July Palestinian Justice Newsletter

Posted by on July 12, 2024

A Note From the Author

Hi all,

It is with regret that I share with you all that this will be my last month as the Palestinian Justice Intern as I will be embarking on a new journey of graduate school in Amsterdam. As I transition out of this role, Marie will become the new point of contact for all things Palestinian justice. Please feel free to connect with her at [email protected] if you are looking for direction in your activism.

Grace Harsche

Fact-Checking the Presidential Debate

The invasion of Gaza by Israel following the events of October 7th received little coverage in the most recent presidential debate of incumbent candidate Joe Biden and opposition Donald Trump. In this portion of the newsletter, On Earth Peace will be fact-checking the brief comments made regarding the current humanitarian situation in Gaza.

“Everyone from the United Nations Security Council, straight through the G7 to the Israelis and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu have endorsed the plan that I put forward…The only one who wants the war to continue is Hamas" (President Biden)

This is a false claim. What is true about this remark is that a ceasefire negotiation between the two sides is currently at a standstill. Hamas requires that any deal made with Israel would bring a full end to the war and a full Israel withdrawal from Gaza. Israel is currently only willing to accept a temporary pause in fighting until Hamas is eradicated.

"Actually, Israel is the one (that wants to keep going), and you should let them go and let them finish the job. He (Biden) doesn’t want to do it. He's become like a Palestinian but they don't like him because he's a very bad Palestinian. He's a weak one” (Donald Trump)

This statement is blatantly racist. The use of the word “Palestinian” in this sentence is as a slur. Since October 7th, there has been a rise in Islamaphobia, anti-Arab sentiment, and antisemitism. By using Palestinian as an insult, Trump reinforces these narratives.

Asked whether he would support the establishment of a Palestinian state to secure peace in the region, Trump responded, “I’d have to see.”

This response demonstrates the lack of vision both candidates have to ending the war. Both candidates focused their remarks on what ways they would support Israel if they won the election rather than outlining a plan to end the war and achieve Palestinian statehood.

Activism Events (Separate blog post)