The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (29 November), was established by the UN in 1977 to mark the 1947 partition resolution.
In Orkney, on Saturday 29 November, islanders will again meet in vigil on the Kirk Green, St Magnus Cathedral, Broad Street, Kirkwall between 1 and 2pm. Last Saturday they read out a few of the names of the tens of thousands of babies, children, and young people, who have been slaughtered since October 2023 in the Gaza Genocide. They invite anyone who wishes to join with them in vigil and in calling for a permanent ceasefire.
The United Nations held a special meeting on 25 November to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and to reaffirm that ” the Palestinian people have the right to dignity, justice, and self-determination.”
The International Court of Justice and the UN General Assembly have both affirmed that the long-standing occupation by Israel of Palestinian territory is illegal.
The killings, summary executions and violence continues, in Gaza, the illegally occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Courtenay Rattray, Chef de Cabinet, speaking on behalf of the UN Secretary-General commented:
“Hope can become a reality. Hope that two people — bound by history, geography, and humanity — will live side by side in peace.”
“On this International Day of Solidarity, let us turn that hope into action, and help the olive tree grow once more.”
Adding to the horrors of missile and drone attacks is the onset of wintry weather. The makeshift shelters built amongst the rubble of their communities are flooding, increasing the risks of infections and disease.
And yet despite the continuing attacks in Gaza, the horrific violence being perpetrated in The West Bank by illegal Israeli settlers, the Palestinian people demonstrate a resilience and a love for their land, determined to remain where they have lived for generations.
Mike Robertson has filmed the Orkney Vigils for The Orkney News and those can be found on our YouTube Channel. In this latest one some of those attending the vigil read out names of children killed in the Genocide.
Now into its third year the vigils in Orkney are unprecedented in the history of the islands.
Fiona Grahame