‘Down with the White Terror in Palestine!’ by the Eastern Bureau of the Communist International from International Press Correspondence. Vol. 5 No. 17. February 26, 1925.

To the Proletarians of all Countries!

The British imperialists and Zionist colonists have again attacked the revolutionary advance-guard of the workers and peasants in Palestine with all the venom of terror and repression.

After having established its dictatorship in Egypt and in the Sudan, British imperialism now wants to suppress the revolutionary and nationalist movement in Palestine once and for all. Under the slogan “Peace and Tranquility” at the Suez, Great Britain has introduced an embittered campaign of terror and persecution in Palestine. For the purpose of carrying out this infamous activity, it accepted the service of its devoted lackeys – the Zionist bourgeois colonists.

While British imperialism itself calmly keeps behind the scenes, it is striving with the assistance of Zionism to destroy the nationalist liberation movement of the Arabians in Palestine. In return for its bailiff services, the Zionist Jewish bourgeoisie earned the privilege of being the “ruling nation”, whereas the Jewish comprise only about 13% of the whole population of Palestine. On the strength of these privileges, which are protected by British machine guns and aeroplanes, the Zionist organisation is endeavoring to deprive the Arabian peasants of their land and to supplant them with Zionist colonists. But British Imperialism is not alone in supporting the predatory activity of the Zionist organisation. In alliance with the European bourgeoisie, the wealthy Arabian feudal aristocracy – the “Effendi” – are voluntarily selling their lands to the Jewish capitalists without caring in the least for the fate of the poverty-stricken Arabian peasantry who have been tenants on this land for decades.

The expulsion of the Arabian peasants from their native soil has become a daily occurrence since the coming of the Zionist colonists, and leads to sharp conflicts between the Jewish colonists and the Arabian small peasantry. Every foot of land which the Zionists, are colonising is obtained at the price of the ruin of hundreds of Arabian peasant families. The British Government is very skillful in playing up to the national antagonisms developing from this situation. In inciting the Arabians, against the Jews and the unclass-conscious Jewish workers against the Arabians, British Imperialism obtains the opportunity of playing the role of a peace-maker and “protector of the peaceful population” – and thus, of justifying its presence in Palestine.

The predatory triumvirate – British imperialism, Jewish Zionism, and Arabian feudalism – which combines for the joint exploitation of the proletariat and peasantry of Palestine, found an excellent and devoted lackey in the Socialist Party “Achdut Avoda” – the Palestine Section of the Second International. This “Socialist Party” is conducting the most contemptible and ignominious activity in connection with the “holy conquest of the land” of the Arabian peasants for the Zionist colonists. The unclass-conscious Jewish workers united in the “Achdut Avoda” and the Arabian fellaheens are shedding each other’s blood while the Zionists and Effendi harvest the fruits.

The merciless expropriation of the Arabian peasants – the fellaheens – sunk into misery, forcibly driven out of their native towns, the misery and hunger of the Arabian and Jewish workers who are exploited in an unheard of fashion by the Jewish bourgeoisie and the Arabian aristocracy, are driving the toiling masses of Palestine to rebel and fight against their oppressors.

The recent events in Aful, where the blood of Arabian peasants and Jewish colonists was shed in a fight for the land, have again given prominence to the question of the predatory imperialist policy conducted by the Anglo-Zionist colonists.

The Communist Party of Palestine is exposing the hypocrisy and underhandedness of the British robbers and their Zionist bootlickers. The Communist Party of Palestine is fighting against the treacherous Socialist Party “Achtud Avoda” and against the yellow leaders of the union “Histadrut”, who work hand in glove with the Zionists, and help the latter to exploit the Arabian and Jewish workers. The Communist Party furthers the organisation of all the Workers of Palestine – Arabians and Jews without distinction of nationality, and also united class-political trade unions. The Palestine Communists are fighting with self-sacrificing devotion against the formation of a privileged Zionist labour caste, which would be used against the suppressed and defenseless Arabian workers and peasants.

All the reactionary forces of Palestine, from the British police to the Socialists, have now declared war against the revolutionary vanguard of the proletariat of Palestine – the Communist Party of Palestine.

The Zionist-fascist bands attack the revolutionary workers and horribly maltreat them, all workers’ clubs are closed and the arrests of revolutionary workers and peasants have recently assumed mass proportions.

Comrades! Workers! Demand the freedom of the imprisoned revolutionaries! Demand the liberation of all political prisoners and all Arabian nationalists who are fighting against the Anglo-Zionist occupation!

Down with White Terror! Long live the Communist Party of Palestine, which is courageously leading the struggle for the revolutionary alliance of the exploited Arabian and Jewish toiling masses!

Eastern Bureau of the Communist International. Sen Katayama, Roy, Brown, Katz.

International Press Correspondence, widely known as”Inprecor” was published by the Executive Committee of the Communist International (ECCI) regularly in German and English, occasionally in many other languages, beginning in 1921 and lasting in English until 1938. Inprecor’s role was to supply translated articles to the English-speaking press of the International from the Comintern’s different sections, as well as news and statements from the ECCI. Many ‘Daily Worker’ and ‘Communist’ articles originated in Inprecor, and it also published articles by American comrades for use in other countries. It was published at least weekly, and often thrice weekly.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/international/comintern/inprecor/1925/v05n17-feb-26-1925-inprecor.pdf