Zionist Regime Seeks Added Stability

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Israeli workers on mass protest at price rises and tax increases last week province, just west of the last week to prepare, if need Ogaden desert, is now largely be, for a French intervention controlled by Somall guerrilla in Mauritania should BouThe cutting down of some of the luxuriant growths in Israel's bourgeois politics was announced on 20 October when the so-called Democratic Movement for Change decided to join the extreme right zing Likud government of Menahin Begin.

This alliance has served to emphasise the reactionary =haracter of all sections of the established political structure of the Zionist settler state.

Opponent When first formed a year ago • the 'Democratic Movement for Change' was portrayed in some quarters as an opponent of Zionist expansionism, and a 'liberal' alternative to the anti-democratic policies of the Likud and Labour blocs.

In fact the DMC' was pothing more than an alliance of disappointed place-seekers and confused opponents of the anti-democratic and militaristic policies of the Zionist establishment.

Its policies were sufficientvague and discontent sufficiently profound, for it to pick up 15 seats in the elections of last May-almost entirely at the expense of the previous Labour administration.

This allowed the former gangsters of the Likud to come to power.

Since then the Democratic Movement for Change has protested about some of the more obviously expansionist policies of the new government like the settlements in ibe occupied territories and ITS failure to carry out any sections of Zionism in Israel and throughout the world, I has also been made uneasy by the distancing of the Carter administration in the United States from the latest phase of Zionist expansionism.

The efforts of the US administration to come to some alrangement with sections of the Arab bourgeoisie has also disturbed DMC leaders.

It was after a twelve-day visit to the USA of DMC leader Ygael Yadin that he discovered the diminishing favour of the US establishment for Zionist expansion.

On his return he decided to push for support for the Begin administration. Israel said Yadin, was confronted with the toughest test have faced since 1948"

Thus Yadin has sim ultaneously provided the Likud bole with a stable parliamentary majority and a veneer of support for some measures of social welfare and an association of some sort with the labour movement.

Comply

Besides Yadin himself becoming Vice Premier, the DMC has provided the Minister of Welfare and Labour, Israel Katz, a former civil servant.

Meir Amit, a former general and leader of the Labour Party and the business side of the Histarout, Israel's so-called trade union lederation has been made Minister of Transport The DMC has also provided Minister of "Justice' in Shamonel Tamir, a former member of the Irgun murder gang.

This motley combination may provide a few more months of stability for the settler regime, but they will certainly do nothing to serve the interests of the masses in

INDIA

At least two men were killed and more than 150 people were injured in Madras last week when police opened fire on demonstrators protesting against the visit to the state of Tamil Nadu by former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. The organisation behind the demonstrations is known as the DMK and was in power in Madras from 1967 until it was dismissed by Mrs Gandhi during the 1976 "emergency"

ETHIOPIA

Renewed fighting in the Bale province, less than 200 miles south east of Addis Ababa, has resulted in the death of 100 Ethiopian soldiers, according to the Tihruntina BRIEF SOVIET UNION The 1977 Soviet grain harvest has fallen far short of the planned figures for the year. The USSR only harvested 194 million metric tons of grain-9% below the 213 million tonne figure planned for 1977, and 13% below last year's record total of 223.8 million tonnes. Soviet leader Brezhney only indirectly indi. cated disappointment at the shortfall, which comes at a time when Soviet needs are increasing to match population growth and to feed expanding livestock herds.

MAURITANIA

Como ZAn Franch tranns medienne of Algeria fail to reply to a message from French President Giscard d'Estaing. The crisis has arisen because of the capture of French hostages by the Aigerian based Polisario Front, which is fighting for the ndependence of the former Spanish Sahara, now shared by Mauritania and Morocco.

SRI LANKA

Sri Tanka lost week oranted an amnesty to 130 insurgents gaoled after the unsuccessful insurrection of 1971 in which 1200 people died. The amnesty, announced by Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Julius Jayewardene, is consequent on last month's repeal of Mrs. Randaranaike'e legislatinn on union confederations TURKIS and DISK are simply waiting for the liberal-bourgeois Ecevit to take over the government from Demirel.

But Ecevit, first and foremost a capitalist politician, and only incidentally a democrat, has different plans:

"We are not going to develop a sharp opposition because the tension in the country does not allow it. The Republic is in danger."

Indeed Ecevit is so dedicated to the existing government that he has even rejected the reactionary proposal from the Turkish Communist Party to form a Popular Frontist "National Democratic Front"

Ecevit Despite the fact that the Stalinists had shown in this way their readiness to abandon any independent position, Ecevit has moved onto the offensive against the Ur, especially in the 'left' union confederation DISK.

Nine full time DISK officials, including the General Secretary have been removed and replaced by Ecevit supporters.

The increasing power of Ecevit's RPP inside DISK is the consequence of the treacherous policies of the Stalinists over a long period.

The backfiring of these policies is not so much a blow at the TCP but at the independerce of the working class.

The way forward must be through a fight against all policies of class collaboration.

*Down with the popular frontist National Democratic *For a working class united front against fascists. Build workers detence squads!

*FoI indefinite general strike action to bring down the National Front governPOSTPONED

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Taking his cue from recent class-collaborationist moves by Spanish Social Democrats and Portugal's Monday evening (October the minority SP Government called for a broad-based acceptance of 'urgent options' needed to overcome