Stop imperialist intervention in the Middle East! No to the wars of capital!

Smoke rises above Tehran, March 4 -- Avash Media, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)

No to the wars of capital!

The NCPN (New Communist Party of the Netherlands) and CJB (Communist Youth Movement) strongly condemn the Dutch government's decision to deploy the Dutch frigate Zr. MS. Eversen in a supposedly ‘defensive’ manner in the Mediterranean Sea in light of the imperialist attack on Iran and Lebanon by the United States and Israel. The Dutch population is thus being drawn into a war that threatens to escalate into a new world war.

This war is not about ‘helping’ the Iranian people against their reactionary government, or any other ‘humanitarian’ false pretext that may be used to justify the intervention. This war was started to secure the interests of capitalist monopolies in the region, namely markets, raw materials, transport routes and spheres of geopolitical influence.

The pretexts for the criminal attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, and now also by Israel on Lebanon, are being fully adopted by the Dutch cabinet, which previously presented itself as a ‘defender of international law’, but now claims that international law ‘is not the only framework by which to assess this situation’ and indicates that it has ‘understanding’ for these attacks, which directly contravene international law. In the midst of an ongoing diplomatic process, another massacre has begun and a conscious choice has been made to escalate and destabilise the region.

A new war with enormous human suffering is not being waged in the interests of the population, but the working class will have to bear the costs. Dutch soldiers, who come from working-class backgrounds, are being deployed at risk to their own lives, not to defend the Dutch borders, but for the interests of capital and the imperialist alliances, the EU and NATO. The reopening of the debate on conscription is only intended to deploy even more young people for these interests and has nothing to do with myths about ‘security and stability,’ which imperialism can never offer.

The escalation is leading to a further increase in gas prices, which mainly affects working families. The NATO standard of 5% must also be coughed up by the working class, with the so-called ‘freedom contribution’ being highest for those on the lowest incomes. With the further escalation of the Jetten cabinet, the lives of Dutch citizens are also at risk of being sacrificed. This is part of a build-up to a capitalist war economy, in which social rights are being eroded for the profits of monopolies.

We once again express our solidarity with the people of Iran, Lebanon, and all countries in the region whose populations are paying the price for this criminal warmongering. The NCPN and CJB emphasise that only the Iranian people, like any people, have the right to determine their own future, free from imperialist interference.

The NCPN and CJB therefore demand:

• Stop the US and Israeli war in Iran and the Middle East, de-escalate now!

• No Dutch involvement in imperialist wars and interventions.

• No Dutch soldiers and weapons outside our borders. This only serves the interests of capital, not the interests of our people.

• Preserve social rights and security. No sacrifice of these achievements for the capitalist magnates!

The Netherlands out of imperialist alliances such as NATO and the EU!

Central Committee of the NCPN & General Board of the CJB