Introduction
Orientalism: the common contemptuous depiction and portrayal of the East (the Orient) by the West (the Occident), stressing its perpetual difference through asymmetrical power relations(colonialism) and constructions of fantasy (stereotypes).
Orientalism begets the subordination of “the East” through the mystification of Asia as the “perpetual foreigner”, thereby justifying oppressive practices of the West.
Colonialism: the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it–often with the assumption of the colonizer’s “superiority”
Settler Colonialism: a system of oppression based on genocide and colonialism which aims to displace and eliminate indigenous people and replace them with a new settler population.
Hernandez (2017) illustrates the notion of ‘settler colonialism’, which is a practice of seeking and forcibly taking land. “Settlers invade in order to stay and reproduce”, working to remove, dominate, and ultimately replace the Indigenous population. It seeks to block, erase, and remove indigenous population from settler’s claimed territory–establishing an asymmetrical relationship based on domination.
Specifically the oppression we seek to explore here, in its various and malleable forms, is a structure of power that is constructed, implemented, and maintained through frameworks of Orientalism. The Western perspective is one of perceived affluence, oftentimes portrayed as exemplar ideologies to be modeled after. The idea that Western governance and way of life are ideal standards for others to adopt is prevalent in media and education. It is important to consider the prominence of the Western perspective and how it justifies hierarchical injustices that are instilled within the communities it seeks to dominate. Exercising asymmetrical power relations, inhumane practices, subjugation of a community / group / nation based on the construction of the ‘racial Other’ is a phenomenon, tragically, seen throughout the globe. Understanding the tragedies of Palestinians and seeking for Palestine liberation is inextricably linked to the liberation of the APISAA community: “no one is free, until we are all free” [Martin Luther King Jr]
How Israel is Committing Genocide
Israel’s genocide, intent on not only eliminating Palestinian people, but all traces of Palestinian culture relies on explicit Orientalism where they target basic components of life to frame Palestinians as a “lesser” people. In both reporting and language used, there is differentiation between “animals” and people, with the former being cast towards Palestinians in a derogatory fashion.
Water Apartheid
After forced Israeli occupation in 1967, Israel took control of water and water-related infrastructure in occupied Palestine. Despite living in a region that is plentiful in water, Palestinians suffer from water scarcity. Approximately 96% of water is unfit for human consumption and wells yield less and less water. Military Order 158 dictates that Palestinians cannot construct water infrastructure in the absence of permission from the Israeli army. Because of this implemented law, many communities in rural areas have no access to running water. Palestinians have to rely on purchasing water from Israel. Yet, water deliveries are few and far in between–hardly capable of sustaining a population of people. The average Israeli consumes at least 200 liters of water while people in Gaza have access to less than 3 liters of water per day. 3 liters is the bare minimum to support basic human survival. The WHO also recommends 100 liters of water per day to meet basic human necessities. Additionally, the West Bank used to be an agricultural epicenter since produce flourished due to proximity to many water sources. Israeli occupation and strict rationing of water has severely decreased the land’s fertility.
Reduced agricultural richness creates unfavorable conditions for the Palestinian population to sustain themselves, an effect exacerbated by Israel stopping wastewater and desalination centers. This is a further attack on public health, creating an epicenter of diseases in the absence of basic sanitation facilities. In the meantime, while Palestinian death toll rises, Israeli companies like Mekorot make use of the water bodies in the occupied West Bank to sustain Israeli cities.
Israeli children swim in a pool at the Jewish settlement of Mevo’ot Yericho, in the Jordan Valley near the Palestinian city of Jericho (https://apnews.com/article/water-climate-change-drought-occupation-israel-palestinians-30cb8949bdb45cf90ed14b6b992b5b42)
A Palestinian boy rides a donkey through dry land in the northern Jordan Valley, West Bank (https://apnews.com/article/water-climate-change-drought-occupation-israel-palestinians-30cb8949bdb45cf90ed14b6b992b5b42)
Demolishing Palestinian Healthcare Infrastructure
Hospitals and medical centers are civilians and non-combatant objects. By targeting them, Israel signals intent to discourage any resistance by making Palestinians feel unsafe in every environment. Targeting medical centers also compromises physical safety where amputations and/or other traumatic injuries on Palestinians’ bodies are frequent. Some doctors have been operating without anesthesia, painkillers, or essentially any medical supplies. Over 1,000 children in Gaza have had at least one limb amputated, with many done without anesthesia and quickly. The lack of medical resources has caused people with treatable injuries to resort to amputation. The severity of the medical supplies and sanitary facilities shortage also means that treatment is not as effective as it would be under circumstances where medical centers were not targeted. Many people end up dying due to infections. The effects of having a destroyed healthcare system are long lasting, and people are unable to receive proper treatment to the point where both their bodies and minds have to deal with extremely stressful and traumatic conditions.
In addition to attacking medical facilities, Israel has targeted healthcare workers themselves, kidnapping at least 110 without any idea of whether they are still alive. More than 16 health care workers have been killed while on duty even though attacks on health care are forbidden by international humanitarian law. The deteriorating public health in Gaza, imposed by Israeli violence, has increased the magnitude of casualties.
Identity and Cultural Erasure
Israel has also been directing efforts to eradicate Palestinian nationalism in an attempt to remove any ties Palestinians have to their land. Appropriating Palestinian culture is a common method that Israel has resorted to in order to create a selective history overshadowing Palestinian origins. Food, in particular, is a narrative and a reflection of culture, one that Israel tries to manipulate in their favor. Oftentimes, foods like falafel, hummus, and shakshouka are labeled as Israeli, by not only Israel, but by the rest of the world, too, due to Israel’s silencing of Palestinian culture. By claiming products of the Palestinian identity (i.e. falafel and hummus) as Israeli, Israel attempts to assert themselves as more legitimate in an attempt to justify their numerous human rights violations.
Israel not only encroaches on land but also insists on invading cultural and educational domains. Israeli airstrikes have caused destruction of over 100 heritage sites, including but not limited to Gaza’s Central Archive, the Great Omari Mosque, Church of Saint Porphyrius, Rafah Museum, and various public libraries. By bombing heritage sites, Israel makes sure to disrupt uniquely Palestinian culture and history that has been passed down from generation to generation; destroying important markers of Palestinian history forces space for an Israeli narrative to be constructed. It destroys evidence that Israel is not the indigenous population native to the land.
Even religious centers are unsafe as Israel has a history of bombing on Ramadan. In particular, Israel actively takes down Ramadan decor, restricts worship and religious practices, removes Arabic from signs, and changes Palestinian street names. Al-Aqsa, a mosque center, is regularly surveyed; Al-Aqsa is a beacon of Palestinian culture and symbolizes one of the few domains that Palestinians still exercise autonomy in. Surveillance is often followed by attacks on worshippers in the complex, including beating, shooting, and gassing them. Disruption of Ramadan acts as a blockade against religious practices that Palestinians find crucial to their own identity and culture, furthering Israel’s activity to fragment any and all related to the Palestinian identity. Upon Palestine retaliation, Israel then uses the Palestinian sentiment to justify their ethnic cleansing, a narrative bought by the Western perspective.
Additionally advancing Israeli motives is the targeting of schools and children as well as eradicating entire generations. Many lineages in Palestine have tragically been martyred as well as the eldest living in Palestine. Entire generations of those celebrated for their artistic works, intellectual achievements, and more have also been targeted and eliminated by Israel. Refaat Alareer, Mohammed Qeyeqa, Dr. Hammam Alloh, Hamza Dahdouh, and Muhammad Hassan Muhammad Assaf are horrifically a few out of the countless who have been brutally murdered. When it comes to children, Israel often inflicts social suffering and trauma, ultimately disabling Palestinians. To Israel, bodies are political statements, and Palestinians are reduced to a “body”. The whole existence of the Palestinian body is symbolic of resistance against occupation, a reminder that despite genocide, Palestine is still fighting for the rights to their own land. Attacks against Palestinians, especially children, have an intent of amputation in order to physically represent identity fragmentation. As per familiar pattern, Israel resorts to dehumanizing children to minimize the severity of their war crimes and human rights violations. As Meirav Ben-Ari, an Israeli politician, claims: “the children of Gaza have brought this upon themself”, with “this” in particular referring to repetitive genocidal injustices and violence. Not only that but Israel is psychologically targeting children as well where they are often exposed to daily violences that inflicts trauma. It is also not uncommon for children to be kidnapped, often depriving them of a right to be with their parents if they are still alive. By attempting to destroy childhood, innocence and hope is also inadvertently at stake–all of which Israel hopes to stamp out.
