The future of Israeli politics looks uncertain at this moment with no party achieving a secure majority and with the ‘Arab’ parties doing well becoming in effect the king makers. Neither likely winner: Netanyahu nor Eisenkot, are representing real change in the political landscape. Watching the interviews in Israel with people in the street is often quite depressing. Like Trump, many seem to see Netanyahu as the future despite the pitiful state he has left the nation in.
The Times of Israel reports today that a renewed strike on Iran is being discussed with the US.
This week’s Salisbury vigil was well attended with around 30 of us there. Recognition was good partly because it is now dusk with the change in the clocks so people notice the candles. As ever, we report no sign of the local MP Mr John Glen who is member of the Friends of Israel organisation.
According to Arab News, the death toll in Gaza (two weeks ago) was 74,396 and injuries are over 175,000.
Video Because …
We are pleased to report our YouTube video Because ... has been viewed hundreds of times and can be seen here. We shall be there near the Library next Saturday 7th November at 5pm as usual.
After the strong turnout for vigil 150, the storm meant few braved last evening’s vigil as we sheltered on the steps of the Library. We are pleased to note that the previous week’s vigil attracted some coverage in the Salisbury Journal both on line and in the print version.
On Friday 23rd, Channel 4 News had an extended package on the violence in the West Bank which has been growing in intensity and frequency [registration may be required]. It showed dead goats killed by settler gangs and the camera crew and reporter were themselves attacked. It is the time of the olive harvest and settlers are attacking pickers and the trees themselves. IDF soldiers do little to prevent these attacks. There is footage of Palestinian houses being demolished. Data for the number of attacks is provided by the Israeli human rights organisation Yesh Din which gives copious information about how little is done to bring perpetrators to justice.
The UK’s support for violence in the Middle East with the supply of weapons is well-aired on these pages. They are also keen to stifle support for Palestine Action and over 3,000 have now been arrested for so doing. The author Sally Rooney has been caught up in the dispute and her books can no longer be sold in the UK as this risks arrest. Palestine Action say:
“The ban on Palestine Action was only introduced to serve the interests of the Israel lobby and the Israeli arms industry at the expense of the fundamental freedoms of British citizens.
“Andy Burnham’s Government has the power to overturn this authoritarian ban, but they are choosing instead to defend it in the Supreme Court” [accessed 25 October].
Sarah Helm
A writer and journalist Sarah Helm has also been caught up in what is almost an hysterical response by a range of right wing and Israeli supporting news organisations. Sarah is the wife of Jonathan Powell who is the government’s national security adviser. She responded on X to a clip of broadcaster Adam Boulton criticising fellow writer Sally Rooney over her support for the pro-Palestinian movement. She wrote “God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action. Sounds like Adam [Boulton] would have all our books swept off the shelves in a jiffy.”
The post has drawn attention because Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK in July 2025, making membership and certain forms of support for the group criminal offences under the Terrorism Act 2000. The effect of this decision is increasingly being seen as an attack on free speech. An appeal will be heard in the Supreme Court soon.
The police have decided to take no action as her words do not pass the required threshold. The Campaign Against Antisemitism has been especially vocal against Ms Helm. The organisation was founded by Gideon Falter.
It almost doesn’t seem possible that a group of people in Salisbury have turned out each Saturday for 150 weeks to stand, sometimes in the cold and rain, to support the principle of peace and justice in the Middle East. Yesterday (17th) there were 40 of us and it should be emphasised that although there are stalwart members who come more of less every week, there are others who come a few times and there are passers-by who join in a well. Not seen at any of the 150 vigils over three years is the local MP Mr John Glen. He is a supporter of Conservative Friends of Israel.
Israel continues to dominate the news last week. First the film NAZA which has achieved considerable international recognition and success being viewed by millions around the world. It has generated a fierce response from Israel and the IDF who accuse the soldiers who were interviewed as ‘smearing’ Israel and ‘causing harm to Israel’s diplomatic and security interests’. They both deny its integrity yet say it is a threat.
Sally Rooney the Irish novelist, has had to remove all her books from sale in the UK because she risks falling foul of the terrorist laws because of her support for Palestine Action. Any royalties from those sales risk being classed as ‘proceeds of terrorism’ and she risks a prison sentence. This is a direct attack on free speech and comment. Curiously, various organisations which promote violent action are not proscribed by the government such is their obsession with supporting Israel and the arms deals. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, thought to be behind some recent incidents such as Fairford for example, is not proscribed.
The third event of last week was the attack by settlers on a group of diplomats from France, Belgium and Poland visiting the West Bank. They had also attacked Palestinians trying to harvest their olives beating one man badly. They also attacked a Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine.
Our film Because … was published last week and we are pleased to report a good level of interest so far.
Main photo: Salisbury Amnesty, other photos courtesy of Peter Gloyns
Today, 17th October, is the 150th vigil in Salisbury. If you are able to come that would be wonderful. You may wonder why you haven’t heard of this and we are disappointed to report that the Salisbury Journal declined to publish the press notice. We cannot know why. 5 o’clock outside the Library for half and hour.
The 149th vigil held on Saturday. Big row about the Green party motion on Zionism
October 2026
A tense week on the Israel front with a major row erupting at the Green party conference arising from a motion to defining Zionism as “a political ideology which called for the creation – and, now it exists, the continuity – of an ethnonationalist Jewish State in historic Palestine to the exclusion and/or domination of the non-Jewish population.” It has put the party leader Zac Polanski in a difficult position partly because he was absent for the vote itself.
The death toll continues in Gaza with 74,243 deaths and 1,460 killed since the ‘cease fire’. There are 175,243 wounded many of whom are children who have suffered severe physical injuries and who have lost family members. Some have experienced mental trauma which will last a lifetime. It is ironic listening to the earnest debates and interviews about the Green party motion, to note that there is no equivalent earnest debate about this death toll. It has just become so much background noise.
We held our 149th vigil on Saturday with around 25 present. Next Saturday 17th, will be the 150th such vigil. We had no notion they would continue this long. The local MP, Mr John Glen has never appeared at a single vigil nor mentioned their existence in his weekly column courtesy of the Salisbury Journal. He is a member of the Conservative Friends of Israel lobbying organisation.
The film NAZA is being shown in the Odeon in Salisbury on Thursday 15th. This is the award winning film made secretly in Israel at night. The resulting documentary, “NAZA,” takes a look at the technology used by Israel in Gaza to identify military targets. Anonymous sources in the film said the technology also has been used to kill Palestinian civilians. A trailer can be seen here.
Because … is now published. Next week will be the 150th vigil
October 2026
We are pleased to announce the publication of our video Because ... in which some participants of the vigils we have held every Saturday since the horrific events of October 7th and the aftermath, give their reasons for attending. This coming Saturday 17th, will be our 150th such vigil. We hope you will watch it and perhaps share it.
Latest vigil – No 148 – well attended. Green party passes a vote on Zionism
October 2026
Over 30 attended the 148th vigil on what turned out to be a damp evening.
The major news this week was the decision by the Green party at their annual conference to declare Zionism an ‘ethnonationalist project’ which has drawn predictable criticism from Israel. The Israeli foreign ministry said in a post on X on Sunday that the motion “constitutes a clear antisemitic text according to the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) definition, as it denies the Jewish people’s right to self-determination”.
The chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, described the motion as “poisonous antisemitism” and a “threat to British Jews and to Britain”. However, as we have pointed out previously, not all Jewish people in the UK agree with the rabbi.
It was also reported last week that there has been a rise in Jewish people in the UK feeling ’emotionally attached to Israel’. This follows a longitudinal survey carried out by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research of 2,500 individuals. It has risen 13 points since the start of the Gaza war. There is also a rise in those identifying themselves as Zionist.
Our attention has been drawn to the following two items concerning how children are treated in Israeli prisons. One by Save the Children and the other a video by Al Jazeera. There is a WARNING that the latter contains distressing material.
Palestine Solidarity Campaign have made the claim that ‘public anger over Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and Britain’s response was increasingly being expressed‘. The claim was made by Aimee Shalan who will become director in November.
She said Palestine becoming an electoral issue both domestically and nationally. She pointed to Ed Miliband’s recent statement and the change in policy towards the West Bank in particular. The West Bank appeared in the news in recent days because of the latest incident of severe violence involving over 100 militant settlers who overwhelmed security forces in an attack on the village of Jalud.
Several senior politicians, including the president Isaac Herzog, have condemned the violence but there is an element of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. Settler violence has been overtly and covertly supported by politicians and the security forces have up to now, stood by while Palestinians were attacked and their properties destroyed. It is a bit late to complain now when the scale of violence and ethnic cleansing has become so extreme.
The 147th vigil was held on Saturday with nearly 40 in attendance. There was a good response to the invitation to ‘honk for peace’. The Salisbury MP, Mr John Glen. has not appeared and there was no mention of the vigil again in his weekly column courtesy of the Salisbury Journal. He is a member of the Conservative Friends of Israel group.
Film update – Because …
Our film Because ... is progressing well and will be finished ready for the 150th vigil. Most interviews have been completed.
Well attended vigil Things seem to be changing with some tentative hopes for the future. The Israeli elections denied Netanyahu a majority and negotiations are underway to form some kind of coalition. The Arab parties did well and may have some kind of decisive influence on the result. In America, President Trump and the Republicans…
Issue No 278 of CAAT news details latest activities of this trade November 2026 We give coverage to this newsletter from CAAT because of the significance of the arms industry in connection with our political process and for human rights world wide. These are: The industry is one of the few in the UK of…
Vigil took place during election week in Israel November 2026 The future of Israeli politics looks uncertain at this moment with no party achieving a secure majority and with the ‘Arab’ parties doing well becoming in effect the king makers. Neither likely winner: Netanyahu nor Eisenkot, are representing real change in the political landscape. Watching…
We were back to a strong turn out at last Saturday’s vigil (12th) which coincided with events happening in the Middle East. When we last posted, we questioned whether the British government was going to take action. It did so with a statement by the Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband to parliament which was a significant departure from the previous weak actions by the Starmer led government.
