tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83364545758886800842024-03-13T07:28:21.358-07:00Students for Justice in Palestine at University of MarylandUMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-26063228012831149142017-03-24T18:22:00.000-07:002017-03-24T18:30:05.346-07:00Why is Israel scared of accusations of apartheid?<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Why is
Israel scared of accusations of apartheid?</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">By: Nathan Feldman</span></span></div>
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Recently,
the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) released a human
rights report on Israeli practices that concluded, from Reuters, that “Israel
has established an apartheid regime that dominates the Palestinian people as a
whole”. This report, published by Richard Falk, is the first of its kind
originating from the UN. Soon after, the Israeli government, the Trump
administration, and the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres pressured Rima
Khalaf, the head of ESCWA, to rescind the report. She refused and instead
resigned in protest through a series of actions thoroughly outlined by Glenn
Greenwald of <i>The Intercept </i>(article
linked at bottom).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, my
personal view is that this report is both accurate and long overdue, and it was
a pleasant surprise that a UN agency was finally recognizing the harsh reality
of apartheid Palestinians face every day. While ideologues from all sides could
debate this fact indefinitely, many legitimate responses were available to
Israel and the Trump administration that were not used. The Trump
administration could have merely issued a statement in line with its own
ideological beliefs slamming the report as “offensive”, the Israeli government
could have merely likened the report to “Nazi propaganda”, and allowed
discussion to continue. The Secretary General of the UN could have, for his
part, distanced himself from the report without taking further action. But
these parties did not stop there.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Instead,
Antonio Guterres, in acquiescence to the Israeli and US governments, decided to
pressure ESCWA to rescind its report from the Internet entirely, which it
eventually did. This was a blatant act
of censorship against 18 Arab and Muslim majority nations, an act sure to inflame
governments and individuals across the Middle East and North Africa. Blatantly
censoring a human rights report for taking a particular ideological stance on a
topic brings us just another step closer to authoritarianism both at home and
abroad. The ease with which President
Trump was able to censor this report should especially concern other groups
which he and his administration have targeted for their stance on Israel across
the political spectrum from J Street to pro-BDS organizations. If the UN is not
a valid stage for these groups to voice their concerns, where should they seek
to address Israel’s ongoing apartheid and occupation?</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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Ironically,
this act of censorship only serves to confirm the beliefs of those sympathetic
to the Palestinian cause, and rightly so. Moving forward, we at UMD SJP intend
to hold Israel and other institutions complicit in the occupation accountable
through our campus boycott effort and through open forums in which we discuss
the conditions Palestinians must deal with every day of their lives. We will
not succumb to bullying campaigns from outside groups wishing to silence our
message.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The original UN report can be found here:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/landmark-un-report-backs-israel-boycott">https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/landmark-un-report-backs-israel-boycott</a>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Referenced Links:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-report-idUSKBN16M2IN">http://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-report-idUSKBN16M2IN</a>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<a href="https://theintercept.com/2017/03/18/trump-administration-ousts-un-official-to-protect-israel-from-criticism/">https://theintercept.com/2017/03/18/trump-administration-ousts-un-official-to-protect-israel-from-criticism/</a><br />
Sign out BDS petition here:<br />
https://www.change.org/p/president-loh-and-the-sga-support-boycott-divestment-and-sanctions-at-umd?recruiter=687453245&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-90895959756882606022014-12-05T09:34:00.004-08:002014-12-08T15:03:00.420-08:00"On The Side of the Road" Film and Q&A<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rc-90Ar4n50/VIYuCfMPHvI/AAAAAAAAAOA/WdtXTzQ_tjE/s1600/tarachansky_flyer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rc-90Ar4n50/VIYuCfMPHvI/AAAAAAAAAOA/WdtXTzQ_tjE/s1600/tarachansky_flyer.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ubI9z0SL9qs/VIYuEolNwqI/AAAAAAAAAOI/_ErR-VCSytg/s1600/tarachansky_directions.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ubI9z0SL9qs/VIYuEolNwqI/AAAAAAAAAOI/_ErR-VCSytg/s1600/tarachansky_directions.png" /></a></div>
<br />UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-25944882889155051762014-11-20T08:09:00.000-08:002014-11-20T08:09:09.984-08:00We Should Hold Israel Accountable for its Human Rights ViolationsBy William Matchin<br /><br /><span class="first-paragraph">
<span class="paragraph-0"></span></span><br />
Two weeks ago,
Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Ron Dermer, gave a lecture at the
Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies at this university. His
fundamental point was that we shouldn’t hold Israel to normal standards
of international law because Israel has unique security concerns. The
take-home message was that when Israel kills Palestinians and maintains
an illegal occupation, we shouldn’t complain too much.<br />
<span class="paragraph-1"><br />
Dermer pointed to
Israel’s small size as evidence of this position. “Tactical threats”
become “strategic threats,” because Israel’s small size means that
military operations and rocket fire threaten its existence. Because of
this, Israel is justified in bombing Gaza, which included the killing of
500 innocent children, because it “can’t afford to make any mistakes.”
Likewise, Israel is justified in maintaining the brutal occupation of
the West Bank and its illegal settlements.</span>
<br />
<div class="p402_hide no-images no-quotes no-pagination view-standard">
<div id="in-story">
</div>
</div>
<br />
One wonders whether Israel’s actions are truly
motivated by security concerns. However, it is clear that the policy
Israel has pursued, with U.S. complicity, has less to do with security
and more to do with the expansion of Israel and the acquisition of
resources because this policy exacerbates legitimate Israeli security
problems at the expense of its people.<br />
<br />
Let’s apply Dermer’s logic to the Palestinian
perspective. The Palestinian territories are smaller than Israel.
Because Israel has repeatedly terrorized Palestinians, wouldn’t
Palestinians be concerned? Would Palestinians feel safe surrounded by
those who repeatedly have bulldozed their homes? With this logic, the
Palestinians should be asking for an expansion of a Palestinian state
into Israeli territory, walls that break up the Israeli population and a
military presence inside Israel.<br />
<br />
However, Palestinians are not asking for more
rights than they are entitled to. The current president<br />
of the
Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, who is pursuing a two-state
settlement in response to the overwhelming international consensus,
declared, “The government would be under my command and my policy. … I
recognize Israel, and it would recognize Israel. I reject violence and
terrorism.”<br />
The ambassador stated that even if Palestinian
leaders were to accept a two-state settlement, the Israeli government
couldn’t trust this to percolate to the Palestinians. In other words,
Israel will never accept an agreement because you can’t trust the
terrorist snakes; you just have to occupy their land<br />
forever.<br />
<br />
Israel is asking for lowered standards, but the
world is not asking for much. All the world asks is for Israel to obey
the law. The occupation is illegal — international law dictates “the
inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war.” The separation
wall of the West Bank is illegal — the International Court of Justice
ruled that “the construction of the wall, and its associated régime, are
contrary to international law,” and the international community has
repeatedly condemned the illegal settlements.<br />
<br />
Moreover, U.S. aid to Israel is illegal under
U.S. law. The “Leahy Law” prohibits the funding by the U.S. government
to foreign entities that are consistent human rights violators,
including Israel, as documented by Amnesty International, Human Rights
Watch and B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in
the Occupied Territories. It is deeply hypocritical for us as U.S.
citizens to condemn human rights violations elsewhere and to continue to
support them in the Palestinian-occupied territories.<br />
<br />
I can’t be too frustrated with Dermer over these
issues because his job is to sell his country’s interests to the U.S.
population. I can be appalled at us. We listen to Dermer and our own
politicians’ morally degenerate arguments, funding Israel’s defiance of
international law. Let’s hold Israel and ourselves to the same standards
to which we hold other countries and enforce the law to let the Israeli
and Palestinian people live in peace.<br />
<br /> <br />
(also published in the Diamondback on Tuesday, November 18th)<br /> UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-87558188993277958242014-11-10T08:45:00.003-08:002014-11-10T11:13:17.904-08:00Walking Out on ApartheidLast week, dozens of students and community members walked out of a lecture by the Israeli ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer. Stories Beneath the Shell reporter Sierra Kelley-Chung reports on the action.<br />
<br />
http://umdsbs.com/events/566-students-protest-at-israeli-ambassador-lecture <br />
<br />
"A lecture by Israeli ambassador Ron Dermer sparked opposition among
students, who walked out and held signs in protest last night at The
Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.<br />
<br />
Dermer gave a lecture about the Israel-U.S. relationship and the role
of Israel in the Middle East. The event was held at Gildenhorn Recital
Hall in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, broadcasted live on
UMTV and open to students and public.<br />
<br />
During his lecture Dermer began to speak about the Israel Palestine
conflict, stating that there was rocket fire in Israel, and one third of
Israel was in bomb shelters for the first 50 days. A Palestinian
student present at the lecture stood up and left, and a group of
organized student protesters followed suit. They left the lecture
quietly and held protesting signs that read, “end the illegal
settlements,” “free Palestine,” and “apartheid not welcomed at UMD."<br />
<br />
Read more here! http://umdsbs.com/events/566-students-protest-at-israeli-ambassador-lecture<br />
<br />UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-16641340789082496452014-10-14T15:29:00.000-07:002015-01-29T13:12:59.488-08:00End Hate Speech in the Diamondback!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.change.org/petitions/diamondback-advertising-board-ban-the-flame-advertisements"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tZX8SaqgJCo/Uo99djYHSBI/AAAAAAAAAKU/r8QrDkrkEF8/s640/falacies+and+lies+graphic.PNG" height="188" width="640" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="background-color: #999999; color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.change.org/petitions/diamondback-advertising-board-ban-the-flame-advertisements" target="_blank">Sign the petition here</a></span></b></h2>
<br />
