Statement on the crisis in Gaza

 

 

The deliberate targeting by Israel of civilians, including children, the selection of hospitals, residential apartment buildings, rehabilitation facilities for the disabled, schools and mosques is clear evidence of a campaign of collective punishment of a civilian population in breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949.

This brutal crime is being implemented with the complicity of the EU and the USA who systematically support the Israeli state through their political, economic-trade and military relations. Israel’s systematic colonisation and usurpation of Palestinian land, the eviction of Palestinians, the destruction of their homes and properties and the attempt to erase the name, history and culture of Palestine continues to this day.

The US support for Israeli policies, its strategic co-operation, the massive economic and military assistance, the promotion of Israel and the collusion in Israel’s expansionism, aggression and crimes against humanity, the persistent attempts to block and prevent any criticism of Israeli terrorism and grotesque violations of human rights, has been and remains a major impediment to peace and progress in the Middle East.

The EU has adopted the hypocritical policy of so-called “equal distance” from the aggressors and the victims. The approach by Israel and the imperialist powers is to remove the question of Palestinian rights from the agenda and to attempt to legitimise illegal acts of colonisation and expansionism.

 

 

The United Nations has repeatedly documented violations of human rights in the Occupied territories including occupation, annexation of territory, the illegal building of Jewish settlements, the deportation and expulsion of Palestinians, 24 hour curfews, the confiscation and destruction of property including the demolition of Palestinian homes and agricultural land as collective punishment, the exploitation of Palestinian labour, mass arrests and administrative detention without trial, ill-treatment and torture of persons under detention, censorship, the violent suppression of demonstrations and protests, military attacks on political organisations and the strangulation of the economy of the Occupied territories.

Gaza is under siege in violation of international and humanitarian law which has disastrous social, economic and humanitarian consequences. Severe restrictions have been placed on the movement of the civilian population. Access to water and the entry of food, fuel, medicine, water purification equipment, raw materials for construction and vital necessities to sustain life has been restricted.

The State of Israel includes the coastal regions and the most fertile lands of Palestine. The Palestinians are left mainly with mountainous and arid regions. In Gaza, 5,000 Israeli settlers, comprising less than 1% of the population, control 40% of the fertile land. The Palestinians, comprising 99% of Gaza are left with the remainder. Israel also insists upon control of water resources. The Israeli occupation and their criminal attacks perpetuates the suffering of the Palestinians who are experiencing a humanitarian crisis. These actions constitute collective punishment in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and are an act of aggression as defined by Article 3 of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3314.

The aggressive and disproportionate Israeli response to international relief efforts underlines the vicious, cruel, inhuman and barbarous nature of the Israeli regime. These actions are also in breach of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention which forbids the occupying power from applying collective penalties on a people under occupation.   The Workers’ Party of Ireland believes that ultimately a solution is only possible through the recognition of the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, national independence and sovereignty and the implementation of international law and respect for all relevant United Nations’ Resolutions.

In those circumstances, we recognise the right of the Palestinian people to resist the occupation, we reaffirm our support for and solidarity with the Palestinian people in their just struggle to regain their legitimate and inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign state on the borders of 4 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital and we call on the international community to proceed with the recognition of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders forthwith, a position which is embraced by the vast majority of the nations in the world. We explicitly reject racism and xenophobia of whatever nature and from whatever source. We applaud the efforts of the peace movement and progressive forces inside Israel who struggle side by side with the Palestinians in support of Palestinian rights. The Workers’ Party demands:

• an immediate cessation of the Israeli attacks against Gaza;
• an immediate end to the blockade;
• the removal of Israeli occupation forces from all Palestinian and Arab territories;
• the immediate end of all political, economic and military agreements between the EU and Israel;
• an end to the occupation;
• the immediate end to the settlements and the withdrawal of the settlers;
• the immediate release from custody of all Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli detention;
• the implementation of the recommendations of the Goldstone Report together with steps to hold Israel, including its political and military leaders, responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity;
• the removal of the “apartheid” wall dividing Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza;
•  the establishment of an independent, viable  and sovereign Palestinian state on the borders of 4 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital – such state to be recognised as a member state of the United Nations;
• the right of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to return to their homes in compliance with UN Resolutions.

The Workers’ Party of Ireland has also signed a joint statement issued by the Communist and Workers Parties  calling for an end to the massacre of Palestinian people.  The statement, which has been co-signed by more than 60 parties throughout the world can be viewed on Solidnet here: http://solidnet.org/greece-communist-party-of-greece/cp-of-greece-joint-statement-of-communist-and-workers-parties-the-massacre-at-the-expense-of-the-people-of-palestine-must-end-now-en-ru-es-ar