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From The Militant, Vol. XII No. 11, 15 March 1948, p. 4.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
The hypocrisy which characterizes U.S. policy on Palestine was again displayed on Feb. 24, in its statement of policy to the UN Security Council.
After pushing the partition scheme through the UN, the entire situation is now permitted to remain suspended in mid-air while open warfare is in progress. Thus far net results of the American-inspired partition plan has been the killing of more than a thousand Jews and Arabs, the growth of rampant chauvinism on the part of both peoples, resulting in attempts on both sides to raise international armies for the purpose of mutual extermination.
U.S. government policy, in relation to the Jews, has from the first, been one of cynical betrayal. When the entire world was shocked by the mass-murder of six million Jews in Nazi-Europe, President Roosevelt voiced noble sentiments and even called a conference to assist the remaining DP’s, but he did not let down the immigration barriers to the U.S.
The Truman administration follows in Roosevelt’s footsteps. The DP’s still cannot enter the U.S., although a country as rich as the U.S. could assimilate several hundred thousand refugees with no difficulty.
The significant lesson for the Jewish masses of the recent events is that the reactionary partition plan – which was hailed by the Zionist leaders as the one “practical” solution of the Jewish problem – will probably not be realized, and that they have again been led up a blind alley by the Zionists.
Partition was originally viewed by U.S. imperialism as a cleverly contrived scheme to gain a greater foothold in Palestine by intensifying and exploiting Arab-Jewish differences. But the fierce struggle of the Arabs against partition presents great dangers to the imperialists. That is why, after Truman’s first hesitant steps which seemed to favor Zionist ambition, the monopoly oil interests stepped in and laid down the line of dumping the partition scheme.
Since the Arabs hold the key to the Near East, as well as its oil wealth, America – as British imperialism before it – plays ball with the Arab feudal rulers. This means that there is place for only a small and isolated Jewish settlement in Palestine, so far as the imperialist plans are concerned.
The supposed friendship of the U.S. administration for the Jews – which the Zionist leadership took for good coin – is fraudulent. The Zionist leaders are only now becoming aware of this and are making panicky appearances before the UN, issuing statements, etc. The narrowness of vision of these men, their lack of realism and their complete incapacity to serve as leaders of the Jewish people is evidenced by the fact that they did not foresee the present development and permitted themselves to be led like lambs to the slaughter – while singing hymns of praise to the slaughterers.
In an excellent article in The Nation of Jan. 31, Lillie Shultz adduces facts and figures to prove that “British and American oil interests mesh throughout the Middle East and with them, military interests as well.” This means that with the exception of secondary differences and instances in which Britain tries to gain some concessions for herself at the expense of her more powerful rival, America and Britain are allies in this period in the Middle East.
This alliance gives rise to a division of labor in which Britain openly sabotages the partition proposal, instigates warfare, arms Arabs and disarms Jews – while Wall Street makes (certain nothing is done to interfere with Britain.
It has been the consistent policy of the British colonial administration to foment ill-will and hatred between the Jews and Arabs. The Zionists were guilty of complicity in this by their chauvinistic policies: Purchase of land for Jewish settlement without regard for previous Arab inhabitants; exclusion of Arabs from work in Jewish enterprises; organization of an exclusively Jewish trade union and labor movement, etc. From time to time – and usually at the instigation of the imperial, power – these antagonisms flared into armed clashes between the two peoples. This occurred in 1920, 1929, 1936 and now again in the current armed conflict.
Until the Second World War it was Great Britain which lighted the match to the tinderbox. The decline of British imperialism and the parallel strengthening of American imperialism has led to the emergence of the U.S. as the dominant imperial power in the Middle East. And American imperialism has now written the latest and one of the dirtiest pages in the annals of imperialist history in the Near East.
Today the fight against imperialism and for freedom of Palestine involves opposition to the imperialist partition plan. Zionist support of partition is reactionary to the core. It is imperative to oppose this set-up which would provoke ceaseless struggle between Jews and Arabs; and could be used to forestall for a whole period the gathering of the revolutionary forces of the Arab world for the battle against imperialist oppression.
The position of the Fourth International on the Palestinian problem is clear: It will be in the forefront of the struggle against partition, for a united and independent Palestine in which the masses will sovereignly decide their fate by the election of a Constituent Assembly. Against the effendis and the agents of imperialism, against the maneuvers of the Egyptian and Syrian ruling class, who attempt to divert the struggle of the masses for emancipation into a war against the Jews – the Fourth International issues the call for the agrarian revolution, for the anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist struggle – the essential driving forces of the Arab revolution. But this struggle can be led only on condition that it take its stand unequivocally against the partition of the country and against the establishment of a Jewish state.
It is necessary at the same time to call upon the American, British, Canadian, Australian workers – the workers of all countries – to struggle for the opening of the gates of their countries to refugees, the DP’s, to all the Jews who wish to emigrate. It is only by leading this fight effectively that one will be able to explain to the Jews why they must hot permit themselves to be caught in the Palestinian trap.
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