Politico reports:

Pro-Palestinian groups in the U.S. are staring down a new challenge: Donald Trump and Republicans.

The movement has tended to focus its efforts on who controls the White House and Democrats, whom its leaders view as more persuadable to soften support for Israel. But 15 months into the war in the Middle East, as the GOP trifecta prepares to control the White House and Congress, leaders in the movement find themselves with far less leverage — and much more to lose.

“The Palestinian rights movement is very clear eyed in understanding that it is very likely that this Trump administration will mean that things get much worse for Palestinians,” said Beth Miller, the political director for Jewish Voice for Peace Action, a left-wing advocacy organization.

“This administration will likely be coming very quickly to try to take down the Palestinian rights movement,” she added.

Support for Israel is largely bipartisan, but Republicans have led the charge in criticizing the broader pro-Palestinian movement. A Republican-led House panel has sunk three Ivy League presidents over allegations of antisemitism around pro-Palestinian protests on their campuses. And last month, the House passed a bill that jeopardizes the tax-exempt status of any group the Treasury secretary deems a “terrorist supporting organization,” which movement leaders fear will chill pro-Palestinian speech.

“Palestine is, in many ways, the canary in the coal mine,” said Sandra Tamari, the executive director of Adalah Justice Project. “And so our organizations are under more threats, because what all those authoritarian forces would love to do is to shut down any dissent in the country.” [Continue reading…]