People's Democracy

IN the name of the Communist Party of Israel, its Arab and Jewish members, I want to greet this congress and hope you and your congress to succeed in every struggle.

Our Communist Party of Israel and its Arab and Jewish members are struggling and fighting to realise equality for the Arab citizens in Israel and to give them equal rights.

The Arab citizens in Israel receive the second degree treatment from Israeli authorities and I’m sure you have heard about the massacre which Israel authorities have committed through their policemen, killing 13 guys, for just one crime --- that they tried to help their Palestinian brothers in the occupied lands.

The Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza have lived in occupation for the last 35 years, fighting against the Israeli occupation to get their freedom and independence.

But the rightist Israeli government headed by a criminal Arial Sharon, the man responsible for Sabra and Shatela massacres, is trying in every way to destroy the peace process which was started by Yetzhak Rubin in 1992 in Oslo.

Today, government is committing big and nasty crimes --- killing and murdering the Palestinian citizens by the Israeli army who are armed with American airplanes, tanks and missiles. They are destroying the Palestinian homes and establishments in the West Bank and Gaza, and they are destroying Palestinian agricultural production and attacking the citizens every day.

The Israeli government is out to destroy the institution of the Palestinian Authority and siege the elected Palestinian president Mr Yasser Arafat. Israel is doing all this in the name of fighting terrorism and is thus committing the same mistake committed by its mentor --- the United States of America --- that wants to control and have mastery over the whole world.

The USA, which attacked Afghanistan and has not yet vacated the Afghan lands, is out to escalate the conflict between Pakistan and India in a bid to control all your lands and resources.

We the Arab and Jewish members of the Communist Party of Israel have, in cooperation with other peace movements in Israel, lately started actions and demonstrations about the Israeli government’s policies. This started with the women’s movement and extended to the dissenters of the army service in the occupied land of Gaza and the West Bank.

We are making our best efforts to stand against this dangerous policy, trying by all means to remove this disastrous government.

There can be no peace in the Middle East without ending the occupation in all the lands which Israel occupied in 1967, without allowing for an independent Palestine in Gaza and the West Bank with West Jerusalem as its capital city, and without finding a just solution of the Palestinian refugees, giving them their right to come back to there homes.

One thing we the communists in Israel are very worried about, is the ethnic conflict in your country. We hope you will find a solution to it and stop such conflicts. We know that your party and its comrades have played a big role in ensuring peace in the country.

We wish all success to this congress and hope its decisions will give a direction to the general political life in your country.