Imagine being forced to leave your own country by foreigners, never to come back.

Imagine living as
a second class citizen with limited land, food, water, and supplies. This is what hundreds of
thousands of Palestinians have experienced over the past 60 years. Houses demolished, family
members killed, bombs dropped; the citizens of Palestine have been continuously suffering.
Before I start, Id like to give you a more thorough explanation. Palestine is also known as Israel, and
before the end of World War II, citizens lived peacefully and quietly. After Hitlers downfall, many
Jews fled hard persecution, and had nowhere to live. Zionists (people who believe that Israel belongs
to the entire Jewish people) encouraged massive immigration to Palestine, where Jews had an age
old connection with the land. The UN offered the majority of the land to the new settlers, creating
Israel in mid-1948, resulting in massive destruction for indigenous Palestinians. Fighting began, and
by then end of it in 1949, the Israelis went from owning 10% to nearly 80%. Nearly a million
Palestinians fled their country, and by the time they returned, their houses were demolished and
many were refused entry. The people who hadnt left became second class citizens living in poverty.
And so, a group of refugees found a much needed home, but in the process a new group of
refugees was created.
Living in fear, and many with nowhere to go, Palestinians have very little rights. They dont have the
right to housing and land, and the few that are employed earn less than half of the minimum wage.
Children and adults dont have the right to education, or the right to have freedom of speech. They
can be subjected to imprisonment without charge or trial, and have their houses searched and
demolished without permission. Palestinians are unable to vote within the Israeli government, even
though it controls their lives. They face discrimination in almost every aspect of their lives. In the
past 14 years, over 12,000 Palestinians have died and 70,000 injured, many of which are women and
children. In comparison, only 1,200 Israeli settlers have died, most of which were soldiers. This
treatment is unfair and cruel.
And you must be thinking, how can I help in this sort of situation? The answer is a lot simpler than
you think; boycotting. Large companies such as McDonalds, Starbucks, Coca Cola, Nestle, Soda
Stream, LOreal, Maybelline, and many more, are supporters of Israel. They continually send support
to improve Israels army and military equipment. To reduce the amount of money they send, all you
have to do is to stop using their products. There are many alternatives; instead of McDonalds you
could go to Red Rooster, or instead of Starbucks you could go to Gloria Jeans. The easiest way is to
stick to authentic Australian brands, and Im not asking you to avoid every product you see thats
related to supporting Israel. Try to stay away from one or two brands; every little bit makes a
difference. Spreading the word is also extremely important and effective. Tell your friends, family,
anyone in general and in return you will be helping to improve the lives of Palestinians. Campaign to
make Palestinians and Israelis live in harmony and with equality.
Imagine yourself in their shoes.
Thank you.