#nakba 2023-2024

[news4dzhozhar]

You can watch the full lecture (about 2 hours long) here if interested. The YouTube account is German but the lecture is in English.

[tojisun]

I just saw the video of the man holding the body of the beheaded baby 🧍🏻‍♀️ that shit is so horrible

I hope every single person that supports Israel goes to the deepest parts of hell and suffers unimaginable pain

And my apologist too

Fucking pigs

All Israelis needs to commit actually omgg

full agree. israel has always been and continues to be a terrorist state, and fuck them and fuck people who continue to call this a conflict or remain ‘neutral’ because there is no neutrality—there should be no neutrality—in the face of genocide. being pro-palestine is also not antisemitism and im so so tired of seeing these arguments circulate

“hamas is at fault.” israel has always been and continues to be a terrorist state. 75 years of nakba. oct 2023, netanyahu rejected ceasefire. feb 2024, he rejected ceasefire and calls for peace talks with hamas. may 2024, operation in rafah. safezones were crossed; bombs dropped on civilians, including white phosphorus bombs that “cause deep and severe burns, penetrating even through bone.” drones were used to shoot at civilians. women raped. children raped. captured palestinians forced in concentration camps.

this scale of atrocity only ends with a permanent ceasefire AND the complete liberation of palestine. fuck people who still dont get it.

here is link that has a template email that you can send to a rep (USA) or mp (UK) for demands of ceasefire.

i saw a post going around that said that the coherence/length of calls and emails do not matter because the reps/mps look at the number and frequency that the demand is being made (basically, how many are they getting is what matters). so please please do this.

here is a masterlist of where to donate. here is a link that asks for you to click which is then converted to a donation (pls set up alarms because you can do these everyday!) here is a masterlist for all aid (including congo, sudan, haiti, hawai’i, etc.)

[chaiaurchaandni]

"whether we like it or not, the leila khaleds of the world are forcing us to pay attention to them."

thoughts:

how interesting that the host says that israel says the Palestinians 'fled' from their homeland while the Palestinians say they were 'driven out' - notice the changing narratives within israel, previously using the excuse that Palestinians themselves left and emptied their houses voluntarily, and now, in 2024, saying that the Palestinians never existed, or that they fought against jews and were driven out in the retaliatory attacks. they change their lies to whichever one suits their agenda more. similarly, back when colonialism was the popular thing to do in europe, herzl openly called for the colonization of Palestine by 'civilised' european jews. now that decolonization is popular, israelis often argue that the nakba and forceful displacement of Palestinians was an act of 'jewish decolonization' and reclamation'

notice how, despite being a Palestinian who literally lived through the nakba, and a resistance fighter herself, leila refuses to center herself. she remains humble, says that she has only done her duty, which is small compared to her cause, she's neither a heroine of a joan of arc. it is important to remember that anyone who truly cares about the cause does not center themselves as individuals. this behaviour is only seen from grifters, such as shaun king or khaled beydoun, who pedestalize themselves within the movement, and act like the sole saviours of the people. meanwhile, sincere and committed activists, like leila, who are on the frontlines, always put the cause above themselves.

notice how she says that the people of the world do not pay attention to Palestinians when israelies forcefully displace Palestinians, when israeli bombs kill Palestinians and their children, but these people only pay attention when the palestinians fight back. still rings true to this day, the violence of the oppressor is seen as the norm, the violence of the oppressed is seen as 'unprovoked, uncivilised, meaningless.' remember that before oct 7, 2023 was already one of the deadliest years for Palestinians in the WB. remember that israel has bombed Gaza several times in the past.

important that she points out how religion has little to do with the cause of Palestinian liberation itself. it is not a muslim cause. meanwhile the oppression of Palestinians and theft of Palestinian homeland is still justified on the basis of the religion of judaism.

im surprised by how patient she is. she says that she does not expect to see a free Palestine in her lifetime because a struggle such as hers takes DECADES. despite this, she strongly believes that one day, Palestine will be free. she says: "we believe that a popular revolution needs a long time. and time is with the people, always, not against them, when they use it properly and i think we are beginning to use the time properly"

when she said she has only seen heifa, her hometown in palestine, from the air ........... </3

[eretzyisrael]

Executive Director of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) Osama Abuirshaid said at an April 25, 2024 speech at the George Washington University encampment that protesters will change America forever. He said that Zionism will be a dark moment in history, and the generation of the participants in the encampment will bring this "disgrace to an end." He concluded his speech, saying: "We will take back America […] You will be the past, we are the future. Assalam Alaykum."

