The Communist Party was founded in 1919, when Palestine was under the rule of the British Mandate. A group of comrades established the Socialist Workers Party, which eventually became the Palestinian Communist Party.

In 1948, after the establishment of the State of Israel, the party changed its name to the Communist Party of Israel.

Since foundation and up to this day, the Party’s members, both Jews and Arabs, are working towards peace, equality, democracy, women’s and workers’ rights, and for the establishment of a socialist society.

The Communist Party was created for and works as a force of deep social change, a force whose goal is the birth of a new and different society. At the beginning of the third millennia, this change is doubly urgent and critical: late capitalism is a regime characterized by deep structural contradictions, injustice, global environmental degradation, the erosion of workers’ rights, and a global order headed by American imperialism. The globalization of the rule of capital is not the solution to the social crisis, but its main cause.

The Communist Party of Israel struggles for Socialism – a humane and democratic society of social justice. Socialism is the revolutionary social change that replaces capitalism – the regime of class exploitation, of the oppression of man by man. Socialism means the rule of the working class; the social ownership of the main means of production, within a framework of democratic planning and regulation for the benefit of all members of society; a high level of the quality of life and the improvement of material and cultural well-being; a national and ethnic equality; the equal status of women in society, at the workplace and at home; the pluralism of opinions, organizations and parties, and the widening of democracy within politics, society and the economy. Socialism upholds man as the supreme value and guarantees his rights, liberty and free development. Socialism is not a static and final social order – but a dynamic social system of constant development and renewal.

The CPI, the party of renewing revolutionary socialism, is guided by the values and principles of socialism in all of its struggles.

The CPI is the party of class struggle, a revolutionary party of the working class and the oppressed, the party of internationalism and genuine patriotism, the Jewish-Arabic party who exemplifies the true interests of Israel for the benefit of all of its inhabitants.

The CPI was the first in Israel to promote the solution of peace for both peoples. The CPI struggles for a just, comprehensive and stable Israeli-Arab peace agreement, centered on the end of the Occupation, the dismentling of all Israeli settlements, and an Israeli-Palestinian peace of two states for two peoples: the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, whose capital is East Jerusalem, alongside the State of Israel, whose capital is West Jerusalem; and the resolution of the Palestinian Refugees problem on the basis of the relevant UN resolutions.

The CPI struggles for an Israeli state that is independent, politically and economically, from the United States and international corporations, and for the integration of Israel within the region.

The CPI struggles for:

(a) the interests, rights and quality of living of the workers; the development and progress of the country for the benefit of all of its citizens, Jews and Arabs, without discrimination; against any form or manifestation of racism, national chauvinism and social reaction; the defense of human rights and against all form of discrimination; for the defense of democratic liberties and against the threat of Fascism;

(b) equality of rights and national equality of the Arab Palestinian minority in Israel and its recognition by the state as a National Minority; for the legislation of an equal citizenship law; to defend the rights of the Arab citizens who were dispossessed of their homes and properties; for Jewish-Arabic solidarity;

(c) equality of women in all spheres of life; the end of all forms of violence and coercion of and against women;

(d) equality of rights of the Eastern Jews;

(e) defense of the rights of children and youths;

(f) defense of gustarbetires;

(g) against militarism and for the recognition of the right to refuse service on grounds of conscientious objection;

(h) for the separation of religion from state, the guarantee of freedom of conscience, to revoke all forms of religious coercion, the protection of the freedom of worship for all faiths without discrimination, and to ensure the right of all inhabitants to freely choose a religious or secular form of life.

In the past as well as the present, the Communist Party of Israel struggles against the currents of nationalist dogmas amongst both Jews and Arabs.
We reject the ideological and practical principles of Zionism, who create racist approaches and are contradictory to equality and democracy. We reject the positions of Arab reaction. Our approach is class-based and internationalist: we divide the world by different standards. For us, the meaningful division is not between Jews and Arabs but between those who’s interest are served by preserving the current class-system, and those whose interest is to change it. Thus we can truly offer a unifying Jewish-Arabic political approach, instead of separate political spheres for Jews and Arabs.

We offer a common way, on the basis of a minimalist platform, for all Israelis  who would agree to walk with us part of the way. This was our intention in establishing, in 1977, the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (DFPE – “Hadash”/”Aljabha”), which we view as a true Jewish-Arabic political partnership. We put our efforts for it to be strengthened, developed and expanded.

The CPI works for the establishment of a wide Jewish-Arabic democratic left unity, which could offer both of our peoples a convincing platform to resolve the current crisis and embark on a path of peace and equality. The CPI aims for wide cooperation with parties, forums and people with varying world-views on a common basis.

The CPI aspires to be the political home of those who strive for radical social change in Israel. On the path of change we wish to walk together. This path is not easy. But it is the path for a just and worthy future to us and to our children.