Human rights
The US Should Only Support a Multiethnic, Nonsectarian Israel
Whether or not it sways Netanyahu, we should certainly withhold military funding now and make our support contingent on clearly stated humanitarian objectives and an ultimate governing framework that conforms to our ideas of justice....
The Australian Parliament fails to uphold international law preventing genocide in Gaza
The Australian Parliament failed to recognise its responsibilities last week when Greens Leader Adam Bandt, responding to the International Court of Justice interim ruling to prevent genocide, initiated a vote for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Australians are indebted to human rights champions Adam Bandt, Elizabeth Watson Brown, Stephen Bates, Max Chandler-Mather, Helen Haines and Continue reading »
When open justice is an optional ingredient
I had been assuming that Julian Assange, whose case comes up for adjudication in the British Courts soon, was a shoo-in for being Australia’s prisoner of conscience of the decade, but a late entry into the competition is Michael Pezzullo, who appears to have been condemned by an Australian Star Chamber convening in secret, without Continue reading »
How Britain is Helping Israel to Bomb Gaza, with Matt Kennard
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The MintPress podcast, “The Watchdog,” hosted by British-Iraqi hip hop artist Lowkey, closely examines organizations about which it is in the public interest to know – including intelligence, lobby and special interest groups influencing policies that infringe on free speech and target dissent. “The Watchdog” goes against the grain by casting a light on stories largely ignored by the mainstream, corporate media.
Even after more than 100 days of genocidal attacks on Gaza, the Israeli assault continues to rage. The onslaught itself is very well documented by courageous Palestinian journalists who risk their lives daily. However, the role of Western governments in all this is not nearly as widely reported.
One outlet that has tried to buck this trend is Declassified UK, which has constantly shone a light on the activities of Great Britain and the United States in enabling the genocidal attack.
Joining “The Watchdog” today to talk about this issue is returning guest Matt Kennard, a writer and investigative journalist for Declassified UK. Kennard has broken several stories about secret British collaboration and support for Israeli actions, which he will discuss today. Previously, he worked as a reporter for The Financial Times and was a fellow and a director of the Center For Investigative Journalism in London. His latest book is “Silent Coup: How Corporations Overthrew Democracy.”
Even with the war in Iraq, Kennard noted, the Bush and Blair administrations spoke the language of freedom and democracy. But the Israeli government constantly announces its intent in plain language to ethnically cleanse Gaza of more than two million Palestinians. “And yet still, our governments don’t say a word of criticism against it,” he said, adding:
And not only our governments but the oppositions in both the U.S. and the U.K… So there is no mainstream anti-genocide party. And that’s a wake-up call for all of us. We need to change the system from top to bottom. This is a red line. If we don’t make it a red line, we lose our humanity.”
On October 13, the U.K. government announced it was deploying a wide range of military assets to the Eastern Mediterranean area, including spy planes and 1,000 troops. From its military bases in Cyprus, the British military has been flying large numbers of supply flights to Israel, helping sustain the Israeli attack. As Kennard noted, in December 2020, the U.K. government signed a secret military agreement with Israel that likely commits it to “defending” the apartheid state if it comes under attack.
Britain’s military hub in the region is RAF Akrotiri, a vast, sprawling military compound in southern Cyprus. It is not only the center of British imperialism in the Mediterranean but is also home to more than 120 U.S. airmen and hosts of spies from the N.S.A. From there, both countries project their power across the Middle East, Europe, and North Africa.
But even as the British government supports Israel, the Israeli state is attempting to penetrate and interfere in U.K. politics. In 2019, Alan Duncan revealed that he was blocked from becoming Middle East Minister in Theresa May’s cabinet at the behest of the Israelis because of his mildly pro-Palestine positions. The Conservative Friends of Israel – which acts as a front group for the Israeli state – wields enormous power within the party, including the ability to make and break political careers.
The Labour Party is also deeply connected to Israel, to the point where Israeli lobbyists have funded 40% of Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet. This kind of “entrenched espionage” eats away at and makes a mockery of the idea of British democracy, Kennard told Lowkey today.
Lowkey is a British-Iraqi hip-hop artist, academic and political campaigner. As a musician, he has collaborated with the Arctic Monkeys, Wretch 32, Immortal Technique and Akala. He is a patron of Stop The War Coalition, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Racial Justice Network and The Peace and Justice Project, founded by Jeremy Corbyn. He has spoken and performed on platforms from the Oxford Union to the Royal Albert Hall and Glastonbury. His latest album, Soundtrack To The Struggle 2, featured Noam Chomsky and Frankie Boyle and has been streamed millions of times.
