Latest news with #UK-Israel
Middle East Eye
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Around 84 British MPs demand UK government issue sanctions against Israel
At growing number of British Members of Parliament (MPs) have demanded the British government impose sanctions on Israel on Thursday. Around 84 MPs are demanding the government stop supplying Israel with arms, suspend the UK-Israel trade agreement and ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, Al Jazeera reported. The move follows a letter sent to Foreign Secretary David Lammy last on Thursday by 60 MPs originally asking for the government to recognise Palestine as a state to prevent ethnic cleansing. There are 650 elected MPs in the House of Commons.
Spectator
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Palestine Action's RAF vandalism was no protest
Members of an activist group called Palestine Action have broken into the Royal Air Force's largest base, RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, and vandalised two Airbus Voyager refuelling aircraft. With breathless self-congratulation, the organisation said its members 'used electric scooters to swiftly manoeuvre towards the planes', sprayed red paint into the turbine engines and used crowbars to damage the fuselages of the aircraft. The red paint, of course, is symbolic of Palestinian bloodshed. BREAKING: Palestine Action break into RAF Brize Norton and damage two military aircrafts. Flights depart daily from the base to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. From Cyprus, British planes collect intelligence, refuel fighter jets and transport weapons to commit genocide in Gaza. — Palestine Action (@Pal_action) June 20, 2025 If you are wondering why RAF aircraft in Oxfordshire were targeted by a group concerned with events in the Middle East, allow Palestine Action to remove the scales from your eyes: 'Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/Israeli fighter jets. Britain isn't just complicit, it's an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East. By decommissioning two military planes, Palestine Action have directly intervened to break the chains of oppression.' Flights leave Brize Norton daily, our heroes explain, to fly to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, and 'from Cyprus, British planes collect intelligence, refuel fighter jets and transport weapons to commit genocide in Gaza.' What is not legitimate, nor can ever be legitimate, is breaking into a UK military facility and damaging equipment The Royal Air Force begs to differ on at least some of these assertions. An RAF source told the media that, 'the UK is not supporting Israeli operations and these aircraft have not been used in support of Israeli forces in any shape or form.' There is certainly a defence and security aspect to the relationship between the UK and Israel, as set out two years ago in a '2030 roadmap for UK-Israel bilateral relations.' The armed forces minister, Luke Pollard, stated in a debate in the House of Commons in March that the RAF conducted unarmed surveillance flights over the eastern Mediterranean, including Israel and Gaza, 'solely in support of hostage rescue'. Only intelligence relevant to the rescue of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza – nearly 21 months after the savage pogrom of 7 October 2023 – is shared with Israel. The UK suspended a range of arms exports to Israel in September last year. However, we continue to contribute components for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning strike aircraft to a global spares pool and the common production line for new aircraft; as Israel is also a partner in the F-35 programme, it is entirely possible that some UK-manufactured parts may be supplied for the Israeli Air Force's aircraft, but it is not possible for the UK to monitor or prevent that because of the way components are shared. The claim that the RAF is supporting Israeli operations in Gaza is at best overegged. But it would be a mistake to think that Palestine Action is especially interested in the intricacies of Britain's operations in the eastern Mediterranean or the precise role of aircraft based at RAF Akrotiri. Doubtless every member of Palestine Action is deeply grieved by the loss of Palestinian lives in Gaza. But the group makes no pretence of its agenda. Its website refers to its activities being 'geared towards harnessing the strength of the grassroots and directing it towards bringing down Israel.' It has focused its attention on the Israeli technology and defence contractor Elbit Systems Ltd, the business model of which, the group claims, 'relies on the destruction of Palestine and the genocide of it's [sic] population'. It moves into a full lower-sixth activism fury register when it continues that Elbit 'use Palestinians as test subjects, before selling these technologies on to fuel imperialism and colonialism elsewhere.' For Palestine Action, Elbit is a proxy for Israel, and the group makes little effort to hide that conflation. That is their right: we live in a free and open society and it is legitimate for a campaign group to oppose a foreign state (though the logic of that can carry people to some dark places). It is also legitimate for members of that group to pursue peaceful protest. What is not legitimate, nor can ever be legitimate, is breaking into a UK military facility and damaging equipment. It is, of course, against the law and it is to be hoped that Thames Valley Police catch, charge and prosecute those responsible for the vandalism at Brize Norton. It goes further than that, though. However much members of Palestine Action think they know about RAF operations in the Mediterranean, they have attempted –seemingly without a great deal of success – to reduce the operational capability of the armed forces. The RAF has 14 Voyager refuelling aircraft: Palestine Action vandalised two of them. Those aircraft could be required to support UK operations anywhere in the world, at any time. Anti-Israel activists cannot damage them in relation to activities in the Mediterranean without potential consequences for the whole force. Protest is a desperately precious right, more now than ever. Palestine Action crossed a very clear line in order deliberately to weaken the capacity of British armed forces. There is a word for that, and it is not 'protest'. Catch them, find the heaviest book, and throw it at them.
