A ruthless western genocide, with hidden support from the Arab regimes
Why "Free, Free Palestine" isn't sufficient
06 January 2024
Secretary of State Antony Blinken with
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
We are now into months of genocide in Gaza, with well over 20,000 dead civilians and 1.8 million forcibly displaced. Mass protests are occurring across the world, yet the slaughter continues.
Western governments openly support the genocide, ferrying arms to Israel and threatening war in the Red Sea rather than agree to end the blockade of Gaza. These governments want to criminalise protest. In most countries they are supported by opposition parties, and the media, dampening down protest. Others, such as Ireland, shed the odd tear but remain firmly in the Western camp.
In the Middle East it's different. The main western demonstrations are in the tens or hundreds of thousands. In the Middle East and the Global South the demonstrators number in the millions. There is a great deal of bluster from the Arab regimes to head off popular anger, but the majority either do nothing or actively collaborate with the US and Israel. One of the main objectives of Hamas when it broke out of Gaza was to head off the Abraham Accords, a deal by Trump to normalise relations with Israel and forget about the Palestinians. Opposition comes from an axis of resistance sponsored by Iran.
By far the most dangerous of the collaborators are those closest to Gaza. Egypt lobbied at the UN for a resolution rendered toothless by the US. They then advanced a peace plan that would have met Israeli demands for the removal of the Hamas administration. They allow the Zionists to dictate movement through the Rafah crossing even though they control it.
Standing behind Egypt is Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah, and the Palestinian Authority. Not only has he taken no action in defence of Gaza, he remains silent in the face of murder, beatings, arrest and land seizure in the West Bank. His administration receives funding through Israel, who have recently cut off the money to keep Abbas in check.
There is a big class division. The Arab elites dismiss Palestinian rights. The Palestinian Authority is committed to collaboration with Israel and supplication to the US around an imaginary two state solution.
The solidarity movement can't simply ignore this and shout; "Free, Free Palestine!" A senior UN official Craig Mokhiber, director of human rights, recently resigned, declaring that the only peaceful solution was a single unitary Palestinian state. Why can't we say the same?
Boycott is the main weapon of the movement, but it is applied on an individual level, with the odd campaign aimed at premises. Shouldn't the trade unions organise this? From 1984 until 1987 Dunnes workers went on strike and eventually forced the Irish government to ban South African produce.
Speaking of the government, they are best placed to stop Irish acceptance with the stroke of a pen. Why don't we target them?
What about Shannon? As with so many wars, US weapons pour through the airport to cause carnage. Pressure to expel the Israeli ambassador seems to have faded, but what about other diplomatic steps? Can we not recall our ambassador? South Africa has received some support from Malaysia, Indonesia and Turkey in calling for legal action against genocide. Why does Ireland not also lend its support?
Once we move in this direction we are moving towards an anti-imperialist position. We can link the slaughter in Palestine to the war in Ukraine and the proposals for war with China. It becomes obvious that, by defending Palestine, we are defending ourselves from the threat of global war.