Quakers join calls for Palestinian justice
‘On this important anniversary, and with the worsening situation in the occupied territories, the UK government must take action to promote a just peace so that both Israelis and Palestinians can enjoy freedom, dignity and security.’
Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) has marked the seventy-fifth anniversary of what is known among Palestinians as ‘the Nakba’ (the ‘catastrophe’) by signing a joint statement calling on the UK government to uphold its legal, moral and historic obligations to the Palestinian people. The Nakba refers to the beginning of more than seven decades of displacement, dispossession, and fragmentation of the Palestinian people. Signed by fourteen charities working for Palestinian human rights, the statement highlights what BYM describes as ‘the deteriorating situation under Israel’s new extreme government coalition. Land confiscation from Palestinians has accelerated and the violence and control by Israel’s military authorities has intensified’.
Paul Parker, recording clerk for BYM, said: ‘On this important anniversary, and with the worsening situation in the occupied territories, the UK government must take action to promote a just peace so that both Israelis and Palestinians can enjoy freedom, dignity and security.’
The signatories call on the UK government to take urgent action. These include: demanding an immediate end to violations of international law, including excessive use of force against Palestinians across the occupied Palestinian territory; and demonstrating its support and full respect of international mechanisms for accountability and justice. It also calls for the UK government to extend ‘robust and sustainable assistance’ to local Palestinian and international actors, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
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