The Escalating Crackdown on Palestine Solidarity in the United States: From Doxxing to Detention
The digital age has ushered in new forms of activism, but it has also created new vulnerabilities for those who challenge the status quo. The Canary Mission website, a self-described blacklist of pro-Palestinian activists, exemplifies this double-edged sword. By compiling dossiers and selectively edited videos, Canary Mission attempts to paint Palestine solidarity activists as antisemitic and supportive of terrorism, aiming to discredit and silence them. What began as a smear campaign targeting employment and professional opportunities has taken a darker turn in recent years, with these dossiers now serving as potential evidence for arrests and detentions.
The shift towards criminalization of Palestine activism became starkly apparent with the targeting of individuals like Mahmoud Khalil by the Trump administration. Khalil, along with others identified by Canary Mission, found himself facing accusations of supporting Hamas, based largely on distorted information presented on the website. This incident signaled a dangerous escalation: the weaponization of doxxing for state-sanctioned repression. Experts and academics, like Eman Abdelhadi, a University of Chicago professor, warn that this marks a transition from cultural cancellation to outright criminalization, with Canary Mission’s dossiers providing the "evidence" for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to target activists.
The growing reliance on these tactics, Abdelhadi argues, is a sign of Zionism’s waning influence and its inability to win on ideological grounds. The resort to state power, she suggests, is an admission of failure to persuade the public. However, this shift presents a chilling threat to fundamental freedoms. Court documents reveal that the government’s case against Khalil relied on inaccurate tabloid reporting, highlighting the precarious position of activists facing accusations based on manipulated information. Furthermore, proposals like Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s suggestion to use AI to scrape social media for "Hamas sympathizers"raise concerns about the potential for widespread, automated blacklisting based on flimsy or fabricated associations.
The methods employed by Canary Mission raise serious questions about fairness and due process. While the website allows individuals to contest their inclusion, the process is opaque and difficult, and removal is rarely successful. Even when information is technically "open-source," its selective use and deliberate misrepresentation create a distorted narrative. Activists find themselves walking a tightrope, fearful that any public expression of support for Palestine could be twisted and used against them. The chilling effect on free speech is undeniable.
Facing these escalating threats, activists are adopting strategies to protect themselves and their communities. Experts advise setting up online alerts for one’s name, locking down social media profiles, and using data removal services. Crucially, they emphasize the importance of community support and communication, urging individuals to inform friends and family about their concerns and request discretion with personal information. These precautions reflect the growing awareness of the risks involved in speaking out for Palestine.
The crackdown on Palestine solidarity is occurring against a backdrop of increasing economic precarity in the United States. A looming recession and cuts to social safety nets heighten anxieties, making individuals less likely to risk their livelihoods by expressing potentially controversial views. This atmosphere of fear, coupled with the government’s increasingly aggressive tactics, creates a powerful disincentive for public expressions of support for Palestine. Meanwhile, the escalating violence in Gaza, with Israel’s ongoing siege and devastating attacks, receives insufficient attention, partially due to the silencing of journalists and human rights observers. The targeted killing of journalists in Gaza has made it the most dangerous place in the world for members of the press, further hindering accurate reporting on the conflict.
Despite these daunting challenges, activists like Abdelhadi see this moment as a potential turning point. The blatant disregard for fundamental freedoms, she argues, exposes the lengths to which supporters of Israel’s policies will go to silence dissent. This, in turn, can galvanize a broader coalition of allies concerned about the erosion of civil liberties and the urgent need for justice in Palestine. The fight for Palestinian rights is becoming inextricably linked with the defense of fundamental freedoms within the United States, creating a powerful opportunity for a united front against repression and injustice.
