Nakba Solidarity Message to the Palestinian People
Middle east working group of the EL: Nakba Solidarity Message to the Palestinian People – Stop the Genocide
On May 15, the day marking the Nakba—the catastrophe that befell the Palestinian people in 1948— we reaffirm our strong support for the Palestinian people’s ongoing and determined struggle to defend their rights and land. Today, they face the most dangerous situation since 1948. As then, the Palestinian people are under threat of being removed from their land—this time through genocidal warfare, the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, and Israel’s open attempt to annex the West Bank. It is not Israel’s right to exist that is in danger today, but the very existence of the Palestinian people.
The massacre of 7 October cannot justify the mass murder of Palestinian civilians and the use of starvation as a weapon against the entire population of the Gaza Strip.
We condemn the aggression of the Israeli right-wing government and the illegal occupation. We note with concern the lack of any substantial effort by the US or other Western actors to stop Israel’s violations of international law—highlighting their double standards. The hypocrisy of many Western governments is glaring: they turn a blind eye to Israeli atrocities while continuing to support Israel with arms, making them complicit in these crimes. This applies to the European Union and most European countries, with only a few exceptions.
We support and emphasize the United Nations resolutions that affirm the Palestinian people’s rights to their land and to an independent state. We call for the immediate recognition of the State of Palestine by the EU and by as many countries and institutions as possible.
The growing shift in position by some Western states regarding Palestine and Israel is a direct result of sustained pressure by the international solidarity movement, which has mobilized people—especially youth—globally against the war in Gaza. In many places, solidarity activists are being persecuted by their own governments. We strongly reject policies that slander criticism of Israeli human rights violations as antisemitic and that criminalize peace and anti-war activism—including voices inside Israel itself.
The European Left calls for a just resolution to the conflict—starting with a total Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories, in accordance with UN resolutions and the two-state solution.
To this end, we advocate for the following:
· We call for sanctions against Israel, including the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and the preferential trade agreement, for as long as Israel continues to violate international law. The EU has been urged to take this step for years.
· We call for an immediate halt to all arms exports to and imports from Israel by Western countries.
· We reiterate our support for the Palestinian people’s right to national self-determination and for a just peace based on UN resolutions. This includes a sovereign Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the right of return for Palestinian refugees.
· We urge EU member states and as many other countries and institutions as possible to officially recognize the State of Palestine—an essential step toward a peaceful resolution.
· We denounce the criminalization of peace and solidarity activists, including left-wing and anti-occupation forces within Israel. We express our support for Israeli youth who refuse to serve in the occupied territories and who stand against the Israeli occupation and for a free and independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
· More than ever, it is vital to commemorate the Palestinian people’s long and courageous struggle against Israeli aggression and occupation.
· We reaffirm our unwavering support and solidarity with the Palestinian people.