The post How Britain is Helping Israel to Bomb Gaza, with Matt Kennard appeared first on MintPress News.
Jewish former S African MP Feinstein will stand against Starmer in Holborn St Pancras
OCISA selects candidate to fight for ‘Labour leader’s seat at next parliamentary election
Andrew Feinstein speaking at the ‘Stop Starmer’ initiative in London’s Conway Hall last year
The OCISA group formed with the aim of ousting so-called ‘Labour leader’ Keir Starmer has selected Corruption Watch UK director Andrew Feinstein, a Jewish former South African MP and adviser to Nelson Mandela, to stand against Starmer in Holborn and St Pancras in the next general election. Feinstein now lives in the seat.
Feinstein. the son of Holocaust survivors, has a long record of substance and principle that stands in stark contrast to his ‘broken every promise’ opponent, who is known as a ‘long-time servant of the security state’ and became known as the ‘kid starver’ after breaking promises to end the hated ‘universal credit’ benefit system and saying he would not end Tory benefit cuts that have put hundreds of thousands of children into poverty and hunger.
Feinstein has also consistently stood against Israel’s apartheid and genocide in Gaza, arguing that the same tactics his ANC party in South Africa used to bring down apartheid there must be used against Israel and pointing his social media followers to information about Israel’s slaughter of innocents. Starmer, in contrast, has said Israel has the ‘right’ even to impose the blockade on Gaza that is causing horrific starvation and disease.
Despite Labour’s significant majority in previous elections in the seat, the candidacy of someone with such substance and track record must be seen as a threat to Starmer’s position, particularly in a seat where one in six voters are Muslims and even more so in the light of South Africa’s leading role in the fight against the Gaza genocide – and soon against the UK’s complicity. The campaign is likely to be supported by large numbers of people from the constituency and around the UK, who are outraged at Starmer’s complicity in genocide and his abetting of the Tories’ assault on our rights and freedoms in the UK.
Starmer and his team are said to be ‘raging’ at the news and deeply concerned:
Those who wish to donate to Feinstein’s campaign fund can do so here.
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Labour group passes motion demanding Starmer stop supporting Israel’s crimes
Vote comes after THREE unanimous CLP votes demanding party calls for ceasefire
A protest outside Labour’s HQ demanding the party stop siding with the occupiers
The Abbey Wood Labour party in Thamesmead and Erith has passed a motion condemning Keir Starmer’s support for Israel’s war crimes – and demanding that the party respect the International Court of Justice’s ruling against Israel.
The motion reads:
ABBEY WOOD BRANCH MOTION
This branch/constituency notes the interim report of the the International Court of Justice, that there is plausible evidence that Israel is committing genocidal acts.
Considering this countries like the U.S and the UK, are complicit by virtue of the fact that they are supplying Israel with the weapons and military intelligence, that makes this possible.
It is blatantly obvious that the Tory government is guilty of supporting, and continues to support, despite the ICJ interim decision, Israel’s heinous crimes.
The leadership of the Labour Party has adopted an unacceptable position in relation to this issue, supporting the government and therefore Israel.
In view of the ICJ interim decision, and the fact that Labour are likely to form a new government later this year, we call on the leadership of the Labour Party:
- To recognize the implications of the ICJ’s interim report, condemn Israel’s war crimes and support the call for an immediate ceasefire.
- If elected, to commit to halting all UK weapons sales to Israel .
(If this motion is passed to be conveyed to the all NEC members)
The latest motion comes hot on the heels of a meeting by the constituency-wide party that voted unanimously to support three separate motions demanding that the party support a ceasefire in Gaza.
Labour is losing ground rapidly in nearby East London because of Starmer’s enthusiasm for Israel’s genocide and the regime’s anti-democratic manoeuvres.
SKWAWKBOX needs your help. The site is provided free of charge but depends on the support of its readers to be viable. If you’d like to help it keep revealing the news as it is and not what the Establishment wants you to hear – and can afford to without hardship – please click here to arrange a one-off or modest monthly donation via PayPal or here to set up a monthly donation via GoCardless (SKWAWKBOX will contact you to confirm the GoCardless amount). Thanks for your solidarity so SKWAWKBOX can keep doing its job.
