Why we back PLO

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LAST June, the Israeli army result of the Israeli invasion, alist Arab League invaded Lebanon and and the barbaric seige of wreaked havoc with the West Beirut last autumn, chief among them Fatah, led ised local elections on the Lebanese and Palestinian PLO guerrilla fighters were by Yasser Arafat - believed occupied West Bank. All but people living there. As a forced to evacuate into other that they could only liberate one of the elected mavors result of the Israeli invasion, and the barbaric seige of West Beirut last autumn, PLO guerrilla fighters were forced to evacuate into other nearby Arab countries.

Many people - especially supporters of Israel -often describe the PLO as. 'terrorists' Class Fighter thinks this is completely wrong, and is the result of a failure to understand what the struggle in the Middle East is all about.

When Israel was established, in 1947-8, thousands of Palestinian Arabs, who lived there before, were expelled from their land. Israel was set up to be a Jewish state - and what that meant for the political movement that had been fighting to establish. Israel - the Zionists - was a state only for Jews. To have a state oniy for Jews they had to kick out the Palestinian Arabs.

Ranted For a long time the Palestinians had no real political leadership: the capitalist Arab states ranted and raved about fighting for Palestinian rights (but did nothing) until - "367 Israel easily won a 4750-5= :-= == 1967 war, 3===== a nationalist James capiured control of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation which had been set up in 1964 by the capitalist Arab League.

The radical groups The radical groups -chief among them Fatah, led by Yasser Arafat - believed that they could only liberate the Palestinians by 'armed struggle' against the Israeli state.

powerful It is obvious now, in 1983, that Israel is far too powerful to be defeated just by guns. For the Palestinians to'win they need to build mass struggle and try to win over the Jewish workers in Israel to see the justice of their cause.

But the PLO has increasingly operated as a defence force for the Palestinians (and also the Lebanese left) against the Israeli army. This was proved last year at the Palestinian camps of Sabra and Chatila in Lebanon. After the PLO had been evacuated, the Israeli army allowed right-wing Christian thugs to go into the camps and slaughter thousands of unarmed Palestinians.

Without the PLO, Palestinians have died, are dying and will die. They aren't just terrorists, they are essential to the defence of Palestinian refugees.

Majority For that reason they are pported by the verwhelming majority of Pales- whelming majority of Palestinians. In 1976 Israel organ- tinians. In 1976 Israel organised local elections on the occupied West Bank. All but one of the elected mayors were open supporters of the PLO.

Because of the fact that they are the chosen representatives of the Palestinians, and the only defence the Palestinians have got, we've got to support the PLO, and build support for them in the British labour movement.

Contact Labour Move-. ment Campaign for Palestine at 28 Carlton Mansions, Holmleigh Road, London N16 PLO leader Anta

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to kick which will produce its But there own material for use , em. The hefore and during the the Class Fighter camdidate for Labour Party

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