Today is the one year anniversary of my deportation, and I miss you all very much. I miss the colorfulness of my life with you, and the value that you added to it! My life now is as grey as everything else in Jordan, but it would be worse without the legacy of struggle that we built together. Our wonderful, strong relationships have deep roots that continue to grow, and these lovely memories accompany me every day, especially on the difficult ones.
Chicago, IL – Members of the U.S Palestinian Community Network from Chicago (USPCN) reported, August 24, on their summer delegation to Palestine. Bassem Kawar stated at the beginning of the event that their purpose was “to take our leading members and organizers to get a firsthand understanding of the occupation and the resistance on the ground.” They met with over 20 Palestinian organizations in the different “Fronts of Struggle,” which was the title of their talk.
Glasgow, Scotland – A group of major military weapons producers organized an international arms fair in Glasgow that included over 50 companies and over 1000 delegates. One of the major sponsors of the Underseas Defense Technology conference is BAE Systems, which produces fighter jets in factories on the Clyde that are sold to the Israeli government to continue their war against the Palestinians. Other sponsors of the event include Leonardo, an Italian weapons corporation that sells weapons to the Turkish government, which are used in their war against the Kurdish people. Some referred to this arms fair as a 'supermarket of death.'
Chicago, IL – To me, Ora Schub is a Palestinian. Her parents, who practiced Judaism, were born in Palestine before the founding of the settler-colonial state of Israel, so in essence, they were Palestinian Jews. And Ora took her nationality from her parents, so in my book, that makes her a Palestinian. But even if she didn't identify as one, Ora made a decision long ago to be an anti-Zionist and an anti-racist, and to join the movement in support of Palestinian self-determination, in support of the Right of Return for all Palestinian refugees and their descendants, and in support of ending Israeli colonization and occupation of all Arab lands.
Milwaukee, WI – On June 3, Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer visited Milwaukee and spoke at the local Rotary Club at the War Memorial Center to discuss the recent move of the U.S. Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. During his address, Dermer made it clear that the move represents “one of the greatest decisions in the history of Zionism.”
Saint Paul, MN – On June 8, over 50 people protested at a busy street corner in Saint Paul, supporting the mass demonstrations in Gaza which have exposed the viciousness of occupation and siege under Israel.
New York, NY – Over 70 Palestinians and solidarity activists protested the Celebrate Israel Parade on June 3 in New York. The parade commemorated the 70th anniversary of Al Nakba or “the catastrophe,” when the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians led to the founding of Israel.
