For July’s monthly update, ICAHD’s Jeff Halper speaks to us from northern Minnesota where he is completing a speaking tour to cities in parts of Canada and Minnesota. He has been encouraged by the interest in Palestine that there is from the crowds of people who have come to hear him speak. Many of the meetings have been in churches but also at universities where there are still encampments.
Jeff spoke not only about Gaza but also of the suppression of the Palestinians living in the West Bank as well as within the state of Israel itself where their voices are also being silenced.
Palestinians living in the diaspora remain connected to their families on the ground however there is detachment and no united Palestinian voice who can join them together presenting a political programme to harness the great support from the world community to the Palestinian cause for justice and liberation.
The work of the Palestine Youth Movement (PYM) is trying to connect the Palestinians from the diaspora with Palestinians on the ground. Jeff brainstormed with PYM representatives on ideas for mobilization. One idea is to get a nucleus of Palestinians from around the world to come together for a week to get to know each other and to talk together on strategic ways to advance the Palestinian struggle.