Last month, 16-year-old Palestinian-American Mohammed Ibrahim was finally released after nearly 10 months in an Israeli prison. His freedom follows a campaign by over 100 organizations pressuring the Trump administration to intervene on his behalf.
A group of Palm Beach residents are suing the Florida county over its $700 million investment in Israeli bonds. “The people here are the grittiest, most powerful organizers I’ve had the privilege of seeing,” a local activist told Mondoweiss.
The ACLU and Palestine Legal are suing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the University of Florida over over the state’s ban of Students for Justice in Palestine.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice are partnering with campus police to combat antisemitism on campuses across the United States. Advocates fear this will include Palestine solidarity activism.
This week members of the Sierra Club unit of the Progressive Workers Union (PWU) passed a resolution pledging solidarity with the Palestinian people. The resolution passed with 86% of the vote.
“If Unilever is so interested in virtue-signaling, why not announce a boycott of countries like China, Russia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, or especially Iran,” asked Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt.
Omari Hardy, a 31-year-old state representative and former middle school teacher, has been unapologetic in his support for BDS and Palestinian human rights as he attempts to win the Democratic nomination to represent Florida’s 20th district in congress. The race will be yet another fight between the Democratic Party establishment and the progressive base over Palestinian rights.
There’s a lot of news this week. The new Israeli government is pushing forward on settlement expansion despite surprisingly strong lip service against it from the Biden administration. And the unapologetic support for BDS from Omari Hardy, a progressive candidate for Congress in Florida, has caused a Jewish newspaper to smear him as a reincarnation of Hitler– and the Democratic Majority for Israel has leaped in to smear Hardy as an antisemite.
Florida protestors tell Duty Free Americas to stop funding expulsion of Palestinians. “Quite simply, our groups are in front of Duty Free America offices today because Israel encourages the construction of illegal settlements, and international philanthropy pays for it,” explained protestor Hiba Kakli.
The group Palestine Legal has filed a civil rights complaint against Florida State University for allegedly tolerating and intensifying an anti-Palestinian environment on campus. It’s believed to be the first ever anti-Palestinian discrimination complaint on a college campus. “It’s time to speak out about racism against Palestinians as the status quo,” said Michael Ratner Justice Fellow Amira Mattar in a statement.