On the 3rd of December, the Palestinian Fatah Party and Hamas agreed to a joint committee to govern Gaza after the end of the current conflict. Hamas has agreed to relinquish its governmental role in Gaza and allow Fatah, the guiding force of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), to set up a “Communal Support Committee” that would be established by presidential order of Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Chairman of the PLO in the West Bank and would be subordinate to the PA in administrative, financial and legal matters.
The Netanyahu Government has so far opposed any involvement of the PA in the management of Gaza. The Israeli Government under the fascist Likud Party has historically tried to sabotage the PLO. Since the start of the genocide in Palestine, 100 Israeli hostages remain inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are dead. Mass protests have erupted in Israel calling for a ceasefire to free the hostages.
Now, the Netanyahu Government’s aggression has extended into Syria with the fall of the secular Assad government at the hands of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group. Now Syria, which was one of a few secular states in the Middle East, has become another extremist theocracy with western imperialist puppet-masters. HTS, a former affiliate of Al-Qaeda, will regress Syrian society with neoliberal free-market economics, with the Syrian people footing the bill.
In other news, Mexico’s Congress has passed legislation which would reverse railroad privatization laws enacted in the 1990s and give the government more control over rail operations, particularly in terms of passenger rail. Once again, the railway reform gives the State of Mexico the power to operate passenger trains. The bill would give the government the right to use railway lines to provide passenger service, with the president allowed to award concessions to public companies or individuals toward that goal. Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has indicated her intention to continue the rail construction and development focus of her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). She also mentioned that bringing passenger railways to public control will generate 600,000 new jobs for Mexico. The aim is to begin construction in 2025. The plans are for the new lines to be electrified with top speeds of 99 mph, with the equipment to be built in Mexico.
Also, President Sheinbaum signed a decree to de-privatize two energy companies, the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) and Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) following the recent approval of the energy reform passed through Mexico’s legislative bodies. President Sheinbaum said, “Pemex and CFE are once again companies of the people of Mexico. And we are committed to the fact that they will be efficiently operated companies that will provide services, fuel and electricity at affordable prices for all.” The nationalization of these industries is a win for the Mexican working-class.
Across the Atlantic, on Wednesday December 4, 2024, anti-New Popular Front Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his government, set up by French President Emmanuel Macron, resigned from the government. Barnier’s rule was contrary to the will of the people, which was expressed by the win of the New Popular Front, a left-wing coalition in France’s National Assembly.
A majority of MPs passed a vote of no confidence against Barnier’s government following his deeply unpopular moves of pushing austerity on workers, abetting the rise of fascism, and encouraging a conflagration with Russia and the People’s Republic of China. French President Macron hypocritically accused the New Popular Front of “collaborating” with far-right forces, including the fascist party of Marine Le Pen, in toppling the government. In fact, it was Macron who deliberately worked with the fascist Le Pen to appoint the now-deposed prime minister.
The Pole of Communist Revival of France (PRCF) warned that Macron would attempt to form a new government that would pose to rollback some parts of the public benefits programs. However, Macron will face additional hurdles in trying to form his new government.
Communists in France are calling for federal spending for domestic programs, not for propping up wars in Ukraine and weapons to Israel. As of the time of this video, Macron has appointed a new prime minister to take the place of Barnier. It remains to be seen how long this one will last.
In East Asia, the South Korean government also faced backlash when South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol declared martial law to damper the mass protests against his deeply unpopular reactionary government. Yoon used allegations of pro-North Korea sentiment against his political enemies as a pretext for the declaration. The National Assembly nullified his declaration within hours and voted to impeach him days later. The constitutional court is currently determining whether this impeachment will lead to his permanent removal or not. In the meantime, Yoon has been temporarily replaced by the acting President Han Duck-Soo.
