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 200 days of aggression: factors of growing European popular solidarity with Palestine and its consequences

Direct comparison indicators of the two photographic documentary statistics carried out by the European Palestinian Information Center based in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, with a significant and extensive time difference between the two studies, give estimates of growth and a substantial escalation of the movement in Europe. in support of the bereaved Palestinian people in Gaza.

The aforementioned center monitored the scale of demonstrations and activities in solidarity with the Palestinian people across the European continent, whether in terms of number or geographical distribution after the first 90 days of the aggression on the one hand - and published it at the time - and the second survey was published on Monday, April 22, on the eve of the end of 200 days after the assault, and the sample met the standard by which the two studies were conducted in the same 17 European countries, with a small difference between countries. which increased with the difference in period.

The diversity of the solidarity movement

Monitoring revealed a doubling in the number of protests, from 6,211 events in the first census to 15,200 events in the recent survey. What is also striking is the increase in the number of cities in which activities were organized, to 568. cities, a rise of 139 in the same number of countries, where it was 429 cities.

Some participants, followers and people interested in activities in support of the Palestinian cause in several European countries believe that the number of events is higher than the statistics mentioned in the tracking above and that the activities have become spontaneous, instantaneous, and diverse. are organized in addition to capitals and large cities in the suburbs and towns of cities.

The activities have become part of the normal life system of solidarity activists and, by their nature, are not necessarily field-based. They may take the form of media articles or activities on social media platforms, or political protest petitions. It is complicated to achieve a very precise census of the volume of interactions in general.

An example of the nature of high-impact parallel and spontaneous activities, which include several activities in a single activity: the erection of sit-in tents by German solidarity activists 24 hours a day, day and night, in front of the German Parliament.

 Parliament for twenty consecutive days, or as another example, this march which lasted 12 days from Paris to Brussels, which ended with a demonstration in front of the European Parliament, an entry into Parliament, and a meeting with the parliamentarians, that cannot be considered an event. single activity. 

Each town and village in which the march stopped and for the number of hours of the journey is considered an activity in itself, according to the solidarity interaction.

Returning to the recent photographic documentation of the aforementioned media library, the observer notes the mass of the demonstrations, the density of the number of demonstrators, and the diversity of their nature in terms of races, ages, sexes, cultures, ideologies, and affiliations. political differences, which is striking through written slogans and songs, as well as from political, union, and media figures. He brings together and unites all these crowds and crowds to come together in support of the Palestinian cause.

Some questions can be answered along the following lines: In what environment do these activities operate and are there any obstacles? What are the factors that positively influenced and pushed this escalation of the solidarity movement and its cohesion during nearly seven months of aggression? What are the future consequences of this interaction in the short, medium, and long term?

Biased attitudes

The official positions of the European Union collectively and the national positions of most countries on the continent since the outbreak of events in early October last year 2023 constitute a clear bias in favor of the occupying state in its practice of crimes of genocide, and the policy of ethnic cleansing and starvation against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

This translated into forms of political, legal, military, logistical, and media support. Forms of support include silencing voices that support the rights of the Palestinian people, attempting to limit and sometimes prevent protests, and going into detail about the content of slogans and expressions.

 This is evident in its clearest form in Germany and Germany. A striking example is what happened during the suspension of the Berlin Conference, which took place between April 11 and 13. 

This month, when the room was stormed and evacuated of conference participants after the power was cut and the conference stopped, there were events. protests using excessive violence against protesters and on camera, claiming they were violating the law.

All of this constitutes a threat and intimidation for those in solidarity and reflects a general state of hesitation among some of them. We also highlight the European Union's handling of the occupying state's accusations against the United Nations Palestine Relief and Works Agency. The refugees (UNRWA) and their hesitation to support it, or even to temporarily suspend subsidies to some of them, and the file is still open.

It is important to emphasize that even if European political positions have evolved slightly towards balance, they have not evolved towards a political will to put pressure on the occupying state and put an end to the aggression. 

This constitutes a state of frustration among the solidarity because the politicians have not responded to the wild demands of the street movement, and to its clear demands for an immediate end to the aggression, the lifting of the siege, the entry of assistance, and legal proceedings. war criminals.

We exclude the progressive positions of Spain, Ireland, Belgium, and Slovenia, as well as their positions rejecting aggression and crimes, and even going so far as to support the South Africa issue. South before the International Court of Justice in The Hague against the occupying state, accusing it of war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

recognizable improvement

Perhaps these official positions of these countries constitute an introduction to a general explanation of the nature of the factors that have positively influenced the notable and constant development of solidarity activities and events, not only within these countries but whose impact has extended to the rest of solidarity. movement in other countries, for example, establishing global and coordinated solidarity days throughout Spain, it arrived on several different days to organize solidarity activities in 116 different cities one day and 100 another day, and how it became an inspiring example.

The horror of the crimes committed by the occupying state against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the enormous number of victims - more than 34,000 martyrs and 77,000 injured, mostly children, women, and the elderly, in 200 days, and the spread of these crimes throughout this period, and the tragic stories of the deep pain that... Gazans suffer - all this constitutes fuel for the solidarity movement and for people of conscience in Europe, and even in the world.

Here, the media present and operating in Gaza, particularly the Al Jazeera network and its branches, which report the events first-hand and as they occur, have constituted a constant interaction of those in solidarity with the events and their awareness details of the scale of the events. the scale and seriousness of the crimes.

