Thank you, Richard Burgon MP, for what you are doing to prevent the Gaza genocide that Israel is carrying out while the world does nothing much – especially our own craven government. This is my latest email to BBC Feedback:
Dear Feedback
The coverage of the last two weeks, in which Israel has cut off electricity and all other supplies to Gaza, has been incommensurate with the gravity of the situation, which amounts to either war crimes or genocide or both.
This morning (18 March) the Today programme invited a former Israeli ambassador to the UK to comment on the overnight bombing of Gaza which murdered 400 Palestinians. The Today interviewer was, as usual, no match for the fluent lying of the diplomat.
If Hamas had murdered 400 Israelis in a night would you have had a calm chat with one of their representatives? You constantly use double standards. </span>
I have lost faith in the BBC’s coverage of Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinians.
Photo: White Cross Wind Farm – proposed route of cable under the River Taw
On Wednesday the North Devon Council Planning Committee visited sites along the proposed route of the cable connecting the offshore White Cross Wind Farm to the National Grid substation at Yelland.
We started at Saunton Sands car park. 40 or so locals, including some good friends of mine, were there with placards to protest against the proposal. They made their point in a civilised way.
The application will be discussed at Planning Committee in May. It is the most fraught application of my time on the committee. On the one hand, the project could yield huge amounts of renewable energy and trial new technologies (floating rather than fixed turbines) but on the other hand the proposed route for the onshore cable would trench and tunnel through sites of major ecological importance and sensitivity, as well as impacting on local people and businesses.
Photo: the 1-4-5 option for new unitary authorities in Devon
The Full Council voted unanimously last Wednesday evening to support the so-called 1-4-5 option: Plymouth – coloured green – is the 1, the blue bloc in the south of the county is the 4, the pink area (including North Devon and our close neighbours Torridge) the 5.
The 5 includes Exeter but opinions are divided over whether the county’s capital would act as a pump – priming economic activity to the relatively poor northern districts – or a siphon, drawing impetus away. Who knows?
This is where expensive consultants will soon be recruited to tell ys what formations are most viable. However – crucially – the motion we supported leaves room for other options to be considered.
Photo: The Men’s Shed, South Molton
The Men’s Shed has its workshop in one of the Neo-Gothic buildings at the entrance to South Molton cemetery. It is staffed by the most wonderfully helpful and capable team.
One of the founders, Wally, recently stepped back at the age of 87. He feels that it’s time he ‘acted his age not his collar size’ (as his mother used to say). It was Wally who came up with the excellent non-gendered name ‘the Mend Shed’ but for now it is still the Men’s Shed.
They put new hardwood slats on our garden bench – the Fleur-de-Lys cast iron ends came from the Recycling Centre in Barnstaple for £1 each. I left a garden chair to be mended next by Colin (second from right in the photo) and his lovely colleagues. I paid for the materials and made a donation. Thank you so much, Wally, Colin & co.
Photo: Palestine Solidarity Campaign North Devon marching in Barnstaple High Street on Saturday
What a grand demonstration by so many valiant people. As chair of the local PSC branch, I read out this statement, published in the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz on 22 September 1967 (just after the 1967 war):
Our right to defend ourselves from extermination does not give us the right to oppress others.
Occupation entails foreign rule.
Foreign rule entails resistance.
Resistance entails repression.
Repression entails terror and counter-terror.
The victims of terror are mostly innocent people
Holding on to the occupied territories will turn us into a nation of murderers and murder victims
Let us get out of the occupied territories immediately.
Signed by Shimon Tzabar, David Eherenfeld, Dan Omer, Raif Elias, Haim Hanegbi, Uri Lipshitz, Dr. Moshé Machover, Eli Aminov, Rafi Zikhroni, Arie Bober, Shneur Sherman, Yehuda Rosenstrauch.
The history of Israel and Palestine could have been so different if these words had been heeded and the Israeli electorate had made wiser choices.
Thanks for reading
Mark