It is time that more politicians and public figures refused to capitulate to emotional blackmail, and stopped saying sorry to Israel that has a great deal to apologize for itself.

Five young Palestinians killed in 13 days, including Mohammed al-Salaymeh, killed at a checkpoint while en route to buy a cake to celebrate his 17th birthday.

Proper reportage would give stark and unassailable lie to the notion that in order to protect its borders, Israel must shoot and kill innocent men and boys, or women and girls.

Israel is the largest recipient of US taxpayer-funded military aid and these weapons are used by Israel to commit systematic human rights abuses against Palestinians.

The brutal truth is that Netanyahu is leading his country down the path to self-destruction and with his plans for settlement construction, all hopes of Middle East peace will die.

“My mother, gone. My sisters, gone. My brother, gone. My aunt, gone. My sister-in-law, gone. My nieces, nephews, all gone. Why did they do this? For what?”

The US has used its pro-Israel veto in the United Nations 10 times since 2000 and even rejected a resolution that criticized the killing of four UN military observers by Israeli forces.

>So essentially, it's the entire planet on one side, versus the US, its new right-wing poodle Canada, Israel, and three tiny, bribed islands on the other side.

Netanyahu's new settlements would cut the West Bank in half, creating facts on the ground that would make the two-state solution dead: it's not only a game changer, it's a game ender.

Israel used advanced US military equipment for the slaughter and destruction, and relied on US diplomatic support, including the usual US intervention to block a UN call for a cease-fire.

Leading footballers across the world condemn the Israeli assault on Gaza, describing it as yet another stain on the world's conscience and express solidarity with the people of Gaza.

After five years of sitting on the fence, the NUS has for the first time sided with peace and justice by voting to condemn and call for an immediate end to the siege on Gaza.

The condition the UK government wants to impose would guarantee the continued impunity and immunity Israelenjoys: the trauma for Palestinians would would be repeated every few years.

If governments succeed in shaping or silencing different points of view by training missiles and bullets on journalists the battle for the truth will disappear into the fog of war.

The killing of entire families and the destruction of government buildings and police stations, far from encouraging Palestinians to submit, will only fortify their resistance.

The issue — largely forgotten — is one of continued occupation and blockade, a grossly asymmetrical conflict that has deliberately and systematically disabled Gaza’s economy and people.