The undersigned Palestinian civil society organizations vehemently denounce and reject the shameful statement made by the EU Commission President, in which she celebrated Israel’s “Independence” day by using racist anti-Palestinian tropes and denying Palestinian history and the atrocities of the Nakba. These remarks depart from basic political and diplomatic principles and shamelessly favor the occupying power, which engages in persecution, aggression, and state terrorism against the Palestinian people.
In her speech, Ursula von der Leyen claimed that Israel has made “the desert bloom”, utilizing a colonial remark that greenwashes Israel’s settler-colonial project, and its displacement of the indigenous Palestinian people and the illegal confiscation of their land. We further reject Ms. von der Leyen’s use of biblical references that align with the Israeli occupier’s narrative that erases the Palestinian people and denies their deep roots in the land and their inalienable right to self-determination. This forms the foundation for the racist so-called “Nation State Law” that Israel is now using to entrench colonization and complete annexation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem.
The horrific events of the Palestinian Nakba which paved the way for the foundation of Israel; including displacing over 750,000 Palestinians and rendering them refugees to this day, razing hundreds of Palestinian villages and towns, and committing dozens of massacres, continue to manifest today through different ways yet with the same overall aim of displacing the indigenous Palestinian people and replacing them with Jewish Israelis across historical Palestine through ethnic cleansing.
The European Union’s failure to hold Israel accountable for its countless crimes and human rights violations, including the crime against humanity of apartheid, fuels the culture of impunity that Israel enjoys as it escalates its aggression against the Palestinian people and their land, especially in light of the new extremist Israeli government. Instead of contributing to ending Israeli violations and delivering long-awaited justice to Palestine, the EU continues to reward Israel, the occupying power, with more political, economic, and technological support and cooperation.
We urge the European Union to assume its responsibility, by refraining from such inflammatory and objectionable language as well as from employing double standards in dealing with issues related to the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, as guaranteed by all relevant international laws and agreements. We call on elected European officials to muster the courage and political will to pressure Israel into abiding by international law by holding it accountable with concrete and effective measures that align with existing European Union laws and international obligations and principles.
Finally, we thank our friends and allies across Europe for speaking out and rejecting this overt anti-Palestinian racism and urge them to hold their officials accountable. Like all other forms of hate and discrimination, anti-Palestinianism must not be tolerated.
Signatories:
Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council (PHROC)
The Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO)
AMAN Coalition
Al-Haq, Law in the service of man
The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy – MIFTAH
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Gaza (PCHR)
Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights
Abdel ـ Shafi Community Health Association (ACHA)
Adam association for the development of family society
Addameer – Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association
AFKAR Organization for Educational and Cultural Development
Agricultural Development Society
Aisha Association for Woman & Child Protection
Al Adham for Development
Al Ataa' Charitable Society
Al Awda Health and Community Association
Al Nahda Association for Development and Growth (NADG)
Al Najda Social Association
AL RAAFA ASSOCIATION FOR SOCIALLY DEVELOPMENT & HANDICAPPED CARE
Al Sattar Garbee Association for Developing Countryside and Farmer
AL-Foukhary Association For Development and Culture
Almanal Society for Developing the Rural Women
Alnajda Developmental Forum
Alrowwad Cultural and Arts Society
Altaghreed Association For Culture And Development
Al-Tawasol Forum Society
Alternatives Forum - Palestine
Amwaj Association for Community Development and Improvement
Arab center for Agricultural Development (ACAD) /Ramallah – Gaza
Arab World Democracy and Electoral Monitor (Al Marsad)
Association for Visually Impaired Graduate League
Basma Society for Culture and Arts
Beit Lahia Youth Center Association
Bisan Center for Research and Development
Brilliant Tomorrow for Homes Sons Society
Center for Defense of Liberties & Civil Rights “Hurryyat”
Center of Women's Legal Research, Counseling and Protection
Central Blood Bank Society
Centre for Culture and Development
Charitable Family Development Association
Community Action Center / Al-Quds University
Community Media Center
Defense for Children International – Palestine
Disability Representative Body Network
Dr. Haidar Abdelshafi Centre for Culture and Development
El Amal Rehabilitation Society - Rafah
El-Braem Development Society
Faisal Husseini Foundation
Federation of Woman Action Committee
Filastiniyat
Future Association for Development and Environment
Future Charity Association
Gaza Community Mental Health Programme - GCMHP
Gaza Urban & Peri-urban Agriculture Platform (GUPAP) | Gaza, Palestine
General Union of Cultural Centers
Ghassan Kanafani Development
Human Rights and Democracy Media Center “SHAMS”
Jerusalem Human Rights Consortium (JHRC)
Jerusalem Legal Aid Center (JLAC)
Khuzaa permaculture association center
LABOR RESOURCES CENTER - LRC
Land Research Center (LRC)
Local Association For Social Services
MA'AN Development Center
Mabarret Palestine Society for Caring (MPC)
Milad Association for Youth Development
Mothers School Society
National Center for Rural Development Association
National Society for Rehabilitation
Nawa for Culture and Arts Association
Palestine Amputee Football Association
Palestinian Agricultural Development Association
Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC)
Palestinian Center of Organic Agriculture
Palestinian Crescent Society for Relief and Development
Palestinian Developmental Women Studies Association
Palestinian Farmers’ Union
Palestinian Health Work Committees (HWC)
Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council (PHROC)
Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS)
Palestinian Non–Governmental Organization against Domestic Violence against Women (Al Muntada)
Palestinian Social Forum (PSF)
Palestinian Youth Union
PALTEAM Association for Community Development
Public Aid Society - Gaza
Remedial Education Center - REC
Rural Women Development Society (RWDS)
Science and Culture Center
Teacher Creativity Center
The Assembly Benevolent Of Operation
The Civil Commission for the Independence of Judiciary and Rule of Law “Istqlal”
The Culture and Free Thought Association
The Palestinian Association for Empowerment and Local Development-REFORM
The Palestinian Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession MUSAWA
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Gaza (PCHR)
The Palestinian Development Women Studies Association
The Palestinian Institute for Communication and Development PICD
The Palestinian Women’s Coalition for the Implementation of UNSCR 1325
The Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD)
The Palestinian Youth Association for Leadership and Rights Activation- PYALARA
The Society of Women Graduates in Gaza Strip
The Women’s Studies Centre
Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC)
Union of Health Care Committees (UHCC)
Union of Palestinian Women Committees (UPWC)
Wasel Center for Youth Development
WEFAQ Society for Women and Child Care
Women Media and Development
Women’s Affairs Technical Committee
Women’s Studies Centre
Women's Action Association for Rehabilitation Women & the Child
Women's Affairs Center /Gaza
Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC)
Youth Development Association
YWCA of Palestine
Zeina Women's Society