Friday, January 27, 2006

The challenge of Israel and Palestine

Hamas have won the elections to the Palestinian Parliament. The challenges here are manifold.

Israel is never going to give recognition to a Hamas government - the result will probably be unilateral action by Israel in securing its borders. Internationally, Hamas won't be recognised either unless they give up the gun and persue a settlement, normally seen as the two state solution, via the political process; that seems unlikely as Hamas have announced they will continue "the armed struggle" in response to actions by Israel.

Actually, those challenges are for the capitalist politicians. The challenges for the socialist are unifying Palestinian and Israeli workers on the basis of their class position, which necessitates the rejection of nationalist and religious positions and the adoption of the world socialist position.

The socialist position goes way past the two state solution, which is common currency on the left. An independent, sovereign Palestine is a Capitalist Palestine all the same. It will have all the galling features that characterise Capitalist nations everywhere. State building is in fact historically bound to the development of the capitalist system. Socialism means the end of nations and the creation of one world and one people.

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