Kusum Arora 
Jalandhar: Alarmed over the intensifying war between Israel and Hamas which has led to the death and displacement of thousands of children, women and men, Kirti Kisan Union (KKU) – a Punjab based farmers’ body – has donated funds to the Palestine Embassy in New Delhi as part of an initiative to support Palestinians.
KKU has become the first farmer union in the country to support Palestine in the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas. The farmer union donated Rs. five lakh cash to Palestine Embassy chargé d’affaires Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer on November 14, 2024.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas had launched a massive surprise attack on Israel killing 1205 people and taking 250 others as hostages. In response to the deadly attack, Israel began an all-out war against Palestine in which around 44,000 people have been killed so far.
In the wake of the armed conflict, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has made the Gaza Emergency Appeal to help Palestinians, which motivated the KKU leaders to support the victims in their fight for their survival.
A delegation of KKU leaders led by president Nirbhai Singh Dhudike, general secretary Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala, press secretary Raminder Singh Patiala, vice president Jatinder Singh Chhina and Treasurer Jaswinder Singh Jhabelwali met the chargé d’affaires of the Palestine Embassy, New Delhi. The KKU is an affiliated union of All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS).
‘Israeli government following the path of Hitler’
In its statement, the KKU farmer union leaders said that Zionist Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu should remember that during the Second World War, the Jews suffered the tragedy of genocide under Hitler’s fascist rule.
“It is terrible that today the Zionists are committing similar oppression on Palestinian nation. Hitler’s tyranny was also condemned by justice loving people around the world. Even now, only the justice loving people of the world can stop the oppression of the Israeli government which is following the path of Hitler”, said the statement.
The farmer union leaders also said that Israel was carrying out “the most terrible genocide in the history of human civilization” and that too with the backing of major powers like the US.
“Thousands of Palestinians including children have lost their lives. Those who died after getting trapped under the rubble of Gaza were unaccounted for till now. The distressing images of women, children and the old men tell a tale of heart wrenching atrocities. Hapless Palestinians have been deprived of basic necessities like food, water, electricity, and medicine. In such a scenario, the UN also made an appeal to send humanitarian aid while justice loving people were raising voice against Israeli occupation and demanding an immediate truce”, they added.
Gaza reduced to rubble, says charge d’affaires of Palestine Embassy
In his 25-minute interaction with the farmer leaders, Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer, the chargé d’affaires of the Palestine Embassy, shared the plight of the Palestinians who were constantly on the move ever since war broke out between Israel-Hamas.
A former journalist, Jazer hails from Gaza and explained how Gaza was under siege by Israel.
“There are obstructions at every step in Gaza. A destination you could reach in half an hour earlier now takes five hours. The Israeli military stops you at every step, interrogates and insults you. This has become the order of the day. Children have not been going to school for the past two years”, he said.
Talking about Palestine’s resistance and the scale of destruction so far, Jazer said that the generation which has grown up after the Oslo Accord has not seen such a situation earlier.
“They used to hear from the previous generation about dire situations which they are now experiencing first hand. Death is hovering around them round the clock. The new generation’s anger and anguish is unprecedented,” said Jazer.
Marven Munsi, another official at the Palestine Embassy too lauded the solidarity of the KKU farmer union leaders.
“Indians have themselves experienced slavery for centuries. If they could not understand our pain and sufferings then who else would?” said Munsi.
The Palestinian Embassy officials honoured the KKU delegation with Palestinian flag and Keffiyeh, a head scarf.
Sikhs have faced genocide, can relate to the plight of Palestinians: KKU leaders
Expressing solidarity with Palestinians, KKU general secretary Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala said that they had been planning to do something for the Palestinians for the last six months and decided to donate cash, after the Palestinian Embassy officials suggested that they were not accepting anything in kind.
“We handed over a small contribution of Rs five lakh in cash to Palestinian chargé d’affaires Abed Abu Jazer. We also informed Abu Jazer that Punjab is the food bowl of the country and farmers would love to donate wheat, rice and maize for the Palestinians”, Deep Singh Wala told The Wire.
He added that they could relate to the pain, trauma and the displacement of the Palestinians from Gaza as Sikhs too have faced genocide during 1947 Indo-Pak partition, when Punjab was divided and lakhs of Punjabis were displaced and then again during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
“Sikh history is replete with examples of the martyrdom and sacrifices of the Sikh gurus and their children. It has been over a year since we have been witnessing horrors of Israel-Hamas war leading to the massacre of Palestinians”, he said.
“If we Sikhs would not stand by the Palestinians, then who else will?”
Deep Singh Wala also said that the West thinks that they are the champions of human rights but ironically all the big world powers were silent on the Palestinians genocide in Gaza.
“We appeal to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex body of the Sikhs and other justice loving institutions to help Palestinians in this crisis. The SGPC is known for reaching out to people in distress and they can help Palestinians in their fight for survival”, he said.
The KKU leaders said that their interaction with the Palestinian charge d’affaires lasted for around 25 minutes during which they got to know about the ground reports of Gaza.
“We could sense a deep concern in Abu Jazer’s voice when he informed us that his family was still in Gaza. Abu Jazer also shared that nearly 95 percent of Gaza had been reduced to rubble and surviving the war is the biggest challenge for Palestinians. We were delighted to know that he shared an old connection with India, as he did his PhD from Jamia Milia Islamia, Delhi”, they said.
Raminder Singh Patiala, the press secretary of Kirti Kisan Union said that following an appeal by the UNRWA for humanitarian aid, it was decided to help the Palestinians.
“Abu Jazer also shared how Israel was violating the Oslo Accord, a set of peace agreement ensuring peace between Israel and Palestine which was signed by the renowned Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, the then Palestine Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and US President Bill Clinton. The first Oslo Accord was signed in 1993 and the second in 1995. However, thirty years later, Israeli occupation was everywhere and war against Palestinians was intensifying”, said Patiala.
“The Palestinian Embassy officials lauded India as a friend of Palestine. However, we could sense their deep concerns over India’s logistic support to Israel. We strongly felt that the Modi government’s support to Israel was harming India’s long-standing relations with Palestine”, Patiala added.