Defeating Zionism to Free Palestine

In the recent U.S. Senate race in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed emerged victorious over Mike Rogers, making history as the first Muslim U.S. senator. El-Sayed's campaign was driven by his opposition to the U.S. support for Israel's actions in Gaza, positioning him as a key figure for those who are critical of the entrenched foreign policy interests of the political establishment.

President Donald Trump, who referred to El-Sayed as a "Radical Extremist, Terrorist Sympathizer," announced on Fox News that the U.S. would stop providing $4 billion in annual aid to Israel, specifically blaming El-Sayed for making the issue a hot-button topic. Despite Trump's claims, structural issues with U.S. assistance make it unlikely that the aid will stop.

Even if the aid were to cease, the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza would continue. Almost 75,000 Gazans have been killed since October 2023, and a U.N. report stated that Israeli authorities and forces are committing genocidal acts with the intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza.

To dismantle Israeli colonialism and pave the way for Palestinian liberation, as Noura Erakat and John Reynolds write in their book, it is necessary to confront the fundamental aspects of Zionism, including racism, conquest, settler colonialism, and apartheid laws. The Palestinian activists who produced the Manifesto of Dignity and Hope were inspired by earlier Palestinian revolutionaries and anti-colonial thinkers, emphasizing the inherent racism in Zionism and the urgent need for a radical critique of Israeli apartheid.