… on a quiet day, I can hear her breathing

Category: Israel

  • How Gaza’s genocide is reshaping US domestic politics

    Spread the love

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

    by Dr Mustafa Fetouri  MFetouri

    A large group of Jewish and Muslim demonstrators carrying banners and Palestinian flags march from Bryant Park toward the United Nations headquarters to protest the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump regarding the war in Gaza in New York, United States, on September 24, 2026. [Waleed Zein – Anadolu Agency]

    To claim that Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza has fundamentally changed the internal politics of the United States and the wider world might be an overstatement. But what cannot be overstated is a simple fact: Israel and its policies no longer enjoy the virtually unlimited approval and support in the US that they once taken for granted. At both the local and national levels, support for Israel has weakened significantly, while across Europe, too, political attitudes toward Israel have changed in ways that would have been difficult to imagine just three years ago.

    To see that change in Europe just consider the new position taken by the United Kingdom toward Israel, particularly over the occupied West Bank. In earlier September, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband accused Israeli settler terrorists of perpetrating ethnic cleansing against Palestinians and announced new measures targeting Israel’s settlement enterprise, including sanctions and a ban on imports. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who just two months before taking office, apologized for Labour’s initial response to the war on Gaza for being too slow to respond to Israel’s genocide. He has said Britain must put more pressure on the Israeli government and consider further sanctions. These are not the positions Britain was taking just a few years ago.

    In America it is even more evident that Israel is losing the support it once enjoyed. It would have been unthinkable just three years ago that large sections of the American public would challenge their government’s traditionally unconditional support for Israel.

    Opinion polls are showing a trend of negative opinion toward Israel. Last July, an Economist/YouGov poll found that 47 percent of Americans believed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was guilty of war crimes in Gaza, while 43 percent said Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians. Nearly half, 49 percent, said the US should arrest Netanyahu if he entered the country. Even more strikingly, a February 2026 Gallup poll found that 41 percent of Americans sympathized more with Palestinians in the Middle East conflict. From 2001 through 2025, Israelis had consistently enjoyed a double-digit advantage on this measure. In 2026, for the first time in Gallup’s long-running series, Palestinians moved ahead of Israelis in Americans’ sympathies.

    The change is visible beyond polling booths and political rallies.

    On September 24, Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon and Emmy-winning actress Hannah Einbinder were among more than 100 people arrested in New York during a protest against Netanyahu outside the United Nations, where demonstrators demanded an end to U.S. arms supplies to Israel.

    Hollywood star Mark Ruffalo was among more than 1,800 actors, entertainers and producers, including Nicolas Gage and Emma Stone, who signed a pledge to boycott Israeli film institutions over the war. What was once largely confined to the margins of American political debate has consequently become part of mainstream public discourse.

    READ: Satellite images reveal vast destruction across Gaza following Israel’s genocide

    Politically speaking, the shift is becoming increasingly visible at the grassroots level and in electoral contests across the US. One of the clearest examples is the rise of Zohran Mamdani, who defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic mayoral primary before going on to win the general election. Cuomo had made support for Israel one of the central issues of his campaign, while Mamdani was an outspoken critic of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and a supporter of Palestinian rights, going as far as to threaten to have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he came to New York. The ability of a candidate with such positions to win in New York — home to the largest Jewish population outside Israel — was itself politically significant. It indicates even Jewish people are not supporting Israeli actions.

    The same shift is visible in the growing difficulty faced by AIPAC, the most powerful pro-Israel lobby in the United States, and its affiliated groups in some Democratic primaries.

    In Michigan, AIPAC and its affiliated groups spent nearly $30 million backing pro Israel Representative, Haley Stevens, against progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a vocal critic of U.S. military aid to Israel. El-Sayed nevertheless won the Democratic Senate primary on August 4 by about 48.5% of the vote.

    The November midterm elections will provide a much broader test of whether this change in public opinion is beginning to translate into electoral politics.

