KURDISTAN

Activists in London organize reading of Abdullah Öcalan's books in front of Amnesty International

A file was presented to Amnesty within the scope of Abdullah Öcalan Books Day in London. 91-year-old human rights defender Margaret Owen said that Abdullah Öcalan is different from all leaders in the world because of his women's freedom paradigm.

ANF
LONDON
Tuesday, 12 Dec 2023, 09:12

An event was held in front of the Amnesty building as part of the global 'Öcalan Books Day' organized by the London Jiyan Women's Council. International groups and Kurdish organizations supported the event. Famous 91-year-old British human rights lawyer Margaret Owen also attended the action, where banners and signs protesting the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan were carried.



Before the event, a delegation consisting of Margaret Owen and women from the Jiyan Women’s Council presented a file to Amnesty officials regarding the isolation and rights violations of Öcalan.

Then, in front of Amnesty, Royal Holloway PHD researcher Ida, Anayi from the Latin American Feminist Organization, Neha Lateen from the American Women's Organization, journalist Penny and human rights lawyer Margaret Owen read passages from the books by Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

Making a short speech, Owen said that Abdullah Öcalan is different from all leaders in the world because of his women's freedom paradigm. She said that the isolation of Öcalan is a human rights crime and underlined that all the people of the world should fight together for his freedom.

'Reading Days' continue in Latin America

Abya Yala feminists read excerpts from Öcalan's book 'Killing the Man'. In Mexico children participated in a discussion of Öcalan's childhood memories and his relationship with nature, and in Bogota the paradigm of democratic modernity was introduced.

ANF
NEWS DESK
Tuesday, 12 Dec 202

On 10 October, a new international campaign called "Freedom for Öcalan – A Political Solution to the Kurdish Question" was launched with press conferences in 74 places around the world, from France, to Belgium, from Italy to the Spanish state, from Germany to the UK, from Ireland to the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Slovenia, Cyprus, Greece and across the ocean in Australia, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador. From South Africa to Kenya, Japan, India, Bangladesh, East Timor, the Philippines. The campaign unites social movements, political parties, municipalities, trade unions, activists, intellectuals and millions of Kurds and people in solidarity with the Kurdish liberation struggle worldwide around a common goal: the participation of Abdullah Öcalan in a dialogue for a just and democratic political solution to the Kurdistan question in Turkey, which has remained unresolved for more than a century.

As part of the international campaign, 10 December was designated ‘Global Öcalan Books Day’ to “start reading a book from Öcalan to find methods to solve our common problems and create a future of freedom.”

A group of members of Abya Yala feminists shared a text of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan and organised a campaign to read Öcalan's texts in order to break the isolation regime imposed on him by the Turkish state.

Women read the chapter "The third great sexual rupture against the dominant male" from Abdullah Öcalan's book "Killing the Man". Well-known artists and activists such as Claudia Korol, Georgio Andini, Adriana Guzman, Georgio Andini and Adriana Guzman participated in the campaign, as well as women from Bolivia, Paraguay and Ecuador.

Democratic Modernity Paradigm presented in Bogota

In the book centre "La Valija de fuego" in Bogota, the capital of Colombia, an event was organised as part of the Öcalan Books Days. In the event, Öcalan's biography as well as the paradigm of democratic modernity were introduced. In particular, his works and writings translated into Spanish were presented.

Raramuri children support the campaign

The Raramuri (Tarahumara) people, a group of the indigenous people living in the north of Mexico, organised a series of events within the framework of the ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, Political Solution to the Kurdish Question’ campaign.

One of the events was held with the participation of children in the autonomous primary school that the Raramuri people created with their own means.

During the event, Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's childhood memories and his relationship with nature were told.

The event was translated from Spanish into Raramuri. At the end of the event, the children showed their solidarity with the Kurdish people by chanting the slogan "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan".

41 work-related fatal injuries in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2023: syndicate

Published: December 12, 202311:00 amUpdated: 6:56 pm
AuthorEditorial Staff

HEWLÊR-Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan region,— The Kurdistan Workers’ Syndicate revealed that over 40 workers lost their lives in Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region (Bashur) during the course of this year. According to the heads of the syndicate’s branches across the region’s provinces, a total of 41 fatalities occurred on the job since the year’s commencement.

Sulaimani province bore the brunt of this tragedy, with 25 worker fatalities, followed by Erbil with ten, and Duhok with six deaths. The stark contrast in figures raises critical concerns about safety protocols and working conditions, prompting scrutiny and urgent action.

Karzan Mohammed, leading the Halabja branch of the syndicate, highlighted the absence of large-scale projects in the area as a reason for zero reported fatalities, drawing attention to the stark disparities in workplace safety across different regions within Iraqi Kurdistan.

Beyond fatalities, numerous other workers suffered injuries while on duty within the Kurdistan Region, underlining the broader risks faced by the workforce.

The distressing reality is exacerbated by the involvement of foreign workers in these unfortunate incidents. Last month, five workers sustained injuries when an incomplete building collapsed in Sulaimani city, adding to the grim statistics.

Issues of unpaid wages and inadequate safety measures within companies compound the plight of workers. The absence of formal contracts often leaves workers without essential protections, jeopardizing their livelihoods in the event of accidents.

A tragic case surfaced in October 2023 when four Sudanese workers, stranded in Erbil for a decade due to unpaid salaries, pleaded with the authorities for resolution. Two of these workers tragically passed away at their place of work, never having received their rightful earnings.

The rising toll of worker fatalities and injuries within the Kurdistan region underscores an urgent need for comprehensive measures to ensure workplace safety and uphold the rights of laborers.

(With files from Rudaw)

Copyright © 2023 Ekurd.net. All rights reserved

EU strikes deal with Hungary, reducing funding freeze to get Ukraine aid approved


Viktor Orbán’s tactical vetoes succeeded in getting EU countries to lower a proposed funding suspension.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán | 

John Thys/AFP via Getty Images

BY PAOLA TAMMA
DECEMBER 12, 2022 1

The deal is done.

Hungary on Monday night got EU countries to lower the amount of a proposed funding freeze in exchange for Budapest lifting its veto on key items, including an aid package to Ukraine.

