edit: additional propaganda point added, and the final paragraph has been lengthened for clarification.
“According to a new poll by the Jewish People Policy Institute, around 60 per cent of Israelis want the country to accept a captives-for-ceasefire deal presented by US President Joe Biden.” This is a major development, especially in light of the mass demonstrations being organized by Israeli liberals against the Netanyahu government. I want to make it clear, we should not have any illusions about these people. They have have lived for years, and generations off the fruits of the Nakba. They do not care about Palestinians or their lives, they are only interested in their own survival and the freeing of their family members who are held hostage.
However, politics makes strange bedfellows, and this massive split within the Zionist entity must not be ignored. October 7th has the potential to be the beginning of a new stage in the 75+ year War of Palestinian National Liberation, the move is being made from strategic defensive war to strategic stalemate. This change is thanks in no small part to the global pro Palestinian movement, which has managed to force even Israel’s closest allies to distance themselves from it.
Right now is the time to put the screws to the Israeli public, we have to use every avenue of public diplomacy and economic extortion known to man to pressure them to bring down Netanyahu and elect a genuine pro peace government. These protests in and of themselves divert state resources and attention away from the frontlines in Gaza, which should be celebrated. As outside observers, we should focus our propaganda aimed at the Israeli opposition on three points:
Empathy with Palestinians: remind the hostages and their families that what they are going through has been the normal state of Palestinians for 75 years, and tell them that their security is only possible if Palestinians have security.
Hatred for the leaders who sacrifice hostages to push a far right ideological agenda that has nothing to do with actually living Israeli people.
Insurrectionism: encourage the Israelis to break as much of their own stuff as possible, celebrate every rioter and promote desertion of soldiers at the front.
Freedom and security through peace: Patiently explain how Netanyahu and his ilk utilize the war with Palestine to manipulate the Israeli public and stay in power. Explain that only a long term peace with Palestine can ensure the long term survival of democracy and freedom for Jew’s living in Palestine.
Defeatism: we have to point out that the war with Hamas is unwinnable, and of course spread demoralization and general social anger among both the IOF and Israeli public.
Economic coercion should be focused on provoking class struggle within the Israel camp; and aiding in the formation of a non Zionist labor front within the green line:
Step up the boycotts, press for real sanctions: Israel is a state that relies heavily on trade, so we should focus as much as possible on denying Israel access to foreign markets. We should pressure our governments to put real sanctions on Israelis and the Israeli state; like was done against Russia. Seize all assets held by leading Zionists held in foreign banks; etc.
Press for the exclusion of Histadrut from the international labor movement until it adopts decolonial policies. We should encourage Israelis effected by our boycotts to form new rank and file labor organizations and engage in strike action. We should intervene in these strikes to push for a move from economic strikes to political strikes, and call for the formation of a Palestinian-Jewish labor organization that would fight the occupation. Even if this new labor organization only has 50 members and adopts a very tepid program, it would represent the first faltering step of the “Israel” working class back into the camp of the exploited; and out of the imperialist camp.
Of course; this will not transform vast swathes of Israelis into anti Zionists overnight. Instead, our goal should be to paralyze Israeli society as much as possible, and push it to the brink of civil war. This will have three primary benefits:Paralyzing and dividing the IOF in Gaza: The larger and more angry the Zionists protests become, the more the army inside Gaza will be confused and divided. In addition, since the IOF is an army of conscripts; it represents a cross section of Israeli society. The more Israelis inside the green line fight each other, the more the army will be prone to fighting itself. This will make it easier for the armed resistance to carry out operations against it.
Forcing the Zionist state to agree to the peace deal proposed by the resistance and supposedly supported by the Biden White House. This agreement, which would involve the release of hostages and the withdrawal of all IOF forces from Gaza in short order; would represent a the total shift of the national liberation war from strategic defensive to strategic stalemate. During the strategic stalemate, the national liberation forces and the colonialist forces are equal militarily and role of the international solidarity front becomes decisive.
If Israel does hold new elections, it will create openings for both the armed resistance and the international solidarity front to enter dialogue with the Israeli masses. During election times, the masses attention is focused on political questions and it is possible to present new and radical proposals to the masses in ways that are impossible during normal times. So, we should promote the formation of an extremist peace party to run in these elections, a party that would fight for it’s right to participate in debates and explain the simple truths to the Zionist masses.
The resistance will also be able to use the elections by showing it’s strength or withholding it’s attacks. If it is able to demonstrate that it is unbeatable through military might, it may force the Israeli masses to vote for a genuine peace party out of survival.