Palestine teach-in stresses the need for continued struggle

A mass wave of protests across the globe met the U.S./Israeli war on Gaza. Thousands of people who had never before attended a demonstration were out in the streets to denounce the war crimes being committed.

People from all over the L.A. area packed the ANSWER office for a Palestine teach-in, Jan. 24.

In the wake of the cease-fire, the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), Free Palestine Alliance, Palestinian American Women’s Association, National Council of Arab Americans, and Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition, held a series of public teach-ins in Southern California to deepen the understanding about the Israeli offensive and its causes.

A Jan. 24 teach-in in Los Angeles at ANSWER’s office drew a packed house of 125 people from all over the L.A. area. Speakers included Muna Coobtee of the ANSWER Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation; Yousef Abudayyeh of FPA; and Dr. Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, a visiting professor at UCLA and leader of Mada al-Carmel: The Arab Center for Applied Social Research in Haifa. Rana Sharif of PAWA chaired the meeting.

Coobtee opened the event by speaking about the history of Zionism and how the Israeli colonial project is designed to destroy the indigenous Palestinian people and their struggle for liberation.

Abudayyeh answered the question “Did the U.S.-Israeli war machine achieve its goals?” with a firm “No.” He noted: “In the wake of its war, the Zionist state is weaker today than ever before. Now, the Palestinian resistance forces stand stronger politically, with more national and international support. Instead of turning away, the Palestinian people embraced the resistance as their true representatives, even in the face of destruction. Now, the pro-imperialist Arab regimes are increasingly feeble. And the puppet Mahmoud Abbas has no credibility whatsoever.”

Dr. Shalhoub-Kevorkian spoke about the terrible suffering of Palestinians in Gaza. She pointed out the racist nature of Israel’s existence in Gaza, the West Bank and within the 1948 borders. She recounted the heroic history of Palestinian resistance to Zionism and imperialism, and stressed the need for greater international solidarity.

During a lively question-and-answer session, each speaker emphasized the need for continued struggle in solidarity with the Palestinians and against the imperialist U.S. government.

Carlos Alvarez, PSL candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, denounced Israeli apartheid and pointed out how his campaign has taken a strong stand for Palestinian self-determination. In contrast, the present mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, is a cheerleader for Israeli war crimes. Alvarez called for the city to divest from Israel, for the expulsion of Israeli diplomats from Los Angeles and for an apology from Villaraigosa for his approval of genocide.

The next planned action in solidarity with Palestine is the March 21 regional march and rally to stop U.S. wars. The primary slogan is “Occupation is a crime: From Iraq, to Afghanistan, to Palestine!”