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‘Dark Day’ for British Jews as Anti-Zionist Agitator George Galloway Returns to Parliament
George Galloway campaigning in the northern English constituency of Rochdale. Photo: Reuters/Phil Noble
The UK’s main Jewish organization on Friday expressed horror at the return to the British parliament of George Galloway, a far left populist whose election campaign in the northern town of Rochdale centered on the current war in Gaza between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization.
“George Galloway is a demagogue and conspiracy theorist, who has brought the politics of division and hate to every place he has ever stood for Parliament,” the Board of Deputies of British Jews declared in a statement. “His election is a dark day for the Jewish community in this country, and for British politics in general.”
Standing on the ticket of the Workers Party of Britain, whose platform is a combination of protectionism, socialism and a foreign policy hostile to the NATO alliance, Galloway won a resounding victory, polling 12,335 votes — 6,000 more than any other candidate. Muslims compose approximately 20 percent of Rochdale’s population and were heavily targeted by Galloway in the run-up to the vote, sparked by the death of its previous MP, Sir Tony Lloyd. The campaign of the opposition Labour Party, which had been expected to easily win the constituency, collapsed in disarray after it withdrew support for its candidate, Azhar Ali, following an interview he gave in which he endorsed the conspiracy theory that Israel knew of the Oct. 7 Hamas pogrom in advance, describing it as a “massacre that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want.”
During his victory speech, Galloway aimed at a barb at Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who has attempted to stamp out the antisemitism in the party that flourished during the tenure of its previous far left leader, Jeremy Corbyn.
“Keir Starmer – this is for Gaza,” Galloway stated. “You have paid, and you will pay, a high price for the role you have played in enabling, encouraging and covering for the catastrophe presently going on.”
The 69-year-old Galloway has long been one of the more polarizing figures on the British political scene, widely detested in the Jewish community for his visceral attacks on Zionism and support for Israel’s elimination as a sovereign state.
A one-time ally of the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, Galloway frequently boasted of his friendships with regime figures such as the former foreign minister Tariq Aziz, and famously told Saddam during a visit to Baghdad, “Sir, I salute your courage, your strength, your indefatigability.” Expelled from Labour in 2003 for inflammatory remarks on the eve of the war in Iraq, Galloway subsequently founded Respect, a far-left coalition that placed its campaign for “Palestine” front and center.
Once derided as the “MP for Baghdad Central,” Galloway has developed a reputation for parachuting into constituencies with large Muslim populations and standing as an election candidate. Prior to Rochdale, which forms part of the Greater Manchester area, Galloway has previously represented constituencies in Glasgow, east London and Bradford. In 2014, Galloway was the subject of a police investigation for antisemitic comments, after he declared Bradford to be an “Israel-free zone,” declaring, “We reject this illegal, barbarous, savage state that calls itself Israel. And you have to do the same.”
On social media, critics of Galloway pointed out that he had run his campaign in Rochdale along ethnic lines, with separate appeals to the Muslim and white British communities.
In a letter sent to non-Muslim residents, Galloway made no mention of the Middle East, portraying himself as a traditionalist who values family and who emphasized, “Unlike the mainstream parties, I have no difficulty in defining what a woman is.” Galloway added that his priorities would be aiding small businesses, helping the local soccer team to achieve financial stability and a tougher stance on crime. But in his appeal to Muslim voters, Galloway began with the greeting “A’Salaam o Aleikum,” claiming, “I, George Galloway, have fought for Muslims at home and abroad all of my life. And paid a price for it.”
One BBC reporter revealed that his phone had “pinged with texts from MPs from a range of parties expressing depression at [Galloway’s] return to Westminster” following the Rochdale result. In a post on X/Twitter, the Campaign Against Antisemitism recalled previous clashes between Galloway and British Jews, including his statement “that the institutional antisemitism within the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn was really ‘a disgraceful campaign of Goebbelsian fiction’, in reference to Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propagandist.” and his description of the Oct. 7 Hamas atrocities as a “concentration camp breakout.”
The post ‘Dark Day’ for British Jews as Anti-Zionist Agitator George Galloway Returns to Parliament first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Rubio Heads to Israel Amid Tensions Among US Middle East Allies
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to members of the media, before departing for Israel at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, September 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard/Pool
US President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio headed to Israel on Saturday, amid tensions with fellow US allies in the Middle East over Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
Speaking to reporters before departure, Rubio reiterated that the US and President Donald Trump were not happy about the strikes.
Rubio said the US relationship with Israel would not be affected, but that he would discuss with the Israelis how the strike would affect Trump’s desire to secure the return of all the hostages held by Hamas, get rid of the terrorists and end the Gaza war.
“What’s happened, has happened,” he said. “We’re gonna meet with them. We’re gonna talk about what the future holds,” he said.
“There are still 48 hostages that deserve to be released immediately, all at once. And there is still the hard work ahead once this ends, of rebuilding Gaza in a way that provides people the quality of life that they all want.”
Rubio said it had yet to be determined who would do that, who would pay for it and who would be in charge of the process.
After Israel, Rubio is due to join Trump’s planned visit to Britain next week.
Hamas still holds 48 hostages, and Qatar has been one of the mediators, along with the US, trying to secure a ceasefire deal that would include the captives’ release.
On Tuesday, Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Doha. US officials described it as a unilateral escalation that did not serve American or Israeli interests.
The strike on the territory of a close US ally sparked broad condemnation from other Arab states and derailed ceasefire and hostage talks brokered by Qatar.
On Friday, Rubio met with Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the White House, underscoring competing interests in the region that Rubio will seek to balance on his trip. Later that day, US President Donald Trump held dinner with the prime minister in New York.
Rubio’s trip comes ahead of high-level meetings at the United Nations in New York later this month. Countries including France and Britain are expected to recognize Palestinian statehood, a move opposed by Israel.
Washington says such recognition would bolster Hamas and Rubio has suggested the move could spur the annexation of the West Bank sought by hardline members of the Israeli government.
ON Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement to push ahead with a settlement expansion plan that would cut across West Bank land that the Palestinians seek for a state. Last week, the United Arab Emirates warned that this would cross a red line and undermine the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords that normalized UAE-Israel relations in 2020.
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Netanyahu Posts Message Appearing to Confirm Hamas Leaders Survived Doha Strike
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a Plenum session of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, in Jerusalem, June 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – In a statement posted to social media on Saturday evening, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the Qatar-based leadership of Hamas, reiterating that the jihadist group had to regard for the lives of Gazans and represented an obstacle to ending the war and releasing the Israelis it held hostage.
The wording of Netanyahu’s message appeared to confirm that the strike targeting the Hamas leaders in Doha was not crowned with success.
“The Hamas terrorists chiefs living in Qatar don’t care about the people in Gaza,” wrote Netanyahu. “They blocked all ceasefire attempts in order to endlessly drag out the war.” He added that “Getting rid of them would rid the main obstacle to releasing all our hostages and ending the war.”
Israel is yet to officially comment on the result of the strike, which has incurred widespread international criticism.
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Trump Hosts Qatari Prime Minister After Israeli Attack in Doha
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani attends an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, following an Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, Sept. 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
US President Donald Trump held dinner with the Qatari prime minister in New York on Friday, days after US ally Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha.
Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an attack in Qatar on Tuesday, a strike that risked derailing US-backed efforts to broker a truce in Gaza and end the nearly two-year-old conflict. The attack was widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as an act that could escalate tensions in a region already on edge.
Trump expressed annoyance about the strike in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sought to assure the Qataris that such attacks would not happen again.
Trump and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani were joined by a top Trump adviser, US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
“Great dinner with POTUS. Just ended,” Qatar’s deputy chief of mission, Hamah Al-Muftah, said on X.
The White House confirmed the dinner had taken place but offered no details.
The session followed an hour-long meeting that al-Thani had at the White House on Friday with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
A source briefed on the meeting said they discussed Qatar’s future as a mediator in the region and defense cooperation in the wake of the Israeli strikes against Hamas in Doha.
Trump said he was unhappy with Israel’s strike, which he described as a unilateral action that did not advance US or Israeli interests.
Washington counts Qatar as a strong Gulf ally. Qatar has been a main mediator in long-running negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and for a post-conflict plan for the territory.
Al-Thani blamed Israel on Tuesday for trying to sabotage chances for peace but said Qatar would not be deterred from its role as mediator.