Letter from Egyptian Socialists on the recent demonstrations in support of the Palestinians

12 years have passed in the Middle East peace process. The Egyptian socialists' attitude has always been clear during this time. We oppose the peace process as a whole. The bourgeois agreements won't get the Palestinians their rights back, they will just guarantee a stable government for the bourgeoisie and profoundly fix the American domination in the Middle East giving comfort to the governing dictatorial regimes.

The socialists' vision to the solution of the Palestinian cause is identical to the essay Israel and Palestine - The only way out by Alan Woods. The Palestinian cause won't have a fair solution in the capitalist system, this should be clear out from a simple study to the history of the foundation of the Zionist country and its relation with imperialism. The solution is a class struggle that will overthrow the governing regimes and destroy the interests of imperialism in the Arab world by putting an end to capitalism in the region, including in Israel.

The Palestinian case is a revolutionising factor in the Arab region. It clearly unmasks the mean imperialist aims of control, hence the weak attitude of the imperialist allies in authority. Uncovering the cooperation between the bourgeoisie and imperialism is one important conclusion that must become obvious to the ever disappointed citizens.

The Islamists could not make a real adequate analysis based on their fundamental political beliefs. This is the reason why they are unusually weak although still in the field. Though the last movement of the public is much greater higher than the previous expectations of the socialists, the Marxists can still make use of it.

The spontaneous movement is deeply attached to the present events, but if maintained spontaneous and not directed politically, it will simply collapse leaving some great changes in the Egyptian street. This movement, though spontaneous as mentioned above, destroyed years of stillness and weak movement. The movement is in real awareness of its abilities. In the demonstrations people's slogans were not only about the Palestinian cause but also against the system, and against US imperialism.

The aggressive repression by the police made the picture clearer. The system is defending itself by defending the Israeli embassy and curbing the popular anger. Socialists are in the middle of all this presenting Marxist analysis and socialist aims to everybody. We deserve trust because of long struggling for the Palestinian case. We deserve trust because our expectations about the peace process have been proved right. The students committee for defending the Palestinian Intifada has been founded as a united front for all the students defending the Intifada regardless of their political beliefs.

These are the demands of the students:

1. Putting an end to any kind of relations with Israel.
2. Punishment of police officers responsible for the death of two students at Alexandria University and the deposition of the interior minister.
3. Cancellation of the emergency law applied since 1982. The law that allows the government to break down the constitution and prevents citizens from practicing their political freedoms.
4. The cancellation of the (1979 paper) that prohibit any political activity in the universities.

See also:

• Israel and Palestine - The only way out by Alan Woods. (April 9, 2002)
• Israel's Brutal Aggression - The Israelis move to crush the Palestinians by Alan Woods. (March 30, 2002)

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