Content warning: descriptions of violence and war
Iyad Burnat is a Palestinian activist renowned for his part in nonviolent resistance against the Israeli occupation in the West Bank.
Iyad is head of the Bil’in Popular Committee against the Wall, which has led weekly demonstrations since 2005 against the Israeli West Bank barrier. He is also head of Friends of Freedom and Justice in Bil’in, a pro-Palestinian organisation with the stated aims of building a “wide network of people from all over the globe who support freedom and justice for all”.
In this special episode of People Just Do Something – the first in the new season – Iyad talks to Isaac about his personal experiences, including the confiscation of his village’s land, the destruction of olive trees, and the regular demonstrations he and his community have organised.
Those actions – and their successes – have drawn international interest, both from the media and influential individuals, and also from people in the UK, continental Europe and the US, as well as Israeli activists, who have travelled to Palestine to demonstrate solidarity with its people.
Their presence, as well Bi’lin residents’ steadfastly nonviolent approach, helped deter Israeli forces from the extreme violence they have often shown. But in the wake of the genocide in Gaza, the international presence has withered and previous norms have been obliterated. What next for Iyad and his movement – and what, in the long-term, does he think an equitable future for Palestinians would look like?
Iyad Burnat is joined by Laura Abraham, a British organiser from the Palestine Community Foundation, who considers what people from outside Palestine can be doing in solidarity during these desperate times.
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