THE FIVE-MONTH stand-off between the Palestinian people and the world's most powertul imperialist rulers is no closer to being resolved as we go to press, despite the decision by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to call a referendum on July 26 over the heads of the elected Hamas government.
The referendum, which will involve only those Palestinians living within the confines of the fragmented statelet spanning Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, calls lor endorsement of a policy of coexistence with Israel.
This would effectively recognise Israel's right to exist in its current form as a sectarian. exclusive and oppressive state, illegally occupying land invaded in 1967 and subsequent wars, denying millions of Palestinians the right to return to their homeland.
The Israelis have demanded such recognition as a precondition to any further talks or dealings with Hamas. Meanwhile the Israeli military has kept up its relentless attacks, firing thousands of shells into Gaza this year, claiming that this is in retaliation for Palestinian rocket attacks: dozens of Palestinian civilians have been injured and at least 15 killed in these attacks, which hit the headlines early in June when Israeli shells killed seven people picknicking on the beach in Gaza, several of them children.
The Hamas government swept to power in January in a wave of revulsion at the corruption and political impotence of the PLO, and its main factions can claim a mandate for its consistent refusal to recognise Israel.
Hamas's military wing has maintained a ceasefire for almost 18 months, but patience has been stretched beyond the limit by the constant and escalating Israeli provocations.
The clear majority electoral support for Hamas, and the rejection of the candidates implicitly favoured or explicitly sponsored by the Israelis and the USA, brought a massive diplomatic pressure and a crippling economic embargo on the new Palestinian government, which has brought fresh misery to an already downtrodden and dispossessed people.
Even if Abbas succeeds in strong-arming a minority of the total Palestinian population into voting away the claims and rights of the millions scattered in camps and exile communities around the world - as Yassir Arafat famously did on behalf of the PLO - it will not resolve the inherent contradiction of Palestinians recognising Israel's right to exist while the Israelis (enlisting full support from Blair, Bush and the EU) refuse the slightest concession of rights to the Palestinians.
Far from conniving at another ritual humiliation for the Palestinians, socialists in Britain need to fight for Britain and the EU to take the lead in lifting the political and economic boycott on Hamas and for pressure on the Israeli government to recognise and negotiate with the elected government of Palestine. As Blair makes plans for departure Harriet Harman and Alan Johnson eye up Prescott's job and perks eration - the issue of a political alternative is urgently and irresistibly posed.
The
question is how an alternative party can be built that will attract and represent militant and
elements acuive from the working class, while preventing the kind
ODDOLLUnISI degeneration that has characterised Labour governand Labour leaders over the years.
Socialist
has argued from the beginning that Respect has the potental lo one of the major building blocks of a new party on the left in Britain
Its councillors in Tower Hamlets have now adonted a programme of action which will quickly bring them into conflict with New Labour, particularly on its housing policy.
the bloody banner of the fascists. This will be assisted by the forthcoming
Blair and publication of
Prescott are an updated manifesto, already allowing David available on the
Respect website,
Cameron to making clear the resurrect the organisation's
underlying Tories, and socialist politics.
And it's why fertilising the we welcome the
fact that Respect ground for the
is beginning to emergence of organise itself
more as a parly
the BNP as a which 1LS
increased credible number elected councilelectoral force
Alors act collectively common lines, and can expect to be held to account That's how we can avoid Respect facing the embarrassment of spawning our own equivalents of Prescott and Alan Johnson, and ensure it stays loyal to the working class which must form its core support.