Broadcasting all aforementioned are the Palestinian journalists and digital creators in Gaza. Wearing press vests, they risk their lives to document the indescribable amount of loss and suffering that Palestinians have to survive through every day, despite the destructive repercussions. International humanitarian laws dictates clearly that journalists and media workers in areas of armed conflict are to be protected. Yet, this is disregarded as they are targets of Israel. Many of these Palestinian creators, alongside their families, have been killed by strikes and air raids. Starting from October 7, 2023, at least 100 journalists were killed by Israel as of December 23rd, 2023. Wearing a press vest has wrongly morphed into a target for Palestinian journalists, causing some to remove their press vests out of fear for their safety as well as their families’. To attack civilians and media professionals is considered to be a war crime, yet Israel’s continuous decision to target them is an indicator of intent beyond a self-proclaimed defense against terrorism and anti-semitism. The refusal of Western media organizations to recognize Israel’s actions as war crimes also signals an immoral bias which the following section will delve more into.
Tools of Empire
Media Complicity
The media plays a significant role in how the genocide is perceived by those around the globe, as it is how people are able to learn about what is happening in Palestine. Because of this, the media can be weaponized to influence public perception and reinforce orientalism, justifying the oppression and violence that Palestinians have been facing. Through intentional media depictions and language choices, Palestians have been dehumanized and degraded by the media. When Palestinians are killed by Israeli airstrikes, they have only “died” and were not “killed”. When Palestinian children are killed, they are not described as children, but rather as “people under 18” who have died. When Palestinians are forcibly captured by Israeli forces, they are called “prisoners”, and not “hostages”. Although it is abundantly clear that they are victims of a genocide, the media creates a less sympathetic light around their lives, leading to the public to believe that they are the perpetrators.
Additionally, the delivery of the media can be altered to censor Palestinian content and change public perception of Palestinians. Instagram stories and posts from Palestinian creators and journalists are hidden, and their content is repetitively marked for unrelated tags such as “nudity”, leading to some of those who may have come across the content to just scroll past. There is also a pattern of seeing Palestinian men excluded in media reporting. This implies that their lives are valueless, and supports the narrative that Palestinian men are terrorists and/or criminals and thus, their deaths are deserved.
Televised grief is an important concept to be acknowledged as well. Due to how Orientalism has manifested in the media, Palestinians have to “prove” themselves to be human beings who have been subjected to ethnic cleansing. Throughout this genocide, they have had to film themselves grieving, the bodies of those martyred, bombings, and so much more just to show that they are subjected to genocide. They do not have the proper spaces to grieve because it has to be documented for the world to believe and understand the pain they are being put through.
Degradation and dehumanization of the Palestinian perspective in favor of Israeli propaganda ultimately manifests in the manner that the media chooses to report and refrain from reporting. All microaggressions accumulate in the repetitive choice to refer to Israeli occupation as a “conflict” rather than war, genocide, invasion, or colonialism. Conflict entirely reframes the situation, and Western journalism, while it should be unbiased, instead reaffirms Orientalism. By stressing it as conflict, this model insinuates both Israel and Palestine as equals in the gravity of their actions. This, aided by dehumanization of Palestinian, presents Israel as a dominant source of information–a perspective further supported by their stronger ties and alliances with the Western world. The scale of power tips to favor Israel, posing Palestinian events in reference to the Israeli perspective and both consciously and subconsciously minimizing their voices. The media’s choice to address Palestinians as “Gazan” instead also serves as evidence of media siding with Israel; this framing diverts any ownership of identity and the land. On the other hand, when it comes to Palestinian resistance, there is no vague reference to “Gazans”. Freedom fighters are explicitly labeled as representatives of deemed “terrorist” groups to discredit the Palestinian fight for self-determination. These so-called “terrorist” groups By shying away from correctly labeling the situation as colonialism, genocide, and/or war, multiple media outlets fail to report unbiasedly, instead aligning themselves with Israel and shrouding the Israeli colonization of Palestinians.
Militarism
We are indebted to community leaders and organizers in the creation of this section, and would like to extend our gratitude to their efforts in mobilization within the past semester as well as the insights on these topics they have graciously provided.
Eurocentric values have been normalized to be in respect to morality and ethnicity, due to the harmful repetition of settler colonialism. With continuous occupation of other lands, the subjugation of ethnic groups deemed lesser in reference to Eurocentric values have been normalized in favor of using the land for both militaristic advantages. Militarism, in particular, has a linkage to economic benefits in order to gain more control and power–however, there is no regard to the native populations or lands. The effects are long lasting, where many countries and people are still suffering from the aftermath–or in some cases, the continuation–of occupation. In this article, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Japan, and the Philippines will be discussed in relation to Palestine, but it is important to note that the repercussions of militarism extend beyond the scope of the article.
