In the past nine months, there has been a concerted effort by authorities in the United States to suppress Palestinian activism and identity. Various sectors, including politics, business, civil society, higher education, and culture, have been impacted. Peaceful protests have been quelled, accusations of anti-Semitism have been made, and even wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf or using the word intifada has been deemed controversial.
One notable instance of censorship involved Rabea Eghbariah, a Palestinian lawyer and legal scholar at Harvard University. After the Harvard Law Review declined to publish his article proposing the Nakba as a legal framework for Palestine, Columbia Law Review stepped in to publish his work, titled Toward Nakba as a Legal Concept, despite facing pressure to take it down.
The suppression of Palestinian voices in the US extends beyond censorship and amounts to what some term as “anti-Palestinian racism.” This suppression has historical roots and overlaps with broader issues of Islamophobia and discrimination against marginalized groups. However, there is a growing movement to protect Palestinian rights and challenge these oppressive systems.
Today’s resistance against anti-Palestinian racism in the US is part of a global movement for Palestinian solidarity and freedom. It is vital for various marginalized communities to come together to combat oppression and support each other’s struggles for justice and equality.\
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