'WE HAVE only our lives to lose.' bitter judgement on the seige of Beirut given to Fourth International in the Revolutionary Com... in a few hours there were more than two thousand victims. fragmentation bombs has murderous...' Since the latest drive by the Israelis began on sunday June, thousands have died. seven hundred thousand people have become refugees and ten thousand army Descriptions of callios. torture are widespread, which have been confirmed recently by a british citizen who was taken prisoner by my as a PLO sympathiser and tortured.
This the bloody balance sheet of the fourth major drive since 1948 by the Zionist rulers of Israel, backed by US imperialism, put end the Palestinian 'problem'.
Palestinian DIO•
blem, as the ruthless logic of war reveals, is nothing less than the key to the Middle East revolution. Four and a half million Palestinians are dispersed (often result of Youth CND has declared its sunport for ine peace movement in Israel, which campaigns for of hostilities in the Lebanon.
Israell invasion, its National Committee Which children been killed. believe this Wal illustrates the way wica nuccar war can oclegered off by a conflict in the This is the Liberation The systematic use of been particularly massive military offensives) the map of the Middle East.
One million two hundred thousand are in territories occupied by Israel since 1967. the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Lousand live within the 1948 borders of two and a half million are sprcau mailly Gulf States, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and the Lebanon.
This dispossesed opulation has formed the edrock of all armed struggle against the Zionist client of imperialism since Unilke most of tne reactionary regimes of the the Palestinians cannot compromise unc chasin clients, for they have nothing to barter.
Victims As a result, the Palestinians are always the ultimate victims any Illajol WHoe Hous sive in the region. When Israell tanks allu Dialle delivered their stunning blow against Egypt 1967, the final chapter of their was not written until September 1970 with King Hussein's destruction of the Palestinian camps in Jordan.
For, as usual, it was the Palestinians who were prepared to continue the resistance to the Zionists through to the end, and wno paid the price Similar moves by prest: dent Franjieh were started against the PLO in 1973 in the Lebanon. Once again the Palestinians had fight for their existence. In Palestinians alliance WIll Dcasallis and workers against the rightist Christian and Falangist militias the civil war of 1975/76 was only staved off by the intervention of the Syrians.
one therefore, that before was dry on the Camp David Accords, invaded Southern Lebanon in 1978. Pay Today the Israelis seek yet one more decisive solution. But they will have to pay an enormous price to get HOr imperialism, led by the US, can no more let is mulerests in the region co-exist with the armed Palestinian Deo ple than can the Zionist state, their Israeli allies are Israeli troops overlooking Beirut - scene of genocide becoming an embarrassment.
As the guns thunder West Beirut, aCrOSS looks anxiously toward its new allies in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Can the reactionary Arab bloc, built so painfully by the US sureffects vIve ine heroic resistance of the PLO? From this concerr comes Reagan's proposal to land US marines in the Lebanon.
Begin and Sharon's war machine has been supplied and bolstered by the US up to the last bullet. But that machine may go tie far the saint of the stability Arab reaction.
In such a situation imperialism can only trust those forces directly under its own control. And as every hour passes, solidarity büilds with the PLO, so the peace movement in Israel undermines the morale of the Zionist war machine.
As always, war concentrates the strengths and weaknesses the contenders. The clash of arms see hes out y crack in LiC perialists. It has created a great strain between com ponents the alliance which the US has spent so many dollars to create. At the same time the leadership of the PLO under the brutal searchlight of war.
Right United Nations resolution 242 was passed in the aftermath of the '67 Arabdian or 22 Auly As the Guardian of puts it: 'Acceptance by the Palestinians of such resolution is tantamount to recognising the right to exist of the State of Israel PLO leaders, including chief spokesperson Zabadi, are now propos ing an amended version of this resolution as the basis of a comprehensive peace settlement.
After the '67 war, PLO leaders received support some Arab regimes on the basis interference in the internal affairs of their respective countries. From this flow ed a certain dependence by the PLO on the Syrians others gual dians of the Palestinian At the same time the PLO retained armed resistance to the Zionists.
As a result, when sold out by the Syrian interven. tion into Lebanon in "76, the PLO retained Socialist Challenge autonomy, armed organisations and capacily to resist • as is now graphically shown in the suburbs of Beirut But the PLO's policy had the effect of cutting it off from sections of the Arab masses who themselves struggled against the weight of their oppressors at home.
Today one or other of these will triumph. For it is no longer possible for mem vola co co-exist The PLO will diplomatic and political triumphs because of and its allies in the streets of West Beirut Dismantling the armed struggle and recognition of Israel will set back the Palestinian cause twenty years All mobilisations in aid Palestiniar Caust should be supported.
30 July 1982 page 13
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the world's press by a Palestine Organisation fighter last week. Arms in hand, fighting at the side of the PLO, comrades of the
munist Group delivered their own view of the Israeli onslaught: 'They are making a massacre
Youth CND condemns invasion