Samidoun Gothenburg proudly presents an audio recording of our panel talk ”Imperialism and International Solidarity”. The panel was organized on September 15 2018 as part of the radical book fair ”Radikal Bokmässa” in Gothenburg, Sweden, hosted by the local radical book shop and popular educators Syndikalistiskt Forum. Participating in the panel are Charlotte Kates from Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network and Torkil Lauesen from Internationalt Forum. Aside from the efforts of individual comrades in the struggle, the panel was made possible through the support of the international solidarity organization Emmaus Björkå.
In discussing imperialism and international solidarity, the panel is an attempt at contributing to a vital debate on the why and how of liberatory struggle. Topics covered include: Imperialism as the contemporary capitalist world system and the imperialisms of capitalist social formations on national and international levels; neoliberal globalization as a phase of imperialism; relations of contradiction and identity between neoliberal imperialism and the insurgence of chauvinism and fascism; war and superexploitation as the two faces of imperialism; imperialism and the state; migration and imperialist extraction of resources, commodities, labour power and value; racism and the labour theory of value; local and global social struggles and imperialism; the history of radical international solidarity; the case for a global perspective on imperialism and for international solidarity as possibilities and necessities for radical organizing; the Palestinian struggle for liberation and Palestine solidarity as examples of the possibility and necessity of radical international solidarity; anti-terror laws, militarization and migration restriction and possibilities for anti-imperialist organizing; the ”anti-imperialism” of reactionaries; the significance of the question of strategy for radical organizing; the future of imperialism and international solidarity.
Click the following link for a rough transcription of the panel talk: tinyurl.com/ycw326qg
On January 15, 2019, we will mark the 17th anniversary of Sa’adat’s arrest by the Palestinian Authority in the context of “security cooperation” with the Israeli occupation. After a violent attack on the PA’s Jericho prison in 2006, where Sa’adat was held under United States and British guards, Ahmad Sa’adat and his comrades are serving lengthy sentences in Israeli prisons. Sa’adat was sentenced to 30 years in prison, convicted in an Israeli military court of leading a prohibited organization and “incitement.”
Sa’adat is a leader in the Palestinian prisoners’ movement and the Palestinian national liberation movement. He is a figure of international importance and political clarity, targeted behind bars in an attempt to isolate him from his political role. He stands alongside nearly 6,000 fellow Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails on the front lines of the liberation struggle. As such, he is a symbol of Palestinian, Arab and internationalist resistance to capitalism, racism, apartheid and colonization.
The case of Ahmad Sa’adat also clearly highlights the complicity of international powers in the occupation and colonization of Palestine. He and his comrades were held for years under U.S. and British guards in a Palestinian Authority prison – and those guards moved away in a prearranged agreement to allow the Israeli occupation army to attack Jericho prison in 2006. The support of the United States, Britain, Canada, the European Union, Australia and others for the Israeli colonial project continues to perpetuate its impunity as it carries out land confiscations, home demolitions, mass imprisonment, extrajudicial executions, the ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem, the siege on Gaza and further crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The Palestinian Authority kidnapped Sa’adat under false pretenses and imprisoned him for four years before its prison was attacked by the Israeli occupation. This is part and parcel of the policy of “security coordination” that has led to the repeated imprisonment of Palestinians for their political involvement by the PA. Despite critical words, the policy remains firmly in place – with devastating and deadly consequences for Palestinians, as seen in the case of Basil al-Araj.
On January 15, 2019, join us in a collective call for the freedom of Ahmad Sa’adat and all Palestinian Prisoners. Join us to build the global grassroots campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions from Israel and complicit corporations. Join us to fight for an end to aid and support for the Israeli occupation that has been confiscating land and lives for over 70 years.
Join Existence is Resistance In celebrating 10 years of existence! Special guests include participants of our tours who will be flying in from all over as well as folks who have supported our work and movement consistantly throughout the years.
The night will include speakers: Marc Lamont Hill Rosa Clemente Charles Barron Sekou Odinga Pam Africa Teresita Lah Tere Ayala Comedian Stevie J (Steven Johnson )
Performances by: Mazzi Behi Hasan Salaam Logic (UK)
DJ’s: Vega Benetton Padraic Mccroudi (DJ Snuff) Christie Love Oja Soundtwista
On January 13, join us for an important discussion and presentation on the struggle of Palestinian prisoners during LLL Weekend!