*Updated 1/29/15*<br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-9cf74c35-f32f-760b-f7b4-874bd6c6a314" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Racism has been allowed to cozy up to our student paper. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Diamondback</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> has published a series of advertisements paid for by a far-right think tank called FLAME (“Facts and Logic About the Middle East”) that whitewashes the documented human rights violations of Israel.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">These ads are anti-Arab, Islamophobic propaganda. One ad, published in the September 30</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: super;">th</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, 2013 edition of the paper, begins by denying the existence of the Palestinian people—it characterizes all Arabs as a monolithic group of people with no cultural, historical, or linguistic distinctions. So, it follows, the Palestinian people don’t exist —therefore Israel really is a land without a people for a people without land. Except that, inconveniently for the FLAME’s narrative, Palestinians </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">have</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> lived on that land for centuries, and are in fact a distinct people with a rich culture.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The ads continue by denying that the West Bank or the Gaza Strip have ever been occupied territories—ignoring that the United Nations, Amnesty International, and virtually the entire international community consider the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and East Jerusalem to be territories militarily occupied by Israel in violation of international law. Amongst other things, these ads allege that while Israel has always vouched for peace, their efforts have been thwarted by “the Arabs,” who just refuse to sit down and negotiate, when in fact for more than 63 years Israel has been disposing Palestinians, expelling them from their land and homes,</span><a href="http://imeu.net/news/article0023194.shtml" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">creating one of the largest and longest standing populations of displaced persons</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> in the world with 6.6 million refugees and 427,000 internally displaced persons.</span> Israel, as an occupying power, has an obligation to obey international law -- including withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territories and respecting the human rights of refugees.</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> It’s troubling that the Diamondback published these advertisements for several reasons. First, they alienate many students on campus—for example, those who would take offense to using phrases such as “Arab aggression” or “Muslim terror” or “the unrelenting hatred of the Arabs against the Jews” to generalize the beliefs of all Arabs and Muslims. Secondly, our student paper should never condone hate speech, racism, Islamophobia, or imperialism. Yet by agreeing to publish ads that support all of these things in return for money, it’s done just that. That is unethical.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This is not the first time that students have had an issue with the Diamondback publishing FLAME ads. In 2011,</span><a href="http://www.diamondbackonline.com/news/article_7818e0ff-40c4-55f6-b299-47dc2b7f05ea.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">students formed the “End Hate Speech at UMD” coalition</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> in response to the ads, pressing the Diamondback for an apology. The Student Government Association also</span><a href="http://www.diamondbackonline.com/news/article_68ea162d-e6b9-5203-8bf2-da666d136f85.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">passed a unanimous resolution condemning the ads as hate speech</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and calling for the Diamondback’s advertising department to refrain from publishing any more ads by FLAME.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At the time, the Diamondback argued that “…We believe it is FLAME’s right to publicize its subjective opinion, just as it would be a pro-Muslim organization’s right to publicize an alternative viewpoint.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We hope that the current editorial board can understand that this is about the ethics of running a paper, and ensuring that the experiences of an oppressed people are not marginalized by racist propaganda. Hate speech is not a respectable “subjective opinion”, and the Diamondback has no obligation to publish a paid advertisement advocating racist views. We would deplore any group’s decision to publish racist ads, including a “pro-Muslim organization.”</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We therefore call on the Diamondback to discontinue the publication of these advertisements, and to stand with the student body and 2011 SGA resolution in opposing hate speech.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Signed,</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Students for Justice in Palestine at UMD<br />Organization of Arab Students<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">, U<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">niversity of Maryland Chapter<br />Black Male Initiative at UMD</span></span><br />Political Latinos United for Movement and Action in Society</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".37z.$mid=11412989279737=28457b49023306b6066.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".37z.$mid=11412989279737=28457b49023306b6066.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".37z.$mid=11412989279737=28457b49023306b6066.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".37z.$mid=11412989279737=28457b49023306b6066.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".37z.$mid=11412989279737=28457b49023306b6066.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".37z.$mid=11412989279737=28457b49023306b6066.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">Gamma Phi Sigma "Hermanos Unidos" Fraternity Inc.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Coalition of Latino Student Organizations</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Incorporada</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc.<br />Pride Alliance<br />UMD S<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">ocialists</span><br />Student L<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">abor Action Project at UMD<br />Legitimizing and Unifying a Network of Undocumented Americans<br />El Sol<br />Community Roots<br />Muslim Student Association</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Society for Hispanic Engineers </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">J-Street at U<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">MD</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Iranian Students Foundation</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">P<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">akista<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">ni Student Association</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Asian American Student Union</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) Coalition of Students for Justice in Palestine and Students Against Israeli Aparthei<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">d<br />Bengali Student Association<br />Ethiopian Student Association<br />UMD Social Justice Coalition</span> </span></span></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: #999999; color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.change.org/petitions/diamondback-advertising-board-ban-the-flame-advertisements" target="_blank">Sign the petition here</a></span></b></h2>
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UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-87839684819384937992014-10-06T11:33:00.002-07:002014-10-06T11:34:07.968-07:00"Harvest of Empire" Screening<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;">Screening of "Harvest of Empire", a documentary film about US imperialism and Latino immigration<br />Co-sponsored with El Sol, PLUMAS, and Community Roots!</span></h2>
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UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-60477036332934733702014-04-22T16:33:00.000-07:002014-04-22T16:40:34.611-07:00Palestinian Solidarity Week<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-83583618357303144342014-03-29T13:13:00.000-07:002014-03-29T13:13:12.726-07:00New SJP Facebook PageSJP, University of Maryland Chapter has a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/sjpumd/">new facebook page</a>. Please add yourself to our group to stay up-do-date on SJP events and news!UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-32371468373639156552014-03-24T18:50:00.001-07:002014-03-24T18:50:58.238-07:00President Loh, Support the Academic Boycott of Israel!Dear University President Dr. Wallace Loh,<br /><br />The American Studies Association, the Association for Asian American Studies, and the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association have all declared their support for the Palestinian call to boycott Israeli academic institutions. These are tremendous victories for the struggle against Israeli apartheid and the settler-colonial occupation of Palestine. The members of these associations have shown their integrity and courage by calling out Israel’s human rights violations against the Palestinian people, including Israel’s chronic restriction of academic freedom imposed upon Palestinian students and academics.<br /><br />It must be clear that the boycott is of institutions, not individuals. Israeli scholars have every right to research as they wish, but under the boycott they may not officially represent their universities or use their research to maintain the systematic oppression of the Palestinian people. The ASA, AAAS, and NAISA did not vote to boycott Israeli academic institutions because of the “national identity” of Israeli scholars, but because those institutions are complicit in equipping the Israeli state with the technology and false narratives necessary to sustain Israel’s ongoing violence against Palestinians.<br /><br />In the words of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association: “...we strongly protest the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands and the legal structures of the Israeli state that systematically discriminate against Palestinians and other Indigenous peoples.”<br /><br />And again, in the words of the American Studies Association: “The [boycott] resolution is in solidarity with scholars and students deprived of their academic freedom and it aspires to enlarge that freedom for all, including Palestinians. The ASA’s endorsement of the academic boycott emerges from the context of US military and other support for Israel; Israel’s violation of international law and UN resolutions; the documented impact of the Israeli occupation on Palestinian scholars and students; the extent to which Israeli institutions of higher education are a party to state policies that violate human rights; and finally, the support of such a resolution by a majority of ASA members.”<br /><br />Academic freedom is not infringed upon by the boycott -- it is demanded.<br /><br />Therefore, we call upon President Loh, Senior Vice President and Provost Mary Ann Rankin, and the united University of Maryland community to stand in solidarity with the members of the ASA, AAAS, and NAISA in calling for the academic freedom of all people regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity, and to hold Israeli universities accountable for their role in supporting the occupation and oppression of Palestine.<br /><br /><br />Signed:<br />Students for Justice in Palestine, University of Maryland Chapter<br />Political Latinos/as United for Movement and Action in Society (P.L.U.M.A.S.)<br />Black Male Initiative<br />Organization of Arab Students<br />International Socialist Organization, University of Maryland<div>
