End occupation of Palestine
by John Austin MP

A party of business?
Jim Mortimer examines the effects of New Labour's support for business

The real cost of PFI
Decisions must be on the basis of clinical need, not pro-private ideology argues
Ian Gibson MP

We must restore political accountability
Private donations should be subject to greater scrutiny says Dianne Abbott MP

Don't turn back the anti-racist agenda
Progressives are on the back foot says Harry Cohen MP

Westminster News
All the latest news from the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs

Tube PPP is a disaster in the making
and, says Gwyneth Dunwoody MP, there is no evidence it will be value for money

Beginning of the end for the euro?
The very foundations of the single currency are cracking says Kelvin Hopkins MP

Government must be
challenged on NMD
The Labour Party has neither agreed to support NMD nor a military assault on Iraq says Alice Mahon MP

Nominate candidates supported by the Centre-Left Grassroots Alliance

Real employment rights needed
John Foster, NUJ Gen Sec calls for the repeal of anti-trade union laws

Stop the drive to war
George Galloway MP outlines the US mlitary offensive and its growing opposition

... upcoming events

May local elections
Unite to stop
the BNP
Rally Saturday 23 March 2.30pm
The Pennine Way Hotel, Manchester St, Oldham, OL8

Speakers include:
Michael Meacher MP
Phil Woolas MP
Arlene McCarthy MEP
Kumar Murshid National Assembly Against Racism
Ashid Ali, Oldham Bangladeshi Youth Association
Cllr Azam, Coalition Against Racism
plus trade union and other political parties and faith representatives

Organised by Coalition Against Racism — Unite to stop the BNP
PO Box 263, Oldham OL8 1PZ

Public Works: building quality public services for the future
SERTUC Conference
Saturday 23 March 2002, 10.00am-400pm
For more details e-mail dlewis@tuc.org.uk

February saw an upsurge in Israeli military aggression which has led to the death of more Palestinians including three civilians killed by Israeli tank fire in their homes in Khan Younis refugee camp, four civilians killed in Rafah Refugee Camp and many more killed and injured in Gaza, Nablus, Khan Younis and Ramallah by Apache helicopter gunships, Navy gunboats and F-16 Jets. Sharon announced his intention to intensify the conflict.

Reports from Israel have suggested that the army used Flechette tank shells on refugee camp residents. These shells are packed with thousands of darts for greater deadliness and are illegal. The attack on Khan Younis left three civilians dead, including a 17-year-old girl, and four wounded. The Israeli human rights organisation B’tselem is quoted as saying ‘the army intentionally fired shells towards inhabited houses. The shelling was conducted in complete disregard to the danger it posed civilians.’

How can Jack Straw still argue for ‘even-handedness’ towards Israel and Palestine when Israel employs such brutal tactics, which are illegal in international law against a civilian population? The British and US governments conveniently forget that Palestine is occupied and the Geneva Convention contains clear laws regarding the treatment of civilians in occupied areas: ‘No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise, all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited’.

Yet, Israel continues its policy of collective punishment of the civilian population in the Occupied Territories and its policy of assassinations — also illegal in international law. The UN principles state: ‘governments shall prohibit by law all extra-legal, arbitrary and summary execution and shall ensure that any such executions are recognised as offensive...exceptional circumstances including a state of war or threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency may not be invoked as a justification of such executions’.

If the government wishes to maintain international solidarity against terrorism, it must take a stand against the state terrorism practised by Sharon. It must now be clear to the entire world that Sharon has no interest in a peaceful resolution. Feted by Bush, he faced charges in Belgium for war crimes and crimes against humanity for his responsibility for the mass murders in Shabra and Shatilla. Is it just coincidence that the man who could provide conclusive evidence of his guilt, the former leader of the Lebanese Christian militia which carried out the killings, and who planned to go to Brussels to give evidence, has been mysteriously assassinated?

There is a growing body of opinion in Israel that illegal military reprisals against an unarmed civilian population will not end suicide bombings and gun attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians. This is evidenced by a growing movement of young Israelis refusing to serve Sharon’s policy of destroying Palestine to build a Greater Israel. More than 250 Israeli Army reservists have signed a statement saying they would refuse to continue serving in the West Bank and Gaza Strip because Israel’s policies there involved ‘dominating, expelling, starving and humiliating an entire people.’

The statement is the largest organised refusal by reservists in the last 16 months of violence; a recent poll in Israel’s daily Maariv showed 43 per cent were unhappy with how Sharon was handling his job. The refusenik movement has sent shockwaves through Israel and received unexpected support from former security chief Ami Ayalon, who said he had ‘a lot of empathy for the reserve officers’ adding that soldiers should not obey illegal orders: ‘too few soldiers are refusing such orders. For example, [an order] to shoot an unarmed youth is a blatantly illegal order. I am very worried by the number of Palestinian children shot in the past year.’

Yet Washington, backed by London, still pins blame for the violence on the beleaguered Palestinian leader, trapped for two months by an Israeli blockade in Ramallah and being bombed and fired on by Israeli tanks.

Britain is becoming increasingly isolated from its EU partners. Britain should be distancing itself from the US/Israeli alliance and working with the EU for an international peacekeeping presence in the Occupied Territories and a return to talks. We should take advantage of the debate which has opened up in Israel in recent weeks. A group of retired generals and senior ex-officials from Mossad and Shin Bet security services announced they were launching a publicity campaign calling for a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, where 5,000 Jewish settlers live in illegal settlements.

Only an end to the 35-year illegal occupation of Palestinian territories will enable both peoples to live peacefully within recognised sovereign states.Britain should welcome the recent calls by those within Israel, including the armed forces, who realise that an end to occupation and a return to negotiations is the only way to halt the spiral of violence. l John Austin MP is Co-Chair of the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding. For up to date information visit www.caabu.org