Firstly - Yes, it is a necessary part of the struggle against the genocide to engage in protests, boycotts, ‘awareness raising’ and 'holding accountable’, etc. That being said, however, it does absolutely nothing on its own, and far too many people are being far too proud of themselves for an outsized belief in their action.
These things - peaceful protests, boycotts against brands, letters to senators, literally posting - do nothing whatsoever to impact the pace of the genocide being carried out. They have not slowed the advance of Merkava tanks or the flights of F-35s by even a minute. They are effective if and only if they are carried out in conjunction with and support of actual direct action against the war machine. Work stoppages at ports, blockades of weapons manufacturers, these are the bare minimum of actual opposition to the genocide. Further action, like solidarity strikes in the states providing diplomatic and military support for the occupation, general unrest, etc, are sorely needed - and, ultimately, are the only things to be done not premised on appealing to the good conscience of those committing genocide. Your governments do not care what you think of them, they care if you stop working - and they will only stop sending weapons if you physically stop them.
It feels like 2020 taught a lot of people nothing. Massive protests, unthinkable levels of outrage - even met with apparently cowing of the state, overwhelmed with public opposition to their policies. Ultimately, none of the movement’s goals survived, and the gestures (which is all that were gotten) faded. Roads were renamed and painted back over. Cops still kill people exactly as much. They know exactly how much you oppose it, they always have. Telling them isn’t going to do anything, because it’s not news. They don’t act this way because they’re misguided or have wrong ideas, they do it because it’s profitable and in their material interests. The only way to make them act differently is to make them act differently. Either directly, by blocking their actions, or indirectly, by making the endeavour too costly through strikes and other leveraging of the fact that we, as workers, produce all their wealth. Each dollar going to buy IDF missiles ultimately comes from you. You want to stop it? Organise and strike. Physically block weapons movements. Yes, propagandise, talk about it, but for the love of god, don’t trick yourself into believing that’s the end of it.
The Palestinian resistance isn’t limiting themselves to posting and raising awareness. They know that those committing genocide are plenty aware of what they’re doing. No, the resistance is taking up arms. They would kill the soldiers of your country if they came across them defending the occupation, and they’d be right to do so. The soldiers of your country would kill you for striking. There is only one war, here.
“nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them” Assata Shakur
ALT TEXT: a tweet by the spectator index “JUST IN: US Secretary of State says ‘as long as the United States stands, Israel will not stand alone’.” Then twitter user icedlattewoat quote tweets them saying “may they fall together inshallah”
Never known a home, Never known clean running water, Never known a full stomach, Never known peace.
Thousands are orphans who’ve never felt the love of a mother. Orphans who’ve never felt the love of a father. Instead of board games and Netflix, they work all day trying to keep their family alive. Trying to live while there’s a constant chance of an indiscriminate missile strike. 75 years mankind has failed Gaza, 75 years we’ve watched as they die and suffer. 75 years we’ve witnessed children starve to death or be victims of ruthless air strikes or even die due to the cold.
