Defeating Zionism to Free Palestine

Abdul El-Sayed, a Muslim, emerged victorious in Michigan's U.S. Senate race, defeating Mike Rogers. This victory came after months of facing Islamophobic abuse, particularly from President Donald Trump. Trump referred to El-Sayed as "Mohammed," calling him a "RADICAL Extremist, Terrorist Sympathizer" and stating that his values were not those of Michiganders or the United States.

Despite this, El-Sayed secured a mandate from the people of Michigan, making him the first-ever Muslim U.S. senator. El-Sayed's campaign was heavily focused on opposing U.S. support for Israel's actions in Gaza, which he saw as a genocide. This stance made him a key figure for left-wing critics of entrenched foreign policy interests and a target for political establishment figures seeking to preserve the U.S. relationship with the Israeli government.

Following his win, Trump announced on Fox News that the U.S. would stop providing $4 billion in annual aid to Israel, citing El-Sayed's opposition as the reason. However, it is unlikely that the aid will be stopped due to structural issues with U.S. assistance and Trump's history of lying. Even if the aid were to end, Israel's genocide in Gaza would continue, with nearly 75,000 casualties since October 2023.

The United Nations has labeled Israeli authorities and forces as committing genocidal acts with the intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza. To end this genocide, a decolonization of Gaza and a path to justice for Palestinians must be offered. This process involves confronting Zionism, which encompasses racism, conquest, settler colonialism, and apartheid laws.

Recent developments show that Israeli settler colonialism and domination have escalated into all-out destruction and elimination, with Palestinians enduring genocidal assault. The urgent need to challenge Zionism on various grounds, including political, legal, structural, and ideological, remains. Palestinian activists produced the Manifesto of Dignity and Hope, which is rooted in generations of Palestinian revolutionaries and anti-colonial thinkers.

These activists emphasize the need to confront Zionism on intellectual, ideological, and structural levels, emphasizing that racism is not merely abhorrent but also entangled with power and economic structures, ultimately leading to genocide.