People's Democracy

CP Israel Leader Against India  Assisting A Hegemonistic Israel

ISSAM Makhoul, member, Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of Israel (Miflagah ha-Komunistit ha-Yisre'elit / al-Hizb al-Shuyu'i al-Isra'ili, MAKI), squarely accused the Congress-led union government of providing a fillip to the hegemonistic policies of Israel over the entirety of middle-east. This, the Indian government does through purchasing massive amounts of Israeli arms and ammunitions and thus providing Israel's arms manufacturing initiative with a steady supply of great quantities of foreign exchange.

Makhoul also recalled the closeness that had developed between Israel and India during the time when the BJP-led NDA government was in office and when a military instrument was signed between the two countries.  The Israeli intelligence agencies including the dreaded Mossad, Shabak, and Aman operate in India, side-by-side with the FBI and the CIA, in the realms of strategic, political, and operational intelligence, since that time, Makhoul reminded the convention.  

Makhoul also drew attention to the strategic alliance agreed upon by Israel and India during the time when the then Israeli prime minister, and an unrepentant war-monger, Ariel Sharon had visited India in 2003.

In Kolkata as part of his visit to India on the occasion of the 60th year of Israeli occupation of the Palestinian people, Makhoul spoke to a large gathering at the Calcutta University Centenary Hall in the evening of June 10.  The programme was held under the aegis of the Bengal unit of the CPI(M).

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Makhoul described and then analysed in some detail the nature of US-backed Israeli occupation of Palestine against which the Palestinian people have the CP Israel by its side in their relentless struggle.  The CP Israel in fact recently held a large anti-occupation rally in the heart of Israel itself along with frontal organisations like Hadash (Democratic Front for Peace and Equality) Banki (Young Communist League of Israel), Tandi (Democratic Women Movement), Gush Shalom (Peace Now), Combatants for Peace, Coalition of Women for Peace, ICAHD (Israeli Committee against House Demolitions) etc.

Makhoul said that the recognition of the legitimacy of the state of Israel itself was conditional on the recognition of the state of Palestine. A sharp critic of the policy of US imperialism in the Middle-east, Makhoul said that the Bush administration and its predecessors have given Israel a carte blanche to carry out its depredations on the people of Palestine.  The US is not interested for reasons of its own imperialistic geo-political gains to seek a solution to the impasse in the Middle-east, declared the senior Israeli communist leader.

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In his address, state secretary of the Bengal unit of the CPI(M) Biman Basu said that it had been India that had recognised the state of Palestine.  However, India since then has moved away from a non-aligned independent foreign policy once the NDA government came to office, and then started to cosy up to Israel.  The UPA government that followed has not deviated from this stand.  The recent satellite that was launched from the rocket launching centre of Sriharikota has a specific task of acting as a watchdog for Israel.

The CPI(M) has time-and-again called upon the UPA government to severe all strategic and military alliances with Israel.  The 'wall of apartheid' must be pulled down and the Palestinian rights recognised by Israel.  All Arab men, women, and even children, put behind bars by the Israeli government must be released forthwith and this includes the political prisoners.  The people of India and Bengal are with the Palestinians, and in this, they are at one with the stand of the Communist Party of Israel.  Bengal Assembly speaker Hashim Abdul Halim presided over the occasion.

(B Prasant)