This event will include: * Discussion on the case of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, who has been jailed for 34 years in French prison. French organizers with the Campaign to Free Georges Abdallah and Coup Pour Coup 31 will be speaking about the campaign and the importance of international solidarity with Georges. * Discussion of the case of Ahmad Sa’adat, the imprisoned General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, jailed since 2002 by the Palestinian Authority and then since 2006 by the Israeli occupation. * Further information on Palestinian political prisoners, including jailed feminist and leftist leader Khalida Jarrar, and the intensified repression faced by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
This evening of solidarity with Palestinian revolutionary prisoners will also include video clips on these cases and other important issues relating to the Palestinian liberation movement. It is organized as part of the International Week of Action to Free Ahmad Sa’adat and all Palestinian prisoners.
في اطار ” الاسبوع الأممي للتضامن مع القائد الوطني الأسير أحمد سعدات ” و بالتعاون مع ” حملة تحرير المناضل العربي والأممي جورج عبد الله ” المعتقل في السجون الفرنسية ، تدعوكم شبكة صامدون للدّفاع عن الأسرى الى ندوة حوارية في برلين ( الأسرى والنضال من أجل التحرير ) يوم الاحد الموافق 13 يناير / كانون الثاني 2019 في تمام الساعة السادسة مساءً .
As Part of the International Week of Action to demand Freedom for imprisoned PFLP General Secretary, Ahmad Sa’adat, Irish Socialit Republicans will hold a vigil to demand his freedom:
“The most honorable duty is to defend one’s homeland – the greatest honor is in fighting the occupier. Join the Lebanese National Resistance Front!”
The Palestinian Documentation Center, in collaboration with the Al Ard Doc Film Festival, invites you to participate in a film screening of “Tornati per raccontare.”
The film features five stories of Arab, Lebanese and Palestinian fighters who took up arms to fight the Zionist invasion and occupation of Lebanon.
“Il dovere più onorevole è quello di difendere la propria patria, l’onore più grande nel combattere l’occupante – unitevi al Fronte di Resistenza Nazionale Libanese!”
Il Centro Documentazione Palestinese, in collaborazione con Al Ard Doc Film Festival, invita a partecipare alla proiezione del documentario «Tornati per raccontare».
Cinque storie di cinque combattenti arabi, libanesi e palestinesi, che imbracciarono le armi e combatterono contro l’invasione e l’occupazione sionista del Libano.
L’appuntamento è per sabato 12 gennaio 2019 – H18:00 Nuova sede del CDP – Via Attilio Hortis 38
On January 15, 2002, the Palestinian Authority arrested Ahmad Sa’adat, General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Sa’adat was then imprisoned under guard by United States and British soldiers. During a violent attack in 2006, Sa’adat was kidnapped by Israel’s occupation forces and now he is serving a 30-year imprisonment on Israeli prison.
In order to draw attention to Ahmad Sa’adat’s case as an exceptional yet collective example of the situation of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli and international prisons and detention centers, Samidoun Gothenburg is organizing a solidarity evening. The solidarity evening will include a short presentation on Sa’adat followed by the opportunity to write letters to him (and other Palestinian prisoners) and to participate in a joint solidarity photo. In addition, the solidarity evening takes place as part of the International Action Week in solidarity with Ahmad Sa’adat between January 15 and 22, called by Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network and Campaign to Free Ahmad Sa’adat . Read and spread our translation of the call: https://samidoun.net/sweden/internationell-aktionsvecka-15-22-januari-2019-for-ahmad-saadat/
Light refreshments will be available.
Date: Tuesday 15 January Time: 18:00 Location: Information about the place will soon be available
Solidaritetskväll för Ahmad Sa’adat
Den 15:e januari 2002 arresterade Palestinska myndigheten Ahmad Sa’adat, generalsekreterare för Folkfronten för Palestinas befrielse. Sa’adat sattes därefter i fångenskap under USA:s och Storbritanniens regi. Under ett våldsamt angrepp 2006 kidnappades han av Israels ockupationsstyrkor och nu avtjänar han ett 30-årigt straff på israeliskt fängelse.
För att uppmärksamma Ahmad Sa’adats fall som ett av många men ändå särskilt exempel på palestinska fångar i israeliska och internationella fängelsen och förvar anordnar vi i Samidoun Göteborg en solidaritetskväll. Solidaritetskvällen kommer att innehålla en kort presentation om Sa’adat följt av möjligheten att skriva brev till honom (och andra palestinska fångar) och att delta i ett gemensamt solidaritetsfoto. Dessutom sker solidaritetskvällen i samband med den internationella aktionsveckan i solidaritet med Ahmad Sa’adat mellan 15:e och 22:e januari som utropades av Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network och Campaign to Free Ahmad Sa’adat. Läs och sprid vår översättning av deras uppmaning: https://samidoun.net/sweden/internationell-aktionsvecka-15-22-januari-2019-for-ahmad-saadat/
Lättare fika kommer att finnas att tillgå.
