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<div id="reader-header" class="header" style="display: block;"><font
size="+3"><b>Palestinian American Women’s Association pulls
out of Women’s March LA</b></font>
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<p>January 19, 2018 - by rashadstan - <font
size="-2"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://happyarab.blog/2018/01/19/palestinian-american-womens-association-pulls-out-of-womens-march-la/">https://happyarab.blog/2018/01/19/palestinian-american-womens-association-pulls-out-of-womens-march-la/</a></font><br>
</p>
<p>In a statement issued on its Facebook
page, the Palestinian American Women’s
Association announced that it is
boycotting this Saturday’s Women’s March
in Los Angeles. The announcement came
after actress Scarlett Johansson was
confirmed to speak at the march.</p>
<p>Johansson was a spokesmodel for
SodaStream, an Israeli company that
manufactures home fizzy drink machines in
an illegal Israeli settlement, built on
land from which Palestinian <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/tags/jahalin-bedouin">Jahalin
Bedouins</a> were forcibly expelled.</p>
<p>Here’s PAWA’s full statement:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>When the Palestinian American Women’s
Association (PAWA) was approached by the
Women’s March Los Angeles Foundation to
participate in this Saturday’s
anniversary event, the invitation to
include a Palestinian women’s
organization was a welcomed step toward
building a more aware and intersectional
movement. Its organizers label the march
as “Pro Peace, Pro Inclusivity focused
on marginalized voices and the power of
voting.”</p>
<p>However, PAWA recently became aware of
LA March’s dec<span
class="text_exposed_show">ision to
include Scarlett Johansson in their
lineup of special guest speakers.
Johansson has expressed her
unapologetic support of illegal
settlements in the West Bank, a human
rights violation recognized by the
international community whose calls
only led to a reaffirmation of her
position, sending a clear message that
Palestinian voices and human rights
for Palestinians do not matter. While
her position may not be reflective of
all organizers at the Women’s March
Los Angeles Foundation, PAWA cannot in
good conscience partner itself with an
organization that fails to genuinely
and thoughtfully recognize when their
speaker selection contradicts their
message. </span></p>
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<p>Currently, 16 year old Ahed Tamimi is
being held in custody for standing up
to two Israeli combat soldiers who
raided her family home in the middle
of the night on illegally occupied
land. Her story, one among hundreds of
Palestinian children being abused and
imprisoned by Israeli military, has
been heard across the globe with calls
to <a class="_58cn"
href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/freeahed?source=feed_text&story_id=839032499617813"><span
class="_5afx"><span class="_58cl
_5afz">#</span><span
class="_58cm">FreeAhed</span></span></a>,
making the decision to invite Scarlett
Johansson speak at an event
highlighting “the struggles of
marginalized communities and all
attacks on human rights” all the more
tone deaf.</p>
<p>We join Al-Awda: The Palestine Right
to Return Coalition, Jewish Voice for
Peace, Code Pink, BDS-LA, Jews for
Palestinian Right of Return and other
organizations who have signed the
petition below in boycott of the
January 20 march in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>Moreover, we pledge to work harder to
ensure the voices and partners we ally
with are committed to justice and
human rights that include the rights
of the Palestinian people.</p>
<p>We urge people to read and sign the
petition below, which also includes
accounts of mistreatment toward
grassroots organizers working for
Palestinian human rights.</p>
<p><a
href="https://www.change.org/p/emiliana-guereca-and-deena-katz-co-executive-directors-women-s-march-los-angeles-foundation-open-letter-to-women-s-march-l-a-women-for-palestine-calls-for-genuine-intersectionality"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.change.org/p/emiliana-guereca-and-deena-katz-co-executive-directors-women-s-march-los-angeles-foundation-open-letter-to-women-s-march-l-a-women-for-palestine-calls-for-genuine-intersectionality</a></p>
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<p><strong>Open Letter to Women’s March L.A.: Women
for Palestine Calls for Genuine Intersectionality</strong><br>
January 17, 2018<br>
</p>
<p>We embrace and applaud the intersectional analysis
that marks today’s social movements, and decry the
absence of this perspective in outreach for the
Women’s March Los Angeles.</p>
<p>In a shocking move, you announced that a <a
href="https://womensmarchla.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/WMLA-2018-Press-Release-FINAL.pdf"
rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“Special Guest”
speaker at WMLA 2018 is Scarlett Johansson</a>,
who is unabashedly a supporter of Israeli violations
of Palestinian human rights. She served as a
spokesperson, and indeed, was the face of the
advertising campaign of <a
href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-scarlett/israeli-settlement-factory-sparks-super-bowl-sized-controversy-idUKBREA0S1I020140129"
rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SodaStream, whose
factory was in a settlement</a> built illegally on
land stolen from Palestinians in the occupied West
Bank. As a result, she was <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jan/30/scarlett-johansson-oxfam-quits-sodastream"
rel="nofollow" target="_blank">forced to step down
from her role as an ambassador for the
humanitarian group Oxfam</a> after working with
the charity for eight years.</p>
<p><a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/scarlett-johansson-doubles-down-support-israeli-settlements"
rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Johansson’s
unapologetic support for Israel’s abuses of
Palestinians</a> confirms that she fully deserves
the praise Israeli Prime Minister <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/tags/benjamin-netanyahu"
rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>
heaped on her in his speech to the Israel lobby
group AIPAC in Washington, several years ago.
