National Self-Determination is the Only Way Forward for Palestine

» Declan Kearney

Progressive and democratic international pressure has to focus upon introducing positive initiatives to deliver a lasting ceasefire; inclusive talks, followed by fully representative negotiations; an irreversible peace settlement; and, Palestinian national self-determination and sovereignty.

There are no longer words which can adequately describe the atrocities being committed in Gaza by Netanyahu’s regime.

The fire ball which burned 45 Palestinians alive two weeks ago in Rafah and now the latest massacre of over 274, including dozens of children in Al Nuseirat, are terrifying demonstrations of this Israeli government’s contempt for Palestinian human life.

Netanyahu’s government is out of control. The barbaric slaughter and repeated violation of international law, and even the widening divisions within the Israeli state establishment and society, are evidence of that.

Only the US administration can force an end to this fanatical war of genocide.

America carries a moral and political obligation to immediately end its funding and arming of the Israeli murder machine.

A permanent ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian aid, and withdrawal of Israeli forces from both Gaza and the West Bank is the only way to avoid a descent into apocalypse.

The very right to exist of the Palestinian people in Gaza now hangs in the balance.

The human rights and dignity of Palestinians are not transactional; they are absolute, as guaranteed in international law.

The tipping point has now been reached and the US administration has a fundamental decision to make. A global outrage has been ignited. That will not be neutralised. Palestine is now the decisive moral, humanitarian issue of our times.

Last month I visited Johannesburg and addressed the ‘Global Anti-Apartheid Conference’ on Palestine.

This event was spearheaded by key South African civic leaders and veterans of that country’s anti-apartheid struggle, such as Reverend Frank Chikane.

It addressed the urgent need to launch a global campaign against Israel’s occupation of, and apartheid system in Palestine, emulating the scale of the international actions which were so essential to achieving national democracy in South Africa.

It was supported by the South African government, and speakers included Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor; Namibia’s Justice Minister Yvonne Dausab; former South African government minister, Ronnie Kasrils; Reverend Frank Chikane; and many others.

I spoke on ‘The International Context: South Africa, Ireland, Palestine and Political Strategy’ in the opening panel.

There was a huge international attendance.

I told the conference that the political and fraternal links between Irish republicans and the Palestinian national liberation cause have existed for many decades.

Sinn Féin’s commitment to our Palestinian sisters and brothers is unbreakable.

That stems from our Party’s internationalist commitment to all those who struggle against repression, exploitation, and for freedom, in pursuit of a better, equal and democratic world. Whether that has been in the townships of South Africa; the refugee camps of Palestine; the mountains of the Basque Country; the sierras of Cuba; or the barrios of Latin America.

I said that Netanyahu’s war in Gaza and continued oppression of the Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, has laid bare the moral hypocrisy of the big western powers.

Their stances on Palestine and active complicity with Israel’s occupation are absolutely untenable; incompatible with universal democratic principles, multilateralism, and peaceful co-existence.

National self-determination is the defining international struggle of our time.

The United Nations Charter expressly established the right to self-determination in Article 1, Paragraph 2.

The denial of this right goes to the crux of Israel’s apartheid system and its occupation of Palestine. That is why the genocide is taking place, and why Netanyahu and his fanatical regime have developed a narrative in which they describe the people of Palestine as sub human. It is an attempt to eliminate the legitimacy of Palestinian national sovereignty and state hood.

Just over 100 years ago, British imperialism enforced the partition of Ireland; creating in the North of Ireland a one party, apartheid state with an inbuilt unionist majority.

Four years previously the Balfour Declaration established the doctrine of a Zionist state, later to emerge as the state of Israel.

Since then, the rights of Palestinians have been repeatedly subjugated by western imperial interests, in collusion with Zionist colonialism.

Throughout the 20^th century, the Palestinian people have been dispossessed, displaced and exiled, with both the active complicity and acquiescence of western powers.

