On Sunday June 28, the Israeli cabinet met to finalise plans to annex parts of the West Bank, which is due to officially happen today.
Not sure what “annexation” is? To put it in simple terms, annexation is when a country declares a piece of land outside of its borders as part of their state. And according to fundamental rules of international law, it is illegal.
And now, with the support of President Trump, PM Benyamin Netanyahu is about to illegally take over 30 per cent of Palestinian occupied territories. Under this plan, 2.5 million Palestinians will be expulsed of their lands and pushed into small and overpopulated enclaves, surrounded by walls and military checkpoints.
This will impose even greater difficulties for Palestinians to move and end hopes of a two-state solution.
After weeks of awareness raising on social media, the question of what we can each do to help Palestinians right now has come to the surface. This is how you, personally, can support Palestine right now.
Sign a petition to stop the annexation
Netanyahu may be forced to dilute his plans, as Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, is urging the Israeli PM to back away from annexation. But it’s never too late to sign a petition. Click here.
Donate to Middle East Children’s Alliance
MECA is a non-profit organisation working to protect the rights of children in the Middle East and they’re currently fundraising to provide aid and care to Palestinian children. Donate here.
Donate to Israeli organisations fighting for the Palestinian right to justice
In June, thousands of Israelis protested in Tel Aviv against the annexation plans and a new survey found that 58 per cent of Israelis oppose the annexation. You can also donate to Standing Together (a grassroots Jewish-Arab movement leading campaigns for peace and justice, which has organised a national protest two days ago) and Peace Now (an organisation, which has been protesting outside key politicians’ homes and raising money to rally during the month of July).
Follow reliable news sources reporting about Palestine
Looking for non-mainstream, unbiased news sources? Follow Palestinian activist, scholar and PLO official @DrHananAshrawi on Twitter. Follow Quds Network on Instagram, one of the leading news agencies in Palestine. Check out the Institute for Middle East Understanding’s website if you’re looking for a-facts and experts’ opinions.
