The Hamas-led offensive and the need to support the Palestinian movement
by the International Work Team of Liberation Road
It was just a matter of time, though no one expected the precise result. The offensive of October 7th was akin to a massive prison break. After years of being squeezed into the largest open-air prison on the planet, and after repeated provocations by the Israeli regime and their West Bank settler terrorist army, there was the inevitable explosion. This one, however, was extremely well-planned and momentous.
No one can predict the final outcome of this immediate conflagration, but it is already clear that the Netanyahu regime is responding with genocidal force, seeing an opportunity to unite Israel and others behind another war of annihilation against the Palestinians. “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed," said the Israeli Defense Minister. "We are fighting human animals, and we act accordingly.” We expect Netanyahu will use this moment to flatten all internal dissent, widen semi-fascist repression and consolidate the authoritarian turn of the Israeli regime.
Palestinians, once again, are being blamed by the Western establishment for lacking the patience to accept slow moving ethnic cleansing and elimination. Palestinians are being blamed for failing to accept the assassination of their leaders and activists, long-term imprisonment, and removal from their land. And when they fight back, they are being told they are the criminals. Enough!
One does not have to support Hamas nor agree with their military decisions in order to understand and support the right of Palestinians to resist, to fight back. We say to the Israeli government and their partners among Arab collaborationist regimes, a simple fact: There shall be no peace in the Middle East until and unless there is justice for the Palestinians. In this sense, this Palestinian offensive is a message to the entirety of the Arab world: Do not assume that you can arrive at a safe peace with the Israeli settler regime while we are being forced into nonexistence. It won’t happen.
The sides are clear. Either one stands on the side of ethnic cleansing, or one stands on the side of resistance. We stand with the resistance.
We encourage all on the Left to support the Palestinian movement at this crucial time. Build the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement; support those fighting on behalf of Palestinian political prisoners; support those in the Palestinian Diaspora who are trying to awaken the world.
We immediately recommend that you follow and engage with the work of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, a broad-based, non-sectarian coalition that has been carrying the torch in support of Palestinian freedom for decades.
No massive US military and political aid to the Netanyahu regime for a genocidal assault. Enough!
Find a protest near you, and then email your members of Congress to demand they #StopArmingIsrael.
- the International Work Team of Liberation Road