Stop Israel’s escalating violence. End the occupation.
Dear John,
Palestinians throughout the West Bank are facing escalating violence from Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid regime. In the first two months of this year, Israeli armed forces and settlers killed over 63 Palestinians, including 13 children, and wounded hundreds more. This is the deadliest start to the year for Palestinians since 2000.
In January, a deadly assault by Israeli armed forces on Jenin refugee camp killed 10 Palestinians — the deadliest incursion in the West Bank for years. Less than a month later, 11 Palestinians were massacred by Israel in a military attack on Nablus.
Israel’s apartheid regime routinely subjects the Palestinian people to militarised violence as a form of collective punishment, in violation of international law. John, will you tell the UK government to stand up for Palestinian rights — and stop arming Israel?
In addition to daily, deadly and indiscriminate violence in the West Bank, Israel has responded to separate attacks by Palestinians by ramping up its illegal collective punishment of Palestinian society with escalating violence and repression.
Israel has introduced a raft of collective punishment measures in clear violation of international law, including targeting the families of the attackers by demolishing their homes and proposing deportation. The wider Palestinian community has been subjected to dozens of arbitrary arrests and home demolitions, while Israel has pledged to strengthen its illegal settlements and arm even more Israeli settlers — fuelling the recent escalating violence against Palestinians across the West Bank.
Facilitated by Israel’s armed forces, Israeli settlers have been carrying out shootings, assaults, and the burning down of Palestinian houses, shops and olive groves. In February, hundreds of Israeli settlers killed one Palestinian, injured hundreds, and set fire to hundreds of homes in a brutal, unprecedented rampage on a Palestinian village.
END THE VIOLENCE. END THE OCCUPATION.
Over the past twelve months, Israel has ramped up its violent raids across the occupied West Bank in an effort to stifle Palestinian society and isolate Palestinians from the rest of the world. Last year, over 170 Palestinians, including at least 30 children, were killed by Israel in the occupied West Bank — making it the deadliest year in decades.
Palestinians remain united against Israel’s apartheid and occupation regime. The Palestinian people are standing up to Israel’s indiscriminate violence with general strikes and protests across the West Bank. Palestinians are asking for our solidarity.
STAND WITH PALESTINIANS UNDER ATTACK
The international community — including the UK — cannot continue to allow Israel to violate international law with impunity. The UK government must end its complicity and hold Israel accountable by enforcing an immediate two-way arms embargo and ending the flow of weapons to Israel’s illegal apartheid and occupation regime. Tell your MP to demand that the UK government stops trading arms with Israel.
In solidarity,
Chi-Chi Shi
War on Want
