Palestine

Policy background

The Socialist Alliance recognises the essential role that international, including Australian, imperialism plays in supporting the Israeli system of apartheid and occupation through massive political, economic and military aid. It condemns the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by the state of Israel and the denial of Palestinian rights by Israel throughout what was historic Palestine, both within the 1948 borders of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

This oppression takes different forms including ongoing colonisation of Palestinian land and theft of resources; hi-tech military attacks on the impoverished Palestinian population; the blockade, siege and regular military incursions into Gaza; the continued carving up and ethnic cleansing of the West Bank by Israeli occupation forces and illegal settlers including: the construction of the apartheid wall (which has been condemned by the International Court of Justice as illegal); the setting up of isolated ‘bantustans’; the construction of the construction of “Israeli only” roads; and the separation of Palestinians from their agricultural land and economic life; the systematic violence and discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel; and the denial of the right of Palestinian refugees to return.

The Socialist Alliance recognises the ongoing resistance of Palestinians to the Israeli occupation including the Palestinian-led campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) which urges various forms of boycott against Israel until it meets its obligations under international law. Just as the anti-apartheid campaign against white South Africa was not against all white South Africans, BDS is not anti-Semitic.

Socialist Alliance supports and campaigns for:

• An end to Israel’s occupation of Palestine.
• Palestinian’s right to self-determination.
• The withdrawal of all Israeli settlements and outposts in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and the dismantlement of the apartheid wall.
• For Egypt to open the Rafah Crossing between Egypt and Palestine.
• Equal civil and democratic rights for all inhabitants of historic Palestine.
• The right of return for Palestinian refugees to all of historic Palestine.
• An end to the siege and blockade of Gaza. For the free movement of people and supplies (including medical supplies) around historic Palestine and between Palestine and Israel.
• The Israeli refuseniks and pro-Palestine Israeli human rights activists.
• The prosecution of Israeli military and political leaders for war crimes.
• An end to the criminalisation in Australia of Palestinian and Lebanese organisations that resist Israeli occupation using the misnamed “anti-terrorism” laws.
• An end to Israeli aggression against other countries in the region.
• The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign initiative by Palestinian civil and rights organisations, which urges various forms of boycott against Israel until it meets its obligations under international law by:
  • Ending its occupation and colonisation of all Arab lands occupied in June 1967 and dismantling the Wall;
  • Recognising the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and
  • Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in United Nations Resolution 194.