ER Stance, Values, & Resources in Historical Palestine

Evergreen Resistance, a WA Chapter of the 50501 Movement

Our Stance

Evergreen Resistance stands with all people fighting for their dignity and human rights against authoritarianism, regardless of their ethnicity or state affiliations, as an injury to one is an injury to all. As such, it is vital that we say 'Not in our name!' to the war crimes and numerous violations of international law that the United States government shields, funds, and provides munitions for. We must educate ourselves on what our country does in our name and speak openly against its atrocities lest the people fighting for their survival believe they are alone.

Evergreen Resistance unequivocally condemns all forms of antisemitism and Islamophobia and remains resolute in supporting the safety, well-being, and rights of our Jewish and Muslim neighbors, along with their right to political speech. All forms of bigotry, violence, and oppression divide our communities while weakening our efforts to achieve a collective safety, justice, and true multi-ethnic, multi-racial democracy here and everywhere.

As we are a movement dedicated to nonviolence and fighting American fascism, Evergreen Resistance supports Palestinian self determination and the Palestinian people's right to exist. Evergreen Resistance strongly opposes all forms of fascism and authoritarianism and will continue to defend all peoples against human rights violations. The fight against fascism is a global one, and until all of us are free, none of us are.

In accordance with global institutions and organizations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the International Criminal Court, and the United Nations, and in line with Jewish led organizations such as Jewish Voice for Peace, Evergreen Resistance recognizes and condemns Israel's ongoing acts of genocide in the occupied territory of Palestine. As Americans, we are complicit in these crimes against humanity due to our federal government's historic and ongoing military, political, and financial support of these genocidal actions in our name.

Silence is inherently divisive. Palestinian Americans are being told that their tax money funding the genocide of their families is a wedge issue. We cannot remain silent. We have the right to criticize political acts by our country and others. Ignoring the pain of our community members communicates to them that they are lesser and unworthy of our support. As we are vocal about violations to our constitutional and human rights at home, we must be vocal about the disastrous impact our government has abroad. Muslim members of our community with Western Asian heritage have been silenced, disappeared, and held political prisoner for their belief in Palestinian self determination and the right of the Palestinian people to exist. These political beliefs and the protests that follow are protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. We cannot silently fund illegal actions around the world nor remain passive about what our country does with our money in our name, especially in light of these manifesting threats to freedom of speech.

As stated above, Evergreen Resistance unequivocally condemns all forms of antisemitism and Islamophobia and remains resolute in supporting the safety, well-being, and rights of our Jewish and Muslim neighbors and community members. Furthermore, Evergreen Resistance refutes the IHRA definition of antisemitism, as it prohibits criticism of Israeli political policy. This definition flattens Jewish heritage and culture as well as makes it more difficult to confront antisemitism within our own communities. The US ignores the rise in Nazism and antisemitic hate crimes, using the IHRA definition to shield ourselves from criticism. Various civil rights organizations like The Southern Poverty Law Center and the Washington State Human Rights Commission have also criticized this definition for the same reasons, stating that "[t]he Jewish community is incredibly diverse and cannot be treated as a monolith", and that "the equation of antisemitism with anti-Zionism, [...] does nothing to make the Jewish community safer, and in fact, distracts from and undermines the ability to confront actual antisemitism where it exists."

Evergreen Resistance strongly opposes all forms of discrimination and will continue to defend all peoples against human rights violations. The fight against fascism is a global one, and until all of us are free, none of us are.

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