Hungary had been on the cusp of losing €7.5 billion in EU payouts over concerns that the money may aid graft in the country. In protest, Budapest had been blocking both an €18 billion EU aid package for Ukraine and a minimum global corporate tax rate.

But on Monday, EU countries agreed to lower the suspension to €6.3 billion.

They also approved Hungary's spending plan for its pandemic recovery funds — €5.8 billion in grants that have similarly been withheld for a year and a half over democratic backsliding concerns. However, countries made the approval conditional, saying Budapest must complete 27 anti-corruption and judicial independence reforms before getting its money.

The outcome amounts to a win for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has spent months gambling that he could use vetoes to wrangle EU funds from Brussels. Working in his favor were two factors: an EU system that requires unanimity on many major decisions, and an intense EU desire to preserve a united EU facade as war rages nearby.

That said, the decision still means Hungary is poised to lose billions in expected funds at a time when its economy is teetering. And there's no guarantee it will be able to fulfill its pledge to adopt the 27 rule-of-law reforms needed to unblock the pandemic recovery money and to unfreeze regular EU funds. Already, the country has struggled to satisfy EU officials assessing its progress.

For the EU, the deal will bring some relief on the Ukrainian front. It has been weeks since the European Commission first pledged to give Kyiv €18 billion to help cover budget shortfalls in 2023, and frustration was mounting over the delays.

In recent days, officials had been scrambling to develop a plan B for disbursing the Ukraine funds without Hungary's approval — crafting a proposal that required 26 countries to offer individual guarantees instead of an EU-backed guarantee. Such a move would have exposed unwelcome cracks in the EU's approach to Russia's war.

Now, after the European Parliament gives its approval on Tuesday, the EU can start disbursements to Ukraine in January.

The EU will also avoid the awkwardness of being unable to ratify its part of a tax deal meant to stop multinational corporations from skipping out on tax bills. Brussels championed the pact and over 130 countries, including EU members, have now signed it.

Avoiding these embarrassments comes at a cost, however. Monday's deal will also likely open the EU up to accusations that it is unwilling to stand up to its rule-of-law truants.

In addition to the reduced funding suspension, the agreement paves the way for Hungary to receive up to €5.8 billion in pandemic recovery grants by 2026. And it comes after Poland recently used the same tactic to get its pandemic recovery funds approved — albeit with the same caveats about first adopting reforms.

The breakthrough happened at a meeting of EU ambassadors on Monday evening after months of haggling with Budapest. Their decision will be formalized in a written procedure ending on Wednesday.

Two deadlines enhanced the pressure and increased the likelihood of a deal. First, EU countries had until December 19 to decide whether to freeze EU funds for Hungary over rule-of-law concerns. Moreover, Hungary needed a majority of countries to approve its recovery plan by year's end or it would lose 70 percent of the grants.

On Monday night, the recovery plan got through after getting support from a qualified majority of EU countries — equal to a majority of countries representing 65 percent or more of the bloc's population. The Netherlands, a frequent critic of Hungary's democratic backsliding, declared it will abstain.

Poland — which also held up the global tax deal until June — raised a last-minute reservation about the issue, injecting another unexpected hurdle. But the country has until Wednesday to lift its objections and is widely expected to do so, according to two EU diplomats.

In the lead-up to Monday's decision, countries including the Netherlands and Sweden had pushed to suspend the full €7.5 billion before relenting and supporting the lower figure.

In parallel, France and Germany led a push to ensure the withheld funds were "proportional" to any corruption-busting progress Hungary may have made — an effort many saw as an attempt to essentially strike the deal that was ultimately reached on Monday.

A Year of ‘Unreal’ Fire and Warming in the Arctic

Observations from researchers and residents, published annually in a report by NOAA, reveal a region grappling with rapid change.

Ice in eastern Greenland: The continent’s ice sheet has lost mass every year since 1998.

Credit...Olivier Morin/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images


By Delger Erdenesanaa

NYT
Dec. 12, 2023

This summer was the Arctic’s warmest on record, as it was at lower latitudes. But above the Arctic Circle, temperatures are rising four times as fast as they are elsewhere.

The past year overall was the sixth-warmest year the Arctic had experienced since reliable records began in 1900, according to the 18th annual assessment of the region, published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday.

“What happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic,” said Rick Thoman, a climate specialist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and an editor of the new report, called the Arctic Report Card.

The assessment defines the Arctic as all areas between 60 and 90 degrees north latitude. Greenland’s melting ice sheet is one of the biggest contributors to global sea level rise, and scientists are investigating links between weather in the Arctic and extreme weather farther south.

The hottest spots on the Arctic map varied throughout the year. At the beginning of the year, temperatures over the Barents Sea north of Finland and eastern Russia were as much as 5 degrees Celsius, or 9 degrees Fahrenheit, above the 1991-2020 average. In the spring, temperatures were also about 5 degrees Celsius hotter than average in northwest Canada.

Hotter air temperatures dry out vegetation and soil, priming the pump for wildfires to burn more easily. This year, during Canada’s worst wildfire season on record, fires burned more than 10 million acres in the Northwest Territories. More than two-thirds of the territories’ population of 46,000 people had to be evacuated at various points and smoke from the fires reached millions more people, reducing air quality as far as the southern United States.

“The fires were unreal,” said Tero Mustonen, an environmental researcher in Finland and a contributor to the report. “This year is the year when things are really turning,” he added. “The north is now in a place where things will rapidly shift.”

High temperatures also melt snow and ice, important parts of the Arctic landscape for both wildlife and people. Greenland’s ice sheet lost even more mass than it gained through precipitation, prolonging a trend that started in 1998. In the Arctic Ocean, the extent of floating sea ice was the sixth-lowest it had been in the satellite record, which began in 1979.

This year, for the first time, the Arctic Report Card includes weather and climate observations from the Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub, a network of Iñupiat observers living on Alaska’s coast. The observers reported that multiple powerful storms hit their communities last year. A lack of sea ice exposed the coast — including roads, buildings, community ice cellars and historic landmarks — to more damage from flooding and erosion.

“I think we lost more earth to the ocean than ever before,” Bobby Schaeffer, an observer, wrote in a message to the network in September 2022, after three powerful storms hit near his village, Kotzebue, in three months.

