[Marxism] Internationalism Is Alive And Well

[Jscotlive@xxxxxxx]

_http://www.socialistunity.com/?p=3587_ 
(http://www.socialistunity.com/?p=3587)  
In a fine example of internationalism the Viva Palestina aid convoy to Gaza  
set off from London on Saturday, February 14. Led by George Galloway, and  
comprising 110 vehicles, including a fire engine, over 20 ambulances, and a  
boat, the convoy is carrying over Â1 million poundsâ worth of medicines,  
clothing, and supplies for the Palestinians of Gaza, victims of the ongoing  
crime 
against humanity that is Israelâs blockade and its recent massacre of men,  
women, and children, people whose only crime is that they refuse to acquiesce 
in  
their designated status as untermenschen in Israelâs brutal and barbaric 
settler  colonial project. 
Sadly, celebrations of the convoyâs departure were slightly marred by news of 
 the arrest of 9 men, along with the seizure of two vehicles, who were making 
 their way to join the convoy from the North West of England on the night of  
Friday February 13 by counter-terrorism police. At time of writing six of the 
 men have been released and three remain in custody, as yet to be charged 
with  any offence, whilst a number of homes in the Burnley area are being  
searched. 
It has been stressed by the police that they do not believe the organisers of 
 the aid convoy knew the men involved or were part of the investigation 
resulting  in their arrest. 
So far this all seems well and good, just your everyday story of yet another  
counter-terrorism operation by the police involving the arrest of Muslim 
males  suspected of terrorist activity. 
But Iâm not satisfied with this state of affairs, which to me smacks of an  
ongoing politically motivated campaign to keep the Muslim community in its  
place, cowed and depoliticised. 
Just consider the difference in approach of the police when it comes to the  
arrest of Muslims on suspected terrorism offences (which by the way could mean 
 anything from voicing support for Hezbollah or Hamas on a demo, to donating  
money to a charity deemed off limits by the government), and the carrying out 
of  an arrest warrant on Israeli military official for suspected war crimes,  
involving the slaughter of civilians and the demolition of civilian homes, 
both  illegal under international law. 
You may recall back in September 2005 when an El Al flight touched down at  
Heathrow Airport carrying one Major General Doron Almog. Arriving in the UK to  
attend various charity functions, Mr Almog refused to leave the aircraft 
after  having being tipped off that a warrant had been issued for his arrest 
over  
allegations that he had ordered the demolition of over 50 Palestinian homes 
as  part of an Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip. 
The police arrived to arrest the General, but refused to board the aircraft  
citing âsecurity concernsâ. Subsequently, the aircraft was allowed to take 
off  back to Israel with the general on board, thus allowing a suspected war 
criminal  to escape justice. Moreover, the then British Foreign Secretary, Jack 
Straw,  issued an apology to the Israeli government for any embarrassment 
caused, as if  the arrest of a man suspected of war crimes could ever be 
construed 
as  embarrassing. That is, unless of course, you happen to consider the 
targeting of  civilians in a military operation acceptable. 
But what this does is serve to illustrate more than just the double standards 
 weâve all come to expect on the part of the British government when it comes 
to  the application of international law. It illustrates the extent to which 
the  government is complicit in the oppression suffered by the Palestinians, 
as well  as directly involved in the oppression of Iraqis and Afghans as an 
imperialist  state with blood on its hands. As brutal as the state of Israel is 
and has  always been in its treatment of the Palestinians, our own government 
has been  unmasked in its own brutality in recent years in its support for 
Israel and its  alliance with the aims and objectives of the daddy of them all, 
the beast  otherwise known as US imperialism. 
Recent revelations concerning the involvement of British intelligence in the  
torture of British Guantanamo detainee, Binyam Mohamed, must be viewed as  
constituting the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the crimes committed by 
the 
 government as part of its role in the US imperialist project to control the 
vast  energy reserves located in the Middle East. These latest revelations 
follow what  we already know of the use of British airports to help facilitate 
the passage of  rendition flights, involving the kidnap of nationals of one 
country and their  transport to a third country to be tortured. Indeed they 
fall 
into a pattern of  an immoral and illegal foreign policy refracting back to 
corrupt the entire  legal and political system at home. 
I donât trust the police in this country. In fact I think the police in  
Britain are politicised, corrupt and racist, engaged in a continuing campaign 
to  
stifle dissent through intimidation, smear, and brutality where necessary. It 
is  a campaign designed to isolate the Muslim community and sow division in 
society.  It is a campaign that can and must be defeated. 
The Viva Palestina aid convoy is exactly the kind of initiative that will  
defeat attempts to divide us, as well as offering much needed support to the  
Palestinian people, whose cause is surely the cause of humanity in our time. As 
 
such all those taking part deserve our support and respect, and none more so  
than Respect MP George Galloway, who continues to be an anti-imperialist and  
anti-Zionist thorn in the side of the British, Israeli, and US governments. 
Letâs hope the convoy reaches its target and gives people in this country  
something to be proud of. The Arab and Muslim world already know of the huge  
demonstrations and actions undertaken in this country in solidarity with Gaza.  
They know of the huge disconnect that exists between the government and the  
people when it comes to Britainâs role in the Middle East. The Palestinians 
know  that they do not stand alone. 
In the year 2009 internationalism in Britain is alive and well. 
Viva Palestina! 
End.
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