YouTube / November 29, 2021
As part of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and coinciding with the 74th anniversary of the UN’s partition plan, Palestinian writer and activist, Mohammed al-Kurd addressed the UN General Assembly on November 29th.
Full Speech :
Mohammed El-Kurd addresses the UN [Full Speech] – YouTube
Opening with sarcasm, he thanked the international community “for these ground-breaking speeches”, adding “I’m sure the occupation authorities [Israel] are really concerned right now”.
Referring to the on-going Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and war crimes, Al-Kurd said that they “will not be stopped by statements of condemnation and raised eyebrows” neither will it be “stopped by tweets of concerns”.
Instead, Kurd insisted, the problem was not due to ignorance but “inaction” and reiterated the need for what he said were “transformative political measures” which include boycotts and state-level sanctions.
background
Mohammed al-Kurd is a Palestinian grew up in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. When he was 11 years old, settlers carrying rifles and backpacks, and supported by the Israeli army, took over half his house.
This spring, Al-Kurd returned to Palestine from the United States, where he was studying for his MFA, to fight a renewed push to expel his family and neighbors from their homes. In the process, he helped spark what has come to be known as the Unity Intifada. He has since been named one of the 100 most influential people of 2021 by Time, and The Nation recently tapped him as our inaugural Palestine correspondent. In October, he published a book of poetry, Rifqa. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
