Londoners protest in support of Israel and Palestine, revealing deep divisions


Lemma Shehadi
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Solidarity protests for Israel and Palestine were held in London on Monday, in a sign of the conflict’s far-reaching divisions.

Just three miles apart, hundreds of supporters of both sides of the conflict gathered.

Outside 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister’s residence, a vigil for Israel brought together more than 2,000 Israeli expatriates and British Jews.

Meanwhile, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the Israeli embassy in Kensington, where they chanted, let off fireworks and lit flares. Some scuffles broke out.

Police said they made three arrests for an assault on an emergency worker, racially-motivated criminal damage and possession of an offensive weapon.

Nearby, officers were also forced to separate pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups at High Street Kensington tube station.

On Tuesday morning, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly called on supporters of Palestine to stay at home.

He said: “There is no need, there’s no necessity for people to come out. It causes distress.

“This is a difficult, delicate situation.”

UK ministers and leading members of the community spoke to the Downing Street vigil.

Tom Tugendhat, the Minister of Security, reaffirmed the UKs support for Israel.

“I spoke to the Prime Minister [Rishi Sunak] today and his commitment has only doubled,” Mr Tugendhat said.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis opened the vigil by highlighting the importance of Israel for British Jews.

“Oh people of Israel we are at one with you, you are our destiny," he said. "We cry with you, we are at pain with you, and together with you we are for peace."

Tzipi Hotovely, Israel’s Ambassador to the UK, thanked the “people of London” who had come to express support for Israel, and condemned Hamas’s “barbaric” behaviour.

“We will never let them win," Ms Hotovely said. "To all the people that support the free world, that support democracy and support Jewish life in the Jewish state of Israel, we want to thank you."

Israel’s struggle was likened to the British fight against “intolerance and Nazism” in the Second World War by Iain Duncan Smith, a former leader of the Conservative Party.

“When we see a country like Israel suffering in the way that they have, through intolerance, violence, anger and desperation, we say very simply we are all Jewish, we are all Israeli."

Members of the Jewish community light candles during a vigil for Israel at Downing Street. Getty Images
Members of the Jewish community light candles during a vigil for Israel at Downing Street. Getty Images

Many held home-made posters with the names of those killed or still missing after the attack.

Emmie Seknadje, 24, a recent graduate, said that although she has always lived in London, she came to support Israel.

“My grandparents live in Israel and I have lots of extended family there," Ms Seknadje said. "Most people are not in their houses, schools are closed – it's wartime conditions."

There were also Iranians who came to denounce Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' involvement in the conflict as a sponsor of Hamas.

“The situation that took place in Israel is another human rights violation at the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said Ella Hijahiri, a British-Iranian women’s rights activist who has been involved in protests against the Iranian government.

The Houses of Parliament are lit up blue and white in support of Israel on October 9 in London. Getty Images
The Houses of Parliament are lit up blue and white in support of Israel on October 9 in London. Getty Images

“I’m here to let the world know that Iranian citizens are not in favour of any war. Whether it’s Gazans shooting at civilian Israelis, or Israel retaliating disproportionately.

“We need to face Hamas and do something about them, and cut the hands and the tentacles of the IRGC.”

The UK government and opposition have expressed unwavering support for Israel after the attack, with the Houses of Parliament and other landmarks being lit white and blue – the colours of the Israeli flag – at night.

Yet the Israeli-Gaza conflict is sowing deep divisions across London’s streets and university campuses.

Videos of people appearing to celebrate Hamas’s attack on Israel prompted Home Secretary Suella Braverman to call for police to “use the full force of the law” against such displays of support on Sunday.

People take part in a demonstration in support of Palestine at the Israeli embassy in London. Getty Images
People take part in a demonstration in support of Palestine at the Israeli embassy in London. Getty Images

Sam Verebes, 22, echoed these concerns when he attended the vigil.

“Public figures should be very careful about the language they use and the stories they portray," Mr Verebes said

"The safety of Jewish people is a considerable [concern]. On social media people are not informed and threaten Jewish people."

Across town, outside the Israeli embassy, a different crowd had gathered to protest against Israel’s war on Gaza, the occupation and illegal settlements.

There, Israel was described as an “apartheid” state, echoing condemnations of the country’s policies by human rights groups.

Mahmoud Abu Shakra, a maths teacher at a London school, sold Palestine-themed merchandise to raise funds for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

“They are excluded from a lot of jobs, they're discriminated against and marginalised,” Mr Abu Shakra said, adding that his family had been refugees in Lebanon.

He dismissed the UK's support for Israel and its response to the conflict as a “knee-jerk” reaction.

“If they were really worried about democratic values, they would respect human rights and freedom of movement,” he said.

Pro-Palestine protesters gather outside the Israeli embassy on Monday. Getty Images
Pro-Palestine protesters gather outside the Israeli embassy on Monday. Getty Images

Solidarity protests for Palestine often bring together an eclectic crowd, which today included Women of Colour in Global Women’s Strike, and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network.

Placards by the Socialist Worker Party, a long-standing staple at these protests, called for a Palestinian Intifada.

Haya, an Egyptian international relations student, said she was there to support the “liberation” of Palestine.

“We will not stop protesting, going out into the streets," Haya said. "We will always make sure that we educate and inform people of Israel’s crimes.

“We don’t want any more ethnic cleansing for the Palestinians. We want them to live in peace."

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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

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Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

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Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.

 

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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)

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Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

Ticket prices
  • Golden circle - Dh995
  • Floor Standing - Dh495
  • Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
  • Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
  • Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
  • Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
  • Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
  • Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES

All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated

Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid

Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona

Which products are to be taxed?

To be taxed:

Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category

Not taxed

Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.

Products excluded from the ‘sweetened drink’ category would contain at least 75 per cent milk in a ready-to-drink form or as a milk substitute, baby formula, follow-up formula or baby food, beverages consumed for medicinal use and special dietary needs determined as per GCC Standardisation Organisation rules

A cheaper choice

Vanuatu: $130,000

Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.

Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.

Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.

Benefits:  No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.

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Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

War 2

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana

Rating: 2/5

Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Rafael Nadal's record at the MWTC

2009 Finalist

2010 Champion

Jan 2011 Champion

Dec 2011 Semi-finalist

Dec 2012 Did not play

Dec 2013 Semi-finalist

2015 Semi-finalist

Jan 2016 Champion

Dec 2016 Champion

2017 Did not play

 

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Brief scores

Barcelona 2

Pique 36', Alena 87'

Villarreal 0

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
BRIEF SCORES

England 353 and 313-8 dec
(B Stokes 112, A Cook 88; M Morkel 3-70, K Rabada 3-85)  
(J Bairstow 63, T Westley 59, J Root 50; K Maharaj 3-50)
South Africa 175 and 252
(T Bavuma 52; T Roland-Jones 5-57, J Anderson 3-25)
(D Elgar 136; M Ali 4-45, T Roland-Jones 3-72)

Result: England won by 239 runs
England lead four-match series 2-1

If you go

The flights

Fly direct to London from the UAE with Etihad, Emirates, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic from about Dh2,500 return including taxes. 

The hotel

Rooms at the convenient and art-conscious Andaz London Liverpool Street cost from £167 (Dh800) per night including taxes.

The tour

The Shoreditch Street Art Tour costs from £15 (Dh73) per person for approximately three hours. 

Abdul Jabar Qahraman was meeting supporters in his campaign office in the southern Afghan province of Helmand when a bomb hidden under a sofa exploded on Wednesday.

The blast in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah killed the Afghan election candidate and at least another three people, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told reporters. Another three were wounded, while three suspects were detained, he said.

The Taliban – which controls much of Helmand and has vowed to disrupt the October 20 parliamentary elections – claimed responsibility for the attack.

Mr Qahraman was at least the 10th candidate killed so far during the campaign season, and the second from Lashkar Gah this month. Another candidate, Saleh Mohammad Asikzai, was among eight people killed in a suicide attack last week. Most of the slain candidates were murdered in targeted assassinations, including Avtar Singh Khalsa, the first Afghan Sikh to run for the lower house of the parliament.

The same week the Taliban warned candidates to withdraw from the elections. On Wednesday the group issued fresh warnings, calling on educational workers to stop schools from being used as polling centres.

Updated: October 10, 2023, 7:24 AM`