As the Israeli attack on Gaza intensified in July 2014, a large poster made an appearance in front of some hotels in Mumbai that depicted icons of prominent U.S. products and read, “Indian Hoteliers boycott Israeli and U.S. products.” Boycott has a long history and political resonance in India dating back to anti-colonial struggles from the early 20th century and also from the anti-apartheid movement when India boycotted South Africa. This most recent boycott, however, does not have the same tenor or carry the same moral or ethical weight.

In this interview, Walaa Alqaisiya speaks to Mary Thomas on the political dynamics in Gaza, Palestine.

I discuss here the spatiality of migrant labor flows and control that underpin capitalist labor exploitation and led to the riot in Singapore, and conclude with a short reflection on the question of spatial justice in the Asian global city.

As if on cue, the sun powered through the afternoon rainclouds. The camera crew quickly set up their equipment on the narrow footbridge. The community leader they were interviewing – a Rastafarian involved in a variety of disaster management and development activities in Trinityville, Jamaica – directed them to the best angle to capture a particularly hazardous bend in a river. With the perfect perspective set, the interview commenced.

It is day twenty-four of Israel’s latest military assault on Gaza. At the time of this writing, the Palestinian death toll exceeds 1,300 with casualties mounting by the hour. As per the most recent statistics from the United Nations, more than 250,000 residents have been internally displaced, many made refugees again, and much of Gaza’s urban and civilian infrastructure lies in ruins.