The outgoing Head of MI6 Richard Moore has formally admitted in a public speech in Istanbul that MI6 has been cooperating with HTS in Syria – a proscribed organisation under the Terrorism Act – for years.
The government is arresting little old ladies for holding signs supporting one proscribed organisation, Palestine Action, while it admits it has been actively supporting another proscribed organisation. HTS was proscribed as a division of Al Qaida, as shown on the government website:
As I learnt while in Lebanon, the British support for HTS included intelligence support, training and weapons, based at secret UK bases in the Bekaa valley, including inside the Rayak airbase. It also included support via an NGO named Inter-Mediate, run by current British National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, who is Tony Blair’s old Downing Street Chief of Staff.
In the UK neither the government nor the security services stand above the law. The fact that neither Moore nor Powell nor any of those on the ground directly involved in actively and substantively supporting HTS – a proscribed organisation – has been arrested, while people are arrested for holding a placard supporting Palestine Action because it is a proscribed organisation, is the very definition of arbitrary and oppressive government.
The impartial rule of law in the UK has collapsed completely. All of this was material support to a proscribed organisation.
Powell with al Jolani
Meanwhile we have Starmer’s hollow gesture of recognising Palestine. This is designed to placate those in the Labour Party who are horrified by the Genocide in Gaza. As it is accompanied by zero intention to limit or even acknowledge the Genocide, it is the very definition of a useless gesture.
Palestine was already recognised by three quarters of the nations of the world. What Starmer believes he has furthered is a Bantustan state, hopelessly divided between an obliterated Gaza, small and isolated remnants of the West Bank and what remains of East Jerusalem. That these fissiparous remnants could ever constitute a viable state is plainly impossible – which is the idea.
Furthermore Starmer attacks the very definition of a state by insisting that the Palestinians can be told who they must have to rule them. The notion that the traitor Abbas and his Palestinian Authority would ever be chosen by the Palestinian people is utter nonsense. Furthermore Macron and Starmer have both specified that a Palestinian state must be disarmed, have no armed forces, and lie prey to the genocidal state next door at all times. The Saudi/French plan even states that Israel should have vetting control over the appointment of individual Palestinian police officers!
The only virtue to this act of recognition is that it will make it more difficult politically for the UK not to react with the first genuine sanctions against Israel once Israel formally annexes Gaza or the West Bank. It is thus a very minor political improvement. With the British government already having repudiated the UN Commission of Inquiry’s finding of Genocide, the attack on Gaza in full flow, and the Global Sumud Flotilla very likely to be met by Israel with deadly force, Starmer is, as usual, completely out of touch with public opinion if he believes he has reduced political pressure over his complicity in Genocide.
———————————
My reporting and advocacy work has no source of finance at all other than your contributions to keep us going. We get nothing from any state nor any billionaire.
Anybody is welcome to republish and reuse, including in translation.
Because some people wish an alternative to PayPal, I have set up new methods of payment including a Patreon account and a Substack account if you wish to subscribe that way. The content will be the same as you get on this blog. Substack has the advantage of overcoming social media suppression by emailing you direct every time I post. You can if you wish subscribe free to Substack and use the email notifications as a trigger to come for this blog and read the articles for free. I am determined to maintain free access for those who cannot afford a subscription.
Click HERE TO DONATE if you do not see the Donate button above
Subscriptions to keep this blog going are gratefully received.
Choose subscription amount from dropdown box:
PayPal address for one-off donations: [email protected]
Alternatively by bank transfer or standing order:
Account name
MURRAY CJ
Account number 3 2 1 5 0 9 6 2
Sort code 6 0 – 4 0 – 0 5
IBAN GB98NWBK60400532150962
BIC NWBKGB2L
Bank address NatWest, PO Box 414, 38 Strand, London, WC2H 5JB
Bitcoin: bc1q3sdm60rshynxtvfnkhhqjn83vk3e3nyw78cjx9
Ethereum/ERC-20: 0x764a6054783e86C321Cb8208442477d24834861a
Well said Craig. The MSM will no doubt ‘big up’ the recognition of a ‘Palestinian State’, but under the actual circumstances it means next to nothing, and will not help the Palestinians at all.
The corollary of recognising Palestine is the termination of recognition of the zionist occupation.
Yes, it’s another step on the road of delegitimization of the Israeli position. The anger expressed by Netanyahu and other elements of the Israeli government is the demonstration.
Haven’t the secret services always been above the law, licensed (like the police or the army) to carry guns and kill enemies if necessary, allowed to deal with any scoundrels for the ‘greater good’ in the name of HMG, tap phones, and so on?
No, it’s a myth. There are specific legal powers for what they can and can’t do in each individual sphere. There is not general exemption from law.
Hence the ‘five eyes’ where they each scratch each others backs to avoid domestic laws. And, the SS have never, to my knowledge, ever been prosecuted for law breaking …
Time for a change.
Worthy of forceful mention when defending OAPs in court.
There was a marginal improvement over the summer in the British media’s disgusting coverage of the Gaza Genocide. However both wings of the MSM are still scrupulously suppressing Britain’s ongoing, multifaceted participation.
Naturally they are aiding Starmer’s latest effort to muddy the waters of his involvement by massively hyping his insulting and meaningless gesture of “recognition”; omitting all mention of his ongoing provision of arms, intelligence and political cover for the IDF.
Laura Kuensberg of all people did ask Lammy yesterday to provide one tangible difference that “recognising” the state of Palestine will make to the situation in Gaza. Needless to say, he couldn’t. She did not point out however, as history will, that what the British government is doing is “recognising” a Palestinian state while it helps Israel exterminate the Palestinian people.
As for the ISIS regime in Damascus, it’s not only the likes of Dearlove and Powell who support it. The headchoppers also have some big fans in Your Party. Not just Jeremy’s landlord mates but Zarah too.
Why the hell does the British government involve itself in Middle Eastern countries at all? How many MPs or even foreign ministers have actually studied and understood the differences between, for instance, a Sunni, a Shia, and an Alawite? It is none of our business. Is their motivation entirely about their own psychology- wanting to believe that they are still a big player in the affairs of the whole world, as in the days of the “Great Game?”
By “our” of course I mean the common people of this country, and by “they” I mean the permanent Elite.
Au contraire, most of our ministers are very well informed and educated on the ME, after all they have been on educational courses on the situation provided free of charge by those lovely Israeli chaps … 🙂
Oil.
Oil and Geopolitics. *Israel* is the proxy of the Anglo-American Money-Power (sometimes called the “Billionaire Class” these days).
It is an important pivot between Eurasia and Africa. That is why a ‘Nation’ was invented (See Shlomo Sand’s important book “The Invention of the Jewish People” : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Invention-Jewish-People-Shlomo-Sand/dp/1844676234) to occupy this important strip of land.
