THE ANARCHO-SYNDICALIST INITIAVE IN ISRAEL/PALESTINE A las Barricadas! Por el triunfo de la Confederacion! Dear Comrades, In a meeting of the comrades of the Anarcho-Syndicalist Initiative in Israel/Palestine, we decided to carry forward the project of building genuine revolutionary syndicalist organization of the working class. We decided to ask for affiliation to the IWA and to be in the status of Friends of the International Workers Association. We are intending to introduce in the next month our Manifesto.
The recent years have been terribly bad to the Israeli and Palestinian workers. No political organization or party offers any kind of way forward; all of them are serving the ruling capitalist elites - all of them are nothing but loyal servants of the workers' enemies. The state-owned trade unions in Israel and the corrupted trade unions in the Palestinian Authority have nothing to propose but compromises with the big capital, alliances with some "progressive" bourgeois elements and rude betrayal. The revolutionary anarcho-syndicalist program of the ASI asks for multinational workers' unity, joint struggle of toilers in this country and the region, against the Zionist movement headed by the local capitalists, the Arab reaction headed by the Palestinian Liberation Organization [PLO] and the Islamists and the collaborative regimes headed by the loyal puppets of the US imperialism.
As anarcho-syndicalists, we are standing for a society based on free confederation of revolutionary syndicates and general congress of labor, for a free and equal society led by the laboring masses of the Middle East and the world. We are admiring our friends in countries like the United States, France, Britain, Spain, Germany and other countries, who are doing courageous and great work against the ruling classes and their agents, and for genuine syndicalist revolution.
We would like to thank Braden Cannon from the IWW for his support, Mitch from the Workers Solidarity Alliance, Thomas from the CNT-AIT, Ullus from the FAU in Berlin and other comrades and friends.
Revolutionary Syndicalist Greetings
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Israel, Haifa, a new Anarchist Discussion Group 15/06/04
This June 20th, at 19:00 - 27th Pevzner St. will host an opening session of a Haifa based Anarchist discussion group. The purpose of this group is twofold: First, we wish to expose ourselves to revolutionary Anarchist thought, study it and discuss it. Our scope will not be limited to some specific field, and the group will touch both upon classic and modern works, and according to the wishes of the group members, we may also deal with the Anarchist linkages of specific subjects (such as Ecology, Queer Theory, Man-Animal relations, Military and Police vs. Society, etc.) Additionally, we hope the activity of the group may lend some substance to the otherwise ephemeral existance of Anarchism in the Haifa area - turn it into something more than faint whispers sometimes carried on the air.
The intended membership is both people with some theoretic background in radical or Anarchist thought, both (or perhaps especially) those not in 'the thick of things', but consider Anarchism a current of though and a point of view which they wish to familiarize themselves with, or adopt. The only prerequisite is an open mind: the belief that the society in which we live can and should be changed, the wish to be exposed to information, and the willingness to contribute thought and attention; thus we may be able to hold dynamic and vibrant discourse, placing the question mark on all that which our daily lives present to us as obvious and necessary.
Those of you willing to participate - we would ask you to also give some thoughts to possible texts (articles, books, films) on these subjects which you would like to the group to share, or even such that you have not yet read, and whose reading you wish to make more of a group experience. We, of course, have some suggestions of our own...
The first session - an introduction and an acquaintance, towards a decision on a permanent schedule and specific texts and subjects for future discussion - will be held, as mentioned above, on Sunday the 20th of June, at 'The Melange': 27 Pevzner Street, Haifa, near the municipal theater hall. Our vision is of bi-weekly meetings of several hours each.
PS 1 - Circumstances demand that the discussion language be Hebrew (and some English); we are not able to parley in Arabic. We apologize for this inconvenience, and hope that those of you who are Palestinian may still find it possible to participate if you so wish.
PS 2 - You may find more information regarding the 'Pevzner 27' project at: http://www.haifa.is.dreaming.org/
PS 3 - For further details, please contact haifa_anarchists-A-yahoo.com or eyalroz-A-technion.ac.il
The intended membership is both people with some theoretic background in radical or Anarchist thought, both (or perhaps especially) those not in 'the thick of things', but consider Anarchism a current of though and a point of view which they wish to familiarize themselves with, or adopt. The only prerequisite is an open mind: the belief that the society in which we live can and should be changed, the wish to be exposed to information, and the willingness to contribute thought and attention; thus we may be able to hold dynamic and vibrant discourse, placing the question mark on all that which our daily lives present to us as obvious and necessary.
Those of you willing to participate - we would ask you to also give some thoughts to possible texts (articles, books, films) on these subjects which you would like to the group to share, or even such that you have not yet read, and whose reading you wish to make more of a group experience. We, of course, have some suggestions of our own...
The first session - an introduction and an acquaintance, towards a decision on a permanent schedule and specific texts and subjects for future discussion - will be held, as mentioned above, on Sunday the 20th of June, at 'The Melange': 27 Pevzner Street, Haifa, near the municipal theater hall. Our vision is of bi-weekly meetings of several hours each.
PS 1 - Circumstances demand that the discussion language be Hebrew (and some English); we are not able to parley in Arabic. We apologize for this inconvenience, and hope that those of you who are Palestinian may still find it possible to participate if you so wish.
PS 2 - You may find more information regarding the 'Pevzner 27' project at: http://www.haifa.is.dreaming.org/
PS 3 - For further details, please contact haifa_anarchists-A-yahoo.com or eyalroz-A-technion.ac.il
Tuesday, June 8, 2004
Israeli Anarchists arrested after opening roadblocks which strangled Palestinian village 08/06/04
Today, six Israeli activists of "Anarchists Against Fences" were detained for opening a barrier which effectively strangled the Palestinian vllage of Bezariya. The six had been among several dozen Israeli and international activists which arrived at the spot this morning. Together with the Palestinian villagers, the activists swiftly removed two mounds of earth which the army had piled up and which blocked the villagers' access to both Nablus and Tulkarem.
Apparently the army and police were caught napping, and there was no sign of them as the intersection was cleared and the villagers enabled to travel freely for the first time in months. But on their way back, the activists' bus was boarded by plaincloths policemen, who took everybody's I.D's and/or passports, and photographed everybody in the bus. At first, all passengers were told that they were under detention. Later, the police selected six who were evidently considered "ringleaders" who were taken off to the Ariel Police Station, where they are still held at present. Untiring human rights lawyer Gabi Laski took up their case.
For more details as well as photos and video footage: cat@squat.net
Apparently the army and police were caught napping, and there was no sign of them as the intersection was cleared and the villagers enabled to travel freely for the first time in months. But on their way back, the activists' bus was boarded by plaincloths policemen, who took everybody's I.D's and/or passports, and photographed everybody in the bus. At first, all passengers were told that they were under detention. Later, the police selected six who were evidently considered "ringleaders" who were taken off to the Ariel Police Station, where they are still held at present. Untiring human rights lawyer Gabi Laski took up their case.
For more details as well as photos and video footage: cat@squat.net
Monday, June 7, 2004
Palestine-Israel, Az Zawiya, the bulldozers have been working all night and they still are, the activists are there clashing. 07/06/04
Az Zawiya is just south of Mas’ha, where the wall was finished last year. The next phase in the Salfit district will create of cluster of villages around the three villages of Az Zawiya, Rafat and Deir Ballut. Their only entrance and exit will be the narrow road entrance under Highway 5 between the village of Mas'ha and Az Zawiya, easy to completely cut off.
These past few weeks, residents from other villages have been denied passage through the permanent checkpoint at Deir Ballut. Confiscation orders have been issued and villagers will lose access to over 100,000 dunams which lie between the Wall and the Green Line. A look at the map will show that there is no security basis for taking this land.
In a medical emergency, there would no easy access for Palestinians to the emergency hospital in Salfit. Students would be unable to get a higher education. There is no work and some families already rely on humanitarian aid to survive.
Around 64,000 people in Salfit will be severely affected by the Wall.
We need your help to bring the world’s attention to what is happening.
We must act before the wall is built!
We will need hundreds of volunteers to help the villages resist the destruction of their lands.
If you can spare a day or two and come to help us stop the bulldozers please send an email to iwps@palnet.com or call 09 251 6644.
We need to know:
1. Your name
2. Telephone number and email address
3. What days of the week you can come
4. Whether you are willing to sleep in Az Zawiya on any of these days
Please circulate this call widely…your support is needed!
IWPS (International Women’s Peace Service)
Coalition of Women for Peace
Anarchists Against the Wall
These past few weeks, residents from other villages have been denied passage through the permanent checkpoint at Deir Ballut. Confiscation orders have been issued and villagers will lose access to over 100,000 dunams which lie between the Wall and the Green Line. A look at the map will show that there is no security basis for taking this land.
In a medical emergency, there would no easy access for Palestinians to the emergency hospital in Salfit. Students would be unable to get a higher education. There is no work and some families already rely on humanitarian aid to survive.
Around 64,000 people in Salfit will be severely affected by the Wall.
