Scores gather for International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

In commemoration of the partition of Palestine in 1947, 29 November marks the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. After more than a year of Israeli genocide, and decade upon decade of Israeli aggression and ethnic cleansing.

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

Lecturer and genocide expert Arnesa Buljušmić-Kustura explained that even the commemoration itself “laid the groundwork for the ethnic cleansing and ongoing genocide of Palestinians and dispossession”:

The UN plan divided Palestine into two states:
• A Jewish state (55% of the land), despite Jews making up only ~30% of the population and owning ~6% of the land.
• An Arab state (45%). • Jerusalem as an internationally governed city.
The plan ignored the will of the indigenous majority, the Palestinians.

Buljušmić-Kustura goes on to explain how the UN resolution laid the foundation for Israel to encroach onto indigenous Palestinian territory over the proceeding decades. Britain’s role in the internationally-sanctioned colonisation of Palestine cannot be forgotten, as Buljušmić-Kustura outlines:

The British Mandate played a key role in this tragedy. Britain’s Balfour Declaration from 1917 promised a “Jewish national home” in Palestine while simultaneously assuring Palestinians of independence. By 1948, Britain withdrew, leaving chaos in its wake.

She goes on to conclude:

The anniversary of UN Resolution 181 is not just a historical event. It’s a reminder of how international institutions facilitated the dispossession of Palestinians; a process that continues today. Understanding this history is vital to addressing the injustices of the present.

What does solidarity look like?

The United Nations has commemorated this day of recognition for Palestine every year since 1947. However, for the reasons Buljušmić-Kustura outlines, we cannot allow the UN to set the tone for solidarity with Palestine. Unless we can understand the settler colonial history that has laid the foundation for Israel to be colonial settlers in Palestine for over 75 years, then our solidarity isn’t worth much.

Ayman Khwaja, writing for The New Arab, argued:

Liberation requires action, and it goes without saying that solidarity extends beyond just bearing witness. We have seen this in the remarkable work of Palestine Action – shutting down weapons and munitions manufacturers. We have seen it in the success of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement – with multi-billion-pound conglomerates reporting record losses.

Genocide has been a regular feature of social media timelines for over the last year, at an overwhelming rate. As Khwaja writes:

If you are haunted by Gaza, you are of the few still in possession of their humanity. Take what little of it remains and in every hour of your day, build the time to centre Palestine. There can be no other reason for why we are alive in this moment. The reality remains: it is not us who will save Palestine and Palestinians; it is them, yet again, saving us from ourselves.

Forwards

Plenty of actions, both local and national have been organised by a range of pro-Palestine groups. Flags are being raised at local town halls, messages of solidarity are being shared on social media, and preparations are being made for a national demonstration.

The likes of the UN cannot pave the way in remembrance and solidarity for Palestine. The UN is little more than a conduit for settler colonialism. Having seen the ethnic cleansing, the horrific scenes as Israelis bomb hospitals and schools, the images of children blown literally to pieces, of mass graves being uncovered, of purposeful starvation, it would be an abomination to look away now.

Agitation and demonstration must be the watchwords on this International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

Featured image via Unsplash/Nathan Neve