Transcripts For LINKTV Democracy 20240702

Humanitarian assistance. Amy gaza is being strangled. That is the latest warning from United Nations about the dire humanitarian crisis in gaza as palestinian Authorities Say at least 7000 people have been killed in israels 21day bombardment. We will speak to a top official at unrwa, the u. N. Agency for Palestinian Refugees which is sheltering over 600,000 displaced gazans. Then we will speak to an israeli man who helped negotiate a prisoner swap with hamas in 2011 that freed the israeli soldier gilad shalit. We will also speak to New York University Law School Student law student ryna workman, who lost a job at a Prestigious Law Firm after speaking up for palestinian rights. The biggest message i want to tell everyone right now is no one should be punished for speaking up for palestinian human rights and the backlash we are against me is creating much larger and intense Chilling Effect for other students, i think in this moment, we need to be able to feel empowered to speak up and call for a ceasefire and end to this genocide. Amy all that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The United Nations has warned many more palestinians will die due to catastrophic shortages of food, water, and medicine as israels nonstop bombardment of the gaza strip entered its 21st day. Earlier today, philippe lazzarini, the head of the United Nations agency for palestine refugees known as unrwa, warned his agencys operations are crumbling as gazans starve. He called israels siege collective punishment of more than 2 Million People, a majority of whom are women and children. And he said the mere 84 aid trucks that israel has so far allowed to cross into gaza is totally inadequate to address the needs of the population. The fuel trucks nothing more than crumbs that will not make a difference for the 2 Million People in the streets. We should avoid conveying the message that if you trucks a day means the sieges lifted for humanitarian aid. This is not true. Amy Gazas Health Ministry has published the names of more than 6700 palestinians killed since israel launched its assault on the gaza strip three weeks ago. The 200plus page report lists the name, age, gender, and id number of each victim of the bombardment. The toll does not include the names of 281 people whose bodies could not be identified, bringing the total to more than 7000. Nor does it include more than 1500 palestinians missing and believed to be trapped under rubble. 2665 children are listed among the dead. The ministry made the names public after President Biden on wednesday cast doubt on gazas official death toll. Pres. Biden i have no notions palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed. I am sure innocents have been killed. It is the price of waging a war. Amy omar shakir of Human Rights Watch said his organization has always found data from the Gaza Ministry of health reliable. He said that until quite recently, even the u. S. State department cited the ministrys data without caveat. I think it is worth noting this creates a fog of war, a fog of misinformation, which can provide political cover for more largescale atrocities to take place. The conversation should focus on how World Leaders can stop further mass atrocities and not nitpicking whether a number that is generally proven to be accurate may be a little bit off. Amy al jazeeras gaza bureau chief wael dahdouh returned to the airwaves on thursday, a day after an israeli air strike killed 12 members of his family. Dahdouh resumed broadcasting from a gaza rooftop hours after he led prayers at a funeral for his wife, son, daughter, grandson, and other relatives. I saw it as my duty to get back to work as quickly as possible despite everything. As you can see, the bombardment is still ongoing. There are air and artillery showings and things continue to develop. Amy the committee to protect journalists reports at least 27 journalists have been killed since october 7 four israelis, one lebanese, and 22 palestinians. European Union Leaders called thursday for a humanitarian cause in pause to israels bombardment of gaza but stopped short of calling for a ceasefire. European Commission President ursula von der leyen reaffirmed eu support for israel, saying it had the right to selfdefense in line with international law. She also blamed hamas for provoking the humanitarian crisis in gaza. Her remarks came after Human Rights Watch director tirana hassan condemned both hamas and israel for targeting innocent civilians. Hassan testified on wednesday to the european parliaments subcommittee on human rights. You cannot wipe out entire families, let a Health System be destroyed, raise entire districts to the ground, refer to people as animals. You cant punish an entire population by preventing desperately needed aid from reaching them. International humanitarian law is clear, atrocities from one side to not justify atrocities from the other side. Amy at an emergency session of the u. N. General assembly in new york, the palestinian envoy to the United Nations Riyad Mansour pleaded with representatives to vote in favor of a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in gaza and the increased delivery of humanitarian aid. Vote to stop the killing. Vote for humanitarian aid to reach those whose very survival depends on it. Vote to stop this madness. Amy the u. N. General assemblys 193 Member States are voting on the nonbinding resolution today after the u. S. Repeatedly vetoed Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire. The pentagon says u. S. Forces attacked two facilities in syria linked to Iranian Armed groups in response to earlier attacks on u. S. Military personnel in iraq and syria. Defense secretary lloyd austin said the u. S. Strikes were not connected to the conflict in israel and palestine. 