We need your help to bring the world’s attention to what is happening.
We must act before the wall is built!
We will need hundreds of volunteers to help the villages resist the destruction of their lands.
If you can spare a day or two and come to help us stop the bulldozers please send an email to iwps@palnet.com or call 09 251 6644.
We need to know:
1. Your name
2. Telephone number and email address
3. What days of the week you can come
4. Whether you are willing to sleep in Az Zawiya on any of these days
Please circulate this call widely…your support is needed!
IWPS (International Women’s Peace Service)
Coalition of Women for Peace
Anarchists Against the Wall
Thursday, June 3, 2004
Israeli Anarchists Against Walls speaking tour dates 03/06/04
Come to hear about the new resistance to the Apartheid Wall. Daniela and Rotem (Holland, Belguim, Germany, Denemark) email us at isranarchists@yahoo.com for more details
HOLLAND
8 June, Utrecht ACU, Voorstraat 71
11 june Amsterdam Vrankrijk, Spuistraat 216
BELGIUM
14 Gent Anarchist Center, Sparestraat 2
13 Leuven (not for sure)
GERMANY
16 Dusseldorf (Info@zapata-laden.de)
17 kassel (asn.kassel@freenet.de)
18 Bonn bookshop "Le Sabot" (http://www.lesabot.de), Breite Strasse 76, D-53111 Bonn-Altstadt.
21 Hamburg (Fauh@fau.org)
22 Berlin (faub@fau.org)
DENMARK
25 K-TOWN Fest Copenhagen
HOLLAND 29 Rotterdam, hang 4 30 Zwoalle 1.7 Groningen
***
Uri Ayalon uri_ayalon@yahoo.com (England)
8.6 - SCAWAG, Scarborough, 19:00 at the library (upstairs) Vermon Rd.
9.6 - ISM, Bristol, 18:45 at Malcolm X Centre, Ashley Rd-City Rd st. Pouls Bristol
10.6- Milton Keynes, 12:30 pm at the Open University in Milton Keynes (about
an hour outside of London)
12.6- London, 15:00pm at Golders Green Unitarian Church.
13.6 - JFJFP, London, 20:00 at a pub called 'Queens Head and Artichoke', Albany Street NW1 (Regents Park).
14.6 - Indymedia-Oxford and more, Oxford, 19:30. For more details: uri@riseup.net
15.6 - Manchester, For more details: maciacia@tiscali.co.uk
HOLLAND
8 June, Utrecht ACU, Voorstraat 71
11 june Amsterdam Vrankrijk, Spuistraat 216
BELGIUM
14 Gent Anarchist Center, Sparestraat 2
13 Leuven (not for sure)
GERMANY
16 Dusseldorf (Info@zapata-laden.de)
17 kassel (asn.kassel@freenet.de)
18 Bonn bookshop "Le Sabot" (http://www.lesabot.de), Breite Strasse 76, D-53111 Bonn-Altstadt.
21 Hamburg (Fauh@fau.org)
22 Berlin (faub@fau.org)
DENMARK
25 K-TOWN Fest Copenhagen
HOLLAND 29 Rotterdam, hang 4 30 Zwoalle 1.7 Groningen
***
Uri Ayalon uri_ayalon@yahoo.com (England)
8.6 - SCAWAG, Scarborough, 19:00 at the library (upstairs) Vermon Rd.
9.6 - ISM, Bristol, 18:45 at Malcolm X Centre, Ashley Rd-City Rd st. Pouls Bristol
10.6- Milton Keynes, 12:30 pm at the Open University in Milton Keynes (about
an hour outside of London)
12.6- London, 15:00pm at Golders Green Unitarian Church.
13.6 - JFJFP, London, 20:00 at a pub called 'Queens Head and Artichoke', Albany Street NW1 (Regents Park).
14.6 - Indymedia-Oxford and more, Oxford, 19:30. For more details: uri@riseup.net
15.6 - Manchester, For more details: maciacia@tiscali.co.uk
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Israel-Palestine, Soon: *GENOCIDE IN PALESTINE - SOLIDARITY NOW!* 20/05/04
Needed: INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE ONGOING GENOCIDE IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES!
Dear friends,
My name is David and I am anarchist from Israel. There is an emergency situation in Palestine. Dozens of innocent Palestinians, women, children and old people, are killed every day in Rafah. Dozens of of houses have been destroyed already. More than thousand people were made homeless, and the killing and destruction only get worse. According to unofficial numbers, there are more than 20,000 innocent Palestinian refugees. Anarchist activists were beaten and arrested tonight. Take a solidarity action now!