The video was posted on Osama Abuirshaid's Facebook page. Abuirshaid posted on his Facebook page videos of other speakers at George Washington University on April 25, one of whom was Rafiki Morris, who said in a May 2023 Nakba Day rally in Washington D.C. that the only good Zionist is a dead Zionist and that America is a Zionist country and it must be destroyed.

Osama Abuirshaid: "They know they are going against the force of history. They are trying to destroy you before you succeed in bringing this imperialism to an end, before we bring this poison of Zionism to an end.

[...]

"Now, we know what America stands for. We know what these elite colleges stand for. They are only structures in an imperial project. Israel is only another structure in an imperial project. Zionism is no less evil than white supremacy or any sort of supremacy.

[butterfly-poetry]

Poetry... and the refusal to forgive

Poetry

Like haiku

Long as the epic

Framed like the sonnet

Free because automatic

Or the opposite

The apogee of the Body's harmony

And our common home

Poetry

Questions reality

Like philosophy

It asks profound questions

Poetry

It engages

It confronts

It denounces

It condemns

It often has the wisdom to explain

But to explain and analyze is not to forgive

Sometimes forgiving, because poetry is reflection

But often

No forgiveness!!!

Absolute Evil

At the birth of the human being

At the genetic level

At the level of human civilization

Does not exist

Science and its disciplines

Psychology and its disciplines

Psychoanalysis and its disciplines

Explain the most unspeakable crimes

Evil can unfortunately be constructed... !

Explaining even the most unspeakable

Is impossible, knowing that the memory is unforgettable

But forgiveness is something else

When two kids break a window

A severe reprimand is called for

But given the lack of seriousness... parents... teachers will forgive

Human beings practicing a religion

will find sufficient strength of spirit...

But no forgiveness... for the oppressor

Who committed an unspeakable crime, a massacre, a genocide

Or who provoked it

What can be said of those who, by their silence or passivity, become accomplices?

No forgiveness... for the men of power

Who destroyed hundreds of millions of human beings

Until the Napoleonic era

No forgiveness... for the monarchist butchers

Who took soldiers for cannon fodder

No forgiveness... for the bloody repression

The rebels of 1830 and 1848 who stirred up the whole of Europe

No forgiveness... for the Versaillais who, with cannon and bayonets

brought down the Paris Commune

First great Popular Revolution with a humanist vision of the future

The last of them were shot against the walls of the Federates

Or exiled far from their native lands...

No forgiveness... for politicians

and those who enrich themselves

At the mass graves of the First World War...

No forgiveness... for those responsible for the Second World War

Sixty million dead

No forgiveness... for those who built pyramids of profit

The Shoah, the industrialized death of six million human beings

No forgiveness... for the many other genocides of the twentieth century

No forgiveness... for the Israeli leaders

who have occupied Palestine since 1948

by provoking the Nakba and since the elimination of the Palestinian people

No forgiveness... for the terrorists who committed a massacre on October 7, 2023

No forgiveness... for the Israeli military who have killed nearly thirty thousand civilians since...

Man exterminates the notion of Man and Woman

And violates every written declaration since 1876

The shirts are back in power in Italy

Phalanxes resurface

Brown shirts all over Europe and the world

are regaining strength

Man has no memory...

Or is he stupid?

Does he perhaps ignore the meaning of the words Reason and Humanism?

Or does it all depend on profit?

No forgiveness ... for those who provoke

hunger, thirst, disease, displacement of populations called "immigration" by populists,

the disruption of the planet since the pre-industrial era

No forgiveness... to be aware of it and even stronger

No forgiveness ... to carry on and crush opponents like ants!

No forgiveness for these men, these women and their unborn children

Following the same path ... elite ...

No forgiveness... No forgiveness... No forgiveness...

© Myriam Ghezaïl Ben Brahim ❤️🥀

2nd February 2024

Photo Pinterest

[watermelon-project-archive]

Happy New Year to everyone🎉

As you look back on 2023 and move forward into 2024 do not forget about Palestine, do not leave them in the past and move on. It isn’t a trend or something that will just stop in the new year. It is the Genocide and the erasure of the Palestinian people and their history and culture. Please do not forget about what Israel is doing, do not forgive the Zionist who cheer on and support it. Hold them accountable, make it so they can never forget what they have done and supported, never forget.

Please also take time to remember those the world has lost during this Genocide, the brave reporters who continue to report and share the atrocities committed against them, the Innocent children and babies bombed and caught under the rubble, the fathers and mothers trying to protect their families and loved ones, the brave medical staff who work tirelessly under brutal conditions with little to none medical supplies or sanitary products trying to save lives, the elderly who remember the last Nakba and are forced to relive it again, the disabled and sick people who don’t have the support or medicine they need to survive, the people who had to give birth in a war zone with no painkillers or other necessities, the people who have starved and passed away from easily preventable things because if the lack of aid, the people who have to dig through rubble in hopes of finding their loved ones alive or at least to find their bodies to bury properly, every animal and pet that is suffering or has been murdered under this cruel occupation. Everyone who is fighting against this and is protesting, striking, boycotting, speaking and sharing about this Genocide. Please remember them and keep saying their names, don’t let them become another statistic, another number or name on a list.

