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December 10th, 2021 
Awake Goy Friendly reminder: US politics are based on a system that profits from and normalizes the Israeli state’s ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I’d like to revisit the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) debacle regarding Congressman Jamaal Bowman that took place recently.
For those who need a quick refresher, on Thursday, November 29th, the DSA Palestine and BDS Solidarity Working Group called for Bowman’s expulsion from the National Political Committee (NPC.) In their statement, the Palestine and BDS Solidarity Working Group explained that Bowman had previously slandered BDS and claimed not to work with pro-BDS organizations (which would include the DSA itself,) failed to commit to Defense for Children International—Palestine’s petition for the #StandWithThe6 campaign, and would make no clear commitments to block funding for Israeli apartheid in the future. Bowman also notoriously voted to increase funding for Israel’s Iron Dome system.
But wait, there’s more.
Bowman took a propaganda trip to Israel sponsored by the pro-colonization “liberal” Zionist group, J Street, on which he posed for a photo with Israel’s murderous Prime Minister, Naftali Bennet. After being sent the Working Group’s concerns with his anti-Palestinian behavior, Bowman again crossed a clear organizational red-line by appearing at a J Street conference to wax nostalgic about the good times seeing apartheid up close.
Such an ally to Palestine.
Honestly, the most bemusing thing in all of this is certainly not Bowman’s actions. He’s a politician and, for all of the fanfare about being an outsider to the system, he’s managing being a professional hypocrite amazingly well.
No, the bizarre aspect in all of this is that there are those who are ostensibly committed to Palestinian freedom and liberation who are going out of their way to say that, somehow, Bowman’s actions are those of a fighter for Palestine, to use a phrase coined by Steven Salaita to describe mediocre politicians people like to paint as far more radical than their actual words or voting records reflect.
I hate to break the news, but by those standards diehard Zionists are pro-Palestine. Hell, Israeli politicians could cross that ridiculously low threshold.
In a move aptly described by Ali Abunimah as a fudge, after laying out a strongly-worded critique of Bowman’s actions, the DSA NPC concluded that Bowman would not be expelled but that the organization “will not re-endorse Bowman unless he is able to demonstrate solidarity with Palestine in alignment with expectations we have set.”
Finally, the NPC, apparently greater experts on the Palestine liberation movement than all of those who sided with the Palestine and BDS Solidarity Working Group in calling for Bowman’s expulsion, claimed that such a move would only give Zionists what they need to fragment the movement even more: “Expelling Bowman would mean handing the perfect tool to the establishment to stoke divisions within the Palestine solidarity movement, the left and the working class, and play into the strategy of divide and conquer. It is exactly what our enemies want.”
Apparently, having political principles means siding with Zionists.
It’s true that we can’t completely ignore Congress in Palestine work, especially given that they keep the money for Israel’s regime of Palestinian death and dehumanization flowing.
But this also can’t mean that we throw any and all semblance of political fortitude away the moment a politician comes along who is able to issue a variation on the sentiment that “Apartheid is maybe not so good, actually.”
Being sycophants to careerist politicians and engaging in pretzel-knotted degrees of mental gymnastics to justify pro-apartheid actions and sentiments is not how to build power.
Building power comes from self-respect. It comes from never selling out our people or cause to appease institutional bureaucrats—especially those who ostensibly came into their positions for the purpose of creating more ethical political protocols.
Expulsion from the NPC would not have been “harsh.” It would even be generous to call it an inconvenience. “Harsh” is the US-funded hell that Palestinians are forced to endure due to ongoing Israeli brutality.
As for the NPC, their decision not to expel makes the prospect of them being able to hold Bowman accountable laughable, given that they’ve essentially surrendered any real leverage that they have for the sake of playing nice with a professional sell-out. But perhaps I shouldn’t speak too soon—maybe they’ll take him off of a mailing list.
Scary.
As for the rest of us who want to fight for Palestinian freedom and liberation, even as we continue to support the intrepid efforts of the Palestine and BDS Working Group, we should take stock of the fact that the highest echelons of the DSA have participated in one of the most time-tested rituals necessary to anyone who prioritizes image and cultural clout over political standards: selling out Palestine.
I didn’t know apartheid was a functional component of “democratic socialism,” but hey, you learn something new every day.
Once again we’re reminded that the liberation of Palestine will never come from professional politicians or their fawning fanbases.
Let’s take note—and carry on.
This article was written in Omar Zahzah’s personal capacity and does not represent an official position of any organization for which he works or is affiliated with.
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