    Furthermore, the shift has also begun to show itself inside Congress in ways that would have been extremely difficult to imagine only a few years ago. On July 15, the House of Representatives voted on an amendment that would have cut $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel from a broader national security spending bill. True the amendment failed but 103 Democrats and one Republican voted in favour of the cut. In other words, more than half of all House Democrats backed an effort to cut military aid to Israel — an extraordinary departure from the traditionally strong bipartisan support for Israel in Congress. The vote is significant because of the number of lawmakers prepared to break with the established position on U.S. military support for Israel. With the November midterm elections approaching, such a vote provides another indication that the political debate over Israel and U.S. support for it is no longer confined to the margins of American politics.

    What has changed in the US is not simply the intensity of criticism of Israel, but the political space in which it now operates. What was once largely treated as a settled pro-Israel bipartisan consensus is increasingly being challenged by voters, activists, candidates and members of Congress. The shift is visible in opinion polls, in the streets, in Democratic primaries and even on the floor of the House of Representatives. None of this means that support for Israel has disappeared from American politics; it plainly has not. But the political consensus surrounding it is no longer what it was. The November midterm elections will show whether this change in public opinion and political activism has become a lasting force in American electoral politics or just a temporary shift.

    Whatever the outcome of the midterms, however, it will be difficult for Israel to return to the position it once occupied in American public life — as a state that could count on being treated by much of American public opinion and the political establishment as virtually beyond criticism.

    It will be interesting to watch whether Democrats on the left who make it into the next Congress will use foreign policy, including U.S. support for Israel, as an issue in their dealings with pro-Israel Democrats and Republicans, including the president himself.

    OPINION: AI isn’t a future threat—it is already erasing Gaza

    The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.

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

    Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
    Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
    Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes' concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country's economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
    Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
    Ed Miliband claims that he and Andy Burnham have reformulated Blair's triangulation strategy. Their new formulation entails acknowledging that they were wrong on Israel and Palestine but entails doing absolutely nothing about it and continuing exactly the same policies hoping that you're too stupid to notice.
    Ed Miliband claims that he and Andy Burnham have reformulated Blair’s triangulation strategy. Their new formulation entails acknowledging that they were wrong on Israel and Palestine but entails doing absolutely nothing about it and continuing exactly the same policies hoping that you’re too stupid to notice.
    UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
    UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.

    Andy Burnham “stands by Israel”

  • Ed Miliband Says Brits Outraged Over Palestine ‘Were Right’

    Spread the love

    https://novaramedia.com/2026/09/28/ed-miliband-says-brits-outraged-over-palestine-were-right/

    Margaret, 94, holds a sign outside Labour party conference, 27 September 2026. Harriet Williamson/Novara Media

    But pensioners keep being arrested.

    Ed Miliband has admitted that millions of Brits outraged by the oppression of Palestinians were “right”, speaking the day after dozens of peaceful pro-Palestine protesters were arrested outside the Labour party conference. 

    Miliband used his conference speech in Liverpool on Monday to say to those “moved by the plight of the Palestinian people”: “We hear you. You were right.” His words received loud, sustained applause from the audience.

    … 

    Corbyn told Novara Media that Miliband is “right to vindicate those who spoke up for Palestine” but highlighted that “people are still being arrested for doing exactly that, including people outside the very conference hall in which he made that speech.”

    …

    Protesters, including pensioners, disabled people and a Church of England priest, held paper signs that read: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” Merseyside police confirmed they had arrested 82 people on suspicion of wearing or carrying an article supporting a proscribed organisation.

    …

    https://novaramedia.com/2026/09/28/ed-miliband-says-brits-outraged-over-palestine-were-right/

    Ed Miliband says that he and the Labour Party are full of shit criminalising people holding signs as criminals despite anything he says.
    Ed Miliband says that he and the Labour Party are full of shit criminalising people holding signs as criminals despite anything he says.

  • 4 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza despite ceasefire

    Spread the love

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

    Four Palestinians were killed and several others, including children, were injured in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday amid daily violations of a ceasefire agreement in effect since Oct. 10, 2025.

    A medical source at Al-Shifa Hospital told Anadolu that the bodies of two Palestinians and several injured people, including children, were brought to the hospital after an Israeli airstrike targeted an apartment in the Al-Nasr neighborhood west of Gaza City.

    According to an Anadolu correspondent, the strike targeted an apartment in the Al-Batoul building, killing two Palestinians and injuring several others, including children.

    Witnesses said an Israeli suicide drone carried out the strike after hovering over the area shortly before the attack.

