Gaza, I despair.

Is it known if Starmer ever reversed that opinion?
I know there was a statement in the House of Commens about the right to a Palestinian State.

Some interesting comments by Andy Burnam about British bombs not to be available.

I shall start as much as possible by posting the Haaretz headlines on this thread, I get a daily email as I free subscribe. It shocking what is going on overall but this gives a peep

This first is on a very hot election issue indeed - a judiciary that is no longer independent asfter laws passed

*"Key Netanyahu ally says ‘we do not recognize the courts’ after top court freezes law defending draft evaders"

details as its really significant on this one

"
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi speaks at a conference in Netanya, July.
Key Netanyahu ally says ‘we do not recognize the courts’ after top court freezes law defending draft evaders

Overnight into Friday, the Knesset voted to dissolve itself after approving a series of controversial bills aimed at weakening Israel's judiciary and benefiting the ultra-Orthodox parties

A few hours earlier, it passed Communications Minister Karhi's broadcasting bill, despite warnings that it would significantly expand government influence over the country's television and radio sector. During debates on the legislation over the past year, Karhi accused Israeli media outlets of spreading propaganda and even blamed them in part for the conditions that led to Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack.

As part of the reform, Israel's current media watchdog would be replaced with a new body, the majority of whose members would be appointed by the communications minister. This new authority could also could set rules for how viewership data are collected and published, allowing the government to manipulate ratings to favor friendly outlets.

In addition, all channels, regardless of platform, would fall under the same licensing as content or news providers, which would grant the government oversight over nearly every online video content creator.

Speaking at the Knesset after the bill passed, Karhi said "we've defeated the deep state," and claimed that the reform gives the public the freedom "to decide whom to watch, whom to listen to and what to pay for."

Meanwhile, Arye Dery, chairman of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party and a key member of Netanyahu's coalition, told a Haredi news site that "we do not recognize [the courts'] authority; they no longer have authority over us," further escalating the government's attack on Israel's judicial system.

Dery's tantrum, which included questions such as "what do we have in court? Why do we need to go defend ourselves there, to play this game?" came after the High Court froze a law that would shield Haredi draft evaders from arrest.

The last six days of the Knesset session could have been Netanyahu's last chance to win back a shred of legitimacy, to don the appearance of a genuine statesman who serves the country's majority. Instead, his office shelved dozens of bills that were part of a consensus, that, as Menachem Begin put it, "benefit the people" (including a bill designed to ease traffic).

Instead, it favored bills that crush democracy, support draft evasion, subordinate the media to politicians and promote gender segregation in academia"

Israel's Knesset Approves Bill Legalising Gender Segregation in Universities

*In threat to press freedom, Shin Bet seeks to probe alleged leak about attack on Iran - Israeli Rights Groups Alarmed Over Reports Shin Bet Tracking Reporters.

*The Netanyahu Regime's Black Boxes Must Be Revealed

*ICC Prosecutor's Aide Goes Public in Sex Misconduct Case, Denies Israel Ties

*Despite IDF Demands, Knesset Keeps Mandatory Military Service at 32 Months

Other Haaretz editions have news of numbers killed by settlers on the West Bank and Gaza news, I'll try to find them most of all.

In the edition before some interesting news from the USA!

Vance says Israel 'losing the battle for U.S. public opinion

Nearly half of U.S. House Democrats – including some of Israel's staunchest supporters – voted on Wednesday in favor of halting U.S. aid to Israel.

Although the amendment ultimately failed, the vote marked a significant milestone, underscoring how dramatically Israel's standing within the Democratic Party has shifted.

Despite intense lobbying by pro-Israel and Jewish establishment groups against the amendment leading up to the vote, Democratic lawmakers have become increasingly attuned to the role U.S.-Israel policy is playing in primary races across the country, including several recent victories by progressive candidates.

