The same moribund empire that first authorized the Zionist project in 1917 continues to abet mass death and displacement in Palestine. The UK’s F-35 jet fighter program supplies 15% of the components making up Israel’s warplanes — including ejector seats, rear fuselage, active interceptor systems, targeting lasers, and weapon release cables. Its bases in Cyprus are likely waypoints for the transfer of arms to the genocidal state, and the R.A.F. itself flies planes over Gaza to provide the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) with intelligence.

In the five years since its founding, and particularly over the past 20 months, Palestine Action has put the death-dealers on notice like no other political organization in the U.K. or the U.S. By strategically and systematically targeting Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest arms company, they have already brought about the closure of several Elbit factories; forced dozens of companies and contractors to cut ties with Elbit; and helped bring about a “debanking crisis” for the entire so-called defense industry.

Proscription would endanger the whole of the Palestine solidarity movement, criminalizing word and deed alike. It would punish not only members but supporters of Palestine Action: To publicly praise their brave acts would be to risk a 14-year prison sentence. We call on our British readers to take this risk. The label of “terrorist” has long been wielded by Western powers to brand their sins onto all those who challenge their impunity. In this way, it is an honor.

But the epithet is also a threat. It is through this designation that the West has justified the imprisonment and slaughter of journalists, activists, poets, musicians and cultural workers throughout the history of our movements. We must remind ourselves and the world that terrorism is the true legacy of Western imperialism and colonization, and resistance is the real counter-terrorism.

Palestine Action has offered us a template for resistance in the imperial core, for an insurgency that strikes unflinchingly at the supply chain of death. Proscription may force the organization to formally disband, but it cannot stop the action happening everywhere, every day, in the name of Palestine.

The entire movement must defy the draconian criminalization of resistance, which haunts us with the specter of incarceration. We cannot allow fear to distance us from our conscience or our will. Thousands of political prisoners — many who are Palestinian, others who have been radicalized by Palestine — have already shown us that while the cost of resistance can be high, it can never outweigh the power of a united front. The effectiveness and popularity of anticolonial resistance is why organizations like Samidoun and Palestine Action have been targeted by fascist governments and other counterinsurgent forces attempting to divide the movement with fearmongering and hysterical finger-pointing. As Samidoun wrote in their July 2, 2025 statement of solidarity with Palestine Action, “The British colonial mandate was the first to introduce ‘administrative detention’ — imprisonment without charge or trial — to occupied Palestine, a policy enthusiastically adopted by their Zionist colonial successors.”

Almost two years into this genocide, the Zionist and Western powers have sent clear signals to the world that their final solution is the extermination of the Palestinian people in Gaza and beyond. Day after day, we see images too horrific to comprehend and hear the unforgettable screams of children. But as Israel’s attacks intensify, so does our conviction. Popular support for the Palestinian cause continues to build, both despite and because of escalating fascist repression. Hundreds of people have joined Palestine Action in the past 10 days. “If we defeat the government’s attempts to destroy our organization, victory in our fight against Elbit is near,” the group’s spokesperson, Max Geller, told us this week. “If they do proscribe us, then let a thousand Palestine Actions bloom.”

There have been significant attempts to isolate Palestine Action by liberal forces within the movement. We maintain that — as with resistance in occupied Palestine — there must be a visible, aboveground movement that serves as a popular cradle for underground militancy. WAWOG will always stand with militants in the imperial core. We call on all people of conscience to do the same.

Death, death to the IOF.

Free Palestine.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he ordered the recall of John T. McNamara, the acting ambassador in Bogotá, on Thursday "following baseless and reprehensible statements from senior Colombian government officials." The State Department also called Colombia an "essential strategic partner" but said it would pursue "other measures to make clear our deep concern over the current state of our bilateral relationship."

In response, Petro said he would call back Ambassador Daniel García-Peña from Washington in order to "brief us on the progress of the bilateral agenda to which I committed myself from the beginning of my government."

Although Rubio did not elaborate on the alleged "reprehensible" statements, Colombian newspaper El Tiempo on Thursday published a letter allegedly sent to the U.S. House Committee on Ethics calling for an investigation into House Republicans, including Florida lawmakers Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, Rep. María Elvira Salazar, and Rep. Carlos Antonio Gimenez. The letter was signed by 30 Colombian representatives.

In it, the congressmen expressed "deep concern" about the lawmakers' conduct and said that "any unjustified interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country undermines" the principles of mutual respect between nations.

Representatives Díaz-Balart and Gimenez were mentioned alongside Trump advisors including Rubio in recordings leaked to the Spanish newspaper El País that purport to show Petro's former Foreign Minister, Álvaro Leyva, seeking U.S. pressure to oust his old boss.

