> WW News Service Digest #195 > > 1) Palestinian resistance stuns Israel, U.S. > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 2) A shameful vote > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 3) Israel uses DU shells: Anti-war group demands investigation > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 4) Climate & class struggle > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 5) Norway says 'Free Mumia' > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Nov. 23, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >MORALE IS A WEAPON: >PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE STUNS ISRAEL, U.S. > > >By Sara Flounders > >For decades the struggle for Palestine's liberation has >played a pivotal role in the Arab people's struggle to break >imperialism's stranglehold on the Middle East. > >Although only a few million people, the Palestinians have >been heroic in their determination to survive as a nation. >This struggle against overwhelming odds despite many >setbacks has revived again and again. > >The courage of youths confronting Israeli tanks day after >day with stones and slingshots is once again changing the >equation of forces in the entire region. > >As powerful as the 1987 Intifada was, the scope of the new >uprising is greater. It has gone beyond the occupied >territories, spreading within the 1948 borders of Israel and >mobilizing people throughout the Arab world > >Millions of outraged people have mobilized support, from >Lebanon to Egypt, Morocco and Yemen. The Palestinian >struggle has aroused a mass movement in these countries that >inspires mortal fear in the thin ruling strata. These >demonstrations are increasingly targeting U.S. imperialism. > >This new chapter in the Palestinian struggle began Sept. 28 >when Israeli general Ariel Sharon visited Jerusalem with >over a thousand troops to declare Israeli sovereignty over >the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This calculated provocation would have >been impossible without the Barak government's approval. > >Barak authorized a massive Israeli military presence the >following day, the Moslem day of prayers. As thousands >streamed out of the mosque after pray ers, the first clashes >began. Now a whole generation has awakened to resistance. > >DIVIDE AND RULE > >This new wave of resistance has brought down the whole U.S.- >orchestrated plan to use coercive diplomacy and overwhelming >force to impose a permanent state of dependent reservations >or Bantustans on the Palestinian people. > >The Oslo "peace process" provided that the Palestinian >Authority would administer these impoverished and fragmented >cantons. A lightly armed Palestinian police force was to >collaborate with U.S. and Israeli overall control and >repress any forces that attempted resistance. > >Israel spent the seven years of negotiations building and >reinforcing settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. There are >now over 170 militarized settlements for over 200,000 >Israeli settlers. The number of settlers doubled during the >"peace process." > >The Israeli regime uses the settlements to justify a large >Israeli military presence and an invasive system of super- >highways connecting the expanding settlements throughout the >West Bank to Israel. These highways also divide the >Palestinian segments from each other and from their center >in Jerusalem. > >END OF COLLABORATION > >The plan was a calculated effort to divide and weaken the >Palestinians geographically--and even more important, >politically. A key strategy of the Oslo Accords was to >subvert and co-opt a section of the Palestinian movement and >use it against the rest. > >As part of the peace process PA President Yasser Arafat's >forces were given tens of millions of dollars to combat >"terrorism." This did not mean reining in the ongoing >terrorism of Israeli settlers, but Palestinian police were >supposed to arrest and jail all the forces committed to >continuing the fight against Israel. > >Now that an uprising has broken out, increased Israeli >repression and terror tactics have led to increased >resistance with each passing day. The U.S.-Israeli plan to >shape a section of the Palestinian police into a repressive >army of collaboration has collapsed. > >In October, CIA Director George Tenet was shown on >television seated next to Secretary of State Madeleine >Albright and just across from Arafat at a key meeting in >Paris. But what has become of Tenet's plans to build >collaboration between the armed forces of oppressor and >oppressed? It has collapsed. Israel has launched a missile >attack on the headquarters of Arafat's personal security >forces. The PA responded by releasing all Palestinian >political prisoners from jail. > >On Nov. 9 Israeli troops carried out a rocket attack and >assassination of Hussein Abayat, a regional commander of the >Tanzim militia in the West Bank. In return, on Nov. 11 >Palestinian guerrillas ambushed two armed settler-convoys, >the first daylight operations by Palestinians in Israeli-run >areas of the West Bank. > >MORALE AND POLITICAL UNITY DECISIVE > >The balance in war is not decided by weapons alone. Though >U.S.-supplied Israeli weapons are far superior to the small >arms of the Palestinians, protracted struggle is decided by >morale, by the level of popular support and the level of >political consciousness. > >Israel is facing a serious crisis of morale. Political >divisions are tearing the state apart. The escalating >brutality and repression have demoralized many. > >The whole Israeli state is built on the false promise of a >secure and prosperous lifestyle, heavily subsidized by >Washington. Subsidized housing, with large apartments, lush >lawns, swimming pools and sports clubs attracts Israeli >settlers to the militarized West Bank settlements. > >But now, as Israeli violence escalates, Palestinian >guerrilla fighters are responding by targeting the >settlements. Settlers travel only in armed convoys. Many >settlements are practically empty. > >In contrast, the Palestinians are more united and cohesive >than they have been in a decade. Their anger at seven years >of fraudulent peace