Omar Hassan is the editor of the Marxist Left Review.
Middle Eastern supporters of Palestine have long bemoaned the failure of Arab leaders to take a strong stance against the Israeli occupation. It’s easy to see why.
It’s always been difficult to speak out in support of Palestine. Those who want to do so are confronted by a genocide-denying consensus among the pro-Israeli Western establishment. Those who insist on speaking out against Israel and its imperial backers inevitably get turned into pariahs.
Large demonstrations have been taking place across Syria in recent weeks. While their scale has yet to reach the peaks seen in 2011, many are hopeful that the government will be brought down. To get a more detailed assessment of the movement and the situation it faces in Syria, Red Flag spoke to long-time Syrian leftist Jamal Chamma. Jamal is based in Melbourne and has been involved for years in organising demonstrations in solidarity with the Syrian revolution.
When asked about her thoughts on the charges arrayed against Donald Trump, former Republican governor of Alaska Sarah Palin was quick to reply. “Those who are conducting this travesty”, she said, “and creating this two-tier system of justice, I want to ask them: What the heck? Do you want us to be in civil war? Because that’s what’s going to happen. We’re not going to keep putting up with this”.
It’s universally acknowledged that Australia is in an epic housing crisis.
It’s not often that the proceedings of a local council meeting make national headlines. But when more than 100 far-right activists descended on a recent meeting of the Monash City Council, it was right to pay attention.