The genocide of the Palestinians is not simply a war in a far off land. This struggle has polarized the entire world and is a key question in the class struggle internationally. In Canada, the rich and powerful have rallied to support Israel while millions of poor workers and youth have rallied behind the Palestinians.
The class divide
The Israeli state is supported by the billionaires, the banks, the media, the political parties and university administrations. They have all united to slander, repress and silence anyone who protests against this horrific slaughter.
While Israel pulverizes the Palestinians, Canadian banks profit from the arms used in the killing. While Israeli settlers steal Palestinian land, Canadian universities invest in companies which profit from the occupation. The interests of Canadian capitalism are intertwined with that of Israeli imperialism.
Meanwhile, braving months of slander and persecution, millions of poor and oppressed people oppose the actions of the Israeli regime. Young people and students in particular have instinctively rallied to support Palestine. All of the most self sacrificing genuine revolutionary elements of society see their struggle in the struggle of the Palestinians.
And it is not hard to see why. These very same capitalist forces which support Israeli imperialism also oppress and exploit workers here.
Books not bombs! Healthcare not warfare! Homes not drones!
The current Canadian government has overseen the largest ever transfer of wealth from the working class to the capitalist class. They have bailed out the billionaires while attacking trade unions. They have created a housing crisis which robs a generation of a future.
The banks which invest in Israeli arms manufacturers, parasitically suck us dry as we drown in debt. The universities which invest our tuition money in the Zionist killing machine simultaneously attack unions on campus and increase the cost of education, making it inaccessible for working class Canadians.
While the government always claims there is no money to fund healthcare and education, they easily find billions more for arms, fighter jets, tanks and drones. As a quarter of Canadians now use food banks and tent cities spread in all major cities, this government increases military spending in budget after budget.
What this shows is that the suffering inflicted by Canadian imperialism in other countries is directly linked to the suffering it creates at home. The struggle against the forces of imperialism which enable genocide on the other side of the globe, is also a struggle for higher wages, better social services, and good living conditions for all.
Workers and youth in an imperialist country like Canada can play a pivotal role in weakening imperialism, thus aiding the Palestinians. But as Lenin explained, imperialism is simply the highest stage of development of the capitalist system. And therefore, this fall, as we mobilize against the genocide in Gaza, we must also understand that this is also a struggle against the entire edifice of Canadian capitalism.
That is why we say:
Books not bombs! Healthcare not warfare! Homes not drones!
Workers of the world unite!
This article is the editorial for issue #8 of Communist Revolution. Subscribe here!
