KPFA Pacifica's 75th Anniversary & the Genocide in Gaza

On April 6, 2024, a KPFA Pacifica 75th anniversary was held in Berkeley with Democracy Now host Amy Goodman as the keynote speaker. Following her speech, KPFA Local Station Boad member Lisa Milos called out the KFPA local station board majority who are supporters of a group called "The Protectors” for voting down a resolution opposing the genocide in Gaza.

At the March 16, 2024 KPFA LSB meeting, the KFA LSB majority “Protectors” voted down an emergency resolution on Palestine presented by board member Lisa Milos from Rescue Pacifica. The debate is included on this video document.

At a previous KPFA LSB Board meeting, the board had even refused to entertain a motion on Palestine, accusing Rescue Pacifica members of “posturing”.

That resolution had been passed by Pacifica Fightback a five station alliance of Pacifica members.

This debate about whether KPFA should take a stand on the genocide that has killed over 30,000 Palestinians is a statement about the view of some at KPFA that it should not take sides even on genocide.

Rescue Pacifica and the national grouping Pacifica Fightback have also criticized the right-wing drift of programming and programmers like Ian Masters and Tom Hartman who support US military support for Ukraine and Israel and some programmers including Hartman has said that support for a ceasefire is support for Hamas.

The board had also previously opposed a statement opposing anti-Asian hate and had opposed resolutions calling for the dropping of charges against Julian Assange and even KPFA programmer and journalist Frank Sterling who was attacked and arrested by the Antioch police. KPFA LSB member Sharon Adams at that meeting defended the Antioch police saying that the police were right in arresting KPFA journalist Frank Sterling.

Pacifica was set up by Lew Hill who was a pacifist and against military intervention and for the peaceful resolution of issues. The increasing rightwing pro-war direction of programming on Pacifica is also combined with an attack on WBAI and members and supporters of "The Protectors” have filed a complaint with the FCC to deal with issues at WBAI. This is costing Pacifica tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees and could also be an excuse for the US take-over and shutdown of Pacifica particularly if Tump comes back into office.

Additional Media:

Defend Democracy & Journalists At KPFA & Pacific-Rescue Pacifica Supporters Speak Out
https://youtu.be/I_PXufckOY8

KPFA Journalist Frank Sterling, Elections, Pacifica & The Fight Against The Racist Antioch Police
https://youtu.be/I_PXufckOY8

KPFA & Pacifica Radio Network Struggle For Democracy & Transparency In LSB Elections
https://youtu.be/_-uuWZpFwpU

Ian Masters CIA Operative Protested At KPFA Pacifica In Berkeley
https://youtu.be/DzzoEnzvJPE

Shut Up Or Speak Out! KPFA Press Conference For Democracy & Transparency
https://youtu.be/hbHUrLR9Wy0

The KPFA Local Station Candidate Debates On the Air! Youtube Won't Do & Stop Rigging Elections!
https://youtu.be/95PHBEWymrQ

KPFA Business Maria Negret Report To Staff On Failure to Pay Property Taxes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AhKXQZPFLk&t=322s

KPFA Bylaw Referendum Debate July 2, 2021
https://kpfa.org/archives/2021/7/2/

KPFA Pacifica Local Station Board/Public Discuss On Financial Crisis, Bankruptcy & Governance
https://youtu.be/WsN9lZPQrJs

Rescue Pacifica
https://rescuepacifica.net
Pacifica Fightback
https://pacificafightback.org
Production of Labor Video Project
http://www.labormedia.net

KPFA LSB emergency resolution on Palestine From Rescue Pacifica

Whereas, KPFA LSB opposes the genocidal Israeli attacks on Gaza and the role of the US government in arming and funding Israel to carry them out. More than 30,000 people have been killed, including 12,000 children, almost 500 healthcare workers, 134 journalists, and
more than are 80,000 wounded. 2 million people are expected to die of famine due to the FORCED STARVATION imposed by Israel in not allowing any significant aid to go thru the land borders.

Whereas, KPFA LSB concurs with the ample evidence brought forth by South Africa at the International Court of Justice, of the Israeli governments clear intent to commit genocide and that this is a direct violation of the Genocide Convention and demands that Israel and the US as signatories to this convention abide by the ICJ ruling and stop this genocide. The current bombings, decimation of all infrastructure, forced displacement of Palestinians, and outright denial of water, food, medicine, electricity, fuel, and humanitarian aid being carried out by Israel are genocidal and must stop. All US military aid to Israel must end immediately. That the U.S. has vetoed numerousUN Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefirewhich makes it directly complicit in genocide.

Whereas, This war is not an “Israel/Hamas war” as US mainstream media continues to affirm. It is a war against the Palestinian people and is the outcome of decades of imperialist domination and settler colonialism, funded significantly by the US which has given it political cover at the UN via its UN Security Council veto power to continue its apartheid government, its illegal settlements and its ethnic cleansing and now outright genocide of Palestinians with impunity. US mainstream media has also given an ample platform to the false equation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism, and to the effort to criminalize the non-violent international movement led by Palestinian civil society and tradeunions for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel which demands full equality and civil rights for Palestinians in Israel, an end to the occupation, and the right of return for the millions of Palestinians in refugee camps or imprisoned in Gaza and in the Palestinian diaspora.

Whereas, world-wide, anti-war and anti-imperialist movements in the US, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East are organizing resistance to US militarism and Israeli occupation. This includesmassive protests by young US Jews in unprecedented numbers in solidarity with Palestinian rights and survival, and against the U.S. government’s pro-war stance in Gaza and congressional members with cozy relationships with U.S. weapons industries
Whereas, In the US and the Bay Area, rank and file labor activists have been confronting the bureaucratic forces and undemocratic leadership in organized labor and instead voting for ceasefire statements and organizing in solidarity with Palestine and with their counterparts in Palestine.

Whereas, the role of independent media in this ongoing and appalling genocide is crucial in establishing the real extent of US complicity in the establishment of the Apartheid state of Israel such as the funding by the American Federation of Labor since the 1920s of the supremacist Histadrut trade association in Israel that displaces Palestinians from both land and labor. The role of US labor bureaucracy as the arm of US foreign policyhas been well documented as it relates to US intervention in Chile and other countries but its role in Palestine continues to be hidden from our listeners and US voters. Although, more journalists have been killed in Gaza in 6 months than during the entire Vietnam war, US media organizations have continued to keep silent, imposing a false “neutrality” standard which should not stand where a genocide is concerned.

Therefore, be in resolved that:
The KPFA LSB expresses its commitment to peace and justice to demand an end to the illegal blockade by Israel, and for the implementation of full-fledged emergency humanitarian aid be allowed thru the borders to prevent a major famine of the 2 million people in Gaza and to prevent a new Nakba. The KPFA LSB supports the current upsurge in activism in solidarity with Palestine and supporting nationwide coverage live in the US, Europe and the Arab and Muslim world, to break the information blockade on truthful news and analysis in this country, and

Be it further resolved that:
We call on Pacifica to schedule rapidly a 24-hour emergency national teach-in against this genocide, with participation and direction from Palestinian and Jewish voices against genocide, occupation and apartheid, and programmers who have been covering these issues at all five stations, with voices of activists and academics on the history and roots of the current crisis.

Be it further resolved that:
We also call on Pacifica stations and affiliates to air a daily report based on material from Electronic Intifada, (https://electronicintifada.net/) which features uncensored reports from on the ground, as an essential counter to the lies and distortions heard on corporate-dominated commercial and public media that fall in line with US government and other propaganda efforts justifying billions in weapons and war crimes.

Be if further resolved that:
We speak to and counteract the false equation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism, and to the effort to criminalize the non-violent international movement led by Palestinian civil society for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel, and

Be it further resolved that:
We support the demands for full equality and civil rights for Palestinians in Israel, an end to the occupation, and the right of return for the millions of Palestinians in refugee camps or imprisoned in Gaza and in the Palestinian diaspora, and

Finally be it further resolved that:
We demand an end to US aid to Israel, we support the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement against the Apartheid government of Isreal and we call on the AFL-CIO to break its ties with Histradut and all universities and pension plans to divest from Israeli bonds.