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Medical evacuations ban kills dad with autoimmune disease

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A statement from the WHO: World Health Organization (WHO) is devastated to confirm that a person contracted to provide services to the Organization in Gaza was killed today during a security incident. Two WHO staff members were present but were not injured. We extend our condolences to the family, loved ones, and colleagues of the deceased. The incident is under investigation by the relevant authorities. Following the incident, WHO suspended today's medical evacuation of patients from Gaza via Rafah to Egypt. Medical evacuations will remain suspended until further notice. We are deeply grateful to our colleagues who work day and night despite the risks to ensure that the people of Gaza can access the health care they need. We call for the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers. Peace is the best medicine.

Although he held medical reports, Ministry of Health documentation and even World Health Organization (WHO) approval for evacuation from Gaza, Ibrahim Abu Aram’s requests to leave the Strip for specialised treatment were never granted, despite many months of pleading from his family.

While the Israeli occupation prevented him from leaving Gaza, his health rapidly deteriorated over the past few months and his condition became critical. He sadly died when his life support machine was switched off.

Abu Aram was a husband and father, and a forcibly displaced Palestinian living in the Gaza Strip. He suffered for years from a rare and life-threatening autoimmune disease called Pemphigus vulgaris, a skin disorder which causes painful blistering and severe physical deterioration.

In Gaza, Abu Aram’s story is not unique. Thousands of patients have been unable to receive life-saving treatment abroad because the Israeli occupation has prevented them from leaving the enclave.

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Medical evacuations from Gaza take place through the Rafah crossing into Egypt, but in May 2024, the Israeli occupation seized the crossing and closed it. Medical evacuations during this time were banned.

The border crossing was partially reopened on 2 February but between 28 February and 19 March, it was closed again because of the Iran war, the occupation claimed.

Gaza citizens denied access to medical treatment

While many people have medical conditions that are manageable with the correct treatment, many factors have meant that even treatable conditions have become deadly, such as the shortage of medical supplies and equipment, the manufactured state of malnutrition in the Strip and limited access to clean facilities.

Since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza, the Zionist regime has systematically and intentionally targeted and destroyed Gaza’s healthcare system. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that more than 1,800 healthcare facilities have been partially or totally destroyed since 7 October 2023. For this reason, it was impossible for Abu Aram to receive treatment inside the Strip.

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Since the same date, 72,292 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, with 716 of those people having lost their life since the start of the so-called ‘ceasefire’ on 11 October last year.

Israeli occupation continues to break ‘ceasefire’ agreement

The continued restrictions on the entry of medical supplies into the Strip has also had severe impacts on patients. Médecins Sans Frontières shared that almost 50% of its essential medications for chronic diseases are in “critically low stock”, and says this shortage will “inevitably lead to preventable deaths”.

There is also a shortage of essential medications, such as antibiotics and anaesthetics, and wound dressings, which are essential to prevent the spread of infection. New medical equipment or spare parts have also been banned from entry by the occupation, so any malfunctioning equipment can have severe consequences for a patient’s recovery.

According to the Gaza ceasefire agreement, 150 patients should be allowed to travel out of the Strip each day for medical treatment, but yet again, the Israeli occupation has not kept its word. Instead, less than 25 patients have crossed the border each day.

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Between six and 10 Palestinians like Abu Aram lose their lives each day as a direct result of severe restrictions on medical travel and the continued near-total closure of the Rafah Crossing. A total of 1,400 patients have died since 7 May 2024, when the Rafah border crossing was seized by the Israeli army.

The situation is dire. There are thousands of patients, including those with cancer and children, who if they aren’t evacuated within weeks and their condition worsens, they could become “extremely critical”.

Medical evacuations suspended again after WHO worker, 54, shot in ‘security incident’

On 6 April, the crossing was re-closed after Israeli occupation forces opened fire on a UN vehicle traveling in Gaza.

Gaza’s Ministry of Health said the occupation targeted:

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a vehicle rented for the World Health Organization (WHO) which was carrying several of its staff while they were carrying out a routine mission in areas classified as “green” in Khan Younis Governorate. This attack resulted in the killing of the vehicle’s driver.

