Latest news with #Arab-Israeli
Middle East Eye
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Why I support the UK taking a more nuanced position on Hamas
The reputation of Hamas sank to its lowest point after its attack on 7 October 2023, in which 1,200 Israelis and foreigners were killed and 251 taken hostage. In Israel, this attack provoked a tsunami of anger, strident calls for revenge, demands for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, and a national consensus in support of the total eradication of Hamas. The result has been the longest, deadliest and most ruinous war in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Hamas is a social movement and political organisation with a military wing, al-Qassam Brigades. The military wing was proscribed by the British government as a terrorist organisation in March 2001, and in November 2021, former Home Secretary Priti Patel added the political organisation to the list of proscribed groups. This decision marked an abrupt reversal of the government's previous policy, which made a clear distinction between Hamas's political and military wings. Patel, a staunch supporter of Israel, argued, unconvincingly in my opinion, that the distinction between the two wings was no longer tenable. For its part, Israel has always denied that there is any difference between the two wings. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters In August 2017, as secretary of state for international development, Patel went on a trip to Israel accompanied by Lord Polak, honorary president of Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) and a major fund-raiser for the Tory party. She had previously served as an officer for CFI's parliamentary group between 2011 and 2014. While pretending to be on a private holiday, Patel held 12 secret meetings with high-ranking Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Upon her return, she asked her officials to explore the possibility of diverting some of the foreign aid budget to enable the Israeli army to carry out humanitarian work in the occupied Golan Heights. She was subsequently forced to resign for concealing the nature and purpose of her trip to Israel. Baseless argument In 2019, then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson rehabilitated Patel by appointing her as home secretary. Johnson shared her Manichean view of the Middle East struggle, in which Israel represents the forces of light and Palestinians the forces of darkness. The change of policy towards Hamas was announced not by the foreign secretary, but by the home secretary. Patel said that designating the whole of Hamas as a terrorist organisation should be seen through a domestic prism: it would help to protect Jews in this country. This argument is baseless. Hamas does not carry out operations outside Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, it has no presence in Britain, and it poses no threat to British Jews in this country. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war Hamas's 2017 'Document of General Principles and Policies' (unlike the 1988 Hamas Charter) explicitly distinguishes between Judaism as a religion and Zionism as a political project. It affirms that Hamas's conflict with Israel is due to occupation, not religion, and states that it would accept the creation of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders without recognising Israel. Hamas has now instructed Riverway, a London law firm, to make an application to the home secretary to remove the government's designation of the movement as a proscribed terror group and recognise its legitimate role as a Palestinian resistance movement engaged in a struggle for self-determination and liberation. The application is made by Mousa Abu Marzouk, the former head of Hamas's political bureau. I am among 19 experts supporting this legal filing through reports on the history and context of Palestinian dispossession. My report describes the central role played by Britain in facilitating this dispossession, from the Balfour Declaration of 1917 up until the present. Why I wrote an expert report against the UK's classing Hamas as a terror group Read More » Western media outlets have relied heavily on the Israeli narrative of 7 October, including its countless false allegations and outright fabrications, such as the story of 40 decapitated babies, while under-reporting the Palestinian side of the story. One of Abu Marzouk's most significant correctives to the dominant narrative concerns the background to the Hamas-led 7 October attack. According to him, Hamas sought to achieve specific military objectives during the operation, with clear instructions not to target women, children and the elderly. Since deviations from these instructions admittedly occurred, Hamas is prepared to cooperate with the International Criminal Court and any other neutral third party in an independent and transparent investigation into the events of that day. This position stands in sharp contrast to Israel's denial of journalists' entry into Gaza, and its refusal to allow any independent investigation of the atrocities and war crimes committed by its forces. To explain Hamas's behaviour is not to justify it. Killing civilians is wrong, period. But here, as always, the context is all-important. The attack of 7 October did not occur in a vacuum. It occurred against the backdrop of decades of brutal and suffocating military occupation. Moreover, as a people living under unlawful military occupation, Palestinians have a right to resist, including the right to armed resistance. In effect, labelling Hamas's political leaders as terrorists pure and simple gives Israel a free pass to inflict death and destruction on Gaza without being held to account. The terrorist framing also stands in the way of a more balanced and nuanced understanding of the history, motives, policies and principles of Hamas. Crucial context The Hamas side of the story is hardly ever heard in the West, yet it makes a compelling reason for removing its political wing from the list of proscribed organisations. Here are some of the most relevant facts: in January 2006, Hamas won a clear victory in fair and free all-Palestine elections, and proceeded to form a government. Israel refused to recognise this government and resorted to a series of draconian measures to undermine it, supported by the United States and European Union. In March 2007, Hamas formed a unity government with its rival party Fatah, but Israel refused to negotiate with them. Instead, Israel and the US encouraged Fatah to stage a coup to drive Hamas out of power. Hamas pre-empted the Fatah coup by seizing power in Gaza, which led to Israel imposing a blockade on the enclave - a form of collective punishment proscribed by international law - which remained in force for 16 years before the Hamas attack on 7 October. The home secretary would do well to read the 700 pages of evidence that underpin this application for deproscription before making up her mind The distinction between the political and military wings of Hamas has always been crucial. Patel's decision to proscribe Hamas in its entirety was a politically motivated move that disregarded Hamas's democratic road to power and its growing political moderation once in power. Casting the whole of Hamas as a terrorist organisation also served to bolster Israel's hardline position, its refusal to negotiate, and its reliance on brute military force. Proscription by Britain and other western powers in effect endorsed Israel's refusal to put Hamas's willingness to compromise to the test. Israel's recurrent military offensives in Gaza since 2008 are chillingly described by its generals as 'mowing the lawn'. Under this grim rubric, the next war is always just around the corner. In the post-7-October military offensive, Israel has gone much, much further than ever before, committing the crime of crimes: genocide. As Abu Marzouk points out in his witness statement, Britain is not an innocent bystander in the genocide that is unfolding before our eyes in Gaza. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict was made in Britain. Britain was the colonial power that enabled the Zionist settler-colonial movement to embark on the systematic takeover of Palestine. The war in Gaza is the latest and cruellest phase in this long-term colonial effort to displace, dispossess and ethnically cleanse the Palestinian people. Hamas is a vital segment of Palestinian society and the vanguard of its resistance to Israel's illegal occupation. Deproscribing the political wing of Hamas would constitute a small step towards rectifying a monumental historical wrong. The home secretary would do well to read the 700 pages of evidence that underpin this application for deproscription before making up her mind. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye. The purpose of this article is to set out the author's reasons for supporting Abu Marzouk's application. Nothing in this article should be understood as inviting or otherwise encouraging readers to support, or express support for, Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyyah (Hamas).
Observer
a day ago
- Politics
- Observer
US envoy for Syria raises flag over Damascus residence as ties improve
DAMASCUS: The United States' newly-appointed Syria envoy said he believed peace between Syria and Israel was achievable as he made his first trip to Damascus on Thursday, praising the government and saying it was ready for dialogue. Thomas Barrack raised the American flag over the ambassador's residence for the first time since the US Embassy closed in 2012, underlining a rapid expansion of US ties with Damascus since President Donald Trump unexpectedly announced the lifting of sanctions and met Syrian leader Ahmed al Sharaa. "Syria and Israel is a solvable problem. But it starts with a dialogue," Barrack told a small group of journalists in Damascus. "I'd say we need to start with just a non-aggression agreement, talk about boundaries and borders," he said. Barrack also said that Syria would no longer be deemed a state sponsor of terrorism by the United States, saying the issue was "gone with the Assad regime being finished" but that Congress had a six-month review period. "America's intent and the president's vision is that we have to give this young government a chance by not interfering, not demanding, by not giving conditions, by not imposing our culture on your culture," Barrack said. Interim President Sharaa is rapidly reorienting a country that had turbulent ties with the West during more than five decades of rule by the Assad family. Syria has long been a frontline state in the Arab-Israeli conflict, with Israel occupying the Syrian Golan Heights since a war in 1967. Israel seized more Syrian territory in the border zone following Bashar al Assad's ouster in December. Barrack, who is also US ambassador to Türkiye, was named as Syria's US envoy on May 23. He noted Syria had been under US sanctions since 1979. Some of the toughest were implemented in 2020 under the so-called Caesar act, which Barrack said must be repealed by Congress within a 180-day window. "I promise you the one person who has less patience with these sanctions than all of you is President Trump," he said. The US closed its embassy in Damascus in February 2012, nearly a year after protests against Assad devolved into a violent conflict that went on to ravage Syria for more than a decade. Then-ambassador Robert Ford was pulled out of Syria shortly before the embassy closed. Subsequent US envoys for Syria operated from abroad and did not visit Damascus. During Syria's 14-year war, hundreds of thousands of people were killed, millions were displaced both internally and outside the country and the West ratcheted up pressure against Assad by cutting ties and imposing tough sanctions. — Reuters
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
US envoy visits Damascus, says Syria-Israel conflict ‘solvable'
