A glimpse of grey. A flash of red. A breath so cold it reminds you of how painful it is to be alive.
The ‘Peace Palace’ as it’s so aptly named, sits untouched, every brick perfectly in its place, every window cleaned to perfection, every door handle glistening under the spray of the drizzle. A picture of peace as we know it.
Mere steps away, barricaded by thick metal, raging against the rain and wind stand some of the bravest souls this sick society has managed to cough up. Armed with the Palestinian flag and posters illustrating the harrowing statistics of Israel’s genocide of Palestine, they chant: “Brick by brick, wall by wall, colonisation will fall.”
Men with steely eyes and bright yellow jackets that declare ‘Politie’ stand near them, ready to defend their society from the dangers that decolonisation will bring.
Across the pedestrian crossing stands another defiant protest. A single man, surrounded by ten Israeli flags, an obnoxiously loud speaker playing rave-like music, and onlookers nodding their heads to the beat and taking selfies with the “protest”. The display is so garish it almost makes you want to laugh. Almost.
The posters feature pictures of children long gone. Their names are in bold capital letters, and their ages are in brackets. Dreams, hopes, inspiration, and life, all stolen. Snuffed out by an occupying force who believe they’re entitled to the land these children once called home. Not only children but women and men of every age, all trapped in a game as old as time, the shots being called by those who exact the most violence and who relish in it.
‘Apartheid’ is an Afrikaans word that translates, quite literally, to ‘separating, setting apart’. As a policy, Apartheid is founded on the idea of separating people based on racial or ethnic criteria. Apartheid policies encompass various measures such as prohibiting mixed marriages, excluding specific racial or ethnic groups from certain gatherings and organisations, and limiting movement by denying access to particular public areas.
The legalisation of the harshest features of racism began officially in 1948 with the election of the National Party. This would mark the beginning of a bloody and violent period in which black, Indian, and coloured South Africans were subjected to socially engineered racism that would leave a lasting wound, even some thirty years after the regime had been ‘dismantled’.
The first Nakba, the violent displacement and dispossession of Palestinians along with the destruction of their society, culture, identity, political rights, and national aspirations, began in 1948. There is no separating these harsh and violent actions and policies from colonisation. There is no separating these violent people from their violent tendencies. Genocidal regimes bolster each other because ‘strength in numbers’ is not just a cliche.
However, it is not our place to become disillusioned. Palestine, Sudan, Congo, and many more countries facing the effects of violent governments cheered on by violent international bodies need us to speak up and to speak out. ‘The people united will never be defeated’. Spark conversations, empower yourself by learning more, and boycott where you can, because nothing hurts these violent regimes more than a loss of profit.