Zionists' Terror

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Lionist humhing raids take a heavy toll of Lebanese and Palestinian civilians Saudi Arabians ana other bill-is entirely dependent to the organisations of the TIA • 1 D-+ Darin innreccer and hv seekine RA The Israeli bombing raid On Iraq's Osirah nuclear power plant was no act of self defence.

It was a calculated act of terrorism, designed to intimidate the dispossessed Palestinian masses and cow the rulers of surrounding Arab states.

The Zionists know full well that the Iraqi government-unlike Israel-is a signatory of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, and that its installation at Tamuz is subject-unlike Israel's own nuclear research establishments-to regular international inspection.

They know, 1o0, that there is no way that nuclear weapons, even if the Iraqis possessed them, could be used in a war against Israel, since this would inevitably involve the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinian and Arab people within the borders of the settler state.

Dual purpose

The raid however served a dual purposé: il reminded Israel's opponents that Zionism is a ruthless and ViCIOUs adversary: and if turther boosted the hopes of Menachem Begin's righ! Wing Likud Party in 1he general election, scheduled for two week's time.

Begin has had 1() SCt about . reconsrogng his dwindling popular support. He carefully arranged a confrontation with the Syrians over the "Lebanese missiles crisis" in order to stir once again the flames of patriotic fervour amongst the Jewish population.

And having made US envoy Philip Habib appear as an impotent imbecile in his aimless bid at shuttle diplomacy Begin has gone on to tweak the nose of his main international sponsors-the Flouted By using modern F-15 and FH combat planes for the raid on iraq, he quite deliberately Houted the condition on which the aircraft were nominally sold-that they be used for defensive purposes only.

Begin thus engages in a public exercise designed to display himsell as the courageous lone defender of the interests of the Jewish people of Israel.

He can only do this because ho recognises that neither the US imperialists. nor any. other imperialist nation, nor the Soviet leadership is prepared to take any retaliatory action that might leopardise the security of the Zionist state.

Reagan may mouth empty condemnation and hold up delivery of a few military aircratt: Thatcher. seeking to butter up the Arab bourgeois leaders, may verbally condemn the raid and Moscow condemn it (correctly) as "terrorism"; but Begin knows that they would all sooner see the Zionist state upheld than risk the upsurge of class struggle which would follow its collapse.

The Israeli budget-and in particular its huge arms upon Us ala. Bur Degu knows as well as Reagan that such aid cannot be cut off without dire consequences for imperialism.

It is precisely the progressive implications of the struggle of the Palestinian and Arab peoples which make it necessary for workers to support that fight = both by lending solidarity UPPINOS, UIIM spar to avenues to cut off the supplies of cash and materia aid to the Zionist rulers.

Only the destruction •o1 the racist, Zionist state car open the door for a demo. cratic solution to the problem of the national oppression of the Palestinian people.