The new Congress member, a Muslim-American who has often been attacked by Israel partisans, suggested that AIPAC is responsible for U.S. politicians’ slavish support for Israel. Her very reasonable tweets caused a firestorm of controversy, powerful leaders attacking her, many others supporting her. But the Israel lobby goes far beyond AIPAC and is embedded in organizations throughout the U.S.
Alison Weir’s in depth investigation of the new “Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI),” created to counter growing support among Democrats for Palestinian rights (only 19 % of progressive Democrats now support Israel over Palestinians). DMFI plans to use its substantial financial resources & powerful connections to bring Democrats back into the pro-Israel fold and to target Democrats such as Betty McCollum who support Palestinian human rights…
This 16-year-old child did not grow up or die in a vacuum. We need to examine the reportage, the context of her life, and own our own complicity in her death.
Palestinian citizens of Israel are constantly reminded of the fragility and conditionality of our (second-class) Israeli citizenship, and the illegitimacy of our Palestinian identity – and that’s amplified as elections approach.
The Palestinian identity of Israeli citizens is conceptualized as a perpetual threat precisely because it resists the constant revisionist efforts of the state. By virtue of existing, Palestinians contest the erasure of their own narratives and histories.
Israeli politicians all seem to share a platform plank of vitriol and threats toward Palestinians. Their campaign ads are full of mocking, insults, and accusations against Palestinians. It’s been like this for years, and it’s worse now than ever. And it’s not good for Israel.
As more and more young American Jews recognize Israel’s unethical policies, Birthright Israel is becoming a moment of truth. Those who speak up and/or walk away are prioritizing the value of justice. These are future leaders in the struggle for justice for Palestinians.
Intellectual honesty is about confronting those things that make us uncomfortable, not ignoring them. Israel arrests Palestinian children; see 7 of the many videos of these actions. The US gives Israel over $10 million per day and Congress is currently considering legislation to give Israel even more. That makes it obligatory for Americans to learn the facts, and act on them.
Pro-Israel and Jewish response to Michelle Alexander’s recent NYT piece, “Time to Break the Silence on Palestine,” was predictably hysterical and demonstrated that “hardline Israeli propagandists are losing their ability to shape political discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” James Zogby examines what this means…
The federal government forcibly seized, shackled & is imprisoning Marzieh Hashemi, a grandmother who has not even been charged with a crime. This violates some of the most fundamental principles on which the US was founded, and that protect all Americans of every political persuasion, race, religion, and ethnicity.
Palestinian flutist, composer & singer: I shall go on resisting Israel’s racism and apartheid with my music, and one day I may make a difference in my people’s struggle for liberation. The airport guard, however, will continue to search Palestinians’ underwear, to lie about our laptops, and to be an insignificant tool of a system of racist oppression…