I find it hard to accept that another Human Rights Day has arrived and I am still explaining what this day is supposed to mean. The UN and many institutions introduce new “meaningful” dates each year, yet these dates turn into ceremonies instead of deadlines for real action.
December 9 marks the anniversary of the First Intifada. It began in 1987 after an Israeli truck driver killed four Palestinian workers in Jabalia camp. Decades of land theft and colonization were already in place, and even that was not enough. Palestinians were punished with violence and erasure. Israel responded the same way it always does: denial. That denial triggered mass protests, civil disobedience, and strikes, which Israel met with even more violence. According to the white colonizer mindset, victims are expected to stay silent. They are expected to accept cruelty without resistance.
Human Rights Day is meant to honor the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration promised equal rights for everyone. Palestinians have never received those rights. Reports at the end of November 2025 exposed more torture, more deaths in detention, and more devastation in Gaza. The genocide that began in 2023 still shapes daily life. Homes remain flattened. Families remain displaced. Access to food, healthcare, water, and safety stays blocked.
Movement is another area of abuse. Palestinians inside Palestine face constant restrictions. Palestinians outside Palestine face them too. Even countries that claim to “support” Palestinians deny them basic assistance when it matters. Many want to help, but only from a distance.
Inside Palestine, permits and checkpoints decide who moves, when, and for what reason. Roads are restricted. Borders open and close under a system Palestinians do not control. A short trip can stretch into hours of searches and delays. Medical care, education, and work depend on approval from an occupying power.
Outside Palestine, barriers follow Palestinians wherever they go. Many rely on refugee documents with limited visa access. Students lose scholarships because their travel papers are delayed. Workers wait months for simple approvals. Athletes and artists receive invitations and still face blocked entry. These barriers cut off communities and deny opportunities across generations.
None of this is accidental. Separation keeps Palestinians politically weak, socially fragmented, and economically dependent. It protects the systems that profit from their suffering.
Human Rights Day calls governments and institutions to act, not perform. History shows that real change comes from people who refuse to stay silent. The First Intifada proved that. Every movement since has proved that.
The question is not whether we have power. We do. Ordinary people pushed leaders before, and we can do it again.
Support campaigns that pressure companies involved in surveillance tools, border systems, biometric tracking, settlement construction, and military supply chains. Support BDS for its focus on institutional accountability. Collective pressure forces transparency. Collective pressure shifts policy.
Your choices influence both public institutions and private companies. When you act, leaders feel it. When you push, systems move. Solidarity is not symbolic. It drives change.
Do not let anyone tell you you are powerless. We hold more power than they want us to believe. Stay alert. Organize. Push forward. Free Palestine.