He said that the prospects for a Palestinian state were being destroyed on the ground in particular with the plans for a massive settlement E1. He specifically called Israeli government actions as ‘ethnic cleansing’ a major departure for the government. He has arranged for settler goods to be barred from coming into the UK. Most importantly however is actions against banking system which will make it difficult for Israeli banks to fund settlements and keep their licence in London. Settler goods will be easy to circumvent – who knows where a mango or avocado comes from? – but banking restrictions are crucial.
International support
The government has also found support from a range of other countries including France and Canada. Altogether a significant shift in policy. He also disagreed with the chief Rabbi’s assertion that these additional controls will increase anti-Semitism in the UK. Sir Ephraim Mirvis often speaks as though the Jewish community in the UK are of one voice and that he speaks for them. It has been interesting to see that a number of other Rabbis and Jewish people have been interviewed or written letters saying they do not agree with his view and that there is need of concerted action against settler violence.
One Jewish person writing in the Guardian said:
“A substantial minority of British Jews like myself agree with the British government’s new use of the term ethnic cleansing to describe how armed settlers in the occupied territories evict Palestinians from their land with passive and sometimes active support from Israeli institutions. […] Tolerating settler violence is longstanding Israeli policy which I’ve seen with my own eyes [..]’.
“I saw with dismay the indulgent favour of state forces towards these most renegade settlers how regional police (settlers themselves) laugh contemptuously at villager’s complaints and when then called upon for protection, the Israeli army arrived slowly or not at all and did nothing.” (12 September)
Film
The film NAZA was screened at the Venice Film Festival last week and is a documentary about the mass slaughter which has taken place in Gaza. NAZA is the acronym for the number of civilians expected to die when an apartment block is bombed. The IDF prefers to kill suspected Hamas terrorists in their homes and that often results in a large number of civilians deaths. The producers hope to win an award.
The UK government’s actions seem to have had an effect in Israel. Reactions from the US have yet to emerge and may relate to changing public opinion and declining support for Israel.
UPDATE: Proposal to withdraw Israeli citizenship from the two film makers.
We shall be holding the next vigil on Saturday 19th at 5pm as usual and all are welcome.
But as ever with government, words are not always matched by deeds. The Foreign Secretary’s statement and his subsequent remarks in a video expressing shock at being told medicines are being withheld from Gaza has drawn a series of rebukes and threats from a variety of sources.
In parliament he said that the proposal to build settlement E1 as it’s known “crosses a red line and cuts through the heart of the West Bank and risks making a Palestinian state unviable”. This is indeed the stated intention of some Israeli politicians. During the debate some MPs referred to ‘settler terrorism’.
His additional remarks made in a video have inflamed the situation further. “Frankly, it was horrific, what is unfolding,” Mr Miliband said. “The stories that people were telling me of medicines being blocked [and] children dying while waiting for vital life-saving treatment.” The Israelis have denied that there are any restrictions despite considerable evidence they have from charities like Physicians for Human Rights and Global Human Rights Clinic as well as a host of other NGOs and charities.
The US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has accused the Labour government of ‘Jew hate’ and that “they know no boundaries and and know no facts”. Strong stuff. A difficult claim to make as the Foreign Secretary is Jewish. The Times of Israel called his remarks ‘political positioning’ among other criticisms.
These are the familiar responses to any kind of criticism of Israel despite the mass of evidence of violence in the West Bank and Gaza.
Vigil
The 144th vigil took place yesterday (5th September) with around 25 in attendance. Filming has started of our video ‘Because …’ where we ask some participants why are they here. We will be continuing over the next few weeks running up to our 150th vigil.
The local MP, Mr John Glen has still not put in an appearance. We learned that one participant has written over 40 times to him yet has never received a reply. Mr Glen is a member the Conservative Friends of Israel lobby organisation. He has never mentioned the vigils in his weekly column courtesy of the Salisbury Journal. An MP is elected to represent all his or her constituents not just those who agree with them.
Double standards?
An enormous fuss was made last week over a Channel 4 film showing Reform party aids soliciting foreign donations which are illegal under electoral law. The undercover filming appeared to show the two of them seeking to conceal the source of foreign donations to make them appear as though they were from the UK. Two have been relieved of their posts. Yet there is no equivalent fuss of the huge amount of money the Israeli government has poured into its lobbying and the effect it has had on the attitudes of MPs towards the conflict. Background to James Orr can be seen here.
Around £1.5 million has been spent by the Israeli government on its parliamentary lobbying and it is thought that 180 MPs are members of the various party’s friends groups. This raises the obvious question ‘who are they representing?’ How can a member of parliament be such a friend and claim to be an impartial judge of both British interests and what is right in the Middle East and for Israel? Where do their loyalties lie?
Picture: courtesy of Peter Gloyns.
The next vigil is on 12th September at 5pm.
Sources: Times of Israel, Independent, MSN, Ha’aretz.
