Socialist Workers Party (Palestine)
Encyclopedia
Socialist Workers Party was a political party
in the British Mandate of Palestine from 1919–1922. Its followers were known as Mopsim.
The party was a minor force in the political life of the Yishuv
in Palestine, and was torn by internal divisions between the labour Zionism of Poalei Zion and the proletarian internationalism
of the Communist International. The party was the precursor of the Palestine Communist Party
, and of the current Communist Party of Israel
.
, Jaffa
and Jerusalem met and decided to relaunch a Poalei Zion party in Palestine (the rightist sections of the Palestine Poalei Zion had formed a separate party, Ahdut HaAvoda
in March same year). The founding congress of the Socialist Workers Party was held on October 17–19, 1919 in Jaffa. In a few weeks, the new party had a membership of approximately 110–120 persons.
work played a central role in the MPS. At the 2nd conference of the zionist Railway workers union, held in Jaffa March 6–7, 1920, MPS was the largest bloc with seven delegates. In order to counter the MPS influence in the union, Ahdut HaAvoda and Hapoel Hatzair
joined forces. Together the two parties had eight delegates.
The party ran a 'Borochov Club', a social meeting place in Jaffa. At the Club, named after Ber Borochov
, left-wing Poalei Zion publications like Avangard of Vienna
and Jüdische-Sozialistische Monatschrift from New York
were available.
and Soviet Russia
. The second party congress was held October 2–4, 1920, in Haifa. At the congress, there were 18 delegates with voting rights, 4 delegates without voting rights and 1 representative of the World Union of Poalei Zion. The delegates represented approximately 300 party members, from local branches in Haifa, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Petach Tikva and amongt road construction workers in Tiberias and Alexandria
.
On November 2, 1920, the name of the party was changed to Jewish Socialist Workers Party — Poalei Zion .
, held in December 1920, MPSI presented a list of 38 candidates. The list was led by Gershon Admoni
, Avraham Revutkzy, Yaakov Sikador, Haim Katz, Mordechai Haldi, Y. Shapira and 'L. Elisha' (Moshe Levin
). The election was marred by irregularities, and the MPSI protested the 'fradulent behaviour' of the dominant parties. Official records gave the MPSI candidate list 303 votes out of 4,433, i.e. 6.8% of the total vote and six delegates. In Jaffa and Tel Aviv
, MPSI got 152 out of 782 (19.5%), in Haifa the party got 43 out of 272 votes (16%), in Jerusalem 24 out of 426 votes (5.4%) and in the Galilee
54 out of 1279 votes (4.2%). The remaining 30 votes came from colonies on the West Bank
.
At the congress, the MPS delegates argued that membership should be open to Arab
workers and that Jewish and Arab proletarians should fight unitedly.
, Sichron Yaakov, Petach Tikva, Yavne
, Sarafend, Tzemah and Kineret, the party branch at the Labour Battalion 'Migdal', the Central Committee
and the youth and women's wings of the party. Present were both pro- and anti-Zionist tendencies amongst the delegates.
The third party congress decided to change to name of the party to Jewish Communist Party — Poalei Zion, section of the Palestine Communist Party (Yiddish abbreviation 'JKP-PKP'). In theory, this name denoted that the party was a Jewish national section in a bicommunal Palestinian party. In practice, there was no Arab national section and thus the name change was merely a symbolic gesture at this point.
'.
Fistfights erupted
as the JKP-PKP rally and the larger, authorized Histadrut rally clashed with each other. Police forces drove the communist rallyists out into the sand dunes between Tel Aviv and Jaffa. Later during the day, violence between Arab and Jews erupted in the city, partly as a consequence of the earlier JKP-PKP/Histadrut clash. Two party members were killed whilst defending a Jewish neighbourhood.
After these events, the party was weakened. The British authorities blamed the party for the riots. Also, the intention of the party of forming Jewish-Arab class unity became more difficult as communal tension hightened. The party found itself politically isolated, as polarization between Zionist and Arabic national aspirations aggravated. The party received harsh criticism from Zionists for its role in the May Day clash. The right-wing Zionist leader Ze'ev Jabotinsky accused the party of 'unforgivable treachery' a few days after the riots.
Moreover, the British authorities began deporting party cadres. 15 party activists had to leave Palestine. The 4th congress of the Communist International, held in 1922, condemned the deportations and the cooperation of Histadrut in facilitating them.
and the anti-Zionist Communist Party of Palestine
.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in the British Mandate of Palestine from 1919–1922. Its followers were known as Mopsim.
