NorCal ISM newsletter editor Jeff Pekrul interviewed Huwaida Arraf by phone in April. Huwaida is a founder of the International Solidarity Movement and now lives in Detroit, Michigan.
Q: You were one of the founders of ISM nearly 20 years ago. Did you think the organization would still be around after this many years?
A: Speaking only for myself here (as I don’t recall talking about it as an organization), no, I did not. When we founded ISM, we were responding to the crisis on the ground – the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada and the massive level of violence that Israel was using against a largely unarmed, defenseless population. We were trying to affect the power balance and provide a resource for the Palestinian popular resistance. I did not expect ISM to still be around in 20 years, not because it wasn’t a solid or viable organization, but rather because I was convinced that Israel’s occupation could not and would not last that long. I believed wholeheartedly that the power of the people—Palestinians and internationals together—was going to force Israel’s oppressive regime to crumble. Obviously, that hasn’t happened yet and, 20 years later, ISM continues to mobilize in support of the Palestinian freedom struggle.
Perhaps I was a bit too optimistic back then thinking liberation was just around the corner. But optimism in the face of systemic oppression, unmitigated violence and cruelty, and the odds against us is not only helpful, but probably essential. I still believe that freedom is coming—it’s inevitable—but, it is going to take longer than I expected.
Q: What makes ISM special and unique in your opinion.
A: ISM is somewhat unique among all the groups working in solidarity with the Palestinian people. It began somewhat ad-hoc; it was not created out of strategic planning by experienced movement builders. We were passionate activists who desperately wanted to do something to affect the situation on the ground and so we jumped right in. We learned as we went along, mostly from the Palestinians we worked with, but also from the people who answered the call to come join us in Palestine; the movement as a whole benefited tremendously and grew from the experiences, creativity and heart that these volunteers shared with us.
We decided not to have a board, a fundraising scheme or similar structures. It was consensus-based, with no hierarchical leadership. Volunteers were and still are the heart of it. What we do is bring people together, provide them with orientation and training in nonviolent action, and connect them with Palestinian organizers in communities organizing to save their land, protect their homes, and resist Israeli occupation forces and apartheid policies. The strength and continuity of ISM relies completely on volunteers and what they can give: their time, their energy, their skills, and their dedication. This kind of giving spirit is what we really want from volunteers, and the connection and collaboration reflects the kind of world that we want to live in.
The fact that ISM has had so much impact without having a traditional organizational structure is, I think, exceptional. I hope this model—collaborative, volunteer and consensus-based—will inspire others working on different causes around the world to believe that they too can make a difference by doing what they can.
Optimism in the face of systemic oppression, unmitigated violence and cruelty, and the odds against us is not only helpful, but probably essential.
Q: Has ISM and the way it connects internationals with the Palestinian nonviolent resistance changed over the years?
A: ISM was very visible in the early days. Things like the siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, when ISM activist defied the Israeli military by entering the church to deliver food and water to those inside, and the siege of Yasir Arafat’s headquarters in Ramallah, when we got dozens of internationals into the compound, brought a lot of attention to the work we were doing.
The creation, or really the revival, of the Popular Committees in 2003-2004 as a way of resisting the building of the Apartheid Wall led to our engaging with the non-violent resistance a little differently, and in a less visible way. Similar popular committees existed during the first Intifada, but were dismantled with the establishment of the Palestinian Authority. When they began forming again, ISM began working with them, supporting and elevating their work. This less visible, but still important and effective role continues today.
Q: ISM Palestine faced enormous challenges even before the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in the exclusion of internationals from the OPT. How is the organization managing to survive in this environment?
A: I’m not involved enough in the work on the ground at this time to know how they are dealing with it all. The pandemic is a global crisis and it has devastated Palestinians in the OPT, in no small part due to Israel’s actions–refusal to ensure the vaccine for Palestinians as it’s obligated to do under international law; closing of Palestinian COVID testing clinics; restrictions on Palestinian access to water; and its demolition of homes leaving hundreds without shelter during this global health crisis. Of course, Israel has also shut its borders making it impossible to get volunteers in. But this is not the first time that ISM has faced big challenges in bringing international volunteers to the occupied Palestinian territory. For example, after the Israeli military killed Rachel Corrie and Tom Hurndall in 2003, there was a lot of introspection about whether the presence of Internationals was deterring lethal violence by Israel. This introspection, combined with the outbreak of the US war on Iraq saw a dip in volunteers. Throughout the years, Israel has deported and banned entry to countless people (including many ISM volunteers) suspected of being “sympathetic” to the Palestinian plight; and Gaza has been near-hermetically sealed for almost 15 years. We deal with these challenges and continue to strategize ways to resist Israel’s efforts to break the solidarity movement and to support the Palestinian spirit.
