For a united mass movement of the working people in Israel and Palestine against War, Poverty and Capitalism

by Aj. Dagga Tolar

The horror of terrorism and war is currently in full display in Palestine, following the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel resulting into the death of 1, 150 Israelis and another 250 captured and held as hostages. This in turn propelled a retailatory Israeli unending bombardment of Gaza that has killed 27, 365 Palestinians, close to 2 million people chased out of their homes, another 2485 palestinians detained.

120 days plus and still counting. The call for a ceasefire is completely ignored as a means of stopping the human carnage, the Hamas Vs Israeli war is on the verge of an escalation that could possible engulf the whole of the Middle East with the certainty that it will impact negatively on the rest of the universe.

Already there is tension on the Red sea with attacks by the Yemen based Houthis on ships identified to be “Israeli-owned” as support acts for Hamas. On the other hand is the Lebanon based Hezebollah’s border clashes and misiles fire against Isreal with the latter categorically pointing out that it will not shy away from the possibility of a new front of war in the middle east. Nerves are further on edge with the positioning support of the US for Israel’s war action and her retailatory “85” air strikes on Syria and Iraq in reponse to a drone attack on US base in Jordan that killed three US soldiers.

The plea for an end to the war with growing protest movements worldwide continues to fall on deaf ears, even now with the increasing protest inside of Israel and a “STOP THE WAR” cry for emphasises to be placed on the safety and release of the remaining more than 130 hostages yet to be released is ignored, even when it is clear that the war on Palestine will not and cannot result in freeing the hostages, since Hamas holds on to the hostages as bargaining chips.

The Bemjamin Nathanyahu led Israeli regime continues to prosecute a war that it claims will wipe out Hamas. Under this guise, it imposes a collective punishment on every Palestinians, targeting civilians and medical facilities and by so doing war crimes is clearly being perpuatated against Palestinians, who had earlier being described by Yoav Gallant, Israel Defense Minister as “human animals” in ordering a “complete siege” on the Gaza strip, with “no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed” (https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/defense-minister-announces-complete-siege-of-gaza-no-power-food-or-fuel/). Nothing else points to the horrifying scale of the war as prosecuted by Nathanyahu and the Israeli military command than the fact that so far 11, 500 Palestinians children have been killed in their homes as part of the death toll in Gaza.

IS THERE AN END IN SIGHT OF THE WAR?

Is there a possibility to an end in sight of the war? Can we expect that the negotiated settlement being carried by Arab rulers in the middle east along side with the Biden led US will restore peace and permanently end the conflict. Can other interested parties like Hezbollah be convinced to turn a blind eye, when it boast of the fact that it had carried out “169 unique operations” into israel hitting “237 technical positions” as part of its declared support to the “resistance of Palestinians”.

We make bold to say No. Neither Israeli ruling class or Hamas are capable of bringing peace about or resolving the long drawn hostiliites between Palestine and Israel. Such a task in reality belongs to the working masses in Palestine and Israel, who must envision a different type of society that will ensure that the wealth and resources of the whole of Palestines are made available and accessible to meeting the basics needs of all Palestinians and Israelis on an equal basis. This is the only guarantee for peace in Palestine.

There can be no peace in Israel without peace also for Palestinians and their right to life and other human basics guaranteed. To displaced close to 2 million people out of their homes and utterly crumble their houses into rumbles insisting that they move out to a “safe zone” is a replay of the 1948 Al-Nakba (Catastrophe) that saw 700, 000 palestinians dislodged from their residence to make room for the emergence of the Israeli state. According to Ariel Kallner, a  parliamentarian member for Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, “Right now, one goal: Nakba! A Nakba that will overshadow the Nakba of 1948,” (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/oct/16/the-language-being-used-to-describe-palestinians-is-genocidal)

Latest attack on the make shift settlement of displaced Palestinians points out that there is “No Safe Zone”. A consequence of the desperation of Nathanyahu and his allies in the war cabinet to create a buffer zone for Israel that will allow the Israeli ruling class to dominate it’s space unchallenged and unhindered. Land is a form of gold to the Israeli ruling class and it is demonstrating that it can kill for this gold and as well as any possible  resources that can be tapped from it in future. It is least interested in peace in the Middle East, nor is it ready to accept a 2 state solution that will guarantee Palestinians the right to an independent Palestine state even on the terms of the 1993 Oslo accord.

US imperialism as led by Biden has edged the Israeli state on from the very beginning of the war, providing boths arms and finances. Biden is definitely putting his re-election bid first and foremost over both Palestinian and Israeli lives, so as not to harm any support for him by US-Israeli based power blocs and interest groups. Even this in itself is enough to not place any hope whatsoever in the US that it can play any positive role to bring peace about that will not harm the interest of Israel as defined by Nathanyahu and the Israeli ruling class.

