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WHO WE ARE

People’s Climate Mobilization and Stop the JNF Update

In light of the People's Climate Mobilization (PCM) in New York City during the weekend of September 21, said to have been the largest climate justice march in history with over 400,000 attendees, it is important to recognize the shifting landscape of the environmental movement. From a movement that has been largely white and middle class, there is an emerging movement that recognizes the importance of centering the leadership and issues of people of color and poor people most impacted by the climate crisis. Equally imperative, the framing of environmental issues should always include anti-colonial struggles and indigenous rights and sovereignty, as concerns over the environment can never be separated from indigenous struggles for land, resources and decolonization, as was laid out very clearly by indigenous organizers and activists of the PCM. In the PCM’s effort to cast a wide net and include a broad range of people and groups concerned about climate change, it also brought in some organizations that do not belong in movements advancing an agenda of environmental and social justice. The PCM put out a statement explaining that it “will bring together a spectrum of people with a broad range of perspectives." Yet the net was cast so wide that it attracted Zionist organizations to participate in the climate justice rally, including the Green Zionist Alliance (GZA), a classic greenwashing organization, whose stated purpose is "to educate and mobilize people around the world for Israel's environment [and] to protect Israel's environment," which includes "planting millions of trees" in Israel.

Join the international campaign to Stop the Jewish National Fund

The Palestinian BDS National Committee has called for a Global Day of Action to commemorate Palestinian Land Day.

PalestinianLand Day is the annual commemoration of the 1976 general strike and marchesagainst massive land expropriation by Israel in which six Palestinians werekilled and hundreds of others were jailed and wounded. Since then it has been aday to recall many decades of Palestinian resistance to historic and on-goingdisplacement and dispossession.

Never Again Tour in New Jersey: what happened

On January 29, 2011, the Never Again tour visited the Rutgers campus in New Jersey. Prior to the event, hate blogger Pamela Geller and Zionist pundit David Horowitz put out a call for demonstrations. Rutgers Hillel, with support from the local Jewish Federation, called for protest of the event. They objected to the humanitarian message of the event - Never Again for Anyone, including Palestinians.

They were threatened by the clear voices of criticism of Israel by Auschwitz survivor Hajo Meyer and holocaust refugee Hedy Epstein. Both condemned the exploitation of the holocaust by Israel and Zionist to justify the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Not able to reasonably argue with the universal message of our common rights and dignity, protesters looked for a technical issue on which to challenge the event.

A week prior to the event Rutgers changed the contract over to one of the national sponsors, American Muslims for Palestine. In doing so two things happened: the room cost went up to $1200 (more than all of the other venues put together) and sponsors were able to charge for the event. The additional cost of the room and the cost of additional security necessary due to the call for protest resulted in a decision to charge a minimum admission fee of $5.

The video below shows the organizers of the protest offering for Rutgers Hillel to reimburse those who pay the $5 to attend the event. Contrary to claims that Jews were not allowed into the event, the video shows that anyone was allowed in if they were willing to pay the admission fee. Of course, Jews organized the tour, attended the event and were on the platform, including two Jewish survivors of the holocaust as well as the co-coordinator of IJAN.