Where does our movement go after the DNC?
Dear USCPR family:
Three weeks ago, after Cori Bush’s stinging defeat, I wrote about the need for us to remember that we are in a marathon, not a sprint. That we must model sumud—perseverance—and asked you all to let the USCPR team know if you were with us for the long haul.
Since that message went out across email, text, our website, and Instagram, we have been overwhelmed by the positive response. Y’all came through with more donations than 90% of our emails receive, and tons of positive responses. We are incredibly grateful. If you haven’t read that note, by the way, check it out here.
So first: Thank you, thank you.
And second: I wanted to follow up about our plans for how to put that generosity toward our strategic plan, and toward a free Palestine.
Before I do, I want to offer my reflection on Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’s statement at the DNC last week, where she doubled down on arming Israel as it’s committing genocide, and then in the next breath dared to speak of “freedom and self-determination” for the Palestinian people.
This comes after 10 months of action to embolden Israel and their genocide against my people. By sending tens of billions worth of bombs and military funding, the U.S. and this administration have done the heaviest damage to Palestinians’ right to freedom and self-determination. We can no longer accept lip service. You cannot continue to arm Israel while telling us that you are working for a ceasefire. Adding an accelerant is used to speed up or intensify a fire, sending more bombs to Israel can only be understood as an intention to speed up or intensify the genocide of the Palestinian people.
We need to increase our movement’s organizing and political muscle to the point where no one can ignore our demands, especially in the wake of more horrific massacres in Gaza and the largest Israeli military invasion of the West Bank since 2002.
If you’re already ready to chip in toward our efforts, you can do that here, but otherwise, read on for more details on our plan.
A permanent ceasefire is only possible if our government stops fueling genocide and sending bombs. Toward that end, our number one policy objective and organizing northstar is to #StopArmingIsrael—with an immediate arms embargo, and then ending U.S. military funding to Israel once and for all.
I want to be honest with you: We wanted this to happen yesterday. We’ve been advocating for this for years. We may not win this year, or even next, but we will keep fighting until we do.
After we #StopArmingIsrael, the work of truly liberating Palestine can begin. That means an end to the apartheid & occupation. An end to settler colonialism. The return of Palestinian refugees and an end to all human rights abuses Israel perpetuates against Palestinians every day.
I know that may seem like a near-impossible objective right now, but it must remain our northstar while Palestinians are suffering at the hands of a Zionist, genocidal state.
So to make the impossible within reach, we have two core strategies to our work:
Coalition building: We work in deep partnership with allies across movements and struggles to wield collective power, work off the same game plan, and share information. We plan to double down on this type of work, and create a coalition to rival and ultimately beat the power that AIPAC and similar anti-Palestinian groups represent.
Grassroots organizing: Working with all of you, and the millions of people across the country who will never stop fighting for a free Palestine, we plan to continue taking our demands directly to the streets, to city councils, state houses, Congress, the White House, and other campaign targets such as corporations complicit in the oppression of the Palestinian people.
Our coalition has already seen impressive movement, shifting U.S. public opinion to the point where the majority of Democratic voters recognize Israel is committing genocide and support an arms embargo to stop it.
On the grassroots organizing side, don’t expect us to let up anytime soon. Our calls and emails fully changed the dynamics in Congress, despite the lack of policy shift. They laid the groundwork and drove a wedge in the Democratic Party. We commit to always being transparent with you about our tactics and approach, the why of our emails and communications, and how we believe they ultimately lead us toward a free Palestine.
As we continue building our movement, you’ll see us utilize more digital tools and advertisements—anything and everything that allows us to build this movement efficiently and effectively.
If you have the means, we’d appreciate any financial support you can make toward this mission.
Whether you can afford to give or not, I want to thank you for reading this far, and for supporting our work.
I know last week’s DNC left many in our movement with more than a bad taste in their mouths. But we remain focused on the work we must do to #StopArmingIsrael and beyond, whether through the ballot box or through mass protest, boycotts, divestment, birdogging, disrupting, or other organizing tactics.
It may take years to get there, but together, we will win. We will win a world free from apartheid. Free from colonialism. Free from genocide. We look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with you, our allies, and everyone fighting for a free Palestine.
Onward to liberation,
AHMAD ABUZNAID
Executive Director
USCPR Action Fund