Miko Peled is an author, writer, speaker, and human rights activist living in the United States. He is considered by many to be one of the clearest voices calling for justice in Palestine, support of the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), and the creation of a single democracy with equal rights in all of historic Palestine. Educated in Jerusalem, Japan, and the United States, Peled is the author of “The General’s Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine.”
Peled is a frequent contributor to international media outlets and produces The Miko Peled Podcast. He travels regularly to Palestine to work with popular resistance movements. His activism is dedicated to tearing down the separation wall and transforming the Israeli apartheid system into a democratic state with equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians.
In a recent exclusive video interview with the Organization for Defending Victims of Violence (ODVV), Miko Peled addressed critical questions regarding the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the strategic role of Iran, and the weaponization of sanctions by the US.
Below is the transcript of the interview:
ODVV: Given your unique background and your journey toward becoming a vocal defender of justice, how do you assess the Islamic Republic of Iran’s principled support for the Palestinian Resistance as a vital counter-weight to Western complicity?
Miko Peled: Clearly, Palestinians are doing everything they possibly can to resist the occupation of their land and to liberate themselves. But within Palestine, Palestinians exist like prisoners in a maximum-security prison. The things that they can do are limited. And without international support, it is doubtful that they can be successful. We have had many examples of Palestinian attempts to liberate themselves, and because of a lack of international support, the success was limited at best. Usually, the response to these attempts has been a vicious and cruel response by the apartheid state.
So, Iran’s support is crucial, of course, being a large and important country. One would hope that other countries would follow suit to counter the complicity of the West, to counter the complicity of the imperialist powers who are supporting the genocide of the Palestinian people and supporting the apartheid regime in Palestine.
ODVV: Given the ongoing genocide in Gaza, do you believe that international legal bodies like the ICJ can truly achieve justice, or is the “Resistance” the only practical deterrent against Zionist expansionism?
Miko Peled: Like I said before, Palestinians exist within a very confined and oppressive space. Palestinians are not free in Palestine anywhere. So the ICJ, of course, is helpful, the ICC is helpful, but they have no means to enforce their decisions. Without the support—or rather, with the complicity—of the Western powers and many other countries, justice is difficult. To be honest, not only the Western powers are supporting the apartheid state. Without full support, without putting in place severe sanctions, boycotting, and divesting, it is doubtful that Palestine can be liberated.
ODVV: From your perspective, how does the US use unilateral sanctions as a tool of political blackmail against nations like Iran that refuse to compromise on their support for the liberation of Palestine and regional sovereignty?
Miko Peled: The US, in many cases, is working for the Zionist state. And so obviously, they place sanctions on countries that support Palestine, that support the liberation of Palestine, and on countries that they wish to sanction for their own reasons.
But there is no question that sanctions against Iran, sanctions against Cuba, sanctions against Venezuela, and so many others are the direct result of the support for Palestine. It is a threat and a warning to other countries that if they do support the cause of liberation in Palestine, then they will be met with the same measures. And of course, that is a scary, very dangerous prospect for these countries.
ODVV: How do you interpret the “Human Rights” narratives promoted by the West, which condemn independent nations while providing diplomatic and military cover for the annihilation of Gaza?
Miko Peled: Well, this is characteristic of the United States and the Western powers: their duplicity, their hypocrisy. They talk about human rights only in contexts that suit them. And so that is why we see this very discriminant use of that narrative.
ODVV: You have often spoken about the “end of Zionism.” What role should independent NGOs in the Global South play in preparing the international community for a post-Zionist West Asia?
Miko Peled: It is clear that the most destabilizing factor in Western Asia and North Africa has been the Zionist state. It has brought about violence, human suffering, and millions of refugees in Palestine and Lebanon. So, the quicker the international community acts, the quicker we can return to a peaceful Palestine and end the suffering.
I think the Global South—although it is not primarily their responsibility, as all citizens of the world need to act to liberate Palestine—but certainly, the Global South, by ending its cooperation with the apartheid state, can make a very serious and important difference.
ODVV: How can human rights advocates build a unified front to challenge the “Zionist Lobby’s” influence over international institutions and mainstream media?
Miko Peled: It is a question of mobilizing. It is a question of pressuring local governments. People around the world need to pressure their governments to cut all trade, all diplomatic relations, and cultural relations with the apartheid state to bring it to its knees. Nothing short of that is going to work.
And when we talk about the media, the consumers of the media need to demand that the media show and present the reality in Palestine in a way that is clearly honest and not the way they do it now, where Palestinians “die of no reason” as opposed to being murdered and massacred by Israel. There are some media outlets that are changing. There is a change in the atmosphere, even in the United States political arena. But clearly, it is not enough. When people push harder, governments will act, and the media will act. But it is up to people of conscience around the world to act. Change won’t come from the top. It is going to come from the ground up.
