Our thoughts are with all the victims in Israel and Palestine. We are deeply touched by the immense suffering caused by the war. Aggression against unarmed civilians should never take place, and when it does, it should always be punished. Terrorism and violence cannot be justified in any way. Acts of terror cannot be answered with other acts of terror: no one set of crimes can justify another. The Holland Festival joins the international movement calling for an immediate ceasefire, access to humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza, the release of all hostages and no longer holding large communities responsible for the acts of terrorist groups. We urge respect for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and humanitarian law of war.
As Holland Festival, we stand for fighting injustice, violence and discrimination in any form. And we believe it is important to contribute to creating intercultural awareness, embracing diversity and countering polarisation and extremism. We believe, as citizens in a global society, that it is our role to stand in solidarity with those who are victims of oppression, injustice and violence. That is why we speak out.
