beyond my control prevented me from doing so. It may interest you to know that the Brisish Army confiscated a letter I had written to you. On 30 October, our Cages were invaded at dawn, apprax, 5.30 a.m., by hordes of marauding riot died military, This is not unususi, It happens every three weeks. The purpose of the exercise is, I suppose, to exert their authority and so surprise any escape tunnel attempts - havever, nothing was discovered.
WHAT'S ON SOCIALIST WOMAN FORUMS: Socond Wednesday in every manth, starting 14 November with Linde Sinith on The Famity. 8.00 p/m. in The Rostuck, Totrenher Court Road (Warren Street tube). NAMIBIA: End British support for South Africa's illegal occupation' - public meeting with exhibition and film on Friday 16 November at 3.00 p.m. in Friende House, Euston Road lopposite Euston Stationl ING RED FORUM: Series of introductory discussions for those in the London area on the polities of the Fourth International. Every Tuesday at 8.00 p.m. in the General Picton pub, Caledonian Road (6-mins, Kings X tubel. The usual harassment, brutality and destruction took place just as expected, Man were spreadeagled ageinst the wire for several hours, some were betoned, and much personal property was destroyed, but one grows accustomed to their tactics. One Cage in particular number 5, wes left in such a condition that it had to be condemned. The Internees from this Cage were re-distributed into other Cages, including my awn, resuiting in overcrowding. There are now approx. 640 men and children detained, with 80 men per Cage 'STILL THERE!': An eyewitness aceo unt of the US in Indochina, by Chris Mullin, a frecianos journalist who has just returned from the aree Monday 12 November at 7.30 p.m. in University of Landon Union, Maiet Street, WC1 (Ropin 3B). Meeting organised by Indochina Solderity Conference.
NEWCASTLE RED FORUM: Norman O Neill on evolutionary Politics in the Trade Unions," Wednesday 21 November at 8.15 p.m. in the Bridge Hotel.
MANCHESTER RED CIRCLE: Every Thursday at 8.00 p.m. in The Ancoats, Great Ancoats Street. Thunday 15 November: Geoff Hodgeon on IS and State Capitaliam.
NOTTINGHAM RED CIRCLES: Wide ranging wries of discussions based on the politics of the Fourth International. Every second and fourth Tuesday in the month, at 8.00 p.m. in the Lion Howl, Clumber BEIRUE! country, mined Fords tomarrow?
is being made.
dull day here.
Socialist Hepublic.
A Long Kosh Internee (name supplied!. On discovering my letter to IMG, as stated previously, it wes confiscated alony with a file containing back Issues of Red Weekly and fled Male, which I find interesting os referencis during political study.
Indeed the Imperialist Army is serving its masters 4o p&p well. It is interesting to not that the British Army are now operating as blacklegs against the Fire Brigade strikers, We have stated many times in the past that the use of British Troops in Ulster is but the thin end of the wedge, and that the British had better waken to the fact that before iong the troops will be opposing workars on the streets of their own Working class organisations are now being underdesign - or attempts are being made to do this - by the State repressive forces, It is vital that comrades in Scotland, England and Wales oppose with all their energies this newevil, Tha firemen today Palitical revolutianary socialiam continues to be propagsted behind the wire of Long Kesh, slow at times admittedly, but nonetheless valuable progress Well, comrades, the lights in our hut ane going out so shall finish for now. Do keep in touch as a letter from comrades anywhere helps lighten an otherwise In Solidarity with British Comrades - For a Workers pamphlets on India published by Communist Muzdoor Dal:
Stalinist Betrayals in India / 15p + 7p p&p Some Thoughts on India's Economy / 5p+ The two: 20p + 10b p&p red badges James Connelly / Green ground, black design V.J. Lenin/ Red ground, black design LD. Trotsky / Red ground, biack design Fourth International / Rod ground, black F.L-style Hammer & Sickle / White ground red design Each badge: 10p + 4p p&p Five of more (assorted) post free, Cash with orders to:
Red Books 24 Boundary Road, London N.W.8. Red Books is open Monday to Saturday, with late opening Friday till 8.00 pm. Near est station is South Hampstead (British Rail) Tel: 01-624 4504
partial compromises between the interests of Amen can imperialism and the intarests of the Soviet or the rovoluonary snuggie or die tosses Tor socialism.
of the unconditional and complete withdrawal of the Zionist armies from the territories occupied after the Israeli aggression of June 1967, they never separate that demand from the right of the Palestinians to regain their country. They denounce the attitude of the Arab regimes and of Arab reaction, which are prepared to compromise behind the backs of the Arab masses in goneral and the Palestinians in They cil or the arming and organisation of the Arab masses to transform the present war into a revohugonary onensive against canism are amparansm, for total freedom of action for the Palestinian resistance to operate from and within all Arab countries. They call for support to the struggle of anti-Zionist Jews within Israel, that struggle being an essential component of the struggle ageinst Zionism. The Arab bourgeoisies have neither the right nor the ability to substitute themselves for that struggle, which must be waged jointly by the workers and peasants of the whole Arab East.
