Queering Palestinian Solidarity Work

Israel/Palestine and the International by Duke University Press, 2012 review by wendy elisheva somerson

ut is the only coun- activism and a desire to bring together supposedly universal importance of try in the with queer issues and the movement for “” as an international nar- rights.” I can’t count the boycott, divestment, and sanctions rative. Folks in the also number of times I’ve heard (BDS), Schulman experiences Israel’s got to hear how queer Palestinians Bthis response to any criticism of Israeli discriminatory policies, which in- cannot separate their experiences policies over the last few years. Several clude separate laws, roads, and water of queerness from their experiences years ago at a public discussion about a sources for Jews and Palestinians. Her of living under the Occupation. Queer proposal to boycott Israeli products at deepening understanding of the Oc- Palestinians spoke out against the the local co-op, an elderly and — from cupation and her meetings with queer notion that Israel serves as a savior all appearances — straight gentleman activists motivate her to imagine a “va- for gay Palestinians: as Shamali neatly awkwardly mumbled something about riety of disenfranchised communities” summarized, “there is no pink door how “homosexuals” were being treated around the world coming together to leading to a secret pathway through in the “rest of the Middle East.” At advocate against the Occupation and the Wall for me.” the time I recognized how disingenu- join the BDS movement. ous this concern seemed, but I didn’t Schulman returns from her trip Anti-Pinkwashing recognize where it was coming from. excited and determined to organize Activism in Seattle Sarah Schulman’s new book provides a U.S. tour of queer Palestinian ac- an extended exploration about the ori- tivists, including Ghadir of (a I am particularly interested in Schul- gins of this reasoning, how to respond group for Palestinian gay women) as man’s framing of queer involvement to it, and why should become well as Haneen Maikey and Sami in international politics because of my involved in Palestinian solidarity by Shamali of alQaws (a group focused own involvement in queer anti-pink- taking us through Schulman’s own on sexual and gender diversity in washing actions in Seattle. Schulman’s journey to politicization around Israel Palestinian society). Creating a struc- book provides a useful framework and Palestine. ture for understanding this tour, to think about how lessons learned Uneasy about being invited to give Schulman proposes the idea of a queer in Seattle can be applied to global the keynote address at the 2010 Israeli international “movement that brings resistance against and and Gay Studies Conference queer liberation and to the a queer critique of the Occupation of at University, Schulman principles of international autonomy Palestine. strives to find out more about the aca- from occupation, colonization, and demic and cultural boycott of Israel globalized capital.” The queer inter- called for by Palestinian civil society. national movement combats Israeli Her research into the boycott deepens “pinkwashing” — a term used to de- her understanding of the Occupation scribe attempts to divert attention and propels her to turn down the from the Occupation of Palestine by invitation to speak at an Israeli focusing on LGBT rights in Israel — government-funded university. by exposing pinkwashing for what Instead she goes on an alternative it really is: Israeli government- solidarity trip to Israel and Pales- sponsored propaganda. tine where she meets with queer and The tour that Schulman organized straight Israeli and Palestinian activ- introduced queer Palestinians to U.S. ists and learns about the brutalities queers. Its speakers often challenged of the Occupation in person. Bringing U.S. assumptions about what it means with her a long history of queer to be queer, calling into question the