Majdi Aslan, 54, the vehicle’s driver, was reportedly shot in the head. Following Aslan’s killing, the WHO has suspended medical evacuations of patients from Gaza until further notice. “Israel” then closed the crossing, yet again.

A statement from the WHO: World Health Organization (WHO) is devastated to confirm that a person contracted to provide services to the Organization in Gaza was killed today during a security incident. Two WHO staff members were present but were not injured. We extend our condolences to the family, loved ones, and colleagues of the deceased. The incident is under investigation by the relevant authorities. Following the incident, WHO suspended today's medical evacuation of patients from Gaza via Rafah to Egypt. Medical evacuations will remain suspended until further notice. We are deeply grateful to our colleagues who work day and night despite the risks to ensure that the people of Gaza can access the health care they need. We call for the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers. Peace is the best medicine.

Speaking on the direct and deliberate targeting of health and humanitarian personnel without any justification, Gaza’s health ministry has said it:

reflects the continued policies of the occupation aimed at undermining the work of humanitarian institutions and imposing further restrictions on their operations.

Hamas has called on the international community and the UN to take urgent action. In a statement, it said “flimsy pretexts” were being used for the Rafah crossings closure that is preventing sick and wounded individuals from traveling abroad to receive vital medical treatment.

This action, Hamas claims, “constitutes a new crime against humanity”.

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It reflects a fascist approach targeting our people as part of a systematic policy that violates all international humanitarian laws and conventions, in full view of the world.

Featured image via Ibrahim Mohareb

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Liberal judge cruises to victory in Wisconsin Supreme Court race

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Liberal judge cruises to victory in Wisconsin Supreme Court race

Chris Taylor, a liberal Wisconsin judge, won a seat on the state Supreme Court on Tuesday in the latest strong election for liberals since President Donald Trump’s return to office.

Taylor, a former Democratic state representative and current state appellate judge, defeated conservative appeals court judge Maria Lazar in the race for the ten-year term. Her win expands liberals’ majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court to a 5-2 split.

Her win comes amid a string of special election victories for Democrats that suggests a difficult political environment for the GOP heading into November’s midterms.

Conservatives haven’t notched a Wisconsin Supreme Court victory since a narrow 6,000-vote win in 2019. In the years since, liberal judges Jill Karofsky, Janet Protasiewicz, Susan Crawford — and now Taylor — have romped to easy wins in a Wisconsin spring electorate trending firmly to the left.

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Assuming every justice finishes out their terms, the win locks in a liberal court majority until at least 2030.

Taylor’s win doesn’t come as a surprise. In the days before the Tuesday election, Wisconsin Republicans conceded Lazar stood little chance of victory, with GOP donors refraining from pulling out their checkbooks and the majority not at stake in this election.

The election attracted far less attention than last year’s race, where Crawford beat her conservative opponent by over 10 points. That race saw Elon Musk — the world’s richest man and a Republican megadonor — pour millions into an effort to defeat Crawford, arguing the fate of “Western civilization” was at stake in the race.

The court’s liberals have made use of their majority in recent years. In 2023, the court ordered new legislative maps in Wisconsin, effectively ending a GOP gerrymander that had lasted for over a decade. And last July, the panel overturned Wisconsin’s 176-year-old abortion ban by a 4-3 majority.

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Also last year, the court ruled that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers could use his veto pen to lock in a 400-year increase in funding for schools.

Neither party expects the fall governor’s race to follow the same exact path as this spring Supreme Court campaign, with November elections in the battleground state routinely decided by slim margins.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes are the top Democrats running for the right to face Trump-endorsed Rep. Tom Tiffany for governor in November.

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Republican Clay Fuller wins special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene

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Republican Clay Fuller wins special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene

Republicans held onto former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s House seat on Tuesday.

Republican Clay Fuller defeated Democrat Shawn Harris in a special runoff election in the state’s 14th Congressional District, giving the GOP another vote for their narrow House majority.

The northwest Georgia district is the reddest House seat in the Peach State, and Democrats never had a serious chance of flipping the seat.

But Republicans took no chances. GOP-aligned outside groups, combined with Fuller’s campaign, spent more than $1.2 million on the runoff, according to AdImpact, while Harris didn’t receive any air support from national Democratic groups and spent just $300,000. In the short term, Fuller’s win is a boon for Speaker Mike Johnson, who will gain a safe vote for the GOP caucus.

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Fuller, who had Trump’s endorsement, came in second behind Harris in March’s first round of voting, but that was in large part due to a crowded GOP field that split votes.

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Michigan Senate candidate El-Sayed declines to disavow Hasan Piker’s past comments

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Michigan Senate candidate El-Sayed declines to disavow Hasan Piker’s past comments

East Lansing, Michigan — Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed declined during a campaign stop Tuesday to denounce Hasan Piker’s past comments and defended the popular far-left streamer’s place in the Democratic Party amid attacks from the center-left.

In an interview with POLITICO while standing next to Piker, El-Sayed said he believes it’s “critical” that Democrats embrace Piker, who has drawn criticism from Democrats and Republicans over his comments about Israel and U.S. foreign policy — including from El-Sayed’s two most formidable opponents, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) and Democratic state Sen. Mallory McMorrow.

In 2019, Piker said on his livestream that “America deserved 9/11,” though he later apologized for the remark. In the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, Piker strongly condemned the Israeli response in Gaza and has disparaged the government in terms some Jews and supporters of Israel have labeled antisemitic.

Asked if he would disavow any of Piker’s views, El-Sayed said attempts to pin Piker’s past comments to him amounted to a “gotcha game.”

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“I’m not here to disavow people’s views,” El-Sayed said. “This whole gotcha game, platform policing, cancel culture — I thought we were over it.”

El-Sayed’s comments quickly drew attention from Republicans, who circulated video of his remark online while noting Piker’s divisive past.

El-Sayed defended the decision to appear with Piker on the campaign trail, where the two spoke to a room of about 400 people at Michigan State University, and said hesitancy to engage with left-wing surrogates like him is “exactly why Democrats too often fail to get our message out to everybody.”

El-Sayed and Piker also campaigned at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor on Tuesday.

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Piker downplayed attacks from other Democrats, including the center-left think tank Third Way and some potential 2028 presidential candidates, suggesting they were delivering “talking points that someone else has given them.”

“It is a heinous smear at the end of the day, and it’s one that many of these groups actually apply, because they can’t have a conversation about Israel’s influence over American foreign policy on moral terms,” Piker said. “So instead of attacking the message, they attack the messenger.”

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African fans could lose out due to US visa rules

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African fans could lose out due to US visa rules

As the biggest edition in World Cup history approaches in 2026, football fans in Tunisia, Algeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Cape Verde face unforeseen challenges far removed from the tactics and strategies on the pitch.

New procedures imposed by the US administration through the Visa Bond Pilot Programme could transform the dream of attending the tournament live from the stands into an expensive luxury.

The programme requires each applicant to deposit between $5,000 and $15,000 (£11,200), refundable upon completion of the trip, as a prerequisite for obtaining a B-1/B-2 tourist visa.

In north and west African countries, where average annual incomes are meager compared to these sums, the bill becomes enormous. A family-of-three would need to deposit around $45,000 (£33,600) just as a guarantee in addition to record-breaking ticket prices and the new $250 (£186) visa integrity fee. Plus, pay for expensive hotels which risen in price by 55% in host cities compared to the same period last year.

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World Cup tickets – for wealthy fans only?

The challenge isn’t limited to the financial aspect; logistical complexities add further burdens. US consulates have begun to favor single-entry visas over multiple-entry visas, meaning fans will have to redo their visa applications when traveling between the US, Canada and Mexico to support their national teams.

Meanwhile, long waiting lists persist despite FIFA’s launch of the FIFA PASS platform to streamline appointments, turning obtaining a visa before kick-off in June into a race against time.

The reactions were swift, with fan groups in Africa calling for a travel boycott and urging fans to watch the matches on TV, fearing that attending in person would become a heavy financial burden.

