Israel and Palestine: The only way out The general crisis of capitalism is expressing itself as a general instability everywhere. Nowhere has this had more destabilising effects than the Middle East. This instability is being fuelled and exacerbated by US imperialism, which has decided that it is free to intervene anywhere it likes under the pretext of the so-called war against terrorism. Ariel Sharon is calling his new military campaign a war against terror. And while it is self-evident that Bush gave him the green light to launch his attack on the Palestinian Authority, Washington is now becoming alarmed at the consequences.
Israel's Brutal Aggression - The Israelis move to crush the Palestinians Israel is now using its full might to oust Arafat and drown the Palestinian uprising in blood. On Friday, March 29: Israel launched an all-out drive against the Palestinian areas, smashing into Yasser Arafat's West Bank base, killing seven Palestinians, arresting more than 70 and unleashing a new wave of blood and destruction.
Israel - Opposition grows In Israel things are beginning to change. On February 16, over 20,000 people demonstrated for peace. The demonstration was addressed by both Israeli and Palestinian speakers. What was even more significant was the presence of a delegation of the approximately 250 Israeli soldiers (including officers) who have refused to serve in the West Bank and Gaza. More than 400 Israeli soldiers have refused to serve in the Palestinian territories, and the number is growing daily. One opinion poll has revealed that 31% of the Israeli population supports these protesting soldiers.
Report from Israel: "Argentina in the Middle East" A. Kramer reports from Israel on the present mood that is developing there amidst the economic crisis and the barbarity of Sharon's policies.
Letter from Israel: United struggle the only way out A. Kramer sends us an update on the internal situation in Israel. He calls for a united front of stuggle to be built that can challenge reactionary Israeli imperialism and create the conditions for a profound transformation of the whole situation. That is the only hope for the future of both Israelis and Palestinians.
Israel launches missile attack on Arafat's headquarters - Sharon Declares "War on Terror" Alan Woods and Ted Grant take a look at the current situation developing in the Middle East after the suicide bombings and the subsequent missile attacks on Yasser Arafat's headquarters. The US-inspired peace initiative seems dead in the water, as Sharon virtually declares all-out war.
War and Economic Crisis in Israel The Israeli ruling class were disappointed with the political results of the September 11 terrorist act. Contrary to their hopes, the American government did not include any Palestinian group on their list of "main terrorist organisations". Just two days after the terror attack in the USA, the Israeli military launched a brutal attack against the Palestinians. This was closely followed by the assassination of an Israeli minister, Rachavam Zeevi. Our correspondent reports on the situation.
After Sharon's Victory New Convulsions in the Middle East The landslide victory of right-winger Ariel Sharon in the Israeli elections opens a new and convulsive period in the history of the Middle East. Barak's administration has been a complete disaster from every point of view. Under the pressure of US imperialism he attempted to reach a "compromise" with Arafat and the PLO leadership. As we predicted from the start, the Oslo agreement broke down. The problem is an insoluble one on a capitalist basis. Far from improving, the situation went from bad to worse. The farce of "peace" has ended. The Oslo agreement, already a stinking corpse, has now been officially buried.
Palestine: On the tactics of the Intifada We are reproduced some correspondence we had with a group of revolutionary Palestinian youth in January of this year. We have decided to publish it now in view of the recent events, because it clearly explains our position on individual terrorism and the tactics of the Intifada. The events of the last few days merely serve to underline the counterproductive nature of individual terrorism, which have, as the letter of Fred Weston explains, always led the Palestinians to defeat.
"The two-state formula has become an impossibility." The Solution: An Internationalist Perspective We are republishing this article by Yacov Ben Efrat, from Challenge magazine. He looks at the present struggle of the Palestinians and shows that an internationalist solution is the only way forward.
Letter from Palestine (23.12.00) - On the Israeli elections and Arafat's negotiating efforts This is the latest letter from the Palestinian Socialist Students on the question of the Israeli elections and Arafat's negotiating efforts.
Is there a left alternative to the Middle East question? This is a letter from a Russian Jew living in Israel, together with a short note from an Israeli Marxist on the lack of civil rights in Israel.
Letter from Palestine (18.12.00) This is a letter from the Palestinian Socialist Students on the question of Arafat and the Arab leaders.
Intifada from the Bottom Up We republish here these two articles by Yacov Ben Efrat, from the Challenge Magazine which give a very interesting analysis of the current uprising in the Occupied Territories and amongst the Arabs in Israel
Understanding the New Intifada We republish here these two articles by Yacov Ben Efrat, from the Challenge Magazine which give a very interesting analysis of the current uprising in the Occupied Territories and amongst the Arabs in Israel.
