RSS
UK Intensifies Pressure on Israel, Suspends Trade Talks and Imposes Sanctions Amid Gaza Conflict
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during a reception, following the UK-EU summit, in London, Britain, May 19, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Hannah McKay/Pool
The British government is increasing pressure on Israel over its military campaign in Gaza against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, by halting free trade talks and imposing sanctions on Israeli residents in the West Bank.
On Tuesday, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy described the situation in Gaza as “abominable,” sharply criticizing Israel’s defensive campaign throughout the war-torn enclave and its handling of humanitarian aid.
Despite an existing trade agreement between the two countries, the British diplomat warned that negotiations cannot proceed as long as the Jewish state pursues what he described as “egregious policies in the West Bank and Gaza.”
“The world is judging,” Lammy said in a statement. “History will judge them. Blocking aid. Expanding the war. Dismissing the concerns of your friends and partners. This is indefensible. And it must stop.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry denounced the UK government’s latest decision as “anti-Israel” in a statement on X, arguing that the free trade agreement was mutually beneficial and in the best interests of both nations.
“If, due to anti-Israel obsession and domestic political considerations, the British government is willing to harm the British economy — that is its own prerogative,” the statement read.
The Israeli government also condemned the sanctions targeting Israeli residents in the West Bank, asserting that the UK’s actions would not deter Israel from defending its security or its right to exist.
“The sanctions against residents of Judea and Samaria [the West Bank] are unjustified, and regrettable, especially at a time when Israel is mourning yet another victim of Palestinian terror — Tzeela Gez, of blessed memory, who was murdered on her way to the delivery room,” the statement read.
“The British Mandate ended exactly 77 years ago. External pressure will not divert Israel from its path in defending its existence and security against enemies who seek its destruction,” it continued, referring to Britain’s administration in the early to mid-20th century over what is today Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank.
Following the UK’s announcement that it will suspend free trade agreement negotiations with Israel and impose sanctions on settlers:
Even prior to today’s announcement, the free trade agreement negotiations were not being advanced at all by the current UK government. More than…
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 20, 2025
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also criticized Israel’s military campaign against Hamas, calling the suffering of children in Gaza “utterly intolerable” and urging an immediate ceasefire.
“I want to put on record today that we are horrified by the escalation from Israel,” Starmer said in a press conference.
The UK’s latest actions against Israel came just one day after the country joined France and Canada in a joint statement, warning that “concrete measures” would be taken if the Israeli government does not end its renewed military offensive and significantly ease restrictions on humanitarian aid.
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the leaders of France, the UK, and Canada, accusing them of rewarding terrorism with their threats and condemning their stance.
“By asking Israel to end a defensive war for our survival before Hamas terrorists on our border are destroyed, and by demanding a Palestinian state, the leaders in London, Ottawa, and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on Oct. 7, while inviting more such atrocities,” the Israeli leader said in a statement, referring to the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that started the current war.
“The war can end tomorrow if the remaining hostages are released, Hamas lays down its arms, its murderous leaders are exiled, and Gaza is demilitarized. No nation can be expected to accept anything less, and Israel certainly won’t,” the statement continued. “This is a war of civilization over barbarism. Israel will continue to defend itself by just means until total victory is achieved.”
By asking Israel to end a defensive war for our survival before Hamas terrorists on our border are destroyed and by demanding a Palestinian state, the leaders in London, Ottowa and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more…
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 19, 2025
Meanwhile, Hamas welcomed the joint statement by the UK, France, and Canada, calling it “a step in the right direction” — a response that, according to Israeli officials, shows these countries are on “the wrong side of history.”
“When you’re praised by Hamas — a jihadist terrorist organization that murders children and rapes women — you’re on the wrong side of history,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry wrote in a post on X. “What a disgrace.”
When you’re praised by Hamas — a jihadist terrorist organization that murders children and rapes women — you’re on the wrong side of history.
What a disgrace. pic.twitter.com/5ZT7rS8lt2
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 20, 2025
Israel has strongly denied allegations of causing starvation in Gaza, emphasizing that, prior to its recent blockade, it had consistently delivered substantial humanitarian aid to the enclave throughout the conflict.
Israeli officials have also stated that much of the aid entering Gaza is diverted by Hamas, which uses it to fund terrorist activities and sells the remainder at inflated prices to civilians in the enclave.
Jerusalem has also argued that aid distribution should not be entrusted to international organizations, accusing them of allowing Hamas to seize supplies meant for the civilian population.
According to media reports, Israel will resume humanitarian shipments through a US-backed organization scheduled to begin operations in Gaza by the end of May. Around 60 trucks carrying essential food and household supplies will enter the Strip each day, inspected by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at the Kerem Shalom border crossing.
The aid will then be distributed at designated centers in southern Gaza, secured by American contractors, while non-governmental organizations will handle direct distribution to ensure Hamas does not divert the supplies.
The post UK Intensifies Pressure on Israel, Suspends Trade Talks and Imposes Sanctions Amid Gaza Conflict first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Israel to Issue 54,000 Call-Up Notices to Ultra-Orthodox Students
Haredi Jewish men look at the scene of an explosion at a bus stop in Jerusalem, Israel, on Nov. 23, 2022. Photo: Reuters/Ammar Awad
Israel’s military said it would issue 54,000 call-up notices to ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students following a Supreme Court ruling mandating their conscription and amid growing pressure from reservists stretched by extended deployments.
The Supreme Court ruling last year overturned a decades-old exemption for ultra-Orthodox students, a policy established when the community comprised a far smaller segment of the population than the 13 percent it represents today.
Military service is compulsory for most Israeli Jews from the age of 18, lasting 24-32 months, with additional reserve duty in subsequent years. Members of Israel’s 21 percent Arab population are mostly exempt, though some do serve.
A statement by the military spokesperson confirmed the orders on Sunday just as local media reported legislative efforts by two ultra-Orthodox parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition to craft a compromise.
The exemption issue has grown more contentious as Israel’s armed forces in recent years have faced strains from simultaneous engagements with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen, and Iran.
Ultra-Orthodox leaders in Netanyahu’s brittle coalition have voiced concerns that integrating seminary students into military units alongside secular Israelis, including women, could jeopardize their religious identity.
The military statement promised to ensure conditions that respect the ultra-Orthodox way of life and to develop additional programs to support their integration into the military. It said the notices would go out this month.
The post Israel to Issue 54,000 Call-Up Notices to Ultra-Orthodox Students first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Influential Far-Right Minister Lashes out at Netanyahu Over Gaza War Policy
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attends an inauguration event for Israel’s new light rail line for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, in Petah Tikva, Israel, Aug. 17, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich sharply criticized on Sunday a cabinet decision to allow some aid into Gaza as a “grave mistake” that he said would benefit the terrorist group Hamas.
Smotrich also accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to ensure that Israel’s military is following government directives in prosecuting the war against Hamas in Gaza. He said he was considering his “next steps” but stopped short of explicitly threatening to quit the coalition.
Smotrich’s comments come a day before Netanyahu is due to hold talks in Washington with President Donald Trump on a US-backed proposal for a 60-day Gaza ceasefire.
“… the cabinet and the Prime Minister made a grave mistake yesterday in approving the entry of aid through a route that also benefits Hamas,” Smotrich said on X, arguing that the aid would ultimately reach the Islamist group and serve as “logistical support for the enemy during wartime”.
The Israeli government has not announced any changes to its aid policy in Gaza. Israeli media reported that the government had voted to allow additional aid to enter northern Gaza.
The prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The military declined to comment.
Israel accuses Hamas of stealing aid for its own fighters or to sell to finance its operations, an accusation Hamas denies. Gaza is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe, with conditions threatening to push nearly a half a million people into famine within months, according to U.N. estimates.
Israel in May partially lifted a nearly three-month blockade on aid. Two Israeli officials said on June 27 the government had temporarily stopped aid from entering north Gaza.
PRESSURE
Public pressure in Israel is mounting on Netanyahu to secure a permanent ceasefire, a move opposed by some hardline members of his right-wing coalition. An Israeli team left for Qatar on Sunday for talks on a possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal.
Smotrich, who in January threatened to withdraw his Religious Zionism party from the government if Israel agreed to a complete end to the war before having achieved its objectives, did not mention the ceasefire in his criticism of Netanyahu.
The right-wing coalition holds a slim parliamentary majority, although some opposition lawmakers have offered to support the government from collapsing if a ceasefire is agreed.
The post Influential Far-Right Minister Lashes out at Netanyahu Over Gaza War Policy first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Australia Police Charge Man Over Alleged Arson on Melbourne Synagogue
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media during a press conference with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Aug. 16, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy
Australian police have charged a man in connection with an alleged arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue with worshippers in the building, the latest in a series of incidents targeting the nation’s Jewish community.
There were no injuries to the 20 people inside the East Melbourne Synagogue, who fled from the fire on Friday night. Firefighters extinguished the blaze in the capital of Victoria state.
Australia has experienced several antisemitic incidents since the start of the Israel-Gaza war in October 2023.
Counter-terrorism detectives late on Saturday arrested the 34-year-old resident of Sydney, capital of neighboring New South Wales, charging him with offenses including criminal damage by fire, police said.
“The man allegedly poured a flammable liquid on the front door of the building and set it on fire before fleeing the scene,” police said in a statement.
The suspect, whom the authorities declined to identify, was remanded in custody after his case was heard at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Sunday and no application was made for bail, the Australian Broadcasting Corp reported.
Authorities are investigating whether the synagogue fire was linked to a disturbance on Friday night at an Israeli restaurant in Melbourne, in which one person was arrested for hindering police.
The restaurant was extensively damaged, according to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, an umbrella group for Australia’s Jews.
It said the fire at the synagogue, one of Melbourne’s oldest, was set as those inside sat down to Sabbath dinner.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog went on X to “condemn outright the vile arson attack targeting Jews in Melbourne’s historic and oldest synagogue on the Sabbath, and on an Israeli restaurant where people had come to enjoy a meal together”.
“This is not the first such attack in Australia in recent months. But it must be the last,” Herzog said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the incidents as “severe hate crimes” that he viewed “with utmost gravity.” “The State of Israel will continue to stand alongside the Australian Jewish community,” Netanyahu said on X.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese late on Saturday described the alleged arson, which comes seven months after another synagogue in Melbourne was targeted by arsonists, as shocking and said those responsible should face the law’s full force.
“My Government will provide all necessary support toward this effort,” Albanese posted on X.
Homes, schools, synagogues and vehicles in Australia have been targeted by antisemitic vandalism and arson. The incidents included a fake plan by organized crime to attack a Sydney synagogue using a caravan of explosives in order to divert police resources, police said in March.
The post Australia Police Charge Man Over Alleged Arson on Melbourne Synagogue first appeared on Algemeiner.com.