Meanwhile, sources close to FIFA confirm that intensive negotiations are underway with the US to exempt national team delegations and fans from the financial guarantee requirement. The concern is that rigid regulations could transform the tournament into an event for wealthy fans only, jeopardising its popularity and global image.

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The most pressing question remains: will FIFA’s power and authority succeed in ensuring the authentic “pulse of the stadiums”, which has always given the tournament its distinctive spirit? Or will the 2026 edition become the most financially successful yet least popular World Cup in history?

Featured image via Til Buergy

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Iran loses one of its oldest synagogues in US-Israeli missile attack

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Iran loses one of its oldest synagogues in US-Israeli missile attack

The Zionist regime, which calls itself a Jewish state, showed by attacking this site that it has a problem with all Iranians — it makes no distinction between Jews and Muslims.

These are the words of a Mehr News Agency presenter whilst reporting on the recent US-Israeli occupation missile attack on a Jewish synagogue in central Tehran.

The Rafi Niya synagogue, located in a residential area near Palestine Square, was one of the oldest synagogues in Iran. It was totally destroyed in the targeted attack and nearby buildings were “severely damaged”.

According to Homayoun Sameyeh Najafabadi, the Jewish community’s representative in the Iranian Parliament,  the Torah scrolls that were kept in the synagogue have also been destroyed and “remain buried under the rubble”.

Iran synagogue hit during one of the holiest festivals

Talking about the criminal Zionist regime, Najafabadi said it targeted a synagogue belonging to the Iranian Jewish community during the days of Passover “in light of the community’s firm stance in condemning the regime’s actions and its anti-Zionist positions”.

Talking of the total absence of “Israel’s” religious and moral values, he added:

The Zionists merely use Judaism as a pretext to legitimise their actions. All Jews around the world are fully aware of this truth.

Another X user commented:

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The US and Israeli occupation attacks on Iran have left a trail of destruction that includes not only military targets but also oil depots and infrastructure. The atmosphere in the capital was marked by smoke, blocked roads and widespread panic, with rescue teams scrambling to respond. These events triggered protests among Iranians who see the unlawful aggression against their sovereignty.

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Unlawful aggression against Iran’s sovereignty

The attacks violate Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state. Because the attacks were not authorised by the UN Security Council, they are also acts of aggression.

The targeting of oil depots, nuclear facilities and residential areas also raises questions under international humanitarian law, especially when it comes to proportionality and the obligation to distinguish between military and civilian objects. The principle of proportionality prohibits attacks where civilian casualties and damage to civilian property are expected to be excessive in relation to the military advantage anticipated.

Although “Israel” and the US have framed their attacks on Iran as self-defence, they have ulterior motives. They have claimed Iran’s nuclear programme and missile capabilities posed an “existential threat” yet on 28 February — the day Omani mediators announced that Iran had not only agreed to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors full access to its nuclear sites but also dramatically curbed its nuclear programme — their attacks began.

On 2 April, Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, called on the American people to reconsider their views of his country — one which, in modern history, has “consistently avoided aggression, expansionism, and domination”.

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Iran has not started a war in more than two centuries unlike “Israel” or the US, who are the real terrorists.

Featured image via Press TV

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Artemis II crew fall silent on call to Trump and it’s comedy gold

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Artemis II crew fall silent on call to Trump and it's comedy gold

Astronauts aboard Artemis II were seemingly left lost for words after an outpouring of praise from Donald Trump as they embarked on the world’s furthest crewed mission to the Moon.

The entertaining video showed a period of awkward radio silence in which none of the crew, which includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, seemed to want to speak to the US president after his run of compliments. (Shocker, right?)

In fact, one of the astronauts then checked that the line was clear with Trump confirming he was still listening,  suggesting the American and Canadian crew had precious few words for the world leader.

Artemis II crew get Trump’s typical condescending shite

It has to be said, when Trump gives compliments they have a prolific tendency to be pretty damn condescending to the recipient. This incident in space is no different as Trump focused his attention on Canadian astronaut Hansen.

After months of disgusting vitriol from Trump being directed at Canada and its leaders, it’s no surprise that his typical “I have friends” speech landed like a damp squib with the Artemis II crew.

Referring to Canada’s ice hockey player, Wayne Gretzky, who is largely regarded as the world’s greatest, Trump gushed:

Well, I have to say I spoke to a very special person, Wayne Gretzky, who I think you know, the great one. And I spoke to your prime minister and many other friends I have in Canada. They are so proud of you.

And you have a lot of courage. I’m not sure if they’d want to do that. I’m not even sure if the great one would want to do that to be honest with you, but you have a lot of courage doing what you’re doing, a lot of bravery and a lot of genius.

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But they’re very, very proud of you.

Cue hay bales floating in gravity as it seemed the mic became a hot potato no one wanted to take. Instead of responding to Trump’s praise, one of the astronauts then asked NASA for a comms check to “make sure you guys are still on the line”.

Hilariously, like the kid no one wants to play with at a party and had forgotten exists, Trump then responded:

I am. Yes, I am.

Awkward as fuck, but equally, hilarious. We have to take the laughs wherever we can find them, right?

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Comedy gold

The video has unsurprisingly inspired many laughs, with one X user commenting:

That microphone suddenly became a hot potato. Everyone’s like, “I’m not picking it up, you pick it up.”

“Nope, I picked it up last time.”

“Well, if I pick it up, can I call him a stupid fuck?”

“Yeah, don’t do that. He might shoot missiles at us upon reentry.”

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Another person highlighted the laughter from ground control:

Gold! Especially the comms check and the unbridled laughter from ground control.

#SilenceIsBestResponseToTrump

One X account pointed out the cuts that Trump is imposing on NASA:

Bragging about what he has “done” for nasa yet just released a budget wanting to slash nasa’s budget by 23%. 💀

Others have highlighted how inept Trump truly is.

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In fact, the astronauts’ willingness to let Trump languish in that awkward moment only deepens the respect for this courageous team:

The pilot Victor Glover’s beautiful unifying comments potentially signal the points of diversion between the far-right president and the astronauts, who appear to choose love over hate.

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A president nobody likes

It’s no surprise a Canadian might have little to say to the Epstein-class US president given the disgusting threats Trump has made to Canada.

Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, has responded defiantly to attempts by the US to bully and manipulate them into compliance, pointing to a “rupture” in US-Canada relations at Davos. 

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A rupture between these neighbouring countries that this radio silence appears to underscore.

If this video is anything to go by, Canadian citizens seem just as uninterested in what the president thinks. Honestly, it’s delicious.

Featured image via the Canary

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How ‘anti-Zionism’ corrupted the arts

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How ‘anti-Zionism’ corrupted the arts

The post How ‘anti-Zionism’ corrupted the arts appeared first on spiked.

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Home Office bans Kanye from entering UK

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Home Office bans Kanye from entering UK

A new wave of controversy surrounds Kanye West as the UK government have blocked the rapper’s visa for a performance at a major festival. A number of sponsors withdrew from the Wireless Festival in response to a scheduled performance from West. This is due to criticism over a history of antisemitic comments.

West released a song called Heil Hitler last year, alongside selling t-shirts adorned with the swastika. West had technically apologised, but, as the Canary reported:

West published his apology as a paid full-page placement in The Wall Street Journal. That choice matters because the paper does not serve community seeking repair. Investors, executives, advertisers and institutional decision-makers make up its core readership. Ultimately, these are the people who determine whether a public figure remains commercially viable.

Kanye ‘apology’ falls flat

Clearly, the time has come where Kanye’s apologies make good business sense. And, he’s had plenty of practice with them. This is a man who said that slavery was a “choice,” who aligned himself with fascist Donald Trump, and displayed breathtaking misogyny.

West made a statement reaching out to “members of the Jewish community in London in person, to listen” insisting that he wants to “present a show of change, bringing unity, peace and love” through his music:

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Kanye West: “Those I’ve hurt”

This plea from Kanye for an opportunity to repair the harm caused by his prior antisemitic comments follows pressure from the Campaign Against Antisemitism to cancel his performance.

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A spokesperson for CAA stated:

Kanye West has dedicated years of his life to trying to incite his followers to hate Jews. He has more followers than there are Jews on Earth, so his incitement has a huge impact.

Pro-Zionist Board of Deputies of British Jews have accused the festival of “profiteering from racism”, suggesting:

We think that would be a very appropriate step were the home secretary to find a way to not allow him into the country.

Needless to say, the optics are pretty ugly: cabinet officials allow genocidal war criminals to enter without objection. Yet they ban a man who’s caused harm with his antisemitic comments, but is not a genocidal war criminal.

Piers Morgan has welcomed the cancellation calls against Kanye West:

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And, UK PM Keir Starmer has unsurprisingly jumped on the bandwagon to condemn the festival’s decision to give West the headline slot. He expressed his ‘deep concern’ that:

Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism.

Multiple sponsors have apparently pulled their support for the Wireless Festival, with the BBC reporting:

Rockstar Energy became the latest brand to withdraw its sponsorship of the event on Monday. The energy drink brand is owned by the same parent company as Pepsi, which pulled out on Sunday.

Fellow drinks giant Diageo has removed its support “as it stands”, while PayPal will no longer allow its branding to be used on promotional material for the festival.

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British mineral water company Drip has clarified that it is not involved at all with this year’s festival.

Phillipson: “no place for that kind of hatred”

Multiple MPs from Labour and the Conservatives have backed calls to block West’s appearance with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson saying:

There is no place for that kind of hatred, bigotry or antisemitism from him or from anyone else.

Tory MP Chris Philp is arguing that Mahmood’s stance on antisemitism will be clarified by her position on West’s visa:

However, Melvin Benn, the managing director of Festival Republic, has resisted public pressure to kick West to the curb. This refusal comes in light of his own experience witnessing “many episodes of despicable behaviour” which have taught him the need for forgiveness.

Benn recalled his lived experience as an anti-fascist and his time on a kibbutz, stating:

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I am a deeply committed anti-fascist and have been all my adult life. I lived on a kibbutz for many months in the 1970’s that was attacked on October 7th, am pro Jew and the Jewish state, while being equally committed to a Palestinian state.

Referring to West’s past antisemitic comments in a lengthy statement, Benn said:

What Ye has said in the past about Jews and Hitler is as abhorrent to me as it is to the Jewish community, the Prime Minister and others that have commented and – taking him at his word – to Ye now also.

Finishing:

Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world and I would ask people to reflect on their instant comments of disgust at the likelihood of him performing (as was mine) and offer some forgiveness and hope to him as I have decided to do.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews has since responded to Kanye’s request to speak to the Jewish community in London.

They welcomed the call to talk but still insisted he be cancelled:

Double standards exposed

Banning West’s entry into the UK is not an unprecedented decision – he was already denied entry to Australia last year after releasing “Heil Hitler”. What would be unprecedented though is the UK barring entry to individuals accused of genocidal crimes against Palestinians. These blood-thirsty individuals have outstanding arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC) but are seen to be welcomed into the UK’s corridors of power.

Therefore, the contrast is hard to ignore. After all, it further reveals a sinister double standard: the UK government appears willing to tolerate Israel’s violent, murderous hate yet draws the line at a singer who has expressed disgusting hatred. Kanye can be condemned, but we can’t miss the fact that Starmer and his cronies are quick to react when it comes to antisemitism – but not to actual war criminals.

Let’s be clear: antisemitism is abhorrent and must always be confronted. We do not condone Kanye’s previous antisemitic and pro-Nazi posts. But the UK’s failure to confront the deadly rise in Islamophobia and racism – fuelled by Israel’s actions against Palestinians – is just as appalling, but comes with the government’s tacit approval.

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Thus, this incident highlights a serious issue in British politics: the hierarchy of racism.

Featured image via the Canary

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Israel further tightens restrictions on West Bank mosque

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Israel further tightens restrictions on West Bank mosque

Israel has tightened restrictions on the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron in the occupied West Bank – claiming the measures are to protect illegal settlers in the town.

