11-09-2025 - Layla speech

Hello, my name is Layla. 

What was the moment that radicalized you? Mine was when I was 10 and Israel bombed Lebanon in the summer of 2006 while we were there visiting family. This was my first time experiencing not only that kind of violence but also the injustice of swiftly being evacuated by the Dutch government. I wanted to bring everyone but my parents said we weren’t allowed because the government was only evacuating Dutch citizens. That made me feel a certain way but I couldn't quite put it into words yet.

My parents are from Lebanon and came here in the 90s but I was born and raised in the Netherlands. My native language is Dutch and my passport says that I am Dutch. It can be easy to forget that the safety and the wealth that we experience here is not universal and I believe it is important to use that privileged position as a Dutch citizen to speak out whenever atrocities are being committed. 

In Palestine we are seeing apartheid, ethnic cleansing, genocide, a man made famine, war crimes, absolute depravity and dehumanization of people by the IDF and Israeli politicians, with our own politicians hesitant to act in ways that matter or even making excuses for the carnage. These atrocities are not new. but we are seeing them very rapidly intensify as time goes on. It is never too late to speak out. I implore you to use your voice, to stand up and say: it should have never happened, but it did, and therefore it should have stopped a long time ago but it didn’t so it definitely has to stop now.

I want to end this with food for thought. A lot of people tend to say: But why Palestine? Why aren't you saying anything about what is going on in all these other places, like Congo, Sudan or others? I don’t think anyone who speaks up for Palestine is unconcerned with everything else that is going on. You can care about more than one thing. In fact the people who are asking this are usually the ones who don't care about those other places and people. It is only used as a rhetorical tool to silence us. Yes there are other injustices in the world that are also very important but they shouldn't be wielded as a weapon to excuse the injustice to Palestinians.

After all, know that human suffering is connected, because the same things are driving it. Colonialism and its aftermath, the feeling of supremacy over other groups of people, greed and chasing wealth, are all driving this violence and destruction. 

But remember that our voice and actions have power. And that you must speak out so that mass violence and murder cannot continue unchecked. And that’s why it is of the utmost importance to say it loud and clear. No more. No more genocide in Palestine or anywhere. No support to genocidal governments. And freedom for all oppressed people, freedom for Palestine and Palestinians. Thank you.