Introducing the Viva Palestine Tote Bag Range

We are excited to introduce our Palestine Tote Bag range.

Sticking with our philosophy of smart subtle designs to show solidarity with Palestine and Palestinian causes we are pleased to introduce our tote bag range.

 

The Right to Return Tote Bag 

The Palestinian key symbolises the right of return. In 1948, Zionist military forces expelled at least 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and lands in what became known as the Nakba (“catastrophe” in Arabic). These people took their keys with them, sure that they would return. Over the generations the keys were passed down generations to serve as a symbol of resilience and the preservation of Palestinian identity and history.

Many Palestinians still hold onto the keys of their original homes as a symbol of their hope and determination to return one day.

The right to return is enshrined in the principles of international law. Our design features a key with the Keffiyeh design. The teeth of the key represent the Palestinian flag. Beneath the key are the references to the three main international laws.

UDHR Article 13 – Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 13. 

1. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
2. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

4^th Geneva Convention Article 49 – Deportations, transfers, evacuations

• Individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory to the territory of the Occupying Power or to that of any other country, occupied or not, are prohibited, regardless of their motive.
• Nevertheless, the Occupying Power may undertake total or partial evacuation of a given area if the security of the population or imperative military reasons so demand. Such evacuations may not involve the displacement of protected persons outside the bounds of the occupied territory except when for material reasons it is impossible to avoid such displacement. Persons thus evacuated shall be transferred back to their homes as soon as hostilities in the area in question have ceased.
• The Occupying Power undertaking such transfers or evacuations shall ensure, to the greatest practicable extent, that proper accommodation is provided to receive the protected persons, that the removals are effected in satisfactory conditions of hygiene, health, safety and nutrition, and that members of the same family are not separated.
• The Protecting Power shall be informed of any transfers and evacuations as soon as they have taken place.
• The Occupying Power shall not detain protected persons in an area particularly exposed to the dangers of war unless the security of the population or imperative military reasons so demand.
• The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.

ICCPR Article 12 – International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Article 12

1. Everyone lawfully within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence.
2. Everyone shall be free to leave any country, including his own.
3. The above-mentioned rights shall not be subject to any restrictions except those which are provided by law, are necessary to protect national security, public order (ordre public), public health or morals or the rights and freedoms of others, and are consistent with the other rights recognized in the present Covenant.
4. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of the right to enter his own country.

The inclusion of these in the design are to raise awareness of the internationals laws applicable to the Palestinian cause and the hypocrisy and double standards of the countries that claim to stand for freedom, rights and justice in ignoring these when it comes to the Palestinian people.

 

 Watermelon Tote Bag

Following the 1967 war, when Israel seized control of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and annexed East Jerusalem, the government banned the Palestinian flag in the occupied territories. 

Although the flag has not always been banned by law, the watermelon caught on as a symbol of resistance. The fruit is grown across Palestine from Jenin to Gaza and the fruit shares the same colours of the Palestinian flag. It is used to protest against Israel’s suppression of Palestinian flags and identity. Unfortunately, the silencing of Palestinian solidarity has become more commonplace in the western world highlighting the double standards for freedom of expression and rights. The watermelon emoji is a way to avoid shadow banning, or a form of censorship when posting on social media in relation to current events in Gaza.

The bag design arranges the seed in the watermelon to spell “Filasteen” in Arabic.

Accountability

The Price per bag is £10.00. All the profits from all of our sales are donated to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. The profits from each bag is £5.