The mainstream is finally waking up to the reality in Gaza
JVL Introduction
We have previously published articles about the failure of western media and our politicians to call out Israel for its heinous – genocidal actions in Gaza but the tide is, finally, turning. As more mainstream outlets call on the world to wake up, Jonathan Cook points out “much of the world woke up many, many months ago. It has been the western press corps and western politicians slumbering through the past 19 months of genocide.” Of course we could also add the Gulf States who have happily spent millions welcoming Trump but also done nothing to get aid in, let aloe stop the killing.
But we must welcome any change in the language of the media and our politicians, however late in coming. They need to do more; we see more and more politicians demanding the government take action at the same time as Labour Ministers are still loudly proclaiming that they stand with Israel! See Angela Eagle at a celebration of the 77th anniversary of the establishment of Israel (See here on Instagram.)
But Israel has always been clear in its intentions but, for example, the British government, despite crowing about its suspension of 30% (only) of arms sales has, “(a)ccording to figures published by The National…exported more weapons to Israel in the final three months of last year, after the ban came into effect, than the previous Conservative government did through the whole of 2020 to 2023.”
There is much more work to do but Jonathan Cook’s “must read” article, provides a great deal of information that can help us,
LL
This article was originally published by Substack on Fri 16 May 2025. Read the original here.
Why the wall of silence on the Gaza genocide is finally starting to crack
As Israel unveils its final genocide push, and mass death from starvation looms in Gaza, western media and politicians are tentatively starting to speak up
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Too little.
Too late.
They continue to provide cover for genocide.
Never forgive.
Never forget.
So which ‘mainstream’ is this? We are all aware of the very poor and unbalanced news coverage by our national broadcaster the BBC and aware that any criticism of the actions of the state of Israel would be received with cries of anti-Semitism.
But in recent days this has changed dramatically and there has been a willingness on the part of both Sky News, which led the way and of the BBC which followed, in presenting a picture of the shear hopelessness of the people of Gaza and a growing awareness that what they are facing is a slow death by starvation, and that this is entirely due to the actions of the state of Israel. Even the BBC has stopped prefacing reports of casualties in Gaza with the ‘Hamas run’ Health Ministry and has been using the term ‘Palestinian’.
Why then do we have continued silence from the Bishops of the Church of England, which has in the past been described as ‘the Tory party at prayer’ and you can’t get more mainstream than that? Surely now we have at least one or two Bishops brave enough to raise their head above the parapet and risk the apologists for the actions of the state of Israel hurling the grenade of ‘anti-Semitism’ at them. Apparently not; seemingly they still haven’t woken up to the reality in Gaza.
I have just heard back from some ‘anguished zionist’ in-laws, after sending them Joseph Findlay’s Torat Albion article on welcoming the New Peaceniks. The reply was to praise Jonathan Freedland who they claim has covered the same ground! He has apparently broken cover at Finchley Reform synagogue and presented a position they could be happy with: ‘One route was – support for Israel existence as such, but total condemnation of this current monstrous government and all the destruction they are wreaking. And also to get over the message that a large section of Israel demonstrates to condemn the government – albeit currently to little effect.’ …
Although this is indeed too little too late (and debatable, as Gideon Levy has shown) I am grateful.
These are very nice people, which makes discussion so difficult…I am looking forward to the JVL Emotional Support session as I feel a process of numbing and cutting off is affecting me; the effort of maintaining mutual respect feels beyond me. My admiration for those most deeply affected, who still manage to greet us and salute us in the Jewish Bloc on marches, knows no bounds.
The illegal stance of a series of UK governments over the seven decades of Israel’s violent expantion of their occupation of Palestine escaped its first likely real setback as result of the monstering of Jeremy Corbyn.
The run-up to the 2017 election under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, Labour shook to their cores the UK establishment; the right-wing establishment embedded for ever in the LP mechanisms which control it; the traditional right-leaning majority in the PLP (rigged process for prospective GE candidates), with Tony Blair and an assortment of his former ministers including the current ambassador to the US chipping in with anti-Corbyn offerings (all gratefully received and published by the MSM). Towards the 2019 election the Chief Rabbi, and the virulently anti-Corbyn LP Jewish MPs, the most outspoken being Dame Margaret Hodge waded in. She and the Chief Rabbi covered themselves in whatever is the opposite to glory in wildly accusing Corbyn of being an ‘existential threat to the Jewish community in the UK’. This of course was due to Corbyn having long campaigned for UK recognition of the State of Palestine, violently opposed by Israel. Why Israel, the occupying power should have any say in the this is truly staggering. All of the above acted to successfully prevent a surprise Labour victory against Theresa May’s government. All of the above contributed to the election of a series of governments leading to the UK’s support of the strange freedom of Israel to destroy Gaza with impunity and any who live and work there.