What ACTUAL Genocide Experts Say about Gaza
UK Foreign Secretary’s Empty Words: Weapons and Spy Flights Expose Hollow Promises
Original article by Nuvpreet Kalra republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).
Lammy called Israel’s escalation of the genocide “morally unjustifiable.” But what is beyond unjustifiable is for Lammy to say this while directly arming and providing surveillance information for the genocide.
On Tuesday, after releasing a joint statement with France and Canada threatening “concrete actions” if Israel did not allow aid into Gaza, the U.K. government suspended talks on its upgraded free trade deal, summoned the Israeli ambassador, and imposed new sanctions on settlers in the occupied West Bank. While this might appear substantial for the goal of isolating the Zionist state, it amounts to little more than face-saving measures.
In his speech announcing these measures, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy couldn’t even bear to say these words without condemning the October 7 operation and maintaining Israel’s right to commit genocide. We can’t fall for these empty measures, even if they appear to be a positive push toward some justice. In reality, they are a distraction and feign action from a government supporting Israel as it accelerates its genocidal attacks. Each day, as Israel commits new massacres with American weapons, it is using the Royal Air Force Akrotiri, a British military base on Cyprus, to conduct surveillance flights and facilitate weapons transfers.
The government’s suspension of negotiations on its free-trade agreement is misleading. This is not the existing free-trade agreement in place between Britain and Israel, but a future plan to deepen relations. Known as the 2030 Roadmap, this was initiated under the previous Conservative government in 2022, and the Labour government continued negotiations immediately after entering government in July 2024. Stopping these negotiations is a good first step, but they must end their current free-trade agreement if Lammy’s words are worth their salt.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the world “won’t stop us.” Our leaders bought by Zionism will certainly not, but the people will.
The sanctions on a handful of people and companies in the occupied West Bank might be a generally positive step. But at a closer look, these measures are only on three people, two outposts, and two organisations. All of the 700,000 settlers occupying the West Bank in their 150 settlements and 128 outposts are illegal under international law. These very narrow sanctions then give wider justification for the illegal occupation of the West Bank, scapegoating a handful of “extreme” characters but not contending with the occupation itself. Last year, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestine is illegal. Once again, Britain is ignoring international law, just as it does in refusing to hand over surveillance data on Gaza to the International Criminal Court.
Britain’s recent moves should rightly be compared with the United States, which has formed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private company of U.S. military veteran mercenaries to run an aid distribution operation, better described as a trojan horse to occupy Gaza. As Israel accelerates its genocide in Gaza, the U.S. and Britain are attempting to conceal their role in the violence. We might see these as necessary measures for Israel to be committing what many are referring to as the final stage in the genocide.
Over the past few days, the Starmer government’s statements have given us the illusion of a change in course toward Israel. Yet in five of the six days leading up to May 20, Britain has flown a surveillance flight over Gaza for Israel.
Britain has made no material change in its policy of arming Israel, providing surveillance information, and using its military base on Cyprus for weapons shipments. Therefore, not only are these statements hollow and vacuous, but they are a pernicious and sly attempt to divert attention from Britain’s role as it directly participates in Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.
On Sunday (May 18th), Britain sent an A400M Atlas plane to Israel from RAF Akrotiri. This aircraft can carry up to 37 metric tons of cargo, including weapons and soldiers. Two hours later, it sent a surveillance flight over Gaza. These operations have been purposefully concealed from public knowledge, but this is clearly shifting. The only reason we know about these flights is because of the work of Matt Kennard, Declassified U.K., and Genocide-Free Cyprus, among other groups. There clearly is mounting pressure as a result of the revelations of Britain’s direct role in Israel’s genocide, and perhaps we must recognize it has a role in Lammy’s face-saving attempts.
Last week, the U.K. government defended its continued provision of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel, pointing to the need for “national security.” In court, they claimed “no genocide has occurred or is occurring,” that Israel is not “deliberately targeting civilian women or children.” Britain is defending Israel legally, diplomatically, and militarily. No statement can change that fact.
Israel stopped all aid trucks from entering Gaza on March 2. It has taken more than 11 weeks for the government to take any action at all. Every day, the Israeli occupation commits heinous massacres. They are even bragging that the world “won’t stop us.” And so far, they’re right.
In the face of this, we cannot despair. Palestinians in Gaza remain steadfast each day, for the 18 months of this escalation in the genocide that has been ongoing for more than 77 years. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the world “won’t stop us.” Our leaders bought by Zionism will certainly not, but the people will. We must continue our demands for a full arms embargo, an end to British surveillance flights, and the total liberation of Palestine.
