Latest news with #PeterStevenson
Scotsman
5 days ago
- General
- Scotsman
As a child of Holocaust survivors, I condemn Israel's atrocities against Palestinians
As a Jew whose parents and grandparents experienced the extreme racial hatred of the Nazis, Peter Stevenson explains why he feels a special responsibility to speak out against Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... My name is Peter Stevenson. But that's not the name I was born with. My parents, Jan Siebenschein and Edita Reich, came to Britain in 1939 as Jewish refugees from Czechoslovakia. None of my grandparents survived the concentration camps. As a Jew with this particular background, I utterly condemn Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank. With what dark irony we have moved from being the oppressed to becoming harsh oppressors. We, with the memory of the Holocaust, are the last people on Earth who should inflict mass suffering on a whole nation. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I recognise that many Israelis oppose their government's actions. And I understand the determination of 'never again' – never again will we let mass destruction engulf us. But this cannot justify inflicting profound suffering on others. A plume of dust and smoke rises after an Israeli strike on a camp for displaced Palestinians in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip | AFP via Getty Images Rekindling hatred of Jews It is, moreover, entirely counterproductive. Each maimed, starving or dead child, each mourning family risks seeding hatred for Israelis, possibly for generations to come. Israel's attempts to achieve security are totally misguided and will rebound against it. Also, Israel's actions are rekindling hatred of Jews in countries far from the Middle East. Jews in Britain, the US and indeed globally are experiencing a marked rise in antisemitism. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Israel justifies its actions by highlighting the need to secure the release of all the hostages. Of course this is essential; they have suffered almost 20 months of terrifying captivity. But this does not justify Israel's war on Gaza with its massive death toll of over 50,000. READ MORE: UK ramps up pressure on Israel over offensive in Gaza and West Bank Moreover, the attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, did not come from nowhere. They were fuelled by many decades of cruel, repressive treatment of Palestinian people by Israel. Any government that subjugates huge numbers of people to harsh, authoritarian regimes which constrain their daily lives must recognise that their actions will periodically provoke – and be responsible for – uprisings by those they oppress. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad New West Bank settlements While the eyes of the world have been focused on Israeli atrocities in Gaza, settler violence in the occupied West Bank has been intensifying. Here Israelis have been attacking Palestinian residents, burning dwellings and vehicles. This has forced many Palestinians to flee their homes and land. The Israeli military sometimes either takes part in violent settler attacks or stands by, doing nothing to protect the Palestinian victims. The Israeli government recently announced that 22 new Jewish settlements have been approved in the West Bank – the biggest expansion in decades. Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since 1967. Just last week, thousands of Israelis joined a state-backed march through the Old City of East Jerusalem, where large groups chanted racist slogans including 'Gaza is ours', 'death to the Arabs', 'may their villages burn' and 'your home will be ours'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I am a lawyer and fully agree with the recent letter signed by more than 1,000 lawyers arguing that 'genocide is being perpetrated in Gaza or, at a minimum, there is a serious risk of genocide occurring'. I am also inspired by the letter signed by 36 members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews that said 'the inclination to avert our eyes is strong, as what is happening is unbearable, but our Jewish values compel us to stand up and to speak out' and stressed that 'Israel's soul is being ripped out'. What are the Jewish values referred to in this letter? Core Jewish values include compassion and loving-kindness (chesed) and peace (shalom) between communities and nations. Also central is tikkun olam – repairing the world – and justice (tzedek); this includes treating others fairly and respecting their rights. Clearly Israel's actions in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem are at complete variance with Jewish values. Israel on the wrong path Am I right to believe that, as a Jew born in the generation whose parents and grandparents experienced extreme racial hatred in the 1940s, I have some special responsibility to speak out against Israel's actions? I cannot talk for others but I increasingly feel the need to stress that the race who suffered so greatly during the Holocaust are the last people on Earth who should be inflicting extreme suffering on others. Violent, aggressive, uncaring of others – this cannot be who we are. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After the reading and research and thinking I have done to write this article, I have come to realise that what Israel has done and is doing is much worse than I had realised. Israel, you have taken a wrong turning. You may think you are building your nation's security, but you're not, you are undermining it, while ripping out your soul. We need a complete, fundamental realignment. The two-state solution in which a Jewish and a Palestinian state live peacefully side by side with security for both is favoured by many. An alternative would be one state comprising all the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea – Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank – in which Israelis and Palestinians lived as equals with identical rights, and equal access to education, jobs, housing and health. Either way, as the current controlling and wealthy power, Israel will need to take the initiative. It must unravel the apartheid state that it has developed. It must commit huge sums of money to rebuilding Gaza and establishing high-quality educational and medical facilities in sufficient quantities to meet the needs of all, be it in a two-state or one-state solution. Only with a complete change of heart will Israel be able to reconnect with Jewish values and end the cruel cycle of violence and bloodshed.
