The Communist Party of the USA (CPUSA) calls for an end to the dangerous escalation in Gaza, and a return to serious negotiations on the basis of a two-state solution.
Events in recent days between Israel and the Hamas led government of Gaza show, once again, the danger of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's refusal to work seriously toward the resolution of Palestinian grievances.
For some time, a shaky de facto truce had existed between Israel and the Hamas led government of Gaza, though Qassim rockets were still being sporadically fired into Israel from militant groups in Gaza. In the past week, however, this truce has broken down, with the Israeli Defense Force having killed two civilians in Gaza (one a 12 year old boy, the other reportedly mentally handicapped 20 year old man). A barrage of rockets was fired into Southern Israel by militant groups in Gaza, which resulted in injuries to four Israeli soldiers.
Reportedly, a truce agreement was in the works when, on Wednesday, Israel sharply escalated the conflict by assassinating the head of the military wing of Hamas in Gaza, Ahmed Jabari, in a drone strike. This attack also killed and injured bystanders, and set off an angry reaction which included a great escalation of the firing of rockets at Israel. Israeli bombing of targets in Gaza has also sharply escalated, and civilian casualties, including children, are mounting on both sides, but more on the Gaza side.
At writing, Netanyahu is hinting that a ground invasion of Gaza, similar to the one in 2008 is in the offing. Reserves are being called up and troops are massing on the border for what the Israeli's are calling “Operation Pillar of Cloud”.
The United States and other Western powers have condemned the rocket attacks and emphasized Israel's right to defend itself, while most Arab states, among others, have condemned the Israeli attacks as brutal aggression.
The CPUSA points out that the present escalation must be seen in the context of the intransigence of the Netanyahu government, which has stalled all peace talks while it continues to promote building of settlements in land promised to the Palestinian people. This continues the imposition of another regime of violence on the Palestinians both in Gaza and in the West Bank: The violence of poverty and of the crushing of a people's aspirations. While there is no progress toward a peaceful solution to the Israel-Palestine situation, and while the mass of the Palestinian people, in Gaza, in the West Bank and in exile, suffer the consequences, the danger of war continues to be high. The bellicose rhetoric of the Netanyahu government, toward the Palestinians but also in the context of the Iran situation, increases the danger even more. A case in point is the recent threatening stance Netanyahu has taken toward the Al Fatah led government in the West Bank should they push their claim to enhanced status at the United Nations, a claim they have every right to make. We condemn, also, the irresponsible rocket bombardments from militants in Gaza (and the failure of the Hamas government to take action to stop this).
The CPUSA calls for the following:
*The Netanyahu government in Israel must cease the escalation of the Gaza situation, stop the attacks and pull back from sending in ground forces.
*The United States government must not confine itself to bland statements about Israel's right to defend itself, but must exert far more pressure on Netanyahu and his government to cease and desist from further attacks in Gaza, and to return to serious negotiations toward a two state solution that finally begins to fulfill the aspirations of the Palestinian people.
*The Hamas government in Gaza needs to move to stop the rocket attacks against civilian areas in Israel.
