Bernard is a Socialist Challenge supporter living teachine Pam Singer spoke to him about the situation in the West Bank.
Betlenem University has had the reputation of being a quiet campus. Has the situation changed?
Dramatically. It now has the most radical student leadership on the West Bank. The Israeli Army must think so, as there is tear gassinz virtualry every uay:
ine commis need very symposium recently with the Israeli-based Committee for Solidarity with Bir Zeit (a Israelis). This was tremendously signifithe west bank.
And in Bethlehem itself? The Israelis like to use 'well-behaved' Bethlehem that problems are confined to extremists.
First of all, 32 police resigned in protest over the sacking of various elected Wesi Bank mayors. They refuse to cooperate with Milson. But the Bethlehem Village the West Bank and recently University. •ludents oi belmienem u.
Elias TOrCes! AnO Two oller prolection.
Around any different?
successful resistance since 1967. described it by Bank orlae "Lo.
helenoulle the area for imperialism.
CORNE sion and war.
organised class has no interest becoming Pathfinder unemployment.
Airline srike disgust at the level {0 ollal cvacute.
If sheer were denouen need is of the Zionist state. They re have bent in as beanies, Dean and uney are harassing local residents. The 'moderate' Freij, cabled Begin, demanding protection from the just outside Bethlehem is a huge new settlement built to house 100,000 Jews. They're not likely We've seen violent clashes in the occupied territories since 1967. Is this This is not just another round of violence - it's the biggest upsurge of Paiestinian Wilson aimsel nar as the most important battle since 1948, a struggle to cleanse the West It's intrinsically linked to the annexation and repression in Golan and the plannea war in souln Leodol. Israci Dlalls to use the leeway allowed by Camp David to accounts with the Palestinians and Arab regimes, and stabilise How much opposition is there in the Israeli working class to these policies?
There is growing opposition to represTe committee tor solcarlty with Bir Zeit and the Peace Now movethousands cemonstrators azalnst occupanion. movements are still confined to the middle • and the intelligentsia. The position •i Jewish workine class Is more Compa Objectively, the Jewish working class war the war footing. Jewish youth in particular are , as they're and al lll)
We can see stirrings among the Jewish working class in, for example, the El Al Jane ne camone workers wildcat strike last fall. There is widespread of compensation paid break with Lionism, as tney see that ine Zionist state cannot meet their needs.
courage and sheer endurance acteal Imperialsill.
Palestinians would have won long ago. The avou movement. burtor unal, we necuto break our own Labour Party from support
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cant, Jewish Palestinian meting to our din