Veterans criticise Gaza-themed poppies ahead of Remembrance Day
Activists are selling a Gaza-themed Palestine Poppy to commemorate those killed in conflict with Israel, drawing criticism from veterans who say it hijacks the Remembrance symbol.
How it was covered
- GB News was the only channel found covering it.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
Activists have begun selling a Gaza-themed version of the Remembrance poppy ahead of Remembrance Day, a move that has drawn criticism from British veterans. The poppy, sold as the Palestine Poppy, is designed to commemorate those killed in conflict with Israel. Veterans from conflicts over several decades accused its creators of hijacking a national symbol.
The Palestine Poppy costs £1.78, according to the broadcast. Its website includes the phrase 'from the river to the sea', a slogan described during the discussion as controversial. The broadcast said the website referred to organisations working to end the occupation of Palestinian territories. One of those named, Friends of Al-Aqsa, has been described as far left and Islamist in a report commissioned by the Home Office.
The official red poppy, sold by the British Legion, raises £50 million a year for veterans, the discussion heard. Critics argued that the red poppy is a symbol of remembrance and unity, not a political badge or protest pin. They said it should not be used as a canvas for other causes. The panel also criticised other coloured poppies, including the white poppy, with one contributor calling it 'appalling'.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, a contributor to the programme, said the red poppy was the only buttonhole he would wear. He argued it should be worn from 1 November until the later of Remembrance Sunday or Armistice Day, and not in October. He also warned against wearing it as virtue signalling. The panel agreed that the poppy should unite people across political persuasions.
The organisers of the Palestine Poppy had not responded to a request for comment at the time of the broadcast, the programme said.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| A Home Office-commissioned report described Friends of Al-Aqsa, one of the named charities, as far left and Islamist. | |
| The Palestine Poppy is intended to commemorate those killed in conflict with Israel. | |
| The Palestine Poppy website reportedly includes the slogan from the river to the sea. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
GB News framed the story around outrage from veterans and a panel consensus that the red poppy must remain a non-political symbol of remembrance. The discussion focused on the Palestine Poppy as a hijacking of a national emblem, with criticism of white and other coloured poppies. It also raised the website's 'from the river to the sea' phrase and a Home Office-commissioned report on Friends of Al-Aqsa.
- “pro-parcel activists have sparked outrage by attempting to sell their own Gaza themed poppies ahead of Remembrance Day.”
- “The poppy is not a political badge. It's not a canvas to be hijacked by political cause.”
- “it's really quite bad manners to have a different coloured poppy and to hijack it”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.