In October, after one such storm, Billy Adams, an observer in Utqiagvik, wrote that it was a reminder of “the true power of nature” in a message to the network. “We hope to be much more prepared as we should take notes and learn from this,” he wrote.

The inclusion of the knowledge hub in the report represents growing collaboration between Western scientists and Indigenous people with firsthand knowledge of the changing conditions in the Arctic.

“We are seeing, we are experiencing, living with the changes every day,” said Roberta Glenn-Borade, the project coordinator and community liaison for the knowledge hub, which is based at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. “But we’re still here.”

The NOAA report highlighted the fact that around the Arctic, as rising temperatures put pressure on traditional ways of life, local people are trying to take their fates into their own hands.

In Finland, Dr. Mustonen founded an organization called the Snowchange Cooperative, through which rural Finnish and Sámi communities have restored more than 86,000 acres of peatland.

Dr. Mustonen views restoring natural ecosystems as a way to not only undo past environmental damage, but also mitigate and adapt to climate change. Peatlands absorb and store large amounts of carbon dioxide, and if restored areas are big enough, they can host hundreds of bird species. The restoration work itself, he said, helps give northern communities hope.

“Now that the Arctic and the boreal is undergoing this massive shift, what can we do? And in a short window of time, where should we put our meager resources?” Dr. Mustonen asked, before answering his own questions. “Peatlands are one of the best things that you can do in a short time, because we need to keep that carbon on the ground in ways that are also empowering the villages.”

One topic of discussion at this year’s United Nations climate summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has been international funding for the developing countries that are most harmed by climate change. There is a risk that the Arctic could be left out of the conversation, said Susan Natali, a senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center who also leads the Permafrost Pathways initiative. Indigenous Arctic communities are generally based in wealthier countries, but they aren’t necessarily receiving the climate-related funding they need from those federal governments, she said.

“These changes that are happening, they’re more than the graphs and the figures that we see,” said Dr. Natali, who was not involved in the Arctic Report Card. “They’re having a very severe impact on people’s health and ability to travel and ability to access subsistence resources and Indigenous ways of living.”

“There are millions of people who live in the Arctic,” she added. “They’ve been impacted by these changes for decades.”

‘End of reign’: Macron faces ungovernable France after shock immigration loss

French president’s lost majority hits him with a vengeance.

Doubts about Emmanuel Macron's ability to govern France have been swirling since he lost the parliamentary elections last year |

 Pool photo by Ludovic Marin via AFP/Getty Images

BY CLEA CAULCUTT
DECEMBER 12, 2023 

PARIS — President Emmanuel Macron has been stopped dead in his tracks over the failure of a flagship immigration bill that shows how hard it will now be to run France without an absolute majority in the National Assembly.

On Monday, the National Assembly rejected his flagship immigration bill in a dramatic vote that took the government by surprise. The defeat was made more humiliating by the fact that lawmakers didn’t even debate the text, but rejected it in a preliminary vote.

The upset sent shockwaves through the political establishment and raised questions about whether France has become ungovernable.

“It could mean we are reaching the end of his mandate faster than expected, that we are entering Emmanuel Macron’s end of reign. He’s running out of steam, and will find it harder and harder to keep his MPs in check,” said political analyst Chloé Morin.

Doubts about Macron’s ability to govern France have been swirling since he lost the parliamentary elections last year. While his centrist coalition remained the largest group in the National Assembly, he no longer had an absolute majority to pass legislation.

After initially floating the idea that France would learn the arts of coalition politics, the president settled on a policy of muddling through with ad hoc deals with the opposition conservative Les Républicains.

The government has been able to reach compromises in some consensual areas including legislation to boost buying power and fighting unemployment.

And when that hasn’t worked, Macron has reached for the bazooka, using a controversial constitutional maneuver that allows him to bypass parliament, for example to pass his contentious pensions reform.

But the spectacular debacle over the immigration bill has blown up Macron’s method for governing.

“The government is reaching the limit of its ‘at the same time’ method,” said Olivier Marleix, president of the Les Républicains group in the National Assembly. “The government must choose its team” he added in an interview with TV channel LCI, whether for hardening or softening the immigration bill.

The repercussions of Monday’s vote will be felt far and wide, with opposition parties already calling for the resignation of Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and fresh elections.
A defeat a long time coming

The government’s defeat Monday was a particular shock because it has been painstakingly preparing the immigration bill for months. In the wake of the parliamentary defeat last year, it was postponed several times, on each occasion raising the stakes for Macron’s government.

Opposition parties are already calling for the resignation of Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and fresh elections | Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images

It was hoped the legislation, which aims to speed up the deportation of foreigners who have committed crimes on French soil and includes measures to legalize undocumented workers in some cases, would get the backing of conservatives and left-leaning centrists.

But the initial stages of debate on the immigration bill were chaotic. The legislation was hardened in its first reading at the Senate which is dominated by the center-right, and then softened when it reached the parliamentary committee stage of the National Assembly.

Still, defeat came as a surprise. The government hoped the conservatives would be forced to vote for a bill on one of their core issues: immigration. In the run-up to the vote, Darmanin press-ganged the conservatives into voting for the bill. “Imagine if you rejected this legislation,” he warned last week, “and then a foreign delinquent committed a crime. The responsibility of the [Les Républicains] would be enormous.”

The government also hoped that the far-left France Unbowed and the far-right National Rally would refuse to unite their votes against Macron’s coalition. But on Monday, their divide-and-rule tactics failed.

The vote “shows that, given the make-up of the National Assembly, it’s impossible to reach a consensus on a topic as divisive as immigration … there’s a very important political faultline,” Morin said.
Lame duck Macron

For the French president, the defeat is a rude awakening and a miserable return to domestic politics from international high diplomacy. In an attempt to shield himself from the upset of governing without a clear majority, he had mostly delegated the daily toil of running the government to his Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne.

But the current crisis isn’t one he can ignore.

Former Presidents Charles de Gaulle and François Mitterrand both chose to hold fresh elections when faced with hostile or ungovernable parliaments during their mandates.

But on Tuesday, Macron told ministers the vote did not show there was “a substitute majority” that could emerge, according to a government adviser quoted by AFP. The truth is that with the rise of the far-right National Rally in recent months, neither Macron’s Renaissance party, the conservatives nor the left want to face a fresh drubbing in the polls.


The French president is now desperately seeking a way to break the deadlock on his draft immigration legislation. A joint parliamentary committee made up of senators and MPs has been tasked with finding a compromise. It’s unclear how more time for negotiations will yield better results.

But the pressure is rising on Macron to react.

“It’s hard to imagine General de Gaulle [would] suffer such a defeat and do nothing,” Morin said.

Macron's govt defiant after immigration bill rejection

Paris (AFP) – France's government insisted Tuesday it would implement tough measures against illegal migrants as it battled a political crisis following the rejection of its flagship immigration bill in the lower house of parliament.

Issued on: 12/12/2023 

The defeat was a major personal setback for Darmanin 

© Ludovic MARIN / AFP

In a surprise move on Monday, members of the opposition joined forces in the National Assembly to vote down the controversial legislation aimed at hardening French law -- without even debating the measures.

The rejection of one of the government's flagship initiatives is a humiliating defeat for French President Emmanuel Macron who does not have a majority in parliament and comes amid a heated debate in society around immigration and security.

Macron held a crisis meeting Tuesday with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and key ministers, deciding to maintain the bid to pass the bill and send the legislation back to a parliamentary committee, the government said.

According to a government source, Macron at a later cabinet meeting denounced the "cynicism" of members of the opposition, accusing them of seeking to "obstruct the country."

"We need a law on integration and immigration," Macron was quoted as saying.

Speaking in parliament, Borne said that by joining forces the left-wing NUPES alliance and the far-right were doing a disservice to the French.

"You only offer them chaos. It's irresponsible, it's dangerous," she said.

Borne said the government was looking for compromise but was determined to adopt "strong measures for our fellow citizens."

- 'Firm measures' -

Macron rejected on Monday the offer from Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who has spearheaded the bill, to step down, instead ordering him to find new ways to break the deadlock.

Darmanin said he wanted "firm measures" to be put in place by the end of the year.

Advocacy groups have criticised the bill, saying France relies on migrants including undocumented workers in a lot of industries.

Originally proposed by Macron's centrist government with a mix of steps to expel more undocumented people and improve migrants' integration, the draft law has been criticised by both the far right and the far left for opposing reasons.

Darmanin on Monday urged the National Assembly to debate the bill but lawmakers backed the motion to dismiss by 270 votes to 265.

The adoption of the motion led to the interruption of the examination of the legislation's roughly 2,600 proposed amendments.

The bill now leans firmly towards enforcement after its earlier passage through the upper house Senate, which is controlled by the right.

The government will now send the legislation to a so-called mixed parliamentary commission made of upper house Senators and lower house MPs in a bid to thrash out a compromise text, said government spokesman Olivier Veran.

It would start its work "as soon as possible," he said.

The compromise version would still have to be backed by both houses of parliament.

President Emmanuel Macron summoned ministers including Darmanin for a meeting 

© LUDOVIC MARIN / POOL/AFP/File

The government could once again opt to trigger article 49.3 of the constitution, which allows it to pass legislation without a vote, as it did with contentious pension reforms earlier this year.

But the government wants to avoid wielding this widely unpopular constitutional hammer, which can also trigger a no-confidence vote.

The far-right called for the dissolution of parliament's lower house and early elections.

"Faced with this major political crisis, we must return to the people," Jordan Bardella, head of far-right Rassemblement National (RN), declared on BFMTV.

The left have said the bill should be dropped.

- 'Less and less control' -

France's immigrant population is estimated at 5.1 million, or 7.6 percent of the population. The authorities believe there are between 600,000 to 700,000 illegal immigrants in the country.

In neighbouring Britain, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to stop irregular migration with deportation flights to Rwanda has also sparked a crisis.

In both countries, a rise in the number of asylum seekers, a chronic affordable housing shortage, and a cost-of-living crisis have worsened social tensions.

The outcome is deeply frustrating for Macron, who French media are seeing as a potential lame duck as he sits out the rest of his term without being able to stand for a third time in 2027.

The rejection of the bill "highlights the fact that the government has less and less control," said the Le Monde daily.

© 2023 AFP

France to send controversial immigration bill to special joint commission

France's government insisted Tuesday it would implement tough measures against illegal migrants as it battled a political crisis following the rejection of its flagship immigration bill in the lower house of parliament.

Issued on: 12/12/2023 - 

A general view of France's National Assembly in Paris on Monday, December 11, 2023. 

© Michel Euler, AP

By: NEWS WIRES

In a surprise move on Monday, members of the opposition joined forces in parliament's National Assembly to vote down the controversial legislation without even debating it, sparking a political crisis.

The rejection of one of the government's flagship initiatives is a humiliating defeat for French President Emmanuel Macron who does not have a majority in parliament and comes amid a heated debate in society around immigration and security.

Advocacy groups have criticised the bill which seeks to toughen the country's immigration law, saying France relies on migrants including undocumented workers in a lot of industries.

On Tuesday morning, Macron held a crisis meeting with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and key ministers at the Elysee, deciding to maintain its bid to pass the bill and send the legislation back to a parliamentary committee, the government said.

Macron rejected on Monday the offer from Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who has spearheaded the bill, to step down, instead ordering him to find new ways to break the deadlock and push the legislation through.

On a visit to a police station in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, Darmanin said that "whatever path we take" he wanted "firm measures" to be put in place by the end of the year to help law enforcement to fight illegal immigration.
Return to people

Originally proposed by Macron's centrist government with a mix of steps to expel more undocumented people and improve migrants' integration, the draft law has been criticised by both the far right and the far left for opposing reasons.

Darmanin on Monday urged the National Assembly to debate the bill but lawmakers backed the motion to dismiss by 270 votes to 265.

The adoption of the motion led to the interruption of the examination of the legislation's roughly 2,600 proposed amendments.

The bill now leans firmly towards enforcement after its earlier passage through the upper house Senate, which is controlled by the right.

The government will now send the legislation to a so-called mixed parliamentary commission made of upper house Senators and lower house MPs in a bid to thrash out a compromise text, government spokesman Olivier Veran told reporters.

