Statement of the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT), 27 October 2023, www.thecommunists.net
1. Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people and the heroic struggle of the resistance factions poses once more the issue of international solidarity in the centre of attention. The tactics of the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT) are based on our principled position in this war which we have summarised in the slogan “Support the Palestinian Resistance! Defeat Israel!” Hence, we advocate the military victory of the resistance led by Hamas without lending political support to the program or all tactics of its leadership.
2. We combine such a position with the perspective of smashing the Zionist Apartheid state and the creation of a single Palestinian state from the River to the Sea. Such a state would have a Palestinians majority as it would allow the right of return of all refugees. At the same time, it would guarantee full cultural and religious rights for the Jewish minority. Such a state would have a secular and democratic character and should be a workers and poor peasant republic as part of a socialist federation of the Middle East (“for a free and red Palestine, from the River to the Sea”).
3. We call for the full revitalization of the Intifada in the West Bank. For the creation of assemblies of the Palestinian workers and popular masses – to the degree this is possible under the conditions of war and oppression – which should discuss and decide about the course of the war, about a possible ceasefire, about organising and distributing humanitarian aid, rebuilding the Gaza strip, etc.
4. The RCIT advocates the combination of the Palestinian resistance with other struggles in the region like the revitalised Syrian Revolution, the popular resistance against Egypt’s dictatorship, etc. In other words, the Palestinian liberation struggle has to be understood as an integral part of the Arab Revolution which started in 2011. (“Spread the Intifada to the whole Middle East!”) Such a revolutionary process should be aimed at ultimately expel all imperialist powers (U.S., Russia and others) from the Middle East, to remove the Zionist entity, to bring down the local ruling class and to replace the capitalist system with a socialist federation of the Middle East.
5. In the current situation of the Gaza War, we support the call for a ceasefire. This would represent a major victory for the Palestinian resistance since it would stop the Israeli ground invasion. It would be a huge blow for Israel as Hamas delivered a successful strike against the Zionist state on 7 October and as it has been the declared goal of Israel and its Western supporters to “annihilate Hamas”.
6. Irrespective of our political criticism of Hamas as a (petty-)bourgeois Islamist organisation, we recognise that it plays a leading role within the Palestinian liberation struggle. We oppose its denunciation as a “terrorist organisation” and call for the lifting of its criminalisation and ban in Western and other countries. We demand its recognition as a belligerent force in the war against Israel (as it was the case with the PLO in the 1970s and 1980s).
7. There is a realistic possibility that the war expands once Israel starts its ground invasion. This could provoke Hezbollah in Lebanon, pro-Iranian forces in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen or even Iran itself to enter the conflict. Socialists would strongly welcome such an intervention as it would aid the Palestinian Resistance in this difficult hour and, at the same time, it would weaken Israeli as well as the U.S. imperialism. In such a conflict, the RCIT would call for the military victory of these forces against Israel and the U.S. without lending any political support to the leaderships resp. the Mullah regime.
8. The U.S. has sent two carrier groups to the region and tries to bolster its military position. This is part of its efforts not only to support its close ally Israel but also to regain domination of the Middle East (where it lost much influence in the last years vis-à-vis China and Russia). China has now also sent six warships to the region albeit it has not indicated any involvement in the conflict yet. In the case of the Ukraine War, we have supported the just war of national defence of the Ukrainian people against Russian imperialism. Hence, we have welcomed any form of military support for the Ukraine (even if it came from the U.S.). Likewise, we would welcome all forms of practical support for the Palestinian resistance today (even if it would come from China or Russia). However, in case of a direct conflict between U.S. and Chinese warships, we would take a dual defeatist position, i.e. supporting neither one nor the other imperialist camp.
9. The RCIT calls for the full and unconditional international support for the Palestinian liberation struggle. The workers and popular mass organizations must build a global boycott movement against Israel. Sabotage all forms of military support for Israel. For strikes, protests and consumer boycott against Israeli goods, pro-Israeli political and cultural events! At the same time, we strongly encourage support for all pro-Palestinian activities by progressive Jewish organisations.
10. In Arab and Muslim countries as well as in all other semi-colonial countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe, we call for the total rupture of all diplomatic, political and economic relations with Israel.
11. We call countries – in particular those which claim to support the cause of the Palestinian people – to send the Palestinian people everything they need. This includes humanitarian aid as well as arms.
12. In imperialist countries, we advocate mass protests as well as a workers and popular boycott against Israel. We demand an end of any political, financial and military support for Israel. However, we do not call the imperialist ruling class to impose sanctions against Isarel as this would represent a form of support for imperialist sanctions policy – something which Trotsky and the Fourth International always strictly opposed.
13. Finally, a crucial demand after the end of the war will be that Israel – as well as the Western powers that support it – must fully pay for the costs of the reconstruction of Gaza.
International Bureau of the RCIT