To accomplish this, a settler colony had to be put in place. This was done under the pretext of a “right to return” to a mythical biblical homeland of “wandering Jews”. Unfortunately, that ‘homeland’ belonged to the Palestinian people – whose genetics show clearly that they – not European Jewry – are the true descendants of the people who occupied that land in biblical times.
“Shlomo Sand argues that most Jews actually descend from converts, whose native lands were scattered far across the Middle East and Eastern Europe. The formation of a Jewish people and then a Jewish nation out of these disparate groups could only take place under the sway of a new historiography, developing in response to the rise of nationalism throughout Europe. Beneath the biblical back fill of the nineteenth-century historians, and the twentieth-century intellectuals who replaced rabbis as the architects of Jewish identity, The Invention of the Jewish People uncovers a new narrative of Israel’s formation, and proposes a bold analysis of nationalism that accounts for the old myths.”
This myth took active form in Zionism. And it is this myth that was used to justify the occupation, ethnic cleansing and genocide of the true owners of Palestine. This was cynically exploited for Anglo-American geopolitical calculations. That is why “the British government involve itself in Middle Eastern countries”. And that explains the wilful ignorance (at best) and active complicity of the Starmer government in the ethnic cleansing and genocide – which began under the British Mandate, continued under the settler state, and has accelerated these past two years.
It is not difficult to understand – once the (actively suppressed) facts are known.
Thanks that’s pretty much my understanding of the origin of the modern Israel. I am not quite clear about the conversion of European groups to Judaism.I am also curious about the role of Balfour.I suspect some christian notion to re-assert the conditions for biblical prophesy.
I have a memory that a group living in Ethiopia were descended from the biblical jews. Ironically the Israeli state refused to recognise the group as jewish (and thus entitled to Israeli citizenship) revealing what a truly bogus recist entity Israel is. One must also infer that the myth is a comfort to the large number of fundamentalist christians in the USA as it bolsters the biblical/millenarian myths that form the foundation for many christian cults.
Some recent DNA research suggests that the Palestinians have closer ties to the historical Isrealites than most of the recent incomers. So, the biblical Israelis were, probably, Palestinians and vice-versa !
Re Balfour. Many of the British government in the 1WW, under Lloyd George, were what we would call today Christian Zionists. That is why the Balfour Declaration came to be issued.
You might find interesting Ilan Pappe’s Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic (ISBN 0861549163). Here is a Youtube video of his book launch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PILGhExYdJ0
And a conversation with Prof Jeffrey Sachs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoQ8Z3cqqHs
Excellent. Thanks for the links.
“I am not quite clear about the conversion of European groups to Judaism”.
Douglas, that is why I included the link to Shlomo Sands’s book “The Invention of the Jewish People”. In it Sands, an *Israeli* academic, provides convincing evidence that most of the Jews in Eastern Europe (i.e. most European Jews) originate from Khazaria, an empire that existed between the Volga and the Don rivers in present day Eastern Ukraine, southern Russia, Crimea areas who converted to Judaism in around the eighth century.
This population was dispersed after the Mongol invasion and came to reside in Russia, Ukraine Poland, Lithuania and eastern Germany.
The important point is that NONE of these peoples have their origins in Palestine – which is given as the mythological basis for the catastrophic occupation of that country. Sands’s argument has more recently been supported by DNA evidence – as has, as Stevie states – the fact that present-day Palestinians have DNA closely related to bronze-age DNA recovered from skeletons buried in Palestine (i.e. biblical Judea). That is to say – the Palestinians were always there – there was never a mass Jewish migration from Roman Palestine. They converted to Christianity and Islam – and are there still.
We should also remember that Balfour (who was a Cecil on his mother’s side, and was a typical member of that dynasty) was, like his peers, a vicious anti-semite and ‘his’ eponymous ‘declaration’ was carefully planned by that class – was motivated by two things:
1. An imperialistic motivation to control the Middle East
and
2. An aversion to accepting in Britain the vast numbers of Jewish refugees displaced by the ongoing pogroms of these descendants of Khazars moving westward at that time.
It was decided by the Anglo-American Establishment, that two birds could be killed by one stone, by relocating the unfortunate people to Palestine.
Hitler helped accomplish the latter aim – but that is another story.
The British state meddles for the same reason that the zionist occupation exists, to do American Caesar’s bidding.
A very good point Pete, after all it’s not as if our elected representatives haven’t enough to occupy their time by focusing on domestic issues and those that affect their Constituents. Instead a very high percentage of MPs belong to their respective FoI lobbies and openly declare their willingness to defend the indefensible, whilst supporting policies and actions that suggest there’s nowt for the poor, but £billions for War.
Privelaged. literally private legislation so nothing new. If justice is denied then there is mob justice to follow. People only need to see your ignore the law a few times before they decide it no longer applies to them either.
The hypocrisy is worldwide. Only a handful of countries have cut diplomatic ties with Israel as a result of the ongoing genocide. These are mainly Central and south American countries (Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Columbia, Honduras), some ME countries (Bahrain, Jordan and Turkey, African countries (Chad and South Africa) but none of the countries in the west and not even the Gulf Abraham Accord countries and surprising up till now not even Qatar which has been directly attacked and its sovereignty violated. There is however a lot of wringing of the hands everywhere. Russia enjoys a normal relationship with Israel and it is said that Putin has a warm relationship with Netanyahu and a soft spot for Israel, even though the feelings may not be entirely reciprocal especially with regards to Ukraine. China also has strong trading and other ties with Israel. The security council rarely produces any meaningful discussions or resolutions of value.
So it is left purely for ordinary citizens all over the world to keep this flame alive and continue to condemn the genocide.
“So it is left purely for ordinary citizens all over the world to keep this flame alive and continue to condemn the genocide.”
If people don’t like genocide, they shouldn’t elect governments that support it – yes, I’m looking at you, all those who voted for Labour in the last GE. They shouldn’t elect crappy governments under the influence of Zionists and then expect other countries to rescue them from the results of their own foolish actions. The exact same argument was going round before the Brexit vote: “we can’t leave the EU, who will rein in the excesses of our Tory government if we do?”
You shouldn’t blame British voters for general election results, they are a given because FPTP makes it so.
Sorry, that’s bollocks. No-one had to vote for Labour. The correct response to a system that doesn’t work is not to use it. The powers that be would soon change the voting system if enough people boycotted it.
And you think a Conservative Government would have behaved any differently ?!!
No,of course it wouldn’t, but voting for one genocide-backing party simply to stop another genocide-backing party returning to power is not exactly “standing against genocide”. There were plenty of smaller parties and independents on the ballot sheets that people could have voted for, but no, it was important to get rid of the blue Zionist warmongering Tories so that the red Zionist warmongering Tories could take over.