→ Vietnam / American War
There are various unsettling similarities between the Vietnam War and the struggle for a free Palestine that reinforced our interconnected struggle: (1) media framing, (2) strategic and militaristic resemblance, and (3) means of resistance.
Both imbalanced media framing and managed propaganda were used in the Vietnam War, which can also be currently observed in the Palestine genocide. Israel has been killing Palestinians, destroying homes, and stealing lands for almost every week for the past 2 decades. Yet, there was barely any condemnation from US politicians nor the news media. The same means of omission can also be seen during the Vietnam War. The rampant relentless bombing campaign in Vietnam (i.e. Operation Rolling Thunder), massacre (e.g. the 1968 My Lai) and atrocities (e.g. Napalm, Operation Ranch Hand) committed by the U.S military was never condemned by any U.S. politicians. Obama (2016) did make a public acknowledgement of the atrocities and pain committed by the U.S during the Vietnam War, and that is it. Such acknowledgement never grew into the fruition of an apology. Fabrications and omissions were part of a political agenda that tried to rally national support for the Vietnam war; and now managed media framing is part of the political agenda that is complicit in the violence and pain incurred by Gaza–and Palestians at large.
There are also various unsettling resemblances between the strategic and military tactics used in Vietnam that are currently being deployed against Palestinians. During the Vietnam War, the U.S deployed Operation Ranch Hand and Agent Orange against Vietnamese civilians. These encompassed the use of chemicals like herbicides, which have resulted in drastic genetic mutilation and complications–its effects are still felt now by post-war generation offsprings. A similarity can be made for Israel’s unlawful use of white phosphorus in their military operations in Gaza. White phosphorus puts civilians at risk of serious long-term injuries; especially when used in Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas in the world, aggravates the risk to civilians and violates international humanitarian law. Moreover, Vietnam witnessed the ceaseless devastation caused by the U.S bombing campaigns–known as Operation Rolling Thunder. This is akin to the same sight of tragedy faced by Palestinians daily inflicted by various bombing campaigns. Almost all bombs dropped belong to the U.S-designed Mk80 family, which has been in service since the Vietnam War. The use of IDF fighter jets and bombing apartment buildings and office towers in Gaza was also witnessed in the Vietnam War. Lastly, Gaza’s tunnels bear a strategic resemblance to the Viet Cong’s tunnel system in Cu Chi province, Vietnam. The maze of constricted passageways both served a similar function for both Vietnamese and Palestinians: supply storage and operational bases. This reiterates the extent to which many Palestinians currently must go to ensure their security and resistance.
A final similarity between the Vietnamese and Palestinians struggle for freedom can be seen in through Palestinian freedom fighters and activists, who have drawn inspiration from the Viet Cong forces–the North Vietnamese army. There is a shared political rhetoric and means of resistance; Palestinian fighters even referred to their conflict as the ‘Second Vietnam’. Both nations struggle(d) against imperial aggression: Palestinian freedom fighters identified with Vietnamese liberationists. Insofar as even including declarations condemning U.S imperialism in Vietnam in their public speeches and political platforms, emphasizing the notion that “the Vietnamese and Palestinian people have much in common, just like two people suffering from the same illness” [General Vo Nguyen Giap, North Vietnamese army commander].
→ Carpet Bombing Campaigns: Cambodia & Laos
During the Vietnam War, on top of the various bombing campaigns in Vietnam territory, President Nixon authorized a secretive and extensive bombing campaigns in Cambodia and Laos. These campaigns are known as Operation Menu (1965-73) and Operation Barrel Roll (1964-73), aiming to target Cambodia and Laos with the goal of disrupting North Vietnamese supply lines and militarily sanctuaries–which extended into these countries through the Ho Chi Minh trail. The extensive campaigns resulted in significant civilian casualties, akin to the chilling similar experience of Palestinians, where hundreds of 2000-pound bombs have been dropped sparingly by Western militaries. The bombing campaigns in Palestine aim to indiscriminately target civilians for the sake of eliminating Hamas, in the same manner that US-authorized carpet bombing campaigns in Cambodia and Laos aimed to eradicate North Vietnamese. Therefore, our solidarity and efforts in mobilization for Palestine freedom is tied to our freedom, where our ancestors have been made victims of the same violence.
[left] Laos, 1960s [right] Gaza, 2024
On the left is an image of a Lao child sitting atop an unexploded 1,000-pound aerial bomb manufactured and dropped by the U.S on his village. On the right is Palestinian children standing next to an unexploded bomb dropped by an Israeli F-16 on the town of Deir Balah. Palestinian youths today form part of an unbroken chain extending back to the 1960s–a chain which millions of Global South grew up in the controlled-hands of the American empire. The intensity of the recent bombardments will have a devastating impact on children and their families for generations to come. “Only time and distance separate the two images: they are otherwise the same.” [Palestinian Youth Movement, 2024]
→ Japanese Incarceration which mirrors Palestinian incarceration
Following the Pearl Harbour attack, just two months later (February 1942), President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 that resulted in the internment of Japanese Americans. Motivated by a wave of anti-Japanese, suspicion, and fear which have led to an adoption of such a policy that drastically uprooted the lives of Japanese residents, citizens and alien-status bearing. Virtually all Japanese Americans were forced to uproot their lives, leaving their homes and properties–living in camps for most of the War. U.S government cited national security as justification for such drastic policy, irrespective of its violation of many essential constitutional rights of Japanese Americans
The same intensity of imprisonment can currently be seen in Palestine. As of November 1, 2023 Israeli authorities held nearly 7,000 Palestinians from the occupied territory in detention for alleged security offenses. The majority have never been convicted of a crime and have been detained without a charge or trial by the Israeli military. Such detention can be renewed indefinitely based on secret information–which the detainee is not permitted to see. Administrative detainees are held on the presumption that they might commit an offense at some point in the future–the same sort of suspicion and fear the U.S held during their policy of mass Japanese incarceration. Moreover, approximately 50% of Palestinian child detainees are held in prisons in Israel, where they are subjected to ill-treatments from an institutionalized process of oppression via imprisonment: a breach of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
→ Philippines: Targeting Indigenous Populations & Continued Militarism
The Philippines is another demonstration of settler colonialism, the repercussions persisting even to the modern day despite the physical withdrawal of white settlements. The Philippines has a history marred by imperialism and colonialism with one of the most critical time periods during the Spanish-American War. In the aftermath, the Philippines became a territorial claim of the United States. Tensions later accumulated where Filipinos fought for independence in the Philippine-American War.
Indigenous people in the Bangsamoro region of the Philippines have been fighting for self-determination since the beginning of the colonialism era. Later labeled as the Moros–“moro”, with origins from Spain, and later coined by the Philippines to specifically label Muslim indigenous people–the fight for autonomy came to a crux in the Philippine American War. The United States military focused efforts on violenting subduing and overpowering the Moro population where massacres were repeated. Violence was a tool to induce pacificity from the Moro in order to take advantage of their resources as well to assert economic and military dominance. When the Moro would respond to US massacres, the United States was quick to label their actions as “rebellions” and “armed conflicts”. This pattern unfortunately continues to the modern-day where the Filipino government continues to target indigenous populations in order to make way for foreign expenditures and businesses. Upon retaliation against attacks, indigenous people are labeled as communists, a criminalization tactic known as “Red tagging”. It is important to note that communism and suspicion of communism is not a valid reason to target and attack people.
These tragedies hold parallels to the Palestine conflict as a reminder of settler colonialism’s devastating effects: inflicted brutality onto a native population where any following actions of defense are claimed as violent and savage in order to villainize the indigenous populations. The Moro were presented as primitive and fierce people to justify US imperialism while current Filipino indigenous groups are falsely portrayed as communists. The struggles indigenous Filipinos had to face throughout history draws parallels to Palestine’s resistance, where Palestinians are ubiquitously referred to as “Hamas”, insinuating them as terrorists in order to justify Israeli airstrikes and bombings on civilians.
The Philippines’ struggle also resonates with Palestine’s when it comes to militarism, particularly with the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation is an exhibit of how Western nations gain power from militarism. Otherwise known as APEC, they claim to be a forum “to leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia Pacific… [and to] aim to create greater prosperity for the people…” This is untrue because many of their initiatives have been driven towards empowering corporations and fueling capitalism at the expense of impoverishing communities. APEC has also shown repetitive behavior of maintaining a skewed balance disfavoring “underdeveloped” countries, where these labels are often framed by first-world Western countries. The United States is a leading advocate in APEC where the 2023 conference was even held in San Francisco. This past APEC was especially crucial in relations to the Palestinian genocide as many ventures discussed at APEC concerned companies and initiatives that fuel militarism. The Philippines and United States roles in APEC were especially scrutinized, though for different reasons.
