Palestinian Transnational Politics: The Evolution of Solidarity and Resistance in the US

Palestine has emerged as a global issue of significance to transnational politics. The experiences and perspectives of Palestinians living in exile in various parts of the world have played a crucial role in shaping the opinions of the communities they interact with. There are other factors that have contributed to the growing relevance of the Palestinian struggle for justice and self-determination. This lecture will focus on the evolution of the US political landscape, examining various processes that led to the noticeable shift in public opinion, which has placed renewed forms of solidarity focused on decolonization, social justice, and equality, changing political dynamics surrounding Palestine in the United States.

Speaker Dr. Karam Dana is the Alyson McGregor Distinguished Professor of Excellence and Transformative Research and the founding director of the American Muslim Research Institute at the University of Washington Bothell. His scholarship explores the evolution of transnational political identities and their impact on civic engagement and political participation, with a focus on Palestinians and American Muslims. As an interdisciplinary social scientist, he examines social contexts related to religion, identity, and politics to describe, explain, and provide answers to persisting theoretical and policy questions. The overarching theme of his scholarly journey is centered on how ethno-, socio-political, and religious identities are formed, evolve, and transform under different socio-economic and political circumstances. He recently finished a book on how Palestine and Palestinians are presented and talked about in the United States, and explain the noticeable solidarity shifts in more recent years (Columbia University Press, 2024).