Tucson, AZ – People gathered Feb. 15 at a local radical bookstore and café to watch and listen to the inspiring words of Rasmea Odeh by video conference. The 67-year-old Arab American woman faces the possibility of a 10-year prison sentence, loss of citizenship and deportation. Odeh spoke of the importance of organizing resistance to the political agenda that criminalizes activism.

“She must be doing something special if the U.S. government is attacking her,” said Edward Cott. “If the U.S. government is using its resources to concoct some bogus story to try to shame and criminalize an innocent woman, she must be doing important organizing. It is clear that this is more about the U.S. government’s support for Israel’s murderous occupation of Palestine,” Cott added.

Local activist Darlane Santa Cruz found Odeh's resilience in the face of Israeli torture, rape and U.S. repression empowering. “Rasmea is one of the cases in the long list of U.S. government repression against individuals and peoples. The 500-year continuation of systematic oppression of Native peoples, Africans, Chicanos, Puerto Ricans and Hawaiians has recently expanded to include Arabs and Muslims. As a woman of color, her strength and resistance are a source of inspiration.”

In preparation for Odeh’s March 12 sentencing, organizers will expose the U.S. government’s singling out of Odeh for repression, as well as the continued U.S. financing and arming of the brutal Israeli occupation of Palestine.

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