[News] What would Che Guevara do?

Tue Apr 9 08:18:08 EDT 2024

english.almayadeen.net
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/what-would-che-guevara-do>
What would Che Guevara do?
Qamar Taleb
April 9, 2024
------------------------------

As there is a growing trend among the Left to sway away from openly
supporting Resistance groups, leftists need to pause and ask themselves
what the figures they cherish would do.
[image: 7d081a75-ab01-47d7-a707-04ddbff5fa54.png]

   - An illustration showing Ernesto Che Guevara, a Palestinian freedom
   fighter, and the destruction in Gaza caused by Israeli strikes. (Al
   Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Mahdi Rtail)

To say that the Israeli genocide against Palestinians has been ongoing for
more than six months is inaccurate, as it started in 1948, 76 years ago.
Over the past 76 years, Palestinians have exhibited magnificent strength
and determination in facing their oppressor, defending themselves against
the Israeli occupation, and fighting for their own liberation and
freedom. Their
resistance has worn several shapes and forms
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/120-000-palestinians-defy-israeli-restrictions--pray-in-al-a>
from a simple rock thrown at an Israeli Merkava to meticulous
groundbreaking operations conducted by Resistance groups.

Ever since local resistance movements emerged, many people have stood up
against them for reasons that vary from pure Western propaganda to just
simply being pro-imperialist. The saddening stance, however, is the one
taken by several leftists around the world who do want a free Palestine but
do not support resistance groups.

The very same people praise revolutionaries like Ernesto Che Guevera, who
dedicated his life to fighting imperialism through armed struggle, making
imperialists fear him even after it gruesomely killed him. Che Guevara
showed the world the importance of fighting imperialism through guerilla
warfare rather than mere protests*.* He spread important ideas, through
statements and actions, that to this day, inspire many people, most of whom
are to the left of the political spectrum.

A very famous video for Che Guevara shows him giving a speech at the United
Nations. He ends his speech by saying "Homeland or death." This has
been embodied
by Palestinians
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/in-182-days-only--33-091-killed--75-750-injured-in-gaza>
from the moment they are born to the moment they leave the world, often
with their blood on the hands of Israeli occupation forces.

"Homeland or death," if taken in the context of Palestine, strictly means
that one should do everything they can to fight for a free Palestine, from
the river to the sea. It means that leftists around the world should not
promote or even accept a "two-state solution," nor should they accept the
demonization of Resistance groups by the Israeli occupation and its allies,
or even hesitate to support the Resistance.
Che Guevara is still alive

Following the Israeli attack that deliberately targeted and killed *Al
Mayadeen* correspondent Farah Omar, videographer Rabih Me'mari, and Hussein
Akil on November 20, Che Guevara's daughter, Aleida, visited Lebanon to
attend the memorial service of the martyrs.

Aleida Guevara also took a detour to Saida, a city in South Lebanon, and
met with the Popular Democratic Party, a leftist group. As I was present in
the meeting and had the honor to meet Che's own flesh and blood, and heard
her share many stories about her father and experiences from her own
struggle against imperialism, I was curious to know what she believes Che
would think amid the increasing leftist diversion from armed resistance.

So I asked, "We notice today that many people within the left, who raise
pictures of Che and idolize him, have a negative stance toward several
Resistance groups standing against Western imperialism, from Hamas to
Hezbollah and the Yemeni Armed Forces. If Che was here today, what would
his opinion be, and what can we do to unite fronts?"

She started her reply by saying that it was indeed a difficult mission to
unite these fronts, but "I always say, based on my father's thinking, we
should always look for the common ground. We should begin by specifying our
goals and then look for what unites us or what common goals we have."

"For example in some countries, free healthcare, education, respectable and
decent shelters for our people... our right to work in our own homeland. We
can always look for common goals and work towards them," she elaborated.

"But if someone has been deprived of their own homeland
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/father-of-worker-killed-by--israel--says-son-insisted-to-hel>,
to begin with, how would they be able to think of all these things? What do
you expect from them? How do you expect them to have free healthcare, for
example, if they do not even have their basic rights over their own
homeland?"

"Some people do not support armed resistance. To these people, I ask: Can
you tell us what your alternative is? What do you suggest since you are
against armed resistance? Because this problem was not born [on October 7].
The war has been going on for many long years."

She further said that many attempts were made by Palestinians using a
number of different methods, to urge the world to even listen to their
struggles, emphasizing, "How many more Palestinian children, women, and
elderly still have to die, and how much further should their homes get
destroyed for people to acknowledge the Palestinian cause and support it?"

Aleida Guevara then shared a personal incident in an interview with a
channel "affiliated with the Vatican", where she was asked what she thinks
about "Islamist terrorism". She answered by saying that her opinion was
exactly the same as that one on "Christian terrorism", stating, "Terrorism
is terrorism"; however, she told the interviewer that if they were
targeting the Resistance with this statement, then "how do you expect
Palestinians to take back their land if not by armed resistance?"

"The Palestinian people are aiming towards achieving their own freedom and
liberation. How can I ask them to not use armed resistance?" Guevara
stressed.

She highlighted that the Palestinians do not even have tanks to fight off
Israeli tanks, "But at least they can bomb these tanks or destroy them;
would I dare to tell them 'do not blow these tanks up, let them run you
over instead?' What right do I have to say this to Palestinians? "

"I am not living through this reality like Palestinians are, and because of
this specific reason, I have no right to condemn or criticize anyone who
commits such acts of resistance. Certain principles can never be crossed."

"When any population decides to defend itself in the way it sees fit, I
support it without even thinking twice about it, and if someone does not
understand this or accept it then they are nowhere near being leftist."
Always ask yourself

Ghassan Kanafani, a prominent revolutionary Palestinian author, once said,
"Bodies fall, but ideas endure," and this applies to Ernesto Che Guevara
and every other revolutionary, including Kanafani himself. The ideas
brought by Che Guevara have faced a trend of neglect by many who admire
him. However, they are still alive through his daughter and every other
leftist who supports armed resistance.

It is not hard to understand why a free Palestine can only be achieved
through armed resistance, especially amid the recent events with South
Africa taking "Israel" to court, and not just any court but the most
important one under international law, the International Court of Justice.
And what was the result? The ICJ did not order a ceasefire
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/icj-rules-its-jurisdiction-over-israeli-genocidal-crimes-in>
but rather ordered "Israel" to take all measures to prevent genocide acts
in Gaza, ensure its forces do not commit genocide, and take measures to
improve the humanitarian situation. "Israel" did not only fail to do that,
but it also even committed further illegal and inhumane acts in its
genocide against Gaza with the US's John Kirby still claiming
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/180-days-of-genocide-later--white-house-denies-israeli-law-v>
that the occupation is not violating International Humanitarian Law.

Put simply, if you are a leftist and you are still not sure of the
importance and value of armed resistance, just ask yourself "What would Che
Guevara do?"

*Read more: Dear ICC, actions speak louder than words
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/dear-icc--actions-speak-louder-than-words>*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20240409/eeae8ce1/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 7d081a75-ab01-47d7-a707-04ddbff5fa54.png
Type: image/png
Size: 756586 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20240409/eeae8ce1/attachment-0001.png>