talks while settlements expanded all >around them has finally exploded. Now each escalation in >Israeli repression and terror tactics brings not fear but >new levels of outrage and organized resistance. > >CHANGE IN THE WHOLE REGION > >The heroic Palestinian youths who day after day challenge >Israeli tanks with stones and slingshots have inspired and >aroused people throughout the Middle East. Millions have >taken to the streets in solidarity with their struggle, >denouncing not only Israel but U.S. imperialism. > >In the last six weeks this shift in political climate has >weakened U.S. imperialism in the Middle East and unraveled >its plans. > >Iraq, Syria and Iran are forging new relations. Iraq is >openly challenging the no-flight zones that U.S. and British >aircraft carriers and jet bombers have enforced with >impunity for 10 years. Planes from many countries are flying >directly to Baghdad to challenge the sanctions strangling >the Iraqis. The charged political climate makes it harder >for the Pentagon to threaten or to intervene aggressively. > >COLLAPSE OF ISRAELI ECONOMY > >Washington's plans to make Israel the high-tech engine of >the region have collapsed. Promising business deals and >trade offices have closed. > >The crisis has derailed the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, >a European Union-inspired process to bring "southern >Mediterranean" countries into a free-trade area. Now Syria >and Lebanon are threatening a boycott because of Israel's >participation. The real beneficiaries of a free-trade zone >are always the developed countries with the strongest >economies--the U.S., Israel and the West European countries. > >The tourist industry, a mainstay of the Israeli economy, has >totally closed down. Flights to Tel Aviv are almost empty. >The arrivals section echoes. Departing flights are booked >solid with no available seats. At the airport and in every >shopping or gathering area the mood is tense and security is >all-pervasive. > >U.S. tax dollars are once again the only real prop of the >Israeli economy. Congress has promised a new infusion of >both military hardware and economic subsidies. > >The military clampdown is even more destructive to the >fragile Palestinian economy. The enforced closing for weeks >at a time of many small businesses and endless roadblocks >mean that it is difficult to get to market even the olives >and agricultural produce that are a mainstay for many >families. > >Workers can't get to their jobs. The 40,000 Palestinians who >had permits to work in Israel and the 60,000 who work ed >there illegally are without an income. > >Although this creates enormous privation and hardship for >the Palestinians, it has also undermined joint business >deals with Israel. World Bank and International Monetary >Fund long-term investment projects that dramatically >increased the dependence of the Palestinian economy on >Israel are the first casualties. Accommodation is no longer >an option for the thin layer of the population who benefited >from collaboration. > >A new era of continued resistance will revive the movement >for the liberation of Palestine. It will inspire anti- >imperialist struggles worldwide--and that will make it >harder for the billionaire transnational corporations to use >oppressed countries as a cheap labor pool. > >The working-class and progressive movement here has a great >stake in this struggle. Its support for the righteous >demands of the Palestinians--for full sovereignty, the right >to an independent state with its capital in Jerusalem and >the right for return for all refugees--is vital. > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > >Message-ID: <02e101c052eb$667c7ac0$0a00a8c0@linux> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] A shameful vote >Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2000 07:14:14 -0500 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="Windows-1252" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Nov. 23, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >A SHAMEFUL VOTE > >Congress is poised to approve another huge aid package to >Israel, thereby underwriting the current war against the >Palestinian people. > >The groundwork was laid Oct. 25 when the House of >Representatives passed a resolution, by a lop-sided 365-30, >that exonerated Israel and placed all the blame for the >violence on the Palestinians. > >At the time the resolution was passed, 137 people had been >killed--129 of them Palestinians. The death toll has now >more than doubled. Israel is using heavy weapons against >rocks and slingshots. > >Among the Democrats who had the courage to vote against the >resolution were David Bonior, John Conyers, Jesse Jackson >Jr., Barbara Lee, Cynthia McKinney, Jose Serrano and Maxine >Waters. > >Those who voted for it, however, included such liberals as >Barney Frank, John Lewis, Major Owens, Nancy Pelosi and >Charles Rangel. Bernie Sanders abstained. > >--Deirdre Griswold > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > >Message-ID: <02e701c052eb$7cd80d20$0a00a8c0@linux> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Israel uses DU shells: Anti-war group demands investigation >Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2000 07:14:52 -0500 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="Windows-1252" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Nov. 23, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >ISRAEL USES DU SHELLS: >ANTI-WAR GROUP DEMANDS INVESTIGATION > >By John Catalinotto > >A major anti-war organization in the United States is >calling for an international investigation of Israeli use of >depleted uranium shells in its attempt to repress the Al- >Aqsa Intifada--the uprising of Palestinians against the >occupation. > >International Action Center Co-director Sara Flounders told >Workers World Nov. 12 that the IAC was calling upon >"international organizations, NGOs, environmental and health >organizations to investigate the Israeli military's use of >prohibited weapons in the West Bank and Gaza, and to > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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