TW: murder, violence, genocide, guns and death of children, disabled people, women
I believe it is important as those of us living in the United States to be intentional with how we connect what we learn in our respective courses to what is happening in the world because there is always a link. And in the case of Palestine you do not have to look far to find it. The current genocide in Palestine by Israel is the most important disability justice, reproductive justice, human rights issue for “unruly bodies” of our current moment.
Disability Justice. With the targeting of hospitals, rehabilitation centers, ambulances, medics and other resources for medical and physical assistance by Israeli military bombs represent just one way that disabled people’s lives are directly harmed by this onslaught of violence. Thousands of Gazans have also been permanently disabled as a result of bombings and gunfire while protesting. In fact during the Great March of Return where from March of 2018 to December of 2019 Palestinians gathered and protested at the fenced off Israel-Gaza border for their right to return to the land stolen from them, visibly disabled protesters were intentionally targeted by the IDF. The United Nation’s 2019 report of the massacre during 2018 revealed that of the over 6,000 protesters shot by Israeli snipers, 122 required limb amputations (20 of which were children), 21 became paralyzed, and 9 permanently loss their eyesight. 940 children were shot, 35 were killed, many of whom left with permanent disabilities. This was just in the 8 months of the protest in 2018. Children and disabled people are both protected under international law during instances of armed conflict but instead they were intentionally targeted by Israeli forces and continue to be.
Reproductive Justice. SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective defines reproductive justice as “the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.” Since Israel’s October 13th evacuation order over 1 million Gazans were forced to leave their homes (over 19,000 being pregnant women) and faced death as borders were guarded by IDF soldiers and because of the very limited time given to leave before bombing would begin. Prior to October 7 and the subsequent massacre by Israeli forces, Palestinian women and mothers already lacked access to sexual and reproductive resources from sanitary products to birthing facilities due to travel restrictions. Many hospitals are located where Palestinians cannot travel to without permits which are typically denied. Like the stress and fear caused by the forced evacuation, extreme poverty and food insecurity have resulted in many women experiencing miscarriages. Since the October 7 attack by Hamas resistance forces, over 11,000 Palestinians have been murdered, over 4,000 were children, over 2,000 were women, and thousands are missing. It is impossible to know how many pregnant women have died in the past month. With hospitals and reproductive centers destroyed as a result of the nonstop bombings, hospitals are unable to provide the necessary care and resources for pregnant Palestinian women leaving them with very few safe options for themselves and their unborn children. Reproductive justice cannot exist under occupation.
https://www.sistersong.net/reproductive-justice
Palestinians and the construction of Unruly Bodies. Like in the British/European colonial histories in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and beyond, Israel’s colonial movement required the depiction of Palestinians as barbaric, ignorant, and in need of civilization and modernization. This racist rhetoric was used since Zionism’s beginning in the 19th century solidified in the 1948 Nakba where over half of the Arab population in Palestine were forcefully displaced from their homes first by Zionist militias and then by Israeli armies. Therefore, any Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation renders Palestinians unruly because their self-determination and autonomy are inherently oppositional to Israel’s colonial project. Labeling such resistance as terrorism justifies Israel’s continued genocide of Palestinian people and such imagery and discourse is used in Israeli and western media to promote the occupation.
To connect it back to class, I believe the social model of disability is an important framework for understanding what is currently happening in Palestine. The Israeli occupation physically, socially, and politically disables Palestinian people daily and denies pregnant women the right to deliver their babies safely and humanely. Also, our conversations about neurodivergence are important to note as neurodivergence can result from traumatic experiences. When discussing people who have become disabled as a result of Israeli violence, mental illnesses are also a part of that. Gazans/Palestinians have lived through decades of trauma meaning the siege is also psychological manifesting as depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, and more.
Despite this, disabled people are still showing up to protests demanding the right to return to the land of their ancestors. Palestinian women are still giving birth knowing that there is a possibility of their child not being able to grow up. Palestinians continue to yell that Palestine will be free. Regardless of Israel’s attempts to destroy youth-led resistance movements, generations of Palestinians refuse to let the fight for freedom extinguish. It is important that Palestinian modes of survival are acknowledged and that we learn from the resistance movements of Palestinian people and connect them to the liberation struggles of all oppressed people across the world.
Free Palestine!
