WORLD WORLDWIDE GREECE ISRAEL HAIFA News Journal Update - (en) Greece, Alt. Media: Interview with an Israeli anarchist - We cannot afford to remain silent (ON GAZA) (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

Interview with an anarchist from Haifa, Israel, to discuss the
contemporary anarchist movement, the Israeli occupation of Palestine,
the resistance against that occupation, and the outlook for the future.
---- Hello, maybe you could start with a brief introduction of yourself?
---- Of course. I am an anarchist from Haifa, occupied Palestine. I have
been active for over a decade, mainly in the anti-colonial and
Palestinian solidarity movement, the animal liberation movement and the
environmental movement. ---- How did you become an anarchist?

Basically: punk. A more detailed answer is obviously a bit more
complicated than that. When you grow up as a settler under an apartheid
colonial regime, on the "correct" side of the wall, and given Jewish
status by the state, it's only natural to expect that you won't rebel
and become a prison guard like everyone else. We grow up surrounded by
militaristic images, Zionist indoctrination at school, and historical
events such as the Holocaust or the Jewish religion are instrumentalized
to serve patriotism and nationalist propaganda. The version of Judaism
taught here is that we are the chosen people, that this land belongs to
us by divine decree, that God is an estate agent who can be used in any
land dispute, and that all others are destined, at best , to be
second-class citizens.

It is very difficult to explain to comrades abroad the extent to which
Zionism is a collective project. Israel does not have a real civil
society. Anything is acceptable as long as it is within predetermined
and very limited limits. You can be leftist, gay, freak, whatever you
want - we are enlightened liberals and there is room for everyone - but
you have to be a Zionist, do your military service, be a loyal citizen
and not overdo it. If possible, you should also be white and rich. The
slightest step outside the national consensus makes you an illegal traitor.

The narrow-mindedness and rebelliousness within the Zionist framework
can be seen, for example, in the mass social movement to "save Israeli
democracy" in recent months (currently suspended due to the war), which
is directed against judicial reform. Even as hundreds of thousands of
Israelis take to the streets every weekend against what is clearly a
far-right coup attempt, they still go out of their way not to mention
apartheid and the occupation of Palestine and will fight to save "Jewish
democracy", that is, a regime of ethnic supremacy for them, the status
quo. The two sides of this movement typify a conflict within the
settlers over how best to manage apartheid: the liberal approach versus
the fascist approach. Obviously, regardless of who wins, the non-Jewish
populations of this land - first and foremost the Palestinians - can
only lose.

In this context, the "Israeli left" does not invite anyone to find a
truly just solution in the region. To me, given the nature of the
situation here, settlers in good conscience who seek to join the
anti-colonial resistance - which is the only revolutionary movement in
the region and the priority for any real radical change - cannot do so
as Israelis, in from Israeli society, seeking reforms and improvements
in it. Instead, we must renounce any colonial identity and develop the
tools and resources for specific racial treason. We must develop an
anti-Israel policy, turn against our society and unite with the
oppressed and colonized, on their own terms and under their leadership.
Anarchism gives me both the language and the tools to imagine this
politics. For me, there is no "anarchist society" to be achieved,
because that is not the end goal. I see anarchism more as a resistance
movement, an arsenal of tools for the oppressed around the world to
fight against the current dystopia, and that's what draws me to it.

You were involved in a project called "Radical Haifa", but you informed
us that it no longer exists. It sounded like a very interesting
initiative. Can you tell us more about it?

To be honest, there isn't much more to say! We had a small group of
friends that organized as an anarchist collective in Haifa a few years
ago. We have done various activities such as a mutual aid and food
distribution program during the covid lockdowns, starting other types of
community organizing and participating in local matches in the city. The
group is currently no longer active, although a new collective may
emerge in the near future. Since then, Radical Haifa has become
primarily a Twitter account, sharing news and analysis from Palestine,
from a pro-resistance and anti-authoritarian perspective. After the
takeover of the network by fascists (note by Elon Musk), the account was
transferred to Mastodon/Kolektiva.

