The end of 2008 showed a new wave of violence against humanity with the Israeli war against the Palestinian people in the Gaza strip. The attack by Israeli forces starting on the 27th of December- under the pretext of a war against Hamas – have already killed hundreds of Palestinians and injured thousands of peoples, many of them women and children.

The war in the Gaza strip is destroying houses, schools, hospitals and also Palestinian farmland. Palestinian people in the Gaza strip are currently facing a lack of medicine, water, accommodation and food. Meanwhile, Palestinian farmers are not able to produce their own food. The situation is getting more tragic day by day.

In our fight for human rights and against war, our international peasant’s movement condemns the brutal military strikes by Israel. The Via Campesina sees this war as an act of extreme violence against humanity that must be ended immediately.

The Via Campesina as an international solidarity movement of peasants, small farmers, landless and indigenous peoples would like to express our deep concern and solidarity with the Palestinian farmers and Palestinian people who suffer death and suffering in this war. We call Via Campesina members and others progressive and solidarity movements to take maximum efforts to end the war and give support to the Palestinian Farmers and all peoples in Palestine in their plea for

1)      The organization of marches of solidarity with the Palestinian people and demand the world to intervene to stop Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people.

2)      To expedite the provision of financial support and in-kind for the benefit of the Gaza Strip.

Let’s join hands and fight to end the war and violence in Palestine.

Globalize hope – Globalize Struggle!

In Solidarity,

Henry Saragih
General Coordinator of the Via Campesina