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The Democratic Socialist, Vol. 1, No.3, Jan - Feb Technological University Dublin ARROW@TU Dublin Materials Workers' Party of Ireland 1984-1 The Democratic Socialist, Vol. 1, No.3, Jan - Feb. 1984 Democratic Socialist Party Follow this and additional works at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/workerpmat Part of the Political History Commons Recommended Citation Democratic Socialist Party, "The Democratic Socialist, Vol. 1, No.3, Jan - Feb. 1984" (1984). Materials. 94. https://arrow.tudublin.ie/workerpmat/94 This Other is brought to you for free and open access by the Workers' Party of Ireland at ARROW@TU Dublin. It has been accepted for inclusion in Materials by an authorized administrator of ARROW@TU Dublin. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License Jan.-Feb. 1984 ~in this issue:---.... page , SOCIALISTS AND THE CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE-EAST Manus O'Riordan 1 .. "REPARTITION" AN OPTION? John Minihane 8 "COMMITMENT OF THE MILLIONS"- A YUGOSLAV VIEW ON WORKERS' CONTROL 11 REVIEW: THE "FIELD DAY" PAMPHLETS John Minihane 13 THE W.P. IN PERSPECTIVE Philip O'Connor 16 DSP SUBMISSION ON THE "KENNY REPORT" 20 LETTERS: 1. Politics and "rigorous analysis" 2. Farmers' incomes 23 PERSPECTIVES ON EUROPE'S DEFENCE Stephen McCarthy 24 Discussion Journal of the D.S.P. Price £ 1 D.S.P. MIDDLE EAST POLICY IN PERSPECTIVE Denis O'Connor's article in the first national conflict. One of the corres­ issue of The Democratic Socialist ponding right-wing curse-words which contains one mistaken quotation in leaves me equally unmoved is "terrorist". respect of Resolution E2 (which both of My objection to the P.L.O. is not that us supported at the February 1983 DSP it employs "terrorist" methods of Conference), and several misconceptions struggle, but that the ultimate objective • regarding the content and purpose of of that struggle is the liquidation of DSP Policy Statement E3 on the Israeli­ the State of Israel. If the P.L.O. was Palestinian Conflict (against which he genuinely prepared to limit its objectives spoke at that Conference). to the establishment of a West Bank State guaranteeing both peace and As regards resolution E2, DSP proposal security to the neighbouring State of (f) as adopted by the Conference, Israel, the P.L.O. 's use of "terrorist" actually reads as follows:- methods of struggle against the Israeli occupation would not in the least deter "The return to the Arabs of territories me from supporting them in their occupied after the 1967 war, thereby pursuit of such a revised objective. providing the land on which the Unfortunately, however, the P.L.O. has Palestinian people are entitled to set its face more firmly than ever establish a state of their own". against any such revision. As regards the DSP Policy Statement, What does it mean to say that the D.S.P. Denis O'Connor sums up his criticism of Policy Statement is "pro-Zionist"? If it as follows:- "Zionism" is taken to mean the continued Israeli occupation and settle­ "In summary the presentation of the ment of the West Bank, well then the subject in E3 is essentially pro-Zionist D.S.P. would have to be described as and anti-Arab." decidedly "anti-Zionist". What if the term Zionism is more realistically Sincethe charge of being "pro-Zionist and widened to embrace the policies of the anti-Arab" has been used by both the Opposition Labour Party? That Party trendy New Left and the pro-Soviet Old calls for Israeli withdrawal from the Left for the purpose of inducing a very West Bank but also speaks of the definite reflex reaction among resulting Arab sovereignty over the socialists, one might be tempted to regained West Bank territories as con­ defend the DSP Policy Statement by stituting part of a Jordanian-Palestinian indignantly and immediately denying any State which must embrace the East Bank such charge - lock, stock and barrel. as well. Accordingly, it would still In order to highlight the complexities be a total misrepresentation of the of the issues raised however, I will D.S.P. Policy Statement to describe it limit my immediate response to a quite as "pro-Zionist", since our Party is emphatic denial that the policy can in quite explicit about its support for the any respect be regarded as anti-Arab. principle of an independent Palestinian The charge of being "pro-Zionist" is in State on the West Bank. But Zionism effect a more meaningless one, rather cannot be given even that limiting akin to the charge that the DSP Policy definition. Zionism per se is notbing on Northern Ireland is "pro-British" or more or less than the belief in an even "West British". It is, however, independent Israeli State. It is an worth looking at some of the wide Israeli's attitude to the corresponding variety of possible meanings of the issue of an independent Palestinian "pro-Zionist" charge before deciding on State which then defines what kind of whether or not such a description has Zionist he/she is. For example, the any actual application to the DSP Programme of the democratic socialist Policy Statement. Shelli Party for Peace and Equality, which was confirmed at its Congress in WHAT DOES "PRO-ZIONIST" MEAN? May of this year, states the following set of principles:- "Pro-Zionist" has now become one of those stock left-wing curse words that "Zionism is the national liberation is more often than not designed to movement of the Jewish people. It silence an opponent rather than encourage expresses the will of Jews to concentrate an un-biased examination of what in their homeland and to live and to political developments are required for prosper as a part of the family of a just solution to a very complex nations. It expresses the wish to have 2. self-sovereignty in the State of Israel A POLICY STATEMENT FOR AN IRISH AUDIENCE The Shelli Party sees itself as a The fact that the tone of the D.S.P. full partner to the Zionist aims ... policy statement avoids the use of Shelli thinks that the Palestinian language which could be used to generate people have an equal right, as do the an emotional involvement on either side Jews, for self-determination •.. The of the conflict is perhaps another • Jewish members of Shelli are Zionists. factor which leads Denis O'eonnor to some Their immediate aim is to rescue Zionism misconceptions concerning the character from the chauvinistic right wing that of that policy. He objects .' • drowns it in an ocean of settlements in that the quotations which it contains the conquered areas, and in annexations take no account of "the grievances The Arab members of Shelli are suffered" . That is not true. There is Israeli citizens by their status and explicit reference to the grievances Palestinian by their natiOnality. They currently being suffered by the identify themselves with their people's Palestinian inhabitants of the occupied wish for self-determination alongside West Bank, when we denounce the Israeli Israel •.• " government for purSUing "a policy of increased repression of its overwhelm­ " ..• Shelli sees the conflict in the ingly Arab majority alongside a plan for Middle East and in particular the more and more JewiSh settlements, Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a dis­ having as its Ultimate objective the agreement between two national movements formal annexation of these Palestinian that have the same country as their Arab territories". territorial base. Shelli thinks that this dispute can only be solved by It is true that the Policy Statement partition of the country .•. The does not contain a recitation of thOse political solution shall be based on the Palestinian grievances suffered forty mutual recognition of the national years ago, but neither does it contain rights of both peoples. Shelli desires any mention of that unique crime of peace on the following lines:- An forty years ago, the Holocaust inftkted Israeli recognition of the Palestinian on the Jewish people. Our policy state­ • right for self-determination and its ment was for the purpose of influencing right for a state of its own side by Irish public opinion on the requirements side with Israel; ... As part of the for Middle East peace, and it took the peace agreement Israel will hand back to strength of grievance on both the the Palestinians the territories which Jewish and Arab sides as given. Had we were conquered during the Six Day War in been directing our policy statement at a the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, so primarily Jewish audience we should they will have the possibility to build certainly have highlighted Zionist their own state there ..... injustices to the Palestinian Arabs in previous decades, including the 1948 Now perhaps a case could be made for massacre of Deir Yassin Villagers describing D.S.P. policy as "pro-Zionist.. carried out by Begin's forces. Had we in the Shelli sense, since both demo­ been addressing an Arab aUdience, there cratic socialist parties believe in a would have been an even greater need to similar peaceful solution which would draw out the full implications of the result in a Palestinian West Bank State Holocaust, including the support given alongside the State of Israel. But an by the leader of the Palestinian Arabs, equally strong case could be made for the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, to describing D.S.P. policy as "pro­ Hitler's "Final Solution of the JeWish Palestinian nationalist" in line with Question". the thinking of the former P.L.O. leader Issam Sartawi, who was murdered earlier Since the D.S.P.
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