The Palestine Solidarity Movement Needs to Remain Strong Under Trump

Speech given by Naveen Borojerdi, member of the Anti-War Committee,  at the J20 protest at St. Paul College as a part of the inaguration day protest initiated by TCC4J, MIRAC, and BLM MN.

Hello everyone, and Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

My name is Naveen and I am a member of the Minnesota Anti War Committee. While we all witness the news of a ceasefire breaking through in Gaza, it’s important to note that the fight for a Free Palestine is not over yet. As we witness the previous administration of war criminals transfer power to a new Administration of war criminals, they’ve made it clear to us that US policy in the Middle East will not change. The incoming Trump Administration will not stop Israeli Apartheid nor will they end the Israeli occupation of Gaza.

While Biden and Trump try to take credit for a ceasefire deal, the truth of the matter is that the people who should be credited with this victory are the Palestinians themselves, for successfully resisting the Israeli terrorist state’s onslaught across Gaza for 467 days and winning a deal on their terms. The real question we need to be asking ourselves is what comes next now that there is a ceasefire in effect?

The ceasefire is only the first step towards a Free Palestine. The next steps are to implement an arms embargo on Israel, to cut billions of dollars we send to Israel each year, and to divest from Israeli weapons manufacturers and other companies that are complicit in the atrocities we have witnessed across Gaza and the West Bank for almost 500 days straight. History has shown that every time the Palestinians sit down at the negotiation table, the US and Israel never negotiate in good faith. This incoming administration has made it clear to the Israeli terrorist government that they are really to fully back another genocide at their whim.  Those of us who have been fighting in this movement for years do not believe Donald Trump’s lies about bringing peace to the Middle East.

Donald Trump has filled his cabinet with a bunch of pro Israel hacks such as Mike Huckabee, who has signaled that an illegal annexation of the West Bank is a possibility under his tenure as US Ambassador to Israel. His son in law Jared Kushner is on record stating that Gaza’s Waterfront Property could be “very valuable.” His pick for Secretary of State Pete Hegseth has claimed that “Israel should kill every last member of Hamas” which is code word for continuing the genocide against the Palestinian people.

The Anti-War Committee won’t stop fighting, no matter who’s in office, until we get more than a ceasefire, until we get true freedom for Palestine. We need an end to US aid to Israel, whether it’s Joe Biden sending billions, Donald Trump sending billions, or even Governor Walz investing billions in Minnesota money in apartheid Israel. We don’t trust any politicians to bring real freedom, whether that’s freedom for immigrants, African Americans, or those seeking reproductive justice, we only trust the people to bring freedom for themselves, and for one another.

In fact, we’re hosting a panel on February 8th at 2pm at Macalester College about the impact of US imperialism across Africa and the Caribbean, and how it’s been devastating for Black Americans here in the US, and the necessity of uniting our movements. I hope you’ll join us!