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October 8, 2024

On the conflict, a free Palestine, and where our rage can take us.

• Donate directly to those in need in Gaza. You can explore GoFundMes to help families flee, fund eSims so people can stay connected, or give to Anera, a nonprofit providing humanitarian aid in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.

• Write to Congress and demand an arms embargo and an end to military funding to Israel. It’s urgent to keep this conflict top of mind as the election nears.

• Find an upcoming protest or action near you. Know your rights when participating in protests and sharing content on social media.

• Read more about the conflict by downloading these free ebooks, provided by Haymarket Books.

• Follow the following publications to get updates about the conflict and U.S. involvement: In These Times, The Intercept, and Democracy Now.

I decided I was done trying to re-home the Anti-Racism Daily on October 4th. It was a couple hours before a magic show I was hosting in New Orleans, and the sky was ominously dark. A thunderstorm would start just as my performance did, and it felt like the sky, too, had split open in relief.

I had spent the past two years trying to place that publication under new leadership. Our last opportunity, which I had just declined, was murky of its intentions and eager to license my name and likeness as part. Although I had never intended to start a publication with such scale, I was determined to see it through; after all, what other newsletters can raise money for grassroots causes, mobilize its readers, and remain focused on the injustices that we face?

But I was weary. My magic career – stymied by the pandemic – was back in full force, as was my consulting practice and renewed investment in philanthropy. My incredible team deserved a dedicated leader, and I knew I didn’t have the capacity to manage more. So I reached out to partner organizations, hoping we could find a place for the publication and its staff. But none prevailed, so I resorted to leading it for another year, putting the rest on hold, and giving it more time.

And then, on October 7th, Hamas retaliated against Israel. And the next day, hours before I was about to send our weekend newsletter, Israel declared war, thrusting this decades-long conflict back onto the main stage, and bringing its allies – including the U.S. – with it. I hurriedly added some links to the newsletter’s contents, and a short note to the subject line, which usually offered a series of phrases that preview what’s inside: “Israel declares war.”

Some readers, reacting solely to the subject line without delving into the newsletter's contents, interpreted it as a callous disregard for the complexities of the situation. They accused me of ignoring the initial attack and suggesting that Israel had declared war without provocation. These accusations came bundled with vicious personal attacks, reminiscent of the hostility I faced during the racial reckoning of 2020.  This time, it wasn’t wishes for me to be lynched or dragged behind cars, or attacked by dogs, but raped and murdered – or for my children to be raped – often associated with graphic content. Someone reminded me that my address is easily findable online, as if that’s not something I’m painfully aware of already. The implication was clear: by acknowledging Palestinian safety and dignity, I had somehow forfeited my right to my own.

I felt all the things –  heartbreak, fear, weariness – as I do each time my safety is threatened. But this time, above all, I was enraged. To have spent so much time in meetings and presentations, pitch decks and financial spreadsheets, trying to preserve this community for it to rear its ugliest side yet again. This space has always been a labor of love, of duty, and although I know there’s many supportive readers here, it’s hard to feel connected amidst all the hate.

And I found myself up in arms, too, ready to shut it all down and walk away. In my own way, I was ready to cause violence, my finger on the trigger, the publication in the crosshairs, not because it was best for my wellbeing or after a thoughtful analysis of the landscape, but because I was mad and I was hurt and I needed somewhere for the pain of it to go.

Because rage is ready to take it all away. Rage is ready to risk it all. Rage doesn’t care about collateral damage – the loved ones lost, the limbless little girls. the songs that will never be sung, the destruction that will take lifetimes to repair and rebuild, the college students’ dreams dashed, those imprisoned and ostracized for caring – it consumes, burns and destroys. The way we tend to collectively wield rage is worthy of its own horror movie, because goodness it’s scary when we use it to destroy. I’d like to say that it hasn’t changed how I feel about people, but I don’t think that’s true.

Yet rage can be transformative when it’s transmuted, and that’s proven by the togetherness that far more of us have chosen. The rage has driven people to seek out new community, to learn and unlearn, to bring their voices to this movement and recognize its interconnectedness with so many others. It’s forced a new spotlight on the actions of Israel and the complicity of its allies, and prompted accountability for those that only share one narrative. And it helped me to reimagine this space and my relationship to it. Reimagined isn’t a pivot, but a promise I’ve made to myself to remember that everything can change, including my relationship to writing, to advocacy, to community building, and to belonging.

Where will your rage take you? To hostility and divide, or understanding and togetherness? Will you use it to destroy or rebuild? Today, explore the individuals and organizations that are continuing to advocate for the dignity and freedom of the Palestinian people. Continue your support with the fervor that it started a year ago. And remember that your rage is necessary and needed, when directed towards the systems that spark its flame. 

Black-Palestinian solidarity in moments of crisis and beyond. A year into Israel’s war in Gaza, four activists working at the intersection of Black and Palestinian liberation discuss the genocide, the upcoming U.S. election and the power of international solidarity. In These Times >

How campus protests could shape the 2024 elections — and not just the presidency. With hundreds of arrests and more campus standoffs looming, local law enforcement officials could face consequences at the ballot box. The Marshall Project >

How support for Palestine has grown worldwide. ‘International support for Palestine and the Palestinians has increased exponentially since Oct. 7," says Palestinian American writer Ramzy Baroud. AA >

Arrests. Possible deportation. Campus protest suppression hits the fall semester. From legal defense campaigns to silent "study-ins," here's what students are navigating while protesting for Palestine. Teen Vogue >

School curriculum supports the genocide. Here’s how teachers can push back. Resources for educators interested in integrating more Palestinian centered content into their curriculum. In These Times >

How AIPAC shapes unconditional US support for Israel. The pro-Israel lobby works to maintain the US's unconditional, multibillion-dollar support for Israel. Al Jazeera >

How the fight for free Palestine is changing organizing. Arielle Klagsbrun of the Action Center on Race and Economy breaks down how the movement for a free Palestine has adopted and transformed the affinity group model of mass movement organizing. Forge Organizing >

How Israel’s brutal war strategy has remade the Middle East. Israel set out to reestablish military superiority. It succeeded — at catastrophic human cost. Vox >