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SvennoJ on 16 July 2024
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UK Conservative Party clears ex-minister of anti-Semitism charges

Sir Alan Duncan, Britain’s former Minister of State for Europe and the Americas, has been cleared of any wrongdoing by the Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) after investigating him for anti-Semitism allegations, according to the non-profit International Centre of Justice for Palestinians.

The former member of parliament said during a news conference that the investigation panel found that his comments “did not go beyond political debate” and “were not anti-Semitic and could not properly be regarded as such”.

Sir Alan, who stood down as a parliamentarian in 2019, criticised – in an interview with LBC in April – those in British politics who “refuse to condemn [illegal Israeli] settlements” in the occupied West Bank.

“The time has come to flush out those extremists in our own parliamentary politics,” he said at the time.

According to a statement by the ICJP, Sir Alan said anti-Semitism must be ruthlessly called out where it genuinely exists. He also highlighted the problem of weaponising the term, with a defiant tone as he said: “They have tried to threaten me, but I will not be bullied or silenced.”

Israel’s restrictions on movement in Hebron hurdle to ‘essential services’: ICRC

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says the restrictions on movement imposed by Israel, specifically in the “H2” area in Hebron’s Old City, “make it difficult, and sometimes impossible, for Palestinians to access essential services”.

Israeli authorities have imposed these restrictions for more than 20 years, leaving an impact on “basic services many need daily to survive”, the ICRC said on X.

The H2 area of Hebron in the occupied West Bank is 20 percent of the Palestinian city, where about 700 Israelis live in illegal settlements and the Israeli military has full control.

H2’s Palestinian population is about 35,000.

The ICRC has worked with the local community to install solar panels on the rooftops of affected households. “This helps them generate income by providing power to other residents in the community, and have improved access to electricity,” the post said.