Call for mobilization / #DefendPalestine: for the protection of the Palestinian people
#DefendPalestine is a direct response to the urgent need for international civilian protection of the Palestinian people, on the ground, in the West Bank, against the violence of Israeli settlers and the occupation army.
#DefendPalestine is mobilizing massive international solidarity to confront these atrocities.
The situation is dramatic but not surprising. It is an escalation of Israeli occupation, colonization and apartheid.
The Palestinian people need physical protection.
#DefendPalestine launches a civil defense campaign to protect Palestinian civilians from ongoing Israeli aggression, settler violence, killings and military oppression. This campaign is a direct response to the urgent need on the ground for international civil protection against Israeli settlers and calls for the mass mobilization of international solidarity to confront these atrocities.
The aim is to recruit international volunteers to both provide direct protection to Palestinian civilians facing settler violence and attacks, and to document and report violations of their rights.
#DefendPalestine is more than a campaignit is a movement that emerged from a non-partisan coalition of experienced activists, young activists, and Palestinian students from across the West Bank, determined to counter the exponential spike in Israeli violence.
Inspired by the Palestinian tradition of Faz3a, this campaign deploys trained volunteers in Hebron and Nablus in the Jordan Valley to document the crimes of settlers and the Israeli army and prevent attacks through their presence.
#DefendPalestine is supported by many international partners including the AFPS as well as many personalities such as Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur for Palestine, Marc Botenga, Member of the European Parliament, Ada Colau, former Mayor of Barcelona, Luisa Morgantini, former Vice-President of the European Parliament, Stefania Ascari and Arturo Scotto, Members of the Italian Parliament, Marti Olivella of the Alliance of Spanish Institutions.
Francesca Albanese stressed the need for a protective presence in the occupied Palestinian territory and explained that international law has failed Palestine.
” We are sending a force that stands between the Israelis and the Palestinians (…) this is what must be done, ensuring that, while waiting for the military withdrawal from the occupied territories, there is shelter between the Palestinians and the armed settlers and the army. » Francesca Albanese
AFPS relays the call of the #DefendPalestine campaign which calls for immediate action to protect the Palestinian people and uphold international law.
The AFPS specifies that in view of the extremely tense situation in the West Bank, it is strongly recommended to already have knowledge of the terrain and to be aware of the implications of the situation.
Volunteers will undergo intensive training two-day training in the West Bank that will include country discovery, rights and obligations, principles and techniques of nonviolent intervention and de-escalation, documentation practices, respect for Palestinian leaders and the needs of local communities. After the training, volunteers will be based in threatened communities, and may also be mobilized in case of emergency. The campaign will provide accommodation and food at local prices, but volunteers will have to finance their stay. Transportation costs to the West Bank will not be covered by the campaign either.
While the safety of volunteers will be a top priority for the campaign, the gravity of the situation on the ground does not allow Faz3a to be able to guarantee complete safety in this very volatile environment. It is recommended that volunteers commit for a minimum stay of two weeks, but the campaign prefers long-term commitments due to the significant training required for this type of work.
Call for an international protective presence / Come help end Israeli violence in Palestine!
To volunteer or for information contact the Defend Palestine campaign – Faz3a via defendpalestine.org/join or send an email to (email protected)
