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BBC News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
As Israel faces diplomatic 'tsunami', Trump is staying quiet
A headline in Israel's liberal daily Ha'aretz this week put it starkly: "Diplomatic tsunami nears," it warned, "as Europe begins to act against Israel's 'complete madness' in Gaza."This week's diplomatic assault has taken many forms, not all of them concerted international condemnation of Israel's actions in Gaza, to the shocking murder of two young Israeli embassy staff members in Washington, this has been, to put it mildly, a tumultuous week for the Jewish waves started crashing on Israel's shores on Monday evening, when Britain, France and Canada issued a joint statement condemning its "egregious" actions in Gaza. All three warned of the possibility of "further concrete actions" if Israel continued its renewed military offensive and failed to lift restrictions on humanitarian also threatened "targeted sanctions" in response to Israel's settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.A statement from 24 donor nations followed, condemning a new, Israeli-backed aid delivery model for that was just the Tuesday, Britain suspended trade talks with Israel and said a 2023 road map for future cooperation was being reviewed.A fresh round of sanctions was imposed on Jewish settlers, including Daniela Weiss, a prominent figure who featured in Louis Theroux's recent documentary, The ambassador in London, Tzipi Hotovely, was summoned to the Foreign Office, a move generally reserved for the representatives of countries like Russia and make matters worse for Israel, the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said a "strong majority" of the bloc's members favoured reviewing the 25-year-old Association Agreement with Israel. 'Enough is enough' The reasons for this flurry of diplomatic condemnation seemed clear that Gaza was closer to mass starvation than at any time since the war began, following Hamas's attack in October 2023, was sending ripples of horror across the military offensive, and the rhetoric surrounding it, suggested that conditions in the stricken territory were about to deteriorate once MPs on Tuesday, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy singled out the words of Israel's hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who had spoken of "cleansing" Gaza, "destroying what's left" and relocating the civilian population to third countries."We must call this what it is," Lammy said. "It's extremism. It is dangerous. It is repellent. It is monstrous. And I condemn it in the strongest possible terms."Smotrich is not a decision-maker when it comes to conduct of the war in Gaza. Before now, his incendiary remarks might have been set to one those days appear to be over. Rightly or wrongly, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seen as in thrall to his far-right colleagues. Critics accuse him of relentlessly pursuing a war, without regard for the lives of Palestinian civilians or the remaining Israeli hostages still being held in that have long supported Israel's right to defend itself are beginning to say "enough is enough." This week was clearly a significant moment for Britain's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, a staunch defender of Israel (he once said "I support Zionism without qualification") who faced strong criticism from within the Labour Party for his reluctance last year to call for a ceasefire in Tuesday, Sir Keir said the suffering of innocent children in Gaza was "utterly intolerable".In the face of this unusually concerted action from some of his country's strongest allies, Netanyahu reacted furiously, suggesting Britain, France and Canada were guilty of supporting Hamas."When mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you're on the wrong side of justice," he posted on X."You're on the wrong side of humanity and you're on the wrong side of history." Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar went further, suggesting there was a "direct line" between Israel's critics, including Starmer, and Wednesday night's killing of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, the two Israeli embassy employees gunned down outside the Jewish Museum in despite the outpourings of sympathy following the shooting, the Israeli government seems increasingly isolated, with western allies and prominent members of the Jewish diaspora all voicing anger – and anguish – over the war in Levy, former Middle East envoy and advisor to Tony Blair, said he endorsed the current government's criticisms, even suggesting they might have come "a little late"."There has to be a stand, not just from us in this country but internationally, against what is going on in Gaza," he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One, describing himself as "a very proud Jew…who passionately cares for Israel".But silent, throughout all this, is the one man who could, if he wanted, stop the the end of his recent tour of the Gulf, Donald Trump said "a lot of people are starving".White House officials indicated the US president was frustrated with the war and wanted the Israeli government to "wrap it up".But while other western leaders release expressions of outrage, Trump is saying almost nothing.
Jordan Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Guards prevent Passover sacrifice ritual at Al Aqsa Mosque Compound
This photo taken on May 15, 2024 from Jerusalem's southern neighbourhood of Arnona shows a view of the Golden Dome of the Rock (Left) and the Dome of the Aqsa Mosque (Right), at the Aqsa Mosque Compound/ Al Haram Al Sharif in the old city of Jerusalem (AFP photo) AMMAN — Guards at Al Aqsa Mosque on Monday thwarted an attempt by a group of ultranationalist Jewish settlers to sacrifice a lamb at the Al Haram Al Sharif Compound in occupied Jerusalem, during the Jewish Passover holiday, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. Eyewitnesses told Petra's correspondent in Ramallah that the group, carrying a lamb, attempted to enter the compound but were intercepted by mosque guards before the act could be carried out. In a statement on Monday, the Jerusalem Governorate strongly condemned the incident as a 'dangerous escalation,' warning of the consequences of 'such provocations which violate the sanctity of the holy site and offend Muslim worshippers.' "What happened is a deliberate criminal attempt to impose a new status quo at Al Aqsa Mosque," it said, holding the occupation authority fully accountable for "these dangerous acts which were carried out under the protection, and with the complicity of Israeli security forces.' The incident came on the same day that 594 Jewish settlers entered the compound under heavy security, as Muslim worshippers were denied entry to Al Haram Al Sharif, the third holiest site in Islam.
Jordan Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Guards prevent Passover sacrifice attempt at Al Aqsa Mosque Compound
This photo taken on May 15, 2024 from Jerusalem's southern neighbourhood of Arnona shows a view of the Golden Dome of the Rock (Left) and the Dome of the Aqsa Mosque (Right), at the Aqsa Mosque Compound/ Al Haram Al Sharif in the old city of Jerusalem (AFP photo) AMMAN — Guards at Al Aqsa Mosque on Monday thwarted an attempt by a group of ultranationalist Jewish settlers to sacrifice a lamb at the Al Haram Al Sharif Compound in occupied Jerusalem, during the Jewish Passover holiday, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. Eyewitnesses told Petra's correspondent in Ramallah that the group, carrying a lamb, attempted to enter the compound but were intercepted by mosque guards before the act could be carried out. In a statement on Monday, the Jerusalem Governorate strongly condemned the incident as a 'dangerous escalation,' warning of the consequences of 'such provocations which violate the sanctity of the holy site and offend Muslim worshippers.' "What happened is a deliberate criminal attempt to impose a new status quo at Al Aqsa Mosque," it said, holding the occupation authority fully accountable for "these dangerous acts which were carried out under the protection, and with the complicity of Israeli security forces.' The incident came on the same day that 594 Jewish settlers entered the compound under heavy security, as Muslim worshippers were denied entry to Al Haram Al Sharif, the third holiest site in Islam.
