Indo Palestine Solidarity Network (IPSN) led a delegation of various organizations comprising journalists, academics, writers, and human rights activists, headed by Dr. John Dayal and Mr. Vineet Tiwari, met the Ambassador of Palestine to India, Mr. Abdullah Abu Shawesh, on April 22, 2025. The delegation extended solidarity to the Palestinian people. It reaffirmed the call for peace and reconciliation, immediate cessation of hostilities, and upheld the overwhelming global demand to settle the dispute at the International Court of Justice.
Vineet Tiwari, the senior writer and human rights activist informed the press after the meeting that the newly appointed Ambassador Shawesh welcomed the delegation warmly. Thanking the delegation for extending unequivocal solidarity to the Palestinian people he spoke at length about the ongoing conflict, shared the trials and tribulations of the Palestinian people. He highlighted and affirmed that Palestine has benefited from multi-religious leaders –Jews, Christians, Muslims alike and India’s humanitarian assistance.
Thanking people across countries coming out on the streets to press forward the cause of the Palestinians, the Ambassador asserted that these people, coming from all races, colour, and religions, including the overwhelming number of Jews and Christians, are rallying for us because they have seen the gross injustice and understand the real motives of perpetrators of violence.
Lending full solidarity to the people of Palestine on behalf of the Indo-Palestine Solidarity Network (IPSN), Dr John Dayal denounced the violence in Palestine. He read the Solidarity statement of IPSN, which highlighted the war against children in Palestine: “It has rightly been called a war against Palestinian children, with UN estimates stating that 100 Palestinian children are either killed or injured every day since the resumption of the attacks by Israel on the people of Gaza.”
“Being a fellow human, a human rights activist, and a journalist, it deeply pains me how Israel has flouted every known humanitarian law. Journalists, Doctors, paramedics, and the UN staff, everyone has been targeted, making Gaza the most dangerous place in the world,” said Dr. Dayal.
Asserting that the Indo Palestine Solidarity Network (IPSN) and other organizations are meeting the Ambassador specifically to convey that Palestinians are not alone in their struggle, the delegation presented a letter of solidarity along with a model of the Gandhi-charkha symbolising the victory of non-violence, labour, love, and anti-colonial struggle.
The solidarity letter by IPSN also demands placing an embargo on military material to Israel until it adheres to international law; an immediate end to Israeli violence in Gaza and the West Bank followed by a ceasefire culminating in ending the siege of Gaza; resumption of humanitarian aid, treating members of Israeli government supporting war as war criminals and arresting them by implementing the standing arrest warrants issued by International Criminal Court. Moved by the unequivocal and honest support of solidarity, the Ambassador of Palestine, Abdullah Abu Shawesh, ended the meeting with the call – “From the River to the Sea, everyone will be Free” duly echoed by all the delegation members. All 17 members of the delegation were felicitated by presenting a Keffiyeh (Palestinian scarf) by the ambassador.
