Even left-wing journalists are laying cover for Israel as vigils and protests erupt in the UK and US

A vigil for Palestine at Downing Street Israel Gaza


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Around 5,000 people descended on Downing Street on Wednesday 18 October. They were there to remember all those Israel had killed in Gaza and the Occupied Territories in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, 10,000 others descended on the US Congress in protest at its support for Israel‘s war crimes. However, amidst all this, politicians and the media were still defending Israel – with even some supposedly left-wing journalists undermining the Palestinian people.

Mass killings by Israel – yet the media still toes the line

At the time of publishing, Israel had killed over 3,400 people in Gaza, plus more in the Occupied Territories.

The mostly deadly incident so far was Israel’s attack on the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza, which killed at least 500 people. Israel has denied it’s responsible. It blamed the group Islamic Jihad, saying the blast was caused by a misfired rocket. Outlets like the BBC parroted this – with its supposed fact-checking Verify service toeing the line:

However, as Channel 4 News journalist Alex Thomson pieced together, Israel’s so-called ‘evidence’ is littered with holes – like fake audio that doesn’t match maps:

This hasn’t stopped Western governments and much of the media, as well as even some supposed left-wing journalists, from either accepting Israel’s version of events, or giving credence to the idea that we ‘don’t know’ who bombed Al-Ahli:

However, while people debate what seems quite clearly to be a case of Israel lying to cover up its crimes, the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC) in the UK took action.

Vigils and protests for Gaza

The PSC organised a vigil outside Downing Street at 5pm on 18 October:

It came amid both prime minister Rishi Sunak and opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer maintaining their support Israel – while failing to acknowledge its war crimes. At Downing Street, people prayed for those Israel has killed – as well as those who remain:

It’s not just the UK government that is complicit in Israel’s genocidal intent. Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) has accused the UK arms industry of complicity in Israeli war crimes. For example, the UK industry provides 15% of the components for the F35 stealth combat aircraft. Israel is using these to bomb civilians in Gaza. CAAT estimates that since 2016, the contract for the components is worth £336m.

Former Canary editor and CAAT media coordinator Emily Apple said in a press release:

Through its arms sales, and particularly through the supply of components for the F35s, the UK is complicit in war crimes in Gaza. Meanwhile, BAE Systems, one of the companies involved in producing the F35s, has seen its share prices reach a record high.

Meanwhile, in the US, Jewish Voice for Peace and its allies occupied Congress – calling for their government to act:

As Al Jazeera reported, cops arrested around 500 people – while one protester told the media outlet that he was honouring his family’s history:

I see my job as carrying on their legacy as Jews who see their role as standing up for stateless and oppressed people all throughout the world… I see no better way to do that than fighting for a ceasefire and peace in Gaza today.

Western complicity in Israel’s war crimes continues

However, both in the US and the UK there seems to be little sign of the political will to stand up to Israel.

US president Joe Biden wants his government to give $100m in aid to Gaza and the Occupied Territories – to effectively clean up the mess he helped create. Of course, this is just 1% of the $10bn Biden is reported to be giving to Israel:

As one person at the Downing Street vigil summed up:

This is not a complicated issue. Do not be scared to speak. This is genocide. It is not antisemitic to stand against genocide. Please demand that your leaders do something.

There appears to be little chance of a change of course by Western leaders. So, protests will continue – with another scheduled in London on Saturday 21 October. This begs the question, though – how many more Palestinians will Israel kill in that time, while much of the world stands idly by?

Featured image via Chris Nineham – screengrab

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  • Show Comments

      1. Stop spreading Israeli hasbara lies. The Palestinian resistance does not have any missiles at all. They only have home made rockets without warheads. They are lobbed up and just free fall back to earth.These cannot destroy a building. The hospital was hit by a speeding missile with a single large explosion. It was an Israeli missile without doubt.

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          1. @Boismalet : ” I can assure you that you are wrong. Hamas has access to very advanced rocket technology that most certainly does explode.”

