Since the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, the U.S. and European capitalist classes have rallied around Israel. Not only have they done this with military aid and direct military backup, they have done it symbolically and rhetorically, whether with a Presidential visit to the imperialist outpost or with words proclaiming Israel’s right to defend itself even as it slaughters innocent children and whole families.
They’ve also shown it by doing their best to suppress criticism of Israel or even a hint of support for the lives and needs of Palestinians. The French government has banned pro-Palestinian protests; the U.S. Senate has condemned “anti-Israel, pro-Hamas student groups”; pro-Israel groups have doxxed their opponents; big tech companies have “shadowbanned” critics of Israel or supporters of Palestinian rights; and right-wing pundits have worked overtime to convince us all how evil Hamas is and how deserving they are of Israeli violence. The U.S. and European ruling classes clearly are using all their minions and press outlets to suppress the voices of anyone even remotely critical of Israel or supportive of even basic human rights for Palestinians.
But they have not suppressed the world-wide protests against the invasion of Gaza.
As the Israeli war machine shifts into higher gear for more death and destruction, millions are standing up and saying “NO!” From Grand Central Station in New York, where a passionate Jewish Voice for Peace rally shut down rush hour traffic, to cities like Paterson, New Jersey, and Baltimore, to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s hearing at the Capitol, to the San Francisco Bay Area, hundreds of thousands across the U.S. have already voiced their opposition to the genocidal assault on Gaza. And worldwide, millions more have marched to condemn Israel’s brutality. Every region of the world has seen major protests in recent days, and with large protests planned for this coming Saturday, November 4, the momentum seems to be building even further.
While the Israeli state is militarily powerful and backed up by the most powerful military on Earth, the oppressed and exploited around the world are potentially more powerful. We can and must say “NO!” to our capitalist governments that support Israel, and to say “NO!” to the capitalist system that needs imperialist outposts like Israel to police the world.
If we organize and build our power, we can bring to a halt the system that has created Israeli apartheid and ethnic cleansing. The anger is there. Millions are already in motion. Here in the U.S., we must shout, “NOT IN OUR NAME!”
