North Devon hosts Voices from Palestine

The North Devon Palestine Solidarity Campaign (NDPSC) hosted a public gathering at Barnstaple Library on Saturday (February 24), to raise awareness of the conflict in Gaza and the continued suffering of civilians. 

Through Zoom, around 50 participants listened to first hand accounts from people living in the West Bank and Gaza. 

The event included discussions on boycotting Israeli goods, support for UNRWA, and a kite-making workshop, accompanied by traditional Palestinian treats.

UNRWA is The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East; a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. 

The NDPSC has been actively involved in supporting Palestinians' rights to land, education, and essential services, especially in the face of escalating violence.

Dr Amani Odeh, a dentist and activist from East Jerusalem, had been scheduled to speak but was unable to attend the meeting. Instead, attendees heard from Areej, a young woman still in Gaza, whose child is due to be born in March.

A spokesperson for the Voices in Palestine event said: “What should be a joyful event in anyone’s life becomes one laden with terror when you know that the surgery you are very likely to need because of your particular condition is just not going to be available. 

“Having a child becomes a death sentence. She spoke from the noisy open street, the only place she could get wi-fi.”

Dr Nadia Naser-Najjab, a Middle East Studies expert, explained the historical and contemporary impacts of the conflict. 

She highlighted the disproportionate effects of Covid-19 on Palestinians and the systemic oppression she said they endure.

A kite-making workshop at the event served as a symbol of solidarity, honouring the cultural significance of kites in the region. 

“They (kites) are also used to convey messages and simply as an expression of joy, sympathy or solidarity. In local demonstrations across the world, the words of poet Refaat Alareer, murdered by a targeted Israeli bomb, have been painted on kites, to honour his memory and to register grief at events in Gaza - especially the many thousands of children killed or maimed,” a spokesperson from Voices in Palestine said.