Netanyahu said Johansson should be “applauded” for
opposing the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions
(BDS) campaign for Palestinian rights. Regardless of
her claims to not be “political,” Johansson is now
seen by Palestinians and their supporters as a
defender of apartheid Israel.</p>
<p>While there are a host of OTHER examples that can
be cited, here we want to focus on the impact on
those of us who actively support the indigenous
rights of the Palestinian people, especially in
light of the recent <a
href="http://www.newsweek.com/israel-must-release-16-year-old-girl-who-faces-10-years-prison-amnesty-says-781366"
rel="nofollow" target="_blank">international
attention</a> on <a
href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1964691983857410/"
rel="nofollow" target="_blank">women and child
political prisoners</a>, including 16-year-old <a
href="https://www.facebook.com/trtworld/videos/2035512053385607/"
rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ahed Tamimi, the
young Palestinian Rosa Parks</a>.</p>
<p>Once again, grassroot feminists who promote
Palestinian human rights are concerned that a
hostile environment is promoted by the organizers of
WMLA -- whether inadvertently, or not -- by the
choice of featured speakers, major donors, and major
partners.</p>
<p>The organizers of the Women’s March LA are well
aware of the issues the “Women 4 Palestine”
contingent faced at last year’s “Women’s March LA.”
We were verbally abused with racist remarks, and
bullied, to the point that some of us are <a
href="https://www.facebook.com/LA4Palestine/"
rel="nofollow" target="_blank">reticent to return
out of concern for our personal safety</a>. Our
concerns were brushed off by your organizers, in
fact one of you accused one of our members as being
anti-semitic when she posted an announcement for our
<a
href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1964691983857410/"
rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Women's Rally to
Free Ahed and All Palestinian Child Prisoners</a>.</p>
<p>We also object to tone set as a result of the key
role played by <a
href="https://www.facebook.com/events/2009321562659318/"
rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The National
Council of Jewish Women LA, especially as a major
donor to both the national and local Women’s March</a>.
When Nancy Kaufman, CEO of the National Council of
Jewish Women, said that <a
href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-jewish-women-gear-up-for-dc-march-1.5484614"
rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“we didn’t want it
to become an Israel-bashing fest...We got
assurances that the march is not anti-Trump and
not anti-Israel,”</a> it was clear that they were
determined to silence the voices of critics of
Israel and supporters of Palestinian rights.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.womensmarch.com/mission/"
rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"We believe that
Women’s Rights are Human Rights and Human Rights
are Women’s Rights."</a> - Mission Women's March
Mission. Apparently that does not include
Palestinian Human Rights.</p>
<p>Renowned Black feminist poet, June Jordan’s poetry
embodies the intersectionality of Black and
Palestine liberation. <a
href="http://lithub.com/angela-davis-on-black-lives-matter-palestine-and-the-future-of-radicalism/"
rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“I was born a Black
woman / and now / I am become a Palestinian /
against the relentless laughter of evil / there is
less and less living room / and where are my loved
ones / It is time to make our way home.”</a></p>
<p>Last year’s Women’s March, DTLA looked like it was
covered with a fresh coat of snow studded with pink
caps. In no way did it reflect the wonderful
diversity of Los Angeles County. Unfortunately, we
never heard that was a concern for WMLA’s leaders,
either before the march when several of us raised
these issues, OR afterwards. What a shame and missed
opportunity.</p>
<p>It’s well past time to be genuinely intersectional,
inclusive, transparent, and welcoming of
marginalized people, including the Palestinian
community, an approach exemplified by the <a
href="https://www.facebook.com/womenstrikeus/"
rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International
Women's Strike</a>, which mobilized thousands of
women in March of 2017 for gender, economic and
social justice, while also centering the
"Decolonization of Palestine," anti-imperialism, and
an end to gendered state violence. IWS organizers
are once again mobilizing for March 2018
International Women's Day marches and strikes.</p>
