Ben Tausz (Solidarity 692) is right that many come to the Gaza ceasefire marches out of elemental human solidarity with the people of Gaza. But there is heterogeneity and heterogeneity.
One part of the demonstrations has placards, megaphones, banners, chants, and that part is overwhelmingly on absolutist anti-Israel wavelengths. Three months on, everyone must know that "from the river to the sea" is understood and was coined as "erase Israel", unless they choose to suppress that awareness.
The other part marches behind, perhaps perplexed, but quiet. The open dissent is only our Workers' Liberty group and a few people with home-made placards.
The SWP is not among the "key organisers", but they, the Islamists (Friends of Al-Aqsa, MAB), and others on like wavelengths, have been able to hegemonise the big London marches, even eclipsing the official ceasefire slogan.
We work to increase the internationalist profie on those protests. To pretend that the job is already done, or half-done, doesn't help.
On Zack Muddle (Solidarity 694): I didn't suggest that "Neither Netanyahu nor Hamas" could be read as "destroy Israel, destroy Hamas", or "Hamas should kill Netanyahu/ IDF should destroy Hamas".
My worry is that it could be read as (though when I drafted it I didn't mean) indifference as between Israel (as a society) and Hamas. Both equally bad. In this war we oppose both Israel's onslaught on the whole population of Gaza, and Hamas's attacks on the civilian population of Israel, so that's an interpretation we have to guard against.
We want Hamas crushed (but Israel's onslaught won't do that, and it is doing vast harm to the civilian population of Gaza). We don't want Israel crushed.
Comments?We welcome replies, corrections and debate pieces. Contact us