Yechury

New Delhi, May 13: Sitaram Yechury trots around the world attending special meetings of communist parties, but strife-torn Jerusalem has never been on his itinerary.

On May 31, the CPM politburo member will leave for Jerusalem to attend the congress of the Israeli Communist Party. “This is my first visit to Jerusalem,” he said.

He will first spend three days with comrades of the Israeli Communist Party and then two days with those from the Palestinian People’s Party. Next, he will participate in a joint peace meeting with the two parties.

The peace initiative comes at a time Israelis and Palestinians are locked in a bloody conflict. Although it is not likely to say anything not said earlier, the search for peace has to go on, Yechury said.

“The meeting will discuss a peace plan based on ending the Israeli occupation, the dismantling of all settlements…. The whole world will condemn Palestine if it continues with its attacks even after Israel vacates all occupied Arab land,” he said.

Apart from proximity to the US, the CPM has been at loggerheads with the Manmohan Singh government on its relations with Israel.

It has repeatedly asked the government to make a break with the NDA’s pro-Israel policy and is unhappy that Singh has not made any policy demarcation.

Each time the UPA government buys arms from Israel, it gets a stern warning from the CPM.

Yechury said his trip to Jerusalem and the message he sends out will reiterate the CPM’s stand to the UPA government.