Daniel Lazare is white supremacist scum, no different than Mark Regev or Josef Goebbels. His words should warrant no response other than contempt and disdain. What he believes has less value than the dust on the desk at which I write–that used to be something useful, like skin cells. Even so, I have been directed to ignore my own advice. Let us begin.
Nicolás V. has adequately addressed most of Lazare’s social-fascist claims, but there remain some open points. Lazare writes: ‘Hamas’s goal is obvious: to inspire jihad throughout the Muslim world.’ Though this is not Hamas’s main goal, it is one of their goals. However, I do not, nor should any communist, see this goal as something wholly negative or to be fought. For over twenty years, the protagonists of anti-imperialist struggles in the Muslim world–most notably, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine–have been self-professed mujahidin. It is true that they (Hamas included) consider themselves members of a global movement for Islam, according to which they want to govern. Often their interpretations of Islam are quite retrograde (though not especially in Hamas’ case), particularly to those of us on the left, but we must remember that it is men and women who make change, not angels. Class politics does not change though the language used to express it does, and class politics does not end within national borders–its terrain is global. The objectively democratic character of these struggles remains the same, no matter its leaders, and their victory has international effects.
Consider the Biden administration’s numerous troubles in world politics, which were set off by the retreat from Afghanistan. The Americans’ humiliating defeat at the hands of the Taliban–odious though they may be–set off a global domino effect in which Western imperialism has stumbled from one failure to the other. Shortly after the Taliban’s victory was the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which, at the time of writing, has been a successful war against NATO aggression, Western imperialism, and Third World oppression. Finally, less than two years after the invasion came the Al-Aqsa Flood operation of October 7, in which Palestinian fighters trounced the IDF and briefly liberated territories within the ‘48 borders. For a short time, the descendants of the Nakba retook the land from which their grandparents had been expelled. In a delightful twist of fate, many of them reenacted scenes visited upon their ancestors, but now turned against their tormentors. One Israeli woman reported that while she hid in her basement, a group of Palestinians made themselves at home in her house, cooking food, watching television, listening to music–just as the Zionist invaders had done to their Palestinian hosts during the 1947-48 ethnic cleansings.1 Although Palestine is enduring genocidal assault, many have correctly noted that it is winning the war, which is politics by other means. This is reflected by opinion polls of Palestinians, who, from river to sea, not only express overwhelming support for Hamas and violent resistance, but also show remarkable confidence in their own eventual victory. This is perhaps best embodied by an account from a Shin Bet interrogation officer (read: torturer) who was in charge of Yahya Sinwar during his imprisonment: ‘He told me in one interrogation: “You know that one day you will be the one under interrogation, and I will stand here as the government, as the interrogator. I will interrogate you.” I shudder when I say that now, because just think: This is not so very far from reality now [emphasis mine].’2 The defeat of Israel and Western control over the Middle East is near. That this will be accomplished under Islamist leadership does not change that it is in fact underway. Palestinian communists, such as the PFLP, understand this, which explains their support for Hamas and Al-Aqsa Flood.
Next, Lazare reveals that his own view of socialist politics is a religious one, which unfortunately makes him representative of most socialists. He writes: ‘But violence is only useful to the degree it advances socialist goals.’ In the absence of an international communist movement, these goals have no concrete relevance in reality. They depend entirely on the person envisioning them, making them just another personal belief. In effect, it is a theological category. What is taboo for one may be ordinary for another. Those of us in comfortable societies can afford this daydreaming, but Hamas, who lead the Palestinian liberation movement, must keep in close touch with the facts lest they and their nation face extermination. Their concern is the destruction of Israel and the liberation of Palestine. Utility is defined by whatever serves these goals. According to this measurement, Al-Aqsa Flood was a clear success. Emile Hokayem, director of the International Institute of Strategic Studies, reports that the risk of regional warfare, in which Israel will likely be destroyed, is higher than it has ever been. In 2006, Hizbullah trounced the IDF, whose humiliating defeat revealed the corroding effects of Occupation.3 In contrast, seventeen years later, Hizbullah has become a regional power in its own right, with weaponry, reserves, infrastructure, and experience far more advanced than in 2006. The once-feared IDF has become a glorified police-army, as revealed by October 7.
Finally, the debate on the Hamas Charter reveals an interesting lack of self-awareness among left-wing commentators like Lazare. It is true that Hamas replaced the 1988 Charter with the much more pluralist 2017 Charter, but suppose they had not. This would not in any sense dilute the democratic character of their struggle, nor would it be any less justified. Consider Israel’s barbarism in the past two months, let alone the past 75 years, in which it has invoked nearly every expression of Judaism in service of genocide. This certainly gives credence to the original Charter’s animus. It is beyond arrogant to expect a deeply oppressed people to not take their oppressors at their word when they endlessly claim that Zionism is Judaism and Judaism is Zionism. Only a few days ago, IDF tanks desecrated agricultural fields by digging the Star of David all across them. When the soldier who kills your brother and rapes your sister does so with the Star of David emblazoned on his uniform–your only interaction with this symbol–then it is quite natural to regard all Jews as fascist oppressors. Of course, I do not adhere to this view, but I will never, nor should any communist, blame Palestinians who do. The fault for this equation is not theirs, but that of Zionists. They are lucky that most Palestinians neither share their polluted racialist worldview nor desire revenge, hence Hamas’ adoption of the new Charter. Lazare’s decision to ignore this amounts to lying by omission, suggesting he thinks his readers are too stupid to notice the deception. Such Goebbelsian deceit is odd coming from a supposed socialist, but it would not be the first time that Lazare has bent reality to justify the murder of non-whites–look at his response to Jordan Neely’s murder.
Free Palestine,
-R. Ashlar
- Ruth Marks Eglash, ‘Kibbutz Nir Oz, where Hamas’ mass terror attack became personal,’ Jewish Insider, 17 Nov., 2023. Link: https://jewishinsider.com/2023/11/kibbutz-nir-oz-where-hamas-mass-terror-attack-became-personal/.
- Ayelet Shani, ‘Sinwar Told Me: One Day I’ll Be in Power – and You’ll Be the One Interrogated,’ Haaretz, 15 Dec., 2023. Link: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-12-15/ty-article-magazine/.highlight/sinwar-told-me-one-day-ill-be-in-power-and-youll-be-the-one-interrogated/0000018c-6a50-db38-a9fc-ebf2e85f0000.
- For the U.S. Military’s scathing assessment, see: Matt M. Matthews, We Were Caught Unprepared: The 2006 Hezbollah-Israeli War (Fort Leavenworth: Combat Studies Institute Press, 2008). Link: https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/we-were-caught-unprepared.pdf.