Archive: palestine

20th June 2015
By: Brian Whitaker
  Multiple sources have identified Mohammed Dahlan, the former head of Palestinian “preventive security” in Gaza, as a provider of funds for the Global Network for Rights and Development (GNRD) – the “human rights” organisation at the centre of $13 million money-laundering investigation by… Read more
5th August 2014
By: Brian Whitaker
Yesterday Human Rights Watch made several specific allegations of war crimes committed by Israeli troops in Gaza. These included incidents where, according to local residents, Israeli forces had shot fleeing civilians when "no Palestinian fighters were present at the time and no firefights were… Read more
3rd August 2014
By: Brian Whitaker
Israel now says that Second Lieutenant Hadar Goldin – who it earlier claimed had been "kidnapped" by Hamas – was actually killed while fighting in Gaza. On Friday morning, the Israeli military announced: "We are conducting extensive searches in S. Gaza in order to find a missing IDF soldier. We… Read more
31st July 2014
By: Brian Whitaker
Whenever I hear Israel's supporters defending the war in Gaza I wonder what they are hoping to achieve. Who do they think they are going to persuade?  Something has gone seriously wrong with Israel's once-reliable hasbara. Far from shifting opinion in Israel's favour, it is now having the opposite… Read more
30th July 2014
By: Brian Whitaker
The big picture is very clear. Israel's onslaught against Gaza is killing large numbers of civilians, including many children. Nobody can seriously dispute that. When the big picture is so clear it's easy to slip into the habit of seeing every new incident as further confirmation, but war is rarely… Read more
24th July 2014
By: Brian Whitaker
Yesterday, I got into a Twitter conversation with Benjamin Weinthal, a Europe-based correspondent for the Jerusalem Post. Weinthal asked: "How does one explain that 1,700 people died in Syria over last seven days and zero protests in Europe. Hardly any media coverage." It's an interesting question… Read more
21st July 2014
By: Brian Whitaker
"The number of UK citizens and westerners travelling to fight in foreign conflicts has reached alarming levels unlike anything seen in recent years. We require an immediate response targeted at dissuading and preventing those who wish to go to fight from going."  These were the words of a British … Read more
20th March 2013
By: Brian Whitaker
As Barack Obama begins his first presidential visit to Israel, it's worth recalling the words of a veteran British diplomat who warned, just a couple of months ago, that Israel is on "a pathway to assisted suicide" – "suicide assisted by the Congress of the United States".  In January, Sir Sherard… Read more
21st January 2013
By: Brian Whitaker
Two British MPs have raised concerns in parliament about taxpayer subsidies for charities that support settlement activity in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Charities registered in Britain are entitled to various tax benefits regardless of where they operate, provided their activities are entirely… Read more
1st January 2013
By: Brian Whitaker
A vociferous campaigner against NGOs that criticise Israel is appealing for money following a disastrous legal action in the European Court of Justice. His supporters in Britain are being urged to make donations through a registered charity – in effect, with a subsidy from taxpayers. Gerald… Read more