Black-Palestinian solidarity

Last updated

Black-Palestinian solidarity refers to the decades-long history of political solidarity between Palestinian people and Black people. African-American support for Palestine has been an element of the Black Panther Party and the Black Lives Matter movement. In South Africa, the African National Congress supports the Palestinian cause. For decades, many Black and Palestinian activists have believed in a "joint struggle" against racism and imperialism, including a shared opposition to Zionism.

Contents

History

South Africa

Nelson Mandela believed in and supported Israel's right to exist and he also believed that the Jewish people should have self-determination, but he also expressed great support for Palestinian liberation on multiple occasions. [1] In February 1990, shortly after his release from prison, he embraced Yasser Arafat in Lusaka, Zambia. In 1997, he stated that "we [South Africans] know our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians. [2]

In 2023, the African National Congress reiterated its support for Palestine and called for a ceasefire. President Cyril Ramaphosa referred to Israel as an apartheid state, called for a two-state solution, and said that "We suffered under apartheid, we show support for Palestine." [3]

United Kingdom

Black Lives Matter UK declared that "we loudly and clearly stand beside our Palestinian comrades" as part of a "united front against colonialism." [4]

United States

In the 1940s, the African-American diplomat and United Nations mediator Ralph Bunche expressed hesitation about the creation of the State of Israel due to the anticipated dispossession of the Palestinians. [5]

In the 1950s, Malcolm X was one of the first major African-American figures who supported the Palestinian cause. In a 1958 press conference, Malcolm X stated that Black Americans "would be completely in sympathy with the Arab cause." Several months before his 1965 assassination, he visited the Gaza Strip and Palestinian refugee camps. [6] The Nation of Islam, which Malcolm X formerly belonged to, has often criticized Israel. [5]

In 1967, the civil rights activist Ethel Minor wrote a column for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee titled Third World Roundup: The Palestinian Problem: Test Your Knowledge. The influential column described Israeli colonialism in Palestine and linked the Black American struggle to the Palestinian struggle. [7] Stokely Carmichael and a delegation of other members of SNCC were hosted by the Palestinian Liberation Organization. [8]

Founded in 1966, the Black Panther Party supported the Palestinian cause. The Black Panthers regarded African-Americans as an "internally colonized" people and considered both Black Americans and Palestinians to be "Third World" peoples oppressed by colonialism and imperialism. [9] The Black Panthers developed relations with the Palestinian Liberation Organization. [10]

In 1970, a group of 56 African-American activists published a statement titled "An Appeal by Black Americans Against United States Support for the Zionist Government of Israel" in The New York Times . The statement declared that Black Americans should have "complete solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters, who like us, are struggling for self-determination and an end to racist oppression." [11]

In 2013, Dream Defenders was formed by Black and Palestinian college students in Florida following the murder Trayvon Martin and acquittal of George Zimmerman. The organization endorsed Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions in 2014, and organized delegations to Ferguson and Palestine. [8]

In the 2014 Ferguson uprising, Palestinians sent advice to protesters via Twitter for resisting tear gas and other military tactics. Palestinian flags and a chant gained prominence in the protests: "from Ferguson to Palestine, occupation is a crime!" [12] In 2016, the Movement for Black Lives published their policy platform describing Israel as an apartheid state committing genocide. In response, they experienced backlash from funders, cancelled events, and accusations of antisemitism. [13]

During the 2023 Israel-Hamas war the response from Black Americans was divided. While Black Lives Matter Chicago displayed strong support to the Palestinians, [14] the National Newspaper Publishers Association declared they are "firmly in solidarity with Israel." [15]

See also

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379</span> UNGA resolution adopted in 1975, revoked in 1991

