in 2028.

A second aspect is the charge of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism is of course to be condemned but it has become a cover for any and all criticism of Israel. When Amnesty and Human Rights Watch published their reports on Israel’s Apartheid policy for example, the immediate and knee-jerk response was the charge of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel. It has led the BBC we would argue to an approach of extreme caution and nervousness.

The policy of balance is also a factor. Balance does not always mean equal. This arose with debates about climate change. A scientist would be interviewed with facts and data followed by a denialist such as Lord Lawson. They received equal coverage even though Lawson was not a scientist and seldom had any evidence to support his views. Viewers were left confused. Scientists gradually refused to be interviewed. The BBC has now stopped doing this (after many protests) although it should be stressed scientists are not always right and should be challenged: but challenged by someone competent.

The tragedy is that there are many Jewish people in the UK who are concerned about the extreme violence and genocide taking place in Gaza and the increasing tide of violence against Palestinians living on the West Bank. On a recent Any Answers programme, two Jewish men phoned in with their views. They did not fit the narrative as expected and the presenter was audibly disconcerted and tried vainly to counter their views. The grim future of Israel is discussed in the Jewish academic Omar Bartov’s book Israel: What Went Wrong? [Fern Press, 2026].

Does it matter?

It matters because the BBC is a trusted source much needed in these days of mis- and disinformation and torrid material being produced by X and other online outlets. Generally, they perform well despite attempts at coercion and control. One has only to spend 10 minutes watching GBNews to witness what low standards mean.

It matters because they have a role in shaping public opinion. People were rightly angry at the seizing of hostages by Hamas and the frequent bulletins about the negotiations to secure their release increased that anger. The almost complete absence of reporting by the BBC of the seizure by Israel of medical staff and their incarceration, torture and sometimes death in an underground prison weakens their claims to be impartial.

It matters because this public opinion shapes political opinion and policies. The almost total failure by the BBC to report the hundreds of RAF overflights for example means a large chunk of British society is unaware of this help and other more covert help by our government for the regime. It means the government can continue selling arms with impunity thus playing a part in increasing the destruction of Gaza. It means the incarceration of those who support the Palestinian cause is made that bit easier because they have been labelled the ‘bad guys’. It means politicians like David Lammy can make provably misleading statements about reducing arms sales without being challenged. [David Lammy left government as this post was being written].

It matters because the distortion of language: for example selective use of words like ‘massacre’ and ‘hostage’ as we have noted above, means trust in the BBC is eroded.

The BBC fails to mention when interviewing various members of parliament, whether they are members of one or other of the Friends of Israel groups nor asks how much they have received for visits to the country. It does not ask them leaving the viewer or listener left in the dark. [To be fair, neither does the BBC nor other broadcasters ask interviewees if they are a member of one or other of the think tanks with their undeclared funding].

The organisation needs to shake off its fear of being called anti-Semitic and provide proper and balanced reports.

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The vigils continue


Vigil number 137 held on July 18th

We continue to hold vigils in Salisbury’s market place on Saturday evening. Last Saturday was the 137th such event. Thinly attended this time but we were briefly joined by 26 Brazilian students which was a delight.

We continue because the situation in the Middle East gets no better. We await how the new prime minister handles the situation in Gaza but he has already apologised for the party’s response and approach to the conflict which was very damaging. Sir Keir Starmer was so desperate to lay the ghost of ‘anti-Semitism’ that his response to Israel’s violence and destruction of the territory was distorted. Now David Lammy has made statements about the mistaken approach but it has to be noted that there was little sign of this up till now. He did not feel the need to resign.

Dr Hussan Abu Safiya

The UN said in a report last month:

“The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel expresses its grave concern at credible reports that Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a Palestinian doctor and Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Gaza Strip, has been subjected to continued and severe abuse since his detention by the Israeli authorities in December 2024.

“The Commission calls for the immediate, unconditional and safe release of Dr. Abu Safiya and of all medical personnel held in arbitrary detention by Israel. It also urges the Israeli authorities to provide immediate independent medical care for Dr. Abu Safiya.

“The continued arbitrary detention of Palestinian medical personnel and the severe mistreatment they are subjected to are deplorable and flagrant violations of international law. The actions of the Israeli Prison Service guards towards Palestinian detainees raise grave concerns of violations of international law that likely amount to international crimes. Dr. Abu Safiya’s medical condition is the direct result of these actions. The Commission underscores that persons deprived of liberty are protected against murder, torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and sexual violence”.