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<br /><i><a href="http://www.diamondbackonline.com/opinion/article_50c1a1ec-a7e1-11e3-99a8-0017a43b2370.html">A modified version of this letter was published in the University of Maryland Diamondback newspaper.</a></i><br />Dr. Loh's statement on the ASA boycott can be found <a href="http://www.president.umd.edu/statements/campus_message2013_12_22.cfm">here</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.palestinechronicle.com/an-open-letter-to-university-of-maryland-president-dr-wallace-loh/#.UzDgG_ldU41" target="_blank">Click here for another great publication on this issue, "An Open Letter to University of Maryland President, Dr Wallace Loh: Stand up for Academic Freedom in Palestine."</a></div>
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UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-79174380596547949072014-03-24T18:36:00.002-07:002014-03-24T18:38:05.767-07:00In Solidarity with Northeastern University<br />
We have recently learned that the administration of Northeastern University has suspended the Northeastern chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, alleging a series of violations of university policies – chiefly the distribution of mock eviction notices. Based on the evidence and on the testimony of the students involved, the charges seem false. In any event, non-university approved flier distribution happens constantly on every campus. For that reason, it is difficult for us to see this suspension as anything but an attempt to shut down an SJP chapter. Indeed, the punitive and racist nature of this action has become clearer yet with the revelation that the administration has appeared to target only students of color in the disciplinary charges it has filed.<br />
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We reject this attempt at political censorship, and affirm here our solidarity with Northeastern SJP, and call on the Northeastern administration to immediately lift its suspension of that chapter.<br />
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The charges have been lodged at a time when an increasing number of SJP groups around the country are running successful campaigns to educate university students about the colonial nature of Israeli policies – ones carried out with US support and US taxpayer money.<br />
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Such repression of the political speech of SJPs is not a new means to deal with such success. It comes amidst an atmosphere within which university administrations are using every means possible to censor and silence those advocating for an open hearing for the Palestinian case. At Florida Atlantic University, student activists were placed on probation for briefly protesting the presence of a war criminal from the Israeli Occupying Forces on their campus. At Barnard, the administration has censored the SJP there, taking down a banner after the student group had complied with all normal procedures for putting it up. At the University of California at Irvine, students faced criminal charges for interrupting the speech of an Israeli state official. And at Cornell University, the police physically assaulted a female graduate student at a protest and threatened an SJP member with arrest for trespassing. The response of the administration was to issue a whitewash, and to unsuccessfully attempt, in blatant disregard of a Faculty Senate report and its recommendations, to rewrite the campus code in order to limit the right of free assembly.<br />
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The pattern is clear, and it is damning. University administrators, aware of the role a racist Israeli state plays for American foreign policy in the Middle East, are desperate to protect it from criticism. Indeed, they are willing to gut the free political speech and organizing of their own students in order to do so.<br />
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We note here that such repression has not been limited to Palestine-related work. At the City University of New York, students were physically assaulted by the police as they civilly protested the presence of General David Petraeus. Other CUNY students face felony charges for their work in protecting the Guillermo Morales/Assata Shakur Community and Student Center from being closed by the administration.<br />
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These violations of free speech are equally clear and equally damning.<br />
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The spaces which previous generations of students opened up for progressive activism are being shrunk, sealed off, and shut down, unremittingly, systematically, in some cases brutally, and with the constant and enthusiastic support of university administrations.<br />
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The charges against Northeastern SJP and the suspension of that chapter are the latest volley in this ongoing assault against student activism in this country. Such attacks manifest in the clearest possible way the university administration’s contempt for basic democratic values.<br />
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Furthermore, an attack against any SJP chapter is an attack on all SJP chapters, an attack on the very idea of student advocacy for the Palestinian cause on college campus. It is a clear statement that while speech in defense of racism may be protected, anti-racist speech is not. This we do not accept.<br />
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In solidarity,<br />
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Cornell Students for Justice in Palestine<br />
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College of Staten Island Students for Justice in Palestine<br />
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Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine<br />
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Students for Justice in Palestine, CUNY School of Law<br />
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Students for Justice in Palestine, Ithaca College<br />
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Students for Justice in Palestine, Northwestern<br />
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Students for Justice in Palestine, SUNY-Binghamton<br />