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Downloaded from http://read.dukeupress.edu/tikkun/article-pdf/28/3/58/484282/0280058.pdf by guest on 26 September 2021 In the spring of 2012, I was part explained the concept of pinkwashing had been placed at the center of the of a group of Jewish and Palestinian and that we were not opposed to hear- room. The commissioners, hearing Al American queer activists who success- ing from individual Israelis, but that Aswad and Assal’s moving testimonies fully lobbied Seattle’s Lesbian, Gay, we could not support a tour backed by about their painful experiences and in- Bisexual, and Commis- the Israeli government. We also dif- credible resilience as queer Palestinian sion to cancel an Israeli pinkwashing ferentiated between valid criticisms of American activists, were compelled to event that was scheduled to take place Israeli government propaganda and change their minds. at Seattle City Hall. StandWithUs actual instances of anti-Semitism that and the Israeli Consulate had spon- discriminate against Jewish people. Backlash: Pitting Queer sored four leaders of Israeli lesbian, By addressing objections to cancel- Issues Against Palestine gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer ing the event, we created space for our (LGBTQ) organizations to visit the Palestinian American friends, Selma Schulman describes some of the back- Pacific Northwest in a speaking tour Al Aswad and Laila Assal, to tell their lash that occurred after the Queer Pal- called “Rainbow Generations: Build- stories. Al Aswad described how her estinian tour, which included the New ing New LGBTQ Pride and Inclusion family history is linked to her cur- York LGBT Community Center’s re- in Israel,” so that they could “share rent identity as a queer Palestinian fusal to let a Palestine solidarity group the innovative work they are doing in American living in Seattle: her family meet at the center to plan activities Israel, learn from counterparts in the re­located to Washington state after for Israeli Apartheid Week. While the U.S., and build relationships for future her father became a refugee in 1948 circumstances leading to the cancella- collaboration.” when he was expelled from his home tion were not made public, there were What could be wrong with inclusion, in Palestine. She explained, “My queer accusations of anti-Semitism, and the pride, and collaboration? The govern- identity is steeped in and inextricably community center’s board claimed ment backing of this tour indicates linked to the dispossession of my that Jewish folks wouldn’t feel “safe” at that it was actually part of the cynical family and community by the state of the center if the Palestinian solidarity government campaign called “Brand Israel.” She then described how pink- group met there. In a public statement, Israel,” a public relations program washing seeks to cover up the crimes the center announced a moratorium launched in 2005 to combat the grow- Israel continues to commit against her on renting space to groups organizing ing success of the BDS movement. To family and community. Assal, a queer around Israel/Palestine because “we rebrand Israel in a positive light, the Palestinian American whose family must keep our focus squarely on pro- Israeli government positions Israel as has Israeli citizenship, explained that viding life-changing and life-saving the progressive center of culture in the her family members are treated as programs and services to the LGBTQ Middle East. Pinkwashing refers to “fourth-class citizens” within Israel. community in New York City.” the arm of this campaign that por- She described how her visits to Israel Similarly, in Seattle, an enormous trays Israel as a sanctuary for LGBT are accompanied by government backlash was set in motion after the folks surrounded by barbaric and harassment simply because of her an- commissioners decided to cancel the homo­phobic Arabs, particularly cestry. Explaining that Palestinians Israeli speaking tour. Again the sup- Palestinians. with Israeli citizenship represent 20 posed “safety” of the Jewish commu- percent of Israel’s population, Assal nity was used to separate queer issues Centering Queer pointed out how they were not being from Israel/Palestine and render queer Palestinian Voices represented on the Rainbow Genera- Palestinians invisible. StandWithUs, a tions tour. pro-Occupation organization, released Schulman’s motivation for her tour With tears in his eyes and a voice a response to the cancellation, claiming and our success in getting the Seattle shaking with emotion, one of the that anti-pinkwashing activists’ goal event cancelled relied on the same commissioners said he felt he and his was to shut down conversation and strategy: centering the voices of queer colleagues had made a huge mistake deny “Israelis the right to speak here Palestinians, which disrupt and re- because they had no idea that hold- in the U.S.” They included a statement veal the racism behind pinkwashing. ing this event meant marginalizing from the Israeli delegation about their Our coalition of activists succeeded Palestinian LGBTQ folks. Other com- disappointment that the commission in getting the LGBT Commission to missioners joined in, voicing their own “eliminated” the opportunity for dia- cancel its event by attending its public concerns, and when they voted to can- logue and their sadness that the “com- meeting the night before the event cel the event, it was because something mission, representing a minority that was scheduled to take place. Two of unusual had happened that night: continues to face , also us Jewish Voice for Peace activists queer Palestinian American stories practices that same discrimination.”