900 u. S. Troops are also headed to the middle east. This is Pentagon Press secretary patrick ryder. While i wont talk to specific deployment locations for these forces, i can confirm they are not going to israel and they are intended to support regional deterrent efforts. Amy floridas State University system, in collaboration with republican governor ron desantis, has issued a memo ordering College Campuses to shut down a palestinian solidarity student organization. Florida officials accused students for justice in palestine of providing harmful support for terrorist groups. Palestine legal, which defends the free speech of palestinian rights activists, said in a statement the memo was filled with erroneous factual and legal claims that seek to distract from, distort and silence the message of student activists across the United States the same way israeli propaganda has sought to distract public attention from ongoing israeli war crimes, palestine legal wrote. Meanwhile, Governor Desantis said thursday hes made arrangements to send drones, weapons, and ammunition to israel as it prepares for a Ground Invasion of gaza. We will speak with the head of palestine legal later in the broadcast. In mexico, at least 27 people were killed and several others are missing in and around acapulco after hurricane otis ripped through Mexicos Pacific coast, knocking out all communications and leaving behind a trail of destruction. The category 5 storm was the strongest east pacific hurricane on record to make landfall, with 165 mileperhour winds. A local cameraperson who filmed the devastating aftermath in acapulco recounted living through the hurricane. There was a moment when the building was moving from sidetoside, water was coming in. Water was entering. Then rake up, down, left, right. Everything was undering. Barbara and i hugged each other and began to say goodbye because we could not send messages. Amy in panama, nationwide indigenousled protests and blockades intensified this week, demanding the government reverse its approval of a 20year contract for a foreignowned openpit copper mine. Police fired tear gas at demonstrators who say the mine will poison fresh water sources. They also cited corruption allegations against lawmakers. Dozens have been arrested. Opponents say the new contract for the cobre panama mine was fasttracked with little public input or transparency. The mine is the largest in central america. Its owned by canadas First Quantum minerals. U. S. Secretary of state Antony Blinken welcomed his chinese counterpart to washington, d. C. , on thursday as the Biden Administration seeks to repair fraught ties with beijing. Foreign minister wang yi spoke briefly to reporters before his meeting with blinken at the state department. Through dialogue, we cant increase understanding, reduce misunderstanding and misjudgments, constantly seek to pursue cooperation that will benefit both sides. Amy wang yis trip to washington, d. C. , came after californias democratic governor gavin newsom held a surprise meeting with chinese president xi jinping in beijing on wednesday. Newsom said after the talks he hoped the United States and china are at a turning point in their relations. And in maine, the manhunt continues for the suspect in wednesday nights shooting rampage that killed 18 people and wounded 13 others in lewiston. Residents have been instructed to continue sheltering in place, while many schools remain closed today. The suspect, 40yearold robert card, is a white Army Reservist and firearms trainer. Investigators are reportedly looking into whether the shooter was targeting his partner or former partner. Maine does not require permits to carry guns, does not require background checks, has no red flags on social media, one of maines most prominent residents, the author stephen king, wrote its the rapidfire killing machines, people. This is madness in the name of freedom. Stop electing apologists for murder. On thursday, maine democratic congressmember jared golden, a marine corps veteran who lives in lewiston, said the massacre had changed his views on gun control. I have opposed efforts to ban Deadly Weapons of war like the Assault Rifle used to carry out this crime. The time has come for me to take responsibility for this failure, which is why i now call on the United States congress to ban Assault Rifles like the one used by the sick perpetrator of this mass killing in my home town of lewiston, maine. Amy in another mass shooting, police on thursday found five people fatally shot in clinton, north carolina. A suspect and motive have not yet been identified. There have been close to 600 Mass Shootings in the United States this year alone. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Gaza is being strangled. That is the latest warning from the United Nations about the dire humanitarian crisis in gaza as Palestinian Authority say over 7000 people have been killed in the 21 day bombardment. More than 1000 palestinians are believed to still be trapped under the rubble of buildings leveled by israeli air strikes and shelling. Earlier today, the head of unrwa, the u. N. Agency for Palestinian Refugees, called for far more aid to be allowed into gaza through the rafah Border Crossing. This is unrwa head philippe lazzarini. As we speak, people in gaza are dying. They are not only dying from bombs and strikes, soon many more will die from the consequences of the siege on the people of gaza. Buildings are crumbling, medicine is running out, food and water are running out. The streets of gaza are overflowing with sewage. Gaza is on the brink of a Massive Health at the risk of diseases are looming. Amy more than 600,000 displaced palestinians are now living in unrwa shelters, but the agency says its operations are crumbling due to a lack of supplies. The United Nations says at least 12 hospitals in gaza have been forced to stop operations as have about two thirds of gazas 72 primary healthcare clinics. We go now to amman, jordan, where we are joined by unrwa spokesperson tamara alrifai. Welcome to democracy now can you talk about this is what situation in gaza right now, what unrwa is dealing with . No words can describe what the gazans are dealing with. They are living a humanitarian situation 2. 2 Million People living on the strip. One million of them are already displaced from the north of the gaza strip to the south. Cramped in unrwa schools and other buildings that were not ready to receive such a huge amount of people. Many of them, having lost their homes, their loved ones, and the families. Inside the shelters, the conditions are really unsanitary because we are not able to produce sufficient clean water for people to drink and they themselves because we dont have fuel for the water Desalination Plant. We also do not have sufficient medicine and sufficient food to nourish or give these people. So we are truly facing a huge humanitarian crisis. Unrwa on top of it has already lost 57 staff members. So i have lost 57 colleagues, some of them killed in the line of duty while they were helping others in gaza. Amy can you talk about these trucks that are supposedly of aid coming through the border . They said they were going to allow many more. There has just been a trickle of trucks. How many trucks and how much aid is needed and what exactly is needed . Are we actually talking about 400 and 500 a day we are needed and talking about possibly eight trucks going over the border . Yes, amy. We are talking about a trickle. Aid going in after shuttle diplomacy, marathons of political meetings at the highest level. What unrwa is calling for is an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and continuous and safe flow of aid. Eight trucks a day, 12 yesterday, 20 the day before can these really be sufficient for population of 2. 2 Million People all stranded under complete seal . For context, before this crisis, and even then nothing was normal, 500 trucks used to come into the gaza strip from other areas. Hundreds of these trucks contained humanitarian and Food Assistance. Because already before this conflict, 70 percent of people in gaza relied on Food Assistance from the u. N. And lived under the poverty line. So really, a handful of trucks every day does nothing in the face of the immense need in food, water, medical supplies, medicine, and mostly fuel. Fuel has been completely barred. So if we at unrwa do not get fuel in the coming day or so, we will not be able to support hospitals and their machines and incubators, to support bakeries with bread that are baking bread which is the only food that most gazans are taking come are having. And we are not going to be able to support the Desalination Plant that brings clean water to people. And speaking of trucks, we need fuel to be able to pick up the supplies from the rafah crossing. All of this is at risk of total collapse if we do not get fuel. Amy tamara alrifai, how do you respond to the Israeli Government say if they allow fuel in, it will be stolen by hamas . I respond by saying, we are a credible humanitarian u. N. Agency with very high Due Diligence standards and that we receive the fuel ourselves and store it in our warehouses and deliver it to our partners directly. We have a whole system that the israelis know about that ensures that everything that we receive at unrwa is used strictly for humanitarian purposes. Amy we are talking to tamara alrifai, who is a spokesperson for unrwa, the United Nations agency for palestine refugees. Can you specifically talk about situation, for example, one of your hospitals . Explain who is there. The fact unrwa, that there are 600,000 of the 2. 4 or 2. 