Join us in organizingpopular tribunals in your region

Overthe next 2-3 years the network will partner with other groups to organizetribunals that gather testimony in order to expose the tactics of and demandaccountability from Zionist institutions and individuals.

Description of project

The concept for popular tribunals emerged out ofconversations with activists at the Cairo Forum on Liberation from Zionism andUS Imperialism. Popular tribunals have been used in conflicts around the world,ranging from the Vietnam War to the Chilean dictatorship to the Japaneseexploitation of Korean women during World War II to the use of sexual violenceduring the ethnic war in the former Yugoslavia.

They side-step national or internationalgovernments (these are often the targets) and bring consciousness to a conflictor history. This process is often accompanied by material demands fromgovernments or war criminals for reparations or public acknowledgment of crimesagainst humanity. In this case, the target(s) would be likely to be Zionistinstitutions or organizations.

The tribunal "hearing" the testimony oftenconsists of publicly recognized figures-often famous activists andintellectuals but sometimes public officials. The tribunal hears testimony andthen makes a statement based on that testimony that might also include "ruling"on the reparations or actions to be demanded from the perpetrators of violence.Our tribunals might include famous activists and intellects and a very smallnumber of sympathetic public officials who represent the diversecross-movements that are impacted by the intersection of Zionism andUS/European imperialism.

Per our commitment to creating space fornon-Jewish anti-Zionist voices, the testimony would largely come from Palestinian,Arab, or Muslim people and Jews most impacted by this intersection of Zionismand US/European imperialism (i.e. working class Jews, Mizrahi Jews, Jews ofColor, anti-Zionist holocaust survivors, military refusniks, etc.). The targetsmay include one large international Zionist institution and it's local and nationalaffiliates.  

One of many possible international targets isthe Jewish National Fund (JNF).  The JNFis currently being targeted by Palestinian solidarity activists for theirfunding of paramilitary activity in the West Bank.The campaign is demanding a revoking of their charitable status. For those ofus organizing locally or nationally, we might then identify and targetinstitutions or individuals that fund or represent the JNF. 

The focus of the tribunals would be to exposethe tactics of Zionist organizations both domestically and in Palestine. Initial thoughts include acampaign that would focus on and gather testimony about the censorship andtargeting of organizations and individuals who criticize Israel, the experienceof Muslim, Arab and South West Asian people and organizations targeted byIslamophobia, and people who are from or whose families remain in Palestine,Iraq and Lebanon with testimony on the military activity being funded by Zionistorganizations. The testimony would differ from location to location based onthe different populations, organizing and impact felt in each location.

Goals:

• Increase visibility of anti-Zionist platform, voices and testimonies.
• Document evidence and testimony to produce a working report to expose the tactics of the targeted Zionist institution(s).
• Increase foundation of support for growing boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and for participation in a general consumer boycott of Israeli goods.
• Encourage the boycott of Zionist organizations, institutions, political, educational, sporting and cultural events.
• Delegitimize the claim of Zionist organizations that they speak on behalf of all Jews.
• Expose the role of Zionist organizations as promoting the State of Israel in the name of doing Jewish cultural work.

Please email us at ijsn@ijsn.netif you are interested in partnering with us or participating in the organizingof Popular Tribunals.

In November, a discussionwill take place here that will evolve this concept. Readings about the historic use of differenttypes of Popular Tribunals will also be posted. Please come back and join thisdiscussion!