Israel-Palestine: for two states, for equal rights

Submitted by AWL on 10 May, 2021 - 6:51 Author: Colin Foster
AWL placards on Palestine demo

Thousands protested in Tel Aviv-Jaffa on Saturday 22 May, in Israel’s biggest peace demonstration for many years.

Breaking The Silence, an association of Israeli ex-soldiers which co-organised the protest with the Jewish-Arab social movemement Standing Together, declared:

“The ceasefire [on 21 May, after 15 days of rockets and bombs] is of course good news, and we hope it will hold out for as long as possible. But it’s only a matter of time until the next round of fighting; a question of when, not if. Because as long as we continue holding Palestinians under occupation, violence is inevitable”.

One of the slogans of the protest was: “The answer to the Right is Israel and Palestine”.

On the other side of Israeli politics, Benjamin Netanyahu plans on a further spell in prime minister, helped by the falling-apart during the bloodshed of negotiations for an anti-Netanyahu coalition. Having Netanyahu as their opponent suits Hamas; having Hamas ruling in Gaza and a surging force in the West Bank suits Netanyahu; the symbiosis obstructs workers’ unity, a democratic way out, and peace.

The Israeli press reports that since 21 May Israeli police have stepped up checks and a heavy-handed presence in Arab districts of mixed cities. Soon the postponed court hearing will come on plans to evict six Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah district of East Jerusalem from their tenancies in now Jewish-owned (since 1972) houses.

Netanyahu now faces a stronger opposition. Too much of the generally pro-Palestinian protest in Britain has sided implicitly or explicitly with Hamas. That is a dead end.

The way to a democratic peace and towards workers’ unity in Israel-Palestine lies in solidarity with the new movements inside Israel, and with the fresh hope that they may be able to inspire in the West Bank and Gaza.

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