Jewish leaders calling for Sanctions

 An open letter signed by hundreds of prominent Jewish figures from around the world is calling for the UN and global leaders to impose sanctions on Israel. Released on October 22, 2025, the letter demands accountability for Israel's conduct in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem, and urges that the current ceasefire in Gaza be a starting point for permanent peace. 

Key points from the open letter

The letter, titled "Jews Demand Action," includes several key points: 

• It states that evidence suggests Israel's actions may meet the legal definition of genocide.
• The signatories condemn the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and reject the idea that Hamas' actions justify Israel's conduct.
• The letter calls for targeted sanctions, an end to arms transfers to Israel, and for world leaders to uphold international court rulings.
• It asserts that the actions of the Israeli government do not represent Jewish people globally and that solidarity with Palestinians aligns with Judaism. 

Signatories

The letter is signed by over 450 individuals from diverse fields, including former Israeli officials, artists, academics, and intellectuals. Some notable signatories are: 

• Avraham Burg, former Knesset speaker
• Jonathan Glazer, filmmaker
• Ilana Glazer and Hannah Einbinder, actors
• Naomi Klein, author
• Daniel Levy, former Israeli peace negotiator
• Michael Rosen, author 

Previous related actions

The open letter follows other similar actions, including: 

• A letter in July 2025 by 31 prominent Israelis also calling for sanctions.
• A call for sanctions by over 800 UK legal experts in June 2025.
• An artist boycott pledge against Israeli film institutions in September 2025.
• Ongoing advocacy and protests by progressive Jewish organizations. 

An Israeli prisoner in Gaza

Alexander Turbanov gave a statement from occupied Israel upon his return:

“Your kindness will forever be etched on my soul.

I spent 498 days among you.

Despite the oppression and aggression you endured,

I learned from you the true meaning of manhood, pure bravery, humanity, and respect for values.

Even in captivity, you were free,

while I, being free, was a prisoner.

You protected my life.

Like a father treats his sons with love,

You cared for my dignity, health, and honour.

Though I was in the hands of people fighting for their land and stolen freedom,

and while my government was committing the worst genocide against a besieged nation,

You neither starved me nor humiliated me.

I saw the real meaning of manhood in your eyes.

I understood the value of sacrifice by living among you.

I saw you smiling even in the face of death,

against an enemy armed with weapons of mass destruction,

while you had nothing but your own bodies.

Even if I tried, I couldn’t find the words

to truly express your worth and status,

or to reflect my astonishment and admiration for your noble character.

Does your faith really teach you to treat prisoners this way?

How great is that belief

That raises you to such a level

where all man-made laws of human rights fall apart,

And all protocols of war pale in comparison to your example.

Even in the harshest of times, your justice and mercy stood out —

not just as slogans,

But in your actual behaviour.

You never compromised on your principles,

no matter how dark the circumstances were.

Believe me, if I ever return,

I will live among you as a dedicated student,

because I have learned the truth from your people.

I have realised that you are not just the owners of the land,

but the owners of principles and justice.”

Ear and peace

 Authorities in Gaza have condemned the Israeli army for the theft of organs from Palestinian hostages and are calling for an international investigation into this horrific and inhumane crime.

Over the past three days, the Israeli occupation returned 120 bodies through the International Committee of the Red Cross, according to Ismail Thawabta, director of Gaza’s Government Media Office. “Most of the bodies arrived in devastating condition, bearing clear signs of field executions and systematic torture,” he said.

Thawabta added that several of the martyrs were returned blindfolded, with their hands and feet bound, while others bore marks of strangulation and ropes around their necks,  clear evidence of deliberate killing.

He further revealed that many of the returned bodies were missing vital organs, including eyes, corneas, and other body parts, confirming, he said, that the occupation forces engaged in the theft of human organs from the detained martyrs. Thawabta denounced the act as a “barbaric and unforgivable crime against humanity.”

Source: @middleeastmonitor

A Place Called Home

 Twice they were forced out. Twice they were driven from their homes in the North — first in the early days of the genocide, then again when Israel carpet-bombed Gaza City.

Imagine losing everything once.

Now imagine losing everything twice — your home, your neighborhood, your memories — on top of your loved ones who were massacred in the process.

And yet… look at them now.

With the ceasefire, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are marching back north — not to safety, not to comfort, not to intact homes — but to rubble, ashes, and the stench of death.

They are not returning because life has been restored.

They are returning because even ruins are still theirs.

This is what steadfastness looks like.

A people who have nothing left — yet still refuse to surrender.

Palestine does not die.

It walks back home. 🇵🇸

الله يحميكم يا حبيبين قلبي

protester who was threatened with arrest for holding a Palestinian flag

Kent police have been forced to apologise and pay damages to a protester who was threatened with arrest for holding a Palestinian flag and signs condemning Israel. The case exposes a shocking misuse of counter-terrorism powers to intimidate someone exercising a basic democratic right.

Laura Murton, 43, was told by armed officers that her peaceful protest supported a proscribed group and that she could face arrest under the Terrorism Act 2000. The officers demanded her personal details under threat, and her data was processed unlawfully.

The apology and settlement lay bare the heavy-handed and unlawful policing tactics used against lawful protests. This is not a minor error; it is a clear violation of basic rights. Murton’s case should serve as a warning that free speech is under threat when authorities overreach and weaponise anti-terror laws to silence dissent.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/oct/13/kent-police-apologise-palestine-protester-laura-murton

When the Soul is Taken Away

When Allah SWT decrees the end of a soul, the angels act only by His command. Every moment of our lives... and the moment of our death... is written in the Preserved Tablet (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz); not a soul’s time can ever be brought forward or delayed.

The way a soul is taken from the body reflects a person’s deeds. The soul of a believing, righteous person is drawn out gently—like water slipping from a vessel—while the soul of a wrongdoer is taken with force and suffering. In every case, this world is only a test, a short stop on our journey to eternity. #Islam teaches us that death is not the end, but a return to our Creator and the beginning of the next life. Through this inevitability, believers are called to patience and acceptance. When faced with loss or calamity, we remember: “Surely to Allah we belong, and to Him we will all return” (Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un, Qur’an 2:156). There is comfort in trusting Allah’s perfect plan, even when our hearts ache with grief. May Allah SWT grant you the highest rank in Jannah and may He accept you as a martyr our dear brother Saleh. Your suffering is over but your voice and mission will not be forgotten. May we honor his memory by living righteously, knowing every soul and every hardship is known to the Most Merciful... and that his deeds and responsibilities to the oppressed, the occupied, the land of Palestine and Islam are now sealed, while ours must continue even more resilient and stronger. 😢🇵🇸✊🏽 Brother Saleh recites: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful When the help of Allah and the victory comes, and you see people entering the religion of Allah in multitudes, then glorify the praises of your Lord and seek His forgiveness. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of Repentance." (Surah An-Nasr 110:1-3)