Zionism

Amnesty International protests German chancellor’s upcoming visit to Israel

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Amnesty International stage a protest against German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s upcoming visit to Israel at Pariser Platz in Berlin, Germany on December 5, 2025. [Halil Sağırkaya – Anadolu Agency]

Amnesty International staged a demonstration in central Berlin on Friday to protest German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s planned weekend visit to Israel amid ongoing war crimes in Gaza, Anadolu reports.

Human rights activists gathered at Pariser Platz, placing a tank replica in front of the Brandenburg Gate to demand an end to German arms exports to Israel. They carried banners reading “Weapons are not welcoming gifts for war criminals” and “No weapons for war crimes in Gaza.”

Katja Muller-Fahlbusch, a Middle East and North Africa expert at Amnesty International, criticized Merz’s decision to visit Israel despite the Israeli government’s genocidal policies in Gaza and its violations of international law.

“We are protesting here today to say clearly and loudly, no business as usual with Israel,” Muller-Fahlbusch told Anadolu.

“The trip by Chancellor Merz sends a signal as if everything were normal in Gaza, as if the situation had calmed down. But people continue to suffer, the genocide continues, Israel’s war crimes continue, day after day, and that is what we are protesting against.”

The Amnesty activist also criticized the Merz government for lifting restrictions on arms exports to Israel, saying Germany should respect its international obligations and impose a complete arms embargo against Israel.

READ: Germany urges Israel to stop settlement construction in West Bank ahead of Merz-Netanyahu meeting

“It is a scandal that Mr. Merz is meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” she said. “Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He belongs in The Hague. This is not the moment to shake hands with him.”

Amid growing public pressure, Merz ordered restrictions on arms exports to Israel in August. However, he lifted these restrictions last month, citing the October 10 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Merz, a strong supporter of Israel, has repeatedly emphasized Germany’s historical responsibility for Israel’s security, rooted in its Nazi past and the Holocaust.

A representative poll published by the Korber Foundation last month found that 82% of Germans oppose the government’s military support to Israel for its war in Gaza. Only 15% expressed support.

The survey also revealed a fundamental shift in how Germans view their historical obligations, with 60% rejecting the notion that Germany bears special responsibility for Israel due to its history and the Holocaust. Just 38% supported this traditional stance.

READ: Germany lifts restrictions on arms exports to Israel: Spokesman

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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.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Vote Labour for Genocide.

Continue ReadingAmnesty International protests German chancellor’s upcoming visit to Israel

China pledges $100M in aid to Palestine to help alleviate humanitarian crisis in Gaza

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President of China Xi Jinping at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia, Brazil on November 20, 2024 [Mateus Bonomi – Anadolu Agency]

Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged $100 million in aid to Palestine to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports.

Xi made the announcement during talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, who wrapped up his three-day state visit to China on Friday.

“China will provide $100 million of assistance to Palestine to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and support its recovery and reconstruction,” said Xi during a meeting held on Thursday in Beijing, according to a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

He said that the world today is “far from tranquil,” as complicated international political disputes and conflicts continue across various regions.

“China and France will work together for the realization of a comprehensive, just, and lasting solution to the Palestinian question at an early date,” said Xi.

READ: UN resolutions on Gaza and the Golan: Global legitimacy under pressure, but no path to real peace

Regarding the Ukraine crisis, Xi told Macron that China “supports all efforts conducive to peace and hopes that parties can reach, through dialogue and negotiation, a fair, lasting, and binding peace agreement that is accepted by all parties concerned.”

“China will continue to play a constructive role in the political settlement of the crisis. At the same time, China firmly opposes any irresponsible attempt to shift blame or smear others,” he stressed.

After Macron’s meetings in Beijing, the Chinese and French leaders traveled to Chengdu, a city in southwestern Sichuan province, where they held informal talks on Friday.

Regarding Xi’s announcement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Friday that this aid will be used for post-conflict reconstruction to help improve Gaza’s humanitarian situation and alleviate Palestinian suffering.

“China firmly supports the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights and will continue working relentlessly with the international community for a full and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, the easing of the humanitarian situation there, and an early political settlement of the Palestinian question on the basis of the two-state solution,” Lin told a news conference in Beijing.

READ: UN chief: Israel committed war crimes in Gaza

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

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.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Vote Labour for Genocide.

Continue ReadingChina pledges $100M in aid to Palestine to help alleviate humanitarian crisis in Gaza

BBC backs decision to allow Israel’s participation in 2026 Eurovision amid controversy

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A view of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Headquarters in London, United Kingdom on November 24, 2025. [Zeynep Demir – Anadolu Agency]

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has backed the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) decision allowing Israel to participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, even as four European broadcasters announced they will boycott the event, Anadolu reports.

National broadcasters of Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia announced that they will not take part in the 2026 competition after the EBU cleared the way for Israeli broadcaster KAN to participate.

The BBC however said it backs the decision to allow Israel to take part in the contest.

“We support the collective decision made by members of the EBU. This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive,” said a BBC spokesperson.

The decision drew criticism from some British lawmakers. Independent lawmaker Adnan Hussain, quoted the BBC’s statement on Israel’s participation in the song contest and said: “Boycott Eurovision for platforming genocide.”

Zarah Sultana, another British lawmaker said “we cannot have ‘business as usual’ with Israel, a genocidal apartheid state.”

READ: Despite opposition, Israel cleared to take part in 2026 Eurovision

“The UK must follow Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia’s lead and boycott Eurovision,” she wrote.

