Photograph: Sunday Times
Members of the Israel–Sri Lanka Friendship Development Organisation staged a protest outside the United Nations office in Colombo this week, publicly rallying behind Israel as it continues its assault on Gaza.
The demonstrators also handed over a letter addressed to the UN Secretary-General and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, calling on the organisation to “take measures” to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.
The protest came even as the death toll in Gaza continues to mount. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in an assault that has increasingly been recognised internationally as a genocide. UN agencies and rights organisations have warned of mass starvation, the targeting of hospitals, and the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Sri Lanka continues to strengthen bilateral ties with Israel, even as global scrutiny over Israeli military actions intensifies. In recent months, Sri Lanka has sent hundreds of workers to Israel, including during the height of the bombardment of Gaza, drawing backlash from campaigners who argue that Colombo is enabling a state accused of genocide.
Successive Sri Lankan governments have maintained close ties with Israel, particularly around military and intelligence cooperation. Over the years, Sri Lanka has purchased Israeli weapons and sought Israeli expertise in counter-insurgency — especially during the massacres of Tamils in the North-East.
Tamil civil society and activists in the North-East have repeatedly drawn parallels between Israel’s assault on Gaza and Sri Lanka’s own atrocities at Mullivaikkal in 2009, emphasising the shared experience of mass civilian slaughter and the urgent need for international justice mechanisms.
