Amnesty International video shows the harrowing expulsion of Palestinians by Israeli forces

A harrowing video showing the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes by Israeli settlers has been released by Amnesty International, mirroring the disturbing scenes in the occupied Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah.

'Home Sweet Home' is a three-minute video directed by Palestinian filmmaker Omar Rammal in collaboration with Amnesty International. It traces the memories of a Palestinian mother, who along with her husband and two children are forced to abandon their home by Israeli soldiers, who stand guard while Israeli settlers illegally move in.

The video, shared by Rammal on his Instagram account on Monday, has been viewed more than 600,000 times.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Omar Rammal (@omar_rammal)

"Our homes resemble us. They are our memories and our futures," wrote Rammal in the caption. "Right now, 150,000+ Palestinians are at risk of losing their homes. At the heart of Israel's apartheid system is to deny Palestinians a home."

The video is being widely shared on Twitter, where it has collected tens of thousands of views. It was also shared in Spanish by Amnistía Internacional España (Amnesty International Spanish).

Activists, NGOs, and student organisations around the world are hosting a variety of events this week to raise awareness of Israel's crimes against the Palestinians as part of Israeli Apartheid Week. 

Amnesty International renamed the street leading up to the Israeli embassy in London "Apartheid Avenue", highlighting Israel's recent designation as an apartheid state by leading NGOs, including Israeli ones.

Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories has seen hundreds of thousands expelled from their homes.

Palestinians are not allowed to return to the homes they fled, while Jewish people across the world are entitled to move to Israel, many to illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli settlers have attempted to expel Palestinians from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah, while other Palestinian neighbourhoods in the West Bank and within the 1948 boundaries face erasure.