            Well there are certainly rumours (unconfirmed) that Hamas has obtained western weaponry sent to Ukraine and subsequently sold on the black market by the corrupt individuals who run that state.

            Wouldn’t that be ironic, especially given your past enthusiastic support for Europe’s most corrupt state ?

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      2. @Hunter

        You might like to have a look at the following :

        Israel caught out in further lie about hospital strike after doctored image exposed

        https://skwawkbox.org/2023/10/19/israel-caught-out-in-further-lie-about-hospital-strike-after-doctored-image-exposed/

        Debunked: How an Israeli strike killed 100s in Gaza Baptist Hospital

        https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/debunked:-how-an-israeli-strike-killed-100s-in-gaza-baptist

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    2. At the last count Hamas were holding at least 200 hostages, the vast majority are civilians, some of them children. Apart from all their other evil deeds, the holding of hostages and possibly the cold blooded killing of them, is a war crime and needs to be condemned by all. I don’t see too much condemnation, mainly the conflating of Hamas and the Palestinian resistance. Hamas are Palestinians, they’re not some alien race who have taken control in Gaza.
      If Israel ever loses this war, the lives of nine million jews will be on the line.

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          1. One might question the sanity of trying to impose what is basically a hostile American / European colonial state onto the Arab world.

            Especially when it involved marginalising the Arab population.

            Really, what do you expect ? That the neighbours would drop round with cake to welcome them to their new state ?

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          2. You might say that, as might the far-right apartheid government running Israel. Anyone with a grasp of history would not. What is your objection to a democratic Israel/Palestine with equal rights for all? If that had been the situation since 1948, would Hamas have been created?

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    3. You do realise that about 1 million Jews were forced out of Arab countries post ww2?.No you probably dont do you,but even you must have some vague awareness that there is a strong historical link between the Jews and the land of Isreal/Palestine .Then again reading some of your previous posts perhaps not.

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      1. @Shredni vashtar : As I mentioned on another thread, I have a strong historical link with Ireland, where 10 generations ago my ancestors owned land. This is far more recent than any ancestral Jewish claim on Palestine (and can be proved by genealogical research) , but I wouldn’t even consider claiming my ancestral lands “by right”, let alone use violence to evict the current owners of the land.

        It’d be stupid and it’d be unfair. I’d have to be pretty arrogant to even consider such a move.

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    4. I mean, it’s probably just a coincidence, but….

      interesting how Shredni vashtar and Boismalet always appear at the same time and basically reiterate each other’s views. Has The Canary been asigned its own hasbara agents ? Tel Aviv calling ?

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    5. The million jews who fled Arab countries were post ww2 ie after 1945 you muppet.Where do you think most of them went.Israel of course and now you say they have no right to be there either.As I told you before I am not Jewish and I live in London but anti semites like you love a conspiracy theory.I notice you usually post st the same time as Airplane ,just proves you both think along the same lines thats all.Dont forget to wear your tinfoil hat,Mossad agents may be monitoring your every move you plonker.

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      1. Jewish people have every right to live in Israel/Palestine. As have millions of Palestinians, and as have others who might like to live there. It’s called ‘democracy’. I doubt you’d enjoy it.

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      2. @Shredni vashtar : “…you muppet… anti semite…. you plonker….”

        Hasbara in action. Personal attacks on people who disagree with the zionist agenda. See J.Corbyn for example.

        Weaponisation of the term “anti-semite” is always a give away.

        In other related news :

        “UK and Israeli Jews braved the weather to stage a large protest outside the official residence of hard-right Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely, against Israel’s violence and war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza.”

        https://skwawkbox.org/2023/10/20/uk-israeli-jews-sabbath-eve-protest-at-israel-ambassadors-residence-against-gaza-war-crimes/

        Muppets, plonkers and (most of all) anti-semites ?

        “Thousands of US Jews have staged a blockade and sit-down at the US Congress to demand an end to Israel’s ‘genocide’ of Gazan Palestinians ”

        https://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/article/us-jews-blockade-congress-demainding-ceasefire-now/

        Muppets, plonkers and (most of all) anti-semites ?

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