genocide

France Asks Top Prosecutor to Probe Alleged Israeli Abuse of Gaza Flotilla Members

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Article by Brett Wilkins republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Global Sumud Flotilla member Meriem Hadjal speaks to the press after arriving at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris on May 22, 2026. (Photo by Firas Abdullah/Anadolu via Getty Images)

French nationals and people from dozens of countries who were abducted from the Global Sumud Flotilla say they were beaten, tortured, and sexually assaulted by their Israeli captors.

France’s government on Friday asked prosecutors to investigate Israel’s alleged mistreatment of French nationals aboard the last Global Sumud Flotilla, which was intercepted earlier this month in international waters while trying to break the illegal decadeslong Israeli blockade of Gaza.

“Based on ⁠a report I requested from our Consul General in Turkey—who informed me of sexual violence, exposure to the cold, beatings, and repeated humiliation of French nationals—all of these acts are likely to constitute criminal offenses,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said during an interview with France Inter, adding, “I decided yesterday to refer the matter to the public prosecutor.”

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Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir smiles as a flotilla activist is humiliated

‘Way Out of Line’: 15+ Countries Slam Israel’s ‘Intolerable’ Abuse of Gaza Flotilla Abductees

'Yet Another Act of Piracy': Israel Raids Humanitarian Flotilla Bound for Gaza

‘Yet Another Act of Piracy’: Israel Raids Humanitarian Flotilla Bound for Gaza

The move follows France’s indefinite ban from its territory of far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who posted a video on social media showing him joyfully humiliating detained activists, journalists, and others who were mostly kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs and their foreheads forced to the ground following the May 18 interception of flotilla vessels off the coast of Cyprus and the abduction of all aboard.

“We cannot tolerate that French nationals can be threatened, intimidated, or brutalized in this way—all the more so by a public official,” Barrot said last week.

People from around 40 countries—including 37 French nationals—were seized from dozens of flotilla vessels and held in harsh conditions on what many of them called a “torture boat.”

According to Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF): “Detained humanitarians, doctors, and journalists were processed one by one through a darkened shipping container. Inside, groups of three to five soldiers systematically brutalized each person who came through the door while those waiting outside listened to the screams.”

French medical professional Meriem Hadjal said she was “subjected to torture” in the container, where at least one Israeli soldier allegedly sexually assaulted her.

“We were treated like animals,” Hadjal added, accusing her Israeli captors of “sadism.”

GSF said Tuesday that “legal proceedings are now active in Turkey, Italy, and Spain, with Italian prosecutors opening an investigation into kidnapping and sexual assault” of flotilla members.

Numerous national governments condemned Israel’s treatment of the flotilla abductees, including the United States. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said that Ben-Gvir “betrayed the dignity” of his nation, which receives billions of dollars in annual armed aid and diplomatic cover from the United States to carry out what many experts say is a genocidal war on Gaza.

Malaysia is reportedly preparing to initiate proceedings against Israel at the International Court of Justice over the abduction and alleged torture of its citizens, 29 of whom were aboard the flotilla. The ICJ is currently weighing a genocide case against Israel filed by South Africa and formally supported by nearly 20 nations.

“We will not remain silent, we will not stop. While the legal team gathers all documentation on violations of international law; they were kidnapped more than once, they were tortured,” Amirudin Shari, chief minister of the Malaysian state of Selangor, said during a homecoming ceremony for the flotilla members at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Israeli troops have physically and psychologically tortured past flotilla abductees. Dozens of members of the previous Global Sumud mission required medical attention for broken ribs, noses, and other injuries inflicted by Israeli forces. In 2010, Israeli troops killed nine activists aboard one of the first-ever Gaza flotillas, including Turkish-American teenager Furkan Doğan.

As some countries pursue justice for flotilla members, others have declined to act. In the United Kingdom, Zarah Sultana, who represents Coventry South for the socialist Your Party in Parliament, is demanding “urgent action” in the wake of abuse allegations made by British flotilla abductees.

“France is acting. Spain is showing leadership. Where is the UK government?” Sultana said Friday on X. “Nothing but a simp for Israel, a genocidal apartheid state.”

Article by Brett Wilkins republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Continue ReadingFrance Asks Top Prosecutor to Probe Alleged Israeli Abuse of Gaza Flotilla Members

Israel Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud

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Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Continue ReadingIsrael Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud

Revealed: How Britain weaponised terrorism laws against activists

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https://www.declassifieduk.org/revealed-how-britain-weaponised-terrorism-laws-against-activists/

Five of the six Palestine Action activists tried in the first Filton case outside Woolwich Crown Court (Photo: Alamy)
  • Activists could be sentenced as terrorists despite not being convicted of terrorism
  • Documents suggest “terrorism connection” was added to cases to help justify proscription of Palestine Action
  • Authorities refuse to say when criminal damage crosses threshold into terrorism
  • Intelligence report indicates actions costing over £1m could be treated as terrorism
  • Arms companies could be incentivised to inflate protest-related damage costs to aggravate charges
  • Palestine Action ban could be overturned next month

Four activists could be sentenced as terrorists next month despite not being convicted of terrorism offences.

…

During the trial, a jury was asked to decide whether the defendants were guilty of criminal charges but not allowed to know there was also a “terrorism connection”.

The 12-panel jury was also not permitted to hear why the defendants chose to target the Israeli arms firm, stripping the action of all context – namely the genocide in Gaza.

It is now up to the presiding judge to decide whether to sentence the activists with a “terrorism connection” – and, if he does, the ramifications will be enormous.

Unlike most prisoners in the UK who serve around 40 percent of their sentences, they would have to serve their full terms unless they can convince a parole board that they have “reformed” after serving at least two-thirds of it.

Once released, they could be treated as terrorists for decades.

And this could all happen without a jury ever finding them guilty of any terrorist offence, marking the first case where activists risk prosecution under terrorism provisions.

…

Article continues at https://www.declassifieduk.org/revealed-how-britain-weaponised-terrorism-laws-against-activists/

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingRevealed: How Britain weaponised terrorism laws against activists

Trump’s Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ in collapse as fund receives ‘zero dollars’ from donors

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

US President Donald Trump attends the Board of Peace session held as part of the 56th World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland on January 22, 2026. [Harun Özalp – Anadolu Agency]

Donald Trump’s self-styled Board of Peace for Gaza is facing a deepening crisis after its official reconstruction fund failed to receive any donor money, despite $17 billion in pledged support, raising fresh questions over whether the US-backed body is little more than a hollow political project.

According to the Financial Times, the World Bank-administered fund established for the board has received no donor contributions four months after its creation. One person familiar with the matter said: “Zero dollars have been deposited.” The failure comes despite member states pledging $7 billion for a Gaza “relief package”, while Trump promised a further $10 billion in US funding.

Gaza vanishing: Trump’s Board of Peace

Instead of using the World Bank mechanism, which is endorsed by the UN and subject to reporting requirements, donations have reportedly been directed through a JPMorgan account. The arrangement has raised serious concerns, as no independent disclosure rules appear to apply to the private account.

A Board of Peace official told the Financial Times that “a number of options were established to receive funding” and that contributors had chosen “other options”. The official added that the board would report its finances to its own executive board, made up of Trump administration officials and advisers, “at a time deemed appropriate”.

The limited funds that have been provided appear to have done little to address Gaza’s devastation. Morocco’s $20 million contribution has reportedly helped fund the office of Nickolay Mladenov, the board’s “high representative” for post-war Gaza, and salaries for the Palestinian technocratic committee formed to govern the Strip. A separate $100 million UAE contribution intended to train a new Gaza police force has not been used, with the programme yet to begin and the funds frozen.

Nor has promised US funding materialised on the ground. The US State Department intends to redirect around $1.2 billion in aid spending towards projects linked to the board’s agenda, but the money has not yet been spent and would not be managed directly by the board.

Read: Trump’s Gaza ‘peace’ board in turmoil as funding pledges fail to materialise

A senior congressional aide said none of the money had gone to the board and that “there’s no intent” for it to be managed by the body. A further $50 million intended to fund board operations has also not been distributed, pending financial controls and systems required to receive US funds.

Revelations in the FT is likely to be seen as further evidence of a bankrupt Trump policy. The president had presented the board as one of the “most consequential” international organisations ever created, while his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, promoted glossy visions of a futuristic, AI-powered Gaza with luxury developments. Yet an EU, UN and World Bank survey estimated that Gaza’s reconstruction will require more than $70 billion over the next decade.

The board has also failed to move beyond planning. Although it has begun tendering for security and reconstruction work, no contracts have been awarded.

The legal basis of the board remains equally unclear. US lawmakers have pressed the Trump administration for answers about its status and operations, including whether it qualifies as an international organisation eligible to receive US funds.

