A Letter to the Anti-Imperialist Camp and the Anti-Globalization Movement by Dr. Hisham Bustani
Introductory comment by the Political Committee of the Anti-imperialist Camp:
The Anti-imperialist Camp is a coalition of different anti-imperialist forces which converge in the main positions but may hold differing and even conflicting positions on secondary questions.
The platform of the Anti-imperialist Camp on Palestine is rock-solid: We fight for a democratic state in entire Palestine which will only be achieved by smashing Zionism. Israel as an exclusively Jewish state by definition it not only necessarily an racist Apartheid state is also inextricably linked to imperialism and must be dismantled in order to erect a democratic anti-imperialist state.
There are several possible interpretations about a democratic state and its titular nation(s) which can be accepted to the Anti-imperialist Camp. However, as Political Committee we hold the view that the Palestinian liberation movement should offer to the Hebrew-speaking Jewish people to become – beside the Arab nation – the second titular nation under the condition that they break with Zionism and renounce any exclusive claim to territory. This demand is a powerful political tool to weaken Zionism not only in Palestine but also as an element of global Americanism. However, such a bi-national democratic state will only be possible if a significant minority of the Jewish colonists break with Zionism and Israel. If this will not happen a democratic Arab state will nevertheless grant minority rights to all those Jewish people who oppose Zionism.
As the liberation of Palestine is linked to the liberation of the entire Middle East from imperialist dominance, Palestine will be part of a democratic and anti-imperialist Arab federation granting far-reaching rights to minorities under the condition that they do not let themselves use by imperialism.
There can be nobody who claims to be progressive and who at the same time accepts Israel that is to say colonialism, racist Apartheid and imperialism. But there can be anti-imperialist Jewish people within Israel who fight Zionism. We are happy to welcome them in the ranks of the Anti-imperialist Camp. Within Abnaa el Balad (Sons of the Country), the only genuine anti-imperialist Palestinian liberation organisation working within the green line and close friend and co-operator of the Anti-imperialist Camp, there are also Jewish people which is a prove of the fact that Zionism is also the enemy of democratic Jewish people. Our criteria whether to co-operate with individuals and organisations can only be political and never by birth.
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The Anti-Globalization movement is becoming more and more an important "for-the people-player" in the years that followed the fall of the Soviet Union and the Socialist Block countries. Along with it, came the fall of the lie of the Capitalist "welfare", pseudo-democratic, pseudo-liberal state.
Since then, Capitalism has accelerated tremendously in its aggressive patterns, and have moved on to show, as you all know and experience everyday, that its only way to achieve its profit-driven objectives for the benefit of the "chosen few", is to crush by sheer force not only the materialized and organized resistance of the masses, but even the hopes and dreams of changing this world into a better one. The "new" doctrines of "pre-emptive" and "continuous" war, along with cultural interventionism of Imperialism after the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, are minor examples of what lies ahead.
Among other "hot spots" in the world, the Arab Homeland and its struggle against Imperialism has been very prominent and illustrating. Not only has Imperialism "confiscated" a part of it to create a multi-function front base called "Israel" in the heart of the land of civilization and oil, but it moved directly to occupy Iraq establishing the era of neo-Colonialism following the Afghanistan "affair".
Now, the US is discussing with its "partners" what Powell described earlier -before the occupation of Iraq- as the "re-shaping of the region" to comply with US interests. In the extra-ordinary session of the World Economic Forum (the Global Reconciliation Summit, 21-23 June) held in the Dead Sea-Jordan (1), and with the participation of Paul Bremer, a W. Bush thesis on the transformation of the Arab East into a "US-Middle East Free Trade Area" was being catalyzed by the Multinationals and the Imperialist and submissive states that make the WEF frame (2).
Needless to say that the Zionist entity will serve as the "Capitalist center" in this new formula, both by being a regional focal point for the accumulation of multinational/Zionist "investment", and becoming a "marketing" outlet and an exploitation labour-contractor for the Arab "social blocks".
Already, and as an example, Delta Galil, one of the biggest Zionist textile contractors in the Zionist entity, are manufacturing brands like Gap, Victoria`s Secret, Boss, Ralph Lauren among others (3), by exploiting Jordanian women labour for JD 80.- (= US$ 112.-) per month. These products are manufactured in Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZs) which are special free zones from which a company can export customs-free and quota-free into the US market on one condition: a minimum of 8-20% of raw material should be from an "Israeli" origin (4)!
That`s the deal in the Arab region, which will become the primary model for the mechanisms of Globalization after Argentina, especially if the US and Zionist succeeded in re-opening the Haifa-Kirkuk oil pipeline.
It is important at this particular moment to adopt a direct non-compromising position regarding Imperialism, and especially regarding the Zionist entity.
There is NO alternative but resisting Imperialism in an Internationalist approach, where real political/active solidarity is delivered rather than distributing humanitarian sympathy.
It is also important to formulate a position regarding the Imperialist/Zionist project in the Arab region. The resistance to eliminate the occupation in Iraq using all means should be supported, same applies to the fight against the Zionist entity until the defeat of the Zionist project and the elimination of the Zionist entity towards establishing a free, Arab Palestine as a preliminary stage towards the unification of the Arab Homeland and its transformation to independent development and Socialism. There are no other real solutions to the Arab questions besides these.
Our international comrades should understand that halfway solutions will strengthen the Imperialist/Zionist structures and mechanisms. The two-state solution, the bi-national state solution and even the "one-democratic-state" solution without the Arab dimension will not resolve the contradiction between the Arab masses and the Zionist/Imperialist project in the Arab region.
Another issue on which the movement should have a firm position: There are no "progressive Israelis". Those who are part of the Zionist/Imperialist project, even if they "oppose" the Zionist policies, are whether they like it or not, and whether they know it or not, part of "Israel`s" structure and mechanisms. One can not be progressive and at the same time be part of the Zionist entity/project. The only progressive "Israeli" is the one who, upon understanding the function and mechanisms of the Zionist entity/project, decides to cut all ties with this entity, resist it, and before all, leave the occupied area on which he resides in the place of an expelled people: The Arab Palestinians.
The movement should be well aware of this and should NOT fall in the NGO trap of "getting both sides to sit and talk" as if the main issue of "Israel`s existence" is settled. "Israel" is not a legitimate state, so as ALL the individuals/organizations that represent it or recognize it. Thus, and to emphasise this illegitimacy, all ties with "Israelis" should be deleted. i.e. Normalization with Zionists should be resisted globally, not only in the Arab Homeland.
It is time for the international Anti-Globalization movement to take up a more concrete analysis instead of clinging to stereo-typed "reasoning". There is no solution but to eliminate the Zionist/Imperialist project, otherwise, it`ll only be a slow process of self-consumption, while the enemy gets stronger. And it should be understood that to resist Globalization, you should resist "Israel", and the opposite applies: To resist Globalization, you must resist "Israel", not on the level of policies, but on the level of function and mechanisms, that is: existance.
(1) for details, see the WEF web page on this link
(2) for details, read my article WEF in Jordan: `Israel` as an Axis for a US-Middle East Free-Trade Zone
(3) details on the Boycott Israel Campaign web site
(4) see the QIZ agreement