Roland Rance VIOLENT clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops in Bethlehem, Hebron and Je. rusalem over the decision of the Israeli government to build a new setllement on the outskirts of jerusalem are said by the press to, "endanger the Oslo peace process".
Anyone who has followed developments in the Middle East over the past few years will know the Oslo agreement has not brought peace to Palestinians, nor to israelis Rather, by recruiting the leadership of the PLO to act as Israel's mercenary army in the suppression of the Palestinian struggle for liberation, the agreement has reinforced 'srael's occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and crucially Jerusalem.
Ircland: What has been endangered in recent weeks is the sleight of hand which has permitted Israel to pretend that it is taking steps towards ending its military occupation.
Socialist Outlook has consistently argued that, far from ending the century of conflict resulting from the Zi. Madrid and Oslo agreements at. tempt to legitimise and perpetuate it, and sooner or later will lead to a renewal of the Palestinian mass upIt is still too carly to assess whether the latest confrontations will oo swilty cashed or near they represent the beginnings of this new intifoda. But it is no surprise hat, once again, the spark for lashes has been Israeli settlement activity in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is the economic, as well Ireland: The Promise A major publication racy (Ireland). The most extensive Marxist analysis of Ireland since the 1940s. Available from Socialist Outlook for just £5.50. Send cheque payable to Socialist Outlook Fund to PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU. as political, centre of Palestine. Until 1967, it was the largest town in the West Bank, the commercial heart of the raresanian economy, and the centre of communications, not only within the West Bank but with Transjordan. However, since the 1967 war, in the course of which is. rael occupied those parts of Pales. tine - including East Jerusalem and shied in 19, the mundal bor.
ders of Jerusalem have been greatly expanded, and the entire metropolican area annexed to Israel.
As a result, many thousands of Palestinians have been required to obtain Israeli residence permits in families have lived for centuries, not only in the centre of Jerusallem but in villages many miles away.
In recent months, these controls have been tightened; in some cases. Palestinians in villages annexed to Is. Taer nave been arrested for stepping from their front doors into Israel without the necessary permits.
Only 5 per cent of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza are legally permitted to enter Greater Jerusalem.
Stepped up
At the same time. Israel has stepped up the pace of its building plans, designed to surround Greater Jerusalem with a ring of Jewish settements. The continuing expansion Palestinian towns of Ramallah and Bethlehem, both subiect to increasing Israeli encroachment.
This expansion is part of the can. Palestinian access to Jerusalem, Is. rael does more than isolate those Palestinians remaining in the city and its surrounding villages from the rest of Palestine.
Communication between the north and south of the West Bank, and between the West Bank and JorHebron to Nablus - a distance of only 40 miles - has become a major test of initiative and endurance, over poor quality mountain tracks. construction of 'security roads ross or ews online some ments with each other and with Is. raeli cities, and thus further dividing Palestinian areas.
Annexed
The Golan Heights and large parts of lerusalem have been formally annexed to Israel. In addition, 44 per cent of the land of Gaza (one of the most densely populated areas in the world) and 78 per cent of the land of the West Bank has been confiscated to build settlements, army bases and roads - all allocated for jews only.
The development of separate administrative, legal and economic resame geographical region indicates that Israel is bent on establishing a new apartheid regime in the Middle East.
Palestinians are still subject to constant brutality, from settlers and soldiers alike. In recent months. there have been several reports of undercover soldiers, in plain clothes. live ammunition at night in Palestin. lan Villages In one such incident in March, villagers, understandably believing that by settlers, gathered and started to Sefend their homes. The troops openco tre, wounding several rais tinians.
One man, who was shot in the leg and thus unable to flee, was then beaten mercilessly with a radio for wensy minuces uncine dico. His son, meanwnile, no oeen attending. a jewish-Arab reconciliation meeting in Jerusalem.
i en years ago, in Lecember 1987, a road accident was the spark Which imited the intifado. This was "LO, which had to struggle for several months to establish its authority over the popular committees escab. lished by the uprising.
These committees were led by activists who had been formed by twenty years of struggle against the Israeli occupation, in the refugee At the time, the PLO still had the legitimacy of a fighting, exiled leadership, however compromised, and it commanded mass support in Pales. deal with the israeli occupiers, and has returned as their agent in polic ing the Palestinians.
Desperate
The Palestinian masses, increas. holy movese no oooooo have not yet established an alternative leadership.
he organisations of the talestn an left, the Popular and Democratic tine, weakened and demoralised by decades of fruitless compromise with Arafat, seem unable to offer such an alternative. In this vacuum, it is unoerstandare that many are at tracted by the the suicide bombers of Hamas It remains to be seen whether the latest events will peter out, or will derelop into a new uprising. In any case, we can expect further clashes in the occupied territories, and furThe task of building a new leader. ship which can not only halt the extension of the settlements but take on the task of the liberation of Pales. tine has never been more acute.
Neil Murray looks back at the last time Labour was in government THE MEDIA delighted in FEATURES IZ