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One more comment, Jeff. I forgot to add this into my last email response to you and I don't think that either John E or I have previously alluded to this. Namely, the response of the PFLP. The PFLP, a movement which is on the ground fighting the Israeli state, were absolutely delighted (and impressed) that a very small left group thousands of miles away was prepared to help raise funds for them, and do so at some risk. The attitude of the people doing the actual fighting of the ground was a world away from the nonsense that has been posted about faux-radicalism and it not being against the law to raise funds for them. Whereas Catron's response to mention of the fund-raising was not to say "Well done" but to rush to google to do a search to try to prove that fundraising for the PFLP in NZ entailed no risks at all - !!! - the attitude of the fighting movement on the ground was to warmly welcome the fundraising effort and provide access to one of their politbureau members who could be contacted at any time about anything. Their attitude obviously counted for a great deal with us, because we took them very seriously. We were also able to facilitate initial contact between them and another revolutionary organisation in another part of the world which has since blossomed - the blossoming has nothing to do with us, we were just the original contact point. So, although the fundraising campaign ended after about 18 months - I think it was launched in mid-2009 and ended in early 2011 - it was a (very modest) success. It raised several thousand dollars altogether, showed the PFLP that there were people in the imperialist heartlands who supported them and their struggle, got the name of the PFLP better known in NZ, and we got to explain the situation of the Palestinians to a wider audience. Plus we at least put out there the idea that active solidarity should really mean more than just reacting to events by passively protesting the latest Israeli atrocity. Now, of course, there is a growing BDS campaign that is taking it to the Israeli state and has the Zionists worried. Excellent. But there is still a need for *anti-capitalists* in the imperialist heartlands to find ways to support the most progressive elements of the wider Palestinian movement. Anyone who can find ways to do that is certainly deserving of some respect and support. Phil _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
