Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday joined countless others expressing solidarity with Palestine on social media as Israel intensified attacks on Gaza, killing at least 35 people.
“I am PM of Pakistan and #WeStandWithGaza #WeStandWithPalestine,” tweeted the premier. In his tweet, the premier carried a quote of American academic and intellectual Noam Chomsky castigating the negative reaction to Palestinians firing back rockets in a bid to defend against Israeli oppression.
Chomsky’s quote stated: “You take my water, burn my olive trees, destroy my house, take my job, steal my land, imprison my father, kill my mother, bombard my country, starve us all, humiliate us all but I am to blame: I shot a rocket back”.
Earlier, the prime minister condemned the Israeli police’s attack on Palestinian worshippers at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday. The premier also offered his support to the Palestinian people.
In his message, the premier urged the international community to take immediate action to protect Palestinians and their legitimate rights. The tweet echoed the statement released by the Foreign Office a day earlier, condemning the attack: “We pray for the speedy recovery of the injured, reiterate our steadfast support to the Palestinian cause, and once again urge the international community to take prompt action to protect the Palestinian people.”
Al-Aqsa is the third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the “Temple Mount” and claim it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. It annexed the entire city in 1980, a move that has never been recognised by the international community.
