NLG-NYC Muslim Defense Project Condemns Israel for Continued Occupation of Gaza

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Contact:
muslimdefense at nlgnyc.org

NLG-NYC Muslim Defense Project Condemns Israel for Continued Occupation of Gaza

NEW YORK (November 24, 2012) – The Muslim Defense Project (MDP) of the New York City Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG-NYC) condemns Israel for its continuing occupation of and its current attacks on Gaza. We furthermore condemn the Obama administration for its seemingly blind obedience to Israel’s cynical, illegal, and ultimately genocidal position towards the Palestinian people.

The current cease-fire does not diminish the destruction and death Israeli forces brought to Gaza nor does it address the root cause of Israeli-Palestinian violence, which is Israel’s 45-year-long colonial project of occupation. The current Israeli terror campaign against Gaza has seen the killing of dozens of children, as well as the targeting of critical infrastructure, media outlets, and the bombing of the al-Nuseirat refugee camp. The atrocities will continue so long as Israel remains committed to an agenda of the occupation and subjugation of the Palestinian people.

As New Yorkers, we have seen the local effects of the ongoing demonization of Palestinians, Arabs, South Asians, and Muslims broadly. We constantly hear from the U.S. government and its corporate media echo chamber that the Muslim “militants” act out of hatred while the occupiers (Israel, NATO, or the U.S.) act in self-defense. This is a false and dangerous narrative that continues to be used as a justification for repression both abroad and at home.

The New York City Police Department has been using this framework as an excuse for rampant spying, infiltration, and entrapment within New York’s Muslim, Arab, and South Asian communities. This has included surveillance of political organizing around the Palestinian cause. It is often during these times of international illegality and aggression that we see an increase in domestic abuses of power. We, as the NLG-NYC MDP, will continue to remain vigilant in our support of targeted people and our opposition to state repression.

The NLG-NYC Muslim Defense Project combats the anti-Muslim rhetoric and policies that have created a comprehensive system of illegal surveillance, predatory prosecutions, and the targeting of entire Muslim communities—in New York City and beyond.

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