BRUTAL ZIONIST REPRESSION

can be exploited as cheap labour.

"HE SMALL but distinct swing to the right in the srael general election marks a general movement towards extreme reaction in Israeli society, as il reshapes itself in the brutal repression of the Palestinian Arabs.

The biggest ga... were made by the right-wing Gahal, headed by the extreme reactionary Menahem Begin, who has always stood for expansionism against the Arabs and anti-union policies against the workers.

Begin's politics have often been described as bordering on fascism, particularly by the Zionist 'lefts' of Mapam.

These same 'lefts' have sat in a government with him, since he was brought into the 'war cabinet' formed in June 1967.

It is the nationalist hysteria incited by the Israeli government, and the brutalities inflicted on the people in the occupied territory, that have set in motion the forces of brutal chauvinism which express themselves in the vote for Begin.

Eight months before the elections, in which Gahal increased its seats in the Knesset from 22 to 27, Begin was already calling the tune in the government, during the negotiations when Mrs Golda Meir was forming her cabinet.

Two points at issue both related to the occupied territories.

Two points First whether their occupation should be regarded as temporary, so that Israeli troops might withdraw as part of a settlement with the Arab states, or whether the government would confirm that it intended to hold them as conquered territory.

Secondly, Begin demanded that Mrs Meir, in her Knesset speech, should call for a programme of colonization in the occupied territories.

'On practically all controversial points, Mr Menahem Begin, the Gahal leader, obtained substantial satisfaction', according to the 'Jewish Chronicle' correspondent Israel Neumann.

'The Labour and Mapam representatives were not opposed to this in principle, but preferred that this politically delicate matter should be the subject of energetic action in the areas concerned, but without publicity.

"The inter-party committee decided to request Mrs Meir to allude to the problem of settling the territories as a matter of vital importance, but to leave her freedom of formulating in her own way.! ('Jewish Chronicle', March 21, 1969.)

One further point on the terminology for describing the occupied territories.

Official replaced the term 'occupied territories' by the words 'adı ninistered territories'.

Begin was not satisfied.

Satisfaction

He wanted the Prime Minister's speech to 'reflect the conviction that the territories concerned are part of the "liberated national patrimony". On this point too, Mr Begin was promised satisfaction.' (Jewish Chronicle', March 21, 1969.)

Ut course, it it seems hypocritical and • nauseating that Zionist politicians can describe a brutal conquest as 'liberation' , it must be remembered that it is not the people themselves who are being liberated', but the 'patrimony'-the land itself—which is being 'liberated' from the unfortunate people who happen to be living on it.

hest d West Bank have been expelled for organizing the strikes and e on May 15 and June 5 and transferred to Jordan through the Allenby irab families were forced to cross this bridge during the June war.

We should not misunderstand the Zionist philosophy by mis-interpreting its language.

We could just as well say that Poland was 'liberated' in 1939.

Life in the 'liberated patrimony' was described recently in an article in "The Times' by E. C. Hodgkin: hundreds of Arab houses destroyed, about 90 people-including mayors of towns-deported over the frontier, prisoners held without trial and tortured by the Israeli occupation forces.

Recently a whole Arab village was destroyed as a reprisal' for the death of an Israeli officer in a guerrilla incident.

'The Times' article had an effect.

Zionist spokesmen in Britain, and a number of Labour MPs friendly towards Zionism, spoke out in protest-not against the atrocities and brutality described in 'The Times' article, but against the newspaper for publishing it.

There were 'questions House'.

Incredulity

One Labour MP, Gordon Oakes, who represents Bolton West, said that he had read the accusations in 'The Times' with 'incredulity'.

In a letter to the paper, Mr Oakes asked that the Foreign Editor should substantiate his report on deportations, demanding, 'Can we have their names please.

On the demolition of Arab houses, Mr Oakes wanted to know whether he could 'verify whether houses under slum clearance schemes have not been included' in the figures quoted.

Mr. Oakes was 'amazed that such a slanderous and wholly uncorroborated article' could appear in the newspaper.

