Statement 7 October 2023
07 October 2024Today we remember all the civilian victims who lost their lives exactly one year ago, on 7 October 2023. On that day, Hamas fired rockets at Israel and deliberately killed, raped and wounded hundreds of civilian victims. An estimated 1,400 innocent people were killed and more than 200 seriously injured that day. 7 October 2023 is now known as the deadliest day in Israeli history[1]. Innocent people who started their day as usual but were beset by violent and excessive violence. Also, we should not forget that 7 October also marked the beginning of a continuing escalation of violence against the Palestinian population. The Israeli government announced the destruction of Hamas, to which Israel is guilty of the ongoing oppression and genocide of Palestinians.
Over the past year, Israel has repeatedly shown no respect for international and humanitarian law. Besides large-scale airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, they have also razed neighbourhoods, hospitals and schools to the ground. Moreover, Israel has cut off the Palestinian territory from water, electricity, fuel, food and medicine. Israel is starving the Palestinians, turns their habitat into an inhospitable desert and shuts out humanitarian aid.
Angry, sad and confused, we watch as the international community merely stands by while more women and children have been killed in Gaza in the past year than in any other conflict in the past 20 years. We oppose the criminalisation of pro-Palestinian expressions as anti-Semitic. Criticism of Israel's actions is not anti-Semitism. On the contrary, it is anti-Semitic to attribute the crimes of the Israeli government to all Jewish people, this is exactly what happens in the Netherlands by calling criticism of Israel anti-Semitic.
Even the Netherlands allows the Israeli government to continue to do their thing they continue to support Israel financially and materially. This while it is estimated that between 180,000 and 250,000 people died last year[2]. Once again, the innocent bear the brunt of this excessive violence and the failure of the international community. The blood of these victims sticks not only to the hands of Israel, but also to those of the West.
The international community must realise that the current situation in the Middle East is deeply rooted in decades of oppression of the Palestinian people. Israel's apartheid policies, land confiscations by Israeli settlers and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza caused by Israel's air, land and sea blockades since Hamas came to power in 2007 are at the heart of this. It must also be acknowledged that Western meddling has only escalated the situation.
Israel recently declared at the United Nations General Assembly that it would continue extreme violence until Hamas surrenders or is completely defeated. Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected ceasefire proposals in recent months. Moreover, Israel has also invaded Lebanon and is intensifying its violent occupation of the West Bank. Israel will not stop until the West calls them to a halt, they will continue what they see as the legitimate use of force against innocent civilians.
The current situation is not safe for anyone. We demand that the international community immediately take responsibility in this conflict. It is time to end support for oppressive regimes and call for international solidarity and respect of human rights for all. We call for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, an end to the occupation of Palestine and Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon. Everyone has a right to a secure existence.
