Hundreds of thousands of women across the U.S. gathered to protest for women's rights in the country, but one organization withdrew from the event in solidarity with Palestine.
The Palestinian American Women's Association (PAWA) pulled its participation in the march because Jewish actress Scarlett Johansson was among the featured speakers in the event.
It was merely Johansson's "unapologetic support of illegal settlements in the West Bank," that pushed the organization to take a stand.
The illegal settlements are "a human rights violation recognized by the international community whose calls only led to a reaffirmation of her position, sending a clear message that Palestinian voices and human rights for Palestinians do not matter," the group wrote in a Facebook post.
Johansson was a former spokeswoman for SodaStream International, a company which produced its products in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The company eventually shut down operations in the West Bank, citing financial burdens. However, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) movement said its advocacy was the reason for the company's closure.
Johansson resigned as a goodwill ambassador for Oxfam International, which supports boycotting West Bank settlements, after being employed by SodaStream.
PAWA went on to point out the hypocrisy of the organizers behind the march, as it labels itself as a "pro-peace, pro-inclusivity" event.
"The Women’s March mission says we believe that women’s rights are human rights and human rights are women’s rights," Sana Ibrahim, past president of PAWA, said in a statement, according to LA Times.
"Apparently that does not extend to Palestinian human rights, during the WMLA," Ibrahim added.
One of the organizers behind the Women's March in the U.S. is Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour.
Prior to President Donald Trump's inauguration one year ago, Sarsour and two other activists lead the largest demonstration against the new administration in American history.
This year's event was the second Women's March to ever take place.
PAWA was not alone in its boycott
According to Haaretz, other pro-Palestinian groups that boycotted the march include Al-Awda: The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, Jewish Voice for Peace, Code Pink, BDS-LA, and Jews for Palestinian Right of Return.
Ahed Tamimi is the living proof that Palestinian human rights are being ignored
In December, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested 16-year-old Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi after Israeli forces raided her home in a village in the northern West Bank.
The arrest came hours after Tamimi confronted soldiers who had shot her teenage cousin in the head near her home. A video of her slapping two Israeli soldiers went viral online, ultimately leading to her arrest.
An Israeli military court denied Tamimi bail on January 17.
Israel wants to use Tamimi's case "as a deterrent to other Palestinians" who see what she did "and resist occupation the way she has done," said Gaby Lasky, the teen's attorney, according to Electronic Intifada.
The Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (PPID) told StepFeed that around 700 children are arrested by Israel every year. In 2017 alone, Israeli forces arrested 1,150 Palestinian children.
Some of these children are as young as 9 and 10 and undergo severe and traumatic experiences that scar them for life. Arrests often take place in the early hours of the night, while the children are still sleeping in their beds. They are then taken to centers for interrogation, where they experience physical and psychological torture.