Statement of Solidarity with Palestine: Sharing Resources, Combating Ignorance and Working Towards Collective Liberation

Statement of Solidarity with Palestine: Sharing Resources, Combating Ignorance and Working Towards Collective Liberation

Content warning: The following statement has content on genocide, ongoing violence in Palestine and incitement of violence against Palestinian people.

Justifiably, there are many emotional responses related to this topic that include grief, fear, anger and frustration. Before you engage with this statement, we encourage you to take a moment to regulate your nervous system in any way you know works best for you (here are some suggestions). As many of us continue to struggle with compassion fatigue, burnout and vicarious trauma, we stress the importance of caring for you so you can care for others. While self-care should not be used as an excuse to tune out, we encourage you to consume media intentionally and mindfully and find your balance between staying informed and protecting your emotional wellbeing.  

WHEN’S STATEMENT

As an organization committed to advancing environmental justice and taking an anti-racist, anti-colonial and intersectional approach to environmental and human rights advocacy, it is in alignment with WHEN’s mission to speak out regarding the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people. We acknowledge so-called Canada’s historical and present-day relationship with settler-colonialism that allows us to operate from the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples, and thus recognize our duty to stand against settler colonialism in Palestine. While we draw parallels, we also respect the distinct historical, political, and cultural contexts between Turtle Island and Palestine. 

The actions of the settler Israeli apartheid state in Palestine are breaching international humanitarian law, disproportionately impacting women and girls, and causing significant environmental damage. We stand against Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in any form, both of which continue to gain traction due to the dangerous conflation of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism. We deeply condemn the indiscriminate killing, arbitrary imprisonment, denial of access to basic human necessities, and seizure of Israeli and Palestinian civilian hostages. In denouncing ideals of settler colonialism, we recognize that this violence did not begin on October, 7th, 2023, and that it instead follows 75 years of Israeli settler-colonial dispossession. We support an immediate ceasefire, the return of all Palestinian and Israeli hostages, and an end to the siege on Gaza (by allowing the unrestricted movement of Palestinians, immediate free flow of clean water, food, medicine, fuel, internet, electricity, and humanitarian aid) and to the ongoing colonial occupation of Palestine. We call on Canada to publicly support the provisional ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), ordering Israel to take immediate measures to prevent genocidal acts in Palestine (an order that has not been complied with). Canada must demand that Israel comply with the ICJ’s orders, including its most recent order for Israel to comply with the Genocide Convention and stop its attack on Rafah (a so-called safe zone).

WHEN is deeply concerned about the trend of censoring those who speak out against the ethnic cleansing, collective punishment and dehumanization of the Palestinian people, as facilitated by the Canadian government. We reject the culture of fear that is keeping individuals and organizations from taking a stance, and regret not releasing this statement sooner. 

ENDORSEMENTS

WHEN endorses the following statement by Shake Up The Establishment: 

“We are against the massacre of Palestinian and Israeli people, and against genocide in all its forms. We support an immediate ceasefire; a return of all hostages, both Palestinian and Jewish– unharmed. The ongoing genocide of the Palestinian peoples necessitates a true end to the violent colonial occupation of Palestine by the settler Israeli government (as enabled by the Canadian government – which we as an organization that supports political accountability work in what is currently Canada, have an obligation to hold accountable). Importantly, we also support carving out space to promote cross-cultural and interfaith dialogues as an antidote towards the anti-Semitism and Islamophobia that continue to polarize us– particularly during a time when we need unity to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all people. A divided people cannot effectively hold governments or power structures accountable for failing to represent them, or their values.”

WHEN also endorses Environmental Defence’s statement regarding Canada’s obligation to uphold the International Court of Justice’s ruling, and statements made by Indigenous Climate Action.


RESOURCES 

In a time of grief, polarization, and deep collective harm, we are amplifying Palestinian and Jewish voices, supporting interfaith discussions, and promoting resource sharing and learning so we can combat ignorance and work towards collective liberation. Below you will find a list of resources intended to increase understanding of what’s happening in Palestine, including links to petitions, donations, social media accounts, podcasts, and articles. 

Please note that this is a working document and we will continue to update it as information becomes available. We welcome any constructive feedback or suggestions on how to improve the comprehensiveness of our list of resources and encourage you to reach out if you come across any problematic resources or organizations. 

Take action

Show your solidarity with the Palestinian people:

Donate to any of the following relief organizations that are on the ground in Gaza:

Background on the occupation of Palestine 

Censorship and discrimination 

Violations of international humanitarian law 

Disproportionate impacts on women and girls 

Environmental degradation 

Instagram accounts to follow

Palestinian Voices

  •  Outside Canada

Jewish voices 

  • In Canada

  • Outside Canada

Palestinian Journalists & perspectives on the Ground

Recent updates, current facts and information

Community organizers 

  • @bdsnationalcommittee – Official page of the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions movement

  • @canadians4rpalestine – Canadian advocacy group against anti-Palestinian racism

  • @ceasefirenowca – Ad-hoc coalition of over 200 pan-Canadian labour, faith, Arab, Jewish, and civil society organizations organizing for a permanent ceasefire. 

  • @climate4palestine –Climate organizers in solidarity with Palestinians

  • @labourforpalestine – pan-Canadian network of labour activists working in solidarity with Palestinian workers & people

  • @pymtoronto – Organizing movements in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Kitchener-Waterloo Regions

  • @roads2liberation – Car rally chapters in Durham and Peel

  • @toronto4palestine –  Organizing movements that support Palestinian access to dignity, opportunity, and freedom in Toronto

  • @torontostudentsforpalestine – A coalition of organizing students at the University of Toronto in solidarity with Palestine

Organizations to follow 

Human Rights Watch 

Amnesty International 

Jewish Voices for Peace 

Independent Jewish Voices Canada 

Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East