Gaza and Syria Reveal an Activist Disorder

by Nott George Sabra

Some 80,000 people rallied in London last weekend to support the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip whom Israeli forces are slaughtering daily by the dozens. This commendable display of internationalism—defined as unconditional solidarity with the oppressed and the exploited without regard to borders, colors, or creeds—was repeated all over the US and Europe as thousands turned out at similar marches, even defying a government ban in Paris. Bringing this street sentiment into the halls of power, Chile's parliament voted to suspend trade talks with Israel.

This vigorous internationalist grassroots response to Israel's murderous campaign is exactly what revolutionary Syrians called for from activists abroad since 2011 in response to the Syrian regime's adoption of Israeli tactics like collective punishment and bombing, shelling, and demolishing entire civilian neighborhoods—but to no avail. The regime of Bashar al-Assad has killed over 2,000 Palestinians and displaced far more Palestinians than Israel has and yet the only time organizers of London's Gaza protest, the Stop the War Coalition, ever took action over Syria was to save said regime from airstrikes and to stop the imposition of a no-fly zone—the only way to end the regime's barrel bomb attacks. After they succeeded, Stop the War Coalition organized a "victory" march to brag that they had stopped the war in Syria!