3 million palestinians, youre responsible taking refuge in your facilities . I would like you to visualize a school, any regular school that usually receives 2000 kids. Then think of that school as i is where 6000, 7000, 8 thousand people, entire families now live. It is a place that is not ready in terms of logistics and facilities and toilets and showers and access to electricity and water to receive a thousand people. What we have done is for the sake of some privacy, especially women and girls, we have put the women and girls in the classrooms where they can close the door and the men and boys in the courtyard. These people rely on 100 of our ability to provide electricity, water, food, and medical attention to them while they are in our shelters. Shelters are overcrowded. We are already facing Major Public Health risk because of that overcrowding and lack of access to water and the ability to wash themselves. My colleague visited this morning alshifa hospital, the biggest in hospital in gaza and the oldest and the one that usually receives more complicated cases. During conflicts, it receives the were wounded. My colleagues told me about dead bodies lying in the corridors come on the floor. There are no more body thats available in the hospital. Theres almost no electricity save for a few hours a day. The doctors are operating with the lights from their cell phones. Entire families are now living in that hospital in the middle of an emergency room because they thought going to the hospital or going to a u. N. Or unrwa building will give them protection. Until now, 42 of our buildings are shelters that are supposed to be protected with the blue u. N. Flag were damaged during the fighting. Seven of these buildings received a direct hit. Amy i want to play for you what Tennessee Republican senator Marsha Blackburn called for, the defunding of your organization unrwa. Whether it is the u. N. Relief and work agency for Palestinian Refugees or any of the other entities that are involved, hamas is getting the money. We know from the relief agency, they have that 730 billion. This agency has hired hamas, affiliated individuals. We know hamas has stolen that money. We know they have hidden weaponry in the facilities of this agency that are located there in gaza. So letting them have access to these funds is not a smart thing to do. Amy that is Tennessee Republican senator Marsha Blackburn. Can you respond to her allegation . I can respond by saying every Single Person who works at unrwa , receives unrwa assistance, is checked against the u. N. Security councils check list. We are bound by the values and principles of the u. N. , mostly the principles of humanity, independence independent from any Political Party and neutrality. We have heard these allegations. We hear them routinely. But we do prove every time how unrwa is principled, how it reaches people in need. We report back of all of the funds we receive from every government, the u. S. Government included. In fact, the u. S. Is currently our largest donor. It is back to being our largest donor after several years of defunding under the previous administration. The are extremely grateful for the cooperation and the good working relations we now have with the u. S. Government to whom we always give back full reports in transparency about all of our operations, our activities, the location of our operations, and how we spent u. S. Taxpayers money. Amy tamara alrifai, how do you respond to this controversy over the Health Ministrys numbers around the death toll . President biden raised it and said, you cant trust it because it is run by hamas. We quoted Human Rights Watch saying, not only is Human Rights Watch relied on these figures and the United Nations, but the state department itself has cited these numbers. Absolutely. By the way, omar shair is one of my former colleagues and i was very surprised what i heard by them. It is true the ministry of health has always provided to National Groups and policy think tanks and researchers and governments have used. In any large catastrophe, even if it is a natural catastrophe, figures cannot be exact science during the catastrophe. We will always give or take, but we will also always have an idea of the scale and scope. So it is a few thousand. And many more numbers will come up once we have the full picture and all these bodies are removed from under the rubble. Amy tamara alrifai, thank you for being with us, spokesperson for unrwa, the United Nations agency for palestine refugees. Speaking to us from jordan. We turn now to it update on a past guest who appeared on democracy now an israeli airstrike has killed five members of his family, a family of the gazan poet, journalist, and peace activist who survived the blast but was seriously injured. The data include his 12yearold son. He helped inspire the great march of return, series of weekly nonviolent protests and gaza that began in 2018. Israel responded to the protest by killing over 200 protesters, including 46 children. He recently wrote an article for the nation magazine headlined gaza is being killed. We desperately need your help. He wrote israel sit as a clear message when it responded to our peaceful protest with such bloodshed. It doesnt matter if you attempt to achieve your demands nonviolently, we will kill you and deny you your rights regardless. In 2019, i interviewed him in our studio here in new york. When i and some of my friends invited to the march of return, a lot of people answered this call because it was palestinians in gaza are actually in a real prison. They live in a real prison. They are without any of the basic