A planned anti-Hamas uprising fizzled in public, but beneath the surface lies growing frustration with a leadership many blame for years of war, repression, and hardship.
The Palestinian people and their struggle stand before the abyss.
Only a complete political reorientation can restore the initiative needed to break the impasse and avert catastrophe.
……
No one can presume to dictate a course to the Palestinians; only they can determine the objective, strategy and tactics of their own struggle.
But Marxists are neither spectators nor commentators regarding Palestinian struggles. The working class is international and its struggle is one. Socialists take responsibility for seeking to liberate all our class from capitalism and stand in solidarity with all the oppressed. We are not bystanders.
Today, it would be difficult to imagine a greater betrayal of the Palestinians than to remain silent as they are destroyed by Israel and by the bankruptcy of their own leaderships, or to exhort further futile and counterproductive sacrifices.
The catastrophic October 7, 2023 attack and the horrific genocide since have reduced millions of Palestinians to helpless victims on an unprecedented scale, inexorably ground down by the overwhelming military might of the Zionist state, coupled with political disorientation.
Two million are trapped in the absolute hell of daily military attacks by Israel and the ever-worsening inhuman conditions in the Gaza concentration camp, reduced to disorganized individuals and families struggling simply to survive.
In the West Bank, over three million Palestinians live under a brutal military dictatorship and are being progressively dispossessed and driven from their lands at a rate unseen in decades.
It is clear that Israel intends to make life unlivable for the more than five million Palestinians in the occupied territories in order to drive them into exile.
A Second Nakba is underway.
Yet not a single Palestinian organization offers a viable perspective, program, or strategy capable of confronting this historic disaster. All they offer is the repetition of perspectives and strategies that have already failed. They are politically bankrupt.
The most alarming fact is not merely the scale of the catastrophe, but the near-total absence of Palestinian political initiative.
Following the First Intifada—initially propelled by the Palestinian masses themselves rather than any established leadership—and especially since October 7, the Palestinian masses have increasingly ceased to act as an independent political force capable of shaping events. Instead they have been reduced to reacting to the initiatives of others: the Israeli state, the settler movement, the Arab regimes, imperialist powers, international institutions, and their own bankrupt leaderships.
Some might call October 7 an initiative. If so, it has served Israel beyond measure and been a catastrophe for the Palestinians.
In both politics and war, the side that permanently loses the initiative is ultimately defeated. A people cannot liberate themselves if they are unable to influence the course of events and compel their adversaries to respond to their initiatives and actions rather than merely reacting to those of their opponents.
It is not merely a question of what they are against, what they resist, but what they are for, what they seek to achieve. That must begin with the present reality.
If the annihilation of the Palestinians is to be avoided, a complete reorientation is required.
Mere denunciations of the endless cruel crimes of the Israeli regime offer no way forward and have become a futile diversion from developing the necessary new perspective. To continue repeating failed strategies while expecting different results is a recipe for further defeats and catastrophe.
The heroism and valor of the Palestinian people are undeniable. For generations they have sacrificed beyond measure, enduring horrific brutality and slaughter at the hands of the Israeli state, and held their heads high against impossible odds. They have carried the hopes of hundreds of millions for a more just world. If their sacrifices are not to be in vain then a strategy must be developed towards realizing their desire for freedom.
Objectively the real "collaborators" of Israel are Hamas.
Not for nothing has Israel fostered and promoted Hamas as an instrument against the Palestinian people and their freedom struggle.
Everything Hamas has done since the Second Intifada has strengthened Israel and weakened the Palestinians. And now Hamas has given Israel the greatest gift since 1948.
The reason Hamas refuses to disarm is not to "resist" Israel but to resist the Palestinian people and any attempt to open up space for the vitally urgent debate about how to change course.
And so those weapons, useless for fighting the IDF, are used against the Palestinian people, and to serve as pretexts for Israel to kill 1000 Palestinians since the so-called "ceasefire."
That's why Israel is happy to allow Hamas to continue to keep some guns. Those guns serve the interests of Israel not the Palestinians.
The Palestinian people and their struggle stand before the abyss.
Only a complete political reorientation can restore the initiative needed to break the impasse and avert catastrophe.
……
No one can presume to dictate a course to the Palestinians; only they can determine the objective, strategy and tactics of their own struggle.
Today, it would be difficult to imagine a greater betrayal of the Palestinians than to remain silent as they are destroyed by Israel and by the bankruptcy of their own leaderships, or to exhort further futile and counterproductive sacrifices.
The catastrophic October 7, 2023 attack and the horrific genocide since have reduced millions of Palestinians to helpless victims on an unprecedented scale, inexorably ground down by the overwhelming military might of the Zionist state, coupled with political disorientation.
Two million are trapped in the absolute hell of daily military attacks by Israel and the ever-worsening inhuman conditions in the Gaza concentration camp, reduced to disorganized individuals and families struggling simply to survive.
