Philadelphia-based organizers call the annual Nov. 29 event the “Palestinian Day of Solidarity.” The United Nations refers to it as “The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.”
But if that were its only purpose, it could be held on another day, according to Jason Holtzman, the director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s Jewish Community Relations Council.
Nov. 29, 1947, was the day that the United Nations adopted Resolution 181, or the Partition Plan for Palestine, which called for the partition of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states.
On May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence and was attacked by armies from five different countries.
“It’s the day that the Arabs rejected the creation of a Jewish and Arab state,” Holtzman said of Nov. 29. “Having this solidarity day is actually them continuing to regret the creation and existence of the state of Israel.”
Nonetheless, the City of Philadelphia participated in the event in 2021 and 2022. Mayor Jim Kenney spoke two years ago, and City Representative Sheila Hess spoke last year.
Yet in 2023, due to the war between Israel and Hamas, the city backed away. A statement from Kenney’s office to The Philadelphia Inquirer explained that “prominent participation by the city will distract from the true meaning of this event, which is for Philadelphia’s Palestinian community to have an equal opportunity to celebrate their heritage.”
No one from the city spoke. The rally moved from near City Hall to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, also a city-owned property.
“We are happy that the city didn’t grant the same type of legitimacy as it did before,” Holtzman said. “We’re happy to see that the city is recognizing that Nov. 29 is a political day.”
At the same time, Holtzman understands why the mayor’s office allowed the event to go on.
“I think the city wants to do the best job it can to recognize the Palestinian constituents in Philadelphia,” he said.
Holtzman wants to see the city push the organizers to schedule the event for another day next year.
“Maybe I would go celebrate with them,” he said.
More than 100 people attended the rally. A few police officers hung back near the street. Palestinian flags held up by people and cars flapped in the wind.
(Photo by Jarrad Saffren)
One sign said, “Stop the Dehumanization of Palestinians.” Another read, “Hey Joe! Free Palestine. End Apartheid.” The crowd cheered the usual speeches about perseverance through oppression. Politicians, such as state Sen. Nikil Saval, who represents the Philadelphia-based 1st District, expressed support for members of their communities.
Rabbi Alissa Wise, the deputy director of Jewish Voice for Peace, which has called for a cease-fire in the war, spoke too.
“Judaism is a thousands of years old religious tradition. Zionism is just a 125-year-old political movement,” she said.
“Zionism is a political ideology that taught me growing up that the lesson of the Nazi Holocaust was that Jews are alone in the world, so we need our own state to stay safe,” she continued. “And that was actually a really scary idea.”
“In the past two decades now that I’ve been part of the Palestine solidarity movement, I’ve learned that the opposite is true. Safety comes from being a part of interdependent communities,” she concluded. “And so, I want to thank you all for teaching me and healing me.”
The crowd clapped and cheered.
In addition to the rally, the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Queen Memorial branch hosted a Palestine Solidarity Day painting project. The School District of Philadelphia posted and then took down a webinar for teachers in grades 6-12 called “Contextualizing the Current Conflict and Genocide.” It aimed to “help teachers better understand the colonization of Palestine and the current genocide in Gaza and the West Bank.”
“On Wednesday, the title of a professional development training was posted to the district’s internal portal for employees. The title was not an accurate depiction of the district’s position relating to the Middle East and was immediately removed. The professional development course is not being offered,” said a statement from district spokesperson Christina Clark.
Steve Feldman, the executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the Zionist Organization of America, called the city’s claim that it’s not involved “an utter lie.” He said the city is taking “a position in support of a cause, and that cause is the destruction of Israel.”
At the rally, nobody condemned Hamas or the Oct. 7 attack.
“A day of solidarity means that you are in agreement with their agenda and goals,” Feldman said.