All in Palestine in America
Rasmea Odeh, a Palestinian icon, has been in solitary confinement for the past 12 days at the St. Clair County Jail in Port Huron, Michigan.
Rehab sat on a beige sofa in her house, hands intertwined loosely in her lap on a fall Sunday afternoon. Her face appeared smooth with a slight cheekbone flush and her hair was pulled back from her neck in a simple bridal bun creating an ideal position to rest her mesh veil.
Judge Gershwin A. Drain’s courtroom was filled to capacity with anxious supporters as Rasmea Odeh, a Palestinian-American icon and community leader, was found guilty on one count of unlawful procurement of naturalization.
The Cleveland Cavaliers opened up pre-season play against an Israeli team, Maccabi Tel Aviv, on Oct. 5 while several dozen pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside Quicken Loans Arena to protest the team’s first year head coach, David Blatt, who supported and attempted to justify Israel’s 51-day assault on Gaza this past summer, which killed 500 Palestinian children.
Odeh was accused of lying on her immigration forms in 2013 by failing to disclose a criminal conviction meted out by an Israeli military court in 1969. The original judge on the case proved to have Israeli ties and finally stepped down and allowed a less bias judge to be randomly appointed, the Electronic Intifada reported.
This past weekend, Aug. 22—24, the Watani Chicago Festival brought the Arab culture to Bridgeview, the south west suburb just outside of Chicago. It also brought well deserved awareness to the crisis throughout Palestine, primarily in Gaza.
Some people who came to watch the glorification of war machines stopped by the demonstration and watched. Organizers said, initially Chicago police officers who were on the scene, told the protestors they had to leave, but in the end the officers did not force the demonstrators to leave.
People spoke for the flag and against it but in the end the Human Relations Commission voted to keep the flags that hang during August for Diversity Month in tact. Those who asked for the flag to be removed gave reasons such as: “Palestine isn’t a recognized state by the United States.” While those who were for the Palestinian flag mentioned how the Palestinian-Americans who live and work in Lincolnwood have contributed greatly to society.
A few hundred attended the Chicago Vigil for Gaza on Aug. 9. People met at the historic Water Tower in downtown before marching to the Tribune Tower. There, religious leaders from Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths read prayers. The vigil was held in remembrance of the nearly 2,000 Palestinians that have been murdered during Israel’s assault on the densely populated area.
Tens of thousands of people gathered in front of the White House for a march to protest the attacks on Gaza and the occupation of Palestine.
Norman G. Finkelstein, a political scientist, activist, and professor, is easily one of the most active and recognizable voices on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