conditions of human life. Before that, 75 persons inside gaza, they are refugees. That means their villages and towns are beyond the israeli fence. So when tens of thousands of palestinians shared in the march of return, they want to say we never give up our right to return. This is our normal right and this right based on the United Nations resolution 194. And from the other side, they wanted to say that we want life and nothing but life. We are actually here inside gaza prison. We are dying. We are dying because of no medicine, no food, no work, no jobs, no factories. Hundreds of factories were destroyed in the last 10 years by israeli attacks. These people search for hope. They want hope. They want dignified life. The march of return is a scream of life. It is a knock on the door. When there is a person inside a prison without food, without medicine, then he hasnt any choice but to knock on the door, but to try to escape towards the life. This is exactly what the palestinians made in gaza. They said to israel, our will of life is stronger than despair. So we will continue. We want to struggle. And we struggle for life. We struggle for humanity. We struggle for justice. Amy people are protesting. They are engaged in this weekly mass protests and you have been met i massive response of the Israeli Military. Talk about what happens in these friday protests around the fence. Some people asked me and some journalists asked me, why the palestinians continue their protesting despite the high price of victims and injured people . I answered them, the palestinians are continuing their protesting because this is their only choice. They havent other choices. They try to escape towards the life. So the people when the people shared in the march of return, in this protest, they came near the fence that separated them from there villages and cities, and the people collect peacefully. Amy that was the gazan poet, journalist, and peace activist Ahmed Abu Artema speaking on democracy now in 2019. An israeli airstrike has killed five members of his family. He was seriously injured. Coming up, we will speak to an israeli man who helped negotiate a prisoner swap with hamas in 2011 that freed the israeli soldier gilad shalit after five years in exchange for the freedom of more than 1000 palestinian prisoners. Back in a minute. [music break] amy those who had a home by sabreen. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The Israeli Military has announced it now believes 229 hostages are being held by hamas and other militant groups in gaza. The hostages were seized october 7 when hamas carried out a shocking attack that israels has killed about 1400 people. Hamas has released four hostages so far. Thursday, officials claim the israeli bombardment of gaza has already killed 50 of the hostages but the group did not provide any evidence to back up this claim. Hamas official part of the delegation visiting moscow said the group will not release anymore hostages until israel holds the airstrikes. Families of hostages continue to call for their loved ones to be safely return. Five members of my family have been killed. Five. You could go, i got information that my mom and my knees have been murdered. I did not even have time to go to the funeral. Today, a week after i went to the grave. Today i was crying and grieving and now im celebrating. We are celebrating my sons birthday today. He loves the Mountain Bike and his father is also professional in writing bikes. Riding bikes. I wish you could be here and feel like a normal boy. Amy were not in jerusalem by gershon baskin, middle east director of the International Communities organization, a human Rights Advocacy group. In 2011, he helped to negotiate the release of israeli soldier gilad shalit from hamas captivity after five years in exchange for the release of 1027 palestinian prisoners. His memoir is called in pursuit of peace in israel and palestine. Welcome back to democracy now if you can say what you think needs to happen right now . What needs to happen is what hamas spoke about already to ask ago, which is a release of what they call the civilian hostages in exchange for an immediate ceasefire. That is what hamas has been saying since yesterday. And yesterday, there was a change of tone from the hamas official who went to moscow. I communicated with him yesterday who for the first time said there needs to be a ceasefire first and then we will talk about the hostages. Right now hamas is holding women, children, elderly people, wounded and sick people who obviously is against humanitarian law to hold them, to abduct them, to kill them. It is also against islam and their own beliefs to take women and children and elderly people as hostages. I think israel is prepared to grab the ceasefire to stop the bombardment of gaza and enable the civilian hostages to come home. We have to be clear also who we are talking about. For hamas, any is really is a soldier. Every is really is a soldier. There is a complication here because hamas is probably not holding all of the hostages. The hamas Political Leadership which is scattered between gaza, beirut, and ohio is not in charge of the hostages and it is not clear when they make an obligation say to the qatari government theyre willing to negotiate some kind