One of the best known anarchist groups in the area seems to be
Anarchists Against the Wall. Did you participate? What do you think of
this team?

Anarchists Against the Wall was, certainly, the most active and
important group among Israeli radicals and anti-authoritarians in the
2000s. It was born in the middle of the second Intifada, from solidarity
activists who participated in local struggles in West Bank villages
against its construction. apartheid walls, and its main significance
comes from the fact that it broke all the established norms and modus
operandi of the Israeli left. For once, people from both sides of the
wall met not as enemies, not as an empty display of "coexistence", but
as fighters for the same cause, as comrades, as conspirators and
accomplices, on equal terms. Aspects of co-resistance and common
struggle took precedence and, under such a regime, the mere fact of
meeting a Palestinian as a human being and as a friend was enough to be
considered a radical and outside the modus operandi of the institutional
left. At its peak, the group was able to bring hundreds of Israelis to
the West Bank to demonstrate directly with Palestinians and experience
the resistance firsthand. Many direct actions were also carried out,
such as the destruction of the dam and the sabotage of equipment. In the
end, the group slowly withered away and no longer exists. I personally
got involved towards the end, as a teenager coming from the Tel Aviv
anarcho-punk scene. Like many well-intentioned radical solidarity
initiatives organized by people on the privileged side of a colonial
situation, the group was not immune to power relations and hidden
hierarchies. There was much criticism of the group towards the end, and
of the role that the colonists actually played in joining an
anti-colonial resistance. At some point, we also saw our privileges
specifically disappear, and then it became impossible to operate in the
same old ways. Right-wing "researchers" infiltrated a demonstration with
hidden cameras and broadcast the footage on television. Partners became
involved in legal action over direct action, which ultimately crippled
their ability to continue participating. Others have been attacked by
fascists. The political situation has changed, and with it the possible
means of struggle. But overall, I think it was a valuable experience,
with many important lessons for each partner.

Is there still anything resembling an anarchist movement in Israel?

Considering we live in an age where anyone with an internet connection
can form an anarchist core, we could say yes! Actually, not really,
there isn't really a movement. At best, I'd say there are individuals
scattered here and there, some youth subcultures, some aesthetics, but
no structures, groups or even really organized discussions. In general,
I would say that Israeli society is very right-wing, including the
working class, and that people are taught to live in a constant state of
stress and see the state as their protective parent, without which we
are all doomed. Asking Israelis to leave the state is like speaking to
them in a foreign language. I don't think these ideas have any chance of
spreading and becoming popular here any time soon, given these
conditions. I think, however, that they have the potential to become a
phenomenon on the fringes of the empire - not an Israeli movement, but a
movement of tribal defectors and traitors who are willing to join the
struggle to liberate the region from imperialism, colonialism and state
terrorism- a minority movement, which could lay the foundations for
something different. But we'll see.

At one point, I remember that there seemed to be a small but active
minority of "refusals", people who refused to do their military service
despite the dangers of prison and repression. How widespread was this
and how did Israeli society treat them?

The conscientious objection movement has existed on a small scale in
Israel for several years. One cannot say that it is spreading and having
a big impact, but it is nevertheless a very positive phenomenon and
these teenagers are very courageous. Israeli society treats them as
traitors and they may end up in prison for some time. A few months ago -
now it seems like a long time ago - a group of teenagers refused to do
their military service and launched a major campaign in their support.
After some time they were released. Mesarvot (which literally means "I
refuse") is an organization that helps and accompanies political
objections with demands against the occupation. Of course, this must be
distinguished from other denial movements in Israel, some with Zionist
demands. There are organizations that support army reservists in their
decision not to serve their military service in the occupied territories
of 1967, namely the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. During the social
movement for "Israeli democracy", the reservists also refused to serve
their term since there was a "threat to democracy". They have no problem
with the occupation, apartheid and the ongoing massacres and war crimes,
but they cannot accept that their middle class privileges are under
threat. In any case, it is worth mentioning that as I write this, the
genocide in Gaza is ongoing and all this rhetoric has disappeared. Now
everyone is rallying behind the army.

Do you know any Palestinian anarchists or anti-authoritarians?

Palestinian academic Dana El-Kurd, in her book Polarized and Demobilized
- Legacies of Authoritarianism in Palestine, argues that the Palestinian
struggle is not only anti-colonial, but also anti-authoritarian at its
core. During the first Intifada, the Palestinians had a vibrant civil
society, spontaneously organizing local committees to coordinate the
struggle and respond to the needs of local communities. This uprising
was democratic in nature and was carried out against the wishes of the
PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization). Even within the PLO, according
to Edward Said in his book The Question of Palestine, the structure was
organized in a very democratic way, with internal discussions and open
criticism, in stark contrast to the politics of the Arab world - full of
reactionary regimes, self-proclaimed dictators and maladjusted monarchs.
The Palestinian liberation movement has always been the most democratic
and progressive movement in the region and inspired many other
anti-authoritarian movements and uprisings, some of them during the Arab
Spring, and many that are still ongoing. Many argue that the defeat of
the Palestinian Left in Lebanon, the creation of the Palestinian
Authority after the Oslo Accords, and the rise of political Islam have
changed the picture, but I think many of the original features remain.

Having said all that, I can't really say that the Palestinians have ever
had an anarchist movement per se. Palestinian anarchists exist, but,
like Israelis, they are not really organized into a movement, and I
cannot say that it is a popular ideology. On the other hand, I think
that even if the word anarchism is not used, Palestinians tend to
organize in an anarchist way, without calling it that. The new guerrilla
groups that have appeared in the West Bank in recent years, such as the
Lion's Den in Nablus, the Jenin Brigade in Jenin or the Balata Battalion
in the Balata refugee camp, are organized in a non-hierarchical way and
have a non-sectarian beginning, open to membership of all the different
factions. These youth groups are completely outside the control of the
Palestinian Authority and old factional and party politics, and their
spontaneous and unpredictable nature poses a challenge to the Israeli
authorities. This also applies to the popular struggles - the struggles
in the villages of the West Bank that we joined with the Anarchists
Against the Wall were organized by local popular committees, which
coordinated with each other and operated according to democratic principles.

In recent months we have seen large-scale pogroms and an increase in
murderous attacks by settlers, who apparently act with impunity,
followed by suicide attacks against Israelis and so on. It seems
inevitable that all of this would end in great tragedy sooner or later.
Would you say this was obvious to the people in Israel or not so much?
Was the lack of response to settler violence deliberate on the part of
the authorities, in order to further displace the Palestinian
population, or was it more of a kind of indifference towards them?

Since Israel has been founded by ethnic cleansing since 1948, it is more
than reasonable to assume that this is entirely appropriate. In the West
Bank, we see the narrow distinction between "civilian" and "military"
completely blurred under apartheid, while extremist settlers and
soldiers work hand in hand, sometimes cooperating and sometimes ignoring
pogroms and allowing them to take place. Often, the Palestinians who
defend themselves are the ones who suffer the repression. However, what
is happening now needs to be seen in a slightly different context. We
must see them in the context of the 16-year siege of Gaza, which began
as collective punishment after Palestinians living in the 1967 occupied
territories democratically elected the wrong party according to Israel
and the United States and chose Hamas. After Fatah, the current ruling
party in the Palestinian Authority, staged a coup to remain in power
with the backing of Israel and the West, Hamas took control of Gaza in a
civil war in 2007, after which Israel locked down the population of its
2 million inhabitants and turned Gaza into the world's largest open-air
prison. Israel controls Gaza's borders, sea zone and airspace, dictates
who can enter or exit, approves the receipt of goods and completely
controls the economy.

In addition, Israel bombards Gaza almost every year, with numerous
"military operations" killing thousands of people. Gaza has been mired
in a state of humanitarian disaster for many years.