"I was in the United States with a top-tier figure: Mario Díaz-Balart. The Díaz-Balarts are the ones behind the Secretary of State," Leyva allegedly told an unknown person in the recording. (Rep. Salazar was not mentioned in the recording but Colombian lawmakers accused her of making public comments aimed at delegitimizing Petro).

According to El País, the White House never considered Leyva's proposal, and Díaz-Balart dismissed the claims, saying he meets with all kinds of groups including officials in Colombia's current government. "I laugh at so many fabrications, nonsense, and hypocrisy. It reminds me of the saying ‘every fool with his own agenda'", he said.

Gimenez sloughed off the accusations as a "media circus by Gustavo Petro and his henchmen" and said they shouldn't complain if the U.S. denies later denies them visas.

Concrete evidence of an actual coup plot remains elusive and analysts see the rhetoric from Colombia's government as problematic.

"The only proof that we have [of a coup plot] are Leyva's recordings… We do not even have real evidence of this happening from Leyva associates, which is problematic because it is not clear if these individuals were actively conspiring, especially as many of them have strongly denied these allegations," said Sergio Guzmán, director of Colombia Risk Analysis, a consultancy.

"The U.S. Congress doesn't want to remain silent nor let this slide," he added.

The recall of ambassadors is the most severe escalation yet in the tense relationship between Trump and Petro that has been brewing for months. Guzmán points to a number of factors deteriorating the relationship including Petro's treatment of the opposition; lack of political protection for presidential candidates; Colombia joining the BRICS development bank, and rising coca cultivation which could lead to U.S. aid cuts to combat drug trafficking.

The analyst said that Petro's impulsive foreign policy has made "Colombia increasingly isolated and less credible" with its ally the United States. His current Foreign Minister, Laura Sarabia, also announced her resignation on Thursday.

Senator Paola Holguín from the opposition Democratic Center party told the Miami Herald that Petro's "repeated disrespectful statements, lack of commitment to fighting drug dealing and terrorism, and the alignment of our country with anti-democratic regimes and U.S. rivals are creating growing hardships" between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Petro's supporters demand U.S. politicians respect Colombia's sovereignty and its democratically elected president. "Calling him a narco-terrorist and drug addict is more than an insult; it's also an unacceptable fallacy; it's an affront to our nation and its sovereignty," wrote Senator María José Pizarro Rodríguez of Petro's Historic Pact for Colombia political party on X.

Colombia and the U.S. have built strong bonds over two centuries but the relationship has been strained in the past - namely over Cold War politics and the war on drugs. This latest diplomatic row, however, is disconcerting for those who study the relationship.

"We are very worried over the current state of the diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Colombia," said Holguín. "The U.S. has been our main commercial partner, a great ally in our fight against narcotrafficking and terrorism, and an important humanitarian supporter."

Benjamin Gedan, Director of the Wilson Center's Latin America Program, echoed the concerns, stating, "For decades, Colombia has been the most strategic U.S. partner in the region, so it is troubling to see yet another diplomatic crisis."

If Hillary had won in 2016, Republicans would probably crush the Dems in 2018 and 2020, giving them enough power to unilaterally change the US Constitution.

Trump didn't even plan on winning and was instantly one of the least popular presidents ever. He didn't have a team for his presidency, he just picked random supporters of his, most of them were just bickering among themselves and the only thing that was really accomplished were the tax cuts. Even deportations were below the Obama or Biden average.

Now, things are different. Because Trump actually had a transition and picked a lot more effective ghouls who aren't so consumed by interpersonal drama. Especially the guy in charge of immigration, who was also Obama's main deportation guy. These people know how to get things done!

The real reason why Israel is arming gangs in Gaza

The Israeli government is intentionally creating chaos in Gaza to justify its colonial rule.

For months, Israel and its defenders have insisted that Hamas is stealing humanitarian aid. They used that claim to justify the starvation of two million people in Gaza – to bomb bakeries, block food convoys and shoot desperate Palestinians waiting in bread lines. We were told this was a war on Hamas and ordinary Palestinians were just caught in the middle.

Now we know the truth: Israel has been arming and protecting criminal gangs in Gaza that engage in stealing humanitarian aid and terrorising civilians. One group led by Yasser Abu Shabab, which is reportedly linked to extremist networks and has engaged in a variety of criminal activities, is directly receiving weapons from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

And Netanyahu is proudly admitting to it. “What’s wrong with that?” he said when confronted. “It saves the lives of [Israeli] soldiers.”

What’s wrong? Everything.

This isn’t just a tactical decision – it’s an admission of true intent. Israel never wanted to protect Palestinian civilians. It wants to break them. Starve them. Turn them against each other. Then blame them for the resulting chaos and suffering.

This strategy isn’t new. It’s colonialism 101: create anarchy, and then use it as proof that the colonised cannot govern themselves. In Gaza, Israel isn’t just trying to defeat Hamas. It’s trying to destroy any future in which Palestinians might govern their own society.

For months, Western media repeated the unverified claim that Hamas was stealing aid. No evidence was shown. The United Nations repeatedly said there was no proof. But it didn’t matter. The story served its purpose – it justified the blockade. It made starvation look like a security tactic. It made collective punishment look like policy.

Now the truth is out. The gangs terrorising aid routes were the ones Israel supported. The myth has collapsed. And yet where is the outrage?

Where are the stern statements from the governments of the United States and United Kingdom – the same ones who claimed to care about humanitarian delivery? Instead, we are getting silence. Or worse – a shrug.

Netanyahu’s open admission isn’t just arrogance. It’s confidence. He knows he can say the quiet part out loud. He knows Israel can violate international law, arm criminal gangs, bomb schools, starve civilians – and still be welcomed on the world stage. Still receive weapons. Still be praised as an “ally”.

This is what total impunity looks like.

And this is the cost of believing Israel’s PR machine – of letting it pose as a reluctant occupier, a humane military, a victim of circumstance. In truth, it’s a regime that doesn’t just tolerate war crimes – it engineers them, funds them and then uses them as propaganda.

It’s not just a war on Palestinian bodies, homes or even survival. It’s a war on the Palestinian dream – the dream of ever having a state, of building a future with dignity and self-determination.

For decades, Israel has systematically worked to prevent any form of cohesive Palestinian leadership. In the 1980s, it quietly encouraged the rise of Hamas as a religious and social counterweight to the secular Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). The idea was simple: divide Palestinian politics, weaken the national movement and fragment any push for statehood.

Israeli officials believed that supporting Islamist organisations in the occupied West Bank and Gaza would create internal conflict among Palestinians – and it did. Tensions between Islamist and secular groups grew and resulted in clashes on university campuses and in the political arena.

Israel’s policy wasn’t driven by a misunderstanding. It was strategic. It knew that empowering rivals to the PLO would fracture Palestinian unity. The goal wasn’t peace – it was paralysis.

That same strategy continues today – not just in Gaza but in the occupied West Bank too. The Israeli government is actively dismantling the Palestinian Authority’s (PA’s) ability to function. It withholds tax revenues that make up the majority of the PA’s budget, bringing it to the brink of collapse.

It protects settler militias attacking Palestinian villages. It conducts daily military raids in PA-administered cities, humiliating its forces and making them look powerless. It blocks international diplomatic efforts by the PA while mocking its legitimacy.

And this policy doesn’t stop at the boundaries of the occupied territory. Inside Israel, Palestinian citizens face a similar tactic: intentional neglect, impoverishment and engineered chaos. Crime is left to spiral out of control in their communities while infrastructure and services are underfunded. Their economic potential is stifled – not by accident, but by design. It’s a quiet war on Palestinian identity itself: a strategy of erasure that aims to turn Palestinians into a silent, faceless minority stripped of rights, recognition and nationhood.

By engineering instability and then pointing to that instability as proof of failure, Israel writes the script and blames us for living it.

This is not just military policy – it’s narrative warfare. It’s about ensuring that the Palestinian people are forever seen not as a nation striving for freedom but as a threat to be contained.

Israel thrives on chaos because chaos discredits Palestinian agency. It allows Israel to say, “Look, they can’t govern themselves. They only understand violence. They need us.”

It’s not just brutal. It’s deeply calculated.

But Gaza and the West Bank are not a failed state. They are places that have been systematically denied the chance to become one.

Gaza is my home. It’s where I grew up. It’s where my family still clings to life. They deserve better – better than a colonial regime that bombs them, starves them and funds the very people stealing their food.

The world must stop treating Gaza and the West Bank as testing grounds for military doctrine, propaganda and geopolitical indifference. The people of Palestine are not a failed experiment. They are a besieged people, relentlessly denied sovereignty. And still, they try – to feed their children, bury their dead and remain human in the face of dehumanisation.

If Netanyahu’s government can admit to arming criminal gangs and still face no consequences, then the problem is not just Israel. It is us – the so-called international community that rewards cruelty and punishes survival.

What’s needed – urgently – are concrete actions to protect Palestinian lives and safeguard the right to Palestinian statehood before it is erased entirely. Threats to recognise a Palestinian state just won’t do.

If the world continues to look away, it’s not only Palestine that will be destroyed – it’s the very credibility of international law, human rights and every moral principle we claim to stand for.