As Britain’s Palestinians commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, liberal British Jewish diaspora organisations note shifting attitudes on the Palestinian issue among their communities.
Each year, on May 15, Palestinians remember the events leading up to the creation of Israel in 1948 that would claim hundreds of lives and affect many generations in the years that followed. But until recently for Britain's Jewish communities, the day went unmentioned.
Yet there are signs that this may be changing, as condemnation of Israel becomes more pronounced.
“There used to be a gap in our community on how to talk about [the occupation], and a fear of being ostracised,” said Em Hilton, a co-founder of Na’amod, an organisation founded in 2019 to get British Jewish support to end the occupation. “Now we've shifted the conversation.”
On Monday, members of Na’amod are attending a talk by Francesca Albanese, the UN's Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, as part of the university’s Nakba commemorations.
“Young people are asking more questions, there are more discussions on anti-racism in the UK and you can’t separate that from what’s happening in Israel,” said Danielle Bett, director of communications at Yachad, a UK-based organisation founded in 2012.
Yachad advocates for a political resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict among UK politicians and young people. It regularly organises events in the UK and trips to Israel to raise awareness about the impacts of the occupation and illegal settlements.
“When we started we were on the sidelines, now we’re not considered as controversial,” said Bett.
The debate in the UK sees young people who identify as pro-Israeli or Zionist openly speak out against inequalities for Palestinians, Israel's human rights abuses, occupation and illegal settlements.
“A more progressive voice within the Jewish community has become louder and bigger in the past decade,” said Leonie Fleischmann, a political scientist at London’s City University and author of The Israeli Peace Movement (2021).
“It’s more common to hear younger Jewish spaces talk about ending the occupation and even using the word apartheid.”
These changes may be reflected in a recent survey by Jewish Policy Research, an institute researching attitudes among Jewish communities in the UK, which found that more than a third of British Jews, 33 per cent, disagreed with the Israeli military's handling of the 2021 conflict in Gaza.
“Respondents who felt more weakly attached to Israel, or who were younger or more secular, or politically leftist, or university educated, were more likely to hold a more critical stance than those who were older, or more religious, or politically rightist, or non-university educated”, said the report.
Even mainstream organisations are changing, experts say.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews, a representative body, refused to meet Israeli Minister Bezazel Smotrich during his trip to the UK, and then publicly denounced his comments about a Palestinian village that had been attacked by Israeli settlers.
“We utterly condemn Bezazel Smotrich’s comments calling for the State of Israel to ‘erase’ a village which days ago was attacked by Israeli settlers. We hope that this and similar comments will be publicly repudiated by responsible voices in the governing coalition.”
The Union of Jewish Students, which is critical of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, condemned the UK government’s proposal to outlaw it, adding that the proposed regulation was “a risk to British Jewish communities and a setback to Israeli-Palestinian peace.”
One catalyst for this shift may be the ongoing pro-democracy protests in Israel, which Israeli expats have also organised in London.
“Seeing the Israeli community protest in London has been a challenge for the British Jewish community,” said Bett.
She hopes that the protests in Israel — which include a bloc that opposes the occupation — will have a trickle-down effect in Britain's Jewish diaspora.
“People are understanding that the far-right doesn’t just affect Israeli politics, it’s also about the occupation,” she said. “People see the damage it has done to the two-state solution, or to any political resolution.”
“People at the centre of politics in the British Jewish community see how they’re going to be affected. They can see that the far-right is no longer sidelined,” Bett said.
The decline in the peace process, as defined by the Oslo Accords in 1995, may have triggered the debate.
“Since the end of the Second Intifada, the narrative shifted from peace process to anti-occupation,” said Fleischmann, “Reports that were coming out from Israeli human rights organisations meant that [British Jews] were much more aware of what was going on.”
“A much larger chunk of young Jews know about Sheikh Jarrah, and what’s going on in the West Bank. Their level of knowledge of the Palestinian predicament and history is much greater than 20 years ago,” she said.
The Jewish debate on the Palestinian issue has been politically pronounced in the US, where the pro-Israeli organisation J-Street rose to challenge the dominance of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a lobbying group, and influenced a range of issues including the Iran nuclear deal.
Yachad works with MPs across all parties and advocates on Israeli-Palestine issues to the British parliament.
“We want British governments to be more critical of Israel, and show they are committed to a two-state solution,” said Bett, “We also make sure that the really strong criticism does not fall into anti-Semitism.”
Yet Jeremy Pollard, an editor of the Jewish Chronicle, described Yachad’s politics as “dangerously wrong” — a sign that the debate could become divisive.
Despite these changes, commemorating the Nakba remains on the fringes — according to those interviewed.
“The Nakba is the next challenge,” said Hilton, “You can’t full understand the reality of what is happening in Gaza without talking about what happened in 1948. For many Jewish people Israel was a miracle.”
The organisation Combatants for Peace will host its fourth joint commemoration of the Nakba — in the UK, US and Israel — on Monday.
An online video promoting the event shows Israelis reading a statement alongside Palestinians, in Hebrew and Arabic: “To recognise the Nakba is to look at the past with open eyes and an open heart — to see the demolished villages, the shattered dreams. We bear witness to the pain,” they said.
Joint commemorations may also be met with resistance from Palestinians.
“However well intentioned, this is a Palestinian event,” said Dr. Ghada Karmi, author of One State: The Only Democratic Future for Palestine and Israel. “It is our day of mourning.”
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20myZoi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Syed%20Ali%2C%20Christian%20Buchholz%2C%20Shanawaz%20Rouf%2C%20Arsalan%20Siddiqui%2C%20Nabid%20Hassan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2037%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Initial%20undisclosed%20funding%20from%20SC%20Ventures%3B%20second%20round%20of%20funding%20totalling%20%2414%20million%20from%20a%20consortium%20of%20SBI%2C%20a%20Japanese%20VC%20firm%2C%20and%20SC%20Venture%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: Major Cinnamon, Fernando Jara, Mujeeb Rahman
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,900m; Winner: Al Mureib, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Remorse, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
8.15pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Meshakel, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Desert Peace, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m; Winner: Sharamm, Ryan Curatlo, Satish Seemar
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 3
Gayle (23'), Perez (59', 63')
Chelsea 0
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
The winners
Fiction
- ‘Amreekiya’ by Lena Mahmoud
- ‘As Good As True’ by Cheryl Reid
The Evelyn Shakir Non-Fiction Award
- ‘Syrian and Lebanese Patricios in Sao Paulo’ by Oswaldo Truzzi; translated by Ramon J Stern
- ‘The Sound of Listening’ by Philip Metres
The George Ellenbogen Poetry Award
- ‘Footnotes in the Order of Disappearance’ by Fady Joudah
Children/Young Adult
- ‘I’ve Loved You Since Forever’ by Hoda Kotb
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Enterprise-grade%20security%20and%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Unlimited%20higher-speed%20GPT-4%20access%20with%20no%20caps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Longer%20context%20windows%20for%20processing%20longer%20inputs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Advanced%20data%20analysis%20capabilities%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customisation%20options%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shareable%20chat%20templates%20that%20companies%20can%20use%20to%20collaborate%20and%20build%20common%20workflows%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Analytics%20dashboard%20for%20usage%20insights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Free%20credits%20to%20use%20OpenAI%20APIs%20to%20extend%20OpenAI%20into%20a%20fully-custom%20solution%20for%20enterprises%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