<p>In that spirit we invite you to join us, when many
of us will participate in the <a
href="https://www.facebook.com/events/150645588921993/"
rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International
Women's Day March & Rally 2018-Organized by
AF3IRM</a>, in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday,
March 3rd, 2018, noon to 3pm. This march is convened
and led by transnational/women of color, but all
people are welcome.</p>
<p><strong>Women for Palestine L.A.</strong></p>
<br>
(List in formation; affiliations listed for
identification only)
<p><strong>Amani Barakat</strong>, National Chair of
Al-Awda Palestine Right to Return Coalition;
Palestine Foundation; LA4Palestine</p>
<p><strong>Mary Ellen Bennett</strong>, LA4Palestine
and CodePink</p>
<p><strong>Cathy Castro</strong>, founder, Threads of
Peace, a 501c(3) dedicated to promoting peace, one
thread at a time; Creator, #BlanketofLoveforGaza, a
traveling peace and Gaza awareness exhibit</p>
<p><strong>Estee Chandler</strong>, Founding
Organizer, Jewish Voice for Peace, Los Angeles;
Producer/Host Middle East in Focus & Middle East
Minute, KPFK-LA 90.7FM; SAG/AFTRA</p>
<p><strong>Sherna Berger Gluck</strong>, Founding
member, USACBI: Academic and Cultural Boycott of
Israel; HP Boycott-LA; Grassroots Community Radio
Coalition; Women’s Studies Emerita, California State
University, Long Beach, and feminist oral
historian/author</p>
<p><strong>Mary Hughes Thompson</strong>, co-founder,
Free Gaza Movement; Women in Black-Los Angeles;
International Solidarity Movement; Christian
Peacemaker Teams delegation member; WGA</p>
<p><strong>Dr. Ahlam Muhtaseb, </strong>PhD.,
Professor
, Communication Studies,
California State
University, San Bernardino; Co-Director/Executive
Producer, 1948: Creation & Catastrophe</p>
<p><strong>Cindy Newman</strong>, artist; LA4Palestine</p>
<p><strong>Karin Pally</strong>, MPH; founding member,
Women in Black-LA; LA4Palestine</p>
<p><strong>Karen R. Pomer</strong>, co-founder, Jews
for Palestinian Right of Return, LA4Palestine,
#MeToo March International, and the Rainbow Sisters
Project for Rape Survivors; former
producer/publicist, Democracy Now!; lifelong
feminist activist/organizer</p>
<p><strong>Marsha Steinberg</strong>, BDS Los Angeles
for Justice in Palestine</p>
<p><strong>Marcy Winograd</strong>, former
congressional peace candidate; Jewish Voice for
Peace; Secretary, Progressive Caucus, California
Democratic Party (for identification purposes only)</p>
<p>=========</p>
<p><strong>Additional Initial Signers</strong></p>
<p><strong>Rabab Ibrahim Abdulhadi</strong>, PhD,
Director and Senior Scholar, Arab and Muslim
Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies, San Francisco
State University</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne Adely</strong>, International
Women's Strike US Coordinating Committee; US
Palestine Community Network; Al-Awda-NY Palestine
Right to Return Coalition, National Lawyers Guild,
International Committee; Co-Chair, International
Association of Democratic Lawyers</p>
<p><strong>Kim Anno</strong>, Artist/filmmaker,
Wildprojects.org</p>
<p><strong>Dr. Laila Al-Marayati</strong>, MD,
Palestinian-American human rights activist and
humanitarian</p>
<p><strong>Ellen Barfield</strong>, Board Member, War
Resisters League; Director, Baltimore Phil Berrigan
Memorial Chapter Veterans For Peace</p>
<p><strong>Joanne Berlin</strong>, Coordinator,
Committee for Racial Justice</p>
<p><strong>Tithi Bhattacharya</strong>, National
Organizer, International Women's Strike; USACBI:
Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel</p>
<p><strong>Maylei Blackwell</strong>, Associate
Professor, Chicano and Chicana Studies and Gender
Studies, UCLA; author ¡Chicana Power! Contested
Histories of Feminism in the Chicano Movement</p>
<p><strong>Renate Bridenthal</strong>, Professor of
History (retired), Brooklyn College, City University
of New York</p>
<p><strong>Dena Chertoff</strong>, Jewish Voice for
Peace</p>
<p><strong>Rick Chertoff</strong>, Jewish Voice for
Peace, Steering Committee LA Chapter</p>
<p><strong>Julie Dad</strong>, Member, Democratic
State Central Committee</p>
<p><strong>Lamis J. Deek</strong>, J.D, International
Women's Strike US Coordinating Committee; Al-Awda
NY: The Palestine Right to Return Coalition; Global
Justice and Human Rights Law Network; Popular
Conference of Palestinians Abroad; US Palestine
Community Network</p>
<p><strong>Bernadette Devlin-McAliskey</strong>, Irish
Republican Socialist, feminist, and human rights
activist</p>
<p><strong>Frank Dorrel</strong>, longtime L.A.
