Cape Town - Solidarity and support for the people of Palestine remains fervent, as about 1 000 people marched peacefully in Cape Town, joining the global community in commemorating Nakba Day.
Nakba Day is marked annually on March 15, a day after the State of Israel was declared on May 14, 1948.
The day referred to as “the Catastrophe” highlights the over 750 000 Palestinians who were expelled from their homeland and the continued persecution and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
Over 1 000 people, including representatives from Cosatu, EFF, Al Jama-ah, CTIEC, NFP, ANC, Sactwu and Dirco, marched from Hanover Street to Parliament.
The march was organised by the Al-Quds Foundation and the Muslim Judicial Council.
Children from several schools and madrasas were bused in to the march.
“I find people coming in their numbers to show solidarity with the Palestinian people as a normal reaction for people who have been in our position before,” said Palestinian ambassador to South Africa Hanan Jarrar.
“Since the beginning of this year, it has been open season against Palestine and the Palestinian people because Israel elected an ultra-right government, a fascist government, so lately there has been an escalation when the Israeli army decided to do airstrikes against Gaza, targeting some freedom fighters.
“Unfortunately, they wiped out entirely some families while they were peacefully sleeping in their homes.”
Since the start of the year, over 150 Palestinians have been murdered, Jarrar said.
Iman Shabodien from Ocean View said: “My mother-in law was recently in Palestine with a group of people and they saw the youngsters standing in front of Masjidul Aqsa, literally defending it with their lives.
“They were 12 years old, with the older people, and 8 years old. And I always feel like Allah (God) is going to ask me one day what did you sacrifice? And all I can say is I’ll sacrifice two/ three hours of my day to walk here and that’s the least I can do.”
First Indigenous Nation of Southern Africa member Christine Abrahams, 53, from Heideveld said their presence was a show of solidarity.
“What’s going on in Palestine now, it’s not nice to see how they are put in cages, they can’t go anywhere, they must have an ID to go out.”
The UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People commemorated the Nakba at UN Headquarters in New York, yesterday for the first time.
Meanwhile, a photographic exhibition, Existence is Resistance, portraying the daily life of Palestinians, is open to the public at St George’s Cathedral in Wale Street.
The exhibition by broadcaster, journalist, film-maker and photographer Jimi Matthews was opened Sunday, and will be on display until June 16 at no cost to the public.