WE, the undersigned communist and workers’ parties campaigning for peace and progress in the Middle East, hereby express our most profound concerns over the unprecedented escalation of the situation in the region with the Israeli multidimensional attacks on Lebanon and full-scale invasion of the country.

This has predictably resulted in retaliatory missile strikes by Iran on Israeli targets, following on from Israeli attacks on Lebanon and other provocative infringements on Iranian sovereignty.

We believe that if the current trend of developments continues, the region will be plunged into a cycle of conflict that could very easily lead to a globalised war. This would endanger the security of all states and peoples in our region.

In Israel, the Netanyahu government, which has flagrantly violated international law in its perpetration of a genocidal war in Gaza for the past 12 months, assassination of political leaders in Tehran and Beirut, and now in its invasion of Lebanon and blatant recourse to terror tactics to eliminate its foes there, is seeking a direct military conflict with Iran in order to expand the war across the Middle East, in collusion with the US and British governments, to aggressively implement schemes fundamentally aimed at the redrawing of the political map of the Middle East and imposition of their imperialist hegemony.

The state of Israel conducts itself as the wild arsonist in the Middle East, while Western powers continue to cover, support and arm it to the teeth since it constitutes their long and steely arm in the region. This is despite Israel’s repeated brazen thumbing its nose to the international community, under the auspices of the UN, as well as the rule of international law.

We recognise the definitive peaceful and political resolution of the Palestinian issue as being central to the current situation in the Middle East.

We, therefore, call for an immediate full ceasefire and end to the genocidal war in Gaza and the West Bank and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from those territories; the release of all Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli gaols and detention centres; the release of all remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza; as well immediate concrete and legally enshrined steps towards the recognition and implementation of a fully sovereign Palestinian state within the borders as they stood on June 4 1967 as per the relevant UN resolutions. In accordance with international law, the illegal occupation of Palestine must be brought to an end.

We furthermore call for the immediate withdrawal of all Israeli military forces from the sovereign territory of Lebanon and reaffirm our solidarity with the struggle of the Lebanese and Palestinian people and support for their fundamental and inalienable right under international law to resist foreign invasion and occupation.

We also call for an end to the bombardment and military targeting of sites in Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen and further afield.

Pursuant to this, we call for an end to all exports of military armaments and ammunition, as well as technical assistance to Israel in order to force a reversal from its dangerous military adventure in Palestine, Lebanon and other countries in the Middle East.

We call for the rulings of the International Court of Justice regarding the Israeli genocidal war in Gaza to be upheld and implemented without delay or obstruction.

We call for the UN’s appeals to all sides to be heeded in order so as to earnestly row back from and avert the nightmarish scenario of a generalised war, which edges over closer and would spell disaster for all peoples of the region.

Communist Party of Armenia,
Communist Party of Australia,
Communist Party of Austria,
Party of Labour Austria,
Communist Party of Bangladesh,
Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB),
Communist Party of Britain,
Communist Party of Canada,
AKEL of Cyprus,
Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia,
Communist Party of Denmark,
Communist Party of Finland,
French Communist Party,
German Communist Party,
Communist Party of Greece (KKE),
Hungarian Workers Party,
Communist Party of India,
Communist Party of India (Marxist),
Tudeh Party of Iran,
Communist Party of Iraq,
Kurdistan Communist party -Iraq,
Workers Party of Ireland,
Communist Party of Israel,
Italian Communist Party,
Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan,
Communist Party of Luxembourg,
Communist Party of Malta,
Communist Party of Mexico,
New Communist Party of the Netherlands,
Communist Party of Norway,
Palestinian Peoples Party,
Portuguese Communist Party,
Communist Party of the Russian Federation,
Russian Communists Workers Party,
Communists of Serbia,
Communist Party of Spain,
Communist Party of the Workers of Spain,
Communists of Catalonia,
Communist Party of Sri Lanka,
Sudanese Communist Party,
Communist Party of Sweden,
Syrian Communist Party,
Communist Party of Turkey,
Communist Party of Ukraine,
Communist Party of Uruguay,
Communist Party USA,
Communist Party of Venezuela,
Communist Front of Italy,
Party of Communists USA