Four things to know about Palestine’s struggle for freedom.
Earlier this week, we reported that like many governments around the world, African states are currently divided on supporting Palestine. However, as a region that has experienced genocides, apartheid, occupation and exploitation, Africans have a historical and moral obligation to affirm Palestine’s rights to freedom and self-determination.
Four things to know about Palestine’s struggle for freedom.
1. WHAT IS HAPPENING
In the past week, thousands of protesters have rallied around the world in support of Palestinians and condemnation of Israel. In Africa, protests have happened in Algiers (Algeria), Cape Town (South Africa) and Rabat (Morocco).
2. WHY IT’S HAPPENING
Palestinians in Gaza are running out of water, fuel and supplies amid an Israeli aid blockade. This follows an ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the militant group that has controlled Gaza since 2006. Israel has ordered more than one million Palestinian civilians in northern Gaza to evacuate ahead of a ground assault. However, newsrooms have reported that fleeing Palestinian civilians are being targeted and brutalized by Israeli military.
Israel is essentially punishing all Palestinians for Hamas’s attacks. This is illegal by international law and many observers have warned that based on these circumstances, Palestinians face an impending Israeli-led genocide.
3. WHEN IT REALLY BEGAN
Israeli-Palestinian conflicts date back to the nineteenth century and have historically been over land territory. In 1947, after years of Arab-Jewish conflicts, the UN voted to partition Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. However, over the years, Israel has continuously violated international agreements by increasingly, illegally and brutally annexing Palestinian land.
4. WHY IT MATTERS
For 10+ days, the world has watched Israel assaulting over 2 million Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. As of 16 October, the UN failed to reach consensus on a humanitarian ceasefire. Over the years, a lack of international consensus around Palestine’s freedom has only emboldened Israel to intensify its attacks on Palestinians.
Palestinian officials and pro-Palestine protesters have thus criticized the international community for 1) enabling Israel; while 2) demanding that Palestinians should not resort to violence, regardless of their grievances about Israel’s prolonged occupation, killing and mass imprisonment of Palestinians.
Like many governments around the world, African states are currently divided on supporting Palestine. However, as a region that has experienced genocides, apartheid, occupation and exploitation, Africans have a historical and moral obligation to affirm Palestine’s rights to freedom and self-determination.
African support for Palestine’s right to self-determination is grounded in our shared history of resisting colonization and exploitation⎈