of deal, that they are actually able to implement the deal. There is a big question about it, who is talking to the people who have control of the hostages and whether or not hamas at all has control of all of the hostages because some were taken by islamic jihad, some by individuals who were holding hostages. Amy talk about your back channels to hamas, egypt, to cutter. Ive been talking to hamas people in gaza, in qatar, in beirut. It is a very difficult conversation. My assessment today, three weeks into this war, they dont have a coherent strategy. Theyre not all giving the same messages. Im not sure they even have control. The qataris were talking quite a lot, what a direct contact with the israelis. Myself and a colleague in rome put them directly in contact with the israelis. It is not sure who theyre talking to. It seems the side with the best contact are the egyptians. The egyptians are responsible for releasing the second two women who are israelis without second passports. One of them has been a peace activist and volunteer driver of sick palestinian children from gaza to israeli hospitals for years. It seems they were released as result of egyptian pressure on the military wing of hamas. Amy that was Yocheved Lifshitz who spoke to the press. Her husband is still in. He went to the Border Crossing repeatedly to help palestinians and especially those who were having medical problems. Thats right. Amy how to the first two hostages get released . And do you see anything large happening now . I think, my understanding of what happened with the two sets of women who are released, the first one was a result of direct pressure a President Biden and secretary blinken on the qatari government to apply pressure on the leadership of hamas it was hosted in qatar and President Biden mentioned their names specifically, american citizens who live in chicago. I believe the second set of women released was a result of the egyptians wanting to show they could do better than guitar in releasing two elderly women who are full Israeli Citizens without a passport. These rallies were not involved in either release. Israel did not pay anything for those releases. I think this is some kind of negotiating game and competition that exists between qatar and egypt. I think these rallies are holding off on the ground incursion of thousands of israeli troops, tanks, and artillery, and special forces to exhaust every possibility to bring out as many hostages through negotiation. Seems to be the reason why the israeli delay on the incursions. In the meantime, small forces for two nights to a think assess the situation on the ground to take care of specific intelligence information. They have about hamas battle plans. And to see if they can find any of the hostages. Amy how important is u. S. Pressure on them to delay the invasion or to stop it altogether . And do you see the u. S. Putting that kind of pressure original, President Biden said he was not telling netanyahu to use any kind of restraint. So israelis and americans have said the americans are encouraging israel to exhaust every possibility for negotiations with the ground operation. I think it has been influential, but there are more and more forces in israel calling them to recognize the responsibility to the hostages. The number one function and responsibility is to protect its citizens and israel clearly failed to protect the civilians who live along the gaza border. Enable them to be murdered and taken hostages. There are calls significant calls from the israelis, the National Security establishment, who are saying israel first has a responsibility to bring home the hostages. There are several of them, including the head of mossad, said israel should empty its prisons and send that posting prisoners to gaza in exchange for all the hostages being released. I cant see that happening, but i think there is more time although not a lot for a negotiated agreement for release of the civilian hostages. I think it is important to note in government in america is placing pressure on qatar. Qatar has been the host of the hamas leadership for many years and has funded hamas with more than 1 billion over the years. Qatar, if it does not comply with the American Defense to put pressure on hamas, they will be exiled from their welcome stay in qatar. Qatar, by hosting hamas, is supporting terrorism. Amy gershon baskin, i wanted to ask about a number of the hostage families and families of those israelis who hamas killed on october 7, like hayim kat zman. He was a washington graduate student. He came back to the kibbutz. He was in a closet and was killed. We spoke both to his seattle rabbi where he was a Hebrew School teacher in seattle and his brother noy in vienna. Both called for an end to the occupation and said the invasion is not the answer to what has happened. Your final thoughts on what needs to happen now . I hoped after the israeli people are experiencing the biggest trauma since the holocaust and the palestinians have been taken back to 1948 and the nakba, that we wake up from this traumatic situation and understand the israelis to delude ourselves we can occupy other people is simply not real or that we can lock to Million People in an openair prison for 17 years and expect to have quiet is