Labour remains complicit in Israel’s war crimes despite partial arms suspension, briefing reveals
LABOUR remains complicit in Israel’s war crimes despite imposing a partial arms suspension, a briefing from the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) has revealed.
The government suspended 30 export licences to Israel out of about 350 last month.
But the briefing by CAAT highlights that crucial elements have been excluded, including components for F-35 combat aircraft.
F-35 components are exempt if not sent directly to Israel, despite evidence that they have been used in violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
On the same day the suspension was announced, Danish NGO Danwatch revealed that an F-35 was used to drop bombs in an attack on a “safe zone” on Al-Mawasi in Khan Younis, killing 90 people.
CAAT warns this attack likely violated IHL.
Britain makes 15 per cent of all F-35s, with CAAT estimating the value of British components in the 39 planes delivered to Israel since 2016 at about £360 million — almost three times the value of other aircraft-related licences to Israel in the same period.
The F-35 is the largest and most important part of Britain’s arms trade with Israel and exports are made through an open licence, often excluded from media reporting as its financial value isn’t attached.
Freedom of information requests by CAAT revealed that the use of the Open General Export Licence for F-35 spare parts to Israel nearly tripled in 2023.
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Rebellion looks fun. Tower Bridge was shut yesterday by protestors associated with different groups including Youth Demand, Prayers for Gaza, Pal Pulse, Thanet for Palestine and Ealing Friends of Palestine. They demand that the UK Government stops arming Israel by imposing an arms embargo.
A spokesperson for Ealing Friends of Palestine said
“We took action in response to the horrifying images of civilians being burned alive, starved, and kept under siege — particularly in northern Gaza. We aim to cause as much disruption as possible to hit those in power where it hurts — financially. It is time for the UK government to stop arming this colonial regime.”
Pro-Palestine journalist Asa Winstanley’s home raided by British counterterror police
… [C]ounterterrorism forces raided Winstanley’s home in London, seizing electronic devices used in his work. Although Winstanley was not arrested, the equipment was confiscated by the police. …
Original article republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.
British authorities targeted journalist Asa Winstanley in a counterterrorism raid, marking the latest crackdown on journalists opposing Israel’s occupation of Palestine and its ongoing genocide in Gaza
Journalist with the Electronic Intifada Asa Winstanley is one of the latest targets of British authorities cracking down on activists and journalists opposing Israel’s genocide in Gaza. On Thursday, October 17, counterterrorism forces raided Winstanley’s home in London, seizing electronic devices used in his work. Although Winstanley was not arrested, the equipment was confiscated by the police.
The operation was based on the heavily criticized 2006 Terrorism Act, whose broad provisions can be easily misused to stifle discussion on controversial topics, the editors of The Electronic Intifada said in a statement. Media workers’ trade unions have already warned that applying the law to journalists will have a chilling effect on press freedom and free speech.
Winstanley was told he was being investigated for “encouragement of terrorism,” a charge human rights associations have previously criticized for being too vague and opening the door to the suppression of free speech. The police informed Winstanley that the raid was triggered by material he shared on social media.
Read more: Pro-Palestine activists are under attack in Europe
Editors of the renowned pro-Palestine outlet described the action against Winstanley as the “latest use by British authorities of repressive ‘counterterrorism’ legislation to crack down on journalists and activists involved in reporting on or protesting Israel’s crimes.” Previously, journalists like Richard Medhurst and Palestine solidarity activists Mick Napier, Tony Greenstein, and Sarah Wilkinson, among others, were targeted by the authorities over speeches made at rallies and opinions expressed on social media.
Several activists from Palestine Action involved in direct action against companies complicit in Israel’s crimes, including Elbit Systems, have also been detained by British police on alleged terrorism charges over recent months. Like in Winstanley’s case, “counterterrorism powers are being used to raid, arrest, and imprison pro-Palestine activists and journalists,” according to Palestine Action.
Winstanley has been a vocal critic of Britain’s complicity in the occupation of Palestine, with his investigations covering the Labour Party’s links with the Israel lobby. As a result, he has faced legal threats from the party, which is currently in power in the UK and has promoted the criminalization of solidarity with Palestine since winning the election.
“The raid on Winstanley’s home is clearly intended to intimidate and silence him, as well as other journalists and activists,” concluded The Electronic Intifada.
Original article republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.
NHS buildings ‘falling apart’ as government sidesteps urgent funding issues
CAMPAIGNERS slammed the government for “not talking seriously” about health service funding today, after it emerged that the bill to fix crumbling NHS buildings has soared while patients and staff are left in harm’s way.
New figures show that the cost to eradicate NHS repairs in England jumped to £13.8 billion in 2023, up by a fifth compared to the previous year.
Costs amounting to £3bn were attributed to “high-risk” repairs, which could cause injury if left unaddressed.
NHS Providers deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery said: “Vital bits of the NHS are literally falling apart after years of underinvestment nationally.
“The safety of patients and staff is at risk.
“The list of essential repairs across the NHS waiting to be done keeps getting longer and the costs are rocketing.”
The spiralling maintenance backlog outstrips the cost of running the NHS estate itself, which also increased by 11 per cent to £13.6bn.
King’s Fund chief executive Sarah Woolnough said the backlog has grown due to the “repeated raiding” of capital budgets to shore up day-to-day running costs, coupled with “short-term sticking plaster solutions.”
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