We all want to do good, yet it is sometimes difficult to know how. Here are some practical and easy ways that you – reading this right now – can support Palestine:

1. Learn more

I am sure that many of you know more about this topic than I do, so I tell myself before I tell any of you that we must learn more. Before we do anything, we must do extensive research and learn as much as we can, so we are familiar with the atrocities that Israel has committed, the injustices that have occurred, and the evil plans and strategies that have been used to make the rest of the world distant and passive about fighting for Palestine.

Seeking knowledge is our responsibility; we cannot say “I didn’t know” when we have all the necessary means to do so. We have to learn. Only then can we oppose the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine and cause serious change. Only then can we enlighten people about reality of who Israel is and who Palestinians are.

We want our kids and all the future generations to remember Palestine forever. If we don’t even know what’s happening and the history behind the conflict, we won’t be able to tell the world about the truth so that the Israelis can be held accountable for their despicable crimes. If each one of us took the time to learn about the truth, eventually, by the will of God, Palestine will be free.

2. Boycott

Now, this is an extremely important point that most people don’t give enough weight to. If we are to stand against the criminal state of Israel and everything that it stands for, the least we can do it to stop buying products from companies that support them.

A boycott is the voluntary act of abstaining from buying from or supporting companies and organisations for social or political reasons. It is basically a very easy and peaceful means of putting pressure on apartheid Israel, and interestingly follows in the successful footsteps of boycott against South African apartheid. Remember, any time you buy something you are making a vote, and we should never underestimate the power of this. Firstly, look at the barcode, if it starts with 729, it means it is made in Israel, so avoid purchasing it.

Also, there are many many well-known companies/brands that support Israel, and you must stop buying from them immediately. The following is a very brief and in no way an exhaustive list of such companies, but I have picked out the main ones which you may already be buying from:

•  Nestle: kitkats, many ice creams, aero, quality street, Maggie, Nescafe and so on, as well as many other companies owned by it. IMPORTANT NOTE – make it a habit to look at the back of any product you buy. Nestle owns many smaller companies so check the packaging for a small Nestle logo/fine print that says this company is part of the Nestle corporation. It can be hard to find but it’s worth it!
• Coca-cola: Fanta, Sunkist, Sprite… and there’s a lot of water bottles that I’ve bought and then realized that the packaging states it is a coca-cola owned company such as Mount Franklin so again, please look at the back before you buy anything.
• Max Brenner chocolate, 7eleven
• L’Oreal, Garnier, Revlon, Clinique, Maybelline, Bobbi Brown
• Medjool dates – always check the company! There are some (eg. Jordan River) that are imported from Israel, so always check where your dates are coming from! (more info)
• McDonalds, Starbucks
• Johnson & Johnson
• CalvinKlein
• Caltex
• Nike
• Hewlett-Packard Company (HP)  

I want to re-emphasise that these are only a few of the brands that support Israel. Click here and here to access sites that will give you more information. 

There are also apps (such as ‘Buycott’) you can download that will tell you if a product supports Israel or not, by scanning the barcode.

It can be confronting to know that something you have been buying for years supports Israel, and now you suddenly have to stop buying it. But trust me, it’s worth it – and it’s not as hard as you may think. It will take a little bit of extra effort and some inquiry, but there are alternatives to everything.

The take home message is be vigilant as to what you buy and where you buy it, there are alternatives to everything you are already used to buying. Look up a brand before you buy something from it, especially if it’s a big brand. Persevere with it!

3. Go to protests and be active in the community

We are sometimes afraid to be part of such supposedly political issues – but it is a human issue. And these marches are so powerful – there are so many historical examples of major revolutions because of a few individuals who decided to speak up.

By going out in large numbers, we can not only raise awareness but also put international pressure on Israel. There is nothing more powerful than human congregations, all fighting for one cause, united. Go out of your way to go to any protests and programs that you hear about, every extra person counts.

4. Reject colonialism in general

We must acknowledge Zionism as colonialism. I was reading a book called ‘On Palestine’ by Ilan Pappe and Noam Chomsky, and in it they discussed the terms we use to address the Palestine-Israel conflict, and how words define our views. Firstly, the authors mentioned a very interesting point about how the Hebrew terms le-hityashev and hitayasvut which literally translate to ‘to colonise’ and ‘colonisation’, were widely and proudly used by the Zionist movement ever since 1882. This is because colonialism was actually received positively at that time.

However, after World War II, colonialism began to carry negative connotations, and so the Zionist movement actually began trying to find ways to dissociate from the Hebrew terminology used previously and started to use more positive language. So, they themselves know that the Israeli state is based on colonialism and illegal settlement, and no matter what they do they can’t hide from the fact that their expropriation of Palestinian land falls under the official definition of colonization. The authors suggest that as part of the ‘new dictionary’ which is necessary in order to reshape our view of the future, the term decolonisationmust be put in place. Because not until we recognise that Israel colonised Palestine, can we understand why we must oppose it. The process of opposing Israel is ultimately (in part) a process of decolonisation. 

The reason this is important is that there are examples of colonisation all around us. The most relvant one to us is the case of Australia, which was colonised by Britain. If we support Palestine we must also support the rights of Aboriginal people who are the original owners of the land we are standing on right now. 

The Aboriginal flag

Further, we must not blindly submit to Western ideologies; we need to stand firm in our cultures and our beliefs and fight for our rights, we must never submit to their attempts at assimilating us into their culture. There is much more to this complex point but that is for another time. I do hope, however, that I have given you something to think about.

5. Have faith + do not underestimate your power

Don’t ever be of the mindset that ‘I am one person, what can I do’. When you think like this, you are absolving yourself of any responsibility and trying to justify your inaction. We must remember that societies are made up of individuals, and without individuals taking action, societies will be futile. By doing what you can, as little or as much, you are helping. So please, please, don’t ever underestimate the power that YOU have. 

Also, people naturally tend to get depressed when talking about the atrocities occurring in Palestine. But, we need to turn these emotions into a fuel that ignites our passion and our action. Pure sadness will not get us anywhere; if you are unhappy about what is going on, learn how you can help. And have certain faith in God; He promised us that He will fill the earth with justice and peace just as it was filled with oppression and tyranny. Remember, Israel is not powerful, we have the power to defeat them. They are weak, they are threatened by peaceful protesters who carry no weapons, just a spirit of resilience in their hearts. No oppressor will get away with it as long as Divine justice exists. Imam Ali said :”He who oppresses people shall be perished by his oppression.”

Palestine will be free. This is not a doubt, it is certain. It’s a matter of what you will do to help make it a reality.

6. Donate regularly

Donate to charities supporting Palestine. Find local initiatives that you can contribute to with whatever you can, it is the least we can do for the brave and heroic Palestinians who are resisting the illegal occupation of their land alone. There is one particular one that is reliable and based here in Melbourne which is run by a Palestinian nurse who is planning to go to Gaza later this year to provide medical equipment and aid which the people are in extreme need for over there. You can find more details on how to donate here.

It doesn’t matter how you chose to help, the important thing is that you do. Imam Ali (as) says: Whoever sees an oppressive tyrant who legalises what Allah has forbidden, breeches Divine laws, violates the Prophet’s traditions, and oppresses the worshippers of Allah, yet he does not oppose it in words or deeds, Surely Allah will treat him in the same way as the tyrant.

Each and every one of us is responsible for standing up and defending the truth. Palestine will be free, and with your help, it will happen today before tomorrow.

The above is a revised section of a speech given at Ladies as Leaders’ Palestine event on Saturday 30^th June 2018.

By Noor Alsaffar