Community center ‘shocked’ to learn NYC mayor ghosted them on orders from Turkish gov’t

ByTurkish Minute
October 4, 2024

In this file photo, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams speaks about a food drive with the Turkish Cultural Center, Oct. 8, 2015. 

Credit: Via Turkish Cultural Center News Release

Two people who are involved with a Turkish community center mentioned in an indictment against New York Mayor Eric Adams have said they were shocked to learn that the mayor cut off ties with them on orders from the Turkish government, New York-based local news outlet The City reported.

Adams is charged with bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy and soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals in a 57-page indictment unsealed on September 26. The indictment accuses him of accepting illegal donations and more than $100,000 worth of free plane tickets and luxury hotel stays from wealthy Turkish nationals and at least one government official in a nearly decade-long corruption scheme.

According to the indictment, a Turkish government official told Adams, who had a relationship with the Turkish community center in Brooklyn, in or around 2016, that the community center was affiliated with a Turkish political movement that was hostile to Turkey’s government and that if Adams wanted to continue receiving support from the government, he could no longer be associated with the community center, a demand to which Adams acquiesced.

The Turkish organization is referred as the “Community Center” in the indictment without mention of its name, but it is believed to be the Gülen-linked Turkish Cultural Center Brooklyn, part of a non-profit organization promoting intercultural and inter-religious dialogue.

Two people from the Turkish Cultural Center Brooklyn who spoke on condition of anonymity to The City out of security concerns said they didn’t know why Adams stopped associating with the cultural center until they read the indictment.

Adams attended multiple events in association with and hosted by the center, as far back as 2012, when he was a state senator. As Brooklyn borough president, Adams co-hosted a meat drive for food pantries with the center and attended the center’s annual “friendship dinner” in 2016 but didn’t make the event in 2017, one year after a coup attempt in Turkey.

The Gülen movement is accused by the Turkish government and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of masterminding the failed coup in 2016 and is labeled as a “terrorist organization,” although the movement denies involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.

“I was surprised to learn he stopped talking to our community members after he got a request or order from the Turkish regime,” said one of the people, referencing Erdoğan. “It was shocking news for us.”

That person said the organization didn’t have much communication with Adams since about 2016 and that an outreach coordinator could not get a response from Adams’ office around that time.

He added, “We thought he was our friend.”

A third person involved with the center said back in 2016 he had tried to warn Adams that those associated with the Turkish regime were trying to influence him. Adams waved him off, he said.

“A lot of elected officials were actually informed by the Turkish government supporters, but only Eric Adams stayed away from us. The others continued their relationship with us,” the person said. “As the Brooklyn borough president, when he wasn’t meeting with us any more, it was a little bit disappointing to us.”

Following the coup attempt the Turkish government launched a massive crackdown on Gülen-linked people and organizations not only in Turkey but also abroad, pressuring other countries’ governments to close down Gülen-affiliated organizations and to close their doors to Gülen followers.

Former NBA player and activist Enes Kanter Freedom also said earlier this week to US media that Adams withdrew his support for him due to orders from the Turkish government since Freedom is a follower of the Gülen movement.

He told cable news network NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” he felt he got the cold shoulder from Adams after the two of them were invited to Greece to accept an award.

“Me and Eric had a conversation about organizing free basketball camps for kids in New York. And I remember he got so excited. He gave me his phone number and said, ‘As soon as you come back, let me know,’” Freedom said.

But the former player, who spent two seasons with the New York Knicks, said that when he returned from the 2022 trip, Adams ghosted him.

Others ‘likely’ to face charges in NYC mayor’s trial over corrupt dealings with Turkish gov’t

By Turkish Minute
October 3, 2024

New York City Mayor Eric Adams arrives to appear in court after being indicted on federal charges of accepting bribes and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish nationals, in New York, September 27, 2024. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP)

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who pleaded not guilty last week to fraud and bribery charges, returned to Manhattan federal court on Wednesday as a US prosecutor suggested that additional charges could soon be brought against others involved in the case, which centers on Adams’ alleged corrupt dealings with Turkish officials, Agence France-Presse reported.

Adams, 64, is the first sitting mayor of New York City to be criminally indicted. The charges against him include wire fraud, soliciting illegal campaign donations and conspiring with Turkish nationals and at least one Turkish official to accept bribes in exchange for political favors. According to the indictment, the mayor allegedly received luxury gifts, including business-class international flights, hotel suites and high-end restaurant meals, as part of the conspiracy.

During the hearing prosecutor Hagan Scotten told U.S. District Judge Dale Ho that it was “likely” additional charges would be filed against other individuals involved in the scandal and hinted that Mayor Adams could face more counts. Scotten emphasized the ongoing nature of the investigation, which could expand to include other potential co-conspirators.
Bribery allegations

The scandal dates back over a decade to Adams’ tenure as Brooklyn’s borough president, a position he held before becoming mayor of the nation’s largest city. Prosecutors allege that Adams accepted gifts and bribes from Turkish associates in return for political influence and favors. One key example involves Adams allegedly using his position to pressure New York City’s fire department to expedite approval for Turkey’s new high-rise consulate in Manhattan, despite safety concerns raised by fire officials.

Prosecutors claim that just days after helping push the project through, Adams solicited additional travel benefits from his Turkish contacts. The indictment describes a pattern of concealed financial dealings and secret arrangements designed to provide Adams with lavish perks while allowing his associates to benefit from his political influence.

The charges have already led to calls for Adams’ resignation from some city and state officials. Notably, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, an influential lawmaker from New York, has publicly called for Adams to step down, arguing that his continued leadership would harm the city. The mayor, however, has remained defiant, refusing to resign and stating that he looks forward to defending himself in court.

The political implications of the case are significant, especially with the 2024 presidential election approaching. The indictment is a potential embarrassment for the Democratic Party, as Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump face off in a tight race.

Adams, who was once considered a rising star in the Democratic Party, now finds himself at the center of a scandal that threatens to tarnish his legacy.

Adams’ defense team, led by attorney Alex Spiro, filed a motion on Wednesday to dismiss one of the five charges against the mayor.

Spiro has requested that the trial be scheduled before March to potentially conclude proceedings before the Democratic primary for the next mayoral election. Adams, who is up for re-election in 2025, has expressed his intention to clear his name before facing voters once again.

Judge Ho reserved his decision on the motion and the trial date but scheduled a procedural hearing for October 31.

Documentary on Turkey’s post-coup purge victims banned again for being ‘provocative’

THE TRUTH ALWAYS IS

ByTurkish Minute
October 4, 2024

The governor’s office in the southern Turkish province of Antalya has banned a documentary depicting the plight of victims of a post-coup purge in Turkey at a film festival in the city, in the latest example of censorship faced by the documentary’s director, the Gazete Duvar news website reported.

The documentary, titled “Kanun Hükmü” (The Decree), has faced censorship since it was released in 2023 for focusing on a sensitive issue in Turkish society — the challenges faced by more than 130,000 civil servants who were purged from their jobs through government decrees in the aftermath of a coup attempt in July 2016.

The civil servants were removed from their jobs under the pretext of an anti-coup fight.

The documentary would have been screened at the Free Orange Film Days, starting on October 3, in Antalya, organized by a group of writers, actors and other prominent figures named the “Arts for Freedom Initiative.”

However, the governor’s office notified director Necla Demirci in a letter that the documentary, which it described as “provocative,” cannot be shown during film days because it undermines national unity and solidarity and openly provokes a segment of the public to hatred and hostility against another segment based on their different characteristics in terms of social class, race, religion, sect or region.

According to the governor’s office, terrorist organizations aim to keep their bases alive through such productions as part of their perception management efforts in addition to bolstering the morale and motivation of their members and damaging the reputation of Turkey in the international arena.

Turkish authorities associate most purge victims with the faith-based Gülen movement.

The movement, inspired by US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, is accused by the Turkish government of masterminding the 2016 coup attempt and labelled as a terrorist organization.

The group denies involvement in the abortive putsch and describes itself as a peaceful civil society organization focused on education, charity and interfaith dialogue.

Accusing the documentary of capitalizing on the “so-called victims,” the governor’s office also said the “distortion” of facts in the documentary not only destroys Turkey’s image but also shakes public confidence in the judicial system.

The documentary attracted international attention when it was first censored at the famous Golden Orange Film Festival in Antalya in 2023, leading to the cancellation of the festival.

In September 2023, the 60-year-old Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival in Antalya was abruptly canceled following a controversy surrounding a decision by the festival’s organizing committee to remove the documentary.

The decision to remove the documentary sparked outrage, drawing strong criticism from victims of the purge as well as activists.

The festival’s cancellation came after the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry withdrew its support, accusing the festival organizers of allowing “terrorist propaganda,” and sponsors followed suit.

This festival has only been canceled twice before, in 1979, when a conflict between right-wing and left-wing groups that killed over 5,000 people devastated Turkey, and in 1980, when the Turkish military took power and began to rule the country with an iron fist.

The documentary also faced other bans and censorship efforts in other cities by local authorities despite a decision by the Constitutional Court, which found that the local authorities’ ban on filming violated freedom of expression and awarded Demirci 13,500 Turkish lira in damages.

PETS ARE A FEMINIST ISSUE

Turkey’s World Animal Day celebration overshadowed by claims of mass dog killings

ByTurkish Minute
October 4, 2024

Animal right activists hold placards during a rally to protest against a bill drafted by the government that aims to remove stray dogs off the country's streets, in Istanbul on July 23, 2024. 

(Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP)


Turkey is celebrating World Animal Day, an international day of action for animal rights and welfare marked annually on October 4, this year amid claims of a surge in violence against stray dogs due to a controversial law enacted in August.

The law, which was passed by parliament and signed into force by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on August 2, allows municipalities to euthanize stray dogs deemed aggressive or ill. The legislation, which also mandates improvements to animal shelters by 2028, has sparked widespread protests from animal rights groups, who argue that it will pave the way for the mass euthanasia of stray dogs.

Ahmet Kemal Şenpolat, president of the Animal Rights Federation in Turkey (HAYTAP), told the Artı Gerçek news website that the annual observance of World Animal Day, which has aimed to protect and promote animal welfare since its inception in 1925, is marred this year by a legislative backdrop that promotes harm rather than protection for animals in Turkey.

He said the since the enactment of the law, reports about violence against stray animals have become more widespread in Turkey.

“Every day, reports and footage of violence and killings of stray animals are emerging from numerous cities. … Most importantly, since the enactment of this law, incidents of violence against animals have increased,” Şenpolat said, calling for a shift in social attitudes toward animal rights.

Referring to a move by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) on August 15 to challenge the law at the Constitutional Court on the grounds that it contravenes the right to life guaranteed in the constitution, Şenpolat said the top court should suspend and repeal the law.

Burcu Yağcı from the Ankara Bar Association’s Animal Rights Center talked about the law’s ambiguous wording which she said has enabled individuals and institutions to act with impunity, leading to a grim tally of 60 confirmed animal deaths in the country over the past two months.

“As long as this law remains in effect, there may be no animals left to protect. That’s why, we will hold a rally outside the Constitutional Court today demanding that the law be rescinded,” she added.

