GENEVA, Israeli authorities must be held accountable for their continuous violence to ethnically cleanse entire neighborhoods of their residents. This has been going on for over 70 years. The scenario played out in Sheikh Jarrah has been playing out since the eve of the creation of the State of Israel, said a statement sent by WILPF International and the Middle East and North Africa sections (MENA) to the Israeli Authorities, the international community, international organizations, activists and activist organizations.

On the eve of the 73rd anniversary of the Nakba, we are witnessing horrific scenes of relentless shelling by Israel of civilian buildings and neighborhoods in Gaza, the rise of settler violence terrorizing unarmed peaceful Palestinians in Occupied Jerusalem, and the targeting of Palestinians in Lod, Haifa, and elsewhere by mobs. This is the reality of Israeli policy towards Palestine and it must be addressed, it said.

Women’s International League of Peace and Freedom (WILPF) stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people and their right to resist in the face of the violent systematic settler-colonial policies in effect and apartheid system founded on land theft, violence, and the denial of basic human rights, said the statement.

The right to peaceful protest has been penalized with targeted killing and reprisal against entire families and communities. We support the residents of Sheikh Jarrah who are defending their homes and resisting illegal forced displacement and ethnic cleansing in occupied East Jerusalem, the statement concluded.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency