Backing the Slaughter of the Palestinian People in the Name of Humanity and a Political Solution

Workers' Daily Internet Edition : Article Index :

Emergency Debate on the Middle East with No Prime Minister:
Backing the Slaughter of the Palestinian People in the Name of Humanity and a Political Solution

Statement of Northern Regional Forum on the Mass Party Press
House of Commons Motion Calling for Immediate End to Israeli Offensive

EU Refrains from Sanctions on Israel, Backs Powell Trip
EU-Israel Free Trade Agreement Remains Intact
Call of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
Protest March to West Bank Town of Jenin
Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

It is reported that Prime Minister Tony Blair has no plans to attend the Middle East debate in the House of Commons this Tuesday afternoon. This is the person that said in the George Bush Senior Presidential Library: "The plight of the Middle East would make the hardest heart break. Anyone with an ounce of humanity watching the current horrors unfold on TV screens across the world is willing the international community to help." This was on April 7. It is now April 16 and the horrors have continued to unfold, and the massacres of the people of Jenin have been breaking the people’s hearts despite Israel seeking to keep them off the TV screens of the world. Yet where are Tony Blair’s deeds to match his words of the "international community" being willed to help?

It was last Wednesday, April 10, that Tony Blair told MPs that it was "hard to overstate the dangers" of the conflict, saying, "It is indeed a genuine crisis, and one on which all of us, in whatever way we can, small or large, have a duty to act."

As in the US, he called for both sides to consider a "political solution". With the sophistry that "there must be a political process too", the Blair government is "sharing the horror of the Israeli government and people" at the desperate suicide bombings of a number of Palestinian patriots in order to present in a respectable light the crimes against humanity being perpetrated by Sharon and intoning, "There is no point in blame."

Blair’s call is to the so-called "moderates" to have a "vision for the future", because unless they do so the "extremists move into the vacuum". These are the Palestinian martyrs he is speaking of. Tony Blair is himself so sickening when he avows that to "anyone familiar with Northern Ireland the pattern is sickeningly predictable". It is so sickening because the Irish patriots too fought for the right to hold the British government to a "peace process". It is not that one side "feels oppressed", and so "without political progress resorts to terror". The Palestinian people are being massacred by actual state terror, by a criminal Zionist regime which has passed beyond denying them the right of self-determination to denying them the right to exist as a people, to only exist as dogs at the behest of a cruel but "civilised" master-race.

Then peace will be possible, then the "two sides" will be able to enter into a "peace process" reasons Tony Blair with his "civilised values" and his so sincere abhorrence of "terrorism". In other words, it will be the peace of the wasteland, as the US and Britain are trying to impose in Afghanistan too, as the British imperialists tried to impose in Africa and throughout their empire, including Ireland too. The mighty imposes its will on the subject peoples.

But the logic of history and the aspirations and humanity of the world’s peoples will not accept this legitimising of war crimes. Tony Blair’s logic of "enlightened self-interest", of making Britain "great" again – in other words, as in its imperialist hey-day – is the opposite of enlightened, and exposes the "self-interest" as being the basest criminality that sanctions and stands behind such criminals as Sharon in the name of "humanity" and a "political process".

While Tony Blair’s heart bleeds for the Middle East, he is preparing to create further bloodshed in Iraq, where millions of people have already been the victims of the Anglo-US New World Order. While he will not condemn Ariel Sharon, whose deeds and crimes the world’s people are condemning in a torrent of revulsion, Tony Blair will not leave Saddam Hussein to go "unchecked". With Iraq, "doing nothing" has never been an "option" for the British government, since that regime has never been content to follow the Bush-Blair dictate.

The "powerful idea of a global community", enunciated by Tony Blair and his Foreign Secretary now stands exposed as the House of Commons impotently discusses the Middle East and which Tony Blair is reportedly boycotting. It is that where all "terror", save that of the "civilised nations" is condemned, and where these "civilised nations" have the right to stamp out all those opposed to the big powers’ "powerful" conception of a "global community" because the world is so "closely entwined". The big powers will meet their "global responsibilities".

Yes. "The world has to get behind US Secretary of State Colin Powell as he works to stop the violence and get both parties to re-engage in the process." So while Ariel Sharon is committing his unspeakable crimes, the answer is for the world’s peoples to lay down in front of their oppressors and hail the peacemaking of the world’s greatest imperialist superpower.

Now it is crystal clear where the logic of "failed states" and the "war on terrorists, drugs barons, criminals and warlords" leads. The Palestinian people, the world’s peoples, are seeing and experiencing what this "overarching strategy" involves from the big powers. It is the blocking of all humanitarian paths to progress in the name of "humanity" and opposition to "war criminals", the imposition of a "global community" in the image of those arch-reactionaries that are refusing to leave the scene of history of their own accord. But the people are refusing to surrender the initiative to these arch-reactionary forces. The most criminal thing about these forces is that they are blocking the forward march of the people in the name of all that is most "humanitarian", "moderate", and "moral". The people’s movement is beginning to comprehend the depths of this deception, and it is imperative for the future of humanity that the work to consolidate this initiative of the peoples and join their forces in a political torrent against these warmongers is vigorously redoubled at this time.

At its meeting on Wednesday, April 11, the Northern Regional Forum on the Mass Party Press discussed the stand of the Mass Party Press in the region towards the criminal occupation of Palestine by Israel. The following is a statement that has been issued by the Forum.

The stand of the US and British governments, the so-called allies in the "war on terrorism", to allow the criminal occupation of Palestine and massacre of Palestinians by Israel must be condemned by the working class and people. To give the war criminal Ariel Sharon more time to complete the massacres, not to speak of supplying such a war criminal with the terror weapons and allowing Israel nuclear weapons is something which the people of the world find impossible to comprehend.

The Palestinian people are courageously standing their ground in the face of the most terrifying occupation and the US and British governments are trying to blame "both sides". While Israel wages war against the Palestinian Authority and holds a gun to the head of Yasser Arafat, the US and British governments put the onus on the Palestinian Authority to end the violence. Tony Blair is calling for "peace" on the basis that any resistance from the Palestinian people is a "terrorist act" whilst occupation and massacre of Palestinians is "understandable" and calls on Israel to exercise "restraint" whilst allowing the situation to continue unimpeded in any practical way.

Workers and progressive people must condemn US and British support for Israeli state terror against the Palestinian people. They must demand an end to the occupation once and for all and for the homeland of the Palestinian people to be restored. Only in this way will the crisis be resolved in favour of the peoples of Palestine, Israel and the Middle East.

End the Israeli Aggression and Occupation Now! Condemn US and British support for Israeli state terror!

Early Day Motion 1106 has so far been signed by 89 MPs, since being tabled on April 10, 2002, by Richard Burden. The text follows:

ISRAELI INCURSIONS INTO PALESTINIAN LAND

That this House calls for an immediate end to the Israeli offensive in the Occupied Territories based on international law and UN resolutions; urges the British Government and the international community to bring further pressure to bear on the Israeli Government immediately to withdraw its forces from Palestinian towns, villages and refugee camps, strengthened by the dispatch of a United Nations observation team; calls for a cessation of the suffocating closures policy which constitutes collective punishment of the Palestinian civilian population in contravention of the Fourth Geneva Convention; condemns terrorism on all sides; endorses both UN Security Council Resolution 1397 envisaging 'a region where two states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognised borders' and the Saudi initiative approved by the Beirut Arab Summit; extends its support to the Israeli peace movement, including the Israeli army reservists who refuse to serve in the Occupied Territories; calls for a cessation of violence on all sides, a freeze on all settlement expansion and a return to political negotiations, and insists that to end the 35 year-oppression and humiliation of the Palestinians and ensure lasting peace and security for all peoples, there must be permanent withdrawal by Israel from all occupied land, justice for the 3.8 million Palestinian refugees and the creation of a viable and fully independent Palestinian State.

Ms Diane Abbott, John Austin, Mr Adrian Bailey, Mr Harry Barnes, Miss Anne Begg, Mr Henry Bellingham, Mr Harold Best, Mr Colin Breed, Kevin Brennan, Mrs Annette L Brooke, Dr Vincent Cable, Mr Menzies Campbell, Mr Alistair Carmichael, Mr Martin Caton, Mr Colin Challen, Mr Tony Clarke, Harry Cohen, Mr Michael Connarty, Jeremy Corbyn, Mr John Cummings, Tony Cunningham, Valerie Davey, Mr Wayne David, Mr Brian H Donohoe, Julia Drown, Clive Efford, Dr Hywel Francis, Andrew George, Mr Neil Gerrard, Chris Grayling, Mr John Grogan, Mr Mike Hancock, Mr Kelvin Hopkins, Dr Brian Iddon, Mr Eric Illsley, Huw Irranca-Davies, Helen Jackson, Lynne Jones, Mr Martyn Jones, Mr Paul Keetch, Mr Peter Kilfoyle, Jim Knight, Mr David Laws, Mr Mark Lazarowicz, Mr David Lepper, Mr Tony Lloyd, Ian Lucas, Mr Khalid Mahmood, Alice Mahon, Mr Gordon Marsden, Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews, Chris McCafferty, Ann McKechin, Julie Morgan, Albert Owen, Anne Picking, Mr Peter L Pike, Mr Stephen Pound, Mr Gwyn Prosser, Mr Ken Purchase, Mr Ernie Ross, Chris Ruane, Joan Ruddock, Bob Russell, Mr Martin Salter, Phil Sawford, Mr Brian Sedgemore, Mr Jonathan R Shaw, Mr Jim Sheridan, Mr Alan Simpson, Llew Smith, Mr Nicholas Soames, Mr Paul Stinchcombe, Mark Tami, David Taylor, Mr Simon Thomas, Jon Trickett, Mr Paul Tyler, Mr Bill Tynan, Mr Robert N Wareing, Brian White, Mrs Betty Williams, Hywel Williams, Mr Nicholas Winterton, Mr Mike Wood, Tony Worthington, Derek Wyatt, Richard Younger-Ross.

European Union Foreign Ministers on April 15 buried talk of imposing sanctions on Israel for its West Bank offensive and instead rallied behind US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s peace mission.

"No sanctions," one EU diplomat said as the ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg began discussing West Asia. "We’re here to send a signal to all parties that there must be dialogue and to form a consensus on how to proceed. But we cannot decide on a peace plan while Powell is going back and forth between Sharon and Arafat."

A number of the 15 EU states backed the UN body’s resolution, but – underlining divisions within the bloc – Britain and Germany voted against it and Italy abstained.

The free trade agreement between the European Union and Israel will not be cancelled for the time being, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres.

Over the past few weeks, there have been demands in Europe that the Association Agreements Committee, which decides the fate of the free trade agreement, be convened under the clause of human rights violations.

According to the agreement, Israel is entitled to free trade with Europe, and its products are exempt from export taxes. Cancellation of the agreement would cause serious harm to Israeli exports.

Jack Straw only stressed the need to set a date for Israel to end the current military operations in the West Bank, and a withdrawal of IDF forces from Palestinian territory.

*****

PCHR calls:

1.Upon the international community to provide immediate and independent international protection for the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories;

2.Upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to reconvene in order to take effective measures to protect Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in accordance with their obligations under Article 1, to ensure the respect of the Convention;

3.Upon the international community to investigate and prosecute those believed to have committed war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories before international courts;

4.Upon the ICRC to enhance its presence, expand its activities, and intensify its field observations throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories;

5.Upon the European Union to activate Article 2 of the Euro-Israeli Association Agreement, which provides that Israel must respect human rights;

6.Upon the international community to provide humanitarian and medical assistance for the Palestinian people, whose living conditions are continuing to deteriorate as a result of the continued siege imposed by Israeli occupation forces on the entire Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Some 3,000 Israelis, both Jews and Arabs, set out on a march towards Jenin in the West Bank on Saturday, April 13, protesting against the IDF operations in the territories. A short while after the march began, border policemen claimed that it was illegal, and tried to block their way.

