Welcome to Dispatch #18! In this issue we wanna talk a little more deeply about Palestine–in particular, how Palestine is specifically connected to so many other issues affecting our lives, and why international solidarity is critical for our collective survival. We’ve also released our new Palestine Support Masterlist to help you find effective ways to support a Free Palestine. As always, please share widely! Let's get into it!
👋 Are you new here?
Sign up to get free newsletters sent to your inbox every other Sunday.
Have you already signed up? If you like what we've been sharing on the Conscious Citizens, support our work for as little as $2 USD/mo ($24/year) by becoming a paid member.
Since 95% of our subscribers are free readers, every contribution, no matter how small, makes a difference.
Easy Actions to Take
Why: Use this email template / script to contact your representative and pressure them to oppose Israel’s plans to ethnically cleanse and permanently occupy Gaza which represents a clear violation of international law and genocide. Organized by Humanti Project
⏱~3min | Artists: Sign this Statement in support of Kehlani as she is censored for her Pro-Palestinian stance
Why: Kehlani, an American musician, has been vocal about her anti-genocide stance and as a result has had several concerts canceled in New York City. This is the latest in a long trend of artists being punished for using their voice. If you are any sort of artist, cultural worker, or academic - please sign this statement in support. Organized by Artists Against Apartheid
⏱~3min | Demand Pasadena Magazine withdraw an article promoting Israeli tourism during “troubled times.”
Why: Pasadena Magazine's recent article promoting tourism during genocide is incredibly tone-deaf. Presenting genocide, ethnic cleansing, and forced displacement as mere "troubled times" is biased and using such language undermines the gravity of the situation, effectively soliciting more support for an ongoing genocide. Organized by Accountable Media
Little (Movement) Wins
How Travelers Exposed Israel's Racist Border Laws
Revealing History
In 2011, Palestinians in the West Bank invited people of conscience from across the world to visit Palestine with the aim of drawing attention to the cruelty of life under the occupation, in general, and racist Israeli border policies, in particular. In the first year, 300 people from around the world flew to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and unfurled their “Welcome to Palestine” banners, creating a dramatic scene at the airport. The Israeli authorities reacted as expected by attacking the protestors, ripping down their signs, and deporting or detaining them. As a result, their actions gained international media attention and exposed the repression and racism of Israeli policies, leading the Israeli regime to launch a massive PR campaign in an attempt to save face.
While the occupation continues, the Welcome to Palestine campaign came up with an innovative new tactic to expose the truth of Israel’s racist border policies, and ushered in a unique type of solidarity. The organizers understood that it is much more effective to show an injustice, rather than just tell people about it, a key storytelling technique. They also understood that quite often the key to success isn’t what you do, but how your target reacts to what you do. By simply and nonviolently stating their intention (and perfectly legitimate right) to visit Palestine, and knowing that the Israeli authorities would not only refuse it, but respond with repression and violence (and that the media would keenly cover such a scene), the campaign set up a perfect scenario to expose the truth about the Israeli regime.
📗 Learn More
The People's Dictionary: Thought-Terminating Cliche
A thought-terminating cliché is a form of loaded language intended to end an argument and suppress cognitive dissonance. Its function is to stop an argument that encourages more critical thought, ending the debate with a cliché rather than a point.
For example, when one is asked about the occupation of Palestine they may reply, “It’s so complicated” or “It is what it is” in order to stop the conversation from digging further. Other common expressions that you may have heard a variation of before:
- “It’s not that deep” – to dismiss faulty logic, contradictions, or conflicts of interest
- “So? Nothing we can do about it.” – to downplay our individual involvement or power
- “Let’s agree to disagree.” – to stop a discussion rather than resolve it
- “Let people enjoy things.” – when pointing out complicit brands or harmful policies.
How Palestine Connects to Literally Everything
Connecting the Dots
We are reaching the final stages of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The mask is off and there is no more hiding. Israeli ministers openly call for expulsion of Palestinian people and permanent occupation of the land as tens of thousands of more reserve troops are summoned by the IOF. This all comes just days before Trump is scheduled to visit the Middle East, with big plans of his own, and his patience for Netanyahu is wearing thin.
Regardless of the geopolitical factors involved, Palestinian people pay the price. Israel’s plan is to push ~2 million people to Rafah, along the southern border of Gaza, and force them into concentration camps run by US contractors. Millions around the world have been screaming about this moment for 19 months, while others wonder why so many focus on Palestine, especially when there are plenty local issues to deal with.
For us, rather than seeing it as a single issue, we see it as the culmination of nearly all issues we face today. From imperialism to feminism to mental health and more, that’s why Palestine is so important to us. In this article we’ll explain how it’s all connected as plainly and clearly as possible. By doing so, we hope we can foster a greater understanding between each other and our issues so we can have more productive conversations, grow our community solidarity, and strengthen our global collective power against the richest top 1%. Let's get into it!
(Because we're covering multiple issues, we're linking out to this one!)
Uplift the Conscious Citizens
We're firm believers that our communities would be a little better if everyone could easily make sense of the world, understand how connected our problems are, and had access to the resources and guidance needed to build economic and social systems beyond capitalism. If you can take 1-minute to share the Conscious Citizens with someone, we'd seriously appreciate it!
- Tell a friend to sign up for the Conscious Citizens. You can even forward this issue to them!
- Shout out The Conscious Citizens on your social media channels.
- Share our Instagram posts on your feed or stories.
"I think we need to create a 21st century internationalism. None of the past struggles in this country, progressive struggles, took place in isolation from what was happening in the rest of this world."
Artists Confronting Inequalities
(Read Top to Bottom, Left to Right) Mother's Day, The Village Awakens, Woman Carrying Jerusalem, Orange Grove, Peace, The Way to Bethlehem, Camel of Hardship, Perseverance, Memory of Places
Sliman Mansour is a renowned Palestinian artist, activist, and teacher using his skills to preserve his people’s history by illustrating the perseverance of the Palestinian people in the face of a multi-generational military occupation.
Inspired by Palestinian self-sufficiency, he’s created imagery and symbols representative of the life, culture, history, and tradition that aptly depicts the hopes and realities of the Palestinian struggle. After the first Intifada, he founded the New Visions movement, which called on artists to boycott Israeli art supplies and utilize local natural materials like coffee, henna, clay, and mud; mediums which also serve the basis for human life in many indigenous cultures. Using his art as a form of resistance, Sliman’s work has become such an influence to artists and activists and has played a key role in developing the Palestinian national visual identity.
Visit Sliman's Website | Follow Sliman on Instagram
Resources & Tools
Please share these links with anyone that might find them helpful:
- 🪧 Find a Protest | Visit this site to find an active list of protests near you, wherever you are in the world.
- 🪧 Disabled Protester's Guide | A great article by Disability Law United with tips for how to protest if you are more vulnerable or have limited physical access.
- 📋 Palestine Support Masterlist | A helpful collection of resources for anyone looking for effective ways to support Palestinians and stay safe while doing so.
- 🖥 Proton Mail | A great email alternative to Gmail with end-to-end encryption. We highly recommend having a proton email to use as an alias anywhere you don't want to share your private data.
- 📚 The Anarchist Library | A free library that collects and preserves anarchist (anti-capitalist/anti-state) literature in various languages and formats.
- 🧠 How Islam Saved Western Civilization | An engaging video lecture by Professor Roy Casagranda on the Arab Empire and how it saved the West from its Dark Ages.
SUBMIT A RESOURCE!
Know of a helpful resource that 40,000+ people need to hear about?
Submit it HERE.
Till next time, take care, stay safe, and stay strong. Life is rough now for many of us, but remember we always have each other.
Onward to the World We Deserve,
Elisa & Ray
Don't Forget:
🙏 Our work is 100% reader-supported. You can get a membership for cheap. Right now our memberships are helping us fund our studio's baseline operating costs.
📣 Shout out The Conscious Citizens on your social media platforms and help us get connected with more like-minded people!
💌 Forward this to a friend and tell them to subscribe (hint: it's here).
🎥 Stay in our orbit! Follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
☕️ If you like our newsletter, treat us to a coffee and some encouraging words to keep us going!
