One Week Before October 7, 2023, PFLP Official Khaled Barakat: The U.S. Is Enemy No. 1 Of The Palestinian People; It Is Important To Support The Palestinian Armed Struggle Against Israel And Its Allie
In an address delivered as part of the closing remarks at the International People's Tribunal on U.S. Imperialism, hosted by the New York People's Forum on September 30, 2023—just a week before the October 7 attack—Khaled Barakat, who has since been identified as a senior official of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), called for support of the armed struggle against Israel and its allies. He accused the U.S. of being 'enemy number 1 of the Palestinian people' and emphasized the need to back Palestinian armed resistance, stating that 'Tel Aviv will not listen to Palestinians unless it is hit by missiles.'
Barakat highlighted the role of Palestinian prisoner leadership, declaring that 'the prisoners of Hamas, the PFLP, the Islamic Jihad, and all the resistance movements in Palestine… are the true leaders of the Palestinian liberation movement.' He further stated, 'The Palestinian struggle has always been for liberation and return, not for a state.'
Barakat also stated that 'Palestinians are manufacturing 90% of their weapons, thanks to Iran, which has provided knowledge and support, and to people like [IRGC Qods Force Commander General] Qassem Soleimani.'
The Tribunal was hosted by the People's Forum, a New York-based socialist organization reportedly linked to the Chinese Communist Party, and was covered by Iranian state-run Press TV. The Tribunal steering committee was co-chaired by Nina Farnia, Professor of Law at Albany Law School, and Helyeh Doutaghi, former Deputy Director of the Law and Political Economy Project at Yale University. Khaled Barakat and his wife, Charlotte Kates, the International Coordinator of Samidoun, spoke at the event via video call.
Khaled Barakat is the founder of Samidoun and a leader of Masar Badil, an organization closely linked to Samidoun. He has been identified by the United States as a leader of the U.S.-designated terrorist organization the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and Samidoun has been designated a U.S. Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization and a sham charity. A Canadian citizen, Barakat has been in Beirut, Lebanon, for several months following his designation as a terrorist by Canada in October 2024. Barakat's wife, Charlotte Kates, also in Beirut since February 9, 2025, has been arrested and investigated by Canadian authorities for hate speech in support of U.S. and Canada-designated terrorist organizations.
Khaled Barakat: "The U.S. is the enemy number 1 of the Palestinian people, and they initiate all of these war crimes.
[...]
"It wasn't the Lebanese government that was able to push Israel back, and to have the U.S. push back. It was the Lebanese resistance. And they did this by force – by weapons, by drones, by missiles, and by threatening to go into war. The same exact thing happened in Gaza.
[...]
"Tel Aviv will not listen to Palestinians unless it is hit by missiles. Only when Palestinians throw missiles at Tel Aviv, and those Israeli settlers, who are enjoying our shores and beautiful sands, go to their homes and to their refuge underground, Israel will not lose any kind of... In fact, they use the term 'tighten the noose on Gaza's neck.' And the only time they back off is when the Palestinian resistance shows force.
[...]
"These are for us the true leaders, and the trusted leaders of the Palestinian liberation movement. It is the prisoners of Hamas, the PFLP, and the Islamic Jihad, and all the resistance movements in Palestine. These prisoners in Israeli jails are the true leaders of the Palestinian liberation movement.
[...]
"The Palestinian struggle has always been for liberation and return, and not for a state.
[...]
"It is important to support the Palestinian people's armed struggle against Israel and against Israel's allies. The Palestinian people's armed resistance is a legitimate resistance.
[...]
"Now Palestinians are manufacturing 90% of their weapons, thanks to Iran, who provided us with the knowledge and the support, and thanks to people like the martyr Qassem Soleimani.
[...]
"Israel is doomed to fail. This Zionist racist colonial regime will fall apart.
[...]
"It is going to be a very tough battle for liberation, and a very painful process for liberation, but our people are going to be victorious."
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