The world is currently witnessing a genocidal campaign carried out by the Israeli government on the people of Gaza. At least 3,000 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 11,000 people have been severely injured by the Israeli military offensive since October 7th. The casualty count is rapidly rising as Israeli forces continue to bombard Gaza indiscriminately, and cut off Palestinians in Gaza from critical, life-sustaining resources including water, food, electricity, and fuel. On 17 October a massive blast at Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza killed hundreds of civilians seeking shelter, medical care, and treatment.
FRIDA recognizes that this violence is not new. Since 1948, Israeli forces have encroached on and systematically occupied and stolen Palestinian land and displaced, discriminated against, over-policed, surveilled, and killed Palestinians. For 75 years, the people of Palestine have witnessed and lived through this onslaught against their home, their beliefs, their people, and their land by a settler colonialist, white-supremacist state. It is clear to us that the ongoing Israeli campaign to displace Palestinians from Gaza – and the consequent bombing and attack on Palestinians fleeing south on Israel’s orders – is a continuation of the Nakba, a decades-old system of forced expulsion and displacement of Palestinians from their land.
We affirm and support the right of the Palestinian people to resist settler colonialism and white supremacy. In line with our values and principles of believing in the ability of young feminists to speak to and against violence and oppression, and their ability to envision and carry out their own actions toward liberated and free futures, we affirm the right of all oppressed peoples to self-determine their resistance.
We are aware of, and point to, the allies of settler colonialism and white supremacy that aim to control the narrative in favor of white supremacy, determining for us who is afforded their humanity:
- The mainstream media who employ orientalist stereotypes and disseminate false, misleading, and inaccurate information to justify the actions of the Israeli government, which erases and justifies the violence Palestinians have been subjected to for decades.
- The harassment and detaining of Palestinian activists and supporters in other parts of the world, and the intentional shadow banning of this by the media, including social media platforms. We recognize this as an instrumental part of the systemic suppression and silencing of the voices of Palestinians and those in solidarity with them.
- Government donors and multilaterals who have, or have threatened to, withdraw development funding to the Palestinian people in recent days, despite being institutions which ostensibly employ a ‘feminist foreign policy’. There is nothing feminist about making development funding conditional on whether they approve of the beneficiaries’ modes of resistance, and abandoning beneficiaries due to diplomatic pressure, while giving unconditional diplomatic cover for Israel’s war crimes.
- Governments and politicians who shield the Israeli government from accountability, refusing to demand an immediate ceasefire, and failing to call for a political solution to the decades long suffering of the Palestinian people grounded in truth and justice.
We are aware of these and many other tactics and tools being used to keep in question the humanity of Palestinians as a means of justifying their suffering and sustaining their oppression by the Israeli government. We stand in unwavering solidarity and support with all who are insistent on the elevation of the humanity of Palestinians, because we see quite clearly the ways in which Western mainstream media, as well as white supremacy and those in alignment with it, consistently create the conditions for their humanity to be undermined, debated and erased.
FRIDA remains firm in its support of the Palestinian people’s fight for liberation. We stand strongly against the persistent oppression, displacement, and human rights abuses inflicted upon the Palestinian population. We are in solidarity with those resisting such oppression and fighting for justice against the Israeli settler colonial state. We join partners and allies like the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Grassroots International, Jewish Voice for Peace, Urgent Action Fund, Purposeful, and many more.
Call to action:
Immediate cease-fire to stop the ongoing genocide campaign led by Israel
Intentional allyship and Solidarity: It is important for us to name publicly, to name loudly and to name often the nature of oppressive power and how the Israeli government and its allies are consolidating power to carry out genocide in full view of the globe. Support journalists and people who are being targeted, silenced, and killed through sharing their stories.
Resourcing: Resource the emergency humanitarian and response efforts of Palestinians both in Gaza and West Bank, both in the short and long-term.