US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken ochstrated visit to the Middle East to Saudi, Qatar and Egypt on behalf of the israel is only largely based on a single agenda: the release of the still Israeli hostage by Hamas. The last swap deal of 28, November which saw the release of 69 israeli hostates for 180 Palestinian prisoners only offered a momentery ceasefire obviously for the exchange to happen.

The Movement for Socialist Alternative (MSA) calls for the unconditional release of these hostages held by Hamas, while at the same time also insisting on the release of  Marwan Barghouti and all other held Palestinian prisoners by the Israeli state for the simple fact of exercising the right to agitate for self-determination for Palestinians.

The Arab ruling class is also placed under pressure by mounting movements in their various states, the fear of new wave of radicalisation of their population that could developed to endanger their dicatorial grip and domination of the wealth and resources of their societies by private concerns and by their cronies is what has left them with no option than to be seen to playing to the gallery and seeking a negotiated settlement to the conflict. And even this is being bargained like with Saudi Arabia on the condition of restoring relations with Israel.

The Intifadas before now, more than anything else as served as a greater pressure than any terrorist act in putting pressure both on the Israeli state and on US imperailism to seek out a way to end the conflict. It follows therefore that only the working masses in Plaestine and Israel, who are currently traumatised by the excruciating pain of terrorirsm and war that can be trusted to organised in their numbers and take action to effect any peramanent peace in Palestine. Of course alongside the working class in Israel, who can also take action to displaced not just Nathanyahu war mongering regime, but the entirety of the Israeli ruling class, only then can a geninue negotiated settlement be arrived at that will be mutually beneficial to both Palestinians and the Israeli working masses.

Of course the support and solidarity of the working masses internationally is crucial with a growing movement and protest of dissatisfaction against the war from country after country against Israel and its war cabinet headed by Nathanayahu, with the demand of an immdeiate ceasefire to end the slid in to a genocide in Palestine. This no doubt demostrates how the mass movement internationally can be brought to bear to inspire and encourage the working masses both in Palestine and Israel to ultimately overcome its weakness and get itself organised to act on behalf of its own class interest.

It is this same mass movements and protest more than anything else that has forced US imperialism to pretendly seen to be acting to end the conflict, when in reality it is as guilty and should also be held accountable for the war as well given the support of arms and finance it gave and is still giving to Israel to prosecute the war.

The MSA joins the call for an immediate ceasefire and call on the labour movement in Nigeria as represented by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) lend its voice to this call by demanding for an end of the hostilities and for an immdiate ceasefire and bring both hostages and prisoners back home to their families.

While the MSA fully supports the agitation for a Palestine State, we remain opposed to terrorism in all forms and version as a means to archiving this goal of self determination. Terrorism no matter its goal comes at greater price of blood and avoidable deaths for the working masses, which is why Marxists always put forward the option of organising the working class movement to provide the leadership for a mass movement and action of the working masses against all forms oppression and war. terrrorism as launched by Hamas even for the freedom of Plaestines is in the long run defeatist of its own goal. As events have clearly demonstrated, Hamas by its October 7, 2023 terror act has played into the hands of the Israeli ruling class, giving it an excuse and reason to prosecute a war against the collective wellbeing and interest of the whole Palestinian population.

The above must not be wrongfully interpretated to mean that Marxists put forward a pacifist position for Palestinians in their struggle for their right to self determination and to a homeland, far from it, the right to arms and defense militia is a right recognised within the framework of the mass initiative and action of the working masses to organise itself to defend its right to resist attacks on its living conditions, struggle against poverty and capitalism, with the goal of socialist transformation of society. The question of revolution is not first and foremost a question of arms but of consciousness. This is the task before both the Palestinians and Israeli working masses, to bid for unity and power to establishing a socialist Federation of Palestine as a step to a Socialist Federation of the whole of the Middle East, so as to end poverty, war and capitalism.

DEMANDS

*For Israel to end the WAR AND Bombardment Now and cease all attacks of all medical facilities

*All blockages should be lifted on Gaza. Restore light, water, fuel and food Trucks

*Solidarity with all victims of terrorism both by Hamas and the state of Israel

*The immediate and unconditional release of all the yet to be released Israelis captured by Hamas and freedom as well for palestinian prisoners detained on account of their agaitation for a free palestine state,

*International WORKING CLASS Mobilisation to end the war on Gaza, both in Palestine and Israel as well.*

*FOR THE RECOGNITION OF AN INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST  PALESTINIAN STATE

*For Israelis working people to organise to kick out Netanyahu and “National Unity government” with Benny Gantz as well as a step to end the war on Gaza

*For an Israeli working people government that will automatically recognize the right of Palestinians to self-determination and freedom for all Palestinians prisoners.

*For a united mass movement of the working people in Israel and Palestine against War, poverty and Capitalism.