Use of the term “Israel Palestine conflict” may fall short of “settler colonialism” and “sociocide,” but it can open the door to the very conversation we need to have with people new to the issue. Asking “Who are the sides”  allows us to talk about the context and intent of Zionism, and the way it disregarded the rights of Palestinian communities residing in  the lands it craved. It also allows us to talk about the sadly neglected topic of Palestinian resistance and steadfastness, or sumud.

Eve Spangler just returned from a yearly human rights delegation to Israel/Palestine and says the best description of the emerging situation is this: a perfect storm is coming. All the most destructive forces are aligning to produce (possibly violent) change and uncertainty early in the Trump administration. She says younger Palestinians are beginning to prepare themselves for the civil rights struggle to come when Israel annexes the West Bank.