Egyptian Communist Organisation
Encyclopedia
The Egyptian Communist Organisation was a political organisation in Egypt
. The group emerged in mid-1948 as the Voice of the Opposition, following a split from the Democratic Movement for National Liberation
. Voice of the Opposition published Sawt al-brulitaria (صوت البروليتاريا, 'Voice of the Proletariat'). In December 1948 the group merged with the group Toward Bolshevik Organisation, becoming the Egyptian Communist Organisation. It was dubbed as 'MISHMISH', a pejorative distortition of its acronym. Mishmish (مشمش) means apricot
in Arabic.
The leadership of MISHMISH was almost exclusively Jewish, made up by former members of the Iskra
group. Albeit the organisation adopted a '100% proletarian
' line, most of its leaders came from wealthy backgrounds.
MISHMISH condemned the Egyptian military intervention in Palestine as a 'racist war'. It saw that war as a ploy of the Arab bourgeoise, supported by imperialists
, to divert the class struggle
of Arab workers. The organisation called for Jewish self-determination in Palestine. In the view of MISHMISH Zionism
would not be able to retain its dominance over Jewish politics in Palestine as the Jewish working class would be radicalised, and that Israel
could develop into a socialist state.
In 1949 MISHMISH was one of the bigger communist splinter groups, with several hundreds of members. Its relationship to other communist groups was however very bad. MISHMISH routinely dubbed the other communist groups as police informers, blaming them for arrests of communists. Moreover, it began to label all other Egyptian communist groups as 'Titoists
'.
In early 1949, two MISHMISH cadres were arrested in Alexandria
. In August 1950 the Cairo
-based leadership of the group (Sidney Solomon, Odette Solomon, Aslan Cohen, Miray Cohen and Mohamed Sid-Ahmed) was arrested. After the August 1950 arrests, the organisation became dormant. In 1954 it was dissolved, as the Solomon couple left Egypt.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. The group emerged in mid-1948 as the Voice of the Opposition, following a split from the Democratic Movement for National Liberation
Democratic Movement for National Liberation
The Democratic Movement for National Liberation was a communist organization in Egypt 1947-1955. HADITU was led by Henri Curiel. The movement followed a line of National Democratic Revolution....
. Voice of the Opposition published Sawt al-brulitaria (صوت البروليتاريا, 'Voice of the Proletariat'). In December 1948 the group merged with the group Toward Bolshevik Organisation, becoming the Egyptian Communist Organisation. It was dubbed as 'MISHMISH', a pejorative distortition of its acronym. Mishmish (مشمش) means apricot
Apricot
The apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.- Description :...
in Arabic.
The leadership of MISHMISH was almost exclusively Jewish, made up by former members of the Iskra
Iskra (Egyptian communist organisation)
Iskra was a communist organization in Egypt. Iskra was founded in 1942 by Hillel Schwartz. In the initial phase of its existence, the membership of Iskra was a few tens....
group. Albeit the organisation adopted a '100% proletarian
Proletariat
The proletariat is a term used to identify a lower social class, usually the working class; a member of such a class is proletarian...
' line, most of its leaders came from wealthy backgrounds.
MISHMISH condemned the Egyptian military intervention in Palestine as a 'racist war'. It saw that war as a ploy of the Arab bourgeoise, supported by imperialists
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
, to divert the class struggle
Class struggle
Class struggle is the active expression of a class conflict looked at from any kind of socialist perspective. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote "The [written] history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle"....
of Arab workers. The organisation called for Jewish self-determination in Palestine. In the view of MISHMISH Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
would not be able to retain its dominance over Jewish politics in Palestine as the Jewish working class would be radicalised, and that Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
could develop into a socialist state.
In 1949 MISHMISH was one of the bigger communist splinter groups, with several hundreds of members. Its relationship to other communist groups was however very bad. MISHMISH routinely dubbed the other communist groups as police informers, blaming them for arrests of communists. Moreover, it began to label all other Egyptian communist groups as 'Titoists
Titoism
Titoism is a variant of Marxism–Leninism named after Josip Broz Tito, leader of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, primarily used to describe the specific socialist system built in Yugoslavia after its refusal of the 1948 Resolution of the Cominform, when the Communist Party of...
'.
In early 1949, two MISHMISH cadres were arrested in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
. In August 1950 the Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
-based leadership of the group (Sidney Solomon, Odette Solomon, Aslan Cohen, Miray Cohen and Mohamed Sid-Ahmed) was arrested. After the August 1950 arrests, the organisation became dormant. In 1954 it was dissolved, as the Solomon couple left Egypt.