Over the past week, residents of Sheikh Jarrah, as well as Palestinian and international solidarity activists, have attended nightly vigils to support the Palestinian families under threat of forced displacement. It has been reported that Israeli border police and forces have attacked the sit-ins using skunk water, tear gas, rubber-coated bullets and shock grenades. Meanwhile, dozens of Palestinians have been arrested.
A number of local and international celebrities have expressed solidarity and support for the people of Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem who are facing a potential threat of eviction by the Israeli occupation authorities.
Celebrities and social media users are calling out social media companies for shutting down accounts and censoring content about attacks on residents and activists. They are also requesting world leaders to speak up and take an action:
I am sickened & disgusted. How can you attack a place of a worship & attack defenceless worshippers? And yet again, the world will stay silent on Israel’s continuous oppression on Palestine. Ya Allah reham! #IsraeliAttackonAlAqsa #PalestiniansLivesMatter
— Asim Azhar (@AsimAzharr) May 8, 2021
#IsraeliAttackonAlAqsa this is unacceptable… https://t.co/gQzxf43Nu7
— sami khan (@samikhan421) May 8, 2021
The world’s deafening silence is criminal! How can the international community sit back and watch this happen?
This IS terrorism!!https://t.co/N8EQQn2nN3#AlAqsa#AlAqsaMosque #AlAqsaUnderAttack
— Farhan Saeed (@farhan_saeed) May 8, 2021
A dua for all people to be able to practice their beliefs and rituals without outside influence and violence. Recent attack on peaceful #Palestinians praying at #AlAqsa #mosque clearly is in defiance to this basic right of every person.
May we see a secure world for all.— Faysal Quraishi (@faysalquraishi) May 9, 2021
English rock musician Roger Waters, best known as bass player, co-lead vocalist, lyricist and principal songwriter in the rock band Pink Floyd, described Israel as “an apartheid state” in a video he posted on his Twitter account.
A note from Roger.
It’s official ISRAEL is an APARTHEID STATE.
Check out SHEIKH JARRAH GENOCIDAL HOUSE CLEARINGS. pic.twitter.com/8X3VFy4Igi— Roger Waters (@rogerwaters) May 7, 2021
“The world needs to intervene and put a stop to this,” wrote the Albanian-British popstar Dua Lipa on her Instagram stories.
“I feel the pain of my ancestors. I cry for them. I cry for my Palestinian brothers and sisters there now, feeling unsafe and scared,” wrote Bella Hadid on her Instagram stories.
The Palestinian DJ duo — Simi and Haze Khadra– wrote a heartfelt message about the situation on Instagram, urging people to not be complacent. “Being ambivalent about the situation in Palestine is supporting ongoing apartheid.”
Model Halima Aden shared a photo of a young boy waving a Palestinian flag and wrote: “My heart goes out to my brothers and sisters in Palestine.”
