Zita Holbourne addresses a previous TUC Congress at Manchester Central in 2018
ANDY BURNHAM’S government remains complicit in genocide, unions said as TUC passed an historic vote to back the Palestinian-led BDS campaign against Israel today.
Ministers announced new restrictions on trade and weapons exports with illegal settlers in Palestine earlier this month.
Campaigners hailed delegates in Brighton for voting to support the “Palestinian-led boycott, divest and sanctions (BDS) movement” and call on the government to impose “wide-ranging sanctions on Israel until it complies with international law.”
Moving the motion, Artists Union England’s Zita Holbourne said that the government’s recent acceptance of a 2024 International Court of Justice ruling urging Israel not to commit genocide in Gaza “is not enough.”
“Palestinian society, including unions, have reiterated the call for the international community to implement BDS against ongoing crimes of genocide, apartheid and occupation,” she said.
The motion also called on ministers to “commit to freedom of speech and end attempts to censor artists and art organisations expressing solidarity with Palestine” after it emerged on Tuesday that rapper Macklemore was removed from an Ed Sheeran concert for backing the war-torn territory.
Seconding, Unison delegate Margaret McKee said that unions will continue to call on Labour to fully suspend arms trade with Israel and the Britain-Israel trade partnership agreement until “human rights and international law are respected.”
“If the government doesn’t do this, you are still being complicit in the genocide of the Palestinian people,” she said.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.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. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel’s genocide.Genocide denying [former] UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy says that UK is suspending 30 of 350 arms licences to Israel. He also confirms the UK government’s support for Israel’s Gaza genocide and the UK government and military’s active participation in genocide.
Ed Sheeran performs at Madison Square Garden on December 12, 2025, in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
“The Ed Sheeran debacle will be seen as a turning point in pop culture complicity” with Israel, said one Palestinian-American writer, who described it as “a clear ‘South Africa moment.’”
Singer Ed Sheeran hoped to sidestep controversy by letting rapper Macklemore be removed from his tour over his pro-Palestine remarks. Instead, he’s sparked what one writer said could be a “turning point” for how pop culture engages on the issue of Israel and Palestine.
Sheeran responded to the backlash on Tuesday by claiming he was helpless to stop Macklemore’s ouster, which followed the intervention of the pro-Israel New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who rallied other NFL venue owners to bar Sheeran’s Loop Tour if the “Thrift Shop” rapper continued to perform.
Pro-Israel groups petitioned for Macklemore to be removed from the tour after a performance earlier this month in which he said, “Free Palestine,” and performed his song “Hind’s Hall.” The song refers to anti-Israel protests at Columbia University in 2024 and is dedicated to the 5-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who was killed by Israeli forces. She was one of more than 20,000 children who have been killed as part of Israel’s military campaign there, according to a UN commission.
But the other four openers said they would not abide what they viewed as elites’ political censorship of an artist speaking out against what humanrights groups have described as a genocide in Gaza and an occupation of the West Bank that is considered illegal under international law.
Each one of the artists announced on Tuesday that they would no longer tour with Sheeran.
🇵🇸 All of Ed Sheeran’s scheduled supporting acts have quit his Loop tour after Macklemore was removed for declaring “Free Palestine” and condemning Israel’s genocide during two MetLife Stadium shows.
“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” said the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Finneas, who has vocally supported the plight of Palestinians for several years. “I stand with Palestine and its people.”
The Irish singer Aaron Rowe likewise withdrew from his upcoming shows with Sheeran, though he acknowledged he did not “take the decision lightly.”
“Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life. I could never thank him enough for this,” Rowe wrote on Instagram. “But as Irish people, we know all too well about genocide, forced famine, and violent occupation.”
“I cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up against Israeli genocide and who highlight the savage murder of children,” he continued. “I would lose all respect for myself to carry on as normal.”
The Danish pop band Lukas Graham also dropped from the tour, with frontman Lukas Forchhammer writing that artists “should be able to speak about war, about civilians being killed, about children who deserve to grow up. Wherever they live. Whatever flag flies over them.”