It would start its work "as soon as possible," he said.

The compromise version would still have to be backed by both houses of parliament, with no guarantee it would not face the same obstacles in the National Assembly.

The government could once again opt to trigger article 49.3 of the constitution, which allows it to pass legislation without a vote, as it did with contentious pension reforms earlier this year.

But the government wants to avoid wielding this widely unpopular constitutional hammer, which can also trigger a no-confidence vote.

The far-right called for the dissolution of parliament's lower house and early elections.

"Faced with this major political crisis, we must return to the people," Jordan Bardella, head of far-right Rassemblement National (RN), declared on BFMTV.

The left have said the bill should be dropped.

'Open to discussion'

In neighbouring Britain, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to stop irregular migration with deportation flights to Rwanda has also sparked a crisis.

In both countries, a rise in the number of asylum seekers, a chronic affordable housing shortage, and a cost-of-living crisis have worsened social tensions.

Eric Ciotti, head of France's conservative The Republicans (LR), whose cooperation is crucial, said he was ready to continue discussions but not with Darmanin.

"I am open to discussion on the continuation of this text, but I will do it with the prime minister," Ciotti said on Europe1.

But the outcome is deeply frustrating for Macron, who French media are increasingly seeing as a potential lame duck as he sits out the rest of his term without being able to stand for a third time in 2027.

While the rejection is above all "the failure of Gerald Darmanin, it also highlights the fact that the government has less and less control," said the Le Monde daily.

(AFP)

Banker Turned Government Minister Says Canada Firms Can Survive Covid Debt Demands

Laura Dhillon Kane
Tue, December 12, 2023 


(Bloomberg) -- Canada’s small business minister is resisting a push to give companies more time to repay pandemic-era loans from the government, despite warnings from a lobby group that 250,000 firms are at risk if she doesn’t.

Rechie Valdez, who was sworn into the cabinet post in July, said the government has been flexible by pushing back the deadline multiple times already and offering billions in support to small business.

“I don’t think we’re giving small businesses enough credit. They’re unbelievably resilient,” she said in an interview in her Ottawa office.

Nearly 900,000 small- and medium-sized firms received loans of as much as C$60,000 from the Canada Emergency Business Account during the Covid-19 economic shock. The government paid out a total of C$49 billion ($36 billion) through the program.

The program was designed so that as much as C$20,000 of the loan would be forgiven if the rest was paid off by the end of 2022. That deadline was extended to the end of this year, then to Jan. 18, 2024.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business says that as many as 250,000 small businesses are at risk of failure if they miss the deadline and lose the forgivable portion. There are 1.2 million businesses with paid staff in Canada and the average number of small-business ventures that closed annually was about 90,000 prior to the pandemic.

“This could turn into a bloodbath,” said Dan Kelly, president of the CFIB.

Read More: Canada’s Economy Is Shrinking as Rates Dent Spending

After Jan. 18, CEBA loans, which are currently interest-free, convert to a term loan at a 5% rate, with full repayment due by the end of 2026. But Kelly said many small businesses are operating “so close to the line” that losing the forgivable portion would be catastrophic, and he wants a further extension.

Canada had some of the longest Covid lockdowns in the world, and businesses have struggled to recover amid inflation and high interest rates. The CFIB’s business barometer, which measures confidence among small firms, is at its lowest since April 2020.

Kelly added it was “embarrassing” that the government was encouraging companies to take out bank loans to pay off their CEBA debt. “It’s like telling a cash-strapped Canadian family that if you can’t pay your Visa bill, just take out a Mastercard and pay it off.”

Canada’s parliamentary budget officer has estimated that pushing back the deadline to the end of next year would cost the government C$907 million.

The government has invested billions to help small businesses and would continue to be there for them, Valdez said. She pointed to Canada’s business benefits finder, which allows owners to search a database of about 1,500 federal, provincial and territorial supports and find programs they’re eligible for.

“I acknowledge that we are not completely out of the woods as well. I’m not naive,” she added. “I want small businesses to know that we have provided them with different options to help them through this difficult time.”

Valdez has personal experience in small business, having launched her own confectionery-dessert business after more than 15 years at Bank of Montreal, where she was a corporate banker.

She stressed that the reason Trudeau established a standalone role as small business minister — previously, it was part of Trade Minister Mary Ng’s portfolio — was to give it the attention it deserves. “I’m actually really grateful that not only did he give me the opportunity, but really to put that laser focus on small businesses.”

--With assistance from Erik Hertzberg.

Bloomberg Businessweek

Edmonton business owners face 'tipping point' for federal pandemic loan repayment cut-off

CBC
Mon, December 11, 2023 

A customer makes an order through a window in Edmonton on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press - image credit)

Edmonton business owners are doubling down on holiday sales, scrambling to negotiate new bank loans and even digging into personal savings to meet the impending repayment deadline for a government-backed pandemic loan.

The federal government rolled out the Canada Emergency Business Account, or CEBA, in April 2020. The program initially offered $40,000, then an expanded total of up to $60,000 in interest-free loans for small- and medium-sized businesses.

Business owners who borrowed $40,000 or less can get up to $10,000 of the loan forgiven, and those who took the maximum $60,000 can get $20,000 of forgiveness.

But that applies only if the rest of the outstanding balance is repaid, or business owners can prove they've applied to refinance, by Jan. 18, 2024. Otherwise, the total amount converts to a three-year loan at five per cent interest per annum.

Peter Keith, co-owner of catering and charcuterie market Meuwly's, told CBC News he's among the business owners trying everything to maximize cash flow this month to put together the CEBA repayment money.

"We all kind of have an internal number that we know that's how much cash needs to be in the bank Dec. 31 just to get through January, let alone to repay a $40,000 loan," he said.

For Keith, refinancing and taking on a new interest payment is a last resort, so in addition to regular sales, the store is promoting things like event ticket presales and bonus credit on gift cards.

Peter Keith is the co-owner of catering and charcuterie market Meuwly's on 124th Street in Edmonton. (Submitted by Peter Keith)

In total, Ottawa handed out more than $48 billion in CEBA loans to almost 900,000 businesses across Canada. In Alberta, $6.8 billion was distributed to 125,015 businesses — the third-highest number in the country, after Ontario and Quebec.