'In reply to a question in parliament by Mr M. Vilner, concerning the shooting of schoolgirls who demonstrated in the Gaza strip, the Minister of Defence admitted that five girls had been wounded. One of these girls had to have her leg amputated.' ('Zo Haderech', November 13, 1968.)

'A woman was killed, another woman seriously •injured, and eight schoolgirls slightly injured by bullets shot by an Israeli soldier yesterday morning when Arab women tried to break into an enclosure in Rafah where men were detained for the purpose of identification in connection with acts of sabotage in the Gaza strip?

('Haaretz', 21, 1969.)

At the risk of amazing Mr Oakes again, and of offending those MPs who seem to think it intolerable that anything critical of Israel should be printed, we can quote some reports that have appeared in the Israeli press itself-all from respectable Zionist news'A considerable number of inhabitants of Rafah, including refugees, who were seeking employment, collected in the local Labour Exchange. Some of the people in the queue began to create a disturbance and to use abusive language. The soldiers on guard opened fire. One of the people who had created the disturbance was hit and severely wounded. He died later in hospital.

(Haaretz' December 31, 1967) 'Nine inhabitants of Judea and Samaria [Zionist names for the occupied West bank], most of them communists, were expelled to Jordan this morning.

'The nine people were outstanding as inciters and organizers of the strikes and demonstrations which took place on May 15 and June 5. The nine expelled from East Jerusalem, Nablus, Tul Karem and Ramallah, were transferred to Jordan through the Damia and Allenby bridges at 7.40 this morning.

"The expulsion orders of those from East Jerusalem have been signed by the Minister of Defence Moshe Dayan; and those of the others, by the Military Governor of Judea and Samaria - General Rafael Vardi...:

('Yediot Ahronot' June 9, 1969)

One person who wrote to 'The Times' in support of the allegations made against the Israeli occupation authorities was an Israeli socialist, now living in Britain, Moshe Machower.

He added that while "The Times' report had described conditions in the occupied West Bank, things were much worse in the Gaza area.

The Israeli authorities have restricted reporters entering the Gaza strip, and when they do allow them in, it is under military escort.

But on October 31 'Peace News' was able to give a detailed account of conditions in the area from an Israeli who had been on military service there this summer.

Describing what happens when a curfew is declared by the Israeli authorities, he said:

'People are not merely confined to their homes, but the following happens. The female population remain shut in their houses, which BY CHARLES sometimes, especially during the summer, can be a very painful form of torture, since the houses in Gaza are often without water or sanitary facilities, and the people are usually given only half an hour or an hour in 24 to drink water or to relieve themselves.' 'However the male population is taken out to some place far away—often in the desert — and is usually divided into two groups: younger men of about 25, and those older than this. These groups are situated so that they can barely glimpse each other, so that the dividing of fathers from children causes the greatest pain. Each group is then pressed, each to another as closely as possible, and made to adopt a humiliating, uncomfortable posture.

Squatting

"The usual posture is squatting on their haunches, but sometimes kneeling is also adopted. They are then told remain this position for long periods of time—usually eight, nine or ten hours without changing "They are guarded by soldiers who are under orders to fire into the air to frighten them, and there have been cases when they fired into the crowd, as happened in Rafah about a year ago. Such a curfew may be continued for at least 24 hours, but sometimes for 36 and even 48 hours.

"This is not a special repressive measure, but is used continually, especially in refugee camps, and may be justly described as a normal measure of government.' (Our emphasis.)

When guerrilla incidents ave occurred, more extreme leasures are taken.

The Israeli forces round up crowd of the local inhabiints as 'suspects', and these eople are trussed up , with lectrical wire.

The Israeli witness says:

'Ropes are not used because it was found that electrical cords are much more hurtful. Also, by tying them tightly, it may be possible to slow the stream that infected rimes so comes gangrenous in a few If the authorities suspect nat they have someone who ctually has contact with the uerrillas, another method is sed.

