On Sunday, 28 August, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network in Vancouver organized an event on the Israeli assassination policy in Palestine historically and at present. From the August assassinations of Tayseer al-Jabari and Khaled Mansour in the Unity of the Fields battle in Gaza to the historical assassinations of Abu Ali Mustafa and Naji al-Ali (on 27 August 2001 and 29 August 1987), this assassination policy has aimed to undermine the Palestinian resistance and revolutionary movement by targeting its political, artistic, civil and military leadership.
The event included presentations by Javid of Samidoun Vancouver, who spoke about the constellation of forces that the Palestinian resistance confronts, including the Zionist project, imperialist powers and Arab reactionary forces, including the Palestinian Authority, and their relation to the assassination project targeting Palestinian revolutionaries.
Nelli of BAYAN Canada spoke about the policy of extrajudicial killings and assassinations targeting the Filipino national democratic movement, including lawyers, health workers and student organizers. She underlined the connections between imperialism and the policy of extrajudicial killing in the Philippines, connecting it to the Palestinian struggle.
Khaled Barakat of the Masar Badil, Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement, gave the main presentation of the evening, providing a historical look at the assassination policy as well as a political analysis of its goals and the ongoing responses and evolution of the Palestinian resistance to confront this policy. He discussed the contributions and role of many Palestinian leaders who had been targeted by the occupation, from Ghassan Kanafani and Wadie’ Haddad to Fathi Shiqaqi and Ahmad al-Jabari, and stressed that in order to bring this policy to an end once and for all, it must be made costly for the occupier.
Posters of martyrs of the Palestinian struggle who had been targeted for assassination were hung around the room, while participants received buttons honouring the martyrs. Participants discussed the importance of taking action to hold the occupation accountable as well as challenging the criminalization of resistance, such as demanding the Canadian government scrap its so-called “terrorist entities” list, which designates Palestinian resistance organizations as “terrorist” for defending their land and people.
Samidoun Vancouver will organize its next event on Monday, 26 September, a panel discussion on settler colonialism, indigenous resistance and liberation struggle, from Turtle Island to Palestine, with Palestinian and Indigenous strugglers and solidarity activists. The event will take place at 7 pm at 1803 E. 1st Ave in Vancouver, and all are welcome to attend.
