The "Geneva" Agreement

[il Commie]

Here's the draft of the "Geneva" peace agreement, sent by mail to every home in Israel:
http://www.peacenow.org.il/Articals/102311...ent%20Final.doc (http://www.peacenow.org.il/Articals/102311261Permanent%20Status%20Agreement%20Final.do c)

It's Europe's answer for the american attempt to complete their seizure of the middle east with the "Road Map". I can't say it's not better - since it says Jerusalem must be divided, most (though still not all) settlements must be dismantled and the IDF should be taken out of Gaza and the West Bank to be replaced by a palestinian state.

But it still says the palestinian state should have no army (and if some Sharon will decide to re-occupy it - oops!), that some settlements should stay, that the agreement should "maximize the benefits of peace" (which means maximize the capitalist profits - no workers' rights, privitization etc.) and that the refugees won't have a right to return to their lands (well some will have, but Israel would be able to say which amount of refugees can enter it - if that wasn't serious I'd be laughing).

So I believe us true leftist should not totally reject this agreement like some do, but I do think our criticism on it's bad parts is very important and should be heard by the masses.

[il Commie]

Doesn't anybody have an opinion?

[Non-Sectarian Bastard!]

Nice post and a good explanation but could you also explain in short how the "Roadmap to Peace" works and is constructed.

I don't know much on the subject, since it's one of the most censured items in the Dutch Media. But how much will this really benefit the Palestinian proletariat? Seems to me that thanks to those measures Israeli and America will tighten their grip and get even more control over the Palestinian proletariat through business.

The Palestinian/Israel questions, seems in many ways like a hostage situation. Seems like Palestina has been taken hostage for the last 40 years under the threat of guns. It will now have the chance to get some freedom, but under the condition of becoming wage-slaves. Israel and the USA will tighten their grip on Palestina through business and the free market.

It kinda seems like the Nicaragua situation. The Palestinians are sick and tired of the ongoing attacks and would be glad to stop them by offering themselves as slaves for US imperialism. So it's questionable if it's really that good for them.

[il Commie]

The "Road Map" generally means:

first the palestinian goverment stop all terrorist acts (which includes, when Bush and Sharon say it, the guerilla acts commited against the occupation soldiers) by oppressing the Intifada (uprising) with a palestinian police.

After that, Israel withdraw from the re-occupied territories to the positions of September 2000. Israel will dismatle all "illegal holds" (which means the settlements who has no promission from the goverment, as if it makes any difference for the palestinians).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The state of things is just like you said: I don't know what happend in Nicaragua, but Palestine was under an israeli occupation for 20 until the first Intifada came in '87. Then Israel and USA decided to continue the occupation by other means: they brought the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) from North Africa and formed the Sulta (Palestinian Authority). The Oslo agreement was signed, and the Sulta began reigning 20% of the occupied territories and opressed the Intifada with the Palestinian Police. The factories and the sweat shops in the occupied and Sulta's territories were ofcourse under the ownership of israeli and american business-men.

But on 2000 even Arafat couldn't say 'Yes' to Barak's proposal: No right of return for the refugees, a palestinian state torn by israeli "settlements blocs" and no possibility for changes because it's the "end of the conflict". The palestinian people decided to fight for their rights by force since they haven't got them by negotiating: they opend an armed Intifada (with lots of terror, which made the reactionary forces in Israel grow).

Geneva is similar to what Barak offered, with some changes. Changes for the good actually, but it still suffers from the same problems. The Road Map on the other hand doesn't even speak about two states, doesn't say the occupation should end and actually blames the palestinians for the violence!

Geneva has some good points which I support, and some bad which I object. But the Road Map is alot worse, though it's a slight improvement from the current policy.

[Non-Sectarian Bastard!]

Good post. Too bad it's a choice between worse and worser.

I think you make a good choice by supporting it, ofcourse you should allways try to change it for the good.

[il Commie]

Oh no, I don't support it, that'll be supporting the bourgeoise. I support several points out of it, but as a whole not. I actually support one-sided withdraw of Israel from all the occupied territories as a base for peace - because fighting for a withdraw will keep the struggle for peace in the hands of the protesting/fighting workers on both sides, and won't stop their activism like a bourgeoise agreement.

And a bourgeoise agreement will not be full never, since we'll never have the right of return under capitalist Zionism, so we might as give the palestinians independency without an agreement.