In fact, the Hamas government in Gaza has kept the place relatively
stable, under some leadership, and from degenerating into total
disaster. As a result, it has been useful to Israel, allowing it to
continue to control Gaza and manage its population. But the problem with
Hamas is that it is not docile and, unlike the Palestinian Authority in
the West Bank, refuses to be fully tamed by Israel and remains committed
to armed struggle. What Hamas did on Saturday, October 7 was to
dismantle the ghetto, both physically and symbolically. They destroyed
the fences surrounding Gaza and (re)occupied territory inside Israel,
and also positioned themselves as a force beyond their assigned role as
the Gaza government. They put themselves at the forefront of the
Palestinian liberation movement, directly decolonizing land. This was
indeed inevitable in many ways and the direct result of Israel's
decisions in recent years.

The images from southern Israel on the day of the October 7th attack
were obviously very difficult to deal with emotionally, there is nothing
to celebrate about the slaughter of so many civilians, and by all
definitions and standards this is a war crime. But things must be seen
in their proper context. There is no example in history of a pure and
"pure" resistance and liberation movement that did not kill innocent
people. Whether it was the resistance to apartheid in South Africa, or
British colonialism in India, or the struggle against slavery in
America, or the resistance to Nazi occupation throughout Europe - in all
these cases, innocent people lost their lives. their life. This is not
to say that anything is justified, but to demand purity only for the
Palestinian liberation movement is unrealistic. The greatest
responsibility lies with the conqueror.

There will likely be a lot of conspiracy theories about the bloody
attacks by Hamas in the coming months. In your opinion as someone who
lives there, do you think it's possible that Netanyahu and others knew
in advance and decided not to act, hoping that this would be the
equivalent of 9/11 and that it would allow him to stay in power; Or was
it the arrogance and underestimation of the enemy that led to the tragic
events we all witnessed?

There is obviously no way to confirm such a conspiracy. I would like to
avoid a conspiracy mentality and come to the conclusion that Israel is
probably not as powerful as it is made out to be. What we do know so
far, according to Israeli media, is that the Shin Bet, Israel's
intelligence agency and counterpart to the FBI, suspected something was
going to happen the night before, but nothing of this magnitude.
Apparently, the Shin Bet chief and the IDF were informed overnight that
thousands of fighters from Gaza were approaching the border. Some
special forces were called to the area, but there was no indication that
it was a major operation and a declaration of war. All in all, it
appears to have been a major intelligence failure.

 From the outside, it seems that the Israeli far-right has finally found
the perfect opportunity to get rid of the "Palestinian problem" once and
for all. Do you have any predictions on how this will turn out for Gaza?
It feels like we're watching the final act of a tragedy unfold before
our eyes, and it's worse than ever.

These days, it's hard to predict anything. Events are moving very
quickly and we receive one devastating news after another. As I write
these lines, approximately 3,000 people have been killed in Gaza and
approximately 1 million have been forcibly displaced. No food, fuel or
electricity can enter. Israeli troops surround the border with Gaza,
preparing a ground invasion. Gaza is a bloodbath. The scale of the human
tragedy is unbearable. A genocidal war of extermination against the
Palestinian population is taking place in Gaza. The main objective is
still unclear. Israel has already announced its intention to destroy
Hamas, likely never to allow it to operate from Gaza again, but beyond
that it is currently unclear whether the goal is also to retake Gaza and
annex it - as some Israeli politicians suggest - or hand it over to the
Palestinian Authority, or something else. After Israel called in the
Palestinians of northern Gaza - we're talking a population of over a
million - and then bombed those who followed the order and moved, there
were calls for Egypt to open its border with Gaza to those leaving,
implying perhaps the biggest ethnic cleansing project in the history of
Zionism, bigger than the Nakba of 1948.

Are there people in Israel who condemn the idea of collective punishment
of the civilian population as a consequence of the actions of armed
groups? We read the tribute signed by numerous peace groups active in
Israel and Palestine, calling for an end to the indiscriminate bombing
of the population of Gaza. Is there any chance this will have any effect
or is everyone on a killing spree?

