A couple weeks back Katie Miranda interviewed me as part of a tele-summit on action for Palestine, challenging me on such questions as how I can justify internal-Jewish-handwringing-debate as Gaza is burning. She then made the very charitable caricature above and includes the interview in a stellar lineup of conversations she’s having with folks who are active in the struggle. Katie introduces the tele-summit in the video below, and the essay that follows. Enjoy! –Phil Weiss.
Because the Palestinian struggle is very important to me on a personal level and I know the same is true for you, I knew you’d want to see this.
Maybe you’re unsure how best to use your time and resources in support of the struggle given Israel’s recent bombing campaign on Gaza. Maybe you’re wondering where the movement is winning and how to support that, or maybe you’re wondering what areas still need a lot of work.
Would you like to tap into the minds of prominent leaders, activists and scholars like Haneen Zoabi, Hatem Bazian, Richard Falk, Jeff Halper, Diana Buttu, Remi Kanazi and 15 others who have dedicated their lives to fighting apartheid and supporting Palestinian freedom and justice? You’ll also get to hear from this site’s co-editor Phil Weiss who talks about how his anti-Zionist stance forced him out of main stream journalism and eventually to founding this site. He also describes the challenges he faces changing minds in the American Jewish community.
Some of the interviews will really surprise you.
Huge shifts are happening in the struggle for Palestinian self-determination. If you’re ready to hear new ideas that will help invigorate the struggle, I invite you to join the Palestine Solidarity Telesummit: http://bit.ly/palestine-summit10
Would you kindly share this with your friends and anyone else you know who would want to hear about how we can harness the support of individuals like you and turn that effort into action that ends apartheid in Palestine ?
Oh my heavens! Superlative opportunity and action!
Thanks Katie and MW!
(that’s a great cartoon!)
RE: “the very charitable caricature. . .”
MY COMMENT: Phil, I know you graduated from Harvard and all, but is your head really that big? Oh right, it’s a caricature.
what an incredible line up of people katie. i totally signed up and can’t WAIT to get the first interview delivered to my inbox tomorrow. thank you so so much!
My question for Phil for the Telesummit, based on his experience in years of interactions, is this:
What motivates the PEPs to value militant nationalism to the exclusion of leftist values?
Just saying that they are nationalist or intolerant does not explain what makes them this way, and I am afraid that it is hard to get a direct answer from them.
Their first answer that Muslims are savages or that the country is at risk doesn’t really explain their motives, because when it comes to US history, they would normally defend more “primitive” “savages”, despite the fact that colonies like one in Delaware really were crushed by natives.
The second answer is that they are reacting against past intolerance. It’s good to react against past intolerance, but why do they choose a rightwing approach in their reaction? Half of Armenians were genocided but they aren’t particularly militaristic.
Another answer could be that they are directly following religious commands. However, PEPs are more often secular or nonreligious and do not usually profess a divine land mandate like Christian Zionists do.
Do you agree with the fourth explanation that PEPs are motivated by a closed group interest and mentality expressed or taught in religion or culture because they grew up with it?
This may seem a bit counterintuitive: only a strong rightwinger will give this as an explanation for their own views. And isn’t it true that PEPs also want equality for African Americans? And if you think that some people are culturally predisposed to take right wing positions on some issues, are you ready to avoid the charge that you are making generalizations about a community?
i just watched the first interview w/remi kanazi and it was stellar. just over the top stellar. 48minutes of really informed information. highly highly recommended.