Militant Worldwide Mass Actions Continue
Pakistan
In one of the largest rallies held in Pakistan since October 7, more than 100,000 rallied in the streets of Lahore Pakistan on November 20 in support of the Palestinian people. Palestine will be free, Down with Israel, and Stop Genocide Against Palestinians were among the slogans inscribed on banners and placards carried by protesters. One of the organizers condemned leaders of "the West" for supporting Israel and criticized Arab leaders for lack of action. At the same time he thanked the people in Washington, DC and London, England for coming out in their hundreds of thousands to support Palestinians.
Lahore, Pakistan, November 20, 2023
Caribbean
The Caribbean Organisation for Peoples Empowerment published photos and posters of actions that have been held throughout the region in support of the Palestinian people. The weekend of November 18-19, the Caribbean region saw several countries organize actions, protests and demonstrations denouncing the genocidal military campaign of Israel's U.S.-backed military, naval and air forces. They condemned the Israel-U.S. bombardment which has caused so many fatalities, and the devastation and destruction of essential civilian infrastructure such as schools, places of worship, hospitals and utilities, including communications, water, electricity and fuel supplies. Photos and posters featured actions in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands; Cuba; University of West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica; Rif Fort, Curaçao; Barbados; Trinidad, Tobago; Belize and Puerto Rico.
Bridgetown, Barbados
Kingston, Jamaica
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands (left); University of the West Indies (right)
Prensa Latina posted photos of a mass event at José Martí Park, in the Historic Urban Centre of Cienfuegos, Cuba, in which it looks as if the whole city came out to condemn the war crimes committed by Israel against Palestine.
Cienfuegos, Cuba, November 21, 2023
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez in a November 17 meeting with Palestinian students studying medicine in Cuba stated:
"At this time a genocide of Dantesque proportions is being committed
against the Palestinian people. As we have said repeatedly, Cuba will
continue to support the just cause of the Palestinians, and we demand
an immediate ceasefire. There we also have Cubans who have formed
families and work for
that nation."
"What a shame of humanity. Tears and even words are not enough to alleviate the pain of the Palestinian people who are being wiped out in an act of extermination perpetrated by Israel," the Cuban president stressed.
"We Cubans learned to defend the Palestinian cause from the internationalist and humanist vision of the historic leader of our Revolution, Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, who was always a friend of that nation that demands its right to self-determination," Diaz-Canel said.
"We strongly condemn Israel's genocide. We will accompany Palestine in fulfilling its dream. As Fidel once said, it is time to put an end to the philosophy of dispossession so that the philosophy of war dies due to lack of incentives," the Cuban president concluded.
The Belize government has defended its decision to implement several measures against Israel, including withdrawing its agreement regarding the accreditation of the country's Ambassador-Designate to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country, in protest against the actions of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza. Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay in a recent television interview said the John Briceno government believes that it has "an obligation, a legal obligation to speak out and to take whatever steps we can to try to encourage Israel to stop what it is doing.... I have spoken to the designated [Israeli] ambassador to Belize, we have sent a diplomatic note encouraging an immediate ceasefire allowing relief supplies to go in and, of course, the release of all hostages. All of that has fallen on deaf ears insofar as Israel is concerned." Therefore, the Foreign Minister said, the Cabinet along with the parliamentarians took the decision to sever relations with Israel and withdraw its ambassador.
Anti-Zionist Jews from Latin America and North America
Anti-Zionist Jews from Latin America and North America wrote a statement in support of the people of Palestine and condemning Israel's ongoing armed aggression against Gaza. U.S. sociologist Lucas Koerner presented the statement on Venezuelan television. Koerner stressed that the statement was written by Jews committed to the liberation of Palestine -- anti-Zionists -- from all parts of Latin America and North America, and now seek signatures to support the initiative. The sociologist denounced that Gaza has become "the largest concentration camp in history" and is experiencing a true holocaust with the Israeli occupation forces and the full diplomatic and military support of the United States and Europe.
The statement demands an immediate ceasefire and the lifting of the blockade of the Gaza Strip, and advocates initiating investigations to prosecute authorities of the governments of the United States, Israel, Germany, the United Kingdom, France and the European Union for the crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity committed against the Palestinians. Koerner said Israeli forces intend to annihilate the Palestinian social fabric in a "desperate attempt" to crush the permanent anti-colonial resistance, as indicated by the "most shameless racist orientalist discourse" of Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Galant, and others labeling the Palestinians as "human animals" or barbarians.
Spain
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has removed Ione Belarra, Minister for Social Rights, from the Cabinet, after she harshly criticized the West's "deafening silence" on Israel's war crimes in the Gaza Strip. Belarra has unequivocally called for an end to Israel's horrendous war crimes in the besieged coastal strip and sought the intervention of the International Criminal Court (ICC). In an interview with Al Jazeera, she criticized "a deafening silence of so many countries and so many political leaders who could do something" to end the war on Gaza. "I speak about what I know well, which is the European Union. It seems the display of hypocrisy which the European Commission is showing is unacceptable." She reiterated that the regime of Israel is committing "planned genocide against the Palestine people." She asked "Why can we give lessons in human rights in other conflicts, and not here when the world is watching in horror?"
This article was published in
Volume 53 Number 26 - November 2023
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2023/Articles/MS53268.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca