EPF PIN member Newland Smith reflects on the 2013 US Campaign to End the Occupation’s organizing conference

Three themes stood out for me:

• The meaning of “solidarity”: Sandra Tamari, a member of the US Campaign Steering Committee introduced the plenary session, “Allies, Solidarity and Anti-Racism/Bigotry Practices,” in which she stressed that solidarity work would be undermined if participants “engaged in actions that serve to support or perpetuate other racist or bigoted behaviors, practices, and structures.” (US Campaign Anti-Racism Principles). After the presentation of the panelists, participants broke into small groups to continue the discussion.  I participated in the White group in which several people noted that White privilege can be a barrier to solidarity work.  How can white peace and justice organizations be in solidarity with communities of color when historically we have been the oppressors?
• The intertwined Israeli/American repression: Sara Kershnar who presided at the plenary, “Joint Struggle Against Israel’s Role in Repression, ”documented very well how Israel has been so successful in selling to the United States its methods of surveillance and repression of the Palestinians especially since 9/11.  Also US Zionist organizations play active roles in promoting repression against Arab communities and movements against Israel in the United States.  Israel is a leading nation in exporting armaments and is the leading exporter of drones.  Fahd Ahmed talked about the work of Desis Rising Up and Moving ( DRUM), a New York City based organization which has been protesting the racial profiling and stop and frisk of African Americans and Muslims.  NYPD police are trained in Israel.  Fahd Ahmed described the “structural commonalities and the need for genuine solidarity in order to achieve racial justice.
• Grassroots organizing: Susan Nicholson and David Zackon of the North Shore Coalition for Peace and Justice, described a Congressional District-based organizing of church/community leaders in a Massachusetts district around the October 2012 Letter to Congress urging Congress to examine US military aid to Israel in light of existing US law.  Their small committee was able to secure the signatures of 58 leaders, most of whom were from churches in the District to sign a letter to Congressman Tierney.  A small group met with the Congressman Tierney and two months later having not heard from him sent a follow up letter.  Nicholson and Zackon urged those of us who attended their workshop to replicate this initiative in our respective Congressional Districts.

EPF PIN member Tom Trueblood reflects on the 2013 US Campaign to End the Occupation organizers’ conference

This was my first trip to a US Campaign’s annual “organizers conference.”  It was a welcome antidote to the drumbeat of depressing news from Palestine:  the accelerated pace of Jewish-only colonies being built on stolen Palestinian land, escalating Jewish settler violence against Palestinians simply trying to live their lives, and a US government seemingly determined to preserve the status quo with fraudulent “peace talks” designed to complete the Zionist project of removing or pacifying Palestinians and creating a “Jewish state” in all of Palestine.

This was a gathering of people who understand the “facts on the ground” created by decades of Israeli government policy, and whose efforts at the local level, throughout the United States, are focused on providing support to the Palestinian cause.  There was no hand-wringing about “the two narratives,” or “the need to be balanced.”  The question in everyone’s minds (including mine) was “how can we be more effective in supporting the Palestinian quest for self-determination?”

It was good to have the opportunity to compare notes with activists from other parts of the country and to renew acquaintances with like-minded folks.  Workshops on various strategies (including BDS, campaigns against US military aid to Israel, and ongoing educational efforts—including travel to Palestine) were intelligently organized and well carried out.  It was also heartening to see, among the sea of grey heads in the room, many young people (including Palestinian-Americans) who are committed to the cause—and full of welcome new energy.

A highlight was a session on “what to do if the peace talks succeed?” featuring Phyllis Bennis, Nadia Hijab, and David Wildman.  Their consensus: any agreement coming out of these negotiations cannot be just and will be a terrible deal for the Palestinian people.  Activists in the US need to insist that the US government broker an agreement based on international law (including United Nations resolutions and the Fourth Geneva Convention), respect for human rights, and equality under the law.  We cannot speak for the Palestinian people, but we can petition our own government to base its policies on these principles rather than continuing to support the violent and unjust dispossession of one people by another.