Ha Ha Ha
It is exactly because of malaise and non voting by electorate that makes this system survive and prosper. Not voting is a gift to the two big parties who relish this apathy and lack of involvement. Rather than not vote why don’t you for example vote green as I did. I already know what you will say, because voting green will not make a difference.
Yeah right, let’s all vote for Green zionists, or maybe Orange zionists, or Purple zionists. The problem is that all the ‘big’ party’s are exactly the same albeit a rainbow cornucopia of different colours.
I wonder what colour ‘Your Party’ will adopt ?
“It is exactly because of malaise and non voting by electorate that makes this system survive and prosper. ”
Exactly what those who profit from the current system would want you to believe. Voting gives the system legitimacy. If no-one voted for the big parties, do you really think that the system would survive and prosper?
“The problem is that all the ‘big’ party’s are exactly the same albeit a rainbow cornucopia of different colours.”
Yup, they are all Tories, because their main priority is getting elected and only Tories can do that in sufficient numbers, especially now that so many of our MPs are career politicians. Even parties that don’t start out as Tories can’t resist the lure of Torydom once they manage to get a few MPs elected.
Takes me back to the 1970s and the Morris/Austin/Riley/Wolseley/Vanden Plas 1100 car.
I have heard for Damo Kernow on Youtube that Turkey and Egypt are :’ are conducting joint naval drills in the exact same waters for the first time in 13 years. ‘ right next door to The Flotilla.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeqL87k9ZM0
A very informative video and one of many good video’s that he puts out.
He’s what you call a ‘ Good lad.’
Bayard.
You are forgetting that the Tories were in power when it kicked off.
All Starmer did was parrot the Right to Defend by Attack like the Tories and fortunately for his Party
this paid off ( despite 600k less votes than Corbyn got in in 2019 ) and he won a majority of 160+
Because Starmer is not a politician he still thinks that the old ways work and is blundering around
trying to raise not only his low Poll Ratings but, the Labour Party’s too.
Macron thinks the same thing will happen to his ratings as well – it won’t.
Merz meanwhile is a little non committal as Germany has the onerous task ( because they have form on
Genocide) to work out and say when a genocide becomes a genocide.
Non of the above are likely to be a around to ‘ recognise ‘ anything in a relatively while.
And my prediction is that possibly Trump won’t be either.
Once the Yanks work out how Trump has shafted them.
That will take time though.
“You are forgetting that the Tories were in power when it kicked off.”
No I’m not. No-one who voted Conservative in the last but one GE knew what was going to happen, but everyone knew last year where Starmer stood on the genocide.
Bayard, I strongly suspect it has been impossible for many years to become eligible for election or certainly attain a Ministerial post without first being approved by the Tribe’s embassy.
I very much doubt they check every candidate for every seat in the country, but yes, those parties that have a “Friends of Israel” group probably do have something like that. Mind you, I’d love there to be a group called “The Official Monster Raving Loony Friends of Israel”, given the behaviour of that country’s own politicians.
Perhaps that task is initially undertaken by some kind of “selection committee” so that potential troublemakers are weeded out early. Iirc there was a bit of a purge in Labour once Bliar took the reins (following Smith’s deletion ?) Socialist socialists then described as the “hard left” tended to get squeezed out until only Denis Skinner (the principled imo Beast of Bolsover) was left.
Putin and Netanyahu can’t exactly have seen eye-to-eye over Syria either, could they? Or Iran? I find the idea of that “soft spot” bewildering – can anybody shed a bit more light on it?
apparently, 15% of the population of Israel is Russian speaking, about 1.3 million. maybe that has an impact ?
Proof that “settlers” are not Semites. They are mostly from Poland and Russia.
And Ukraine.
“Starmer is, as usual, completely out of touch with public opinion if he believes he has reduced political pressure over his complicity in Genocide.”
I don’t believe for a moment that he does. Somebody, somewhere probably thought the government should be seen to be doing something and that this would “look good” , while, as you point out, not actually mean anything, especially since the US disposed of that pesky UN vote.
Wiser heads in and behind the party know that Labour will be toast at the next GE, for this and other reasons, so they have a free hand to be as oppressive and arbitrary as they like. These days it’s not what anyone should do that counts, it’s what they can get away with doing. Machiavelli rules!
Sir Richard Dearlove seemed genuinely angry yesterday, when he stated on GB News, that he’d never felt more ashamed [of the UK] over official recognition of Palestine. Do his successors share his view? As with MI5, they usually last around four years in post – presumably to avoid questioning by MPs(ISC) regarding legacy matters for which they can plead plausibly, that they have no knowledge?
Richard Moore spoke in warm terms about the UK – Israel intel relationship. His imminent successor is Blaise Metreweli. Ms Metreweli served for years in the Middle East; she’s currently Director General of Technology and Innovation – dubbed ‘the gadget lady’ by a press who’ve seen way too many Bond films. Surely, she has important questions to answer over any potential UK involvement in the reckless and indiscriminate pager attacks against Hezbollah? Attacks that killed and severely injured children – some left blinded for life.
Today, journalist Con Coughlin, himself linked with the security services, writes a piece in the Torygraph bemoaning anti-Semitism; presumably he writes things that are in tune with his masters’ views? If there is MI6 opposition to Palestine recognition, do any of them really think Israel’s response to October 7 has been in any way proportionate? A UK equivalent response to the IRA’s campaign- remember the Brighton hotel bombing? Would’ve involved flattening all West Belfast, and bombing Dublin, killing tens of thousands. Thankfully , we’re not as insane as Israel’s leadership, and the US – with its large Irish American community – would’ve declared that a war crime.
Richard Dearlove is a vicious right wing monster of the worst kind. Richard Moore is not. He used to be a nice guy and is now just your smooth apparatchik.
Blaise Metreweli doesn’t exist, she is an AI generated fiction.
Her name certainly sounds like something an AI would come up with.
Yes, it looks that way, here is the link to the fantasy:
https://www.thestack.technology/mi6-appoints-technology-chief-as-first-female-leader/
Stevie Boy
If AI generated, I doubt they’d have invented a backstory that involves a Nazi collaborating grandfather who boasted of killing Jews and rounding up and shooting, his resistance fighter compatriots, whom he betrayed.
It would be interesting to know how much involvement Blaise Metreweli had in the pager attacks against Hezbollah, and also in an equivalent phishing / spying operation against Syrian Arab Army officers that (among other things) helped Abu Mohammad al Jolani and his band of head choppers to capture Damascus and enabled the IDF to target and bomb nearly all of Syria’s major military sites after the Assad government fell. Particularly as Mossad recommended Metreweli to David Lammy as a candidate for the role of MI6 head over other, probably more senior MI6 officers and a Foreign Office candidate. One has to wonder if Mossad will have any influence over Metreweli’s future decisions and actions as MI6 head.
