Outside the Israeli Embassy. Photo: Lindsey German

Palestinians, with their incredible courage and hope, will fight for their survival. Ellen Graubert reports from the demonstration on Saturday

On Saturday, before the faceless and heavily guarded gates of the Israeli Embassy, thousands came together to voice their anger and frustration over the atrocious daily attacks by Israeli forces on Palestinian youth and children.

The public is growing ever more disgusted by the fact that the media – particularly the BBC – and Western governments blame oppressed, young Palestinians, who are trapped in a situation of no hope, have been driven to risk their lives for a chance of some kind of positive future. Arming themselves with kitchen knives and stones, they fight against a heavily militarised and nuclear armed oppressor, the Zionist state of Israel. These young people have been driven to violence as their only hope, by a violent state, which then blames them as the culprits.

The speakers on the demonstration, which included representatives of Stop the War, CND, War on Want, and members of the Muslim and Palestinian communities, eloguently expressed their anger at this ongoing injustice. 

It is tragic that Palestinian youth has been driven to violence and bloodshed, but as long as the Zionist state of Israel refuses to end the occupation of Palestinian land, and continues the outrageous demolition of their homes, the Palestinians, with their incredible courage and hope, will fight for their survival, and the support for them will continue to grow worldwide.

The thousands crowding the street, waving Palestinian flags shouting their support, showed the determination of those amongst us who also will not stop fighting for justice and freedom for the Palestinians, until this is achieved.  

Ellen Graubart

Ellen Graubart was born in India of American parents and came to London from Virginia as a teenager to study art. She lives and works as an artist in Hackney. She is a member of Counterfire, Stop the War and Hackney Palestine Solidarity Campaign.