Pro-Palestinian activism has been a part of the European political scene for decades. Since the start of the latest Palestinian resistance on October 7, 2023, people, particularly those involved in progressive politics, have been closely following and showing solidarity with the Palestinian people.
However, activism and actions in Europe are often out of touch with the realities of the region, frequently adopting a Eurocentric point of view. Many people living in Europe, including members of the Palestinian and Arab diaspora, often find significant differences in understanding the root causes of the conflict compared to those who are directly affected in the region.
This is why events that bring together groups with similar aims are particularly valuable. One such event took place on November 16, 2023. Organized by the Patriotic Democratic Socialist Party (PPDS) of Tunisia, this event served as an example of both physical and digital activism.
The event, which was part of the International Seminar on the Centenary of Lenin, Palestine, and National Liberation Movements, featured contributors from organizations based in Palestine and around the world. It took place at the Al Hamra Theater in Tunis and was also livestreamed online. Among the Palestinian contributors were representatives from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), the Palestinian Communist Party, and Palestinian writer and researcher Abu Ali Hassan. Other participants included representatives from Alba Grenada (Latin America), Marxist Theory (Turkey), Union of Cypriots (Cyprus), and the Patriotic Democratic Socialist Party itself.
The organization representatives discussed the Palestinian struggle from a Marxist-Leninist perspective. One notable aspect of the event was its success in bringing together representatives of two major resistance organizations in Gaza with organizations from Latin America, Asia, and Europe. Despite mainstream media frequently portraying Hamas as the sole organization in Gaza, secular and progressive groups such as the PFLP and DFLP are also part of the resistance forces.
The event was livestreamed on social media platforms like Facebook, with some contributors giving their speeches remotely.
The participating organizations and parties found common ground on many issues during the discussion. A significant contribution came from the representative of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who built his argument on four key points: Lenin’s perspective on political and social contradictions, Zionist ideology from a Leninist perspective, the Zionist entity’s internal administrative conflicts and fundamental contradictions, and the conditions for managing external contradictions with the Zionist entity.
The representative from Cyprus highlighted that the settler colonialism seen today in Palestine, Cyprus, Puerto Rico, and New Caledonia represents the highest stage of what Lenin condemned as a policy of annexation based on the extermination of native populations — essentially, genocide.
This event was unique for both theoretical and practical reasons, particularly given its timing. Amid an ongoing war, elements of the resistance and the global socialist movement came together in person and remotely to exchange ideas and emphasize that the greatest weapon for victory is solidarity.
References:
Tunisia: International Lenin’s Centennial Symposium at the Alhambra Theatre – Al-Hadaf News Portal
https://www.facebook.com/PPDSTN/videos/899702428894075
