We stand against the widening of war in the Middle East!
We, the undersigned communist and workers parties campaigning for peace and progress in the Middle East, hereby express our most profound concerns over the unprecedented escalation of the situation in the region with the Israeli multi-dimensional attacks on Lebanon and full-scale invasion of the country. This has predictably resulted in the retaliatory missile strikes by Iran on Israeli targets, following on from Israeli attacks on Lebanon and other provocative infringements on Iranian sovereignty.
We believe that if the current trend of developments continues, the region will be plunged into a cycle of conflict that could very easily lead to a globalised war. This would endanger the security of all states and peoples in our region.
In Israel, the Netanyahu government, which has flagrantly violated international law in its perpetration of a genocidal war in Gaza for the past 12 months, assassination of political leaders in Tehran and Beirut,and now in its invasion of Lebanon and blatant recourse to terror tactics to eliminate its foes there, is seeking a direct military conflict with Iran in order to expand the war across the Middle East, in collusion with the US and UK governments, to aggressively implement schemes fundamentally aimed at the re-drawing of the political map of the Middle East and imposition of their imperialist hegemony.
The state of Israel conducts itself as the wild arsonist in the Middle East, while Western powers continue to cover, support, and arm it to the teeth, since it constitutes their long and steely arm in the region.This despite Israel's repeated brazen thumbing its nose to the international community, under the auspices of the United Nations (UN), as well as the rule of international law.
We recognise the definitive peaceful and political resolution of the Palestinian issue as being central to the current situation in the Middle East. We therefore call for an immediate full ceasefire and end to the genocidal war in Gaza and the West Bank and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from those territories; the release of all Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails and detention centres; the release of all remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza; as well immediate concrete and legally enshrined steps towards the recognition and implementation of a fully sovereign Palestinian state within the borders as they stood on 4 June 1967 as per the relevant UN resolutions. In accordance with international law, the illegal occupation of Palestine must be brought to an end.
We furthermore call for the immediate withdrawal of all Israeli military forces from the sovereign territory of Lebanon and reaffirm our solidarity with the struggle of the Lebanese and Palestinian people and support for their fundamental and inalienable right under international law to resist foreign invasion and occupation. We also call for an end to the bombardment and military targeting of sites in Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen, and further afield.
Pursuant to this, we call for an end to all exports of military armaments, ammunition, as well as technical assistance to Israel in order to force a reversal from its dangerous military adventure in Palestine, Lebanon, and other countries in the Middle East.
We call for the rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the Israeli genocidal war in Gaza to be upheld and implemented without delay or obstruction.
We call for the UN's appeals to all sides to be heeded in order so as to earnestly row back from and avert the nightmarish scenario of a generalised war, which edges over closer and would spell disaster for all peoples of the region.
SolidNet Parties signing the Joint Statement
- Communist Party of Australia
- AKEL of Cyprus
- German Communist Party
- Communist Party of Greece (KKE)
- Tudeh Party of Iran
- Communist Party of Iraq
- Communist Party of Israel
- Communist Party of Mexico
- Portuguese Communist Party
- Communist Party of the Russian Federation
- Communists of Catalonia
- Sudanese Communist Party
- Communist Party of Ukraine
The Joint Statement is open for further signatures
via solidnet.org
