UK

Pro-Palestinian protests outside London home of Israeli ambassador who ‘opposes two-state solution’

Henry Bodkin
Sat, December 16, 2023

Pro-Palestine protesters opposite the Israeli ambassador's residence in north London - Stefan Rousseau/PA


HOISTED BY HER OWN PETARD


Pro-Palestinian protesters have demonstrated outside the home of the Israeli ambassador to the UK, days after she publicly rejected a ‘two-state solution’.

A group waving flags and chanting slogans congregated outside the north London residence of Tzipi Hotovely on Saturday, one of dozens of locally-organised protests across the country.

Police had imposed an order preventing demonstrations outside Israel’s embassy in Kensington.

However, the Met said this did not extend to the ambassador’s home and that “no issues” with the demonstration had been reported.

Footage on social media showed placards reading “Stop killing kids. Free Gaza”, “stop the genocide” and one from the “International Jewish anti-Zionist network”.

Local Palestine supporters outside Southall Town Hall - Jeff Gilbert

Ms Hotovely appeared to publicly clash with Rishi Sunak last week after she told Sky News that Israel did not support the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

“The answer is absolutely no,” she said. “Israel knows today, and the world should know now that the Palestinians never wanted to have a state next to Israel.”

On Saturday, hundreds gathered outside her house and chanted “decolonise” and “ceasefire now”, with passing cars honking their horns in support.
‘She is not a very nice person’

One man with a megaphone standing outside the gated mansion in St John’s Wood said: “Many of you have seen the ambassador of Israel and concluded she is not a very nice person.

“So she may not be a very nice person but what we object to is that she is calling for a genocide.” It was met with chants of “shame on you”.

The protesters were observed by police. Last week, officers used their powers under the Criminal Justice and Police Act to move protesters from Just Stop Oil away from outside Sir Keir Starmer’s home, where they had been singing Christmas carols.

Anti-war activists make their point outside the Israeli ambassador's home - Stefan Rousseau/PA

In north London, about 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in Camden to call for a ceasefire, with some shouting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.

The controversial slogan is argued by Jewish groups and many politicians to amount to a call for the eradication of the state of Israel.

The Met Police was heavily criticised for failing to clamp down on anti-Semitic slogans for at the mass Palestinian marches in central London in the early weeks of the war.

The force have in recent weeks handed out leaflets at the marches, detailing examples of racist abuse, as well as making arrests.

It has also asked stewards from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign to proactively self-police their events.

Royal Society for Arts in Israel row as staff walk out over event
India McTaggart
Thu, December 14, 2023 

Pro-Palestine protesters gather outside a fundraiser for Israel at the Royal Society for Arts - VUK VALCIC/AVALON

The Royal Society for Arts (RSA) is embroiled in a row after its staff walked out over an event where Israel’s ambassador made a speech about the nation’s “resilience”.

Workers gathered outside the organisation’s building on Thursday to protest against the event, which aimed to promote trade between the UK and Israel.

Oliver Dowden, the Deputy Prime Minister and Tzipi Hotovely, the Israeli Ambassador to the UK, attended the event in Charing Cross, which was held to promote UK-Israeli trade ties and investment in startups.

But the presence of the ambassador – who is understood to have made a speech about Israeli resilience – was thought to have inflamed tensions as protesters encouraged others to join through social media and WhatsApp.

In a statement the RSA Union said staff were “shocked and disgusted” to discover that the organisation was hosting the event.

“As a union, we stand in full solidarity with the people of Palestine,” they said. “We were appalled that the RSA hosted leading figures in a government overseeing a brutal settler colonial occupation.”

The union added that “many staff made the decision to leave the building upon learning about the event”.

The RSA said it did not condone the event in an apology, claiming that details about the event were not disclosed in advance.

A spokesperson said: “An event is being held at the RSA today by an external client who did not disclose the full event details in advance. The RSA neither condones nor endorses this event. We are an apolitical organisation and have launched an internal investigation.

“We apologise extensively to anyone affected and upset by this today and will ensure that robust measures are put in place in the future to ensure this will not happen again.”

But the society was accused of being “disingenuous” in denying it knew of the event beforehand.

Atif Shafique, former senior researcher for the public services and communities team at the RSA, responded on X: “This post is disingenuous. The leaked email to staff shows you were made aware of the nature of the event yesterday.

“You could have – and should have – cancelled it then. If it was a front for a Russian fundraiser you certainly would have. As a former RSA employee, I’m appalled.”
Opportunity for entrepreneurs

The Restart IL. Economy London summit, held with support from the Israeli embassy, aimed to encourage investments in the country’s startups following the Oct 7 Hamas terror attack in which 1,200 Israelis were killed. The summit was described as an opportunity for entrepreneurs to meet with private and institutional investors rather than as a fundraiser.

The Telegraph understands there was an Israeli family present who expressed interest in investing in 1,200 startups in memory of all the victims of the attack.

A pre-recorded speech by Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president, was also shown to guests.

The Metropolitan Police arrested one man, who they said was not believed to be part of the protest, after he was asked to leave the event by security.

The force added that they dispersed the demonstrating group quickly with protesters moving away from the building before 2pm.

The RSA describes itself as a social change organisation with a founding mission to “embolden enterprise, enlarge science, refine art, improve our manufacturers and extend our commerce”.

Its president is the Princess Royal, who took over from the late Duke of Edinburgh in 2011, and its former patron was Elizabeth II. The organisation was granted a Royal Charter in the 1840s.

Notable fellows and former members include Stephen Hawking, Adam Smith, Benjamin Franklin, Charles Dickens, Sir David Attenborough and Dame Judi Dench.

Ahead of meeting with US envoy, Israeli president says now isn't time to discuss 2-state solution
JULIA FRANKEL
Updated Thu, December 14, 2023

Israel's President Isaac Herzog speaks during an interview at his official residence in Jerusalem, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. 

(AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's president has joined the ranks of high-ranking Israeli officials to speak out against a two-state solution after the war in Gaza.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Isaac Herzog said it is not the time to be talking about establishing an independent Palestinian state when the country's pain from Hamas' Oct. 7 attack is still fresh.

“What I want to urge is against just saying two-state solution. Why? Because there is an emotional chapter here that must be dealt with. My nation is bereaving. My nation is in trauma,” said Herzog.

“In order to get back to the idea of dividing the land, of negotiating peace or talking to the Palestinians, etc., one has to deal first and foremost with the emotional trauma that we are going through and the need and demand for full sense of security for all people,” he said.

Herzog spoke a day before a meeting with the White House’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan. The Biden administration has said that after the war, efforts must be renewed to restart negotiations aimed at establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel under the leadership of the Palestinian Authority.

Herzog, whose position is largely ceremonial, is a former leader of Israel's Labor Party, which advocates a two-state solution with the Palestinians.

But in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that triggered Israel's war in Gaza, Israeli leaders have spoken out against attempts to restart peace talks after the war and ruled out any role for the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority.

Some 1,200 people were killed in the Oct. 7 attack and 240 others were taken hostage. Israel immediately declared war, carrying out weeks of airstrikes and a ground offensive in which over 18,000 Palestinians have died, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

With the U.S. pushing for a timetable from Israel, Herzog predicted the Israeli campaign in hard-hit northern Gaza could wrap up within weeks. But he declined to say when the war would end.

Israel has ducked international calls for a ceasefire, saying it will press ahead until it dismantles Hamas' military and political capabilities.

“I think one can see that in the northern part of Gaza, one can see the horizon," Herzog said. “We can see the end of that campaign, not far away in the next few weeks.”

He added that the end of the campaign in the south would only come when Hamas was “completely eradicated."

Herzog also spoke in favor of an emerging U.S.-led coalition to protect the Red Sea from the Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

The Iranian-backed Houthis have carried out a series of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and also launched drones and missiles targeting Israel. In recent days, they have threatened to attack any vessel they believe is either going to or coming from Israel.

The coalition, set to be formally announced next week, is composed of U.S. and European allies, and aims to protect international shipping from the Houthi attacks. Israel will not be contributing its own ships to the coalition, Israeli officials told The Associated Press, preferring to allow the international community to target the issue and focus on the war in Gaza.

“I demand and I call upon all nations who understand this to join the coalition, which is led by the United States of America, to fight against the Houthis and make it clear that this is unacceptable and won’t be repeated again,” said Herzog.