Damascus Extraordinary Meeting, Contribution of CP of Greece

Extraordinary International Meeting of Communist and Worker’s Parties
Solidarity with the heroic struggle of the Palestinian people and the other people in Middle East

September 28 to 30, 2009 Damascus, Syria
Dear comrades,

We salute our meeting in Damascus and we would like to thank the Syrian comrades for having organized this meeting. We respond to the decision of the Working Group of the Communist Parties to realize an extraordinary solidarity meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties on the struggle of the Palestinian people and the peoples of Middle East that was taken in its session in Athens on 17th February 2009.

Over the last period the situation in the region has become even more complex and complicated as a result of the capitalist economic crisis that intensifies the imperialist aggressiveness and sharpens the inter-imperialist contradictions and rivalries.

Imperialism becomes even more dangerous for the peoples of the Middle East, for the peoples all over the world.

This is a fact, because as capitalism develops, its need for raw materials, for exploitation of natural resources, for investments, for acquisition of markets and control of more regions of the planet increases.

Capitalists compete with each other for the control of the world due to the strengthening of the monopolies that constitute the cell of the system, and due to the increase of the degree of accumulation that leads them to aggressiveness in order to increase their profits and their power. This is demonstrated by the aggressiveness of the US, NATO, EU and the stance of the other imperialist powers.

It is obvious that the region of the Middle East and the broader region are of great strategic importance for the interests of the imperialist powers especially the US, Great Britain, France, Germany and the respective transnational monopolies. The significant energy reserves of oil and natural gas cause the immediate intervention for their control.

Since the early 1990s there is an attempt to build an interstate system in the region by means of creating a framework based on NATO forces that will protect the penetration of multinational corporations in the region.

This framework includes the control of the international channels of the Black Sea, the Aegean, the Suez Canal the Red Sea as well as the channels of the Gulf.

This arc extends to the eastern coasts of the Southeast Asia and aims at ensuring the American-NATO dominance. Thus, the rivalry between the imperialist powers intensifies and manifests itself as a rivalry between the two imperialist centres, the EU and the USA. The leading powers within the EU demand a biggest share in the distribution of markets and to be treated equally by the USA.

In the meantime, new powers have emerged and demand to play a new dynamic role in the inter-imperialist rivalries and the new distribution of markets. Such powers are the Russian Federation, China, India, and other powers that demand a leading role at regional level such as Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and others.

The conflicts and rivalries for the dominance in the distribution of markets and spheres of influence, for the control of the energy resources and the energy transport routes are also in progress. They manifest themselves directly or indirectly in the war fronts, in the nationalist conflicts, in the conflicts between neighbouring countries.

Each power participates in this geopolitical game according to its economic, military and political power in the imperialist pyramid, according to its position in the international system as well as its geographic strategic position.

Nowadays, an important area of competition is the arc that encompasses the region of the former Soviet Republics being rich in oil and natural gas fields, (the region of Caspian Sea for instance) and extends to the oil field Arab regions, to Iran and Iraq.

The USA wants to control these resources as well as the transport routes (e.g. in the region of Caucasus and in Balkans) while at the same time it intends to reduce the oil and gas flow from the Russian Federation to the EU. This effort meets the strong reaction of the powerful EU countries, namely Germany, France, Italy and others whose energy needs depend on Russia.

NATO, especially after the overthrow of socialism in the USSR and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, elaborated its new doctrine in order to strengthen its aggressive role in the new conditions extending its field of action around the globe, and expanding to the former socialist countries in Balkans, Central and East Europe, as well as to Mediterranean countries. It has designated our region as a high risk region as regards the safeguard of the interests it serves, by establishing a flexible and strong multinational intervention force to intervene when NATO considers that the imperialist world order is disrupted, improving its ability for “pre-emptive strikes”.

The situation in the wider region has intensified after the war against Yugoslavia but especially after the war against Afghanistan and Iraq and the ongoing occupation by the USA and its allies.

We note that the US and NATO military presence in all Balkan countries through military bases and troops has increased significantly. The military bases in Kosovo and FYROM rank among the biggest US and NATO bases while new bases have been established in Bulgaria and Romania that supplement the bases that already exist in Turkey and Greece. These bases participated actively in the interventions in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq and are ready to promote the NATO and US plans against Iran Syria and the region of Caucasus.

NATO elaborated its Mediterranean strategy and defied new threats in its summit in Istanbul in June 2004; therefore, it is ready to take action against the peoples under the pretext of the terrorism combat in order to facilitate the hegemony of the USA and other EU leading powers.

NATO expands to all parts of the world through various relations, with the support of the bourgeoisie and their political representatives in tens of states including states in the Middle East.

It is now preparing itself to adopt a new strategy against the peoples. This new doctrine, that will be discussed at its summit in December 2010, provides amongst others the intensification of interventions against the peoples under many pretexts, including, apart from terrorism combat, internal security, energy security, political and economic crises, even climate changes.

