Palestine Issue

A Central Question of Justice, Faith and the Future of the Ummah

For Jamaat-e-Islami, Palestine is not one international dispute among many. It is a continuing struggle against settler colonialism, occupation, forced displacement and the denial of a people’s right to their land.

The modern tragedy developed under British rule. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 supported the establishment of a Jewish national home in a land whose indigenous Arab population had not consented to its dispossession. During the British Mandate, Zionist migration and land acquisition expanded under imperial protection.

In 1948, the creation of Israel was accompanied by the Nakba, the destruction and depopulation of Palestinian towns and villages and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. In 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. Settlement construction, land confiscation, imprisonment, home demolition and restrictions on movement gradually transformed temporary occupation into a permanent system of control.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice concluded that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territories was unlawful and that settlement activity violated international law. 

Maulana Maududi’s Early Warning

Maulana Maududi recognised the nature of the Palestine crisis before it became convenient to speak about it. In his writings on the subject, including the work commonly referred to within Jamaat as The Tragedy in Palestine, he examined Zionism as a political and colonial project supported by Western powers.

He rejected the attempt to present the conflict as a natural religious war between Muslims and Jews. The issue was not hostility toward Judaism. It was the organised dispossession of the Palestinian people and the creation of a colonial state through imperial power.

This distinction remains central to Jamaat’s position. Opposition to Zionist occupation must never be converted into hostility toward Jewish people as a religious or ethnic community. Islam commands justice. Jamaat opposes occupation, oppression and political Zionism, not a people because of their faith.

Maulana Maududi also warned that Palestine could not be protected through fragmented reactions. Muslim governments required unity, political courage, military preparedness, economic cooperation and an independent foreign policy.

From Occupation to the Destruction of Gaza

Gaza has endured blockade, repeated wars and severe restrictions for years. Following the events of 7 October 2023, Israel launched a military campaign that devastated much of the territory, displaced most of its population and killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.

Jamaat describes the destruction of Gaza, mass killing of civilians, starvation, attacks on hospitals and forced displacement as genocide. Genocide proceedings remain before the International Court of Justice, while Gaza’s humanitarian devastation and continuing civilian deaths are extensively documented. 

Jamaat also affirms that the protection of civilian life is an Islamic obligation. No struggle permits deliberate attacks upon innocent people. However, condemnation of individual acts cannot be used to erase the history of occupation or deny Palestinians their recognised right to resist subjugation and seek freedom.

Political and Public Mobilisation

Jamaat has kept Palestine at the centre of its public work for decades. Its leaders and workers have organised rallies, conferences, public meetings, fundraising campaigns, boycott programmes and political consultations.

The movement renewed its national mobilisation during the attacks on Gaza and Masjid al-Aqsa in since 1967. Following October 2023, major demonstrations were held in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and other cities. Thousands of families, students, professionals, traders and workers participated.

In 2024 and 2025, Palestine marches continued across Pakistan. Jamaat organised major gatherings, including Gaza solidarity marches, conferences and a nationwide shutter-down strike. The international conference “A Voice of the Voiceless: Echo of Palestine” brought together scholars and delegates from several countries.

These mobilisations have served four purposes:

• Keeping Gaza in Pakistan’s national consciousness.
• Pressuring Muslim governments to act.
• Raising humanitarian assistance.
• Rejecting normalisation with Israel while occupation continues.

Boycott as Peaceful Economic Resistance

Jamaat has called for an organised boycott of products and companies materially supporting Israeli aggression. The purpose is not vandalism, intimidation or indiscriminate hostility toward local workers. It is lawful consumer pressure.

An effective boycott should be based on verified corporate links, public education and viable local alternatives. It should help build Pakistani and Muslim economic capacity rather than become a temporary emotional reaction.

Alkhidmat’s Humanitarian Response

Alkhidmat began mobilising assistance soon after the assault on Gaza. Through humanitarian partners and routes including Egypt, assistance has included food, medicines, shelter items, medical supplies and support for displaced families.

A Palestine Fund was established, relief consignments were sent through the El Arish route, and coordination was developed in Egypt and Türkiye. During periods when access improved, humanitarian operations were expanded inside Gaza. 

Alkhidmat’s role demonstrates Jamaat’s basic principle: solidarity must move from speeches to service.

Jamaat’s Policy Position

Jamaat calls for:

• An immediate and permanent end to attacks on Gaza.
• Full and unrestricted humanitarian access.
• Accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
• An end to occupation, settlements and the blockade.
• Restoration of Palestinian political and territorial rights.
• Protection of Al-Quds and Masjid al-Aqsa.
• Release of unlawfully detained Palestinians.
• Reconstruction under Palestinian ownership.
• No Pakistani recognition of Israel while Palestinian rights remain denied.
• Coordinated political, economic and legal action by Muslim states.

Palestine is a test of the Muslim world’s conscience and independence. Jamaat will continue to mobilise public opinion, support humanitarian relief and resist every attempt to normalise occupation.