What has Palestine got to do with me?
Human rights are universal!
If we stay silent when the rights of others are violated, we accept a world where our own can be taken and we surrender the very compassion that makes us human.
Israel violates Palestinian Rights with impunity and we are helping them do it !
“Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.” - The UK is arming Israel with weapons, contributing to the death of thousands.
“Everyone has the right to an adequate standard of living .” - Keir Starmer previously stated Israel has the right to withhold power and water from Palestinian civilians.
“No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of their property.” - Britain has historically been involved and remained complicit in the displacement and genocide in Palestine.
Britain carries, as David Lammy put it, a “special burden of responsibility”. When the British took control of Palestine in 1917, after 400 years of Ottoman rule, three conflicting promises were made.
To support the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine
To support an independent state for Arabs in Palestine
To divide the region and place it under international control
British promises form the root cause of the ongoing conflict.
Everyone, no matter where you live, your nationality or what religion you follow, has the right to life, freedom and safety.
We are all born Free and Equal!
If you are reading this, you are someone who can read, probably because you had the chance to go to school. You may also share our concerns and likely believe that everyone has the right to:
Family
a Home
Safety
to Voice Opinions
Food
Protection
Education
Marriage
And you’d be correct.
On December 10th, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which sets out 30 articles, including the ones just mentioned. Those rights are universal and cannot be taken away. They apply to Palestinians too, but Israel is violating those rights.
“Everyone has the right to education." - In the West Bank, military raids on schools, travel restrictions, curfews, settler violence, destruction of education facilities, house demolitions, arbitrary arrests, and poverty have made education extremely challenging.
“Everyone has the right to freedom of movement.” - Israel prevents Palestinians from freely entering, leaving, or moving within the country, with hundreds of checkpoints and roadblocks.
“Everyone has the right to the protection of the law.” - Israeli soldiers often stand by as Jewish settlers attack Palestinians, burn homes and olive trees, while Palestinians defending themselves are arrested and tried in military courts, settlers only in civilian courts.
If human rights don’t protect everyone, will they protect you?
The content of this blog is written by multiple contributors. Any views or opinions expressed in individual posts are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of the group as a whole.
