Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Yvonne Ridley
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Trust and transparency are vital in a democracy
Although British Prime Minister David Cameron insists that he will not publish the legal advice that gave him the go ahead to end the lives of two British citizens fighting in Syria, if ever there was a time for transparency it is now. The British public is already frustrated by…
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Israel launches a culture war
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to scupper the historic nuclear deal with Iran, his Culture and Sports Minister, Miri Regev, has opened up a second front by targeting a state-run European opera company. The Tel Aviv minister has become embroiled in a culture war to try to…
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Clinton emails reveal power of civil society direct action
It is always difficult to judge the impact of direct action by civil society, but a series of emails from Hillary Clinton when she was US Secretary of State reveal just how effective such resistance can be. Without realising that it was taking on the Goliath of the American political…
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Historic agreement for Tehran prompts hysterical reaction in Tel Aviv
It was 12 years in the making and frankly many of us never believed it would happen, but just a few hours ago Iran and six major world powers reached a nuclear deal which is worth a global Mexican Wave. The historic deal will mean an end to the cruel…
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Israeli firepower shot down by peace activists
The Israeli war machine and the $23 billion a year that keeps it going dwarfs all other military spending in the world today, with the exception of America’s. It appears, though, that the Zionist state’s military and those who supply it are being outgunned by something far more forceful than…
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Ramadan atrocities highlight double standards
Ramadan is being punctuated by some horrific events for the Muslim community, the vast majority of whom are law-abiding citizens appalled by what is being done in the name of their religion. The decapitation of a man at a gas plant near Grenoble in France and the mass killings at…
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The flip-flop farce that is Cameron’s foreign policy
When it comes to developing British foreign policy, David Cameron appears to be sinking in an embarrassing swamp of confusion and hypocrisy which could explain the United Kingdom’s diminishing influence on the world stage. Timing is critical in foreign affairs so it’s hardly surprising that eyebrows were raised when Cameron…
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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, Paris,…
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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 dust…
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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, more…
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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 and…
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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 teacher…
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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 not…
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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 of…
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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 gone;…
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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 lies.…
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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 sorts…
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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. Personally,…
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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, if…
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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. In…
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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 has…
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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 the…
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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 recreation…
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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: “What…