Fighting the Criminalisation of Palestine Solidarity

On Saturday 14 March, we held a public meeting titled ‘Fighting the Criminalisation of Palestine Solidarity’. We were delighted to be joined by Tony Greenstein, Brighton-based Jewish anti-Zionist activist and founding member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and Charlotte Kates, international co-ordinator for Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Support Network. Both were early supporters of the Zionism Is Racism Defence Campaign. The final speaker was Daniel - the campaign member around whose racist arrest on 8 February our campaign has been built. 

Greenstein spoke first and recounted the history of the IHRA definition of anti-semitism which is, in fact, neither a definition nor concerned with anti-semitism but is he said instead a tool for silencing free speech on Palestine. Greenstein denounced Zionism as an anti-semitic standpoint because Zionism adopts the anti-semitic view that Jews are not in fact of the nation in which they live. It was not lost on him that the earliest targets of the campaign against anti-Zionists in the Labour Party were mostly Jewish. He also spoke about the support among anti-Muslim and anti-semitic racists (such as Richard Spencer and Tommy Robinson) for the racist state of Israel. Greenstein denounced the proposed ‘two-state solution’ for accepting the existence of the illegitimate settler-colonial state of Israel and argued that a clear anti-Zionism is vital for solidarity with the Palestinians. 

Kates put the campaign to criminalise solidarity with Palestine into historical and political context: since 2009, the world has seen a surge of activity in solidarity with Palestine from the liberal BDS campaign to revolutionary campaigns in support of Palestinian political prisoners. In response, the Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs (whose minister Gilad Erdan is also the minister of Public security) has stepped up its efforts to smear and silence anything which ‘deligitimises’ the illegitimate settler-colonial state. In a recent example, the German government, which has declared BDS illegal, has banned the entry of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine spokesman and Samidoun member Khaled Barakat from entering the country. Kates powerfully argued that the Ministry of Strategic Affairs was just as committed to stamping out liberal-humanitarian criticism of Israel as it is to stamping out anti-Zionism and so it would be a grave political error to water down a principled anti-Zionist standpoint for the sake of expediency. Kates also spoke about the alliances between a resurgent racist and anti-semitic far right around the world and the state of Israel. In the context that racists, under the cover of state suppression of anti-Zionism, are stepping up their attacks against Jews, Muslims and migrants, 

We must be absolutely clear that Zionism is racism. Fighting imperialism - including Zionism - is central to the liberation of oppressed people around the world. We therefore have no option but to confront Zionism and to stand with Palestinians who are on the frontline of a global battle. 

Finally, Daniel spoke on behalf of our campaign, recounting the arrest, the establishment of the campaign, and the victory against Nottinghamshire Police who the campaign successfully pressured into dropping their investigation. Daniel then spoke on the history of British imperialism’s longstanding support for Zionism and the shameful special support provided to the Zionist movement and to the state of Israel by the British Labour movement. Daniel recounted the recent capitulation of the Labour Party in the face of Zionist attacks and argued that this ‘threw the door wide open’ to further criminalisation. Daniel ended by calling for the building of a principled Palestine solidarity movement which will not limit itself to what is acceptable to the Labour Party, and what is expedient for alliances with and membership of that party:

Zionism is racism – that is the only position consistent with defending the rights of the Palestinian people to resist by any means necessary. It is also the only position consistent with a resolute fight against the criminalisation here in Britain of solidarity with that resistance. It is the position that any movement in solidarity with Palestine must adopt – and put into action.

After an hour of discussion, we ended the meeting with the clear view that the victory against Nottinghamshire Police is important, but that we must use it to go on the offensive in support of the Palestinian resistance. If you agree, you must stand with us and join our upcoming demonstration - going to the streets and building support for Palestine is the best counter-attack against the criminalisation of solidarity with Palestine: 

Speak Out For Palestine | Saturday 28 March | Meet at 11am outside HSBC, Clumber Street NG1 3GA. Facebook event here: https://tinyurl.com/vjatv6w

This event is part of Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network's international week of action to support the Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege: https://samidoun.net/2019/11/24-30-march-2020-worldwide-international-week-of-action-to-support-the-great-march-of-return-and-breaking-the-siege/

Zionism Is Racism!

Victory to the Palestinian Resistance!

Zionism Is Racism Defence Campaign.