'The main torture employed in this case consists of breaking the shin bone by repeated blows with the butt of a rifle. In this torture, there is an enormous flow of blood. Since it is carried on far away from towns or cities, and since people tortured by this method are anyhow in danger of dying before they can be taken for medical help, it became a common rule that such people would be killed after being tortured.' He says that he has heard this method of torture frequently mentioned by Israeli soldiers, and that it is 'so much an open method that it is referred to and discussed completely freely-as also is the method of tying by electric cords' Not surprising When young Israelis are indoctrinated in Zionism in the schools, and the Israeli government has told its people for years that aggression and conquest are the only possible policy, and when young soldiers are being conditioned to the use of brutality and torture against civilian population in the occupied territories, it is not surprising that under the circumstances a candidate like Begin can attract more votes.

The most likely result of the increased weight of Gahal in the Knesset will be felt inside the Labour Alignment, in increased strength for Moshe Dayan to put himself forward as the successor to Mrs Meir as leader and prime minister.

It is Dayan who, as Minister of Defence, bears overall responsibility for what is hapening in the occupied Wes bank and Gaza strip As a candidate for the premiership, he would have the backing of Gahal, and the businessmen which Gahal represents, as well as backing from Zionist financiers Britain and America.

Although Begin and others have been the pacemakers in expansionist slogans, it is Dayan who has been responsible for practical colonization plans—assistea, oi course, by Deputy Prime Minister Yigal Allon.

The Zionist colonization scheme which Dayan aims to carry out, does not involve complete absorption of the occupied territories into the present state of Israel, but instead, turning them into separately administered colonial territories, if possible with some camouflage in the form of a phoney Palestinian 'self rule' settlements would Thousands to live ir act as a Zionist garrison at strategic points, to ensure the 'loyalty' of the area.

It is believed that a scheme along these lines was discussed early this year between Israeli and American government representatives, in secret.

On March 7 this year, Dayan told Kolisrael radio that it was not necessary to legally annex the occupied territories;

•... there is a difference between annexation, meaning a Knesset resolution that that Israeli sovereignty shall be extended to all areas which today we call the "occupied areas", and the creation of physical facts in the areas, such as new settlements and the like.

"These latter things can be be done without extending Israeli sovereignty legally to those areas.' New buildings In the same month, the United Jewish Appeal, one of the bodies which raises funds for Zionism, issued a circular which referred to some of this 'creation of facts' in the occupied territories.

... in order to adhere to the extremely strained timetable, buildings are built from pre-fabricated parts, which enables new settlements to be established.

within a short time.

In the new financial year an additional £8 million [Israel] will be invested.

The new settlements will be Kfar Etzion (North of Hebron), two new settlements in the Golan heights, and one in Rafah.' The Israeli Revolutionaries Action Committee Abroad', ISRACA, reported in their April bulletin:

'According to our information there are so far ten Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights, two in the Sinai and five in the West Bank!

The Nahal—a section of the Israeli army—is the main instrument for setting up these militarized settlements. The Israeli interviewed in the October 31 'Peace News' says:

In the El Arish area, three military colonies have been established which are supposed to be … on the kibbutz basis. However they are much more like the South African type of colony, and in one of them called Nahal-Sania, the colonists are actually coming from South Africa.

'All dirty work in these colonies is done by the Arabs, who are paid exactly as I mentioned earlier fi.e., about 6s a dayl.

"The colony is heavily surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by dogs specially imported from South Africa, as reported in "Haaretz" on April 20. In fact these so - called "pioneers" and "kibbutzniks" are really the overseers of the Arab workers.

It is not only the police dogs that are imported from South Dayan, with the backing of the Israeli bosses, advocates that Arab workers from the occupied territory should be 'integrated' into the Israeli economy—not as citizens, but as colonial subjects who can be exploited as cheap labour. He explains:

I do not suggest that we should enable them to move and reside here. This is not needed. Even if they would want it, I would suggest that we prevent this...

