United Against Oppression
#UnitedAgainstOppression
A lot of violence has been witnessed over the last few days of Ramadan. Many civilians have lost their lives, many kids have lost their wills to live, homes have been seized, buildings have been bombed, and hospitals are no longer able to accommodate injured civilians. With the rise of states normalizing ties with oppressors, here’s what you could do..
BDS
Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions, formed in 2005, is a Palestinian-led movement that works to end international support for Israel to oppress Palestinians. BDS pressures Israel to comply with international law and seeks fundamental Palestinian demands such as reassuring jobs, security, equality, housing, health care, etc.
3 ways to support Palestinians through Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions:
- Take economic action.
- Write a statement of support or show support through social media.
- Join a national network.
Why stand up against Zionism
Linking Anti-semitism to Anti-zionism is one of the groundbreaking acts zionists take to make people comply with Zionism as an ideology. Melanie Phillips, a British journalist, is amongst those who normalize oppression, claiming that Judaism adopts the movement, defining Zionism as “nothing more or less than the self-determination of the Jewish people in their ancient homeland of Israel.” Likewise, many other zionists claim that Israel is working towards a two-state solution. However, over the past 70+ years, the world has witnessed nothing but lies and false claims. Palestinians are being forced to obey oppressors, fundamental rights are given disproportionately amongst Palestinians and Jews, and Israel is continuously working on depopulating Arabs in Palestine. The double standard law of return allows Jews who have never been to Palestine to return “home” when a Palestinian born and raised in Palestine, expelled or fled from there after 1948 is not allowed a return.
Arabs comprise 21% of the Israeli population but own less than 3% of land. Israel has established over 700 new Jewish settlements since 1948 without establishing a single Arab settlement up until 2013, apart from resettling Arab Bedouins to being forced off their lands, giving the desert to Arab Bedouins who have been living there for decades while funding and giving incentives to Jews to establish new settlements. This form of ongoing discrimination makes Israel an ethnocracy rather than a democracy. Zionism is nothing but a double standard movement that works on assuring the safety of Jews alone.
Why Act
Over 80 percent of Palestinians were made into refugees overnight. (Aljazeera) Approximately 13,000 Palestinians were killed in 1948, and another 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes. The occupation forces in Palestine are committing violent crimes and engaging in domestic violence more than ever. 194 Palestinian children were detained in Israeli prisons and detention centers, marking a six percent increase from January. (Patel 2020)
According to the International Journal of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The prevalence of suicidal ideation at each of the seven OPT sites (Gaza Strip, West Bank, UNRWA Gaza, UNRWA Jordan, UNRWA Syria, UNRWA Lebanon, and UNDRWA West Bank) ranged from 14.6% (Lebanon) to 23.7% (UNRWA West Bank), with a pooled prevalence of 19.9% (Table 2a). The prevalence of suicidal planning ranged from 14.2% (Lebanon) to 18.5% (UNRWA West Bank), with a pooled percentage of 17.1%. The combined prevalence of reporting one or both types of suicidal thinking ranged from 19.9% (Lebanon) to 28.5% (West Bank), with a pooled rate of 25.6%. Palestinian children are losing more than just their parents and homes. Middle school students (ages 13–15) are considering suicide to end oppression.
Choosing to condemn one murder and justify the other is wrong. Murder should never be proactive depending on where it happened. Sadly, a person who suffers police brutality in one part of the world would not get the same attention as someone who suffers cruelty in another region. Condemn all, justify none. The inequitable one-sided battle has been going on for more than 70 years and needs our attention. Labeling BDS as a “far-right movement” when the movement is nothing but a peaceful one is irrational. Palestinians and others who refuse oppression would seek to cut ties with the oppressors humanely. BDS seeks nothing more than to cut ties with Israel for not complying with international laws.
How to get involved
Join a BDS campaign. By clicking on “BDS campaign”, you will be directed to organizations that are main partners of the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC), the broadest coalition of Palestinian networks that leads and supports the BDS movement.
Where to follow the latest on social media:
BDS Movement — Twitter: BDSmovement
theIMEU — Twitter: theIMEU | Instagram: theIMEU
Eye.On.Palestine — Instagram: eye.on.palestine
