Conflicts like the one in Palestine bring out both the worst and the best in humanity.
On the one hand, you get to see some of the worst aspects of the human race: the Zionist aggressors and their pitiless bombardment of helpless Palestinian civilians. You see the worst in humanity when the US stands by and encourages this massacre in the name of “security” for the Zionist Entity. You see the worst in humanity when the governments of Europe watch in silent complicity.
And on the other hand, you get to see the best of humanity in the grim resilience of the people of Gaza, and the heroic actions of the resistance fighters.
And you see a beautiful spectacle of revolutionary solidarity from the people of Venezuela and Bolivia, when their elected governments cut off diplomatic ties with the Zionist Apartheid-State: something which the Arab rulers are too shameless to do.
Here is the brave decision by the government of Evo Morales, who expelled the ambassador of the Zionist Entity from Bolivia.
Not to be left behind in anti-imperialist solidarity, Hugo Chavez and Venezuela followed suit.
But then, the people of Greece showed us another example of what revolutionary internationalism is all about.
On 10 January 2009, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine* issued an “Urgent Call to Greek People: Block the Shipment of US Arms to Israel through Greek Ports.” It reported that the U.S. Navy was planning to ship 3,000 tons of ammunition by merchant ship from the Greek port Astakos to the Israeli port Ashdod just north of Gaza in the coming days. The PFLP also released a call for escalating direct action to interfere with, occupy, and shut down Israeli consulates and embassies worldwide.
The left-wing movement in Greece rose marvellously to the occasion. As activists streamed into Astakos, the office of the port authority was occupied by protesters. The Greek Communist Party stated the following:
The Palestinian flag is waving in the port of Astakos since yesterday. Thousands of members and friends of KNE participated in a big demonstration – blockade of the private port of Astakos making it clear to the government of New Democracy and to the opposition parties that support the “EU one-way”, that they will not allow the Greek territory to become a base for imperialists to slaughter the people of Palestine.
The effort was not in vain. The Greek government was forced to stop the shipment of arms to Israel going through Astakos.
The PFLP then released a statement about this:
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine salutes the Greek people for their response to our call and the call of the Palestinian people to block this arms shipment and calls upon all popular and progressive forces in the world to follow this lead and to stop these arms shipments and in all ways possible disrupt and prevent and isolate the occupier, its institutions and its military.
On January 15, 2009, Greek activists held a protest at the port of Astakos, where the shipment was scheduled to take place, demanding an end to any Greek complicity in the US/Israeli war on the Palestinian people of Gaza and expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and cause. The Greek movement has taken this issue to Parliament, to the streets, and everywhere, and won a meaningful victory.
Nothing can save the Zionist murderers and their allies in Washington if the people of the world unite against them.
Filed under: International Politics, Palestine, South America, Struggle, Venezuela, Zionism
