Nafa'h Interview with Muhammad, Secretary General Communist Party of Israel
"Support the struggle for Palestinian Self is the duty of the Israeli Communist"
Efraim Davidi / Gema Delgado / February 2009
The Communist Party of Israel and against Hadash (Democratic Front for Peace and Equality) were the only political forces in that country that faced the slaughter perpetrated by the IDF, Israeli armed forces, last January in the Gaza Strip. Unfortunately, the "mainstream media" has not reflected the magnitude of the protest against the war within the State of Israel. A large demonstration in the town of Sakhnin on the initiative of the High Representative Committee Palestinian Arab population in Israel, unleashed a week after the criminal offense with the participation of 130,000 protesters and made the other day in the city of Tel Aviv, with 20,000 protesters, many of whom wore the red flag, show the massive mobilization that did not stop at all the Middle Eastern country during those three weeks.
Workers World interviewed the Secretary General of the PCI, the writer Muhammad Nafa'h, originally from the Druze village of Beit Jan, in order to make known the positions of the Israeli Communist. The interview was conducted in the local supporters in the city of Haifa on the last day of January, thanks to the collaboration of Efraim Davidi.
The Communist Party of Israel celebrates its 90 anniversary this year. Previously, the Palestinian Communist Party, since the end of the decade of 40 of the last century was the cradle of three organizations: the Palestinian People's Party and the Communist parties Jordanian and Israeli.
The PCI has a parliamentary fraction of three deputies in the Knesset (Israeli parliament), mayors, including the "Arab capital" of Israel, the city of Nazareth where he governs from 32 years ago. It also has a significant presence and student union.
In the last municipal elections in November, the Communist deputy Dov Khenin added 36% of the votes in the city of Tel-Aviv against Labour mayor who received 51%. The PCI, Marxist-Leninist, is the only one in Israel where Jews and Arabs indiscriminate military and morning newspaper publishes the only communist in Arabic in the Middle East: "Al ITIJ" (Unity) and a weekly Hebrew: " Haderej Zu "(El Camino).
Workers World: From December 28, the Communist Party has called for nationwide demonstrations against the Israeli military aggression on the Gaza Strip What is the Israeli Communist Party's position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Muhammad
Nafa'h: Our party claims since 1947 the position of "two states for two peoples" and supports the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people. Ie the right of Palestinians to a free and sovereign in the territories occupied by Israel in June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital. We also demand the dismantling of Jewish settlements in the territories and the settlement of the Palestinian refugee issue, consistent with United Nations resolutions.
MO: And on the situation in the West Bank and the "wall of shame"?
MN: Israel must withdraw to the cease-fire lines prior to the June 67 war and dismantle the wall that we call in Hebrew and Arabic: the wall of apartheid
MO: How do you coordinate work denouncing the aggression on the Palestinian people in Gaza this case, social movements, peace and universities?
MN: On the one hand trying to establish the broadest possible alliances, it is clear that not only the Communists are opposed to the occupation Israeli. Second, trying to coordinate protest in the streets, political activities of awareness and solidarity "Practice" sent clothes, food and assistance. The fact that the demonstrations have been detained over 700 people from Nazareth and Haifa in the north to Beer-Sheva in the Negev desert, shows that many people have been touched by so much death and disaster. Finally, note that act in coordination with Palestinian leftist forces. Traditionally the Palestinian community, but day before the attack, and knowing that was coming, we gathered in the city of Ramallah with leaders of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the People's Party (communist) to join forces. We held discussions with them again the day after the Israeli withdrawal
MO: How could I explain to foreigners that over 70% of the population support or justify Israeli military attacks on Gaza that have killed more than 1,300 Palestinians , 90% civilians by some humanitarian organizations?