The party was a minor force in the political life of the Yishuv
Yishuv
The Yishuv or Ha-Yishuv is the term referring to the body of Jewish residents in Palestine before the establishment of the State of Israel...
in Palestine, and was torn by internal divisions between the labour Zionism of Poalei Zion and the proletarian internationalism
Proletarian internationalism
Proletarian internationalism, sometimes referred to as international socialism, is a Marxist social class concept based on the view that capitalism is now a global system, and therefore the working class must act as a global class if it is to defeat it...
of the Communist International. The party was the precursor of the Palestine Communist Party
Palestine Communist Party
The Palestine Communist Party was a political party in British Mandate of Palestine formed in 1923 through the merger of the Palestinian Communist Party and the Communist Party of Palestine...
, and of the current Communist Party of Israel
Communist Party of Israel
Maki |Maki]]. Maki, the original Israeli Communist Party, saw a split between a largely Jewish faction led by Moshe Sneh, which recognized Israel's right to exist and was critical of the Soviet Union's increasingly anti-Zionist stance, and a largely Arab faction, which was increasingly anti-Zionist...
.
Foundation
On September 25, 1919, Poalei Zionists in HaifaHaifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
and Jerusalem met and decided to relaunch a Poalei Zion party in Palestine (the rightist sections of the Palestine Poalei Zion had formed a separate party, Ahdut HaAvoda
Ahdut HaAvoda
Ahdut HaAvoda was the name used by a sequence of political parties that existed firstly during Mandate Palestine and later in Israel. Its original version, led by David Ben-Gurion, is one of the main ancestors of the modern-day Israeli Labor Party....
in March same year). The founding congress of the Socialist Workers Party was held on October 17–19, 1919 in Jaffa. In a few weeks, the new party had a membership of approximately 110–120 persons.
Mass work
Trade unionTrade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
work played a central role in the MPS. At the 2nd conference of the zionist Railway workers union, held in Jaffa March 6–7, 1920, MPS was the largest bloc with seven delegates. In order to counter the MPS influence in the union, Ahdut HaAvoda and Hapoel Hatzair
Hapoel Hatzair
Hapoel Hatzair is a Zionist group which was active in Palestine from 1905 until 1930. They were founded by A.D. Gordon, Yosef Ahronowitz, Yosef Sprinzak and followed a non-Marxist, Zionist, socialist agenda. In accordance with A.D...
joined forces. Together the two parties had eight delegates.
The party ran a 'Borochov Club', a social meeting place in Jaffa. At the Club, named after Ber Borochov
Ber Borochov
Dov Ber Borochov was a Marxist Zionist and one of the founders of the Labor Zionist movement as well as a pioneer in the study of Yiddish as a language....
, left-wing Poalei Zion publications like Avangard of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Jüdische-Sozialistische Monatschrift from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
were available.
Shifts in the party
In the latter half of 1920, the party took a rightward turn ideologically. The main theoretician of the party, Yaakov Meiersohn, had left Palestine for ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Soviet Russia
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
. The second party congress was held October 2–4, 1920, in Haifa. At the congress, there were 18 delegates with voting rights, 4 delegates without voting rights and 1 representative of the World Union of Poalei Zion. The delegates represented approximately 300 party members, from local branches in Haifa, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Petach Tikva and amongt road construction workers in Tiberias and 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...
.
On November 2, 1920, the name of the party was changed to Jewish Socialist Workers Party — Poalei Zion .
1920 Histadrut congress
Ahead of the founding congress of HistadrutHistadrut
HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael , known as the Histadrut, is Israel's organization of trade unions. Established in December 1920 during the British Mandate for Palestine, it became one of the most powerful institutions of the State of Israel.-History:The Histadrut was founded in...
, held in December 1920, MPSI presented a list of 38 candidates. The list was led by Gershon Admoni
Gershon Dua-Bogen
Gershon Dua-Bogen , alias 'Admoni', was a Polish-Jewish communist. He was an active militant of the Communist Party of Poland and of the Polish Workers' Party . He emigrated to Palestine, and became the general secretary of the Socialist Workers Party. He was expelled from Palestine for his...
