JAI Call: International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
On the 29th of November the Palestinians, Palestine solidarity groups and justice-loving people in the world will observe and mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people. This is a show of commitment and determination to fight for the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, as articulated in many UN resolutions, and to promote just peace.
Over the past year, the Israeli authorities committed more war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Palestinian people mainly in the Gaza strip. Since the beginning of 2022, 140 Palestinians (mostly civilians) including 30 children were killed by Israeli soldiers. 94 Palestinian owned structures were demolished in the first half of the year alone, leaving some 450 people affected and displaced. Israeli settlers’ violence against the Palestinian people became a daily event, and in many cases resulted in injuries and damages to Palestinian properties. 5300 Palestinians were arrested since the beginning of the year including 750 children. Seven Palestinians civil society and human right organization were outlawed by the Israeli military authorities and are now facing full closure and/or detention of its staff. A few thousand olive trees were uprooted or torched. Hundreds of acres of the Palestinian lands were confiscated for the sake of Israeli settlements (colonies) that are increasingly expanding.
There are daily Israeli military raids on villages and towns in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem targeting the Palestinian people with clear threats of destruction and forced displacement of people, especially in East Jerusalem.
Above all of this, the Israelis elected very far right members to the Israeli Parliament “Knesset” that include openly fascist groups. While some parties who were known as the Israeli left are not any more represented there. All the Israeli political parties represented in the newly elected parliament “excluding the two Palestinian ones” have clear policies based on the full disrespect of the international law and the negation of Palestinian human and political rights. The coming Isarel government will be a far right fascist one that will push for more severe measures against the Palestinians in the occupied territory and inside the green line as well. There is much violence on the scene, and more is expected as the new Israeli government is soon formed.
As the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on November 29th, approaches, we at the EJYMCA-YWCA Joint Advocacy Initiative (JAI) calls for further actions from our friend and partners to address these Israeli violations, injustices, and oppression and the lack of accountability, indiscriminate support, and impunity that Israel enjoys. Isarel and the world community members, part of whom are complicit in the oppression of the Palestinian people must respect and abide by international law.
We call on our sister YMCA / YWCA movements, partners, the ecumenical bodies, and solidarity groups and activists worldwide, to lobby their policy makers and request the following:
- That Israel ends its violations of the international law.
- That the respective countries respect the Palestinian rights of self-determination as stated in the UNGA resolution 32/40 B
- Create a clear mechanism enabling the Palestinian people practice their alienable right of self-determination
We appreciate the efforts of all those who stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, and act to support our national and human rights and steadfastness and promote our right to freedom and a just peace