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The People’s Conference for Palestine, held last weekend in Detroit, drew thousands of attendees and a roster of high-profile speakers, including representative Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) — but also sparked backlash for fiery rhetoric after a few openly called for violence against Jews. Critics said parts of the three-day gathering crossed into hate speech during the event that aimed to raise Palestinian voices at a time of mounting international scrutiny of Israel’s war in Gaza.
Tlaib’s speech and calls for resistance
Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American elected to Congress, accused Israel of attempting to erase Palestinians through violence and displacement. “Every genocide enabler, look at this room — we ain’t going anywhere!” she said, declaring, “Now we’re in Congress, and we’re in every corner of the United States.”Some speakers went further. Michigan activist Nidal Jboor told attendees opponents of Palestinian liberation “need to be taken out” and “neutralised.” Michigan-based doctor and activist Nidal Jboor, said, “We all know who they are. They need to be locked up. They need to be taken out. They need to be neutralised,” referring to Jews in Israel, US, Europe and other parts of the world. The program also featured Hussam Shaheen and Omar Assaf, both released in recent prisoner exchanges. Former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal, serving a life sentence for the 1981 murder of a Philadelphia police officer, addressed the gathering via recorded message.
Activists and influencers on stage
Other speakers included longtime activist Linda Sarsour, UC Berkeley lecturer Hatem Bazian, Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil, and left-wing influencer Hasan Piker. “The Palestinian liberation movement is winning,” Khalil declared, while Sarsour led chants of “Free! Free Palestine!”
Jewish leaders push back
The Jewish Federation of Detroit condemned the conference for providing “a platform to speakers advocating for the destruction of Israel.” In a statement, it said, “This conference, which vilifies Zionism, the right to self-determination for the Jewish people, does nothing to advance peace and alarmingly escalates tensions – in Detroit, around the country, and abroad.”
Wider context: Gaza war and global repercussions
The Detroit event comes against the backdrop of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The conflict began with Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack, in which militants stormed southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials.Israel’s military response has devastated Gaza. According to Gaza health authorities, more than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, with large parts of the enclave reduced to rubble. Israel says it is targeting Hamas fighters embedded in civilian areas, while humanitarian groups warn of famine, displacement, and a collapsing health system.Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is considering genocide allegations against Israel, while the International Criminal Court (ICC) has sought arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas leaders on war crimes charges.
