PV staff
In response to the rapid escalation of military confrontation between Hamas and Israeli forces, progressive forces in Israel have placed blame on the criminal occupation policy of the far-right Netanyahu government, underlining the grave dangers that it poses for the peace in the region.
“The fascist right-wing government’s crimes to perpetuate the occupation are leading to a regional war that must be stopped,” read a joint statement from the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) and the Communist Party of Israel (MAKI). “Even in difficult days like this – we repeat and voice an unequivocal condemnation of any harm to innocent civilians, and call for their removal from the bloodshed. We send our condolences to all the families of the victims of the occupation, Arabs and Jews alike.”
Both Hadash and MAKI state that the Israeli government’s policies have led directly to the current crisis.
“At the end of a shocking week in which the settlers ran amok throughout the occupied territories under the auspices of their government, desecrated the Al-Aqsa Mosque and carried out another pogrom in Huara, we woke up … to a very serious escalation, which endangers the entire region in a regional and dangerous war – which the right-wing government has been fueling since its first day.
“[These] events show in what dangerous direction the Netanyahu government and the Hilltop Youth [a hardline, extremist religious-nationalist youth movement] are leading the entire region and emphasize once again that there is no way to manage the conflict or resolve it militarily. There is only one solution: strive to end the occupation and recognize the legitimate demands and rights of the Palestinian people. The end of the occupation and the establishment of a just peace are a distinct and common interest of the two peoples in this country.”
The two organizations reject the Netanyahu government’s use of the Hamas attack on October 8 to escalate its violent policies against Palestine and launch a brutal assault on Gaza. They are calling on the international community and the countries of the region to “intervene immediately to silence the drums of war and initiate moves that will lead to the promotion of a political solution.”
The Yesh Gvul (“There is a border”) movement also published a statement noting that there is no military solution and calling for an end to war, violence and occupation. “Now more than ever, it is extremely important for us to remember and remind: there is no military solution to the cycle of enmity. Only the end of the occupation, Palestinian independence and a permanent political agreement will guarantee a future of peace and security. Precisely now, especially when the guns are roaring, we must not be dragged into an all-out war or a renewed takeover of the [Gaza] Strip. It’s time to end the occupation, strive for a full settlement and leave the territories.”
The organization “Look the occupation in the eye” believes that the Netanyahu government wanted war and purposely ignited the current crisis. “The Israeli government … wanted war, sent its forces into the field, militias of settlers supported by the security forces. It sent them to burn the occupied territory, to carry out pogroms, to brazenly enter the territories … for the purpose of demonstrating their dominance and humiliating the residents.”
The Reshet news agency declared, “It is impossible to break up the connection between this war and a government that during the last months has done everything to set the area on fire and deepen the occupation as much as possible. Just yesterday, settlers once again rampaged in Hawara, this time led by MK Zvi Sukkot [a far-right politician], threw stones at buildings and murdered a young Palestinian man named Laviv Demeidi. Everything is accompanied by the IDF [Israeli Defence Forces].”
The Democratic Women’s Movement in Israel (TANDI) expressed concern over the tragic loss of innocent Palestinian and Israeli lives, while stating clearly that the Hamas attack “was a response to the ongoing siege maintained by the Israeli government on the Gaza Strip and the continued illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories.”
The organization of Arab and Jewish women also sharply criticized US President Joe Biden’s promise of billions of dollars to finance additional weapons for Israel, along with US naval deployment in the region.
TANDI said the Israeli government “supports violent attacks on Palestinians to the point of ethnic cleansing, and even leads them. This is evidenced by the Palestinian blood that has been spilled and continues to be spilled.” The movement warns that “in recent developments lies a significant risk of a widespread conflict in the region with devastating consequences.”
As Netanyahu unleashes war against Gaza, Hadash and MAKI are warning of revenge activities against the Arab citizens of Israel. They are particularly concerned about residents of the mixed cities and the unrecognized villages in the Negev, “who have already paid a high price due to the neglect of their lives by the state and the lack of infrastructure in the settlements. In this reality, it is the duty of the [progressive and reasonable] forces in Israel, Arabs and Jews alike, to raise a clear voice against any attempt to incite against entire populations or to take the law into their own hands, and to promote joint activity … for a normative life without occupation, discrimination and supremacy – a life of peace, equality and democracy, real and for everyone.”
With files from Zoha (Israel)
Photo: Palestine News Agency – WAFA
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