Students hear Palestinian author

Palestinian journalist Ramzy Baroud discussed his new book, “The Second Palestinian Intifada,” at a gathering of 50 students and community members at the New Brunswick Public Library in New Jersey on Oct. 15. The multinational crowd—including Palestinians and other Arabs, African Americans, Latin@s and whites—was largely drawn from the local campus of Rutgers University.

Baroud spoke frankly about the critical conditions for Palestinians, especially those living in Hamas-governed Gaza, which the Israeli occupation has now declared an “enemy entity.” He condemned the divide-and-conquer tactics being used by Israel and its U.S. sponsors to try to break down Palestinian national unity. Having failed to crush the Palestinian people’s resistance with collective punishment, the U.S. and Israel are now moving to increase military pressure as well.

Asked about the role of solidarity activists in the U.S., Baroud said it was most important to fight the image of Palestinians as a “charity case” and show that it is part and parcel of the world struggle against imperialism.

The event was sponsored by New Jersey Solidarity—Activists for the Liberation of Palestine.

—Report and photo by Greg Butterfield