 At the same time, and also on the media level, the self-media and individual initiatives that the inhabitants of Gaza are taking, and through social networks, to publish their stories and their tragedies, ensuring that the message reaches all those who are interested and united, constituted a vital motivation for the continuation of the solidarity movement.

Furthermore, the crimes of the occupation and their diversity, and the targeting of anything internationally recognized as enjoying immunity and even sanctity, such as hospitals and the patients and medical staff therein, and the demolition and destruction of their infrastructure, as well as places of worship such as mosques and churches, and the targeting of journalists and murdering them by the dozens, all this opened the eyes of the world on the reality of the State. 

The occupation and its horrible actions transformed the people of Europe into a real state. a roaring force supporting the cause, and this is also reflected in opinion polls in several European countries.

Coordination and cohesion

Also in this context, what Gazans report about themselves and what the media reports about them is their strong will, their respect for their rights, their refusal to be displaced, and their patience in the face of all kinds of suffering, torture, starvation and loss of loved ones, their loved ones and dozens of them, and their response to this with forms of patience and submission to the will of God unrivaled in the world and its value, as well as the way they manage their lives with the simplest. means and from nothing, all this and much more became inspiring and its stories and narratives spread into the consciences and consciences of those in solidarity, transforming into a continuous and diverse act of solidarity.

Continuing the practices and ferocity of the occupying state, the arrogance that characterizes Israeli politicians and their racist statements against the Palestinians, and even extends beyond to the performance of their diplomats against personalities and international organizations, are two glaring examples. : the ambassador of the occupying state to the United Nations and his performance during the official sessions, as well as the ambassador of the occupying state to Poland, who arrogantly refused to apologize to the Polish people for the assassination of Polish volunteer Demban Sobol, who was killed along with his seven fellow World Kitchen volunteers, by missiles launched by military drones of the occupying army, in broad daylight in the middle of Gaza.

 This is perhaps a position that contributed to a clear escalation of the Polish solidarity movement with the Palestinian people. These racist attitudes regularly fuel the solidarity movement in European countries.

We also mention that one of the factors that contributed to the escalation of the solidarity movement and its continuation at a sustained pace is the force of coordination and cohesion between the institutions working for Palestine in the different European countries and how these organizations came together and the coordination between them deepened, which was reflected in the strength of the performances as well as the particularity and escalation of the protests. 

We highlight here the clarity of the manifestations of Palestinian national unity on the European continent, and the two most important. prominent examples: the United Palestinian National Committee in Berlin and the Palestinian Action Committee in southern Sweden, and how strong national relations were reflected in the smooth running of events and close coordination with solidarity activists in parallel in the two regions.

We believe that the long history of solidarity work in various European countries and its experience over the decades have contributed to the solidity of the solidarity movement in the face of challenges, as well as the absorption of new participants in the movement, especially new ones. generations. Sometimes this even resulted in coordination at the continental level, as happened during the European protest movement in The Hague. To support the South African case.

Commendable competitiveness

The development of the media performance of the solidarity movement, the broadcast of the activity live on media platforms, and in parallel the interest of Arab and European satellite channels for the broadcast of the events, all of this has become a motivating factor for the demonstrators to feel the impact of their action and for their political message to reach the widest reach, which established the conviction of a large segment. There is value in manifesting and the message will reach all who are affected by its reception.

This has created a situation of positive competition between the institutions of different European countries. To raise the level of its performance, and even contribute to the implementation of ideas and solidarity projects that have proven their worth. Ensure that all country institutions remain in a state of continuous interaction; Due to the permanent transfer of demonstrations. 

The presence of correspondents from Arab channels interested in the issue in several European capitals helped enable them to broadcast periodic reports on their activities and events. We also mention the existence of specialized channels for live broadcasting, in particular: "Al Jazeera Live", and its concern with broadcast events have made it, as well as its counterparts, permanent and immediate platforms for the broadcasting of activities and European solidarity events, which had a positive and vital impact on the situation. continuation and intensification of activities.

Many diverse factors need to be arrested and detained due to their importance in the escalation of the solidarity movement, including the entry of influential figures from European societies into the solidarity line and their cohesion in their denunciation of the massacres, despite pressure from the lobby supporting the occupying state. For example, German comedian Dieter Hallervorden, in his three-minute video, accused the occupying state of having committed “genocide.”

On another level, the lawsuit filed by South Africa against the occupying state, the holding of the International Court of Justice in The Hague on January 26 this year, and the historic scenes of obedience and appearance of the occupying state on the scene of the war. 

The accusation, followed by Nicaragua against Germany on April 8, constituted respectively, based on the first, this had a very positive impact on the solidarity movement, and another example in Germany as well, where Lawyers filed a lawsuit as representatives of Gaza victims against Germany. 

Politicians, led by the German Chancellor, and the court agreed to review the case for their support of the occupying state, and the legal basis was based on South Africa's advocacy at The Hague and the decision rendered against the occupying state and those who support it.

We conclude that this growing, diverse, and extensive solidarity movement constituted a strategic shift in the presence and justice of the Palestinian cause, and contributed to the expansion of the movement of European popular awareness of the truth about what is happening. happening in Palestine and in real reality. The positions of the parties and the criminal practices of the occupying state became clear to him in all their details.

The transformation of this awareness and the assimilation of the Palestinian narrative and its justice produced a solid act of solidarity, which will extend and cross time into the future. The occupying state has isolated itself on a global scale and its role is falling. It is up to the Palestinians and their supporters to invest, grow, and develop this project, and the clock is not turning back.