The United States was heavily criticized for their active alliance with Israel. As a host of APEC, this only worsened the situation, leading many to protest in the streets of San Francisco. In addition, US companies like Boeing and Chevron are sponsors of APEC, so APEC policies are geared towards supporting such companies. Chevron in particular is shielded by APEC’s vision of creating a “sustainable future” despite buying gas fields that are on Israel-occupied land. Foreign investments are proof that first-world countries like the United States are not bystanders but active perpetrators and supporters of settler colonialism.
Not only that, but the Philippines under the Marcos regime has thrown away serving the country in order to serve as a stepping stool for the United States. President Marcos Hr. has not only demonstrated complicity by maintaining the United States military bases that occupy Filipino land but has also actively worked to ensure the lives of Filipinos as currency. This past APEC, deals that have been made include a partnership between Meralco, an energy company, and Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation. The Philippines has been affirmed as a stepping stool for foreign powers where foreign investments are being made without any stated plans to further develop the Philippines nor stabilize the Philippines’ economy. Other initiatives President Marcos Jr. has advocated for during his rule include the 123 Agreement supporting US militarism–which was passed; increased push for further export and trafficking of Filipino workers; and ignorance of hate crimes and issues that plague the Philippines’ sociopolitical spheres.
The Philippines and Palestine are victims to the blatant offenses that so-called unions between countries claim as actions towards “world peace”. Foreign expenditures are made on native lands, holding no care or regard towards the indigenous populations that have lost their lives to protect the basic right to live. Tragically, militarism is a strategy for Western nations to maintain their spheres of influence at the expense of humanity. The struggle of Palestinians resonates with many Filipinos and Filipino-Americans, leading to many protests and initiatives organized to show solidarity with Palestinians.
Solidarity
First and foremost, APISAA solidarity with Palestinians is not disconnected—we are all facing the same mode of oppression. We must recognize the terrors that settler colonialism afflicts and the longstanding effects of violence. “None of us are free until we are all free.”
Boycotts
There are many ways in which you can help in the mobilization for Palestinian liberation. Boycotting brands that support and/or fund Israel has been a popular step for many, whether it is Starbucks, McDonald’s, or Walt Disney. In order to maximize the effectiveness of boycotting, it is vital to check which boycott targets should be prioritized. Many graphics shown on social media can include hundreds of brands, but It is not realistic for any single person to remember and boycott all of them. Furthermore, some companies/products may be more easily boycotted in certain cities or contexts than others, so it is important to focus on what is most effective when it comes to supporting Palestinian liberation. Focusing on a smaller, more manageable number of brands that have proven to play a part in supporting Israel’s crimes makes for a more effective and efficient boycott movement. The graphic below–provided by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement–categories key companies that can be boycotted for different reasons:
Consumer boycott targets, such as Puma and HP, are companies where they have a “proven record of complicity in Israeli apartheid”. The BDS movement has advocated and continues to advocate for a complete boycott of brands under this category, and boycotting them would lead to maximum impacts. For divestment and exclusion targets, the BDS movement has listed companies that they are pressuring systems like governments and investment funds to either divest from or exclude from procurement contracts. Pressure targets are companies with appropriate substitutes where the BDS movement advocates to, as the name suggests, pressure these companies. Pressure target companies comprise Google, Disney, and Expedia, to name a few. Lastly, companies that are organic boycott targets are boycott campaigns that were initiated by different movements and not the BDS, but are still complicit in Israel’s genocide. The BDS movement supports boycott campaigns against these companies, like McDonald’s and Burger King. As mentioned above, Starbucks is a brand that is more widely known as part of the boycotting initiatives, but is not shown in the graphic. However, this does not take away from the need to continue boycotting it; graphics such as the one above are not exhaustive lists of companies to stop supporting by any means. Again, it is not expected that every person boycotts every company on boycott lists, as there may not be reasonable alternatives accessible to every person, but choosing a few companies to actively and continuously boycott can make a great impact.
On the other side of boycotting, a key component to supporting Palestine is buying from businesses that support Palestine, like Raising Cane’s, as well as local Palestinian-owned businesses. It is also critical to boycott Israeli companies as well, especially those that rely on appropriating Palestinian culture. Businesses like these are especially prominent in the food industry with Tatte Bakery in D.C. as a prime example.
Uplifting Palestinian Voices
It is important to note that when engaging with Palestine-related content, sharing and uplifting Palestinian voices as opposed to Western voices is crucial. While sharing Western voices can be done with good intentions, this only perpetuates Orientalism further, and paints Westerners out to be “more knowledgeable” than those who are actually experiencing the suffering first-hand. This ties into directing the focus to standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people, and not solidarity with corrupt leadership and government. We should aim to amplify the voices of Palestinian, not speak for them.
