"Flipping the Script: Dominican Republic, Palestine, and the Left's Use of 'Oppressed' Pawns"

The Dominican Republic has faced allegations of mistreating and suppressing the rights of Haitians, while Palestinians have long felt oppressed by Israel. However, in the United States, "uptown Dominicans" are now being used as "oppressed" pawns in the left's struggle for power. How did these dynamics flip-flop? Dominican authorities implement policies that are often accused of targeting Haitians, including the denial of citizenship rights and restrictions on their movement. For example, in 2013, the Dominican Supreme Court ruled that children born to undocumented immigrants in the Dominican Republic were not entitled to citizenship, a decision they were accused of. While some argue that the measures taken by the Dominican Republic are necessary for national security, economic stability, or cultural preservation, there is no doubt that they are often accused of being an oppressor of the Haitian people. Meanwhile, Palestinians have long claimed to be oppressed by Israel, who occupy a land Palestine claims as their own. The construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier has been a basis for increased criticism regarding Palestinian movement. While Israel argues that its security measures are necessary to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks, Palestinians view these actions as a form of oppression and a violation of their fundamental rights. The histories of the Dominican Republic and Israel share some similarities in the way they're accused of marginalizing groups. Both have been accused of using security concerns to justify oppressive policies and human rights abuses. How then has the left taken Dominicans, who in other contexts they've accused of being the oppressor, to now saying they are oppressed and stand in solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine? This is a fundamentally communist strategy: create a coalition of the oppressed in order to overthrow those in power (or to retain power). We see this in the "Queers for Palestine" movement - a movement filled with men who the Palestinian government would never accept. Yet, against the traditional, Western powers, they have now become bed-fellows, no pun intended.