Keith believes his business model is sustainable enough that Meuwly's will be OK next year, but he thinks many small businesses are in dire straits, quietly trying to find a way to make the numbers work behind the scenes.

"People are kind of at the end of their rope to keep going, keep pushing, keep scraping together those last few dollars," Keith said.

Jessica Harquail is a Chartered Professional Accountant who works with businesses in Edmonton. (Submitted by Jessica Harquail)

"For a lot of small business owners, this probably will be the tipping point that they decide not to keep pushing, not to keep going, and they'll go for bankruptcy instead."

Jessica Harquail, an accountant who works with businesses at Edmonton firm Givens LLP, said she's been speaking with her clients about options for their CEBA loans since early 2023.

She stressed that business owners have options, and they should seek out advice if they need it.

But for many small businesses that are still in recovery from the pandemic, "The $40,000 is almost crippling," she said.

Some are facing the difficult choice of planning an "exit strategy" if they can't find another option.

One in five Alberta small businesses at risk

Andrew Sennyah, Alberta senior policy analyst with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said about 90 per cent of businesses across the province received money through CEBA, and the vast majority still have yet to repay.

CFIB has been calling for the deadline to be delayed again, a message echoed by premiers of every Canadian province and territory.

Sennyah said between the financial blow from years of COVID, rising costs from inflation and affordability struggles keeping some customers away, many businesses just can't make the numbers work to clear their CEBA debt now.

In Alberta, CFIB estimates one in five small businesses could be at risk of shutting down.

"Those are not promising numbers by any stretch of the imagination," Sennyah said.

"Businesses are frantic."

Katherine Cuplinskas, spokesperson for Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, said in a statement that "additional flexibility" already announced for CEBA is significant.

"The bottom line is that if you are a small business and do not currently have the funds to repay your CEBA loan, you now have three years to repay it in full."

Cheryl Schneider owns No More Excuses Fitness in east Edmonton. Gyms and fitness studios were either completely closed or operating with reduced capacity for about two years due to government health restrictions.

She said she would have liked to see an industry-specific approach to repayment instead of applying the same requirements across the board.

"To ask a business to pay it back now with the economy the way it is ... and we're one of those industries that when times are tough, people really have to dig deep. And either it's food on the table or going to a gym — what loses in that scenario?"

Cheryl Schneider runs No More Excuses Fitness in Edmonton. 

(Submitted by Cheryl Schneider)

She's in the process of getting a new loan so she can meet the 2024 deadline — something she said she's never had to do over more than a decade in business.

"We're just getting back on our feet, and it's going to take a couple of years."

Ed Donszelmann told CBC News that the CEBA money was the difference between survival and closure when COVID-19 restrictions forced his restaurant, Otto Food and Drink, to shut its doors.

But with the cutoff looming to repay or miss the forgiveness window, he hasn't seen the kind of recovery that will leave his business with $40,000 cash to spare by the end of the year.

"The restaurant can't afford to pay it back, so it will come out of my own pocket," he said.

"We're very fortunate that it's doable for us. I can't even imagine what some of these smaller businesses are going through right now."

UN General Assembly votes overwhelmingly to demand a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to demand a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza in a strong demonstration of global support for ending the Israel-Hamas war .

Edith M. Lederer, The Associated Press

Palestinian United Nations Ambassador Riyad Mansour, second from right, speaks during a press conference ahead of a U.N. General Assembly vote on a resolution calling for a cease fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to demand a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza in a strong demonstration of global support for ending the Israel-Hamas war. The vote also shows the growing isolation of the United States and Israel.

The vote in the 193-member world body was 153 in favor, 10 against and 23 abstentions. The support was higher than for an Oct. 27 resolution that called for a “humanitarian truce” leading to a cessation of hostilities, where the vote was 120-14 with 45 abstentions.

Recommended reads for you:

US vetoes UN resolution backed by many nations demanding immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza

Joly hosts Mideast ministers in Ottawa to discuss Israel-Hamas war

Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding. But the assembly’s messages are important barometers of world opinion.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Palestinians are expecting a high vote Tuesday for a U.N. General Assembly resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza to demonstrate widespread global support for ending the Israel-Hamas war, now in its third month.

After the United States vetoed a resolution in the Security Council on Friday demanding a humanitarian cease-fire, Arab and Islamic nations called for an emergency session of the 193-member General Assembly to vote on a resolution making the same demand.

Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding. But the assembly’s messages “are also very important” and reflect world opinion, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Monday.

The General Assembly vote is expected to reflect the growing isolation of the United States as it refuses to join demands for a cease-fire. More than the United Nations or any other international organization, the United States is seen as the only entity capable of persuading Israel to accept a cease-fire as its closest ally and biggest supplier of weaponry.

In tougher language than usual, though, President Joe Biden warned before the vote that Israel was losing international support because of its “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, told U.N. reporters Tuesday that Arab and Islamic ambassadors have been mobilizing support for the resolution and expect it will get a significantly higher number of votes than their Oct. 27 resolution, which called for a “humanitarian truce” leading to a cessation of hostilities. That resolution was the first U.N. reaction to the Gaza war, and the vote was 120-14 with 45 abstentions.

“I think it will send a message to Washington and to others,” Mansour said, adding that a demand from the United Nations, whether it’s the Security Council or the General Assembly, should be looked at as binding. “And Israel has to abide by it, and those who are shielding and protecting Israel until now should also look at it this way, and therefore act accordingly," he said.

The resolution to be voted on expresses “grave concern over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the suffering of the Palestinian civilian population,” and it says Palestinians and Israelis must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law.

It also demands that all parties comply with international humanitarian law, “notably with regard to the protection of civilians,” and calls for “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuring humanitarian access.”

Mansour said the 22-member Arab Group and 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation will oppose any amendments to the resolution.

The resolution makes no mention of Hamas, whose militants killed about 1,200 people and abducted about 240 in the surprise attack inside Israel on Oct. 7 that set off the war.

One amendment proposed by the United States would add a paragraph stating that the assembly “unequivocally rejects and condemns the heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas."

A second amendment proposed by Austria would add that the hostages are “held by Hamas and other groups” and should be released “immediately.”