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Students for Justice in Palestine, Smith College<br />
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Students for Justice in Palestine, University of Florida<br />
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Students for Justice in Palestine,University of Maryland<br />
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UC Santa Cruz Committee for Justice in Palestine<br />
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<i><a href="http://cornellsjp.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/in-solidarity-with-northeastern-sjp-2/" target="_blank">This letter was originally published on the Cornell SJP website. </a></i><br />
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<a href="http://www.northeasternsjp.org/current-situation.html" target="_blank"><b>PLEASE VISIT NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY's SJP WEBSITE TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP</b></a></div>
UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-90152994837496846882014-02-19T10:29:00.002-08:002014-02-24T03:45:57.788-08:00Israeli Apartheid Week 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1528864100672481/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular" target="_blank">Click here for the Facebook events</a></div>
<br />UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-79034968791439306222013-11-21T08:35:00.000-08:002013-11-21T08:35:54.883-08:00Our Next Two Events!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mYzVq86nUy8/Uo40W18vPDI/AAAAAAAAAKA/X0RVUkm_D84/s1600/BMI+apartheid+workshop+flyer.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mYzVq86nUy8/Uo40W18vPDI/AAAAAAAAAKA/X0RVUkm_D84/s400/BMI+apartheid+workshop+flyer.PNG" width="570" /></a></div><br />
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UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-81847745748861682452013-11-20T08:49:00.000-08:002013-11-20T08:49:51.033-08:00SJP Fall 2013 Newsletter Vol. II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-74699152555763402992013-11-15T12:49:00.001-08:002013-11-20T07:39:16.802-08:00"Apartheid wall smashed on anniversary of independence declaration"<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;">"This
morning, November 15, 2013, 25 years after Yasser Arafat declared
independence of the Palestinian state, a group of Palestinian activists
undertook a direct action against the annexation wall and fence,
supported by both Israeli and international activists." </span><a href="http://palsolidarity.org/2013/11/apartheid-wall-smashed-on-anniversary-of-independence-declaration/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Read more...</a></span><br />
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UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-70466940877950790912013-11-06T20:33:00.000-08:002013-11-20T07:40:41.780-08:00From a first-year UMD SJP member on his experience at the National SJP conference held from October 25th-27th at Stanford University.Stanford, California. The site of the 3rd annual Students for Justice in Palestine national conference. Although this is my first semester on campus, I had the amazing opportunity to join hundreds of other students from around the country to discuss the politics of Palestinian liberation and BDS, and to learn skills necessary to lead successful campaigns against apartheid and occupation.<br />
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The conference was held on Stanford's campus. Students who attended and applied were offered solidarity housing (often someone's dorm, a gym floor with sleeping bags provided, or one of several cooperative houses on campus-- I was in one of the coops). Sessions were held all around campus, though mostly near the student union. The first day of workshops centered on theoretical and historical understandings of Palestine, apartheid, the occupation, Israel's complicity in imperialism around the world, the Israeli lobby in the U.S., and race & class in Israel. There were also regional breakouts where SJPs divided by region to discuss how to organize together and build strong regional connections with one another. Coming out of the SJP East break out, I hope that in the coming months SJP chapters along the East coast can
find a way to coalesce their efforts for major campaigns and provide
resources to one another.<br />
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I attended one talk on classism and racism between the Ashkenazi and Mizrahi Jews of Israel. Ashkenazim migrated from Europe, whereas Mizrahim migrated from North Africa and the Middle East. The talk and discussion analyzed how cultural and political differences between the two have exacerbated race and class discord between them throughout Israel's history, and how the Ashkenazi's dominance of leftist politics, along with exploitation, gentrification, and racism have led many Mizrahi to support right-wing parties that provide material benefits such as food aid to their families. At the same time, many Mizrahi are the foot soldiers of the occupation, and move to settlements due to their inability to afford living in places like Tel Aviv. Cultural assimilation to white Ashkenazi culture was also discussed quite a bit. The discussion then detailed how these dynamics resulted in a lack of support for Palestinians by Mizrahi-- the speaker described the strategy as "divide and conquer."<br />
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Another talk I attended was about how Israel has supported imperialism and right-wing regimes around the world. It discussed economic and political connections between Israel and apartheid South Africa, Israel's role in providing arms to various right-wing counterrevolutionaries (like death squads in Central American nations such as Guatemala and Nicaragua), and their massive drone exports (40% of the world's total drone exports are from Israel). The talk also connected the struggles against detention centers/deportations and mass incarceration in the United States to our struggle for a free Palestine. Companies such as G4S that provide the "security" services that unjustly imprison hundreds of Palestinians also run private prisons in the United States that incarcerate millions of black and brown people. Police officers in American cities even have partnership programs with Israeli soldiers, where they train together and share tactics in "counter-terrorism" operations and in maintaining the war on drugs. Following the talk was discussion on ways to continue connecting each others' struggles, and ways we can fight back on these many fronts to build a more diverse, intersectional movement.<br />
