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Black-Palestinian solidarity

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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.

History

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South Africa

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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

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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

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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

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Further reading

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  • Fischbach, Michael R. Black Power and Palestine: Transnational Countries of Color, Stanford University Press, 2018.

References

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  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. ^ a b "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. ^ a b 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.
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