The Need of Uncompromising Solidarity with Palestine
Photo courtesy of War Child
Today is the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
Looking back at the crime of Israeli occupation, the world bears a heavy burden of responsibility because it could not stop the genocide, mass killings, inhumane oppression and destruction of Palestine throughout seven decades.
The Israeli violence and occupation took a horrendous turn after October 7, 2023. The visuals that are broadcast around the world have shown the true face of the Zionist scourge. It marks more than 750 days of cruelty, mass murder, destruction and occupation, which is live streamed on mobile phones.
The cause of Palestinian freedom has been profoundly impacted by the sustained diplomatic and humanitarian solidarity of the Global South with nations such as South Africa, Turkey and those forming the Hague Group elevating the struggle from a regional issue to a global imperative centered on anti-colonial resistance and international law. This diplomatic support, exemplified by actions such as South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice, has provided critical political weight and legitimacy, directly countering narratives that seek to marginalise the quest for self-determination.
Alongside these state level efforts, grassroots civilian movements have materialised in direct action, notably through the various freedom flotillas, including the recent Global Sumud Flotilla, which attempt to establish a humanitarian sea corridor challenging the blockade of Gaza and delivering essential goods. However, these attempts, including the initial 2010 Mavi-Marmara mission, have been repeatedly intercepted, often violently, by Israeli forces in international waters. International bodies have documented the consistent targeting, detention, abduction and killing of medical staff, undermining the operational capacity of the health system and making the delivery of essential and lifesaving care in Gaza a near-impossible feat. All these are crimes against humanity and requires the international support and immediate intervention. As a country which was under colonial occupation for 443 years, Sri Lanka should be able to resonate with Palestine.
Sri Lanka’s support for Palestine is not a choice of convenience but a foundational moral imperative stemming from a painful history as a nation that overcame colonial rule and stood against occupation. This unwavering solidarity is now facing its most critical test as the world witnesses the catastrophic scale of atrocities in Gaza where over 68,000 people have been killed and 170,000 injured. To merely issue statements of condemnation while simultaneously allowing policies that enable complicity is a betrayal of the decades-long principled stance taken since the 1970s, when Sri Lanka courageously closed the Israeli embassy and welcomed the PLO. A failure to act decisively now constitutes a profound disgrace to the democratic and humanitarian history of the country. Therefore, the government must immediately translate its moral outrage into non-negotiable, concrete policy changesthat fully align with our principles and the collective global conscience demanding an end to occupation and state violence.
To establish true, uncompromising solidarity, Sri Lanka must take immediate, unambiguous action against the perpetrators of these war crimes. The government must, as a matter of urgency, revoke or suspend the free visa policy for Israeli nationals. This measure is not merely symbolic; it is a vital security and moral step to prevent the entry of active or former Israeli Defense Force officers who have been demonstrably linked to the systematic mass killing of children and civilians from using Sri Lanka for leisure, especially on the coastal region. Arugam Bay has its own Chabad with Hebrew signage being commonly seen. Areas such as Weligama, Ahangama, Mirissa, Hikkaduwa and Galle have become the places where Israeli military personnel come for holidays. Solidarity cannot be limited to the empty words where action is what required to condemn genocide.
Allowing those involved in such serious war crimes to move freely in the country fundamentally compromises the integrity of our national stance. This moral clarity must extend to our economic policies: Sri Lanka must immediately suspend the export of labour to Israel to avoid propping up an occupation economy and must conduct a rapid review to halt any trade or security contracts that directly benefit the Israeli military-industrial complex or illegal settlements.
Beyond these crucial revocations, Sri Lanka must leverage its distinguished diplomatic legacy, particularly its historic role as Chair of the UN Committee on Palestinian Rights, to become a powerful, decisive leader in the Global South’s push for accountability. This involves fully committing political and financial support to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), demanding robust investigations into war crimes and ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable under universal jurisdiction principles.
Sri Lanka must actively collaborate with regional countries and nations such as South Africa along with other members of the Non-Aligned Movement to form an unflinching diplomatic bloc at the UN, demanding an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire and pushing relentlessly for Palestine’s full membership in the UN. Genuine solidarity requires both cutting ties with the architects of oppression and amplifying the voice of the oppressed. For Sri Lanka, the time for symbolic rhetoric is over; this is the moment for courageous, definitive policy action to uphold justice and freedom.
