Anti-Racism Resources: December 2023 — Palestine
Compiled by the NAAFA Communications Committee
Each month, we feature educational resources in the NAAFA Newsletter to support our community in working to dismantle systemic racism. These resources are also shared on our social media, blog, and website. Resources vary from month to month, and may include historical information, tools for personal reflection, or information about how to get involved and make change. Many of the resources we suggest will be introductory resources, and this information is never intended to be full coverage on the complex and nuanced topics that are chosen each month. We encourage you to continue learning, and we especially hope you will seek out and support scholars, artists, creators, and activists who represent the communities most impacted by the topic of the month.
This month we invite you to join us in exploring resources about Palestine.
This article from History.com outlines a basic overview of the history of Israel, including the declaration of occupied Palestine as the independent state of Israel in 1948. History.com also includes a short video, “How the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Began.” Some experts emphasize that conflict over Palestine is ancient and complex, like this explainer from History on Maps that starts thousands of years ago. Others believe that, as in this explainer from Vox.com, we should focus on the last 100.
As you learn about Palestine, you will encounter the term Nakba (Arabic for “catastrophe”). The Nakba is the term for the displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. This information from the United Nations explains the Nakba and the ongoing trauma to millions of Palestinians refugees who were displaced then. The United Nations also has a Palestine Hub on their website, which includes tons of information for those who are ready to move beyond an intro level of learning.
In November, US Representative Rashida Tlaib (Michigan- D), who is the only Palestinian-American in Congress, was censured for her use of the phrase “from the river to the sea.” This overview from Jewish Telegraph Agency provides information about the censure, including Rep. Tlaib’s explanation of the phrase, as well as explanations of why the term is considered anti-Semitic by some. This piece from Decolonize Palestine’s Mythbusting series refutes the perception that the phrase is a call for Jewish Genocide.
Anti-Racism Daily is a Black and queer-led newsletter to dismantle white supremacy. In this edition of their Study Hall feature, they answer this reader question about what’s happening in Palestine and whether we’re using the right terminology to discuss it: Why are People Calling this a Genocide?
Wondering why protestors IRL and online are using watermelons to symbolize solidarity with Palestine? This article from Time explains it.
This year on December 10, the world celebrated the 75th Annual Human Rights Day in honor of the 1948 creation of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. Organizations and activists around the world declared the day one of global protest in support of Palestinian freedom, as reported here by Al Jezeerza. This story also documents protest photography from around the world in support of a ceasefire in Palestine.