United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379, adopted on 10 November 1975, "Determines that Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination" with 72 votes in favour, 35 votes against, and 32 abstentions. It was revoked by Resolution 46/86, adopted on 16 December 1991 with 111 votes in favour, 25 votes against, and 13 abstentions. The vote for Resolution 3379 was held nearly one year after the adoption of Resolution 3236 and Resolution 3237: the former recognized the "Question of Palestine" and invited the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to participate in international diplomacy; and the latter designated the PLO as a non-member Assembly observer following the "Olive Branch Speech" by Palestinian political leader Yasser Arafat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronnie Kasrils</span> South African politician (born 1938)

Ronald Kasrils is a South African politician, former guerrilla and military commander. He served in a number of ministerial posts, including the as Minister for Intelligence Services from 2004 to 2008. He was a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1987 to 2007 as well as a member of the Central Committee of the South African Communist Party (SACP) from December 1986 to 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israeli apartheid</span> Israeli system of racial separation and discrimination

Israeli apartheid is a system of institutionalized segregation and discrimination in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories and to a lesser extent in Israel proper. This system is characterized by near-total physical separation between the Palestinian and the Israeli settler population of the West Bank, as well as the judicial separation that governs both communities, which discriminates against the Palestinians in a wide range of ways. Israel also discriminates against Palestinian refugees in the diaspora and against its own Palestinian citizens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel–South Africa relations</span> Bilateral relations

Israel–South Africa relations refer to the current and historic relationship between the Republic of South Africa and the State of Israel. As of January 2024, South Africa maintains only “limited political and diplomatic interaction” with Israel due to the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farid Esack</span> South African Muslim scholar, writer, and political activist (born 1955)

Farid Esack is a South African Muslim scholar, writer, and political activist known for his opposition to apartheid, his appointment by Nelson Mandela as a gender equity commissioner, and his work for inter-religious dialogue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israeli Apartheid Week</span> Annual series of university activities

Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) is an annual series of university lectures and rallies held in February or March. According to the organization, "the aim of IAW is to educate people about the nature of Israel as an apartheid system and to build Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns as part of a growing global BDS movement." Since IAW began in Toronto in 2005, it has spread to at least 55 cities, including locations in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Botswana, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Palestine, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Africa–United States relations</span> Bilateral relations

The United States and South Africa currently maintain bilateral relations with one another. The United States and South Africa have been economically linked to one another since the late 18th century which has continued into the 21st century. United States and South Africa relations faced periods of strain throughout the 20th century due to the segregationist, white minority rule in South Africa, from 1948 to 1994. Following the end of apartheid in South Africa, the United States and South Africa have developed a strategically, politically, and economically beneficial relationship with one another and currently enjoy "cordial relations" despite "occasional strains". South Africa remains the United States' largest trading partner in Africa as of 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palestine–South Africa relations</span> Bilateral relations

Palestine–South Africa relations refer to the interstate relations between the Republic of South Africa and the State of Palestine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eugene Puryear</span> American journalist, writer, activist, and politician

Eugene Puryear is a left-wing American journalist, writer, activist, politician, and host on BreakThrough News. In 2014, he was a candidate for the at-large seat in the DC Council with the D.C. Statehood Green Party. In the 2008 and 2016 United States presidential elections, Puryear was the vice presidential nominee of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), despite being ineligible to become vice president due to his age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miko Peled</span> Israeli American peace activist, author, and karate instructor

Avraham "Miko" Peled is an Israeli-American activist, author, and karate instructor. He is author of the books The General’s Son: The Journey of an Israeli in Palestine, published in 2012, and Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five, published in 2017. He is also an international speaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions</span> Palestinian-led movement demanding international sanctions against Israel

Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) is a nonviolent Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel. Its objective is to pressure Israel to meet what the BDS movement describes as Israel's obligations under international law, defined as withdrawal from the occupied territories, removal of the separation barrier in the West Bank, full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and "respecting, protecting, and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties". The movement is organized and coordinated by the Palestinian BDS National Committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omar Barghouti</span> Qatari-Palestinian activist (born 1964)

Omar Barghouti is a founding committee member of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and a co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. He received the Gandhi Peace Award in 2017.

BOYCOTT! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within, commonly known as Boycott from Within, is an association of Jewish and Arab Israelis who support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Founded in 2008, it describes itself as following the guiding principles and sharing the goals of the Palestinian BDS movement, as delineated by Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fayez Sayegh</span> Arab-American scholar and civil servant (1922–1980)

Fayez Sayegh (1922–1980) was an Arab-American diplomat, scholar and teacher. He was one of the most significant scholars who developed various analyses on the Palestinian resistance movement against Zionism.

Jews for Urban Justice (JUJ) was a Jewish-American left-wing activist organization based in Washington, D.C., and its suburbs. The organization was founded to oppose anti-black racism within the predominantly white Jewish community of Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorothy Zellner</span> American human rights activist and feminist

Dorothy "Dottie" Miller Zellner is an American human rights activist, feminist, editor, lecturer, and writer. A veteran of the 1960s civil rights movement, she served as a recruiter for the Freedom Summer project and was co-editor of Student Voice, the student newsletter of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. She is active in the Palestinian solidarity movement.

Anti-Palestinianism or anti-Palestinian racism refers to prejudice, collective hatred, and discrimination directed at the Palestinian people for any variety of reasons. Since the mid-20th century, the phenomenon has largely overlapped with anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia due to the fact that the overwhelming majority of Palestinians today are Arabs and Muslims. Historically, anti-Palestinianism was more closely identified with European antisemitism, as far-right Europeans detested the Jewish people as undesirable foreigners from Palestine. Modern anti-Palestinianism—that is, xenophobia or racism towards the Arabs of Palestine—is most common in Israel, the United States, Lebanon, and Germany, among other countries.

<i>Palestine: A Socialist Introduction</i> 2020 book by Sumaya Awad

Palestine: A Socialist Introduction is a 2020 essay collection about the historical context of the Palestinian struggle for liberation and its relationship to socialism, edited by Sumaya Awad and brian bean.

References

  1. ↑ Ahren, Raphael (2013-12-06). "Nelson Mandela was close to Jews, resolutely loyal to Palestinians". The Times of Israel . Retrieved 2013-12-06.
  2. ↑ Dall, Nick. "Unpack the past: When Nelson Mandela wore the Palestinian keffiyeh". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  3. ↑ "'We suffered under apartheid, we show solidarity with Palestine' - Cyril Ramaphosa, ANC". News24 . Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  4. ↑ "Black Lives Matter UK stands with Palestine against 'colonialism' as Israel's illegal annexation looms". The New Arab. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  5. 1 2 "The long, complicated history of Black solidarity with Palestinians and Jews". Vox. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  6. ↑ "The Complicated History Behind BLM's Solidarity With The Pro-Palestinian Movement". NPR . Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  7. ↑ "A visual history of Black-Palestinian solidarity". Middle East Eye . Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  8. 1 2 Erakat, Noura (2020). "Geographies of Intimacy: Contemporary Renewals of Black–Palestinian Solidarity". American Quarterly. 72 (2): 471–496. doi:10.1353/aq.2020.0027. ISSN   1080-6490.
  9. ↑ "'We Know Occupation': The Long History of Black Americans' Solidarity with Palestinians". Politico . Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  10. ↑ "The Black Panther Party on Palestine". Hampton Institute. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  11. ↑ "The Roots of Black-Palestinian Solidarity". Yes! . Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  12. ↑ Bailey, Kristian Davis (2015). "Black-Palestinian Solidarity in the Ferguson-Gaza Era". American Quarterly. 67 (4): 1017–1026. doi:10.1353/aq.2015.0060. ISSN   0003-0678. JSTOR   43822935.
  13. ↑ evans, nia t. "Black Activists Began Traveling to Palestine in the 1960s. They Never Stopped". Mother Jones. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  14. ↑ Cineas, Fabiola (2023-10-17). "The long, complicated history of Black solidarity with Palestinians and Jews". Vox. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  15. ↑ Brown, Stacy M. (2023-10-09). "Black America Divided Over Hamas' Attack on Israel, Raises Questions on Solidarity". The Atlanta Voice. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.