In Episode 13 of the Wartime Café series, titled "The Liberation of Palestine, the Role of Diaspora" and aired on October 12, 2024, senior PFLP official Khaled Barakat, who serves as part of the group's leadership abroad, and host Laith Marouf discussed, inter alia, Barakat's history in organizing from a young age in Jerusalem and the role of the Palestinian diaspora in liberating Palestine.
To view an excerpt from their conversation on MEMRI TV, click here or below:
In October 2024, Barakat was sanctioned by both the U.S. and Canada as "key international fundraiser[s] for Foreign Terrorist Organization PFLP."
During the hour-long episode, which was in English and was filmed October 9, 2024 and, according to the host Laith Marouf, was filmed in Beirut, Barakat stated that Hamas was treating the Israeli hostages it had abducted on October 7 – of whom only 100 are thought to be still alive – "with dignity" and that not only were they not tortured or abused, but now "their mind is liberated" with regard to "how they view the Palestinian resistance" since they had been brainwashed to think that "Hamas and Islamic Jihad and these people are monsters."
Asserting that "the entire Zionist project is collapsing, and the struggle of the prisoners is showing" what Israel is all about, Barakat underlined that the "new generation of Palestine" understands that "two-state solution is a recipe for the death of our cause." Not only that, he said, but "many, many" young Jews "now understand that Israel is, you know, about death, wars, and domination."
He also described a hypothetical situation in which "we, you know, the PFLP" would set up tables at universities "saying we’re recruiting students for some training." Marouf interjected, "That was one of the reasons that they went after us at Concordia." Concordia University is in Montreal.
The discussion concludes with host Marouf's appeal to the audience to donate at "our website, freepalestine. video." The website accepts donations by credit card, PayPal, and Canadian pre-authorized debit (PAD).
Below are excerpts of Barakat's and Marouf's statements in the episode.
Hamas Treated Hostages "With Dignity" And Neither Tortured Nor Abused Them – Now "Their Mind Is Liberated Of How They View The Palestinian Resistance Because They Were Taught That, You Know, Hamas And Islamic Jihad And These People Are Monsters"
Discussing the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas, Barakat said: "When you ask any Israeli captured in Gaza who was released how they were treated by the Palestinian resistance, they will tell you they were treated with dignity and that the resistance did not torture them, did not abuse them, and many of them actually are kind of liberated in a way. Their mind is liberated of how they view the Palestinian resistance because they were taught that, you know, Hamas and Islamic Jihad and these people are monsters, cannibals. Yes. But what's important is that the only way to liberate the colonizers is to defeat them. The only way that you have to defeat them first and you have to defeat Israel and the Zionist project first."
"The Entire Zionist Project Is Collapsing And The Struggle Of The Prisoners Is Showing" What Israel Is All About
Claiming that "the entire Zionist project is collapsing and the struggle of the prisoners is showing in so many ways what kind of a system Israel is all about," he went on to explain: "The leadership of the Palestinian resistance are former prisoners. I mean, when you talk about, you know, Abu Ibrahim al-Sinwar [i.e. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar], or when you talk about any leader in the resistance, they have spent at least 5, 10, 15 years [inside]. And that is important. Why? Because it shows that Israel have never broken their will, and that Israel failed in breaking their will, and they come out from prisons and continue to struggle.
"In fact, I remember when the, Ahmed Saadat was, you know, the general secretary of the PFLP, was sentenced 30 years by, you know, an Israeli court, and the judge... [said] how many times I have sentenced you and sent you to prison? And Saadat told him, well, you should realize that you're a failure. You couldn't break my will. And that is exactly what the Palestinian people in October 7 have told, not just the Israelis, but the world, that no matter what you do, no matter what crimes you commit against us, genocide, war crimes, besieging Gaza, attacking people of Jerusalem, threatening our people in the West Bank, stealing our land, all of these atrocities that Israel commits against our people, are not going to break the will of the Palestinian people."
"The New Generation Of Palestine" Understands That "The Two-State Solution Is A Recipe For The Death Of Our Cause"
About "the new generation of Palestine and the Diaspora," Barakat said that they "understand very well what this fight is all about. they understand that it's the Palestinian struggle for liberation and return. And when they say Palestine will be free from the river to the sea, they actually mean it. And it's not just a slogan that they, you know, say it in demonstrations. This is a political conviction that defines everything else. They don't want to talk about or, you know, two -state solutions. They know that the two-state solution is a recipe for the death of our cause. They understand that Zionism should not exist, and that Zionism is a form of racism, and Israel needs to be dismantled and uprooted from our homeland. And as long as Israel exists, we are going to see these war crimes and atrocities and war."
"This war is another cycle of imperialist, Zionist war against our people and our region. And they want to impose Israel on 400 million Arabs... [R]acist right-wing media were advocating for, you know, bombing Iran with a nuclear weapon... this is the way Israel could represent the enlightenment of Muslims and bring Muslims into the age of enlightenment. Just imagine the kind of words that they're using, you know, nuke the people of Iran... Nuke them into freedom.... And so this young generation actually sees that..."
