It Could Happen Here Weekly 222

The episode compiles discussions from the past week, focusing on grassroots organizing amid conflict, fiscal policy battles in New York, military escalation in Iran, and shifts in media ownership. It draws on interviews with activists and analysts to examine how local actions connect to broader systems of power and resistance.

Mutual Aid and Leftist Organizing in Israel/Palestine

Danielle Cantor describes Culture of Solidarity, a mutual aid collective formed in 2020 during COVID-19 food waste redistribution. The group provides culturally appropriate food packs, baby supplies, and holiday support to communities in Area C of the West Bank and Mesophiliata, filling gaps left by official systems. Events at their former community center combined practical aid with workshops on occupation policies, funded entirely through community contributions without salaries or institutional ties. Cantor notes the work requires ongoing unlearning of taught narratives, especially after October 2023, when identity protection and denial of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank intensified divisions. She highlights protective presence programs where Israeli leftists stay in Palestinian homes to deter attacks, leveraging passport privileges while deferring to local families. Collaboration occurs with groups like Breaking the Silence, Gisha, and Rabbis for Human Rights, but Cantor stresses the small s