We are sure you have the gist of what’s happening in Palestine (at this point, it is weirder if you have not heard anything). But if your vision is still blurry and you do not know what you do not know, take a read. If you already know, skip to the next few paragraphs.
Israel is a ‘state’ built on the Palestinian land. It was formed on May 14 1948 following the Holocaust and Second World War (Sommerlad, 2021). In 1947, the United Nations decided to divide the land into two states where there were to be a Jewish majority area called Israel and a Muslim majority state called Palestine. The holy city of Jerusalem was to serve as a neutral religious zone, sacred to all Muslims, Jews, and Christians. Due to this decision by the UN, disagreements between the Israeli and Palestinians caused the Arab-Israeli war in 1948. Israel won and took over West Jerusalem and even more Palestinian lands as spoils of war, which was not in line with the UN-mediated treaty (Sal, 2021).
Palestinians were and are forced out of their houses everyday till this very day, as more and more Israelis moved into Palestinian lands. Until today, Israel has taken up almost ¾ of Palestinian Land and leaving them with only the West Bank and Gaza region. We can see in the map below how much of Palestine’s space has been taken up by force throughout the years. In the picture below, the map on the very right says that it was Trump's new conceptual map. This is from last year when he was still the President of the United States. Trump, together with Israel’s President, Benjamin Netanyahu, had agreed to a “realistic two-state solution” in the long run of the Palestine-Israel ‘conflict’ (Al Jazeera, 2020). However, Palestinian leaders objected and denied the plan as it was obviously biased. They also said, and we quote: “Jerusalem is not for sale”.
Land loss since 1917. Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/1/29/what-does-trumps-plan-propose-for-palestinian-territories
Here is a video explaining on the map of occupied Palestine.
The Sheikh Jarrah issue that has surfaced recently rooted from the settler colonies that force Palestinians out of their homes so they could live there early May. According to Crellin (2021), Israeli law allows its citizens to claim property in Palestine land provided they can prove it was Jewish-owned before the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Surprisingly, they have no similar law that allows Palestinians to do the same for their homes back in Israel. Watch the video here
On May 10 2021, Hamas and Palestine’s Islamic Jihad countered by firing rockets into Israel after the latter ignored their ultimatum to remove forces in Palestine. The war has been going on for more than a week and according to Al Jazeera, OCHA, Ministry of Health in Gaza, up until today (10th-19th of May 2021), the number of deaths in Palestine has increased to 220 people, including 120 men, 63 women and 37 children.
Meanwhile, at least 1,500 victims are injured due to the attack from the Zionists. Many have lost their families and homes as the buildings are being destroyed. Based on social media only, we can witness how brutal the attack has been on the Palestinians. There are live updates by Palestinians, Malaysians and people across the world in multiple languages regarding the situation there and there is no reason for us to turn a blind eye on this genocide going on. Below are some videos recorded by the reporters when the bomb strikes in Palestine, destroying buildings.
Now, as a human being, what are some of the ways that you can help Palestine? Firstly, you can start off by educating yourself on what is ACTUALLY happening in Palestine. Read more about the issue from reliable sources - this is unfortunately, easier said than done because a lot of manipulation is being spread through the media. There are news titles that narrate the actual situation in Palestine unjustly, using the wrong terminologies to describe the actual situation. Conflict? War? Eviction? NO. It is Ethnic Cleansing, Apartheid and State-Sanctioned Violence! Stay EDUCATED! Read and spread FACTS. Share and talk about Palestine’s current situation online! Trust us, sharing them on social media does A LOT - which is why some social media providers are trying to shut down the uproar online!
Next is to join a BDS movement. BDS movement stands for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions. This is a movement led by Palestinians for FREEDOM, JUSTICE AND EQUALITY. This movement is to validate that Palestinians deserve THE SAME RIGHTS AS THE REST OF HUMANITY. Boycotting does not mean you have to throw out the things you have already bought but the point is to stop supporting those brands that are directly involved with Israel. Divestment is by withdrawing investments that are related to any Israel companies. If you would like to know more on the companies or brands that you can help boycott, feel free to read more from https://bdsmovement.net/get-involved/what-to-boycott
Donations would be very helpful to the affected in Palestine. Financial help will help them to sustain their medical aid, supplies, food and livelihood. Even ‘seringgit je’ matters, your half a buck can help them. To help Palestine, here are some NGOs you can donate to :
PERSATUAN CINTA GAZA MALAYSIA
Maybank - 564810507826
GLOBAL PEACE MISSION
Maybank - 564221611602
Bank Islam - 14023010029224
MUSLIM CARE MALAYSIA
Maybank - 564490211159
Remember! The smallest actions matter. Do your part, starting now.
REFERENCES
Al Jazeera. (2020). What does Trump’s plan propose for Palestinian territories? Retrieved on May 19, 2021 from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/1/29/what-does-trumps-plan-propose-for-palestinian-territories
Crellin, Z. (2021). 3-Min Explainer: Understanding The #SaveSheikhJarrah Crisis Unfolding In Palestine & Israel RN. Retrieved on May 19, 2021 from https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/sheikh-jarrah-palestine-israel-explained/
[@Paliroots]. (2021, May 10). How To Be An Ally With The Palestinians. Instagram. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/COqn-nVJp-M/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Sal, A. (2021). A Brief and Simple History of the Israel-Palestine Conflict. Retrieved on May 19, 2021 from https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/a-brief-and-simple-history-of-the-israel-palestine-conflict-d4a7c4094bfb
Sommerlad, J. (2021). A brief history of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Retrieved on May 19, 2021 from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-palestine-conflict-history-gaza-b1846357.html
Proofread by Ilyana Elisa & Illya-Wardina
Published by Aisyah Hanim
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