Middle East

Sharon's victory in yesterday's Israeli elections was a foregone conclusion. The Israeli right wing's position in the Knesset [Israeli parliament] has now been consolidated as never before. A superficial examination of these voting patterns would indeed lead to a very pessimistic view of the situation. But if we look a little closer at the process a different picture emerges. On the basis of a closer analysis no one can say that all the Israeli people voted for Sharon! Far from it!

The western alliance is now deeply fractured on the question of war with Iraq. Divisions within the Security Council are growing. France and Germany have pledged to try to prevent a war, even if that means not supporting America in a UN vote. Does this negate what we wrote concerning the position of France and Russia? Not at all. It was always clear that the French, Russians and Germans were opposed to the policy of the USA in relation to Iraq. They have different interests and therefore different policies. That was never in doubt. But the point is that this will not deflect the American imperialists from carrying out their declared aims.

The so-called "struggle against terrorism" is nothing but a cynical pretext for feeding the voracious appetite of the greatest economic and military power in the world. The arrogant war-mongering of George W. Bush reflects the brutality of the American ruling class, which in its struggle for the control of resources, raw materials, markets, trade routes and spheres of influence, is ready to destroy any obstacle it finds in its path.

Faced with the imminent war which US imperialism is preparing against Iraq, the Spanish Students' Union, as part of the international week of action against the war, has called for a Students' Day of Struggle on Thursday, February 13, which will consist of a national students' strike and demonstrations in all cities in Spain.

As the deadly game of hide-and-seek with the arms inspectors drags on, there is speculation by some that perhaps war can be avoided. Such diplomatic minuets should fool nobody. The military build-up in the Gulf has practically reached the point of no return. The USA is intent on occupying Iraq. There is not the slightest doubt about this. They have even made detailed plans of how the US-run colonial administration will operate. The aim of American imperialism is to make sure they have full control of Iraq and its oil.

An update on the build up to the forthcoming elections in Israel. The Likud party has been hit by corruption scandals. The Labour Party in the past has also been affected by such scandals. This highlights the corrupt nature of the whole regime.

We are publishing another letter from Israel, which reflects the anguish of an Israeli worker faced with the prospect of war in the Middle East.

The new Israeli elections that will be held on January 28, 2003 highlight the deep political crisis that has paralysed the Israeli political system. The elections come at a time of deepening economy crisis. At the same time no solution is in sight to the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territories. A.Kramer in Israel explains that Israeli workers can expect nothing from the main contenders in these elections and stresses the need for a working class based socialist alternative.

We have received this letter from a worker in Israel which highlights the injustices suffered by the Arab workers under Israeli rule and also the impasse ordinary working class Israelis are facing.

On December 1, 20,000 people took part in an anti-war demo in Istanbul. Although there was a lively and angry mood on some sections of the demo the turnout was rather low compared to previous demonstrations. The trade unions did not help as, although they were officially part of the promoting group, they did very little to mobilise their forces. This, in spite of the fact that an overwhelming majority of 80-90 percent of the population is against the war.

On December 1, 20,000 people took part in an anti-war demo in Istanbul. Although there was a lively and angry mood on some sections of the demo the turnout was rather low compared to previous demonstrations. The trade unions did not help as, although they were officially part of the promoting group, they did very little to mobilise their forces. This, in spite of the fact that an overwhelming majority of 80-90 percent of the population is against the war.

Once again the youth of Iran is on the move. In a week of stormy demonstrations, the students of Teheran and other centres poured onto the streets in protest against the repressive policies of the regime. The crisis began on November 6, when a reactionary judge pronounced the death sentence to Hashem Aghajari, a prominent pro-reform academic, who was found guilty of blasphemy on the basis of a speech he made in the summer.

Resolution 1441 has given the green light to the warmongers in Washington and London. It was voted unanimously by the 15 members of the council, including Syria, the only Arab member. This scandalous result at least serves to expose a lot of things, starting with the UN itself. What all this shows yet again is the completely reactionary nature of the dis-United Nations, and the hopelessly utopian attitude of those "Lefts" and pacifists who always appeal to the UN to "defend peace".