Speaking at the Labour Party conference in 1945 Denis Healey famously said:
“The upper classes in every country are selfish, depraved, dissolute and decadent … “
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Denis_Healey
I doubt that even he could have predicted the depths to which the British state, and indeed virtually the whole of the western political class, has fallen.
The cancerous pestilence of American neo-conservatism which seems to have completely overtaken the entire American body politic is now rife across the European one.
American neo-conservatism has one concern and one concern only – global dominance by any and all means necessary regardless of the cost, in terms of money or human life. They have no compunction about destroying hundreds of thousands of lives. Estimates of the numbers of people killed in American wars since 2001 vary, but only in terms of millions – 3.5m – 7m+. (Ask ChatGPT)
The Europeans – with the UK and Starmer in the forefront – have now fallen victim to this psychopathology since idiotically agreeing to join in America’s proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. Whilst America under a new Trump administration seeks to extricate itself from Ukraine, and indeed (failingly) from neo-conservatism, the ridiculous Europeans respond by doubling down.
As in Ukraine, so in Palestine-Israel.
As the United States of Tel Aviv remains uncompromisingly behind Israel up to and including genocide (Genocide Don now clearly the inheritor of Genocide Joe’s mantle) so to the United Kingdom of Netanyahu does likewise, much to the shame, disgrace and disgust of this country.
With the UK and the west’s jettisoning of morality it is now plain to see to the rest of the world, and indeed to much of the nations’ indigenous peoples, that any claim of the west to progressive or moral leadership is gone, and the above photograph of Powell and al-Jolani is a perfect image to demonstrate that.
And further still, as neoliberalism destroys western economies from the inside, we stand naked and soiled in front of the global population.
And all that adds up to one very good reason why “Your Party” should quit their childish shenanigans (Zarah) and get their act together and offer a real, desperately needed, alternative for this country to take a better lead in the world.
The neocons have NOT “taken over the entire American body politic”. The vast majority of the country are working class and a large number of us are socialists. We just don’t get any attention in mainstream media, because mainstream media is the official mouthpiece of the ruling class and the capitalists. Most of what MSM publishes is lies and we know it.
@ Carolyn Zaremba
Thanks for your reply.
Apologies, I meant no offence.
By “body politic” I was referring to Congress and the political administrative apparatus, which does indeed appear engulfed by neo-conservatism.
Both sides of The House, or ‘of the Aisle’ as you say, now appear fully infected.
Not for nothing do you have Dick Cheney supporting the Democratic Party and Victoria Nuland, wife of arch neo-con Robert Kagan, previously working for them.
And as much as Trump, of whom, by and large, I am no supporter, tries to steer away from them he seems to keep getting pulled back.
In effect the infection seems endemic.
I was, of course, not referring to people such as yourself, or the small handful of Senators and Representatives who seek to exert a counter influence.
Is that the Healey that ethnically-cleansed the Chagos Islands?
@ Squeeth
Thanks for that.
Indeed so.
And invited in the IMF in 1974.
This comment may well leave me in the place of the person in the centre of a Bateman cartoon, or whatever is its cybernetic equivalent, but is there any way you could start a crowdfunded campaign to raise money to pay for the private prosecution of intelligence agents and other apparatchniks guilty of illegally consorting with terrorists in Syria and elsewhere?
I read that the proscribed group the UVF were out on the 12th of July (2025) banging their drums of hate, and marching in Northern Ireland, and the PSNI did nothing to stop them – and no arrests were made.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror-groups-or-organisations–2/proscribed-terrorist-groups-or-organisations-accessible-version
The Palestine Mission in London has officially been upgraded to the Embassy of Palestine, with the Palestinian flag now raised above the building – Husam Zomlot, is Palestine’s ambassador to Britain, meanwhile Netanyahu has said they’ll be no Palestinian state as the genocide continues unabated.
Wherever you find evil, you’ll find the touch of Perfidious Albion.
Says Israel’s Minister for Foreign Affairs.
“Just spoke with the leader of the Conservative Party in the UK @KemiBadenoch. I emphasized the moral severity and diplomatic error in the British government’s decision to recognize a “Palestinian state”. She expressed, as she had publicly done before, her fierce opposition to the British government’s decision. I expressed our appreciation for her position. I also said that we know we have more friends in the UK and we know how to distinguish between the English people and the English government.
We agreed to remain in contact and I invited her to visit Israel.”
https://nitter.poast.org/gidonsaar/status/1969803617814327685#m
“Wherever you find evil, you’ll find the touch of Perfidious Albion.”
It should not be forgotten that the whole idea of “Israel” was a British one. Basically, the UK government of the day handed over the “Protectorate” of Palestine to a bunch of terrorists and sailed away. The ships weren’t even out of sight of land before the terrorists started burning people out of their homes.
Bayard.
Yes that’s right, I recall reading an article on a very elderly Palestinian woman evicted from her home during the Nakba, 30 years later – she still had the keys to the house that she was evicted from – even though the house was long gone, settler homes built upon the land it adorned.
Perfidious Albion has been busy over the decades.
https://www.markcurtis.info/2023/04/14/britains-42-coups-since-1945/
Never mentioned from that time are the hundreds of British soldiers and policeman amongst others that were murdered by zionist terrorists, the bombing of the King David Hotel being an infamous example. Many of those responsible later became heads of government and the terrorist groups transformed into the IDF/Mossad etc. The State was born out of terrorism. As our host here highlighted a while back by posting the complete conditionalities of the so called Balfour Declaration, the bits about respecting the lives and rights of the Palestinians, this promptly got binned, never to be seen again.
“The ships weren’t even out of sight of land before the terrorists started burning people out of their homes.”
The Nakba massacres and ethnic cleansing started around six months before the British departure. The massacre of Deir Yassin was a month before the May 15th withdrawal.
And then had the chutzpah to say in their Declaration of Independence” issued on May 14th :
“THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open to the immigration of Jews from all countries of their dispersion; will promote the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; will be based on the precepts of liberty, justice and peace taught by the Hebrew Prophets; will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of race, creed or sex; will guarantee full freedom of conscience, worship, education and culture; will safeguard the sanctity and inviolability of the shrines and Holy Places of all religions; and will dedicate itself to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations”
ISIS affiliated forces operating out of Damascus are currently attacking the Syrian Defence Forces and the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North & East Syria (Rojava), almost certainly with the backing of Al Jolani:
https://english.anf-news.com/rojava-syria/sdf-isis-cells-carried-out-153-attacks-in-north-and-east-syria-since-december-2024-81371
Rojava is a shining example of true direct democracy, which places women’s rights and ecology at the forefront. We should be supporting them rather than the terrorists of HTS.
“Rojava is a shining example of true direct democracy, ”
which is exactly why the UK government is supporting their enemies.
Is that the Rojava that works for American Caesar?
Rojava is located on land first occupied by Kurds less than a century ago, not exactly a shining light. It would be a colonial territory, if there were a Kurdish state.
