If there isn’t a Palestinian solidarity rally in your town, you can try to organize one yourself by calling the local mosques & asking the Imams if they would be interested. Here, there are a few mosques which have rallied their members several times & with extremely impressive banners for the Arab Spring uprisings, the Palestinians, & the Rohingya. We’re working on one for Palestinians now. But if you have no mosques & no other allies, do keep in mind that my first encounter with the Palestinian struggle was during the 1967 War when a frightened Palestinian at the University of Minnesota, with no solidarity movement to speak of, picketed alone in protest. It’s not hard to stand alone with a placard if you are outraged by the injustice & committed to Palestinian freedom. Even if you only reach one, it can eventually reach many with the message of Palestinian azadi.

https://www.facebook.com/JeremyMcLellanComedy/videos/1981907465183752/UzpfSTE2MjUyMjkwNjE6MTAyMTQxMjkyNzA5Nzg4NDQ/

An excellent presentation by Palestinian-American legal scholar Noura Erakat about claims that the Trump embassy massacre was all provocation by Hamas. Her arguments, however, regarding a bantustate (two-state) solution are regrettable. That possibility was dead in the water on Nakba Day 1948 when Zionists launched an apartheid, genocidal state.

Lahore, Pakistan marches for Palestinians.

(Photo from Shehab News)

Sanaa, Yemen, under Saudi-US-UK aerial bombardment for over three years, marches for Palestinians.

(Photo from DOAM–Documenting Oppression Against Muslims)

It’s right to blame the Republican nitwit in the White House for the Trump embassy massacre but Democrats are equally culpable. The ambassadors to Israel under Clinton & Obama are both tweeting their support for moving the US embassy to Jerusalem & both are blaming Hamas for the massacre. Clinton’s ambassador Martin Indyk tweeted that “Israel needs to change live fire tactics or Palestinian demonstrations will grow & spread.” No objection to the slaughter but only fear Palestinian resistance will grow! Obama’s ambassador Daniel Shapiro tweeted that “I wish Hamas leaders valued Palestinian lives as much as they value their rockets & tunnels.” What Hamas rockets & tunnels? The protests for the past several weeks have been entirely peaceful & involved children. There wasn’t a rocket in sight but only Israeli snipers & tear gas drones. Democrat Bernie Sanders was endorsed by Assadist halfwit Rania Khalek in Electronic Intifada & by hundreds of Palestinian supporters during the 2016 election campaign. He tweeted “Hamas violence does not justify Israel firing on unarmed protesters.” What Hamas violence? It is absolutely & criminally detestable that they refuse to condemn Israeli snipers for firing on unarmed Palestinian protesters & instead try to make the narrative about Palestinian terrorism. “Hamas” is a code word for terrorism.

(Cartoon is by Hani Abbas via Shehab News)

This is Raj Shah, the dirtball spokesperson for Trump who when asked about the slaughter of 58 Palestinians at the Trump embassy massacre said “Hamas bears the responsibility” because the Israeli government spent weeks trying to ‘handle this” without violence. He actually claimed the massacre was a “gruesome & unfortunate propaganda attempt” by Hamas. ‘Handling’ Palestinians without violence must explain the military occupation, the embargo of Gaza, the settlements on Palestinian lands, the arbitrary arrests, the snipers, drones, & tanks at the apartheid barrier with Gaza since March 30th.

(Photo of the dirtball is screenshot from MSNBC news report)

Turkey & South Africa withdrew their ambassadors from Israel to protest moving the US embassy to Jerusalem but grandstanding gestures do not replace substantive aid like using resources to actively break the embargo of Gaza & end the Israeli occupation. Solidarity with Palestinians has always been strong among Turks & South Africans whose protests are always massive. South Africa & Palestine have apartheid in common. This is Turks demonstrating massively in solidarity with Palestinians. There are other protests being organized in London, Norway, & elsewhere. Make your city a place of Palestinian solidarity by organizing a rally, even if it’s only one person with a placard. Since it is Trump’s provocation that caused the lives of 58 Palestinians yesterday, Americans have a particular responsibility to hit the streets in protest.

(Photo from Great Return March on Twitter)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZAUS-VB75w&feature=share

Honored to share this truly beautiful rap musical tribute to Palestinians from Israeli Leem Suleiman & Mansa Osei Musa Cedi who said “We dedicate this song to the people of Gaza who are fighting to live in peace & dignity. This is the freedom we need.”

Leem tells me this music “is a collaboration between Ghana and Palestine against the exploitation of land and resource by the west and Israel. We share the same cause.” Mansa is a rapper from Ghana who worked online with Leem to make this song. They have never met.

Please feel free to share this anthem to Palestinian freedom.

Three Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh who survived the Chut Pyin massacre in Arakan/Rakhine state hold up photos of their beloved who were killed by Burmese military & nationalist death squads. And still, the UN & its member states waffle on whether this is ethnic cleansing or genocide, have not imposed punitive sanctions on Burma, & continue to blither about a transition to democracy under the facade of a civilian government led by Suu Kyi, one of the chief genocidaires.

(Photo from Wall Street Journal)