On Monday, May 14, tens of thousands of Palestinians demonstrated along the military fence through which the Israeli army imposed a criminal siege to two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
By Fabio Bosco.
The Israeli army shot the demonstrators, killing at least 55 people and injuring 2770.
This protest makes part of the so-called Great March of Return, organized by Palestinians from the Gaza Strip since March 30. Since the date, at least 104 Palestinians were killed and at least 10,500 were wounded.
At the same time, Palestinian youth protested in the West Bank. In Ramallah, the youth marched to the known check-point in Qalandia, where there was a brutal repression. Broader protests were impeded by the imprisonment of several Palestinians in cities and villages from the West Bank the night before. Silwan, in East Jerusalem, Nablus and the refugee camp Nur al-Shams, close to Tulkarem, were the target of Israeli raids to imprison Palestinians.
These raids during the dawn are frequent. According to the UN, 127 Palestinians were imprisoned in the West Bank between April 24 and May 7. According to the Human Rights’ NGO Addameer, there are 6,036 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons.
Finally, about 50 Israeli activists marched towards the Gaza Strip protesting against the use of lethal weapons by the Israeli army and condemning the siege which Palestinians in Gaza have been subjected to for ten years.
A million people must participate from the protests tomorrow, May 15, day of the Nakba, Arab word for catastrophe. This is what the Palestinians call the establishment of the State of Israel, on May 15, 1948.
International Reaction
The US supports the Israeli repression and symbolically transferred its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, precisely on the line of the armistice of 1949, which divides East Jerusalem, of Arabic majority, from West Jerusalem, of Jewish majority, due to the eviction and genocide of the Arabic people in 1948.
The US action is a provocation to the Palestinians. It was even condemned by its European and Arabic allies. The UK was against the transfer of the embassy, condemned the use of lethal weapons against the protests and reaffirmed its position in favor of the two states, including the division of Jerusalem. It is worth to remember that the UK was the main sponsor of the occupation of Palestine for 30 years (1918-1948), and was always in favor of the racist State of Israel.
Another important ally of the US, Egypt, also condemned the Israeli repression and announce the opening of the border with Gaza for four days. Egypt participates directly from the siege to the Gaza Strip, together with Israel. It was also the first Arabic country to recognize Israel, in 1979.
Jordan, country that shelters hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees, also condemned the Israeli repression and the transfer of the embassy to Jerusalem. Jordan was the second Arabic country in recognizing the state of Israel, in 1994.
Also, the president of the NPA [National Palestinian Authority], Mahmoud Abbas, protested against the Israeli repression and transfer of the embassy. The NPA, created from the OSLO agreements, coordinates the security with the Israeli forces – in other words, police cooperation against the Palestinian securing the interests of Israel.
Kuwait, temporary member of the UN Security Council, called an emergency meeting for Tuesday, May 15 [today], due to the Israeli repression. The Arab League, composed by 22 countries, scheduled the meeting for Wednesday 16.
South Africa’s government called its Ambassador in Tel Aviv, in occupied Palestine, to protest against the Israeli repression.
Most countries do not respond the US provocation
Only 33 from 86 countries that recognize the State of Israel and have diplomatic representation in occupied Palestine went to the opening of the new US embassy in Jerusalem. This shows how isolated the US is with this decision.
Apenas 33 dos 86 países que reconhecem o Estado de Israel e mantêm representação diplomática na Palestina ocupada compareceram à inauguração da nova embaixada americana em Jerusalém. Isto demonstra o isolamento da decisão americana.
Countries that do not support the decision:
Europe: Albany, Austria, Tzeck Republic, Georgia, Hungria, Macedonia, Romenia, Serbia, Ucrain.
Africa: Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, Rhuanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia.
Latin America: Domonican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Paraguay.
Asia: Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam.
