Pro-Palestinian activists are targeting a new target.
Online, key members of the movement have argued that progressive voters should show solidarity and refuse to vote for Kamala Harris because of her Zionist views, with some even specifically targeting black Americans as complicit.
But some Black voters are rebelling, and the full effects are cascading across TikTok.
“This is crazy. A black woman becoming president isn’t going to save us,” said TikTok user Rosol, who describes herself as “half Iraqi, half Palestinian” and says she’s “never been to America and never will be.” He spoke through tears. In a video posted earlier this month.
While Rosol was clearly speaking to Americans in general, she made a point of treating black people specially.
“Every fucking race in fucking America has oppressed us,” she continued. “Black people put on uniforms, get on planes, come to our country and kill us, and you vote those same black fuckers into your government who signed papers to kill us. I don’t want to hear it anymore.”
Videos like this one have sparked backlash from some Black content creators.
“They feel entitled to black people’s support no matter what, and they feel entitled to oppress them and tell them who to vote for if they support them. It’s as if they’re saying they don’t need to care about us.” TikTokker Tori Greer said:.
Jortyunofficial Shot back To TikTok’s Rosol.s, she wrote: “Are you blaming black people for what’s going on?… How dare you blame me for that. That rhetoric is bullshit.”
Other black content creators felt betrayed, especially by pro-Palestinian activists who were supposed to be their “allies.”
“This is why black people don’t believe in allyship,” said another black content creator. He said in the videoreplying to a Twitter user Humiliating black women On voting for Kamala: “Because as soon as you do something we don’t like, your anti-Black sentiments come out.”
for example, User Tabitha SpeaksThe rhetoric about Harris was completely fatal to the pro-Palestinian movement: “I’ve had enough of their disrespectful and insulting videos towards Palestinians and people like me… The money that was being taken out of my bank account every month to help Palestinians in Gaza, yes, let’s stop it.”
Harris’ nomination has sparked debate in activist communities about whether a candidate who does not strongly support Palestine is worth voting for.
“I think in some ways Harris has fueled this debate by not being very clear on her position on Israel,” Mazig said. “Her careful avoidance of the issue and her constant vagueness of answers has probably contributed to the attacks from the Palestinian movement against the black community that voted for her.”
Since her nomination, Harris has Condemning destructive pro-Palestinian protests In July, she took over DC. Silencing the protesters He denounced Democrats by saying “I’m speaking” at a rally in Michigan. Anti-Zionist activists tried to disrupt the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Harris criticized the Israeli government for “too many” civilian deaths in Gaza in July this year. She was photographed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from October 7 onwards, pledging her “unwavering commitment to the existence of the State of Israel.”
Her nomination sparked divisions over the issue of Israel. The departure of some pro-Palestinian voters“The Democratic Party has been trying to mobilise Democrats to vote “unbound” in the election to protest against the party’s stance on Israel,” a member of the Unbound National Movement told Reuters.
“This movement has highlighted a clear disconnect between the Democratic Party and key constituencies of its base.” The group’s website states:“Democrats must heed our call and come together to fight racism ahead of the November elections.”
Following her nomination, British Muslim TikTokker @pistachiochaii Defendant Harris She called her a “nominally ethnic” and accused “liberals of weaponizing racism to protect the American empire because they want a nominally ethnic president.” She later apologized after the video sparked public backlash.
“Everyone, vote for whoever you want, but please stop saying Donald Trump is worse than Palestinians. Kamala Harris is 100% to blame. [genocide] ‘Better than Donald Trump’: Pro-Palestinian activist @notyourlawyermd said On TikTok.
Mazigh said the debacle woke up some rank-and-file Palestinian protesters to the ruthless nature of the movement.
“Many black Americans [Kamala Harris] “We represent their concerns and priorities, but I think some are realizing that the pro-Palestinian movement is not the ally they thought it was,” Mazigh said.
“This is an absolutist movement, and they will not accept anything other than total agreement with all of their ideology.”