In the West Bank, over three million Palestinians live under a brutal military dictatorship and are being progressively dispossessed and driven from their lands at a rate unseen in decades.
It is clear that Israel intends to make life unlivable for the more than five million Palestinians in the occupied territories in order to drive them into exile.
A Second Nakba is underway.
Yet not a single Palestinian organization offers a viable perspective, program, or strategy capable of confronting this historic disaster. All they offer is the repetition of perspectives and strategies that have already failed. They are politically bankrupt.
The most alarming fact is not merely the scale of the catastrophe, but the near-total absence of Palestinian political initiative.
Following the First Intifada—initially propelled by the Palestinian masses themselves rather than any established leadership—and especially since October 7, the Palestinian masses have increasingly ceased to act as an independent political force capable of shaping events. Instead they have been reduced to reacting to the initiatives of others: the Israeli state, the settler movement, the Arab regimes, imperialist powers, international institutions, and their own bankrupt leaderships.
Some might call October 7 an initiative. If so, it has served Israel beyond measure and been a catastrophe for the Palestinians.
In both politics and war, the side that permanently loses the initiative is ultimately defeated. A people cannot liberate themselves if they are unable to influence the course of events and compel their adversaries to respond to their initiatives and actions rather than merely reacting to those of their opponents.
It is not merely a question of what they are against, what they resist, but what they are for, what they seek to achieve. That must begin with the present reality.
If the annihilation of the Palestinians is to be avoided, a complete reorientation is required.
Mere denunciations of the endless cruel crimes of the Israeli regime offer no way forward and have become a futile diversion from developing the necessary new perspective. To continue repeating failed strategies while expecting different results is a recipe for further defeats and catastrophe.
The heroism and valor of the Palestinian people are undeniable. For generations they have sacrificed beyond measure, enduring horrific brutality and slaughter at the hands of the Israeli state, and held their heads high against impossible odds. They have carried the hopes of hundreds of millions for a more just world. If their sacrifices are not to be in vain then a strategy must be developed towards realizing their desire for freedom.
I think many would accept the deal, but many would absolutely not accept the deal. I don’t know the precise numbers, and there hasn’t been specific polling yet.
I’m glad my fellow Palestinians are waking up!
The Palestinian Impasse
—WHAT IS TO BE DONE?
https://substack.com/@aaronruby/note/p-201924781?r=7jhui4
The Palestinian people and their struggle stand before the abyss.
Only a complete political reorientation can restore the initiative needed to break the impasse and avert catastrophe.
……
No one can presume to dictate a course to the Palestinians; only they can determine the objective, strategy and tactics of their own struggle.
But Marxists are neither spectators nor commentators regarding Palestinian struggles. The working class is international and its struggle is one. Socialists take responsibility for seeking to liberate all our class from capitalism and stand in solidarity with all the oppressed. We are not bystanders.
Today, it would be difficult to imagine a greater betrayal of the Palestinians than to remain silent as they are destroyed by Israel and by the bankruptcy of their own leaderships, or to exhort further futile and counterproductive sacrifices.
The catastrophic October 7, 2023 attack and the horrific genocide since have reduced millions of Palestinians to helpless victims on an unprecedented scale, inexorably ground down by the overwhelming military might of the Zionist state, coupled with political disorientation.
Two million are trapped in the absolute hell of daily military attacks by Israel and the ever-worsening inhuman conditions in the Gaza concentration camp, reduced to disorganized individuals and families struggling simply to survive.
In the West Bank, over three million Palestinians live under a brutal military dictatorship and are being progressively dispossessed and driven from their lands at a rate unseen in decades.
It is clear that Israel intends to make life unlivable for the more than five million Palestinians in the occupied territories in order to drive them into exile.
A Second Nakba is underway.
Yet not a single Palestinian organization offers a viable perspective, program, or strategy capable of confronting this historic disaster. All they offer is the repetition of perspectives and strategies that have already failed. They are politically bankrupt.
The most alarming fact is not merely the scale of the catastrophe, but the near-total absence of Palestinian political initiative.
Following the First Intifada—initially propelled by the Palestinian masses themselves rather than any established leadership—and especially since October 7, the Palestinian masses have increasingly ceased to act as an independent political force capable of shaping events. Instead they have been reduced to reacting to the initiatives of others: the Israeli state, the settler movement, the Arab regimes, imperialist powers, international institutions, and their own bankrupt leaderships.
Some might call October 7 an initiative. If so, it has served Israel beyond measure and been a catastrophe for the Palestinians.
In both politics and war, the side that permanently loses the initiative is ultimately defeated. A people cannot liberate themselves if they are unable to influence the course of events and compel their adversaries to respond to their initiatives and actions rather than merely reacting to those of their opponents.
It is not merely a question of what they are against, what they resist, but what they are for, what they seek to achieve. That must begin with the present reality.
