Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan speaking at a march for Palestine in Liverpool to coincide with the Labour Party Conference, September 21, 2024
ANTI-WAR campaigners in Scotland have sent solidarity to railway workers “making a stand for Palestine” and refusing to drive trains built by a firm complicit in Israeli war crimes.
Stop the War Scotland joined rail unions RMT, Aslef and TSSA today in demanding that the Scottish government remove CAF from its shortlist of contractors to build ScotRail’s new fleet of suburban trains.
The company has been listed on the United Nations human rights database for its role in running the Jerusalem Light Railway and helping expand it to territory seized by Israel.
Aslef made clear that its members would refuse to drive CAF trains, a position now echoed by TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust as she urged the Scottish government to “think again.”
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.
Crew members with the 28th Munitions Squadron warehouse 2,000-pound MK-84 bombs inside a hardened structure at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota on April 21, 2010. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Corey Hook/United States Air Force)
“A vote to let this sale proceed is a decision to help Israel commit more war crimes.”
3
A human rights organization on Friday called on members of Congress to block the Trump administration’s proposed $2.8 billion transfer of 40,000 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, warning that approving the massive weapons package could violate US law and expose lawmakers to potential liability for complicity in war crimes.
In a letter to congressional lawmakers, Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) urged legislators to introduce joint resolutions of disapproval under the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) once the administration formally notifies Congress of the sale.
“Forty thousand of the bombs that flattened Gaza is not a defense package, it is a down payment on the next round of atrocities,” DAWN executive director Omar Shakir said in a statement. “Every member of Congress now has the law and the evidence in front of them. A vote to let this sale proceed is a decision to help Israel commit more war crimes.”
1/ Members of Congress should introduce and pass joint resolutions of disapproval under the Arms Export Control Act to block the Trump administration's proposed $2.8 billion transfer of 40,000 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, DAWN said today in a letter to every member of the Senate and House.
The proposed package includes 20,000 MK-84 general-purpose bombs and 20,000 BLU-117s, along with 20,000 I-2000 penetrator warheads, according to reporting by The Washington Post. The weapons would be purchased largely through Foreign Military Financing, meaning US taxpayers would pay for Israel’s acquisition of the munitions.
The MK-84 is among the largest conventional bombs in the US arsenal. The Post reported that its blast can propel metal fragments thousands of feet, penetrate thick concrete and metal, and create large craters.
“Munitions experts [said] that US forces almost never drop bombs of this size in populated areas,” DAWN wrote in its letter. “Israel has used them hundreds of times in Gaza and Lebanon. The Biden administration paused a shipment of these bombs in May 2024 precisely because of the risk of mass casualties in Rafah; President [Donald] Trump released it within days of taking office.”
“Israel’s assault has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including more than 21,000 children, and the killing has not stopped,” DAWN said on Friday, adding that the United Nations Children’s Fund “said last month that at least 300 children had reportedly been killed since the October 2025 ceasefire, an average of one child every day.”
DAWN argued that the proposed transfer would violate multiple US laws, including provisions of the AECA and Foreign Assistance Act governing how American weapons may be provided and prohibiting assistance to governments engaged in consistent patterns of gross human rights violations. The organization also invoked the Leahy Laws, which prohibit certain assistance to foreign military units credibly implicated in gross human rights abuses.
The group further warned that knowingly providing weapons that are subsequently used to commit war crimes could also be “illegal” under the Rome Statute governing the International Criminal Court (ICC). Although Israel and the US are not signatories to the Rome Statute, the treaty stipulates that people from nonsignatory nations who commit crimes in states that are party to the treaty—as Palestine is—can be held criminally accountable for their acts.
The ICC has issued warrants for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including murder and forced starvation. The Hague-based court also ordered the arrest of three senior Hamas leaders; all three were extrajudicially assassinated by Israel.
The proposed sale has already encountered some congressional resistance. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced Wednesday that he would not clear the transfer, citing the absence of sufficient assurances that the weapons would be used consistently with US and international law and concerns about civilian protection in Gaza and Lebanon. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has also vowed to block the sale in the upper chamber.
However, DAWN cautioned that a congressional hold is not necessarily sufficient to stop the transfer. The organization noted that the Trump administration has previously invoked emergency authorities to bypass congressional review of arms sales to Israel.
Under the AECA, Congress can attempt to block a major arms transfer through a joint resolution of disapproval. DAWN is urging lawmakers to bring such resolutions to recorded votes in both chambers and to hold public hearings examining the administration’s use of emergency authorities to circumvent congressional oversight.
“The administration is betting that Congress will do what it always does: complain, then look away,” DAWN advocacy director Raed Jarrar said on Friday. “Congress should show the administration that it’s no longer the rubber stamp it long has been on arms to Israel and block this sale.”
