For those who support Palestine, whether actively or just in their hearts, this is a watershed moment. For the first time in
known history more Democratic voters sympathize Palestine than Israel, according to a recent Gallup poll. That’s 49 percent
of Democrats who view the Palestinian cause as righteous as opposed to 38 percent who still favor Israel – an increase of 11
percent over last year.
What brought about this miraculous turn of events? Nov.1 Israeli voters elected that country’s most ultra right wing government ever
– a coalition government rife with ultra nationalist and fundamental orthodox Jews who would put evangelical Christians to shame.
As a result Israelis of more moderate persuasions have taken to the streets by the hundreds of thousands and many American Jews
who have always supported Israel – right or wrong – are taking a long second look. Many Jewish Israelis in the Knesset, the Israeli
parliament, have pledged not to participate in a final vote on overturning their country’s judiciary system, which would make it
a puppet of the legislative and executive branches, army reservists are quitting en masse, tech companies and venture
capitalists are relocating in droves and artists, intellectuals, writers, and even some mainstream Jewish organizations
are telling world leaders to shun Israeli officials, including Benyamin Netanyahu.
Things are happening quickly, tiny cracks are appearing in the solid wall of American and Jewish support for Israel, and the light is beginning to shine through. So now is a better time than ever to learn more about the Palestine/Israel situation and even consider becoming a Palestine supporter. Here are some you can go about doing that.
First, I highly recommend getting a solid footing in how the Palestinian region became the state of Israel and the occupied territories. There are many wonderful books about this region, written by talented Palestinians, Israelis and others, but the absolute bible that dispels many of the myths we have been spoon-fed by the Israeli propaganda machine, and tells about the origins of the situation, is Ilan Pape’s “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.” Pape is an ex-patriot Jewish Israeli and a professor, but the book is written in easy to understand language, not academic gobbledygook.
Locally there is a group called the North Coast Coalition for Palestine, which has both a website and a Facebook page that is updated every day. The group also hosts a radio show called Speaking of Palestine, broadcast live the first and third Mondays of each month, and rebroadcast on alternate Mondays, from 4 to 5 p.m. on KBBF-FM, 89.1. You can also catch a rebroadcast, in Bodega and Bodega Bay only, on KRJF-FM, 92.6, Tuesdays from 8 to 9 p.m. You can also stream the show on either station from anywhere in the world.
Then there are several free online magazines that provide up-to-date news about that part of the world. Some of my favorites are Mondoweiss, from the US (mondoweiss.net), +972 Magazine from Israel and written by Palestinians, Israelis and internationals 972mag.com) and the Electronic Intifada (electronicintifada. net), also from the US, but founded and edited by a Palestinian.
You can subscribe to all of these and more for free, but of course 0they accept donations, and you should send money to these usefulsources if you can.
Some anti-occupation organizations with informative websites, that also offer ways you can get involved are the Christianbased
Friends of Sabeel North America (fosna.org), the Jewish-based Jewish Voice for Peace (jewishvoiceforpeace.org) and the
Boycott and Divestment Movement (bdsmovement.net) For more information about BDS see Rebel Fagin’s piece about BDS also in
this issue of the Peace Press.
Once you begin subscribing to these online sites and organizations, especially if you make a donation, you will find your computer in box flooded with petitions and even more information. Somehow I have started receiving up-dates from the Refuser Support Network, an organization that supports young Israelis who refuse to serve in the Israeli military because it serves to maintain the occupation of Palestinian lands. And I am happy to read the brave and inspiring stories of these true Israeli heroes, who usually
serve time in jail for their efforts.
Of course you are likely to get a lot of your news from the corporate media, which usually takes an Israeli perspective on news stories from that region. For that reason it is important to read with a discriminating eye, doing your best to determine if what
you are reading is accurate and balanced. And, of course, when you determine that it isn’t you could consider writing a letter to the
editor and offering another side of the story.
Another way to spread the word about Palestine, which people often overlook, is talking with friends and family. But when you do, tread gently. Maybe lead into the subject by asking if your friend or relative has been following the news about the new Israeli government and reactions to it, both in Israel and in the US. If they respond positively to this you might then suggest that while it is
tragic that Israelis are now having their human rights threatened by their own government, this is exactly what has been happening
to Palestinians since the creation of Israel in 1948. You might find a lot of resistance, but you might also be surprised that people are
interested in learning more.
And don’t forget about your elected officials. If you learn about anti-boycott legislation that has been introduced, call your congress
member or state legislator and tell them you oppose it. And sometimes a progressive member of the legislature will introduce something favorable to the Palestinian cause, such as conditioning aid to Israel on its human rights behavior. When that happens, call
your elected officials and tell them to support it. And never forget to thank them when they vote the way you requested.
Finally, if you are ready to take the big leap and travel to Palestine, here are two suggestions for group visits. Eyewitness
Palestine is a private nonprofit that conducts both in-person and virtual tours of Palestine, and provides some scholarships for those who cannot afford the trips on their own. The Center for Jewish Non Violence (cjnv.org) offers trips to Palestine that include working on specific nonviolent actions with Palestinians. Here’s what a local activist had to say about his experience with
that group.
“True to its promise, the activities we engaged in were all planned in concert with Palestinian partners. We learned, we worked and we shared meals with our Palestinian hosts. Finally, we joined in a direct action to repair a road vital to travel in the South Hebron Hills. I found the nine days of the delegation to be incredibly meaningful. I came away with renewed respect for the strength and spirit of the Palestinian resistance, as well as the commitment of the members of the delegation.”
known history more Democratic voters sympathize Palestine than Israel, according to a recent Gallup poll. That’s 49 percent
of Democrats who view the Palestinian cause as righteous as opposed to 38 percent who still favor Israel – an increase of 11
percent over last year.
