Robert Reid | Chairperson FFPS
The Friends of the Filipino People in Struggle (FFPS) strongly condemns the worsening US-backed Israeli aggression in the Middle East. We firmly support the right of the peoples in the region, including those in Lebanon and Palestine, to resist the US-Israeli occupation and war, including through armed resistance.
It has been one year ago that the Palestinian resistance launched the brave Al Aqsa Flood operation against the brutal Zionist occupation. Shocked to its core by this uprising, Israel responded with disproportionate and genocidal US-supported violence against the Palestinian people. The numbers tell of unimaginable suffering: Israeli bombings, ground invasion and blockade of Gaza have killed at least 41,788 Palestinians, of which 16,500 are children; almost 100,000 people have been injured, and more than 10,000 people are missing; the essential services infrastructure in Gaza have been practically destroyed.
In spite of this terror, the Palestinian people have been steadfastly and bravely continuing their resistance. The Zionist state has been unable to achieve its goals of defeating the Palestinian liberation movement and its resistance organizations, which continue to deal blows against the Zionist enemy. Internationally, the people of the world have shown their solidarity with the Palestinian people in their millions. Despite imperialist lies and distortions in the media and politics, the democratic people of the world have shown their support for the Palestinian resistance in all forms.
Recently US-backed Israel has expanded its Zionist aggression by continuously attacking Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, bombing Syria and Yemen, and invading Lebanon. On September 17 and 18, Israel detonated thousands of booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies simultaneously in civilian areas in Lebanon. This terrorist attack was followed by indiscriminate bombing and shelling, and attacks by ground forces have killed more than 2,000 people, while hundreds of thousands have been displaced.
The United States has supported Israel throughout the entire genocide in Gaza. It has provided military assistance worth billions of dollars and has delivered more than 10,000 tons of explosives to Israel, while simultaneously shielding it internationally from ever increasing pressure by the international community and the arrest warrant against Netanyahu at the International Criminal Court.
The increased aggression by Israel against Lebanon and other countries serves the US well. The US continuously wishes to strengthen its hegemonic power in the strategic and resource rich Middle East. However, resistance forces in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Iran have been firm in support of the Palestinian people and in opposing US hegemony. In this light, the US has defended and supported indiscriminate and overkill Israeli strikes targeting leaders of people’s resistance movements in full disregard of International Law, violating various countries’ national sovereignty in the region.
Even after a full year of genocide and a 76 year occupation the spirit of the Palestinian people’s resistance to fight until liberation remains stronger than ever and has proven itself indefatigable. Israeli aggression may think that killing resistance leaders and terrorizing civilian populations will break the will of the people’s of the region, but they are mistaken. There is no other option for the people of Palestine, Lebanon and the whole region but to fight back and defend their land against the Zionist occupation and expansionist war.
We in FFPS stand together with the anti-imperialist people of the world in our resolute support of the Palestinian resistance forces and those in the broader region. Whether it be in the Philippines or Palestine, fighting for national liberation is justified!
Long live international solidarity!
From Palestine to the Philippines, stop the US war machine!
From Palestine to the Philippines, victory to the resistance!