by Dimitra Z., Marianna Manoura
The Palestinian resistance, counting years of struggle, countless deaths and moments that proved that nothing is impossible, is experiencing the greatest bloodshed in recent decades. Israel’s colonial and Zionist entity has made it clear, there is no place for Palestinian society. Whether directly through bombings and executions or indirectly through settlements and famines, Israel aims to eliminate the Palestinians. All this, of course, could not have happened without the full support of the Western imperialist bloc. From ideological propaganda about civilized, progressive Israel to military equipment and economic support, the West not only supports its colonialism but plays a leading role in its establishment in the region, apparently to serve its own interests.
Our role as radical movements in the western metropolitan centers must aim at the anti-imperialist conflict in the here and now. With our gaze turned outside our borders, we must transform international issues into domestic targets. The destabilization of the Western centers of power, the deterioration and the exertion of pressure within them has proven that it can act as a bulwark against imperialist plans. It is here in its heart that the system must be hit. And we are the ones who have to do it. This was, after all, the direction that the internationalist movements of the past had followed. Especially for the German movement, internationalist solidarity and domestic anti-imperialist action have always been a priority. Its connection with the Palestinian struggle ranged from the mass demonstrations to the actions of the armed organizations operating at the time.
One of the armed anti-imperialist internationalist organizations is the RAF. It was born in the 1970s and struggled against American and German imperialism. In solidarity with the resistance in Palestine, members of the RAF were fleeing underground and going to Jordan to train alongside the PFLP and the PLO. The guerrilla organization created ties with armed Palestinian organizations such as Black September, supporting each other’s struggle by dedicating actions, demanding the release of militants on both sides, and simultaneously targeting imperialist targets in West Berlin. The internationalist outlook had taken shape. The RAF lived about 2-3 decades through 3 generations. As a member of the last generation of the RAF, Daniela Klette is also accused. The comrade, being part of the struggle of the ’80s, fought against exploitation and oppression, patriarchy and capitalism, war and militarism. Klette, making decisions from a very young age, chose to dedicate her life to the revolutionary struggle, with a constant commitment that accompanied her throughout her life, managing to fight, defeating the repressive mechanisms of the German state. With her life, the comrade manages not only to highlight the weakness of German repression but also the fact that even today there are the means and the people who can ensure a life in illegality. The comrade decided to live free and rebellious, consistent in her beliefs, being an inspiration for future generations. And despite her captivity on February 16, 2023, Ernst and Bukhard once again manage to avoid arrest. Fighters like these thousands of others were a source of inspiration for the urban guerrilla Kyriakos Xymitiris who decided to base himself on their own paths. With an internationalist outlook, he felt the same anguish as the RAF guerrillas, the same hatred and the same commitment. He was one of the few fighters who chose to pick up the thread of armed struggle in 2024 where the struggle in the western metropolises oscillates between compromise and convention. Perceiving himself as part of revolutionary Western history, he assumed his responsibilities and poured himself into battle.
A battle that comes at a heavy cost. Sometimes their own lives and sometimes their freedom. States do not leave such means of struggle unanswered. They are furiously trying to silence the voice of their political opponents. Resorting to military-style operations in order to capture them. The dungeons of democracy act as a punitive and vindictive act against those who have chosen to fight for a better world. Special prison detention regimes try to extract statements of repentance from prisoners of war. Nevertheless, the attitude of the prisoners themselves, as well as those in solidarity with them, manages to break the isolation within the walls and strengthen the resistance by putting barriers to the repressive plans of the state and capital.
Even if the walls keep us apart, even if the battle took our closest comrades as long as we fight, we are together. Next to Daniela and Kyriakos. Next to Monica and Wolfang. Next to those who resisted. Because the revolution says: I was, I am and I will be again.
VICTORY IN THE ARMS OF THE PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE
FREEDOM TO DANIELA KLETTE
STRENGTH TO ERNST AND BUKHARD
KYRIAKOS XIMITIRIS PRESENT
Dimitra Z.
Marianna Manoura