According to a report by the Bianet news website on Friday, several animal rights groups in Turkey have announced that they will not be celebrating World Animal Day this year in protest of the law. Instead, they were going to hold a protest in front of the Constitutional Court in Ankara at noon.

“We cannot celebrate World Animal Day on October 4. We feel the shame of living in a country where laws are enacted for the slaughter of animals,” the Sokaktayım Yanındayım (I Am on the Street, I Am with You) initiative said in a written statement.

Ersin Tek from the Law for Life Initiative lamented the fact that Turkey is discussing state-backed animal killings on a day meant to champion animal rights.

“Unfortunately, we are aware that there may be incidents, especially in rural areas of Anatolia, that we haven’t even heard about. … We believe that possibly hundreds, if not thousands, of animals have been killed during this period,” Tek said.

Reports of mass dog killings have emerged in municipalities run by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Niğde and Ankara provinces, prompting an outcry on social media.

Although the municipalities deny any wrongdoing, the controversy surrounding the new law and the discoveries of dog carcasses have intensified the debate over how Turkey should address its stray dog population, estimated to be around 4 million. Animal rights activists continue to call for mass sterilization efforts instead of euthanasia to control the stray dog population, warning that the current approach could lead to further abuse.

152 workers died in occupational accidents in Turkey in September: report

THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS
ONLY PREVENTABLE INCIDENTS

ByTurkish Minute
October 4, 2024

A total of 152 people died in workplace accidents in Turkey in September, the Stockholm Center for Freedom reported, citing a monthly report by the Health and Safety Labor Watch (İSİG).

Three minors were included in the work-related fatalities.

Construction was the leading sector in fatalities in terms of overall workplace accidents, representing 28 percent of the deaths. It was followed by transportation with 15 percent and agriculture with 12 percent.

The most frequent causes of death were traffic accidents, which accounted for 23 percent of all deaths, crushing incidents with 20 percent and falling from heights, 17 percent.

A major deadly incident highlighted the issue of workplace safety this month. A devastating explosion occurred at the Oba Makarna pasta factory in northwestern Turkey on September 15, leaving one worker dead and 30 others injured.

In a statement following the explosion, the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) slammed the government for failing to implement necessary safety regulations and inspections.

People have been suffering from lax work safety standards for decades in Turkey, where workplace accidents are nearly a daily occurrence. İSİG reported nearly 2,000 work-related deaths in 2023.

According to the group, more than 30,000 occupational accidents have taken place since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in November 2002.

İSİG General Coordinator Murat Çakır had earlier said the reason for the record number of fatalities in work-related accidents has to do with the policies of the AKP, which he said aim to turn Turkey into a source of cheap labor for Europe.

According to Çakır, workers feel obliged to work under unsafe conditions fearing that they will become jobless and unable to support their families.

İSİG began to record occupational fatalities in 2011. The platform also records the number of workers who died due to the lack of work safety in past years in addition to campaigning for stricter measures to maintain safety in workplaces.

A yearly report by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) on labor rights reveals that Turkey is one of the 10 worst countries in the world for working people. According to the Brussels-based ITUC, workers’ freedoms and rights continued to be relentlessly denied with police crackdowns on protests in Turkey in 2023.

'Not acceptable': Indian tenant in Canada helpless as landlord evicts him, tosses belongings over dispute

ByMahipal Singh Chouhan
Oct 05, 2024 

HINDUSTAN TIMES

A viral video showed a Canadian landlord evicting an Indian tenant, sparking mixed reactions on social media over landlord-tenant relations.

A video capturing a Canadian landlord forcibly evicting an Indian tenant has gone viral, sparking widespread debate on social media. The 15-second clip, which has amassed over 1.7 million views, shows the tenant standing helplessly, shirtless, as the landlord removes his possessions. The incident has raised concerns about landlord-tenant relations, particularly for immigrants living abroad.

Video of Canadian landlord evicting Indian tenant sparked viral debate online.(X/@gharkekalesh)

The video, shared by the popular X account (formerly Twitter) “Ghar Ke Kalesh,” has stirred strong reactions online. The caption reads, “Desi guy and his landlord over he had fight with landlord because he was not vacating the house then the landlord came and started moving his stuff out by himself, Brampton, Canada.” In the footage, the tenant appears distressed, unable to prevent the landlord from discarding his belongings, which were thrown out.

Watch the clip here:



Many have questioned the circumstances that led to such a situation, with some speculating that the tenant may have refused to vacate the property, prompting the landlord to take matters into his own hands.
Social media reactions divided

Social media users have offered mixed reactions to the viral video. While some sympathised with the tenant, condemning the landlord’s aggressive actions, others saw humour in the situation, pointing out the cultural differences in handling such disputes.

One user commented, “This is so sad. Imagine being thrown out like this in a foreign land. Heartbreaking.” Another added, “Landlords can be ruthless, but there must have been a reason for this.” However, not everyone was as sympathetic. “The guy should’ve left when asked—this is what happens,” one person remarked. Another chimed in, saying, “Typical desi drama, but that landlord took it a step too far.”

Others poked fun at the incident, with one user quipping, “The way the landlord just went full Terminator mode is unreal!” Another comment read, “Only in Brampton could this happen, the desi capital of Canada.”

 

India Emerges as Global Mobile Manufacturing Hub: From Importer to Exporter in a Decade

India’s mobile phone industry has undergone a transformative journey over the past decade, evolving from a net importer to a global manufacturing powerhouse. This significant shift not only bolsters the nation’s economy but also positions India as a key player in the global electronics market.

