-
Stop the Attack on Gaza – Stand in Solidarity with the Palestinian People
Palestinians, have
been subject to the escalating violence and oppression of
Israel and the United States for decades. The recent
Israeli bombings and threat of ground invasion of Gaza are
just the latest examples of the brutality of the
decades-long occupation of Palestine. While the bloodshed
is carried out by Israel, the blood running through the
streets of Gaza is paid for by the United States
government.The United States government has repeatedly stood up to support, defend and serve as cover for the crimes of the “political Zionism” of Israel, and Israel has been the largest recipient of US military aid since World War II, at an average of $1.8 billion annually. The outcome of this funding is now being rained down upon the heads of Palestinian civilians in the form of a relentless bombing campaign and, possibly, a bloody land invasion.
Since its formation in 1948, Israel has consistently violated nearly every Human Rights convention regarding the rules of war. It is a nuclear power which has refused to sign the United Nation’s Non-Proliferation Treaty and while the US has threatened war and sanctions on Iran primarily because of the “threat” to Israel, no pressure has been placed on Israel to comply. The shocking disproportion of an advanced militarized state armed to the teeth attacking a basically defenseless civilian population is on clear display during this latest incursion into Gaza. Despite this, all of the Human Rights violations that will occur will be endorsed by and given international political cover by the US government under the empty slogan of Israeli “self- defense.”
Despite the recent cease-fire agreement, it is critical that international pressure is placed on the state of Israel in order to support the movement for justice in Palestine. American activists, especially those who espouse the values of democratic socialism, can contribute to this struggle in three ways:
1. In the event of a new round of attacks by Israel, we can build and support emergency actions to protest against the bombing and military aggression by Israel. Building the broadest possible demonstrations internationally can serve to place popular pressure on the Israeli government and to undermine the support being provided by the Obama administration and other mainstream politicians. Solidarity with Palestine should be a call that unites all sectors of the left.
2. Get involved with the movement for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. The BDS movement aims to put some economic teeth into the movement of international solidarity with the Palestinian people. BDS proved to be an effective tool against the South African regime - it was built from the grassroots until it became policy at the level of the state - and can galvanize resistance to apartheid in Israel.
3. Socialists in America should place a particular political focus on demanding an end to all US military funding to Israel. This is the primary contribution Americans can make to the Palestinian liberation struggle. Turning off the spigot of American military funding into the region can be part of the larger struggle to create a world based on international solidarity and peaceful co-existence. We aim to end the “heavy footprint” of the US in the region.
Today we stand in solidarity with the peace movement in Israel, we stand in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for liberation, we stand in solidarity with the Israeli refusniks and we stand with the people of Gaza - in opposition to the violators of human rights, the militarists and the political fear mongers, whether they reside in Israel or the US.
Solidarity with the People of Gaza - Free Palestine
passed by the Socialist Party USA National Action Committee - Nov. 27, 2012