    The strike caused panic among residents and sparked a fire in the apartment, which was completely destroyed, they said.

    Local sources identified the two Palestinians killed in the strike as Izz al-Din al-Beik and Muhannad Abu Foul.

    READ:3 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza despite US-backed truce 

    In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed that al-Beik was a commander of Hamas’ northern Gaza brigade.

    There was no immediate comment on the Israeli claim.

    In central Gaza, a Palestinian was killed by Israeli army gunfire on Salah al-Din Street east of Deir al-Balah, according to a medical source.

    Another Palestinian was killed in an Israeli strike targeting a group of people near the Al-Fakhoura clinic in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.

    Meanwhile, the Israeli army carried out a major demolition operation targeting buildings inside areas under its control east of Deir al-Balah, according to witnesses and local sources.

    Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement have killed 1,422 Palestinians and injured 4,996 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry on Tuesday.

    ​​​​​​​Since Oct. 8, 2023, Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and injured over 175,000 others, while around 90% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been destroyed.

    READ: 5 Palestinians killed in Israeli forces, occupier attacks in West Bank 

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

    Ed Miliband claims that he and Andy Burnham have reformulated Blair's triangulation strategy. Their new formulation entails acknowledging that they were wrong on Israel and Palestine but entails doing absolutely nothing about it and continuing exactly the same policies hoping that you're too stupid to notice.
    Ed Miliband claims that he and Andy Burnham have reformulated Blair’s triangulation strategy. Their new formulation entails acknowledging that they were wrong on Israel and Palestine but entails doing absolutely nothing about it and continuing exactly the same policies hoping that you’re too stupid to notice.
    UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
    UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.

    Andy Burnham “stands by Israel”

  • Turkish-Israeli rift grows irreversibly amid Israeli expansionism and aggression

    Spread the love

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

    by Ahmed Asmar

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R). [Photo/AA]

    The 81st United Nations General Assembly session once again exposed a diplomatic rupture that has been taking place for several years. In his address to the world body, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan deliberately refused to name Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a calculated diplomatic strategy that Turkish analysts describe as a “legal and moral quarantine” designed to strip the Israeli leader of any legitimacy or diplomatic standing. Instead, Erdoğan focused his remarks on Gaza, the Palestinians, and the dysfunction of the international system, calling for greater pressure on Israel and the recognition of Palestine as an independent state.

    Netanyahu, by contrast, responded with a direct and personal attack. From the UN podium, the Israeli prime minister called Erdoğan a “tyrant,” accused Turkiye of being “the latest country to become a super spreader of antisemitic lies,” and claimed Ankara hosts the Palestinian Hamas resistance group leadership. He further incited against Turkiye, accusing it of “illegally occupying northern Cyprus,” violating the rights of Greece, and seeking to govern Jerusalem. However, as he started his speech dozens of delegates walked out of the chamber, reflecting growing international outcry against him and his government policy whether in Palestine or in the entire region. 

    Erdoğan’s response was swift and unequivocal. Speaking in Istanbul, he declared that the place for “war criminals” is not the UN platform but the courtrooms where they stand trial for their crimes.

    The contrast in rhetorical strategy—one leader focused on the system and the principles, the other on personal attacks and aggressiveness—reflects a deeper divergence. The policies of each indicate that Ankara and Tel Aviv have reached an almost irreversible divergent point on every file of contention between them.

    Already collapsing bilateral ties

    The deterioration of Turkish-Israeli relations has moved far beyond diplomatic rhetoric. In August 2026, Turkiye’s Justice Ministry formally requested that Interpol issue a red notice for Netanyahu and another Israeli official, following arrest warrants issued by an Istanbul court on 14th July  2026, on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. The case stems from Israel’s armed interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters, which had set sail to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek stated that proceedings involve 35 defendants and that Ankara “will not allow the crimes committed in Gaza to be covered up or those responsible to be protected by a shield of impunity.” Furthermore, Turkiye also took economic measures against Israel, severing trade ties and closing its airspace to Israeli officials.

    On the other side, Israeli officials don’t hide their enmity and incitement against Turkiye, according to Israeli media, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich revealed that Israel has been working “openly and behind the scenes” to block the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkiye, stating that “Erdoğan’s access to weapons that would change the rules of the game must not be allowed.” Smotrich further claimed that “Erdoğan is a very dangerous man” and that “Turkiye, in its current state, is a very significant threat to Israel,” clearly adopting the language of an adversary.