Forchhammer addressed Kraft, a multibillionaire, who gloated after the fact about having Macklemore blackballed and denounced his expressions of support for Palestinians as “hate speech.”
“Money doesn’t give you the right to own the conversation,” Forchhammer wrote. “Nobody’s bank balance should decide who gets to speak or which suffering we’re allowed to acknowledge.”
The Irish folk group Beoga—which helped to found the Irish Artist for Palestine Movement—was even more direct, calling out Kraft’s extensive history of donating to pro-Israel groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which has spent over $100 million attempting to influence the current election cycle, and supporting efforts to punish those who boycott Israeli products.
“It’s important that everyone knows that the real enemy is the Zionist lobby. They have worked tirelessly to silence artists who want to speak freely about a genocide happening before our eyes, for fear of retribution,” Beoga wrote. “Research how much Robert Kraft has done to fight the [Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions] (BDS) movement. That will give you a sense of what we’ve all been up against.”
“Up the workers. Free Palestine,” the group’s message concluded.
The exodus of Sheeran’s openers came as momentum built behind a “boycott” of his music spearheaded by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, a group based in Ramallah in the West Bank, that helped to cofound the BDS movement.
The group called on Sheeran to “cancel his now compromised US tour” and said until then, artists, audience, and crew members should “boycott it.”
🗣️ Rep. AOC tells @hicharliecotton she is boycotting Ed Sheeran because she says he's complicit in Robert Kraft and other stadium owners' efforts to silence Macklemore. pic.twitter.com/zuISc3zaFs
In response to Sheeran’s explanation that he prefers not to publicly take sides on controversial political issues despite having opinions, the group noted his estimated net worth of more than $500 million and his massive platform as one of the world’s most recognized musicians.
“As South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu famously said, ‘If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor,’” the group said. “Sheeran had an opportunity to take a stand in solidarity with Palestinians, like millions of other British and Irish citizens have done, and refuse to cave to the pressure… He has so far failed to meet this ethical duty. But it is not too late to reverse course.”
Some Western politicians have joined the backlash and amplified calls for a boycott.
US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), considered a likely presidential candidate in 2028, told a reporter she’d be changing the radio station if Ed Sheeran’s music were to come on.
“When you see what Robert Kraft did to line up all the stadiums to censor speech in that one specific way, it’s become clear it’s not just about one music artist or two music artists,” AOC said. “This is about how just a handful of stadium owners and the elite can prevent an entire massive issue, in this case, the genocide in Gaza.”
“But it doesn’t stop there,” she continued. “It could be speaking out about AI. It could be speaking out about any issue, that you can now just get a handful of stadium owners to ensure that an entire person’s career can be jeopardized if they speak out about any issue.”
Zarah Sultana, a member of the UK Parliament and co-founder of the left-wing Your Party, added that the artists who left Sheeran’s tour are “on the right side of history.”
“At this rate, Ed Sheeran is going to end up with Boy George opening for him,” she joked on social media, referring to the singer who released a song this summer in support of Israel’s assault on Gaza. “No one deserves to be subjected to that.”
Kehlani commented on Macklemore’s post. She experienced the same form of cancellation for her support of Palestinian rights. Julie Menin and Ritchie Torres pressured Eric Adams to cancel her concert in Central Park. pic.twitter.com/6lnHkTLsP1
Backlash against Sheeran has expanded across the entertainment industry as well, with performers including the children’s entertainer Ms. Rachel and popular musicians Kehlani, Tones and I, Zara Larsson, PinkPantheress, and others rallying in support of Macklemore.
And as the music news site Consequence of Sound reported, even some of Sheeran’s hardcore fans are revolting. Three prominent Sheeran fan accounts on X, which boast nearly 50,000 followers put together, spoke in solidarity with Macklemore and encouraged Sheeran to use his platform to take a stand, with some vowing to stop covering his tour until he does.
“We hope that Ed can… reflect on everything that happened and understand that, in the face of certain injustices, remaining silent or trying not to choose a side is also a stance,” wrote the Brazilian account @EdSheeranBrCom, which has more than 45,000 followers.
Ali Abunimah, the Palestinian-American journalist who co-founded The Electronic Intifada, said in a social media post that he believed that “the Ed Sheeran debacle will be seen as a turning point in pop culture complicity” with Israel, which has seen public support in the US crater since 2023, to the point where Americans, especially younger ones, now say they sympathize more with Palestinians than Israelis.
Likening it to the massive cultural boycott movement against apartheid during the 1980s, Abunimah said the cultural revolt against Sheeran was “a clear ‘South Africa moment.’”
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General view of the Israeli Knesset (parliament) in Jerusalem. [Noam Moskowitz – Knesset – Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images]
Israel’s opposition Democrats party asked the Central Elections Committee on Monday to disqualify the Jewish Power party, led by extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, from the Oct. 27 general election, citing incitement to racism, Anadolu reports.
The petition also accused the party of undermining democracy, the rule of law and judicial authority, according to Israel’s Channel 12.
The Democrats said Kahanist lawmakers had used political power and parliamentary immunity to defy court orders, challenge the Supreme Court’s authority and incite “violent racism.”
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Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
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U.S. President Donald Trump raises his hand to wave goodbye while preparing to board his vehicle during his departure from Aras an Uachtarain on September 12, 2026, in Dublin, Ireland. [Artur Widak – Anadolu Agency]
US President Donald Trump reiterated on Monday that he was “open” to engaging with Iran to end the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in February.
“The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly. I will determine whether or not the USA will choose to engage — The concept of which we are open to,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said on Monday that it had shot down an advanced US MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz, as diplomatic efforts faced a setback with the postponement of a meeting between Iran and Gulf states.
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Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Israeli forces conduct a raid, taking extensive security measures on August 09, 2026 in Nablus, West Bank, Palestine. [Nedal Eshtayah – Anadolu Agency]
Israel is holding 37 Palestinian journalists in its prisons, including 19 under administrative detention without charge or trial, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said Sunday.
The nongovernmental group said all 37 journalists were detained following the start of the Gaza genocide in October 2023.
It said Israel continues to target Palestinian journalists through arrests, prison sentences, solitary confinement and prosecution over their work and freedom of expression.
Among the latest detainees are journalists Muath Ammarna and Sabri Jibrin, who were arrested Thursday after Israeli forces raided their homes in Bethlehem in the southern West Bank.
The group said Ammarna has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli authorities and is now being detained for the third time over his journalistic work.
It also cited the case of journalist and writer Mahmoud Fatafta, who was sentenced to 48 months in prison over what Israel describes as “incitement,” one of the harshest sentences issued in such cases, according to the statement.
The society said Israeli authorities increasingly use “incitement” charges against journalists, alongside administrative detention based on what authorities describe as “secret files.”
Nineteen journalists from the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are currently held under administrative detention, accounting for 51% of all detained journalists, it added.
The group also highlighted the case of journalist Bushra al-Tawil, 33, who was transferred from Damon Prison in northern Israel to solitary confinement at Ramla Prison in central Israel.
It accused Israeli authorities of intensifying isolation and other restrictive measures against female Palestinian prisoners, alongside food deprivation, denial of medical treatment and poor sanitation conditions.
The society said detained journalists face the same conditions as other Palestinian prisoners, including hunger, medical neglect, torture, abuse, solitary confinement and denial of basic rights.
Journalists are also targeted through killings, enforced disappearances and direct attacks while carrying out their work, it added, describing this as part of a systematic policy aimed at restricting Palestinian reporting and documentation of Israeli crimes and violations.
The occupied West Bank has seen daily Israeli army raids and escalating attacks by occupiers since the start of the Gaza genocide in October 2023. The attacks have included killings, arrests, demolitions, attacks on homes, vehicles and mosques, destruction of agricultural land, restrictions on farmers, displacement of Palestinians and expansion of illegal settlements.
On Thursday, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said Israeli forces detained more than 100 Palestinians across the West Bank over the previous week, bringing the number of West Bank detainees since October 2023 to more than 25,000, in addition to thousands detained from Gaza.
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Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Zita Holbourne addresses a previous TUC Congress at Manchester Central in 2018