We need your help! There is an emergency situation right now in the Gaza Strip and the town of Rafah, in particular, with scenes that bring to mind Israel's invasion of Jenin and Nablus in the spring of 2002. So far today, 18 Palestinians were killed, but the action continues. Last weekend, 116 homes were destroyed, making over a thousand people homeless (please see www.btselem.org ). Hundreds more are slated for destruction. The Ha'aretz daily reporter (www.haaretz.com ), Amira Hass, filing dramatic daily reports from inside Rafah, describes the scenes of people grabbing their children and whatever comes to hand and fleeing their homes, anticipating the entry of the bulldozer-tanks. There are dead people in the streets, injured people are not being taken to hospitles.
Even Yossi Sarid MP from the Yahad Party (the social-democrats, formerly called Meretz), normally a staunch defender of the Israeli Occupation Forces, described actions in Rafah as "war crimes". Many -- Israelis, internationals and Palestinians -- are desperately trying to halt the bloodshed. The Israeli women's peace movement just placed an ad in Ha'aretz calling for an immediate halt to the violence and renewal of negotiations for what they call "a peace agreement that will extract us from all the occupied territories" ("True and enduring solutions," we wrote, "are attained by negotiation, not destruction, revenge or humiliation"). Although we, anarchists from Israel, are against any kind of peace between the ruling classes, we decided to participate in the united front against the genocide in Gaza strip. This morning, forty women drove to Gaza to see if they could intervene physically, but they are being prevented from entering Gaza by the occupation army. The women have set up an encampment at the Sufa checkpoint and say they will not leave until the army stops its actions there. Other peace and human rights organizations have placed newspaper ads, and many are organizing a larger delegation to join the women on Friday, in which a big demonstration will take place.
In addition, the ruling of Israel's High Court of Justice allows the IDF to continue its mass house demolitions in Rafah, and gives the IDF full discretion as to when to allow a court hearing prior to demolition. In issuing this ruling, the Court has shirked its obligation to balance security considerations with the rights of Palestinian civilians who are not involved in the hostilities. When addressing events in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the Court consistently disregards its obligations regarding human rights and international law, and uncritically adopts the position of the security establishment. Since the beginning of the Intifada, the IDF has demolished some 1,800 homes in the Rafah Refugee Camp. Since the beginning of 2004 alone, 284 homes have been demolished in Rafah, leaving 2,185 Palestinians homeless. House demolition on such a massive scale cannot be justified as "urgent military need."
Amnesty International is launching a report today entitled Israel and the Occupied Territories: Under the rubble: House demolition and destruction of land and property. In this report, the organization analyses the main patterns and trends of forced eviction, house demolition and destruction of property by the Israeli army and security forces in Israel and in the Occupied Territories in the light of international human rights and humanitarian law.
You can find the report as well as a web action on AI's website:
The report: http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engmde150332004
Press release: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE150502004
Stop destruction of homes and land by Israeli army - take action! http://web.amnesty.org/pages/isr-180504-action-eng
Slideshow: http://www.amnesty.org/resources/slideshow/slideshow-detect.htm?id=isr-180504-eng
Gush Shalom, Israel's peace movement, reports:
We heard what happened in Rafah while preparing in the Gush office for the already announced Friday protest at the Gaza entrance. We couldn''t think of a more fitting reaction than sending out a call to come - once more - to the Defense Ministry for an immediate protest. On the way there, with our banners and shields, we felt rather futile compared with those on whose behalf we were going to protest: the Rafah demonstrators in the middle of whom a helicopter gunship had sent a missile wounding dozens and among the ones killed several kids...
Still, the protest of some 250 - with besides Gush Shalom a very visible (and loud) presence of the dissident reservists (Courage to Refuse) and the Anarchists - had more spirit than the mass rally some days earlier. People easily found each other in furious chanting and the blag flags were there again. Nobody was surprised when some of the young took the initiative of blocking the street. More and more left the sidewalk. Police who started coming, closed off the Kaplan road for traffic, but before they could isolate us we had started marching. Chanting while walking from the Defence ministry gate through the whole Kaplan street into Ibn Gvirol, and from there towards the Rabin Square.
Reactions of passers-by were not unfriendly, and we nearly thought that the police for once decided not to show the usual behavior on this day of shame, but then suddenly they come from nowhere diving into the crowd and singling some out for arrest. Gush Shalom spokesperson Adam Keller was the first - seven polices dragged him, forcing him face-down on the street, and from seeing how they handled his arms and legs it seemed a miracle that he afterwards was not among the three (out of eight arrested) who had to go to hospital. The others were treated no better: Matan Cohen (wounded) , Yonathan Pollack (the "recidivist" anarchist), Elad Orian, refusnik David Zonscheine, Lezer Peled (wounded), Roni Avidov, Gal Chajad (wounded).
