Angela Rayner

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

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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.
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

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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.
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

Netanyahu tries to convince Trump he is being persecuted to push for pardon

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United States President Donald Trump (R) hosts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) in the White House in Washington DC., United States on February 04, 2025. [Avi Ohayon (GPO) /Handout – Anadolu Agency]

The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the comments made by Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Thursday evening were intended to convince US President Donald Trump that he is being persecuted during his trial, in order to push Trump to increase his efforts to grant him a pardon.

On Thursday evening, Netanyahu posted a video on his page on the platform X, speaking in English and claiming that his trial is political, began six years ago, and could continue for another four years.

In the video, he said: “It’s a political trial. They [the prosecutors] are not interested in justice; they are interested in getting me out of office.”   

Netanyahu also tried to explain the reasons for his trial, claiming that the investigators told him they were looking into a suspicion of corruption related to two incidents. The first is that his son received a Bugs Bunny toy as a gift 29 years ago, and the second is that he accepted a cigar as a gift from a friend.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth, political sources said that “Netanyahu’s statements in English aim”to convince the American public that he is being persecuted.”   

The paper added that Netanyahu is trying to “shape public opinion in the US and pressure President Trump to increase his actions” to grant him a pardon.

Commenting on this, Benny Gantz, the leader of the Blue and White Party, said that Netanyahu is placing his personal interest above the interest of the country.

READ: Israeli Premier Netanyahu seeks presidential pardon over corruption charges

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.
Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves discuss wasting money including David Lammy spending £1MILLION on private jets.
Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves discuss wasting money including David Lammy spending £1MILLION on private jets.

Continue ReadingNetanyahu tries to convince Trump he is being persecuted to push for pardon

UN General Assembly renews mandate of UN agency for Palestinian refugees for 3 years

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Palestinians held a solidarity demonstration with the participation of national and Islamic groups and local community leaders in support of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees on November 4, 2025, in Khan Yunis, Gaza. [Abed Rahim Khatib – Anadolu Agency]

The UN General Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution to renew the mandate of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Anadolu reports.

During a vote held at the General Assembly, the resolution received 151 votes in favor, 10 against, and 14 abstentions.

Welcoming the decision to renew its mandate, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said on US social media company X that the decision “reflects the broad solidarity of people across the world with Palestine Refugees.”

“It is also an acknowledgement of the international community’s responsibility to support the humanitarian + human development needs of Palestinian refugees pending a just & lasting solution to their decades-long plight,” he said.

Lazzarini also urged that the decision “be translated into a genuine commitment & matching resources to ensure the mandate is fulfilled.”

UNRWA was established by the UN General Assembly more than 70 years ago to assist Palestinians who were forcibly displaced from their land.

The UN agency has been facing severe financial difficulties since Israel launched a defamation campaign against UNRWA, claiming that staff members were involved in the Oct. 7 attacks.

Despite UNRWA’s requests that the Israeli government provide information and evidence to back up the allegations, the agency has received no response. Following Israel’s accusations, several key donor nations, including the US, suspended or paused funding.

READ: EU lawmakers urge foreign policy chief to ‘end complicity in genocide’ against Palestinians

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 ReadingUN General Assembly renews mandate of UN agency for Palestinian refugees for 3 years