The days of Israel’s impunity are dwindling as the International Criminal Court inches closer towards opening a full investigation into war crimes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Far from being an “aberration” from an otherwise “democratic” Israel, the annexation plan reveals the nature of the Israeli state itself – an entity founded on settler-colonial expansion and the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Palestinian people.
"One of the most terrifying sounds on earth,” Palestinian American historian Rashid Khalidi recalls, is “the screeching roar of supersonic warplanes diving to attack.”
Leading Palestinian sociologist Dr. Honaida Ghanim believes Israeli annexation will bring the Palestinian struggle back to basics, back to 1948. Rather than a struggle for statehood, it will become an anti-colonial struggle for justice and freedom.
The right of return for Palestinians uprooted by Zionist forces in 1948 – including their children and grandchildren – is the central issue of justice for Palestine. Yet it often remains an afterthought for solidarity activists.
“Using the time when the world has been busy confronting the COVID-19 pandemic to commit more war crimes is immoral and poses new challenges for the rule of law and human rights.”
Palestinians do not only have to fear loss of life, a collapsed health care system and economy: They also have to fear Israel’s daily actions in occupied territory.
Among the international businesses listed are several companies in the travel industry previously known to operate in settlements, like Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, and TripAdvisor.
This isn’t a break with the status quo. It’s the natural culmination of decades of American policy.
While the political situation often seems bleak and hopeless, these Palestinians, these changemakers, continue to try to make a difference, no matter how big or small, in the hopes that they can do better for their community.
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