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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">What would Che Guevara do?</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Qamar Taleb</div>
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<div class="gmail-reader-estimated-time">April 9, 2024<br></div>
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<div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page"><p>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.</p><img src="cid:ii_lusciv830" alt="7d081a75-ab01-47d7-a707-04ddbff5fa54.png" width="408" height="347"><br><div><ul id="gmail-content-slick-0"><div aria-hidden="false"><li>
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)
</li></div></ul>
<p>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. <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/120-000-palestinians-defy-israeli-restrictions--pray-in-al-a">Their resistance has worn several shapes and forms</a> from a simple rock thrown at an Israeli Merkava to meticulous groundbreaking operations conducted by Resistance groups. </p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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<em> </em>through guerilla warfare rather than mere protests<em>.</em>
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. </p>
<p>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 <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/in-182-days-only--33-091-killed--75-750-injured-in-gaza">embodied by Palestinians</a>
from the moment they are born to the moment they leave the world, often
with their blood on the hands of Israeli occupation forces. </p>
<p>"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. </p>
<h2>Che Guevara is still alive</h2>
<p>Following the Israeli attack that deliberately targeted and killed <strong>Al Mayadeen</strong>
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. </p>
<p></p>
<p>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<em> </em>against imperialism, I was curious to
know what she believes Che would think amid the increasing leftist
diversion from armed resistance.</p>
<p>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?"</p>
<p>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."</p>
<p>"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. </p>
<p>"But if someone has been <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/father-of-worker-killed-by--israel--says-son-insisted-to-hel">deprived of their own homeland</a>,
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?"</p>
<p>"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."</p>
<p>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?"</p>
<p>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?"</p>
<p>"The Palestinian people are aiming towards achieving their own
freedom and liberation. How can I ask them to not use armed resistance?"
Guevara stressed. </p>
<p>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?
"</p>
<p>"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."</p>
<p>"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." </p>
<h2>Always ask yourself </h2>
<p>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. </p>
<p>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? <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/icj-rules-its-jurisdiction-over-israeli-genocidal-crimes-in">The ICJ did not order a ceasefire</a>
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 <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/180-days-of-genocide-later--white-house-denies-israeli-law-v">US's John Kirby still claiming</a> that the occupation is not violating International Humanitarian Law. </p>
<p>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?" </p>
<p><strong>Read more: <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/dear-icc--actions-speak-louder-than-words">Dear ICC, actions speak louder than words</a></strong></p></div></div></div>
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