PETROVA | ‘Abolish ICE’ Means Little Without ‘Free Palestine’
Organizing against the Trump administration’s fascistic violence and abuse of an already systemically unjust immigration policy has dominated U.S. left-wing protest energy. Around the country, demonstrations, strikes and legislative campaigns center on expressing solidarity with immigrant communities, mutual aid and combating Immigration and Customs Enforcement terror. At Cornell, the most visible displays of left-wing activism were an ‘Abolish ICE’ rally and disruptions of ICE collaborator recruitment events.
While these actions are a necessary response to the horrific murders and kidnappings that ICE conducts in its fascist reign of terror, it is imperative that we understand how internationally connected this issue is. Specifically, organizing to abolish ICE means fighting for a free Palestine. ICE officers train alongside the Israeli Defense Forces. They weaponize the same AI surveillance technology against U.S. protesters and immigrants that Israel employs to murder Palestinian civilians.
As the central focus of protests shifts from Palestine to ICE, the circumstances of the ongoing genocide have not changed. From Oct. 10 to Feb. 10, Israel violated the terms of the latest ceasefire at least 1,620 times, killing 618 Palestinians and injuring 1,663. Since launching its attacks on Iran, Israel has shut down the Rafah crossing into Gaza from Egypt, the most vital pathway for delivering humanitarian aid.
By understanding the deeply entrenched entanglements between ICE and the Israeli Defense Forces, we can bring Palestine back into the forefront of the conversation. Through this comprehension, our demands become more expansive and evolved, as they include a strong critique of American militarism and imperialism.
The United States has a history of extensive collaboration with Israeli........