    In a retaliatory move, Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and genocide in Gaza, ordered an official Israeli legal team this week to prepare a case against President Erdoğan over alleged Turkish policies against the Kurds and for hosting Hamas.

    Netanyahu has neither the standing as himself a fugitive from international justice nor the legal basis to sue on behalf of the Kurds. It is nothing but a further demonstration of how Israel and Netanyahu are obsessed with confronting Turkiye.

    READ: Turkiye rejects East-West divide, says Mecca defense pact not aimed at Iran or Israel: President

    Clashing over regional files

    The rift is most visible in the regional arenas where Turkish peace-building efforts directly collide with Israeli expansionism and aggression. 

    In Gaza, Turkiye has repeatedly expressed readiness to contribute to an international stabilization force, with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirming Ankara’s willingness to send troops as part of such a mission. Yet Israel has categorically rejected any Turkish role. Netanyahu declared that Israel would not permit Turkish or Qatari soldiers to participate in the International Stabilisation Force. Fidan later confirmed that Turkiye had received no request to deploy forces, attributing this to Israeli opposition. While Turkiye seeks to calm the situation and support reconstruction, Israel blocks every Turkish effort.

    In Syria, the dynamic is equally stark. Turkiye has invested heavily in supporting Syria’s transition and stability. Israel, by contrast, has expanded its military occupation in Syrian territory, including airstrikes on a military airbase near the Turkish border in August 2026, which Israeli officials claimed was intended to prevent Turkiye from expanding its military presence. The strike was widely interpreted as a direct message to Ankara that Israel will not tolerate Turkish influence in Syria. Netanyahu’s allegations that Turkiye sought to deploy troops in Syria—denied by both Ankara and Damascus—further illustrate the depth of Israeli hostility toward Turkish involvement in Syria.

    In Lebanon, Turkiye has expressed readiness to contribute to post-UNIFIL security arrangements once the UN mission’s mandate expires at the end of 2026. Erdoğan stated that Turkiye wants to participate in any plan to support regional security and guarantee Lebanese sovereignty after the international force withdraws. Yet Turkish analysts note that Israel is “very unlikely” to agree to any Turkish role, and that it would veto such a role for Ankara. Israel has made clear it will spend significant diplomatic pressure to distance Turkiye from any post-war security arrangements in Lebanon.

    On Cyprus, the confrontation takes a different but equally dangerous form. Israel has deepened its military partnership with Greece and the Greek Cypriot Administration (GCA), signing a 2026 military cooperation plan that includes joint naval and air exercises, training, and strategic dialogue. Greece has acquired Israeli missile systems worth billions of euros, including the €3.5 billion “Achilles Shield” air defense system, and has approved the purchase of 36 PULS artillery systems specifically to strengthen its defense along the border with Turkiye. A trilateral rapid reaction force involving Israel, Greece, and GCA has been discussed with the explicit aim of deterring Turkish military activities in the Eastern Mediterranean. By this move, Israel is effectively seeking to encircle Turkiye through different schemes and tactics.

    Conclusion: Recognizing the adversary

    It is clear that Israel is doing everything in its power to harm and confront Turkiye, and it is no longer hiding these policies. From lobbying against Turkish F-35 acquisition to bombing supposed “Turkish interests” in Syria, from vetoing Turkish participation in Gaza stabilisation to building a military bloc with Greece and GCA against Ankara, Israel treats and classifies Turkiye as a strategic obstacle that must be contained and weakened.

    Turkiye must recognise these adversarial policies and incitement for what they are, and to realise much more clearly that expansionist Israel – seeking to dominate the region – will go further in its hostility toward Turkiye.

    This is not a temporary dispute that can be resolved through diplomatic means or restrained by bilateral agreements. The trajectory of Israeli policy  points to an irreversible rift, whereby Israel would not stop from working against and harming all those it believes would stand against its expansionist designs in the region.

    The question is no longer whether such rift is limited or temporary, as it has almost reached a point of irreversibility, with Israel having chosen confrontation in every sphere, necessitating that Turkiye fully recognize this reality, react accordingly, and prepare for a future in which confrontation is not merely likely, but inevitable.

