English
August 10, 2014A reading in Gaza’s Resilience: Forever in Solidarity with the resistance
Translated article by Omar Said from revsoc.me
Six years ago, the Israeli Foreign minister declared on Egyptian soil the renewal of the Zionist aggression against the Gaza district, which was backed by the then-Egyptian Minster of Foreign affairs, Ahmed Abo-Elgheit.
In the last few days, John Kerry, the US Secretary of State was hosted by the Egyptian president Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi, where he affirmed, again on Egyptian soil, what he called ‘ Israel’s right to exist and defend itself against those who threaten its national security.’
It seems that six years later the general picture has not changed one bit. Gaza still displays a high level of brave resistance, while the forces of aggression continue to display contempt for the Palestinians, including the occupation and its international allies, as well as complicit Arab governments.
The current scene is neither improvised, nor is it based on arbitrary developments of events.
One should not doubt the continuity and consistency in the current scene as it unfolded compared to past ones. It has been reaffirmed by the official Israeli position during the Egyptian initiative. It was reaffirmed by the prime minister of Israel during the council meeting of the Zionist war cabinet when he said: ‘we were forced to undergo a ‘wild’- retaliatory military operation after Hamas’s rejection of the Egyptian initiative’. Netanyahu’s stance, though his intention may be to ‘keep face’, strongly exemplifies what Tel Aviv could do given the role Egypt has played after the success of the counter-revolution headed by the SCAF in attaining rule and power: the preparation of all the appropriate circumstances for facilitating yet again new forms of aggression on Palestinian lands, while simultaneously exonerating the enemy from any accountability.
And since the logic of history refutes repetition, a major aspect of the scene has been noticeably altered since new factors and conditions shaped the current situation. One should initially read the current events through the prism of developments within the Palestinian borders. The year 2012 witnessed dramatic regional changes for Hamas- the resistance movement. Hamas’s ‘big brother’, the Muslim Brotherhood, seized power in Egypt after a heated election against Mubarak’ old regime officials.
Meanwhile, Turkish influence in the area increased at the expense of its strong regional competitor Iran, whereby Ankara staged a confrontation with Tehran on matters related to the Syrian political crisis. Through the mutual agreements conducted by the Muslim Brotherhood with both Turkey and western military powers, a new turn in Hamas’s position emerged. The movement that once rejected the Oslo agreement started to formulate policies that resembled the same line of thought that guided Yasser Arafat’s diplomacy in the late 1980s. It established a security apparatus to prevent the different branches of Palestinian resistance from launching missiles into Israel. These developments have caused severe crises to the system of alliances inside the resistance movement, including alliances with the Islamic Jihad movement as well as the popular front for the liberation of Palestine. Furthermore, all ties that linked Hamas to old regional allies (Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah) were consequently cut off.
During the course of Last year, a 360-degree turn in Hamas’ romantic dream has occurred. The new Iranian leader, Hassan Rouhani has successfully achieved a nuclear agreement with western military powers. Everyone agreed that it was a successful diplomatic achievement by Iran. In the meantime, the Syrian army made a comeback against the resistance movement in major areas that were previously dominated by the opposition.
It was also during the same period that Mohamed Morsi was ousted, and the judiciary of the Egyptian counter-revolution declared Hamas a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, the whole world was suddenly shocked by the criminal and brutal acts of several Syrian and Iraqi opposition groups especially the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria- ISIS.
The shock that Hamas experienced caused the renewal of its old political and military convictions, whereby it declared once again its noble principle of resistance in all of the occupied Palestinian territories. It further underwent complete synchronization with other branches of the resistance movement during the capture of the Zionist soldier Gel’ad Shaleet.
There is another element in this equation that one cannot simply overlook. In 2006, there was a brutal war between the Israel and the Islamic resistance in Lebanon.
For the first time in the history of Arab struggle, a crack in the Zionist norm of war operations ‘ We fight on the land of others, and the everyday life of our people is normally exercised’, was shattered as Hezbollah rained down occupied southern Palestine with short, as well as mid-range missiles. For 33 days, Israeli civilians were refugees in bunkers in Southern Palestine. This situation forced Israel to consider existential questions of strategy of war leading to an overhauling of its military approach to suit the new nature of battles both the Palestinian, as well as Lebanese resistance.
Israel conducted many maneuvers, whereby all the different security, civilian, and military apparatuses took active part in preparation of the continued occupation. Furthermore, they initiated the formation of a new air defense system called ‘The Iron Dome’ for securing all of the occupied Palestinian territories.
In the current war, the news of the resistance movements’ rockets reaching Tel Aviv and its airport and elsewhere in Palestine became a ‘normal’ event. This only highlights the failure of the new Israeli ‘Iron Dome’, despite the enforced siege on the district by the Israeli occupiers as well as the Egyptian government.
Despite the political developments witnessed in the struggle, whether through the increasingly bloody tactics of the enemy, or the treachery of other compliant Arab governments, or on the level of development that the resistance movement had demonstrated, the revolutionary socialist position is still absolutely relevant. Regardless of the resistance movement’s repetitive hesitations and vacillations during the last years, and despite the vast ‘gap’ between their ideological thinking and reality, the current situation on the ground doesn’t leave room, despite our criticisms, for anything else but the unconditional support to any resistance movement that raises weaponry against the face of occupiers.
We have to salute the armed resistance branches of Saraya el Quds, Qasam, Shaheed abo Ali Mustafa, as well as the rest. And in our struggle alongside these groups, we will continue the resistance against Zionism here at home through the economic, cultural, political arenas. We must continue our opposition against those who collaborate, or foment the Zionist cause whether in the region or in the political center of the world.
