Palestinian Ambassador Abdallah Attari has begun a symbolic hunger strike at the Palestine embassy in Nicosia, in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Attari opened with verses from Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish: “As you prepare your breakfast, think of others (do not forget the pigeon’s food). As you conduct your wars, think of others (do not forget those who seek peace). As you pay your water bill, think of others (those who are nursed by clouds). As you return home, to your home, think of others (do not forget the people of the camps). As you sleep and count the stars, think of others (those who have nowhere to sleep). As you liberate yourself in metaphor, think of others (those who have lost the right to speak). As you think of others far away, think of yourself (say: “If only I were a candle in the dark.)
The ambassador described the hunger strike as a “moral act of solidarity” for children dying daily from hunger due to what he termed Israel’s genocidal policies. He said the death toll in Gaza has reached 60,000, with 17,000 being children.
“Through this hunger strike, we are trying to protect our humanity,” Atari said, displaying images of malnourished Palestinian children. “We have much to offer as a people, and we don’t want to hate humanity for what continues to happen in Gaza.”
The ambassador, speaking in the presence of envoys from other Arab nations, criticised journalists who support Israel and demanded respect for the Palestinian cause. He argued that anyone who becomes accustomed to the hunger and genocide in Palestine should question whether they remain human.
“Through this hunger strike, we are trying to protect our humanity,” Attari declared. “We have much to offer as a people, and we don’t want to hate humanity for what continues to happen in Gaza.”
Attari referenced the slogan “I do not forget” (Den Ksehno), which he said he used to chant as a young man in Athens in solidarity with Cyprus, adding that whilst Palestinians also “don’t forgive,” they do not seek revenge.
He condemned the international community’s silence and what he described as the European Union’s inability to impose sanctions on Israel. The ambassador criticised those who still speak of Israeli self-defence whilst Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly declares his goal of a “Greater Israel” incorporating parts of Arab countries and displacing Palestinians.
The ambassador said Israel’s targets extend beyond Gaza to the West Bank, through attacks on refugee camps and economic warfare that weakens the Palestinian Authority.
“We call on the world to react, to pressure Israel to stop the genocide,” Attari concluded, seeking international support whilst stressing that Cyprus remains a friendly nation and that Palestinians would never act against Cypriot interests.
Outside the embassy, Palestinian and Cypriot people gathered in solidarity, calling for an end to the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the liberation from Israeli occupation.
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