Pro-Palestinian Advocacy in the U.S
Article by Zahra Khokar, HSDA Muslim Caucus Writer. This article was published as a collaboration with the Muslim Caucus and the TPT and is also associated with their caucus publication “The Crescent” (logo given at the bottom).
Brief Context:
Since October 7th of 2023, where Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, attacked Israel resulting in Israel declaring war on Palestine. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas War, many Palestinians residing in the Gaza Strip were restricted from access to food, water, electricity, and other basic necessities. Along with that, Israel is bombing the Palestinian territory to further destroy homes, and displace innocent people. As of January 21st of 2024, the death toll of Palestinians in Gaza has exceeded 25,000.
Due to the Israel-Palestine Conflict, there has been a rise of choosing between being “Pro-Israel” or “Pro-Palestine”. Considering oneself to be Pro-Palestine is to stand up against the ongoing genocide (See our article on what it means to be Pro-Palestinian for more information).
What are Pro-Palestinians Advocating for?
Palestinians do not have a voice in what is going on in their homeland. This is where Pro-Palestinian advocacy comes into play.
Pro-Palestinians are advocating for the rights of the 1.1 million persecuted Palestinians and an end to the inhumane treatment they are receiving. U.S. citizens are standing up and utilizing their right to free speech to bring attention to the ongoing genocide that is being “swept under the rug”.
How are Pro-Palestinians Taking Action?
Considering the U.S. Government’s role they are playing in the Israel-Palestine War, many Pro-Palestinian U.S. citizens feel helpless seeing that despite their vocal desire for an immediate ceasefire, they cannot physically stop the U.S. funding of the Israel Defense Forces. Pro-Palestinians find that boycotting, protesting, and even reposting an educational post on the matter can speak volumes about the amount of support coming from U.S. citizens to the Palestinians.
McDonalds, Starbucks, and many other popular fast food chains known to show support towards Israel have been targeted to be boycotted by Pro-Palestinians. Since the start of the boycotts, Starbucks has lost over 11 billion U.S. dollars in value (that’s almost 10% of its overall value!).
Through social media and the trending hashtags, “#boycottstarbucks” and “#boycottmcdonalds”, Pro-Palestinians have been able to spread the message globally of the war (over 61 million views on TikTok alone).
Pro-Palestinian protests are typically characterized by protestors condemning the actions of the Israeli government in response to the events that took place on October 7th, 2023. They also show support and solidarity towards endangered Palestinian civilians. For example, on January 13th, 2024, thousands of Pro-Palestinians gathered and protested close to the White House demanding for President Biden to end America’s supportive relations with Israel. Protestors gathered around waving Palestine flags, holding signs that demanded an immediate ceasefire, and chanting “Free Palestine!”.
Because of the U.S. Government’s position in the Israel-Palestine Conflict, Pro-Palestinians in the U.S. are advocating for Palestine. U.S. citizens standing up for what they believe in is a right that cannot be taken away from them. If Pro-Palestinians in the U.S. want to post on social media, protest, and boycott, they are allowed to. Pro-Palestinians advocate for Palestine to be freed. They use their voices to advocate for the rights of the Palestinians that have no voice.
