LAST September, Israeli Prime Minister Rabin stated. I would like to wake up in the morning and find that Gaza has drowned in the sea, but since that won't happen we must seck a solution'. He now seems to have found such a solution.
The agreement between Is. rael and the Palestine Liberation Organisation is portrayed as a turning point in Middle East history. Indeed it is.
But, for from being the first step in a process leading to full Isracli withdrawal from the occupied territories and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, the agreement represents a significant defeat for the Palestinian masses- whose victories in the 5 years of IntiWORLD NEWS fada are now to be overturned by the Palestinian bourgeoisie and the external leadership of the PLO.
The agreement formalises the status of the Palestinians as a colonised people. Except for one but symbolic aspect, nothing in this agreement was not in 1978 Camp David agreement which was denounced by the PLO.
Falling short
This deal, in fact, falls short of the principles agreed between Begin and Sadat, since it confines the area of Palestinian "autonomy" to the Gaza Strip and the town of Jericho.
It does not end the occupation but replaces direct with indigect Isracli rule and co-opts the PLO to police the occupation on Is rael's behalf.
The one symbolic innovation is Israel's recognition of the PLO. This major shift has not happened because the Isracli come convinced of the justice of the Paleuinian cause, It is the price isract nas to pay to continue its control over the Pales tinian people.
As the Standard commented.
in us project the PLO is Is ruel's surprising natural ally'.
The national gains of the Intifada are well-known. It has united the Palestinian people against the Israeli occupation. and destabilised Israel's system Repression In the carly stages of the occupation, from 1967 until about 1970, Israel repressed any expression of Palestinian resistance with a massive army work of local collaborators and informers. This allowed Israel to mediate the occupation through its local agents rather than through the army.
The Intifada hus eliminated this collaboration obliging Israel to flood the occupied territories with troops. This has proved costly. not only finan cially but politically both at home and abroad.
In class terms, the Intifada represenico a new stare in the struggle. It is based among the poorest and most deprived soctions of the Palestinian people -the refugees, the peasants and day-labourers unlike earlier bouts of unrest, which were based largely the colleges and universities.
This can be seen in the class rature of many of the demands on the Palestinian bourgeoisic regarding work conditions, wages, prices, rents, women's This aspect of the Intifada in.
spired popular risings in other Arab countries, notably Jordan. It is opposition to this class swore tak creates the common interest between Israel, the PLO leadership, the Arab regimes, the USA and the World Bank.
anesc forces are now col laborating in order to tum back the class gains of the Intifada. Israel has agreed to train a Palestinian police force; the World Bank has promised economic aid totalling S4 billion over the next ten years. These offers are an expression of a shared interest in supporting the new regime.
The success of the plan is far from assured, and Arafat faces serious opposition. Leading figures have resigned from the PLO executive and denied the legitimacy of Arafat's leader.
The agreement has been denounced by the left opposition within and outside the PLO. by the Islamic movements, and by significant forces within Fatah: his only consistent support comes from the former Palestine Communist Party.
Meanwhile, PLO offices around the world are being closed down. In Britain the PalCampaign maintains an embarrassed st Socialists can be in no doubt that this imperialist agreement is a setback for the Palestinian Their struggle, however. will continue we mus deepen and strengthen our solidarity.
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 49. 18 September 1993, Page 13