Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Yvonne Ridley
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US neocon influence in Westminster has been exposed for all to see
Millions of ordinary citizens across Europe marched against the impending invasion of Iraq in 2003, so convinced were they that the war was wrong. Tens of thousands had never taken part in a demonstration before but they saw through the tissue of lies being pedalled by apparatchiks in Washington,...
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The Beautiful Game does not belong to murderous killjoys like Netanyahu
Walking through some of the most miserable camps on earth where people have sought refuge after fleeing wars or natural disasters is always a humbling experience. However, it’s not usually the wretched and squalid conditions which catch my breath, it is the sound of children at play. Trails of...
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Do we really value stones and artefacts more than human flesh and blood?
There’s nothing like a bit of cultural vandalism to get people hot under the collar and a prime example came in the wake of David Cameron’s surprise victory in Britain’s general election. Those who feared that a Conservative government would create an even wider gap between rich and poor,...
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Britain has to shed its ‘nasty’ reputation
In Victorian Britain the wealthy flocked to the South of France and the Mediterranean waters to escape the chill back home. Today it is a destination for hundreds of thousands of ordinary fun-seekers who view the azure blue seas as their own playground. With seaside destinations punctuated across France...
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Christopher Columbus and the history of the Palestinian struggle
I was clearing out some rubbish the other day and came across a dog-eared history exercise book containing an essay I’d written about Christopher Columbus, “the explorer who discovered America in 1492”. Of course, it sounds ridiculous to say that out loud today but that is what our history...
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Israel launches tartan charm offensive in ‘enemy territory’
Scotland might be one of the smallest nations in the world but its reputation for hospitality is matched only by its undiluted courage for standing up to bullies. As the Romans discovered when the invasion of “Britannia” began in 43AD, the people in what we now call Scotland were...
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From Washington to Riyadh, Britain is on bended knee
Since Britain dropped the “Great” prefix from its name and its superpower status became nothing more than a reference point in some history books, it has struggled with its ratings on the world stage. One defining moment came in 2003 when the then Prime Minister Tony Blair was accused...
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When truth becomes the greatest enemy
Ethical standards have dropped so much that we now live in an age where few of us expect politicians to be truthful; when their lies are exposed, even fewer of us are really surprised. The days of politicians doing the honourable thing by resigning in such circumstances are long...
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Who is really in charge of the Zionist Project?
The next few hours should establish who is really in charge of the Zionist project – Israel or its biggest benefactor the United States of America. It is a debate which has concentrated the minds of many as they try and work out where the seat of influence really...
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Theresa May's latest crackpot election scheme
One of the most uncertain British General Elections for decades is looming and creating panic among the major political parties who can no longer take the electorate or their votes for granted. To win hearts and minds at the ballot box, politicians are having to come up with all...
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Who can claim the moral high ground?
The horrific killing of Jordanian pilot Muath Al-Kasasbeh prompted scores of world leaders and politicians to rush to the podium and condemn the vile method and brutal nature of his murder. ISIS, it seemed, had reached plumbed new depths in the group’s attempts to shock and repel its enemies....
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The man who haunts Bush and Blair
We are fast approaching the anniversary of Colin Powell’s now infamous speech before the United Nations as the Bush administration ramped up the case for invading Iraq ten years ago. You might think that there’s nothing new to say and that the long-awaited Chilcott Inquiry into the Iraq War,...
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Cameron targets the wrong group
David Cameron says we “have a problem” if we do not realise there is an issue over the radicalisation of young British Muslims. The prime minister’s disgraceful exploitation of the politics of the far-right in order to win votes at the expense of the Muslim community is beneath contempt....
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Apartheid Israel is self-harming with Western support
As the year draws to a close one of the most highly respected voices in the international community says that he has genuine fears for the welfare of Israelis who have become “dehumanised” by their treatment of the Palestinian people. Drawing parallels with those who self-harm, Archbishop Desmond Tutu...
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Coca-Cola's investment in Gaza
Coca-Cola is building a factory in Gaza, but before you applaud such an investment in an area where the economy is shattered and unemployment ranks among the highest in the world, let’s examine the deal more closely. Who will actually benefit from this? It’s a rhetorical question really, because...
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Israel is strangling Christmas but does the West care?
I wonder how many Christian politicians in the West, from Washington to Westminster, Paris to Berlin, took time out in the past few days to watch their children or grandchildren perform in the school nativity play. While the more sentimental wiped away their tears as they watched the children’s...
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When the fight against racism produces a conflict of interest
I was told years ago by a pro-Palestinian activist that the trouble with the people from the West Bank and Gaza was the colour of their skin. Squirming in revulsion at what I thought was going to be some racist outpouring against those with olive-coloured skins, he added quickly:...
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Racism laid bare in Israel
If is a big word in Middle East politics and is often used with the benefit of hindsight or wishful thinking. My “if” focuses on the departure of Israeli ministers Yair Lapid and Tzipi Livni from the Israeli cabinet; both refused to support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Jewish State...
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The tide is turning in Egypt
There is a legend about a Viking leader and 11th century King of England who thought he was so invincible that he could even control the sea. The deluded King Canute had his throne taken to a beach and as he sat down he commanded the tide to turn...
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Shock and horror at killings, but not when victims are Palestinians
I wonder how many people have heard of Mohammed Siyam? While the Western media went into overdrive over the tragedy of the synagogue killings in Jerusalem, little Mohammed lay gasping, fighting for his life on an operating table in Turkey. As two crazed men, armed with knives, unleashed a brutal,...
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Israel's lies exposed by surgical strike against Mads Gilbert
Israel and its supporters are always keen to assert two points to the international community when defending the reputation of the Zionist state. First, they like to boast that it is the only democracy in the Middle East. Second, since the unilateral withdrawal of troops and settlers from the...
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No princely words about Christian exodus from Bethlehem
Prince Charles has stepped into the volatile arena of Middle Eastern politics by calling the plight of Christians in Iraq and Syria an “indescribable tragedy.” The prince said that faith leaders and governments must honour people’s rights to practise their faith as he referred to the dire situation for...
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Unsung heroes
It’s that time of year when British citizens get a chance to come together to mourn the country’s human losses and remember those who sacrificed their lives in time of war. Some of those remembered were volunteers but the majority were probably conscripts. For me the colour of the poppy...
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Belhaj to get his day in British court over torture allegations
“Torture is wrong and can never be justified.” So said Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller, the former head of Britain’s internal security service. I was writing a dissertation at the same time on the ethics and effectiveness of torture in modern warfare and seized on her comments as she conveyed in less...
