This zine is a follow up to “The Palestinian Cause,” an infozine published in December 2023 and written and distributed by Big Baby Publishing. The prior publication was focused on a brief background on the Cause at large, while here we get into deeper analysis of actions perpetrated today, both on the ground in Occupied Palestine, and across the water here in the states.
For access to the first issue, or for any questions or concerns, please email us at bigbabypub@gmail.com
Grounding in today— concepts & reflections
The genocide of Palestine is perhaps the first large scale atrocity we have seen publically broadcasted to this scale. Despite the endless censorship and shadowbans imposed by Twitter and Meta, social media has undeniably democratized the flow of information to anyone with an internet connection and an email address.
For many of us, this has served as fuel for further radicalization, though not without tremendous grief. For many others, the endless broadcast of the siege on Gaza is merely a too-late whisper about something that has been taking place for decades.
And still across the globe, right wing, white supremacist propaganda insists that the easily avoidable killing of over 35,000 Palestinians remains a complex sociopolitical issue. In reality, it is a fairly simple, and sociopathic, financial issue. It is naïve to assume our leaders are acting in the interest of anything else but the continual accumulation of wealth. Many of the more “liberal” politicians revered by many blue states over the years are still unwilling to condemn the indiscriminate killing of thousands, not to mention our own president.
While we have seen potential evidence of a tide turning, we remain skeptical. It is clear that much of the talk that sympathizes with the Palestinian Cause is little more than lip service— while the U.S. government may have sent food packages to Gaza, it still continues sending billions of dollars to Israel in military funding— despite that, many of the food packages’ parachutes failed to deploy, turning vacuum sealed bags of beef jerky into rudimentary bombs themselves. It is key to recognize the horrors of Gaza not as an isolated event that could be stopped with a number of strategic policy changes, but rather as another routine act perpetuated by the same Industrial Killing Machine we all live, shit, and die in. Important in remembering this, is that the siege on Gaza seen in the past eight months is not remotely new either, and rather is the continuation of an eighty year ethnic cleansing campaign perpetuated by the so-called state of Israel.
This highlights the connectedness of all institutional struggle, the idea that all struggles are inherently connected at the same toxic root, a vast capitalist regime that acts out its atrocities using rhetoric of white supremacy, patriarchy, and imperialism. So when we talk about Gaza, we too are talking about the repeal of the Voting Rights Act in 2013, we are talking too about the thousands of young Black men held in private prisons across the nation, we are talking about the thousands of families held in abhorrent conditions in I.C.E. facilities, both along the U.S. southern border, as well as in our own backyards. While honoring the nagging horror of these realities it is also possible to draw strength from the understanding that we are inherently connected across all borders by our struggles.
Despite that, it is easy to slip into nihilism, both ideologically and colloquially, an issue we find ourselves in easily. When we recognize that the systems we face are deep and rooted, expensive and well armed, it is difficult to find strength or hope in the idea that we may ever find ourselves party to a different reality. Whether one chooses the lens of radical optimism or radical nihilism, that is neither our business or concern.
Still, in nihilism, we find the importance of resistance underlined in a thick black sharpie. Still, in optimism, we are encouraged to fight for tomorrow. Most schools of radical thought emphasize solidarity as a core tenant of their philosophy; in red black white and green infographics we see the word solidarity in 58 point Helvetica Bold. But what does it even mean?
Recently, we have seen the term solidarity watered down to mean “caring about something” or maybe “agreeing with a cause” but that doesn’t feel like it honors much of anything. If we apply a phrase, the word solidarity tends to be paired with a verb, we stand in solidarity, we fight in solidarity. The more blood I see pouring out of my iphone, a phone itself made with minerals that felt blood pouring over them, the more it is clear to me that the 58pt Helvetica solidarity is not enough.
In Seattle, an overwhelmingly white and segregated city, it is easy for white folks to end up in an echo chamber of moderate liberalism. Oftentimes, this is based on sympathy with little action, and a condemnation of violence from the resistance with little to no comment on state or colonial violence— we have seen this recently with Biden’s verbal slap on the wrist to the student encampments that popped up nationwide in April and May. Alternatively, the knowledge of white people experiencing such immense financial and social privilege at the expense of people of color can lead to a paralyzing sense of white guilt— and while this may be a fine starting point, it does virtually nothing to tear down the powers that be.
So then. We take stock of our skills. Some of us know how to write, others aren’t afraid of climbing ladders or throwing punches. Others still know how to talk to cops without losing their chill and some people don’t wince at the sight of blood and bruises.
A commitment to action means more than one thing. We’ve met revolutionaries in black balaclavas as well as chronically ill femmes who devote their time to learning everything they can over dog eared books, and regurgitating it back into our baby bird mouths. Together we can play parts in resistance, because even if you’re not the one throwing the rocks, the rock throwers will need to eat dinner that night.
Aid and organization
Today, the news from Gaza is horrifying. After carpet bombing nearly all of the 25 mile strip of land, a few months ago Israel began bombing the last “safe zone” left in the area, the city of Rafah. A few weeks ago, the Israeli Occupation Force began its ground invasion into the tent city, rolling in on tanks, and shooting indiscriminately. The illegal, u.s. made, white phosphorus bombs being dropped incinerate families in seconds, and start fires that will burn for days. The state of Israel has created hell on earth, and our tax dollars are paying for it.
We will not let this stand. A lot of us who are the most angry about it are kids, who are in school, who disagree with our parents, who are trying to get our grades up. Still, we must make the time. I will outline some forms of both financial and nonfinancial support.
- ESIMS
Israel has imposed a telecommunications blockade on Gaza, meaning there is no cell service or wifi in the area. The information we see coming out of Gaza is thanks to Esim cards, which are a relatively new piece of tech originally designed for travel, that is simply a digital version of the typical sim cards found in a smartphone— this allows a phone to connect to a network even when there isn’t cell service in the area. Esims range from $9-50. For more information on how to donate Esims to Gaza visit www.esimdonorsforgaza.org
- GOFUNDMES
Most of the Gofundmes we see today are to raise money for a visa to Egypt, a document which has become incredibly expensive. In this method you can donate as much money as you are able. Many people have expressed that they find the sheer volume of people to donate to overwhelming, or find despair in the idea that they cannot help everyone. It is important to reframe this as it being important to give what you can, and that you are not the only person donating, nor is it your job to save the world, but instead by mass contribution we can make a grand difference.
- LITERATURE
If you find yourself wanting to learn more, and learn with others, you can begin reading other zines(like this one!) and maybe even write your own on an area of liberation that interests you. Many zine databases also encourage printing out the pdf’s of zines they have on file, and distributing them around your area and community. I highly recommend www.crimethinc.com as a starting resource for doing such a thing.
- EVENTS
If you know some people, it may not be as hard as you think to organize events and benefits. This past December, our team was able to put on a benefit for Palestinian relief at the Vera Project in Seattle. While none of us individually had a tremendous amount of money to donate, between ticket sales ($10 each), and donations from the art vendors that sold their work, we were able to raise over $2,000 for the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund. Though in light of current circumstances, we would recommend donating any money you make to direct aid (gofundme, esims,) as opposed to charity based aid, that may take more time to make a difference.