People's Democracy

CPs Condemn Israeli Brutality, Stand By Palestinians

On July 20, 62 Communist and Workers’ Parties around the world issued the following joint statement in solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese people.

WE strongly condemn all aggressive acts by the Israeli army in Gaza and Lebanon with tragic consequences for the lives of the Palestinian, Lebanese and Israeli people but also for people from other countries.

We reject and condemn the blames levelled and threats issued by the US and Israeli governments vis-à-vis Syria and Iran and against other countries of the region. These threats reveal that the real aggressive and expansive force in the region is Israel.

We strongly protest the US policy which encourages the Israeli aggressiveness. We reject the hypocrisy shown by the G-8 leaders and the “equal distance” policy pursued today by certain forces.
We are highly concerned about and warn of the great dangers of a general spread of the crisis in the Middle East, of a new civil war and of a massive imperialist intervention in Lebanon under the pretext of “peace building measures.”

The bombings against Lebanon follow the fierce offensive in the Gaza Strip, the kidnapping of Palestinian political figures, and the attempts to eliminate the Palestinian National Authority, to destroy the infrastructure and to sink the Palestinian society into a state of chaos.

The raids in Gaza and Lebanon constitute new steps of the US and NATO policy of a “Greater Middle East,” which is directed against the legitimate rights of the peoples, the popular resistance, the progressive and peace loving forces.

The Israeli government, the only military nuclear power in the region, demonstratively ignores UN Security Council resolutions, violates agreements with the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, undermines the agreements by the Palestinian organisations regarding the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, and rejects the ceasefire proposals. It is also in violation of the fourth Geneva convention, an international law that prohibits collective punishment, “targeted” assassinations and destruction of the infrastructure of an occupied territory.

We call upon all peace loving forces to strengthen their solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples, with the progressive forces fighting for peace in Israel and to intensify the struggle for a political solution based on: 

1. immediate cessation of the attacks and withdrawal of the Israeli army;

2. respect of national sovereignty and territorial integrity against any imperialist intervention under any pretext;

3. immediate release of the political prisoners.

4. complete dismantling of the settlements and withdrawal of the Israeli army from the territories occupied in 1967, the establishment of a Palestinian state (Gaza Strip and West Bank) with its capital in Jerusalem, alongside Israel; 

5. solution of the refugee question; 

6. return of all Palestinian refugees all of which are in accordance with the UN General Assembly resolution No. 194 and according also to the other UN resolutions.

Only pulling out Israeli soldiers from Gaza and Lebanon and a just and viable peace would put an end to the bloodshed and guarantee the security for all peoples of the Middle East. 

The statement was signed by the following parties: 

Communist Party of Albania, Communist Party of Australia, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Communist Party of Belarus, Workers’ Party of Belgium, Communist Party of Brazil, Communist Party of Britain, New Communist Party of Britain, Workers’ Communist Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Communist Party of Bulgaria, Party of Bulgarian Communists (formerly Bulgarian Communist Party “Georgi Dimitrov”), Communist Party of Canada, Communist Party of Chile, Communist Party of Cuba, Communist Party of Bohemia & Moravia, AKEL (Cyprus), Communist Party in Denmark, Communist Party in Denmark, Communist Party of Ecuador, Communist Party of Egypt, Communist Party of Estonia, Communist Party of Finland, Communist Party of Macedonia, Unified Communist Party of Georgia, German Communist Party, Communist Party of Greece, Hungarian Communist Workers’ Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Tudeh Party of Iran, Communist Party of Ireland, Workers’ Party of Ireland, Communist Party of Israel, Jordanian Communist Party, Socialist Party of Latvia, Lebanese Communist Party, Socialist Party of Lithuania, Communist Party of Luxembourg, Communist Party of Malta, Party of the Communists (Mexico), Popular Socialist Party of Mexico, New Communist Party of the Netherlands, Communist Party of Norway, Palestinian People’s Party, Philippine Communist Party (PKP-1930), Communist Party of Poland, Portuguese Communist Party, Communist Party of Romania, Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Russian Communist Working Party – Russian Party of Communists, Communist Party of Slovakia, Communist Party of Peoples of Spain, Sudanese Communist Party, Syrian Communist Party, Communist Party of Turkey, The Party of Labour (EMEP, Turkey), Communist Party of Ukraine, Union of Communists of Ukraine, Communist Party of the USA, Communist Party of Venezuela and New Communist Party of Yugoslavia.