On International Solidarity Day.. Memory of Genocide and Compass for the Future

As the world enters its third year following the genocide in Gaza, International Solidarity Day with the Palestinian people becomes a new and explicit test of human conscience and its ability to withstand the forces at play. This issue is no longer a mere exercise in moral rhetoric, nor a ceremonial occasion for declaring intentions; it has turned into a scrutinizing political station: Will the world stand in solidarity with a just cause despite the heavy balances of power, or will it remain an annual ritual devoid of impact?

 

Keeping the spark of global activism alive and effective requires a transition from symbolic and emotional solidarity to framing a clear global agenda that redefines the priority of ending the occupation as the core of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the key to establishing regional stability, and the compass of political ethics in an era where standards are collapsing.

 

On the agenda of this movement, three central issues emerge that touch the true heart of the conflict and form the foundation for any serious international solidarity capable of making a tangible change.

 

First: Recognizing genocide as a moral and legal necessity

 

No solidarity can be meaningful unless it names the act by its true name: genocide. The international hesitation to adopt this description has been one of the reasons for the continuation of the killing machine. Here, solidarity is not a political courtesy but a clear demand to activate international law mechanisms to ensure the immediate and complete cessation of the war, the protection of civilians, the opening of relief and reconstruction pathways, and ensuring accountability for war crimes.

 

It has become abundantly clear that the priority on which global popular movement should be based is ending the occupation and enabling the Palestinian people to determine their own fate; this is the only gateway to preventing the recurrence of genocide.

 

After two years, this day has turned into a space for historical accountability; accountability for the world: How can genocide happen live on air without intervention? Accountability for the great powers: Why are laws suspended when it comes to Israel? And accountability for the Palestinians themselves: How can the global sympathy triggered by the genocide be transformed into a liberating political energy that does not fade? The term "Genocide" has become one of the most prevalent terms in academic journalism, in university statements, and in legal campaigns. It has become evident to the world that Palestine is no longer a case of "political conflict," but a case of the genocide of a people under occupation. The genocide has ignited the largest popular solidarity movement of the twenty-first century. This solidarity was not only emotional but also political and radical, providing the world with models to emulate, especially the sit-ins at American universities (2024–2025) where students named things as they are: "Stop the Genocide." They redefined the campus as a place of moral resistance and succeeded in imposing restrictions on university investments related to the genocide. The role of South Africa before the International Court of Justice has become a model for confronting genocide through moral and legal responsibility, creating a historical precedent in holding Israel accountable. Additionally, the Latin American movements in Chile, Colombia, and Bolivia have evoked their experiences with dictatorships to stand against genocide in Palestine, linking the collective memory of past crimes with ongoing atrocities today. Besides, the boycott campaigns have transformed after the genocide into a global pressure force, compelling technological and military companies to reassess their involvement. These models convey one message: The peoples of the world rejected genocide when their governments remained silent about it. And that peoples can succeed if they crystallize their priorities, which applies first and foremost to the Palestinian people.

 

Second: Restoring consideration for the reality of the conflict

 

The most dangerous outcome of the past decades has been the transformation of the Palestinian cause into a humanitarian file, treated as a relief crisis rather than a national liberation issue. Israel, supported by major powers, has managed to drain the discussion of its political content in favor of technical approaches: facilitation, aid, improving living conditions… while the occupation remains firmly in place. Therefore, the core of international solidarity must be based on redefining the compass represented by ending the occupation in all its forms, including settlement, siege, and apartheid, not merely mitigating its effects. This restores the issue to its natural position in international law as a cause of a people seeking freedom and opens the door for effective international activism along three complementary paths:

1. Sanctions and boycotts as legitimate tools used against any power violating international law.

2. Denial of legitimacy to the colonial settlement system through a global cultural, academic, and media discourse.

3. Internationalizing the conflict and transforming it from a closed American-Israeli file into a major political and moral issue.

 

Third: Supporting Palestinians in the battle for renewing and rebuilding unified political representation

 

The world cannot champion the cause of a people without a political leadership capable of carrying its national project. Hence, one of the pillars of true solidarity is standing by the Palestinians in their struggle to unify their political institutions and renew their legitimacy, based on a clear and united vision to end the occupation first. Here, international solidarity is not interference in internal affairs, but an acknowledgment that the liberation of peoples hinges on their ability to produce unified representation that reflects their will and leads their liberation project. Among the inspiring examples are the experiences of supporting African liberation movements in the 1960s when the world played a critical role in supporting internal efforts that empowered peoples to confront colonial systems. In the Palestinian case, supporting a path to end the division based on shared responsibility and supporting society in all its components, especially those affected by the repercussions of the division, are essential elements in protecting the national project from erosion. The world cannot continue to support a people living under occupation while simultaneously embroiled in an internal conflict that drains its capacity to resist and endure. Returning to the components of the Beijing Declaration has become an existential necessity on both the internal and international levels, particularly concerning the immediate formation of a transitional unity government to unify the Palestinian discourse and address the priorities of our people in the Gaza Strip, including a national vision of the nature of, concept, and forms of resistance, security, and governance. It is also crucial to strengthen our people's resilience in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and their ability to withstand annexation and liquidation plans, paving the way for comprehensive general elections.

 

Toward a solidarity that transforms sympathy into political action

 

The peoples of the world have demonstrated over the last two years that the human conscience has not died. Despite the silence and complicity of the great powers, tens of millions have taken to the streets of international capitals, especially in decision-making countries, demanding the end of genocide and supporting the Palestinian right to freedom. We must recognize that the continuity and development of popular activism need an international compass to ensure that it does not get consumed in fleeting emotional waves of anger, and that the path of its transformation requires solidifying three truths:

1. Genocide is an ongoing crime that cannot be met with silence or attempts to circumvent it or its roots with formal solutions.

2. The essence of the issue is political and involves the necessity of liberation from the racist colonial occupation, not merely improving living conditions under occupation.

3. The Palestinian people are capable of leading their liberation project if they receive support that protects their choices and bolsters their unity.

 

These are not slogans, but practical foundations for a new phase of international solidarity; solidarity that acknowledges that Palestine is not merely a victim of a Zionist colonial project but is also the issue of a living people who reject occupation and injustice and demand the right to self-determination, and their full right to life, freedom, and justice.

Thus, International Solidarity Day with the Palestinian people becomes not just a commemoration, but an open invitation to political and moral action that restores consideration for the reality of the conflict and places ending the occupation and the right to self-determination at the heart of the world's agenda as the only entry point to making a just peace and closing a wound that has remained bleeding for seven decades.