Palestinian people live:
- As second-class citizens in the “Jewish State of Israel”
- In refugee camps in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria
- Under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank of the Jordan Valley
- Under siege in Gaza
- Or in a world-wide diaspora.
In 1948 over 700 thousand Palestinians were forced from their lands, expelled and made refugees by the new Israeli State. In 1967, Israel conquered more Palestinian lands, taking Jerusalem, Gaza, the Golan and the West Bank, and more were made refugees.
Since then Israel has seized land to build large, Jewish-only, illegal settlements. There are now over 700 thousand illegal Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Israel has established internal check points & frequent curfews; carries out mass arrests and imprisonment without trial of Palestinian residents in these Occupied Territories including children.
Palestinians living in Gaza have been blockaded by Israel for over 15 years. In 2009, 2012, 2014 and 2021 Israel has attacked Gaza, bombed its people, killing over 3500 Palestinians, seriously injuring tens of thousands more whilst destroying homes, schools & hospitals and vital public infrastructure.
All of this is done with the active support of the British Government that supports Israel militarily, the EU and USA.
The treatment of Palestinians, both in the Occupied Territories and inside Israel, is now recognised by leading human rights organisations including B’Tselem , Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International as a system similar to the apartheid regime of South Africa.
