LSSP leader Prof. Tissa Vitarana condemns Israel’s attack on Palestine, calls for global action

In a strongly worded statement issued to the media on Friday, Prof. Tissa Vitarana, leader of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), condemned the ongoing attack on Palestine by Israel, supported by the American government, and highlighted its global impact.

Prof. Vitarana described the conflict as “one of the worst human-made disasters in history,” surpassing even the atrocities of the Second World War. He noted that while the Nazis avoided attacking hospitals marked with red crosses, the Israeli government, led by Netanyahu, has waged war in a vicious manner, destroying schools and homes, killing over 45,000 people, and wounding more than 100,000, 75% of whom are women and children. He criticized Israel’s actions as a “war of extermination,” depriving Palestinians of food, water, medicine, and electricity under the guise of targeting “terrorists.”

The LSSP leader also addressed the recent ceasefire, facilitated partly by the US, with Trump aiming to emulate Barack Obama and win a Nobel Prize as a peacemaker. While Hamas and Hezbollah have observed the ceasefire, Prof. Vitarana accused Israel of repeatedly violating it by killing and wounding innocent Palestinians, refusing to withdraw its soldiers, and banning UNRWA, the UN agency providing essential supplies to the people. He commended the UN Secretary-General for labeling Netanyahu and the Israeli military general as war criminals but expressed disappointment at the international community’s silence.

Prof. Vitarana emphasized the need for a two-state solution, urging the UN to recognize Palestine as an independent, sovereign state. He also highlighted the plight of Palestinians returning to Gaza and the West Bank, only to find their homes destroyed or severely damaged. Despite Israel’s ban, UNRWA continues to operate under UN direction, providing critical aid to the affected population.

On a related note, Prof. Vitarana drew attention to the global problem of hunger and starvation, exacerbated by rising food prices driven by profiteering middlemen. He cited Sri Lanka’s experience during the 1972/73 economic crisis, when Dr. N.M. Perera, then Finance Minister, successfully tackled the issue by establishing Producer and Consumer Cooperatives linked through a Marketing Department. Prof. Vitarana called for the revival of this model in Sri Lanka and suggested it as a valuable example for other countries facing similar challenges.