Egyptian tanks lie smashed after the 1967 'six day war'. Isreal's policy of trying to dominate the Arab East will ensure further wars in the region. unities, this is very difficult to verse. The same goes for Israeli omination of Lebanon.
The elf if it thinks it can easily control le situation. I think that overall merican policy is quite confused id unpredictable.
/hat is the Peace Now moveent doing against the war?
he Peace Now Movement is not the peace movement, as up to a year ago. The origin lis movement is the left wing of the abour Party — a real supermarket i ideas. As you know, the Labour arty stretches from extreme right ing politics - even more right wing lan Begin's Likud oderate Zionism.
The Peace Now Movement started ith supporting the peace with Egypt. rengthening the hand jainst the extreme right in Israel for rational policy. They never even had firm line on whether to evacuate the hole of Sinai or part of Sinai, but nerally they supported the idea of changing territory for peace.
The idea goes back to 1967 su should exchange occupied tertory for concessions from the Arab orld. Today they are not even callg for withdrawal from the West ank and the Gaza Strip, but they indemned the occupation is deluding The Peace thus been able siderable forces. Initially they operation. they Orw act Beirut itself.
although it they were of of which was quite strong quite including East Jerusalem, opposition to the war in Lebanon. result of Begin by 50,000 or SO.
ment in Israel.
- that nian forces as im- nians. moral and said something should be done' - some form of autonomy for the Pace inace Nor Movement has mobilise conSLID ported, half-heartedly, the first thrust of Israel into Lebanon as a 'necessary politics?
came out against the massive bombardment and invasion They were afraid during the first six weeks of the war to come out onto the streets.
forced to by the appearance of smaller movements, one - the Committee against the War in Lebanon.
This originates from the Bir Zeit Solidarity Committee. This had a very exist. clear policy, namely that Israel should withdraw from all occupied territories and total in Israel?
successful demonstration of 15,000 people called by the Committee against the War, the Peace Now Movement eventually called its own demonstration attended All this brought about a flourishing of anti-war senti- strictly This is the first war which has directly pitted Israel against Palesti- report on - In the previous wars they fought Arab armies. It brought to the consciousness of many people that the central problem is the PalestiI would say the anti-war sentiment among the Israeli people encompasses perhaps 25-30 per cent of the population, which is quite considerable Is this a long term change in Israeli It depends if the government succeeds in its lone term aims. It it encounters considerable resistance United States, the Arab world and the Palestinians then this opposition will not be short lived.
In fact I suspect it's not going to be so easy to carry it through, then the conditions for continuing opposition What has the censorship been like This war has brought a very considerable increase in the attempts of the government to censor the Israeli and foreign press. For example in Lebanon journalists have been very controlled. They have not been allowed to circulate freely, to report the plight of the refugees, or to Line concentration camos established in the south for the male Palestinian population.
So a whole range of issues are off limits for the press. This is a new development, and a similar situation exists on the West Bank. They purging very systematically the Israeli radio and television of any critical. objective - what they call leftist' view The self-censorship of the private media has also increased tremendously.
How can Israel survive, with only population of the without the Palestinians who live there. Can they really be expelled?
I didn't mean to suggest that the overall Israeli plan will be possible to easily carry through. But I outlined it to show that it is a real plan which determines Israeli policy.
The course depends greatly labour. It cannot function without 250,000 Arab labourers. But there are other aspects policy which will beneficial.
For example Lebanon is a tremendous "gate' Arab East. Already Israeli control of Lebanon is aiding their attempts to penetrate Arab Lebanese workers now work within the Israeli economy, and they can replace Palestinians expelled.
They can turn another "West Bank'. The same holds true if they extend their control wider are 3½ million completely Zionist This Israeli economy today of on Arab their aggressive be economically of influence.
for trade to the whole some markets recovered markets. Many The Iranian Lebanon into in the Middle East. Amman today has partially replaced Beirut as the commercial capital of the Arab world, so if they have more control over Jordan this will aid them economically. How does the overall plan work itself out in relation to Iraq? Has Israeli policy remained constant towards the Iran-Irag war?
The Israeli policy has been to turn a blind eye to the antidemagogue of Khomeini. Israel rightly sees the Iranian regime an ally against the Arab world.
has collaborated with Israel from its first year.
But here Israel is in contradiction with American policy in the Middle East. They don't mind that, because it interesting in diversifying sources of support and power Israel has nothing to fear from Iran, whereas Iraq is considered by Israel to be within its ultimate sphere Of course at first the Israelis lost in Iran, but they rather quickly using military exports to Iran.
I don't think the anti-imperialist verbiage of the Iranians has much meaning in the Palestinian context state has its own interests, and if they are to ally itself with Israel, then it will do just that. Interview by RK, PH and SP Socialist Challenge 18 Septe