The uncertainty has also alarmed would-be contractors. One would be contractor reported in the FT asked: “Who is responsible for Gaza? What law is applicable in Gaza?” Others involved in planning questioned what happens when the board’s supposed role as a “transitional administration” expires.

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump explains why he established his Bored of Peace
Donald Trump explains why he established his Bored of Peace
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.

Continue ReadingTrump’s Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ in collapse as fund receives ‘zero dollars’ from donors

Pro-Israel cash goes undercover as US voters turn against Israel

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Pro-Palestinian Jewish American demonstrators rally outside the Manhattan headquarters of Pro-Israel lobbying group American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the offices of Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, who accept donations from the group on February 22, 2024 in New York City, United States. [Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images]

Pro-Israel donors linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) are reportedly using new, innocuous-sounding fundraising vehicles to direct money to favoured candidates in high-stakes Democratic primaries, as support for Israel becomes increasingly toxic in US politics.

According to details reviewed by The Lever, a newly formed joint fundraising committee, Better Blue Fund is one of the groups using weakened campaign finance rules to act as a “one-stop shop” for contributions from some of the pro-Israel lobby’s largest longtime donors. More than $250,000 has been raised by the fund in under two months for Democratic candidates who have faced scrutiny over their support for military aid to Israel or past links to pro-Israel groups.

The committee is currently supporting former Utah congressman Ben McAdams, New York representatives Adriano Espaillat and Dan Goldman and Missouri representative Wesley Bell, all of whom face contested primaries. It is also fundraising for representatives Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Grace Meng of New York, Steve Cohen of Tennessee and Jeremy Moss, a Democratic challenger in Michigan’s 11th District. All eight candidates are currently endorsed by pro-Israel groups or have been in the past.

The Better Blue Fund was formed in March as a joint fundraising committee, a structure which allows multiple candidates to raise funds collectively and attract larger contributions from wealthy donors. Critics say such vehicles can obscure the political interests behind the money, particularly when the committee’s name gives no indication of a pro-Israel agenda.

In one example cited in the report, pro-Israel contributions appear to have been routed through a more discreet channel. McAdams was publicly endorsed by Democratic Majority for Israel in 2020 and received $5,000 from its PAC, but this year the group has offered no public endorsement or direct financial support.

Instead, the Better Blue Fund is backing his campaign, as he faces criticism from progressive rival Nate Blouin over his past support for unrestricted US military aid to Israel. As a congressman, McAdams voted with pro-Israel groups on military funding, opposed boycotts of Israel and joined congressional delegations to the occupation state.

The fund’s donor list also highlights the depth of its links to the pro-Israel donor network. It has reportedly raised nearly $300,000 from pro-Israel donors, including $28,000 from financier Jonathan Jacobson, who gave $2.5 million in 2024 to AIPAC’s super PAC, United Democracy Project. Rob Stavis, a partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, contributed $24,500 to the Better Blue Fund after giving $50,000 to Democratic Majority for Israel in 2024. Its largest reported contribution so far is $31,500 from investor Erich Mindich, who gave $250,000 to Democratic Majority for Israel in the last cycle.

The beginning of the end of unshakeable support: Why US public opinion is turning away from Israel

The report notes that once the Better Blue Fund distributes money to participating candidates, the donations will appear in campaign filings under the fund’s name, rather than clearly identifying the donors’ wider pro-Israel affiliations. This has raised concerns that the new model gives AIPAC-aligned donors a way to support pro-Israel candidates while shielding them from the backlash increasingly attached to the lobby’s brand.

A similar strategy is said to have appeared in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, where a new PAC called the Center for Democratic Priorities, with no prior campaign history, reportedly spent $5.3 million on ads supporting congresswoman Haley Stevens shortly after AIPAC promoted her to donors in a fundraising email. Registration documents reportedly showed that the PAC shared a treasurer with other pro-Israel groups and used the same strategy firm employed by such groups to place the ad buy.

The apparent shift comes as opinion polls show Israel losing support among the American public. A Pew Research Center survey in April found that 53 per cent of US adults held an unfavourable view of Israel, up from 42 per cent in 2022. Gallup reported in July that only 32 per cent of Americans approved of Israel’s military action in Gaza, while 60 per cent disapproved, the lowest level of support Gallup had recorded since it began asking the question in November 2023.

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ...
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone …
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.

Continue ReadingPro-Israel cash goes undercover as US voters turn against Israel