Happy New Year and Free Palestine. From the river to the sea Palestine will be free.

[aceduchessdragoness]

Palestine-Lebanon etc Masterlist P2 (mainly Palestine)

*Part 1 is my pinned post

WIP

NOTE: I no longer have TikTok

Instagram (p2)

ahmedeldin / ajmnpr / aljazeeraenglish / cocktailsandcapitalism / daizygedeon / dimitrilascaris / dn_osama / emmasworld.101 / hazami / humantiproject / jewishantizionistnetwork / khaledbeydoun / letstalkpalestine / mansourshouman7 / middleeastmonitor / migrationfilms / mohammed_elkhodary88 / muslimi.news / mzamoudi1984 (arabic only)/ nowinpalestine / palestineonaplate / palestinereveals / palipulse / salamisarah / savegazaschildren

Tiktok accounts (both posts and reblogs): abdulfalasteen / allie_202_ / anat_internationall / claredalymep / dajia_mack / devotedly.yours / dmvdissenters / dounia_sabah_ / elle_street_photographer / emma_pike_ / hebayousef___ / iamadamadam / iamsbeih / itsaxaaa / leeningtowerofpizza / letstalkfreedom_ / malihaness / mirna_abu / moataz.azaiza / moezeindtb / palestinianpr1ncess / palestinesolidarityuk / ramsimoosa / readingafricana / savegk2 / sincerelyawa / the__sarah__show (in Arabic only) / therealoverloadcomedy / voicesforpalestine / wallyrashid / wizard_bisan1 / zeenaaqel

for some reason tumblr won't let me connect devotedly.yours or moataz.azaiza with their links (bombastic side eye), so here they are down here vvv

--Tiktoks that aren't mainly speaking about Palestine etc, but they are Pro-Palestine: alexjoypucci / celinelilas / clios_world / edwardmliger / jamesissmiling / learncopywritingnow / m0stlysapien / sexualityscholar / simkern / thegoldenbalance

Websites:

Free downloadable Palestinian books

Palestinian Owned Companies

Preserve Gaza's Universities (On X)

breakingthesilence ("Breaking the Silence is an organization of veteran soldiers who have served in the Israeli military since the start of the Second Intifada and have taken it upon themselves to expose the public to the reality of everyday life in the Occupied Territories.")

Some Free ebooks about Israel&Palestine

Read Quran in English

Palestine Remembered (full documentations of former locations and depopulated villages. it also lists information on Palestinian refugee camps, guestbooks, and the ability to upload pictures. information on each village varies)

Zochrot (organization dedicated to teaching both Palestinians and Israelis about the 1948 nakba, which includes documenting information on villages and even an app. information on villages varies)

The Interactive Encyclopedia for the Palestinian Question's (detailed histories and a map, but doesn't go into the detail of the last two sites, and doesn't have pictures or sources)

All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948 (a famous book by Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi which gives a detailed account of what became of 400 different depopulated Palestinian villages.)

For UK: email your local MP

For UK: Contact your MP

secure.everyaction.com (send a pre-made message - or make your own - to US Secretary Antony Blinken -- you can spam message :D)

Contact US Reps by texting "Resist" to 50409 or use resist.bot

Write Your Members of Congress: Sign onto the Ceasefire Now resolution (updated on Dec 6, 2023 - as of Jan 15, 2024)

How to Archive for Palestine

Donation Sites:

Save the Children (UK)

ISRA (UK)

Islamic-Relief UK

Crisis Relief UN

map.org.uk - Medical Aid for Palestinians 

Other Palestine Masterlists:

Hussyknee's Masterlist

PaliPunk's Masterlist

GoFundMes/Chuffed/ other people to donate to:

Nader via Sahar on Chuffed

Abdul, Farah, and Safaa's family's on Chuffed

Lama and her family on GFM

[l-richardson]

Wake up, America! The globalists are at it again, pushing for a "Gaza Resettlement" that could spell the end of Western sovereignty as we know it. Here's the latest:

Scholz's Migration Madness: Germany's Chancellor Scholz is all set to import 1.5 million migrants yearly for their pension system. Meanwhile, 2/3 of Syrian refugees there are still on welfare. This has become the #1 issue for 44% of German voters, boosting the Alternative for Germany to a staggering 23%! [https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/advertising-and-disclaimers/]

