- 2, L JOINT JEWISH-ARAB DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE THE KNESSET Of the many organisations on the Jewish left in Israel and elsewhere most are supporters of Zionism in one form or another. It is for this reason that the Israeli Socialist Organisation, founded in 1962, has argued that the fundamental political distinction in Israel is not between left and right, but between pro- and anti-Zionist positions.
Марат, which was formed in the 1940s, calls for a socialist Zionist state. It supported the 1956 Suez campaign and has actively participated in coalition governments with Mapai and with the right extremists of the terrorist Gahal group. The Communist Party split in 1965 into two groups. One faction led by Mikunis and Sneh, is entirely Jewish in composition and supported both the 1967 war and annexation of East Jerusalem. The other faction, Rakah, led by Vilner and Tuby, is predominantly Arab in composition and opposed the 1967 war; but it refuses to criticise the Moscow line on Israel or to attack Arab nationalism. The maverick Knesset member and publicist, Uri Avnery, who publishes the political-satirical magazine. Haolam Hazeh was known before 1967 for his anti-Zionist positions; but even he equivocated on the war and supported the annexation of East Jerusalem.
The Israeli Socialist Organisation and the Israeli Revolutionary Action Committee Abroad openly oppose the 1967 war, all annexations, and the Zionist structure of Israel. ISO include both Arab and Isracii socialists and in January 1969 they ran a joint Jewish-Arab demonstration outside the Israeli parliament in protest against the occupation of Arab territories. The demonstrators also sent message of support to the women of East Jerusalem who were holding a sit-in in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City.
DWARF For those who claim that all Jews are Zionists or that it is impossible for citizens of Israel to support the guerrilla movements we are re-publishing the text of a declaration made by the ISO on March 22 1968. was redistributed by ISRACA, who support it, at in London on February port of Palestine held in London on February *The Palestinian Arab people, the chief and direct victim of Zionist colonisation, a people whose greater part was reduced during and after 1948 to the state of pauperised refugees, and another part of it has lived for 20 years under severe conditions discrimination and persecution in Israel that people in its entirety has now become a conquered people. It has been robbed not only of the most elementary political rights but also of the very prospect for national and human existence. The various schemes considered Israeli government circles concerning the fate of the Palestinians ranged from outright annexation (accompanied pressures to make the Palestinians from the annexed territories, and by measures intended to reduce the Arab birth rate) to the setting up of a Bantustan, a Strategic Hamlet, a protectorate camouflaged as a "Federation" between Israeli master and Arab underling.
It is both the right, and the duty, of every conquered and subjugated people to resist and to struggle for its freedom. The ways, means, and Of such must be determined by that people itself.
The ISO have published a socialist analysis of Israel, The Other Israel, and ISRACA are now publishing an Information Bulletin including news translated from the Hebrew Press Both are available from ISRACA, 219, Putney Bridge Rd., London SWIS.
legitimately feels towards Jews because of the mass murders of Nazism has led it to a disastrous conclusion: to support the establishment of a predominantly permanent Palestine Solidarity (PSC) has been established to organise all solidarity activities in Britain with the struggle of the Palestinian people for national liberation against Zionism and imperialism.
The Zionist state of Israel is, historically, the product of European problem anti-Semitism. Zionism and anti-Semitism are in fact, two sides of the same medal. The latter shouts 'out with the Jews', the former is only too glad to remove the Jews from Europe. But the removal of the Jews from where they are unwanted will never abolish minority persecution. Unable to solve the Jewish problem by striking at its very roots in the capitalist structure of European society, Zionism created, furthermore, a new problem of national persecution - Zionist persecution against the Palestinian Arabs. Zionism is a colonialist movement in its own right, bent on the occupation of land and the displacement of its original inhabitants — the Palestinian people It is at the same time part of the world imperialist camp, through which the various imperialist powers (and notably the US) have waged their aggressions, by proxy, against the national liberation struggle of the Arab masses.
The present struggle of the Palestinian people is a struggle to reclaim their rights and overthrow the Zionist, racist, and expansionist state of Israel.
