Palestinian students fight against Zionists and administration at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC)

Last month, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at UIUC started a divestment campaign for the corporations that are complicit in human rights violations and that contribute to Israeli military, US prisons and US immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The divestment campaign asked to divest from companies such as Caterpillar Inc., Elbit systems, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Aramark, which directly contribute to the occupation of Palestinian lands, criminalization of immigrants and people in color, and illegal labor in US prisons. 

After weeks of diligent campaigning, planning, and outreach, SJP UIUC presented its Divest resolution to the Illinois Student Government (ISG) on February 16th in order to place its referendum question on the student ballot for the upcoming election, at which the students at UIUC would be asked to vote to divest from these companies. However, Zionists senators tried all kinds of low roads to obscure the resolution from passing and not show up as a referendum question for UIUC students. As a first calculated plan, five Zionist senators walked out during the middle of the voting section and caused the meeting to be adjourned. As such, next week on February 23th SJP was again forced to present the resolution to ISG. This time the resolution passed with a simple majority of 17 to 14. However, as a second insidious plan, Zionists senators this time requested a secret ballot during the meeting, in order to “protect” their senators and identity. The secret ballot request was voted and accepted but unbeknownst to SJP, it was later weaponized against SJP with claims that it violated the ISG constitution. 

As a last resort, Zionist senators filed a judicial complaint against SJP’s divestment resolution, including a complaint against the meeting agenda being sent out “late”, or less than 48 hours beforehand. However, ISG later confirmed that the agenda had been sent out late on multiple occasions before, and yet the judicial committee upheld the unmerited claims of Zionist senators. As a result, the resolution could not be accepted by the Campus Student Elections Committee within an appropriate deadline. 

These pre-mediated attacks have clearly shown that how far Zionists, as they call themselves “only democracy in the middle east”, can go to exploit the flaws of democratic institutions in order to advance their anti-Palestinian, settler-colonial ideologies as well as showing the corruption of democratic institutions such as ISG, who blatantly shut its eyes to the silencing of Palestinian voices.  

As a response to this institutional corruption, SJP organized a protest on March 9th calling on the students to show solidarity and support for Palestinians on the campus and globally. Ally organizations across the campus showed up at the protest, showed their solidarity with SJP and delivered their speeches at the protest. A comrade of Friends of Palestine against Imperialism and Zionism was also present at the protest, showing an international solidarity with the Palestinian students.

We held a rally against Herzog the Zionist murderer

Isaac Herzog, the President of the Zionist Israel, the watchdog of the apartheid regime and the proponent of the ethnic-cleansing policies targeting the Palestinians, has come to Turkey yesterday, as the special guest of the despotic regime in Turkey. To protest his unwelcome presence, we held a rally before the so-called Israeli consulate in Istanbul, along with the participants of the “#GetOutHerzog Campaign” (Herzog Defol Kampanyası), TOKAD and Eğitim İlke Sen.

In the rally, we carried placards and banners that read “Get out Herzog! No to any normalization with Zionist Israel” in both Turkish and English. Deputy Chairman of the Revolutionary Workers’ Party (DIP, Devrimci İşçi Partisi) Levent Dölek, who is also one of the spokespersons of the “Friends of Palestine against imperialism and Zionism,” was first to take the floor. Dölek recalled that the Zionist movement has not just collaborated with the imperialists but also tried to collaborate with the Nazi regime in Germany and recently supported DAESH in Syria. He called to sever all ties with Zionism and also evoked the memory of revolutionary fighters from Turkey who had fought as a part of the Palestinian resistance, as well as the martyrs of the Mavi Marmara. Aynur Efe, the spokesperson of the “Get Out Herzog Campaign,” also gave a speech, where she reiterated the call to sever all ties with Israel. Finally, a comrade read the press statement. The statement underlined our anger in the face of Herzog’s arrival and demanded Herzog to be kicked out of Turkey immediately.

Invitation

We, the Friends of Palestine Against Imperializm and Zionism Platform, invite all the friends of Palestinian people to join us on the 9th of March, at 19:00, in front of the Zionist consulate building, to protest the visit of the Zionist-in-chief Herzog and the invitation made to him by the tyranny regime of Turkey.

No to Rapprochement with Israel and Usurpation of Palestinian Natural Resources!

Birzeit University was raided by Zionist forces in early January. They first opened fire on and then captured five students who have become leading figures in the Palestinian cause. 

The on-going ethnic cleansing operation conducted by the Zionist Israel in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, which had ceased for a while thanks to the resistance of the dwellers, and international solidarity, re-accelerated, with the unlawfully demolition of the Selhiye family’s house. It can be considered to be a harbinger of a new wave of attacks on the neighborhood. 