“Rojava is located on land first occupied by Kurds less than a century ago …” should be:
“Rojava is located on land ethnically cleansed of its original Christian Assyrian inhabitants by Ottoman and pro-Ottoman Kurdish forces, some of whom received this land as a reward for killing or driving out the original Assyrians …”
There, fixed it for you.
That is so disgusting. Craig, I hope you will notice my post. I heard Dimitri Lascaris and Craig Mokhiber on you tube – here’s the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0HBBNxo7Ms&t=348s This was mostly about the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry and this came up during the discussion. Because the Security Council of the U.N is useless and controlled by the US, the General Assemby can invoke something called Uniting for Peace, needs a two thirds majority of the GA to pass. This should be easy. There is all sorts of ways the GA can then help the Palestinians. We are two years into this genocide. Why hasn’t it been invoked! Any thoughts? What can we do? South Africa is, to me, the obvious country to carry this. Any thoughts?
• GA can refuse to accept Israels credentials to the GA
• Hold criminal tribunals
• Impose sanctions and miitary embargoes – but can’t enforce?
• Form a multinational UN protection force to protect the civilians of Palestine – doesn’t need Israels permission just Palestine’s.
• Re-activate the anti-apartheid conditions they invoked for apartheid South Africa.
It’s been widely discussed in New York. Why has it not happened? Well, the Arab regimes are all firmly in the US pocket, that’s probably the biggest reason, and then nearly all the G8 would oppose it and pressure other states into not following. This can be overcome, but it is not easy.
Thanks for the information Craig. I hope the Arab regimes are now aware how expendable they are and change their behaviour. It’s Palestine now but it could easily be them next. So sad and meanwhile Gaza is sacrificed.
Rosemary, their awareness has hopefully been sharpened by the abject humiliation of Qatar being attacked by the greatest democracy in the ME…cough, cough. Worth adding that the UK’s RAF was able to amply assist in refuelling the War jets as they made their toiling journey across those expansive Arabian sands. As for Qatari AD, purchased at, no doubt, great expense, the less said the better, apart from they got sold a blind Pup.
This is not entirely true, because of sovereign immunity (which may apply to ministers and Crown agents), the Royal prerogatives and ways of bypassing Parliament such as the Privy Council.
I’m sure our host has a lot on his plate, but a piece about Peter Mandelson’s short career as ambassador to the USA would provide an interesting opportunity to discuss the royal prerogatives in diplomacy, and the political role of the Crown.
I sometimes wonder why we bother with this farce of having laws at all – simply punish anyone The State decides it doesn’t like, and reward those they do like. I mean, this is what they do anyway.
Then I realise how useful laws are that can be selectively applied. China makes much use of this. It is (or was) illegal to move to another province without making proper official notification and getting permits, but nobody does this, and permits take forever to process in any case. However, this is a great help in prosecuting anyone the state doesn’t like, even if they have not done anything wrong.
This selective prosecution is well known to motorcyclists. A mate was once stopped and booked for speeding. He told the officer that he wasn’t going at a different speed to the vehicles in front of and behind him, to which the pig replied, “Yes saah, but we’re only doing bikers today.”
“China makes much use of this. ”
I’d be very surprised if you could name me a country that doesn’t. Britain has done this for centuries, especially in the C18th and early C19th, when the death penalty was applied to the most trivial of offences. It’s basically a way of extending the patronage of the ruling classes: people “of good character” get let off with a minor punishment and troublemakers are got rid of. Our host knows all about this. Luckily for him, the death penalty is no longer so widely applied.
Iirc stealing anything larger than a Chicken meant Death, anything smaller, you got to supplement the fledgling population of Australia.
@glenn_nl, yes, this selective enforcement of law is essentially the point around which the plot of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure revolves.
although the reason the rulers of the British Empire keep the Treason Felony Act of 1848 on the statute books seems altogether more sinister.
Thanks for the reference, SD – that’s one (of the many!) plays of Shakespeare of which I am lamentably unfamiliar. I’ll add it to the list.
The US also finds it highly convenient to keep old laws, such as the 1798 Alien Enemies act, going. God knows what that rotten administration would be digging up if their country had any real history.
@glenn_nl, probably the best version I’ve seen, on video, is Measure for Measure, Globe, 2015. It’s certainly a play that treats the hypocrisy of authority figures.
One of the most egregious USAmerican legal hypocrisies I’ve read about lately (in Medicine River by Mary Annette Pember) was the exclusion of Native American (‘Indian’) religion from their constitutional right to freedom of religion, even when indigenous people were belatedly made citizens. Yet even the American Indian Religious Freedom Act 1978 was held to be insufficient.
SD: Thanks for the tip. Travelling at the moment, but when I get some decent bandwidth again, I’ll definitely watch it.
Appears the US has dusted off the 1834 Monroe Doctrine too as has been recently announced with a declared pivot to the Western hemisphere. Sadly, to date, this has led to the murder of around 15 Venezuelan people in boats.
“The government is arresting little old ladies for holding signs supporting one proscribed organisation, Palestine Action, while it admits it has been actively supporting another proscribed organisation”.
True, O King. (Live for ever!)
But the UK government has passed all sorts of laws, hasn’t it, explicitly permitting all sorts of government organisations and employees to ignore the law? (I think of them collectively as “the 007 rules”).
In theory. But I doubt whether it was ever really true.
Furthermore – since the UK doesn’t have a formal Constitution – whichever party controls the HoC can repeal or change any law it doesn’t like, and has done so on numerous occasions. We used to be protected against double jeopardy, we used to have the right to remain silent when questioned, we used to have freedom of speech, and so on.
I have heard for Damo Kernow on Youtube that Turkey and Egypt are :’ are conducting joint naval drills in the exact same waters for the first time in 13 years. ‘ right next door to The Flotilla.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeqL87k9ZM0
A very informative video and one of many good video’s that he puts out.
He’s what you call a ‘ Good lad.’
I read the Moore speech from the link in the article and his other speeches that are bundled with it on the government website since he became “C”. From what I gather Moore is the son of a diplomat, educated at a private school, PPE at Oxford and a spook for virtually the whole of his career bar as short spell as Ambassador to Turkey which shows that the distinction between spying and diplomacy can get pretty blurred. His speeches given at different times and in different places are all along the same lines suggesting that he has been as much radicalised into his own Machiavellian dogma and ideology as any of the terrorists that he is supposed to be hunting out. He wants Russians to spy on their own country but of course would be horrified if Britons spied on theirs which they probably have more cause to do such is the quagmire we are in.
“So, (appealing to Russians) contact us today via Silent Courier (MI6 dark web portal) and choose a different future for yourself, for your family and for your country. But our appeal today is not to Russians alone. Anyone, anywhere in the world with access to sensitive information relating to terrorism or hostile intelligence activity, can use the new portal to contact MI6. Whilst Russia remains one of the key missions of MI6, the other three priorities, China, Iran and counter terrorism, are proving to be enduring challenges too. Which is why the UK in 2025 needs an MI6 that can operate with agility and at scale”.