The PSC will struggle in support of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, under Israeli occupation and in exile, along the lines of the following political platform: '1. PSC supports the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and national liberation in a de-Zionised, democratic Palestine where Jews and Arabs enjoy equal rights. A de-Lionised, democratic Palestine will put an end to: i) Palestine as the state of all Jews in the world; ii Jewish majority rule; iii) the sequestration of Arab land and property; iv racial discrimination against Arabs and Orienta Jews; v) subservience to imperialism. 2. PSC considers that the armed struggle waged by the vanguards of the Palestinian people is the decisive means to force recognition of this people's rights to self-determination and national liberation. It, consequently, supports the activities of the Palestinian liberation, fighters and the heroic civilian resistance in the occupied territories.
of Zionism claim that anti-Zionism is | the rest still live in gentile society. just another kind of anti-semitism. It is true that anti-semitism can masquerade as anti-Zionism - but the two are quite separate and distinct. Anti-semitism discriminates against Jews because they are Jews. Anti-Zionism opposes the establishment of a colonialist state in Palestine. Many Jews are anti-Zionist: there are Jews fighting in al-fatha; inside Israel Arabs and Jews in the Israeli Socialist Organisation, which publishes the magazine Matzpen, actively oppose Zionism and call for the dezionisation of Israel; many Jewish Marxists have stated their opposition to Zionism among them Trotsky, Kautsky, Isaac Deutscher and Tony Cliff. The Zionist response to this is of course to call them 'anti-semitic Jews' which is nonsense. They are Marxists who see that colonialist Jewish state in the Middle East is no solution to anti-semitism in Europe Anti-semitism and anti-Zionism, far from being identical, are based on opposite principles: the former is based on racism, latter firmly opposes it. The similarity between the assumptions of Zionism itself and anti-semitism are demonstrated elsewhere in these pages.
The left in Europe must openly denounce all forms of anti-semitism whether on the right or in Russia and Poland. As European socialists it is essential to state that we are prepared to fight anti-semitism here and now because it is a European problem. And we refuse to accept the false solution of making the Arabs pay for the problems Europe will not solve.
The strengthening of the Israeli state offers no solution to the problem of Campaign |3. PSC rejects the UN resolution of November 22, 1967 because it disregards the political existence of the Palestinian people and their legitimate national rights. PSO is firmly opposed to the attempts made by the four Big Powers to impose on the Palestinian people and the Arab masses their so-called 'peaceful solution'. The fate of the Arab peoples should be determined by the Arab peoples themselves. 4. PSC opposes the attempts made by any Arab • government to liquidate, muzzle, control or in any way interfere with the Palestinian people and its armed vanguards the liberation fighters - and supports all resistence to such repressive measures. 5. PSC opposes all forms of racism. It will actively against Zionism and anti-Jewish racism as rigorously as it will fight against anti-Arab racism, a legacy of fostered by Zionist propaganda. PS joins the Palestinian liberation fighters in declaring its solidarity with all Jews inside and outside Israel who fighting against Zionist, racist and expansionist state of Israel It calls upon all progressive anti-Zionist Jews in Britain to organise themselves for the defeat of Zionist propaganda and the liberation of the Jews from that aberration that has transformed many of them into unabashed racists, subservient to imperialism. 6. The armed struggle of the Palestinian people forms an integral part of the Arab Revolution the combined anti-Zionist and anti-imperialist struggles of the Arab peoples. Anti-imperialism in the Arab world is presently waged against direct colonial rule (in Zafar, Mascat and Oman), against foreign military bases and neo-imperialist exploitation. PSC supports this struggle and its ultimate aim: the control by the peoples of the Arab world over their wealth and natural resources (especially oil). 7. The struggle of the Palestinian people and the Arab masses, like. that of the Vietnamese people and all the peoples of Asia, Africa and atin America forms part of the historical process of liberating the oppressed peoples from under the yoke of imperialism From Palestine to Vietnam: one enemy, one fight!
Victory to the national liberation struggle of the Palestinian people!
Palestine Solidarity Campaign *** The resolution of the Palestine problem can only come through de-zionised, binational state - to which the Palestinians are allowed to return and where the Jews are allowed to remain. The Big Four and the Arab governments wish to protect themselves by imposing their own solution. This is not, however, a matter of great power politics or a quarrel between the Israeli and Arab governments. The Palestinians alone can decide how the problem must be resolved, and it is they whom the Russians, the West, and Nasser are trying to muzzle.
The guerrilla movements are coming into increasing conflict with the reactionary and bureaucratic Arab governments and it is unlikely that they will be able to liberate Palestine before achieving changes in the neighbouring states. They have made clear what this liberation will mean: that the present Jewish inhabitants will be allowed to stay. To oppose anti-Jewish racism in Europe and anti-Arab racism in Israel means also to oppose anti-Jewish chauvinism which threatens to drive the Jews into the sea.
A Palestinian Solidarity Campaign has now been formed in Britain; its manifesto is contained elsewhere in this issue. Black Dwarf supports the PSC and its manifesto The growth of this campaign will not be easy: the Labour Party, the unions, and the British press are predominantly pro-Zionist. Many Jewish socialists in this country support Israel out of sentimental reasons which it will take long and informed discussion to overcome. But this should not prevent us