He is held in an underground prison.

Israeli forces now occupy 65% of the Gaza strip in contravention of Trump’s peace plan. The number of Palestinians killed is 73,770 of whom 20,000 or more are children. The total is likely to be much higher with thousands buried and unaccounted for under rubble. 1,144 have been killed since the ceasefire in October.

Sources: Guardian, BBC, Al Jazeera, Copilot Search, UN,

Image courtesy Peter Gloyns

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Key highlights from July 2026 meeting minutes


Lots of interest in this month’s minutes and newsletter

July 2026

We are pleased to attach our July minutes and newsletter with thanks to several group members for their contributions. There are pieces on the refugee situation which continues to resonate in the British political scene but often with little attention to the facts. Few would know from the media and politicians that the number of boat crossings have declined for example.

As we have pointed out in a previous post, we now report on British human rights following successive government’s introduction of ever more restrictive laws on assembly and protest.

There is a summary of the death penalty noting that the Restore party wants to see the penalty brought back in the UK. This coincided with the conditional pardon offered to Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in Britain.

There is a report on social media statistics noting that views to this site are at significantly higher level than last year but that most come from outside the UK. High numbers from China are a surprise but very welcome.

There is no meeting in August and the next time we meet is on September 10th.

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Will the UK’s attitude to Israel change?


Will the new prime minister really make significant changes?

Vigil #136

July 2026

Questions, questions, which are posed following the near certainty of Andy Burnham becoming the new prime minister of Britain and his stated apologies for the UK’s uncritical support of Israel and its genocidal actions in Gaza. It is one thing to offer Israel support and sympathy after the horrific attack on October 7th but quite another to continue to offer such support while the destruction of Gaza took place including the near total demolition of medical facilities, schools and other public facilities. The deliberate killing of children, over 20,000 so far – not as an accidental consequence of military action but as a matter of stated policy – is unsupportable yet our nation has continued to support it.

We noted in a previous post that Mr Burnham waited until he had the succession in the bag so to speak, before making this announcement and wondered if this was because he was mindful of the huge number of MPs who are members of a Friends of Israel group – 69 of whom are in his own party and over 200 in the House of Commons as a whole – as well as the powerful influence Israeli lobbying has over our media including the BBC. If this is correct, the question becomes will he be able to follow through? If he did not feel comfortable with promising a reset because of fears of a lobbying backlash, how likely is it he can withstand this influence and lobbying once he gets into No 10?

It is to be questioned how an MP and more particularly senior ministers – which includes shockingly, Sir Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves and David Lammy – be members and act impartially as a minister. Whom do they serve? A question asked of the Salisbury MP, Mr John Glen a ‘proud’ member of the much larger Conservative Friends of Israel, which he said was unworthy of an answer. Sir Keir’s support which emerged when he made the quite disgraceful comment that Israel was justified in cutting off water and power to Gaza, led in part to his defenestration as prime minister.

Vigil 136

Picture courtesy of Peter Gloyns

About 30 attended the latest vigil on a hot evening. Quite a lot of support and thumbs up signs and passers by taking pictures, One offensive gesture noticed. Recognition was again quite high. No sign of Mr Glen and no mention of the vigil in his weekly column in the Salisbury Journal.

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Death penalty report


Monthly report on the use of the penalty around the world

July 2026.

There is a lot of interest in this month’s report which covers the period mid-June to mid-July 2026 and is preprared by group member Lesley to whom we are grateful for the work in compiling it. There is more content in this report on conferences where the future of the penalty was discussed for example the Ninth World Congress Against the Death Penalty.

Report June July (Word)Download
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Fishers killed off Gaza coast


Israeli forces intensify killing of fishers off the coast of Gaza
Vigil No 135

Gaza is effectively surrounded and has no port or means of accessing neighbouring territory. It is an open air prison. With the tight restrictions of aid entering the territory and the annexation of nearly all the cultivable land by Israeli forces, one of the few means of livelihood is fishing. Gazans have been restricted to inshore fishing only, they cannot venture into the Mediterranean. Since October 2023, attacks on fishers have intensified with 238 killed since October 7th according to the Gaza Fishers Syndicate. Channel 5 News carried a report yesterday [we have been unable to locate a link]. It appears to add an element to the policy of starvation being meted onto the territory. [ADDITION 6 July]. We have been able to find a short film by the BBC which covers much the same ground.

