Protest against Israeli aggression in Lebanon and Palestine

dublin | anti-war / imperialism | event notice Tuesday August 01, 2006 20:06 by Tom Crilly - The Workers' Party - Dublin Region wpi at indigo dot ie 23 Hill Street, Dublin 1 087 2937558

Demonstration at the GPO, Dublin

The Dublin Region of the Workers' Party will hold a demonstration on Thursday evening, 3rd August in protest at the ongoing slaughter of civilians and Israeli aggression towards Lebanon and Palestine. The protest will run from 6.00pm to 8.00pm.

Israeli aggression which aims at destroying the state of Lebanon and terrorising its people must end immediately. Terrorism is not the preserve of non-governmental organisations. It is used by Israel to control the Middle East region, armed and assisted by the US. Almost one million (quarter of Ireland’s population) have now fled their homes. But there is no escape - people are bombed whether they flee or if they remain at home. Children make up a major proportion of those killed and injured.

The United States (and Britain) stand virtually alone in their support of Israeli war crimes in Lebanon. Blooded in war-torn Iraq, their goal is domination of Middle East oil resources and the return of US-friendly rule in Syria and Iran. Destruction of Lebanon is a step leading to confrontation with these countries. Some in the US Bush clique already speak of military strikes on Iranian nuclear power plants. Gunboat diplomacy is the order of the day for those who ‘lead’ the world, with no regard for human rights or the United Nations.
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The Workers’ Party stands in solidarity with all people fighting for their rights and liberty including those in the US and Israel who brave the wrath of their governments. A parallel with the present Lebanese plight is that of the Warsaw Ghetto in 1944 as the Jewish defenders were slaughtered while the Allies cried crocodile tears.
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Nobody could or would attempt to justify some of Hizbollah’s actions but it is necessary to recognise that their actions do not occur in a vacuum. Israel has a long history of state terrorism directed against the Palestinian people and against Lebanon. The objective of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 was to destroy and eliminate the PLO. Following on that invasion the Israeli government through its defence minister Ariel Sharon, organised and directed the Phalangist Christian militia to attack the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Chatilla and murdered thousands of Palestinians. Was this not terrorism directed by a higher authority in Israel? Nobody was indicted or jailed for these murders. Sharon got a rap on the knuckles and became Prime Minister of Israel; the leader of the Christian Militia became a Minister in the Lebanese government and still no justice or homeland for the Palestinian people. Since the Israeli occupation of most of Lebanon was ended, be it said, mainly by the actions of Hizbollah, Israel has made no significant concession to creating a stable and just peace in the region. Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza was shown to be a fraud when the Israelis embarked on a bombing campaign which destroyed power stations, hospitals, schools and homes of innocent people.
The Workers’ Party calls for:
* An immediate ceasefire
* Thorough reform of the United Nations establishing it as a democratic organisation representative of and upholding the rights of the world’s people. It must not be seen as the tool of a small number of developed capitalist countries with a sole aim of controlling global wealth.
*The rights of Palestinians and Lebanese to their homeland must be upheld.