Meeting Palestine's Olympic heroes: Hanna Barakat

Hanna is 1 of 5 athletes representing Palestine at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics the occupied country's 7th appearance at the games

Abdullah Omar-August 29, 2021

Five Palestinian athletes overcame many difficulties to represent their country at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics recently. Their struggle to fulfil their dreams, and those of their people, makes them heroes to the Palestinians at home and abroad. In this and later articles, I hope to introduce these heroes to a wider audience.

First up is track and field sprinter Hanna Barakat, the Palestinian record holder for the 100m, 200m and 400m. The Palestinian American was born and raised in Los Angeles, where her family settled after leaving their homeland. Her father Mohammed is a former Olympian and her dream is to win the Olympic gold for Palestine, having opted to represent her ancestral rather than her current home on the international stage.

Hanna played football in her early years, but switched to athletics when she was 15 years old. "I have always loved running," she told me. "In 2010, my elementary school asked every student where they see themselves being in 10 years. My confident response was that I would be in the Olympics for track and field. I was right."

Throughout her athletics career, she has been supported by a team of individuals, primarily her coach, Cedric Hill. "He has stood by me through thick and thin, and my teammates at Brown University always push me." What about her family and friends? "My family has taught me to dream big and my friends catch me when I fall. Moreover, the Palestinian Athletics Federation (PAF) has believed in me."

As a Palestinian living in the diaspora — having been born outside of Palestine — why did she decide to represent Palestine in international competition? This was, she said, her lifelong dream. "I knew that if the opportunity presented itself there would be no question. Growing up in the diaspora, being Palestinian constitutes a variety of realities. For me, I am seeking representation. I deeply respect the Palestinian Olympic runners who have preceded me. Athletics is a powerful way of representation and doing so on the global stage is a dream come true."

READ: The Israeli occupation hindered this Palestinian Olympian's progress, not her determination

Having joined Team Palestine officially a year ago, due to the pandemic Hanna took a gap year from Brown University and trained full-time in southern California. She saw it as an opportunity to pursue her athletics dream, so reached out to the PAF via Instagram.

"The team was excited to learn about my athletic endeavours. In June this year, they invited me to compete in the Arab Athletics Championships in Tunisia, where I had the honour of representing Palestine among 22 other Arab countries."

She did more than represent Palestine; she set new national records for the 100m, 200m and 400m. After that, the PAF officials told her that the Palestinian Olympic Committee had evaluated her performance and selected her to represent Palestine in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. "The games were just 31 days away, so I am grateful to my coach for joining me on this Olympic adventure."

For many Palestinians in the diaspora, Palestine is forbidden territory. They are unable to go home. Like so many others in the same situation, Hanna learned about her ancestral homeland from her family. "Many of the family stories and experiences were heartbreaking," she explained. "I also read about Palestine and was fortunate to go there for a summer visit four years ago."

Being recognised as Palestinian on the world's largest sporting stage and wearing the flag on her running kit was an "indescribable" feeling. "The thousands of messages I received from Palestinians and non-Palestinians around the world are a testament to the pride we all feel to be accepted and supported by the global community."

She is determined that she wants the world to know that she might have been born in the US but she is a "proud Palestinian" from Anabta, Palestine. "Off the track, I am committed to uplifting Palestinian voices and the fight for freedom. I hope to be an inspiration to young Palestinian girls around the world; to let them know that there is a place for them to get involved in sports on the international stage."

Hanna grew up hearing about her father's experience as a member of the 1984 US Olympic hockey team. Nevertheless, this didn't prepare her for the experience of taking part in the Olympics herself. "Of course, Covid-19 affected the reality of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It was drastically different, but still a stimulating environment: new faces, languages and a parade of flags everywhere you looked."

All of the athletes stayed in the Olympic Village because of the pandemic. "This meant that we could see the A-list athletes walking about, which was exciting. It was special to walk around with the name of Palestine on my shirt. The team and I were often approached by friendly faces from South America to Africa to Europe and Asia. Team Palestine was popular in the Village."

READ: This Gaza leisure centre is made of rubbish

The most rewarding part of the experience, she pointed out, was being with the other four Palestinian athletes and realising how special it was to be together. "We embodied different aspects of the Palestinian reality, and it was beautiful to come together in ways that the occupation does not allow." Palestine, Hanna was keen to remind everyone, has been occupied for more than 70 years. "We are seeking our freedom to be an independent state."

Her teammates were Mohamed, a weightlifter from Gaza; Wesam, a judoka from Jerusalem; Dania, a swimmer from Bethlehem; and Yazan, a swimmer from Canada. "Together we were a reflection of the disjointed yet united reality of Palestinians around the world. It was extraordinary to be brought together as one cohesive group with the singular purpose of representing Palestine, a country fighting for its survival."

It is this, she insists, which is the best part about competing. "Many people were surprised to see a sprinter from Palestine in the 100m and I loved showing them that it is possible. I also loved competing against runners from all over the world. It was an honour to run alongside sprinters representing nations that I have not previously competed against, such as Antigua, Indonesia, Malawi and Malta."

Her advice for Palestinian athletes looking to compete in the Olympics is to understand that there is no "one" journey or "right" way to get to there. She did, however, suggest that the development of a support structure is important. "Coaches, family members, teammates, training partners will all help to keep you on the right path, but at the end of the day it is up to the individual and his or her determination."

What does the future hold for Hanna Barakat? Aside from hoping to spend time training in Palestine with the PAF team and encouraging girls to get involved, she sees herself competing in more international arenas. "It would be good to set new national records within the next five years," she concluded. "Beyond that, who knows? When I can no longer compete at the highest levels, I see myself campaigning for justice for the Palestinians and other marginalised communities across the globe."

She is a determined and committed young Palestinian woman. I am convinced that she will succeed in whatever she sets out to do.

 Jan Schakowsky, progressive except for Palestine

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky has been strong on many important progressive issues, but now is being pushed by constituents to do more for Palestinian rights and freedom.

 Chris RihaZUMA Press

Hatem -27 August 2021

On 10 June, the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) mobilized to stage a sit-in protest at the Chicago office of US Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat.

The protesters demanded that Schakowsky co-sponsor HR 2590, the Palestinian Children and Families Act, a bill written and introduced by US Congresswoman Betty McCollum of Minnesota. If passed, the bill would help protect the rights of Palestinian children and their families.

It would prohibit Israel from using US taxpayer dollars to “support the military detention of Palestinian children, the unlawful seizure, appropriation, and destruction of Palestinian property and forcible transfer of civilians in the West Bank, or further annexation of Palestinian land in violation of international law.”

There has not been as promising a piece of legislation conditioning US aid to Israel for many years. Although we recognize that HR 2590 will not lead to the end of settler-colonialism, apartheid and Zionism in Palestine, we support it as a start.

McCollum’s bill has 29 co-sponsors from the US House of Representatives, including a number of progressives, and can be used as a tool for organizing and education.

Since she was not on site, Schakowsky’s staff pressed us to leave the office, but we held our ground and began chanting until she was reached by phone on Capitol Hill. As national chair of USPCN and a constituent of hers who opposes her position on Palestinian rights and freedom, I was tasked to demand that she co-sponsor HR 2590.

We engaged in a seven-minute conversation that was relatively civil until she was pressed to explain why she would “fall all over herself” to equate the violence of the Israeli occupation with Palestinian self-defense, which is what initially prompted the launching of our campaign to challenge her historical support for Israel.

Toothless

When Israel embarked on its 11-day assault on Palestinians in May in which at least 260 Palestinians were killed, including at least 66 children, Schakowsky published a toothless statement calling for an end to the violence from both sides. Tellingly, she asserted (emphasis mine): “We have now seen nearly 500 rockets fired indiscriminately at Israeli cities, sending civilians running for their lives. Israel has legitimately responded with retaliatory strikes in Gaza.”

Calling the Israeli strikes “retaliatory” purposely distorts the timeline and is a clear defense of Israel’s aggression. The unified resistance, which includes all the Palestinian forces across the political and ideological spectrum – from the Islamic parties to the Marxist-Leninists and everyone in between – only significantly ramped up its response after Israeli forces stormed the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, attacking worshipers shortly before Eid al-Fitr and injuring more than 300.

Occupation forces also stepped up their criminal attempts at ethnically cleansing Palestinians living in Jerusalem neighborhoods Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan. These forces provided months of cover and support for intimidating, white supremacist, Israeli settler violence that continued beyond May and into the summer.

In fact, the resistance even gave Israel a deadline for withdrawal from the al-Aqsa mosque compound and Sheikh Jarrah before initiating its defense operations. We insisted to Schakowsky that the Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves from Israeli military attacks on worshipers and Jerusalem residents.

The recent protest in Jan Schakowsky’s office. 

 Kofi Ademola

Her tired, Zionist-talking-point reply? “Do you support Hamas?”

The call ended with Schakowsky failing to sign on to HR 2590, though she did state that she would take “yet another look at it” and talk to other House members. We continued our sit-in, shutting down the district office and insisting that we would not accept business as usual while our people were being ethnically cleansed and killed in Palestine.

The direct action was long overdue, as USPCN and other Palestinian and solidarity forces in Chicago and its suburbs have been asking Schakowsky to prove her progressive bona fides in favor of Palestinian rights for many years. Joining us at the sit-in protest were a number of network members, along with allies from the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Black Lives Matter-Chicago, Organized Communities Against Deportations, GoodKidsMadCity, Students for Justice in Palestine, Freedom Road Socialist Organization and other organizations.

An executive board member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Schakowsky has been a legitimate champion for many issues that we in the Palestinian-American community care about, including criminal justice reform and the rights of women, workers and immigrants. But when it is time to challenge Israel beyond symbolic, Democratic Party-inspired gestures – like boycotting then Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech during Barack Obama’s presidency – she, like many of her colleagues in Congress, slips into a progressive except for Palestine stance.

We reject Schakowsky’s claims of “progressive” status while she supports the settler-colonialist, racist, white supremacist, apartheid policies of the Zionist state of Israel. We will continue to put pressure on her and other progressives across the US, many of whom have for too long received a pass from Palestinians and our supporters.

In addition to the sit-in, USPCN later organized a week of action that included call-in days to both Schakowsky’s Chicago and Washington, DC offices, another protest of her Chicago office (this time, they bolted the lock from the inside and would not allow us entry), and a Lights for Palestine picket at the entrance to the world-famous and super-busy Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Lake Shore Drive.

Schakowsky is not used to this kind of political pressure from the left. She is an elder statesperson in the US House of Representatives and is highly respected in a number of Chicagoland circles in which USPCN organizes.

But our friends and allies understand why we press her, and since our campaign includes the participation of immigrant rights, Black liberation, peace and justice, American Jewish anti-Zionist, student and other forces, she must be on notice.

And she should be concerned. Many Palestinians refer to the resistance that Israel encountered in May as the Unity Uprising.

The Unity Uprising inspired people across the world to stand up for Palestinian rights and against apologists for Israel.

The Palestinian resistance between the river and the sea to Israel’s occupation, colonization and ethnic cleansing helped mobilize tens of thousands of protesters in the US and hundreds of thousands around the world.

Some colleagues of Schakowsky’s in Congress came out forcefully during the uprising. For instance, Congresswoman Cori Bush of Missouri resoundingly condemned Israel from the floor of the House. She, Mark Pocan, Marie Newman and 22 other members sent a letter asking US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to take action against “Israel’s imminent plan to forcibly displace nearly 2,000 Palestinians” from the Jerusalem neighborhoods of Silwan and Sheikh Jarrah. Still others co-sponsored McCollum’s HR 2590.

But not Schakowsky. She still hasn’t co-sponsored McCollum’s bill months later.

Broader organizing

USPCN is a street organization that believes in direct action while working to build a community base in the cities where we have chapters. We helped lead several of the mass mobilizations in the US during the Unity Uprising and have historically challenged Zionists at every turn, supporting Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns by protesting Israeli dance troupes, basketball teams, academics and war criminal representatives of the apartheid state.

But diversity of tactics is also important. Legislative organizing helps project our campaigns to new audiences. Consequently, USPCN is a community-based backer of HR 2590.

We work closely with Defense for Children International-Palestine and the American Friends Service Committee – co-leaders of HR 2590 advocacy – to target not only Schakowsky, but other progressives in Congress across the country. Our Southern California chapter is looking to put pressure on Katie Porter, deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

In the Bay Area, we are part of a coalition that works to hold Congresswoman Barbara Lee accountable on Palestinian rights. And our members in Wisconsin and Michigan will be asking Congresswoman Gwen Moore and have already asked Congresswoman Debbie Dingell to co-sponsor HR 2590 immediately.

The people are demanding an end to US and other imperialist governments’ military, financial and diplomatic support for Israel. They will target those like Schakowsky who claim to be progressive, but are blatantly providing such support to Israel.

Jan Schakowsky’s office was taken over by protesters, angry at her support for Israel. 

 Husam Marajda

When I was growing up, there was a very popular slogan that we chanted at Palestinian rights protests and rallies in the 1980s and 1990s during the grim days of the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the 1987-1993 intifada. In November 1975, just a short time after the Vietnamese defeated US imperialism and liberated their nation, United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379, by a vote of 72 to 35, determined that “Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination.”

Although non-binding, we took the UN resolution to mean that ours was a legitimate anti-colonial, anti-racist struggle like those in Vietnam, Algeria, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Following that vote, we routinely chanted: “Zionism is racism.”

In 1991, the UN revoked the determination, but especially in the years of Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu and the resurgence of white supremacy, the world still sees the struggle in Palestine as one of white settler-colonialism, of racism, of Zionism.

Our campaign, on some level, exposes Schakowsky’s Zionism. It demands that she recognize the racism and white supremacy of the state of Israel and condemn it the way Cori Bush does.

Otherwise, Schakowsky cannot really call herself a progressive or an anti-racist.

As we said directly to Schakowsky during the sit-in: “At the very least, congresswoman, can’t we say that we don’t want [Palestinian] children to be tortured by the Israelis?”

More than two months later, Congresswoman Schakowsky still hasn’t been able to take this minimal step.

Hatem Abudayyeh is co-founder, Chicago chapter member, and national chair of the US Palestinian Community Network.