From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!
Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people against the systemic violence and oppression perpetuated by the Israeli government and military which has caught the world’s attention in the past few days but has existed since the early 20th century.
The state of Israel was established as reparations for the appalling antisemitism and ethnic cleansing of Jews that happened in World War II, but the land of Palestine was not for Britain to give away. The erasure of Palestine’s history and people by the Israeli government during the Nakba in the mid-1900s and the immense scale of the violence inflicted by the state of Israel on the Palestinian people in the present day [1] makes it clear that this is not a conflict — as conflicts are two-sided — but extermination.
As advocates for climate justice, first and foremost, we must recognize that the fight for our climate, our present and our future does not exist in a vacuum. The profit-oriented system that causes the climate crisis is directly rooted in colonialism and systemic oppression. Often, the people exposed to violence and actively oppressed are those most vulnerable to the climate crisis, yet are also the least responsible.
Militarization is in itself a significant contributor to the climate crisis. Bulk purchasing of fossil energy to meet military logistics demands and fuel the devastation of an entire people can only be unnecessary in the context of our current climate emergency. Due to Israeli militarization and occupation, many Palestinians also face water shortage issues and threats to food security, which are only exacerbated by climate change [2].
We must understand that the violence on the part of the Israel state is mainly perpetrated and condoned by their current government and ruling elite backed by the United States [3][4], and not Jews or the people of Israel in general, which would include fellow youth climate activists. But in solidarity with the most affected and oppressed, we must all be critical of the past and present decisions of the state of Israel.
Climate justice is social justice. It is our duty as activists, as people, to stand in solidarity with the most oppressed. This crisis being driven by the Israeli government must be resolved at its roots. We must stand with the Palestinian people in calling for their liberation in the means they see necessary.
Support Palestinian liberation groups and movements:
@letstalkpalestine
bdsmovement.net
#FreePalestine
#SaveSheikhJarrah
#SaveGaza
[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2021/05/12/the-human-cost-of-the-israeli-palestinian-conflict-over-the-past-decade-infographic/?sh=2aa05b74457b
[2] https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/opinions/2019/11/28/palestine-is-a-climate-justice-issue
[3] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/05/17/power-up-biden-administration-approves-735-million-weapons-sale-israel-raising-red-flags-some-house-democrats/
[4] https://abc7.com/biden-israel-palestine-conflict-2021-why-are-and-hamas-fighting-gaza/10625463/
Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines 