The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Israel calls for marking the 50th anniversary with a concerted Jewish - Arab struggle for advancing the political process and for ending the occupation and halting the settlements and for viable peace, based on the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel; for an independent and democratic Israel, that will be a home for working people and that upholds full national and civil equality in a state of all its citizens, and that implements equality for women.
Jewish and Arab communists, united ideologically, politically and organizationally in the framework of the CPI, have made a crucial contribution to the struggle of both the Israeli and the Palestinian peoples, for a life of peace, national independence, democracy, true equality and social justice.
The communists, at the forefront of the supporters of peace and the opponents of racism, have for decades, in conditions of underground and persecution, waged a consistent struggle for the independence of this country from the British Mandate rule and for respecting the right of self - determination of both peoples, the Jewish people in this country and the Arab - Palestinian people. Loyal to this struggle, the Jewish and Arab communists supported the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly of November 29, 1947 (the partition resolution) concerning the establishment, in the territory of Mandatory Palestine, of two independent states, an Arab state and a Jewish state.
Since the partition resolution, the Israeli communists have consistently upheld their uncompromising position for the just solution of the Israeli - Palestinian conflict, based on the implementation of the principles of the resolution. We have not abandoned our demand that the independent Palestinian state be established alongside Israel, even when we stood alone. Today, after more than 50 years have passed since that historic resolution was passed in November 1947, very many people recognize the fact, that had this just solution been implemented 50 years ago - both peoples would have been spared bereavement, losses and extreme suffering, and viable and just peace would reign in our region.
After the partition resolution was passed in 1947, the Zionist leadership in this country announced that it accepted the resolution. However, historical experience has shown, that this leadership consistently worked, from the very start, to prevent the full implementation of the resolution - to prevent the establishment of the independent Arab - Palestinian state alongside Israel.
The instructions that were given at the time to increase the territory that was under Israel's military control were done in the spirit of 'maximum territory with a minimum number of Arabs.' That was why the war for Israel's independence was accompanied by the destruction of 450 villages and the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Arabs from their homes and from their homeland - by the creation of the Palestinian refugee problem, which is known as ''al - Nakbeh'' (''the Tragedy'').
The responsibility for creating the Palestinian refugee problem, which has not yet been solved, is also borne by those parties that opposed the implementation of the partition resolution - British imperialism and Arab reactionary forces. The Supreme Arab Committee, which was the official Arab leadership in this country, announced its opposition to the resolution. Britain, which exploited its control over most Arab states in the region, stood behind the decision for military intervention to prevent the implementation of the UN resolution.
The Zionist leadership at that time signed an agreement with King Abdullah, who under British patronage ruled Transjordan, dividing between Israel and Transjordan the territories which in the partition resolution were designated for the Arab - Palestinian state.
We note with satisfaction the awakening that is taking place in Israeli society in general, and among historians in particular, with regards to revealing the multi - facetted truth concerning what transpired in connection with the establishment of the State of Israel, the tragic creation of the Palestinian refugees and the bloody history of the Israeli - Arab conflict, as well as concerning the historic role of the communist party in this country.
Fifty years after the fateful events, following which the State of Israel was established, yet the Palestinian state has not been established and the Palestinian refugee problem remains an open wound - the CPI once again reiterates, that the just solution of the Israeli - Palestinian conflict is the strategic goal of its political struggle.
The Oslo process opened the way towards a political solution, based on mutual recognition, and on turning away from the military solution.
Tragically, the right - wing government headed by Netanyahu is conducting a destructive policy, which chooses settlements over a political settlement, which is blocking the progress of the political process and which might lead the peoples into another war. Therefore, the CPI calls on all supporters of peace, Jews and Arabs, to conduct a joint struggle for the full implementation of the interim agreement (the Oslo Agreements) and for halting the construction in the settlements; and for a future of peace and security for both peoples.
Without a peace settlement, in the framework of which an independent Palestinian state will be established alongside Israel, in the territories that were occupied in June 1967, without the solution of two capitals in Jerusalem, and without solving the Palestinian refugee problem - the State of Israel will not be able to exist in security and achieve true independence and economic prosperity.
In its 50th year, the State of Israel is ''notable'' for increasing social divides, appalling polarization in income and property, 200,000 unemployed, an economic recession, the exacerbation of the housing crisis, constant attempts by the government to destroy the social safety nets and to increase the cost of medical and education services. The policy that chooses settlements over peace, is the same policy that chooses investments in settlements over investments in poor neighborhoods, and gives billions of dollars in benefits to employers and the wealthy at the expense of the workers, the elderly, children and the ill.
Alongside certain achievements in struggles for freedom of expression and association and alongside the orderly existence of parliamentary elections, the State of Israel continues to suffer from serious flaws as far as concerns religious coercion, the superior status of the military at the expense of the civilian society, the use of torture as a common method of interrogation and punishment, national discrimination and discrimination against women.
The introduction of the direct election for the post of Prime Minister has strengthened even further the executive branch (the government) at the expense of the legislature (the Knesset), and has undermined Israeli democracy.
Therefore, the CPI calls for board public campaigns to defend wages and social rights, for solving the housing crisis, for free education from kindergarten to university, for defending human and civil rights, for prohibiting torture, and for eliminating all forms of discrimination. As opposed to the reality of turning Israel into a haven for foreign and local capitalists, we reiterate our long-standing slogan, that has withstood the test of time: ''what is good for workers is good for Israel.''
The Arab population, which is a national minority in Israel and part of the Arab - Palestinian people, has for the past 50 years waged a courageous public struggle against being dispossessed of their lands, against its discrimination in all areas, against the demolition of homes, against the forced conscription of the Arab - Druze community, for equal budgets for the Arab municipalities, and for safeguarding its cultural - national identity.
The Arab population in Israel has for all those years filled an important role as a democratic force, struggling against racism and for peace and equality, through close cooperation with Jewish democratic forces.
In the conditions that evolved following the establishment of Israel, with the Arab population subjected to repressive military government, that served as a cover for the usurpation of most of its lands - the CPI was a beacon of hope, in whose light the image and institutions of the Arab public in Israel were formed.
Especially because of its Jewish - Arab composition, the CPI was able to navigate the struggle of the Arab - Palestinian minority in Israel for full national and civil equality, for a democratic Israel, and to do so simultaneously with the struggle for peace and for recognizing the Palestinian people's right to an independent alongside Israel.
On the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel, the Arab population in Israel, together with the Jewish democratic circles, marks the distressing fact, that half a century has passed since the majority of the Palestinian people became a nation of refugees, robbed of their homeland. Against this background the struggle will continue for the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, alongside the State of Israel; for solving the problem of the Palestinian refugees in accordance with the UN resolutions, and for finding a solution for the Arab citizens of Israel who were forced to leave their villages and who for decades have been considered to be ''present absentees.''
The achievement of full equal rights, national and civil, for the Arab - Palestinian minority in Israel, and making Israel a state in which all citizens live in equality and mutual respect, regardless of nationality, ethnicity or gender - is the supreme social interest of Israel and a condition for its being a democratic state.
On the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel, the CPI honors its members and supporters, all supporters of peace and equality, who have sacrificed so much in the political, social and democratic struggles towards making Israel a truly democratic state, striving for peace and equality, in which democratic freedoms and workers rights are genuinely respected.
Looking back in pain at the victims, the suffering and the wasting of chances to achieve peace, and in pride at its positions that have withstood the test and its constant struggle, the CPI will work with all its strength, for the right - wing government to quickly end its term in office and for Israel to walk the road that leads to just peace, to economic prosperity, to social well-being and to genuine equality.
Tel - Aviv, April 1998