The Palestinian Struggle in the Trump Era, Visit Palestine/Isael

Photo: Signs at National Demonstration for Palestine - London, 18 January 2025

Stephen Zunes is recognized as one of America’s leading scholars of U.S. Middle East policy and of strategic nonviolent action. He serves as a senior policy analyst and advisor to several organisations and publications. Leila Farsakh works with several international organisations and is a senior research fellow at the Center for Development Studies at Birzeit University. She is the current chair of the One Democratic State Campaign.

During the webinar they provided historical background about Palestinian resistance, the centrality of the Palestinian refugees, the different approaches taken by the Palestine Authority and Hamas, and how Trump is worse than Biden. It is expected that Israel’s apartheid policies will intensify and as Palestinians continue to resist living under oppression as they seek freedom and justice, their struggle will be bloody.

However, with Trump in office and the flagrantness of the Republican agenda, it will likely mobilize unprecedented opposition among leftists, liberals, and even a growing segment of the US Democratic Party.

We know that our campaigns must continue and they must be strategic. The webinar ended on a somewhat hopeful note.

To follow Leila Farsakh; Email via https://www.umb.edu/directory/leilafarsakh/

To follow Stephen Zunes: Email zunes@usfca.edu to be added to his email list to receive occasional articles and interview links

Over 100,000 people from across the UK assembled in London on Saturday, 18^th January 2025 to demonstrate their support of the Palestinian struggle for liberation, the UK government’s complicity with Israel’s genocide and the ongoing arms trade. By then the ceasefire deal had been announced but we were aware of its weakness, with no guarantees that it would be permanent and lead to justice.

This was the 23^rd demonstration with all previously ones being notably peaceful with people of all ages and backgrounds participating in them.

As the date neared, unfolding developments meant that this demonstration would also highlight the BBC’s role in its biased reporting on Palestine/Israel and the influence of pro-Israel groups who under false pretences had forced the route that had been agreed upon last November to be changed. It became clear that civil society’s right to protest was being challenged.

We were not allowed to assemble and march as planned and instead demonstrators were told to go to Whitehall for a static demonstration beginning at noon. From the beginning, police were aggressive and provocative. As always, ICAHD UK supporters assembled with the Jewish bloc and some of us managed to get into Whitehall before noon. Even then police came and asked us to move to another location or face arrest. We did not comply and thankfully no force was involved. However, streets were blocked, and tens of thousands of demonstrators were prevented from reaching Whitehall until after 1pm.

Photo: Save the Jordan Valley - Bardala - photo by Stephen Sizer

RESOLVE TO BE THERE as nothing compares to being in Palestine to witness the reality for yourself! Demonstrate powerful and much needed solidarity with the Palestinians in their struggle for liberation.

Our next issue-based study tour to Palestine/Israel will take place between Monday, 31^st March – Thursday, 10^th April.#

The tour will be based in Bethlehem for most of the time and then will relocate to Nazareth for the last couple of nights. The itinerary facilitates around 30 encounters with some of the most influential and important voices in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and within the state of Israel. For more information see the extended tour sectionon the website and watch the film clip of three former study tour participants who talked about their life-changing tour experience at the recent ICAHD UK conference in London.

Photo: Apartheid Wall snaking through Bethlehem

“This tour was an experience that I will never forget. Being able to learn from people on the ground, activists, and those who work tirelessly to resist the occupation was a privilege. I don’t believe that I could have learnt as much in any other way. I now feel far more rooted in my stance to take action and support their resistance and efforts to survive.” Aisha Docrat, Leicester – May 2024

Note that from mid-January international airline companies are resuming their flights to Tel Aviv and the British FCDO has put travel to Israel, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Jericho in the green category. This tour will not go anywhere near to Gaza, Lebanon or Syria nor include a visit to Nablus or Jenin.

During the last few days, we endorsed the letter prepared by the Convivencia Alliance to King Charles because he is a Patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. We asked that he intercede for Palestinians in Gaza and that he uses his influence to insist that Holocaust Memorial Day acknowledges the genocide experienced by Palestinians.

ICAHD UK added its name to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s statement that was submitted to the government consultation on the reforms to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). The basis of the statement is a call that any reforms must enhance, not erode, ethical and environmental standards, including by ensuring that scheme members can continue to have a meaningful say over where their deferred wages are invested. We want it to be able to divest from companies enabling Israel's human rights abuses.

We are members of ECCP (European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine). Much of its focus is on what is happening within the EU. There are occasions that call for endorsement by wider international civil society organisations so whenever it is appropriate, we support actions taken by ECCP. Recently it has included yet another call to ban trade with settlement products. Note: ICAHD UK is now on BlueSky - icahduk.bsky.social Dates for your Diary Monday, 31 March – 10 April 2025 – Study Tour to Palestine/Israel. Details here .

Saturday, 1 November – ICAHD UK Annual Conference, Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, 235 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8EP. Details to follow nearer the time but please note the date in your diary.

Many thanks for your ongong support. If you're not already a member of ICAHD UK, please join usor make a donation to enable our campaign to spread at this critical time in history.

From all at ICAHD UK. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Israeli-Committee-Against-House-Demolitions-UK/366423593418140 Facebook https://www.twitter.com/ICAHDUK/ Twitter http://icahduk.org Website mailto:info@icahduk.org Email