The war has brought unprecedented death and destruction, with much of northern Gaza obliterated, more than 18,000 Palestinians killed according to the Hamas-run health ministry, 70% of them reportedly children and women, and over 80% of the population of 2.3 million pushed from their homes.

Edith M. Lederer, The Associated Press

United Nations General Assembly votes to demand immediate ceasefire in Gaza

By Caitlin Hu, CNN
Tue December 12, 2023


United Nations CNN —

The United Nations General Assembly has voted to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in war-torn Gaza, in a rebuke to the United States which last week blocked a similar resolution in the smaller Security Council.

A majority of 153 nations voted for the ceasefire resolution in the General Assembly’s emergency special session Tuesday, while 10 voted against and 23 abstained.

Tuesday’s brief resolution calls for a ceasefire, for all parties to comply with international law, and for humanitarian access to hostages as well as their “immediate and unconditional” release. It notably contains stronger language than an October vote in the assembly that had called for a “sustained humanitarian truce.”

While a general assembly vote is politically significant and is seen as wielding moral weight, it is not binding, unlike a Security Council resolution.

The vote comes as the war between Israel and Hamas enters its third month, with medics and aid groups sounding alarm bells on the humanitarian situation in besieged Gaza. More than 18,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the fighting broke out, the Hamas-controlled health ministry in the enclave said Monday.

Israel has said it will not stop its military campaign until it eradicates Palestinian group Hamas, which controls Gaza, following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel which killed 1,200 people and saw around 240 kidnapped, according to Israeli authorities. Over 100 hostages are thought to remain in captivity in Gaza.

While Israel says it targets Hamas militants, aid groups have repeatedly raised alarms about the civilian toll of its military campaign.

UN officials warn that with vital infrastructure blasted to rubble and limited access to water, medicine and food, more Gazans may end up dying of diseases than from bombs and missiles. Hunger is a growing issue in the enclave.

“We are at a breaking point,” United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said last week. “There is high risk of the collapse of the humanitarian support system in Gaza, which would have devastating consequences.”

Israel, with staunch US backing, has rejected calls for a ceasefire, though it previously agreed to a seven-day truce for the release of hostages held in Gaza.

On Friday, the United States vetoed a ceasefire resolution in the UN Security Council, which had been approved by a majority of the powerful 15-member council.

UN assembly moves past Security Council to take lead on Gaza


By AFP
Published December 12, 2023

The UN General Assembly chamber at headquarters in New York 

- Copyright AFP/File Yuki IWAMURA

Amélie BOTTOLLIER-DEPOIS

The UN General Assembly was due to vote Tuesday on a non-binding resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza — a call that the paralyzed Security Council has so far failed to make.

The United States, one of only five permanent members of the Security Council, used its veto on Friday to halt a draft text calling for a ceasefire, the latest sign of impasse.

The Council took more than a month after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas militants to speak out, and it did so with a weak voice, calling in mid-November after four rejected texts for humanitarian “pauses” in the conflict.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned of a looming “complete breakdown of public order” in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Many countries and human rights organizations deplored last Friday’s Security Council failure, and Guterres on Sunday described the Council’s authority and credibility as “undermined.”

Israeli air and land attacks continue to pummel Gaza, more than two months after the bloody and unprecedented attack perpetrated by Hamas fighters on Israeli soil on October 7.

Some 1,200 Israelis were killed in the initial attack, while the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says 18,205 Palestinians have died in Israel’s bombardment since.

The UN itself is mourning the death of more than 100 of its own aid workers since the onset of war.

“We need to stop this war. And we need to stop it now,” Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour said Tuesday, adding that Palestinians are justifiably outraged.

“At the end of the day, we believe we will prevail with almost the entire international community in calling for a humanitarian ceasefire,” Mansour said.

– ‘Catastrophic’ –

In order to build pressure, Arab countries called for the new special session of the General Assembly for Tuesday afternoon, just after a visit to the Rafah border point by more than a dozen Security Council ambassadors.

The draft text, seen by AFP, largely reproduces the resolution blocked in the Council on Friday by the United States.

Expressing concern at the “catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip,” it “demands an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” and calls for the protection of civilians, humanitarian access, and the “immediate and unconditional” release of all hostages.

But like a text adopted by the Assembly at the end of October — which called for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities” — it does not condemn Hamas, an absence systematically criticized by Israel and the United States.

The US delegation has proposed an amendment which condemns “the heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas” on October 7. A similar amendment to the resolution passed in late October was rejected.

Another amendment, proposed by Austria, states that hostages held in Gaza are “held by Hamas and other groups,” the key point again being to name the militant organization explicitly.

The previous resolution received 120 votes in favor, 14 against (including Israel and the United States) and 45 abstentions.

With calls for a ceasefire multiplying, “it is safe to assume that the majority will be greater” this time, Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group told AFP.

This may bring the Assembly closer to the 140 or so countries (out of 193 member states) that have repeatedly denounced the invasion of Ukraine, a result that the United States has cited as proof of Russia’s isolation.

But even with overwhelming support for a non-binding text, “nobody imagines that the General Assembly can persuade Israel to cease fire, just as it cannot order Putin to quit Ukraine. The goal is to make the US increasingly nervous,” Gowan said.

Although the Security Council is “at the heart of our work in peace and security,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the secretary-general, messages from the General Assembly “are also very important.”

Read more: https://www.digitaljournal.com/world/un-assembly-moves-past-security-council-to-take-lead-on-gaza/article#ixzz8LitgLmPw

Nearly 1/5 of Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza died due to friendly fire and other accidents, IDF says

At least 20 of the 105 soldiers who died amid Israel's ground offensive in Gaza were killed in accidents, including friendly fire, the Israel Defense Forces said.



Dec. 12, 2023
By Chantal Da Silva

TEL AVIV — About one-fifth of Israeli soldiers killed during Israel's ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, which began in late October, died from friendly fire and other accidents, the Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday.

At least 105 Israeli soldiers have died since the military began ground operations began in Gaza, an IDF spokesperson said. At least 20 of those deaths were caused by "accidents," they said.

