Latin America launches week of solidarity with Palestine

A week of solidarity events was launched in Brazil yesterday to coincide with the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

An hour-long webinar held by five activists began the events on Zoom, with a welcome speech by Brazilian journalist Rita Frere, who praised the efforts of all attendees in advocating for the Palestinian cause.

All participants stressed on the importane of standing up for Palestinian rights in lights of the attacks on them, in particular the wave of normalisation with the occupation by some Arab rulers earlier this year.

Refugee advocate Abdulbaset Jarour, who is also a refugee in Brazil, said: “For many, the word refuge takes the meaning of fleeing danger and granting protection to a person. For us, it is  much more profound and painful,  The word refuge means accessing memory and breaking a series of dreams lost by an avalanche of pain.”

READ: Brazil commemorates International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

“We no longer want to hear the speeches on peace, when it means … in the voice of people who support the apartheid of the Palestinian people. BDS is not the fight for that kind of peace. It is the fight for justice,” said Brazilian journalist Soraya Misleh.

“Why doesn’t the UN send blue helmets to control the borders of a state that it created? When it comes to Palestine, there is silence and inaction. If the UN is not under pressure, it will not act and nothing will happen that will force it to apply international law,” Mohamad Al-Kadri, a former Brazilian lawmaker in Sao Paulo, added.

Ending the session, the Executive Director of the Latin Palestinian Forum said: “The Brazilian people say in their national anthem: Either keep the Fatherland free, or die for Brazil. Who can deny this right to the Palestinian people?”

You can find more details of the week of events here.