By Leah Levane
The appalling police mishandling of the murderous knife attack on Henry Nowak in Southampton is being exploited by the Far Right to fuel anger and sow division to further feed its pernicious agenda of hate. This short Morning Star piece makes several important points, not least reminding us that Henry Nowak’s family explicitly asked that his death not be used to sow division.
By Leah Levane
Some children as young as five years old, who arrived in the UK legally, have received letters telling them they have to leave. This is the pernicious consequence of changing the rules such that care workers can no longer bring their family members here. As this Guardian article shows, this has happened to families who pay taxes, claim no benefits, contribute to the country and have even paid the government thousands of pounds for their visa applications.
By Leah Levane
What next for the people of Gaza? The c 2 million of whom 1.4 million are crammed into tents and almost all are crammed into the area not strictly controlled by Israel, c 54% at the announcement of the “ceasefire”, then nearly 60% and soon to be 70%? The Gaza Strip was already the most crowded place on earth and now those who have not been killed in Israel’s genocide are to be crammed into just 30% of the area, mostly in tents or in – or more likely on – the ruins of their homes.
By Mike Cushman
Nick Reimer discovers a document fuelled by the prior conviction that criticism of Israel is prima facia driven by antisemitism. The Commission was so desperate to ensure that its world view was not shaken that it would not hear from anyone who called themselves non-Zionist, let alone anti-Zionist. They ensured therr findings would not upset any supporter of Israel by uncritically adopting the IHRA working definition of antisemitism as its loadstone.
By Leah Levane
Owen Jones’ interview with Eyal Weizman, founder of Forensic Architecture is highly recommended as is Martin Shaw’s essay on “The Future of Israel’s “Ungrounding” Genocide: Crippling and/or Expelling?”also posted here below the video.*
By Leah Levane
Nurit Peled-Elhanan has carried out detailed research into how the Israeli education system is also a propaganda tool. Palestinians do not exist but Arabs do – as a problem to be solved or managed so that occupation seems necessary and also ordinary. The violence and, indeed, the genocide, is built on this teaching
By Leah Levane
Some parts of Gaza have largely survived and others can be reconstructed; not to provide and service tourist hubs that ignore or, at “best” marginalise the needs of two million mostly displaced Palestinian people who hold those experiences and memory. The people of Gaza also have the capacity and ingenuity to rebuild and, indeed, wherever possible they have already begun.
By Leah Levane
Each year there is an Israel Day Parade in New York City and until this year the Mayor of New York has always joined in the procession. The big news is that Mamdani, the City’s first Muslim mayor kept his word given while he was campaigning and did not take part. The fact that Mamdani has taken part in many Jewish religious and cultural events and attended vigils for the victims of the 7th October 2023 attack is all too often ignored.
By Leah Levane
There are ongoing expulsions from Silwan, in East Jerusalem and Israel is getting close to ethnically cleansing Palestinians from this part of East Jerusalem,which was illegally annexed in 1967. Of course, despite being part of Israel there are different rights for Palestinians and Israelis in the same place.
Rachel Shabi has written a valuable contribution to difficult conversations which, she rightly says, “progressives are struggling to navigate”.