He comes across with his PR slogan “be more open to stay secret”.as a self serving, deluded crackpot. Unfortunately accountability has no meaning in the secret world of the secret service. Moore is very proud of his achievements and the funding the UK government pours in to maintain its lies and useless activities. His wife who evidently supports a guide dogs charity as a visually impaired person herself contributes far more to the “nation” than he does.
In Bringing Saudi-born Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, a.k.a. Al-Julani, to power – although whether what he has can be called power, when his remit barely extends beyond his western and Gulf supplied security detail in Damascus and the fact he’s never faced an election – is an open question. There was even a recent rumour he’d fled to Turkey and reports of there being a huge crisis in the country.
Jonathan Powell and MI6 must have known about the Israeli plan to bomb Iran and their desire to open the Syrian air corridor was key to carrying that out. Impossible when Assad was being propped up by Russia. Israel bombed Syria for weeks after Assad’s downfall, they clearly weren’t going to leave a single air defence system in place to hinder their long-held plans. The UK has just added to regional instability and aided Israel.
In related news, I read tonight, that Greece intends to recognise Palestine, but the Greek PM, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said ‘it’s complicated’ in relation to the timing. I’d wager those complications relate to the Cypriot Air base, RAF Akrotiri, and the part its playing in arms transport etc.
Goose, there’s also the matter of many fleeing/displaced Israelis buying up a lot of land, businesses and properties in Cyprus. Not only the Greek bit neither, they have their eyes too on the Turkish part, get this, for its own protection you understand as they claim it has become infested by Iranian and Hamas influence. Very good piece on yt by the above mentioned Dmitri Lascaris about this.
When he got the job, his widely publicised priority was to prevent interference by foreign entities in British Government affairs. However, he appears to have developed a massive blind spot. Perhaps this similarity of visual impairment is what attracted him to his good and charitable lady wife. I think he is a Sir ?
“choose a different future for yourself, for your family and for your country.”
Indeed: you will be dead or in exile, your family will be in poverty and your country will be just the same. WTF does he think he is trying to kid?
Nothing new. In the 1930’s Jewish zionists were the terrorists. They were in Netanyahu’s terms, terrorists rewarded with getting a state of their own. In the 1930’s Britian’s intelligence services armed and trained the Jewish terrorists. Who used those arms to attack the British administration of Palestine.
The countries currently recognizing Palestine as a state are those which are legally tied to the ICJ. The consequence for the leaders of those countries is that once the ICJ has ruled on the Gaza genocide they are at risk of being individually charged with aiding that crime. It is just about creating a case for their defense.
Craig,
Supporting or Creating?
Blair is there. With Kushner. Selling real estate in Gaza while 480,000 people walk out of the city of Gaza, at the start of winter, and others say they will stay put and await the death squads and bulldozers. Blair wants to put boots on the ground to protect our assets. He has ‘form’ for this kind of thing. He wants to put British soldiers in, to kill Palestinians trying to defend their homes, who are by definition Hamas.
Also a large number of journalists in Yemen were killed yesterday.
Venezuela is demonstrating its Russian purchased airforce to defend against attacks at sea.
Tommy Robinson has been expelled from Colombia due to links to US backed destabilising factions.
Russian oil and gas is off limits for all of Europe, and terminals across Russia have been destroyed by attacks launched from Ukraine. Eastern Europe will be cold this winter and some countries are delivering logs to citizens worst affected.
UK airforce is stationed in Poland.
Syrian Jews are wanting to invest in rebuilding Syria. They are meeting in New York but their money is deemed to be laughably insufficient. Syrians at this conference are asking the US to invest in Syria.
Kate is perfection: beautiful, fragile and strong, with impeccable diplomacy and finesse. Melinda Gates visited her and William just before the previous Windsor banquet where she was sat next to Macron. This time she was sat next to Trump. She is of course Jewish. Her family home is in Jordan and she and William have visited Israel a few times, but only one official visit, where they were ecstatically welcomed because their children mean there will be a proper kosher king of England.
Charles could never go there as he remembers the King David Hotel being blown up when it was the headquarters of the British Protectorate of Palestine and the European Embassies.
Bill Gates was Rachel Reeves first visitor to number eleven, while Henry Kissinger was Theresa May’s first visitor on the day she moved into number ten.
Blair is showing his flair for business. Starmer is holding steady and lying to us as usual of course.
Concerns for the freedom flotilla are high.
Trump has bought TikTok.
Is she Jewish? I think you’ll find she’s about as Jewish as Starmer.
Remember she’s just a MSM creation who’s only role is as receptacle for the royal issue.
Google AI quote:
AI Overview
+1
Who Is Kate Middleton’s Uncle Gary Goldsmith?
Princess Kate’s uncle, Gary Goldsmith, is the brother of her mother, Carole Middleton, and is not Jewish; he is the son of Ronald Goldsmith and Dorothy Goldsmith, and has Jewish ancestry through his father’s side, which is a connection to a 19th-century aristocrat.
Gary Goldsmith’s Jewish connection:
Gary Goldsmith’s father, Ronald Goldsmith, had a Jewish mother, Jane Harrison, according to an article from Findmypast.com.
This connection makes Gary Goldsmith, and by extension Princess Kate, Jewish.
Other facts about Gary Goldsmith:
He is the brother of Catherine’s mother, Carole Middleton.
He was born on April 29, 1965, in London, England.
He has also been described as a “socialite” and a “tutor”.
Quote unquote
It’s good enough for Israel to celebrate anyway
Their barefoot Christmas card photo one year was taken in their home in Jordan. It just seemed a nice, multicultural connection back then, the same equivalent to Harry with Meghan
I understand that the status of being Jewish is matrilineal, so that Princess Kate would have to properly convert to Judaism to be regarded as Jewish. Which IMHO she wouldn’t, because as I understand the Waleses are devout Christians. They even wrote a prayer for their own wedding.
But speaking of crackpot theories, let me point to news that they are becoming the mark of Trump and his administration. Paracetamol has become the latest target:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx20d4lr67lo
“Gary Goldsmith’s father, Ronald Goldsmith, had a Jewish mother, Jane Harrison, according to an article from Findmypast.com.”
According to Wikipedia, Jane Harrison was her mother’s paternal grandmother, so that doesn’t make either Gary, or his niece, Jewish, Judaism being matrilineal and the only reason that Jane herself would be considered Jewish. Pretty thin gruel.
Didn’t know fragrant Kate was a Jewess Alyson, so thanks for that detail. I have heard of the Jordanian connection before, have they kept her true heredity quiet, or maybe I missed it.