living in an imaginary world of delusion. I hope the Palestinian People wake up and understand they will never have peace if they dont recognize the jewish peoples right to live in the land as well, the right to live in palestine. I call it that after tomorrow because tomorrow is too soon but tomorrow, im calling for the metaphor i used as the belfast moment. The moment when we stand up and say we are killing each other for 100 years and we have to stop. Our leaders need to pay the price for bringing us here. The israeli and palestinian leaders all need to go. We need a new generation who are willing to stand up with new ideas, new visions, new hopes, new dreams, and the ability to lead us forward on the very they said principal that everyone living between the jordan river and the Mediterranean Sea must have the same right to the same rights. That is a basic principle from which we have to start. And from there we can decide if we want one state, to states, three states, or 10 states, federation or confederation, but it begins with a mutual recognition we must all have the same rights to the same rights. Amy gershon baskin, middle east director of the International Communities organization, a human Rights Advocacy group. In 2011, he helped to negotiate the release of israeli soldier gilad shalit from hamas captivity in exchange for the palestinian prisoners. His memoir is titled in pursuit of peace in israel and palestine. Next up, we speak to New York University Law School Student ryna workman who lost her job at a Prestigious Law Firm lost their job at a students law from after speaking up for palestinian rights. [music break] amy amy freedom for my sisters by the worlds first palestinian hiphop group dam. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We look now at how students, professors, and others advocating for palestinian rights across the United States are facing racist attacks and other threats to their free speech, safety and livelihoods. This week, florida ordered students to ban students for justice in palestine from campuses. The group palestine legal has documented how people are being fired from their jobs for sharing social media posts or signing statements in support of human rights for palestine. This includes our next guest, ryna workman, who was removed from their position and saw the job offer at the Corporate Law firm Winston Strawn withdrawn after they sent a newsletter to classmates expressing unwavering and absolute solidarity with palestinians in their resistance against oppression toward liberation and selfdetermination after hama october 7 attack on israel and subsequent number of palestinians who died in these last weeks. On thursday, the Senate Unanimously passed a resolution condemning hamas and antisemitic Student Activities on College Campuses, which referenced ryna, though not by name. This comes as doxxing trucks target people at Ivy League Universities who signed palestinian solidarity statements have now appeared at harvard, columbia, and the university of pennsylvania with digital billboard screens displaying peoples faces, their names, and above them saying antisemites. Palestine legal and over 600 other legal groups and leaders issued a letter calling on elected officials and institutional leaders to address the hundreds of incidents happening across the country that signal a much broader effort to criminalize dissent, justify censorship, and incite antipalestinian, antiarab, and antimuslim harassment. The letter notes this is not a new phenomenon, but it is escalating at terrifying speed. For more, we are joined in chicago by dima khalidi, the founder and director of palestine legal. And by ryna workman, the nyu law student who had their prestigious job offer rescinded. We welcome you both to democracy now ryna, what exactly happened . Thank you for having me. I think i sent a message to my fellow law students supporting palestine and offering context to a narrative i already saw building that was excluding the 75 years of history that we have seen in palestine, the apartheid, the military occupation. I wanted to add my support palestinians in their movement for liberation. That is what my message was intended to get across. Amy and what happened . After that, we saw this incredibly swift backlash. I lost my job offer. My school immediately put out statements that distance himself from me, offered me know specific protections publicly. I have been receiving hateful and racist and trans phobic messages for the past three weeks that have only gotten more vile and hateful as time has gone on. Amy what about your position both at nyu and your offer of a Prestigious Law Firm employment . I think the consequences i am personally facing are devastating for me but i am also concerned it is just promoting this Chilling Effect that we are seeing across not only my law school but across the universities and other law schools across the country because folks are now afraid to speak up in fear they might become the next me, that they might lose their offer simply for supporting palestine and fighting oppression and trying to end this genocide. Amy what do you say to the law firm now . Have they reconsidered . The law firm has not reached out to me at all. Right now i really want to focus on calling