The Communist Party USA joins in the worldwide condemnation of the actions of the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu which led to the deaths of 17 Palestinian protesters and the wounding  of more than a thousand.

Tens of thousands of unarmed Palestinians from Gaza had gathered on the border with Israel for an event they called the “Great Return March”, in commemoration of the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes when the state of Israel was created in 1948.  The demonstrators were demanding justice for the cause of the Palestinian people, including the right of Palestinian refugees and their families to return home

Palestinian organizations promised that they will not be cowed by the violence.

At least 12 Israeli snipers were filmed lined up on a ridge aiming down at the protesters.  Without any violence from the Palestinian side, the Israeli forces opened up on the demonstrators, including with live ammunition.The resulting horrible scenes have been seen by the entire world.  Nevertheless, the Israeli government tried to claim that the shooting was in self-defense.

Horrible as this incident was, it also serves to remind us of the inhuman conditions in which the Palestinian people in Gaza are forced to live, and the utter failure to make any progress in finding a peaceful resolution to the interminable Israel-Palestine conflict.  Neither Netanyahu nor his ally, U.S. President Donald Trump, seem interested in doing anything that will either bring justice to the Palestinians, or preserve peace in the region. Indeed, the current policy of the Netanyahu government is in line with the Israeli right’s pushing of a “greater Israel” strategy in which Palestinians, including Israeli Arabs, will have neither role nor rights.

The continued expansion of the settlements is part of this also, and in all of this the Israeli government is abetted by right-wing forces in the United States, including major evangelical Christian groups. Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv to a “united” Jerusalem was a dangerous provocation which no doubt served as a signal to Netanyahu that he could use heavy handed repression against the Palestinians without in the least jeopardizing his relationship with his most powerful supporters in the United States.  Worse, the U.S. delegation to the United Nations blocked an effort in the Security Council to condemn the shootings, and blamed the incident on the Palestinian victims.

Bernie Sanders was alone among U.S. elected officials protesting the killings.

The Communist Party of Israel and allies, including Hadash, condemned the action.  The chairman of the Joint List in the Israeli Knesset, Ayman Odeh of Hadash, emphasized the peaceful nature of the protests, and added ““Even such a model of non-violent popular struggle is met with armed soldiers who don’t hesitate to fire at unarmed demonstrators.  Israel must immediately stop the shooting and allow the residents of Gaza to carry out their just and legitimate protest.” Palestinian organizations also promised that they will not be cowed by the violence. Nafiz Ghuniam, a member of the Politburo of the Palestinian People’s Party, emphasized that the Palestinian people will continue protesting peacefully against the Israeli occupation.

The world, ranging from the Pope to the Secretary General of the United Nations, and including many Jewish groups in Israel, the United States and elsewhere, has condemned the Israeli government’s action. But with the exception of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) there was no condemnation of Israel’s action from the political leadership of the United States.

The Communist Party USA condemns both the violence of the Israeli government and the active complicity of the Trump administration in this incident.  We call for justice for the Palestinian people, and for an end to the United States’ criminal complicity which has stopped any progress toward a peaceful solution and set the stage for incidents of this kind.

Image: Wikipedia

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