End the Massacre in Gaza – No Solution Through Violence

 http://socialistparty-usa.org/
 natsec@socialistparty-usa.org

A Statement of the National Action Committee of the Socialist Party USA

The Socialist Party USA unequivocally condemns the ongoing Israeli military offensive against the people of Gaza. We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all sides and an immediate end to the blockade of the Gaza strip. We encourage US citizens to assist the process of peace in the region by demanding that the US government end all military aid to Israel and other Middle Eastern governments.

The Israeli military is involved in a massacre of the people of Gaza. More than one million people are trapped in the region, penned in by the Israeli Defense Forces on one side and the Egyptian military on the other. Over the past few days, more than 400 people have been killed and thousands more injured as a result of Israeli military aggression. This has resulted in a massive humanitarian crisis which has put the entire population of Gaza at risk. Today, Gaza City is a squalid ghetto under attack by overwhelming military force intent on the inflicting collective punishment on the Palestinian people “to the bitter end.”

The present humanitarian tragedy in the Gaza Strip is only a one moment in a history of Israeli state terrorism directed at the Palestinian population. Features of this conflict include arbitrary seizures of Palestinian land, destruction of homes, and the criminalization and physical expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. This process must be ended immediately. The Socialist Party USA believes that the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot be reached through violence. The politics of terror and militarization tend to reduce the social space available for popular movements to develop. The Socialist Party USA therefore supports Israelis and Palestinians who are working toward a peaceful, equitable solution and we encourage collaborative organizing across national and ethnic borders.

The Socialist Party USA also believes that the US government is directly responsible for funding the militarization of the region and giving political cover to the overwhelming use of force by the state of Israel. Many of the tanks, planes, and helicopters, being used against the Palestinian people have been paid for with US taxpayer’s money. Indeed, tens of billions of dollars has been delivered to the state of Israel and Egypt in the form of military aid. The US government has provided political support in various international organizations, including the United Nations, for the Israeli state regardless of the illegality or illegitimacy of its actions. Added to this, is the continued occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan by the US military which has resulted in a massive death toll and has served to justify the use of military force.

The Socialist Party USA believes that residents of the United States have an important role to play in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We have a responsibility to build popular movements which aim to end the US government’s “special relationship” with Israel and which call for an end to the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. All forms of non-violent protest should be employed in this effort including divestment campaigning which features boycotts of corporations that openly support Israel. Internationally, the Socialist Party USA seeks to support popular forces throughout the Middle East who are working towards building democratic secular societies. Democratic Socialism, with its emphasis on international solidarity and human rights, offers the possibility of moving beyond the occupier’s logic of violence, criminalization and oppression.

No to Israeli Military Aggression!
End the Siege of Gaza!
For the Free Association of all People’s of the Middle East!
End the Occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan!