Fight grip of sexism

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letter from LOTS OF things have happened since I came back to Israel, most of them were not very pleasant.

Just one week after my return, a comrade of mine was arrested for 'having given financial and political help to deserters from the army". The police tried to prove that that girl was part of an organisation which has the aim of encouraging against real action on the omrade in Israel soldiers to desert the army.

During the next three ed for periods of 4 to 15 days.

Beaten

Only one was beaten, but because of that he signs id a statement which may cE use some problems if there is a are an important tactical One of those arrested is a member of the Black Panthers (in a common front in Parliament with the CP). This guy refused to go into the army for social reasons (he is a son of a big and poor family from Iraq and he argued that the country hasn't done anything for the welfare of lus family and there is no reason why he must spend Strike against Edward thana saare in the arm three years in that country).

When he was fighting on that issue he was held in a military prison and we organised with some others a movement in defence of his rights.

Since being released from the prison, and from the army, he has spent all his time in trying to publicise and fight against bad treatment in military prisons.

Most of our activity now is in solidarity committees. One is the solidarity committee with the Bir-Zeit University (& university on the West Bank which had been closed for the I AM dissatisfied by ti debate that's been taki place in the paper on porr graphy. In particular think that the whole arg ment about whether po encourages men to comr violence against women secondary as to what should do about it.

If the labour movem took a public stand agai pornography it could she the much challenged grir sexism on the working cl and open up a politi debate on sexual attitur towards women.

How much of an imp such action would have the pornography busin is irrelevant.

Sick On the point of por graphy's effect, the wi idea that it somehow itself can , "clean out"' : sexual desires is bourge It is quite wrong to ti that men can go ho indulge their sadi fantasies and that be end to it.

We all live within soc and what people read think in private affects way they act socially recognise that in cert limited circumstal pornography can beneficial - in bria out people's fantasies part of a controlled, scious struggle to chan‹ But outside t circumstances pr graphy can . act onl reinforce sexism.

Of course the gri sexual freedom of the was a big gain but no unqualified one.

by opposing sexual es tation in pornography elsewhere that SocI can persuade women sexual freedom is s thing worth defending preventing the reacti ies from using f graphy for their own el Yours comra MARK ALEXAN Camb the blue on the picke and putting demanı them. They must have memories. Back in 1 ber, three of us fro LAC met with Si Challenge supporters LV to discuss joint in Vehicles and to p the LAC conferen January.

The comrades keen for maximum a tion with us then - v changed since is not 1 LAC has gone on a st binge but that the co have been forced to between uncritical of the CP/right wing ship and working wit revolutionaries and n in the LAC.

Their role (or lac in the strike show: choice they made.!' hope that their choic indicative of a more turn towards combi tarianism and oppc on the part of Challenge support industry.

Yours fra JIM D Secreta personal ,

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weeks, five more comrades were arrested, and detain-