THE SUICIDE bombings in Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv by supporters of the Islamic movement Hamas have left the policies of Shimon Peres, Yasser Arafat and Bill Clinton in disarray.
Arafat has won his election as President of the Palestinian Authority, but the latest attacks threaten Peres' lead in the forthcoming Israeli elections, and weaken Clinton's image as a world peacemaker.
Once again scores of Israelis are dying in random attacks in population centres. Once again millions of Palestinians are bestered in their homies as Isracli army patrols return to the streets.
Yet another emergency conference to save the so called peace process will be held in the ked sea resort or 1600John Major has promised to attend, in order to share Britain's experience of No-one should be surprised by these Socialist Ourlook has consistently angued that the Onlo Accords were inherently unstable and could only be implemented by ever-increasing millThey legitimised the existing social and demosraphic situation and to cruited the PLO to police the Palestinian people on Isracl's behalf, while offering less than nothing to the impovcrished Palestinian masses.
The failure of the secular Pallemian left to pose an effective challenge to Ararats increasingly autocralic fule has left the way open for Hamas to establish itself as the genuine voice of Palestinian resistance--much in the same way that the FLO established itself in the 1960s and 1970s against the pro-Jordanian and tribal traditionalists.
For almost twenty years the debate on Palestinian strategy polarised around so-called military and political options. In reality the main proponents of both of these options offered an elitist approach.
The 'military" supporters focussing on spectacular terror attacks and the attempt to acroop a standing army ca pable of confronting the might of the IDr. wale the cycotussly thompant "politicals called for diplomatic negotiations with Israci under the auspices of the UN.
Neither camp proposed a strategy capable of mobilising the Palestinian masses in an integrated pontical-mintary struggle for liberation.
The Palestinian Intifada which erupted in December 1987 was as much a challenge to this failure of the national leadership as a revolt against continued Isracli military repression.
Particularly in its carly stages, the Intifada brought tens of thousands of certed challenge to Israel's military and political control, while at the same time establishing popular committees acrosss the Occupied Territories.
This struggle and these committees provided an inspiration for popular risings and insurrections throughout the Arab world.
In many cases these risings took on an Islamic colouration. Religious language, ritual and structures could provide a cover for political activity in societies where any open political action.
The threat of military intervention has risen.
On February 25 F-15 fighter planes accompanied a US flotilla searching for the downed planes. US manoeuvres off tivity was brutally repressed.
And Islamic movements were seen as a credible-and less corrupt wick native to nationalist regimes which had failed to fulfil the promises and expectations raised in the struggle for national independence.
Ironically, for a long time the Isracli authorities tolerated, and even fostered, Islamic fundamentalism in an attempt to weaken the hegemony of the PLO in the Occupied Territories. Although the PLO and its affiliated organisations had always been banned under Isracli rule. Hamas was not banned until September 1989—by which time it had managed to establish a real presence and an effective cell structure.
There is growing evidence of a split in the Hamas ranks. Some "pragmatists" seem témpted to enter the process in the expectation of gaining power from a discredited PLO in the near future. More cological cicients ic joct any possibility of a compromise with Zionism or Palestinian secular naWith no serious attempt to alleviate the miserabic constions of tre mpor Cuban soldiers wave hello: defence of the 1959 Cuben revolution is a pressing tosk for interotionolistsworldwide Cuban waters have been stepped up.
Reserve pilots have been called up to bases in Florida.
Socialists must stand full square behind Cuba's struggle to defend its national sovereignty and revolution. Iroel repression hos intensified erished Palestinian masses the secular left has failed to provide a credible political alterative.
The Islamic movement will seize this opportunity to fill the vacuums. • For details of forthcoming actions contact Cuba Solidarity Campaign, clo Red Rose Club, 129 Seven Sisters Road, London N7 7QG. Telephone 0171 263 6452, fax 0171 561 0191.