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Australian authorities breach UN Convention on rights of a child
Any Australian parent and grandparent would be aghast by the actions of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Victoria Police involving an investigation into a 13 year old autistic boy who was charged in 2022 with terrorism offences. The boy had an IQ of 71. During questioning before a senate inquiry, the AFP argued the Continue reading »
An opportunity for parliamentarians to work for peace
“If wars can be started with lies, peace can be started with truth,” Julian Assange: Petition EN5846 to the House of Representatives calls on the Australian government to suspend Australia’s ‘autonomous sanctions’ on Syria. A considered, conscientious response to the petition could have major implications for Australia’s foreign and defence policies. The US-led unilateral coercive Continue reading »
Woman walking 450 miles to fund legal costs of Israeli pro-Palestine activist
Lucy Boyle hopes to raise tens of thousands of pounds for Palestine Action activist Ronnie Barkan, who was convicted at Bristol Crown Court
Activist Lucy Boyle is hiking 450 miles in an attempt to raise funds to cover the legal costs of an Israeli Palestine Action activist facing a potential custodial sentence for defending Palestinian lives.
Ronnie Barkan, a co-founder of Israeli BDS group Boycott from Within, was convicted on Monday, alongside Stavit Sinai, Eliza Sarson-Diment, Archie Sadler, Finton Owens, Jarvey Georgson and Paul Shortt on one count of burglary and one count of criminal damage, after damaging equipment and spray-painting ‘Free Palestine’ at a factory owned by Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems, who produces weapons used against Palestinians. The UK government has intensified its legal pursuit of Palestine Action in an attempt to quell protest, in both prosecutions and intimidatory arrests.
Barkan’s own crowdfund has raised £24,000 of the £50,000 costs he faces. Ms Boyle is hoping to cover the remainder.
Her fundraising page says of Barkan:
He has given his life in pursuit of Palestinian freedom and universal human rights, co-founding the Boycott From Within movement in Israel amongst many inspirational campaigns and actions. Many of these have led to repeated arrest, imprisonment and at times violent suppression.
Israeli dissidents are amongst the strongest, most noble of people and deserve the highest level of solidarity.
I am planning an approx 450 mile hike across Northern Spain to try and raise funds to help Ronnie pay his £50,000 legal fees as a result of this trial. Please sponsor this hike not only for Palestine and Ronnie but for all people in the world who resist what is clearly and fundamentally wrong.
Even historical figures involved in direct action will have at times felt daunted when faced with the damaging outcomes of their activism at huge personal expense. I hope that this hike and any money raised will show anyone brave enough to resist that there is solidarity. That they matter to us and that what they do matters to the world. No donation is too small.
In a 2023 video, Barkan explained why he takes action against Elbit and Israeli apartheid:
The group will be sentenced on 22 March. The crowdfund page can be found here.
Journalist shreds Campbell’s denial he derided young people for Gaza outrage
Cockerell posts video of Campbell’s speech after WMD ‘dodgy dossier’ architect tries to deflect criticism
Alastair Campbell during his speech
A journalist has shredded former Blair adviser Alastair Campbell’s denial that he derided young people outraged at Keir Starmer’s support for Israel’s war crimes – by the simple step of posting video of his speech.
Campbell had taken exception to a post by left activist @ToryFibs pointing out his mockery of young people:
But Claudia Cockerell, who authored the article to which ToryFibs had referred, politely shot down Campbell by posting the video of the section of his speech in which he said young voters should ‘get off their high horse and vote’ for the so-called ‘Labour leader’ whose only unbroken promise has been his support for Israel even when it is buys slaughtering tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians in its genocide in Gaza:
And the article in full
https://t.co/huaW936FRg— Claudia Cockerell (@claudcockerell) February 6, 2024
In fact, Cockerell’s comments didn’t go far enough. Campbell, the architect of the false ‘weapons of mass destruction’ claims under Blair that led to the deaths of a hundreds of thousands of people in Iraq, claimed that Keir Starmer was right to refuse to call for a ceasefire – when hundreds are being added daily to the 100,000+ people, mostly women and children, murdered and maimed by Israel – because he should save his ‘political capital’ and that’s why young people should ‘get off their high horse’.
There are much pithier things that could be said in response to that kind of cynical, sneering nonsense.
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If you wish to republish this post for non-commercial use, you are welcome to do so – see here for more.