By Suhail Shafi

June 2009 marks the 42’nd anniversary of the Israeli capture of the Gaza Strip. Although this may not be a round number, the Israeli onslaught on Gaza over the New Year ‘08/’09 period focused international attention towards the plight of some 1.5 million Gazans who have endured four decades of military occupation, massive collective and individual human rights abuses, and a crippling siege that shows few signs of ending. The glare of media publicity has since shifted elsewhere, but with the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza continuing, peace and justice movements in the US and other Western nations is attempting to continue to focus attention towards the Gaza crisis.

The Washington based ANSWER ( Act Now to Stop the War and End Racism, www.answercoalition.org ) Coalition recently organized a protest outside the Israeli embassy in Washington to commemorate 42 years of occupation and siege, and to once again protest US support for Israeli actions. I traveled from my home in rural Alabama to Washington to attend the protest. The journey, like most of my other trips to Washington, was long, arduous, tiring, and worth every bit of the effort.

I first drove overnight from small town Alabama to Atlanta, then caught a plane to Washington, and made good use of my hotel shuttle to a local bus station, before finally using Washington’s legendary metro to reach the site of the protest – the Israeli embassy. Having traveled close to six hundred miles to the venue of the rally, I was a little underwhelmed by the size of the protest – some fifty or sixty protesters at the most chose to participate in a rally organized by an antiwar outfit that managed to garner the support of some 300,000 protestors just prior to the Iraq invasion. And yet, as is usually the case, what protesters for justice sometime lack in their numbers, they more than make up for in their verve and enthusiasm – and this protest was no exception.

We gathered outside the Israeli embassy, closely guarded by local police at midday. As Brian Becker, the National Coordinator for the ANSWER Coalition began a passionate speech opposing the military occupation, siege and bombardment of Gaza, I distributed fliers sent to me by the US Campaign to End the Occupation raising awareness about the role Caterpillar bulldozers have played in razing Palestinians homes. I also gave out leaflets chronicling the loss of Palestinian land over the past six decades since the creation of Israel, sent to me by If Americans Knew, an organization that raises awareness about the Israeli occupation. Distributing materials can be hard work, not just while one is holding a placard, but also when one has to compete with fiery speakers while attracting the attention of attending protesters. But antiwar protesters manage to develop a sense of rapport that develops almost instantaneously and usually transcends minor differences in perspective.

The crowd gathered outside the Israeli embassy was, as is usually the case with anti war protesters, a diverse group. It consisted of a good number of Middle Eastern peoples, seasoned veterans of other protests, a few passers by, and perhaps, most interestingly of all, around a dozen or so Ultra Orthodox Jews from a sect known as Neturei Karta (www.nkusa.org) This group of Hasidic Jews sees the creation of Israel as a violation of their sacred texts, and not surprisingly, have been increasingly vocal in criticizing the Israeli state in recent years. The inherent unity of various profoundly diverse sections of society in opposing injustices committed across the world is richly woven into the ethos of the anti war movement, and this protest, small as it was, was no exception.

The protesters then marched from the Israeli embassy to the main street below, chanting slogans opposing the siege of Gaza, and the continued occupation of the West Bank. The gathering garnered support from at least a few passing motorists, the ensuing enthusiasm helped the gathering deflect at least a few of the boos and jeers of those less inclined towards agreeing with us. The highlight of the protest, however, came when the ANSWER Coalition’s Brian Becker spoke of the next humanitarian delegation organized by outspoken British parliamentarian George Galloway to depart to Gaza, this time taking a contingent of US citizens and American aid directly from the US to Gaza. For all their enthusiasm for protesting, nothing could match the delight of the marchers when they realized another convoy was going to Gaza, this time with a large delegation of American activists, not only to show their solidarity, but also to deliver much needed humanitarian aid.

The organization of the protest did have its pitfalls. Having been informed of the protest at least two months in advance, I was disappointed at the lack of involvement by the broader antiwar movement. WashingtonDC is home to any number of such groups, yet as an activist on the mailing list of almost all of the major liberal/progressive organizations, I was struck by the fact that the event was organized and orchestrated almost singularly by the ANSWER Coalition. When I called up the offices of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, also located in the Washington DC area, I was told that organization had not even been informed of the protest, despite being one of the most vocal and active organizations opposing the occupation. I suspect that the same could also be said of almost all other similar organizations that share the same goals.

What the anti-occupation movement may sometimes lack in organizational skills, it invariably makes up for with its determination, its courage, and passion for universal justice. Few who have attended such protests in the last few years would disagree – one has, whatever the turnout of such protests, reason to believe that as long as violence and injustice plague the world, the anti war movement will find the ideological ammunition and ambition to go from strength to strength.