Filipino youth urge Israel boycott as they join global student movement for Palestine
MANILA: Student organizers on Philippine campuses are calling for a cultural and academic boycott of Israel and Zionism, as they join a global movement in support of the Palestinians.
Pro-Palestinian student leaders and activists from various Philippine universities have been mobilizing their peers for months to raise awareness of Israel's war on Gaza and organize rallies in solidarity with Palestine.
Filipino youth are drawing attention to the struggle for liberation in Palestine and its parallels with Philippine history and the experience of occupation and colonialism, as they hope to become more involved in people and to encourage more cooperation in their communities.
“Filipino youth and students know that the (Palestinian) struggle against colonization is the same as the colonial history of the Philippines, and we see that there is a common struggle with the Palestinians today, which is American imperialism, ” Raphael Jourvy, student organizer. Gavino told Arab News.
The Filipinos suffered for more than 300 years of Spanish colonial rule, from 1565 to 1898, and almost five decades of American colonial rule from 1898 to 1946. .Despite independence, activists say the Philippines remains a “semi-colony” of the United States to this day. , citing the Southeast Asian nation's economic and military dependence on the United States.
Gavino, who attends the state Polytechnic University of the Philippines, is one of the participants in the PUP for Palestine initiative. Its school is famous for its student dynamism and it is the largest university in the country in terms of population.
“Thousands of PUP students participated and showed their support for the Palestinians in their struggle against the genocide and apartheid in Israel, and called for justice,” he said.
“Showing solidarity and support for the Palestinians is important as students and especially as Filipinos because we cannot stand by while thousands of students, children and women are being killed in front of our eyes.”
Israel's ground and air strikes over the past nine months have killed more than 39,000 Palestinian civilians in Gaza, according to official estimates, although a study published in the Lancet journal on This month it was estimated that more than 186,000 people died.
Israeli forces also destroyed schools, universities and hospitals throughout the Gaza Strip.
“No educational institution in the country should be associated with a government that does not care about the future of children by bombing their schools and universities,” Gavino said.
For the students of the Ateneo de Manila University, one of the top universities in the country, showing support for Palestine is very important.
“It is important for us, especially as students, to join the global call for the liberation and immediate cessation of genocide in pursuit of true and lasting peace because the world this is what we will inherit,” A4P told Arab News in a statement.
The group said it was inspired by the courage and determination of the foreign students, who camped out at their respective universities and called for the withdrawal of the “agent of genocide”.
“We aim to identify our university's relationship, if such a relationship exists, and call for its immediate end,” A4P said.
“We also want to call for a cultural and academic boycott of Israeli universities and Zionist sources and support and support Palestinian academic and cultural institutions, and advocate for a true and lasting peace by supporting non-stop for the liberation of the country.”
The Ateneo group, which has more than 5,000 followers on Facebook, also condemned the Philippine government for “dealing billions of dollars in arms deals” to Israeli companies, including the Elbit Systems, Rafael Advance Defense Systems and Israel Shipyards, as well as the Israeli government. .
“These weapons of destruction are being used to perpetrate violence against indigenous communities in the Philippines, and the state's excessive repression of its citizens,” A4P said.
At Far Eastern University in Manila, student leaders launched the Tamaraws for Palestine movement in June, organizing rallies, fundraisers and holding educational and discussion sessions in campus.
“As Filipinos, we are not new to the terrorism that is happening in Palestine because we have also experienced colonization and threats from many countries like Spain, America, and Japan. Even now, China is doing it because of their aggressive actions in the (South China Sea),” said Kyla Mae Alzado, vice president of Tamaraws for Palestine. by Arab News.
“We are still oppressed by other countries and we face threats at home. Palestine is in that situation right now and as a country that understands and is in that situation right now, we have to stand with them. “
One of their main focuses is to raise awareness for the larger Philippine community about the violence taking place in Gaza.
“What we hope to achieve with our organization is to expand and get more collective action, which can strengthen the voice of the oppressed,” said Alzado.
“Most importantly, we hope that our call for Palestinian rights can help support their liberation.”
