Organize—Gaza must live!

After two years of genocide by Israel in Gaza, a ceasefire finally is in effect. People in Gaza and around the world are celebrating and rejoicing that the nights of bombing and the hunger blockade have finally come to an end. The fascist US President Trump brazenly praises himself as a peacemaker. Yet Israel’s fascist campaign was only possible with the backing of the US. The imperialists of the US and Israel are primarily responsible for over 100,000 deaths, a completely destroyed Gaza, and serious environmental destruction. They were forced to make peace—by the indomitable Palestinian resistance and the worldwide solidarity movement with Gaza, encompassing millions of people.

Internationally, the imperialist countries are preparing for a world war, with the fascist-ruled countries taking the lead. Old imperialists around USA/NATO and new imperialists around BRICS are contending with each other, also in the Middle East. The war in Gaza showed the barbarity that imperialists are willing to unleash. But Gaza also shows that humanity does not want to perish in barbarism!

The imperialists of Israel and the US are isolated and despised worldwide. They wanted to expand their spheres of power and influence. Israel dreamed of incorporating Gaza as part of a Greater Israel. Trump fantasized about a “Middle Eastern Riviera” under US sovereignty. Both have failed spectacularly, for the time being. The world’s strongest military power and the strongest military power in the Middle East were forced to retreat.

The German federal government, together with German monopolies, has incurred particular guilt: until the very end, they aided and abetted genocide and war crimes. They refuse to this day to recognize Palestine. They defamed any solidarity with the Palestinian people as anti-Semitism. This defamation has also failed its purpose! Eighty percent of people in Germany rejected their course. A Palestine solidarity movement developed also in Germany, reaching its peak in the large demonstrations on September 27 with 165,000 participants. The MLPD actively contributed to this.

The ceasefire is a success of the united Palestinian resistance. For decades, the Palestinian movement was divided. To achieve this, much subversion work was done. For example, the Islamist Hamas originally was built up with major assistance from Israel to divide the liberation struggle. The US and EU pushed through the Oslo Accords, with which the PLO leadership (Autonomy Authority) betrayed the goals of the liberation struggle.

The massacres on October 7 were fascist acts of terror directed against the masses and were condemned by the MLPD. Lenin and Mao Zedong also always emphasized that retaliation must not be directed against the masses. Israel exploited the massacres to begin the genocide. But this was not retaliation; rather, the Netanyahu government pushed ahead with its decades-long expulsion and illegal occupation to the point of exterminating the population in Gaza. In response, the Palestinian people rallied together again. Hamas then renounced its fascist aspirations in this situation, and a multitude of organizations—leftist, revolutionary, Christian and Muslim—joined together to form a united front.

The ceasefire in Gaza is a success of the global solidarity movement. Over 20 million people took part in demonstrations, strikes, and blockades. The overwhelming majority of the world’s population stood with the Palestinian masses: furious anger over the barbaric genocide, deep solidarity and compassion for the suffering of the children, women, youth, and workers in Gaza and the West Bank, respect for their unshakable will to live. The largest anti-imperialist movement since the Vietnam solidarity movement has emerged. Millions of people donated, 160 countries recognized Palestine as a state, and international courts condemned the genocide. This must become the principle of all oppressed people around the world: Long live international solidarity! Workers of all countries, unite! Workers and all oppressed, unite!

Organize! The Palestinian people cannot rely on imperialist governments. They need organized structures of international solidarity: Participate in the initiative “Palestine must live”/“Organize for Palestine” at Solidarity International. Young people and children: help the children and young people in the Palestinian territories and join the Gaza Solidarity Working Groups of the Youth League REBELL! Take active part on a regular basis. Make a monthly donation for the reconstruction of Al Awda Hospital. Sign up as a brigadist to rebuild Gaza together with Palestinian workers. The success in Gaza shows: The masses can overcome the worst imperialist enemies. Persevering organization and self-confidence are the trump cards! And: Become a member of the MLPD and the Youth League REBELL to fight for the united socialist states of the world – instead of world war, fascism, and barbarism.

The struggle for the freedom of Palestine must continue! In the long term, this will only be possible in a united socialist Palestine. Here, too, socialism needs new prestige. The greed of Netanyahu, Trump, EU and German imperialists or Arab neo-imperialists has not been appeased. This is shown by Israel’s attacks on seven countries and the ongoing settler and state terror in the West Bank. The haggling over reconstruction is already beginning; every imperialist wants as large a piece of the pie as possible. German imperialism, too, expects to profit from the reconstruction. It is now the task of the solidarity movement to secure the freedom and independence of the Palestinian people. The goal must be a free socialist Palestine in which Palestinians and Israelis live together peacefully. The most important task now is to restore humane democratic living conditions and, to this end, provide solidarity-based, selfless assistance. Help the Palestinian people to live and rise again! In the completely destroyed Gaza Strip, the MLPD supports the ICOR* initiative for the reconstruction of the secular Al Awda hospitals. Everyone can contribute to this: with donations, as a brigade member, or with special professional skills.

Demands and slogans:

• Those responsible for the genocide must be held accountable. Extradition of Netanyahu to the International Criminal Court. Holding of an international people’s tribunal/war crimes tribunal in Gaza City relying on the Palestinian masses.

• The German federal government and German corporations must be held accountable for their participation in war crimes and obliged to pay compensation.

• Israeli and other foreign troops must completely withdraw from Palestine! For Palestinian self-government on a democratic basis. Recognition of the state of Palestine!

• Strengthen the secular, democratic and revolutionary forces, for the prospect of a socialist Palestine—fight imperialism!