Purity can be a barrier to power for the Palestine movement
JVL Introduction
Despite the continuing complicity of most governments, the movement in support of Palestine is growing; public opinion is changing dramatically such that even in the USA, there is now a majority who sympathise with Palestinians rather than Israelis.
What is the work needed in the solidarity movement throughout the world? Here the writer challenges the emphasis on “purity” for many in the solidarity movement and that alliances, even with Zionists who are horrified by the actions of this government and, for example, support an arms embargo may be most important.
At last weekend’s Jewish AntiZionist International Congress*, Francesca Albanese was one of many who talked of the importance of conversations and actions with those with whom we may disagree. She also emphasised that our efforts are working – even though it may not seem so in the face of the ongoing ethnic cleansing and bombing – but the movement has succeeded in changing public opinion and awareness. This has to translate into political change.
We can be heartened by the fact that it seems Gaza is now on the ballot in the US Democratic primaries as it was on the ballot in the UK 2024 election. Perhaps we need to be more strategic in choosing our battles. In this article Abed Abou Shhadeh looks are reaction to Sally Rooney agreeing to translate her work into Hebrew and at the Oscar winning “No Other Land”. It is possible for two things to be true at the same time and we need to consider whether justified criticism or concern can outweigh positive messages that can bring more people into the struggle.
(*of which more in due course)
This article was originally published by +972 Magazine on Thu 18 Jun 2026. Read the original here.
The Palestine movement must seek power over purity
To confront a genocidal regime, we need to translate global attention into measurable achievements and build coalitions in every arena of influence.
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I believe resistance can co-exist in its many forms? Boycott, Sanctions, Peace peaceful protests and direct action etc.
It would be silly to think one approach alone is workable.
I think the support of activists around the world are entwined in that struggle. Palestinians cannot do this alone.
People power can shake up the powers that be. People need people.
Revolutionary violence is sometimes necessary BUT only as a tool to a much broader political confrontation politically, diplomatically etc..
We do need to listen to each other. At the same hand we condemn settlers and zionists violence/ideaology collectively we must distinguish there are zionists that disagree with Israel state actions. And we must ALL be aware that if we fight monsters we do not become monsters in the process. Because when we look into the abyss the abyss look into us. It took me a long time to fully appreciate what Nietzsche meant by that.
The right to exist in what they consider their ancestral home is separate from their criticism of Israel.
One can always argue the merits of ‘ancestral homeland’ whilst agreeing with a shared criticism and actions of Israel.
(NB) Bear in mind Israel does not see what they do has ‘colonizing’ but ‘nation-building’.
I do struggle with this issue. I passionately oppose normalisation but could never see how No Other Land normalised anything. On the contrary it showed how very un-normal things were, hopefully to audiences without that awareness. I also support Israeli refuseniks. Yes their motivations vary but they are making brave choices and every one who refuses to serve makes a difference. What I do object to is language of reconciliation or implications that if Israeli’s and Palestinians could just be nice and get to know each other everything would be ok. Until there is justice for Palestine there can be no reconciliation and no normalisation.
Yes, the priority has to be stopping decades of suffering and injustice. The Hebrew translation of Rooney’s book seems part of that effort.
It’s the impact of state and synagogue supported propaganda on the assumptions of Jewish Israeli children and adults that makes Israel’s war crimes in Gaza possible, I believe. “Haaretz” posts have pointed out how pervasive and monolithic that propaganda is.
As Dr Goebbels knew, if you ensure the whole of the target population absorbs your messages – and nobody else’s – from childhood onwards then few can defy you.
The .pdf summary of “Palestine in Israeli School Books: Ideology and Propaganda in Education” by Nutrit-Peled Elhanan says:-
“Israeli school textbooks [depiction of] Palestinians, [emphasises] ideological, visual, and discursive strategies that reinforce exclusion and bias … Textbooks predominantly portray Palestinians negatively, using stereotypes, racist icons, and demeaning images. Palestinians are rarely depicted as individuals; they are shown as collective threats, problems, or obstacles. The portrayal emphasizes Palestinians as primitive, hostile, and unmodern, often linked to violence and backwardness”.
And “Israeli textbooks serve to legitimize Jewish dominance and territorial claims based on biblical and Zionist narratives. Maps and texts promote the idea of land without people, erasing Palestinian presence and history … They depict Israel as a secure, modern, and progressive state, while Palestinians are shown as threats to this vision”.
And “Textbooks legitimize land confiscation, settlement expansion, and military actions through ideological and biblical justifications. They portray massacres and expulsions as necessary or beneficial for Israeli security and territorial integrity”.
And “Israeli textbooks serve as tools to inculcate a collective memory that supports territorial and political claims. They foster a narrative of victimhood and divine right, reinforcing exclusion and territorial expansion. The textbooks aim to create a homogeneous Jewish identity rooted in biblical and Zionist myths”.