Monday, August 18, 2025
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Monday, August 18, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

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https://nordictimes.com/world/national-strike-and-mass-protests-in-israel/

World

National strike and mass protests in Israel

The situation in Gaza

Published today 9:21
– By Editorial Staff
Sunday's demonstrations in Israel are assessed to be the largest since the war began in October 2023.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Tens of thousands of people gathered on Sunday on the streets of Israel in a nationwide protest against the war in Gaza. Demonstrators blocked major highways and demanded an end to the conflict and the release of the remaining hostages.

Sunday’s massive protests were organized by families of hostages and activists demanding an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the swift release of the remaining hostages, reports Associated Press.

Over 300 demonstrations reportedly took place, from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and other cities, with the largest gatherings expected in Tel Aviv at the so-called Hostages Square.

Demonstrators blocked Highway 1 among other roads, where they set fire to tires and caused long traffic jams. Several dozen people were arrested for disturbing the peace. Many of the participants were relatives of hostages and reserve soldiers who have refused to participate in the war.

The demands are clear: an end to the war and a diplomatic solution to secure the return of Israeli citizens and soldiers being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.

Government representatives criticize the protests

Many private companies, universities and certain trade unions support the strike and urge employees to participate, while Israel’s largest trade union, Histadrut, has chosen not to participate officially. However, Histadrut has urged employers to allow staff to participate in the demonstrations without losing pay.

Government representatives have criticized the protests. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called them a harmful campaign that benefits Hamas, while Culture Minister Miki Zohar warned that blockades and disruptions harm the country’s security.

Sunday’s protests are the largest since last year’s escalation of the conflict and show growing domestic division in Israel over how the war should be handled.

The UN and other organizations warn of humanitarian consequences from the continued conflict in Gaza, where tens of thousands of civilians have already been killed or injured.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/world/israel-wants-to-expel-palestinians-to-africa/

World

Israel wants to expel Palestinians to Africa

The genocide in Gaza

Published 13 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
South Sudan's leader Salva Kiir Mayardit is reportedly willing to accept Palestinians in order to strengthen ties with Israel and the United States.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Israel has initiated discussions with South Sudan about expelling Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to the war-torn East African country.

The plans are described as an attempt at mass expulsion and ethnic cleansing following Israel’s 22-month-long invasion and have drawn strong criticism for violating international law and humanitarian principles.

Six sources with insight confirm to Associated Press that talks are ongoing, but it remains unclear how far they have actually progressed. The proposal involves moving Palestinians from one starvation zone to another, which according to analysts risks worsening the already very difficult humanitarian situation for Gaza’s population.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for what he himself claims is “voluntary migration”, and has previously proposed similar arrangements with other African countries.

— I think that the right thing to do, even according to the laws of war as I know them, is to allow the population to leave, and then you go in with all your might against the enemy who remains there, Netanyahu said in an interview with Israeli TV channel i24 on Tuesday.

“Needs allies”

Palestinians and human rights organizations reject the plans, however, stating that it practically amounts to ethnic cleansing, where Israel could annex all of Gaza and reestablish Jewish settlements – a demand from far-right ministers in the government. Many Palestinians also fear they would never be allowed to return to their homeland.

For South Sudan, which has struggled with civil war, corruption and famine since independence in 2011, the agreement is seen as a way to strengthen ties with Israel and Trump. The country’s leadership hopes for eased sanctions and improved relations with the US.

— Cash-strapped South Sudan needs any ally, financial gain and diplomatic security it can get, says journalist Peter Martell, author of the book First Raise a Flag, which is about the African nation.

An Israeli delegation plans to visit the African country to investigate whether it is possible to establish camps for Palestinians, according to Joe Szlavik, founder of a lobbying company that works with the country.

Analysts point out that Israel is likely prepared to finance temporary camps in the country, but Edmund Yakani, leader of a South Sudanese civil society organization, warns of the consequences.

— South Sudan should not become a dumping ground for people. And it should not accept to take people as negotiating chips to improve relations, says Yakani.

Discussions with more African countries

Egypt opposes the plans to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza. They are concerned that this would lead to increased refugee flows from Gaza, which would negatively affect their own country.

Israel and the US have previously held talks with Sudan, Somalia and the self-declared region of Somaliland, all of which are struggling with war and famine. However, it is unclear how far these discussions have progressed.

Critics argue that the proposal to expel Palestinians from Gaza not only violates international law, but also ignores their right to their land.

Even though many Palestinians would likely consider leaving Gaza temporarily due to war and famine, South Sudan is also considered a particularly poor alternative – not only because the country is poor, chaotic and dysfunctional – but also because bloody ethnic and religious conflicts have long been ongoing in the region.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/five-journalists-killed-in-israeli-attack/

World

Five journalists killed in Israeli attack

The genocide in Gaza

Published 11 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Anas and the other journalists "were killed because of their relentless reporting on the starvation and the famine and the malnutrition" in Gaza, according to a colleague.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif was killed late Sunday evening along with four colleagues in an Israeli attack on a tent where journalists had gathered outside the main entrance to al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.

The attack was intentional and aimed, according to the media company, at silencing voices reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Israel, in turn, claims that the killed journalist was a Hamas leader.

A total of seven people lost their lives. Among the dead are also Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa.

Shortly before he was killed, the 28-year-old reporter wrote on X that Israel had launched an intense bombardment against eastern and southern Gaza City. In his final video, powerful explosions can also be heard while the night sky is lit up by orange light.

Al-Sharif was a well-known correspondent for Al Jazeera Arabic who had long reported from northern Gaza about the consequences of Israel’s invasion. In a final message, prepared to be published upon his death, he wrote:

“I have lived through pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, yet I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification – so that Allah may bear witness against those who stayed silent, those who accepted our killing, those who choked our breath, and whose hearts were unmoved by the scattered remains of our children and women, doing nothing to stop the massacre that our people have faced for more than a year and a half”.

“Do not forget Gaza… And do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance”, he concluded his message. Al-Sharif leaves behind his wife Bayan and children Salah and Sham.

Israel: Led Hamas cell

The Israeli military has confirmed that the attack was intentional. However, they accuse al-Sharif of having led a Hamas cell and “driving rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and troops”, but have not publicly released any of the alleged evidence.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Irene Khan, and several human rights organizations argue that the Israeli accusations lack foundation.

— His entire daily routine was standing in front of a camera from morning to evening, notes Muhammed Shahada at Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor.

Al Jazeera dismisses the claims as fabricated and describes the killing as “a desperate attempt to silence the voices” reporting on Israeli violations.

200 killed journalists

The attack has also drawn sharp reactions from press freedom organizations.

— Israel’s pattern of labelling journalists as militants without providing credible evidence raises serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom, comments Sara Qudah at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Anas and the other journalists “were killed because of their relentless reporting on the starvation and the famine and the malnutrition” that Palestinians in Gaza are subjected to, believes Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud, who was a block away when the attack took place.

— (They were killed) because they’re bringing the truth of this crime to everyone.

According to AFP, over 200 reporters and media workers have been killed in Gaza since October 2023. Just as in the case of Anas al-Sharif, Israeli authorities routinely claim that many of the killed journalists were simultaneously members of Hamas or other armed groups.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/hundreds-of-pro-palestinian-activists-arrested-in-london/

World

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists arrested in London

The genocide in Gaza

Published 10 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Publicly expressing support or sympathy for "Palestine Action" can now lead to imprisonment in the United Kingdom.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

In the midst of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Britain has designated the pro-Palestinian activist group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization and made it a criminal offense to publicly support them.

On Saturday, 466 people were arrested in central London – many simply for holding up signs condemning genocide and expressing support for the group in question.

The ban on the radical left-wing group Palestine Action came into effect in early July, after the group’s activists broke into RAF Brize Norton airbase in Oxfordshire, England, and sprayed red paint into the engines of two tanker aircraft, as well as causing damage with crowbars.

The action was a protest against Britain’s military support for Israel’s invasion – a war whose goal, according to international observers and human rights organizations, is to drive out the entire Palestinian population.

Palestine Action has never harmed any people, but has focused on vandalizing and sabotaging material targets connected to the Israeli military.

“A major embarrassment”

Over 500 people gathered on Saturday at Parliament Square in London. Many held signs with the message “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action” – fully aware that this is now criminalized. The purpose was to show how the law is being used to restrict freedom of expression and that it is practically unenforceable and morally reprehensible.

The organization Defend Our Juries, which organized the protest, commented on the mass arrests:

— The police have only been able to arrest a fraction of those supposedly committing ‘terrorism’ offenses, and most of those have been given street bail and allowed to go home. This is a major embarrassment to the government, further undermining the credibility of this widely ridiculed law, brought in to punish those exposing the government’s own crimes.

Images from the sit-in protests – before police had time to arrest participants. Photo: private/X

The Metropolitan Police rejected the criticism and claimed that many on site were spectators, journalists or people who were not carrying signs in support of Palestine Action:

— We are confident that anyone who came to Parliament Square today to hold a placard expressing support for Palestine Action was either arrested or is in the process of being arrested, police said in a statement.

Risk imprisonment

Even before Saturday, police had openly stated that the demonstration was unusual because participants actively wanted to be arrested to burden police and the justice system.

Palestine Action has previously targeted Israeli arms suppliers and other locations in Britain that they claim have connections to Israel’s military machine.

The ban, which means that any form of public support for the group can result in imprisonment, is now being legally challenged by many observers. Supporters themselves argue that the government has gone too far by classifying an action group that does not engage in violence against people as a “terrorist organization”.

“Once the meaning of ‘terrorism’ is separated from campaigns of violence against a civilian population, and extended to include those causing economic damage or embarrassment to the rich, the powerful and the criminal, then the right to freedom of expression has no meaning and democracy is dead”, writes Defend Our Juries on their website.

Over the weekend, pro-Palestinian demonstrators also marched to Downing Street, where British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has his official residence and office.

Starmer has sparked anger in Israel with plans to recognize a Palestinian state later this year – but many pro-Palestinian voices argue that this is not enough and that the government should act to stop the war immediately.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The far-left group Palestine Action was founded in 2020 in the United Kingdom and describes itself as a movement against colonialism and war. The group's campaigns target weapons factories, logistics centers and other locations considered to have connections to Israel's military machine. The goal is to stop Britain's military and economic support for Israel, particularly arms exports and cooperation with Israeli defense companies.

Their methods consist of direct actions and sabotage against property – such as climbing buildings, blocking transports, spraying red paint and vandalizing facilities – but the group emphasizes that they have never harmed people. The action that led to the organization being banned in July 2025 was when activists broke into RAF Brize Norton air base and sprayed red paint into the engines of two tanker aircraft used in Israel's warfare in Gaza.

Supporters view the ban as an attempt to silence opposition to Israel's genocide and to criminalize non-violent political activism, while the British government claims the organization poses a "terrorist threat".

https://nordictimes.com/world/smotrich-netanyahu-cannot-win-the-war/

World

Smotrich: Netanyahu cannot win the war

The genocide in Gaza

Published 10 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich believes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been far too cowardly and soft during the invasion of Gaza.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Israeli Finance Minister and far-right settler leader Bezalel Smotrich has launched a harsh attack against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the conduct of the war in Gaza.

In a statement on Saturday evening, he said he had “lost confidence” in Netanyahu’s willingness to lead the army to victory, and demanded an even harsher invasion that ends with Hamas’s total defeat and the annexation of Gaza.

Smotrich, who leads the Religious Zionist Party, wants the security cabinet to immediately reconvene and establish that there will be no more “pauses” in the war or any new partial agreements. At Thursday’s government meeting, he also threatened new elections.

— As far as I’m concerned, we can stop everything and let the people decide, Smotrich said according to Israeli public broadcaster KAN.

In his statement, he demands a “decisive” military solution:

— This time we proceed with a clear, sharp move toward a decisive outcome and victory – ending with Hamas’s complete surrender and the return of all the hostages at once, or with its defeat and total destruction. Annex large parts of the Gaza Strip and open its gates to voluntary emigration.

“War should be fought to the end”

He accuses Netanyahu and the cabinet of “succumbing to weaknesses” and conducting military operations that do not aim to defeat Hamas, but only to pressure for partial hostage deals – agreements that mean Israel pauses fighting and thereby allows Hamas to “recover and rearm”.

Smotrich criticizes the fact that tens of thousands of soldiers are risking their lives in Gaza City and that Israel is “paying a heavy political and international cost” without achieving a decisive outcome.

— A war should be fought to win, to the end – even if it carries heavy costs. But a partial move meant only to push Hamas back into the negotiating room, in national humiliation and capitulation to terror – absolutely not, he said.

The finance minister has previously defended the release of convicted Palestinian prisoners and military retreats “for the sake of unity,” but claims his patience has now run out. He argues that as long as Hamas is given the opportunity to get a “breathing pause” in exchange for releasing hostages, the war will continue in an eternal cycle of bloodshed without “decisive outcome”.

“Gaza will be totally destroyed”

Smotrich has long been a harshly criticized and controversial politician even at home in Israel. He is an outspoken opponent of Palestinian independence and has demanded that Israel annex the entire West Bank and claimed that no Palestinian people exists.

His political vision aligns closely with the idea of a “Greater Israel”, where Israel’s borders would expand into parts of neighboring countries – something that would in practice make a Palestinian state impossible and cement the Israeli occupation.

On the Gaza issue, Smotrich has pursued a line that many observers describe as extreme even within the current Israeli government. He has openly said that “Gaza will be entirely destroyed” and advocated for large parts of the population to leave the area permanently.

His extreme statements and policies have triggered sharp international criticism and concrete measures. The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Norway and New Zealand have imposed travel bans with the justification that he incites and legitimizes violence against Palestinians. The EU has warned member countries against receiving him officially and points to allegations that the Israeli minister actively supports violence and dehumanization of Palestinians.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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