Despite Joe Bidenβs backtracking concerning Israelβs military campaign in southern Gaza, the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) is not fooled. His hands are dripping with the blood of the Palestinian people. We regard his backtracking as an attempt to salvage his reputation for the disastrous and murderous attitude he had taken against Palestine.
He is also trying to save the reputation of the US governmentβs declining moral and political authority for supporting a genocidal campaign of the racist Israeli regime. Further, he is trying to prevent Israel from depleting its legitimacy globally. Hence he said, βIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hurting Israel more than helping Israelβ. Clearly, this is not about the Palestinian lives that are being lost daily to bombardment, hunger, and diseases, but to save face. The US Government has made it clear where they stand when it comes to the genocide of Palestinians from their land.
Though it may appear progressive that he is flagging that it is unacceptable to kill 30 000 more Palestinians, President Biden is still creating room for the killing of more Palestinians. In other words, he is saying the death of more Palestinians is allowed, it should just not reach 30 000. This is outrageously evil!
His exceptions are premised on the continued support for the military campaign and colonial occupation of Palestine by the Israeli apartheid regime. He does not want to withdraw his support for Israel apartheid in the war. President Bidenβs pretentious show of humanity demonstrates that he has little to no regard for the lives of the Palestinians who have suffered at the hands of Israel for 7 decades.
In spite of the occupation of Palestine being brutal, atrocious and segregationist, the Biden administration has been loud and concrete in supporting the state of Israel. The Western opinion in the media is spreading the propaganda that Hamas is the problematic party in this systematic occupation of Palestine and oppression of the Palestinian people. The Condemnation of Hamas when they mount resistance against the brutal occupation has thus been painted as terrorism by the Western governments.
Though we caution against the indiscriminate attack on civilians, SAFTU affirms the right and the duty of the Palestinian people to resist by any means. The attempt to justify Israeliβs genocidal campaign by labelling any resistance as terroristic is nothing but a disregard for the right and duty towards resistance by any oppressed people, particularly the Palestinians.
Israel and the USA have ignored the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and continued with the killing of the people of Palestine in Gaza. SAFTU supports our governmentβs submission of additional precautionary measures to amend the court order issued by the ICJ on 26th of January 2024. Israel must stop its military campaign and the blockade of aid, food and water to Gaza.
SAFTU further supports any effort to take aid into Gaza to help with medication, clothing, food and water to prevent deaths. It is unacceptable that the world is standing idle, shouting slogans of solidarity whilst the people of Palestine are perishing at the hands of the imperialist and racist aggressor. Just as the western European nations are supplying weapons to Ukraine and even contemplating sending soldiers to fight on behalf of President Volodymyr Zelensky, countries of the world should assemble military support and intervention for the Palestinians and stop Israel in its genocide.