The very same day Israel targeted the Bedouin communities inhabiting in the Naqab region, attacking those who defied planting trees in their centuries-long lands for Jewish enclaves projected for future.      

As we have pondered on what to do to stop those Zionist aggressions and atrocities, Erdoğan said on January 17th that Israeli President Herzog would visit Turkey, foreshadowing that the commercial, military and intelligence-sharing relationships would “normalize” and accelerate!     

Zionist Israel, which is an ethnically-discriminatory, racist and expansionist state, is an outpost at the service of imperialism, which had massacred millions of people; which had replenished the jet fighters bombarding the Turkish National Assembly on July 15th; which is enemy of Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Persians and other people of the region. 

If you ask based on the above what “normalization” means, it is that we will make a deal with the devil to be accomplice in usurping and marketing Palestinian natural gas. 

We call on our people to force the government not to make a deal with the devil because we do not have even a shred of interest in colluding with Zionism and imperialism. What are in favor of us are the victory of Palestine and the demise of the imperialist outpost.

AKP government should halt the normalization process and sever the diplomatic, commercial, military and intelligence-sharing relationships with Israel!

Down with imperialism!

Down with Zionism!

Down with Zionist Israeli State!

Free Palestine from the River to the Sea!

First screening of the Fedayin documentary with Turkish subtitles took place in Paris

As the “Friends of Palestine against Imperialism and Zionism”, and in partnership with the United Campaign for Freedom for George Abdallah and ADHK, we organized the screening of the documentary “Fedayin: George Abdallah’s Combat” in Paris on Friday, January 21. The screening took at the Dersim Cultural Center in Paris, with the Turkish subtitles that were recently translated by the militants of the Friends of Palestine against Imperialism and Zionism. While the majority of the audience consisted of people originally from Turkey, comrades from France, Bangladesh Tunisia and Morocco were also present.

In the stand we set up at the entrance of the event, we presented Turkish and English leaflets introducing our platform to the participants, as well as the French translation of the text entitled “Freedom for George Ibrahim Abdallah” adopted by the 6th Congress of the DIP (Revolutionary Workers Party) from Turkey.

The event started with a minute of silence observed for the martyrs of the revolution. A militant from the United Campaign for Freedom for George Abdallah first introduced comrade George Abdullah and his struggle in French. Our comrade, the representative of the Friends of Palestine, addressed the participants in Turkish, stressing our determination to take George Abdullah from the clutches of French imperialism, and urged all participants to participate in the rally that will be held at the Administrative Court during the hearing on January 27.

The screening and the ensuing exchanges came to an end with an appeal to come together for the rally on January 27th.

The Palestinian people want to overthrow the regime of Mahmoud Abbas, murderer of Nizar Banat!

Nizar Banat, known for his staunch opposition to the collaborationist Mahmoud Abbas government, was taken into custody early this morning by the security forces of the Palestinian Authority. Soon thereafter it was announced that he passed away while under custody. But neither his family nor the Palestinians trust this statement.

The family members who gave an interview to the Anadolu Agency said that their home was stormed early in the morning and Nizar Banat was beaten with iron bars. The cause of this hatred is undoubtedly his scathing criticism of the Mahmoud Abbas administration. Banat was already taken into custody before and furthermore, he applied to participate in the recently canceled elections with his independent list.  

On the other hand, protests started around noon at various points of the West Bank, condemning the collaborationist Mahmoud Abbas government and accusing it of murder. The participating Palestinians chanted “Esh shaab yurid iskat en nizam” (“The people want to bring down the regime”), a famed slogan of Arab revolutions, while the Palestinian Authority police responded harshly with force.   

We, the Friends of Palestine against Imperialism and Zionism, condemn the murder of Nizar Banat. This murder is another dagger on the back of the Palestinian people by the collaborationist Mahmoud Abbas administration. The collaborationist administration indefinitely postponed the elections since it knows well that Palestinians would bury them in the ballot box, and with the guilt of being unable to do anything against the increasing Zionist attacks in May, is resorting to attacks against the opposition. But the slogans chanted by the people pouring into the streets today will most certainly come to pass and the people will drive away the collaborationists together with the Zionists!

Down with the Zionist State of Israel!

Down with the collaborationist Mahmoud Abbas Administration!

Friends of Palestine Against Imperialism and Zionism

Le peuple palestinien veut renverser le régime de Mahmoud Abbas, assassin de Nizar Banat!

Nizar Banat, connu pour sa ferme opposition au gouvernement collabo de Mahmoud Abbas, a été placé en garde à vue tôt ce matin (le 26 Juin) par les forces de sécurité de l’Autorité palestinienne. Peu de temps après, il a été annoncé qu’il était décédé alors qu’il était en détention. Mais ni sa famille ni les Palestiniens ne font confiance à cette déclaration.