Original article by Nuvpreet Kalra republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).
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Activists urge Spanish government to implement on Israel arms embargo immediately
Original article by Ana Vračar republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.
Following Parliament’s motion for an arms embargo on Israel, activists are pressuring the Sánchez government to turn words into action on Gaza genocide
On Tuesday, May 20, a majority of representatives in the Spanish Parliament voted in favor of a motion calling for an arms embargo on Israel. Spearheaded by the progressive blocs Podemos, Sumar, and the Republican Left of Catalonia, everyone but the right-wing supported the motion – including Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE).
While the news undoubtedly marks an important achievement for the months-long grassroots Palestine solidarity mobilizations in Europe and beyond, many activists caution against interpreting it as a decisive sign of Spain’s concrete commitment to halting the genocide in Gaza. “The Spanish government has the power to introduce a full arms embargo on Israel as early as tomorrow via Royal Decree,” warned the End Arms Trade with Israel campaign, which has rallied behind this demand since 2024 with the backing of over 600 organizations. “Why hasn’t it acted? What’s holding it back?”
Business as usual beneath the surface?
Since October 7, 2023, Sánchez and his cabinet have made several statements clearly more critical of Israel than those of most other European governments. In contrast to declarations by high-level European officials like Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas, who continue to invoke “Israel’s right to self-defense” even as it starves tens of thousands of children and obliterates healthcare infrastructure, Spain’s rhetoric has, at times, sounded outright progressive. The Prime Minister recently suggested expelling Israel from the Eurovision contest – a topic surprisingly dear to many Europeans – and his administration claimed to have ceased trading in military goods with the occupation power in late 2023. However, this claim has been refuted by multiple reports and port calls by ships transporting military or dual-use goods to Israel.
Further doubt has been cast on the government’s narrative by the Ministry of Defense, whose representatives recently said that implementing a full embargo would be “difficult in practice” due to the importance of Israeli technology in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. These sources have essentially admitted that they view the arms embargo debate as more politically symbolic than practically feasible.
Read more: Spain to block Maersk ships bound to Israel after pressure from activists
Contrary to the government’s progressive image and declarations, “Spain has never imported more [from Israel] than after October 7, 2023,” the Delàs Center for Peace Studies warned in a recent report. “Since October 7, Israeli defense and security companies, their subsidiaries, or third-party companies linked to Israeli products have been awarded at least 46 contracts by Spanish institutions, with a total value more than €1.044 million.”
While Palestine solidarity groups identified some of these contracts and pushed against them, the scale of trade between Spain and Israel throughout the genocide has remained significant, according to updates from Delàs Center. Even now, as the parliamentary debate on introducing an arms embargo moves forward, warnings continue about ships carrying ammunition and other potentially military-use equipment bound for Israel via Spanish ports. One such vessel, the Danica Violet, is expected to pass through Cartagena in the coming days.
“Contracts with the Israeli arms industry remain in force and have yet to be canceled. Weapons stained with blood continue to pass through our ports and airports. We continue to finance and facilitate genocide, occupation, and apartheid in Palestine,” wrote the End Arms Trade with Israel campaign.
Palestine solidarity movement to push for more than tokenism
The campaign and its supporters have reiterated calls for the government to act urgently and decisively by imposing a full arms embargo immediately. Similar demands have been voiced in neighboring countries, where political leaders have recently signaled minor shifts in their approach to Israel. Following announcements by British, Canadian, and French leaders that they would consider introducing sanctions on Israel if it failed to halt illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank, Palestine solidarity groups warned that such measures would be nowhere near sufficient. “While these statements may reflect a symbolic political shift, they are far too late and fall dangerously short of meeting these states’ legal obligations under international law, including the Genocide Convention and the Apartheid Convention,” said the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC).
“We will continue to organize and build people power to transform tokenism and empty threats into tangible and effective accountability measures, starting with a two-way military embargo and full-scale trade and diplomatic sanctions,” the BNC stated.
Original article by Ana Vračar republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.
Kneecap hits back at terror charge as ‘a carnival of distraction’
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/kneecap-hits-back-terror-charge-carnival-distraction
(Left to right) members of Kneecap, Liam Og O Hannaigh (Mo Chara), JJ O’Dochartaigh (DJ Provai) and Naoise O Caireallain (Moglai Bap) attending the IFTA Awards Ceremony at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre, February 14, 2025IRISH rap trio Kneecap hit out today over the charging in Britain of one of the group’s members with a terrorism offence, branding it “political policing” and a “carnival of distraction.”
