For nearly two years, the US and Israel have been waging an unprecedented genocide against the Palestinian people of Gaza. Fully backed by the US, Israel has sent snipers into hospitals, kidnapped doctors, and even bombed them. They have unleashed destruction on homes, apartment buildings, mosques, schools, universities, churches, UN offices, aid convoys, and government buildings. Palestinians seeking shelter in so-called “safe zones” have been targeted while they sleep in tents. Thousands have been killed waiting in line for food aid, as the US and Israel weaponize food as a tool of genocide. Palestinian men kidnapped by the Israeli occupiers are routinely held without due process, subjected to torture and sexual abuse in concentration camps. A whole generation of Palestinian infants has been born only to face death by starvation or Israeli bombs. While this genocide continues unabated, Israel has expanded its war on Palestinians in the West Bank and has bombed and perpetuated terrorist attacks against sovereign nations across the region: Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.

People who live in the US have a responsibility to act against this genocide, which is being aided and abetted by the US government in the interests of US imperialism. The US has provided Israel billions of dollars in weapons and military aid, as well as ceaseless political and diplomatic support for this genocide. Over the last two years, we have failed to meet that responsibility. Too many have been cowed by repression, afraid to speak out against the horrors unfolding before our eyes. A hyper-individualist culture has convinced many that their actions are limited to what they can do on their phone screens or through individual consumer choices. A class of misleaders has restricted protests to radical rhetoric chanted behind police lines. Social media has conditioned people to believe that protesting should prioritize safety over boldness and audacity.

Yet, some have found ways to do what must be done. The encampments and building occupations of spring 2024 exploded onto the national stage as a crucial escalation in resistance, disrupting business as usual on hundreds of campuses. People have put their bodies on the line to shut down munitions factories. In August 2024, hundreds confronted the Chicago Police Department in an attempt to shut down the genocidal Democratic National Convention. Most importantly, the people of Palestine and their allies have been risking everything to confront the genocide. In Gaza, Yemen, and Lebanon, where the masses face the daily horror of Israeli terrorism, the resistance has not quieted. When people in the US declare through words or actions that they are afraid to step out, unwilling to escalate, worried about facing arrest, or content to simply boycott and donate money, they are saying that those suffering under the boot of our own government should take all the risks while we stay safe.

Fuck that.

On October 7th, 2023, the Palestinian resistance in Gaza shattered a murderous status quo that was slowly killing them. They righteously broke through the apartheid wall and took the fight to their enemies. Since then, the Palestinian people have continued to resist annihilation by whatever means are at their disposal. It’s way past time for those of us in the US to join the people of the world in doing whatever it takes to bring this genocide to an end.

On the second anniversary of the Al-Aqsa flood, Behind Enemy Lines is calling on everyone to escalate for Gaza and shut down business as usual.

Students: walk out of class! Shut down your campuses and hold rallies and speak-outs. 
Small business: Shut down for the day! 
Everywhere: flood your cities or towns with posters and Palestinian flags. Confront the politicians who support or apologize for this genocide. Gather at Israeli embassies or consulates in righteous resistance. 

Get creative. Find the banks, the weapons manufacturers, the nonprofits, and cultural institutions that funnel money to Israel or profit from the genocide. Make it known that they cannot continue to function normally as long as this genocide continues. 

October 7 . No business as usual.
Where will you be?