Navigating the complex boundaries of human rights activism

By Wilson Huang

The University of Sydney Students’ Representative Council (SRC) was recently embroiled in controversy after it published a Facebook post condemning a call for the boycott of Puma over its sponsorship of the Israeli Football Association.

The post included a statement by the SRC’s Wom*n’s Officer, Gabi Stricker-Phelps, which claimed the Israel football team supported inclusivity and anti-racism, and that “no other Football Association in the Middle East would hold a game to end homophobia, or which celebrated having a transgender player.” She further asserted that no boycotts were called in the name of countries which criminalise homosexuality that are also sponsored by Puma.

The post drew significant criticism for pink washing and was devoid of any mention of the occupied Palestinian territories. However, it highlights an important complexity of human rights activism. That is, those who are oppressed can also be oppressors. In relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this is on how Palestinian society can be harmful to queer people.

Although homosexuality is not illegal in the West Bank, Palestinian police momentarily banned the Al-Qaws Foundation, a Palestinian queer rights group, from holding any activities in the region. While the statement by the police was rescinded after backlash from human rights organisations including the Palestinian Human Rights Organisations Council, it showed how queer Palestinians face prejudice in their own communities.

Undoubtedly, while being more inclusive to queer people is not an excuse for human rights violations, it can be tricky to be an advocate for people who also marginalise people of an identity you hold. Though it is possible to support both queer Palestinians within their own communities and in Israel, and the Palestinian people against their continued occupation, it does not make it an easy feat. 

However, acknowledging the dignity of all people means that we must advocate for the human rights for everyone. This includes people who are opposed to your existence and against those who may accept your identity at the expense of others. It is about caring about the human rights of people who are different from you and not only about the rights of yourself and those like you. 

While there seems to be no end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I hope that through shared dialogue, we can help that we can help build tolerance and a just peace for Israelis and Palestinians, regardless of any characteristic such as gender identity and sexual orientation. Engagement on the ground with both Palestinians and Israelis such as through the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) can help bridge that gap. 

Fundamental human rights, such as access to clean water, are vital because they ensure the basic needs of all human beings. Just because an organisation might be inclusive to certain minorities, such as queer people, does not mean that criticisms of its actions against other minorities are misguided. If we are to respect the human rights of all people, we need to advocate for our oppressed ‘enemies’ and against our oppressive ‘friends’.