Statement by Workers World Party, published on Workers World, October 8, 2023
The Israeli regime’s murders, seizures of territories, illegal settlements and occupation made a response from the Palestinian people and their liberation organizations as inevitable as it was justifiable. Palestinians have once again, under the most difficult circumstances, provided a heroic example for people longing for liberation from imperialism around the world.
The Zionist regime has been blockading Gaza since 2007, turning the narrow strip into an open air prison for two million Palestinians and a shooting gallery where Israeli planes bomb and kill Palestinian civilians, 200 already this year, including children.
The Netanyahu regime has completely supported the building of settlements on the West Bank, pushing Palestinians out of their homeland. Settlers have increased violence against Palestinians and have repeatedly desecrated the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
The Palestinian movement and people have every right to strike back in whatever way they choose and, to quote the great Malcolm X, “by any means necessary”. The Palestinian organizations know that they face a ruthless enemy and have decided to launch a direct strike on that enemy.
The responsibility of individuals and organizations throughout the world that have expressed solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for liberation is to redouble their efforts under the current circumstances to show that solidarity and spread it.
Those in the rest of the world who want justice in Palestine must become aware of what we must expect. The U.S. and European Union regimes have thrown in their arms and money against the Palestinian Liberation Movement. This is nothing new. It has been true since 1948, if not before.
U.S. President Joe Biden, as could be expected, said the U.S. would back Israel. We can expect that the U.S. and its allies and their corporate media will put obstacles in the way of any expressions of solidarity with Palestine. We must go forward anyway.
While the Benjamin Netanyahu regime directing the Zionist state appears to have been surprised by the boldness and courage of the incursions from Gaza, it will use the looming battles to attempt to stabilize its hold on power regarding the struggle internal to the white supremacist Zionist state. It already has begun striking multiple civilian targets in Gaza, threatening all people living there.
Netanyahu has also been pushing for a U.S.-led war against Iran and may attempt to carry out such a war again — along with allies in the U.S. establishment.
We raise these possibilities simply to prepare the solidarity movement, as much as possible, for what we may face, for what questions we will have to answer.
Long live the struggle of the Palestinian people!
*Featured Image: Palestinians capture Israeli tank, Oct. 7, 2023. ~Creator: Yousef Masoud | Credit: AP. Copyright: Press Trust of India