In the fiscal year 2014-15, mobile phone production in India was valued at a modest ₹18,900 crore. Fast forward to 2023-24, and this figure is expected to escalate to an impressive ₹4.10 lakh crore. This exponential growth underscores the country’s escalating manufacturing capabilities and its commitment to becoming self-reliant in the electronics sector.

A pivotal aspect of this growth story is the surge in exports. In 2014-15, mobile phone exports stood at a mere ₹1,556 crore. According to data from the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), the last decade has seen mobile exports worth ₹3.22 lakh crore, with the year 2023-24 alone touching the ₹1,20,000 crore mark—marking an astounding 77-fold increase. This leap not only enhances India’s trade balance but also cements its reputation as a reliable exporter of high-quality mobile devices.

Conversely, imports have witnessed a dramatic decline. In 2014-15, India imported mobile phones worth ₹48,609 crore. By 2023-24, this number is expected to plummet to ₹7,665 crore, an 84% reduction. This shift signifies the country’s reduced dependency on foreign manufacturers and the success of initiatives promoting local production.

In 2014-15, a staggering 74% of all mobile phones in India were imported. Today, that narrative has changed remarkably. Now, over 99% of mobile phones used in India are ‘Made in India,’ highlighting the nation’s journey towards self-sufficiency.

Since 2014, India has produced an impressive 2.5 billion mobile handsets worth ₹20 lakh crore. The number of manufacturing units has surged from just a handful in 2014 to over 200 units, making India the second-largest mobile phone manufacturing nation globally. With an annual production rate of 325 to 330 million mobile phones, the country is now the world’s fastest-growing market for mobile phone production.

Government initiatives have played a crucial role in this transformation. The Phased Manufacturing Programme (PMP), launched in 2017, was the first significant step towards indigenizing mobile phone production. The PMP aimed to incentivize large-scale manufacturing by progressively increasing import duties on components, thus encouraging local assembly and production.

Building on this momentum, the 2021-22 Union Budget introduced the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Large-Scale Electronics Manufacturing (LSEM) and IT hardware. This scheme offers incentives ranging from 3% to 5% on incremental sales value, effectively attracting global manufacturing giants like Foxconn, Pegatron, Rising Star, and Wistron to establish bases in India.

One of the crown jewels of India’s manufacturing landscape is Samsung’s largest mobile phone production factory, located in Noida. This facility underscores India’s appeal as a manufacturing hub and its ability to host large-scale operations for global companies.

The industry’s growth has also had a profound impact on employment. Between 2023 and 2028, the mobile phone manufacturing sector is expected to generate 8 lakh new jobs, providing a significant boost to the country’s employment rates. The Government of India projects that the sector will be worth $126 billion or Rs 10,587.82 billion by 2025-26.

Furthermore, India is set to become the second-largest 5G market after China by 2024, surpassing the United States. This advancement aligns with a February 2022 report by Deloitte, which predicts that India will have one billion smartphone users in the near future.

The ripple effect of the mobile phone industry’s growth is evident in the broader electronics sector. Mobile phone production now accounts for 43% of total electronics production in India. The electronics sector’s production value has more than doubled from $48 billion or Rs 4033.46 billion in FY17 to $101 billion or Rs 8487 billion in FY23, employing over 1.2 million people, according to government data. The growth is driven primarily by increased mobile phone production.

This remarkable journey from being a major importer to a leading exporter and manufacturer highlights India’s strategic initiatives and the robust potential of its manufacturing sector. As the nation continues on this trajectory, it solidifies its position as a global electronics hub, contributing significantly to economic growth and technological advancement.

By – Santosh Chaubey

Tunisians protest against President Kais Saied before October 6 election

By Rédaction Africanews

Crowds of Tunisians took to the streets once again to voice their discontent with President Kais Saied, as the country’s October 6 presidential election draws closer. They accuse Saied of limiting the number of opponents who can run against him.
One protester, Mustapha Ben Ali, said, “we came to protest to say that the president of the republic, who won five years of governance, does not want these elections to be fair now that his term has ended.”

Among the crowd were many young people, some of whom are refusing to vote on Sunday. “No, absolutely no, I won’t vote. Because first of all, there is no one in the candidates that I can vote for, but also what happened in the electoral process, it doesn’t have any guarantees for a transparent and free election,” said Siwar Gmati, aged 27.

Tunisia's electoral commission, appointed by Saied, has only approved two other candidates to run against him. In August, Human Rights Watch said authorities had ruled out several other potential candidates from running in the election through prosecution and imprisonment.


Analyst ponders if Tunisia's president can secure second term in Sunday's election


Copyright © africanewsAnis Mili/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved

By Rédaction Africanews 

Tunisia

With his major opponents imprisoned or left off the ballot, Tunisian President Kais Saied faces few obstacles to winning re-election on Sunday, five years after riding anti-establishment backlash to a first term.

The North African country's Oct. 6 presidential election is its third since protests led to the 2011 ouster of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali — the first autocrat toppled in the Arab Spring uprisings that also overthrew leaders in Egypt, Libya and Yemen.

International observers praised the previous two contests as meeting democratic norms. However, a raft of arrests and actions taken by a Saied-appointed election authority have raised doubts about whether this year's race is free and fair. And opposition parties have called for a boycott.

Michael Ayari, Senior Analyst for Algeria & Tunisia at the International Crisis Group, told the Associated Press on Friday that questions loom over Tunisia's future trajectory.

“Will Saied’s rule last forever? That is the question. Is it possible to change the political system in a peaceful way? Or are Tunisians condemned to have a president who will stay in power for 30 years? Who will stay for 20 or 30 years and will put in place his program and the country will become more and more authoritarian?”

But, he added, President Saied does have ardent supporters, who see this election as a “key moment”, an opportunity for Saied to reinforce his “power to carry out his program to liberate the country from a kind of Western domination.”

Tunisia has maintained ties with its traditional Western allies but also forged new partnerships under Saied.

Tunisia and Iran lifted visa requirements and in May announced plans to boost trade ties. It has also accepted millions in loans as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative to build hospitals, stadiums and ports.

Additional sources • AP

Since he came to power in 2019, Saied has suspended parliament, and pushed through a new constitution to reinforce his own power.

His administration has clamped down on perceived opponents, arresting lawyers, journalists and activists.

Tunisia gears up for October 6th Presidential election

By Rédaction Africanews 

Last updated: 19 hours ago

Tunisia

As Tunisia is drawing ever closer to its Presidential election on October 6th, there are mixed feelings among the country's youth towards politics and the vote itself.

Citing a lack of opportunity, some aspire to move abroad. Seddik Malki, a fruit vendor, says, “I want to tell the youth: leave through the sea; there is nothing that keeps us here in Tunisia... I have no future here.”

Meanwhile, others are hopeful that the election will bring about change. "I hope that whoever wins the presidential elections will fix the country and pay attention to the youth, especially the high cost of living,'' Lotfi Hamdi, a 32-year-old street vendor, says.

Current president Kais Saied is seeking another term in the upcoming election. With his major opponents in prison or barred from running, Saied has been accused of stamping out his political competition and accumulating power in his own hands.

Only two candidates have been given the green light to run against Saied, who has suspended parliement since he came to power in 2019.

1 year of Gaza genocide: Israeli crimes ‘deep shame’ for UK, world, says activist group head

'They have allowed this to occur, that they have not made Israel pay the cost for its crimes,' director of Palestine Solidarity Campaign tells Anadolu

Burak Bir |05.10.2024 - AA


'We've had sort of unprecedented, quite extraordinary pressure from the political establishment and from the police,' says Ben Jamal

'I think what's happening at the moment to the Palestinian people is unprecedented ... this is the first time in human history we have a genocide being live streamed,' Ben Jamal says

LONDON

Palestinians went through the "darkest moment" in the past 12 months in their enduring struggle for liberation, according to the head of Europe's largest Palestinian rights organization.

As a brutal Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip reaches the one-year mark, deaths in the besieged Palestinian enclave have exceeded 41,000, mostly women and children, following a Hamas attack last October.

The UK was one of the first countries where large demonstrations were organized after the beginning of the onslaught as millions have marched around the country to demand a cease-fire and an arms embargo on Israel.

Various groups formed an alliance in Britain to mobilize millions of people, including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), which is viewed as Europe's largest Palestinian rights organization, not only in the UK.

For PSC director Ben Jamal, the rallies are "unprecedented" in British history and there has not been a moment in British history since the suffragette movement in the early 20th century.

Jamal noted that one of the key things it has been saying since last October is that "history did not begin on Oct. 7."

"This genocide is built on the foundations of more than 76 years of oppression by the Israeli state of the Palestinian people through mechanisms of ethnic cleansing, colonization, military occupation and imposition of a system of apartheid," he told Anadolu.

Jamal stressed, however, that what has been happening in the past year is "undoubtedly the darkest moment" in Palestinians' enduring struggle for liberation.

"This is a moment of reflection. It's a moment of deep sorrow. It's a moment where we acknowledge the strength of the Palestinian people and their ongoing resilience,” he said. “But it's a moment of deep shame for our government, for the international community, that they have allowed this to occur, that they have not made Israel pay the cost for its crimes."

Asked how the group prepared for the mass mobilization of British citizens following the Oct. 7 attacks, Jamal said along with a coalition of five other groups, PSC spoke very quickly as they "knew what was coming."

"We knew that we needed to mobilize for an early demonstration, and we held a demonstration on Oct. 9. What we didn't know at that point, as I say, was how long would this go on for," he said.

A week or so after the surprise attack by Hamas against Israel last October, the first national march was held in London by the coalition, said Jamal, adding that they are holding the 20th march in London but some ask: "Why are they still marching?"

He said the answer to that question is “because the genocide is continuing, and because of our government's complicity, and also the complicity of companies, corporations, public bodies in the UK that invest in companies that are supporting the infrastructure of oppression and selling weapons to Israel."

He added: "That complicity continues. That's why so many people are continuing to march."

'Unprecedented, extraordinary pressure from political establishment'

There has been intense negotiation between the Metropolitan Police and pro-Palestinian groups about the times and length of the rallies in London.

In addition, the marches which were declared as overwhelmingly peaceful by many, were referred to as a "hate march" by some politicians, including former Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

"We've had sort of unprecedented, quite extraordinary pressure from the political establishment and from the police during this process," said Jamal.

He indicated that the political establishment was acting often as a "lobbyist for the Israeli government," and responding to pro-Israel voices from the very beginning in a bid to "stifle any solidarity with the Palestinian people."

They said that “these were marches of people who were supporting terrorism or were motivated by hatred of the Jewish people ignoring the fact that, from the very beginning there were thousands of Jewish people marching," he said.

Jewish groups attended the rallies since last October under the slogan: "Not in my name" and rejected the Israeli government's claim that attacks on Gaza are to ensure the safety of Jewish people.

"Despite this repressive environment, the rate of arrests of people on the marches have been tiny, less than an average music festival," reminded Jamal.

The marches and protesters faced numerous provocations by pro-Israelis during the past 12 months which is aimed at "trying to sustain establishment support for Israel's genocide," said Jamal. "We are here marching for truth, for the rights of the people under international law and calling for an end to mass slaughter. So, we know that history is on our side, and we ask people to stay focused on the reasons why we're marching.

Asked if he thought the coalition would mobilize so many people when they decided to organize the demonstrations last year, Jamal said the numbers have been extraordinary.

"If you said to me, you think a million will attend, I would have said I would have thought that was unlikely," he said. "I think what's happening at the moment to the Palestinian people is unprecedented in terms of this is the first time in human history we have a genocide being live streamed."

Israeli soldiers are taking film of what they are doing, and posting it, and people are seeing "scenes of utter horror," according to Jamal, who noted it awoke something in people.

"It's made them aware of the dynamics of the oppression. When they see Palestinian children with half of their heads missing or lying dead under the rubble, their response, as a human response, is to say: 'That could be my brother or my sister or my son or my daughter,' and they want it to stop," he said.

He noted that continuing the vast majority of arms sales to Israel by the British government, including fighter jet components, also played a role in bringing people into the protests.

"We didn't expect these numbers. I don't think we ever expected that this would have continued for a year, but I didn't expect that Israel would be allowed to continue with a genocide for a year," he noted. "And I think as long as those dynamics remain, people will continue to march."

Why war in Middle East involves UK more than you might think

Laura Kuenssberg
Presenter, 

BBC Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg•@bbclaurak
 

BBC

"Let’s be real, the war has started," a former minister tells me. "What happens in the Middle East never stays in the Middle East."

It’s hard not to be moved by the burning conflict – the killing of Israelis by Hamas almost a year ago and agony of the families of hostages snatched; the killing of thousands of Gazans by Israel in its response and the terrible suffering there.

And now Lebanon, where Israel has struck again after almost a year of cross-border hostilities, killing hundreds in air strikes against Hezbollah. Hundreds of thousands more civilians are on the move, desperate to find safety.

But it can feel bewildering, and far away. So why does it matter at home?

"There’s the humanitarian horror," says a former diplomat. And of course there are many families in the UK worried about the safety of friends or relatives still in Lebanon, Israel and Gaza. There is a potential bump in the number of refugees likely to head for Europe from Lebanon if all-out war begins.

The conflict has stirred tensions here as well. "We see it on our streets," the former minister says, whether that’s at Gaza protests, the rise in antisemitism or even a handful of pro-Palestinian politicians winning seats in Parliament.

If - as US President Joe Biden has acknowledged in public - Israel goes ahead and hits Iran’s oil industry, the costs could hit us all.


The price of oil jumped 5% after Biden’s remarks. Iran is the seventh biggest oil producer in the world. Just at a time when the world has been getting used to inflation cooling down, spiralling costs of energy could pump it right back up again and we’d all feel it.

One source suggested if the conflict keeps intensifying, "the Iranians might block the crucial Strait of Hormuz to show their power" which could, they suggest, "tip us into a 70s style crisis".

Around 20% of the world’s oil passes through the narrow channel of water. "It’s the pocket book effect," says another Whitehall source. The impact on the economy could be huge.

So what can the UK do about a hellishly complicated situation, especially with a new government that is still finding its feet? There’s the practical, the defence, and the diplomatic.

Sir Keir Starmer is facing growing pressure to help de-escalate the conflict in the Middle East



The Foreign Office has chartered three flights to get Brits who live in Lebanon home - and a fourth is scheduled to leave Beirut on Sunday. There are extra military staff in Cyprus ready to provide extra help if needs be.

The UK is deeply involved in providing humanitarian help in the region and Labour made the decision to start money flowing again to the UN organisation for Palestinian refugees on the ground, UNWRA, once it moved into power.

UK military back-up


The UK military was there as back-up to help Israel defend itself against Iranian missiles this week. RAF Typhoons were in the air on Tuesday night ready to support Israel’s own defences. Israel also had support from the US.

In the end, the UK and US didn’t fire any of their weapons. But back in April, RAF Typhoon jets based in Cyprus shot down Iranian drones.

Yet there are nerves in Labour circles about how far that role might go now in the coming weeks. One senior MP said: ‘‘We can be there to help defend Israel, we can be America’s mate, but we must not be there in any way, however small, in attacking Iran."

The UK is in what a former ambassador described as a "weird straddle". Ministers are urging Israel to hold back its attacks across Lebanon, just as through the last 12 months they have asked Britain's ally to stop pummelling Gaza. But at the same time, when called upon, helping Israel defend itself on specific occasions.

And even though some arms sales have been suspended, weapons continue to go.

Diplomatic opportunities

Then when it comes to the diplomacy, a former senior official tells me the UK is "thinking about the off ramps," - in other words, encouraging all the players, not just its allies, to think about how to bring the conflict to an end, and what a post-war settlement might look like.

The UK has specific opportunities - there are things that it can do that the US can’t, with an embassy still in the Iranian capital Tehran, for example, whereas the Americans haven’t had any formal diplomatic relations with Iran since 1980.

"Diplomacy is not only about talking to your friends," the former official says, suggesting the UK has a role to play in understanding Iran’s position and communicating it to others to ensure Israel and the US's decisions "aren't taken based on misunderstandings".

The specifics of the UK’s position have been used to diplomatic advantage before.

A former minister tells me when the families of hostages from Israel were in London, a meeting was brokered between them and the Qatari chief negotiator, an encounter that couldn’t have taken place elsewhere given the state of relations between their two countries.

Another source says that when it comes to Iran, the UK, "is not just a back-channel, we can be the front channel". Foreign Secretary David Lammy held a phone conversation with the Iranian foreign minister in August.

Limits - and high stakes

There is a limit to the influence that can be brought to bear, not just because of the realities in the region.

The UK’s voice is important, but not a deciding influence - "the only critical external player is the US," says one Whitehall source.

And fundamentally, perhaps the reality right now is that "no-one is scared of America any more," as one senior government figure suggests. Months of urging restraint have not brought an end to the conflict - anything but.

Whether politicians in the UK have the appetite for greater involvement is worth asking.

Foreign policy rarely yields rewards for politicians at home in the UK - and it can also feel like a distraction having to travel the globe while dealing with rows over free gifts and winter fuel payments. Sir Keir Starmer has found himself "spending more time on a plane than he ever expected," a senior MP suggests.

Diplomacy matters, whether its impact is easy to measure or not. A government insider suggests without the UK, US and Western allies urging restraint on a daily basis, there is a parallel universe where the conflicts might already have boiled over into a war far worse than anything we have seen so far. "Everybody has been working incredibly hard to try and prevent a spillover," a senior figure says.

The question this weekend is whether a terrible conflict that sucks in the US and other powers can yet be avoided. How Israel chooses to respond to Iran’s attacks may prove decisive.

A lot is at stake: a wider conflict could wreak havoc on our economy, on the stability of the world, and as well as the terrible toll on civilians caught up in wars not of their own making.

"Our best labour is diplomacy," a former minister says. The UK certainly cannot stop or solve this dangerous conundrum on its own. But the gravity of what is going on means that it has to try.

Top photo credit: Getty Images


BBC InDepth is the new home on the website and app for the best analysis and expertise from our top journalists. Under a distinctive new brand, we’ll bring you fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions, and deep reporting on the biggest issues to help you make sense of a complex world. And we’ll be showcasing thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. 

Gaza war: How Israel starved and strangled population for a year

As the war grinds on, humanitarian groups say weaponisation of aid is ruining the lives and hopes of 2.3 million Palestinians

Anjana Sankar
October 05, 2024

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

The Gaza war, which has dragged on for almost a year, has unleashed unprecedented death, destruction and mass displacement of the enclave's population.

What has turned this conflict into one of the most brutal of recent times is not only the scale of death and violence, but Israel’s ‘systematic obstruction’ of aid, international humanitarian agencies say.

Since the outbreak of hostilities on October 7, 2023 after militant group Hamas launched surprise attacks on Israel resulting in the deaths of more than 1,200 people and the kidnapping of 250, Gaza has borne the brunt of military retaliation.

The aerial bombardment and ground invasion have so far killed more than 41,700 people – mostly women and children – and destroyed two thirds of its infrastructure, including homes, schools, hospitals, even UN facilities.

For the 2.3 million people of Gaza, many of whom who were already dependent on humanitarian relief before the conflict, aid became the last straw in their battle for survival this past year.

Weaponisation of aid

But that critical supply of relief, international agencies say, has been systematically delayed, reduced, or outright denied to Gazans since the beginning of the war, a charge Israel vehemently denies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says accusations of Israel limiting humanitarian aid were “outrageously false.”

“You can say anything – it doesn’t make it true,” he said in a press conference on Wednesday. But as the war drags on, Israel is continuing to manipulate aid, said the Norwegian Refugee Council.

Ahmed Bayram, communications adviser for the group, told The National the flow of aid into Gaza has "hit rock bottom", leaving more people facing starvation, disease and displacement. “The number of aid trucks going into Gaza is going down and down now, with an average of just 50 entering daily, far fewer than what is needed,” he said.

The UN independent investigator on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, has accused Israel of carrying out a “starvation campaign” against Palestinians. “Never in post-war history has a population been made to go hungry so quickly and so completely, as was the case for the 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza," he said this week.

A joint statement released by 15 international aid agencies said 83 per cent of the required food aid was not reaching the people as of September 2024. In August, more than one million people in southern and central Gaza did not receive any food rations, they added.

Medical supplies are also in need, with 65 per cent of the insulin required unavailable and half of the required blood supply undelivered, the statement read. This drastic reduction is having catastrophic consequences for the people of Gaza.

“There is no soap, no shampoo. Some of our colleagues are using rags instead of sanitary napkins,” said Ruth James, regional humanitarian co-ordinator for Oxfam, who is currently in Gaza. Even those with money can't lay their hands on many items, she added. “In all of the south of Gaza, there is only one ATM that is functioning,” she said.

Warehouses in Egyptian city bursting at seams as Gaza aid piles up

Collective punishment

Israel’s siege of Gaza and obstruction of aid represent what the UN has called “collective punishment”.

On October 9, 2023, two days after the Hamas attack, Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced a complete siege on Gaza. "There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed,” he said.

In the place of 500 aid and commercial lorries that were entering Gaza daily before the conflict began, the number by 75 per cent, according to aid groups. Fuel shortages also dipped to critical levels, with a huge gap between the estimated daily need of 400,000 litres for humanitarian purposes and fewer than 100,000 that is actually arriving.

As Israeli tanks pushed deeper into the northern parts of Gaza supported by a massive aerial bombing campaign, more than a million people were asked to move south. This first wave of mass displacement further squeezed humanitarian aid.

Mohammed Sadiq, a resident of Gaza city, said his children went without proper food for weeks after they moved southwards last October.

"You have to be lucky to find some bread or canned beans. There were long queues to get a small cup of soup. I had to see my children fall asleep on half-empty stomachs," Mr Sadiq told The National.

Aid agencies were faced with another challenge – a communication blockade when Israel cut off telephone and internet connections in Gaza. Louise Watergate, spokeswoman for the agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) told The National that the first 10 weeks of war "was utter chaos".

“We were in a situation where we could not even get in touch with our own colleagues on the ground,” she said.

Hunger and disease spread rapidly across the Gaza Strip within the first three months of the war, with the UN's Office for Co-ordination of Humanitarian Aid (Ocha) declaring in December that only 10 per cent of Gaza’s food needs were met in the first 70 days.

In a report issued in December, Human Rights Watch accused Israel of using starvation as a method of warfare by deliberately blocking the delivery of food, water and fuel into Gaza. The organisation warned this practice constituted a war crime under international law.

UN experts had warned about an impending famine in Gaza as early as May. Later in June, the findings from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, conducted from May 27 to June 4, said about 495,000 people – 22 per cent of the population – were experiencing the highest level of starvation, known as IPC Phase 5.

The report said about 2.1 million people, or 96 per cent of the population, would face high levels of acute food insecurity through to September.

UN experts later declared famine had spread across much of Gaza, particularly in the north, where Israel had focused much of its military campaign. On June 22, the government media office reported at least 34 children had already died of malnutrition.

The impact on health care has also been devastating, with Israel’s siege of hospitals, and detention of doctors and medical workers. By January, more than 600 healthcare workers had been killed, the World Health Organisation said, and 94 medical facilities had come under attack, including 26 hospitals and 79 ambulances.

Hunger when aid is plentiful

The biggest irony of the hunger crisis in Gaza is that Israel and the UN agencies agree there is enough aid to feed the population. But they disagree on whether it is reaching the people.

Israel's Co-ordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (Cogat) claims there is no famine in Gaza.

"One million tonnes of aid entered Gaza since the start of the war, 70 per cent was food," Cogat said last week in a post on X. The agency claims more than 3,000 calories per day per person has entered Gaza since January, citing an independent academic study.

"Over 53,989 trucks containing approximately 1,058,804 tonnes of humanitarian aid, including more than 819,943 tonnes of food and 51,350 tonnes of water, have been delivered to the Gaza Strip," a Cogat spokesman told The National.

He also claimed only 498 of 53,000 aid lorries had been denied entry due to containing dual-use items that require specific security evaluation to prevent their exploitation by Hamas for military purposes.

The spokesman said Israel has worked to expand routes through which aid can enter Gaza, including extending working hours of Kerem Shalom and the opening of new crossings such as Erez East, Erez West and Crossing 96.

Despite mounting international pressure and criticism, Israel argues the delays and shortages in aid distribution are the result of logistical failures on the part of the UN and other organisations, not a deliberate policy.

However, these claims have been disputed by numerous NGOs and aid agencies on the ground, which cite harsh inspections, restrictions on goods and exhaustively long delays in getting permits as a major obstacle to the smooth flow of aid.

Ruth James, Oxfam's regional humanitarian co-ordinator, told The National that lorries laden with food, water and medicine often sit for days at Israeli checkpoints, awaiting clearance that sometimes never comes. The process is fraught with rejection and delay, she said.

“Even basic items such as chlorine for water purification and bandages or scissors for hospitals have been held up or denied entry,” she said.

Ms Watergate of UNRWA said her colleagues are forced to "constantly reinvent humanitarian response" on a day-to-day or weekly basis due to the constant displacement of people, the access restrictions and the changing security situation on the ground.

She said the turning point for humanitarian distribution was the closure of southern Rafah crossing point on May 6 that disrupted the "rhythm and routine" of aid flowing in.

"After Rafah was closed, aid agencies had to relocate to the middle areas. We had to move hospitals, solar panels, generators and warehouses."

The collapse of law and order in the north, and the increase in looting of lorries in the north, where Israel dismantled the existing security apparatus, also dealt a severe blow to the humanitarian response, she said.

Israel's chokehold on aid supply

Israel tightly controls entry and exit from Gaza by land, air and sea, meaning aid cannot enter without its approval. Lorries that enter through Kerem Shalom are checked at the southern border crossing before being driven to Rafah city, where distribution is organised.

Lorries entering through the Rafah crossing are first scanned at Nitzana in Israel and then sent back over to Al Owga in Egypt and driving to Rafah before entering Gaza.

Most aid has been entering by lorries arriving from Egyptian territory through Kerem Shalom, since Israel shut the Rafah border crossing, the only land route to cross from Egypt to Gaza, in early May.

The floating pier built by the US in May to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza was short-lived and was dismantled several times before being scrapped permanently in July, leaving the land crossing as the most viable form for aid entry.

Cogat said private groups are moving their supplies into Gaza from the Erez crossing, also known as Beit Hanoun, in the north, that connects the enclave to the occupied West Bank.

As the conflict drags on, agencies have expressed deep frustration over the failure of diplomacy to secure the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid.

"The biggest disappointment over the last year is that diplomacy has failed the people of Gaza," said Mr Bayram of the Norwegian Refugee Council. "If the big powers were serious about helping, they would have put more pressure on Israel to allow the free flow of aid."

Political analysts and humanitarian workers alike agree that without a ceasefire and a comprehensive peace agreement, the crisis will only deepen. With Israel expanding its military campaign into southern Gaza, and with the conflict threatening to spill over into Lebanon and Iran, hopes for a ceasefire are growing dim.

Meanwhile, as winter approaches, aid agencies are scrambling to provide shelter for the more than one million people who have been displaced numerous times. "We’re preparing for a harsh winter and shelters are desperately needed," said Ms Watergate. "But at the rate we’re going, with the level of supply we’re able to move, it could take years to meet those needs."

Despite the overwhelming scale of the crisis, aid agencies say they remain steadfast in their efforts to reach the people of Gaza. “We have the people, we have the resources, we have the means. It is the restrictions that are stopping us,” said Ms James.

“We need to see the political will in removing the restrictions and allowing unimpeded aid into Gaza," she said. Twelve months into the war, as Gaza is teetering on the brink of collapse, people will continue to suffer, with no end in sight if free flow of aid is not restored, she said.

Updated: October 05, 2024