EU's Deep Pockets: The EU has poured in over €1.2 billion for Palestinian aid since 2000, with an additional €712.6 million since October 7, 2023. Are they funding resettlement under the guise of humanitarian aid? [https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-humanitarian-support-to-palestinians/]

Nakba 2.0: Israeli Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter isn't even hiding it anymore, openly talking about "rolling out the Gaza Nakba". This isn't just history repeating; it's a plan to displace millions. [https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gaza-nakba-israels-far-right-palestinian-fears-hamas-war-rcna123909]

Germany's Asylum Shuffle: While asylum applications dropped to 229,751 last year, deportations are laughably low at 18,384. Are they setting up for another wave? [https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/ap-top-news/2025/01/23/scholzs-challenger-vows-tough-border-rules-as-attack-puts-migration-in-german-election-spotlight]

Integration Nightmare: With 973,000 Syrians in Germany, 80% live at risk of poverty, and 155,100 are jobless. This is the reality of mass migration. [https://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/61640/syrians-in-germany-facts-figures-and-data]

Trump's Bombshell: Trump's talking about moving 1.5 million Gazans, calling the area a "demolition site". Is this the new globalist strategy? [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-gaza-israel-palestinians-relocation-reaction-egypt-jordan-europe/]

Trump's Deal with Kings: Trump's pushing for Jordan to take more Gazans, hinting at a "temporary or long term" solution. And he's arming Israel with 2,000-pound bombs. [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-gaza-israel-palestinians-relocation-reaction-egypt-jordan-europe/]

Gaza's Dire Situation: 2.2 million people in Gaza need help, with 1.7 million in makeshift shelters. This isn't just a crisis; it's engineered chaos. [https://www.un.org/unispal/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/WHO-PHSA-oPt-020524-FINAL.pdf]

Health Apocalypse: 37 mothers die daily in Gaza, with healthcare in shambles. Is this the prelude to a forced exodus? [https://www.un.org/unispal/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/WHO-PHSA-oPt-020524-FINAL.pdf]

Knesset's Resettlement Push: Israeli ministers and MKs are openly discussing resettlement, with Smotrich cheering for Palestinian emigration. [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/29/israeli-ministers-join-gathering-calling-for-rebuilding-settlements-in-gaza]

Europe's Lesson: Past migrations have changed Europe's landscape, strained resources, and brought security nightmares. We can't let this happen again. [https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/advertising-and-disclaimers/]

Security at Risk: Remember Paris? This could be our future if we don't act now. [https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/advertising-and-disclaimers/]

Article Coming Soon: "Is 'Gaza Resettlement' the Globalist Plot to Destroy Western Sovereignty?"

Disclaimer:

This post represents personal opinion and is not intended to incite hatred or discrimination. It aims to foster critical discussion on current events and policy. Always verify information with multiple sources. The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of X or any affiliated organizations. No endorsement of violence or illegal activities is intended.

#GazaResettlement #NationalSovereignty #WakeUpAmerica

[4lvi4n-3l3v3n]

THE NEW NAKBA

-

Saturday morning October 7 2023.

Was the end of normal life for people in Gaza.

They thought the chaos at that time was just a small chaos as usual.

Without realizing that the big chaos had just begun.

Continuing for more than a year until city after city had been reduced to ruins.

And they can never return to their destroyed houses.

All they took with them were house keys.

Just like their grandparents who experienced the Nakba in 1948.

-

Now people in Gaza are forced to get used to the new normal.

Trying to survive day by day for more than a year.

Tiredness , sadness , poverty , hunger , fear , loss , they feel it all continuously.

Bombardment by jets , helicopters and artillery.

Terror by drones , quadcopters and snipers.

Attacks by troops , tanks dan gunboats.

All are dangerous threats they have to face every day.

The sense of imminent death continues to loom day by day.

The long chaos has made them forget the old normal.

They have lost everything they had.

Only the smelly dirty tent they live in.

Only stale bread they can eat.

Only shabby clothes they can wear.

The beautiful past has been lost.

While the present is full of suffering.

And the future is uncertain.

-

December 2024

By Alvian Eleven

[memingursa]

Here are ten sources from different outlet’s covering Israel’s terrorism, and not just from Iaraeli outlets like the ones you post. You are a fucking hateful bigot with the curiosity of a rock, you claim to love arguing with terfs but happily chat it up with transphobic fascists because you are just that rotten to the core.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/unicef-says-over-13000-children-killed-gaza-israel-offensive-2024-03-17/

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/dozens-killed-gaza-aid-queue-overall-death-toll-passes-30000-2024-02-29/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023/11/03/israel-nakba-history-1948/

You fucking moron.

Holy shit

[darkmaga-returns]

By Yara Hawari Al-Shabaka

Over the last year, Palestine has been irrevocably changed in ways that, for many of us, were once inconceivable.

Since the beginning of the genocide, the Israeli regime has killed over 50,000 Palestinians in Gaza — an estimate provided by the Palestinian Ministry of Health that includes over 6,000 unidentified bodies in the ministry’s possession and an additional 10,000 assumed to be still buried under the rubble. Devastatingly, some will never be retrieved.

Meanwhile, a July article in The Lancet medical journal on the importance of accounting for Gaza’s fatalities argued that a conservative estimate of total deaths in conflict scenarios equated to “four indirect deaths per one direct death.” By this calculation, Israel’s genocide has likely resulted in the loss of over 250,000 Palestinian lives since October 2023.

In addition, Gaza is now home to more than 42 million tonnes of rubble. These ruins include many people’s destroyed homes, businesses and essential public infrastructure.

Relentless Israeli bombing has also released hundreds of thousands of tonnes of toxic dust into the air, with long-lasting and deadly consequences. Eighty percent of schools and universities have been damaged or destroyed, and, for the first time since the Nakba, Palestinian children in Gaza did not begin school this year.

Concurrently, the Israeli regime and its settler community stole a record amount of land across the West Bank over the past 12 months. This theft has been accompanied by increasing violence against Palestinian bodies: Over 700 have been killed, 5,000 injured, and thousands more arrested, bringing the number of Palestinian political prisoners tonearly 10,000.

Further north, in Lebanon, the Israeli regime has expanded its assault and displaced over 1 million people in the space of days and killed over 1,800, including Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. Israeli bombardments have continued to target neighborhoods and Palestinian refugee camps from the sky, while colonial forces began a ground invasion in early October 2024. 

[one-page-a-day]

7th of September 2024

Some days ago, I handed in my essay on commemorative culture. My university is based in Germany, so of course the discussion in the seminar was almost always circling around the topic of German commemoration of the Holocaust – for good reason, looking at alarming calls of German politicians for "closure".

This essay was one of my last assignments for uni before my graduation next year, God willing, and I decided to put the focus of my essay on a different topic, namely the commemoration of the Nakba. My second major being Islamic Studies, I briefly touched the topic several times but never dove into it. I was hesitant at first because writing about this issue as a white European without a background in Political Science and from a moral point of view as was stated in the task felt wrong on many levels. But then I thought that the goal of the essay is to think the topic through, to make up my mind about what others have written, and not to pass definite judgement on populations that are foreign to me.

Through writing the essay I learned that the two collective memories of Israelis and Palestinians around the foundation of the state of Israel in May 1948 and the resulting flight and expulsion of Palestinians from their land known as the Nakba (arabic for 'catastrophe') clash and can be described as contesting.

As many authors argue, Israel is inhibiting public commemoration of the Nakba, even banning the term 'nakba' from school books. That is because a recognition of the harm done to Palestinians would raise the obligation for repair efforts, f. e. a right to return. At the same time, it becomes clear from interviews that few Palestinians acknowledge the extent of the Jewish suffering (centuries of persecution culminating in the Holocaust) preceding the founding of the state of Israel. This might be due to the deliberation that a recognition of the Jewish suffering might constitute a moral ground for the foundation of the state of Israel.

Where commemoration and memory are contested, they must be protected and defended. This is the basic premise of the so-called "imperative of remembrance", the moral imperative to remember and commemorate historical events, particularly those of great tragedy or injustice. The imperative of remembrance is widely discussed in context of Holocaust education in Germany but extends to other topics such as Nakba commemoration.

The collective memories of Israelis and Palestinians regarding the founding of the State of Israel and the Nakba tend to suppress or forget the suffering of the other. At this point, I argue, it is a moral imperative to not only remember one's own suffering but also the suffering of the other, as this is demanded by the moral duty to respect the dignity of the other. For this reason, I believe it is right to remember the Holocaust when talking about the Nakba and to remember the Nakba when talking about the founding of the state of Israel.

The ethical implications of an 'imperative of remembrance' are far-reaching and raise the question of how memory culture should be ethically shaped. In my essay I proposed several points of orientation: the contentcommemorated should be based on critical research and include diverse perspectives; participation to commemorative events should be fundamentally open to all people, regardless of how directly they are affected; and reconciliation should not be the goal of commemorative culture, but rather the recognition and reparation of injustice and suffering, as well as the moral education of people. Reconciliation can be hoped to be found on the way.

Little disclaimer here, for this short essay I could not dive into new developments since the 7th of October 2023 and the literature I that was available to me is about 10 years old already.

Also, I would love to hear how you / people you know commemorate historical events and if you / they face opposition.

Literature:

English:

Roberts, Jo. Contested Land, Contested Memory. Israel’s Jews and Arabs and the Ghost of Catastrophe. Toronto: Dundurn 2013.

Sorek, Tamir. Palestinian Commemoration in Israel. Calendars, Monuments, and Martyrs. Stanford: Stanford University Press 2015.

German:

Assmann, Aleida. Das neue Unbehagen an der Erinnerungskultur. Eine Intervention. München: o. V. 2021.

Benz, Wolfgang. „Vorwort“, in: Katharina Kretzschmar, Identitäten im Konflikt. Palästinensische Erinnerung an die Nakba 1948 und deren Wirkung auf die dritte Generation, transcript 2019, 11–15.

Erll, Astrid. Kollektives Gedächtnis und Erinnerungskulturen. Eine Einführung. Weimar: J.B. Metzler Verlag 2005.

Kretzschmar, Katharina. Identitäten im Konflikt. Palästinensische Erinnerung an die Nakba 1948 und deren Wirkung auf die dritte Generation. Bielefeld: transcript 2019.

[xionisgr]

ISBN: 978-618-03-4105-8 Συγγραφέας: Raja Shehadeh Εκδότης: Μεταίχμιο Σελίδες: 128 Ημερομηνία Έκδοσης: 2024-05-28 Διαστάσεις: 20.5 x 14 Εξώφυλλο: Χαρτόδετο

[a078740849aposts]

ISBN: 978-618-03-4105-8 Συγγραφέας: Raja Shehadeh Εκδότης: Μεταίχμιο Σελίδες: 128 Ημερομηνία Έκδοσης: 2024-05-28 Διαστάσεις: 20.5 x 14 Εξώφυλλο: Χαρτόδετο

[freedomsounds]

The Resonance of Liberation: Music's Role in the Palestinian Struggle for Justice

by Melvin Earl Villaver, Jr., Ph.D. and William Vela, Ed.D.

In the face of widespread silence regarding the genocide of the Palestinian people, music and musicians resonate as the heartbeat of the movement, advocating for the end of settler colonialism, apartheid, land occupation, and calling for peace, justice, and a ceasefire from the Israeli nation-state. Music has long been a powerful tool for activism, conveying messages of resistance, unity, and hope. Within the Palestinian liberation movement, music plays a crucial role in raising awareness, fostering solidarity, and providing a cultural and emotional lens through which to understand the Palestinian experience, ultimately inspiring action. This essay explores the connection between music and the pro-Palestinian protest, highlighting significant contributions from various artists and the intersection of cultural and political movements that shape this narrative.

The tragic events of October 7, 2023, as depicted in Al Jazeera's “October 7” documentary, showcase the brutalities faced by both Israelis and Palestinians. The chaos and violence of that day underscore the dire need for voices advocating for peace and justice, and music serves as one of the most potent mediums for this advocacy. However, this war has been ongoing for seventy-six years, beginning with the first Nakba in 1948. Despite some of the recent music emerging after October 7th, a significant amount of it was created long before, as evidenced by the song "Freedom for Palestine" released in 2011 by OneWorld (OneWorld). This historical context enriches the narrative of musical activism, illustrating how artists have long used their platforms to advocate for Palestinian rights and resist oppression.

DJ CAPTBLY's playlist, "A Day Will Come: Free Palestine! From LA to Gaza, with love '24 ALLY Mix," exemplifies the transnational nature of musical activism. Featuring artists from around the world, this playlist underscores the urgency to end the genocide and occupation of Palestinian land. The diversity of genres within the playlist—from Hip Hop to folk—demonstrates music's ability to transcend boundaries and serve as a liberatory tool. The construction of playlists as a form of praxis and resistance is an age-old tradition, deeply rooted in the history of global Black musical genres, from the jazz music of Miriam Makeba and other artists of the South African anti-apartheid movement to the calls for resistance to police brutality in the American nation-state over the last 50 years of Hip Hop. Mixtapes, curated and passed from hand to hand, have always been a way for people to communicate, share their struggles, and unite in resistance. DJ CAPTBLY’s playlist aligns with this tradition, serving not only as a collection of songs, but as a powerful statement of solidarity and a call to action (DJ CAPTBLY).

