On twenty seventh December 2008 the Israeli navy started ‘Operation Forged Lead’ after 6 months of planning, putting 100 targets in Gaza in lower than 4 minutes. This preliminary assault was adopted by different air assaults and on January third by an invasion on the bottom. Israeli Protection Forces ended their assaults on 18th January 2009 by which period round 1400 Palestinians had been killed, with solely 13 Israeli deaths, 4 killed by their very own forces. You’ll be able to learn extra on Wikipedia.
Yearly for the subsequent 4 years there have been massive protests near the Israeli Embassy in London on December twenty seventh in opposition to calling for an finish to assaults on Gaza and an finish to the siege of Gaza which prevents the imports of constructing supplies and different important items wanted for well being and reconstruction. However the 2008-9 assaults on Gaza have been adopted by others in 2014 and 2018 and extra air strikes in 2021 and 2022.
Issues now appear more likely to get even worse with a brand new Israeli authorities underneath Benjamin Netanyahu together with anti-Arab ultra-nationalists in key posts together with the finance minister, a defence ministry publish and nationwide safety minister in addition to within the schooling ministry.
Amongst guarantees made to kind the coalition are the legalisation of unlawful Israeli settlements within the Palestinian West Financial institution, lifting of restrictions on Jewish prayer on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and a loosening of the restrictions on utilizing reside fireplace in opposition to Palestinian protesters. The brand new authorities additionally intends to finish any independence of the judicial system in Israel, making the Supreme Court docket subservient to authorities.
As far as I’m conscious there will likely be no specific protest in London right now, and the final I attended on December twenty seventh was in 2012, 4 years after the beginning of the 2008 massacres – and the images right here come from that day. The Israeli embassy is on a non-public street the place a ban on protest is rigorously enforced, with police and boundaries stopping entry, and protests happen on Kensington Excessive Road, reverse the non-public avenue.
There are nonetheless massive protests in London calling for an finish to Israeli Apartheid and for freedom for Palestine – akin to that on 14th Might 2022 marking 74 years after the Nakba in addition to many smaller actions calling for a boycott of Israeli items and providers and divestment from Israel, with the BDS motion gaining power world-wide. Makes an attempt by Israel to classify any assist for Palestine as anti-Semitism have largely failed due to growing repression and elevated reporting of repression by the Israeli authorities, Israeli forces and assaults on Palestinians by some Jewish settlers. A lot of these collaborating within the protests supporting Palestine are Jewish, standing alongside others from Palestine.
This 12 months I’m happy to really feel in a position to have one other day of relative relaxation after Christmas, significantly as prepare providers are disrupted because the UK authorities tries to prop up our dysfunctional rail system on the expense of rail staff – whereas persevering with the handouts to the non-public firms – together with a number of European state railway firms. As in gasoline, electrical energy, water and extra privatisation has proved a wholly predictable financial catastrophe, promoting off the household silver for short-term achieve.
Extra at Gaza – Finish the Siege.
Tags: 2008 massacres, 27 Dec 2008, air assault, anti-Arab, anti-Semitism, BDS, Benjamin Netanyahu, Finish Apartheid, Finish the siege, Free Palestine, Gaza, Israeli apartheid, Israeli assault, Israeli embassy, London, Operation Forged Lead, Palestine, peter Marshall, protest, rail strikes, right-wing authorities, ultra-nationalists
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