for a ceasefire and ending this genocide. I what to say to everyone who cares about human life and cares about stopping this killing, it call for a ceasefire and end this genocide that is happening to palestinians. Amy i want to bring dima khalidi into this conversation. How common what happened to ryna workman . It has become very common. Palestine legal has been documenting for years what we call a palestine exception to free speech, so it certainly did not start on october 7. We have seen the same kinds of tactics, and attempt to purge academia of voices that support palestinian rights. But since october 7, when we seen people mobilizing for palestinian rights, weve seen an exponential increase. We have had more than 300 requests for legal help, more than we get in a whole year typically. Ryna is not alone. We are seeing dozens of people getting fired and facing unemployment consequences around the country for making simple statements in support of palestinian rights. We are seeing students get disciplined, as you mentioned, amy. There is a widespread attack on the Student Movement for palestinian rights, which has built an incredible Cross Movement has built Cross Movement alliances on campuses for the last decade. And really peoples livelihoods are being threatened. And peoples lives are also under attack. We saw a sixyearold palestinian boy murdered just for being palestinian. This is a widespread effort to intimidate, as ryna said, intimidate people into silence. Ryna is not alone in that there are so many voices who are speaking out because people are seeing more and more clearly what is happening here. This is about 75 plus years of a settler colonial state that has dispossessed entire people of their land and other dignity and their humanity. What is happening now is a complete dehumanization of palestinians that this coming from the mouths of israeli officials which, by the way, have been speaking in genocidal terms about palestinians for 75 plus years. And goodbye our own elected officials, repeating to level gaza and white palestinians off the map. This is a genocide that is unfolding with u. S. Support. More people are saying that. That is what is critical here. We have to speak up and protect people who are under attack for speaking out because that is our responsibility as u. S. Citizens whose taxpayer money is being used to fuel this incredible attack on palestinians. Amy can you talk about what is happening in florida . Governor desantis demanding of the State University system to disband the organization the palestinian student organization, students justice in palestine . Of course desantis is often the front runner when we are talking about undermining our Constitutional Rights. Once again, he has attacked a Student Group based on their fundamental First Amendment rights to engage in advocacy on this issue. His move is fundamentally contrary to the First Amendment. It will be challenged. There is no doubt. This is also an attempt to criminalize what students and others are speaking out about. There is no basis for this. Frankly, it is part of desanti broader agenda and the right wings broader agenda to undermine first to mimic by criminalizing protest for racial justice, for environmental rights and indigenous rights, and by purging academia, people and curricula that are trying to teach about the sordid history of racism in this country. So it is part of his efforts to whitewash our universities and academia from dissenting voices. This has to be challenged in order for us to maintain the fundamental Constitutional Rights upon which this country is based. And that are essential for any prospect of maintaining democracy in this country. Amy you have the dock sing of students at harvard and at columbia. At harvard, the more traditional conservative organization harvard hello actually condemned d theoxxing students and these billboards going around with protesters faces. And at columbia, is it true pro israel and the palestine groups together condemned the doxxing . The doxxing is one of the most heinous ways of attacking people. These are students, individuals who are, you know, working in various arenas and they are being severely harassed. Their information is being publicized. They are barraged with Death Threats and horrible misogynistic trans phobic and racist messages. And their livelihoods are being threatened. So we have seen even pro israel groups condemn this because they see how horrible it is for their own peers to be faced with this kind of harassment. Universities are really failing to protect their students here. We have seen a couple of instances where universities are beginning to take measures to prevent this doxxing. Amy ryna workman, your final comment . Also, who ousted you . So the Student Bar Association originally initiated proceedings against me but since have all resigned. Currently, due to messaging from dean mckenzie, i am suspended until further notice from all of my president ial duties. So even though i cannot say anything or do anything as sba president come as a person, we should all be calling for a ceasefire and intended to genocide. Amy ryna workman, thank you for being with us, nyu law student who had a job rescinded after speaking out on palestinian rights and calling for