Ceasefire now! Stop the war!

(12.1.2009)

EL mobilize for peace

The Executive Board meeting of the Party of the European Left is taking place 14 days after the start of the aggression of the Israeli army against the Palestinian people in Gaza. In these dramatic days, it is necessary for the largest mobilization of the peace movement to support the demand of the end of the war. The European Left appeals to its member parties to mobilize in the next days in this sense.

The European Left strongly condemns the Israeli invasion of Gaza, which provokes a heavy loss of lives, most of them civilians, including many children. There is no justification what­soever for the collective punishment of the people living in this densely populated strip, who were already facing the tragic consequences of a long blockade.

The EL Executive Board calls for an immediate ceasefire and total withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and consequently the end of all the military activities from both sides.

We also ask for an immediate end of the block and the siege of Gaza, and the reopening of all the passages to Gaza territory.

We appreciate the UN Security Council efforts to call for an immediate ceasefire, but there is a need to adopt further concrete measures and consequences, in order to ensure Israel's fulfilment of its obligations under international humanitarian law and the respect of the UN resolutions.

Fully committed to the peaceful resolution of conflicts, the EL calls upon the UN Security Council to adopt concrete measures to end the massacre, lift the blockade, and promote peace on the basis of the UN resolutions. Among others the UN should decide to impose immediate embargo on the arms supply to Israel, and more generally set in motion a process of demilitarization of the entire region, including its transformation to a nuclear-free zone.

We ask especially the European Union to take concrete measures, and not just offer verbal statements. The European Left demands the immediate suspension of the association a­greement between EU and Israel, as well as a cessation of all upgrade dialogue processes with Israel according to the EU guidelines on promoting compliance with international hu­manitarian law.

We condemn the statements of the new EU Czech presidency. It is unacceptable to put on the same footing, the victim and the aggressor. Israel would not start this war if it had not been given the green light from the side of the US/Bush administration. The EU cannot continue with its policy of complicity.

Impunity for war crimes and qualified crimes against humanity that are happening in these days in Gaza is unacceptable, and we ask for international and national pertinent initiatives to prosecute war criminals before efficient jurisdictions.

The Party of the European Left continues to cooperate and work together with the left parties in Palestine and in Israel, as well as with their peace and democratic forces.

At this critical moment, we appeal for a national reconciliation of the Palestinians, which is the only way for a unified free Palestine, and for the successful outcome of the political process. We salute the brave voices within Israel who struggle against war, militarization of Israeli society, and who struggle for a just peace.

The Israeli policy of war and aggression, such as the war against Lebanon, shows that military violence leads to less security for Israel. New animosity mounts up on old animosity, and hate will govern the region.

As we declared during the EL Middle East Conference in December in Istanbul:

“It is not possible to speak of peace and stability in the Middle East unless enduring solutions are found to the problems experienced there. The most important pre-condition for durable solutions to the problems of the region is to recognize and implement the right of the Palestinian people to have an independent state which enjoys the same rights as Israel and which can develop peaceful relations with its neighbours. The military occupation of Palestinian territory must come to an end, the siege of Gaza causing so much human tragedy should be lifted and the “wall” built by Israel should be torn down."

”We demand the dismantling of the Israeli settlements, the demolition of the apartheid wall and the recognition of the Palestinian refugees’ right to return in accordance with the UN resolution 194. In accordance with UN resolutions we further demand the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state in the occupied territories in 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital "

Berlin, 10 January 2009