Kamala Harris and fortifying Black-Palestinian solidarity

Aug 27, 2024 Story by: Editor

In recent weeks, Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign has gained significant momentum, yet hopes for her taking a strong stance on the genocide in Gaza have dwindled. This shift has led to disillusionment among many supporters of the Palestinian cause, sparking rising tensions between anti-genocide advocates and Harris supporters.

A bitter dispute earlier this month between TikTok creators Maya Abdullah and Tori Grier epitomized this tension. The exchange intensified a debate about racism and conflicting community interests on social media. Grier’s supporters argue that Black Americans should vote for Harris to avoid further violence and discrimination under a potential Trump presidency. Meanwhile, Abdullah’s supporters believe Palestinian Americans shouldn’t be pressured to support someone perceived as enabling the genocide of their family members in Palestine. They also urge allies from other ethnic and religious backgrounds to show solidarity with them.

The extent to which this debate is influencing voting attitudes is uncertain, but a deepening divide could potentially weaken Black-Palestinian anticolonial solidarity at a critical time, a loss for both communities.

Black-Palestinian Solidarity: A Historic Relationship

The bond between the Black and Palestinian communities in the United States and globally has deep roots, anchored in a shared experience of oppression. Both groups have faced the destructive forces of white supremacy, systemic racism, Islamophobia, and imperialism.

Prominent figures in the Black liberation movement, including Malcolm X, Huey P. Newton, Kwame Ture, and Angela Davis, have historically expressed solidarity with Palestinians, condemning colonization and occupation. During the civil rights movement of the 1960s, organizations like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Black Panther Party emphasized the importance of anticolonial alliances to counter white supremacy, Zionism, capitalism, and imperialism.

African anticolonial struggles have also often been connected to the Palestinian cause. Nations such as South Africa and Algeria, which fought against colonial rule, continue to support Palestinian rights. A significant moment occurred in 1969 when Algeria, having won its independence from France, hosted the Pan-African Cultural Festival, which included representatives from the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). The festival helped unite African and Palestinian struggles against imperialism into a broader global movement.

In recent years, the pro-Palestinian movement has aligned itself with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, particularly after George Floyd’s murder, as many Black Americans recognized the parallels between their own oppression and that faced by Palestinians under Israeli occupation. Numerous Black-led organizations, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), have called for a ceasefire in Gaza. In June, the NAACP urged the Biden administration to halt arms shipments to Israel.

Black student groups, alongside Palestinian and Jewish anti-Zionist organizations, have also formed part of the student anti-genocide movement, highlighting a shared commitment to combating all forms of racism. They reject Zionism as a white supremacist project, drawing parallels with other colonial ventures that perpetuate oppression in places like the United States.

Similarly, the Uncommitted Movement has sought to leverage its influence in the Democratic primaries by pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza and an arms embargo on Israel, a powerful example of intersectional resistance.

Divide and Rule

Over time, the increasing solidarity between Black and Palestinian communities has become a target for Israel and its Zionist allies. They see intersectional anticolonial movements as a threat to their divisive narratives and propaganda.

Smear campaigns have frequently targeted the Black Lives Matter movement, accusing it of antisemitism. This effort has intensified since October 7, with the media attempting to convince the Black community that the Palestinian struggle is not their fight.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has repeatedly attacked Black politicians who challenge pro-Zionist policies, employing coordinated smear campaigns. U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, for example, has faced relentless efforts to undermine her. Recently, AIPAC successfully campaigned to unseat Representatives Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush, both vocal advocates for Gaza, by financially supporting their primary challengers.

A rift between Black and Palestinian communities would serve the interests of Zionist groups and Israel. When considering whether to support Kamala Harris, it’s important to note that, despite her background as a woman of color, her politics align with the liberal bourgeois class that, as Martin Luther King Jr. described, often undercuts progressive and anticolonial agendas under the guise of moderation.

If elected, Harris is likely to offer superficial support for anti-racism efforts while failing to challenge systemic racism and militarism. She may strengthen the military-industrial complex, back policies that favor the rich over the poor, and enforce tough-on-crime measures that disproportionately harm communities of color.

Solidarity Against Genocide

It’s crucial to recognize that the forces behind the violence in Gaza are the same ones fueling global oppression. U.S. and Israeli settler-colonial projects are both rooted in white supremacy, capitalism, and imperialism, employing similar tactics of repression, including the militarization of police and the surveillance of marginalized communities.

The violence in Palestine has profound implications for people of color and marginalized groups worldwide. Israel’s military operations serve as a testing ground for technologies and tactics later deployed against oppressed groups in both the Global North and Global South.

A united Black-Palestinian front is essential to resisting these forces and their genocidal aims. Without this solidarity, both communities are left more vulnerable to oppression.

True liberation, both in the U.S. and Palestine, requires a broad anti racist and anticolonial movement, driven by grassroots principles and committed to rejecting alliances with counterrevolutionary forces. Only through this unified effort can the fight against capitalist, racist oppression succeed. Source: Al Jazeera