By COCO SMYTH
On May 3, more than 200 Palestine solidarity activists and organizers gathered together in Columbus, Ohio, for the “No New Bonds” Conference. This Conference, organized by a coalition of many organizations across the state dedicated to Palestinian liberation and opposing Ohio local and state government investment in Israeli bonds, was a big step forward for the movement in Ohio.
Palestine solidarity activism has deep roots in the state, with ongoing organizing for decades in both cities and towns. Since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza, the movement has reached new levels, with millions across the country taking to the streets and organizing in solidarity with Palestine. This same dynamic has played out in Ohio.
In each Ohio city, there have been large demonstrations and protracted organizing against the genocide, for BDS (Boycotts, Divestments, and Sanctions against Israel), against repression of activists, and against Ohio’s funding of Israeli bonds. On the other hand, institutions from government to universities, have hit out hard to stop the advance of Palestine solidarity.
Since the crushing of the encampments and Trump’s unprecedented attacks on free speech rights, including the detention of Palestine activists, the movement has faced serious difficulties. The Ohio Palestine Conference testified to the fact that despite the decreased visibility of organizing, the movement is preparing for future battles.
After months of planning, the event came together and provided space for Ohioans committed to Palestine to learn, discuss, and debate the path forward. The event consisted primarily of panels and speeches with open discussions. Topics included “Fighting Repression,” “What are Israeli Bonds?”, etc.
Themes which bubbled up through the conference included the centrality of organizing, the importance of understanding the material links between the oppression of Palestinians and the institutions that dominate our lives, and the need for ambitious mass action to forward the movement.
Attendees came out of the event enthusiastic about the future of the movement. There are a few reasons this was a significant event:
- It was organized in a democratic fashion with organizations from cities and towns across the state. This was a big advance since the movement, despite high levels of activity, tends to be relatively siloed off between cities. The success of the conference showed that coalition work across the state is possible and desirable. We will need to build out this type of collective organizing and decision-making if we want to put up an effective fight against the genocide. The U.S. government is organizing in support of the genocide from the national level all the way down to local governments; consequently, to effectively fight back, we need our movement to be well-organized in resistance from the local level all the way up.
- It provided a space to share organizing experience and discuss the path forward for the movement. Sharing of experiences is key to generalizing the lessons we’ve learned in the movement. By discussing and debating tactics and strategy, we raise the consciousness of organizers and get a clearer sense of how to fight and win.
- The conference showed that more ambitious organizing is possible. Bringing together hundreds of activists from many organizations through collective organizing is no small feat. The conference has raised organizing sights to bigger things. We have the capacity to organize big events and bring together the movement state-wide, which increases the weight of our organizing.
We need to use the conference as a stepping to stone to bigger and better things. We need to overturn the anti-BDS law, abolish Israeli bonds, and cut off our state’s support for genocide—and the only way to do all of that is through mass action and effective organization. Our task as organizers is to translate the mass sentiment of millions in favor of Palestine into effective action that can force an end to the U.S. bankrolling of Israel’s ethnic-cleansing campaign.
The task before us is great, but events like the Ohio conference show that the movement has the numbers, experience, and dedication to organize seriously and ambitiously. Consolidating the energies that went into the conference behind democratic coalition-building and mass organizing methods will be vital to channel the popular outrage of our communities into a successful struggle for change. It’s time for the Palestine solidarity movement to pool our energies statewide—and nationally.
Photo: Palestine solidarity rally outside the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus in October 2023. (Clare Grant / The Columbus Dispatch)