Munich 1972: How WWP responded

In September 1972, most people in the U.S. mistakenly saw Israel as an underdog, as the brave little David defending itself against the giant Goliath—the Arab countries. In 1972, the racist vilification of Arab people by the press went unquestioned. On top of this, after the Munich Olympics, the media unleashed a wave of hysteria of fever pitch against Palestinians and all Arabs.

In this difficult climate, Workers World Party (WWP) distributed across the country a leaflet entitled “What every worker should know about the violence at the Olympics.” This flyer told what really happened at Munich, described the Palestinian struggle, and explained why workers in the U.S. had an interest in supporting that struggle.

Distributing this leaflet was hard. In cities like New York, more WWP members and friends were needed for security—defending the leafleters —than there were leafleters, as a small but determined group of Zionists tried grabbing the leaflets or tearing them up. The Party’s comrades of Jewish background played the main role in this defense.

Whenever Israeli Prime Golda Meir or other officials came to the U.S., WWP, or the Committee in Support of Middle East Liberation, which WWP helped initiate, called a protest. Banners at these protests read, “Arab land, Arab oil, for the Arab people,” and “Israel—tool of U.S. rule.”

In 1972, there was a large movement in the U.S. against the war in Vietnam. WWP alone in this movement also opposed Israel’s war on the Palestinians. The organizers of the two coalitions opposing the Vietnam War were not only highly critical of the Palestinian struggle but also opposed bringing up other issues at Vietnam War protests. In marked contrast, WWP said that all U.S imperialist wars must be stopped.

Workers World Party, noting the strategic importance of the Middle East to U.S. imperialism, and the huge profits made by U.S. oil companies through theft of Arab oil, felt this included Washington’s proxy war on the Pales tinians via Israel. While opposing the Vietnam War, WWP and its allies also carried banners in these demonstrations saying, “No Vietnam War against the Arab people.”

For example, the WWP leaflet following the Munich events ends with: “Should Israel ever appear to be unable to conquer the Arabs, the poor and working people of America, and especially the Black, Puerto Rican, Chicano and Native Americans, would be forced to fight and die in another unjust war.” Some 32 years later, with U.S. troops deployed in Iraq, this seems especially prophetic. AP’s latest report on Feb. 13 is that 2,269 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq.