By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close
SvennoJ on 18 July 2024
Edit Thread

Israeli activists stage protests at homes of ministers, demand snap elections

A small group of antigovernment demonstrators calling for early elections have placed ballot boxes outside Economy Minister Nir Barkat’s house in Jerusalem, according to Israeli media reports.

Another group of protesters in Tel Aviv blocked the entrance of Science Minister Gila Gamliel’s home by sitting handcuffed and blindfolded at the entrance to her apartment, according to the reports.

Pressure for snap elections has been mounting in Israel since the start of the war in Gaza with a growing number of people calling for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign over his failure to bring back the captives still held in Gaza. About 120 captives remain in Gaza while more than 100 were released as part of a brief ceasefire deal in November.

FIFA has ‘multiple obvious grounds’ to suspend Israel Football Association

The UK-based nonprofit FairSquare says it submitted a report to world football’s governing body detailing violations of FIFA statutes by the Israel Football Association in support of calls to sanction it.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in May the organisation would take “independent legal expertise” to assess the demands and convene a council meeting by July 20.

FairSquare says its report indicates there are “multiple grounds” that should give FIFA cause to suspend or expel the Israeli association.

These include holding matches in occupied Palestinian territory, serious and systematic racial discrimination, political interference, Israel’s killing of Palestinian players, and the systematic destruction of Palestinian Football Association facilities – most of which predate October 7.

“There is a vast body of evidence to suggest that the only thing that could possibly stop FIFA from suspending or expelling the Israel Football Association is a political decision from its senior leadership not to enforce its statutes,” said FairSquare co-director Nick McGeehan.

Thousands expected in pro-Palestinian demonstration around UK Parliament

More than 7,000 people are expected to form a human chain around the British Parliament later today, according to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

The activist organisation says members of parliament from across parties, trade union leaders and cultural figures are expected to join the demonstration organised by a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups.

The demonstration comes as the Parliament reconvenes for the first time since the general election that ushered in a Labour government.

“Organisers say the action will symbolise the support that the majority of people in the country have for an immediate ceasefire and an end to arms sales to Israel,” the PSC said.

European Muslim Forum to protest Israel’s participation in Olympic Games

Protests will be held in Switzerland outside the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne and the United Nations headquarters in Geneva over Israel’s participation in the 2024 Olympic Games, the European Muslim Forum has said.

After demonstrating in Geneva and Lausanne tomorrow, the group is planning to drive to Paris to ramp up its calls for a ban on Israel’s participation in the games, which start in the French capital on July 26.

“We call on the international solidarity movement, politicians, labour formations and worker formations, faith-based organisations, civil society to rally behind the call and journey with us to Paris,” said Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, who is Nelson Mandela’s grandson and a member of the Global Summit for Palestine.


Groups condemn Microsoft’s blocking of Palestinian user accounts

The Palestinian Digital Rights Coalition and other groups from Ecuador, the US and Japan, among others, say the company’s recent actions of blocking Palestinian users’ email and Skype accounts is “an unjust disruption that has severe consequences on their daily lives during a time of war”.

“It is not only an affront to basic human decency but also a violation of their fundamental rights. Access to technology and communication is crucial, especially in conflict zones where information and connectivity can mean the difference between life and death,” the groups said in a statement, referring to the war on Gaza.

“By blocking its services, Microsoft is effectively cutting Palestinians off from social, professional, and financial opportunities during a time of immense suffering and devastation. Microsoft’s decision to restrict its services to Palestinians at such a critical juncture is deeply troubling and cannot be justified.”

Palestinians living abroad accused Microsoft of closing their email accounts without warning. They said it also stopped them from using video platform Skype to contact relatives in Gaza. Microsoft said the users in question violated its terms of service. It also denied blocking users or calls based on region.