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- The demonstration outside the Israeli Embassy in London was organized by Friends of Al-Aqsa, a British nongovernmental organization
- Ismail Patel, the campaign group鈥檚 founder and chairperson, said: 鈥榃hat we鈥檝e witnessed this week is another grim episode in Israel鈥檚 relentless brutality against Palestinians鈥�
LONDON: Activists gathered outside the Israeli Embassy in London on Wednesday to demand an end to Israel鈥檚 ongoing violence against Palestinians.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 action follows Israel鈥檚 barbaric attack on the Jenin refugee camp earlier this week, in which Israel attacked the refugee camp by ground and air in the biggest assault on the occupied West Bank since 2002,鈥� said Friends of Al-Aqsa, a UK-based nongovernmental organization that campaigns to preserve the rights of Palestinians and protect Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Ismail Patel, its founder and chairperson, said: 鈥淲hat we鈥檝e witnessed this week is another grim episode in Israel鈥檚 relentless brutality against Palestinians.鈥�
His group organized the demonstration in collaboration with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Palestinian Forum in Britain, the Stop the War Coalition, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and the Muslim Association of Britain.
Twelve Palestinians and an Israeli soldier were killed during the two-day, large-scale Israeli military operation that targeted the Jenin camp in the occupied West Bank this week.
鈥淚srael鈥檚 murder of 12 Palestinians in Jenin, including four children, demonstrates the apartheid state鈥檚 persistent barbarity,鈥� Friends of Al-Aqsa said.
鈥淭oday, we鈥檝e gathered to demand an end to this. We鈥檙e calling for sanctions on Israel and recommitting our efforts to standing up for Palestinians by urging everyone to email their MPs to oppose the dangerous 鈥榓nti-BDS bill.鈥欌€�
The statement was referring to the boycott, divestment and sanctions bill, which had its second reading in Parliament on Monday. If passed, it will make it illegal for public bodies to boycott and divest from countries, such as Israel, or businesses they consider complicit in human rights abuses and violations of international law.
鈥淭he recent vote on the 鈥榓nti-BDS bill鈥� undermines the core values of freedom of speech and human rights advocacy in the UK,鈥� Patel said.
鈥淭he second reading of this legislation has revealed its true intention: To stifle valid criticism of Israel鈥檚 apartheid policies and intimidate those who support the peaceful BDS movement against injustice.
鈥淲e must recognize that if this legislation had been in place during South African apartheid, local councils would not have been able to play their critical role in ending that injustice.鈥�
He urged the public to contact their MPs and demand that they vote against the 鈥渉armful and antidemocratic legislation.鈥