Episode 033: A Few Radical Jews with Max from Palestine Action

This week Lara and Michael talk to one of Lara's dear friends Max from Palestine Action. Palestine Action is an activist collective engaging in direct action in the UK to shut down the factories of weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems, one of the largest suppliers of weapons to Apartheid Israel. Max guides us through recent actions including one where he chained himself to the gates of the Elbit Systems factory, and others where activists have staked out the factory roofs to halt production for as long as possible. Max explains how Palestine Action's strategy is actually to end up in court so that it can leverage the discovery process to request documents that would expose Elbit's dealings and possible violations of international law and/or UK laws on human rights and weapons trade. Max enlightens us on the difference between jails in the US and the UK.... (spoiler alert: only one of them has a call button for tea and ramen). Max and Michael discuss the lack of any true radical anti-zionist Jewish organizations in the United States and Max bemoans that the only Jewish organization getting arrested in the US is the one group that does not support BDS. We talk about the importance of showing up, not just once, but consistently, in order to build a movement that the representatives in power cannot ignore.

To consult the sources used in the preparation of this episode, please see:

Books/Videos:

1. Palestine Action (website)

2. "Richard Barnard talks Shut Elbit Down movement on Palestine Action founding anniversary" (Youtube)

Articles:

1. "Shut Elbit Down" campaign (Palestine Action)

2. New Orleans city council passes measure pushed by BDS activists (The Intercept)

3. UK taxpayer faces £220m bill over e-borders contract termination [with Raytheon] (The Guardian)

4. A victory for the Raytheon 9 (International Socialist Organization)

5. Israel's worldwide role in repression (International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network)

6. Reclaiming the political dimension of the Palestinian narrative (Al Shabaka)

7. The Jewish Revolt: Can the young activists of IfNotNow change the conversation about Israel and the Palestinians, or will their contradictions hold them back? (New York Magazine)

8. Jewish Voice for Peace's Approach to Zionism

9. Visualizing Israel’s Global Arms Hustling (Washington Report on Middle East Affairs)

10. Activists from Palestine Action remanded in prison as police crackdown continues (Palestine Action)

11. Calls for Israel’s expulsion from ‘blood stained’ UK arms fair (International Middle East Media Center)

12. Up to 1,000 people protest unloading of Israeli ship in Oakland (Bay City News)

13. Justice for Rasmea Odeh (alternatively, there's this link/update: Human rights organizations call for release of Rasmea Odeh (International Middle East Media Center)

14. Israel's economic missions across 13 Midwestern states (Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry)

15. The unjust prosecution of the Holy Land Foundation Five (The Intercept)

16. Who are Israel's other lobbies? (The Jerusalem Post)

17. Ben & Jerry’s will end sales of our ice cream in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Ben & Jerry statement)

18. Chilcot: Tony Blair was not 'straight with the nation' over Iraq war (The Guardian)