| Nov. 11, 2004
Irish Republican Socialist Party
IRSP Express Solidarity With Palestinians In The Wake
Of Arafat's Death
Despite supporting the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
over his Fatah movement, the Irish Republican Socialist Party took the
occasion of the death of Yasser Arafat to reiterate its solidarity with
the struggle people of Palestine. In a statement from the IRSP’s International
Department, spokesperson Peadar Baile said of Arafat's death in Paris at
the age of 75;
"Arafat has long been a symbol for the struggle of the Palestinian people,
both within their homeland and abroad. And, because he is such a symbol,
the IRSP believes it is important to take this occasion to reiterate our
solidarity with the Palestinian people, in their struggle for national
liberation and socialism in Palestine.
"Arafat was also a scapegoat for the Zionist occupying Palestine and
their American puppet-masters. In response to their own propaganda, rather
than political reality, Arafat had been held personally accountable by
US imperialism and the Zionists, for the breakdown of peace talks and the
continuing initifada. The reality was that Arafat had long been
prepared to compromise and capitulate to Zionism on most key issues for
years and, far from being the revolutionary voice of Palestine, represented
the reformist section of the Palestinian community.
"The Zionists and their American allies also held Arafat responsible
for the continued use of suicide bombing attacks on the Zionists, when
it was clear that their destruction of the Palestinian Authority and undermining
Arafat left him unable to control the tactics of Hamas or various militant
factions within the PLO, despite his own desire to reach an accord with
Israel, regardless of the cost. The reality is that it was Ariel Sharon
who personally and deliberately provoked the outbreak of a renewed initifada
with his visit to Temple Mount. Moreover, it was the Zionists complete
failure to negotiate in good faith and to meet their obligations under
the Oslo Accord that caused peace talks to collapse.
"We in the IRSP, therefore, raise our voices in solidarity with the
Palestinian people and we pay tribute to Arafat, as a symbol of their continued
struggle for national liberation and social justice. With Arafat’s death
causing him to leave the political stage, the Palestinian people will be
searching for new leadership. We encourage them to recognize that nothing
will be changed through attempts at compromise and conciliation towards
the Zionists. The Zionists will never respect Palestinian sovereignty.
The Way Forward, as the PFLP have said, lies through the defeat of Zionism
and the establishment of a unified, secular, democratic, and socialist
Palestine.
He concluded, "Accordingly, we in the IRSP do not mourn the end of the
undemocratic and reformist tactics of Arafat, but we grieve at the sense
of loss experienced by the people of Palestine and we salute their determination
in carrying their struggle forward in the wake of Arafat's death."
 
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