Palestine - Important - Noura Erakat - February 23, 2024
Noura Erakat is a human rights
attorney and an Associate Professor at Rutgers University, New Brunswick in the
Department of Africana Studies and the Program in Criminal Justice. Her
research interests include human rights law, humanitarian law, national
security law, refugee law, social justice, and critical race theory.
Noura is a Co-Founding Editor of Jadaliyya,
an electronic magazine on the Middle East that combines scholarly expertise and
local knowledge.
http://www.nouraerakat.com/bio.html
It may be difficult for someone not familiar with Erakat to
understand, but the words above from her website barely capture the “surface”
of how incredible she is!
Dr.
Ussama Makdisi, a University of California- Berkeley history professor,
interviewed Professor Erakat most ably, and current Cal Law Students produced a
wonderful event for a sadly not large audience today.
You
can easily see for yourself – how I and many others were most appreciative
today at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPYoYGgi2bg
.
Erakat
spoke of her law school days talking of how she wasn’t a good law student. Her views of what a lawyer should be was to grow
not at all in the mainstream working for “a firm” (my words). She’s learned from some incredible mentors
such as: Professor Richard Nuxbaum
https://news.berkeley.edu/2019/02/14/buxbaum-still-going-strong-after-seeing-berkeley-throughyears-of-turmoil now 93 years old who shared a lot with me
after this incredible event,
and
(Professor) Ian-Haney Lopez - https://ianhaneylopez.com/biography
- who unfortunately I missed today.
Noura
believes strongly in so many areas that interest me a lot! She is a passionate leader seeking social
justice. She is a Feminist who
understands deeply how Palestinian and Muslim men in general are often
pathologized because they don’t simply defer to settler-colonialism, racism,
and other oppressions that they frequently face in their daily lives.
Some
phrases Erafat spoke vividly and clearly mesmerized many of us include: “genocide
is about preventing a future”, (re:
feminism) “life affirming practices vs. genocide”, “Palestinians must die so Jews can live” (a
popular false narrative), how – absurd: “calling
for a ceasefire makes you Anti-Semitic”, “Israel is not denying the facts”, “Palestinians
as racialized people are expected to die”, “what do you stand to lose if you do
nothing”, “so disgusted with journalism” (sharing how journalists take
propaganda as being – The Truth, parroting dominant narratives), “How many
students have spoken out? (vs) “How many tenured faculty members have not
spoken out?”
The Proud Father –
photographing – the (in my mind) most Key (Law Student) Planner
Noura
Erakat spoke most clearly of how strategic actions are vitally important. She noted that undocumented residents are in
a very different position than many privileged people, for example – and what
they can and should do is often quite different. She noted that New Zealand, Australia,
Canada, and The United States all continue to not seriously acknowledge their settler
colonialist visions and actions. She
noted how Egypt’s leadership historically, as well as through the present
fixates on things like “getting back” The Sinai, as well as avoiding major
conflict with Israel, rather than supporting The Palestinian People.
Erakat
spoke of how important The Black Panthers and SNCC were in pushing for systemic
change – radical change, while The Urban League and The NAACP sought to bring
Black People into the mainstream of American life.
A
Deep(ly) – Thoughtful Listener – who also thinks Clearly – Rapidly figuring out
How to Clearly Explain so much – to so many of us
Noura Erakat spoke clearly to the law
students (we were in the Law School Auditorium and law students seeking Palestinian
justice sponsored the event), as well as the rest of us. She spoke of how “legalistic” approaches
were often doomed to failure, while also bringing steps forward such as not
stopping the ongoing genocide – while hearing the international judges acknowledge
that genocide is much of the practice (however the courts tend to “lack
jurisdiction”). She believes that The
World Court will Not – order Israel to withdraw – from The West Bank and Gaza –
that such court actions will not occur in a world where The U.S. and Israeli
Governments can readily propagandize and avoid any accountability.
Noura Erakat was
incredibly kind to me – “a nobody” – while we were outside and leaving.
-
There were smiles and humor – along with
deep, deep seriousness - trying to not
be too much immersed in her grief and despair.
She was affirming – wonderful – caring – loving.
She reminded me – indirectly of another Hero
of mine!
My “fellow George” is amazing –
but Rashida Tlaib – is Unbelievable!
My
copy of her noted book will be purchased by me when Marcus Books - https://www.marcusbooks.com/ - gets More
copies of it – the owner will call me. I’m
privileged.
Watch
– the video – of this incredible interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPYoYGgi2bg
I hope that I – as a Jew – can be an ally –
and that I don’t take too much of your space!
You have much, much more – to share!
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