Self-Education & Media Literacy
Given the manners in which media can be altered when presented to the general public, self-education and media literacy is crucial now more than ever. Because we view so much information and content online, we have the resources to educate ourselves on what is happening, but we must also stay aware of how we are consuming these resources. When coming across Palestine-related content, continue to engage with it and educate yourself. Palestinians experiencing the genocide and taking the time to document these atrocities are not doing so because they want to, but because they need to, so that the world can see just how horrific this genocide is through their eyes. So the world can see the reality, unmasking neutral terms used by popular news outlets to absolve the real tragedy of this genocide.
We can show that we support Palestinian liberation by interacting with and sharing their content. If the content is not created by or being posted by Palestinians themselves, we must inform ourselves on double standards when it comes to using language to frame Palestinian oppression. This is vital to the fight for Palestinian freedom, as addressed by the “Media Complicity” section above.
Cease Fire & Beyond
We are heavily indebted to the knowledge and content provision of the Palestinian Youth Movement in the creation of this section.
It is beyond evident that a cease fire is necessary, lest the civilian death toll and genocide of Palestinian peoples will continue to skyrocket beyond our conceivable imagination. In a historic atrocity such as this, where violence has moved beyond conflict and into extensive, inhumane war crimes and the resulting loss of immeasurable innocent lives, the imposition of a cease fire by world powers such as the U.S. would halt any further genocide. A cease fire would enable global aid organizations to provide medical supplies, food and water, and relief for civilians who are currently being attacked. However, a cease fire is only the beginning.
The urgency of a ceasefire cannot be overstated, but there are also a multitude of demands put forward, eloquently put together by various grassroot movements and mobilization initiatives (e.g. the Palestinian Youth Movement). 4 demands emerge: (1) lifting the siege of Gaza now, (2) the release of all Palestinian prisoners from imprisonment, (3) an end to the 75-year occupation and settler-colonization of Palestine, and (4) an end to the Western complicity in Zionism.
Gaza cannot merely be rebuilt after a ceasefire unless the siege ends. A ceasefire must include lifting the siege to allow accessibility and availability of vital resources (e.g. food, medicine, fuel, economic goods, and building supplies) to be moved freely between Gaza.
Palestinian prisoners are held without trials or charge, for various months and even years; facing routined torture and denial of family visits and medical care. Without the release of all Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire is unattainable.
The Zionist settler project has been enduring for 75 years, and is still in a phase of active expansion. The need to end military occupation and to the regime of Zionism across all our lands is the precondition for lasting peace in Palestine.
A ceasefire will never be realized nor last if Western complicity in Zionism does not cease. Annually, the US, Britain, and other Western governments write blank checks and provide diplomatic cover for Israel to continue its genocide of Palestinians. Ending Western complicity is inextricably linked to ending violence.
⇒ we need more than a ceasefire for liberation, for a free Palestine.
- The Activist
Bibliography
Alamaro, Moshe. “Israel Falls into the ‘Vietnam Trap’: Increasingly Brutal Tactics Will Only Lead to Disaster.” Salon, Salon.com, 31 Oct. 2023, www.salon.com/2023/10/28/israel-falls-into-the-vietnam-trap-increasingly-brutal-tactics-will-only-lead-to-disaster/.
Al-Haq. “Israel’s Violations of Human Rights Regarding Water and Sanitation in the Op.” United Nations, United Nations, 9 Jan. 2011, www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-195880/
Buccino, Joe. “Hamas’s Tunnel Warfare Harks Back to the Viet Cong.” Foreign Policy, Foreign Policy, 1 Nov. 2023, foreignpolicy.com/2023/11/01/gaza-hamas-israel-idf-tunnel-warfare-vietnam-viet-cong/.
Fisher, Max. “Obama, Acknowledging U.S. Misdeeds Abroad, Quietly Reframes American Power.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 Sept. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/09/08/world/americas/obama-acknowledging-us-misdeeds-abroad-quietly-reframes-american-power.html.
“Gaza Media Office Says 100 Journalists Killed Since Israeli Attacks Began.” Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 23 Dec. 2023, www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/23/gaza-media-office-says-100-journalists-killed-since-israeli-attacks-began.
Hearst, Katherine. “Over 1,000 Children in Gaza Have Limbs Amputated, UNICEF Says.” Middle East Eye, Middle East Eye, 29 Dec. 2023, www.middleeasteye.net/news/war-gaza-israel-palestine-over-1000-children-have-limbs-amputated-unicef.
