For the past two weeks, social media platforms have been awash with solidarity posts about the Palestinian struggle. As we mark the anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, it is hard not to draw comparisons with the global Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and the impact it had on the growing international solidarity with the Palestinians.
For 11 days, the world looked on to see death and destruction descend upon Palestinians. Some 248 Palestinians have reportedly been killed, among them 66 children, and more than 1,900 have been injured in Israel’s most recent offensive on the besieged and impoverished Gaza Strip. On the Israeli side, 12 civilians and one soldier were killed. In the bleakness of the past two weeks, since Israeli police attacked worshipers in Al-Aqsa mosque on 8 May, Palestinians have sought comfort from global support. Not necessarily from world leaders, but from ordinary people protesting and using social media to spread awareness.
It started with protesting the forced expulsion of Palestinian residents of the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in East Jerusalem. The residents’ case gained worldwide attention due to the campaigning of young Jerusalemites, who spread the hashtag #SaveSheikhJarrah, despite Israel desperately trying to keep the media’s attention on Hamas.
