Model and activist Bella Hadid has been outspoken on social media against the occupation of Palestine by Israeli forces, and has consistently used her Instagram platform to call for solidarity and action to Free Palestine from oppressive forces. This week, prominent journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was murdered when she was shot by Israeli forces while she was covering their operation at a refugee camp at the West Bank.
At Shireen’s funeral, Israeli military members were seen attempting to stop the funeral because the mourners were singing Palestinian songs and had also raised the flag over her coffin, and they were seen beating and torturing people who were trying to take her coffin in to the church.
Bella Hadid had shared the clip of the mass protest at Shireen’s funeral and called it “occupation”. She called upon people all over the world to recognize the suffering and torture Palestinians are made to undergo in order to bury their loved ones, and asked them to stand together to condemn Israeli occupation:
This is the kind of torture and abuse Palestinians face at the hands of the Israeli military occupation.
“No matter who you are , how can you watch this & not scream in rage and cry painful tears? How can you not see your mother, father, grandfather, sister, brother, in the eyes of our people?! Why can’t you see?
Not only to watch a veteran like Shireen be disrespected& thrown around like this,on her way from the hospital to the church, for the last time to Rest in Peace. But also to watch our mourning elderly and people be slammed around, pushed down, scared for their lives. !! I lay here feeling helpless and there are people really sitting behind their computer screens trying to validate this! Make excuses for it even! ! There is NO EXCUSE FOR THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR. Especially on the most HOLY land in the world !
What kind of a threat is people mourning a loved one? This is a funeral procession to lay a Palestinian veteran& legend to rest. Beyond anything she is a human being. Shireen’s life as a Palestinian journalist has always been a threat to them , dead or alive. Although, we are never failed to be reminded that our existence as Palestinians is a threat in general, journalist or not. She had no weapons , showed no violence, just a camera. In return? A sniper bullet to the head. &repetitive shots at anyone who tried to help revive her. What do you have to hide that you continue to kill our journalists? That says enough about this military system, their government& the geo-political game they pawn their people off to.
This is the reality of what the IDF & the occupation means for Palestinians. While mourning the loss of Shireen, Israeli forces try their best to silence mourners w abuse, batons, tear gas, below the belt kicks and more violence. As if they don’t try to control enough, they want to control Palestinian emotions, voices, losses,& grief, in addition to the rest of their existence.
“This video of a Palestinian man using one hand to hold up Shireen’s coffin and the other to protect his head from Israeli soldiers attacking speaks to the power and persistence of Palestinian dignity, honor and resistance. “ –@ahmedeldin”
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