Many House Democrats supported the amendment to signal that unconditional military aid to Israel is no longer acceptable. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – one of the most influential Democrats in the history of the U.S.-Israel relationship – said she would vote in favor of the amendment "for the good of the Israeli people and the Palestinian people."

Meanwhile, Vice President Vance said in an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast on Wednesday that Israel is "losing the battle" for public opinion in the U.S. He made the remarks while discussing reports of an Israeli influence campaign targeting conservative Americans, as well as the Trump administration's Iran policy.

and Palestinians report settler raids as Israel allocates $330 million for West Bank settlements

Thanks Wyllow. Will read your posts again later.
Such a lot to take in.

I'll keep putting Haaretz stuff up but be selective.

I just hated having no information going out.

BTW, whats happening as per above in the USA now hostile to the regime is pretty interesting stuff = -its not students camping out anymore at all, its mainstream. The USA is losing control, but OTOH is still funding the current regime to a vast extent.

There will be no peace in Gaza or the West Bank until Iran stops sponsoring terrorism and the destruction of Israel. Israel will fight all the way regardless of the opinion of others.

If Iran wins the Gulf conflict expect it to get worse not better.

Isreal wants a greater Isreal it's been the plan all along, what's to stop them they have impunity. It has bombed at least seven countries. The IDF or call them IOF Isreal 'illegal' occuping force are terrorists.

Iran is the only country to stand up to them. Iran has not bombed any country before Israel and USA illegally attacked it, or caused wars. Isreal USA and UK has.

There is a march in London today calling on the new PM to stop arms sales to Israel end the genocide.

Maremia

Is it known if Starmer ever reversed that opinion?
I know there was a statement in the House of Commens about the right to a Palestinian State.

Starmer took at least 9 days to reply and then did not apologise he just tried to explain himself.

Keir Starmer has lied his way to the top of our political process causing untold damage in the process. Here’s just one small example as he announces another 66 peers will go to the House of Lords

Across his full premiership (2024–2026), Keir Starmer appointed 135 Labour-affiliated peers despite having pledged to “clean up sleaze’ in government and “replacing the House of Lords with a new, SMALLER, democratically elected second chamber”.

Good riddance to him.

Disagree, its far more complex imo.

Today clip from Haaretz

Israeli settlers leading sheep out of the village of Amanzil in the southern West Bank, Thursday

An Israeli strike on a funeral in the Gaza Strip killed at least seven people and wounded 22 others, according to Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp, as reported by The Guardian.

*Settlers filmed stealing Palestinian livestock under IDF protection

In the West Bank, settlers were filmed on Thursday taking dozens of sheep and goats from livestock pens belonging to Palestinians under the protection of Israeli soldiers.

Residents of the village told Haaretz that settlers from a nearby outpost had spent the day grazing their flocks on land adjacent to the village before deliberately mixing them with a flock belonging to Palestinian residents.

According to one resident, it was impossible to separate the animals, forcing villagers to return most of the Palestinian livestock to the village pen out of fear that settlers would seize the entire flock. The resident estimated that between 10 and 15 sheep belonging to settlers entered the Palestinian pen, while the settlers themselves took several Palestinian-owned sheep.

Later that night, settlers entered the village alongside security force vehicles. Soldiers allowed the settlers to break the lock on the livestock pen and take the entire flock, despite repeated attempts by villagers to show Palestinian Authority identification tags attached to the animals' ears.

Footage later showed soldiers accompanying the settlers as they led the flock away from the village.

In Ramallah, a 17-year-old Palestinian died on Saturday of wounds he sustained when he was shot by Israeli troops a week earlier. The incident followed several days of repeated attempts by settlers to graze sheep on land near an isolated Palestinian family home in the village.

After settlers harassed the family, Israeli troops ordered them to open their gate using riot dispersal measures, according to residents and video footage, leaving several wounded as a result of rubber bullets and tear gas. The IDF said that soldiers had fired at a suspect who was throwing stones.

