VOICES FROM
THE FRONT LINE
AGAINST THE
OCCUPATION

INTERVIEW WITH PALESTINIAN ANARCHISTS

In this new, even more horrifying
phase of the 75-year-long
occupation of Palestine by Israel,
it is important fo give a platform
to Palestinians struggling against
ethnic cleansing.

Black Rose / Rosa Negra (BRRN) reached out to Fauda, a small group centered
in the West Bank that identifies itself s a Palestinian anarchist organization,
to get their perspective on the current struggle. Fauda is a group that is new
to us, and which we don't have more information about beyond the interview
presented here and what can be found in their public channels. Because of
our own limited understanding of Fauda's politics, strategy and activity;
publishing this interview cannot be a complete endorsement of them. But we
hope that this interview will be a step in creating more connections between
revolutionaries in the US and the militant youth in Palestine, and more
knowledge and understanding of each other.

Regardless of any similarities or differences in our politics, we believe that we
need to be listening to the perspectives of militants on the ground resisting
the violence of US-funded ethnic cleansing. We hope that this short interview
can be a contribution to strengthening our own work here of undermining

imperialism and settler-colonialism

Other than edits for clarity across translation, the content of this interview is
presented unaltered. We want to thank our Palestinian and Arabic-speaking
friends for their help with conducting and translating this interview. We also
want to extend our gratitude to the representative of Fauda who thoughtfully
engaged with our questions during a moment of extreme uncertainty and
violence.

Interview conducted by the Black Rose,/Rosa Negra Internationl Relations

‘Committes IRC). View the interview online, including he orginol Arabic:
wwww blackrosefed.org/blog
BRRN: Can you tell us about your group—what are
your activities, and what makes Fauda distinct from
other Palestinian political groups, like DFLP, PFLP,
Hamas, Fatah, etc.?

Fauda: Our group is known as the “Fauda Movement in Palestine” and con-
sists of young activists and academics from inside and outside Palestine.

Our goal is to bring together all forces with various political and intellectual
ideas and trends and focus them on fighting the unjust occupation and rac-
ist Zionist thought in Palestine. That's why we have good relations with some
young people from the Jewish faith, some converts, some Muslims, Christians,
and others.

‘The idea is that many Palestinians oppose the racist and unjust acts of the
Zionist occupation, but they do not find a single axis around which they can
unite. This is why we often see that instead of focusing on fighting racism and
the Zionist apartheid regime, they attack each other.

Here we are playing the role of mediation between the various parties to bring
together all the possiblities and capabilities of the Palestinians to combat the

apartheid regime.

We have carried out various activities, including teaching Palestinian youth
how to struggle and the methods of struggle and anarchist thought (the ed-
ucational unit). Coordinating various vigils and protests, some peaceful and
some in the form of black bloc (the executive unit). Publishing news and
everything related to Palestine and the Palestinian people, and what the Is-
racli army and security systems are doing. The suppression of individual and
social freedoms, demolition of Palestinian homes, killing of children, massa-
cres and genocide against the Palestinian people and so on (News Unit). And
the dissemination of important information about the history of Palestine, the
history of the Palestinian and Isracli conflict, and the intellectual differences
that the new generation may face from its past, because here we are facing a
fierce media war that distorts the facts and turns them in favor of sracl. As you
know, Israel has channels that broadcast around the clock in Arabic in order to
distort historical facts and spread its false narrative about the past and what is
currently happening on the ground (Media Unit)

This s a short overview of the Fauda Movement in Palestine.
What do you want comrades in the US to know about
the situation in Palestine right now?

Regarding this question, 1 want to tell all our brothers around the world, not
just in the United States, to never trust what the global media empire tells you,
as we have always seen how it distorts the news and turns it in favor of global
colonialism and the Zionist occupation.

Here in Palestine we are suffering. We suffer from being robbed of the mini-
mum requirements of life. 1 want you to know that there is not a single day - I
assure you, literally - there is not a single day that the Isracli army does not
arrest a young Palestinian man or woman as she walks in the street.

‘The Palestinian areas in the West Bank always suffer from electricity and wa-
ter cuts on an almost daily basis. For years, the Isracli army has been seeking
to forcibly displace some Palestinian areas in order to seize them and build
new settlements there. In the past, the army was practicing all repressive and
violent methods to clear out these areas and displace Palestinians from their
land, but recently we see that they are practicing a soft policy for the same.
previous goals, ie. forced displacement. This soft policy consists of cutting off
electricity and water for a long period, not collecting waste from those areas so.
that a stench reeks in those areas, launching comprehensive military exercises
dlose to those areas to harm the Palestinian population in that area, and other
inhumane actions carried out by the Zionist occupation. This is a very small
and simple part of what is happening throughout the year here in Palestine,
especially in the West Bank.

Currently, in the midst of this violent war, Israeli security forces have arrested
a large number of civilians in the West Bank without any specific charges for
fear of the outbreak of confrontations in the West Bank. Imagine that you are
sitting at home with your family; and suddenly Israeli soldiers enter, pointing
weapons at you and your family, and arrest you without any crime you com-
mitted. That's exactly the situation here. [ wish they were just arrests. In many
cases, arrests lead to severe torture in prisons and even death as a result of
these systematic practices.

Twant you to know something else, which i that the Palestinian Authority and
President Mahmoud Abbas do not represent us, the Palestinian people, at all.
We reject authority and we reject Abbas and all his ministers. I do not know
whether you have heard of the security coordination agreement between the
Zionist occupation and the Palestinian Authority. Years ago, the Palestinian
Authority concluded an agreement under which it would serve the occupying
entity in terms of security. That is, all the young Palestinian activists who fight
the Zionist occupation in one way or another and the occupation cannot arrest
them, the Palestinian Authority pursues them, arrests them, and hands them
over to the occupation, and then no one knows the fate of that young man or
that girl. These do not represent us, nor any other Palestinian. These are com-
pletely rejected in the Palestinian street, but unfortunately they are officially
and internationally recognized by the United Nations and supported by the
United States of America.

What has the past week been like for you personally?

‘The issue is not a matter of a week or two, my brother. We live in a state of
oppression and deprivation of individual and social freedoms all year round.
Yes, last week there were much more tragedies and painful news than in pre-
vious months. We received news of the death of many of our relatives and
friends throughout the Palestinian territories. This is very painful. We have
many friends in the West Bank and in Gaza. The Palestinian population in
Gaza is now living in a very dangerous situation. For more than three or four
days, they [the Israeli occupation forces] have cut off electricity and water in
the Gaza Strip. When the electricity s cut off, many social services stop, es-
pecially hospitals. The bombing continues on the people of Gaza around the
dlock. Even in the middle of the night they bombard this small area. Israel has
‘completely blockaded this area. People canit even escape them. The occupation
prevents humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza. The occupation forbids food,
forbids water, forbids medicine and everything else. Gaza has become a small
dungeon, bombed from every side and place. Imagine that a mother sees her
young infant injured and bleeding, but there is no hospital providing services
due to a power outage. How would you like to describe this mother feclings?

My brother, words cannot describe what is happening here. This area has be-
‘come hell because of the occupation and the presence of Zionism in it
‘What movements in Palestine do you think hold the
most hope for the future of Palestinians and why—

for example, the Lion’s Den of Nablus, or different
workers struggles?

We need youth movements that believe in the possibility of liberation, and that
work to build unity with the rest of the movements and trends in Palestine.
Experience has proven that one movement alone cannot accomplish a major
achievement that leads to the liberation of Palestine. We need to all deal with
each other, whether Muslims, Jews, Christians, converts, anarchists, and other
ideas that exist in the Palestinian arena. Thisis what we seek: to bring everyone
together under one banner and with one goal, which is to combat Zionism,
liberate Palestine, and restore our freedom. OF course, there are many move-
ments in the Palestinian arena, including the Lion's Den. But the Lion's Den is
not the only movement. There are many other trends and movements,includ-
ing labor struggles, striving with all their energy; but due to the strict security
conditions and systematic repressive policies practiced by the occupation and
also by the traitorous Palestinian Authority, they are not seen in a visible and
significant way in public. Because we always need to be careful and cautious
For this reason, | was not able to conduct an audio or video interview with you

In 2021 Palestinians across the West Bank, Gaza, and
even those who are citizens of Israel, participated in
a general strike in reaction to evictions of Palestinian
families in Sheikh Jarrah. What role do you see for
work stoppages and general strikes in this period?

Ithink we have passed the stage of general strikes in Israel. Of course, I do not
want to deny the importance ofstrikes and their effectiveness, but the situation
here in Palestine and experience has proven that the only solution is struggle
and even armed struggle against the apartheid regime.

‘The occupation does not hesitate to commit any type of crime, injustice, or per-
secution. Exen if you own a profession or a shop and you go on strike, the result
will be that they wil steal your shop and give it to another Zionist, or they will
fire you from your job, and thus another Zionist will take the job. Easily!

‘The conditions here are completely different from what is happening to you in
the United States, my brother.
Do you believe that there is any hope of large
numbers of working class Israelis ever abandoning
zionism—as small numbers of anarchists and social
have, or do you think that the attachment to settler

colonialism is too strong for them to ever overcome?

‘The Zionists who are here in the Palestinian territories came here on the basis.
of the ideological principle that this land is their land and that the Jewish peo-
ple are the chosen people. OF course, everyone whao believes in this principle
and adopts this ideology cannot easily abandon Zionism, nor recognize the
freedom of others and the principle of equality between human beings.

But we make a distinction between Zionism and Judaism. We have Jewish
friends who speak Hebrew and believe in the Torah, but they do not believe in
Zionism, and they even help us in our activities against the occupying entity.
Therefore, yes, we hope that the number of these people willincrease and that
many of them, especially in the working class, will abandon this racist ideolog-
ical principle that has no connection to Judaism at al. We welcome them and
receive them with open arms, and we can work with them and live together
in peace.

What do you think are the most effective acts of
solidarity for liberation in Palestine that comrades in
the US can take?

Ithink the most important thing you can do is media support for the Palestin-
ians. You can explain to the people in the United States the Palestinian issue
as it i, not according to the false Israli narrative. You can publish news and
events taking place in Palestine. There are many videos and pictures of the dai-
Iy crimes of the occupying entity on Palestinian websites. We also publish this
news on our Instagram page @fauda_palestine* and our Telegram channel
@fauda_ps. You can translate this news and deliver the facts to our brothers
in the United States. Do not make the official media and American and Isracli
channels your only sources from which you receive news and follow events
Follow the Palestinian media as well. The Palestinian media faces a very severe
media blackout. Try to break this blackout and reach some of the current facts
in the Palestinian arena,

“Note: as of this zine layout, @fauda_palestine has been removed from Instagram.
((This is what we seek:
o bring everyone
ogether under one
banner and with
one goal, which is
o combat Zionism,
iberate Palestine,
and restore our

reedom.))