"Many, Many" Young Jews "Now Understand That Israel Is, You Know, About Death, Wars, And Domination"; "Israelis Keep Talking About [How] They Have Western Values... [So] What The F*ck Are You Doing In The East?" "God Promised Them This Land... Nobody Buys This Any More"
Stressing that "the Zionist project is deteriorating, Barakat continued: "I have been speaking to even young Jewish folks like students and activists, and many, many of them now understand that Israel is about death and, you know, wars and domination and you know, when the Israelis keep talking about how they are, they have Western values and they belong to the Western world, you know, I mean, you want to tell us what the f*ck you're doing in the East? Yeah, this is the East... Yes. And they talk about, you know, like today, 2024, of like how God promised them this land and who buys this bullshit like nobody buys this anymore. And so Zionism is all dying and is decaying.
"And the Israelis, they I mean, Israel have this surplus power in terms of military, in terms of economy, and of course supported by the United States, Canada, and the Western, you know, colonialist powers, but really they are not up to date when it comes to where this generation, you know, is now."
He added: "Zionism was not born in Palestine. It was born in the West. And in fact, you know, in so many ways, it was born in Canada. And because of the similarities between the settler colonialist project and between Israel and Canada, They, you know, Canadian government, whether they're Liberals or they're Conservatives, they will defend Israel."
"Imagine That The PFLP, We Have A Table At The University Saying We're Recruiting Students To Go And Get Some Training.. That Was One Of The Reasons That They Went After Us At Concordia"
"People are realizing how these so-called Jewish organizations, like the Jewish National Fund for example, you know, they have these charity status and they would be funding Israeli army and displacing Palestinians... or funding literally bringing like soldiers for like education programs or funding Canadians to become Israeli soldiers....
"You can just imagine that like, you know, the PFLP, we have a table at the university saying we're recruiting students to go and get some training. I mean, it's unthinkable."
Host Laith Marouf: "I mean, I remember that that was one of the reasons that they went after us at Concordia.... And there's a Canadian law that's called the Foreign Recruitment Act that bans the recruitment for any army on Canadian soil that is not Canadian army. Similarly, there's a law like that in the U.S. And we called the federal police, the RCMP in Canada, who was supposed to uphold this law. So the calls we were making, when we'd say Israeli, they would just hang up on us. The Israeli army is recruiting. So we ended up calling and saying a foreign terrorist organization is recruiting on campus. And they showed up within minutes." Both of them laughed.
Barakat: "We Are In An Interim Stage From Resistance To Revolution"; "Globalize The Intifada, Globalize The Struggle"
Talking about how "our youth" is becoming more radical, host Marouf said: "The situation in the West for our diaspora communities is getting worse, more and more. I mean, I just saw this video in Germany of youths. And at the same time, we see our youth getting more radical. And with them, the rest of the youth in those countries. So do you predict, do you see that these movements can flourish into something more revolutionary?"
Barakat said: "I think that the revolution is absolutely coming. I mean, we are in an interim stage from resistance to revolution, because resistance is kind of you're in the defensive. After October 7th, we are moving towards the offensive and towards the revolution, meaning that this generation is going to launch its diaspora and shatat revolution...
"They are left with no options but to launch the Palestinian revolution in the Diaspora as part and integral part of the National Liberation Movement in Palestine, because it's one movement, one people, one land. When we talk about from the river to the sea, we are including the shatat [i.e. diaspora]. When we're talking about 48, that's the vast majority of Palestinians are from 48, because the shatat is from 48. And also it's important to realize that this younger generation is so much connected to the struggles of others... [including] the struggle of people in Mexico and inside Canada....
"So we have a common enemy. Britain were massacring our people in Palestine and at the same time they were doing this in Ireland and so it is important to see that the Palestinian movement or the Palestinian coming revolution in my view has to become an international kind of dimension, kind of globalize the intifada, globalize the struggle."
Marouf added: "That's another slogan [i.e. "globalize the intifada"] that they really are scared of and they should be. I hate it when people from our camp try to undermine the importance of these words, from the river to the sea, and or globalize the intifada, say that it's just slogans. No, it is not. We are looking for the liberation of humanity from colonialism and imperialism that has dogged our people for a century..."
Show Host Laith Marouf: "We Are Looking For The Liberation Of Humanity From Colonialism And Imperialism"
>Marouf continued: "Yes, I mean, the revival of the Palestinian liberation movement is reviving all those questions that were never resolved. the, you know, the Arab unification, the black liberation in Africa. We see what, how this is, we see our brothers and sisters in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso going towards a federation. So because the major questions after World War I and World War II were never resolved, finally, we're now seeing them come to the forefront and being resolved, inshallah. We will be praying in Jerusalem together. We will be carrying our martyrs and even hopefully, inshallah, carry with us Sayyid Hasan Nasrallah to be buried in Jerusalem in the Day of Liberation that's coming near.
He concluded the discussion with: Khalid Barakat, thank you very much for being with us. I hope you stay safe here in Lebanon and Beirut. and we'll talk again.
"Thank you for being with us. You can visit our website, freepalestine .video, to donate so we can continue doing this great work. You can find all the links to our socials. We're on so many platforms. Follow us on all of them. Until we meet next time, I bid you all a free, free Palestine."
