ONE OF the most crucial issues which faces the National Union of Students (NUS) today is Zionism. A false position of 'No Platform for Zionists' adopted by a few colleges has been used to divert attention away from the real issue, the continuing oppression by the state of Israel over the Palestinians. Socialist Action asked RIMA MILHIM, secretary General Union of Palestinian Students, to explain the reality of the Israeli state's oppression of the Palestinians and the role of the PLO. THE PLO rather than just being a political party in the sense an organisation of an entire people. Al lne most basic and all embracing level the fight of the PLO is for all Palestinian people refugees to be able to return to Palestine, to be able to live aș equal citizens, determining their own future within their own slalc.
Within the PLO there is not merely the armed organisations but also trade unions, women's organisations, the Red aTesceri society which organises medical aid WUL ACID cooperatives, the student movement and then all the organised political Tactions.
Zionism, the political ideology which forms the backbone those have denied the Palestinians their homeland and theit tiumar expresions isa pimticular CAVICSSIUI perialism tailored to take advantage of the exploitation and oppression of Jews in Europe and to offer them all auvaicul way oul oi Ls persecution by removing themselves from the problem and imposing themselves an imperialist fashion on the Middle East.
Under the guidance of Zionism Jewish immigrants into Palestine began to deprive Palestinians of their homeland.
of the The Kibbutzim movement refused to accept Palestinian members. Kibbutz land became exclusively workec so-called Niaci movement, the Histadrut, was set up under the slogan of 'Jewish tratea all its earl! excluding Palestinians fron work -acts as pickets of Jewish employers who agreed to hire Palestinian workers.
\ systematic polic of xcluding Palestinians fron their homeland continued LAUZGHE 1948-67 eriod within Israel's 1948 borders. It was carried out again with the invasion of the West Bank : and Gaza strip which resulted in a further 200,000 Palestinians being forced to leave their homeland. Today any Palestinian activists who atto this roachment are deporte Palestinian's day car roughly into within the and those living outside of Those living in the 1948 territories were subject to military law for approximately years aiter the state of Israel wa. created. They exist in circumstances such that it is ilSocialist Action. 5 Dec 1986