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International Protests

Stop the Annexation in the West Bank!

International solidarity protests organised by ISA around the world

Friday, 3 July 2020 09:32 (UTC)
Last Update: Friday, 3 July 2020 18:55 (UTC)
Yaara Cliff
Socialist Alternative — ISA in England, Wales and Scotland
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Philadelphia, USA

For weeks, the new Israeli coalition government has been threatening to annex up to 30% of the occupied West Bank into the State of Israel. This threat, which Netanyahu has been raising for some years, is now supported by the US Trump administration. Bolstered by this, Netanyahu has announced the deadline of the 1st of July.

Despite the fact that to date no decision has been reached to move ahead, a dangerous dynamic of escalation has been unfolding. Protesters from Palestinian as well as Israeli backgrounds have been standing up to resist the danger of the annexation and highlighting the devastating consequences it would have for the region.

Vancouver, Canada

Socialist Struggle, ISA in Israel-Palestine, participated in and organised many of these protests. As a member of an international socialist organisation, Socialist Struggle appealed to the rest of the ISA to help build the necessary international protests, including around Israeli embassies or consulates, in solidarity with the working class in Palestine as well as in Israel.

A major protest with around 6,000 participants was organised in central Tel Aviv at the beginning of the month. Our members, who were part of a coalition of organisations that put the protest together, chanted, among other slogans, “for peace and welfare, not occupation and discrimination”. A layer of the protesters, both Palestinian and Jewish, were extremely determined and after the protest blocked the road to protest the murder of Iyad Halaq by Israeli Police.

Brussels, Belgium

On the 27th of June, around 150 Palestinian and Israeli protesters, including members of Socialist Struggle, gathered near Jericho in the occupied West Bank to protest the annexation. The significance of this protest lies, amongst other things, in its location, which allowed protesters from both sides of the Green Line borders to attend.

The protest importantly connected the fight against the Israeli occupation and the annexation with the police murders of Iyad Halaq, as well as George Floyd in the US. ISA members carried placards reading “together against the annexation and the occupation — together against poverty and unemployment”. The peaceful protesters chanted in Arabic, Hebrew and English, and were met with brutality from armed police — to which they replied with chants of “Who are you protecting?”, “Violent cops should be locked up” and “Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies”. Our activists in Israel-Palestine also participated in other protest events and organised stalls against annexation in several places, including Haifa and Jerusalem.

London, UK

International Days of action

Members of the ISA protested in several countries around the globe, using some of the chants and placards from Socialist Struggle, as well as sending letters to embassies to protest the annexation plan. In Brussels, our Belgian section participated in a protest on the 28th of June.

In London, Vienna, Belfast and New York, our members picketed the embassy and consulate with placards and a letter to the ambassador or the consul. However, they were faced with staff who refused to accept the letter and did not allow them to protest near the building.

“Members of Socialist Alternative attempted to deliver a letter of protest to the Israeli embassy in London against the further annexation of Palestinian territory in the West Bank. Armed police prevented the four protesters from peacefully holding posters outside the embassy, saying it was illegal because the land around the embassy is owned by the Queen! One of the police officers spoke to someone from the embassy, who refused to even take the letter, which we will now send by post,” our London branches report.

Vienna, Austria

Activists in New York had a similar experience. “After standing with our signs, we asked to enter the consulate and deliver a letter. We were told that letters can only be sent by mail. Even after we explained that the member who will deliver the letter is an Israeli citizen and asked to fulfill his right to enter the consulate, we were still refused. The consulate has a 24/7 NYPD booth and barricades outside of the building and picketing in front of it is not allowed.” They will follow up by posting the letter, too.

The Vienna protest, organised by our members, was also joined by youth including some with a Palestinian background. The Austrian members also read out their letter to the ambassador, which mentioned the connection to Austrian history: “We are aware of the special history relating Austria and point to the fact, that we are active against racism and fascism on a daily basis and part of our membership are from families that suffered from and fought against the fascist regimes in Austria. Given all this we are especially sensitive about the oppression of Palestinians.”

Sudan

Activists in Vancouver protested the annexation in the pouring rain, before joining a ‘Cancel Canada Day’ protest. In Belfast, where there is no Israeli embassy or consulate, our members picketed the US consulate instead. As residents of a city that is also ravaged by sectarianism, our members made it clear that “to genuinely show solidarity with the Palestinian people, we must build a genuinely cross-community movement, that can call for concrete action. The Socialist Party, ISA in Ireland, supports targeted boycotts of companies and institutions engaging or prospering from the Israeli military and settlements. Most importantly, providing real solidarity to those in Palestine and Israel fighting the reactionary regime." A picket at the Israeli embassy in Dublin took place on 2 July.

New York, USA

Activists from Socialist Alternative (USA) in Philadelphia, San Diego and Boston joined protests. Members in Philadelphia, 4 of whom spoke at the protest, representing both Jewish and Arab experiences, explained: “Today we stood together with IfNotNow Philly, and activists from all walks of life, to protest the Israeli government’s threat of annexation of parts of the Palestinian West Bank, outside U.S. Senator Bob Casey’s Philadelphia office. Casey has stated that he is against this annexation, but his words amount to a slap on the wrist of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Nice words from Democratic party politicians mean little if they are not backed up with concrete action.”

Activists in San Diego joined a caravan protest, organised by the Palestinian Youth movement with support from BLM San Diego, Socialist Alternative and other socialist groups. They report at least 50 caravans were present.

Minneapolis, USA

A number of our sections could not host a physical picket due to a variety of reasons, such as coronavirus concerns. However, some of them still wanted to send their solidarity to those in the region fighting against the annexation threat.

In Sweden, members of the Luleå branch took solidarity photos, and a picket is planned for the weekend in Stockholm. Activists from the Minneapolis branch of Socialist Alternative took a solidarity picture after their branch meeting.

In Sudan, a state which does not have diplomatic relations with the State of Israel at this moment, members have taken solidarity photos, whilst also participating in the mass protest of tens of thousands of people that broke out in Sudan to demand democracy. Our members sent out a statement, expressing solidarity with the Palestinian masses, against the annexation and Trump’s plan, and against the “normalisation” of relations between the Israeli State and Sudan in the current context of the oppression of the Palestinians.

Australia

Our members in Israel-Palestine strongly appreciate the necessary international action on the question and, as part of the broader movement, are now preparing for a bigger fight in weeks to come.

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Stop the Annexation in the West Bank! (03 Jul 2020)

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