Through an event held this Friday morning at the Migra Studium Foundation, Llum Mascaray, Gabriela Serra and Martí Olivella will end their hunger strike for peace in Palestine, after 16 days of fierce activism. With a more deteriorated appearance, dry and withered lips, but with the conviction of having been a driver of social awareness.
Their “humble act,” as they refer to it, was directed at the Government of Spain, demanding that, at a minimum, it put an end to the arms trade with Israel and that it support South Africa's accusation that Israel is committing “genocidal acts” in Gaza. before the UN International Court of Justice.
Under the motto “Not in my name!”, they did not want to be complicit in the crimes, nor in the indifference of governments; making a free and voluntary gesture in empathy for those who have no choice: the Palestinian people.
“Stop eating is a small gesture of empathy with people who are subjected to hunger every day. Our gesture is a small gesture that was aimed at the conscience of citizens, organizations, political parties, parliaments and governments. Why each one, from their possibilities and responsibilities, contributes to stopping war, deaths and destruction. To stop the spiral of fear, pain, trauma, rage and violence. To create the conditions for a dignified life, with security, respect and recognition of the needs of belonging to different human communities.”
Not even the letter sent on February 14 by Pedro Sánchez and Leo Varadkar asking the European Commission to review whether the Israeli government is failing to comply with the Association Agreement it has in force with the European Union was enough for them to cease their protests. “Words do not correspond to facts,” says Gabriela Serra, recalling that the PP executive already stopped selling weapons to Israel when the bombings on Gaza began in 2014. Therefore, “there is a lack of will.”
“Aware that the arms trade contributes to accelerating the escalation of violence,” the awarding of Spanish public contracts to Israeli security and defense companies or their subsidiaries in Spain has continued as always after October 7, as the Center points out. Delàs of Peace Studies.
So they asked the Government to impose an arms embargo on Israel. A real one. Both in terms of exports and imports; because Israel exports a model, and needs Spain much more to sell it to it than to buy weapons. On the one hand, to reduce the cost and make viable an occupation and military operations that are very expensive. And on the other hand, "the exported weapons have a label that says 'tested in the field' and we all know what that field is. Gaza," says Martí Olivella when asked about the weight of Spain's arms trade with Israel. .
On the contrary, the fact of ratifying South Africa's complaint was a symbolic gesture, which represents a position that goes against the rulings of the United States, a strong ally of Israel. However, this prevents activists from strongly condemning the October 7 actions carried out by the armed wing of Hamas. "We are antimilitarist activists, so we condemn any act of violence. But proportionality, an eye for an eye, is not equitable. What Israel is doing has no name," says Llum; while Gabriela, more daring, calls it "genocide."
Many communities and people have shown their support for the three activists during these 16 days. From Junts, the Catalan Community of Jews and Palestinians, to Nadia Ghulam, Afghan activist and writer; or the president of Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, Oriol Junqueras. ·Yours is not a small gesture, it is a voice within the framework of the protests against the genocide in Palestine, which are demonstrating a great divorce between the people, on the one hand, and the elites and rulers, on the other hand, who "They are accomplices of the state of Israel because it is an aircraft carrier of the great powers in the Middle East," said Salah Jamal, a member of the Palestinian community in Catalonia.
But they do not consider themselves heroes, but rather people with strong convictions, who wanted to raise awareness. They have made other people's pain the driving force in the hardest moments. “When I had low moments, which there are and many during the day, I imagined those scenes that arrive of Gazan children with empty bowls of food and without the possibility of leaving there, while we have the possibility of leaving whenever we want,” says Marti.
They have attended to the names behind the figures of the victims that are published daily. “It is important to understand that behind these figures there are people. They are neither chairs nor things. They are people, and they have been objectified," says Gabriela.
Both Martí, Llum, and Gabriela have pointed out the importance and power of civil society in its relevance in putting pressure on the Government of Spain, to break with complicity in crimes. “Doing nothing makes you an accomplice,” urging organizations to hold talks and society to demonstrate non-violently and to be aware that with our taxes we contribute to the financing of this war.
