Sunday 4 October

The Green Party has passed a motion declaring Zionism is racism at its annual conference, making it the first explicitly anti-Zionist party in the West.The motion was carried by 1,022 votes to 813 (55%–45%), despite opposition from some senior figures in the Green Party

The motion defines Zionism as “a political ideology which called for the creation—and, now it exists, the continuation—of an ethnonationalist Jewish State in historic Palestine to the exclusion and/or domination of the non-Jewish population,” and states that this will be treated as any other form of racism. Via Ricky at Council Estate Media

Monday 5 October

The US bombers based at RAF Fairford have been withdrawn and returned to the USA with their crews. It appears that the recent “terrorist attack” has exposed their vulnerability, and there is no other airfield in Europe that has a long enough runway. Nothing about this incident makes any sense!

Israel is at risk of civil war or state collapse, a classified CIA assessment warns, as years of genocide in Gaza and war in Lebanon and Iran deepen political, economic, and social fractures within the country. Yet much of the opposition to Netanyahu is not opposition to Israel’s brutality against Palestinians, but anger over how he has managed it. Via Drop Site News

Wednesday 7 October

The motion that “Zionism is Racism” is quite divisive even within the Green Party. I received an email yesterday from the Chair of North Yorkshire Green Party (who is also a member of my local branch) opposing the motion and demanding a review of the decision-making process. Here’s my reply:

I completely disagree, Zionism IS Racism! There can be no more extreme form of racism ethnic cleansing and genocide. If Israel wants peace and security it needs to stop attacking its neighbours, but it won’t unless it’s forced to. And it’s undemocatic to demand that the decision making process be reviewed because you don’t like a particular result. Please note one of those proposing the motion was Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos 

Thursday 8 October

An Israeli Jew, whose children are US citizens, has been arrested by ICE and threatened with deportation for protesting the Israeli flag!

Friday 9 October

Labour has retained Holborn & St Pancras.

I’m proud of the campaign we fought. To go from 10% to 33% of the vote share during the PM’s ‘bounce’ is good – but our ambitions are far higher.

Zack Polanski

“Polanski is en route to being the most consequential politician of his generation” Matt Kennard

People were telling Zack on the doorstep that they wanted to give Burnham a chance. Well he’s got his chance, let’s see what he does with it!

Some excellent news from Axe Drax: the proposal for a datacentre on part of the power station site has been dropped. But this is only a partial victory, we want the power station itself shut down!

Saturday 10 October

On this day in 1967 Che Guevara was executed on the orders of the CIA after being captured by the Bolivian Army.

Google ended its financial support for Full Fact, a decision linked to a dangerous new narrative equating fact checking, with censorship. Trump is not opposed to censorship unless it exposes his lies, he’s quite happy to bar certain news networks from the White House press pool if they’re critical of him. A Trump appointed judge has since issued a permanent injunction against the ban, but Trump is notorious for ignoring court orders.

Monday 12 October

Today is Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the Americas, commemorating the 500-year legacy of Indigenous resistance to colonialism and genocide. Via Rainforest Action Network

Tuesday 13 October

There’s a rumour going around, pushed by Kemi Badenough, that Burnham could call a General Election before Christmas. Richard Murphy thinks there are reasons why he might consider doing so even though the probable result would be a hung parliament. https://youtu.be/WqnowVlyNb8?is=WupMtwVV1ggMMqFI He’d better be quick, he only has two months!

I just love this: Women in Glasgow ‘Don’t protect the women, we can fight. We don’t need your fascist shite’ as they protested, along with other anti-fascists, and trade unionists protested against ‘patriot platform’ and their supporters pushing their racist agenda. Sounds like it’s the far right who in most need of protection in the city 😂

Wednesday 14 October

Environmental journalist Ben Webster is seeking a judicial review over ministers’ failure to release information on the climate crisis and river pollution.

Sally Rooney, who many believe is one of the best authors of her generation, has been advised that because she has expressed support for Palestine Action she could be arrested if she comes to the UK. Because she is donating some of the money from the sale of her books to Palestine Action her publishers have been advised that they too could be prosecuted if they sell her books in any form and so they have removed them from the bookshelves and other outlets

John McDonnell MP

Andy Burnham rules out any partnership between Labour and the Green Party due to their controversial motion declaring “Zionism is racism”. Zack Polanski’s reply:

I’m the only Jewish leader of a political party. I’m a victim of Antisemitism every day and I’ve made it clear Jewish people are welcome in my party. You’re a Prime Minister who arms a genocide and locks pensioners up for opposing it.

Thursday 15 October

Labour MPs Richard Burgon and Liam Byrne call for the ban on Palestine Action to be lifted following news that Irish author Sally Rooney cannot sell her chart-topping books in the UK because of her support for the group. Via Defend Our Juries.

Leicester Police have arrested a number of journalists for reporting on a Defend Our Juries vigil outside an Elbit Systems factory in Leicester. The NUJ general secretary has written to the National Police Chiefs’ Council “over concerns of police overreach”.

I’ve just ordered a copy of Sally Rooney’s Normal People from Waterstones, dunno what will happen when stocks run out – which I expect will be quite quickly!

Friday 16 October

Palantir just forced Sadiq Khan to back down, after the London Mayor tried to block the US spytech giant’s contract with the Met Police. Khan dared to say public money should go to companies that share London’s values, and Palantir hauled him to the High Court. Khan’s office just released a statement praising the company – and Palantir is back in the running for the £50 million Met Police contract. Via Organise

Welsh parliament has dropped Hanan Issa, the Welsh national poet, from its opening ceremony. She had been invited to give a recital, attended by King Charles, but her poem was rejected because of a Gaza reference.

Portsmouth councillors support granting the freedom of the city to the RNLI after hearing that RNLI children of crew members were being bullied at school over their parents lifesaving work.

Saturday 17 October

Just arrived, I don’t expect stocks will last very long!

A judge in Brazil’s top electoral court ruled on Thursday that Meta has been algorithmically favoring right wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro over President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, instructing the social media titan to cease its election interference and begin providing equal treatment to both candidates. Meta’s own employees have acknowledged election interference favoring Bolsonaro over Lula

Caitlin Johnstone

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