Fight for a socialist alternative

Heather Rawling, Socialist Party national committee

The nightmare for people of Gaza continues. Their future, in the hands of capitalist politicians, is uncertain to say the least. There is a ceasefire and then there isn’t. Aid is allowed through and then it isn’t. And the suffering continues.

It’s beyond cruel. But one thing is certain. The deaths, injuries, homelessness, hunger and disease endured by Palestinians are not the priority for capitalist leaders negotiating the future of Gaza. They don’t care about any of that. Their negotiations revolve around their own ruthless strategic interests. So you can’t trust any of them. Not Starmer, not Trump, not Netanyahu and unfortunately, none of the Arab leaders either.

But they do have to consider the moods of the masses in the Middle East and beyond. Their biggest fear is an uprising that would overshadow the Arab Spring mass movement which shook the region over a decade ago.

So what can be done?

How can the working masses in the UK defend the people of Gaza? How can we take the struggle beyond demonstrations and raising funds? The Socialist Party fights to mobilise the power of the organised working class. We can fight against the exploitation of our bosses here and for the involvement of the trade unions in support of workers’ internationalism, including taking an active role fighting against the war on Gaza.

The working class establishing its own party in Britain, fighting for a socialist alternative to austerity, would strengthen the struggle of workers internationally. An internationalist party that supports the masses against war, instead of slavishly following Trump and Netanyahu’s lead like Starmer’s Labour.

War and destruction is inherent to the capitalist system, as competing blocs fight for profit and markets. We need a socialist alternative, with the working class in charge, to make links across the world and run society for our need not for greed.

We say:

• End the siege of Gaza and the occupation of all the Palestinian territories. For the permanent withdrawal of the Israeli military from those areas
• For a mass struggle of the Palestinians, under their own democratic control, to fight for liberation
• For the building of independent workers’ parties in Palestine and Israel and links between them
• For an independent, socialist Palestinian state, alongside a socialist Israel, with guaranteed democratic rights for all minorities, as part of the struggle for a socialist Middle East
• No trust in capitalist politicians internationally. Fight to build workers’ parties that stand for socialism and internationalism