The President of the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature, and the Arab Network for Food Sovereignty, and a member of the Global Campaign to Return to Palestine, Dr. Razan Zuaiter at a symposium held at the headquarters of the French Senate – Luxembourg Palace, entitled “France and its responsibility in implementing international law in Palestine.”

The symposium brought together people in solidarity with the Palestinian cause and influential figures in the Palestinian community, including, but not limited to, Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta, who was prevented by the French authorities from entering the country to attend the symposium, and despite that, he presented his speech via remote communication technologies. In addition to the presence of lawyer Jill Devers, known as the lawyer for the Palestinian cause, who led 300 lawyers to submit the usurping entity to the Supreme Court of Justice due to its ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Activist Razan Zuaiter talked about her contributions in supporting the agricultural and environmental sectors in Palestine.

Zuaiter began her speech by highlighting the green resistance. She also touched on the impact of colonialism on isolating the Palestinians from their food systems and land, and the role of the consulates of the colonial countries that were stationed in Al-Quds, including France, in commodifying and leaking land to Zionist settlers since 1948.

Zuaiter also pointed to a French billionaire’s sponsorship of establishing 14 colonies in 1870, in addition to the first settlement agricultural school in Palestine, “Mikveh Israel.” She also pointed to the French role in constructing the nuclear power station for the usurping entity.

Zuaiter concluded her speech, which was greatly welcomed in its content, with a set of recommendations, which she summarized by pressing for legal recognition of ecocide as a crime, holding perpetrators criminally accountable, and forcing the usurping entity to comply with international laws.

The recommendations included supporting Palestinians to revive local food systems towards achieving food sovereignty, and stopping the heavy involvement of French institutions in environmental violations, human rights violations, and settlement expansion in Palestine, including agencies in the financial, construction, insurance, and arms industry sectors.

 

She also pointed out the need to pay attention to the systematic tactic of using terminology that avoids calling things by their true names to advance political agendas and maintain the oppressive status quo, such as using conflict or dispute instead of colonialism and settler occupation, and war and crisis instead of genocide.