United Kingdom: Youth chant "we will crush Zionism" at Palestinian camp
More than 100 young Arabs took part in a Palestinian Youth Movement camp, where participants chanted slogans calling to "crush Zionism" and for revolution
The UK branch of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) organized a camp during which young attendees were filmed chanting, "We will crush Zionism" and "Youth, rise up, our revolution is an Arab revolution," according to videos the organization posted on Instagram.
Held over the May bank holiday weekend, the program brought together more than 100 young Arabs. The Palestinian Youth Movement holds such gatherings every two years.
"Together, we discussed the past two years in our region, the current state of the Palestinian movement in Britain, and our role, as youth in the diaspora, in the next phase of our national liberation struggle," the organization wrote on Instagram.
The Palestinian Youth Movement describes itself as a grassroots movement mobilizing Palestinian and Arab youth for the "liberation of Palestine." It says it draws inspiration from "Palestinian revolutionary history" and seeks to liberate both the people and the land "from the river to the sea."
The videos also show participants watching a presentation featuring a quote from Ghassan Kanafani, a former spokesperson for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Kanafani served in that role when the terrorist group took part in the 1972 Lod Airport massacre.
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The publication of the videos has raised concerns about the possible radicalization of minors under the banner of support for the Palestinian cause.
The controversy intensified following a football tournament organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement. One coach wore a T-shirt reading, "48, the future is decolonial." The numbers 10 and 7 on the jerseys of two participants were also interpreted by some social media users as a possible reference to the October 7, 2023 massacre. However, there is no evidence that the numbering was intentional or carried that meaning.
According to the Israeli government, the Palestinian Youth Movement has close ties to the PFLP and Samidoun, an organization linked to the Palestinian terrorist group. In 2019, a French court, citing a 2015 report by France's domestic intelligence agency (DGSI), described the movement as being "affiliated with the PFLP."
Since the October 7, 2023 massacre, the Palestinian Youth Movement has become one of the leading organizers of anti-Israel and anti-Zionist demonstrations in the United States. The movement is reported to have helped organize at least 450 protests against Israel.