Welcome to another issue of Open Tabs. I’ve been sending out these roundups every other month this year, and my next one isn’t due until late December. But there are so many resources I want to share concerning Palestine, so I thought I’d just send an extra newsletter.
Today, November 29, is the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, so it seemed like the perfect day to get back to finishing up this newsletter and sending it out. I wrote the bit below last week, before the “pause”—though the pause does not change anything. We must continue to demand a ceasefire and a free Palestine. I did my best to link to updated numbers, but inevitably, they have changed since writing.
November 24, 2023
It’s been 7 weeks since the world turned its attention to Palestine again. That means 49 days of Israel’s siege on Gaza—endless bombing; destruction of homes, schools, and hospitals; basic utilities required for life (fuel, electricity, water, internet) have been shut off; food and medical supplies have been blocked from entering Gaza; more than 1.5 million civilians have been internally displaced.
In 49 days, more than 14,800 people have been killed inside Gaza. That includes 53 journalists, 104 UNRWA staff, and more than 6,000 children.
It’s been 75 years since the Nakba began. Though many refer to it as a specific day or time in history, the Nakba (“the catastrophe”, the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people) has been an ongoing event.
I am not a journalist, an activist, an expert, an educator, or anyone special. I am just a person, who first began to learn about Palestine in May 2021—the last time it was deemed relevant in major news headlines.
I hope that everything I share below will help you learn, understand, follow, and support the Palestinian struggle for liberation (against genocide, ethnic cleansing, occupation, and apartheid).
Publishers for Palestine is a global collective of publishers who have come together in support of Palestine, and they are running #readpalestineweek from November 29 (the day I’m sending this out) until December 5. Find a reading list, free e-books, and the collective statement here.
Free Books & Resources
Voices on Palestine free PDF from Guernica
Ghassan Kanafani zine (PDF) from abolition notes
Education and Revolution by Leila Khaled free zine/PDF from abolition notes
Interviews with Radical Palestinian Women free pdf from Shoal Collective
Learn
Decolonize Palestine — history, FAQ, myths, reading lists, and a range of information about Palestine. A great place to start.
IMEU (Institute for Middle East Understanding) — a non-profit org offering history, stories, culture, news, analysis, facts & figures, and more. Plenty to browse and read through on this site.
The Palestine Academy — learn about the history and the movement through a series of courses and resources, intended to help with “collective social media activation”.
Palestine Digital Action Toolkit — an interactive pdf put together by the Palestinian Feminist Collective, with resources, educational tools, and actions.
Read
Revision (Guernica) — a poem by Hala Alyan
The Verso blog has a range of essays, news analysis, and information, including a series about censorship of support for Palestine.
Jewish settlers stole my house. It’s not my fault they’re Jewish. (Mondoweiss) by Mohammed El-Kurd
Here on Substack, I recommend reading/following Fariha Roisin, New Means, and Neema Githere Siphone.
One Family’s Perilous Escape from Gaza City (The New Yorker) — a multimedia retelling through WhatsApp
Watch
Just Vision films — this non-profit has made their documentaries and films about Palestine available to stream for free on their site.
Mohammed El-Kurd talks about the politics of appeal (you can find a lot of other conversations, lectures, livestreams, etc regarding Palestine on Haymarket Book’s youtube)
In Conversation with Norman Finkelstein (So.informed)
The Silencing of Palestine (Olurinatti the Show)
Listen
This is Palestine podcast (from IMEU)
Pick Me Up, I’m Scared podcast episode about Israel + US relationship
Action
Book Recommendations
(only listing books I’ve read & actually recommend—but there are tons of reading lists and books)
Rifqa by Mohammed El-Kurd (poetry)
Ten Myths About Israel by Ilan Pappe (free ebook available)
Salt Houses by Hala Alyan (fiction)
Thanks for reading. You can find more resources, links, news, etc. in my story highlights on Instagram.