Zachary Foster
Expert Palestinian perspective and analysis

Zachary Foster
American Historian and Palestine Expert
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Zachary Foster is a historian of Palestine with a Ph.D. from Princeton University.
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In this tweet, Zachary said:
- From late 1987-1988, Palestinians in Gaza rose up in a series of non-violent demonstrations, strikes, boycotts & protests. They killed 0 Israelis. They were unarmed. In response, Israel killed 142 Palestinians in Gaza. Source: Jean-Pierre Filiu, Gaza: A History (2014), 206.
- In 2005, Palestinians organized a non-violent movement, Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS). In response, Israel: 1) said the movement's true goal is to destroy Israel. 2) called BDS supporters antisemitic. 3) Punished its founder w/threat of displacement.
- In 2003, unarmed Palestinians in Bil'in organized weekly protests against the separation barrier that was confiscating their land. In 2009, Israel killed Bassem Abu Rahmah w/a shot in the chest; in 2010, it killed Jawaher Abu Rahmah, who died from tear gas inhalation.
- In 2008 & 2009, the residents of Ni'lin, in the West Bank, protested non-violently every week against the expansion of the separation barrier that was confiscating their land. In response, Israel killed Ahmed Moussa on 29 July 2008; Israel killed Yousef Aqel Srour on 5 June 2009.
- Beginning in March 2018, tens of thousands of Gazans marched to the fence, unarmed, demanding the right of return. Israel killed 223 Palestinians & Israeli snipers left 6,106 Palestinians with life-changing wounds. Not a single Israeli experienced any major physical harm.
These incidents represent a tiny fraction of Palestinian non-violent resistance. In the vast majority of cases of Palestinian non-violent resistance, Israel responds w/ lethal & disproportionate violence. And you wonder why a tiny number of Palestinians have turned to violence?