Black Lives Matter in Israel to Protest 'Genocide, Occupation' By 'Zionist Vigilantes'

TEL AVIV – Activists from the Black Lives Matter movement arrived in Israel last week to protest the supposed “occupation” and “genocide” perpetrated by Israel, and to “fight for dignity, justice, and freedom.”

The BLM members joined an anti-Israel protest in the West Bank village of Bilin. Palestinian news agency Ma’an reported that two Arab protesters were arrested during the event.

The BLM delegation in Israel underscored the movement’s international goals, which include opposing what it termed the “genocide” of Palestinians at the hands of “Zionist vigilantes” and the “occupation” of Palestine.

“In the fight for dignity, justice, and freedom,” the BLM movement stated on its Facebook page last Friday, “the Movement for Black Lives is committed to the global shared struggle of oppressed people, namely the people of occupied Palestine and other indigenous communities who for decades have resisted the occupation of their land, the ethnic cleansing of their people, and the erasure of their history and experiences.”

The BLM delegation argued that there is an inherent connection between the oppression of black people in the U.S. and the claimed “oppression” of Palestinians at the hands of Israelis.

“In this violent political climate, it is urgent that we make clear the connection between violence inflicted on Black people globally that is encouraged and permitted by the state and the profiling, harm, and genocide funded by the United States and perpetrated by Zionists vigilantes and the Israeli Defense Forces on Palestinian people. Our collective oppression mandates that we work together across geography, language, and culture to decry and organize an end to capitalistic, imperialist regimes.”

The group further stressed its support for the global anti-Israel boycott movement.

“We commit to global struggle, solidarity, and support of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement to fight for freedom, justice, and equality for Palestinian people and to end international support of the occupation.”

At the Democratic National Convention last week, BLM activists stood next to‪ anti-Israel protesters. Alternative chants of “black lives matter!” and “free Palestine from the river to the sea!” were heard.