Of those 20 deaths, 13 were caused by friendly fire, or internal fire from the military's own troops. Six were caused by other accidents related to "weaponry, machinery, trampling," they said. At least one death was caused by firing irregularities.

The incidents of soldiers killed by friendly fire were due to mistaken identification in airstrikes, tank shelling and gunfire, the Times of Israel separately reported.

One soldier was killed in gunfire that was not intended to hit them, the outlet reported, while another two were killed in accidental misfires.

Two soldiers, according to the Times, were killed in incidents involving armored vehicles running over troops, and two others were killed by shrapnel, including from explosives set off by Israeli forces.

An IDF spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for further information on the deaths and any injuries related to accidents.

The IDF has said it is constantly assessing the ongoing fighting in Gaza, including the cases of friendly fire, the Times of Israel reported.

Atlantic Council fellow and military intelligence expert Alex Plitsas said that in the "fog of war" it is difficult to discern whether the number of fatalities related to accidents, amounting to just under 20% of the 105 killed, could reflect any broader issues around the IDF and the offensive.

"Obviously, any time there's a friendly fire incident ... it needs to be looked at and investigated," he said.

"It is a significant percentage when you look at it, right?" he said. "But also, when you look at the overall number of soldiers who have been killed from a statistical standpoint, right, is it statistically significant to suggest that there is a major problem that's related, that is causing these incidents? Or are these a handful of incidents and because of the number of soldiers killed is around 100 right now, it looks statistically worse than it actually is?"

"It's hard to tell without evaluating each of the incidents," he said, adding: "I would imagine that the Israelis are taking a look at this situation ... and that there will be, I think, investigations into what transpired."

Israeli troops have been on the ground in Gaza since late October, when they gradually began operations after suggesting for days that a full-scale ground invasion could take place.

In the weeks since then, their ground and aerial offensive has expanded, with Israel initially ordering civilians in northern Gaza to move south, where they were told they would find safety.

But in recent weeks, southern Gaza has also faced relentless bombardment, leaving roughly 90% of the population in the enclave displaced, according to the United Nations, while close to 18,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry in the enclave.

Israel has said it will continue its offensive until Hamas is eliminated and until all of the more than 100 people still held hostage during its brutal Oct. 7 attack are freed.

Hamas and other militants took around 240 people hostage that day, and killed some 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials. Dozens of those hostages were released amid a recent cease-fire, while others have died in captivity.

OPINION: Never before has the light and warmth of Chanukah felt so welcome

Labour shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper writes for Jewish News on how Chanukah 2023 comes at a poignant and still very painful time for Jewish communities here and around the world.

By YVETTE COOPERDecember 12, 2023, 

Yvette Cooper and Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis

Last week I joined with the Chief Rabbi, Progressive rabbis, the Board of Deputies and other communal organisations to mark the first night of Chanukah here in Parliament.

It was impossible not to be moved by the resonant message of the Chanukah story – of finding light in darkness – as the beautiful menorah in the Speaker’s House was lit and the community joined together in Ma’oz Tzur for the first time this year.   
 
Of course Chanukah comes at a very poignant, and still at a very painful time for Jewish communities here and around the world.

Never before has the light and warmth of this festival felt so welcome, after what has been – and what continues to be – such a dark and difficult chapter following the barbaric terrorist attacks by Hamas on 7th October.  

We have many Jewish families in the UK still grieving the loss of loved ones who were killed, and I know the whole community is still reeling from the horror of what continues to unfold in the Middle East, the ongoing fighting and the fate of more than 100 hostages still held.

Yvette Cooper

It is because these annual moments of celebration with family and friends are so precious that we so acutely feel the pain of those who are being denied them this year.

Here in the UK, that anguish is being compounded by an appalling and intolerable rise in antisemitism on Britain’s streets and online.

I want to thank the CST for the remarkable and tireless work they do, alongside the police, to keep the Jewish community safe and secure, but we cannot relent in our action to stamp out the scourge of antisemitism in all its forms.

We have seen unacceptable antisemitic placards on protests, graffiti on a Holocaust library, Jewish primary schools vandalised with red paint, and last week I spoke with the Union of Jewish Students, who are deeply concerned about the steep rise in antisemitism on university campuses.

We cannot and will not stand for this, not now and not ever.

There is no place in Britain for the hatred and vitriol that devastates lives and corrodes communities, and those who perpetrate that poison must face the full force of the law.  
 
In the coming weeks and months, we must all be vigilant to ensure that events unfolding internationally do not play out in increased tensions here at home.

That’s why we are grateful for the reassurance policing work taking place across communities and why Labour has supported additional funding for the CST.

L-R at the CST annual dinner: Ed Balls, Gerald Ronson, Yvette Cooper MP, Lloyd Dorfman

It’s why we have also called for the Government to go further and strengthen the monitoring requirements around antisemitic hate incidents, to ensure that all instances are properly recorded and monitored by the police.

Alongside that robust enforcement action, we must also act to strengthen the cross- community bridges and bonds that have been built over many years, both so they can withstand – and help to see us through – these complex and challenging times.  
 
A few weeks ago I met with the CST and Tell Mama, which monitors Islamophobic hate crime, together in my office.

It was an incredibly moving and powerful meeting. They started working together almost 12 years ago, as the CST shared the lessons it had learned about protecting the Jewish community with other minority groups, so they could benefit from that experience and protection too.

That day, they met in a period of intense grief for both communities, yet they were united in their call for an end to hate in all its forms. That is the British way – and Labour will always work to keep our communities safe and bring our communities together, rather than let them be torn apart.   

Labour frontbenchers David Lammy, Keir Starmer, Yvette Cooper, Rachel Reeves

The last few weeks have not been easy, but the story of Chanukah is one of enduring and lasting hope – of light emerging out of darkness, even in what feels like the most impossible
of circumstances.

We must hold onto that message now, as we seek to bring our communities together, as we hope for the safe and swift return of all hostages, and as we continue to strive for a lasting peace. 

I hope that over these special eight nights of Chanukah, all of you in the community will find moments of peace and joy with family and friends, lighting the menorah in your homes, synagogues and communities, and that celebrating this festival of light will remind us all that a brighter future is possible.

Yvette Cooper is the Shadow Home Secretary and the Labour MP for Normanton, Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley