The brutal slaughter of peace activists by the Israeli Defence Forces is only the latest scandal resulting from the blockade of Gaza. In this article we outline the Socialist Party's opposition to the siege, how it can be defeated and the need for a socialist alternative in the region.

The following is the translated text of a leaflet (in Arabic) that is being distributed in Beirut today by supporters of the CWI (international organisation of the Socialist Party in Lebanon during a mass protest against the massacre of peace activists by the IDF last weekend.

Here we post the emergency leaflet of the Socialist Party distributed on stalls and protests around the country over the last two days in the immediate aftermath of the massacre.

During an exchange of views with William E. Kennard, the U.S. Ambassador to the EU in the International Trade Committee in the European Parliament today, Joe Higgins MEP  challenged the ambassador about the weak US response to the slaughter of peace activists yesterday by the Israeli Defence Force.

Here is a translated and a slightly edited statement posted early on 31 May 2010 on the website of Tnua’t Maavak Sozialisti / Harakat Nidal Eshtaraki - Socialist Struggle Movement –the Committee for a Workers’ International in Israel.

News reports have not yet provided a definitive account of the extent of the IDF attack on the flotilla of eight humanitarian aid ships on their way to Gaza. However it is clear that IDF forces have taken over some of the ships and at least 10 unarmed activists have been slaughtered and others injured. There are at least eleven Irish nationals on this flotilla and we do not yet know the condition they are in.

• Victory to the Greek and all European workers!
• Solidarity with Greek general strike on 5 May!
• For an international day of action!

The recent period has seen the launching of a brutal offensive by capitalist governments, along with the international money markets, aimed at savaging the public services and living standards of working people to pay for the crisis of capitalism, and the massive cost of bailing out the banks and the financial system.

The economic and social crisis that has exploded in Greece in recent months has exposed not only deep social contradictions within Greek society, but also fundamental problems facing capitalism across Europe. The chasm between the political establishment and the interests of working people in Greece is replicated across Europe.

Police today (7 April 2010) arrested Dagga Tolar, the Secretary of the Lagos state chapter of Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) and a member of Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM – CWI in Nigeria), along with Akpos Okoro, community activist and Aderemi Ismail, community activist and organizer and member of the Ajegunle Branch of the DSM.

Whether it is current Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki or opposition leader, Iyad Allawi, that emerges triumphant from this month’s elections, the outcome will be the same for the vast majority of ordinary Iraqi workers and their families – a further entrenchment of communal divisions, instability and poverty.