People's Democracy

Resolution on Palestine

This 20th Congress of the CPI(M) condemns Israel’s continuing occupation of Palestinian territories in complete violation of international law and many United Nations resolutions.  The brutal siege of Gaza, arbitrary arrests and the detention of thousands of Palestinians in West Bank and Israel without trials, targeted assassinations etc show Israel’s total contempt for international law. The Zionist government has been fully backed and supported by the US government in all its illegal actions. Indeed, the utter duplicity of the US was seen in its opposition to the recognition of Palestine as a full-fledged member of the United Nations although such a demand has widespread support.

The West Bank has been broken up into small cantons, separated from each other by settler-only roads and numerous checkpoints. The Occupation is tightening its grip on Jerusalem, demolishing Palestinian houses, enlarging Israeli settlements thereby seeking to change the demography of Jerusalem. The “peace process” is now virtually dead, with Israel continuing to expand its settlements in Palestinian territories.

The Indian people have always supported the Palestinian cause and opposed the illegal occupation of Palestine. India was among the first non-Arab nations to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people in 1974, and was the first non-Arab country to recognise Palestine as an independent State in 1988. India has always opposed the continued illegal occupation of West Bank and Gaza.

While this remains the official position of the Government of India, first under the BJP-led NDA government and subsequently the two UPA governments, India has also built close security and military ties with Israel. India is now the largest buyer of arms from Israel and buys more than even the Israeli armed forces. India's launching Israeli spy satellites and joint research with Israel on missiles and drones must be seen against the background of the targeted assassinations that Israel routinely carries out using such drones and spy satellites. All this makes India complicit in Israel’s occupation of Palestine, in contradiction to its avowed policy of support to the Palestinian cause. It also damages India’s relations with other countries in the region.

The 20th Congress demands the following:

-         The end to the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine and all other occupied territories

-         The immediate lifting of the inhuman siege of Gaza

-         The Right of Return for all Palestinians

-         The dismantling of the Apartheid Wall and all illegal settlements on the West Bank

-         Israel to stop its brutal denial of basic democratic rights to its Arab population

-         The release of all Palestinian political prisoners

The 20th Congress calls upon the Indian government to return to its position of genuine support to the Palestinian cause, and break its military and security ties with Israel. The 20th Congress gives a clarion call for building a strong anti-imperialist movement in support of the Palestinian people.