Palestinian resistance figure Leila Khaled has issued a call to join protests today, 15 June, in Thessaloniki and Athens, against the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network in Greece is mobilizing for these demonstrations along with a number of Left organizations, anti-war and anti-imperialist groups and movements, Palestinian community and solidarity groups and the Friends of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in Greece.
Watch the video:
The Netanyahu visit is coming in the context of a tripartite summit between Greece, Israel and Cyprus. The summit aims to discuss the creation of natural gas pipelines to ship stolen Palestinian gas to Europe by connecting it with Greek and Cypriot gas resources; it will also focus on the intensified military cooperation and joint military exercises between the countries. These military exercises and extractive plans are designed to benefit the Israeli occupation and large multinational corporations at the expense of the people of Palestine, Greece and Cyprus; they pose a threat to the safety of people in the region as well as people’s control over their own wealth and resources.
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network calls on all to participate in the demonstrations and actions to say NO to NETANYAHU and make clear that this war criminal is not welcome!
Protests will take place:
Thursday, 15 June – Athens, Greece – 7 pm, Israeli Embassy – march to Ministry of Defense
Thursday, 15 June – Thessaloniki, Greece – 7 pm – Venizelos Statue
Many Greek organizations have joined the calls to protest.
The Communist Organization of Greece (KOE), said that “The zionist Israeli state is also one of the protagonists in Trump’s war campaign against Iran and anyone else blocking US plans in the region. With the head of this state-terrorist, the Tsipras-Kammenos government allies, further deepening an adventurous choice that engulfs our country and our people in major adventures and jeopardizes Greece’s real interests.”
“An anti-imperialist alarm has been risen in Athens and Thessaloniki by anti-war and anti-racist movements, unions, political organizations and movements, the friends of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network to confront the dangerous developments in the region confronting us,” said the New Left Current (NAR) as it joined with ANTARSYA, the Network for Social and Political Rights, Popular Unity (LAE) and KKE (ml) to call for participation in the actions.
The Greek Front of Resistance and Solidarity for Palestine “Ghassan Kanafani” denounced the actions of the Greek government of SYRIZA and ANEL. “The Greek goverment seeks to turn Greece into a transit energy center from which the natural resources, stolen by the Palestinian people, will be passed. The United States and the EU approve this deal by all means, because strengthening their strongest policeman in the region, is their main pursuit…” said the organization.
Meanwhile, the Workers’ Revolutionary Party (EEK), denounced the summit, calling to kick out Netanyahu from Greece. “Only oil companies such as Exxon Mobile of the US Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Tillerson or the French Total, or the Italian ENI hope to see their profits skyrocketing. At the same time war tensions will exacerbate as well as an armaments race. The Greek people as well as the people of the area will be forced to pay for these deals, through the armaments race and perhaps their blood.”
Text of Leila Khaled’s video call to action:
Comrades and friends, sisters and brothers
On behalf of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, I extend our warm greeting to the Greek parties and the Greek people who responded to the call of the PFLP to unite against the visit of a war criminal Netanyahu to Greece.
He will attend a trio summit with Cyprus and the Greek Government. We extend our solidarity to your strong stand against such summits which benefit the apartheid state of Israel who occupies our homeland Palestine, since 69 years. This state which denies the Palestinian rights – right for return, self-determination and establishing an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital in Palestine.
Instead of taking Netanyahu to the court for his crimes against us and not abiding by international law, he is to be received on the Greek land to sell the stolen Palestinian gas and to build a coalition against you and us.
This message is to call on all progressive, socialist, democratic, anti-imperialist, anti-apartheid forces to firmly stand strongly against this visit and this summit. Our mutual struggle is based on common interests for our peoples.
On behalf of the martyrs, the prisoners and their families, I call upon everyone to participate in the demonstration. Let Netanyahu hear our voices, from Palestine to Greece via Cyprus, that he is not welcome anywhere.
Comrades and friends, let this stand be towards the unity of the left in Greece. Our enemies – on top of them the imperialist Americans – are doing their best to keep the progressive forces to be shattered and not united. They are igniting wars in our region. They can ignite other wars in other countries as well to silence the voice of the people.
Comrades and friends, together in struggle we can prevent them from implementing their plans against us. Raise your voices! Netanyahu out of Greece! Long live people’s struggle! We are united against imperialism. We are united against apartheid Israel. Boycott, divest, sanctions against Israel!