Today is International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The United Nations chose this day, 29th November, in accordance
with mandates given by the General Assembly in its resolutions 32/40 B
of 2 December 1977, 34/65 D of 12 December 1979, 56/34 of 3 December
2001, and other relevant resolutions.
The date of 29 November was chosen because of its meaning and significance to the Palestinian people. Because on that shameful day in 1947, the General Assembly adopted resolution 181(II), which came to be known as the Partition Resolution. That resolution provided for the establishment in Palestine of a “Jewish State” and an “Arab State”, with Jerusalem as a corpus separatum under a special international regime. Of the two States to be created under this resolution, only one, Israel, has so far come into being.
This United Nations decision unleashed a catastrophe whose reverberations Palestinians continue to experience until today. Three-quarters of a million Palestinian Arabs—who were the majority of the population of historic Palestine, fled for their lives after experiencing or learning of massacres by Zionist paramilitary organizations, or were expelled from their homes during the ensuing Arab-Israeli war of 1948. By the 1949 armistice, the original partition lines had shifted violently so that Israel’s footprint became much larger than envisioned by the proposed partition plan, it was accorded 55 percent by the plan, but seized an additional 25% of Palestinian territory. At present, the drastically reduced Palestinian land continues to be occupied by the Israeli military and Jerusalem is occupied and divided with Israel controlling and limiting access to religious sites. Palestinians originally displaced during the Nakba (the Arabic word for Catastrophe—what the Palestinians call the 1948 war when they lost their homeland) are still prevented from exercising the right to return to their homes in what is now Israel. And contrary to the resolution (and to the Fourth Geneva Convention ) Israel has continued to expropriate additional vast tracts of Palestinian territory for its own use and especially for the building and transfer of its own Israeli citizens to illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
The Palestinian people, who now number more than 8 million, live primarily in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, including East Jerusalem, part of which is now administered by the Palestinian Authority; in Israel; in neighbouring Arab States; and in refugee camps in the region.
The International Day of Solidarity has traditionally provided an opportunity for the international community to focus its attention on the fact that the question of Palestine is still unresolved and that the Palestinian people is yet to attain its inalienable rights as defined by the General Assembly, namely, the right to self-determination without external interference, the right to national independence and sovereignty, and the right to return to their homes and property from which they had been displaced.
The date of 29 November was chosen because of its meaning and significance to the Palestinian people. Because on that shameful day in 1947, the General Assembly adopted resolution 181(II), which came to be known as the Partition Resolution. That resolution provided for the establishment in Palestine of a “Jewish State” and an “Arab State”, with Jerusalem as a corpus separatum under a special international regime. Of the two States to be created under this resolution, only one, Israel, has so far come into being.
This United Nations decision unleashed a catastrophe whose reverberations Palestinians continue to experience until today. Three-quarters of a million Palestinian Arabs—who were the majority of the population of historic Palestine, fled for their lives after experiencing or learning of massacres by Zionist paramilitary organizations, or were expelled from their homes during the ensuing Arab-Israeli war of 1948. By the 1949 armistice, the original partition lines had shifted violently so that Israel’s footprint became much larger than envisioned by the proposed partition plan, it was accorded 55 percent by the plan, but seized an additional 25% of Palestinian territory. At present, the drastically reduced Palestinian land continues to be occupied by the Israeli military and Jerusalem is occupied and divided with Israel controlling and limiting access to religious sites. Palestinians originally displaced during the Nakba (the Arabic word for Catastrophe—what the Palestinians call the 1948 war when they lost their homeland) are still prevented from exercising the right to return to their homes in what is now Israel. And contrary to the resolution (and to the Fourth Geneva Convention ) Israel has continued to expropriate additional vast tracts of Palestinian territory for its own use and especially for the building and transfer of its own Israeli citizens to illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
The Palestinian people, who now number more than 8 million, live primarily in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, including East Jerusalem, part of which is now administered by the Palestinian Authority; in Israel; in neighbouring Arab States; and in refugee camps in the region.
The International Day of Solidarity has traditionally provided an opportunity for the international community to focus its attention on the fact that the question of Palestine is still unresolved and that the Palestinian people is yet to attain its inalienable rights as defined by the General Assembly, namely, the right to self-determination without external interference, the right to national independence and sovereignty, and the right to return to their homes and property from which they had been displaced.
73 years on, the Palestinians continue to suffer the disastrous consequences of that imperial decision to allow the colonisation of Palestine. Today, we-affirm our solidarity with all Palestinians in historic Palestine, with Palestinian political prisoners (women, men & children) in Apartheid Israel's jails, and with the millions of refugees struggling to make their legally guaranteed Right of Return a reality by returning to their homes. And we reaffirm our support for the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions - BDS - Movement until Israel complies with international law.
As the threats facing the Palestinian people intensify day by day, our only response can be to give even more, and to do even more.
