- by Richard Titelius
- The Guardian
- Issue #2075
Friends of Palestine WA organised a rally on the 13th October attended by over 1000 people.
Following the attacks by Hamas forces on Israel on 7th October, after years of constant attacks on the Palestinian people, Israel began its brutal retaliation against the people of Gaza.
The Israeli state led by far-right Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that this would be a long war and announced a sealing off of Gaza, and shutting off supplies of water, electricity, and fuel to all the people of Gaza on the pretext that it was not possible to distinguish the people of Gaza from Hamas.
Consequently, the world, including Australia, has erupted in support of the Palestinian right to resistance. On Friday 13th October Friends of Palestine WA organised a rally attended by over 1000 people. MC, Nick Everett, of Friends of Palestine said this latest attack by Israel is a continuation of the 1948 creation of the State of Israel or what the Palestinian people call, El Nakba – the Catastrophe.
Hannah, a young Palestinian rapper spoke passionately about the resistance to, “unliveable” conditions with Palestinians existing with up to 20 hours of darkness, little or no clean water and checkpoints in their own land. It is worse than an open air prison. Prisoners have been convicted, know why they are there, and most can foresee an end point to their conditions. Hannah said the Palestinian people don’t stand for violence; they stand for resistance. She said those who seek to crush the Palestinians are using illegal weapons such as white phosphorous bombs. They know Israel doesn’t want peace, as it seeks to expel every last Palestinian from Palestinian lands.
Another Palestinian speaker, Amon, who visited his family in Palestine in 2021, said his mother spoke of the constant bombing of Gaza, where even hospitals and other health care facilities have been targeted. Injured people are now being brought into the remaining hospitals mostly without electricity or water. Amon spoke of the constant campaign by the Israeli government and many sections of the Western media to dehumanise the Palestinian people. The Palestinian people are only seeking freedom and a life of dignity.
Another speaker Amar, a software student at UWA spoke of the stifling occupation, of 5000 Palestinians being held in administrative detention without charge, and Israel having its most right wing conservative government ever. The hope is that systems of oppression cannot last forever as they rely on coercion to maintain their rule. Mr Ibrahim of the Islamic Council of WA referred to Israel’s tactics over recent years as amounting to ethnic cleansing.
The world is characterised by hypocrisy, when the world media calls out the deaths of Israelis but rarely those of Palestinians, when victims are labelled as terrorists and the perpetrators of this violence are glorified. Children in Palestine bear the trauma of this war and 50 per on cent of those children suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). There is an unfolding humanitarian disaster in Gaza as a consequence of the latest assault by Israel. However, even before 7th October 2023, due to the ongoing 16 year long blockade of Gaza, half the people in Gaza suffered food insecurity.
Palestinians have a right to defend themselves and Ibrahim urged all the people at the rally, “Do not let this message die here, go and tell everyone.” The organisers of the rally said that though the police had given them a permit to assemble they were not allowed to march.
Another march is planned for 12 pm Saturday 21st October in Borloo/Perth’s Murray Street Mall.
The Communist Party of Australia opposes the occupation of Palestinian land by Israel and supports the right of the Palestinian people to defend their land and people. The CPA calls on all members and supporters to attend the rallies around the country.