If the annihilation of the Palestinians is to be avoided, a complete reorientation is required.
Mere denunciations of the endless cruel crimes of the Israeli regime offer no way forward and have become a futile diversion from developing the necessary new perspective. To continue repeating failed strategies while expecting different results is a recipe for further defeats and catastrophe.
The heroism and valor of the Palestinian people are undeniable. For generations they have sacrificed beyond measure, enduring horrific brutality and slaughter at the hands of the Israeli state, and held their heads high against impossible odds. They have carried the hopes of hundreds of millions for a more just world. If their sacrifices are not to be in vain then a strategy must be developed towards realizing their desire for freedom.
Objectively the real "collaborators" of Israel are Hamas.
Not for nothing has Israel fostered and promoted Hamas as an instrument against the Palestinian people and their freedom struggle.
Everything Hamas has done since the Second Intifada has strengthened Israel and weakened the Palestinians. And now Hamas has given Israel the greatest gift since 1948.
The reason Hamas refuses to disarm is not to "resist" Israel but to resist the Palestinian people and any attempt to open up space for the vitally urgent debate about how to change course.
And so those weapons, useless for fighting the IDF, are used against the Palestinian people, and to serve as pretexts for Israel to kill 1000 Palestinians since the so-called "ceasefire."
That's why Israel is happy to allow Hamas to continue to keep some guns. Those guns serve the interests of Israel not the Palestinians.
The Palestinian Impasse
—WHAT IS TO BE DONE?
https://substack.com/@aaronruby/note/p-201924781?r=7jhui4
The Palestinian people and their struggle stand before the abyss.
Only a complete political reorientation can restore the initiative needed to break the impasse and avert catastrophe.
……
No one can presume to dictate a course to the Palestinians; only they can determine the objective, strategy and tactics of their own struggle.
Today, it would be difficult to imagine a greater betrayal of the Palestinians than to remain silent as they are destroyed by Israel and by the bankruptcy of their own leaderships, or to exhort further futile and counterproductive sacrifices.
The catastrophic October 7, 2023 attack and the horrific genocide since have reduced millions of Palestinians to helpless victims on an unprecedented scale, inexorably ground down by the overwhelming military might of the Zionist state, coupled with political disorientation.
Two million are trapped in the absolute hell of daily military attacks by Israel and the ever-worsening inhuman conditions in the Gaza concentration camp, reduced to disorganized individuals and families struggling simply to survive.
In the West Bank, over three million Palestinians live under a brutal military dictatorship and are being progressively dispossessed and driven from their lands at a rate unseen in decades.
It is clear that Israel intends to make life unlivable for the more than five million Palestinians in the occupied territories in order to drive them into exile.
A Second Nakba is underway.
Yet not a single Palestinian organization offers a viable perspective, program, or strategy capable of confronting this historic disaster. All they offer is the repetition of perspectives and strategies that have already failed. They are politically bankrupt.
The most alarming fact is not merely the scale of the catastrophe, but the near-total absence of Palestinian political initiative.
Following the First Intifada—initially propelled by the Palestinian masses themselves rather than any established leadership—and especially since October 7, the Palestinian masses have increasingly ceased to act as an independent political force capable of shaping events. Instead they have been reduced to reacting to the initiatives of others: the Israeli state, the settler movement, the Arab regimes, imperialist powers, international institutions, and their own bankrupt leaderships.
Some might call October 7 an initiative. If so, it has served Israel beyond measure and been a catastrophe for the Palestinians.
In both politics and war, the side that permanently loses the initiative is ultimately defeated. A people cannot liberate themselves if they are unable to influence the course of events and compel their adversaries to respond to their initiatives and actions rather than merely reacting to those of their opponents.
It is not merely a question of what they are against, what they resist, but what they are for, what they seek to achieve. That must begin with the present reality.
If the annihilation of the Palestinians is to be avoided, a complete reorientation is required.
Mere denunciations of the endless cruel crimes of the Israeli regime offer no way forward and have become a futile diversion from developing the necessary new perspective. To continue repeating failed strategies while expecting different results is a recipe for further defeats and catastrophe.
The heroism and valor of the Palestinian people are undeniable. For generations they have sacrificed beyond measure, enduring horrific brutality and slaughter at the hands of the Israeli state, and held their heads high against impossible odds. They have carried the hopes of hundreds of millions for a more just world. If their sacrifices are not to be in vain then a strategy must be developed towards realizing their desire for freedom.
(…..)
Honest question: if Gazans were given a free pass to America, how many do you think would take it? Has there been any polling on this?
I think many would accept the deal, but many would absolutely not accept the deal. I don’t know the precise numbers, and there hasn’t been specific polling yet.
You know why I ask. The West needs to accept responsibility for the plight of the Palestinians.
I as a Protestant American can say that. You as a Palestinian could also say that.
It's the only way out.
https://shorturl.at/cwusC