The mosque was the scene of extremist settler Baruch Goldstein’s 1994 massacre of 29 Palestinian worshippers. The atrocity was used by the occupation to further restrict local Muslims’ access to the sacred site, one of Islam’s most important. Israel fenced off the mosque but has now closed additional gates and cut off many of the alternative routes to the mosque. This has forced local people to walk kilometres to gain what access they are allowed, replicating measures imposed on the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Israel’s fascist ‘security minister’ Itamar Ben Gvir has praised Goldstein’s mass murder and today, 7 April 2026, raided Al-Aqsa mosque while announcing it would be re-opened to extremist settlers.

Israel harassing worshippers

Local resident Aref Jaber told Al Jazeera:

The difficulty of reaching the mosque is compounded by the procedures at the iron and electronic gates installed at its entrances and in its vicinity. We are subjected to searches, detention, and harassment without any justification, and often young men, boys, and even women are arrested.

The occupation had ordered the removal of mosque director Moataz Abu Sneineh and his staff for more than two weeks in January and has begun preventing the call to prayer “dozens of times a month”. It then used its attacks on Iran as an excuse to close the mosque completely for six days from the end of February and continues to limit the numbers who can attend. The site is considered a major Islamic holy site and a national symbol of Palestine, making it a target for Israel’s ethno-fascist leadership that denies the Palestinian people even exists and claims the site as the ‘Cave of the [Jewish] Patriarchs’.

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Award-winning human rights activist Issa Amro, who directs the Youth Against Settlements group, said that the situation at the mosque is even more dangerous than al-Aqsa, adding that:

The Jewish area [of the mosque] has been expanded, and recently, residents around the mosque have been living a difficult life due to soldier violence, settler terrorism, the constant closure of barriers, and restrictions on leaving their homes. They live as prisoners in their own homes in fear of settlers and soldiers, and disturbed by the constant gatherings held by settlers in the mosque.

Israel is an apartheid, terror state.

Featured image via the Canary

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Starmer maintains the UK is not involved as drones say otherwise

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Starmer maintains the UK is not involved as drones say otherwise

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has announced that the UK shot down multiple Iranian drones in a ‘high threat area’ overnight on April 4. This is despite Starmer repeatedly claiming that the country will not back up the US and Israel’s illegal attacks on Iran.

The announcement also states that:

UK Typhoons and F-35 jets, supported by Voyager and Royal Navy Merlin and Wildcat helicopters, have continued their defensive missions over the Eastern Mediterranean, Jordan, Bahrain and UAE.

Did the MOD finally admit that the UK is backing up Israel and the US? Or is this still Starmer’s idea of ‘not involved’ and ‘defensive actions’?

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Starmer dragging UK into illegal war

Either way, it seems that Starmer’s words and actions are not quite matching up, which is nothing new. However, his actions are dragging the UK even further into the wrong side of an illegal war. 

What is Starmer’s definition of ‘involved’? Someone should throw a dictionary at his head.

Make your mind up

Since the middle of March, the US military has been loading large explosives into B-1 Lancer bombers at RAF Fairford in Gloucester. The government has attempted to cover this up – literally, using plastic sheeting and fencing. However, there is no hiding 2,000lb bombs.

The US is also using RAF Lakenheath and Mildenhall in Suffolk, and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

Seems a little bit like the UK directly supporting war crimes to me?

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To make matters worse, Byline Times then linked the components used in the Tomahawk missiles which hit a girls’ school in Mibab, to two defence companies with a strong presence in the UK – BAE Systems and Raytheon.

The US missiles murdered around 165 school girls on February 28 in a double-tap attack. The second missile killed sheltering survivors, two first responders, and the parent of a murdered child.

Whilst these were provided by private companies, rather than the government, both hold extensive contracts with the UK government for military equipment.

Priorities

As usual, the UK government is spending money on illegal wars that no one supports, instead of funding vital public services.

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But Starmer will never stick up to Trump. Imagine putting innocent people in harm’s way for the sake of an orange nonce.

Starmer uses the same bullshit definition of ‘not being involved’ as Donald Trump does when he talks about the Epstein Files. It’s bullshit. Is it even a case of Starmer needing to make up his mind? Or is it more like Starmer lying to the public and thinking we’re all too thick to notice?

Feature image via Guardian News/ YouTube

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