Scotsman
5 days ago
- General
- Scotsman
As a child of Holocaust survivors, I condemn Israel's atrocities against Palestinians
As a Jew whose parents and grandparents experienced the extreme racial hatred of the Nazis, Peter Stevenson explains why he feels a special responsibility to speak out against Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... My name is Peter Stevenson. But that's not the name I was born with. My parents, Jan Siebenschein and Edita Reich, came to Britain in 1939 as Jewish refugees from Czechoslovakia. None of my grandparents survived the concentration camps. As a Jew with this particular background, I utterly condemn Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank. With what dark irony we have moved from being the oppressed to becoming harsh oppressors. We, with the memory of the Holocaust, are the last people on Earth who should inflict mass suffering on a whole nation. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I recognise that many Israelis oppose their government's actions. And I understand the determination of 'never again' – never again will we let mass destruction engulf us. But this cannot justify inflicting profound suffering on others. A plume of dust and smoke rises after an Israeli strike on a camp for displaced Palestinians in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip | AFP via Getty Images Rekindling hatred of Jews It is, moreover, entirely counterproductive. Each maimed, starving or dead child, each mourning family risks seeding hatred for Israelis, possibly for generations to come. Israel's attempts to achieve security are totally misguided and will rebound against it. Also, Israel's actions are rekindling hatred of Jews in countries far from the Middle East. Jews in Britain, the US and indeed globally are experiencing a marked rise in antisemitism. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Israel justifies its actions by highlighting the need to secure the release of all the hostages. Of course this is essential; they have suffered almost 20 months of terrifying captivity. But this does not justify Israel's war on Gaza with its massive death toll of over 50,000. READ MORE: UK ramps up pressure on Israel over offensive in Gaza and West Bank Moreover, the attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, did not come from nowhere. They were fuelled by many decades of cruel, repressive treatment of Palestinian people by Israel. Any government that subjugates huge numbers of people to harsh, authoritarian regimes which constrain their daily lives must recognise that their actions will periodically provoke – and be responsible for – uprisings by those they oppress. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad New West Bank settlements While the eyes of the world have been focused on Israeli atrocities in Gaza, settler violence in the occupied West Bank has been intensifying. Here Israelis have been attacking Palestinian residents, burning dwellings and vehicles. This has forced many Palestinians to flee their homes and land. The Israeli military sometimes either takes part in violent settler attacks or stands by, doing nothing to protect the Palestinian victims. The Israeli government recently announced that 22 new Jewish settlements have been approved in the West Bank – the biggest expansion in decades. Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since 1967. Just last week, thousands of Israelis joined a state-backed march through the Old City of East Jerusalem, where large groups chanted racist slogans including 'Gaza is ours', 'death to the Arabs', 'may their villages burn' and 'your home will be ours'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I am a lawyer and fully agree with the recent letter signed by more than 1,000 lawyers arguing that 'genocide is being perpetrated in Gaza or, at a minimum, there is a serious risk of genocide occurring'. I am also inspired by the letter signed by 36 members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews that said 'the inclination to avert our eyes is strong, as what is happening is unbearable, but our Jewish values compel us to stand up and to speak out' and stressed that 'Israel's soul is being ripped out'. What are the Jewish values referred to in this letter? Core Jewish values include compassion and loving-kindness (chesed) and peace (shalom) between communities and nations. Also central is tikkun olam – repairing the world – and justice (tzedek); this includes treating others fairly and respecting their rights. Clearly Israel's actions in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem are at complete variance with Jewish values. Israel on the wrong path Am I right to believe that, as a Jew born in the generation whose parents and grandparents experienced extreme racial hatred in the 1940s, I have some special responsibility to speak out against Israel's actions? I cannot talk for others but I increasingly feel the need to stress that the race who suffered so greatly during the Holocaust are the last people on Earth who should be inflicting extreme suffering on others. Violent, aggressive, uncaring of others – this cannot be who we are. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After the reading and research and thinking I have done to write this article, I have come to realise that what Israel has done and is doing is much worse than I had realised. Israel, you have taken a wrong turning. You may think you are building your nation's security, but you're not, you are undermining it, while ripping out your soul. We need a complete, fundamental realignment. The two-state solution in which a Jewish and a Palestinian state live peacefully side by side with security for both is favoured by many. An alternative would be one state comprising all the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea – Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank – in which Israelis and Palestinians lived as equals with identical rights, and equal access to education, jobs, housing and health. Either way, as the current controlling and wealthy power, Israel will need to take the initiative. It must unravel the apartheid state that it has developed. It must commit huge sums of money to rebuilding Gaza and establishing high-quality educational and medical facilities in sufficient quantities to meet the needs of all, be it in a two-state or one-state solution. Only with a complete change of heart will Israel be able to reconnect with Jewish values and end the cruel cycle of violence and bloodshed.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Opinion - In protecting chickens, we protect ourselves from future bird flu outbreaks