activist and blogger</p>
<p><strong>Nada Elia</strong>, NWBDS; USACBI: Academic
and Cultural Boycott of Israel</p>
<p><strong>Dahlia Ferlito</strong>, White People 4
Black Lives</p>
<p><strong>Nancy Gallagher</strong>, Research
Professor and Professor Emerita, Department of
History, UC Santa Barbara</p>
<p><strong>Irene Gendzier</strong>, Professor Emerita,
Political Science Dept., Boston University</p>
<p><strong>Ariel Gold</strong>, National Co-Director,
CODEPINK Women for Peace</p>
<p><strong>Trudy Goodwin</strong>, co-founder,
Committee for Racial Justice Santa Monica, Justice
Warriors for Black Lives, Los Angeles Community
Action Network, Black Lives Matter, Los Angeles</p>
<p><strong>Sondra Hale</strong>, Research Professor,
UCLA and founder/Joint Coordinator, California
Scholars for Academic Freedom</p>
<p><strong>Kathleen Hernandez</strong>, Veterans For
Peace, Los Angeles; co-founder, MLK Coalition of
Greater Los Angeles</p>
<p><strong>Jane Hirschmann</strong>, co-founder, Jews
Say No!; U.S. Boat to Gaza, The Audacity of Hope;
Co-chair, NYS coalition to fight the anti-BDS bills</p>
<p><strong>Ruth Jennison</strong>, UMass-Amherst;
Massachusetts Society of Professors, MTA-NEA; Labor
for Palestine</p>
<p><strong>Charlotte Kates</strong>, International
Coordinator, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner
Solidarity Network</p>
<p><strong>Nerdeen Kiswani</strong>, NYC Students for
Justice in Palestine</p>
<p><strong>Jim Lafferty</strong>, Executive Director,
National Lawyers Guild, Los Angeles; Fellow,
University of Southern California, Institute for the
Humanities; Chair, Board of the Office of the
Americas</p>
<p><strong>Cecelia Lavan</strong>, OP Justice
Promoter, Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt, NY; WESPAC
Middle East Committee</p>
<p><strong>Kristina Lear</strong>, White People 4
Black Lives / SURJ Affiliate Los Angeles</p>
<p><strong>Alita Z. Letwin</strong>, activist and
educator</p>
<p><strong>Michael Letwin</strong>, Labor for
Palestine, Labor for Standing Rock, USACBI: Academic
and Cultural Boycott of Israel; Former President,
Association of Legal Aid Attorneys/UAW 2325; Red
Tide, L.A. (1971-1975)</p>
<p><strong>Julie Levine</strong>, Co-Chair, MLK
Coalition of Greater Los Angeles</p>
<p><strong>Linda Milazzo</strong>, Jewish Voice for
Peace</p>
<p><strong>Ruwayda Odeh</strong>, Al-Awda NY: The
Palestine Right to Return Coalition; NYC Students
for Justice in Palestine</p>
<p><strong>Rosalind Petchesky</strong>, Distinguished
Professor Emerita of Political Science, Hunter
College & the Graduate Center, City University
of New York (for identification purposes only);
Coordinating Committee, Jewish Voice for Peace-New
York City</p>
<p><strong>Margaret Power</strong>, historian,
Illinois Tech; Co-Chair, Historians for Peace and
Democracy</p>
<p><strong>Dorothy Reik</strong>, President,
Progressive Democrats of the Santa Monica Mountains</p>
<p><strong>Rosalie G Riegle</strong>, Professor
Emerita, Saginaw Valley State University; Su Casa
Catholic Worker; War Resisters League; Jewish Voice
for Peace</p>
<p><strong>Lisa Rofel</strong>, Professor, University
of California, Santa Cruz</p>
<p><strong>Steven Salaita</strong>, Writer</p>
<p><strong>Azalia Torres</strong>, Esq., Former Chair,
Attorneys of Color of Legal Aid, ALAA/UAW 2325</p>
<p><strong>Hussain Turk</strong>, Esq. Director, LA
HIV Law & Policy Project</p>
<p><strong>Devra Weber</strong>, Professor of History,
UC Riverside</p>
<p><strong>Souphe Widdi</strong>, Al-Awda-NY Palestine
Right to Return Coalition</p>
<p><strong>Michele A. Wittig</strong>, Professor
Emerita, CSUN</p>
<p><strong>Sherry Wolf</strong>, author, Sexuality and
Socialism: History, Politics and Theory of LGBT
Liberation; editorial board, International Socialist
Review</p>
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