Contribution by the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain

Discussion on the developments in the Middle East and the tasks of the communists

ECA Meeting, January 19, 2025 Istanbul

Contribution of Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE)

 

Dear comrades,

First, I would like to express our gratitude to the comrades of TKP for hosting this important meeting.

The Middle East has once again come to the first page of the international political developments. The genocidal war unleashed by Israel against the Palestinian people in October 2023 has been followed by the aggression against Lebanon and the more recent overthrowof Assad’s government in Syria. 

In our opinion, these three events are closely connected, and we would like to share with you our point of view and some considerations.

Firstly, we assess that the situation in Western Mediterranean and Middle East cannot be understood separately from the aggravation of theinterimperialist contradictions. In fact, what is going on in the area is a terrible struggle between different powers to obtain the best position in a strategic area. All the powers in the wider region (Iran, Turkey, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates) have their own interests and their own allies in other parts of the world, namely United States, the EU, Russia and China, because the Middle East is a key region for the resources and the transport routes. This is why all the developments in the region always have a relevant international character.

Secondly, the succession of events since October 2023 until now has clearly expressed what is the role of Israel in the region. The main official targets of Israel’s attacks have been the forces linked to Iran in one way or another (Hamas and Hezbollah), and the events in Palestine and Lebanon have paved the way for the evolution of the situation in Syria, which had been somehow balanced for the last years. We believe that, without the attacks to Gaza and Lebanon, there would have not been a change of regime in Syria.

Thirdly, the immediate future of the region is absolutely unstable. This period of wars unleashed or allowed by Israel and its closest allies, leaves the region in a more dangerous situation, as far as the permanent conflicts between Lebanon and Palestine with Israel will not decline in the future, the cease-fire agreements will not be valid permanently and the new situation in Syria makes us think that there is a high risk of a permanent division of the country in different spheres of influence or protectorates of different powers. The period leaves also a new correlation of forces between the powers in the area, with a weakening of the interests of Iran and Russia.

The question about the tasks of the communists is very relevant in this moment. We believe so because we have seen very different approaches to the events in Middle East in the International Communist Movement. And we are truly worried by some of these approaches because we think that they subordinate the necessary independent policy of the Communist and Workers’ Parties to the interests of different regional or international powers.

In our opinion, the confusion between an anti-imperialist policy and the support to one of the sides in the inter-imperialist competition is very dangerous for our movement, because it is an expression of the loss of weight of the class-oriented policies in face of the geo-strategic policies. Of course, communists need to understand and be aware of all the factors related to each conflict, to consider the correlation of forces between the different powers, in order to find out the best way to make the class-oriented positions advance but choosing the lesser evil between capitalist states is definitely not the way for that, as the 1^st Worls War taught us.

The Communist and Workers’ Parties need to express solidarity with the peoples that are suffering the wars, plunders and interventions. We also need to stress that change of borders is a red line for us in the current situation and that the respect to each country’s sovereignty is a necessary element in the international arena.

In this sense, there is a need to put an end to the two decolonization processes that are pending in the Mediterranean area, which are Palestine and Western Sahara in the only progressive way, which is the creation of independent and sovereign states in the already commonly accepted borders.

We also need to be clear towards our class about the capitalist interests that are playing a central role in the developments in the area. The peoples are being massacred and dominated for the sake of capitalist interests, disguised generally as “national interests”, “security interests” and similar.

But, in the end, we need to make relevant steps in the reinforcement of our Parties. Only with much stronger Communist and Workers’ Partiesin many countries there is a chance for internationalism to be a relevant position and there is a real chance for us to help our class brothers and sisters in a concrete war. Otherwise, our peoples and our class will continue being victims of the interests of the capitalists, both in our countries and in the whole world. This is our main concern, comrades.

Thank you.