Solidarity with the Palestinian people!

international | anti-war / imperialism | opinion/analysis Sunday January 11, 2009 15:43 by pat c - Hands off the People of Iran

No to war in Gaza and the Middle East!

Solidarity with the Palestinian people! No to war in Gaza and the Middle East!

Hands off the People of Iran unreservedly condemns the barbaric onslaught by Israel on Palestinians and the siege of Gaza. We call on supporters of our campaign to join the demonstrations taking place all over the country. The scale of terror being inflicted shows that the Israeli state is hell-bent on ethnic cleansing the Palestinian people.

George Bush obviously supports the Israeli atrocities. Obama is keeping his mouth shut. But it is clear what side he is on. He supported the invasion of Lebanon by Israel in 2006 and has recently endorsed Israel taking ‘firm’ action against Hamas.

But it was actually Israel that breached the ceasefire, not Hamas. They staged an incursion into Gaza on 5 November during the US election. Hamas responded with rockets and Israel was then able to use that as an excuse to collectively punish the Palestinian people once again. Israel, with US support, is twisting reality to justify horrendous acts against civilians.

We call for an immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops and an end to the siege of Gaza. But Hamas is not an answer. It is the politics of despair. Instead we need a united working class solution in Palestine and throughout the Middle East.Israel would welcome the chance to widen hostilities to include bombardment of Iran.

An attack on Iran is definitely on their agenda – one that would also receive the support of the US under both Bush and Obama. In the face of this we need to increase our efforts to build solidarity and unity against imperialism and its allies. But our solidarity is with the people, not the Iranian state or any other middle-east regime. Change must come from below, from progressive and working class forces. Imperialism only brings bloodshed and depravity.

We stand shoulder to shoulder with the Palestinian people and extend our solidarity to them.

Our campaign demands are:

No to imperialist war! For the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of US/UK troops from Iraq and the entire Gulf region!

No to any imperialist intervention. The immediate and unconditional end to sanctions on Iran.!

No to the theocratic regime!

Opposition to Israeli expansionism and aggression!

Support to all working class and progressive struggles in Iran against poverty and repression!

Support for socialism, democracy and workers' control in Iran!

For a nuclear-free Middle East as a step towards a nuclear-free world!

Contact HOPI at:

Anne@hopoi.info

http://www.hopi-ireland.org/

http://www.hopoi.org