Nick Everett, Canberra

“We must all do our bit to end our government’s silence on the crimes being committed against the Palestinians”, Michael Shaik, an International Solidarity Movement activist, told a Socialist Alliance public meeting on June 3.

The meeting was also addressed by Ali Kazak, head of the Palestinian delegation to Australia.

Kazak presented a detailed account of the historical background to the conflict since al Nakba (the catastrophe) in 1948, when the Israeli state was founded. He argued that there were only two possible solutions to the conflict: a single democratic state in historical Palestine, or two states — an Israeli state and an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Unless the US government conceded this and ended its uncritical support for the Israeli government’s policies, he argued, peace would not be possible.

Shaik discussed the key issues confronting Palestinians today, arguing that the “apartheid wall”, the settlements, the house demolitions and detentions were all part of the Israeli government’s strategy to undermine the basis for a Palestinian state.

Shaik described the work of International Solidarity Movement activists in Palestine as vital in drawing international attention to the plight of the Palestinians, but argued that “the solution will not come from within Palestine alone. Palestine is an international issue and requires an international solution. Just like the end of apartheid in South Africa and the end of the occupation of East Timor, Palestine's freedom will require our international solidarity.”

Shaik will address a workshop at the “Ideas to change the world — socialism 2004” conference on July 10, which is being organised by the ACT Socialist Alliance. [See the Activist Calendar on page 23 for details.]

From Green Left Weekly, June 9, 2004.
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