The Palestine Movement is Entering a New Phase
Newsletter Edition 1: Spring 2026
Over the past few months, New York City, the US, and the world, have seen a noticeable shift in the Palestine solidarity movement. While mass protests remain vital, the movement is no longer relying on demonstrations alone. Instead, it is expanding into a more strategic and sustained approach combining political pressure, institutional disruption, and deep community organizing.
Here is where the movement stands today across four key fronts.
In Palestine Escalating Devastation and State Violence
Conditions in Gaza on the ground remain catastrophic. The ongoing genocide has resulted in over 75,000 Palestinian deaths, with humanitarian agencies warning of famine conditions (IPC Phase 5) already taking hold in parts of Gaza and rapidly spreading. Hundreds of thousands of people, including children, face acute malnutrition, with long-term consequences that will reverberate for generations.
At the same time, the Zionist entity has intensified its system of mass detention. Hundreds of Palestinian children continue to be held without charge or trial under military law, where conviction rates of 99.7%. Reports of abuse, starvation, and medical neglect remain widespread. The death of 17-year-old Walid Khalid Abdullah Ahmad in Israeli custody has become a stark symbol of these conditions, though many fear it is not an isolated case.
Radical Israeli settlers in the West Bank have stepped up violent, unprovoked attacks on Palestinian villages, often with the protection of the Israeli military. Furthermore, the Israeli parliament recently passed a heavily condemned law making the death penalty the default sentence for Palestinians convicted of lethal attacks. Even though the process of summary executions has been documented for years, many Palestinians fear this is an attempt to “legalize” the death penalty as political theater to eliminate leaders still held in detention, like the popular Marwan Al-Barghouti, and Al Adwan Hospital Dr Hisham Abu Safiyah.
Global: A Broadening Anti-War Front
The geopolitical landscape shifted dramatically on February 28, 2026, when the U.S. and Israel launched military strikes on Iran, sparking a wider regional war. In response, the pro-Palestine movement quickly integrated "Hands Off Iran" messaging to combat broader U.S. imperialism.
On the humanitarian front, the Global Sumud Flotilla, a massive civilian-led maritime convoy, set sail again, departing from Barcelona, Spain, on April 12, 2026 to challenge the siege on Gaza. The flotilla's previous mission was intercepted and the arrest of its activists by Israeli forces sparked massive, ongoing protests worldwide. This "2026 Spring Mission" is a renewed, larger effort compared to its September 2025 voyage, aimed at breaking the blockade of Gaza with around 39 to 70 boats, according to various reports.
National: Battling Repression and Pushing Policy
Within the United States, the movement is facing intensified repression. The Trump administration has weaponized ICE to raid cities that have demonstrated for human rights. Federal authorities have increasingly targeted student organizers, activists, and immigrant communities under the guise of national security and immigration enforcement.
High-profile detentions, including activists like Mahmoud Khalil, Rumeysa Ozturk, Mohsen Mahdawi, Maryam Alwan, and Leqaa Kordia, highlight a broader strategy of intimidation aimed at silencing dissent. In response, organizers are adapting by strengthening legal networks, rapid response systems, and coalition-based defense efforts.
Federal immigration operations in Minneapolis have already resulted in multiple fatal shootings, including the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, alongside additional incidents where individuals were shot and injured, including Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis who was shot but survived. These cases have intensified national scrutiny over federal enforcement tactics and accountability.
From Symbolic Pressure to Material Impact
At the same time, policy advocacy continues to expand, with growing calls for divestment, accountability for U.S. military aid, and protections for civil liberties. Where earlier waves focused heavily on university resolutions (many symbolic, often blocked), now campaigns are targeting state and municipal investments in Israeli bonds and direct financial ties to the Israeli government. There are now at least 14 coordinated campaigns nationwide focused specifically on forcing states and institutions to divest from Israeli bonds.
Here is a summary of notable BDS wins.
Corporate Pressure: Major companies have scaled back or cut ties with Israel under sustained boycott pressure. This includes global brands halting expansion, withdrawing investments, or facing measurable financial losses linked to consumer boycotts.
Targeted Campaign Strategy: The movement is increasingly focused on strategic, high-impact targets, including companies like Chevron, HP, AXA, and Intel. identified for their direct role in supporting Israeli state infrastructure and military systems.
Municipal & State Action: Cities and counties across the country. including in Michigan, Ohio, and Maine, have passed divestment measures or frozen investments in Israeli bonds and companies tied to occupation and military activity.
Campus Wins: Student organizing has forced divestment commitments, disclosure of investments, and severed ties with weapons manufacturers and Israeli institutions at multiple universities, particularly following the 2024 encampment wave.
