Atalya here. I’m a refuser who objected to military service in 2017 and spent 110 days in jail.. We should all be overjoyed by the news of an imperfect ceasefire, first and foremost because Palestinians in Gaza can breathe once again. Even more so, we should celebrate the global eruption of the Palestine solidarity movement that forced this ceasefire by escalating resistance to the Israeli-American genocidal assault on Gaza in recent weeks. There was the Sumud flotilla, the riots in Italy, and here on the ground earlier this month, a group of Israeli activists–friends, comrades, people I’ve stood beside countless times–went to the Gaza border to break the siege in solidarity with the Sumud flotilla approaching the besieged strip. We were met by armed soldiers, and nonetheless fifteen of them breached the fence. Three were arrested. For an hour, they blocked the entry of the very soldiers carrying out the genocide in Gaza. With your support, we were able to bring the news to the world through our alternative media channel: Resistance Solidarity Network. Now more than ever, we are working to bring movement news from the ground to the world in order to inspire our supporters around the world to act. Please donate to support our work through Resistance Solidarity Network, our independent media platform reporting stories like this, the ones Israeli and international media treat as an afterthought.
That hour at the border mattered. It wasn’t symbolic, it was an interruption in the chain of annihilation. It was people putting their bodies in the way of genocide. The activists who crossed the fence acted with the same courage as those aboard the flotilla now imprisoned and tortured in Israeli jails. They include refusers who you’ve supported in the past, like Itamar Greenberg, who spent 197 days in prison, Roman Levin, who spent 82 days in jail in 2019, and others.
The Gaza border action came amid global escalation as people rose up against the genocide in full force. And while we celebrate the news of the ceasefire and release of all hostages, we must not let the ceasefire aim to quiet our resistance to Israeli colonialism. We need the global movement in solidarity with Palestine to see this ceasefire through, and to insist on ending the occupation. Recent action in support of Palestine suggests that we have the necessary international front to do so. As Israeli activists crossed the Gaza border, the Sumud flotilla attempted to break the siege on Gaza, and Italians marched and rioted on the streets of major cities across Italy as part of a nationwide general strike against the genocide. They blocked trains, highways, ports and more in order to shut down the country. We are seeing a convergence of energies across the world. While the ceasefire seemingly came from above, it was in direct response to global resistance, an attempt at quelling solidarity.
At Resistance Solidarity Network, we are committed to making sure these acts of resistance reach the world. We tell the stories the state tries to bury. Please donate today to keep this work alive. Your support helps us document and amplify the people risking everything for freedom.