Yet, modern history has also been progressively shaped by anti-imperialist and national liberation struggles.

Neither national democracy in South Africa or peace in Ireland would have been achieved without the development of international strategies.

Both the ANC and Sinn Féin successfully internationalised our respective struggles for national self-determination.

The war in Gaza has become a lightning rod for mobilising popular world opinion against Israel’s apartheid occupation.

The solidarity of ordinary people for Palestine across the global north is unprecedented.

The actions of students, particularly in the US, but also in Ireland, Britain and across Europe, in demanding the implementation of divestment policies by academic institutions, are reminiscent of the student movements against the Vietnam war.

Netanyahu’s war is now a US Presidential election issue.

The inherent contradictions within Israeli society have never been more sharply exposed.

The ground breaking legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague by South Africa is not only morally courageous, it has become a catalyst for actions by other international governments.

Decisions by Ireland, Spain and Norway to formally recognise the state of Palestine have disrupted the pro-Israeli consensus within the European Union. Other European states are set to follow their lead. For the first time, discussions have begun to happen in Brussels about the need to apply sanctions against Netanyahu’s government and the Israeli war economy.

The announcement by the International Criminal Court to pursue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his defence minister will reinforce such new shifts in western governments’ policies.

All of these factors are relevant to the development of the global anti-apartheid campaign launched in Johannesburg; and which is now critical to helping secure Palestinian national self-determination, sovereignty and statehood.

The focus of this initiative must be clearly aimed at the complete political, diplomatic and economic isolation of Israel until a permanent ceasefire is achieved, and the apartheid occupation is finally ended.

A properly calibrated global anti-apartheid strategy can create and maximise opportunities within this changing global landscape.

The darkest hours are just before the dawn.

A moment now exists against the backdrop of the genocide in Gaza.

A strategic and political opportunity is emerging.

That should not be lost on the various Palestinian political leaderships. For the success of a global campaign to be fully optimised, there must be a resolution to divisions within the Palestinian national struggle.

The resistance and reluctance by some to forge a national consensus, embrace political unity, and form a united leadership, is a strategic failure and weakness.

A paradigm shift is required within the Palestinian struggle.

Israel will never defeat the Palestinian spirit of resistance. There is no military victory for any side.

But the Palestinian struggle needs to equip itself with the cohesion, capacity and strategies to achieve self-determination.

More of the same is no longer good enough. Passing the torch of struggle to future generations is not an option.

This moment has to be seized. A new phase of struggle is needed.

Progressive and democratic international pressure has to focus upon introducing positive initiatives to deliver a lasting ceasefire; inclusive talks, followed by fully representative negotiations; an irreversible peace settlement; and, Palestinian national self-determination and sovereignty.

After the conference I met with President Cyril Ramaphosa and the leaderships of the ANC, South African Communist Party, and the Veterans’ League. We discussed how to cooperate together in supporting our Palestinian comrades to achieve political unity and to prepare for future challenges.

The Palestinian struggle needs to be ready for the negotiations table when that time finally arrives.

The experience of Ireland and the Sinn Féin leadership, and our friends in South Africa, is available to that end.

The organisers also asked me to speak in the final section of the conference.

I noted that every successful struggle eventually transitions from a phase of resistance to liberation.

That demands a clarity of perspective, strategic alliances, political unity, and cohesion.

The capacity to take unilateral initiatives and tactical flexibility are essential to the success of any strategy.

In concluding my remarks I quoted from the profound poem, ‘The Rhythm of Time’ by IRA volunteer Bobby Sands MP, who died on hunger strike in 1981.

He wrote:

“There’s an inner thing in every man… It is the undauntable thought my friend. That thought that says I’m right.”

The Palestinian people are right.

Sinn Féin will never abandon our sisters and brothers. We are with them on what President Nelson Mandela described as ‘the long walk to freedom.’

National self-determination is the only way forward for Palestine.

Our Party is committed to doing everything possible to help realise that objective.