We are mobilizing to Cairo. Here's why.

This month, thousands of activists, doctors, artists, academics and citizens from around the world will descend on Egypt to take part in an eight-day march to Rafah. Their aim is to reach the devastated Gaza Strip and to break — both literally and symbolically — the Israeli blockade.

The Progressive International, represented in the March by its Member DiEM25, joins the March and reinforces its demand for an immediate end to the genocide in Gaza, a total embargo on Israel, and total boycott from the military, economic, cultural network of Israeli violence, occupation and apartheid.

In recent weeks, Western governments, parties and institutions that had hitherto enabled Israel’s genocide have been shamed into lukewarm condemnations of the Israeli government’s crimes in Gaza. This is, undoubtedly, a welcome development, which public opinion has forced upon them.

However, an insidious strategy lurks behind these condemnations by these ‘concerned friends of Israel’: their real purpose is to condemn Israel in words in order to shield Israel from action that may impede its genocide, such as those of boycott, divestment and sanctions.

Members of the Progressive International join the March to Gaza in order to strengthen the demand of its thousands of activists to apply those measures of boycott, divestment, and sanction. Now is the time to shift from mere condemnations of Israel’s brutality to the implementation of policies that respond forcefully to their violations of international humanitarian law.

For the many Members of the Progressive International traveling now to Cairo, we say: We support the March to Gaza. We stand with Palestine.