The Palestine Briefing: Palestinians see increased solidarity amid violence escalation
In this weekly newsletter, Daoud Kuttab rounds up the biggest stories from Palestine.
The situation in the occupied Palestinian territories is escalating to a degree that the UN secretary-general had to add the call for “actions to lessen the cycle of violence” and an “end to occupation” as part of his annual statement on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People today, coinciding with 75 years since the approval by the UN General Assembly of the partition plan.
While Western media gave high attention to the death of a 16-year-old Israeli youth as a result of the bus bombing on Nov. 24 in Jerusalem, most outlets totally ignored all other killings of Palestinians (including youth), which have been occurring on a daily basis. On the very day of solidarity with the Palestinian people, three Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers in the Hebron and Bethlehem areas.
Palestinian nationalism has experienced strong popular support during the FIFA World Cup games and beyond, as the Qatari hosts allowed expressions of support through the waving of Palestinian flags and wearing the traditional keffiyeh. But perhaps the strongest support for the Palestinian cause came from everyday Arabs and non-Arabs as they were being approached by Israeli journalists. Fans would either reject talking to the Israelis or in some cases say pro-Palestinian words and slogans to the reporters.
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