From the point of view of our government, first of all I am not in favour of allowing them to change their place of residence.

They can, physically speaking leave in the morning and return to their place in the evening.

'Secondly, I am not granting them Israeli citizenship.

I am not in favour of granting Israeli citizenship to the Arabs of the West Bank-and they do not ask for it, do not want it...

And when they are not Israeli citizens, they do not vote parliamentary elections. (Interview in evening paper, 'Maariv', April 17, 1969.)

The Dayan colonial policy is bound to affect the whole of Israeli society.

When Halil Toameh, the Arab students' leaders at the Hebrew University was arrested last year by the Israeli authorities, we said in "The Newsletter' that repressive policies carried out in the occupied territories would extend back into the state of Israel itself, against its citizens.

It is now known that about 600 Arab citizens are being held without trial, under the military (emergency) regulations of 1945 which the Israeli government inherited from the British mandate.

Many of them are members of the New Communist Party, RAKAH, or the Israeli Socialist Organization (often known as the 'Matspen' group because of the name of their paper).

Like the prisoners in the occupied territories, these Israeli citizens have also been subject to deportation-they are told they can either leave the country or be jailed indefinitely.

The saying by Marx, that 'a nation which enslaves others helps to forge its own chains' has been quoted both by "The Newsletter' and by Matzpen as a warning apposite to the Israeli working class.

This has been completely borne out by events.

In June this year, the same British Mandatory Emergency Regulations which the Israeli government has been employing against the Arabs were put to a new use.

After a strike had broke out in the Post Office, the Knesset was summoned to approve an order under the Regulations, prohibiting these Jewish workers from striking.

As the 'Jewish Chronicle' commented on June 9:

"The decision reflects Mrs Meir's determination to exercise the same strong direction of internal matters as she does of foreign affairs' Under the same Emergency Regulations, the Israeli Home Office is reported to have banned the Israel Socialist Organization (ISO) from publishing an Arabic periodical, and to have had Nabeel Said, who was involved in preparing the paper, arrested.

During the election campaign another four ISO members were arrested-three of them Jewish, one Arab—while distributing the organization's broadsheet in Nazareth.

They are being held on charges of 'inciting rebellion'.

The police are said to have objected to a photograph in the broadsheet of Moshe Dayan visiting a military cemetary, and photographs of Arab civilians killed in Israeli air raids.

Took stand

The only 'crime' which these Israeli socialists committed was to fight for the unity of Arab and Jewish workers, and against Zionist aggression.

In taking a stand against the prevailing chauvinism and reaction in their country, they faced arrest and imprisonment;

whereas there are some people who will not even risk the disapproval of friends and colleagues to oppose Zionist aggression. • All socialists must demand the release of the Israeli Socialist Organization members, and of all the other political prisoners in Israel, and an end to the restrictions on their activities.

Stop the repression in Palestine! Smash Zionism!

Mandel-Johastone debate SCIENTIFIC WORLD LAST FRIDAY'S Conway Hall (London) debate between Monty Johnstone and Ernest Mandel served one purpose at least. .

It has given yet more evidence of the speed with which the revisionists, led internationally by Mandel, now move towards Stalinists ary, as opposed to the parliamentary road in the advanced capitalist countries, workers' democracy in the workers' states, and internationalism.

The essence of Trotskyism, the struggle to build the Fourth International upon an understanding of the nature of the counter-revolutionary Stalinist bureaucracy, integrated with all the previous conquests of Marxist theory by Lenin and the pioneers Marx and Engels — this was completely excluded from Mandel's * PRESS After praising Purdie for his appreciation of the new trends in 'World Communist Movement' (Johnstone cited as evidence of this new trend in the British Communist Party, Betty Reid's anti-Trotskyist amphlet 'Ultra-Leftism britain' ohnston • launched into a vicious attack on the role of Trotsky in the May 1937 Barcelona uprising.

Of course, Johnstone did not accuse Trotsky and Trotskyists of acting in direct collusion with Franco and THREE