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Saturday night was fantastic. We had a Palestinian cultural night, where spoken word performers, poets, rappers, and a dabke troupe performed. For several hours, everyone in the theater heard amazing poetry and stories, and enjoyed a great performance by the dabke troupe. Afterwards, everyone got on stage and did dabke and took a group NSJP picture.<br />
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The next day was all about practical skills, like outreaching to the media, how to build and launch BDS campaigns, etc. I attended a talk on media. I learned important principals to remember when engaging newspapers and journalists, tips on writing op-eds, statements, etc., tips on how to use social media to support our campaigns, and examples from other campus SJPs that wrote successful op-eds. I also received a very useful handbook specifically geared for media outreach as a member of a Palestinian solidarity group.<br />
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Besides the great political education and cultural night, I met a lot of courageous and inspiring people. I will remember their determination every time I go to a meeting or an action in support of Palestinian human rights and dignity.<br />
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FREE PALESTINE!UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-90172105443161416512013-11-04T17:20:00.001-08:002013-11-20T08:09:11.524-08:00Mock Funeral Interview @ Hornbake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Video interview on our Mock Funeral action on October 14th with Your World News.UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-9916471912258588432013-10-23T17:04:00.001-07:002013-10-23T17:04:50.855-07:00Video: students "mic check" TIAA-CREF head over investment in Israel's occupation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/video-students-mic-check-tiaa-cref-head-over-investment-israels">Video: students "mic check" TIAA-CREF head over investment in Israel's occupation</a>UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-25026771831982931782013-10-23T17:02:00.001-07:002013-11-06T10:20:06.760-08:00Anti-divestment bill defeated at UCLA<span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">At approximately 3:00am local time last night, the UCLA Undergraduate Students Association Council voted 5-7-0 against a </span><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/177325674/USAC-Anti-Divestment-Bill" style="border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">resolution</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> that threatened the ability of students to pursue divestment from companies profiting from the Israeli occupation....<a href="http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/abraham-greenhouse/anti-divestment-bill-defeated-ucla">Read more</a></span></span>UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-56309161379903134162013-10-09T12:47:00.002-07:002013-11-06T10:25:58.265-08:00Members of the ASA: Support Resolution to boycott Israeli academic institutions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="line-height: 15.454545021057129px;"><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In November the American Studies Association will vote on whether to join the boycott of Israeli academic institutions. Please sign and share <a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/members-of-the-asa-support-resolution-to-boycott-israeli-academic-institutions">THIS PETITION</a> to help build support for this resolution!</span></span>UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-45557875402724936752013-10-09T08:58:00.002-07:002013-11-06T10:26:08.261-08:00Racist protests following court decision on Sudanese asylum-seekers <br />
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">An </span><a href="http://electronicintifada.net/tags/israeli-high-court" style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Israeli high court</a><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> decision on 16 September striking down legislation authorizing the indefinite incarceration of </span><a href="http://electronicintifada.net/tags/asylum" style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">asylum-seekers</a><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> from Africa brought hundreds of residents of </span><a href="http://electronicintifada.net/tags/tel-aviv" style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tel Aviv</a><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> into the streets in protest the following day. <a href="http://electronicintifada.net/content/video-israeli-crowd-cheers-africans-called-slaves/12833?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter">Read More....</a></span></span>UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-2230105637841108562013-09-28T21:30:00.001-07:002013-11-20T08:44:22.413-08:00Fall Newsletter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-73438493174520697762013-09-26T00:01:00.005-07:002013-11-06T00:26:58.465-08:00Israeli Pinkwashing <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As LGBTQ communities around the world struggle to gain advancements in obtaining legal rights, their causes are sometimes exploited by malignant self-interests. In particular, such self-interests use the celebration of LGBTQ rights as a means to mask systematic acts of oppression. This is known as pinkwashing. The Israeli Government broadcasts itself as a haven for LGBTQ Jewish people, often in contrast to the policies of other Middle Eastern countries. Following its 2005 marketing initiative “<a href="http://recapsmagazine.com/rethink/pink-washing-a-documentary-guide-by-sarah-schulman/">Brand Israel</a>,” the Israeli government spent over $100 million to re-brand itself as modern and progressive.