Palestine Solidarity Day
Tags: Palestine, Israel, India-Palestine Solidarity
Related Issue: International Law, Human rights violations, Colonisation, Apartheid
We, the undersigned, strongly condemn the ruthless and ongoing genocide and invasion of Gaza by the imperialist and Zionist apartheid regime in Israel. We also condemn the attacks by Israel on East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and the ongoing Israeli aggression in Lebanon, which has received political and military support from the imperialist US and western powers. With the help of the US, Israel under Benjamin Netanyahu has been deliberately blocking any ceasefire negotiation and prisoner exchanges, even though the UN General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly for permanent ceasefire and the recognition of a Palestinian state. We note with concern that the Indian Government has abstained from all votes against Israel and modified its policy on the Palestinian question. We call upon the Indian Government to stop its political support for Israel and severe diplomatic ties with this imperialist and Zionist regime.
As has been widely reported in the media, the Israeli attacks on Palestine and its neighbours in the Middle East have caused widespread civilian casualties, and displacement. According to the renowned medical journal, Lancet, since 7 October 2023, around 200,000 Palestinians have been killed, 70 percent of whom are children and women. This means that more than 8% of the population of Gaza has been murdered by Israel. Gaza’s infrastructure has been decimated, with 80% of buildings damaged or destroyed and 90% of the population displaced. About 20,000 Palestinians remain prisoners in Israeli prisons where they have been reportedly subjected to torture and starvation. Israel has also been using rape as a tool of torture against Palestinian detainees.
Living conditions have worsened due to the collapse of water and sanitation systems, leading to outbreaks of diseases like polio among the region’s children. Despite ceasefire efforts and humanitarian pauses, violence continues to escalate, leaving Gaza on the brink of a total collapse. This mass destruction and loss of life highlight the urgent need for international intervention to halt the ongoing genocide and protect the civilian population. We affirm the Palestinian people’s struggle for liberation, for the sovereign right over their land and freedom from settler colonialism, apartheid, occupation, oppression, and fear of any kind. The Israeli aggression on the West Bank and the continued expansion of the Settlements must be immediately brought to a halt. All the Settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank are illegal by international law and must be immediately disbanded. The illegality of these settlements has been taken into cognizance in the non-binding UN resolution that was passed recently with 124 votes in the UN General Assembly that called on Israel to withdraw from Occupied territories, halt new settlements and return seized lands. The resolution itself was built on advisory opinion of ICJ that deemed the settlements illegal.
There have been new attacks on al-Aqsa mosque, third holiest site for Muslims in the world, by Israeli militia. There are reports of circulation of AI generated videos about destruction of the holy compound. It not only threatens and impedes a religious community right to worship in peace and harmony, but also aids in spread of religious bigotry and Islamophobia.
Additionally, Israel has also expanded its genocide into Lebanon. On September 17, 2024 Israel conducted a terror operation that critically injured close to 2700 people and killed 8 people. The attack caused mass amputation among critically injured civilian population. Since then, Israel has repeatedly attacked South Lebanon killing civilians in densely populated regions and causing mass displacement of populace, with figures as high as one million. Lebanon is the latest example of Israel’s utter and complete disregard of international law and human rights.
Palestinians are facing genocide. Their dispossession mirrors historical struggles waged against imperialism worldwide. As the death toll rises and their land is further annexed, it is imperative that the international community recognizes these atrocities for what they are: systematic efforts to erase an entire people and their right to self-determination. The call for justice, freedom, and peace in Palestine must resonate louder than ever.
To this call, we add our voices and demand action from our elected officials. We the undersigned call for:
- Immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Middle East.
- The Indian Government to revert back to its pro-Palestine policy and stop providing political support to Israel. We ask it to vote against the genocidal actions of the US backed Israeli government.
- Ceasing of all diplomatic ties with Israel.
- Immediate and unconditional end of all arms trade with Israel by the Indian Government.
- Sanctions against Israel and imposition of arms and energy embargo.
- Immediate end to immigration of Indian workers to Israel to fulfill the lacunae left by elimination of Palestinian workforce. Our people must not be sent to War Zones.
- India and the world must help in the restoration of Palestinian Infrastructure and rehabilitation of displaced people.
We call on heads of all the states to fulfill their legal and moral duty of preventing genocide. They must levy sanctions against Israel and isolate it on all fronts. The world looks at Palestine for its future. As the elected heads of their respective states, they must now ensure that Israel withdraws from all Occupied Territories.
Indo-Palestine Solidarity Network (IPSN), India Palestine Solidarity Forum (IPSF), Indians for Palestine (I4P), AICCWW, AIDWA, AIDSO, AIKS, AIMSS, AIPSN, AIPWA, AISF, AITUC, AIYF, ANHAD, CITU, CSW, Delhi Forum, DSF, DSG, DYFI, IFTU, IPTA, Janhastakshep, JanaNatyaManch, Jimmedari SWO, KYS, MEC, MWF, NAPM, NFIW, Nishant, PDSU, Pragatisheel MS, PUCL, Purogami MS, SFI, YWCA and others.