A struggle broke out between the two groups, and the protesters managed to break through the blockade, enabling them to reach the Salam junction next to the city and set up a rally. At a different junction they tried to send in 15 trucks with food and water to Palestinians whose houses were destroyed.

A large number of police forces accompanied the demonstrators and prevented reporters in cars from following. Four members of the Israeli Knesset took part in the march, as did many peace groups.

Witnesses from Jenin refugee camp have continued to report that all homes and shelters of al-Somran and Jorid a-Dhahib quarters are being systematically demolished by Israeli bulldozers. Israeli bulldozers and tanks have already completely destroyed the quarters of Tahbash, Abu Zeid, and al-Damesh.

All surviving men of the refugee camp are now outside the refugee camp. A great number of them are detained or considered missing. Only an estimated 3,000 women and children are still in Jenin refugee camp. They have been trying to leave the refugee camp, in order to save their lives.

The Israeli government continues its attempts to avoid accountability for its abuses by offering unconvincing justifications for its conduct unsupported by the findings of independent investigations. On April 14, the Israeli Supreme Court heard petitions calling for the cessation of the burial of bodies of Palestinian fighters and civilians in mass graves in the Jenin refugee camp. Supreme Court Chief Justice Aharon Barak upheld the petitioners' request for an injunction calling on the Israeli army to immediately stop any evacuation or burial of bodies until the hearing has taken place.

Immediately after the filings, Justice Englard ordered the state to respond to the motion for the injunction and the petition without delay. The Attorney General's office responded, stating that Israeli forces will not distinguish between the bodies of fighters and civilians in regards to their burial. This contradicts evidence received by eyewitnesses from the Jenin refugee camp, who reported that the Israeli army was currently conducting such burials. It also contradicts previous statements by the Israeli army, who said that Palestinian fighters killed in Jenin would be buried in a separate cemetery.

In the Jenin Palestinian refugee camp, water and electricity have been cut off for days, bodies lie unburied and rot in the streets, ambulances are forbidden to enter or are fired on. UN transports full of badly-needed food are forbidden entry.

April 4-10 was the bloodiest and most disastrous week since the beginning of the Intifada. Hundreds of Palestinians killed and thousands wounded in full-scale Israeli offensive on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Thousands of Palestinians were detained in massive arrest campaigns. There was large-scale destruction of houses; and forced migration of hundreds of families. Attacks were carried out by the IDF on medical personnel and hospitals and the wounded were arrested. The West Bank cities were declared "closed military areas" and journalists were denied entry. A curfew was imposed on West Bank cities.

Since March 29, Israeli occupation forces have launched an unprecedented all-out offensive on the West Bank cities. Last week was the bloodiest since the beginning of al-Aqsa Intifada in September 2000.

Israeli occupation forces invaded several villages near Ramallah, Hebron and Jenin. They seized control over these villages and killed or arrested many Palestinians. In Bethlehem, Israeli occupation forces maintained a strict siege on the Church of Nativity and three other churches. In Ramallah, Israeli occupation forces maintained the siege on the compound of Palestinian National Authority President Yasser Arafat.

In attempt to mislead the international community, the Israeli government declared that it withdrew its forces from the cities of Tulkarm and Qalqilya in the northern West Bank. However, Israeli occupation forces still imposed a very strict siege on the two cities.

In violation of international humanitarian law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, Israeli occupation forces attacked medical personnel, including those of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and denied them access to the wounded, especially in Jenin and Nablus. They also raided a number of hospitals. In the aftermath of repeated Israeli attacks on its personnel and vehicles, the ICRC issued a statement on April 5 announcing that it would limit its activities in the aftermath of repeated Israeli attacks, including shootings at ICRC ambulances in Nablus by Israeli soldiers and the destruction of two vehicles by Israeli tanks in Tulkarm.

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupation forces shelled and invaded Palestinian residential areas. They divided the strip into four isolated zones. They have also maintained a strict siege on al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis.