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Will the UK Election Be a Calamity for British Jews?
Just over 50 years ago in the UK, a general election was held that principally was about one issue — should the striking coal miners be paid more money?
The election was called largely as a result of the country not having enough power to make everything work. The Conservative government of the day, under Edward Heath, had tried to keep the economy going by introducing a three-day week. Essentially, because the manufacturing industry relied so heavily on electricity (produced by coal fire power stations) and there wasn’t enough to go around, the three day week was brought in to allow all industries to keep going, albeit on a reduced basis.
I also remember that domestic homes experienced power cuts, so that during the day, a home had to operate on a three hour power-on, three hour power-off routine, again to save energy. The choice for British voters in 1974 was clear: Vote Labour, who would pay the striking miners what they demanded and see a return to normalcy, or vote Conservative and carry on as we were, power cuts and all. Despite mixed election results, Labour eventually took the leadership reins.
Now, 50 years later, UK Jews are facing a similar scenario, only if more subtle.
At present, the Conservative government has been rock solid in its support for the UK Jewish community. There is little doubt that if they were returned to power in July, that this support would remain undiminished. The leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer, has been resolute in his determination to root out antisemitism in his party. While there have been a number of high profile cases where party members have been suspended or expelled because of their anti-Jewish activity, there remains a general disquiet about what will happen if they gain power (Labour are currently tipped to win).
The problem for the Jews is more complex than who becomes prime minister. There is a disturbing number of Labour MPs and supporters who demonstrate a visceral loathing of Israel, and cheerfully claim that their actions have nothing to do with the massive increase in antisemitism. The same people insist that the marches through London by pro-Palestinian protesters are just that, and myopically refuse to acknowledge the influence of pro-Hamas supporters and radical religious extremists who are determined to destroy not only Israel, but the West as well.
By way of horrific example, on the October 15, 2023, some eight days after the murderous assault by Hamas, Ahmed Alid, a Moroccan asylum-seeker, stabbed a 70 year old British man to death in revenge for Israel’s war against Hamas. Alid told police after his arrest that he’d killed 70-year-old Terence Carney in the northeast England town of Hartlepool because “Israel had killed innocent children.” “They killed children and I killed an old man,” he said during questioning.
This is not to paint all pro-Palestinian protestors as extremists — but there have literally been tens of thousands of people chanting in the streets to support Hamas, and calling for the elimination of Israel (and presumably, the extermination of all the Jews there). There have been countless hate crimes directed at Jews — a fact that is not in dispute.
The seriousness of the support for Hamas and terrorism has been completely ignored by Labour. Supporting Hamas and Islamic terrorism (as these protestors have done) has nothing to do with supporting the creation of a Palestinian state next to an Israeli one. It is an attack on all decent people everywhere, and it’s a problem that has spiraled out of control.
And don’t let these people confuse you and claim it’s all about Israel. Where were all the Labour Party members marching in support of the hundreds of thousands of civilians massacred in Syria, or those currently dying in massive numbers in Sudan and across the world?
Those protests never happened because Jews couldn’t be blamed for it. It’s this double standard that UK Jews understand, and that makes them fearful about the country we have called a home for centuries.
There are some constituencies up and down the UK where the Muslim vote could make a difference. There are already two self-declared Muslim lobby groups formed to do just that — making it clear to candidates that if they don’t oppose Israel, those candidates will lose votes. And there are many more Muslims in the UK than there are Jews. Can we really trust that politicians will not give in to this pressure?
The connection between hatred of Israel and attacks on Jews in the UK has been well reported over many years, particularly when a conflict is underway. There is now a perfect storm of the current conflict between Israel and Hamas, a Labour Party likely to gain power, and members of that party determined to ostracize Israel and all who support her. As the saying goes, this is an election like no other.
Robert Festenstein is a lawyer and President of the Zionist Central Council in Manchester, UK.
The post Will the UK Election Be a Calamity for British Jews? first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Belgian Premier Rejects Genocide Allegations Against Israel, Says Not the Time for ‘Palestinian State’ Recognition
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever speaks at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (not pictured) in Kyiv, Ukraine, April 8, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever rejected a journalist’s claim that Israel is committing “genocide” in Gaza and argued it is premature to recognize a “Palestinian state” at this time, marking a notable departure from the previous administration’s anti-Israel stance.
During an interview on Wednesday with VRT, the Flemish public broadcaster, journalist Goedele Devroy questioned the Belgian leader about the parliament’s position on the ongoing war in Gaza and a possible shift in its approach toward Israel, following his assertions that the Jewish state is committing genocide in the war-torn enclave.
“On recognizing Palestine, I hear that the majority [in parliament] is working on a resolution to sharpen the tone against the genocide that’s happening there by Israel,” Devroy said.
De Wever rejected the premise of the question, which dismissed Israel’s defensive actions against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza.
“Your line of questioning is extremely dubious,” the Belgian premier said. “You’re already operating under the assumption of genocide — that is something for the International Court of Justice to determine.”
Lady, not so fast 🫸
Belgian Prime Minister rebukes journalist over ‘genocide’ claim and says that before recognising #Palestine, several issues must be resolved. Thank you Prime Minister @Bart_DeWever for your clear message on this day, the 77th anniversary of Israel.Video by… pic.twitter.com/WbqWPDpsmt
— EJA – EIPA (@EJAssociation) May 1, 2025
When asked about the possibility of recognizing a “Palestinian state,” De Wever dismissed the idea, stating that it is not the right time, as there are still many unresolved issues that need to be addressed.
“What territory are we recognizing? Which authority? Is it democratic, legitimate? Is it committed to recognizing Israel, to the demilitarization of Hamas and to providing security guarantees, with broader implications for the Arab world?” the Belgian leader said.
Under Belgium’s previous Socialist-led government, the country had been one of Israel’s most vocal critics within the European Union.
For example, Belgium joined South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Since December 2023, South Africa has been pursuing its case at the ICJ, accusing Jerusalem of committing “state-led genocide” in its defensive military campaign that followed the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel.
The previous government also committed to honoring an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
In November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, and now-deceased Hamas terror leader Ibrahim al-Masri (better known as Mohammed Deif) for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza war.
The ICC said there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant were criminally responsible for starvation in Gaza and the persecution of Palestinians — charges vehemently denied by Israel, which until a recently imposed blockade had provided significant humanitarian aid into the enclave throughout the war.
Israel also says it has gone to unprecedented lengths to try and avoid civilian casualties, despite Hamas’s widely acknowledged military strategy of embedding its terrorists within Gaza’s civilian population and commandeering civilian facilities like hospitals, schools, and mosques to run operations and direct attacks.
However, since taking office, De Wever has shifted Belgium’s foreign policy toward a more pro-Israel stance. His center-right government, led by the National Flemish Alliance party, took power this year after winning the largest share of votes in Belgium’s 2024 general election.
Last month, De Wever said that Belgium would not enforce the ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu if he were to visit the country.
“There is such a thing as realpolitik,” he said in an interview with VRT. “I don’t think any European country would arrest Netanyahu if he were on their territory. France wouldn’t do it, and I don’t think we would either.”
The post Belgian Premier Rejects Genocide Allegations Against Israel, Says Not the Time for ‘Palestinian State’ Recognition first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Trump Says Fewer Than 24 Hostages Still Alive in Gaza, Offers Sympathies to Family of Edan Alexander
US President Donald Trump speaks at the White House, in Washington, DC, Feb. 3, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he has become aware that fewer than 24 hostages are still alive in Gaza, heightening urgency to rescue the remaining survivors in the war-torn enclave.
“Out of 59, you had 24 that were living, and now I understand that it’s not even that number,” Trump said during a National Day of Prayer event at the White House.
For several months, Israeli officials have stated that 24 of the 59 hostages who remain in captivity were believed to still be alive in Gaza. However, during a public appearance earlier this week, Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claimed the actual number was lower than the official count.
During his remarks on the White House lawn acknowledging the National Day of Prayer, Trump extended sympathies to the family of Edan Alexander, the final American hostage still believed to be alive in Gaza. Alexander’s parents, Adi and Yael, were seated in the audience during Trump’s speech.
