Latest news with #Hotovely
The National
4 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Keir Starmer 'must expel Israeli ambassador after Gaza takeover plan'
Ahead of the security cabinet meeting, which began on Thursday and ran through the night, Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel planned to retake control over the entire territory and eventually hand it off to friendly Arab forces opposed to Hamas. The plans stop short of that, perhaps reflecting the reservations of Israel's top general, who reportedly warned it would endanger the remaining 20 or so living hostages held by Hamas and further strain Israel's army after nearly two years of regional wars. The military 'will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones,' Netanyahu's office said in a statement after the meeting. READ MORE: LIVE: Israel's security council approves plan to escalate genocide In response, Starmer said that Israel's actions will only 'bring more bloodshed' and urged them to reconsider. And now, Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater has urged the Prime Minister to go further and end all arms sales and political support to Israel, as well as the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely. Hotovely once called the Nakba – when 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced and more than 500 Palestinian cities, towns and villages were destroyed by Israel in 1948 during the country's formation – an "Arab lie", and has repeatedly rejected a two-state solution. 'The UK government has not been a detached observer in the genocide against Gaza, it has been an active participant,' Slater said. 'The Prime Minister and his colleagues have chosen to arm and support Israeli forces and have ignored the daily and systemic atrocities that have been inflicted on Palestinians. 'When Keir Starmer sees the images of homes and communities turned to rubble or reads the stories about children being killed while their families are queuing for food, he must know that he has done nowhere near enough to stand against it. 'Urging restraint is not enough, the hypocrisy must end.' She added that this must include stopping arms sales as well as 'military collaboration and political support' for Israel. Slater added: 'That must mean backing sanctions against Israeli forces and expelling the Israeli ambassador who has served as a mouthpiece for genocide. 'This has been a disgraceful chapter in UK foreign policy and has made the Prime Minister and his colleagues complicit in some of the worst war crimes of this century.' The UK Government has been contacted for comment. READ MORE: Germany to stop weapons exports to Israel after Gaza takeover plan We previously told how a petition to expel Hotovely gathered tens of thousands of signatures in June. It comes as First Minister John Swinney said Israel's plans are 'completely and utterly unacceptable', and urged the international community to intervene. Israel has repeatedly bombarded Gaza City and carried out numerous raids, only to return to different neighbourhoods again and again as militants regrouped. Today, it is one of the few areas of Gaza that has not been turned into an Israeli buffer zone or placed under evacuation orders. A major ground operation there could displace tens of thousands of people and further disrupt efforts to deliver food to the territory. It is unclear how many people reside in the city, which was Gaza's largest before the war.
Spectator
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Sunday shows round-up: Reeves weighs in on Israel
Rachel Reeves: 'Israel has every right to defend itself' In a major escalation of conflict in the Middle East, Israel and Iran are now engaged in active warfare, trading missile strikes after Israel initially attacked Iranian nuclear sites on Friday. The UK has now sent military jets to the region, and on Sky News this morning, Trevor Phillips asked Chancellor Rachel Reeves if UK military assets could be used in support of Israeli operations. Reeves said it was a 'fast moving situation', but the UK had not been involved so far. She added that Israel had the right to defend itself, and that the UK was 'also very concerned about Iran's nuclear deterrent'. When pressed on potential UK military involvement, Reeves said she couldn't rule anything out, but implied that 'defensive activity' was a possibility. The chancellor said it was a volatile situation, but called for deescalation, warning that what happens in the region would have 'repercussions around the world'. Tzipi Hotovely: 'There was an imminent threat' Laura Kuenssberg spoke to Israeli Ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely, and asked her why Israel would not heed calls from its allies to deescalate its actions in the region. Hotovely claimed Israel had to move because Iran was 'racing fast to get nuclear bombs', and said it would be 'devastating to the region' if Iran achieved nuclear capabilities. Kuenssberg reminded Hotovely that US intelligence believe Iran was 'not yet building a nuclear weapon', and so there was no 'imminent threat'. Hotovely said that was false, that Iran was enriching uranium far beyond what is necessary for civil applications, and that Iran's purpose was to 'destroy Israel'. Reza Pahlavi: 'Anything that weakens the regime… is something that people welcome' Laura Kuenssberg also interviewed Reza Pahlavi, son of the former Shah of Iran, who argued that this conflict was the fault of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Pahlavi suggested that the people of Iran 'welcome' Israel's attacks as a positive force against the 'strangulation' of the Iranian regime. Kuenssberg asked if Pahlavi really believed that the bombing of Iranian citizens was a good thing. Pahlavi said he didn't believe Israel was deliberately targeting civilians, and described the conflict as an 'opportunity for the Iranian people to finally liberate themselves'. He called on the rest of the world to not 'sit idle', but provide a 'sense of support' for the Iranian people. Mel Stride: 'When it's come to public and political pressure, they've caved' The government have announced a national inquiry into grooming gangs, after repeatedly resisting calls to do so. On the BBC today, Rachel Reeves said the prime minister had accepted the recommendations of Baroness Casey's new report, and was focussed 'on the victims… not grandstanding'. However, Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride criticised the government on Sky News, saying the prime minister had 'dithered' and been 'defensive' on the issue. Trevor Phillips said that Starmer had also criticised the Conservatives for not dealing with the problem when they were in power. Stride claimed that they 'did a lot', such as accepting most of the recommendations from the Alexis Jay review. He argued that the government was implementing a national inquiry now because of public and political pressure, and compared it to their U-turn on the winter fuel payments, saying, 'that's not the best way to conduct public policy'. Darren Jones: Comments on Question Time were 'clipped by Reform in a particular way' Treasury minister Darren Jones has been criticised for saying on Question Time that the majority of people crossing the Channel in boats are 'children, babies and women'. Home Office figures estimate that 81% of those arriving on small boats are adult men. On GB News, Camilla Tominey asked if Jones accepted that he had 'misled' the audience. Jones argued he had been specifically talking about his visit to the border security command, where he had seen dinghies which did have mostly women and children on board, many of whom 'needed treatment for burns'. Jones said he had been making the point that we need a 'humanitarian response' to go with strong borders. Tominey suggested that the smuggling gangs were 'running rings around' the government at the moment. Jones admitted it was a problem, and said the government was putting more money into the border security command.
The National
15-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
Israeli ambassador to UK claims strikes on Iran are 'self-defence'
Tzipi Hotovely insisted the operation was an act of self-defence and argued Iran had rejected diplomatic efforts to ease tensions. However, planned talks on Iran's nuclear programme - which were described by Iran as "optimistic" - were called off after the strikes. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that if the Israeli strikes on Iran stop, then 'our responses will also stop'. READ MORE: Rachel Reeves suggests UK will 'potentially' support Israel amid Iran conflict Hotovely told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: 'Europe owes a huge thank you to Israel for doing that, and the Gulf countries as well. 'Our region would have been a place that is not safe for anyone if Iran had accomplished their plan.' Referencing past airstrikes on suspected nuclear sites in Iraq in 1981 and Syria in 2007, Hotovely added: 'The international community owes a huge thank you to Israel and it's the same case here.' Her comments come amid international calls for de-escalation between Israel and Iran. It comes after Rachel Reeves indicated that the UK could 'potentially' support Israel amid the conflict and Keir Starmer confirmed the UK would send jets to the Middle East. Israel has unleashed air strikes across Iran for a third day and threatened even greater force as some Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defences to strike buildings in the heart of the country.
