TEL AVIV — As the scandals
_ Swirl around the heads of Israel’s
' Tuling Labor Party with the resig-
| Nation of former prime minister
_ Rabin and the election of the new
| leader, right wing former defence
Minister Peres, the left forces are
forging a united front.in prepara-
tion for the May 17 general
' elections.
| Ina press release, the Com-
Munist Party of Israel (RAKAH)
announced the establishment of a
United front with the agreement
March 1 signed between the CPI
and the Black Panther Move-
ment. One week later a further
agreement was signed between
the above two parties and many
_ Mayors, heads and members of
' Municipal and local councils of
towns and villages, by
_ Partners to democratic local
_ fronts, by the ‘Israeli Left Social-
_ Ists’’, members of kibbituzim and
_ 2¥ Many professors and lecturers.
f € agreement also remains open
Or further forces which support
the political platform to join the
| front,
__ The Black Panthers are based
Mainly in slum quarters of big
aoa and ‘‘development town-
ts” and carry on the struggle
_ 88ainst discrimination toward
| aa Jews and for social jus-
ice. They developed from a
_ SPontaneous protest movement
sa . More class conscious one
| ir ave lately joined in the fight
oe Peace. They have elected rep-
_ .<Sentatives in the Histadrut (Is-

*s cent i Ee
zat ral trade union organi
Sev

|
j

On) and trade union bodies,
Fa €ral labor councils and in fac-
'y shop committees.
< € political significance’’,
Reds the CPI press release, “of
oe up of the Democratic
. eine for Peace and Equality is
tn “ndous Since it is the first
\ thee 7 the history of our country
lishetoe a front has been estab-
unin” based upon Jewish-Arab
ae and a sound platform of
} beac for-a just and. stable
» for defence of the interests

‘of the working people, for de-

fence of democratic freedoms and
equal rights.”’ :

The full text of the Declaration
of the Front, signed -by all
partners March 17 follows:

Out of historical responsibility
to the fate of our people, out of the
superior necessity to unite all
forces of peace, democracy and
social progress in Israel — we re-
solved to unite our forces and ef-
forts towards the elections to the
9th Knesset (Israeli Parliament)
and to set up a Jewish-Arab
Democratic Front for Peace and
Equality.

In the presence of the political,
economic, social and moral crisis
gripping Israel as a result of the
policy led by the government as
well as by the extreme nghtist
parties;

In the presence of the acute
danger of another, the fifth
Israeli-Arab war, certainly even
more destructive than all former
ones, if the presently ruling policy
of Israel will be continued —
while, on the other hand, there
exists the real possibility of estab-
lishing just and stable peace, if
there will be a fundamental
change in the official policy of
Israel; ;

In the presence of the serious
economic crisis, the lowering of
the real wages of the workers and

living standard of the majority of:

the popular masses, consequently
to the tremendously military ex-.
penditures in order to keep. up the
occupation of Arab territories,
and consequently to the privileges
and super-profits granted foreign
and domestric big capitalists;

In the presence of the growing
threat to democratic freedoms,
the danger of fascist dictatorship,
in this or another form, by ex-
tremist right-wing forces’ seizing
power;

In the presence of the aggrava-
tion of the policy of national dis-
crimination against, and oppres-
sion of the Arab population of

‘ Israel;

In the presence of social polari-
zation, of spreading poverty, and
aggravation of the (ethnic) com-
munal discrimination (against
oriental Jews);

In the presence of continued
policy..of..discrimination, against
women and the existence (in Is-
rael) of obscurant marital legisla-
tion —

We — Parties, organizations,
circles, and personalities, Jews
and Arabs, adherent to different
ideological outlooks — decided to
set up a Democratic Front for
Peace and Equality with an elec-
toral list towards the elections to
the 9th Knesset.

The front is based on agreeing
to the principles of the following
common platform of this list.

The front will fight for:

JUST AND STABLE PEACE
BETWEEN THE STATE OF IS-
RAEL AND THE ARAB STATES

Peace will be based upon re-
spects for all peoples and states in
our region, including those of Is-
rael and the Arab Palestine
people. :

Israel has to withdraw from all
territories occupied during the
June 1967 war. The lines of June

4, 1967, will become the recog- ©

nized and secure borders between
the State of Israel and the Arab
states.

The right of the Arab Palestine
people for self-determination and
for establishing their independent
state alongside the sovereign

State of Israel. has to be |

recognized.

The Geneva Peace Conference
has to be convened without
further delay, with the participa-
tion of all sides involved in the
conflict, including the Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO) as
the agreed-upon and recognized
representative of the Arab Pales-

“tine people.

DEFENCE OF THE IN-
TERESTS OF THE WORKERS
in production as well as in ser-
vices, in town and in villages; de-

fence of the interests of the slum
dwellers in poverty stricken
neighborhoods.

ELIMINATION OF THE POL-
ICY OF NATIONAL DIS-
CRIMINATION AGAINST AND
OPPRESSION OF THE ARAB
POPULATION OF ISREAL in all
spheres.

Cancellation of all legislation
and measures which discriminate
against the Arab population.

Recognition of the Arab popu-
lation of Israel as a_ national
minority and securing equal and
national rights, by rule and by
practice.

ELIMINATION OF ETHNIC
COMMUNAL DISCRIMINA-
TION IN ALL SPHERES

Dedication of special funds and

Israeli Settlements
in Occupied Areas

© SETTLEMENT

ISRAEL

SINAI
PENINSULA

1. The stones of the Sinal.

2. Jews and Arabs march
through Jerusalem to protest Arab
exclusion from border villages.

3. Israeli troops order Arab
woman and child back to their
home.

4. Map shows Israeli settle-
ments in occupied Arab lands.

hw Wo

allocations for raising to an equal
level (with other strata) of the
members of the oriental Jewish
communities in all spheres of
economic, social, cultural and
political life.

DEFENCE OF THE DEMOC-
RATIC FREEDOMS AND
WIDENING THEIR SCOPE

Against the seizure of power by
rightist and fascist forces.

SECURING EQUAL RIGHTS
FOR THE WOMAN IN ALL
SPHERES

Cancelling of all legislation dis-
criminating against women. In-
troduction of legislation which
guarantees equal rights to the
women.

Preventing religious coercion
of any kind. Securing freedom of
opinion and faith.

According to these principles
the detailed platform of the front
will be prepared.

The electoral list of the front:
will be based upon the (par-
liamentary) faction of the Com-
munist Party (RAKAH) in the
Knesset. The CP faction will ap-
peal for the change of its domina-
tion into ‘“‘Democratic Front for
Peace and Equality — The Com-
munist Party of Israel (RAKAH),
The Black Panther Organization,
Jewish and Arab public Circles’’.

The front will be open for
further adherents of political
bodies, circles and personalities
on the basis of the above
platform.

We call, herewith, upon all
forces of peace, democracy, and
progress in Israel, Jew and Arab
alike, to join the front and to lend
their hand towards its success in
the elections to the 9th Knesset.

We call, herewith, to set up
local branches of the front with
aim of mobilizing and uniting
widest possible popular forces for
success of the lofty struggles of
the Democratic Front for Peace
and Equality. 4

The establishment of the
Jewish-Arab Democratic Front
for Peace and Equality is a new
and outstanding feature in® the
political and social life of Israel.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 22, 1977—Page 7