Destroying Hamas altogether was never a realistic goal. Hamas is much more than just its military wing. It has a broad popular base. It may be a rightist Muslim Brotherhood affiliated movement, but it’s a powerful rightist Muslim Brotherhood affiliated movement. All experience shows that even an invasion cannot eradicate organizations of this type. The IDF leadership and the Israeli intelligence organizations are fully aware of this.
The electoral success behind a banner that aspires to rescue a democracy kidnapped by the elites cannot be understood without assessing the democratic deficit of the societies in which it arises.
Israel was defeated and is still being defeated, not because of the fact that at the start of the ninth month of this accursed war, Hamas has not been toppled. The emblem of defeat will forever appear alongside the menorah and flag, because the leaders, commanders and soldiers of Israel killed and wounded thousands of Palestinian civilians, sowing unprecedented ruin and desolation in the Gaza Strip. Because its air force knowingly bombed buildings full of children, women and the elderly. Because in Israel people believe there is no other way. Because entire families were wiped out.
It’s important to remember that high civilian casualties are a conscious objective of Israeli military policy. Israel wishes to force the Palestinian population out of Gaza, and tomorrow the West Bank, altogether. This is a crucial precondition for the long-term Zionist goal of an Eretz Israel. A high death toll makes future Palestinian emigration much more likely and therefore serves Israeli purposes.
Two out of three major wars between India and Pakistan were fought over Jammu Kashmir. Even the rise of BJP and the black reaction of saffron movement in India is, to a considerable extent, due to the dispute over Jammu Kashmir. On the other hand, it also has served as a breeding house for Islamic fundamentalism in Pakistan. But as the great Marxist theoretician Dr. Lal Khan had predicted years ago, the role of Jammu Kashmir in the region seems to be dialectically turning into its opposite.
After its tumultuous birth in 1948, the Zionist state was regarded as an illegitimate colonial entity by the Arab countries, despite the legitimacy bestowed upon it by the United Nations. The truth is that the international organization was at that time under complete dominance by countries of the Global North ruling colonial empires, while most of the present member states of the organization were under the colonial yoke, lacking representation in international forums.
In this interview with Jaime Pastor from Viento Sur, Rousset discusses the evolution of the world situation in especially turbulent times that pose enormous challenges for the anti-capitalist and eco-socialist left.
Gilbert Achcar, professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, reviews the Israeli attack on April 1st against the consulate in Damascus and analyses the response of the Islamic Republic. He also examines the effects of this renewed tension on the ongoing negotiations to end the war in Gaza.
Addicted to social media, Milei acts like a true president-troll, in the mold of Donald Trump. Armies of followers—both organized and spontaneous—support him with violent online attacks, using enflamed rhetoric and memes to discredit the opposition.
Just as European colonizers claimed that they were on a “civilizing mission” when they invaded, occupied, and plundered Black and Brown nations over a period of centuries, the U.S.’s stated aim of “helping” Haiti is likewise patently false. The U.S. has controlled Haiti’s destiny for over a century, and building a genuine democracy there has never been on the U.S.’s agenda.
“We would point out that repression in Nicaragua is increasing. There is no freedom of the press or of information. No one is allowed to think differently from the regime, because people risk imprisonment or exile, and the confiscation of all their property.”
Rafah is the only significant location in Gaza that has not yet endured a sustained attack by the IDF. The Israeli army has gained at least some ability to function in the rest of Gaza. Therefore, the attack on Rafah would be the culmination of this phase of the Israeli offensive. The countdown to the attack on Rafah forms the background to all other events surrounding the war.
The Palestinian death toll currently stands at 28,858. We should expect that number to increase sharply in the near future. First, fighting in over-crowded Rafah will lead to a large number of civilian casualties. Secondly, deaths from non-combat causes such as hunger, disease, and exposure will begin to mount as people are forced to stay in subhuman living conditions for increasing periods of time.
The far right is making serious gains across Europe. This is a threat that should not be taken lightly.
At the time of writing, the Hamas leadership is considering the latest set of proposals. It’s very hard to read what’s really going on. There is any amount of political posturing coupled with diplomatic intrigue taking place. The significant role of espionage organizations in the negotiations only muddies the waters further.
