People's Democracy

AS we go to press the President of the State of Palestine, Yassar Arafat, continues to remain confined to his presidential compound at Ramallah. Israeli tanks have been bombarding the compound and have virtually isolated President Arafat. The cruel and inhuman military offensive against Palestine by Israel continues to gain intensity, despite the United Nations Security Council resolution asking Israel to immediately stop its military campaign. Clearly, the USA's support to Israel has been the main factor behind this defiance of international opinion.

The Palestinian people, denied their fundamental right to a homeland for more than half a century, have in the recent months, seen the complete negation of the peace process in West Asia due to Israeli intransigence. Not only has Israel refused to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian lands, but has now openly rescinded all the previous agreements granting Palestinians their legitimate and long overdue statehood. In a shocking statement the Israeli Prime Minister stated that his cabinet would consider a deal to allow Arafat to leave Ramallah, but warned that he must go alone, and would be on a "one way ticket". Rightly Arafat has not only rejected the proposal but has refused to bow down to Israeli pressure, and stated that a ceasefire can be meaningful only when Israel withdraws its forces from the occupied territories.

While international public opinion is mounting against the Israeli military offensive, the 57-nation strong Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) has put toward a Saudi initiative for a possible ceasefire, linking the future relationship of the Arab world with Israel. While the PLO immediately welcomed this initiative as a good basis for negotiating peace in the region, Israel with alacrity rejected this proposal. While Arab countries are closing their ranks in solidarity with Palestine, even some of the strongest European allies of the USA have expressed unequivocal condemnation of the Israeli military offensive. Iran has voiced its outrage over the Israeli campaign by threatening to hold back its oil output if other members of the OIC agree. Iraq has stated that it is ready to cut oil supplies to the United States, along with Iran.

Far from being subdued by the military offensive as Israel had hoped, the Palestinians are only becoming more steeled in their determination in meeting this offensive. With Yassar Arafat declaring that he would rather be a martyr than negotiate for less with Israel, the Palestinians inside and across the world are showing greater determination to ensure the success of the second intifada.

This is a time for all anti-imperialist freedom loving people across the world to show unified support and solidarity with the Palestinians. Israeli brazenness, backed by US imperialist arrogance, cannot be allowed to trample upon the legitimate rights of a people who continue to be denied their homeland as a result of a gigantic international fraud.