Notes from the front of 11-04-2018
** The gender pay gap needs closing, as well as measuring
** Oppose Israel’s killing of Palestinian protestors
** Lula jailed to stop his re-election as President
West Asia
Corbyn seeking peace in Middle East, while Tories back Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
The March visit to Britain by the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, highlighted the differences on international policies, between Theresa May’s Tories and Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour.
Demonstrate against Saudi Crown Prince visit to Britain
Organisations campaigning against Mohammad bin Salman’s visit have issued the statement below.
The government has responded to the Parliamentary Petition urging the cancellation of the state visit of the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman. The organisations who have opposed his visit have issued the following reply to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office response:
The further adventures of Trump’s Saudi ally
By Sammy Barker
On 5 November the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, launched an ‘anti-corruption’ campaign involving the arrest of eleven princes, four serving ministers and ‘tens’ of former ministers. Along with these were some major business people, including Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal, the country’s wealthiest man, reportedly worth $30 billion, Mohammed Hussein Al-Amadi, the second richest man, reportedly worth $10.9 billion. Also arrested was Bakr bin Laden, the head of the biggest construction company in the country. Some Saudi sources put the number of arrests as high as 500, with double that questioned.
100 Years after the Balfour Declaration
Last Saturday (4 November) supporters of the Palestinians’ struggle demonstrated in London to mark the one hundredth anniversary of the Balfour Declaration. This declaration, by the Foreign Secretary in 1917, stated that Britain would support the establishment of a ‘national home for the Jewish people’ in Palestine. It represented the first expression of public support for Zionism by a major political power. The colonial project it supported developed into the state of Israel, resulting in the displacement of millions and death of countless tens of thousands of Palestinians. That displacement and loss of life continues to this day.
The article below by Dr. Ramzy Baroud, previously published on Counterpunch, explains how the Balfour Declaration helped destroy the Palestinian’s homeland, but has not succeeded in breaking the will of the Palestinian people.
