First of all we affirm that all killing or murder of unarmed civilians is unacceptable! Any such action represents a war crime and lacks legitimacy.
Furthermore, Alter Summit wishes to express its concern and rejection of the crimes committed by the State of Israel against the Palestinian people. Nearly 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in the massive attacks and bombings in Gaza, almost half of them children. Hospitals and schools are being bombed, in flagrant contradiction to international law. In addition to the deaths, there are thousands wounded and maimed, whole families massacred, the destruction of entire neighborhoods and vital infrastructure such as water, electricity and communications. UN sources already speak of ethnic cleansing.
We challenge the current simplistic and Manichean media narrative that presents the war as a confrontation between Israel and Hamas. This conflict has a history of over 75 years, predating the creation of Hamas. Moreover, it is not a "war" between equals; it is an aggression by an oppressor, Israel, against an oppressed, Palestine, a people seeking freedom and emancipation.
The Israeli policy of colonization, arbitrary arrests and torture of political prisoners has long contributed to the destabilization of the region. The blockade of the Gaza Strip and settler attacks in the West Bank, especially in Nablus and Jenin, as well as in East Jerusalem, have fueled anger against the State of Israel.
We also reject the instrumentalization of anti-Semitism to support the policies of the Israeli state. The expansionist and colonizing policy of the Israeli political leaders aims at preventing the creation of a Palestinian state by occupying all its territory.
We also denounce the role of the "International Community" and, in particular, of the European Union, which either supports the Israeli offensive or is incapable of putting a definitive stop to the escalation. The only resolution adopted by the UN Security Council is woefully insufficient to stop the massacre.
Far from condemning the apartheid policies of the Israeli state, many of these European governments are restricting democratic rights, repressing or punishing demonstrations of solidarity with the Palestinian people and criminalizing those who participate in them. Israel’s colonial violence reflects the far-right discourse and policies in Europe, which are moving us further away from democracy every day.
Alter Summit calls for:
The immediate cessation of attacks and bombings in Gaza.
• The withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Palestinian territory.
• An end to colonization and the return of occupied land to the Palestinians.
• The immediate entry of humanitarian aid and the restoration of essential services for the civilian population of Gaza.
• The search for a just political solution that will bring lasting peace to the region.
• The severance of relations with Israel until this massacre ceases.
We call for:
• To participate in the mobilizations that are taking place in several countries in support of the Palestinian people.
• To support actions to boycott shipments to Israel, as the dockworkers of Barcelona and Genoa and the Belgian transport unions have done.
Brussels, November 2023
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