Global intifada: Why Palestine became a center of global resistance to empire

Supporters of the latest genocidal and ecocidal devastation in Palestine are rightfully worried that there is a global uprising and Palestine has become the main cause of progressive movements globally. I will discuss why this is happening by focusing on four main elements. First, I argue that the Western government support of Zionism from its founding is the antithesis of the professed western liberal democracy. This incongruence makes the support of genocide and ecocide an Achilles heel of the system of western dominance that attempts to make the public forget about the genocides committed earlier by these governments (e.g. during European colonialism and slavery periods). Second, this is the first genocide in human history that: a) the perpetrators did not try to hide (they actually bragged about it) and it was broadcast live (thanks to technology). Third, the location of this genocide and ethnic cleansing is critical: a) it is a Holy Land for more than half of humanity- Christians and Muslims whose co-religionists are being driven out to make the country a Jewish state, b) it is the land bridge where humans migrated out of Africa, c) it is the western part of the Fertile Crescent where humans first transitioned from Hunter-Gatherers to settled communities (farmers and pastoralists). Fourth, the timing is critical because the world is now armed with sophisticated mass destruction weapons and a regional war will lead to a catastrophic global war without winners. Finally, I draw on the lessons of Palestinian resistance to explain why this is now a global intifada (uprising) and project potential avenues of future resistance.