MN: Unfortunately a large part of the Israeli population has been misled by false propaganda that defined the colonial war held in Gaza as a "self-defense action." This contributed censorship and self-censorship of local media. Viewers in Israel did not see on their screens the horrific scenes he saw a resident of Madrid or Barcelona every night. Moreover, the Hamas political adventurer and repeated provocations also contributed to making the civilian population of southern Israel, mostly poor, victims of the rockets out of Gaza. Many times we have said we support the struggle against occupation, and political mass struggle of the Palestinians, but we condemn the attacks on civilian populations on both sides of the border. We're back again and again repeated that there is no military solution to the Palestinian problem, only a solution that passes through the End the occupation and the creation of a Palestinian state. This position we have expressed before, during and after the criminal attack in January.
MO, in 2003 sought to end the life of the former secretary general, Issam Makhoul, placing a bomb under his car but miraculously saved his life. Why they wanted to kill him? In what situation they live the "enemies" of Zionist policy in the State of Israel?
MN: It's no secret that the democratic spaces in Israel are threatened both from government and from far-right groups, officially "control", but everyone knows who's going. During protests of recent weeks have been arrested over 700 protesters, some remain behind bars until the trials begin. Right-wing groups attacked our events causing injuries, under the gaze "distracted" by the police. With the war has unleashed a true racist campaign against the Arab population under the leadership of the party chauvinistic "Israel Our Home" (Israel is our home) the racist Yvette Lieberman. So there is a real danger of fascist movement of Israeli society whose first victims are the Palestinian Arab national minority and leftist sectors accordingly.
MO: Do you maintain contacts with Jews Communists who live outside the country and share a position of opposition to the Israeli war policy against the Palestinian people?
MN: Our party is not claimed "Jew" or "Arab." Ours is a class party that does not distinguish ethnicity or religion. With all maintain close relationships with activists and progressive Jewish organizations and peace in Europe, Latin America, North America and Australia. The Israeli leadership is to galvanize the Jewish communities around the world in their positions colonialists, but there are large Jewish sectors, organizations and individuals who disagree with this position and to fight this policy. Not all Jews are Zionists, or the world even in Israel.
MO: What are relations with the communist parties in Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan?
MN: Our party has close and frequent relations with the communist and workers parties of the Middle East. Primarily with the Palestinian community, with whom we work closely from the beginning of the occupation in 1967, providing all kinds of material and political support. Do not forget that supporting the struggle for self determination of the Palestinian people is a duty Israeli internationalist communists. We maintain relationships with the party also Iranian Tudeh and last year published a joint statement by the Communists in the U.S., Iran and Israel warning that an attack on Iran would lead the region into a tragedy of major consequences. The communists of the Middle East meet at least once a year.
MO: What are the objectives the government hides behind the attack on Gaza and what relation does this show of force with the Israeli general elections in February?
MN: The Israeli government tried to deal a blow to Hamas, but what I got was to convert all Palestinians in Gaza, particularly the civilian victims. The goal is clear: to try to deepen the division, which is unfortunate-between mainstream Palestinian factions to postpone the creation of an independent state. Since the government Kadima and Labour parties are those who believed that the colonial war would bring some political mileage in the forthcoming elections. But the only beneficiaries have been the parties of the extreme racist right.
MO: What are the main items on its agenda before the election?
MN: When we began the parliamentary election campaign, after completion of municipal elections in November 2008 that we could present a program it would call the "counter" anti-capitalist, anti-occupation, anti-privatization, anti-globalization, anti-racist and the rights of working men and women, equality of the Arab population of Israel, for a healthy environment for the rights gays and lesbians. In this program we call "a new socialist agenda" to Israel. But with the January criminal war and its terrible consequences we had to leave as planned and invest all our resources, which are many, and materials that are thin in the fight against war and its domestic consequences, particularly racism and fascism. Anyway we know that capitalism engenders occupation, oppression and racism. And in front of the international capitalist crisis, which is hitting Israeli workers, the next government is elected will enjoy a short period in power. This will result from the multiple crises that beset Israel, the crisis of the occupation, the capitalist crisis, the crisis of political leadership with their bribes and kickbacks, the ideological crisis of Zionism. All these situations provide a new period of social and class struggles and new resistance to the occupation. Many young people look to the Communist Party and understand that we mark a road and a real option to the crisis and the multiple crises. We very concerned about this, but we assume our firm commitment to the future. This will be a future of peace and social justice.
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