During the EBU General Assembly in Geneva, a majority of members voted to allow the Israeli broadcaster to compete in next year’s contest, scheduled to be held in Vienna, Austria.

Following the vote, Spanish broadcaster RTVE announced that it would not participate in Eurovision 2026, nor broadcast the contest, accusing Israel of using the competition for “political purposes” and alleging political interference.

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS similarly confirmed its withdrawal, stating that Israel’s participation, coupled with the humanitarian situation in Gaza and restrictions on press freedom, conflicted with the organization’s core values, according to a statement.

Ireland’s RTE also declared it would not participate or broadcast the contest, citing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and targeted attacks on journalists as incompatible with the broadcaster’s principles.

RTV Slovenia will also not participate in the contest, according to Chairwoman Natalija Gorscak. “Our message is: we will not participate in the ESC if Israel is there — on behalf of the 20,000 children who died in Gaza,” she said.

READ: Eurovision winner wants Israel excluded from 2026 contest over Gaza war

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

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.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
UK Foreign Minister David Lammy confirms that UK government and military are active participants in Israel’s genocides and that the F-35 parts that they suspended from supplying to Israel are instead simply diverted via the United States. He says see https://youtu.be/QILgUHrdWRE
UK Foreign Minister David Lammy confirms that UK government and military are active participants in Israel’s genocides and that the F-35 parts that they suspended from supplying to Israel are instead simply diverted via the United States. He says see https://youtu.be/QILgUHrdWRE

Continue ReadingBBC backs decision to allow Israel’s participation in 2026 Eurovision amid controversy

Hamas claims responsibility for assassination of Israeli- backed gang leader in Gaza

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Yasser Abu Shabab. [Quds Press]

A source close to the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, has said that the killing of Yasser Abu Shabab; the Israeli- backed gang leader,  on Thursday was carried out through a carefully planned ambush inside the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

According to the source, the operation was executed by a young man from the Abu Shabab clan who pretended he wished to join the armed group led by Abu Shabab. He later carried out the plan with precision, killing the group’s leader along with several of his associates.

The source stated that the ambush came as a complete surprise. Israeli-backed militias in Rafah reportedly expected any attack by the Qassam Brigades to come from above ground, possibly by an elite unit, which would have prompted them to shelter near Israeli tanks. Instead, the infiltration came from within the group itself, allowing the attack to succeed.

He added that the irony was that Abu Shabab had recently appeared in a video declaring his intention to launch a campaign to “cleanse” Rafah, only to be killed days later along with his men in what the source described as “a real cleansing of the city from the gang”.

READ: Gaza tribes on Abu Shabab’s killing: the occupation has never afforded safety to anyone

The source said the operation represents a major breakthrough for the resistance and a significant blow to the Israeli security apparatus, undermining a strategic plan to impose Israeli- backed militia control over parts of Gaza.

Abu Shabab reportedly commanded a group of around 100 fighters who were armed and supported by Israel in eastern Rafah, with the aim of establishing a so-called “safe zone” to serve Israeli interests and weaken the resistance.

According to resistance sources, the group also carried out activities against Palestinians, including searching homes, dismantling explosive devices planted by resistance members, killing fighters, and seizing weapons, all in coordination with the Israeli occupation.

Abu Shabab had previously appeared in a video claiming his group controlled areas “liberated from Hamas” and that it was working with the Palestinian Authority to distribute aid and “protect civilians”. Multiple reports indicated that the group was in fact responsible for the looting of humanitarian aid that had entered the besieged enclave.

READ: Leader of Israeli-backed militia killed in Gaza: Media

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

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.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Palestine Action joke that appeared in the UK satirical magazine 'Private Eye'.
Palestine Action joke that appeared in the UK satirical magazine ‘Private Eye’.

Yet another example of Israel support of ISIS terrorists …

Continue ReadingHamas claims responsibility for assassination of Israeli- backed gang leader in Gaza

Israel seizes ancient columns from Palestinian town in West Bank

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A view of the archaeological site in Sebastia, which dates back 5 thousand years in Nablus, West Bank.

Israeli forces seized ancient stone columns on Thursday after raiding a hilly area in the town of Al-Mazra’a Al-Sharqiya, east of Ramallah, in the central occupied West Bank.

Witnesses told Anadolu Agency that Israeli troops, accompanied by teams from the Israeli Civil Administration, raided a mountainous area in Al-Mazra’a Al-Sharqiya and took around five columns from an archaeological site dating back to the Byzantine era.

In previous periods, various areas of the West Bank have seen Israeli forces looting archaeological sites from ancient historical periods.

Israel claimed it recovered dozens of artefacts from a site where Palestinians had built a structure in its centre, which allegedly damaged the remaining historical remains, according to Hebrew media.

The Hebrew site i24 reported that “the Civil Administration forces, on Thursday, worked through the monitoring unit of the Israeli Defence Forces and under the supervision of the archaeology unit, to recover archaeological findings from the Lasana Tower site in Area B.”

It added that “this came after Palestinians built a structure in the middle of the site, causing damage to the remaining archaeological remains,” according to the report.

On Thursday, Palestinian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Hani Al-Hayek said that Israel had completely or partially destroyed more than 316 archaeological sites in Gaza and the West Bank during its war on the Gaza Strip, warning of what he described as a “systematic targeting” of Palestinian historical sites.

READ: Israel plans to take 4,600 dunams in northern West Bank, citing archaeology protection

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

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.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel's Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don't do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel’s Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don’t do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.

Continue ReadingIsrael seizes ancient columns from Palestinian town in West Bank