Op-ed by Tommy Johnson
Anyone in the streets for Palestine knows that there are two types of solidarity activist. The first may chant “From the river to the sea” and talk a big game about “freeing Palestine” but cannot tell you what that means in practice. The second is the anti-imperialist, and he or she can tell you what’s up.
Support for Palestinian resistance means supporting the armed struggle led by Hamas. This is exactly what Marxism teaches. There are two types of war, the unjust and the just war. Lenin taught that war is the continuation of policy, so the trick is to follow the policy. What is the policy of the Hamas and other Palestinian fighters?It is to do just what we are all chanting about! To actually free Palestine from the occupation. What is the policy of Israel? To bring death and hunger to the people of the Middle East and occupation to Palestine in service of the extremely rich imperialist ruling class in the United States. Between these two policies,one doesn’t get to be impartial.
Marxism can answer the questions on Palestine in a way that liberalism cannot. Liberalism is going to worry about “Who started the war” and take the fact that October 7th was a military incursion into enemy territory to pretend that Hamas acted as the instigator of this current war. There’s even some truth to it, and that’s a good thing, but the liberal method is rotten because it does not look at the big question of policy and specifically at a nation’s right to self determination. We don’t care who hit first if they are hitting for freedom. Marxism does not forget history and its connection to politics; if Israel is to be invaded by Palestinians, or if Palestinians are to attack US, European, etc. targets (like the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine did in its prime) then this too would be a good thing. For one thing, it is historically provoked, and for another it’s a continuation of politics by other means: the politics of war for national liberation. That means it is completely justified.
Everyone with eyes to see, ears to hear, a brain to think, and a heart to feel compassion should be moved to denounce Israel. This is very good, but it is not good enough for Marxists. A Marxist has to know the difference between openly proclaiming support for a just war and for the just warriors who fight it, and a lukewarm common liberal denunciation of “violence.” We cannot sit like the liberals do and beg to end the genocide, because genocides and occupations are not ended by human sentiment or peaceful protesters, but by guns, and most importantly by the people who rise up and wield them.
Unjust wars are ended by just wars. National oppression is ended by national liberation. Liberals only support pacifism when it comes to stopping the people from fighting their oppressors. The rest of the time they are silent: when cops shoot down young black men and women on US streets or with the quieter crimes of occupation in Palestine. It is only when the oppressed fight back and their supporters take to the streets that you hear the liberal preachers screech about non-violence. Marxists know better. We can agree to denouncing the crimes of Israel, but a rational person must take this further and defend in solidarity those who are actually fighting these criminals.
