DSA LONG BEACH fully supports and stands in solidarity with the people of Palestine in their struggle for liberation from military occupation, colonialist oppression, and the brutal apartheid system imposed by the state of Israel. For far too long, Israel, a settler colonial regime, has dispossessed, incarcerated, tortured, and murdered Palestinians by the thousands. It indiscriminately bombs Gaza, the world’s largest open air prison, on a routine basis in a process it calls “mowing the lawn.” It bulldozes homes and villages to illegally expand Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. It pillages and destroys essential resources and sabotages critical water infrastructure in the occupied territories. And it regularly kills and maims civilians with intent, including journalists, medical professionals, humanitarians, children, and the elderly.
Israel’s ongoing and escalating occupation of Palestine stands in clear violation of international law, and constitutes war crimes and crimes against humanity according to the rules of the Geneva Conventions. Israel commits these crimes with the full backing of the United States government, who provides $3.8 billion a year in military aid to entrench the Nakba and carry on its colonial war against Palestine. Israel commits these crimes in full view of the international community, which clamors about human rights but does nothing while Palestinians are forced to endure deplorable and catastrophic conditions, with no control over resources, property, mobility, or daily life in Gaza and the West Bank. Israel commits these crimes with impunity, facing zero legal or humanitarian repercussions or attempts by international institutions to curb its colonial and criminal aggressions.
There is no symmetry between the Palestinian people’s struggle and the genocide being carried out by the Zionist terror state.
This cannot stand. We as DSA Long Beach call on workers, socialists, communists, and progressives across the world to commit to solidarity with Palestine—full stop. We express our unequivocal support for the Palestinian liberation movement, and urge you to do the same. The people of Palestine have every right to national liberation, to enjoy freedom, safety, and wellbeing on their own homeland.
We also call for the immediate cancellation of all US military and “security” aid to Israel. The flow of blood money must be cut off. We condemn the vile and craven support given to the Israeli apartheid regime by California congressman and former mayor of Long Beach, Robert Garcia, and we call for his office to stop abetting genocide.
From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.