The global music industry, particularly in the U.S., has often been silent on issues related to Palestine. However, artists from the Arab Hip Hop/Rap community have been vocal both before and after October 7th, addressing themes of resistance and solidarity. Grammy Award-winning MC Macklemore brought significant attention with his recent song "Hinds Hall," released on May 7, 2024, which garnered 35 million views on YouTube, a ranking of number seven on the US Digital Song Sales (Billboard) and a ranking of number three on the US R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales (Billboard). Yet, this focus risks overshadowing the ongoing efforts of artists like LowKey, GENOCIDE, Omar Esa, and Abe Batshon, who have long been creating powerful music about these issues (Macklemore; LowKey).

There is a growing call for mainstream artists to leverage their influence in advocating for the Palestinian cause, emphasizing the power of collaboration and visibility. Just as Beyoncé highlighted lesser-known Black country artists through her recent album "Cowboy Carter," mainstream artists like Macklemore are encouraged to partner with consistently vocal artists to amplify messages of resistance and solidarity. This collaborative approach can significantly enhance awareness and impact, drawing attention to the injustices faced by Palestinians. Additionally, prominent individuals across various sectors—such as high-ranking government officials, politicians, professors, doctors, and lawyers—are urged to use their platforms to raise awareness about these issues.

Eddy Mack's album “The Art of War,” released on February 23, 2024, donates its social media revenue to the Palestinian cause, exemplifying a creative and impactful way to support the movement. Notably, a major Chicago hip-hop studio with connections to Chance the Rapper and Juice WRLD produced the collaborative album. By spanning various genres, Mack's project highlights the longstanding history and current struggles of Palestinians, demonstrating how art can be a powerful tool for advocacy and change (Eddy Mack).

The lyrics from Eddy Mack's song "My People," featuring Jazlynn Q, poignantly capture the dire situation in Gaza and the resilience of the Palestinian people:

"Entire family wiped out 

Babies getting burnt down 

Gaza turned to nothing, but we tell them we don't back down 

Hospitals, homes, and babies being burned down

We ask for freedom 

For our people 

Freedom 

For our people"

These lyrics, along with the broader efforts of artists and influential figures, illustrate how powerful messages of resistance and solidarity can be conveyed through music and other forms of creative expression.

Notably, most pro-Palestinian music has been produced by male artists, with few contributions from women and other marginalized perspectives. Desiree Dawson's song "A Day Will Come," released on November 23, 2023, stands out as one of the first from an American queer woman artist (Dawson). Highlighting these voices is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the movement and its diverse support base. Music has always been a powerful medium for resistance and liberation, offering a space for freedom, dreaming, and envisioning a just future. This spirit of dreaming and resistance is why DJ CAPTBLY named their playlist "A Day Will Come: Free Palestine! From LA to Gaza, with Love '24 ALLY Mix." By curating a diverse array of artists and genres, DJ CAPTBLY's playlist embodies the collective yearning for justice and freedom through the universal language of music.

The revolutionary nature of Black music has historically embodied messages of freedom and resistance, serving as a powerful tool for cross-racial coalition building and solidarity. The American drum set, for example, was inspired by Black American drummers incorporating elements from Chinese opera heard on opera boats along the Mississippi River (Hartigan). Contemporary collaborations, such as those between Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, reflect the roots of radical Afro-Asian partnerships. Musical superstar H.E.R., vocal about her identity as a Black American and Filipino woman, embedded this politic in her dedication to the George Floyd uprisings of 2020 with her Grammy Award-winning song "I Can’t Breathe" (H.E.R.). This legacy of coalition building is deeply rooted in the tradition of the 1955 Bandung Conference, which aimed at decolonization and solidarity between African and Asian states.

Global conflicts and diasporic struggles reveal interconnected narratives of oppression, resistance, and political turmoil. Alex Lubin's "Geographies of Liberation" explores how African American diasporic imagination has been influenced by Jewish diasporic politics and Zionism, drawing historical parallels between the experiences of African Americans and Palestinians (Lubin 47). This shared struggle highlights the interconnectedness of various oppressed communities, including Black, Brown, and Indigenous people in the U.S. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has intensified, affecting civilians and involving regional players. Similarly, the war in Yemen has caused a severe humanitarian crisis. The Sudan internal conflict, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, stems from the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, leading to a prolonged and complex war involving multiple regional actors. These present-day conflicts underscore the global nature of oppression and the need for international solidarity in addressing such crises. Music, as both a historical and contemporary tool, has played a crucial role in raising awareness and fostering solidarity around these issues, amplifying voices and uniting communities in the fight for justice.

