May 15, 2021

Civilian deaths continue to climb. Over the past week, 119 Palestinians have been killed across the occupied territories and more than 10,000 displaced from their homes in Gaza. 9 people have been killed in Israel.

Our hearts go out to friends who have family and relatives in Palestine and Israel, living under the constant threat of violence and death in this latest conflagration. Tragically, we know innocent civilians will continue to be killed until the international community intervenes to de-escalate the situation.

And yet, even when this cycle of violence comes to an end, it will most likely repeat itself unless the structural violence, at the heart of this issue, is addressed. Occupation breeds segregation, apartheid, intolerance, and violence. The visuals below by Human Rights Watch and Visualizing Palestine demonstrate just one dimension of the injustice. Full report here

The prospect of forced displacement of Palestinian families at Sheikh Jarrah, and Israeli police brutality at Al-Aqsa became the trigger this time. Next time, it will be something else. And so it will continue until every human being between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea is acknowledged as an equal citizen, free from occupation, and with the equal right to live in dignity, peace, and security.