The Vigils taking place in Orkney every Saturday since the end of October 2023 have had their main focus on the genocide taking place in Gaza. The islanders have not forgotten, however, the atrocities and war crimes that are taking place in the illegally occupied West Bank.

On February 8 Israel announced that it was increasing control over 40% of The West Bank. The measures would change the law to allow Israeli authorities and individuals to acquire land in designated Areas A and B, violating the law of occupation.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said that “This is yet another step by the Israeli authorities towards rendering a viable Palestinian State impossible, in violation of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.”

He continued that the decisions also strip the Palestinian Authority of its planning and building powers in parts of Hebron in the southern part of the West Bank, including the Ibrahimi Mosque – known to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs and a holy site for Islam, Judaism and Christianity. 

Israel would also establish administrative control over another holy site, Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem, to accelerate settlement expansion.  

 “This not only violates the land rights of Palestinians, but also their cultural rights in respect of sites of particular significance.”

These measures make it even easier for the Israelis to illegally settle land which is Palestinian. Last week The Orkney News covered one of the favourite tools of Israel in the article, Bulldozed by Israel .

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has reminded member nations that  all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and their associated regime and infrastructure, have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of international law, including relevant UN resolutions. 

The U.S. Jewish Voice for Peace stated:

“As long as the Israeli government is allowed to operate with impunity from the international community and receives a blank check from the U.S., its atrocities against Palestinians will continue. That’s why our organizing targets the root cause enabling Israel’s violence against Palestinians: material support from our own institutions here in the U.S, in the form of Israel Bonds.”

Epstein Link to Israel.

The release of millions of files gathered from the properties of Jeffrey Epstein have revealed an international network of trafficking and paedophilia including its links to Israel.

An ongoing Drop Site News investigation suggests that Epstein worked closely with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and participated in initiatives connected to Israeli intelligence – there has been little mainstream coverage of this aspect. – Middle East Eye.

Palantir’s Link to Israel and the UK.

Palantir, which develops AI technologies, and which Labour UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer  handed a £330m NHS England data contract to in 2023, has links to war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza, through the use of its Spy tech capabilities. In an article published in the BMJ, ‘NHS England must cancel its contract with Palantir‘, Rhiannon Mihranian Osborne, commented:

“This contract has become increasingly controversial as Palantir has vocally announced it is supporting the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) with their assault in Gaza. Since October 2023, Palantir has been outspoken in its support for the Israeli military.

“In January 2024, Palantir signed a deal with the IOF to increase its “advanced technology provision” to Israel in support of war related missions.

“Palantir’s CEO Alex Karp says he is “exceedingly proud” of Palantir’s involvement in what he calls “operationally crucial operations in Israel.”

Disgraced former UK Ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, being investigated for his connections with Epstein, lobbied for Palantir to get contracts with the UK Government. In September 2025 the UK Labour Government announced a “New strategic partnership with Palantir to unlock up to £1.5bn investment into the UK to deliver new jobs, growth and national security.”

“Some of these new capabilities will support development of what is known as the ‘kill chain’, whereby military planners fuse a wide range of information and data sources from open source and military platforms to provide military commanders with faster options for attacking an enemy target. This would form an element of the Digital Targeting Web, announced in the Strategic Defence Review, which will have a large and diverse supplier ecosystem.” – New strategic partnership to unlock billions and boost military AI and innovation

These are technologies which have been developed through aiding Israeli forces in the genocide of the people of Gaza.

The Orkney Vigils.

Today, Saturday 14 February, islanders in Orkney will meet on the Kirk Green, Broad Street, Kirkwall, outside the St Magnus Cathedral, to stand in support of Peace and of the Palestinian people. All are welcome to join them from 1 to 2pm.

Fiona Grahame