By IWU-FI Press
5 February 2024
The genocide against the Palestinian people continues, almost four months after the incursion and attacks.
At the time of writing this statement, the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza by the Zionist army was more than 27,000, including 12,000 children and more than 8,000 women. 7,000 missing under the rubble, 70 per cent of whom are children and women. In the West Bank and Jerusalem, the Zionist army has killed more than 380 Palestinians and wounded some 4,200.
But it seems that indiscriminate bombardment of the Palestinian population in Gaza is not enough for Zionism, now it has been alleged that employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) took part in the resistance attack on Israel on 7 October, which led to the suspension of aid to that organisation by the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Finland.
UNRWA provides humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, who primarily depend on it for their survival, but Israel, the United States, and European countries are carrying out an outrageous retaliation against the Palestinian people, disregarding this fact. They don’t consider the brutal siege imposed on the enclave of Gaza enough. Therefore, from the International Workers’ Unity-Fourth International (IWU-FI) we repudiate this criminal action and demand the immediate restoration of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Mobilisations continue around the world in support of Palestine
But beyond the criminal bombardments in Gaza against civilians, journalists, doctors, officials of humanitarian organisations, hospitals, schools, churches, mosques, and universities, the worldwide repudiation of the crimes being committed by the Zionist entity against the Palestinians is growing. Thousands are mobilising all over the world in support of the Palestinian people and rejecting the criminal Zionist aggression. Football stadiums, basketball stadiums, concerts, and other public events are the scene of pro-Palestinian protests and demonstrations.
The international media can no longer deceive with the false narrative of Israel’s actions being a “war against Hamas”. It reminds us of the Nazi regime against Jews, Romani, Slavs and all those considered “inferior”. Strictly speaking, the Zionist genocide in Palestine is being exposed, making it difficult to defend the indefensible.
South Africa’s demand: an expression of Israel’s international isolation
An expression of this isolation is the lawsuit filed on 29 December 2023 by the South African government before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
The 57 countries comprising the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation joined South Africa’s lawsuit, including Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. Bolivia, Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia also joined.
In this context, on 26 January, the ICJ produced a rather lukewarm provisional ruling that did not call for a ceasefire in Gaza. The UN and other pro-imperialist organisations fail to condemn Zionist aggression in Palestine strongly.
In a 12 January statement of the IWU-FI, we supported the demand, but warned that we had “no confidence in the UN and its imperialist-dominated bodies”.
It may be years before there is a ruling on the claim. What is interesting is that the ICJ was forced to take a preliminary measure because of the global pressure against genocide, including the same international and media pressure that the South African claim has been under.
This puts on the table that the mobilisation must continue to put imperialism, Israel, and the international institutions against the wall until we defeat the Zionist aggression.
European countries reject statements by Israeli officials
Senior government officials from the Netherlands, Spain, France, Chile, the UK, and the US State Department rejected recent statements by Israeli ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. The former said that the Palestinians’ exit from Gaza and the re-establishment of Israeli settlements in the territory is “a right, just, moral and humane solution”. He added: “This is an opportunity to develop a project to encourage Gaza residents to emigrate to countries around the world. And Smotrich said Israel should work to get most of Gaza’s Palestinian population to emigrate from the tiny enclave, and then establish Israeli settlements there.
Israeli figures call for Netanyahu’s resignation
Criticism of Netanyahu is also inside Israel. On 26 January, over 40 former senior Israeli national security officials, leading scientists, including three Nobel laureates, business people, ambassadors, and former government officials, published a letter sent to Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leave, blaming him for the Palestinian resistance attacks on 7 October.
The publication of the letter in several Israeli media coincided with protests in Tel Aviv by thousands of people taking place over the past few Saturdays. Demonstrators carrying banners reading “Ceasefire”, “Agreement now”, “Bring back the hostages”, and “No military solution to a political problem”, repudiate Netanyahu and demand an agreement to rescue the hostages held by Hamas.
Meanwhile, a member of the Israeli parliament, Ofer Cassif, backed South Africa’s demand before the International Court of Justice and called for a ceasefire in Gaza. The MP denounced that in Israel there is no freedom of expression. They persecute and threaten those who dare to raise their voice to stop the aggression against the Palestinians.
The resistance of the Palestinian people continues
Israel is more and more isolated internationally. Despite the criminal bombings in Gaza and the attacks and raids in the occupied West Bank, it has failed to defeat the Palestinian resistance, nor has it recovered the hostages. Despite the terrible suffering they endure, the heroic Palestinian people continue to resist.
That is why we must continue to mobilise, as people around the world have been doing. We must be thousands on the streets repudiating the Zionist genocide and supporting the Palestinian resistance.
Being part of this great world movement, the International Workers’ Unity-Fourth International (IWU-FI) will promote unity of action through our sections until the defeat of the Zionist state.
The IWU-FI calls on the people to demand from their governments: no more economic, cultural, and military agreements with Israel. No more arms shipments to Israel. No more financial and military aid from the United States! We repudiate the naval coalition established by the United States to stop the Yemeni Houthis’ attacks in the Red Sea against Israeli ships or those carrying goods to the Zionists! Let the people, with their mobilisation, demand that their governments, in particular the Arab governments, break off relations with Israel and support the Palestinian resistance with everything it needs.
5 February 2024
International Workers’ Unity-Fourth International (IWU-FI)
