Living Rent joins the millions of others around the world in standing in solidarity with the people of Palestine. It is imperative that there is an immediate ceasefire, but we must also see an end to the siege of Gaza and the occupation of the Palestinian territories.
We condemn the targeting and killing of civilians whoever it is committed by. We also condemn the deliberate targeting of civilians, and residential and medical infrastructure by the IDF in Gaza. These inexcusable strikes have already led to thousands of civilian deaths, and do nothing to de-escalate conflict in the region. It will also mean the hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans have nowhere to live, and no homes to return to.
Both the UK and Scottish Governments must act to prevent Israel’s war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank.This latest flare up in violence comes after decades of violence by the Israeli state for which they have faced little to no consequences. Whilst there must be an immediate ceasefire, there can simply be no peace until there is an end to the occupation.
The ramifications of the conflict have also been felt worldwide. There has been an uptick in inexcusable Antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents. Western politicians and governments have doubled down heavily on violently racist, anti-Muslim and anti-Arab rhetoric and policies. Living Rent stands in total solidarity with our Jewish and Muslim members in the face of this, and condemns utterly the stoking of Islamophobic and racist sentiments by politicians.
Living Rent also stands in full solidarity with people who have come to Scotland, forced to flee war, oppression and conflict abroad. We are clear that the housing crisis here is caused by landlords and the government, not by migrants and refugees. It is by standing together, organising, and building power across our communities that we will solve this crisis.