, Avraham Revutkzy, Yaakov Sikador, Haim Katz, Mordechai Haldi, Y. Shapira and 'L. Elisha' (Moshe Levin
Moshe Levin
Moshe Levin , alias 'Batlan' and 'Elisha', was a Jewish socialist. He was a member of the Jewish Communist Party in Russia, before arriving in Palestine in 1919, where he joined the Socialist Workers Party. Levin contested on the 1920 Histadrut election on the list of the party, under the alias...
). The election was marred by irregularities, and the MPSI protested the 'fradulent behaviour' of the dominant parties. Official records gave the MPSI candidate list 303 votes out of 4,433, i.e. 6.8% of the total vote and six delegates. In Jaffa and Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, MPSI got 152 out of 782 (19.5%), in Haifa the party got 43 out of 272 votes (16%), in Jerusalem 24 out of 426 votes (5.4%) and in the Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
54 out of 1279 votes (4.2%). The remaining 30 votes came from colonies on the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
.
At the congress, the MPS delegates argued that membership should be open to Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
workers and that Jewish and Arab proletarians should fight unitedly.
Third party congress
The third party congress was held April 22-25 , 1921, in Jaffa. 26 delegates participated, representing local branches in Jaffa, Haifa, Jerusalem, RehovotRehovot
Rehovot is a city in the Center District of Israel, about south of Tel Aviv. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 112,700. Rehovot's official website estimates the population at 114,000.Rehovot was built on the site of Doron,...
, Sichron Yaakov, Petach Tikva, Yavne
Yavne
Yavne is a city in the Central District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a population of 33,000.-History:...
, Sarafend, Tzemah and Kineret, the party branch at the Labour Battalion 'Migdal', the Central Committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
and the youth and women's wings of the party. Present were both pro- and anti-Zionist tendencies amongst the delegates.
The third party congress decided to change to name of the party to Jewish Communist Party — Poalei Zion, section of the Palestine Communist Party (Yiddish abbreviation 'JKP-PKP'). In theory, this name denoted that the party was a Jewish national section in a bicommunal Palestinian party. In practice, there was no Arab national section and thus the name change was merely a symbolic gesture at this point.
1921 May Day riots
During May Day 1921, the party organized a small, unauthorized rally between Jaffa and Tel Aviv. At the rally, party had a banner in Yiddish, calling for the creation of a 'Soviet PalestineSoviet republic (system of government)
A Soviet Republic is a system of government in which the whole state power belongs to the Soviets . Although the term is usually associated with communist states, it was not initially intended to represent only one political force, but merely a form of democracy and representation.In the classic...
'.
Fistfights erupted
Jaffa riots
The Jaffa riots were a series of violent riots in Palestine on May 1–7, 1921, which began as a fight between two Jewish groups but developed into an attack by Arabs on Jews during which many were killed...
as the JKP-PKP rally and the larger, authorized Histadrut rally clashed with each other. Police forces drove the communist rallyists out into the sand dunes between Tel Aviv and Jaffa. Later during the day, violence between Arab and Jews erupted in the city, partly as a consequence of the earlier JKP-PKP/Histadrut clash. Two party members were killed whilst defending a Jewish neighbourhood.
After these events, the party was weakened. The British authorities blamed the party for the riots. Also, the intention of the party of forming Jewish-Arab class unity became more difficult as communal tension hightened. The party found itself politically isolated, as polarization between Zionist and Arabic national aspirations aggravated. The party received harsh criticism from Zionists for its role in the May Day clash. The right-wing Zionist leader Ze'ev Jabotinsky accused the party of 'unforgivable treachery' a few days after the riots.
Moreover, the British authorities began deporting party cadres. 15 party activists had to leave Palestine. The 4th congress of the Communist International, held in 1922, condemned the deportations and the cooperation of Histadrut in facilitating them.
Split
In 1922, the party was divided into two: The pro-Zionist Palestinian Communist PartyPalestinian Communist Party (1922)
The Palestinian Communist Party was a communist party in Palestine 1922-1923. It was born through a split in the Jewish Communist Party . A major difference between the two parties was the attitude towards Zionism...
and the anti-Zionist Communist Party of Palestine
Communist Party of Palestine
The Communist Party of Palestine was a communist party in Palestine 1922-1923. It was formed through a split in the Po‘alei Tziyon which lead to the formation of the Jewish Communist Party and another faction forming the Palestinian Communist Party). A major difference between the two parties was...
.