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SC Cook

Several protests are planned across Wales this weekend against the Israeli bombing of Gaza and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. 

The events in Cardiff, Abergavenny, Wrexham, Presteigne, Swansea and Machynlleth (full details below) come as Israel intensifies its bombardment of Gaza, an area densely packed with over 2million residents and equivalent in size to the Vale of Glamorgan. 

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, who are organising several of the protests, said that: “In the face of Israel’s brutal crimes, we can’t remain silent” and called for boycotts of Israeli goods and institutions.

Last night, people in Gaza, and their friends and families, posted videos and images online of bombs raining down on residential areas, with homes and neighbourhoods destroyed. 

There were several reports of more deaths, including children. The death toll on the Palestinian side in Gaza now stands at 119, including 31 children. The Times of Gaza reported the death toll on Twitter, accompanied by an image of four children who had been killed following the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) bombing. Around 600 are reported wounded, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The violence has escalated following Israeli attempts to evict Palestinians from East Jerusalem, part of a long programme of ethnic cleansing.

Seven have died on the Israeli side, including a 5-year-old child who was hit by rocket shrapnel and two Palestinians, who reportedly had no access to a bomb shelter. 

Others in Gaza posted messages saying that loved ones were saying their goodbyes to one another, amid aerial bombardment that was described by some as worse than Operation Protective Edge in 2014, the Israeli military assault that killed 2,104 Palestinians. 

One video from a Palestinian journalist on the ground shows the devastation following the aerial bombardment, and reports that a further 50 people were injured.

Shocking scenes of Jewish-Israeli gangs, often accompanied by Israeli police, roaming neighbourhoods and attacking Arabs, have also been spread across the world via social media. 

Meanwhile, the Israeli Defence Force announced on Twitter late last night that IDF “air and ground troops are currently attacking in the Gaza Strip.” It later clarified that troops had not entered Gaza, but were “carrying out strikes” from the border. 

But Israel has been shocked by the scale of rebellion among Palestinians living in Israel, leaving the IDF unsure whether or not to launch a deadly ground invasion. 

“For weeks,” one report in +972 Magazine writes, “Palestinian communities, with Jerusalem at their epicenter, have been organizing mass demonstrations that have spread like wildfire on both sides of the Green Line” 

The piece goes onto say the protests are being held in the face of racist violence and primarily organised “by young Palestinian activists, neighbourhood committees, and grassroots collectives.”

The protests in Wales are also part of a growing international movement, and one in Britain that is returning after major retreats since 2015. Thousands took to the streets of London on Tuesday, whilst another demonstration is planned for Saturday, as well as protests in Scotland and elsewhere. Activists have also been trying to shut down a weapons manufacturer, Elbit Systems, in Oldham, which has been supplying arms to Israel. 

Western governments see Israel as a key strategic ally in the region, and continue to provide the country with aid, arms and political support. The scale of protest in the West will be keenly watched by both governments here and in Israel, as an indication of what opposition would be like if the IDF intensifies its assault on the Palestinians. 

Much of the media have focussed on the retaliation of Hamas rockets, and failed to report that Israel – one the world’s most advanced military powers – instigated the conflict when they pressed ahead with plans to evict Palestinians in East Jerusalem and attacked worshippers at the sacred al-Aqsa Mosque.

Husam Zomlot – Head of Palestinian Mission to the UK hit out at BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis earlier in the week who began her interview by discussing Hamas rocket fire. “Always the story begins when Palestinian reaction happens,” Zomlot said. 

In Parliament on Wednesday, Caerphilly Labour MP and Shadow Cabinet member for the Middle East, Wayne David, gave a distorted view of the situation, condemning the “indiscriminate firing of over 1000 rockets by Hamas” first and foremost, before mentioning the actions of Israel. 

There has also been near silence from Welsh Parliamentarians on the issue. The Plaid Cymru MS Delyth Jewell is possibly the only MS to make a statement relating to the violence, where she called for a ceasefire and said that “Palestinians have long faced illegal evictions and displacement” and that “the international community shouldn’t turn a blind eye to what’s sparked the violence,” presumably referencing Israel. 

Whilst Labour MS’s have stayed quiet, some Labour MPs have spoken out. Beth Winter, Labour MP for Cynon Valley, has said that “Israel must call off its military operation and end airstrikes on civilian areas.”

Jo Stevens, Labour MP for Cardiff Central, said that she had received several messages about the situation from constituents and said that “these forced evictions must be stopped – the Israeli Government must respect international law and end the attempts by Israeli settlers to take control of Palestinian homes.”

These are the protests happening across Wales this weekend:

CARDIFF: Saturday 15 May, 12 noon, Aneurin Bevan statue, Queen St.

ABERGAVENNY: Saturday 15 May, 1.30 pm, outside Waterstones

MACHYNLLETH: Saturday 15 May, 11 am, The Clock Tower

PRESTEIGNE: Saturday 15 May, 11 am, The Library

WREXHAM: Saturday 15 May, 11.30, Queen Square

SWANSEA: Sunday 16 May, 2 pm, Castle Gardens