Justice for Palestine

February 26, 2024 The Blue Record

Written by Spelman Students for Liberation

Acknowledgment

“I don’t know how anybody […] who stands on the shoulders of our ancestors’ struggle against Jim Crow, against segregation, could see what is happening right now, could see the bombs being dropped […] in service of Jim Crow and segregation, which we have exported, and be okay with that.”

- Ta-Nehisi Coates, acclaimed author and journalist

Many of us first learned about Palestine through our social media feeds. We were confronted with horrifying footage of buildings decimated by 2,000-pound bombs, the haunting cries of people cradling their deceased loved ones, and speechless children covered in ash being pulled from the rubble of their demolished homes. As we scrolled, reacted, and reposted, we oscillated between anger and defeat, torn between the need to bear witness and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness that threatened to choke us into indifference.

We are witnessing a genocide happen in real time through social media. To be indifferent, to be a mere onlooker to these ongoing atrocities, is to evade one’s responsibility to do what they can, however big or small, to save lives and prevent further suffering. We owe the Palestinian people our language, our attention, and our direct action.

This crisis did not begin on October 7th, it is the culmination of decades of human rights abuses: ethnic cleansing, land dispossession, occupation, political and military repression, and apartheid. We are entering a conversation that has been ongoing for decades now, with many more questions than answers. Below is a snapshot of what we have learned, with facts and figures that will almost certainly change in the coming weeks and months. This explanation of the context and current reality is by no means exhaustive, nor is it meant to be. But rather than a final voice of authority, we hope this can serve as a launching point for you to formulate your own questions and join the conversation with us on Palestine.

History

Historically, Palestine was home to worshippers of various faiths including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, but the vast majority of its residents were Muslim. In the late 19th century it became a region of interest to the European Zionist movement which, amidst growing antisemitism, advocated for a Jewish revival through the creation of an ethno-religious state. Jewish people flocked to the region to establish a homeland, and rationalized their displacement of the indigenous population with the colonial rhetoric of bringing civilization to the uncivilized. As Theodore Herzl, a founding Zionist thinker, wrote: “We can be the vanguard of culture against barbarism.”

In 1948, a United Nations general assembly passed a resolution effectively creating the state of Israel, and dividing the land between Jewish settlers and indigenous Palestinians. On May 15, 1948 an estimated 750,000 Palestinians were violently expelled in an ethnic cleansing known as the Nakba, or “the catastrophe.” In Israel this is celebrated as independence day. Since 1948, the state of Israel has continued its settler colonial project, occupying and and forcibly taking land designated to Palestinians. Many Palestinian people were forced to live in a few small and poorly resourced regions (namely the Gaza Strip and the West Bank) or seek refuge in neighboring countries.

Hamas, a militant extremist group, was initially founded during the first Palestinian uprising in 1987, known as the intifada, as a part of the Muslim Brotherhood, a larger organization known for its positions on resistance of the state of Israel. Prior to October 7, 2023, Israel’s current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported Hamas as a necessary force preventing the creation of a Palestinian state, while others believe that Hamas has caused more violence than peace. While Hamas has not always been a militant organization, since it assumed government control of the Gaza Strip in 2006, it has taken on a more hostile approach and committed acts of violence against the state of Israel. On October 7, 2024, Hamas launched a horrific assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip killing approximately 1200 Israelis, and taking 240 as hostages. In response Israel has launched a brutal attack on innocent Palestinian civilians, regardless of their affiliation with the terrorist organization, using the Hamas attack to justify their atrocities.

Current Reality

We are now in the fourth month of Israel’s military bombardment of the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces have targeted schools, hospitals, ancient religious architecture, residential areas, refugee camps, water tanks, even designated safe zones, killing over 25,000 Palestinians, injuring over 63,000, and displacing at least 85% of the population. Journalists and their families have been targeted, and the first ten weeks of attacks saw more journalists killed than in a single country over an entire year. This calculated annihilation of Gaza has been described as among the most ruinous cases of urban warfare and most intense “punishment campaigns” in history.

Additionally, Israel has blocked the entry of almost all aid into the Gaza Strip, triggering the worst humanitarian crisis faced by civilians this century. A staggering 93% of the population is facing “crisis levels” of hunger, with most families going days without a meal. The lack of consistent access to clean water has left many no choice but to drink the same water that they use to wash themselves. The combination of malnutrition, overcrowding, and plummeting temperatures have heightened the risk of infectious diseases, which the World Health Organization warns could take more lives than the bombs. Meanwhile, Israel targets Gaza’s medical infrastructure and is reportedly detaining doctors “en masse.” “Imagine that a person reaches a stage where he wishes to be killed and get rid of this torment, this anxiety, and this humiliation. This happened to us,” says Hazim Saeed Al-Naizi, the director of an orphanage in Gaza City.