Some thirty demonstrators came to the police station, with two of them being able to function as lawyers (adv. Micheal Sfarad, himself a refuser, and activist advocate Yael Varda). After we had seen the wounded three handcuffed but on their feet coming out of the sstation to enter an ambulance, at 11pm the message came that the other arrestees would spend the night at Abu-Kabir (the Arabic name of this prison dating back to the pre-'48 period) after which the judge would decide what to do further.
Israelis who can, please come to the court(s) Thursday morning, May 20. Six of the eight will appear before the Duty Judge in the Magistrate Court (Mishpat Hashalom) Weitzman Street where they can be expected to be heard from 9am on.Matan and Roni will appear before a judge in the Juvenile Court (Shocken building), at about the same time. We hope that all will have the support of some friends and family.
Dear friends,
My name is David and I am anarchist from Israel. There is an emergency situation in Palestine. Dozens of innocent Palestinians, women, children and old people, are killed every day in Rafah. Dozens of of houses have been destroyed already. More than thousand people were made homeless, and the killing and destruction only get worse. According to unofficial numbers, there are more than 20,000 innocent Palestinian refugees. Anarchist activists were beaten and arrested tonight. Take a solidarity action now!
We need your help! There is an emergency situation right now in the Gaza Strip and the town of Rafah, in particular, with scenes that bring to mind Israel's invasion of Jenin and Nablus in the spring of 2002. So far today, 18 Palestinians were killed, but the action continues. Last weekend, 116 homes were destroyed, making over a thousand people homeless (please see www.btselem.org ). Hundreds more are slated for destruction. The Ha'aretz daily reporter (www.haaretz.com ), Amira Hass, filing dramatic daily reports from inside Rafah, describes the scenes of people grabbing their children and whatever comes to hand and fleeing their homes, anticipating the entry of the bulldozer-tanks. There are dead people in the streets, injured people are not being taken to hospitles.
Even Yossi Sarid MP from the Yahad Party (the social-democrats, formerly called Meretz), normally a staunch defender of the Israeli Occupation Forces, described actions in Rafah as "war crimes". Many -- Israelis, internationals and Palestinians -- are desperately trying to halt the bloodshed. The Israeli women's peace movement just placed an ad in Ha'aretz calling for an immediate halt to the violence and renewal of negotiations for what they call "a peace agreement that will extract us from all the occupied territories" ("True and enduring solutions," we wrote, "are attained by negotiation, not destruction, revenge or humiliation"). Although we, anarchists from Israel, are against any kind of peace between the ruling classes, we decided to participate in the united front against the genocide in Gaza strip. This morning, forty women drove to Gaza to see if they could intervene physically, but they are being prevented from entering Gaza by the occupation army. The women have set up an encampment at the Sufa checkpoint and say they will not leave until the army stops its actions there. Other peace and human rights organizations have placed newspaper ads, and many are organizing a larger delegation to join the women on Friday, in which a big demonstration will take place.
In addition, the ruling of Israel's High Court of Justice allows the IDF to continue its mass house demolitions in Rafah, and gives the IDF full discretion as to when to allow a court hearing prior to demolition. In issuing this ruling, the Court has shirked its obligation to balance security considerations with the rights of Palestinian civilians who are not involved in the hostilities. When addressing events in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the Court consistently disregards its obligations regarding human rights and international law, and uncritically adopts the position of the security establishment. Since the beginning of the Intifada, the IDF has demolished some 1,800 homes in the Rafah Refugee Camp. Since the beginning of 2004 alone, 284 homes have been demolished in Rafah, leaving 2,185 Palestinians homeless. House demolition on such a massive scale cannot be justified as "urgent military need."
Amnesty International is launching a report today entitled Israel and the Occupied Territories: Under the rubble: House demolition and destruction of land and property. In this report, the organization analyses the main patterns and trends of forced eviction, house demolition and destruction of property by the Israeli army and security forces in Israel and in the Occupied Territories in the light of international human rights and humanitarian law.
You can find the report as well as a web action on AI's website:
The report: http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engmde150332004
Press release: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE150502004
Stop destruction of homes and land by Israeli army - take action! http://web.amnesty.org/pages/isr-180504-action-eng
Slideshow: http://www.amnesty.org/resources/slideshow/slideshow-detect.htm?id=isr-180504-eng
Gush Shalom, Israel's peace movement, reports:
We heard what happened in Rafah while preparing in the Gush office for the already announced Friday protest at the Gaza entrance. We couldn''t think of a more fitting reaction than sending out a call to come - once more - to the Defense Ministry for an immediate protest. On the way there, with our banners and shields, we felt rather futile compared with those on whose behalf we were going to protest: the Rafah demonstrators in the middle of whom a helicopter gunship had sent a missile wounding dozens and among the ones killed several kids...
Still, the protest of some 250 - with besides Gush Shalom a very visible (and loud) presence of the dissident reservists (Courage to Refuse) and the Anarchists - had more spirit than the mass rally some days earlier. People easily found each other in furious chanting and the blag flags were there again. Nobody was surprised when some of the young took the initiative of blocking the street. More and more left the sidewalk. Police who started coming, closed off the Kaplan road for traffic, but before they could isolate us we had started marching. Chanting while walking from the Defence ministry gate through the whole Kaplan street into Ibn Gvirol, and from there towards the Rabin Square.
Reactions of passers-by were not unfriendly, and we nearly thought that the police for once decided not to show the usual behavior on this day of shame, but then suddenly they come from nowhere diving into the crowd and singling some out for arrest. Gush Shalom spokesperson Adam Keller was the first - seven polices dragged him, forcing him face-down on the street, and from seeing how they handled his arms and legs it seemed a miracle that he afterwards was not among the three (out of eight arrested) who had to go to hospital. The others were treated no better: Matan Cohen (wounded) , Yonathan Pollack (the "recidivist" anarchist), Elad Orian, refusnik David Zonscheine, Lezer Peled (wounded), Roni Avidov, Gal Chajad (wounded).
Some thirty demonstrators came to the police station, with two of them being able to function as lawyers (adv. Micheal Sfarad, himself a refuser, and activist advocate Yael Varda). After we had seen the wounded three handcuffed but on their feet coming out of the sstation to enter an ambulance, at 11pm the message came that the other arrestees would spend the night at Abu-Kabir (the Arabic name of this prison dating back to the pre-'48 period) after which the judge would decide what to do further.
Israelis who can, please come to the court(s) Thursday morning, May 20. Six of the eight will appear before the Duty Judge in the Magistrate Court (Mishpat Hashalom) Weitzman Street where they can be expected to be heard from 9am on.Matan and Roni will appear before a judge in the Juvenile Court (Shocken building), at about the same time. We hope that all will have the support of some friends and family.
Saturday, May 15, 2004
Israel/Tel-Aviv Second appearance of the anarcho-communist initiative in the huge peace demo: TWO STATES FOR TWO NATION - TWO STATES TOO MUCH 15/05/04
The Zionist left and center peace initiative, agree in principle to give back the territories occupied 1967... on condition they are exempted from the obligation for the 1948 refugees. This evening, they assembled people demo from all parts of the country to a huge demo. May be 200,000 who are 5% of the Israeli Jewry. The anarcho-communist initiative assembled about 25 people for distributing the leaflet appended below. Surprising was the absent of the animals rights anarchists of Ma'avak Ehad who had some animals rights action instead. We distributed all the 2000 copies of the leaflets we had, and at the end of the demo when the Zionist sang their nationalist anthem we shout "Zionism is racism".
TWO STATES FOR TWO NATION - TWO STATES TOO MUCH
If the state of Israel and the Palestinian Authority will reach a "peace" agreement, it will not result from Israeli wish for "security" to citizens and the Palestinian wish for "independence". It will be - more than any thing else, a part of configuration of international powers' interests that such concept are alien to their way of thinking. The Geneva accords, initiated by politicians and businessmen, if signed and applied as intended (two different things) will be expression of these interests, and so will be any other political agreement one can imagine. The label most appropriate for the description of the treatment of the Israeli state towards the inhabitants and citizens who are not included in the category of full rights Jews is APARTHEID: a chauvinist separation rule, which confiscate the land from the peasants, restrict the freedom of movement of people in their way to work, and even obstruct the ability of the Palestinian capitalists from developing its economy. All this, while trying to get the cooperation of the Palestinian leadership.
Some people, who regard themselves as peace activists asked themselves seriously, beyond the official answers of the left, what can be the reasons for the common policy towards the Palestinians of all Israeli governments - both from the left and the right? We claim that it is not simply the conquering of one people by the other stile of the ancient empires; nor just the expression of the belief in a undivided land of Israel drawn from the bible; neither is it stemming from the pressure of the strong lobby of the settlers' leaders, though it surely play a role too.
The apartheid rule must be seen as something that serves several powerful interests. First, it served the Israeli economy - meaning the Israeli capitalists, by supplying cheap labor power which was mainly used by the small and medium employers in the manufacturing and building businesses. "The Israeli Arabs" who were under military rule during the 1948-1966 years are serving this role and more than these, the inhabitants of the regions occupied in 1967. Only lately, as if as result of the El-Aktsa Intifada, and the massive "import" of temporary work immigrants, the free access to that work power was stopped. The big Israeli companies, profited from the 1967 occupation mainly because it opened for them a big consumer market with no competitors. The military establishment, which was always a powerful one in Israel, and its top personal enjoyed and still enjoy the ensured careers in the government and its industries after finishing the military service, have the vested interests to prolong the apartheid (and the conflict) to ensure their position and their rights. It is the interest of the United States of America, which is helped by the services given to it by the Israeli state, in the region and all over the world, since the 50s of the previous century, that Israel will stay under a permanent threat so it will continue to need its support.
* * *
A reminder: serious talks about the establishment of a Palestinian state started only 15 years ago, towards the end of the first Intifada. Nearly all of leaders of the main Zionist left and the more radical left of the present, that seems they succeeded to rewrite their history in a kind of Orwelian way, did not even imagined such an agreement. Even at the beginning of the Oslo period they still talked about autonomy. The PLO and the anti-Zionist left were talking about the establishment of a secular state of all its citizens. The Palestinian authority did not exist at all till Israel helped to establish the PLO in this role. The peace agreement of two states for two nations entered the agenda only when following the first Intifada, and the changes in the global world economy, it started to fit the interest of sections of the Israeli and US capitalist.
What such a peace means? If we continue the description of the situation in the extended Israel as apartheid, and compare it to that which existed in South Africa, we can see that PEACE means the subduing of the Intifada to a comprador Palestinian leadership that will serve Israel. PEACE like that, called often "normalization", is related to processes occurring all over the world under the label of globalization, and initiatives for regional businesses cooperation to culminate as "free trade region of all the Mediterranean countries" All over the world, agreements of such kind lead to the take over of the local economies by multi-national concerns, infringement on basic human rights, deterioration in the status and conditions of females and children, social violence and destruction of the environment.
Will such agreement and peace bring at least the cessation of violence? We do not think so: the economic hardship and gaps will increase, the refugees problem will stay un solved, and the legitimacy of international economic support given to the huge number of unemployed in the Gaza strip and parts of the West bank (as partly happened after the Oslo agreement and even lately). In such case, they will have to relay on "their" state - a small and dependent mini-state that is doubtful if it will be up to it.
States act within a system of interests which common people like us are not high on their concerns. If we want to bring about any change for the better, to decrease gaps and to stop the mutual killing, we better not behave as obedient puppets of political leaders financed by Europeans and Americans, who do not do any thing more the a democratic protest, but act instead to fell down the national partitions - and mainly resist the military forces that cause mutual and continuous slaughter.
We better not promote a political program, not that of the Geneva accords and not an alternative one. Instead, put on the agenda the demand for entirely different way of life and equality for all the inhabitants of the region. Even if we act in an independent (local) way we still have to remember that as long there are states and the capitalist system will continue, every improvement we succeed to achieve will be partial and under permanent threat. Thus, we have to see our struggle as part of the struggle carried in the whole world against the world capitalism and call for a revolutionary change based on the abolition of the class suppression, exploitation, and the building of a new society - a classless anarcho-communist one. Society in which there will not be coercion by the state, the organized violence will be abolished, the chauvinism will be non existing, and all other evils of the capitalist era will be removed.
THIS LEAFLET IS DISTRIBUTED BY ISRAELI NATIONAL TRAITORS ANARCHISTS Contact: haifa_anarchists-A-yahoo.com
NOT RULERS - NOT RULED
TWO STATES FOR TWO NATION - TWO STATES TOO MUCH
If the state of Israel and the Palestinian Authority will reach a "peace" agreement, it will not result from Israeli wish for "security" to citizens and the Palestinian wish for "independence". It will be - more than any thing else, a part of configuration of international powers' interests that such concept are alien to their way of thinking. The Geneva accords, initiated by politicians and businessmen, if signed and applied as intended (two different things) will be expression of these interests, and so will be any other political agreement one can imagine. The label most appropriate for the description of the treatment of the Israeli state towards the inhabitants and citizens who are not included in the category of full rights Jews is APARTHEID: a chauvinist separation rule, which confiscate the land from the peasants, restrict the freedom of movement of people in their way to work, and even obstruct the ability of the Palestinian capitalists from developing its economy. All this, while trying to get the cooperation of the Palestinian leadership.
