Statement of the Israeli Communist Forum (4/9/2002)

Statement of The Israeli Communist Forum (4.9.2002)
NO TO A WAR AGAINST IRAQ!

The Israeli Communist Forum condemns with the strongest terms USA for its intention to start a war against Iraq. Such a war, that will cause the death of thousands of innocent civilians, is liable to ignite the whole region and endanger world peace. American imperialism, having already caused in recent years the death of thousands of innocent civilians in Afghanistan, the murder of numerous civilians and a destruction of unimaginable proportions in Yugoslavia, is plotting to start another war, this time without even a shred of plausible cause.

The previous acts of aggression, perpetrated by the USA and its allies, and their preparations to start a forthcoming war, serve to demonstrate once more the fact that the downfall of the socialist regimes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe was a disaster for the whole humanity. For it were the Soviet Union and its allies, which were fulfilling then a vital role of a counterbalancing and curbing power, who kept in check American imperialism and its lackeys, in numerous cases were their schemes prevented from taking effect.

Recent declarations of the President of USA and other senior officials in his administration, sound as echoes of the rhetoric that prevailed in Europe of the thirties. Leaders claimed then that they posses the right to inflict harm upon anyone who refuses to comply with the "new world order", which they wished to impose on the whole world. They wrenched for themselves a license to dictate to other states how they must behave in all spheres of life, and to topple down by use of force any regime resisting their dictates.

In our region there is an extensive resistance to the war (only Israel and Turkey are supporting unequivocally the war), as well as in Europe and in many other parts of the world. Reservations, concerning the intentions to start the war, can be heard even among some of USA's allies. Growing opposition is also manifested through public opinion inside the USA itself. But in spite of this, at present still the most extreme hawks are the determining force in shaping the policy of USA, and this fact constitutes a grave danger to our region and to humanity at large.

We are denouncing the thoughtless support, given by Israeli rulers to a war against Iraq, and their call to start immediately that war.

The crimes, already perpetrated by them, like the systematical killing of many Palestinian civilians, including women and children, were recently on the rise. These don't seem to be enough for them. They wish to exploit the state of war in an attempt to carry out old fiendish schemes, the aim of which is achieve fait accompli state of affair in the occupied Palestinian areas. These aims are supposed to be attained by means of killing masses of inhabitants, and making an organized transfer of those surviving the massacre. According to their expectations, public opinion in the world will be occupied with the war in Iraq, rather than to pay attention to their crimes.

We denounce the support, given by Israely ruling circles, for a war against Iraq and their attempt to exploit it for committing new crimes against the Palestinian People!
We warn against any Israeli involvement in a war against Iraq and denounce threats to use unconventional weapons of mass extermination in such a war!
We call upon all those in Israel who regard themselves supporters of peace to voice a loud and clear objection to the instigation of a war against Iraq!
We issue a call for the immediate cessation of all massacres and acts of repression in the occupied territories, and for stepping up the protest, both inside Israel and in the international arena, against these crimes!