    OPINION: The Board of Peace: The same old prejudice and injustice of the US administration

    The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.

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

    Ed Miliband claims that he and Andy Burnham have reformulated Blair's triangulation strategy. Their new formulation entails acknowledging that they were wrong on Israel and Palestine but entails doing absolutely nothing about it and continuing exactly the same policies hoping that you're too stupid to notice.
    Ed Miliband claims that he and Andy Burnham have reformulated Blair’s triangulation strategy. Their new formulation entails acknowledging that they were wrong on Israel and Palestine but entails doing absolutely nothing about it and continuing exactly the same policies hoping that you’re too stupid to notice.
    UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
    UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.

    Andy Burnham “stands by Israel”

  • Gaza authorities report over 5,100 Israeli ceasefire violations, warn of ‘imminent catastrophe’ as winter approaches

    Spread the love

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

    Palestinian families living in Jabalia Refugee Camp in Jabalia, Gaza, Palestine, continue to struggle for survival in tents or atop the ruins of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes on September 26, 2026. [Mahmoud Abu Hamda – Anadolu Agency]

    Israel has committed 5,147 violations of the Gaza ceasefire agreement in effect since Oct. 10, 2025, killing 1,421 Palestinians, the Government Media Office said Tuesday, warning of an imminent humanitarian catastrophe and as winter approaches, Anadolu reports.

    “Humanitarian and relief conditions in the Gaza Strip had become dangerous and catastrophic, exposing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to deadly consequences,” the office said in a statement.

    It dismissed Israeli claims that ample supplies had been allowed into Gaza as “misleading.”

    “Israel permitted only 35% of the agreed number of trucks carrying humanitarian and relief aid and reconstruction materials to enter the enclave,” the office said. “Only 72,826 trucks were allowed to enter out of 210,600 humanitarian and relief trucks and trucks carrying reconstruction materials that were supposed to enter under the agreement.

    “Only 13,785 people had been able to leave or enter the enclave out of 35,000 who were expected to travel, representing a compliance rate of no more than 39%,” the office said.

    On Monday, updated imagery on Google Maps revealed a dramatic transformation of Gaza’s urban landscape, with destruction extending beyond individual buildings to entire residential blocks, leaving vast empty areas where densely populated neighborhoods once stood.

    READ: Satellite images reveal vast destruction across Gaza following Israel’s genocide

    A recent satellite assessment by the UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) found that more than 201,000 buildings, equivalent to 82% of all structures in the Gaza Strip, were damaged.

    Large numbers of Palestinians continue to live in tents, temporary shelters, or damaged buildings amid shortages of shelter materials and difficulties repairing homes before the rainy season.

    The UN estimates that 1.98 million Palestinians in Gaza require shelter-related assistance out of a population of about 2.1 million.

    Basic services also remain under severe strain. The UN estimates that 91% of households covered by recent assessments face moderate to severe water insecurity, while the health sector continues to operate at limited capacity because of damage to hospitals and shortages of equipment and supplies.

    Recovery efforts are continuing despite the lingering effects of the war and casualties reported after the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, 2025.

    Since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed more than 74,000 people and injured over 175,000 in a genocidal war that has also left the entire Gaza Strip in ruins.

    ​​​​​​​In August, an independent Palestinian committee tasked with managing Gaza’s affairs held a meeting with UN agencies to coordinate early recovery plans and identify priority interventions as part of efforts to move from an emergency humanitarian response toward restoring services and rebuilding the enclave.

    READ: UN warns Israeli restrictions, funding gaps hamper Gaza winter preparations

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

    Ed Miliband claims that he and Andy Burnham have reformulated Blair's triangulation strategy. Their new formulation entails acknowledging that they were wrong on Israel and Palestine but entails doing absolutely nothing about it and continuing exactly the same policies hoping that you're too stupid to notice.
    Ed Miliband claims that he and Andy Burnham have reformulated Blair’s triangulation strategy. Their new formulation entails acknowledging that they were wrong on Israel and Palestine but entails doing absolutely nothing about it and continuing exactly the same policies hoping that you’re too stupid to notice.
    UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
    UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.

    Andy Burnham “stands by Israel”