David, the war Trump has started adding fuel to fire in Israel under the current regime has nothing to do with forced illegal settling in the West Bank .

It was happening before, and is getting far far worse under the cover of the bigger picture.

Sarnia

Whitewavemark2

The Board of Peace? There’s a misnomer if ever I’ve heard one!

Quite. Tony Blair is a member, I think. Enough said!!!

If any one British politician should be in jail....

Thanks Samwan, for your response.

What is happening in the West Bank has nothing to do with Iran.

The complication is that the US could insist that Israel stopped its settlement programme but it can't do that while terrorist groups are fighting to destroy Israel with Iran backing them.

If Iran wins the current conflict and is emboldened enough to attack Israel directly the Israelis might reply with a nuclear weapon. If the state is at risk, as a last resort I believe that they will do that.

wyllow3 thanks for the information, I have been reading as much as I can on the news, media other outlets etc, and continue to be utterly appalled at what is happening, but feel so overwhelmed and saddened by man’s inhumanity, and now find it difficult to comment on this hell on earth, much (but not entirely) as a result of Israel’s and Americas thirst for power and wealth- that is the whole area of the Middle East, Sudan, Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen and Iran, not forgetting Iraq who has never fully recovered from our invasion, and contributing to much of the instability in the area.

I thought we, as a species, were better than this!

Apparently not.

My only hope is that those perpetrators will eventually be brought to book. But frankly I’m not holding my breath.

Why can't the USA request that Israel desists with the internationally condemned Settler violence?

They could, they should, but they won’t.

They wont, as it suits them, and the current USA regime doesn't care a bit. Collateral damage for them is all.

The have just lost two soldiers. first loss of the war.

Just to clarify, the US has lost 16 soldiers and 430 have been wounded.

Those people in Israel who feel what is happening is OK are also to blame - it can't all be placed at Netanyahu's door - evil man though he is. I know there are many Jewish people in Israel and around the world who feel ashamed of what has happened in Gaza and the West Bank. Unfortunately they are in the minority. If people in Israel truly wanted something different, Netanyahu would be gone by now.

Those who conduct this genocide and those who participate in it are, in my opinion, war criminals. Those who condone it aren't much better.

I think the criticisms of Starmer are valid.

I think there will be elections in Israel this Autumn.
That should inform us about who the ordinary folk support.

Maremia

Why can't the USA request that Israel desists with the internationally condemned Settler violence?

Because Trump simply doesn’t want to!

2 sides to every story …

“ For the civilians of Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, queuing for food is becoming an ever more dangerous necessity.

Increasingly, however, the threat is not only from Israeli air strikes, but also from armed raids by the very group that claims to protect them: Hamas.

Palestinians told The Telegraph how in recent days, groups of terrorists had stormed food distribution points and refugee shelters to tighten their grip on Gaza and terrorise civilians.

Last Monday, gunmen stormed into a shelter for the elderly, firing into the air and then demanding compensation for the bullets they had fired.

Palestinians, speaking anonymously for fear of retribution, said Hamas had perfected the art of hijacking aid shipments to smuggle goods into the enclave and boost its funds.”

Maremia

I think there will be elections in Israel this Autumn.
That should inform us about who the ordinary folk support.

October 27th 2026

Will elect all 120 members of the 26th Knesset.

In this proportional representation system, parties must meet a 3.25% electoral threshold to enter the legislature.

Parliament is dissolved now after laws attacking the judiciary and an atmosphere of press control. Obviously lots of behind the scenes at play to try and get a coalition either to oust or maintain Netanyahu. Including around the ultraorthodx group the Haredi who wont join the IDF but some support Settlers s in upholding the vision of Israel as including Gaza and the West Bank - others joining the growing movement against forced service in the IDF

This is a good article to read which sets out some of the conflicts at play

www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/17/israel-headed-for-october-election-as-parliament-dissolved