The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is a day that doesn’t mean we are celebrating an event, yet to remember the day when the General Assembly of the United Nations divided Historical Palestine in to two states, resolution 181 in 1947. Hitherto, this date marks the beginning of a new chapter of Palestinian misery, diaspora and struggle at the same time.
Talking about the meaning of solidarity with the Palestinian people: This sentence or equation has two components: Solidarity and Palestinian people. Starting with the solidarity component of this equation: People across the globe gather on this day to show support and solidarity with the Palestinian people. On the one hand, some people support human rights of the Palestinian people and stand against Israeli violations and illegal practices. On the other hand, the majority support every aspect of the Palestinian cause, and their support stems from their deep-rooted belief in justice and fairness. Those people who weighted justice over oppression and freedom over occupation don’t really celebrate on this day, rather they show their persistence to continue defending what is left in the word justice. They renew on this day their promise to stand tall, to reiterate their faithful understanding of the justice of this cause and to pledge impartiality of any upcoming solution.
The second component of this equation is the Palestinian people. It has been nearly 70 years for the Palestinian to live under occupation. Thousands and thousands have lost their lives or injured permanently, lost their freedom when they were imprisoned illegally, missed one of their beloved, or cried on the ruins of their homes, lands or corps.
This year, the Palestinians and their supporters do mark this day in special and unique conditions. Every corner of this planet has been affected by the novel pandemic called COVID-19. Societies suffered, lives troubled, economies and businesses were harmed and the whole humanity is facing a situation that requires nothing but unity and cooperation.
Nonetheless, COVID-19 in Palestine the situation looks different. As if the oppression of occupation is not enough, Israel continued to impose unjustified and illegal siege on the Gaza Strip regardless of the massive medical needs of the besieged Strip of all means to face this sinister pandemic. In the West Bank things didn’t look different; Israel hindered on several occasions the arrival of swaps, and rather continued expanding security checking points across the West Bank, making the lives of average Palestinians worse. In Jerusalem and despite these unique global conditions, Israel didn’t squander any opportunity to continue strangling Palestinians in Jerusalem at the aim of changing the demographic nature of the holy city. When talking about the Palestinian prisoners, hundreds of them shown positive symptoms and left without receiving necessary medical treatment. They were not even distanced from the rest of inmates to avoid the spread of this disease among them. Meanwhile, the occupation continued expanding and building new settlements, demolishing more and more houses, brutally attacking peaceful demonstrations and protecting and covering crimes committed by armed settlers against Palestinian unarmed civilians, their lands, trees and worship houses. As of today, conditions are terribly worse on the Palestinians, either those refugees living outside Palestine in refugee camps or who are living inside occupied Palestine.
However, the Palestinians have shown no signs of surrender. They have bravely rejected and refused any form of submission. It is truly a story of a struggle for dignity, self-determination, and above all for freedom and liberation.
This is and that is why peace-loving nations across the globe show their solidarity with the Palestinian people and their struggle and have chosen this day to symbolize their solidarity.
Despite all practices that intend to abort any possible solution, the hope for a peaceful resolution of this conflict is still there: Ending Occupation and Establishing a sovereign State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its eternal Capital.
The Embassy of the State of Palestine in Hungary salutes and thank all friends, institutions and organizations in Hungary and across the world who showed their support and solidarity with the Palestinian people as a symbol of their belief and adherence to the values of justice and freedom.
Download the Statement in pdf format: Statement by the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Hungary on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People