Middle East Eye
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Shadowy British base in Indian Ocean could be used for US attacks on Iran
When Israel launched its first wave of attacks on Iran last Friday, Keir Starmer's government was quick to announce that Britain played no role in the offensive. The government also made clear it had not helped defend Israel against the retaliatory Iranian drone attacks, in contrast to previous episodes. Since then the UK has voiced support for "Israel's right to defend itself" and moved Royal Air Force jets and other military assets to the Middle East for "contingency support". Prime Minister Starmer hasn't ruled out the possibility that the UK could help Israel deflect strikes from Iran, but he has made clear his government has no appetite for entanglement in the conflict. This comes as UK-Israel relations are increasingly strained, particularly after Britain sanctioned Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir last week. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "We are clear that de-escalation is the right outcome for the Middle East," Starmer's spokesperson insisted on Tuesday afternoon. "That is why the prime minister's been focused in recent days at the G7 on de-escalation and we will continue to be focused on de-escalation." But however much the government hopes to avoid involvement in the clashes, if the United States directly intervenes then Britain will almost certainly find itself heavily involved - even if it does not help protect Israel from Iranian strikes. The reason for this is a shadowy UK-US military base deep in the Indian Ocean. Diego Garcia Diego Garcia is one of the 60 Chagos Islands that until recently represented the last remains of Britain's empire in the region. In May the Starmer government transferred sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, but signed an agreement to lease the Diego Garcia base for 99 years. A hugely strategic base, Diego Garcia was the reason Britain pushed to retain the Chagos Islands when Mauritius won its independence in 1968. The base puts US bomber aircraft within just 5,300 kilometres of Iran and could allow them to attack Iran while avoiding Gulf airspace. On Monday, four US B-52 Stratofortress bombers - which can carry precision-guided bombs - were sighted on a Diego Garcia runway, according to the Daily Mail. In April the US also moved six B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to the base. 'Imperial whore': Top Pakistani official goes after son of overthrown shah of Iran Read More » The bombers are capable of carrying 30,000-pound 'bunker-buster' bombs that could destroy military sites in Iran, including its underground nuclear sites. Diego Garcia would be almost certain to play a crucial role in any future American attacks on Iran. This means that British army personnel risk being caught in the line of fire. They have already faced threats by Iranian military officials, who have repeatedly warned Israel's allies that they could be attacked if they help defend Israel. Iran's Khorramshahr ballistic missiles and Shahed-136B kamikaze drones have the range to attack the base, which houses around 4,000 people - mostly American military personnel and contractors. Starmer to chair Cobra meeting Diego Garcia was crucial to the US-led so-called "war on terror" and the US military used the island to launch attacks on Afghanistan after 9/11, and on Iraq during the 2003 invasion. In 2008, a TIME Magazine investigation revealed that the island was being used as an interrogation site for suspected Al Qaeda members. US naval ships docked there were used to torture detainees, human rights group Reprieve has alleged. Palestine and the Chagos Islands: ICJ cases highlight legal similarities Read More » British police cars drive around the island - but on the right hand side of the road, as in America. Street names refer to the island's colonial past and include Britannia Way and Churchill Road. On Wednesday afternoon Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rejected US calls for surrender and threatened "that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage". On Tuesday US President Donald Trump demanded "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" from Iran in a post on his Truth Social platform. As the situation continues to escalate, the British prime minister is set to chair a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the security situation in the Middle East. The British government has told relatives of British officials working in the UK's embassy in Israel to leave the country - but has not told UK nationals in general to do so.
Gulf Insider
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
UK Imposes Historic Sanctions On Hardline Israeli Ministers
In a historic shift in UK-Israel relations, Britain is imposing formal sanctions on hardline Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich (Finance) and Itamar Ben Gvir (National Security) after months of inflammatory statements about Gaza have caught the world's attention. The sanctions, unveiled Tuesday, are to include asset freezes and travel bans, following similar measures from the governments of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and others. These countries have previously sanctioned various radical Zionist settler groups and individuals, something the US also did under Biden. Ben Gvir has several times called for the 'voluntary emigration' of Gazans, and he along with Smotrich have frequently made statements overtly backing an ethnic cleansing program. 'My right, my wife's, my children's, to roam the roads of Judea and Samaria are more important than the right of movement of the Arabs,' Ben Gvir said for example in 2023 of occupied West Bank areas. Both Israeli ministers have actively supported the most extreme settler groups operating in the West Bank, made up of individuals who call for the removal of Palestinians by force or even death. They've long been involved in movements and political parties who also advocate for the expulsion of all Arabs from Israeli society. According to an Al Jazeera backgrounder: The 47-year-old lawyer and politician has led the far-right party Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) since 2019, and was sworn into the cabinet after last year's elections. He was later appointed the national security minister and handed control of Israel's Border Police division in the occupied West Bank. A settler in Kiryat Arba, one of the most radical settlements in the occupied West Bank (all of which are illegal under international law), Ben-Gvir has been convicted of incitement to racism, destroying property, possessing a 'terror' organisation's propaganda material and supporting a 'terror' organization – Meir Kahane's outlawed Kach group, which he joined when he was 16. Ben Gvir responded to the UK's sanctions move later on Tuesday. He expressed 'contempt for the White Paper' – characterizing it as akin to the 1939 UK policy paper limiting Jewish immigration to British-administered 'Mandatory Palestine'. 'We survived Pharaoh, we will also survive Keir Starmer,' he said. 'I will continue to work for Israel and the people of Israel without fear or intimidation!' At a dedication ceremony for a new settlement near Hebron, Smotrich, Ben Gvir said that 'Britain has already tried once to prevent us from settling the cradle of our homeland and we will not allow it to do so again.' He emphasized in front of settler groups, 'We are determined to continue building.' But ironically many of the same Western governments now sanctioning the two Israeli officials have long supplied heavy weapons to the Israeli military. These governments still remain a party to one side of this war which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians, and utter decimation of the Gaza Strip in the wake of the Oct.7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks, but there appears no peaceful solution on the horizon. Also read: 'Invest Now Or Learn Russian Later': NATO Chief Wants 400% Increase In Europe's Air Defense Spending
North Wales Chronicle
05-06-2025
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
British Palestinians urge action from Government as relatives starve in Gaza
At a press conference in London on Thursday, the group called on the Government to put more pressure on Israel to allow humanitarian aid into the territory. The group is asking the Government to drop the 2030 roadmap for UK-Israel bilateral relations and impose comprehensive economic and diplomatic sanctions on Israel. It also wants the UK to cease all forms of military co-operation with Israel and impose a full two-way arms embargo. Israel has imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip since March. On Wednesday, an Israeli and US-backed group paused food delivery at its three distribution sites in the Gaza Strip after health officials said dozens of Palestinians were killed in a series of shootings near the sites this week. Israel's military said it fired near people it described as suspects who it said approached its forces and ignored warning shots. It says it is looking into reports of casualties and blamed Hamas for civilian deaths because the militant group is entrenched in populated areas. Wafaa Shamallakh, 38, an Arabic interpreter who works for Kingston Council and whose siblings are in south Gaza, described the danger they have faced trying to access aid. 'When they go to what they call distribution points, it's very hard,' Ms Shamallakh told the PA news agency. 'There are hundreds of thousands of people gathering in a big crowd. 'The Israeli army, they don't leave them alone just to collect what they want. 'I have a relative who got injured because they were firing on the ground and he got shrapnel in his shoulder. He was lucky to survive. 'They also throw smoke bombs on people, so they make it very hard to see.' Ms Shamallakh, who says she has stayed in close contact with her family over the last 18 months, described their daily struggle for survival. Her brother and sister, who have had to relocate several times since the war started, have returned to their neighbourhood in south Gaza which has been reduced to rubble. 'They live in tents with no insulation, no electricity, no water,' she said. 'They have to cook their food and bread on fire. 'They have to in the morning go search for wood which is very difficult to find. 'They often have to take a very deadly journey to search in bombed buildings.' Ms Shamallakh said her siblings and nieces and nephews have lost a significant amount of weight. She said: 'My brother and sister have to divide a piece of bread with their children so everyone can have a little taste of bread. 'They have to make lentil soup, and in the morning and in the evening at dinner time they have to eat the same thing. 'If they are lucky enough they can have a can of beans or something or they mix a little pasta to make a meal different from just lentil soup.' 'The moment of relief for my sister was when her husband came back after trying to go to aid distribution points, and he came back alive,' said Ms Shamallakh. 'He came back with nothing, but at least he was alive. 'This is the situation of all the Gazans, not only my family.' Ali Mousa, 30, who lives in Manchester, fears for his sister Hind, who is a teacher in Gaza. 'The last 18 months have been really horrible. Lots of worries, lots of tears and just feeling scared all of the time,' Mr Mousa said. 'We lost contact and we couldn't reach her while she's in Gaza, and now they are experiencing starvation. 'The huge challenge now is that we feel really helpless. While my sister is going through all of this horrific experience, we can't really help her that much.' 'I feel that she could be killed anytime. She could be starved. 'I want her to survive this. I want her to be in a safe place. I don't want to lose her.' On Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told reporters aid needs to reach the people of Gaza 'at speed and at volume', describing the current situation as 'utterly intolerable'. 'In relation to what's happening in Gaza, we've been absolutely clear that it is intolerable and we need to get back to a ceasefire urgently, and that is our constant work with other allies to get us to that position,' he said. 'We need those hostages to come out, many of them have been held for a very long time. 'Of course, humanitarian aid needs to get in at speed and at volume, but that can only happen if we get back to a ceasefire, so I'm absolutely clear that the situation as it is is utterly intolerable, and that's why we've taken measures like the trading talks have been stood down, the sanctions we've put in and we're working with allies to see what else we can do.'