Despite the global backlash against Israel’s attacks on Gaza, the United States government has resisted calls for a ceasefire and maintained political and military support for Israel. In the first month-and-a-half following October 7th, Israel dropped over 22,000 American bombs on Gaza, and received at least an additional 15,000 bombs from the U.S.. Reports have emerged that the Biden Administration is not assessing Israel’s adherence to the laws of war, and in December it bypassed Congress twice to approve over $250 million in emergency weapons sales to Israel.

According to a report done by The Intercept, major print media outlets, including the New York Times and the Washington Post, have produced imbalanced coverage that devalues Palestinian lives following the October 7 attacks. The report reads: “Hamas’s killings of Israeli civilians are consistently portrayed as part of the group’s strategy, whereas Palestinian civilian killings are covered almost as if they were a series of one-off mistakes, made thousands of times, despite numerous points of evidence indicating Israel’s intent to harm civilians and civilian infrastructure.” Ideally, outlets should cover the deaths of all innocent civilians, and yet when it comes to Palestinians, deaths are normalized and portrayed as circumstantial.

We are currently witnessing a genocidal campaign, backed by the United States, take place.

Black Liberation Struggles

As Black people, we have a unique understanding of and relationship with oppression. Influential civil rights icons such as Kwame Ture and Malcolm X as well as groups like the Black Panthers and the All African People’s Party have historically stood in unwavering solidarity with Palestinian people. Activists Angela Davis and Marc Lamont Hill have more recently been using their platforms to call for the liberation of Palestine. As easy as it seems to say, we are not as far from the oppressive reach of colonial structures as we pretend to be. Police brutality, which we witness daily in the United States, is one of the most glaring modern examples of these oppressive strategies used to disenfranchise Black Americans. For years, United States law enforcement agencies have conducted police exchanges with Israeli forces to learn their surveillance and control tactics, and implement them in our own communities. In Atlanta, projects like Cop City are supported by institutions like GILEE, the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange, which has been directly connected to Israel’s Police Force. Through GILEE, the Atlanta Police Department's usage of the harmful policing tactics continues to be taught to police officers and used to actively inflict harm against people in our community. As Black college students, we cannot sit idly by as a genocide occurs through our screens. We must utilize our unique perspectives on the nature of U.S.-backed systemic oppression, draw parallels between ourselves and the Palestinian people, and demand an end to this violence.

What Can We Do?

By now, you’re likely asking yourself, what can I do? How can I make an impact? Never forget that millions of people around the world are asking themselves these same questions, and that by remaining vigilant and working together, we can shift the political tide towards ending this genocide.

Direct action is extremely important in any liberation movement. Boycotts have historically been an effective tool for people to reclaim their power from corporations and government entities. Some examples include the Civil Rights movement in the United States, and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. If your circumstances allow, boycott brands that are supporting Israel’s attacks on Gaza, like Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Disney. Also, remember to support and uplift Palestinian-owned businesses. If you are considering purchasing a Keffiyeh, the symbol of Palestinian resistance and solidarity, buy one from a Palestinian brand. Protests can also be a powerful way to disrupt the status-quo and to send a message to people in power about public opinion and opposition. If you are willing and physically able, and your views are aligned with those of organizers, participate in peaceful protests, and remember to safely mitigate surveillance risks. If you are financially able, consider donating eSims to ensure that Gazans can use their phones during internet blackouts to contact loved ones in different countries, tell their stories on social media platforms, and connect with people all around the world who are fighting for their liberation.

Resist fatalism and the propaganda that tells you this moment is too “complicated” to understand. Think carefully and critically about where you are receiving your news from. Ask yourself, what perspectives are being represented and ignored in this reporting? Follow first-hand accounts of Palestinian journalists like Bisan Owda, Motaz Azaiza, and Plestia Alaqad, but do not depend solely on social media. Content on these platforms (particularly infographics) often introduces us to history and current events not reported elsewhere, and while this can be a good starting point, remember that these posts vary in nuance and credibility. Take advantage of your access to academic resources; ground your perspectives in scholarship and history by reading literature written by experts. Do not depend on 60 second clips to make sense of genocide and geopolitical turmoil.

Do not allow people to tell you that liberation is impossible for Palestine, or any other oppressed nation or people. We have seen time and time again that although the fight for freedom may take a while, liberation will be achieved. Pace yourself in your activism; educating yourself is a journey that never ends but it is never too late to begin.