Houston, TX – Over 25 people gathered at the University of Houston, March 30, to attend a talk on the Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh. Odeh is a 68 year old Palestinian American leader who was brutally tortured by the Israeli government in 1969, and is being targeted by the U.S. government for her political activism. She is a respected and influential activist in the Palestinian liberation movement and the government is using a bogus charge of immigration fraud in an attempt to silence her. Since she was arrested in 2013, activists all over the country have organized for justice for Rasmea Odeh.

The forum, which was organized by Students for a Democratic Society and Students for Justice in Palestinian, introduced students to Rasmea Odeh's activism and her campaign for justice. Many of the people in attendance were learning not just about Odeh for the first time, but about the U.S. backed state of Israel and the struggles of the Palestinian people under occupation. When they learned that Rasmea Odeh was tortured and coerced into signing a confession, many of them responded in disgust. When they heard that the U.S. government is using this confession against Odeh, they were outraged. At the end of the event, the students signed a solidarity letter and donated money to be used for Odeh’s defense.

Alex Hayes, chairman of Houston SDS, says, “It is clear Rasmea Odeh is innocent and that the U.S. government is trying to silence her for her political work. The very fact that they went to such lengths to silence her, and that they used a confession gotten from torture, demonstrates that U.S. imperialism is complicit in the crimes of the State of Israel. We will continue to organize for Rasmea and she will win. Long Live Rasmea Odeh!”

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