Workers block the entrance of Instro Precision, a subsidiary of Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems. Photo Credit: Palestinian Action

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On October 7th, the forces for Palestinian national liberation in Gaza launched a counteroffensive on the Israeli occupation forces. In the wake of this heroic resistance, the genocidal Israeli state has murdered nearly ten thousand Palestinian civilians, nearly half of whom were children. Along with destroying hospitals, mosques, and civilian homes in Gaza.

When the repression and attempted genocide of Palestinians by Israel is brought up, the role of US imperialism must never be left out. The United States gives billions of dollars in military aid to Israel every year, along with political backing for its genocidal actions. Over the past month, the US’s propaganda machine has gone into full swing in support of Israel, labeling the Palestinian resistance to their occupiers as “barbaric” and “savage” along with spreading countless amounts of lies and misinformation. The United States doesn’t just aid Israel with its words and finances, it also supports them with its immense military force, which has been mobilized in support of Israel. With the US moving two aircraft carriers towards the Middle East in recent weeks and two months ago expanding a “secret” US military base within Israel.

Why is this? Why does the United States fund nearly 20 percent of Israel’s military? Why does it support the murder and repression of Palestinians? The simple answer is capital. Israel serves as a outpost for American interests in the Middle East, particularly oil. The ruling class in the United States and its allies in Israel make copious amounts of money from their repression and exploitation of the Palestinian people. The American ruling class makes no attempts to hide this. Greg Hayes, CEO of one of the US’s largest defense firms, Raytheon, stated, “I think really across the entire Raytheon portfolio, you’re going to see a benefit of this restocking” when discussing the potential rise in missile orders due to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. Other CEOs have made similar comments over the past month, gushing over the profits Israel’s war on Gaza will bring them.

The ruling class in the United States, of course, does not just exploit the working class at home and in Palestine, but all over the world. US imperialism developed in the 1900s with the development of monopoly capitalism in the country. As capitalists within the US began to run out of room to expand in the country, they looked to expand to the rest of the world. Capitalism and US imperialism go hand in hand. This is why nearly every major US corporation and politician, regardless of party, has come out in support of Israel in recent weeks. They lie and paint the actions of the Palestinian national liberation forces as barbaric because an attack on the Israeli occupation forces is ultimately an attack on US capital.

As long as capitalism exists in the US, US imperialism will exist. The only solution to ending US imperialism is the overthrow of capitalism within the United States. The biggest threat to US imperialism is the construction of an independent revolutionary labor movement. An organized working class can put a full stop to the expansion and development of US capital. This is why the full weight of the US capitalist machine is put into working against the working class getting organized. Despite this, across the country, large numbers of workers are standing up for Palestine, with hundreds of thousands being mobilized at protests, rallies, and vigils. Internationally, we’ve seen workers take action as well, with workers in England shutting down an Israeli-owned arms manufacturer for several hours and workers in Belgium refusing to handle military shipments to Israel. These instances along with others show just a fraction of the power that workers have and prove that when organized, the working class is the ultimate weapon against imperialism.