Short statement By the Internationalist Socialist League
10.02.2015
[The full statement will be published within the next few days]
- On March 17th, citizens of Israel will vote for the Knesset – the Israeli Parliament. We view the Knesset as an undemocratic organ of the Zionist apartheid state. Voting for it cannot ever change this fact. In ideal circumstances the correct position would be to boycott these elections in favor of establishing a constituent assembly of all residents of Palestine – Jews, Arabs, Palestinian refugees and immigrant workers (from the river to the sea). Sadly, this is not the case today.
- Recent rapid developments in the political and social atmosphere under the rule of the right-wing Netanyahu government have led to the unification of the Arab parties in Israel, a move which we strongly support but at the same time have no illusions in. This Joint Arab List is but a technical block designed to meet the electoral threshold. All parties are allowed to maintain their full independence.
The aforementioned developments are mainly: the raising of the electoral threshold designed to ethnically cleanse the Knesset of Palestinian representatives, upsurge of racist law-making, upsurge of street violence and lynching of Arabs, protest busting, employment dismissals of Palestinians and progressive Jews, daily police racist and deadly brutality, as well as the July-August massacre of more than 2,300 Palestinians.
- This historical unity of the leftist, nationalist and Islamic leaderships of the Palestinian citizens of Israel is an essential move, partly due to the left’s weakness towards the upsurge of Zionist-fascism and Zionism in general, its reformist outlook and (Jewish) middle class orientation, its tailing of the bureaucracy in the Histadrut, as well as its hesitance towards the very forging of the Unity of Arabs parties – all of which are obstacles on the road to socialism. Socialist revolutionaries must struggle to replace the middle class leadership with a revolutionary class conscious one.
- In order to expose the ineffectiveness of the aforementioned leaderships, revolutionaries should put pressure on the Unity of Arabs parties, first and foremost, to stay together and not break up after the elections.
Secondly, to expose the undemocratic character of the Zionist apartheid parliament instead of serving it as a fig leaf, take a clear and correct position on the Palestinian national liberation struggle – mainly support the full realization of the right of return and breaking with the imperialist partition plan for Palestine in favor of a One Democratic State vision.
Thirdly, to offer hope to the youth and all of those willing to struggle and sacrifice for justice, equality and freedom for Palestine, an alternative to both merely-symbolic pacifist protests as well as ineffective individual terrorism. This alternative must come in the form of mass mobilizations in the streets, villages and neighborhoods through mass meetings and democratic struggle (and self-defence) committees.
And lastly, to reach out to all the oppressed groups in Israel (women, youth, ethnic/religious minorities, LGBT), mainly the massive number of immigrant workers who also suffer brutally under Zionist racism, as well as every oppressed Jewish group willing to break away with Zionism – like Jews of Arab (Mizrahim), African and USSR origin as well as Ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim).
- Only the unity of working class and oppressed, led by a revolutionary party of the most consciously advanced workers, can complete the national-democratic tasks abandoned and betrayed by the bourgeoisie (both big and petit), and lead the way to socialism. It is essential to build such a party both on the national and international level. Join us to build the 5th International!
Down with Zionist Apartheid and its Race-Laws!
Organize Mass Meetings to Discuss Future Action!
Organize Democratic Self-Defence Against Fascist Attacks!
Free all Palestinian Political Prisoners!
Victory for the Third Intifada!
For a Full Right of Return!
For a Multi-National Workers’ State in Palestine from the River to the Sea!
For a Socialist Federation of the Middle East!
For a Revolutionary Workers Party!
For a New Fifth International!