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British PM Sunak in Israel. What’s on his agenda?

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British PM Sunak in Israel. What’s on his agenda?

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday landed in Tel Aviv to “express solidarity with the Israeli people” as non-stop Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip destroyed residential buildings and killed more than 3,400 Palestinians.

“I want you to know that the United Kingdom and I stand with you,” Sunak said as his country has firmly stood behind Israel in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israeli soil that killed more than 1,400 people. Hamas also took at least 199 people captive.

The trip comes as the mounting death toll has triggered protests across the Middle East, with fears the Israel-Palestine conflict may escalate into a wider regional war.

Sunak’s office told the Reuters news agency he would be “sharing his condolences” for the loss of life in both Israel and Gaza, warning against further escalation.

His visit will see him perform a delicate balancing act, with any missteps likely to inflame tensions. Here’s a look at Britain’s involvement in the region.

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What is Britain’s position on the conflict?

Britain has so far lent staunch support to Israel, with Sunak calling the Hamas attack “a pogrom”.

“This atrocity was an existential strike at the very idea of Israel as a safe homeland of the Jewish people,” Sunak told the House of Commons on Monday.

He urged Israel to “go after Hamas, take back the hostages, deter further incursions, and strengthen its security for the long term”.

“This must be done in line with international humanitarian law, but also recognising that they face a vicious enemy that embeds itself behind civilians,” he said.

Britain’s decision to abstain from yesterday’s UN Security Council vote on a resolution calling for Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza largely passed below the radar. The resolution was blocked by the United States on the basis that it did not explicitly mention Israel’s right to self-defence.

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Having declined to take a position on Wednesday, Sunak is nevertheless expected to push for the humanitarian corridor through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

With Sunak’s Conservative Party currently slumping in the polls, the Labour Party is eyeing a victory in general elections widely expected to be held next year.

Labour leader Keir Starmer has so far struck a similar tone to Sunak on the Israel-Gaza conflict, but faces mutiny within his own party after comments last week that suggested he supported Israel’s “right” to cut off power and water supplies to Gaza’s 2.3 million people.

Rights groups say the Israeli siege of Gaza amounts to collective punishment and a war crime.

What is Britain’s history in Palestine?

Ask most Palestinians what lies at the root of their plight and they’ll likely blame Arthur Balfour.

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It was back in 1917, while serving as Britain’s foreign secretary, that Balfour pledged to create a “national home” for Jewish people in Palestine in the Balfour Declaration.

Britain had been in charge of Palestine – home to a Jewish minority and an Arab majority – since defeating the Ottoman Empire in World War I.

After the Balfour Declaration, Jewish people fleeing persecution in Europe started arriving in greater numbers, particularly during the Nazi Holocaust in World War II.

Britain withdrew in 1948, when Jewish leaders announced the creation of the State of Israel and Jewish militias went on a rampage against Palestinians forcing them to flee.

About 750,000 Palestinians were displaced in a campaign of ethnic cleansing, some ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, and the rest squeezed into the remaining territory in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The Palestinians call the forced displacement “Nakba” or catastrophe. In 1967, Israel captured the remaining Palestinian territories – a step not recognised by the international community.

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What is Britain’s relationship with Israel?

Britain has a strong relationship with Israel, but the two allies don’t always agree on some foreign policy issues.

In March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited London for talks with Sunak, with Iran topping the agenda. While Britain has imposed sanctions on Israel’s biggest foe, it has not gone as far as Netanyahu would like, stopping short of designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a “terrorist” organisation.

Sunak also used the talks to express his concern over Netanyahu’s controversial judicial overhaul.

There have been some rocky moments in the past. Britain slapped an arms embargo on Israel following the latter’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon.

With the relationship under strain, Israel’s then-Prime Minister Menachem Begin approved a weapons deal with Argentina in 1982, which was fighting Britain in the Falklands War.

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What to expect of Sunak’s visit to Israel?

Sunak’s visit has been billed as a diplomatic push to de-escalate the situation.

“The Prime Minister and President Herzog stressed the imperative need to avoid further escalation of violence in the region. They agreed to continue working together to that end,” a statement from the British Prime Minister’s office after Sunak met Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

He is widely expected to follow the line taken yesterday by US President Joe Biden, who has thus far taken a leading role in brokering peace in the region between Israel and its neighbours.

London tends to march in lockstep with Washington on foreign and defence policy, particularly when it comes to Ukraine’s right to self-defence in the face of Russia’s invasion of its territory.

Landing at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, Sunak told local reporters: “Above all, I’m here to express my solidarity with the Israeli people. You have suffered an unspeakable, horrific act of terrorism and I want you to know that the United Kingdom and I stand with you.”

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Earlier, he had said the Gaza hospital blast that caused mass Palestinian casualties should be “a watershed moment for leaders in the region and across the world to come together to avoid further dangerous escalation of conflict.” Britain, he said, would be at “the forefront of this effort”.

Alongside Sunak’s visit, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who visited Israel last week, will travel to Egypt, Turkey and Qatar over the next three days to discuss a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

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World

Fact check: How deadly was 2024 for journalists?

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Fact check: How deadly was 2024 for journalists?

An estimated 104 journalists lost their lives in 2024, with Palestine the most dangerous territory.