Some people, who regard themselves as peace activists asked themselves seriously, beyond the official answers of the left, what can be the reasons for the common policy towards the Palestinians of all Israeli governments - both from the left and the right? We claim that it is not simply the conquering of one people by the other stile of the ancient empires; nor just the expression of the belief in a undivided land of Israel drawn from the bible; neither is it stemming from the pressure of the strong lobby of the settlers' leaders, though it surely play a role too.
The apartheid rule must be seen as something that serves several powerful interests. First, it served the Israeli economy - meaning the Israeli capitalists, by supplying cheap labor power which was mainly used by the small and medium employers in the manufacturing and building businesses. "The Israeli Arabs" who were under military rule during the 1948-1966 years are serving this role and more than these, the inhabitants of the regions occupied in 1967. Only lately, as if as result of the El-Aktsa Intifada, and the massive "import" of temporary work immigrants, the free access to that work power was stopped. The big Israeli companies, profited from the 1967 occupation mainly because it opened for them a big consumer market with no competitors. The military establishment, which was always a powerful one in Israel, and its top personal enjoyed and still enjoy the ensured careers in the government and its industries after finishing the military service, have the vested interests to prolong the apartheid (and the conflict) to ensure their position and their rights. It is the interest of the United States of America, which is helped by the services given to it by the Israeli state, in the region and all over the world, since the 50s of the previous century, that Israel will stay under a permanent threat so it will continue to need its support.
* * *
A reminder: serious talks about the establishment of a Palestinian state started only 15 years ago, towards the end of the first Intifada. Nearly all of leaders of the main Zionist left and the more radical left of the present, that seems they succeeded to rewrite their history in a kind of Orwelian way, did not even imagined such an agreement. Even at the beginning of the Oslo period they still talked about autonomy. The PLO and the anti-Zionist left were talking about the establishment of a secular state of all its citizens. The Palestinian authority did not exist at all till Israel helped to establish the PLO in this role. The peace agreement of two states for two nations entered the agenda only when following the first Intifada, and the changes in the global world economy, it started to fit the interest of sections of the Israeli and US capitalist.
What such a peace means? If we continue the description of the situation in the extended Israel as apartheid, and compare it to that which existed in South Africa, we can see that PEACE means the subduing of the Intifada to a comprador Palestinian leadership that will serve Israel. PEACE like that, called often "normalization", is related to processes occurring all over the world under the label of globalization, and initiatives for regional businesses cooperation to culminate as "free trade region of all the Mediterranean countries" All over the world, agreements of such kind lead to the take over of the local economies by multi-national concerns, infringement on basic human rights, deterioration in the status and conditions of females and children, social violence and destruction of the environment.
Will such agreement and peace bring at least the cessation of violence? We do not think so: the economic hardship and gaps will increase, the refugees problem will stay un solved, and the legitimacy of international economic support given to the huge number of unemployed in the Gaza strip and parts of the West bank (as partly happened after the Oslo agreement and even lately). In such case, they will have to relay on "their" state - a small and dependent mini-state that is doubtful if it will be up to it.
States act within a system of interests which common people like us are not high on their concerns. If we want to bring about any change for the better, to decrease gaps and to stop the mutual killing, we better not behave as obedient puppets of political leaders financed by Europeans and Americans, who do not do any thing more the a democratic protest, but act instead to fell down the national partitions - and mainly resist the military forces that cause mutual and continuous slaughter.
We better not promote a political program, not that of the Geneva accords and not an alternative one. Instead, put on the agenda the demand for entirely different way of life and equality for all the inhabitants of the region. Even if we act in an independent (local) way we still have to remember that as long there are states and the capitalist system will continue, every improvement we succeed to achieve will be partial and under permanent threat. Thus, we have to see our struggle as part of the struggle carried in the whole world against the world capitalism and call for a revolutionary change based on the abolition of the class suppression, exploitation, and the building of a new society - a classless anarcho-communist one. Society in which there will not be coercion by the state, the organized violence will be abolished, the chauvinism will be non existing, and all other evils of the capitalist era will be removed.
THIS LEAFLET IS DISTRIBUTED BY ISRAELI NATIONAL TRAITORS ANARCHISTS Contact: haifa_anarchists-A-yahoo.com
NOT RULERS - NOT RULED
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