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich displays a map of an area near the settlement of Maale Adumim, a land corridor known as E1, outside Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, on August 14, 2025. [Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images]
Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Wednesday announced plans for 1,000 new settlement housing units in the northern occupied West Bank, a day after 12 Western countries said they intended to impose trade restrictions on goods from illegal Israeli settlements, Anadolu reports.
Smotrich said on US social media company X that 1,665 dunams (411.5 acres) had been added to the Kida and Havat settlements, allowing for the construction of 1,000 new housing units.
The leader of the Religious Zionism party described the move as “another historic step in the settlement revolution.”
Israel has occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 1967. The international community considers Israeli settlements built on occupied Palestinian territory illegal under international law, a position rejected by Tel Aviv.
“After more than 25 years, the Kida and Havat settlements have finally reached the moment when the government is advancing procedures to legalize their status,” Smotrich said.
Kida and Havat were established in 2003 and 2001, respectively. The Israeli government decided to convert them into recognized settlements in December and March, respectively.
The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has touted that since taking office in late 2022, it has approved the establishment of 104 new settlements and established 160 agricultural settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank.
Around 750,000 Israeli occupiers live in 156 settlements and 360 outposts across the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, according to Palestinian figures.
On Tuesday, the UK, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden announced plans to impose trade restrictions on goods originating from the Israeli settlements.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
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.Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of policy of global privateering.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a speech in Washington, DC on September 29, 2025. [Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper in Israel on Wednesday described the announcement by 12 Western countries, led by Britain, to restrict trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as a “diplomatic setback and a significant failure” for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden announced Tuesday their intention to impose restrictions on trade in goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements.
In a statement, the 12 countries said the Israeli government’s actions in the occupied West Bank undermine the possibility of a two-state solution and urged Israel to immediately halt illegal settlement expansion and violence by occupiers.
Yedioth Ahronoth said that “with the European Union unable for months to reach consensus on sanctions that would ban imports from Israeli settlements, several European countries have begun pursuing restrictions independently, moving the issue from EU-wide diplomacy to national legislatures.”
The absence of an agreement in Brussels led governments supporting the restrictions to conclude that each country would need to enact its own legislation to ban imports from illegal settlements, it said.
The newspaper noted that “the Netherlands has already adopted such measures, although the Dutch order has been challenged in court on claims that it is discriminatory. It is scheduled to take effect Sept. 22.”
“Spain already has legislation in effect, although Israeli exports to the country from the West Bank are limited. Similar legislation is now being discussed in Luxembourg, while Sweden is pursuing its own process,” it added.
Belgium has announced plans for similar action but has not yet enacted legislation, “meaning no restrictions are currently in force there,” said the newspaper.
Yedioth Ahronoth said the growing number of countries supporting restrictions has “caused significant concern in Israel,” not because of the relatively limited volume of trade from illegal settlements, but because officials fear the measures could discourage European importers from altogether purchasing Israeli products.
“Under the new Dutch rules, importers of products originating in settlements could face up to six years in prison,” it added.
Israeli officials and business representatives fear some Dutch companies may choose to avoid Israeli goods entirely rather than verify whether individual products were manufactured inside Israel or in illegal settlements.
They warn that it “could effectively create a quiet, broader boycott.”
“The concern is that importers unwilling to assume the legal risk or administrative burden of establishing where Israeli goods were produced will simply stop purchasing them,” said the newspaper, adding that Israeli officials believe the secondary effects could have serious consequences for the economy as a whole.
The newspaper noted that Europe has long opposed Israeli settlement expansion, “but growing attention to attacks by extremist settlers against Palestinians has given fresh momentum to governments seeking punitive measures.”
Images of Israeli occupiers entering Palestinian villages and reports of violence “have intensified European pressure,” while inflammatory statements by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich “have further fueled criticism,” it said.
“From Israel’s perspective, the failure to effectively address reported incidents of settler violence has created a political boomerang: Extremists in the West Bank are strengthening the case of European governments and activists already opposed to settlements,” it said.
The occupied West Bank has witnessed escalating attacks by occupiers against Palestinians and their property, including incursions into towns and villages, and assaults on residents, vehicles and homes, under the protection of Israeli forces.
Yedioth Ahronoth warned that the potential economic consequences could eventually affect not only occupiers and companies operating in the West Bank, but the Israeli economy as a whole if importers begin viewing all Israeli products as potentially subject to restrictions.
The newspaper said domestic political considerations played a role in Britain’s decision, according to Israeli assessments, as the Labour government faces pressure from elements of its political base; “however, the more consequential development was Britain’s ability to assemble a coalition of 12 countries behind the initiative.”
The timing added another dimension to the controversy because the measures came during Israel’s election campaign.” Some Israeli political figures argue that international pressure on settlements could strengthen Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing allies electorally, and British officials had been warned about that possibility,” said the newspaper.
Nevertheless, the newspaper concluded that the decision by Britain and the 11 other Western countries was viewed “not only as a diplomatic setback but as a significant failure by Israel to prevent a coordinated international initiative.”
Palestinians warn that Israel is paving the way for formal annexation of the West Bank through army raids and attacks by occupiers, undermining the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state as stipulated in relevant UN resolutions.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
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.Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of policy of global privateering.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
US President Donald Trump (L) and Mark Levin (R). [Screengrab/facebook@middleeastmonitor]
Prominent American Zionist commentator and ally of President Donald Trump, Mark Levin has called on nearly 40 US states to retaliate against Britain using controversial anti-BDS laws, raising fresh questions over the willingness of Israel’s most vocal supporters to impose economic and constitutional costs on Americans in defence of a foreign state.
Levin issued the threat after Britain announced a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. “SO NOW OUR STATES CAN BOYCOTT THE UK” said Levin on X arguing that states with laws penalising boycotts of Israel should deploy them against British companies complying with the new measures.
SO NOW OUR STATES CAN BOYCOTT THE UK
Close to 40 states across the U.S. have laws that require ending contracts with and/or divesting from companies that engage in antisemitic boycotts, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against Israel. These states whose combined GDP is…
Republican Congressman Randy Fine has gone further, explicitly threatening to use Florida law against British companies.
Fine, who helped enact Florida’s anti-BDS legislation while serving in the state legislature, warned that any British company forced to comply with the UK measures could be excluded from doing business with state and local government in Florida.
“As the British government considers forcing British companies to boycott portions of Israel,” Fine wrote, the law he sponsored “would ban any British company forced to comply from doing business with any state or local government in Florida”.
As the British government considers forcing British companies to boycott portions of Israel, it should be aware that a Florida law that I passed as a member of the Legislature would ban any British company forced to comply from doing business with any state or local government in…
Fine claimed the consequences could extend further, saying British businesses participating in the boycott could also be prevented from operating in Florida where they required official interaction with state or local authorities, including permits or tax arrangements.
“Any company — or nation — that boycotts Israel is boycotted by Florida,” Fine declared.
Fine’s comments drew criticism from journalist Glenn Greenwald, who questioned why Florida should risk its own economic interests over a dispute involving Israel.
“Why would Florida sacrifice its business interests and those of its citizens to benefit Israel? We all know why,” Greenwald wrote on X. In another post, he accused Fine of being prepared to impose costs on Floridians in order to “protect Israel and punish the UK”.
This "US Congressman" vows vengeance against British companies for boycotting products from Israeli occupying the West Bank, announcing: "Any company — or nation — that boycotts Israel is boycotted by Florida."
Why would Florida sacrifice its business interests and those of its… https://t.co/oCLv3oB4uT
The UK is one of Florida’s largest foreign investors. According to figures published by the state, British companies support more than 70,000 jobs in Florida, while hundreds of UK-owned businesses operate across the state. Bilateral trade was valued at $5.8 billion in 2022.
The dispute also highlighted the unusually broad scope of Florida’s anti-BDS law. The legislation defines a boycott of Israel as action restricting commercial relations not only with Israel but also with businesses operating in “Israeli-controlled territories”, a definition that includes illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Britain’s measures, however, are directed specifically at trade with Israeli settlements rather than at Israel as a whole. The UK, along with other governments, maintains that the settlements are illegal under international law.
Levin referred to “close to 40 states” with legislation targeting boycotts of Israel. A 2026 study by Indiana University law professor Joseph Tomain identified 38 states with anti-BDS measures, although the laws differ significantly in scope and enforcement.
In a number of states, companies seeking government contracts must certify that they are not participating in a boycott of Israel. Other states have adopted provisions allowing public investment funds to divest from companies deemed to be engaged in such boycotts.
The pro-Israel anti-BDS measures have faced repeated constitutional challenges over whether governments can condition public contracts on an individual or company’s position towards a political boycott of a foreign state.
Civil liberties groups have argued that anti-BDS laws infringe First Amendment protections.
Federal courts have blocked or found constitutional problems with anti-BDS measures in several states, including Kansas, Arizona and Georgia. In the Georgia case involving journalist Abby Martin, a federal judge ruled that requiring her to certify that she was not boycotting Israel as a condition of a university speaking contract violated the First Amendment.
The legal position is not uniform. In 2022, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Arkansas’s anti-BDS law, finding that it regulated commercial conduct rather than protected expression. The Supreme Court later declined to hear an appeal, leaving the ruling in place without establishing a nationwide precedent on all anti-BDS laws.
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.Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of policy of global privateering.
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan speaking at a march for Palestine in Liverpool to coincide with the Labour Party Conference, September 21, 2024
