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Globalized Direct Action
Meg Walsh
MIFTAH
July 06, 2011

http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=23660&CategoryID=13


This past Monday, July 4, my fellow countrymen marked their independence of 235 years from colonial rule. America, which purports its love of freedom and democracy, has proved in this past year to be more of a bandwagon fan rather than an avid front runner for such ideals. For example, its backing of Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak until the bitter end, the relative inaction towards Syria’s President Bashar Assad in the face of mass murder, recent threats to sanction Palestine if it seeks statehood at the UN, not to mention talk of criminalizing US citizens who are taking part in humanitarian missions to the Gaza Strip. These actions do not seem to add up to America’s fundamental values.

In addition to America’s blind support of Israel, the Greek government has joined the club by actively preventing the ships from setting sail to Gaza from their ports in collusion with Israel. Boats from the Freedom Flotilla II were barred both July 1 and July 4 as they attempted to bring aid to the people of Gaza in an act of solidarity. The flotilla works mainly to bring about international attention to the plight of the Palestinians living under siege, as shown by the US boat which was carrying only letters of love and support. On July 1, the US boat “Audacity of Hope” was stopped from sailing and on the 4th, the Canadian boat. The US captain of the former vessel was arrested and imprisoned, which prompted the Canadian passengers, in yet another act of civil disobedience, to one after another proclaim that they were indeed the captain of the ship.

In other news of solidarity, this Friday, July 8, internationals are planning a mass fly-in to Israel’s Ben Gurion airport. This action, in which hundreds of supporters will attempt to transparently visit Palestine, will further show that pressure will not only be applied from the outside— it will come from all angles. If the peaceful activists are denied entry, it will further expose the discriminatory practices of Israel. And if they are granted entry, they will be able to visit their Palestinian friends without having to lie, signaling a shift from the usual policies that force people to do so. Unsurprisingly, however, Israel has already stated its intention to deport everyone taking part.

When governments of the world continue to act outside the realm of international law and norms, it is the obligation of the international community to force compliance through pressure of some sort. These attempts we have been seeing recently add an element of inside, direct action from the international community that cannot be ignored. The usual channels of pressure, such as UN resolutions and government warnings, have been systematically ignored by Israel throughout the years and this is why these recent movements are crucial—they force Israel to make a decision in front of a world audience. Even if the flotilla and the fly-in do not succeed in the way they intended, they will prompt questions from people of conscience around the world who are watching, and they will expose the hypocrisies of Israel and its supporters who profess that they value freedom and democracy.

These actions mark a revolutionary and internationally-minded form of nonviolent resistance. Movements are no longer constrained to specific regions, and as part of our globalized world, it puts more responsibility on regular people to take action, especially those whose governments directly or indirectly support human rights violations. Civil disobedience has the potential of becoming increasingly globalized, and has the potential of making monumental changes.

As most nonviolent movements of the past have shown, change does not often come from the top-down. It comes from below when masses of people realize the need for it. The only difference is that now these people are physically coming on boats and planes to demand change as part of a universal struggle for human rights that connects all people.

It is no surprise that the United States opposes such movements that could change the current status quo and expose the injustices of their greatest ally in the region. When the United States stops allowing Israel to act as a rogue state and the rights of Palestinians are recognized, as they inevitably will be, it will be yet another example of a message that was heard too late—a message only adopted because the people demanded it, not due to a consistent support of democratic values. The acceptance will come as it has in the past: after too many have been lynched, after too many have been hit with white phosphorous, after too many have died for no reason. But, it will come. This is the way in which our world currently functions, but supporters of justice will continue to play the game while developing new strategies such as the flotilla and the fly-in, which will expose the truth more and more, erupting in peoples’ conscience the need for change.

Meg Walsh is a Writer for the Media and Information Department at the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH). She can be contacted at mid@miftah.org.


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