Have since Googled it…the water is very muddy indeed.
“She is of course Jewish”
Her mother’s maiden name might have been Goldsmith, but having a Jewish grandfather doesn’t make you Jewish.
Being called Goldsmith doesn’t make you Jewish either, the name can be traced back to 12th Century England. It’s all cobblers.
” It’s all cobblers.”
Looks like it.
It was the dodgy uncle with no visible means of support who came to light when he was prosecuted for something or other, and whose Jewish credentials were mentioned in the press as being relevant in some way. I forget why. Anyway William and Kate are popular in Israel.
Kate is doing a stirling job on behalf of the UK and is well placed in the Royal Family to meet with world leaders and speak on our behalf. She was picture perfect when she and William were meeting Trump and Melania off the plane, and when she was chatting with him through dinner, and then strolling the garden with Melania and child the following day. The perfect princess and future Queen.
Charles and Melania are apparently ‘pen pals’
So the western politicians and media spent 20+ years on the war against al-Qaeda….only to bring al-Qaeda to power in Syria – and there is no questioning by anyone?! It is so absurd.
The hypocrisy is beyond staggering, take for example the ongoing state-initiated sectarian violence that goes on in Syria – right in the open, the killing thousands of alawites (and other minorities) and the abductions of women.
Not a word about it by the EU/US/UK, meanwhile Palestinians that fight back against a genocide are considered “terrorists” and must be disarmed, wiped out, cleansed and have no political power – this just prove how hollow that terrorism label is, the term have no meaning whatsoever for the western world!
Bin laden must roll in his grave watching the disgraceful israeli puppet in Syria al-Shaara
Al-Sharaa tells Jewish media: ‘We have common enemies’
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/middle-east/levant-turkey/artc-israel-normalization-al-sharaa-tells-jewish-media-we-have-common-enemies
Meanwhile this useful al-Sharra-idiot get his land bombed systematically by israel – what the heck is wrong with these people?! This is some sick, perverse political type of sadomasochism that goes on.
Well, we now we certainly know why Netanyahu welcomed 9/11:
“It’s very good”: Recalling Benjamin Netanyahu’s words on the day of the 9/11 attacks
https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/its-very-good-recalling-benjamin-netanyahus-words-day-911-attacks
And (the interest of) israel is of course the only reason why west embrace al-Qaeda today.
The reality is that most, if not all, of these terrorist groups have been created and supported by the west, specifically the CIA/MI6, to combat whoever is seen as the current enemy. And yes, that includes: Irgun, ISIS and Hamas.
Allegedly all paid for by the “dark money” provided by Afghani sourced Opium/Heroin and Colombian Cocaine.
If you want staggering hypocrisy, look at someone who slags someone for recalling Tommy the Tout Sheridan’s history of calling for the “naming of names” to the police and then doesn’t fulsomely apologise.
https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=%22tommy+sheridan%22+%22name+names%22
He’s back … that was short.
Syria’s October 5, 2025, elections for a 210-seat assembly will involve no direct public voting. 121 seats are selected by appointed electoral subcommittees, 70 are appointed by President Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammed al-Julani), and elections are postponed in Kurdish and Druze areas.
The kind of ‘democracy’ the US/UK want for Arabs and the wider Muslim populations of the world. It’s never been about democracy or any sort of values, has it.
And nobody in the UK parliament, among the many who demanded ‘dictator’ Assad either hold free and fair elections or face being removed will say a damn thing. I don’t know how ministers like the Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, have the nerve to stand there at the despatch box pompously pontificating about British values. Hamish was heckled yesterday, while giving a speech outside the Palestinian mission by pro-Palestine demonstrators who called for Britain to “stop arming Israel”.
In Europe there are worrying signs for democracy too. For pro-EU/NATO parties, accusing the opposition of being ‘hand in glove’ with Russia has become default – the election strategy of choice, certainly in Eastern European countries. Moldova announced arrests yesterday; clearly as per Romania, they are laying the groundwork for annulling the result should it go against the the ruling, Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS). All European and US media parrots the claim that Russian mis/disinformation is taking over people’s minds, as if some unstoppable mind meld is underway. If the PAS win on Sunday, no doubt those arrested will be released, with these election theatrics shown up for what they are.
What’s so absurd is; we’re constantly told Russia is useless on the battlefield; that their forces are making little progress etc. Yet in the same breath, the same people claim Russia are electoral geniuses who’ve perfected some secret Svengali election sauce, that the billion dollar election campaigns in the US and Europe can’t ever hope to replicate?
Ukraine claims Moscow is in flames today
So can we expect Moore,Powell,Dearlove et al to hand themselves in to be put under control orders,gangstalking and torture etc?
Dont hold your breath.
Nauseating hypocrisy.
So what’s new? You act surprised Craig, but why so? The UK is the master of hypocrisy and double-speak, it’s been doing it for literally centuries.
Our host was actually swimming in that cesspool for the early part of his career, I’m sure he knows his words and the reality doesn’t match.
Whether hypocrisy or now presently moot, I think it’s still completely the right call to recognise Palestine. We can argue about the motives but it seems a very important line in the sand that much of the West now recognises a nation that the Israeli leadership is trying to destroy, albeit with some connivance by the same West. Hypocrisy at least implies some nuance and guilt. Actually, Starmer’s statement is, on the face of it, probably the best thing he has done as Prime Minister.
I think recognition is a protective move by western elites.
For years, even Israel in the form of Netanyahu, had to pretend they favoured a two-state solution, as it was US policy. It’s only under the outrageous, reckless Trump administration Israel have dropped the pretense, by stating not only a desire to annex Gaza but the relatively peaceful West Bank too; ethnically cleansing via forced removal, of up to 5 million people, to some, as yet, undisclosed country – not only a war crime, but a mammoth logistical task that will generate worldwide fury and possibly renewed terrorism. I don’t think Trump understands the sheer logistical scale of allowing this, or how bad the optics will be, but the British and French do. Hence the panicked move of recognition.
Which country would dare take them in and be viewed as complicit with Israel in this? Surely, no Muslim country will.
Britain is still a key player in the Genocide in its own right. Its participation is multifaceted.
I know, but they want to be able to claim they were against it when the shit hits the fan.
Removing five million to where? Think of the logistics: food & water, the sheer scale of provision. Then there’s the fact many Palestinians won’t go quietly. Do the US think those people will simply accept the loss of their birthright? it’s unprecedented in modern times, and Israel may be able to keep journos out of Gaza and the West Bank, but they can’t stop reporting once they attempt this. There was even talk of moving the entire population to Sudan, presumably without Sudan’s agreement; creating a tent city – it’s absolute batshit crazy as a plan, and Blair ought to be quizzed over his presumably profit motivated encouragement of this Trump/Kushner ‘get rich’ scheme dubbed Trump Riviera.
