Tel-Aviv, May 1 — Hundreds of workers and activists marched in central Tel-Aviv with red flags and banners, some decorated with the hammer and sickle, the traditional communist symbol of industrial and farm workers’ unity. We, the PL’ers in Israel-Palestine, all came to this march, with our red shirts, as well as the local leaflet “Why Communism?”
While the May Day march was organized by the thoroughly pseudo-leftist “Communist” Party of Israel, as well as the usual liberals, many radicalized and militant youth and workers came as well. One demonstrator, who was dressed in a WWII-era Red Army uniform, upon seeing our leaflet told us that he supports the way of Stalin and Mao! Another young worker from the “C”P Youth, told us he stands against the CP leadership and supports what was written in our leaflet.
The main call of the march was for a 30 ILS ($8.5) hourly minimum wage, instead of the current 25 ILS ($7), which is now the main campaign of the reformists. This is an important struggle, as one cannot make a living out of a minimum wage even when working full-time. But we must ask — would asking for a few more crumbs off the bosses’ table change the essential nature of the working class’s exploitation by the tycoons?
What we need to fight for is not a few more scraps of bread, but the whole bakery. This is why we openly call for communist revolution.