Activism and public relations campaigns in the U.S. on behalf of Palestinian rights have existed since at least the Balfour Declaration in 1917.[8] Arab-American advocates such as Fuad Shatara sought to bring the Palestinian cause to American attention through publications, engagement with the popular press, and the establishment of organizations such as the Palestine Anti-Zionism Society, later renamed the Palestine National League and subsequently the Arab National League.[9][10] In April 1922, two Palestinian Arab advocates testified before the American Congressional Committee on Foreign Affairs in hearings about the Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate.[11][12]
Another wave of major political activism against occupation emerged in the wake of the Six-Day War when Israel conquered the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria.[13] In general, the Israel lobby in the United States is significantly stronger than the Palestine lobby and enjoys bipartisan support on the federal level, especially in the wake of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.[14] As a result, pro-Palestinian organizations have focused more on grassroots organization, influencing elected officials in state and local levels, and cooperating with other social justice organizations.[15] Much of the advocacy has since centered the BDS movement, which was created in 2005.[15] During the 2023 war in Gaza, pro-Palestinian groups have focused on lobbying, organizing, and protesting for a ceasefire and reducing the Gaza blockade.[14]
Critics
Michael Lewis, director of Policy Analysis for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee criticizes a number of anti-occupation groups, contending that their goals are "to drive a wedge between the U.S. government and Israel; to undermine public and government support for Israel in the United States, and (especially since the 1973 war) to bring about a halt in American governmental aid to Israel."[16]
In his book In the Trenches: Selected Speeches and Writings of an American Jewish Activist, David A. Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee says Israel must explain "how the occupation came about" and dismisses as "buzzwords" Palestinians attempts to gain sympathy as an occupied people.[17]
^"FIRST ARAB ENVOY NAMED.; King Hussein Chooses Dr. Shatara as Washington Representative". The New York Times. February 22, 1924. p. 15.
^Cohen, Hillel. “Zionism as a Blessing to the Arabs: History of an Argument.” In The British Mandate in Palestine: A Centenary Volume, 1920–2020, edited by Michael J. Cohen, 157–71. Routledge, 2020.