The National
04-06-2025
- General
- The National
Petition to expel Israeli ambassador from UK at nearly 200k signatures
Tzipi Hotovely, the Israeli ambassador to the UK, has repeatedly rejected the notion of a two-state solution and once called the Nakba – when 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced and more than 500 Palestinian cities, towns and villages were destroyed by Israel in 1948 during the country's formation – an "Arab lie". The National told how last month, Hotovely (below) gave a keynote speech at a secret party at the British Museum organised by the Israeli embassy which was attended by Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch and hosted by Jimmy Carr. As of 2pm on Wednesday, the petition has reached 174,427 signatures and has gathered more than 1000 signatures on Wednesday alone. The petition was first started in December 2023 by Dr Asim Suleman, who said the "presence and influence" of the ambassador could lead to the "potential radicalisation of our UK population". The petition reads: "As a citizen who values peace, unity, and respect for all, I find it alarming that an ambassador could potentially incite division and extremism within our society. READ MORE: Westminster's anti-migrant politics leaves new Scots 'hopeless and afraid' "The role of an ambassador is to foster good relations between countries, promote mutual understanding, and work towards peaceful coexistence. However, when their presence becomes a source of discord rather than harmony, it's time to reassess their position. "This petition is not against Israel or its people but against actions that could potentially harm our society's fabric. "We urge the UK government to consider this matter seriously for maintaining peace within our borders." The petition lists the International Court of Justice and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network as the decision makers. It comes after at least 26 Palestinians were killed by Israel overnight after intense attacks on the Gaza Strip, including one on a school housing displaced families. READ MORE: 'You will be on trial': Pro-Palestine protesters target Westminster Previous calls for the Israeli ambassador to be expelled from the UK include from independent MP John McDonnell, who, earlier this year, cited Hotovely's refusal "to recognise the Palestinian state" and being "an advocate of 'Greater Israel'". And on Wednesday, the National told how a group of Labour MPs have visited Israel on a lobbying trip, despite the country's brutal assault on Gaza and the UK Government's previous description of the Israeli government's actions as "egregious". The Foreign Office has been contacted for comment.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel's ambassador to UK accuses LSE of fuelling extremism with book on Hamas
Israel's ambassador to Britain has accused a leading university of 'providing a platform for Hamas propaganda' by hosting a book launch. Tzipi Hotovely has called for the London School of Economics (LSE) to cancel a talk about the book Understanding Hamas: And Why It Matters, on Monday, warning it would 'grow support' for the terrorist group among students. Its synopsis describes the Palestinian terrorist group as 'a widely misunderstood movement whose involvement in a just resolution of the Israel/Palestine conflict will be critical'. In a letter to Larry Kramer, the president of the LSE, Ms Hotovely wrote: 'I am deeply concerned that the event is providing a platform for Hamas propaganda – a terror organisation proscribed under United Kingdom law. 'I worry that by promoting such a book, which sympathises with and justifies the survival and existence of Hamas, will only serve to grow support for a brutal terror organisation among your students and beyond.' She expressed 'sincere hope that you will reconsider allowing the event to go ahead'. The Home Office has already pre-warned the event's speakers that they will face the 'full force of the law' if they praise Hamas at the book launch. In her letter Ms Hotovely drew attention to one passage in the book which appeared to deny the Oct 7 attacks. It reads: 'Israeli claims about what happened on Oct 7 have since been proven to be false. They have been proven even to be deliberate lies designed in order to justify what the Israelis were going to do as a revenge attack on Gaza, which we were seeing happening for the past eight months nearly.' Another passage in the book argues that 'demonisation efforts' against Hamas 'impede diplomacy and keep the [Palestinian] populations suffering colonial rule or military occupation trapped for decades in devastating conflict at the hands of their far more violent and heavily armed oppressors.' The book claims 'the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has been subjected to intense vilification'. 'Branding it as 'terrorist' or worse, this demonisation intensified after the events in southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023.' Ms Hotovely said going ahead with the talk will put Jewish students at risk as she called for it to be cancelled. She told Mr Kramer: 'Your Jewish and Israeli students will be feeling anxious and fearful for their own safety at this moment in time. 'The past 17 months have been deeply traumatic to Jewish people in the UK and around the world. Indeed, cases of reported anti-Semitic incidents rose by 148% last year – with university campuses specifically seeing a rise in anti-Jewish and anti-Israel hatred.' Ms Hotovely, who has served as Israel's ambassador in London since 2020, told the LSE's president: 'The university should not be endorsing this event, let alone organising it through its Middle East Centre. Nor should the university allow this event to go ahead on its premises. Therefore, I encourage you to cancel the event.' Hamas has been a proscribed organisation in Britain since 2021. Expressing support for a proscribed terrorist organisation is illegal under Section 12 of the Terorrism Act 2000. An LSE spokesman said: 'Free speech and freedom of expression underpins everything we do at LSE. Students, staff and visitors are strongly encouraged to discuss and debate the most pressing issues around the world. 'We host an enormous number of events each year, covering a wide range of viewpoints and positions. 'We have clear policies in place to ensure the facilitation of debates in these events and enable all members of our community to refute ideas lawfully and to protect individuals' rights to freedom of expression within the law. This is formalised in our Code of Practice on Free Speech and in our Ethics Code.' 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.
