The Right of Return is Land Back: A Statement of Solidarity with Palestine
Today, we mourn the lives tragically lost in Palestine and the broader Arab region. We remain steadfast in our collective hope for a future where every life is valued, and all individuals can relish freedom and security. As Indigenous people, we understand that true security and freedom can only be achieved through decolonization.
Currently, mainstream media is portraying the most recent eruption of violence as an “unprecedented assault launched by Palestinian fighters in Gaza” and in response, the the so-called Israeli government has declared a state of war, initiating a series of airstrikes that has claimed the lives of a thousand Palestinians and wounded tens of thousands more in the besieged territory of Gaza.
We at Honor the Earth, assert that labeling this most recent aggression as an "unprecedented assault" is part of a disinformation campaign to manufacture consent and justify the genocide of the Indigenous Palestinian population. And we as Indigenous People must stand in solidarity with the Palestinians in their struggle for decolonization.
This conflict's origins date back to the establishment of the Israeli apartheid state 75 years ago, when Palestine was colonized during the Nakba. The violence was further exacerbated in 1967 when Palestinians were forced onto two separate pieces of land, the West Bank and Gaza, both under complete control by the so-called Israeli government. Gaza has particularly endured a draconian military blockade, where two million people are confined to dire living conditions without access to medical aid or even basic necessities. The so-called Israeli government routinely conducts lethal bombing campaigns, leaving children, who make up over 50% of the population in Gaza, perpetually traumatized.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian population in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is subjected to home demolitions, land confiscations, and racialized violence, pushing them to the brink of despair. Entire Palestinian villages have been coerced into fleeing, abandoning their homes, orchards, and land that had been in their families for generations.
The violence we are witnessing today is a response to 75 years of ongoing subjugation of an Indigenous population. We stand in unequivocal and unconditional solidarity with the Palestinian People and remind all those of consciousness to remain critical of the so-called U.S.’s propaganda machine as it churns out fabricated stories rooted in Islamophobic tropes of the Arab world. In the same way Native People were called “savages” to justify mass killing and removal the US and so-called Israeli media will use racist terminology to manufacture consent for the genocide of the Palestinian People.
Here are some measures that can be taken to confront the root causes of the violence:
Immediate Termination of Military Funding: The U.S. government must cease all military funding to so-called Israel, which effectively sustains its oppressive policies.
Accountability: Hold the so-called Israeli government accountable for its human rights violations and war crimes against Palestinians.
Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS): Support and elevate campaigns for BDS to end the financial support flowing to the so-called Israeli military from corporations and private foundations.
Follow: IMEU, Jewish Voice for Peace, Adalah Justice Project, United States Campaign for Palestinian Rights
In our collective history, Indigenous Peoples have endured the harshest consequences of settler colonialism. As we battle against ongoing oppression and the erosion of our rights and identities, we are reminded that our struggles are deeply intertwined from Turtle Island to Palestine. Our solidarity reaches across continents, as we unite in our quest for justice, self-determination, and the preservation of our cultures and lands.
From Turtle Island to Palestine, Occupation is a Crime!