The Israeli government continues to press ahead with its gross violations of international law and Palestinian human rights, accelerating the ongoing colonisation of yet more Palestinian land.
Israel has continued to demolish Palestinian homes and buildings in the Occupied West Bank. 2020 has seen the highest level of Palestinian home demolitions in four years, despite the covid-19 pandemic, which has left over 400 people homeless many of who are children. Earlier this month, Israel illegally destroyed the entire Palestinian village of Khirbet Hamsa al-Foqa - making 73 people, including 41 children homeless - in the largest incident of forced displacement in years.
The Israeli government continues to press ahead with its gross
violations of international law and Palestinian human rights,
accelerating the ongoing colonisation of yet more Palestinian land.
These include plans to proceed with formal annexation. Despite the
rhetoric from some of our political leaders that the US- UAE has taken
annexation off the table, Israel has made clear that its plans are
merely on temporary hold. Netanyahu has stated clearly, speaking after
the UAE deal that “There is no change to my plan to extend sovereignty,
our sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, in full coordination with the
United States.”
Meanwhile Israel proceeds with the de facto annexation on the ground. In
October 2020 the Israeli government approved 5,400 new settlement units
on stolen Palestinian land in the West Bank. In tandem, Israel has
continued to demolish Palestinian homes and buildings, with 389
Palestinian structures in the West Bank razed from March to August 2020,
leaving over 400 Palestinians homeless. And Israel continues to subject
Gaza to an ever-tightening land, air and sea blockade, making life
insufferable for the nearly two million Palestinians, the majority of
them refugees from Israel’s ethnic cleansing, trapped in the enclave.
Like Palestinian refugees everywhere, they are denied the right to
return to the homes from which they, their parents or grandparents were
expelled.
The world has failed to implement the international consensus sought by
the United Nations to find a fair and just solution to the Palestinian
issue because the Superpowers in the United Nations Security Council
have used their veto powers to stop important UN Resolutions aimed at
actualising the broader view of the majority of the countries around the
world. It is with sadness that we observe that the UN has been
powerless to do the right thing for the Palestinians.
In January 1976 the United Nations, backed by a wide global consensus,
passed a Resolution granting Palestine political sovereignty. This
Resolution received the support of the Palestine Liberation
Organisation, the Arab countries, the European Bloc and the Soviet Bloc.
However, this UN effort was also stopped by the exercise of a veto from
the United States. The 1981 initiative from Saudi Arabia called the
FAHAD peace deal was also rejected by Israel.
For decades the world has been helplessly watching the Palestinian
tragedy unfold as the people of this land are being driven out of their
homes that are being destroyed. They are forced to wander as they are
constantly harassed and deprived of the very basic necessities such as
water. They have no freedom of movement, as they are being arrested
arbitrarily, even little children and women have been detained.
In October 2000, the UN Security Council resolved with a 14 to 0 vote
that Israel should act according to the obligations and agreements
contained in the Fourth Geneva Convention and return all Palestinian
lands that have been occupied. At that time the US abstained from
voting.
In addition, in 2001 when Israeli troops clashed with Palestinians,
attempts by the United Nations to send in international observers to
minimise violence under the so-called Michael plan was opposed by Israel
and the United States.
These actions of the US have damaged its credentials as a neutral player
in resolving issues in the Middle East and has ruined its reputation as
a champion of democracy and global justice.
Under President Donald Trump the US Middle East policy has been very
one-sided. However, under the new Democratic President it is hoped that
the policy towards this region will be fairer and more progressive. If
that does not happen then it will be a big blow against America’s boast
of being a country that is a proponent of peace and democracy across the
world.
Today and everyday lets reiterate our solidarity with the Palestinian people and their right
to self-determination. We must amplify the Palestinian people’s call for freedom, justice, equality and the right of return, building a future of peace,
justice, security and dignity for the Palestinians.
The UK government must take action too by banning trade with illegal Israeli
settlements and implementing sanctions, including a two-way arms
embargo, until Israel complies with international law. Public bodies
also need to take action to ensure that they are not investing funds or
procuring contracts with companies complicit in Israel’s human rights
abuses.
In drawing attention to the struggle of the Palestinian people we cannot
but remember the firm stand that the United Nations took against racism,
against the evil of Apartheid and supported the liberation struggle of
the people of South Africa.
At the time his people were liberated, the celebrated leader of the
liberation struggle for South Africa Nelson Mandela made a profound
statement, which resonates around the world to this day.
He said: “For many years the United Nations stood firm against racism.
Because of that a worldwide consensus was built against this unfair
system. We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the
freedom of the Palestinians.”
Apartheid is a crime against humanity. From the rivers to the sea, Free, Free Palestine!
This Sunday 29 November, Join the Online Rally for Palestine: Stop Annexation and Apartheid
