Feminism and Palestine
“Black feminism emerged as a theoretical and practical effort demonstrating that race, gender, and class are inseparable in the social worlds we inhabit. At the time of its emergence, black women were frequently asked to choose whether the black movement or the women’s movement was most important. The response was that this was the wrong question. The most appropriate question was how to understand the intersections and interconnections between the two movements. We are still faced with the challenge of understanding the complex ways race, class, gender, sexuality, nation and ability are intertwined – but also how we move beyond these categories to understand the interrelationships if ideas and processes that seem to be separate and unrelated. Insisting on the connections between struggles and racism in the US and struggles against the Israeli repression of Palestinians, in this sense, is a feminist process.”
Black Women Radicals have compiled an extensive reading list on the radical Black feminist political mandate of a long herstory of solidarity with Palestine. This list includes references to letters, speeches and statements of solidarity, poetry, podcasts, articles written by authors from a diversity of backgrounds, books and videos, including the recent Black Feminist Writers and Palestine online event.
The Palestinian Feminist Collective’s All Out for Action Digital Toolkit provides numerous resources on “Palestine is a Feminist Issue” (p. 7).
The Palestinian Feminist Reading List was compiled by Gayatri Sethi and Karla J. Strand, assisted by Susannah Aziz, Susan Muaddi Darraj, and Hannah Moushabeck
We share these lists and resources here in gratitude, with acknowledgement, and in solidarity. Below are some additional readings. Please let us know if you have recommendations to add.
The urgency of anti-imperialist feminism: Lessons from Palestine by Walaa Alqaisiya
Why Palestine is a Feminist Issue by Ali Phipps
Interviews with Radical Palestinian Women by Shoal Collective (ed)
Greater than the Sum of Our Parts: Feminism, Inter/Nationalism, and Palestine by Nadia Elia
Sambac Beneath Unlikely Skies by Heba Hayak
The Stone House by Yara Hawari
Killjoy Truths by Sara Ahmed
Aren’t Palestinians women too? by Sisters Uncut
A truthout conversation between Judith Butler and George Yancy
“The Charge of Antisemitism: Jews, Israel and the Charge of Public Critique” in Precarious Life: The Powers of Mourning and Violence by Judith Butler
Alpert, R. T. (2013). “Jewish Feminist Justice Work: Focus on Israel/Palestine.” Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, 29(2), pp: 164–169.
The Queer Feminist Roots of Palestine’s May Uprising by Walaa Alquisiya
How women in Israel and Palestine are pushing for peace – together by Siobhan Byrne
Some of my best enemies are feminists: on Zionist feminism by Sophie Lewis
In conversation with Ros Petchesky, a feminist, Jewish voice for peace interview by Françoise Girard
ANGELA DAVIS: STANDING WITH PALESTINIANS: Reflecting on the past 60 years by Angela Y. Davis