Palestine has a right to defend itself
THE Al-Quds Foundation (SA) fervently asserts Palestine’s inherent right to defend itself against the oppressive actions of an illegitimate apartheid regime in the form of Israel.
We strongly urge all freedom and justice-loving individuals, organisations and governments to unequivocally recognise and uphold this fundamental right of the Palestinian people.
The egregious violations, spanning from the imposition of restrictive daily checkpoints to the desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, forced displacement of Palestinians from their ancestral lands, and the extensive land, air, and sea blockade, together form a nexus of severe and systemic challenges that unequivocally justifies Palestine’s right to defend itself.
These systemic injustices are part of a larger pattern perpetuated by an apartheid regime that seeks to continually dispossess Palestinians of their rights and their land.
Furthermore, the land, air, and sea blockade in the Gaza Strip for more than a decade now has created dire humanitarian conditions and crises, with the World Food Programme reporting that 68.5% of Palestinians in Gaza are food insecure, and 53% live in abject poverty.
The blockade and siege have led to the collapse of essential services and infrastructure, exacerbating the suffering of Palestinians.
It is important to note that the legitimacy of the Palestinian right to defend itself is rooted in international law. The UN General Assembly’s resolution in 1982 acknowledged the legitimacy of struggles for independence and liberation from colonial and foreign domination, explicitly recognising Palestinians as a people under foreign and colonial domination.
Al-Quds Foundation (SA) condemns the numerous mainstream media outlets currently echoing the narrative of apartheid Israel, drawing a problematic moral equivalence between the actions of the nuclear-powered oppressor and the resistance of the oppressed.
This oversimplified portrayal fails to capture the nuanced dynamics at play, overlooking the root causes and power differentials inherent in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Israel’s ruthless blockade on Gaza has been a catalyst for unspeakable war crimes committed against Palestinians. Any commentary that evades this harsh reality is not merely hollow; it stands as morally bankrupt in the face of the ongoing atrocities.
The imperative to confront and condemn these actions is paramount, as silence or evasion only perpetuates the injustice and suffering endured by the Palestinian people.
In the struggle for justice and liberation in Palestine, it is unrealistic to expect the oppressor to willingly dismantle the systems they have carefully constructed for their own benefit.
History attests that those in power seldom relinquish it voluntarily. Therefore, the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the oppressed to reclaim their inherent right to freedom.
Al-Quds Foundation (SA) unreservedly affirms its steadfast support for Palestine’s legitimate right to defend itself and their resolute fight for freedom from an oppressive system, rooted in the 1982 UN General Assembly resolution.
The Palestinian Resistance being witnessed is not an unprovoked attack. It is the direct result of decades of oppression at the hands of the apartheid State of Israel.
The Al-Quds Foundation (SA) therefore unequivocally supports the right of Palestinians to defend and liberate themselves from the oppressive apartheid regime.