Labor Movement Growth: Major unions representing millions of workers have endorsed divestment, cut investment ties, or called for an end to U.S. military aid to Israel. marking a significant expansion beyond student-led activism.
Faith-Based Divestment: Large religious institutions, including Methodist, Presbyterian, and Unitarian bodies, have divested from Israeli bonds and occupation-linked companies, framing it as a moral and humanitarian obligation.
Cultural & Consumer Boycotts: High-profile artists, organizations, and consumers continue to cancel events, withdraw partnerships, and remove products from shelves, contributing to growing global isolation of Israeli institutions.
Coordinated National Campaigns: Efforts like Boycott Chevron and Mask Off Maersk reflect a growing national infrastructure capable of sustaining long-term economic pressure.
At its core, the BDS movement, which was launched in 2005 by over 170 Palestinian civil society organizations, calls for global pressure to secure freedom, justice, and equality for Palestinians through economic and political accountability.
What we are seeing now is a clear shift:BDS is evolving from scattered consumer boycotts into a coordinated strategy capable of reshaping institutional behavior, corporate decision-making, and public policy in the U.S.
Local (NYC & Staten Island): Institutional Power, Backlash, and Community Roots
The inauguration of Democratic Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani in January brought our movement's demands directly into City Hall. On his first day, Mamdani revoked executive orders that banned city divestment from Israel. However, activists are maintaining heavy pressure on him to enforce the "Not On Our Dime!" (NOOD) Act and crack down on NYC-registered charities funding illegal Israeli settlements. Backlash to our movement's growing institutional power has been fierce: the City Council recently passed veto-proof "buffer zone" bills aimed at restricting protests near places of worship, and on March 7, a far-right extremist attempted to detonate explosive devices during an anti-Islam protest outside Mayor Mamdani's residence at Gracie Mansion.
Staten Island is Never Silent
Here in Staten Island, we are meeting these local and city-wide challenges head-on by deepening our community roots and organizing intersectionally. At the College of Staten Island (CSI), we joined advocacy groups like, What The Thing, and Hands Off NYC recently hosted a major workshop linking Palestine solidarity to immigrant rights, training students on ICE protocols to protect our undocumented neighbors against increasing federal raids. ICE watch training has also increased in frequency as many Staten Islanders spot federal agents crawling throughout the borough.
The global struggle touches our borough directly. A prominent Staten Island Palestinian activist’s home recently received a serious threat, highlighting the intense surveillance and intimidation in our own backyard. Another Staten Island activist actively participated in the international Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza, the second from Staten Island to participate, physically bringing our borough's solidarity to the frontlines of the blockade.
The movement is not shrinking; it is reconfiguring and embedding itself into our everyday lives, civil rights battles, and local infrastructure.
How to Take Action for Palestine
Boycott with intention April 20-27, 2026:
Focus on priority targets like Chevron, HP, AXA, and Intel.
Shift your spending to small and local businesses and encourage others to do the same.
Use Boycatt or No Thanks apps to make informed consumer decisions.
May Day General Strike May 1, 2026:
Join strikes, walkouts, and mass mobilizations
Stand against ICE raids, detention, and political repression
Link our struggles from Staten Island to Palestine
Escalate and Defend our communities:
Contact your city officials, unions, and institutions to block arms and aid to Israel and to pressure the defunding of DHS.
Demand divestment from Israeli bonds and companies complicit in occupation.
Demand the immediate release of Salah Sarsour, a beloved Milwaukee community leader, husband, father, grandfather and lawful permanent resident of more than 30 years, who was abducted by ICE on Monday, March 30, while picking up his mail.
Amplify: Share his story and organize locally using #FreeSalahSarsour
SupportPlea for the Fifth - Independent local journalism on Staten Island.
Plug into rapid response networks, like Staten Island Ice Watch and support those facing repression for speaking out.
Organize:
May 17 at the new Staten Island Urban Center space at 208 Bay Street, 5pm-7pm, to learn more about local efforts to persist the pressure.
Contact us if you would like to Blog for our website.
Sources & Research Note
This newsletter draws on reporting and analysis from independent and international outlets including Al Jazeera, The Electronic Intifada, and The Palestine Chronicle, alongside movement resources from US Campaign for Palestinian Rights and the BDS Movement. Confirmation reporting from other mainstream institutions like Reuters, AP, The Unitied Nations reporting were also used.
These sources collectively document ongoing conditions in Palestine, global solidarity efforts, U.S. policy and repression, and the expanding impact of boycott and divestment campaigns across multiple sectors.
This newsletter was produced with the assistance of AI tools to help synthesize and summarize information from multiple sources. All content has been reviewed and edited to reflect the political analysis and perspective of Staten Island 4 Palestine.