The price of eggs is ever-present in the collective American mind and has been for quite some time. As H5N1 influenza (more commonly known as 'bird flu') rages across the country, already inflated egg prices have hit record highs. But our demand for the cheapest eggs possible is part of what fueled the current bird flu outbreak. To protect ourselves in the future, we must protect chickens, too. Researchers have long connected poor conditions for farmed animals with the spread of infectious diseases. 'There is growing recognition that industrial livestock production, in which large numbers of animals are kept in crowded and stressful conditions, can lead to the emergence, transmission, and amplification of both viral and bacterial diseases,' researcher Peter Stevenson explained in a 2023 review. Looking at the average American egg farm, it is easy to see how these facilities become infectious disease factories. At the end of 2022, the U.S. had 308 million commercial egg-laying hens. According to World Animal Protection, more than 95 percent of these hens live in factory farming conditions. Chickens hatched on factory egg farms lead horrifying lives. Male chicks are nearly always killed, often thrown into grinders while they are still alive. That's awful enough, but female chicks have a dismal life ahead of them. As they grow, they are often held in battery cages, which are small wire enclosures where several birds are crammed together. According to PETA, the average factory farmed egg-laying hen spends her life in a space no larger than a piece of printer paper. Hens are not just in close contact with the other birds in their cage — battery cages are often stacked so that feces and urine from the top layers of cages falls into other enclosures. Life in 'cage free' farms is not much better, with animals still crowded in tight conditions and rarely, if ever, seeing the outside world. There have even been documented cases of dead chickens being left in the same space as live chickens. One of the most publicized instances of this was a scandal that embroiled Costco a decade ago when activists documented disturbing abuse and living conditions at the facility of an egg supplier for the retail giant. Lack of sanitation and close quarters are obvious animal welfare issues, but they should also concern those who want to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. These conditions make it incredibly easy for disease to pass from bird to bird at a very fast rate. All it takes is one sick hen to infect the rest and cause an outbreak. Farmed animal conditions are typically not the only factor driving infectious disease outbreaks. Water conditions, sanitation, food contamination and air quality can all contribute to the spread of disease. There's no doubt that most infectious disease outbreaks are a combination of things going wrong. However, H5N1 influenza is unique, and the reason why can be found in the nickname 'bird flu' itself. According to the Centers for Disease Control, avian influenza A viruses are naturally occurring in many wild birds. The CDC also notes that while other animals may be the source of an outbreak in humans, it is rare. Those instances also almost always occur after another animal eats or comes into contact with a bird. Limiting the risk of disease can go hand in hand with more humane treatment of egg-laying hens. While it may be too late to contain fully our current bird flu outbreak, changes in how we treat egg-laying chickens can make a difference in the future. For the sake of the public good, factory farming conditions should be eliminated. Many consumers are already committed to buying eggs produced with stricter animal welfare standards. One example of this is purchasing eggs labeled 'Certified Humane' by Humane Farm Animal Care. This certification is rigorous with ongoing inspections. 'A farm approved as Certified Humane must provide conditions that allow hens to express their natural behaviors and needs. This means no confinement for the chickens — they're free to dust bathe, perch, and roam as they please,' explains the certifying organization. Companies running factory farms will be reluctant to change the conditions for hens in their facilities. While it is slowly growing, there is still very little political will to firmly regulate conditions for egg-laying hens. This is one reason why consumer demand is important. Shifting market demand away from factory farms and toward companies that standardize humane treatment for hens will start to force change. Purchasing eggs from companies that treat their hens more humanely may also cost consumers a little bit more money. Humane treatment of animals is something worthwhile on its own. But if creating better conditions for chickens helps protect us from disease, can't we all agree that a couple extra dollars a month is worth it? Kelvey Vander Hart is a senior fellow at The Wilberforce Institute. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
07-03-2025
- General
- The Hill
In protecting chickens, we protect ourselves from future bird flu outbreaks
