#22 – Palestine: A Nation Denied its Rights – From the World To Our Plates

A little while ago I prepared a meal from Palestine, both as part of my international cooking journey and also wishing to call attention to a very important matter. As Palestinians continue to face relentless bombardment and displacement, I find it impossible to ignore the ongoing atrocities committed by the Israeli government in Gaza. Entire families are being wiped out, infrastructure destroyed, and a people’s future threatened. This is not a conflict between equals, it is a catastrophe. Millions of people worldwide of all faiths and walks of life are calling for an immediate end to this genocide and a path toward justice (e.g. 1, 2, 3).

I ask you to add your voice to theirs: demand a ceasefire, demand accountability, and demand peace.

And let us be clear: this did not begin with October 2023. Palestinians have lived under decades of occupation, blockade, and systemic dispossession since the Nakba of 1948, when hundreds of thousands were forced from their homes. Generations have grown up facing military checkpoints, illegal settlement expansion, and denial of basic rights. What I am sharing here is not opinion but well-documented history, widely recognized by human rights groups and international observers. What we are witnessing now is not an isolated crisis but the continuation of a long history of oppression. Understanding this history is essential if we are to push for a just and lasting peace.

At this time, famine has taken hold in Gaza. The United Nations itself has confirmed that mass starvation is unfolding, while also recognizing the situation as genocidal. The International Criminal Court has stated clearly that war crimes are being committed. Children are starving not because food does not exist in the world, but because it is being deliberately blocked from reaching them. As someone who writes about food, culture, and the joy that meals bring, I find this weaponization of hunger especially horrific. Food should nourish, sustain, and connect us, not be withheld as a tool of war. I will not remain silent in the face of this. I urge you to stand with Palestine, to oppose this cruelty, and to demand an end to the use of starvation as a weapon.

If you, like me, want to help, please support in the following ways: donate to trusted humanitarian organizations such as the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), and UNRWA; join campaigns like Jewish Voice for Peace or IfNotNow that are calling for an immediate ceasefire; and most importantly, contact your political representatives to demand an end to arms sales, the lifting of the blockade, and the protection of Palestinian human rights. Every action, every voice matters.

If you’d like to learn more, this is a great overview posted by the international news provider Al Jazeera: Palestinian life under Israeli occupation: An illustrated guide

Image: my homemade Palestinian chicken “Mousakhan” with arabic salad & baklava from a local bakery.

Want to help? Try these, among many others:

References

Al Jazeera. (2024). Palestinian life under Israeli occupation: An illustrated guide. https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2024/israel-occupation-illustrated-guide/

Al Jazeera. (2025, August 24). Tens of thousands march across world in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/24/tens-of-thousands-march-across-world-in-support-of-palestinians-in-gaza

B’Tselem. (n.d.). List of military checkpoints in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Retrieved September 23, 2025, from https://www.btselem.org/freedom_of_movement/checkpoints_and_forbidden_roads

Graham-Harrison, E. (2025, August 26). Israeli protesters stage ‘day of disruption’ calling for end to war in Gaza. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/26/israeli-protesters-stage-day-of-disruption-calling-for-end-to-war-in-gaza

Haddad, M., & Hussein, M. A. (2025, September 16). Mapping the 21 illegal settlements Israel had in Gaza 20 years ago. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/16/mapping-the-21-illegal-settlements-israel-had-in-gaza-20-years-ago

International Criminal Court. (2024, November 21). Statement of ICC Prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan K.C. on the issuance of arrest warrants in the Situation in the State of Palestine. https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/statement-icc-prosecutor-karim-aa-khan-kc-issuance-arrest-warrants-situation-state-palestine

Irish Congress of Trade Unions. (2021, May 19). Palestinians face ‘persecution and denial of human rights in apartheid state’ – Congress. https://www.ictu.ie/news/palestinians-face-persecution-and-denial-human-rights-apartheid-state-congress

Luther, P. (2017, June 8). Israel’s occupation: 50 years of Palestinian oppression. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2017/6/8/israels-occupation-50-years-of-palestinian-oppression-2

McKernan, B. (2023, November 19). Nakba generation relive trauma of displacement in Gaza. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/19/nakba-displacement-gaza-palestinians-israel-hamas-war

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. (2025, September). Israel has committed genocide in Gaza Strip, UN commission finds. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/israel-has-committed-genocide-gaza-strip-un-commission-finds

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. (2025). Legal analysis of the conduct of Israel in Gaza pursuant to the 1948 Genocide Convention. United Nations Human Rights Council. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session60/advance-version/a-hrc-60-crp-3.pdf

Politico. (2023, November 17). Italian workers strike in support of Palestinians. Politico. https://www.politico.eu/article/italian-workers-strike-support-gaza-palestine-state/

Reuters. (2025, August 27). All UN Security Council members, except US, say famine in Gaza is “man-made crisis.” https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/all-un-security-council-members-except-us-say-famine-gaza-is-man-made-crisis-2025-08-27/UN-backed experts. (2025, August 22). UN-backed experts declare famine in and around Gaza City. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/22/ipc-declares-famine-gaza-city

From the World To Our Plates