Greetings from the Communist Party of Israel

Dear Comrades,

On the occasion of your 28th National Convention we have the pleasure to extend to all the members and supporters of your party, warm a fraternal greetings.

Your Convention is taking place at a time when strengthening the unity of the working class and deepening the cooperation of all the democratic and left forces and promoting international solidarity become questions of utmost importance.

U.S. imperialism, using the criminal attacks of Sept. 11 2001 as an excuse to open a war on Afghanistan and to occupy Iraq, doesn’t intend to confront the problem of terrorism but rather to bring about a basic change in the rules of international relations, so that the U.S. hegemony and the multinational corporations are strengthened on all continents.

Our Party fears that the intention of the Bush Administration is to turn the war into a normal mode of international behavior and to apply it to other countries that the U.S. will accuse of “terrorism.”

Despite the so-called “Road Map,” the bloodshed is continuing in our region, caused by the attempt of the Israeli government—backed by the U.S. administration—to sabotage the perspective of an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.

The Communist Party of Israel (CPI) calls on all supporters of peace and democracy, in Israel and in the world, to stand up to the cyclical exploitation of the war hysteria by Sharon government to magnify the oppression of the occupation including the establishment of additional settlements, and construction of the Apartheid “Separation Wall.” The Sharon “disengagement plan” is to perpetuate the occupation with all its suffering in the West Bank.

The CPI warns against the plans of the Sharon Government to destabilize the situation along the northern border with Syria and Lebanon in order to distract the Israeli public’s attention from the policy of force against the Palestinians, as well to aid the aggressive policy of the Bush Administration.

The road to peace and security for both peoples, the Israeli and Palestinian, passes through the end of the occupation, the evacuation of the Israeli settlements, the establishment of a Palestinian States whose capital is East Jerusalem, and the solution of the refugee problem in accordance with UN resolutions.

Dear friends,

We wish you success in your struggle to defeat the Bush right-wing agenda. We look forward to develop the friendship and cooperation between our parties, and wish your 28th National Convention success.

Issam Makhoul
General Secretary
Central Committee
Communist Party of Israel