What brought about this miraculous turn of events? Nov.1 Israeli voters elected that country’s most ultra right wing government ever
– a coalition government rife with ultra nationalist and fundamental orthodox Jews who would put evangelical Christians to shame.
As a result Israelis of more moderate persuasions have taken to the streets by the hundreds of thousands and many American Jews
who have always supported Israel – right or wrong – are taking a long second look. Many Jewish Israelis in the Knesset, the Israeli
parliament, have pledged not to participate in a final vote on overturning their country’s judiciary system, which would make it
a puppet of the legislative and executive branches, army reservists are quitting en masse, tech companies and venture
capitalists are relocating in droves and artists, intellectuals, writers, and even some mainstream Jewish organizations
are telling world leaders to shun Israeli officials, including Benyamin Netanyahu.
Things are happening quickly, tiny cracks are appearing in the solid wall of American and Jewish support for Israel, and the light is beginning to shine through. So now is a better time than ever to learn more about the Palestine/Israel situation and even consider becoming a Palestine supporter. Here are some you can go about doing that.
First, I highly recommend getting a solid footing in how the Palestinian region became the state of Israel and the occupied territories. There are many wonderful books about this region, written by talented Palestinians, Israelis and others, but the absolute bible that dispels many of the myths we have been spoon-fed by the Israeli propaganda machine, and tells about the origins of the situation, is Ilan Pape’s “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.” Pape is an ex-patriot Jewish Israeli and a professor, but the book is written in easy to understand language, not academic gobbledygook.
Locally there is a group called the North Coast Coalition for Palestine, which has both a website and a Facebook page that is updated every day. The group also hosts a radio show called Speaking of Palestine, broadcast live the first and third Mondays of each month, and rebroadcast on alternate Mondays, from 4 to 5 p.m. on KBBF-FM, 89.1. You can also catch a rebroadcast, in Bodega and Bodega Bay only, on KRJF-FM, 92.6, Tuesdays from 8 to 9 p.m. You can also stream the show on either station from anywhere in the world.
Then there are several free online magazines that provide up-to-date news about that part of the world. Some of my favorites are Mondoweiss, from the US (mondoweiss.net), +972 Magazine from Israel and written by Palestinians, Israelis and internationals 972mag.com) and the Electronic Intifada (electronicintifada. net), also from the US, but founded and edited by a Palestinian.
You can subscribe to all of these and more for free, but of course 0they accept donations, and you should send money to these usefulsources if you can.
Some anti-occupation organizations with informative websites, that also offer ways you can get involved are the Christianbased
Friends of Sabeel North America (fosna.org), the Jewish-based Jewish Voice for Peace (jewishvoiceforpeace.org) and the
Boycott and Divestment Movement (bdsmovement.net) For more information about BDS see Rebel Fagin’s piece about BDS also in
this issue of the Peace Press.
Once you begin subscribing to these online sites and organizations, especially if you make a donation, you will find your computer in box flooded with petitions and even more information. Somehow I have started receiving up-dates from the Refuser Support Network, an organization that supports young Israelis who refuse to serve in the Israeli military because it serves to maintain the occupation of Palestinian lands. And I am happy to read the brave and inspiring stories of these true Israeli heroes, who usually
serve time in jail for their efforts.
Of course you are likely to get a lot of your news from the corporate media, which usually takes an Israeli perspective on news stories from that region. For that reason it is important to read with a discriminating eye, doing your best to determine if what
you are reading is accurate and balanced. And, of course, when you determine that it isn’t you could consider writing a letter to the
editor and offering another side of the story.
Another way to spread the word about Palestine, which people often overlook, is talking with friends and family. But when you do, tread gently. Maybe lead into the subject by asking if your friend or relative has been following the news about the new Israeli government and reactions to it, both in Israel and in the US. If they respond positively to this you might then suggest that while it is
tragic that Israelis are now having their human rights threatened by their own government, this is exactly what has been happening
to Palestinians since the creation of Israel in 1948. You might find a lot of resistance, but you might also be surprised that people are
interested in learning more.
And don’t forget about your elected officials. If you learn about anti-boycott legislation that has been introduced, call your congress
member or state legislator and tell them you oppose it. And sometimes a progressive member of the legislature will introduce something favorable to the Palestinian cause, such as conditioning aid to Israel on its human rights behavior. When that happens, call
your elected officials and tell them to support it. And never forget to thank them when they vote the way you requested.
Finally, if you are ready to take the big leap and travel to Palestine, here are two suggestions for group visits. Eyewitness
Palestine is a private nonprofit that conducts both in-person and virtual tours of Palestine, and provides some scholarships for those who cannot afford the trips on their own. The Center for Jewish Non Violence (cjnv.org) offers trips to Palestine that include working on specific nonviolent actions with Palestinians. Here’s what a local activist had to say about his experience with
that group.
“True to its promise, the activities we engaged in were all planned in concert with Palestinian partners. We learned, we worked and we shared meals with our Palestinian hosts. Finally, we joined in a direct action to repair a road vital to travel in the South Hebron Hills. I found the nine days of the delegation to be incredibly meaningful. I came away with renewed respect for the strength and spirit of the Palestinian resistance, as well as the commitment of the members of the delegation.”