Not for now. As I write these lines, there is no anti-war movement in
Israel. Almost everyone is now out for revenge. Israelis rally behind
the war in total support, and anyone who raises a voice of dissent puts
themselves at risk. It is quite difficult to explain how fascism gains
ground under the cover of war. Arab students are expelled from
universities and workers lose their jobs. Students are encouraged to
report fellow students, and universities send out emails saying that any
"support for Hamas" (which, in today's climate, might well be tantamount
to calling for an end to the carnage in Gaza) will treated with zero
tolerance. Laws have been passed that punish any attack on the "morals
of the nation" (which, once again, can be interpreted very broadly) with
imprisonment. Palestinians are being harassed in East Jerusalem, with
police entering Arab shops and forcing people to unlock their phones and
looking for any sign of support for Hamas. Far-right gangs surrounded
the home of a left-wing ultra-Orthodox Haredim journalist after accusing
him of supporting Hamas, and threw firecrackers into his home, forcing
the police to come and drag him out of his own home and help him escape.
In general, people are afraid to speak up. There are demonstrations by
Jewish Israelis to pressure the government to release prisoners and
hostages. Some of these protests have been attacked by police and
fascists in Jerusalem and Haifa. Any current attempt to organize would
be met with immediate repression.

You mentioned earlier that a new generation of Palestinian resistance
has begun to develop. Do you think there is still hope for the
Palestinians to have a victorious liberation movement that does not end
up being controlled by religious fundamentalists? Given the
unprecedented destruction in Gaza and the scale of the human tragedy we
are witnessing, one of the big concerns is that people will turn even
more to authoritarian groups like Hamas or Islamic Jihad et al. What do
you think about this; What do you think?

It's hard to say. It is true that, in general, backlash has grown among
the Palestinians and that, like the Israelis, they have also become more
right-wing in recent years. The aforementioned groups have no ideology
of their own and are open to members of all factions joining them, from
Hamas to Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine. Overall, what characterizes the Palestinian resistance today,
both in the West Bank and Gaza, is rather broad and united fronts.
Islamists, secularists, Marxists and even national liberals - such as
some factions of Fatah - are fighting together. The PFLP and DFLP were
also involved in the attack on Saturday 7 October. The Palestinian
liberation movement is very diverse, but, for now, people seem to be
putting aside their differences to fight together. In general, it
reminds me of the various discussions about anarchists in Ukraine
fighting alongside fascists against a genocidal Russian army. We don't
know what will happen in the future, events could possibly push people
to new extremes and accelerate some disturbing processes. But we'll see.

The scale of what is happening seems overwhelming and it is very
difficult to feel hope for any positive change at this time. Is there
anything people can do right now to influence the situation in any way?

Everyone living abroad should join the resistance in their area. There
is a large international solidarity movement and they need your support
now more than ever. Join Palestinian refugee communities abroad, stand
with them, support their mobilization and speak out. This could be scary
because, like in Israel, other governments use the cover of war to
spread fascism. Many states have revealed their authoritarian tendencies
in the past ten days and people have been repressed in various ways.
Germany and France banned Palestine solidarity demonstrations and police
officers attacked people who defied the ban to demonstrate. Many
politicians and institutions in Israel and the Western world realize
that external pressure through international popular support can have a
significant impact at this time. This is why they redouble their efforts
at repression and propaganda. This is the least people can do, and what
I am asking them to do: fill the streets. Get involved in Palestinian
initiatives like BDS. Boycott Israel. Speak loudly. Educate yourself and
others. Get involved. These are historic moments.

Thank you very much for the interview. Do you have anything else to say?

As I said earlier, it's time to step up and speak up. We are witnessing
the largest attempt at ethnic cleansing and genocide in the history of
this state. We cannot afford to remain silent. The stakes are high.
Stand up for justice. Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Keep fighting
and good luck.

Performance in Greek: Iro Siafliaki

https://infolibre.gr/2023/11/18/synenteyxi-me-enan-anarchiko-apo-to-israil-den-echoyme-tin-polyteleia-na-parameinoyme-siopiloi/
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