Unruly Bodies 
Your post is well written, well backed up, I appreciate the links you left for education and aid. Everyone deserves access to basic human rights and needs and humanity isn’t doing great right now at supporting one another. It is so frustrating to yell into the void, The amount of protests that happen everyday and I am not even sure if we are doing anything. Keep spreading the word and acting ❤
I agree with this comment, the post was very informative and tied well into our content. This genocide is so important to talk about especially in this class, because Israel is using racism and Zionism to kill and harm Palestinian bodies. I am also glad that you mentioned the mental disabilities that come with this nightmare. I have seen so many videos of children with PTSD in Palestine and it is heartbreaking. So many children will grow up with severe trauma from the constant bombing, shooting, and death around them. People have also lost their homes and everything they knew. And when you said “yell into the void,” I really felt that because it is so dystopian how more than half the population supports a ceasefire yet people in power ignore calls, send people to voicemail, monetize posts, and spread misinformation. All the while, we are watching this through our phones in our nice comfy beds or on campus. It really does feel like yelling into a void, especially when government officials say they do not plan on calling for a ceasefire regardless of what the people say. But we must keep yelling and keep showing up because we are watching a GENOCIDE unfold as we speak. There are so many websites that make it easy to call and email your representatives, and I will link one below. I know all of you have at least 5 minutes to spend today thinking and taking action for Palestinians, and I urge you to do so.
https://uscpr.org/take-action/
Thank you for your comment and for providing this link!
Calling this war “an issue” is an understatement. I feel that it was very important for us to talk about this and I’m very glad you made this post. The amount of suffering that the Palestinians are going through right now cannot be ignored, you’re very right when you said it’s very much something that must be noticed across all boards, disability, reproductive, the right to sane and healthy bodies. The resilience the Palestinians have is remarkable, even when they have lost limbs, their families, with no guarantee of mercy or safety; they continue to fight for their freedom and advocate for themselves. We must advocate from them as well, make their voices heard, and make the world aware of Israel’s heinous crimes. We as members of the body of the world must not turn a blind eye to this genocide, we cannot ignore the cries of children and the bloodshed of innocent people. Thank you so much for making this post and providing resources to learn more!
I so appreciate you using this space to shed light on the genocide and ethnic cleansing occurring in Palestine. Your use discussion of these events through the critical lenses of disability and reproductive justice as so important to highlight because they help to emphasize the ways in which modern colonialism and the use of force work not just to impact disabled individuals but actually create impaired bodies. Despite this, impaired and able-bodies alike are disabled under occupation as oppressive forces cut off their ability to navigate their environments and control their own lives. This entire situation is a nefarious, true evil and it is so critical to keep speaking up, raising awareness and understanding that no one is not free, until we all are free.
Heavy on the last sentence!
Free Palestine. People love to forget the origins of the original occupation as well the reason. in the name of religious pretexts many countries like you mentioned has been invaded and their people subjected to horrible acts of violence. the disability of an entire nation being supported by so many around the world including the United States is horrific but not shocking. Americas long history of supporting one side, both sides, the wrong side, the right side (occasionally) reiterates to its citizens that some lives are less important than others. Just like the US, Israel uses the cover of Hamas to indiscriminately bomb its citizens in the name of seeking justice. my home country of Cameroon is currently dealing with an abuse of power by the people in charge resulting in the killing of hundreds of civilians. thier rights are being looked over as if they were nothing. the only way people around the world will be able to provide real aid is if people know the fulls cope of the problem, which i thank you for doing. Free Palestine.
First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude for raising this issue through your platform. I genuinely appreciate your efforts. Moreover, your post has the potential to provide much-needed clarity for individuals who perceive this issue or conflict as complex or merely political, when in reality, it is not. Some may mistakenly believe that supporting Palestine is exclusively tied to being Muslim or Arab, but the truth is, it is a matter of fundamental humanity. I firmly believe that we should all care for each other, irrespective of our ethnicity or religion.
As a Palestinan, thank you thank you thank you for sharing this information on the genocide. The intersectionality you’ve highlighted, connecting disability justice, reproductive justice, and human rights, provides a such an important view of the impact of the conflict on various aspects of people’s lives and ensures that all people that have been traumatized, killed, and suffered through this war are heard, supported, and seen. The information and links you provided. People can be quite ignorant and these links are so helpful to help shed light on the challenges faced by Palestinians and only further ensure that their voices are heard. FREE PALESTINE UNTIL IT IS FUCKING BACKWARDSSSSSSS!!!!!!