Liam Og O hAnnaidh, known by his stage name Mo Chara, was charged under anti-terror laws for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag during a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, on November 21.
The 27-year-old is due to appear at Westminster magistrates’ court on June 18.
In a statement, the group said that “14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British Establishment is focused on us.
“We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves; this is political policing, this is a carnival of distraction.
“We are not the story, genocide is. As they profit from genocide, they use an ‘anti-terror law’ against us for displaying a flag thrown on stage.”
…
Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/kneecap-hits-back-terror-charge-carnival-distraction
Outrage After Israeli Occupation Forces Shoot Live Rounds at Foreign Diplomats in West Bank
Original article by Brett Wilkins republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).
Among those shot at were representatives of three nations that threatened “concrete actions” if Israel doesn’t end its assault and siege on Gaza and others that support a genocide case against the country.
Israeli occupation forces fired what they called “warning shots” at a large delegation of international diplomats visiting the besieged Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank on Wednesday, an incident many critics said was an attempt to intimidate countries that just two days earlier issued an ultimatum to stop annihilating Gaza and others that have joined a genocide case against Israel.
Palestinian officials were briefing a group of more than 20 diplomats about the crisis in the illegally occupied West Bank—where Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians including hundreds of children since October 2023 while pushing ahead with massive land theft and colonization—when they came under fire.
According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, the delegation “deviated” from the route approved by Israeli occupation authorities “and entered an area where they were not authorized to be,” prompting Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers to fire “warning shots to distance them away.”
“The IDF regrets the inconvenience caused,” the ministry added.
Israeli soldiers intentionally fired at a delegation of about 30 Arab & EU diplomats, ambassadors and consuls, visiting Jenin refugee camp, in the West Bank. Israel claims “it was an accident” and that they fired “warning shots” because they “felt in danger”. Israel was trying to intimidate them.
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— Anonymous ( @youranoncentral.bsky.social) May 21, 2025 at 6:06 AM
Israeli media reported IDF troops fired shots in the air. However, video footage of the incident appears to show soldiers aiming their guns and firing straight ahead in the direction of the diplomats as they scrambled for cover. Israeli officials have often been caught lying about the actions of IDF troops in Palestine.
The delegation included diplomats from the European Union and countries including Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, France, India, Japan, Jordan, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
On Monday, three of those countries—France, the United Kingdom, and Canada—issued a rare joint statement condemning Operation Gideon’s Chariots, the ongoing Israeli campaign to conquer and indefinitely occupy all of Gaza and ethnically cleanse much of its population.
On Tuesday, the U.K. announced it is suspending negotiations with Israel on a free trade agreement, explaining that “it is not possible to advance discussions on a new, upgraded FTA” with a government “that is pursuing egregious policies in the West Bank and Gaza.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, his former defense minister, are wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza including extermination and forced starvation.
The U.K. additionally sanctioned three far-right Israeli extremists, including settler leader Daniella Weiss, as well as three illegal settlement outposts and two groups “that have supported, incited, and promoted violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.”
Also on Tuesday, European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas—who is the E.U.’s foreign policy chief—said the 27-nation bloc would review its political and economic agreement with Israel in light of the “catastrophic” situation in Gaza.
Brazil, Chile, China, Egypt, Jordan, Mexico, Spain, and Turkey have either joined or expressed support for the South Africa-led genocide case against Israel currently before the International Court of Justice—which last year found that Israel’s 58-year occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza is an illegal form of apartheid that must be ended as soon as possible.
Israel’s 592-day assault and siege on Gaza has left more than 189,000 Palestinians dead, maimed, or missing and over 2 million others forcibly displaced, starved, or sickened, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned what it called Wednesday’s “heinous crime” against the diplomats.
“The delegation was undertaking an official mission to observe and assess the humanitarian situation and document the ongoing violations perpetrated by the occupying forces against the Palestinian people,” the ministry said. “This deliberate and unlawful act constitutes a blatant and grave breach of international law and of the fundamental principles of diplomatic relations as enshrined in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.”
Kallas said Wednesday that “any threats on diplomats’ lives are unacceptable.”
“Israel is also a signatory to the Vienna Convention, I mean the obligation to guarantee the security of all foreign diplomats,” Kallas noted. “We definitely call on Israel to investigate this incident and also hold accountable [those] who are responsible for this.”
The governments of other countries whose diplomats were targeted on Wednesday condemned the incident, with some, including France and Italy, summoning their Israeli ambassadors.
Original article by Brett Wilkins republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).