Written by Maritza Gutiérrez González
On this land there is something that deserves to live: on this land is the lady of the land, the mother of beginnings, the mother of endings. Her name was Palestine. It is still called Palestine. Lady: I deserve, because you are my lady, I deserve to live.
Mahmud Darwish, National Poet of Palestine
On November 29, 2025, the world once again commemorates the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, a date that invites reflection on the situation of a people marked by decades of conflict, displacement, and struggle for self-determination. This day, established by the United Nations in 1977, has become an annual event that seeks to raise awareness of the difficult living conditions faced by Palestinians and to promote concrete actions toward peace and justice.
The date was chosen for its significance to the Palestinian people. On this day in 1947, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 181, later known as the “Partition Resolution,” which stipulated the creation of a “Jewish State” and an “Arab State” in Palestine, with Jerusalem as a corpus separatum, subject to a special international regime. Of the two states envisioned in that resolution, only one has been created to date: Israel.
This Day provides an opportunity for the international community to focus its attention on the fact that the question of Palestine remains unresolved.
Cuba and Palestine
In 1975, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People was established with the mandate to advise the General Assembly on programs aimed at the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination without external interference, the right to national independence and sovereignty, and the right to return to their homes and properties from which they were displaced.
The Struggle for a Free Palestine
The Committee’s mandate also includes “offering its cooperation and support to Palestinian organizations and other civil society organizations.” In accordance with this mandate, over the years a network of more than 1,000 civil society organizations from all regions of the world has been established, carrying out activities related to the Palestinian question.
Despite sustained efforts over more than seventy years, a lasting peace in the Middle East remains elusive, highlighting the urgent need for a sustainable solution.
This year’s commemoration takes place amidst a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, the continuation of intense violence, also in the West Bank, the genocide against the Palestinian people, and the humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more.
This International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in 2025 serves not only as a reminder of the suffering they face; it is also another day for the struggle of those who believe that a Palestinian state is necessary, just, and possible.
On this day, in Cuba, as throughout the world, the voice of the people will once again demonstrate the determination of a world that refuses to forget and continues to dream of a tomorrow where peace and justice are a reality for the Palestinian people and for all peoples. They deserve to live!
[ SOURCE: AUTHOR, MARITZA GUTIERREZ / RADIO HABANA CUBA ]
