"In This Moment": Noura Erakat's Speech at the Palestine Literature Festival
Nov 4, 2023
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Noura Erakat, a Palestinian legal expert and activist, delivers a powerful speech at the Palestine Literature Festival in NYC, discussing the genocide in Gaza from various perspectives. She explores the legal implications of Israel's actions, the struggle for justice, and the call for solidarity and support for Palestine Legal in the ongoing fight for freedom.
The speech discusses historical significance of Gaza in trade, Israel's impact on living conditions.
Legal perspective challenges Israel's self-defense right in occupied territories, emphasizes Palestinians' resistance rights.
Deep dives
Palestine's Historical Context and Ongoing Struggles
The speech delves into the historical context of Gaza, highlighting its significance in trade and empire over the centuries. It discusses the impact of Israel's establishment and the subsequent influx of Palestinian refugees to Gaza, leading to severe living conditions for the current population. The speech also addresses the Israeli-imposed siege and blockade on Gaza, detailing the deliberate actions to suffocate the region economically and militarily, aiming to render it land without the people.
Legal Implications and Justifications for Palestinian Resistance
The legal perspective presented emphasizes that Israel, despite withdrawing physical presence in 2005, maintains effective control over Gaza and is seen as an occupying power. It challenges the notion of Israel's right to self-defense against occupied territories and draws parallels with historical colonial conflicts. The discussion underscores the rights of Palestinians to resist colonial domination within the framework of international law and principles of proportionality in armed conflict.
Humanization and Resilience Amidst Tragedy
Speaking as a mother, the speaker conveys the heartbreaking reality faced daily, citing poignant examples of children suffering and families torn apart by violence. She highlights the resilience and defiance of Palestinians amidst immense tragedy, recognizing individuals like El D'Adou who, despite personal loss, bravely continue to advocate for their people's plight. The speech calls for global solidarity and actions to combat repression and support organizations like Palestine Legal in the ongoing struggle for Palestinian liberation.
On Wednesday, 1 November, the Palestine Festival of Literature held an event in New York titled, "But We Must Speak: On Palestine and the Mandates of Conscience." On that occasion, Noura Erakat delivered a powerful and stunning speech entitled “In This Moment,” in which she spoke on the genocide in Gaza from her perspective as a teacher, a legal expert, a Palestinian, as a mother, and as an activist. We are grateful to Noura Erakat, to PalFest, and to Jadaliyya for permission to feature this speech on Speaking Out of Place.
Noura Erakat is a human rights attorney and an Associate Professor at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. Noura is a Co-Editor of Jadaliyya.
Her book,Justice for Some: Law and the Question of Palestine (Stanford University Press, 2019) narrates the Palestinian struggle for freedom as told through the relationship between international law and politics during five critical junctures between 1917-2017 to better understand the emancipatory potential of law and to consider possible horizons for the future.
Her research interests include human rights law, humanitarian law, refugee law, national security law, social justice, critical race theory, and the Palestinian-Israel conflict.
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