Q: Like many ISM volunteers, I participated in an Olive Harvest campaign. It was an amazing cultural exchange opportunity for me, and allowed me to speak about the injustices of the occupation from first-hand knowledge once I returned home. How effective have these campaigns been for deterring settler violence against Palestinian farmers in the OPT, and how beneficial have they been for Palestinians there?
A: The Olive Harvest campaigns are very important. One of the main purposes of these campaigns is to provide protective accompaniment to Palestinians during harvest season, which is a time that many families rely on for the sustenance. ISM has tried to work in places that are especially vulnerable to violence from Israeli settlers and/or soldiers, and to support Palestinian farmers who are denied access to their lands. However, international presence has not always been a deterrent to violence, and a few of our volunteers have been badly injured. If internationals are present, soldiers are more likely to intervene when Palestinian farmers face harassment from settlers. Of course, the soldiers themselves are often the problem. The Israeli military has tried to turn Palestinian communities against the ISM, for example, by telling the farmers that if they behave and not have any internationals around, then they can have limited access to their land. While the manipulation is obvious, some communities have chosen not to engage in resistance harvesting, in the hopes that the Israeli military will make good on their promise.
In spite of this, the overall impact cannot be underestimated. The Olive Harvest campaigns allow volunteers to connect with Palestinians in a way that is deep and tied to culture, tradition, and the land. At the same time, they allow Palestinians to share this cherished aspect of Palestinian life with internationals, and give volunteers the opportunity to collect stories to take back home. And the symbolism — joining in solidarity over the fruits of the land — is powerful.
Q: Protests against land confiscation for construction of the Apartheid Wall have been another important activity for international solidarity volunteers. With the wall construction mostly complete, what are the most important things international volunteers can still do and participate in when they travel to Palestine with ISM and other solidarity groups?
A: It is true that many of the actions ISM volunteers participated in over the years have been related to land confiscation for the Wall. But, ISM was founded before Israel began building the Wall, and Israel’s settler colonial project encompasses much more than the Wall. Land confiscation continues for the building of settlements; theft of natural resources; wholesale demolition of communities; colonization and ethnic cleansing policies in East Jerusalem; military raids, arbitrary arrests and imprisonment, restrictions on freedom of movement, etc. Palestinians continue to resist these atrocities, and solidarity with people who are enduring them is more important than ever. Israel’s overall strategy is to take as much of the land of Palestine as possible and to have as little Palestinians on it as possible. In other words, to colonize the land and replace the native population. We must continue fighting this in a myriad of ways including standing with the people on the ground, engaging in media, education and lobbying efforts, and contributing to larger campaigns like the global boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign (BDS).
Q: The situation in Gaza is especially dire and exasperating. Brave and inspiring acts of non-violent resistance such as the Great March of Return and the Freedom Flotillas have been met with extreme violence, and so far have not been successful at ending the siege. It is also extremely difficult to get international volunteers into Gaza to support the people there. What can people in the international solidarity community do to support Gaza at this time?
A: Gaza is a humanitarian, human rights and moral crisis. We must continue to bring attention to the dire situation in Gaza in all kinds of ways. Although we have so far been unsuccessful in ending Israel’s criminal closure, a lot of good work has been done—work that we need to continue loudly and forcefully. And, people can do this work from wherever they are. Bring Gaza (and all of Palestine) into your classroom, connect with organizations on the ground, call your elected representative, do something. I am involved in the National Lawyers Guild here in the U.S., and we are finishing up a memo to the Biden administration making the legal case for change in U.S. policies towards Israel in order to bring the U.S. into alignment with international law. The crisis in Gaza could end tomorrow if the necessary pressure was applied to Israel and we all can do something to help apply that pressure.
Q: You live in a state that has elected a Palestinian-American woman to the U.S. Congress. I’d imagine this makes you feel proud. Does it also give you a sense of optimism that Zionists’ complete dominance of the conversation about U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East could finally be ending?
A: Obviously, I am a big supporter of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, and immensely proud of her accomplishments. But, the great thing is, it’s not just Rashida. The number of allies in Congress is growing, and the movement to fight white supremacy and colonialist policies, which Israel is but one example of, is also growing. You see the strong bond between the Black Lives Matter movement and the Palestinian struggle for example. We need to elect more people like Rashida Tlaib who represent the interests of the people and not just corporations. I am optimistic that we can do this!
I would also like to urge your readers to support the good work of Congresswoman Betty McCollum of Minnesota. She recently introduced HR 2590—Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act. This bill aims to prevent U.S. taxpayer money from being used to commit human rights abuses. It would require the Secretary of State to annually certify that no U.S. funds are have been used by Israel to support land annexation, the abuse and detainment of children or demolition of Palestinian homes and structure. Everyone should urge their representatives to co-sponsor and support this important legislation. Resources on HR 2590 can be found here: https://nwttac.dci-palestine.org/resources_on_hr2590.