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">1</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In 2010, it spent an additional $94 million on gay tourism ads in Germany and England.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">2</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This government-lead campaign functions to cover up the long standing human rights violations against the indigenous Palestinian people, and against <a href="http://mondoweiss.net/2012/05/day-after-pograms-likud-mk-calls-for-internment-camp-for-african-refugees.html">Sudanese and Eritrean refugee</a> immigrant populations. After Zionist forces depopulated over 300 Palestinian Villages in 1947 and 1948, the Palestinian people have lived under a harsh apartheid regime.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">3</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The day-to-day experiences of a Palestinian living under apartheid include navigating through Israeli <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gki1wjm9ChU">military checkpoints</a> within Palestinian territory, taking segregated Palestinian-only highways and buses, and <a href="http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/03/israel-military-courts-ofer-palestinians.html">living under complete and separate racial laws</a>. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Furthermore, the Israeli military conducts unwarranted military raids, <a href="http://www.alhaq.org/publications/publications-index/item/repression-of-non-violent-protest-in-the-occupied-palestinian-territory-case-study-on-the-village-of-al-nabi-saleh">violently suppresses peaceful protests</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=181Dr6yLcko">imprisons and tortures Palestinian civilians</a>, <a href="http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/record-number-palestinians-displaced-demolitions-quartet-continues-talk-2011-12-13">demolishes Palestinian homes</a>, and confiscates Palestinian <a href="http://visualizingpalestine.org/infographic/wb-water">natural resources</a>.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pinkwashing creates the illusion that Israel is bringing progressive ideals into a fundamentalist region. However, pinkwashing fails to account for the fact that these ideals are widely publicized while the internationally condemned Palestinian human rights abuses are overlooked. Furthermore, any non-Jewish residents of Israel, the West Bank, or Gaza are not qualified to reap the rewards of the Israeli LGBTQ movement.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The idea of pinkwashing has angered many both inside and outside Israeli and Palestinian queer communities, culminating in the creation of organizations such as <a href="http://queersagainstapartheid.org/">Queers Against Israeli Apartheid</a>, <a href="http://www.pinkwatchingisrael.com/">Pinkwatching Israel</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pinkwashing">Queers Against Israeli Pinkwashing</a>. Israeli queer rights organizations point out that despite the propaganda, Israeli LGBTQ continue to lack many fundamental rights, including the right to marry. For example, Israeli LGBTQ activist and Professor Dalit Bam rhetorically asks:</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Why all of a sudden do you care about gay and lesbian Palestinians when you don’t care about them any other day of the week? It’s preposterous how this is used as a form of propaganda...when people hear how Israel actually treats, for example. queer Palestinian youth looking for asylum--they don’t give these people any kind of asylum. There’s seven million Israeli citizens and then four million Palestinians who have no civil rights but are controlled by the same government--that’s a very flawed democracy.” </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">4</span></i></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Finally, not only does Israel do little to nothing to support the struggles of Palestinian queers and queers elsewhere in the middle east, it also uses its supposed queer-friendly image to promote hatred all Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims, including queer Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">5</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> And hence, that is why pinkwashing is so concerning. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-size: xx-small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. “Israel Aims To Improve Its Public Image”, by Nathaniel Popper. Jewish Daily Forward. October 14, 2005.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. “Israel Promotes Gay Tourism In Berlin.” Ynet. March 9, 2011</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Benny Morris (2004). </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://psnedmonton.ca/2012/03/04/dalit-baum-interview-in-vue-weekly/</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://queersagainstapartheid.org/faq/#03</span></span></span><br />
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UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-61737481641769185922013-09-18T22:29:00.001-07:002013-09-18T22:29:53.712-07:00Palestinian Workers in Settlements | Who Profits<a href="http://www.whoprofits.org/content/palestinian-workers-settlements#.UjqLnCS-TxY.blogger">Palestinian Workers in Settlements | Who Profits</a>UMD Students for Justice in Palestinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15510236138851750955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336454575888680084.post-72756502767439389352013-09-17T22:05:00.004-07:002013-09-17T22:06:57.876-07:00Palestinians speak out about the so-called "Peace Talks" <br />
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