#FreePalestine

After eleven days of horror and death, a 'ceasefire' has been declared in Israel. Of course, a ceasefire suggests that there are two combatants but this is hardly the case. On the Israeli side there is one of the most powerful armies in the world - using drones and the latest weapons technology - and on the other Palestinians throwing stones, and Hamas firing rockets. And that is part of the problem of this ongoing terrible saga, a false equivalence, promoted by the mainstream media, as the headline in this Guardian article shows. The headline - "Gaza-Israel ceasefire" - illustrates this issue well. This isn't a war between Gaza and Israel, it's an attack by Israel on Palestinians who are trapped in the open prison which is Gaza. 

The 'conflict' began with Israelis trying to force Palestinians out of their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in East Jerusalem. This is part of a programme of ethnic cleansing and the stealing of Arab land and property by the Israelis which has been going on for many years. Israeli troops also stormed the Al Aqsa mosque while worshippers were saying prayers during Ramadan. In response, there have been large demonstrations worldwide showing support for the plight of the Palestinians.

Israel is in illegal occupation of Palestinian land and has been for decades, breaching numerous UN resolutions. The ongoing occupation goes back 73 years to the Nakba in May 1948 when 750,000 Palestinians were displaced at the formation of Israel. There have been many attempts at a peace deal, including a 'two state' solution, but none have been implemented successfully.

The latest round of attacks on the Palestinians appears to have been initiated because the Israeli Prime Minster Netanyahu is under pressure from corruption charges and struggling to remain in power. According to a report by Aljazeera :

"While Benjamin Netanyahu has managed to stay in power to this point, corruption charges and his repeated failure to form a stable and reliable coalition government appeared to signal the end of his reign.

However, the newly erupted conflict with the Palestinians may have opened yet another path for Netanyahu and his quest to remain Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, analysts say."

There can never be peace in Israel/Palestine until the illegal occupation, the stealing of Palestinian property, and the Israeli apartheid regime are brought to an end. This means that the United States, UK, and the EU need to end their unqualified support for Israeli aggression and illegal occupation, including supplying Israel with weapons. Please support the Palestinians in their quest for peace and justice through the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement (BDS), and help to #FreePalestine.