Les membres de la famille qui ont accordé une interview à l’Agence Anadolu ont déclaré que leur maison avait été prise d’assaut tôt le matin et que Nizar Banat avait été battu avec des barres de fer. La cause de cette haine est sans aucun doute sa critique cinglante de l’administration de Mahmoud Abbas. Banat avait déjà été placé en détention auparavant et en outre, il a demandé à participer aux élections récemment annulées avec sa liste indépendante.

D’autre part, des manifestations ont commencé vers midi en divers points de Cisjordanie, condamnant le gouvernement collaborationniste de Mahmoud Abbas et l’accusant de meurtre. Les Palestiniens participants ont scandé « Esh shaab yurid iskat en nizam » (« Le peuple veut renverser le régime »), un slogan célèbre des révolutions arabes, tandis que la police de l’Autorité palestinienne a répondu durement avec force.

Nous, en tant que « les Amis de la Palestine contre l’Impérialisme et le Sionisme », condamnons le meurtre de Nizar Banat. Ce meurtre est un autre poignard sur le dos du peuple palestinien par l’administration collabo de Mahmoud Abbas. L’administration collabo a reporté indéfiniment les élections car elle sait bien que les Palestiniens les enterraient dans les urnes, et avec la culpabilité de n’avoir rien pu faire contre les attaques sionistes croissantes en mai, recourt à des attaques contre l’opposition. Mais les slogans scandés par les gens qui affluent dans les rues aujourd’hui se réaliseront très certainement et le peuple chassera les collabos avec les sionistes !

A bas l’État sioniste d’Israël !

A bas l’administration collabo de Mahmoud Abbas !

les Amis de la Palestine contre l’Impérialisme et le Sionisme

We were in front of the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul to protest the Mavi Marmara Massacre

We held a protest in front of the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul to commemorate the eleventh anniversary of the Mavi Marmara massacre, releasing a press statement emphasizing that the massacre is yet another example of the atrocities having since 1948 been committed by the terrorist entity. And we stated that Zionist massacres have been emboldened not only by imperialism and regional reactionary regimes, but also by the despotic regime in Turkey which betrays the Palestinian cause both by maintaining burgeoning trade relations with Israel and by turning a deaf ear to the pleas of the Palestinian people for boycotting and imposing sanction against Israel. We underlined also that the only true ally of the Palestinian people in Turkey are the laboring classes.

Press release

Venue: Israel Consulate, Istanbul

Date: May 31st 2021

Time: 12:30

Palestine is still in war!

No liberation is possible,

Without the demise of Israel,

Without the defeat of imperialism!

Zionists had stormed the Mavi Marmara flotilla on May 31st2010, murdering ten of its crew members. That bloodshed has since been a litmus test for those claiming to be anti-imperialist and anti-Zionist.

The despotic regime in Turkey, which has pretended to stand by Palestine, failed the test when it signed a treaty with Israel in December 2016 just for the sake of a handful of natural gas, which would lead to dropping the assault-related charges against the Zionist entity.   

The despotic regime, which had taken a “stern” stance against the attacks on the Sheikh Jarrah and Gaza strip, was once more caught red-handed when it was exposed that IsraeliMinister of Energy Steinitz would visit Turkey as the first step of normalization process. 

We, as Friends of Palestine against Imperialism and Zionism, invite you to attend our press release to be held in front of the Israeli Consulate to commemorate the eleventh anniversary of the Mavi Marmara massacre and to condemn those who have overtly or covertly collaborated with Israel.

Notre message de solidarité avec le Collectif Palestine vaincra

Chers camarades du Collectif Palestine Vaincra,

Nous, en tant que “Les Amis de Palestine contre l’impérialisme et Sionisme”, voulons bien transmettre notre plus chaleureuse sentiments de solidarité. L’entité Sioniste mène une campagne de terrorisme ouverte contre le peuple palestinien et toutes les instances qui osent montrer leur soutien vis-à-vis la résistance héroïque en Palestine. Nous considérons les menaces de dissolution contre votre collectif, tout comme la campagne contre Samidoun, un exemple infame de cette agression Sioniste qui dépasse les limites de Palestine et une partie des agressions, organisée par les Sionistes et leur laquais comme gouvernement Macron. Chers camarades, permettez-nous d’exprimer notre solidarité inconditionnelle dans votre lutte, jusqu’au jour où on détruira l’entité Sioniste – par tous les moyens possibles.

Les Amis de Palestine contre l’impérialisme et Sionisme