As regards the EU, we should add that the aggressiveness of the monopoly capital is demonstrated by the strengthening of its readiness and the reinforcement of the capacities for military and non military operations, for the acquisition of new positions throughout the world.

The EU participation in military missions and occupation forces has multiplied. EU forces are already in Balkans, Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon.

KKE struggles against the imperialist unions. It explicitly opposed the dispatch of military forces outside the boarders of the country whereas the anti-imperialist movement struggles for the return of the military missions back to our country.

The Palestinian issue and the Israeli aggressiveness against the Arab and its neighbouring countries has prevailed for many years in the Arab world.

The recent Israel attacks against Lebanon in 2006 and the Gaza Strip early in 2009 reinforce the assessment of the communist parties regarding the imperialist character of Israel which, supported by the USA and the EU, implements a methodical policy for the genocide of the Palestinian people.

The imperialist aggressiveness is characterised by the ongoing occupation regime; the blockades; the blockade of Gaza Strip; the cold-blooded murders of civilians, women and children; the murder of fighters; the Wall of partition; the extension of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem; the oppression and the persecutions against the Arabs who live in Israel.

KKE supports the struggle of the Palestinian people and its resistance against the occupation forces; it saluted the victory of the resistance forces in Lebanon.

At this point, we believe that it is necessary to stress a main conclusion drawn by the course of the Palestinian issue.

In fact, the logic of the Oslo agreement in 1993, the concept that prevailed in Camp David Summit in 2000 or in Annapolis Summit in 2007, the so-called “road map” has collapsed.

The Palestinian state has not been established yet, the occupation of the territories seized by Israel in the 7-day war in 1967 continues and the situation becomes even more complicated.

Imperialists cannot ensure peace for the peoples. Political actions should be carried out on the basis of principles, utilising systematically the anti-imperialist struggle, without any retreat that creates hopes and illusionary expectations idealising the role of the US, the EU or other imperialist powers and organisations.

This conclusion constitutes the answer to the attempt to mislead the peoples utilising the election of the new US President and his speech in Cairo University on the relations between the US and the Islamic world.

The strategy of imperialism not only does not change but it becomes even more aggressive, using carefully the carrot and stick method, trying to utilise the conflicts created within the movement in order to promote its plans more easily.

The goal is to realise the imperialist plans for the “democratisation of the wider Middle East” with the creation of a “new Middle East”, a policy that meets obstacles.

In order to promote this goal they try to utilise more effectively the so-called “moderate political forces” which have compromised with the imperialists. At the same time they exert pressure on the Palestinian authority to make new compromises and try to approach states included in the so-called “axis of evil”.

The EU and the US talk about two states (Israeli and Palestinian). However, they conceal the essence of the problem. The point is that they do not mean a sovereign, organised state where they people shall decide on its future. They mean a state without borders, without army, with limited sovereignty while at the same time they promote the autonomy of the Gaza Strip.

The situation in the Middle East is extremely complex. It becomes even more complicated if we take into account a huge problem, namely the management of water resources in the region, in which Turkey and Israel play a key role.

Turkey controls the flow of Euphrates and Tigris that constitute a valuable resource for Syria, Iraq, Iran and the Gulf States. Furthermore, one of the main goals of the Israeli wars after 1967 has been the absolute control of the water resources in south Lebanon, in Golan Heights, and West Bank.

Israel also controls exclusively the water resources that belong to the Palestinians. It has full control over water resources of the occupied West Bank and uses 90% of groundwater resources, although the Article 40 of Annex B of the Oslo Agreements on 28/9/1995 recognizes the Palestinian rights on the water resources of the West Bank.

It is obvious that international Law, as the peoples knew it during the period in which the socialist system was energetically present and active in international affairs, no longer exists. It has been totally replaced by the imperialist doctrine of the “pre-emptive strike”, and of the campaign “against terrorism”. The UN work also in this direction.

Under these conditions, we are very concerned about the organisation of the struggle for the solution of the Palestinian issue and we are thus concerned about the internal situation of the Palestinian resistance movement which is characterised by internal conflicts and contradictions, especially after the electoral victory of Hamas in 2006.

In our opinion, the developments that followed, the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank creates a very difficult situation for the Palestinian resistance movement; it leads to the general weakening of its positions; it aids the multiform intervention of the imperialist forces in Palestine that aim at eliminating the resistance movement against occupation and support the forces that accept a complete compromise and have a negative stance towards the struggle for the establishment of an independent sovereign and viable state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Palestinian movement has undertaken a very big responsibility. In our opinion, the effectiveness of its action depends on the will and the ability to rally and mobilise forces against imperialism and occupation for the solution of the Palestinian issue, for radical changes that satisfy the people’s needs.

We follow with great interest the action of organisations that oppose occupation and imperialist interventions.

We struggle against the effort to blame the resistance movement and its action in the name of terrorism and we underline that imperialism is the only terrorist for the peoples.

The peoples must utilize every form of struggle including the armed struggle against the oppressors, for national and social liberation. As every people, Palestinian people should have the right to make sovereign decisions on its future and its government.

Every movement, and this applies also for the Islamic organisations, is judged by its stance towards imperialism, monopolies, towards the conflict between capital and labour, towards the anti-peoples policies of the governments as well as by its stance towards the communist movement.

Anticommunism has been a tool against the peoples; it undermines the struggle against imperialism and is proven by the long historical experience.

The stance of the communists towards Islamic and other movements should be based on principles, on social and class-oriented criteria; it should reinforce the ideological political struggle aiming at the strengthening of anti-imperialist struggle.

Communists are at the forefront of the struggle for the promotion of the interests of the working class and the people being aware of the big challenges. Among others these challenges have to do with:

• the goal to play a leading role in the daily anti-imperialist class struggle, against all imperialist powers and organisations, against the capitalist powers at national level, against opportunism and social-democracy that poison the consciousness and lead the labour and people’s movement to compromise and submission.
• the reinforcement of the links with the working class, the popular strata and the youth; the building of strong communist parties, and strong, mass, class-oriented trade unions.
• the organisation of the anti-imperialist –antimonopoly struggle for the overthrow of the monopolies’ power.
• the struggle against national, economic, political, military dependence cannot be detached from the struggle for the solution of the conflict between labour and capital.

Nowadays, in the era of the transition from capitalism to socialism, the struggle for the working class state power, the struggle for the socialist society should not be regarded as an issue for the future; it is linked with the daily action for the worker’s problems for national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The line of the anti-imperialist struggle and rallying of forces can create a positive basis for the alliance policy of the communist parties that have the duty to defend their organisational, political, and ideological independence and prevent the compliance with segments of the bourgeoisie which aims at the assimilation and the disarmament of the revolutionary movement.

In our opinion, the workers’ and peoples’ struggle in Middle East should acquire a single, class-oriented, political character in order to develop an anti-imperialist movement that will tackle the instigation of religious, secessionist and ethnic divisions and conflicts according to the conditions in each country.

Communists but also the people’s movement in general should reject the views arguing that the so-called “complexity”, the so-called “modernisation” and the new “architecture” of the international relations can impose just solutions in favour of the peoples without weakening the barbarous imperialist system. The struggle of the people of Palestine and the peoples in the region should take into account the inter-imperialist rivalries. However, life has proven that the imperialist EU or the capitalist Russia or France and Germany cannot support their struggle against the US plans. The class, “predatory” nature of those powers is the same with that of the US and therefore they cannot substitute the role that the USSR used to play in the past.

Thus, this struggle can achieve the biggest possible resistance against the imperialist plan for the “wider and new Middle East”. At the same, it should seek for the broader international support by parties, movements and organisations that struggle against the policy and the positions of Israel and in general against the imperialist forces and organisations, against the threats and interventions. Nowadays, the only counterweight to the imperialist plans is the anti-imperialist struggle of the peoples.

KKE has been at the forefront of the struggle for the solution of the Palestinian Issue, for the support of the peoples in Middle East. Thus it took important initiatives and organised mobilisations. The issue was brought forward to the workers’ and peoples’ movement where PAME and the class oriented trade unions played a leading role collecting medicines and clothing and sharpening the polemics against the government and the EU. We will continue our struggle utilising our rich experience. At this point we would like to note that not all are true friends of the Palestinian people. In crucial moments social-democracy undermines the struggle for the liberation of Palestine as well as the struggle of the peoples of the Middle East. It talks about equal responsibilities and equates the victim with the victimiser. Furthermore, this view constitutes the position of the Socialist International, whose vice-president Ehud Barak led last January the assault on Gaza Strip as Israel’s Defence Minister.

The Party of the left in Germany that holds the presidency of the European Left Party is also at the same direction. Its stance during the period of the Israeli attack on Gaza has damaged the resistance movement.

We continue our struggle taking into consideration that these conditions require the intensification of our attempts. We focus on:

• the defence of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of each country against any imperialist intervention that might occur under any pretext.
• the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the territories occupied in 1967 (Golan Heights, West Bank), on the dissolution of the settlements and the establishment of Palestinian State next to Israel (Gaza Stip and West Bank) with East Jerusalem as its capital.
• the solution of the refugees’ issue. On the return of the Palestinian refugees according to the 194 resolution of the UN General Assembly and in accordance with other resolutions of the UN Security Council.
• the immediate release of all Lebanese and Palestinian political prisoners and Palestinian ministers and MPS.
• our opposition to the establishment of a new UN military force that actually assumes the role to carry out the goal that the military assault and invasion failed to accomplish that is the disarmament and the elimination of the people’s armed resistance.
• the demand our countries to recall the military forces that participate in the UN military force in Lebanon.
• the restoration of the territorial integrity of Lebanon and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the occupied territories in South Lebanon including the region Sebaa.