Datum: Tisdag 15:e januari Tid: 18:00 Plats: Information om plats kommer inom kort
The struggle of political prisoners in Palestine: From collective mobilizations to women’s struggles.
Since 1948 nearly one million Palestinians have passed through the prisons of the Israeli occupation. A military prison system that functions as a massive and systematic policy of population control. Today, there are nearly 6,000 prisones, including 51 women and 230 minors. To cope with the social and political consequences of incarceration, Palestinians built collective networks of support for prisoners and their families very early on. From supportive visits the relatives of the prisoners to the collective payment of fines assessed against them, the struggles of the Prisoners’ Movement, relayed by campaigns of support outside the prisons led to the expansion of particular forms of political struggles to the entire Palestinian people.
This session will discuss the transformations of the collective struggle against political imprisonment in Palestine. It will be an opportunity to highlight a series of less visible struggles in which Palestinian women are particularly active. This will allow us to discuss issues of women’s participation in the national liberation struggle in Palestine.
For this session, we will have the pleasure of having with us Flora Yousef, PhD student in sociology at Paris 8, whose current thesis focuses on forms of women’s activism in Palestine.
La lutte des prisonniers politiques en Palestine : Des mobilisations collectives aux luttes féminines.
Depuis 1948 près d’un million de Palestiniens sont passés par les prisons de l’occupation israélienne. Un système carcéral militaire qui fonctionne comme politique massive et systématique de contrôle de la population. Aujourd’hui ils sont près de 6 000 parmi lesquels 51 femmes et 230 mineurs. Pour faire face aux conséquences sociales et politiques de l’incarcération, les Palestiniens ont très tôt construit des réseaux collectifs de soutien aux prisonniers ainsi qu’à leurs familles. De la visite aux proches des prisonniers jusqu’au paiement collectif des amendes, les luttes du Mouvement des Prisonniers, relayées par des campagnes de soutien à l’extérieur des prisons ont abouti à la diffusion de formes particulières de combats politique à l’ensemble du peuple Palestinien.
Cette séance aura pour but de revenir sur les transformations de la contestation collective de l’emprisonnement politique en Palestine. Elle sera l’occasion de mettre la lumière sur toutes une série de luttes moins visibles dans lesquelles les palestiniennes sont particulièrement actives. Ceci nous permettra de discuter des enjeux de la participation des femmes dans la lutte nationale de libération en Palestine.
Pour cette séance, nous aurons le plaisir d’avoir avec nous Flora Yousef, doctorante en sociologie à Paris 8, dont la thèse en cours porte sur les formes de l’activisme féminin en Palestine.
Internationalt Forum’s Middle East Group is organizing a flea market in support of Palestinian political prisoners.
Program: 2:00 pm – Welcome, then flea market until 5:00 pm. Items for sale include clothes, paintings, plates, bowls, tablecloths, electronics, lamps, books, etc at flea-market prices. Free coffee/tea and Palestinian treats available! All proceeds go to support Palestinian political prisoners and their organizations, including Samidoun.
Donations of items to the flea market should be dropped off at the Solidaritetsbutikken during business hours (weekdays, 1 pm to 5 pm, from Monday 7 January through Friday 11 January). We thank you in advance and look forward to seeing you.
Internationalt Forums Mellemøstgruppe arrangerer loppemarked til fordel for palæstinensiske politiske fanger søndag den 13. januar kl. 14-17 i solidaritetsbutikken, Griffenfeldsgade 41, Nørrebro..
Program: Kl. 14.00 velkomst. Herefter loppemarked indtil kl. 17. Der sælges tøj, malerier, platter, skåle, duge, elektronik, lamper, bøger osv. til loppepriser. Der serveres kaffe/the og palæstinensiske lækkerier. Alt overskud går til palæstinensiske politiske fanger og deres organisationer, herunder Samidoun.
Ting til loppemarkedet (i god stand) bedes afleveret i solidaritetsbutikken i åbningstiden: hverdage kl. 13-17 – fra mandag den 7. januar til og med fredag den 11. januar. Vi takker på forhånd for jeres bidrag.
Vi glæder os til at se jer.
Frit Palæstina – Løslad alle palæstinensiske politiske fanger
“The Palestinian people are determined to continue the intifada for all of the national rights of our people. This position is naturally consistent with the struggle of all progressive global forces confronting global imperial arrogance and struggling for independence, self-determination and liberation, for social justice, equality and socialism, based on a fair distribution of the wealth and human principles of peace, rejection of war, imperialism and all forms of oppression and exploitation…” – Ahmad Sa’adat
Today, we remember the 10th anniversary of the Israeli sentencing of prominent Palestinian national liberation and international left leader Ahmad Sa’adat, the General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. We urge you to join us for an International Week of Action between 15 and 22 January 2019 to free Ahmad Sa’adat and all Palestinian prisoners!
On 15 January 2019, we will mark the 17th anniversary of Sa’adat’s arrest by the Palestinian Authority in the context of “security cooperation” with the Israeli occupation. After a violent attack on the PA’s Jericho prison in 2006, where Sa’adat was held under United States and British guards, Ahmad Sa’adat and his comrades are serving lengthy sentences in Israeli prisons. Sa’adat was sentenced to 30 years in prison, convicted in an Israeli military court of leading a prohibited organization and “incitement.”
Sa’adat is a leader in the Palestinian prisoners’ movement and the Palestinian national liberation movement. He is a figure of international importance and political clarity, targeted behind bars in an attempt to isolate him from his political role. He stands alongside nearly 6,000 fellow Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails on the front lines of the liberation struggle. As such, he is a symbol of Palestinian, Arab and internationalist resistance to capitalism, racism, apartheid and colonization.
The case of Ahmad Sa’adat also clearly highlights the complicity of international powers in the occupation and colonization of Palestine. He and his comrades were held for years under U.S. and British guards in a Palestinian Authority prison – and those guards moved away in a prearranged agreement to allow the Israeli occupation army to attack Jericho prison in 2006. The support of the United States, Britain, Canada, the European Union, Australia and others for the Israeli colonial project continues to perpetuate its impunity as it carries out land confiscations, home demolitions, mass imprisonment, extrajudicial executions, the ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem, the siege on Gaza and further crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The Palestinian Authority kidnapped Sa’adat under false pretenses and imprisoned him for four years before its prison was attacked by the Israeli occupation. This is part and parcel of the policy of “security coordination” that has led to the repeated imprisonment of Palestinians for their political involvement by the PA. Despite critical words, the policy remains firmly in place – with devastating and deadly consequences for Palestinians, as seen in the case of Basil al-Araj.
On 15-22 January 2019, join us in a collective call for the freedom of Ahmad Sa’adat and all Palestinian Prisoners. Join us to build the global grassroots campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions from Israel and complicit corporations. Join us to fight for an end to aid and support for the Israeli occupation that has been confiscating land and lives for over 70 years.
We urge you to organize events, actions and protests in cities, campuses, communities, towns, campuses and all other public spaces. When we raise our voices, we can help to break the Israeli isolation of Ahmad Sa’adat and his fellow Palestinian prisoners. Free Ahmad Sa’adat! Free all Palestinian Prisoners! Free Palestine!
1. Organize events, actions and protests at Israeli embassies and consulates around the world to urge freedom for Ahmad Sa’adat. Protest in public squares and other open community spaces. Send us your events! Use this form or email samidoun@samidoun.net (Read about past years’ events here.)
2. Distribute this call to action and take media actions, like posting photos with posters calling for freedom for Ahmad Sa’adat and other Palestinian prisoners. Download the posters below and send us your photos! Email us at samidoun@samidoun.net or send us a message on Facebook.
3. Include Ahmad Sa’adat and the Palestinian prisoners in your Palestine solidarity, anti-racism, anti-imperialist and social justice events. Bring flyers and posters or share a statement from Sa’adat as part of your program. Let us know what you’re doing: Email us at samidoun@samidoun.net or send us a message on Facebook.
Important recent writings and interviews by Sa’adat (English):
The General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Sa’adat was arrested by the Palestinian Authority on 15 January 2002 and jailed under US and British guard. After a violent attack in 2006, he was kidnapped by occupation forces; he is now serving a 30-year sentence in Israeli prison.
ARABIC
الحُرّية للقائد الوطني الأسير أحمد سعدات
أحمد سعدات : الأمين العام للجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين. إعتقلته الأجهزة الأمنية الفلسطينية في مدينة رام الله يوم 15 يناير 2002 وجرى وضعه تحت حراسة أمريكية ـ بريطانية في سجن أريحا . في 14 أذار / مارس 2006 هاجمت قوات الإحتلال الإسرائيلي سجن اريحا واختطفته مع عدد من رفاقه الأسرى. وفي 25 ديسيمبر 2008 أصدرت محكمة صهيونية غير شرعية حُكمًا بالسجن ضد لمدة 30 عامًا .
Sa’adat, secrétaire général du Front Populaire de Libération de la Palestine, a été arrêté par l’Autorité Palestinienne le 15 janvier 2002 et emprisonné sous surveillance américaine et britannique. Après une violente attaque en 2006, il a été kidnappé par les forces d’occupation. Il purge actuellement une peine de 30 ans dans une prison israélienne.
DUTCH
Vrijheid voor Ahmad Sa’adat
De Generaal-Secretaris van het Volksfront voor de Bevrijding van Palestina (PFLP), Sa’adat werd door de Palestijnse Autoriteit gearresteerd op 15 januari 2002. Vervolgens werd hij bewaakt door Britse en Amerikaanse troepen. Maar na een Israëlische aanval in 2006 werd Sa’dat gekidnapt; hij zit nu een 30-jarige celstraf uit.
Den 15:e januari 2002 arresterade Palestinska myndigheten Ahmad Sa’adat, generalsekreterare för Folkfronten för Palestinas befrielse. Sa’adat sattes därefter i fångenskap under USA:s och Storbritanniens regi. Under ett våldsamt angrepp 2006 kidnappades han av Israels ockupationsstyrkor och nu avtjänar han ett 30-årigt straff på israeliskt fängelse.
Der Generalsekretär der Volksfront für die Befreiung Palästinas, Sa’adat, wurde am 15. Januar 2002 von der Palästinensischen Autonomiebehörde verhaftet. Das Gefängnis, in dem Sa’adat inhaftiert war, wurde von US-amerikanischen und britischen Soldaten bewacht. Nach einem gewaltsamen Angriff im Jahr 2006 wurde er von Besatzungstruppen entführt. Er verbüßt jetzt eine 30-jährige Haftstrafe in einem israelischen Gefängnis.
TURKISH
Ahmad Sa’adat’a özgürlük!
Filistin Halk Kurtuluş Cephesi genel sekreteri Sa’adat 15 ocak 2002 tarihinde Filistin otoriteleri tarafından göz altına alındı ve ABD ve Ingiliz denetiminde tutuklandı. 2006 yılındaki şiddetli bir saldırı sonrasında işgal gücleri tarafından kaçırıldı; şu an onaylanan 30 yıllık hapis cezasından dolayı Israil hapishanesinde yatıyor.
Ο Γενικός γραμματέας του Λαϊκού Μετώπου για την απελευθέρωση της Παλαιστίνης, Άχμαντ Σααντάτ συνελήφθη από την Παλαιστινιακή Αρχή στις 15 Ιανουαρίου 2002 και φυλακίστηκε υπό την προστασία της Αμερικής και της Βρετανίας. Μετά από μια βίαιη επίθεση το 2006 απήχθη από τις δυνάμεις Κατοχής και εκτίει ποινή φυλάκισης για 30 χρόνια.
Sa’adat, segretario generale del Fronte Popolare di Liberazione della Palestina, è stato arrestato dall’autorità Palestinese il 15 gennaio 2002 e imprigionato e sorvegliato dalle autorità americane e britanniche. Dopo un violento attacco nel 2006, è stato rapito dalle forze d’occupazione. Sconta attualmente una pena di 30 anni in una prigione Israeliana.
SPANISH
Libertad para Ahmad Sa’adat
Sa’adat, secretario general del Frente Popular de Liberación de Palestina, arrestado por la autoridad palestina el 15 de enero de 2002 y encarcelado bajo vigilancia americana y británica. Después de un ataque violento en 2006, fue secuestrado por las fuerzas de ocupación. Cumple actualmente una pena de 30 años en una prisión israelí.
DANISH
Frihed for Ahmad Sa’adat
Generalsekretæren for PFLP (Folkefronten til Palæstinas Befrielse), Ahmad Sa’adat, blev arresteret af det palæstinensiske selvstyre (PA) den 15. Januar 2002 og fængslet under US-amerikansk og britisk overvågning. Under et voldsomt angreb i 2006 blev han kidnappet af besættelsesstyrker og har siden været indespærret i israelske fængsler, idømt 30 års fængsel.