A UN report said :

‘This thematic note highlights the systematic attacks on fishers and fishing infrastructure in Gaza, which have had devastating consequences on local livelihoods and the fishing industry, driving expanding protection concerns and risk of famine for families across Gaza.

‘According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Israeli military restrictions on fishing activities in Gaza significantly intensified after 7 October 2023, and fishers reported that they have been repeatedly attacked, onshore and at sea, by the Israeli military. In parallel, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) in Gaza has documented the destruction of key fishing infrastructure, including Gaza’s main port and several landing sites, along with extensive damage to landing sites and fishing vessels, rendering fishing operations off the coast of Gaza nearly impossible.

‘These attacks have resulted in the collapse of the fishing industry, which was once a main source of livelihoods and food for Gaza’s population. Combined with the destruction of agricultural land and other food production infrastructure, and severe restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid and commercial goods and supplies, the targeting of Gaza’s fishers and fishing infrastructure by the Israeli military has contributed directly to risk of famine and growing protection concerns for vulnerable persons, creating conditions which threaten the survival of Gaza’s population’ [UN, May 2025]

The vigils continue

Number 135 yesterday with over 30 present with occasional ‘drop-ins’ by passers by which is encouraging. Recognition was very high with probably over 100 taking some kind of notice of our presence. In view of the continuing violence in Lebanon and the killing which continues to take place in Gaza, it is still a necessary action. Over 73,000 have been killed according to AP and nearly 1,000 since the ‘ceasefire’.

Photo: Courtesy of Peter Gloyns

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Need for vigil continues


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

June 2026

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

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

Slide show

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

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

Government’s responses are feeble and a ‘gimmick’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Refugee Week event


Group conduct quiz in the Market Square

June 2026

If there is one thing which is guaranteed to excite tensions and rouse passions at the moment is the whole question of refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers. Election campaigns seem to revolve around this topic and only recently, mobs attacked homes in Belfast and Southampton to burn out such people with fire bombs. Parties vie with one another to demonstrate their toughness against them and Andy Burnham – decisively voted into parliament again two days ago – is quoted as being supportive of the home secretary Shabana Mahmood in her desire to introduce yet more controls.

Alongside these passions is a degree of mis and disinformation. For example, there is a degree of fixation over the Channel crossings which loom large in the tabloid and right wing media universe. They loom much larger in the imagination than the actual numbers justify. They are seen as remorselessly increasing when the opposite is the case. Which is why the group decided to mount a short quiz in Salisbury market.

The results were modest. Around 23 people stopped to engage. The majority walked by. We can never know of course but it may be because the whole topic of refugees is so distasteful they do not wish to spend their precious time on it. They may feel that their knowledge of the subject is pretty sound. We cannot know.

Those that did stop did pretty well (as you can see from the photo on the left) with most getting the answers right. They knew that numbers were falling; they knew that the numbers coming by boat were a small proportion of the whole and they were aware that they could not work without a visa.

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Refugee event this Saturday


The group will be in the Market Square on Saturday as part of Refugee Week

June 2026

Immigration, refugees and asylum seekers are top of the political agenda and generate huge anger in many communities. Some is understandable with a firm called Serco buying up properties and converting them into HMOs* filling them with among others, immigrants.

The debate around this topic has fuelled more heat than light. As we have noted in our reports, the general impression is of an ever rising trend of immigration, mostly by boat, and all of them being housed in ‘luxury’ hotels. They are taking our jobs and are responsible for a great deal of crime it is claimed. Some politicians and their parties have responded to these ideas, with great success. A key element of the forthcoming Makerfield by-election will be the immigration issue.

QUIZ

So how true is all this stuff? How sure are you of your knowledge around this issue? You can find out on Saturday 20th starting at 9 am and finishing at noon in the Cheesemarket (outside HSBC). There we will be hosting a quiz.

This is important in the sense that massive amounts of misinformation and false beliefs are determining policy. The value that immigrants bring to the economy is largely overlooked. The reaction to the Channel crossings verges on the hysterical. There is not denying there are problems to do with immigration but the scale of them is much exaggerated. So come and find out!

*house in multiple occupation

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