actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion

Italy hit by mass strike over rearmament and in solidarity with Gaza

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Demonstrators holding Palestinian flags gather at Piazza dei Cinquecento during a rally held as part of a general strike called by trade unions to protest rearmament programs, condemn the genocide against Palestinians, and support the Global Sumud Flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, in Rome, Italy on May 18, 2026. [Claudia Chieppa – Anadolu Agency]

A nationwide general strike took place in Italy on Monday in protest against rearmament policies and in support of Palestinians in Gaza, Anadolu reports.

The strike was organized following a call from the USB union and other civil society groups under the slogan “We block everything.”

Participants opposed rising living costs, increased military spending, and what they described as government priorities favoring armament over healthcare and education.

They also expressed opposition to Israel’s attacks in Gaza and voiced support for the “Global Sumud Flotilla,” a civilian aid initiative attempting to reach the territory.

Demonstrations were held in multiple cities, including Rome, where protesters gathered at Piazza Cinquecento.

Many displayed Palestinian flags and demanded that the Italian government reduce or end what they called complicity with Israel.

Slogans calling for a “Free Palestine” were repeatedly heard during the protests.

READ: Irish president’s sister among Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel: Reports

Transport disruptions were reported across the country.

In Rome, one metro line was suspended, while in Naples, service on a metro line was halted.

In Milan, some suburban rail services were also affected, and port workers in Livorno carried out industrial action.

The protests also highlighted solidarity with activists involved in the Sumud Flotilla.

A Palestinian-origin Spanish activist, Saif Abukeshek, previously detained during a maritime incident involving Israeli forces, attended the Rome rally.

The Israeli army on Monday attacked and intercepted the Gaza-bound Global Sumud humanitarian flotilla in international waters and detained around 100 activists as the mission sought to break Israel’s blockade on the Palestinian enclave.

Speaking to Anadolu, he described the recent interceptions of flotilla vessels in international waters as violations of international law and linked them to broader criticism of Italy’s arms trade policies.

Another protester, Andrea Ziccaro, said the strike was aimed at opposing what he called a “war economy,” arguing that prioritizing military spending leads to neglect of social services like health and education.

Natalia Mancini, also a protester, added that recent incidents involving the flotilla exposed the “mask” of what she named the so-called democracies.

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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/

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 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.

Continue ReadingItaly hit by mass strike over rearmament and in solidarity with Gaza

Irish president’s sister among Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel: Reports

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Israeli military intervene in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea to seize the Global Sumud Fleet, which aimed to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, on May 18, 2026. [Global Sumud Fleet – Anadolu Agency]

Irish President Catherine Connolly’s sister is among the Gaza-bound Global Sumud flotilla activists detained by Israeli forces, according to media reports Monday.

Margaret Connolly was among at least six Irish citizens aboard the aid flotilla detained by Israel, the Irish Independent reported, citing activists.

According to the Global Sumud Flotilla, 10 boats from a 60-vessel convoy were intercepted in international waters and boarded by Israeli forces earlier Monday.

Organizers said the interception took place around 70 nautical miles off the island of Cyprus, with at least six of the 15 Irish participants detained.

The flotilla released videos from Connolly and five other activists that appeared to have been recorded before the interception.

“If you are watching this video, it means I have been kidnapped from my boat in the flotilla by the Israeli occupying forces, and I’m now being held illegally in an Israeli prison,” Connolly said in the video.

READ: Unknown vessels surround Gaza aid flotilla

“I am so proud to be taking part in this flotilla – it is the largest to date,” she added.

The Israeli army on Monday attacked and intercepted the Gaza-bound Global Sumud humanitarian flotilla in international waters and detained around 100 activists as the mission sought to break Israel’s blockade on the Palestinian enclave.

The flotilla, consisting of more than 50 boats, set sail Thursday from the Turkish Mediterranean district of Marmaris in a renewed attempt to break the Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza since 2007.

Organizers said the mission included 426 participants, among them 96 Turkish activists and participants from 39 other countries, including Germany, the US, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Algeria, Indonesia, Morocco, France, South Africa, the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Egypt, Pakistan, Tunisia, Oman and New Zealand.

On April 29, Israeli forces also attacked the Global Sumud aid flotilla off the coast of the Greek island of Crete.

READ: Netanyahu says Israeli army nearing completion of Gaza mission, signals readiness for all Iran scenarios

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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/

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 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.

Continue ReadingIrish president’s sister among Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel: Reports

UAE paid $6m to reputation firm tied to Epstein whitewashing to bury damaging report on ambassador

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Emirati flag fluttering above Dubai’s marina with the Burj Al Arab landmark hotel in the background [KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images]

The United Arab Emirates paid more than $6 million to a secretive US reputation management firm tied to whitewashing a client’s link to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, to manipulate Google search results and suppress damaging reporting about its ambassador to Washington, Yousef Al-Otaiba, according to a New York Times investigation.

The revelation appears in a wider investigation into Terakeet, a Syracuse-based firm that specialises in search engine optimisation and online reputation management for powerful clients facing public scrutiny. 

While the New York Times investigation focuses mainly on Terakeet’s failed attempt to repair the reputation of Goldman Sachs general counsel and supporter of Israel,  Kathryn Ruemmler, over her links to Epstein, one of its most striking revelations concerns the firm’s work for the UAE and its long-serving ambassador in Washington, Yousef Al-Otaiba.

An advocate of Israel, Ruemmler’s Washington legal career saw her make the case for legislation to combat the anti-BDS (Boycott Divestment and Sanctions) campaign. In 2019, she and former US solicitor general Paul Clement were cited as having written legal opinions arguing that legislation linked to President Donald Trump executive order on anti-Semitism did not violate the First Amendment, even though critics warned that such measures could be used to suppress campus criticism of Israel and support for BDS. 