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Downloaded from http://read.dukeupress.edu/tikkun/article-pdf/28/3/58/484282/0280058.pdf by guest on 26 September 2021 Accusations of anti-Semitism were and anti-racist movements. Queer Civil Rights versus couched in claims that the Israeli movements challenged capitalism, speakers were discriminated against racism, and state power because gay based on their nationality, even though lives were antithetical to mainstream The pinkwashing discourse used in we had specifically explained that society. However, over time, as LGBT Seattle around the commissioner’s we opposed the event based on its folks gained acceptance and gay ac- decision builds on the mainstreaming sponsorship by the Israeli consulate. tivism became institutionalized, the of the LGBTQ movement by aligning By ignoring the event’s government focus narrowed to accessing state- gay civil rights with state interests and backing, the delegation was able to use based rights. Operating from an as- framing Palestinian human rights as a the language of “dialogue” to reverse similationist model, many LGBTQ completely separate divisive, “political” power dynamics and position them- groups have worked to gain inclusion issue. The Seattle City Council eventu- selves as victims of discrimination. As into state institutions such as mar- ally met with the commissioners in a Schulman writes, the idea of dialogue riage and the military. public meeting at City Hall to review often functions as “a false equation, a By making gay identity a distinct the commissioners’ decision to cancel nonexistent ‘equality,’ a substitute for category aligned with the state, the pinkwashing event. During the political change” that erases the actual LGBTQ institutions have ended up time for public commentary, repre- facts of the Occupation. separating gayness from all other as- sentatives from Jewish and LGBTQ Under enormous pressure from the pects of our identities and aligning mainstream organizations spoke about city council and Jewish institutions, gay rights with state rights. Schulman how the cancellation caused deep pain the commissioners issued a written describes how connects in “the Jewish community.” One person apology for “the pain, offense and em- LGBT assimilation to racism through spoke about how outside groups “took barrassment that we caused by cancel- her coinage of the term homo­ a nonpolitical event and politicized ing our scheduled event.” They claimed nationalism, which refers to how what was a cultural and civil rights ex- that their vote did not represent “a (mostly white) LGBT folks in the change.” Many of the speakers argued stand for either side,” but recognition global North who have gained some that the cancellation meant “boycotting “that we could not facilitate a neutral legal rights adopt their country’s pa- dialogue” and “squelching free speech.” space for dialog and learning and keep triotism and racism. They contrast These claims about harm done to the conversation focused on LGBTQ their country’s democratic culture the Jewish community echo the claims issues versus the larger issues of the with that of “the Other” (often Mus- about Jews not feeling safe at the Israeli-Palestinian relationship” lims) whose cultures are positioned as New York LGBT Community Center. (emphasis mine). rabidly homophobic. These Western These claims also rely on the same This idea that LGBTQ issues can countries then showcase LGBT rights pro-Occupation tactic of positioning and should be separated from Israel’s as symbols of their modern, progres- mainstream Jewish institutions as Occupation of Palestine echoes the sive values. the Jewish community and excluding New York City LGBT’s center’s claim The Israeli government has har- anti-Occupation Jews. Incredibly to keep its focus on LGBTQ com- nessed by promot- well-funded Jewish institutions such munity in opposition to “Middle East ing its relatively decent positions on as the Jewish Federation are then able Conflict.” This separation and isolation LGBT rights to justify its Occupation to position themselves as victims of of gay identity from other identities of Palestinian land and resources. censorship. In reality, the Jewish (such as Palestinian identity) and the Following the Israeli government’s Federation practices censorship with idea of a space for neutral dialogue lead, pro-Occupation groups position its guidelines that forbid funding for capable of erasing power differences Israel as an enlightened gay-friendly any groups or events that advocate or have been made possible by the main- oasis in contrast to uncivilized and endorse BDS or even have a sponsor streaming of the LGBTQ movement homophobic Palestine. These groups that endorses BDS. and its links to homonationalism. highlight the violence that some gay Furthermore, how did LGBTQ civil Palestinians face from their families rights become cultural and “nonpoliti- Assimilation and and authorities in Palestine, but never cal”? In the 1970s, it would have been impossible to position gay rights as Homonationalism acknowledge the violence all Palestin- ians, whatever their , apolitical, but since LGBTQ rights In the 1960s and 1970s in the United face living under Occupation. have lined up with state-based rights, States, movements grew pinkwashing discourse takes advan- out of other liberation struggles and tage of this alignment to separate gay were deeply intertwined with feminist rights from human rights. In an open

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Downloaded from http://read.dukeupress.edu/tikkun/article-pdf/28/3/58/484282/0280058.pdf by guest on 26 September 2021 letter, several LGBTQ organizations as well as how to combat pinkwashing critique of gender and sex roles.” By expressed their disappointment over efforts. This book can help us learn centering and listening to queer the “missed opportunity” to celebrate how to respond to arguments that use Palestinian voices and decentering our community’s “diversity” with the the concepts of dialogue, discrimina- the state, queers can embrace Pales- cancellation of the event. The letter tion, and diversity to promote a narrow tinian solidarity and refuse to let our went on to say that “as we head into vision of gay rights aligned with state identities be used to justify oppression our own significant civil rights battle rights. By insisting on a power analysis anywhere — because true queer libera- in Washington State, the trust and as part of her critique of global politics, tion can never come at the cost of support of the Jewish community is Schulman demands that we consider denying someone else’s rights. ■ even more pivotal.” Civil rights are now who is being excluded when we focus being conflated very specifically with on the “safety” and “rights” of some wendy elisheva somerson — one of the gay marriage rights (which were up for LGBT folks without linking these founders of the Seattle chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace — creates and leads Jewish a vote this fall in Washington) and are rights to anti-colonial struggle. rituals that integrate Palestinian solidar- separated again from human rights. Schulman argues that the success­- ity and Jewish spirituality. In addition to ful tour of queer Palestinians demon- writing and activism, she makes visual Toward a Radical Queer Politic strates that we can still mobilize “the art, trouble, and macaroons in the Pacific In light of these debates about pink- huge progressive queer community Northwest. washing strategies, I am hopeful that in the United States that is disgusted Schulman’s book can help more queer by marriage and military and that DOI 10.1215/08879982-2307256 folks understand the link between longs to return to the radical social queer issues and Palestine solidarity, transformation implicit in a feminist

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