Occupied Jerusalem-Sana
Palestinians salute tomorrow, the 44th anniversary of Earth Day, as an affirmation of their adherence to their legitimate rights to establish their independent state and its capital, Jerusalem, and to continue to resist in the face of the Israeli occupation, and to confront US policies biased towards it to thwart all plans to uproot them from their land and erase their civilizational and historical identity, the last of which was called the ill-fated deal of the century.
Earth Day events date back to the thirtieth of March of 1976, when the demonstrations spread across the various Palestinian cities and villages in protest against the occupation authorities' seizure of 21,000 dunums of the Galilee city in the occupied Palestinian territories in 1948 and were suppressed by the occupation forces with live bullets, which led to the martyrdom of a number of Palestinians and injured and arrested hundreds This history remains an epic of luminous steadfastness present in the Palestinian memory over the years, illuminating the path of resistance in the face of Judaic colonial occupation plans.
Member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Abu Youssef continued to clarify for a SANA correspondent that this land day comes in light of the escalation of the Israeli occupation authorities and their settlers their crimes against the Palestinians, their lands and properties, taking advantage of the world's preoccupation with procedures to address the Corona virus and with the absolute support of the American administration to implement the provisions of the "deal of the century" that it announced On the twenty-eighth of last January, it met with wide international rejection.
Abu Youssef pointed out that despite the difficult circumstances that came this year through the outbreak of the Corona virus, the occupation virus is the most dangerous, as it continues killing, terrorism, settlement, and Judaization. Therefore, Earth Day will remain a day to renew the covenant to fulfill the blood of martyrs and wounded and continue the struggle in defense of the land and confirmation However, the "Deal of the Century" will not pass, and Jerusalem will remain the eternal capital of the State of Palestine.
Walid Assaf, head of the Resistance of the Wall and Settlement Authority, stated that this year the Palestinian people chose a new model to commemorate Earth Day due to the Corona virus crisis by raising Palestinian flags on the balconies of the homes, chanting national slogans, using the Internet and launching large campaigns on social media to expose the crimes of the occupation and define public opinion The World Day of the Earth as a symbol of the Palestinian national identity to mobilize the greatest support for the Palestinian cause and the struggle of the Palestinians to defend their land and drop the plot of the "Deal of the Century".
In turn, Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative, Mustafa Al-Barghouthi stressed that Earth Day is an occasion to remind the world of the Palestinian people’s steadfastness on their lands and their adherence to their rights despite the crimes of occupation and racist practices to uproot and displace them, pointing out that this day will remain a symbol of resistance because it is the only way to end the occupation, liberate the land and establish the Palestinian state and its capital Jerusalem.
A member of the Supreme National Authority for Return Marches and Breaking the Siege pointed out that Earth Day commemorates the continuation of the unjust siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and the intensification of the occupation's settlement and Judaization operations in conjunction with the Corona pandemic exploited by the occupation authorities to plunder the land and oppression of prisoners in light of the international community's neglect of its attacks and settlement plans to displace Palestinians who cling to their land, no matter how sacrifices are made in defense of it.
For its part, Jalila stresses the daughter of the martyr Raja Abu Raya, who is one of the martyrs of Earth Day, that the Palestinians remain on the covenant and protect the land and continue the path of martyrdom in order to preserve the land of parents and grandparents .. the land of Palestine.
Jalila said .. I lost my father and I was not over one year old and I was associated with this day the child's association with his mother and father and I knew the meaning of Palestine through the testimony of my father and the rest of his companions who irrigated the land with their pure blood and I always repeat like every Palestinian we die and long live Palestine.
Mohamed Abu Shabab