Leaflet: Stop Biden’s
Global War Drive - Stop the Slaughter in Palestine
Ceasefire Now – End the
Siege
Belfast Anti War Group
October 2023
The stakes have been raised
The last two weeks has seen Israel’s deranged far right, racist government implement a process of genocidal destruction on the Palestinian people living in Gaza and the West Bank. A siege has stopped water, electricity, fuel and food from entering the area. Bombs are raining down, indiscriminately, killing thousands of innocent people. There seems no end in sight as a ground invasion is being prepared which will undoubtedly kill many thousands more. Beyond that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to extend the war to the wider Middle East, already bombing Syria, attacking Lebanon and calling for a war against Iran.
This didn’t start two weeks ago. This has been going on for 75 years with the establishment of the state of Israel, over the expulsion of the Palestinians from their land. And this madness is being backed up to the hilt by the West, as it has been all along.
Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak have visited Israel committing the US and UK governments to unconditional support for Netanyahu. Labour Leader Kier Starmer has also backed Israel and the EU has thrown its weight behind the slaughter. We are heading into unbelievably dangerous territory.
A drive to a wider war
Biden has called for $100 billion from the US Congress to fund the annihilation of the Palestinians, to continue the proxy war in the Ukraine, to facilitate Taiwan in order to extend the possibility of war with China. Aircraft carriers have been sent to the Persian Gulf. This despite the cost-of-living crisis and the financial difficulties facing ordinary people.
We are heading, potentially, into many regional wars and possibly a global conflagration. Already we have seen rockets fired at US warships from Yemen and there are reports of Chinese warships heading to the region,
Censorship – Attacking freedom of speech and expression
Every attempt is being made to silence dissenting voices. If people support the Palestinians, they are told they support terrorism, or they are anti-Semitic. There have been attempts by the Tories to ban Palestinian flags and chants at demonstrations. In Germany demonstrations have been banned, and in the US, people are being sacked for opposing Israeli actions. Very few Palestinian voices make it to the mainstream media. There must be a fight for freedom to protest and freedom to oppose the drive to war.
The movement against war and genocide
Despite this desperate situation ordinary people have taken to the streets to protest in their hundreds of thousands. From Australia, to Europe, to the US, a massive global anti-war movement has sprung up and is already impacting the political dynamic. This movement spans all ages, ethnicities and most importantly includes many Jews, marching alongside Muslims.
Belfast Anti War Group
The Belfast Anti War Group has opposed the war in the Ukraine and has called for a ceasefire and negotiations. We oppose the siege and the slaughter in Gaza and call for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people. We campaign against war and for the right of working-class people to express their opposition to our government’s policies.