FOR THE DEFEAT OF ZIONISM AND IMPERIAL LONG LIVE THE STRUGGLES OF THE TOILING MASSES OF THE ARAB EASTI LONG LIVE THE SOCIALIST REVOLUTION IN THE ARAB EASTI which meant in really Zionist military occupation of most of Palestine, rested on the same policy of force with the combined support of Truman and Stalin.
Likewise, the constant evictions of Arab peasants from the lands purchased by the Zionists between the two world wars - an inevitable consequence of pseudo-socialistZionism, which aimed at emptying the land of Palestinians in order to have it worked by Jews - culminated in 1948 in the expuision and flight (consciously fostered) of the majority of Palestinians from the Hebrew state. Thus, from the beginning, the dispossession of the Palestinians by force was the main bourgeois, even thoush these two regines tolerated the crushing of the Palestinian resistance during black September in 1970 (Syria less than Egypt), and even though they muzzle the fedayeen in their own territory. Furthermore, the policy of force that Israel must use to maintain itself leads to constant expansionism. The territorial annexations of 1967 have made Zionism a national question for the Egyptians and Syrians as well as for the Palestinians, because the liberation of their own occupied territory (Sibai and Golan) is now on the agenda, Israel is too useful to the United States as the "Prussia of the Middle East" for Washington to tolerate a challenge to its existence, Furthermore, Israel's military superiority is such that only a general revolutionary process in the region can bring about its defeat. Given the oil interests of the imperialists, this struggle would develop into a protracted struggle comparable to the Indochina war, with a massive Isracli intervention. Tel Aviv has already tried to drive Syria back into the Stone Age.
NO VICTORY The fact that for the first time Tel Aviv has not achieved victory in a lightning wat results from several factors:
For the first time, the Israclis did not launch a preventive war (as Golda Meir declared).
The United States and the Soviet Union have tolerated this clash in order to compel Israel, which had become too independent, to be more reasonable in the framework of a settlement. (But the pro-Isracli lobby in Washington is in the process of trying to change the American position t The Arab foroes are conscious that they are fighting to liberate their own territory.
For the finst time the Zionist troops are fighting far from their homes, and are therefore emotionally less concerned and committed. (The surrender of whole units in Sinai would have been unthinkable in 1967 or 1948). INTERNAL STRUGGLE 8. The colonial origins of the Hebrew state are reflected in its internal structure:
- Continuation of the emerpency regulations passed by British colonialism, which give virtually ahsolute power to the army.
Systematised discrimination and oppression of the Palestinians inside the state's borders; they are denied any real right of organisation. - Attempts at any price to maintain a 'sacred unity" so as to block any development of consciousness among the Jewish working class, the poverty-stricken and exploited Oriental Jews, the radicalised youth.
SOUTH AFRICANISATION Since 1967 Israel has undergone a rapid process of South Africanisation: - Organised super-exploitation of tens of thousands of Palestinian workers (including youth and children), who find themselves in a purely colonial situation, compelled to return cach night to their reservations in the West Bank and Gaza after working all day in Jewish enterpriacs. - Acoclerated degeneration of the kibbutzim into collective societies resting on the superexploitation of the colonial labour force and assigned to paramilitary tasks (as in Golan).
Rapid emergence of an Isracli big bourgooisie that is breaking the former political equilib rium, which was based on the hegemony of the Zionist labour bureaucracy.
MILITARISATION - Spectacular militarisation of society, the generals possessing an unprecedented degree of independence from the civilian authorities, pressing a policy of their own, and methodically taking on the commanding posts of the country (in the economy, the universities, the political parties). - Growing repression, which for the finst time is falling heavily on revolutionary Jews as on Arab militants.
Frontal attack on trade union and political Degeneration of the moral fibre of Israeli socicty, installation of Zionist satraps in the occupied territories, tortures, witch-hunts against nonconformists.
GENERAL STRUGGLE There is no immediate solution to the conflict. To defeat Zionism requires a general struggle against imperialism and Arab reaction in the Middle Fast, that is, a rise of revolutionary struggies directed by a revolutionary leadership.
In fact, the Israeli problem is only one aspect of the general Arab revolution, Therefore, a revolutionary vanguard must be patiently for ged uniting all the militants of the region. including those of the national minorities (Kurds, Israelis). It is only in the framework of the revolutionary reunification of the Arab world in a red Middle East that the Israelis can harmoniously integrate themselves. But before the question of the future of the Israeli community can be posed (let alone resolved), the Palestinians must be able to reintegrate themselves into their homeland and exercise their right to self-determination; the israeli working masses must opt for overthrowing the structures of colonial domination - that is, the Zionist structures that constitute the specific form of capitalist domination of the country.
From this revolutionary perspoctive we support the liberation struggle of the Arab peoples, the fight of the Israeli vanguurd against the colonial war of their leaders, and Jewish-Arab militar unity against Zionism, imperialism, and Arab reaction in the struggle for a socialist future for the peoples of the region.
NATHAN WEINSTOCK