Hanoi, Vietnam – At a non-public venue tucked away in a slender alley in Hanoi’s metropolis centre, a gaggle of greater than 20 individuals listened attentively to Saleem Hammad, a charismatic, 30-year-old Palestinian man, as he spoke in fluent Vietnamese.
Hammad, who runs a enterprise in Vietnam, shared an incident from his childhood in Jenin within the occupied West Financial institution.
These current listened as he recounted a vivid reminiscence of being awoken one night time as Israeli troopers surrounded and raided his household dwelling.
Earlier, he had informed these attending the dialogue that Vietnam’s historical past of preventing for liberation in opposition to the USA had impressed Palestinians of their wrestle in opposition to Israel’s occupation of their lands.
“Vietnamese individuals, with their painful and wonderful historical past, have all the time been the supply of inspiration for the Palestinians in our wrestle for justice,” Hammad informed his viewers.
“We all the time look as much as you because the position mannequin.”
Horrified by Israel’s warfare on Gaza and the spiralling demise toll, primarily younger Vietnamese individuals have begun to lift their voices in help of Palestinians. Within the course of, they’re discovering historic ties between Vietnam and Palestine and their shared fights for nationwide liberation.
However the decades-old relationship between the 2 nations has been overshadowed by more moderen promotion of Israel’s enterprise tradition to a youthful technology of Vietnamese.
Centered on reaching success in Vietnam’s fast-growing free market financial system, many have been impressed by Israel’s startup enterprise tradition whereas understanding little concerning the darker aspect of Israel’s success when it comes to its lengthy occupation of Palestinian land.
Organised late final 12 months by pro-Palestinian activists Trinh* and Vuong*, the gathering the place Hammad spoke was impressed by the coed activism the pair encountered whereas finding out within the US.
Trinh and Vuong are a part of a burgeoning grassroots motion amongst Vietnamese youth who’ve been drawn to the Palestinian trigger for the reason that warfare on Gaza began in October.
However Vietnam’s strict insurance policies in opposition to public assemblies and political activism means pro-Palestinian campaigners should give you low-key and artistic methods of organising occasions with out attracting the undesirable consideration of Vietnamese authorities.
In Ho Chi Minh Metropolis, Trinh and a few associates have organised discussions on Palestine and drawing lessons with a Palestinian theme. A designer by coaching, Trinh has additionally labored with fellow creatives to design pro-Palestine merchandise, political artwork and fanzines.
In November, a screening of documentaries and movies on Palestine, the Nakba and the historical past of Israel’s occupation of Palestine came about below the title Movies for Liberation: Palestine Eternally with the goal, in accordance with the organisers, of undoing “the demonising descriptions of the Palestinians” by “Western and imperialist” actors.
On social media, a bunch of Vietnamese-language fan pages has sprung up that includes translated Palestinian poems, pro-Palestine art work and analyses on the historical past of the battle whereas the embassy of Palestine in Vietnam invited former veterans of the warfare in opposition to the US, teachers, activists and members of the general public to a commemoration for these killed in Gaza.
On November 29, which is the United Nations-designated Worldwide Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian Individuals, Vietnam’s authorities additionally revealed a message from then-President Vo Van Thuong during which he spoke of the lengthy historical past of fraternity between Vietnam and Palestine and “Vietnam’s sturdy help and solidarity with the Palestinians of their wrestle for justice”.
However the relationship between Vietnam and Palestine will not be because it as soon as was.