Hernandez, Kelly-Lytle. “Introduction.” City of Inmates: Conquest, Rebellion, and the Rise of Human Caging in Los Angeles, 1771-1965, University of North Carolina Press, 2017.
“Israel: White Phosphorus Used in Gaza, Lebanon.” Human Rights Watch, 13 Oct. 2023, www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/12/israel-white-phosphorus-used-gaza-lebanon.
“Israeli Forces Blow Up UNRWA School in Northern Gaza.” Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 12 Dec. 2023, www.aljazeera.com/program/newsfeed/2023/12/12/israeli-forces-blow-up-unrwa-school-in-northern-gaza.
Jamal, Urooba. “Why Does Israel Target Palestinian Hospitals? Psyops, Say Analysts.” Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 20 Nov. 2023, www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/11/20/why-does-israel-target-palestinian-hospitals-psyops-say-analysts.
“Japanese-American Incarceration during World War II.” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, www.archives.gov/education/lessons/japanese-relocation. Accessed 13 Jan. 2024.
Johnson, Emerican. “Vietnam and Palestine: A History of Revolutionary Solidarity.” NonCompete Content Cooperative, 10 Oct. 2023, www.non-compete.com/blog/2023/10/09/vietnam-and-palestine-a-history-of-revolutionary-solidarity/.
Kohn, Margaret and Kavita Reddy, "Colonialism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2023 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.), https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2023/entries/colonialism/
Lovering, Daniel. “Laos: Exploding the past.” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, vol. 56, no. 5, 2000, pp. 28–34, https://doi.org/10.2968/056005009.
MarshallV. “Japanese American Incarceration: The National WWII Museum: New Orleans.” The National WWII Museum | New Orleans, The National World War II Museum, 11 July 2018.
Military Court Watch, www.militarycourtwatch.org/page.php Accessed 13 Jan. 2024.
Ofir, Jonathan, et al. “Israeli Politician Says ‘Children of Gaza Have Brought This upon Themselves.’” Truthout, Truthout, 19 Oct. 2023, truthout.org/articles/israeli-politician-says-children-of-gaza-have-brought-this-upon-themselves/.
“Palestinian Youth Movement on Instagram.” Instagram, www.instagram.com/p/C0xGxS0gVlv/?hl=en&g=5&img_index=1. Accessed 13 Jan. 2024.
PETER JI. “Vietnam and Palestine: Victims of Imperialism.” Letter, 17 Nov. 2016, www.jhunewsletter.com/article/2016/11/vietnam-and-palestine-victims-of-imperialism/.
Peters, Toko. “Discrimination and Violence Against Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines.” Spheres of Influence, Spheres of Influence, 3 Aug. 2022, spheresofinfluence.ca/discrimination-and-violence-against-indigenous-peoples-in-the-philippines/.
Qiblawi, Tamara. “‘Not Seen since Vietnam’: Israel Dropped Hundreds of 2,000-Pound Bombs on Gaza, Analysis Shows.” CNN, Cable News Network, 22 Dec. 2023, www.cnn.com/gaza-israel-big-bombs/index.html.
Said, Edward. “Orientalism.” Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1979.
“Settler Colonialism.” Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, May 2022, www.law.cornell.edu/wex/settler_colonialism.
Shamallakh, Razan. “‘I Still Hear the Bombs’: Gaza’s Traumatised Children.” The New Arab, The New Arab, www.newarab.com/analysis/i-still-hear-bombs-gazas-traumatised-children. Accessed 13 Jan. 2024.
“The Occupation of Water.” Amnesty International, 5 Aug. 2022, www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2017/11/the-occupation-of-water/.
“US Has ‘moral Obligation’ to Help Laos Heal Vietnam War Wounds, Obama Says.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 6 Sept. 2016, www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/06/obama-laos-moral-obligation-vietnam-war.
Veltman, Chloe. “More Than 100 Gaza Heritage Sites Have Been Damaged or Destroyed by Israeli Attacks.” NPR, NPR, 3 Dec. 2023, www.npr.org/2023/12/03/1216200754/gaza-heritage-sites-destroyed-israel.
Shakir, Omar. “Why Does Israel Have So Many Palestinians in Detention and Available to Swap?” Human Rights Watch, 30 Nov. 2023, www.hrw.org/news/2023/11/29/why-does-israel-have-so-many-palestinians-detention-and-available-swap.