Hi from Israel

[Weltmann]

Hi.

I'm new to this site, so I'll introduce myself shortly: My name is Uri Weltmann and I'm a 21 year old University student from Israel.

I'm a member of the Communist Party of Israel (CPI) (http://www.maki.org.il/), the only joint Jewish-Arab party in Israel, and an organizer for its youth affiliate, the Young Communist League of Israel (YCLI) (http://www.banki-shabiba.net/). I'm also the editor of the YCLI Hebrew-language publication "Spartacus".

I study Mathematics and Philosophy at Haifa University, and most of my activism recently is against privatization, against racism and discrimination of Arab students, and for LGBT rights.

That's about if, for now. I'm looking forward to participate in interesting discussions here, and hopefully to contribute productively. :)

Cheers,
- Uri.

[Non-Sectarian Bastard!]

welcome man, glad to have you on board.

[Pawn Power]

It is great to have you here, your perspective and view will be interesting to hear, as a communist living in Isreal.

Welcome

[Free Palestine]

There are so very few things in my life that actually make me happy but reading your post was one of them! Welcome to the board.

[Intifada]

Welcome comrade!

[Weltmann]

Thanks to everyone who responded. :)

Several questions:

Are most members of this site from the USA? Are there any Lefties from the Middle-East around here? Also - where do, generally, the political views of the participants here lie? I mean - mostly Anarchists, Trotskyists, Stalinists, etc. ?

[More Fire for the People]

Are most members of this site from the USA?
The board is very international but it seems that a lot of us are either from North America or Europe.


Are there any Lefties from the Middle-East around here?
We have a few people from Pakistan and I believe we have a member from Syria.


Also - where do, generally, the political views of the participants here lie? I mean - mostly Anarchists, Trotskyists, Stalinists, etc.
Most people are either Trotskyist, Maoist, or Anarchist. We have a few Stalinist but most of them end up banned for rampant discrimination of some kind.

[Warren Peace]

Welcome, comrade! :hammer: How is it being a communist in Israel?


Most people are either Trotskyist, Maoist, or Anarchist.

I think Anarchists make up the majority. Trotskyists come next. We Maoists are a minority here, though I normally call myself an Anarcho-Communist rather than a Maoist, because people will assume I blindly follow the MIM (Maoist Internationalist Movement), which I find to be way too dogmatic and intolerant of other leftists.

I'm more than willing to fight side by side with Anarchists, Trotskyists, Stalinists, social democrats, and all other leftist comrades. Mao taught that all leftists should work together in a revolutionary united front, but many Maoists today have turned on this idea. Mao also taught that state power should eventually be aboloished, and many Maoists today have also turned on this idea and are too authoritarian.

[Weltmann]

Welcome, comrade! :hammer: How is it being a communist in Israel?
Not as easy as being a Communist in Cuba, that's for sure... :lol:


Most people are either Trotskyist, Maoist, or Anarchist. We have a few Stalinist but most of them end up banned for rampant discrimination of some kind.
How come Stalinists are banned? I'm a Marxist-Leninist (as is the CPI, which I'm a member of) but both my party - and myself - are sometimes considered 'Stalinist' by Anarchists or Trotskyists, simply because we pretty much followed (some say 'blindly') the political line taken by the Soviet Union, up until its sad demise. Is that sufficient to be called 'Stalinist'? I don't think so, but does this mean that my days here are numbered? i.e, am I going to be banned from here simply because I don't repent all of what happened in the USSR? Or need I do something a little more extreme, for e.g - enthusiastically support Stalin's crimes? (Which needless to say, I don't).

[LSD]

How come Stalinists are banned?

They aren't. We even have a Stalnist Mod.

Unfortunately, many Stalinists that come to this board are incapable or unwilling to be civil and so are eventually banned. It seems that a disproportionate number of self-descirbed "Stalinists" are rude and hostile. In all likelyhood, this is because many people who choose to identify themselves with Stalin do so for the emotional appeal, and not for valid historical reasons.

Regardless, we have many Marxist-Leninists, and as long as they are willing to be calm and rational, they are more than welcome to stay. As, of course, are you.

[Red Heretic]

I myself am a Maoist.. I think the disproportionate number of Trotskyites on this board is the main contributor to the repression of so called "Stalinists" (There is no such ideology, unless you actually are referring to a Hoaxahite).

[Red Heretic]

Could you elaborate a bit on the ideology of the CPI?

What is it's position on Israeli imperialism?

What is its view of the experience of socialism in the Soviet Union and China?

What is its view of the experience of revisionism in the Soviet Union and China?

Thanks.

[Hiero]

I am considred a Stalinist (as you can see by my avator, Kaganovich the jewish Polit Buro member in the time of Stalin), although i take up Mao's extension of Marxism-Leninism as well his his criticism of Stalin.

If you remain civil and find you can resist the many uncivil attempts of people calling Stalin a fascist, monster, Nazi etc you will survive.

[Weltmann]

Could you elaborate a bit on the ideology of the CPI?
The CPI describes itself as adhering to the ideology of Scientific Socialism (i.e Marxism-Leninism). It was founded in 1919 during British rule of Palestine, and for throughout its history has been the only party (first in British-ruled Palestine, afterwards in the state of Israel) that united both Jewish and Arab members on an equal basis.

The CPI was in solidarity with the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and with other Communist parties around the world, as was part of what you would call "The world Communist movement" (Around the USSR).


What is it's position on Israeli imperialism?
The CPI was for years the only political force in Israel that consistently called for an establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel and for implementation of all the UN resolutions regarding the right of return for the Palestinian refugees (most notably resolution 191).

It has remained the consistent peace force in Israel today, as it is the only party that voted in the Knesset (The Israeli parliament) against Sharon's "disengagement" plan (which aims at perpetuating the occupation), and it is active in supporting the "refuseniks" (Israeli young draft resisters) and against the separation wall that Israel is building in the west bank.


What is its view of the experience of socialism in the Soviet Union and China?
The CPI sided with the USSR in the Sino-Soviet split, and throughout the sixties and the seventies it had maintained a hostile attitude towards Maoism (polemicising against it in its theoretical journal, etc.). Since there isn't an organized Maoist party of Israel (nor a significant number of Maoist individuals), then since the decline of the New Left, we haven't dealt much with the issue of Maoism, nor debated it.

As for the experience of Socialism in the Soviet Union (and other East European Socialist states), while the CPI views it as a positive experience, which made huge contributions throught the 20th century (the historic defeat over Fascism in World War II, and assisting third-world countries to gain national independence and break with colonialism - just to mention a few), it also thinks that the Communist movement should draw lessons from its collapse, one of which is the need keep a humane and democratic vision at the core of our political work, and not to develop tolerance towards violations of democratic principles (as was sadly the case in the USSR under Stalin, and also afterwards).


What is its view of the experience of revisionism in the Soviet Union and China?
I don't think we would use the term "revisionism" in the same sense as you do, although if we were to use the term, we would direct it towards Mao-Tse-Tung, rather than towards the post-Stalin leadership of the Soviet Union...

[dso79]

Are most members of this site from the USA? Are there any Lefties from the Middle-East around here?

I live in the Netherlands, but I've always been interested in Israel and the Middle East, and I visited Israel last year.

Check out this thread:

http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php?showtopic=36778

[Weltmann]

Ah, Omri... A comrade and a friend. :)

[Free Palestine]

Are most members of this site from the USA? Are there any Lefties from the Middle-East around here?

I forgot to mention I'm from Palestine also but currently living in the states.

[Weltmann]

Where are you from in Palestine? Have you emigrated to the US, or are you a refugee?

[Free Palestine]

Ramalah, my parents are émigrés.

[enigma2517]

Heart warming, a friendly and warm conversation between a Palestinian and an Israeli.

This is the new left, this is the core of what our generation should consist of.

Class not nation!

Keep it up guys :)

[Le People]

Welcome comrade! I'm a Trotskyist, but I am tolerant of all ideas, so if you are a Stalinist then be respectful of others and I won't go crazy on you!

[novemba]

Originally posted by Free [email protected] 4 2005, 09:57 PM
Ramalah, my parents are émigrés.
I'm reppin' Nablus.