What of the one-third of Gaza’s population now estimated to have been actually *murdered* (not moved) in the last two years, with full British assistance?
That didn’t happen because British journalists were kept out of Gaza. British journalists played a major role in justifying it and are continuing to scrupulously cover up Britain’s ongoing role in the Genocide.
By the way it was last summer, under Joe Biden, that the Knesset voted near unanimously to reject Palestinian statehood, officially killIing the Oslo agreement. It didn’t elicit a peep of objection from the Democrats, Starmer, Macron and co, who right went right on assisting the Genocide. As they still are today.
Someone is going to have to clean the toilets and serve drinks in the Trump Riviera, there’s always going to be a role for the oppressed.
zoot
Biden was atrocious, but he always has been throughout his career. US policy did still at least notionally support a two-state solution during his administration, even if their actions suggested otherwise.
Trump represents something entirely different and far more brazen; in that he’s got no moral compunctions: he has no empathy nor guilt, and he doesn’t give a flying fcuk about what allies’ think. He’s the most uncouth president the US has ever had, and after George ‘Dubya’ Bush, that’s a remarkable distinction.
The fact the UK laid on a state visit and banquet for Trump is outrageous. He should’ve been challenged by the UK PM, not feted, even at the risk of a diplomatic rift.
Biden may not have been uncouth when going about the genocide. He never bragged about his efforts to remove Gaza’s population to Egypt. But surely you don’t see in Biden, Starmer and the rest the traits of moral compunction, empathy and guilt?
From the last 24hrs :
Britain only recognised Palestine because it is ‘flooded with foreigners’ – Marco Rubio
“I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form and, who knows, maybe even go further than that!” – Trump
That Game of Thrones quote from Tyrion Lannister[to Joffrey] comes to mind : We’ve had vicious kings and we’ve had idiot kings, but I don’t know if we’ve ever been cursed with a vicious idiot for a king!
He also called for Russian jets. involved in minor violations of the international air corridor above Estonia, to be shot down, and didn’t rule out the US participating in that. Nato jets have violated Russian airspace on at least three occasions in recent years.
Imagine trying to deal with these people.
This is the same Donald Trump who said Ukraine had “no cards” to play, and posed proudly with a photo showing him alongside Putin in Alaska. He’s so inconsistent. The MAGA response to his sudden shift over Russia will be interesting too. Becoming a lame duck seems very much on the cards for him; not because the Democrats are good – they’re atrocious – but because Trump will p*ss his own base off.
The dark irony of having the son of Cuban immigrants, Marco Rubio, and the son of a German deserter and a Scottish woman, Trump, lecturing the UK on how we’ve got too many foreigners living here.
My favourite Trump comment about the Russia-Ukraine situation came in 2022, Goose, when he suggested that the US should bomb Moscow using F-22’s with Chinese flags painted on them, so that the Russians would then go to war with China instead.
It’s been seized upon by the media and Starmer supporters who want to erase Britain’s ongoing participation in the Genocide. Everybody in the political-media class knew as Starmer was making his statement that he is still providing arms, intelligence, training, political cover etc for the IDF in its slaughter of the Palestinian people.
How many British politicians, journalists or politics enthusiasts pointed that out?
In Palestine itself nobody is even pretending to be impressed. The consensus there is it has been done not for them but purely to dupe and deceive western publics.
Hmm… I’m not sure what is going on. Is Europe going to turn against Israel? Is this a pivot or a strategy? Is Starmer pretending he has to appease Muslim Britain? How have the recent banquets devised strategy with Macron and Trump? I do not expect Starmer to ever take the moral high ground. If this is his adviser, is it his advice?
Morgan McSweeney
https://www.doubledown.news/watch/2025/september/23/exposed-the-scandal-that-could-bring-down-keir-starmers-government
Blair is there wanting to define and defend British interests. Is this back to the original British plan to deliver the gas under Gaza to a lot of compliant and complicit countries? Is it leverage? Or is there a bigger predator than Israel looming into view? Security threats to airports are popping up across Europe and Scandinavia. All may become clearer. Netanyahu is seemingly very angry anyway
Trump has described the recognition of Palestine as ‘performative’. Okay – so can somebody tell us what the Performance is?
Morgan McSweeney.
Who funds him ?
Is he Mossad ?
“Actually, Starmer’s statement is, on the face of it, probably the best thing he has done as Prime Minister.”
True, and that says a lot about him and his tenure.
Craig, thank you for your tireless work and what is in substance another important and educative piece. However, a thought on your choice of words in the opening contrast you wish to make: My friend Margaret has been an active trade unionist, political activist and tireless campaigner her whole adult life. Any conversation with her, given her years of experience and involvement, is an education. She has lost none of her commitment and determination over the years, indeed if anything she’s fiercer now than she’s ever been. She’s also slightly built and is now in her seventies, so I suppose she would qualify as a ‘little old lady’. However, she would regard being called this an insult and see it as an attempt to literally diminish her, just as it obscures her purpose, what she stands for and who she is. It’s always been a sexist and ageist term, and in this context is all the more disappointing and offensive. I understand, of course, the point you are trying to make, but I would suggest, in this particular instance, that there might be better ways of making it.
I noticed that too, inadvertent patronising and demeaning choice of phrase, especially for people who have long and deeply held principles and convictions which they are prepared to stand up for.
Would “harmless old women” have been better?
No
Agreed.
As my mother-in-law would say: ‘f**k you and the horse you rode in on’.
Oh give over. Craig probably used the phrase to emphasise her vulnerability and the absence of any threat. What would you have preferred, ‘A person of indeterminate stature, age and gender’?
There were elderly ladies, well into their eighties, being carted off by police while bystanders carried their crutches. The trauma and injuries to the good, upstanding, citizens were heart warming and heart breaking. A local Worthy was interviewed by our local paper as she recalled the effort to retain dignity, when she knew that what she stood for was morally right, because she was fully in support of international law, and accountability for crimes against humanity. Having lived through WWII, and remembering the Holocaust, the importance of standing up for the victims of genocide was beyond negotiation. Age is just a number and people age at different rates. Good people who know the difference between good and evil are of all ages, races, genders, and creeds
Yes, he did, and did so without thinking, because it’s a phrase that comes easily to mind. He could have, as you indicated, before your sarcastic rejoinder, described their vulnerability and lack of threat without resorting to a stock ageist and sexist term.
But will anything come of it.
“The £700k donation cover-up: Starmer’s right-hand man caught red-handed.
The Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff has been caught covering up £700,000 in secret donations used to install Starmer as Labour leader.
This isn’t just bad judgement – it’s a potential crime.
I’ve called on the Electoral Commission to investigate and refer the case to the police.
Full letter here 1/2:”
https://nitter.poast.org/kevinhollinrake/status/1970204811833311317#m
Look what happened to Charlie Kirk. Starmer needs to remember who funds him.