“We don’t know how he’s doing, really…. We think we know, and hopefully [it’s] positive,” Trump said, referencing Alexander’s uncertain condition. “Two months ago, we were pretty sure. It looked like he was getting out. But they’ve toughened up a little bit. And it’s a terrible thing, I know, what you’re going through.”
Trump expressed support for the families of the remaining hostages still in Gaza, acknowledging their emotional turmoil.
“We’re working very, very hard to save your son,” he continues. “We have news coming out — both good and bad.”
Alexander, a 21-year-old New Jersey native and soldier in the Israeli army, was taken hostage by Hamas during the Palestinian terrorist group’s Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of and massacre across southern Israel. More than 250 people were kidnapped as hostages during the onslaught.
Alexander’s unknown fate has drawn a great deal of attention in both the US and Israel due to his American citizenship.
In April, Hamas released a video of Alexander showing the IDF solider alive. However, days later, the terrorist group claimed to lack knowledge of Alexander’s fate, saying that they lost contact with the guards holding him hostage after the location was allegedly hit in an Israeli airstrike.
The post Trump Says Fewer Than 24 Hostages Still Alive in Gaza, Offers Sympathies to Family of Edan Alexander first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US-Iran Nuclear Talks Postponed Amid Rising Tensions
USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, Sept. 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
The fourth round of nuclear talks between the United States and Iran, which were set to take place in Rome this weekend, have been postponed, with a new date yet to be announced amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran.
On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced that the fourth round of indirect nuclear talks with US officials, originally scheduled for May 3, had been postponed at the suggestion of the Omani Foreign Minister, who mediated previous negotiations between the two adversaries.
In a post on X, the top Omani diplomat, Badr Albusaidi, confirmed that the upcoming talks had been delayed, stating that new dates will be announced once both sides reach a mutual agreement.
“For logistical reasons, we are rescheduling the US-Iran meeting provisionally planned for Saturday, May 3rd,” Albusaidi said.
For logistical reasons we are rescheduling the US Iran meeting provisionally planned for Saturday May 3rd. New dates will be announced when mutually agreed.
— Badr Albusaidi – بدر البوسعيدي (@badralbusaidi) May 1, 2025
Earlier on Thursday, Iran accused Washington of “contradictory behavior and provocative statements” following remarks by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who warned Tehran of severe consequences for supporting Yemen’s Houthi militia, an internationally designated terrorist group.
The Iran-backed group, which controls northern Yemen, has been targeting ships in the Red Sea since November 2023, disrupting global trade, while justifying the attacks as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.
Iran’s accusation against Washington also comes after the US imposed new oil-related sanctions on Tehran this week, as US President Donald Trump continued pursing negotiations over the Iranian nuclear program.
As part of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran — which aims to cut the country’s crude exports to zero and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon — Washington has been targeting Tehran’s oil industry with mounting sanctions.
“US sanctions on Iran during the nuclear talks are not helping the sides to resolve the nuclear dispute through diplomacy,” a senior Iranian official told Reuters. “Depending on the US approach, the date of the next round of talks will be announced.”
Last month, the two adversaries held their first official nuclear negotiation since the US withdrew from a now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal that had imposed temporary limits on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanction relief.
The first and third rounds of talks were held in Oman, while the second round took place in Rome at the residence of the Omani ambassador.
Tehran has previously rejected halting its uranium enrichment program, insisting that the country’s right to enrich uranium is non-negotiable, despite Washington’s threats of military action, additional sanctions, and tariffs if an agreement is not reached to curb Iran’s nuclear activities.
However, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said that any deal with Iran must require the complete dismantling of its “nuclear enrichment and weaponization program.” Witkoff’s comments came after he received criticism for suggesting the Islamic Republic would be allowed to maintain its nuclear program in a limited capacity.
Despite Iran’s claims that its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes rather than weapon development, Western states have said there is no “credible civilian justification” for the country’s recent nuclear activity, arguing it “gives Iran the capability to rapidly produce sufficient fissile material for multiple nuclear weapons.”
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