(Forwarded) > 13 October 2000 > > IRSP Decry Slaughter of the Palestinians > > The International Department of the Irish Republican Socialist Party > denounced the continued military assault on Palestinian civilians and > called for an end to the Zionist violence and immediate recognition of a > sovereign State of Palestine. IRSP International Department spokesperson > Peadar Baile stated: > > "During the past two weeks, 87 Palestinians, including two boys only > twelve-years-old, have been murdered by the Zionist army and settlers, > while eight Zionists have died four of them soldiers. These numbers speak > plainly as to who must be labeled the aggressor and who the victims. > > "The United States President, while attempting to claim the role of > peace-maker and intermediary, has repeatedly called only upon the > Palestinian people to cease fighting, and yet the Americans are probably > unable to understand why one of their naval vessels in Yemen might have > been targeted for attack. How can the US, Israel's closest ally in the > world and source of a substantial portion of their annual budget, claim to > be a neutral party, capable of facilitating meaningful peace talks. The > actions of the Americans in regard to Palestine are strongly reminiscent of > their posturing as neutral peacemakers in Ireland, despite the close and > long-standing alliance between the US and Britain and the continued > harassment of Irish republicans and republican socialists seeking asylum in > America. > > "The rest of the world cannot be so easily mislead, however. What has been > made horrifyingly clear once again, during the course of the past two > weeks, is that the Zionists and their American allies have been attempting > not a peace process, but a pacification process. They have pursued a crude > attempt to bring the heroic Palestinian people to their knees by stealth, > if possible, by wholesale murder, if necessary. > > "The IRSP stand, as always, with the oppressed, with those fighting > exploitation and repression by imperialism. In this instance, that is > clearly the Palestinian people, whose land was stolen; whose people were > displaced, jailed, and murdered; but whose spirit has not been broken." > > Supporting the Palestinian's long battle for statehood, the IRSP > spokesperson concluded: > > "The only way forward and out of this renewed cycle of spiraling violence > is for the immediate end of Israeli military assault on the Palestinians, > recognition of a sovereign nation of Palestine, and immediate withdrawal > from the West Bank and Gaza of all Zionist settlers and Israeli military > forces. Israel should stand condemned for this recent carnage, as well as > for their legacy of dishonest dealings with the Palestinians over the peace > negotiations and the many crimes and abuses of the Palestinian people upon > whose land and with whose labour they have so long prospered. Further, the > United States should end their meddling in the affairs of other nations and > turn their attention to their own problems of soaring prison populations, > declining educational performance, and ever expanding polarisation between > the privileged rich and the forsaken poor." > > STATEMENT ENDS
