Socialist Viewpoint

The international financial crisis has put an end to the illusion, widespread during the last ten years, that the domination of financial capital over society represents the end of history. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the Stalinist regimes in Eastern Europe, a human tragedy of colossal proportions, has definitely refuted Stalin’s nationalist contention that it is possible to build socialism in one country, but has not restored youth to senile capitalism. The last ten years of capitalist restoration have witnessed not only the barbaric destruction of productive forces and the appearance of a mafia bourgeoisie in Eastern Europe, but also a massive attack against the conquests of the labor movement in the West, including Israel: privatizations, rising unemployment, the creation of employment agencies to break the unions and nullify the labor laws, a massive onslaught against the public health, educational and pension systems.

The crisis of capitalism found its most striking political expression in our region in the present Intifada. This heroic struggle buries the Oslo Agreements, which were meant to impose on the region, especially on its oil-rich zones, the control of the American companies, and on the Palestinian people the renunciation of its right to self-determination, including the right of return of the refugees. In response to the Palestinian uprising the Zionist right and “left” parties joined hands to form a government of war against the Palestinian and the workers, including the Jewish ones. The policy of the Sharon-Peres government of war criminals, with the backing of US imperialism, threatens to drag the region to a new war. This would be an imperialist war against the masses, which the working class must strive to turn into a class war against Zionism and imperialism.

For the struggle of the Palestinian people for self-determination to succeed, it must be led by the working class with the support of the peasants and the refugees, independently of the PLO and of the Arab bourgeoisie. The Palestinian Authority represents the interests of the Palestinian bourgeoisie, which is ready to betray the struggle of the Palestinian people in order to reach an agreement with Zionism and imperialism. Only the pressure of the insurgent masses has prevented it from taking this step. The Arab bourgeoisie prays for the defeat of the uprising because it is in mortal fear of the exploited masses in the Arab countries. It is therefore necessary to enlist the support of the working masses in the Middle East, including the Iranians, Kurds and Jews, for the uprising: the heroic struggle of the Palestinian people can only succeed as an integral part of the socialist revolution.

Today thousands of workers, mostly Palestinian citizens of Israel, demonstrate to commemorate First of May under the leadership of the Communist Party. We say to the demonstrators: “Comrades: your struggle against national oppression is part of the world revolutionary struggle. Unfortunately you are demonstrating under a leadership which supports, not the unity of the workers in their struggle against the exploiters, but the Oslo Agreements and Zionism: a leadership which in 1948 supported Zionism in spite of the fact that the Zionist parties were carrying out a massive ethnic cleansing; a leadership which today is unwilling to struggle for the full right of return of the Palestinian refugees because of its adaptation to imperialism and American Zionism.”

We therefore issue a call to all the members and sympathizers of the Communist Party to demand from their leadership the organization of demonstrations under the slogan: “For the full implementation of the right of return of the Palestinian refugees.”

For a minimum monthly wage of $1,500.
Reduction of the working week without curtailment of wages or working conditions.
Work for all the unemployed / Sliding scale of wages.
Confiscatory taxes on capital.
Closure of the “employment agencies” created in order to break the Unions.
For the opening of the books of all the factories which attempt to fire workers.
Re-nationalization of all the privatized companies under workers’ control.
Nationalization of the large private banks and factories under workers’ control.
Down with the Apartheid regime / Full support for the Palestinian struggle for self-determination.
The Israeli army and settlers out of the Occupied Territories.
For the return of the stolen lands / Full implementation of the right of return of the Palestinian refugees.
For the convocation of a Constituent Assembly.
For the creation of a Secular, Democratic and Socialist Republic in the whole territory of historic Palestine, within the framework of Socialist Federation of the Middle East.