The American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) commemorates May 15, 2017; the anniversary of the Palestinian catastrophe, the Nakba.
The suffering of the Palestinians continues unabated. Millions continue to live in camps in dire conditions. Even those who were expelled to other parts of mandatory Palestine continue to suffer from expansionism. Many of the uprooted Palestinians of 1948 fled to what is today called the West Bank and to Gaza in addition to neighboring countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt. Gaza is a big prison and its residents live in truly challenging conditions due to an Israeli imposed siege. The West Bank is broken into blocs where movement of Palestinians is hindered by the Israeli occupation that started in 1967. Settlements, Jewish only blocs, keep expanding. Thousands of Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons under all types of pretexts.
There is a long list of violations of the human rights of Palestinians that continue to this day. There will be no resolution of the conflict until the refugees are allowed to go back to their homes and the Israeli occupation ends.
“We should recognize human suffering for what it is, Human suffering, regardless of the demographic background of the suffering human being,” said Imad Hamad, AHRC Executive Director. “The violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people are ongoing human-made disasters and can be rectified by applying the needed pressure on the state of Israel,” said Hamad.