CCDS statement palestine

For a New International Initiative to End the Carnage in Palestine for a Comprehensive Peace Agreement

Statement by the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy & Socialism
April 12, 2002

The events of the past week demonstrate clearly the urgent need for a new international initiative to end the escalating violence in the Middle East. They demonstrate the absolute futility of reliance on the Bush Administration to broker an agreement bringing about a cessation of the armed conflict. President George Bush has repeatedly called for Israeli forces to cease their murderous attacks on Palestinian cities, towns and refugee camps and done absolutely nothing to back up his call, which he unquestionably has the power to do. As Secretary of State Colin Powell has slowly inched his way into the region a not-yet-clear number of additional lives have been lost in the occupied territories and Israel and the Israeli military forces have carried out acts of mass physical destruction of Palestinian communities.

Reliance on Bush and the State Department to end the crisis instead sets the stage for the possible escalation of the conflict, spreading it further in the region and threatening the peace of the world.

With this in mind, the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism calls on all progressive forces for peace and justice to join in a demand for the immediate implementation of all recently passed United Nations Security Council resolutions. Further, we call on the U.S., Russia, the European Union and the UN to take immediate and meaningful steps to compel compliance with these decisions.

The parties involved should immediately respond positively to the call by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson to send international observers into the territory to analyze the situation and make recommendations.

Commissioner Robinson’s report criticizes "Israel’s deliberate planned killing of civilians."

To guarantee the implementation of the relevant UN resolutions, an international force should be dispatched to the region to prevent further military attacks on Palestinian communities and to oversee the complete and prompt withdrawal of Israeli military forces.

Failure of Israeli authorities to comply with these decisions should result in an end to all economic and military assistance to the government of Israeli Prime Minister Arial Sharon.

The CCDS condemns terrorist attacks on civilian non-combatants and calls upon progressive forces and governments everywhere to take effective action to bring about their cessation.

At the same time, we recognize that it is the Israeli occupation and state-sponsored terrorism, carried out with evident U.S. approval, that is the root cause of the crisis. We stand forthrightly for the right of the Palestinian people to defend themselves and to acquire the means to do so.

The CCDS stands with international peace solidarity activists and salutes the courage of Israeli soldiers and reservists who resist their nation’s destructive actions and the continuance of the occupation. We declare our solidarity also with the courageous and resourceful Women in Black and U.S. peace activists who have gone into the besieged areas to bear witness and aid in relief efforts.

The CCDS affirms the right of both Palestine and Israel to sovereign territorial integrity and security.

We fully support the Palestinian people in their struggle for national independence and a sovereign state.

We will join with all others in working for peace and human rights for all Palestinian and Israeli people.

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For more information on CCDS’s past statements on the Middle East situation, please contact the national office:

Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism

116 West 111th Street, New York, NY 10026-4206

Phone: (212) 663-3526

Fax: (212) 663-3650

Email: national@cc-ds.org

Web: www.cc-ds.org