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An estimated 104 journalists were killed worldwide over the past year, according to data shared earlier this month by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Another report by NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) puts the figure at 54, but its methodology means it only includes killings that are considered “directly related” to journalists’ professional activity.

Both organisations say that Palestine is the deadliest place on earth for journalists. More than half (55) of the 104 killings reported by IFJ were Palestinian media professionals in Gaza, while a further six were killed in Lebanon.

At least 138 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out on 7 October 2023, making the country one of the “most dangerous in the history of modern journalism, behind Iraq, the Philippines and Mexico,” according to the IFJ.

Reporters without Borders has described the number of killings in Gaza as “an unprecedented bloodbath”.

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Israel firmly denies it has intentionally targeted any journalists, but has recognised some that have been killed in its airstrikes on Gaza.

The 104 total killings reported by the IFJ is a slight decrease on the 129 they reported on in 2023, which is considered the bloodiest year for journalists since 1990.

How do other world regions fare?

Asia Pacific is the world’s second most dangerous region for journalists, after the Middle East, according to the IFJ.

It recorded 20 deaths in the region in 2024, of which 70% happened in the southern Asian countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

The region has seen an “upsurge” in violence, according to the IFJ, with deaths increasing sharply from the 12 recorded in 2023.

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Africa was the third most dangerous region for journalists at eight deaths, five of them in war-torn Sudan.

The number of journalists killed in south, central and north America has dropped sharply over the past two years, from 30 in 2022 to six in 2023, and another six in 2024. Mexico, considered to be one of the deadliest places in the world to do journalism, continues to see “threats, intimidation, kidnappings and murders” against journalists, particularly due to reporting on drug trafficking.

Number of journalists behind bars on the rise

According to IFJ estimates on 10 December, there were 520 journalists in prison across the world, considerably more than in 2023 (427) and 2022 (375).

China, including Hong Kong, accounts for most of journalists behind bars, followed by Israel and Myanmar.

The IFJ says the figures show how “fragile” the independent press is and how “risky and dangerous” the profession of journalism has become.

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Italian state railways plans 1.3 bln euro investment in solar plant

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Italian state railways plans 1.3 bln euro investment in solar plant
Italian state railways Ferrovie dello Stato plans to invest 1.3 billion euros ($1.36 billion) in a photovoltaic plant with an initial 1 gigawatt (GW) capacity that would cover 19% of its energy needs by 2029, the CEO said in a newspaper interview.
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Christmas in Puerto Rico is a 45-day celebration with caroling, festive decorations, family feasts and more

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Christmas in Puerto Rico is a 45-day celebration with caroling, festive decorations, family feasts and more

Christmas, Navidad in Puerto Rico, extends far beyond Dec. 25. 

The island proudly proclaims itself as having the “longest holiday season in the world,” according to the website Discover Puerto Rico. 

On average, the holiday festivities in Puerto Rico last about 45 days, per the source, commencing right after Thanksgiving, and stretching all the way through mid-January. 

The Christmas season in Puerto Rico typically lasts around 45 days. (iStock)

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The holiday season in Puerto Rico is full of rich traditions beloved by families. 

One tradition those who visit Puerto Rico will immediately notice during the holiday season is decorations. 

In Puerto Rico, decorations are typically put up by Thanksgiving, and kept up until the season concludes in mid-January, with opportune picture moments at every corner. 

Parrandas, Christmas caroling, is a holiday staple. 

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Carolers choose houses of family and friends to visit, typically starting around 10 p.m., performing aguinaldos (traditional Christmas songs), with not only their voices, but often with instruments as well, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

The group you begin caroling with is likely not the same group you end with. 

In Puerto Rico, when carolers visit a house, they’ll often stop inside for conversation, food and drink before moving to the next residence. 

Coquito

Coquito is a popular beverage enjoyed during the holiday season in Puerto Rico. Coconut, vanilla and rum are among the ingredients. (Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Usually, the residences of the house visited will join the group for the next house, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

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A night of serenading loved ones can last quite a while, often stretching into the early morning hours of the following day, according to the source. 

The biggest day of the holiday season in Puerto Rico actually isn’t Christmas, but instead, the night before. 

In Puerto Rico, Dec. 24 is Nochebuena. On that day, loved ones gather for the exchange of gifts, caroling and a large feast. 

Many families will also attend a midnight Mass on the day, known as Misa de Gallo. 

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After Christmas passes, the festivities go on in Puerto Rico. 

Another big event in the holiday lineup is Three Kings Day on Jan. 6, a holiday that “commemorates the visit that the Three Wise Men paid to Jesus after his birth,” according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

On the eve of the day, children fill up a shoebox with grass to be left for camels to munch on while the Three Kings leave behind gifts for them, according to PuertoRico.com. 

For a particularly festive Three Kings Day, Juana Díaz is the place to go, as it hosts the largest celebration in Puerto Rico for the holiday. In Juana Díaz, there is an annual festival and parade in honor of Three Kings Day that brings together over 25,000 people every year, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

Woman Wrapping Christmas Gifts

Gifts are primarily exchanged between loved ones on Christmas Eve in Puerto Rico. (iStock)

 

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Then, eight days later is Octavitas, a post-holiday celebration where families get together and celebrate one last time for the season. 

The end of the holiday season is marked with the San Sebastián Street Festival.

This festival, spanning over multiple days, takes place in Old San Juan, and is filled with live music, dancing, shopping and parades. 

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