READ: The Emirati lobby: The biggest spender and the largest Arab one

Terakeet’s work for the UAE is said to have begun in July 2019 and continues to this day. Much of its formal work focused on promoting tourism in the Emirates. However, former employees told the paper that Al-Otaiba was concerned about a 2017 article published by The Intercept, written by Ryan Grim, now co-founder of Drop Site News, which reported that the ambassador had once had ties to sex workers and traffickers.

Rather than challenge the report directly, Terakeet allegedly worked to bury it.

The Times reported that a small team at Terakeet was tasked with pushing Grim’s article off the first page of Google search results. The account manager, Kenneth Schiefer, reportedly relocated from Syracuse to Washington for more than a year to work in person with Al-Otaiba at the UAE embassy, avoiding a digital trail of emails and text messages between them.

Terakeet then established a personal webpage for Al-Otaiba and generated flattering online profiles emphasising his leadership and diplomatic credentials. The firm supplied these profiles to institutions linked to the ambassador, including the Milken Institute, the Special Olympics and Harvard’s Kennedy School, as well as to The Marque, a paid digital profile directory.

READ: Reports: UAE ambassador embroiled in global corruption scandal

The Times also reported that Terakeet used an anonymous editor handle, VentureKit, to create what it described as a fraudulent “sock puppet” account, Quorum816, to add positive information about Al-Otaiba to his Wikipedia page in 2020. Wikipedia later reversed the edits and suspended both accounts.

The purpose of the operation was clear: to create enough favourable and “differentiated” content about the UAE ambassador to force damaging reporting lower down in Google search results. According to the Times, the effort succeeded. By 2023, The Intercept article had dropped to page two of Google results. Today, for most users, it appears on page five.

The UAE is said to have paid Terakeet more than $6 million between 2020 and 2022 for the work.

The wider New York Times investigation centres on Terakeet’s work for Goldman Sachs and Ruemmler, a former White House counsel under President Barack Obama. Terakeet reportedly sought to address what an internal memo described as her “association risk problem” over her ties to Epstein.

Senior Terakeet figures reportedly discussed how to promote favourable material about Ruemmler so that at least 80 per cent of the first 30 Google results would be positive. The firm created or planned personal websites, LinkedIn pages and multiple biographical profiles intended to appear above stories about her meetings and correspondence with Epstein.

But the effort ultimately failed. New documents released by the US House Oversight Committee and later by the Justice Department reportedly revealed extensive references to Ruemmler in Epstein-related records, including emails in which she used affectionate terms for him and discussed travel, gifts and legal advice. Ruemmler announced in February that she would resign from Goldman Sachs.

READ: Leaks: UAE spent $2.7m to improve Sisi’s image in US

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Continue ReadingUAE paid $6m to reputation firm tied to Epstein whitewashing to bury damaging report on ambassador

Israeli court postpones Netanyahu corruption hearing for ‘security’ reasons

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, on April 21, 2025. [Moti KIMCHI / POOL / AFP / Getty Images]

The Tel Aviv District Court accepted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request Monday to postpone his hearing to respond to corruption charges until Tuesday, citing “political and security” reasons.

The public broadcaster KAN said Netanyahu requested the delay Monday morning for “political and security reasons,” without giving further details.

The court and the public prosecutor’s office approved the request, and the next hearing was scheduled for Tuesday, KAN said.

The delay came as the Israeli army on Monday began attacking the Gaza-bound Global Sumud humanitarian flotilla carrying activists from 39 countries in international waters.

Live broadcasts from the flotilla showed Israeli naval forces attacking the boats one after another.

The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the Israeli army detained activists aboard the vessels and was transferring them to a navy ship described as a “floating prison” before transporting them to the port of Ashdod.

Netanyahu faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three corruption cases. Indictments were filed in late November 2019.

Since his corruption trial began in 2020, Netanyahu has denied wrongdoing. Israeli law allows a presidential pardon only after a defendant admits guilt.

In addition to the domestic corruption trial, Netanyahu has been wanted since 2024 by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, where more than 72,000 people have been killed, mostly women and children, in a brutal war since October 2023.

READ: Netanyahu says Israeli army nearing completion of Gaza mission, signals readiness for all Iran scenarios

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 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.

Continue ReadingIsraeli court postpones Netanyahu corruption hearing for ‘security’ reasons

US bases in Germany allegedly used for large-scale arms shipments to Israel

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U.S. military refueling aircraft are spotted at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv amid ongoing discussions over a possible U.S. strike on Iran in Tel Aviv, Israel on February 25, 2026. [Gideon Markowicz – Anadolu Agency]

Large-scale shipments of weapons and ammunition were allegedly transported to Israel over the past 24 hours through US military bases in Germany using dozens of cargo aircraft, Anadolu reports.

Israel’s Channel 13 reported Monday that dozens of cargo planes arriving from Israel at US bases in Germany were reloaded with ammunition before returning to Israel shortly afterward.

The report said the Israeli army remains on high alert over the possible resumption of attacks on Iran and that a timeline has been set for completing military preparations.

It added that there is a growing belief within the Israeli administration that US President Donald Trump could soon give the “green light” for renewed attacks on Iran.

On April 30, Israel’s Defense Ministry announced that two cargo ships and several aircraft carrying 6,500 tons of ammunition and light armored vehicles from the US had arrived in Israel.

Media reports this week also claimed that the US and Israel have been making intensive preparations for possible strikes on Iran.

READ: Netanyahu says Israeli army nearing completion of Gaza mission, signals readiness for all Iran scenarios

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 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.

Continue ReadingUS bases in Germany allegedly used for large-scale arms shipments to Israel