Palestinians, supporters: Trump-Netanyahu plan intends to cement apartheid

A Palestinian flag as long as a city block was carried outside New York’s City Hall on Jan. 31 as hundreds rallied to protest “the deal of the century” that Trump and Netanyahu seek to impose on the dispossessed Palestinian people.

Among the protesters was a large contingent of religious anti-Zionist Jews from Neturei Karta International-Jews United Against Zionism. A bus brought members of New Jersey’s large Palestinian community to the protest. Organizers included American Muslims for Palestine, Al-Awda NY: Palestine Right to Return Coalition, the New York for Palestine Coalition, the Palestinian American Community Center NJ, the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, Students for Justice in Palestine at John Jay College and Within Our Lifetime-United for Palestine.

A statement read, “The ‘Deal of the Century,’ crafted by U.S. and Israeli officials to the exclusion of Palestinians, was met with protests across the world, organizers said in a statement. The Trump-Netanyahu plan intends to institutionalize illegal settlements, expand Israeli land theft, entrench military occupation and cement the segregation of Palestinians from each other by the Apartheid Wall, declared illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004.”

Sayel Kayed of American Muslims for Palestine-New Jersey chapter, said, “Palestinians have suffered under Israeli apartheid, colonization and violence for over 72 years and this so-called deal is an attempt to normalize Israeli violence and erasure of Palestinians.”  

Ahmad Khatib from the Palestinian American Community Center added, “The steal of the century is another Nakba, all prior similar plans and impositions of the past seventy years have excluded Palestinian refugees, who are the majority of the Palestinian population.”

Human rights attorney Lamis J. Deek noted that “this is not a deal. It is an admission of criminal intent. It is an admission of intent to commit grave breaches of international law by expanding apartheid, population transfer, military occupation and military violence against an already subjugated Palestinian people. This so-called deal not only threatens Palestinian lives but threatens the international mechanisms designed to protect the world from returning to an era of barbarism and racialized subjugation. For the sake of global morality and safety, this declaration should be condemned by all people and governments and should be treated as evidence by the ICC in any future prosecution or investigation of Israel.”

“I think the only good thing that has come from the Trump-Netanyahu plan is that it has united and galvanized Palestinians in Palestine, in the refugee camps and across the world to work even harder to pursue their right to return to their homes in freedom and justice. We know now that our work for justice is more difficult, but we are ready, and we have a lot of support here in New York and across the world,” said Nerdeen Kiswani, of Within Our Lifetime – United for Palestine.

Supporters of Struggle-La Lucha took part and spoke at the rally.

Photos: American Muslims for Palestine and Bill Dores