Despite this powerful legacy, the silence from the music industry and higher education institutions regarding Palestinian issues prompts critical reflection. This silence reflects broader geopolitical agendas and investments that stifle essential conversations. Critiquing this silence can encourage more artists and academics to engage with these topics, fostering a more inclusive and active dialogue. In the face of widespread silence, it is evident that music serves not only as a tool for awareness and solidarity but also as a powerful call to action in the pursuit of justice and liberation. Macklemore's lyrics in "Hind's Hall" poignantly capture this sentiment:

"Undecided 

You can't twist the truth, the people out here united 

Never be defeated when freedom's on the horizon 

Yet the music industry's quiet, complicit in their platform of silence (hey, woo) 

What happened to the artist? What d'you got to say? 

If I was on a label, you could drop me today."

These lyrics underscore the complicity of silence and the urgent need for artists to use their platforms to advocate for truth and justice.

Music has always been a powerful tool for activism, and its role in the Palestinian liberation movement is no exception. From DJ CAPTBLY's playlist to the contributions of artists like Low-Key and Desiree Dawson, music fosters solidarity and raises awareness about the ongoing struggles of Palestinians. We must embrace a human-centered praxis that strives for the liberation of all oppressed people worldwide, highlighting the shared experiences of displacement and marginalization. These overlapping diasporas remind us of our interconnectedness. As we continue to support the Palestinian cause, let us remember the power of music as a tool for liberation and a call to action for continued solidarity and activism. Together, through the universal language of music, we can envision a hopeful future and work towards a world where justice and peace prevail.

Stream DJ CAPTBLY's playlist, "A Day Will Come: Free Palestine! From LA to Gaza, with love '24 ALLY Mix," here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5NKrgYsDBKXkP3CzLCxUic?si=c71c1ca8f24d4507

Works Cited

Billboard. "US Digital Song Sales." Billboard, 28 May 2023, www.billboard.com/charts/digital-song-sales.

Billboard. "US R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales." Billboard, 28 May 2024, www.billboard.com/charts/r-and-b-hip-hop-digital-song-sales.

DJ CAPTBLY. "A Day Will Come: Free Palestine! From LA to Gaza, with love '24 ALLY Mix." Spotify, https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5NKrgYsDBKXkP3CzLCxUic?si=c71c1ca8f24d4507. Accessed 28 May 2024.

Dawson, Desirée. “A Day Will Come.” Bandcamp, 28 Mar. 2024, https://desiree-dawson.bandcamp.com/track/a-day-will-come. Accessed 28 May 2024.

Eddy Mack, featuring Jazlynn Q. "My People." Art of the War, 2024.

Hartigan, Royal. "The American Drum Set: Black Musicians and Chinese Opera along the Mississippi River." Essay in Ho, Fred Wei-han, and Bill Mullen, Afro Asia: Revolutionary Political and Cultural Connections Between African Americans and Asian Americans. Durham: Duke University Press, 2008. Print.

H.E.R. "I Can't Breathe." I Can't Breathe, RCA Records, 19 June 2020.

LowKey. "Obama Nation." Soundtrack to the Struggle, 2011.

Lubin, Alex. Geographies of Liberation: The Making of an Afro-Arab Political Imaginary. 1st ed., The University of North Carolina Press, 2014.

Macklemore. "Hind's Hall." Hind's Hall, Bendo, 6 May 2024.

OneWorld. "Freedom for Palestine." Freedom for Palestine, 3 July 2011.

[delaneegail]

Blog Post 21 (Continuous post from Blog 19)

Gaza-Israel Conflict

Based on the short documentary we watched in class, I based my research on understanding the history of how the Israel government came to be with foreign help, such as the United States and Britain. I first found a website called Palestine Remix. This website gave detailed descriptions of Al Nakba, similar to the documentary. I was surprised to learn that the displacement of Palestinians began way before 1948. In this same website, I also found a live map that depicted how Jews began to move into Palestine. It showed how the Jewish population slowly began to grow, and how the Arab population slowly disappeared. Lastly, I based the rest of my research on why the United States has always supported Israel. I learned that the U.S. has sent billions of dollars of aid and military weapons to Israel. I have also learned that one of the main reasons for continuous support to Israel is for strategic interests in the Middle East. For example, having good relations with Israel has indirectly helped the U.S. have access to regional oil supply, which the U.S. is heavily dependent on. In conclusion, my quick research has helped me learn more about Palestinian displacement and the relationship between the U.S. and Israel.

"Al Nakba." Palestine Remix, Al Jazeera Media Network, remix.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/al-nakba.html#/17. Accessed 14 May 2024.

"Maps of Vanishing Palestine." Palestine Remix, Al Jazeera Media Network, remix.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/maps_main.html. Accessed 14 May 2024.

Narea, Nicole. "How the US became Israel's closest ally." Vox, 13 Oct. 2023, www.vox.com/world-politics/23916266/us-israel-support-ally-gaza-war-aid. Accessed 14 May 2024.