The price of eggs is ever-present in the collective American mind and has been for quite some time. As H5N1 influenza (more commonly known as 'bird flu') rages across the country, already inflated egg prices have hit record highs. But our demand for the cheapest eggs possible is part of what fueled the current bird flu outbreak. To protect ourselves in the future, we must protect chickens, too. Researchers have long connected poor conditions for farmed animals with the spread of infectious diseases. 'There is growing recognition that industrial livestock production, in which large numbers of animals are kept in crowded and stressful conditions, can lead to the emergence, transmission, and amplification of both viral and bacterial diseases,' researcher Peter Stevenson explained in a 2023 review. Looking at the average American egg farm, it is easy to see how these facilities become infectious disease factories. At the end of 2022, the U.S. had 308 million commercial egg-laying hens. According to World Animal Protection, more than 95 percent of these hens live in factory farming conditions. Chickens hatched on factory egg farms lead horrifying lives. Male chicks are nearly always killed, often thrown into grinders while they are still alive. That's awful enough, but female chicks have a dismal life ahead of them. As they grow, they are often held in battery cages, which are small wire enclosures where several birds are crammed together. According to PETA, the average factory farmed egg-laying hen spends her life in a space no larger than a piece of printer paper. Hens are not just in close contact with the other birds in their cage — battery cages are often stacked so that feces and urine from the top layers of cages falls into other enclosures. Life in 'cage free' farms is not much better, with animals still crowded in tight conditions and rarely, if ever, seeing the outside world. There have even been documented cases of dead chickens being left in the same space as live chickens. One of the most publicized instances of this was a scandal that embroiled Costco a decade ago when activists documented disturbing abuse and living conditions at the facility of an egg supplier for the retail giant. Lack of sanitation and close quarters are obvious animal welfare issues, but they should also concern those who want to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. These conditions make it incredibly easy for disease to pass from bird to bird at a very fast rate. All it takes is one sick hen to infect the rest and cause an outbreak. Farmed animal conditions are typically not the only factor driving infectious disease outbreaks. Water conditions, sanitation, food contamination and air quality can all contribute to the spread of disease. There's no doubt that most infectious disease outbreaks are a combination of things going wrong. However, H5N1 influenza is unique, and the reason why can be found in the nickname 'bird flu' itself. According to the Centers for Disease Control, avian influenza A viruses are naturally occurring in many wild birds. The CDC also notes that while other animals may be the source of an outbreak in humans, it is rare. Those instances also almost always occur after another animal eats or comes into contact with a bird. Limiting the risk of disease can go hand in hand with more humane treatment of egg-laying hens. While it may be too late to contain fully our current bird flu outbreak, changes in how we treat egg-laying chickens can make a difference in the future. For the sake of the public good, factory farming conditions should be eliminated. Many consumers are already committed to buying eggs produced with stricter animal welfare standards. One example of this is purchasing eggs labeled ' Certified Humane ' by Humane Farm Animal Care. This certification is rigorous with ongoing inspections. 'A farm approved as Certified Humane must provide conditions that allow hens to express their natural behaviors and needs. This means no confinement for the chickens — they're free to dust bathe, perch, and roam as they please,' explains the certifying organization. Companies running factory farms will be reluctant to change the conditions for hens in their facilities. While it is slowly growing, there is still very little political will to firmly regulate conditions for egg-laying hens. This is one reason why consumer demand is important. Shifting market demand away from factory farms and toward companies that standardize humane treatment for hens will start to force change. Purchasing eggs from companies that treat their hens more humanely may also cost consumers a little bit more money. Humane treatment of animals is something worthwhile on its own. But if creating better conditions for chickens helps protect us from disease, can't we all agree that a couple extra dollars a month is worth it? Kelvey Vander Hart is a senior fellow at The Wilberforce Institute.
BBC News
03-03-2025
- BBC News
Dungannon: Two more arrested after pensioner's murder
Two further people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a man in Dungannon last victim, aged in his 70s, died following an assault at a flat in the Corrainey Park area on Thursday is understood he was originally from Poland but police said he had lived in the Dungannon area for more than 20 attack happened at a block of flats on the edge of the Lisnahull estate at about 20:00 GMT on Thursday. On Sunday, police arrested a 33-year-old man on suspicion of murder, and a 27-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of are both currently being said two men who are aged in their 30s, who were also arrested over the weekend in connection with the murder, also remain in custody. On Friday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) confirmed they were treating the man's death as Peter Stevenson said the victim "was found seriously injured on the living room floor of the property".Later that evening, more than 100 people attended a vigil close to the block of flats where the man lived.
