Socialist Appeal interviews student activist in Beirut Last year's war in Lebanon ended in defeat for Israel, but it also shook up Lebanese society. The general strike that took place shortly afterwards is testimony to this fact. Luke Wilson interviewed a student activist in Beirut on how he sees the situation now.
A comment on the situation in the Middle East by the Pakistani Marxists The latest edition of the Asian Marxist Review is coming out. Here we provide the editorial statement that is dedicated to the situation in the Middle East after Hamas took over Gaza.
The victory of Hamas in Gaza and the questions facing Israeli and Palestinian workers Many tears have been shed over the fall of Gaza under Hamas control. In reality what has happened is that the carefully prepared plans of imperialism have exploded in their face. They had bought off and corrupted the leaders of Fatah in order to get them to police the Palestinians for them. Because of this the Palestinian masses turned away from Fatah and embraced Hamas. So where do we go from here?
Forty years after the Six-Day War there is no reason to celebrate in Israel Forty years of the horrors of the repression of the Palestinians, the many other barbaric wars Israel has launched since then, and the defeat of the Israeli war machine in the last war in Lebanon have changed the image of Israel that has been fostered since 1967. Read also Yossi Schwartz on Israel: The 1967 War.
Israel: The 1967 War We are republishing this article by Yossi Schwartz on the War of 1967 to provide some background information to the recent events taking place in Gaza and the West Bank. Read the full article: Israel: The 1967 War
“Iran on the Brink” - Book review Rob Walsh reviews new book by Andreas Malm and Shora Esmailian (Published by Pluto Press, www.plutobooks.com). The book looks at the role played by the Iranian working class in past movements and the role they are playing today. A compelling read.
Should Marxists support a blanket boycott of Israel or should we insist it be a workers’ boycott? In the recent period the idea of boycotting Israeli academic institutions has been raised as a way of helping the struggle to defend the rights of the Palestinians. Comparisons have been made with the boycott of the old South African Apartheid regime. In South Africa it was the mass movement that brought down that regime, not the boycott. The same is true today as it was then.
Is Lebanon on the eve of a military coup? The killing taking place in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon is now being added to the long list of barbaric acts the masses have had to suffer in that country. But what is behind all this? Why for instance is the US government preparing to send millions of dollars to the Lebanese army to crush a tiny group of Islamic militants?
Israel orchestrates new dance of death in Gaza The policy of imperialism is to provoke civil war among the Palestinians, hoping that Fatah can crush Hamas, but it is clear that Fatah is losing as it is seen as more and more a stooge of imperialism. That explains also why Israel is now intervening directly. These events serve to highlight once again that on the basis of capitalism there is no way out.
Putschist Drive in Turkey At the end April Turkey was thrown into a constitutional crisis as the ruling AK Party’s presidential candidate failed to gain the support of two thirds of parliament. The Republican People’s Party (CHP) challenged the result through the Constitutional Court. Now Turkey faces early elections. Behind all this is the ongoing conflict between the AKP, which has the backing of big capital in Turkey and imperialism, and the old Kemalist military state apparatus.
Israel: In the aftermath of the war in Lebanon – the crisis deepens The crisis of the Israeli state is deepening. The rats have begun to abandon the sinking ship and are calling for the heads of Olmert and Peretz. Keen to save face and remain in power without having to face fresh elections, the ruling clique are prepared to sacrifice the current administration in order to form a new war cabinet.
Report on the May Day demonstration in Tehran There were around five to six thousand workers at the Shiroodi sports stadium near Tehran. The Labour House, however, again used its own rotten old method for dispersing the workers.
The Egyptian workers are not alone! Solidarity needed Egypt is entering a crisis. The working class is standing up, as strike after strike shakes the country. The government has decided to hit back, attempting to close the Centre for Trade Union and Workers’ Services.
Unprecedented strike wave of Egyptian workers For the last three years Egypt has experienced a wave of strikes, mainly in order to fight against a new wave of privatisation of state owned companies promoted by the Mubarak government. The movement started amongst textile workers but has now spread to other sectors, encouraged by the fact that most of the strikes have ended up in victories
Open letter of students of Babolsar University - Iran to the people of the world! Following the article on the repression at the Mazandaran university in Iran, we publish an appeal of the students to the workers of the world.