The United States envoy to Syria says the conflict between Israel and Syria is 'solvable' as he visited the capital, Damascus and praised the interim government, as the political and economic thaw between the nation and Western powers continues apace. Thomas Barrack, who raised the flag over the US ambassador's residence for the first time since it closed in 2012 amid Syria's civil war, said solving the issues between Syria and Israel needed to start with 'dialogue'. 'I'd say we need to start with just a non-aggression agreement, talk about boundaries and borders,' he told journalists on Thursday. In recent months, the US has begun rebuilding ties with Syria under its new administration. Earlier in May, the US also lifted sanctions on the country in a surprise announcement, offering a nation devastated by nearly 14 years of war a critical lifeline. The European Union followed suit days later. Barrack said that Syria would also no longer be deemed by the US as a state sponsor of 'terrorism', saying the issue was gone 'with the [former President Bashar al-Assad regime being finished', but added that the US Congress still had a six-month review period. 'America's intent and the president's vision is that we have to give this young government a chance by not interfering, not demanding, by not giving conditions, by not imposing our culture on your culture,' Barrack said. Reporting from Damascus, Al Jazeera's Mahmoud Abdel Wahed said the warming ties between Syria, the US and other Western countries were a 'major shift in the political dynamic of the region'. Wahed explained that as Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani continues to meet representatives from Western countries and officials from the European Union and the United Nations, it will bring 'a lot of benefits' for the new Syrian administration and the Syrian people. 'This is some kind of recognition of the new leadership – giving a chance to the new leadership to boost its economy, to bring more Western investment to help the government rebuild war-torn Syria,' he added. Since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and Israel's subsequent occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights, the two countries have had a fraught relationship. Shortly after al-Assad was deposed in December following a lightning offensive by opposition fighters, Israel seized more Syrian territory near the border, claiming it was concerned about the interim administration led by Ahmed al-Sharaa. Israel has carried out frequent attacks in Syria both during the al-Assad rule and since his ouster. During a meeting between US President Donald Trump and al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier in May, the US leader urged al-Sharaa to normalise relations with Israel. While al-Sharaa has not commented on possible normalisation with Israel, he has supported a return to the terms of a 1974 ceasefire agreement that created a United Nations buffer zone in the Golan Heights.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Who is Muhammed Sinwar, the top Hamas commander killed by Israel?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that Muhammed Sinwar, the leader of Hamas and of its armed wing, was killed in a recent Israeli airstrike in Gaza. Netanyahu did not provide further details. Hamas has still not confirmed Sinwar's death. Muhammed Sinwar is believed to have died in a precision drone strike on May 13. The Israeli military targeted an underground Hamas command centre beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, Sinwar's hometown in southern Gaza Strip. At least six people were killed in the strike and 40 wounded, Gaza's Health Ministry said at the time. Here is what we know about Muhammed Sinwar: Brother of Yahya Sinwar Sinwar is the younger brother of Veteran fighter from Khan Younis Born in 1975 in Khan Younis refugee camp, Sinwar came from a family displaced during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Like his elder brother, Yahya, the younger Sinwar joined Hamas after it was founded in the late 1980s as the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. He became a member of the Qassam Brigades and became close to its commander, Muhammed Deif, who was killed last year. Sinwar helped plan the 2006 cross-border raid in which Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit was captured and later exchanged for over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including his brother Yahya. A key player in Hamas strategy Israeli officials have long considered Muhammed Sinwar a major strategic planner. He reportedly had advance knowledge of the October 7 attack. His role made him a frequent target of Israeli strikes, and he was previously thought to have been killed in 2014. Netanyahu mentioned the killing of Sinwar in a speech before the Parliament in which he listed the names of other Hamas leaders killed during the war. We have killed ten of thousands of terrorists. We killed (Muhammed) Deif, (Ismail) Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar and Muhammed Sinwar, he said. Israel vows to continue war As the head of Hamas' armed wing, Sinwar had a central role in decision-making about hostages. His death could complicate ongoing efforts by the United States and Arab mediators to reach a ceasefire. Hamas still holds many hostages and controls parts of Gaza not occupied by Israeli forces. Israel has promised to fight until all hostages are freed and Hamas is dismantled. The war, now in its 19th month, has seen much of Hamas' leadership killed, though the group remains active in areas of Gaza.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Aid to Gaza must be allowed to flow
One principle of counter-insurgency warfare is that food supplies for the civilian population should follow in the wake of the army. Israel put its version of this doctrine into effect on Tuesday when a new organisation – the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – began distributing supplies to Palestinians. The British Army would have allowed the United Nations to perform this task, but Israel has chosen to create a special foundation under its full control. With the UN bypassed, American contractors will hand out food parcels at distribution centres in locations chosen by Israeli commanders. Given that the UN operation in Gaza was compromised by Hamas, Israel's decision to run the system itself is understandable. But if Israel insists on controlling the distribution of aid, then it must accept an obligation to ensure that supplies are available wherever there is need. They should think twice before turning humanitarian aid into an instrument of military strategy by using it to draw Palestinians into the areas of Gaza where Israel plans to confine the entire civilian population of two million people. What will become of wounded Palestinians or orphaned children unable to reach the distribution centres? The war in Gaza is now the longest in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Hamas started it by attacking Israel on October 7, 2023 and inflicting the worst loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust. Israel has every right to self-defence. But Israel's friends are entitled to ask what is the plan now? A US-brokered deal whereby all hostages would be released in return for ending the war needs to be seriously considered. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
