The situation in Palestine is extremely serious. From Jerusalem to Netzarin, from Hebron to Nazareth, a Palestinian rebellion wave raised up which Ehud Barak Government is drowning in blood. For the first time, Intifada spreads in Israel's own heart to Palestinian Israeli citizens. In several Arabic countries and even in the mussulman Indonesia, huge demonstrations take place demanding respect for the Holly Places in Jerusalem and in solidarity with the Palestinian people. But the Israeli government insists on its repressive and terror policy, sets "ultimatums" to the Palestinian Authority, threatens with military adventures of unpredictable consequences.
Before such a dramatic situation what is most important and urgent is to stop the repressive escalade and the violence spiral. It is to put an end to these blood-shed where so many lives were cut short, and so many families were put into mourning so many Palestinian families, and also Israelis from Palestinian origin. It is to prevent that the Israeli stubbornness and arrogance, and that its "surrender or die ultimatums", lead to a conflict of even more tragic proportions. Due to these, are understandable the calls to "contention", to "moderation", to "mutual compromise", to "dialogue", to "a return to the negotiations table". Will be necessarily a political negotiated one, the solution to the so-called Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to all Middle East complex situation. The experience should had been clear to all, totally clear, that there is no solution based on violence or on power of the arms. No people surrenders when struggles for a just cause of liberation. And the Palestinian cause, national and progressist, is a just cause against which are impotent even the most cynical and brutal State terrorism as performed by Israel.
The solution will be a political one, or none. But not one "solution" based in circumstantial arrangements imposed by the present power balance. It has been assumed by the progressist forces since long time ago, with consecration in the UN resolutions itselves, that a just and lasting peace in Middle East supposes the Israel withdraw from all Arab occupied territories during the 67 war and by the Palestinian national rights recognition, including their own independent and sovereign State constitution in Palestine territory with Jerusalem as Capital. Several UN resolutions, namely the 242 and 338 from the Security Council, repeatedly condemn the Israeli policy and demand to Telaviv to accept the International Law basic principles. But Israel answer is known. Since its own foundation in 48 (in a racist orgy of rare dimension) till the brutal repression that followed the Ariel Sharon provocative visit to the Al-Aqsa mesquite in East Jerusalem, the history of the Israel State is filled with the most terrible crimes. Crimes that would not be possible without the support from imperialism, and in first place, from USA, that has in Israel its dearest ally, to whom gives the major material help, because - at least till now - Israel represents the major instrument on its exploitation and oppression policy towards the richest and more strategically region in the world. Crimes where also are compromised the European Union and the Socialist International, where Ehud Barak "Labour Party" is Vice-President.
Yes, appeals to "moderation" are necessary, but not less necessary is to point the responsible for so much misery, so much suffering, so much deaths, so much pain. It will not be by putting the victim and the executor inside the same bag, and forgetting the contumacious affront of the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people from the Israeli State, that a single step will be made towards a just and lasting peace. In what regards us, Portuguese Communists, we know well in which side reason stands. Our full solidarity goes straight to the Palestinian people, to the PLO, to the Palestinian Peoples Party, to Fatah, to the Democratic Front and to the Popular Front of Liberation of Palestine. It goes also to the Israel Communist Party, and all Israeli peace forces, that bravely face the Israel State criminal policy.
